If you're like me, you're hip deep in horror movies and pumpkin spice lattes right about now. You can check out my post on the top fall and Halloween puzzles here. However, it's NEVER too early to think about Christmas puzzles. In fact, one of my favorite times to do them, besides December of course,... Continue Reading →
Review: “Santa’s List” by Randy Wollenmann, Vermont Christmas Company 8.75/10
Publisher: Vermont Christmas Company (US), published 2014 Title: “Santa's List” by Randy Wollenmann, 1000 pieces Finished size: 30" x 24" OUR RATING: 8.75/10 You say it's not even Thanksgiving? Psah! I was in the mood for a Christmas puzzle this week, so why not? I decided to do a Randy Wollenmann from Vermont Christmas Company. I've become... Continue Reading →
Review: Halloween Barn Dance by Randy Wollenmann, Vermont Christmas Company 9.25/10
Publisher: Vermont Christmas Company (US), published 2017 Title: “Halloween Barn Dance” by Randy Wollenmann, 1000 pieces Finished size: 30" x 24" OUR RATING: 9.25/10 Last week I posted my "Top 13 for Halloween list". At the top of my list was this puzzle, "Halloween Barn Dance". I'm a fan of Randy Wollenman's hand-painted holiday scenes, especially his... Continue Reading →
Review: “St. Francis” by Randy Wollenmann, Sunsout – 9.25/10
"St. Francis" is a gorgeous inspirational puzzle with a stained glass look. The puzzle is bright and beautiful with very crisp artwork, and the end result is worthy of framing. I loved assembling it too. The inner scene of St. Francis was easy to piece together, but the arched frame of leaves, berries, and doves was challenging because it's a repeating pattern. I had a blast assembling that part because I was in the mood for something that took more thought and effort. The Sunsout quality is very good, with sturdy pieces and a nice random piece cut. I like that you can move around a set of joined pieces without them falling apart. This is a moderate-to-difficult puzzle but worth every piece placed! Highly recommended.
Review: “Christmas Tree Farm” by Randy Wollenmann, Vermont Christmas Company – 8.5/10
This is a lovely Christmas themed puzzle from artist Randy Wollenmann. The bright colors are fun, especially the pink in the image. The wintry scene is appealing with kids and families out choosing their Christmas tree. The puzzle is a nice blend of easy elements, like the characters in their unique outfits, and slightly more challenging elements like all the fir trees, snow, and night sky. The difficulty is easy-to-moderate. I especially like the art style, which is hand painted and a little bit cartoony. The Vermont Christmas Company quality is good with hard, solid pieces. The cut is mostly a grid cut, but not all edges line up and some sides have wavy and diagonal edges. Recommended for all who enjoy cartoon or Christmas puzzles.
Review: “Halloween Town” by Randy Wollenmann, Vermont Christmas Company – 9.25/10
I loved assembling this Halloween puzzle! The image by Randy Wollenmann has bright colors and patterns that make assembly easy, quick, and super fun. It was so much fun I completed the puzzle in one session because I just had to do the “next little bit”. The Vermont Christmas Company quality is good with hard, solid pieces. The cut is mostly a grid cut, but not all edges line up and some sides have wavy and diagonal edges. This gave the puzzle a unique personality, and I enjoyed working it. This puzzle is easy enough that it makes an ideal family puzzle. It’s the best of the 2016 Halloween season!
Review: “Christmas Cuckoo Clock” by Randy Wollenmann, Vermont Christmas Company – 9.25/10
This is a delightful Christmas puzzle with easy-to-medium difficulty. The Vermont Christmas Company quality is good with hard, solid pieces. The image is bright, crisp, and well adhered to the backing. The cut is an semi-random cut with a wide variety of piece shapes. I particularly enjoyed the illustration style with lots of detail throughout the image. Assembly is a nice mix of easy elements, such as the elves and inner clock face, and areas that require a little more thought, such as the gold features of the clock, the snow, and the gradated blue background. It's a very doable puzzle, though, and never frustrating. Highly recommended.