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Above: Colin Wroblewski (left) and Sean Minton (right) of White Mountain Puzzles WHITE MOUNTAIN WEEK: This week on the blog we’re featuring White Mountain puzzles.  There’s a terrific sale on White Mountain at Puzzle Warehouse all month (30% off!).  We featured two White Mountain reviews this week ("Tapestry Cat" and "Perennials"). I was also fortunate to get... CONTINUE READING

I so happy to have Rob Derks visit us at Jigsaw Junkie. Thank you, Rob, for agreeing to an interview! Rob is a cartoonist who works for Jumbo puzzles. He both works in Jan Van Haasteren's studio doing JVH puzzles, and he has his own series from Jumbo called "Pieces of History". NOTE: A lot... CONTINUE READING

I'm thrilled to have Geoff Tristram on Jigsaw Junkie today! Geoff is an artist and cartoonist who does a few of my favorite puzzle series. He's the artist behind Ravensburger's "Best of British" series, their "What If?" series, and "Cat-ology", published by Masterpieces. I'll be sharing images of his work throughout this interview. JJ: Please... CONTINUE READING

Jumbo kindly sent me a translation of this article commemorating Jan Van Haasteren's 30th anniversary of making puzzles.  It appeared in De Telegraaf, a Dutch newspaper, on October 26, 2014. Here's a translation with my own images of Jan's work added. Illustrating puzzles is also art A Canadian moved to a new house because his bathroom was not... CONTINUE READING

JJ:  Hello, Bilge! Can you please introduce yourself? Bilge: Hello Jane, My name is Bilge and I am well qualified for international trade and working as an Export Manager at Perre Group / Anatolian Puzzle. JJ:  Where are Anatolian puzzles designed and manufactured? Bilge: Anatolian puzzles are %100 made in Turkey. The factory located in... CONTINUE READING

I'm very excited to continue our "Puzzle Maker Interviews" with Kate Armitage who works for one of my favorite puzzle brands, Gibsons of the UK. I hope my readers enjoy learning more about puzzle companies as much as I do. Above: Kate Armitage of Gibsons Puzzles JJ:  Hello! Can you please introduce yourself? I’m Kate... 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

White Mountain's "Winter Village" is one of my favorite puzzles so far in 2016. The snowy image by Steve Crisp is gorgeous and really hit the spot when I worked it during the hot summer months. Though this is a nighttime scene, the colors are bright and appealing. There's a nice mix of detail and simpler areas where you can put the pieces together without referencing the box (like the sky and the bridge). I loved the large White Mountain piece size and the larger size of the final puzzle. The random cut is fun to piece together and the finish is very flat and smooth. This is an easy-to-moderate puzzle that is never frustrating. Highly recommended.. CONTINUE READING

I think it's safe to say that most jigsaw solvers are familiar with Dowdle brand puzzles. Even if you haven't solved one, it's likely you've seen them online, or at any of several major retailers, where they are consistent best sellers (tens of millions sold to date). And while they may appear similar in style, each Dowdle image is a unique piece of folk art created by Lindon, Utah based artist, Eric Dowdle. CONTINUE READING