Tag: 1000 pieces

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Let’s Eat & Cat Icons

I have been wanting to try the brand Happily for a while now and recently got two of their puzzles to do, both 1000 pieces. I really enjoyed the artwork on both of them; it just seems so cheerful and upbeat!

Let’s Eat by Charlotte Martin
Cat Icons by Nia Gould

They are pretty close in cuteness, but Cat Icons edged out Let’s Eat as my favorite by just a bit. I found it easier to get into a flow while piecing that one together, whereas the other one required a bit more pick and place with a lot of looking at the image on the box.

Let’s Eat had a number of false fits on both the border and the interior of the puzzle, but I only encountered that issue on the border for Cat Icons. As much as I liked both of these, I don’t think I will be keeping them because the pieces had a waxy finish that was quite unpleasant to the touch. I know most people probably don’t mind it, but I am very sensitive to textures, so it bothered me.

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Mouse House

Mouse House is a 1000-piece puzzle from Reverie, and the artist is Rose Skelton. It has to be the cutest cutaway puzzle I have ever done! I really enjoy this style of puzzle, and this one is full of adorable details. I think my favorite thing is the family pet – a ladybug named Lady that has her own pet bed and food bowl!

I started out as I usually do, flipping the pieces in trays and pulling out the edges. After I built the edge, I pulled out pieces that stood out to me and partially built two of the rooms. By that point, the pieces were all blending together so I decided to sort the whole puzzle into the different rooms. That turned out to be a good decision as it made the assembly process much more fun.

As always, the quality was fantastic. I am always so impressed with Reveries and am very happy whenever I do one of their puzzles.

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Venice Open Market

Venice Open Market is a 1000-piece puzzle from eeBoo, and the artist is Uta Krogmann. I am a big fan of eeBoo puzzles, and this one was no exception. It had several buildings, which are my first love in puzzling, as well as a colorful market scene.

This is my last one with the bigger box – all of the others on my to do shelf have the new smaller boxes.

I also know I have done several puzzles by this artist, so I counted and I have completed six of her puzzles so far!

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Books & Baked Goods

Books & Baked Goods is a 1000-piece puzzle from Reverie, and the artist is Sandra Tews. I was able to get my hands on this lovely puzzle when it came up on eBay for a reasonable price, and I’m so glad I picked it up. It was a joy to put together, and the quality was fantastic, as always is the case with Reverie. 

I started the puzzle by myself but then a friend was over and we did the rest of it together. It was a really good puzzle to do with someone else as there were a lot of distinct sections to work on. We started in opposite corners with me on the pond and her on the flowering tree. From there we just pulled out whatever section interested us most. 

I also love this image so much. The idea of a shop that combines books with baked goods is lovely; I would visit there in a heartbeat! 

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Une Journée Cosy

Une Journée Cosy is a 1000-piece puzzle from Pieces & Peace, and the artist is Sonia Cavallini. This is my third puzzle from this French brand, and I still have three more in my stash! 

I love the quality of these puzzles, especially the smooth matte finish. The fit is crumbly, so sections don’t move around easily, but there are no false fits (probably my biggest pet peeve when it comes to puzzles).

I also adore the artwork. The idea of a cozy day spent reading in bed with your pets relaxing all around you is so inviting. Also, there are so many fun colors and patterns in the image that make it a joy to build. 

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Reflection Cat

Reflection Cat is a 1000-piece puzzle from Buhoet. My first response when given this puzzle as a Christmas gift from a friend was “No way am I ever doing that one!” But when I saw that someone on Instagram was hosting a big cat puzzle along, I decided to take another look at it. 

When I opened the puzzle, I found that it had letters printed on the back which would allow me to sort it into sections A-H. Once I had the pieces sorted, I started the first section. I was still finding it pretty difficult with all the dark brown to black pieces, so I ended up laying all the pieces out so the letters on the back were oriented in the same direction. That cut down considerably on the choices for how pieces would fit together, and I finally started making progress. 

I worked on this over several days and felt a sense of accomplishment with each section I finished. The puzzle pieces were actually made out of plywood, which was surprising to me. The fit was so tight that I could easily move large sections and even carry the entire finished puzzle around with no problem. There were a couple of false fits but not enough to become frustrating. 

The finished product is a striking image and I am really glad I did it. I love the idea of these little cats seeing themselves as big and ferocious.

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Tiger of the North

Tiger of the North is a 1000-piece puzzle from Aurora Puzzles, and the artist is Dawn Gerety. Aurora Puzzles is a woman-owned, Alaska-based company that features original art from Alaskan artists. They have some stunning designs and great quality puzzles.

I got this one secondhand and was pleased with how well it had held up. The walrus was super fun to do because of the bold colors and patterns. All of the orange did take some time but it was still enjoyable because of the gradient and the unique piece shapes.

They have recently brought out a 500-piece version of this puzzle which I’m sure will be very popular. I am tempted to get it myself!

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Holiday Postcards (Repeat)

Holiday Postcards is a 1000-piece puzzle from Trefl, and it is an Adobe stock image. I have done this one before and redid it because I needed a puzzle with a key for a Facebook challenge. I enjoyed it the second time around as well.

I do have to say the box for this puzzle is the largest I have seen for a 1000-piece puzzle – there is so much extra space! The only benefit is that the image on the box is easy to see, which is nice because it does not come with a poster.

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Bird Bath Garden

Bird Bath Garden is a 1000-piece puzzle from Kodak, and the artist is Lars Stewart. This explosion of color was a gift from some friends for watching their cats for a few days.

It was fairly challenging since the colors are spread out over the puzzle. I do think it is probably the brightest puzzle I have ever done!

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Home of Canals

Home of Canals is a 1000-piece puzzle from Penny Puzzle, and the artist is Gaia Marfurt. I would give this one a full 5 stars across the board. The artwork is fantastic, and the quality of the puzzle is just as good!

I love the bustling Amsterdam scene with its interesting buildings, colorful flowers, and loads of bicycles. And it has just the right amount of sky and water to be enjoyable without overwhelming me.

I was able to use this for a puzzle challenge where the clue was either canal or bicycle. This puzzle was obviously perfect as it has both!