NYC Apartment is a 1000-piece puzzle from Ravensburger, and the artist is Jason Taylor. This is the third indoor/outdoor puzzle I have done of his. I love this concept and have really enjoyed all of them.
NYC Apartment
Journey
Journey is a 1000-piece puzzle from Elena Essex, who is also the artist. This has been one of my favorite brands since early in my time as a puzzler.
I absolutely love this artwork. I found it so relaxing to look at all the colors as I was putting it together. It was a bit challenging at times because colors do repeat on different areas, but it didn’t cause any real frustration. And the quality is so good – no false fits and a nice smooth finish on the pieces.
The Bird House
The Bird House is a 1000-piece puzzle from Buffalo Games, and the artist is Charles Wysocki. I got this at a puzzle swap with a bunch of other Wysocki puzzles.
I really enjoyed this one. It has the classic Wysocki feel with enough going on that it wasn’t too difficult. Although I have been thinking, if I get more of his puzzles, I will try to get 500 or 300 piece versions for when I want a quick one.
I won a Puzzledly gift card!
I recently entered a giveaway for a $50 gift card to Puzzledly, which is one of my favorite online puzzle stores, and I was shocked to actually win! I do have puzzles on my wishlist on the site, but when I looked at the new arrivals section, I found two Werkshoppe puzzle that were on pre-order that I fell in love with.
The one on the top is called Beach Boardwalk, and the bottom one is Autumn on Main Street. Both are 1000 pieces, and the artist is Cathy Walters. I have always enjoyed puzzling buildings, so these storefront images really spoke to me.
Because Puzzledly gives 20% off when you buy 3 or more puzzles, I was able to add in a mini puzzle. I chose Garden Serenity, which is a 99-piece puzzle from Olleo. The artist is Salome Herzog. I actually did that one during my lunch break one day, and it is so pretty!
English Cottage
English Cottage is a 1000-piece puzzle from eeBoo, and the artist is Victoria Ball. This was fairly challenging for me, but I still really enjoyed it. I just think the art is so pretty, and I always like this brand. Some people don’t like it because the pieces are a bit glossy, but it has never been an issue for me.
Puzzle Cafe
Puzzle Cafe is a 1000-piece puzzle from Magnolia, and the artist is Shanya Bharti. I got to do this as a traveling puzzle and I loved it! 💗
I was a little nervous about all of the pink, but I didn’t need to be. Each area had a different pattern or shade, so that part wasn’t bad at all.
There were a lot of fun sections in the puzzle, but my favorite part was doing the puzzles that are hanging inside the cafe windows. I learned from someone on Instagram that the puzzle pictured are actually by the same artist that created this puzzle. So meta! 🧩
Houses in the Valley
Houses in the Valley is a 1000-piece puzzle from JaCaRou, and the artist is Anie Maltais. This one was on my wishlist at Puzzle Warehouse for quite a while, but it recently came back in stock and I grabbed a copy.
I enjoyed this one a lot. The quality was good, and I love the rich, bold colors. Buildings are one of my favorite things in puzzle, so this was right up my alley.
Bees & Honey
Bees & Honey is a 1000-piece puzzle from Cavallini & Co. This is my third puzzle from this brand and I really enjoyed it. The image features vintage-style illustrations of honey bees, beehives, and pollinator-friendly plants. Piecing together the beehives, the flowers, and the banner at the top was quite pleasant. The larger insects were easy enough but kind of creepy.
I got a bit stuck when it came to all the small bees and the plain colored pieces. Luckily a friend came over and helped me with them. It was much more fun working on those tedious pieces with someone else.
Green Room
Green Room is a 1000-piece puzzle from Soonness, and the artist is Rowon. I have heard about this brand for years but never considered it before because of the price. Earlier this year, I decided to splurge and get one to try it out. After putting it together, I have mixed feelings about it.
First of all, I love the art! The colors are great, and the whole feel of the image is just so cozy and full of life. There was quite a bit of green and brown that slowed me down, but thankfully the pieces had unique connectors that made it not too overwhelming.
On the other hand, the quality of the pieces was not that great. A couple of the pieces were damaged, and the knobs were peeling on some of the other pieces. The brand did send out an email that they were aware of the issue and that we could send in pictures to get a replacement puzzle. I feel like for the money I spent, they should have had better quality control upfront, but I appreciate the effort to make things right.
For me personally, the pieces were a bit too matte. The finish felt almost like paper to me, and I didn’t really like it. So this is not a brand I would consider rebuying.
The Beach Hut
The Beach Hut is a 1000-piece puzzle from Ravensburger, and the artist is Steve Read. This is part of their My Haven series. My friend Renee got this for me for Christmas. I was impressed because she picked out a puzzle that I really liked and also because it was complete despite coming used from a flea market.
I really enjoyed building this one. There were so many interesting objects in the image, and I found the colors very soothing. It was a pleasant experience all around, and I am always happy with the Ravensburger quality.
