Publisher: Sunsout (US), published date 2017 Title: “Waiting for Some Sunshine” by Ashley Davis, 1000 pieces Finished size: 25" x 38 OUR RATING: 8.25/10 This week Puzzle Warehouse is having a "Buy 2 Get 1 Free" sale on all Sunsout puzzles, so I wanted to review one. And it's been a long time since I reviewed a shaped... Continue Reading →
POTM Review: “Eiffel Tower”, Ravensburger 9/10
Publisher: Ravensburger, 2015 Title: “Eiffel Tower”, art by Ravensburger, 960 pieces Finished size: 41.5" x 30" OUR RATING: 9/10 Puzzle of the Month: January 2018 You're in for a treat with January's puzzle of the month. This shaped Ravensburger puzzle is a fun and challenging start to the new year. If you are in the POTM... Continue Reading →
Review: “A Girl’s Stocking” by Liz Goodrick Dillon, Sunsout – 9.25/10
I loved shaped puzzles. There aren't that many released each year, so I treasure the good ones when they come along. This stocking-shaped Christmas puzzle is really delightful. The curved border is fun to work with and the image is filled with bright colors and patterns that keep you moving from one object to the other without wanting to stop. I love the quiet scene by the Christmas tree and the soft, painterly art style. The Sunsout quality is excellent too, with sturdy pieces and a fun random piece cut. Highly recommended.
Review: “Butterfly Menagerie” by Aimee Stewart — Sunsout, 9.5/10
love shaped puzzles, and this offering from Sunsout and Aimee Stewart is really gorgeous and fun to assemble. The image is filled with a variety of brightly-colored butterflies and flowers in different colors and patterns, and those are easy to assemble. The fill around them–greenery and a blue pattern–appears in small doses and wasn’t too difficult. I really liked assembling the irregular edge, especially the antenna. Cute!
Shaped for Fun — A Top Ten List
This week, for the dog days of summer, Jigsaw Junkies is featuring shaped puzzles. This week we had a review of "Autumn Squirrel" by Mary Thompson and "Abundant Garden" by Aimee Stewart. Today I'm going to share a top ten list with my favorite picks of Puzzle Warehouse's selection of shaped puzzles. (As usual, I couldn't... Continue Reading →
Review: “Abundant Garden” by Aimee Stewart – Sunout, 9.25/10
This is a gorgeous and fun-to-assemble shaped puzzle from Sunsout. The garden is filled with vibrant flowers, colorful birds, cute animals, and other surprises to discover as you assemble it. I really loved the soft art style, which feels airbrushed. The image is full without feeling crowded and there's no real 'background color', dead space, or dark areas. Assembly is of moderate difficulty but everything has a unique color or texture, so if you reference the box lid, you can always tell where a piece goes. The Sunsout quality is excellent with thick, sturdy pieces and a wonderful random cut. I particularly liked the unusual, fan-shaped border, which was a nice change from rectangular puzzles. Highly recommen
Review: “Autumn Squirrel” by Mary Thompson — Sunsout, 9/10
I loved shaped puzzles and fall-themed puzzles, so this puzzle was extra fun to assemble. The image has lots of fall leaves, both large and small. It really puts me in the mood for crisp autumn days! The Sunsout quality is excellent with thick, sturdy pieces and a wonderful random cut and hangs together really well. The overall difficulty is moderate. Most of the puzzle is easy, despite the shaped border, but all the squirrel fur gives the puzzle a little more challenge at the end. Highly recommended.
Review: “Summer House” by Steve Crisp, Sunsout – 9/10
Sunsout presents "Summer House" by Steve Crisp as a house-shaped puzzle. I love the irregular border on shaped puzzles and this one is quite fun with the pine tree, roof of the house, and flower beds providing the border. The quality of the puzzle is excellent with thick pieces and a crazy fun random cut. The cut includes whimsies--pieces shaped like dogs, birds, trees, and other objects. The image reproduction is wonderful with bright colors and sharp details. The beautiful illustration by Steve Crisp makes a great puzzle. The various colored rooms in the house are separate vignettes you can piece together. The rooms are easy, but the half-timbered exterior walls and thatched roof provide a little more challenge. This is an unusual puzzle that goes above and beyond the standard rectangular, grid-cut puzzle. Highly recommended.
Review: “Garden Bunnies” by Mary Thompson, Sunsout — 8.75/10
Publisher: Sunsout (USA), 1000 pieces Title: “Garden Bunnies”, Artist: Mary Thompson Finished size: 26.5" x 29" OUR RATING: 8.75/10 I love shaped puzzles, especially those with a cute spring theme. It was past time to review this classic from Sunsout. And for the next three days you can grab it on sale for 25% off too. $12.36 is a... Continue Reading →
Review: “Big Ben, London” by Ravensburger, 9/10
Publisher: Ravensburger (Germany) Title: “Big Ben, London” 1155 pieces Review by Jane OUR RATING: 9/10 This puzzle is part of a new category of shaped puzzles from Ravensburger called "Silhouette". Since I'm a fan of both shaped puzzles and Ravensburger, let's see how well the latter pulls off the former, shall we? Box Quality: (9/10) The box is... Continue Reading →
Bits And Pieces: New Spring 2016 Puzzles
Bits and Pieces have released their new puzzles for spring. There are some nice ones. You can see them all here. Below are my favorites. "Pony and Pals" by Jack Williams, 750 or 300 pieces This is the only new shaped puzzle in the offering, which is a little disappointing. In previous years, they've offered... Continue Reading →
Review: “Busy as a Beaver” by Jeffrey Severn, Bits and Pieces – 9/10
Publisher: Bits And Pieces (US) Title: “Busy as a Beaver” by Jeffrey Severn, 750 pieces Release date: There is no release date on the box, but this puzzle is several years old and not currently in print. You can find it it on ebay. This image came in 300 and 750 pieces, so make sure... Continue Reading →