Golden Movie Poster Puzzle “Walt Disney’s Classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”

Landon completed this Movie Poster Puzzle right on his living room floor!  The extra large fully interlocking pieces in brilliant color made this puzzle easy for him to complete by himself, even though it was 300 pieces.  At 2 feet x 3 feet, it's poster sized as well.  Made by Golden, there's a whole series of these Disney Classic movie posters.  We were lucky to find this one complete at a thrift!

MEGA Brands Inc “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”

Here's a movie poster puzzle I've never seen before.  It's from one of my favorite book series, Narnia.  This one features Prince Caspian, in 300 extra large pieces.  The finished size of this puzzle is 18 15/16" x 26 3/4".  Made by Mega Brands International. 

Landon's in a final push enjoying the last few weeks of summer before he starts 2nd grade.  I'm so proud of his problem-solving skills! 

Great American Puzzle Factory “Golf Clubs”

Continuing his golf theme in honor of his golf-pro dad, Landon finished this 500 piece puzzle featuring twelve images of famous US golf courses.  The interesting overall shape of the puzzle made it a bit challenging, but it was a fun puzzle to work on together with his mom.  It's by Great American Puzzle Factory (Item #9806) and measures 14" by 26" when complete.  There's a key on the back of the box that shows the locations of all twelve courses pictured.

Springbok "A Short Round of Golf"

Landon celebrated his 8th birthday in July.  His dad is a professional golf instructor, so I was excited when I found this 500 piece vintage Springbok puzzle #PZL2205 in a thrift store.  It's titled "A Short Round of Golf" and comically illustrates a mini golf course.  The finished size is 20in x 20in.  Landon's had a busy summer and is preparing to go back to school in just a couple weeks.  I'm glad he found time to complete this puzzle.

Another Cardinal Disney Star Wars Puzzle

I love Landon's such-a-ham face with this finished Cardinal Disney Star Wars Puzzle.  Once again the colors of the puzzle make this a difficult project.  Looks like there were quite a few pieces missing from this thrift store find.  Still, Landon and his mom enjoy their puzzling time together. 

Cardinal Disney Star Wars Tower Puzzle

Our favorite theme is back - Star Wars!  This Cardinal Puzzle for Disney is touted as a Tower Puzzle at 14 inches by 11 inches.  It proved to be quite difficult since the colors were tonal and very similar with slight subtleties.  Landon and his mom enjoyed the challenge, collaborating together.

SunsOut "Lazy Afternoon" by Terry Doughty

Now that school's out for summer, Landon is blowing through his puzzle stash!  This SunsOut 100pc puzzle was a fun quick project for him, at 7" by 9".  Artist Terry Doughty created a whimsical scene of a bear lazing on a tree branch.  Even outdoors, Landon is using his brain power to solve puzzles. 

Cardinal Disney Star Wars Puzzles

There's a series of Star Wars puzzles from Cardinal and Disney that have different images on puzzle and box, but no names.  Landon loves anything Star Wars!  These are both thrift store finds, complete.  Each measures 14 in x 11 in.   The pieces are fairly small and the faces are in similar colors, almost a monotone wash, which makes these puzzles difficult.   At 300 pieces per puzzle, there's a lot of time invested in the two scenes!

Sure-Lox "Tiny Tabbies"

This 500 pc puzzle contains Landon's second favorite subject - cats!  Made by TCG Sure-Lox, a Canadian company, in 2007.  The finished puzzle measures 19in by 14in.  A thrift store find, we were pleased to find all the pieces complete and bagged inside the box.  There's no artist credited for the photography but it must have been a fun shoot to catpture!

Ravensburger "Beautiful Ocean" by Mark Gregory

Ravensburger Puzzle's "Beautiful Ocean" has a tranquil scene above and below the water, by artist Mark Gregory.  Landon was able to complete this 100 piece puzzle on his own.  The finished puzzle measures 19 x 14 inches and was copyright 2012.  Another thrift store complete find!

Ravensburger "Pirates' Treasure" by James Talbot

Landon completed this Ravensburger puzzle on his own.  At 100 pieces, it was not difficult, but the pirate scene was imaginative!  The finished puzzle by artist James Talbot measures 14 1/2 x 19 1/3 inches.  It is copyright 2006.  This was a thrift store find.  To think this puzzle is thirteen years old, we were lucky that it is complete!

School's Out for Summer!

....and Landon has time to puzzle!  Landon's graduated first grade, looking forward to second grade in the fall.  He'll turn 8 years old in July.  Summer holds a weeklong baseball camp, weeklong golf camp, a visit to family in Texas, and lots of fun escapades with his mom!  The first of those escapades was visiting a cat cafe to play with all the resident kitties.  Next up is Landon's first concert at the Hollywood Bowl (KidsBop).  His birthday party this year will be at a lasertag facility.  

These two puzzles came from Landon's personal stash, so I don't have the stats to report.  But stay tuned for more!

Liberty Puzzles' "Skunk Harbor" by Phil Lewis

Liberty Puzzles is a brand in a unique and special class.  A handmade wooden puzzle, there are few brands that compare, namely Artifact and Wentworth.  I don't know of any other than these three that take the time and effort to hand craft wooden puzzles with this level of detail: unique whimsy shaped pieces and vivid colors.  So it's no surprise that these works of art carry a premium pricetag. I was lucky enough to find Phil Lewis' "Skunk Harbor" used on craigslist locally for $30, less than a third of its list price, giving me an opportunity to try a wooden puzzle for the first time. 

I expected to be impressed with the quality of the puzzle.  But I found the image and the diffictly of the puzzle much more exciting than I had expected.  I'm having lighting issues in my puzzle corner right now, so I spent an hour or two in the morning working on this puzzle for about five days.  The clouds and ocean were easy to pull out and finish, as well as the three mandalas in the center of the tree.  But the leaves and branches were beyond challenging. 

Once again, a lovely puzzle is not made in a standard size for easy framing.  If I want to hang this on a wall, I'll have to pay for expensive custom framing, as the finished size is 12.75" by 16.75".  I just can't understand why puzzle companies can't size puzzles to standard frame sizes. 

But the sizing is really my only complaint.  The liberty pieces fit snugly, if not tightly.  And where they are a bit loose, the interesting shapes help the puzzle to hold together for short moves, as required to take our pictures.  The wood is about a quarter inch thick  Because of their depth the small pieces were not prone to breaking, something I was afraid would happen. 

I think a puzzle from Liberty Puzzles would make a nice gift to mark a special occasion, whether it be a wedding or graduation.  I'll keep it in mind now that I've tried one myself.  And definitely snatch up any used ones that I come across!

Dowdle Folk Art "Santa Monica" Map Puzzle

I have this dream to have a wall of my home with framed California map puzzles, both vintage and current.  This "Santa Monica" puzzle from Dowdle was on my list, and I was fortunate to find it complete at a thrift store.  I don't have the wall space now, but I'll be saving this to hang next to my Hennessy Puzzles California map.

This is the first time I've tried the brand Dowdle.  They are a Utah company, which is where I went to high school, so I like the idea of supporting a local family business when buying new from them.  The pieces are thick; they fit together tightly and well.  The designs are always quite busy, with a flair of charicature in the colors and overall style of the art. 

Would you consider doing a puzzle in this style of design?

Cobble Hill "Dog Park" by McKenna Ryan Quilt Designs

This weekend I completed a Cobble Hill puzzle, "Dog Portrait," in celebration of finishing a major work project.  I'm so thankful to have my free time back, and taking a few hours to complete this puzzle felt like the perfect way to slow down and recharge.  I've also adopted a new puppy since losing my Caitie last September.  Welcome Callie (below) to my family!   

In full disclosure, this puzzle was sent to me by the company for a product review request.  But it's one that would definitely have been on my purchase list had it not been gifted to me!  I love crafting, so the quilt look to this design is perfect for me.  And the theme reminds me of good times with my own pups at our favorite parks.  

"Dog Park" is a 500 pc puzzle with random cut pieces, measuring 18 x 24 inches when complete.  The puzzle size was a nice fit for my kitchen table, and the pieces were comfortingly large to make you feel an accomplishment quickly as it came together.  At a modest piece count, I had the puzzle complete in just two evenings.  I like that I can complete something and not have it sitting on my table for weeks at a time.  I glued the puzzle on the night I completed it and will be able to frame it as a gift for my dog walker or dog trainer.  Either one will be tickled with this image! 

I love Cobble Hill puzzles for their quality.  The pieces fit snugly together to the point that I could lift the puzzle for a photo even if I hadn't taken the time to glue the back.  They have a wide selection of images and themes available for purchase, so if dogs aren't your thing, there will be another puzzle that fits your personality.  Next up for me will be a Cobble Hill design of butterflies that reminds me of my grandmother.  I'll look forward to memories of her as I sit down with the puzzle.