Fan Girl For Magnolia

“It’s about time!” That’s what I said when I first found out that Puzzle Warehouse was going to start selling a selection of Magnolia Puzzles. I have been a fan girl for this brand since their very first collection in 2020. At the time you could only buy them from Turkey and it took several weeks to get to my home. Now, they are much easier to get in the states and I’m so excited to see them expand and get a larger following. Before you get all excited and head over to the brand’s page, just know that they are a sought-after brand. Puzzle Warehouse currently has 25 of their images, but it’s been hard to keep them in stock. However, I wanted to make this blog post in case you have been curious about the brand and want to know whether they are worth the wait.

Tea Time with Alice by Magnolia Puzzles

The very first collection that caught my eye was by Romi Lerda. Romi is a self-taught artist from Argentina, whose specialty is creating fantasy big-eyed women. My very first Magnolia puzzle was from her Alice and Wonderland collection. Tea Time with Alice was one of the first times I had ever experienced matte pieces. I loved the feel of the pieces, the look of the colors, image and fit. I love an Alice and Wonderland themed puzzle. The fun details, bold colors, and vibrant image design was so much fun.

The artwork by Romi Lerda has continued to impress me and each time I see a new design I add it to my ever-expanding wish list. Recently I received The Beautiful Pirate in anticipation for this blog. It is one of Romi’s newer designs. This captivating pirate features bright colors that are incredibly eye-catching. 

The Beautiful Pirate by Magnolia Puzzles 

What I enjoyed about this image is there is just the right amount of detail in the background. The newer images have a lot more to work with but doesn’t take away from the boldness of the featured lady. In some of the older images, the background for a Romi Lerda puzzle was sometimes very plain or with a mild gradient. For example: The Queen’s Gambit and Frida are both stunning puzzles but once you are done putting together the focal piece, there isn’t much to work from. 

The Queen’s Gambit by Magnolia Puzzles 

Frida by Magnolia Puzzles 

Another artist that is featured by the brand is NİHAL ÇİFTER, from Istanbul. On the Magnolia website she said, “I love creating new worlds and places that people live in happily and peacefully together. It makes me very happy and motivated when someone dreams about living in my paintings just for a moment.”  I have three from this collection and each one of them looks so whimsical and peaceful. Free Ship is still on my to-do list but I just love the coloring and different patterns of this image. However, once I received Houses I Read, I just had to put it on my puzzle table. 

Free Ship by Magnolia Puzzles 

First, the colors of this puzzle are stunning!! I love this beautiful design. I, of course, love the hot air balloons and this puzzle was the perfect amount of difficulty. The gradient background was just the right number of pieces and worked beautifully from the bottom up. There were so many intricate details, different patterns, and colors that I was never stuck and could easily move through the puzzle. 

Houses I Read by Magnolia Puzzles 

I’m realizing as I’m writing this blogpost is several things about the brand stand out for me. I have done about 10 Magnolia Puzzles over the years and have loved every single one. The quality is lovely, it has beautiful coloring and was one of the pioneer brands that helped me realize my love for matte pieces. (Just for transparency, some have mentioned that the brand has a crumblier fit. But, of the puzzles I have done, I have never had a false fit and could still slide larger sections around)

What I truly enjoy about the brand is the artwork. I have about a dozen on my wish list that I am drooling over! (I mean – have you seen Tree of Books?? It is beautiful!!) Magnolia was one of the first brands where I fell in love with certain images and started to follow the artists who created the puzzles. When a new Romi Lerda puzzle comes up, it sparks my interest.  And since Magnolia works with over a dozen artists, they can appeal to a lot of different puzzlers.  (I hope one day that Puzzle Warehouse carries more of them) They really have a huge variety of images and if you pair that with the quality, I’m not surprised that a lot of puzzlers are taking notice!

Emilee Frost @thecasualpuzzler