Publisher: Springbok (US), Released 2014 Title: “Ornamental Wonderland” by artist Tammy Haddix 1000 pieces OUR RATING: 8/10 This is a brand new puzzle by Springbok, released for Christmas 2014. It's nice to see that the latest quality of Springbok is really quite high. Box Quality: Let's start with the box. It's a very sturdy box, both... CONTINUE READING
Publisher: Gibson (UK), Released 2014 Title: “Christmas Market” by artist Marcello Corti, 1000 pieces OUR RATING: 9/10 Gibson ranks quite highly on our puzzle brand comparison. It's a UK brand with lovely thick boxes, sturdy pieces with a waxy finish, and a nice selection of images. Every year they do a limited edition Christmas puzzle and... CONTINUE READING
Interview with Audray McNaught, puzzle designer for House of Puzzles Please welcome our guest, Audray from the Scottish puzzle maker House of Puzzles Ltd! I thought it would be interesting to learn more about how puzzles are made, and Audray has graciously agreed to be interviewed by Jigsaw Junkie. JJ: Hello, Audray! First of all, can... CONTINUE READING
Publisher: WH Smith (UK), Released 2013 Title: “Winter Scene" by artist Sarah Adams, 1000 pieces OUR RATING: 9/10 I've only recently discovered the WH Smith line of limited edition Christmas puzzles. They've been going on since at least 1998, but since WH Smith is a UK store, and they don't ship overseas, they're somewhat... CONTINUE READING
I love holiday puzzles, and next to Christmas, my favorite season is Halloween. While there is a veritable cornucopia of Christmas puzzles, the Halloween offerings are much more bare bones--pun intended. Here are some of the best Halloween puzzles on the market. NEW RELEASES FOR 2014: Falcon: "Halloween" by Tony Ryan (1000 pieces) A lovely... CONTINUE READING
Publisher: Masterpieces (US), Released 2014 Title: “Cat-Ology: Hemingway” by artist Geoffrey Tristram, 1000 pieces OUR RATING: 7/10 This is a bit of a departure from the puzzles I normally do, but I wanted to do another MasterPieces puzzle for my brand comparison--and I love Geoffrey Tristram. He is better known for his cartoony images. He does images... CONTINUED READING
Publisher: Sunsout (US), Released ?? (There's no date on the box, but I think it was 2013.) Title: “Friends on Halloween” by artist Doug Laird, 1000 pieces OUR RATING: 8/10 It's October, the month for Halloween puzzles! I plan to post a round-up of Halloween puzzles a bit later, but for now here's a review of... CONTINUE READING
Publisher: Waddingtons (UK), Released 1994 Title: "Twelve Days of Christmas" by artist Anne Graham Johnstone, 1000 pieces OUR RATING: 10/10 This is the very first Waddingtons limited edition Christmas puzzle published in 1994. The back of the box says the image was commissioned by Waddingtons specifically for this puzzle from illustrator Anne Graham Johnstone. The image contains all the... CONTINUE READING
Publisher: Otter House (UK), released Sept 2014 Name: "Christmas Past & Present No 1" (limited edition) by Beatrice Grieco OUR RATING: 8/10 Otter House has entered the list of puzzle companies that release an annual limited edition Christmas puzzle. This is their first. First, may I say, welcome to the club! I adore limited edition Christmas... CONTINUE READING
