MikesAPuzzler, Author at Puzzling For Fun

Camping Adventure Puzzle from Dowdle

One thing we can always count on from a Dowdle puzzle is a challenge for us. The colors throughout are similar, making it a bit more difficult to know where a piece goes. That’s ok. We’re not in a hurry. And we certainly always enjoy the final result. Although all of the Dowdle works are similar in style, the locations are always different. This Camping Adventure puzzle was full of whimsical items and people, and was another true joy to assemble!

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Dowdle Jigsaw Puzzle, Camping Adventure…

Each puzzle has a colorful story to tell
Puzzle Fun for Puzzle Lovers: Boardwalk puzzles…

Go Small. Or Big.

We usually do 1000-piece Dowdle puzzles. Or any puzzle for that matter. But we picked up this 300-piece Camping Adventure puzzle used. I wasn’t going to pass it up no matter how many pieces it had. I will say, a 300-piece Dowdle is quite a bit easier than a 1000! Easier. But not easy! This was still a great, enjoyable challenge! Now, I must go get more Dowdle puzzles!

The Last Piece

This 300 piece puzzle included a nice poster. The assembled puzzle is about 21″ high and 15″ high. The pieces fit very well and the colors were nice. We had very few ‘false fit’ pieces. Everything went and fit where it should. The images are fun. This was a tough puzzle in places, making it well worth the price!

Oh, and it was full of fun things!

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Buffalo Games – Eric Dowdle Festival of Trees…

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Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Ceaco – Puzzle Scoop with LED Light & Magnifier…

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Pete’s Gambling Hall Puzzle from Buffalo Games

After completing a few smaller piece-count puzzles lately, I can see why people like them. We usually do 1000 piece puzzles. I’ve found that the 300s are just as fun, have just as great images and provide just as much satisfaction when that last piece goes into place. This Pete’s Gambling Hall puzzle from Buffalo Games was a lot of fun. There’s a lot going on in it. Just because it’s smaller doesn’t mean it’s not great! And hey, it’s a Charles Wysocki work, and he’s definitely one of our favorites!

Old Times Good Times

We found this Pete’s Gambling Hall puzzle from Buffalo Games for sale in one of the antique malls we visit regularly. You never know what you might find. Sometimes nothing. Sometimes pricey. But sometimes, we hit the jackpot and we end up walking out of the store with a big stack of rightly-priced puzzles. Usually 1000-piece puzzles, but sometimes 300s now too. This was an older puzzle, but the quality was still great, from the cut of the pieces to the colors in the image.

ALL4JIG 1500 Piece Rotating Puzzle Board with…

【Serve Year After Year】 Crafted from…
【Solid As A Rock】 Engineered with advanced…

The Last Piece

This puzzle did not include a poster. It didn’t need one, really. There were 300 pieces in this puzzle. The pieces were thick, and fit well. They were cut randomly, into all sorts of shapes and sizes. This puzzle was a nice challenge and enjoyable to look at. It was around 15″ high and 21″ wide when completed.

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Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

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Colorful Tea Cups Puzzle from EuroGraphics

Pretty pictures. Isn’t that why most of us pick certain puzzles? Nice colors. Or Nice scenes. Or both. My wife collects vintage plates and cups and whatnot so this Colorful Tea Cups puzzle from EuroGraphics quickly found its way into our shopping cart at an antique mall in Ohio. The price was right, too. It had to come home with us. Little did we know at the time the challenges that awaited. We should’ve known. We should’ve taken more than 5 seconds to look and say “oh, that’s pretty”. This was not an easy puzzle. But it didn’t have to be!

EuroGraphics – Colorful Tea Cups 1000 Piece Jigsaw…

1000-Piece puzzle
Box size: 10″ x 14″ x 2.37″

Frame-Worthy

The details in this puzzle were great. The colors fantastic. And the challenges many. The hardest areas were the white drawers, actually. This Colorful Tea Cups Puzzle from EuroGraphics took us a while to complete. We definitely got our money’s worth, both time-wise and enjoyment-wise. This is really a frame-worthy puzzle at least in our home where dish collecting is a thing!

The Last Piece

This 1000 piece puzzle did not include a poster. We did buy it used but really, I don’t think a poster would’ve been necessary even if it did come with one when new. The colors are bright and wonderful. We did get a few false-fits, but not many. The assembled puzzle is about 26″ wide and 19″ high. This is a challenging puzzle, but a very enjoyable one too.

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EuroGraphics Sagrada Familia, Barcelona…

Bring Barcelona’s icon to your table! This vivid…
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EuroGraphics Corvette Evolution Jigsaw Puzzle…

Package length: 35.56 cm
Package width: 25.654 cm

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EuroGraphics – A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of…

1000-Piece Puzzle
Box size: 10″ x 14″ x 2. 37″

Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Ceaco – Puzzle Scoop with LED Light & Magnifier…

LIFT & MOVE PUZZLE SECTIONS: Slides under…
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King Whispers II Micro Puzzle from Games Hub

This King Whispers II puzzle from Games Hub was one of the first micro puzzles that we finished. We thought maybe with so few pieces it’d be super easy and we’d finish in 10 minutes. Nope. Didn’t happen. The tiny pieces are a bit hard to handle. And of course, they’re small, which makes seeing the details a bit tough. They’re actually quite fun. We loved the whimsical cat image. And hey, you can’t beat the price of micro puzzles either!

We found this puzzle in a Five Below store, along with a bunch of other fun puzzles.

Small Jigsaw Puzzles for Adults Mini Puzzle…

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Jigsaw Puzzles 150 pieces — The puzzles for…

That Frame!

The frame around the King Whispers II micro puzzle from Games Hub was the tough part. We had a heck of a time finishing it. The cat image didn’t take that long. The frame was a totally different story! The frame took us a while. A good long while!

The Last Piece

This 150 piece puzzle included a poster. A small poster. The assembled puzzle is about 6″ wide and 5″ high. The color and image quality were quite good. The pieces had a very tight fit. It was easy to get pieces wrong, especially when trying to complete the frame. The wrong pieces were difficult to remove. Almost frustratingly difficult.

Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Ceaco – Puzzle Scoop with LED Light & Magnifier…

LIFT & MOVE PUZZLE SECTIONS: Slides under…
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Tea and Cookies Puzzle from Buffalo Games

We’ve enjoyed every puzzle we’ve completed. Well, there was that one we gave up on, but we’ll get back to it some day…. Anyway. If I had to make a ‘Top 10’ list of our favorites, this Tea and Cookies puzzle from Buffalo Games would definitely be on it. And near the top. This puzzle was a true joy to work on, and an even more of a joy to look at when done. Everything about it was fun. The artist, Aimee Stewart, has long been a favorite of ours. We love Ms. Stewart’s use of colors and her often retro-themed puzzles. We consider this one to be one of her best.

Buffalo Games – Aimee Stewart Cookies and Cocoa…

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Easy Like Sunday Morning

I probably shouldn’t say that this Tea and Cookies puzzle from Buffalo Games was ‘easy’. One person’s ‘easy’ might be another persons ‘hard’. But we found that the colors between the wonderful (yummy!) objects were different enough that determining where pieces should go wasn’t too challenging. That’s not to say we finished in 15 minutes. No, we still got hours of joy putting it together. If you like Aimee Stewart’s works, you’ll love this one!

The Last Piece

This 1000 piece puzzle included a poster. The assembled puzzle is about 27″ wide and 20″ high. The pieces fit very well and the colors were absolutely fantastic. We had very few ‘false fit’ pieces. Everything went and fit where it should. The images are fun and, well, yummy!

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Buffalo Games – Aimee Stewart The Nostalgic Baker…

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ART BY AIMEE STEWART: Glass jars, packed shelves…
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Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Ceaco – Puzzle Scoop with LED Light & Magnifier…

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Puzzler’s Retreat Puzzle from MasterPieces

It’s happened to us often. Maybe to you, too. You’re perusing the puzzles at a store. Seeing what’s new or what might catch your eye. Then a puzzle jumps out at you and you think “oh wow, what a pretty picture”. So you buy it, take it home, and jump in with both feet. Or hands. Minutes turn into hours. Hours turn into days… and before you know it, that pretty puzzle has taken a lot longer than you expected! That’s not a bad thing. You have to power through it. Because in the end you’ll be rewarded with that pretty picture that sold you on the puzzle to begin with. Like this Puzzler’s Retreat Puzzle from MasterPieces.

Masterpieces Puzzler’s Retreat Jigsaw Puzzle…

SCENIC PUZZLE EXPERIENCE: Enjoy a relaxing retreat…
CHALLENGING PIECE COUNT: Contains 1500 puzzle…

Those Windows

Oddly, much of this Puzzler’s Retreat Puzzle from MasterPieces was pretty easy. Despite the many, many colors and objects. But then along came the windows. Or more accurately, the frames around the windows. For some reason those really gave us a fit. We ended up doing the glass portions first. That made the frames a bit easier to do.

The Last Piece

This puzzle did not include a poster. It would’ve helped if it had! The image on the front of the box was obscured in the upper right corner so it is difficult to know what that area was supposed to look like. There are 1500 pieces in this puzzle. The pieces were thick and fit very well. This puzzle was a great challenge that took us hours to complete. The colors were fantastic and the final result was great!

This puzzle includes a small easel for placing the box cover. This makes it easy to prop up alongside your work area.

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1000 piece puzzle
Perfect for any fanatic

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Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Ceaco – Puzzle Scoop with LED Light & Magnifier…

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The Naturalist’s Collection Puzzle from Buffalo Games

This is a total ‘wow’ puzzle for us. We’ve done a number of puzzles from Aimee Stewart, and they’re all good, but this one was beyond that. This one really amazed us. The Naturalist’s Collection Puzzle from Buffalo Games is easily one of the most enjoyable puzzles we’ve done. There’s so much color. So many things, everywhere, all over. There’s not one boring moment assembling this puzzle. It’s fantastic!

Buffalo Games – Aimee Stewart – Grand Fiction…

Full-Color Poster Included: With Buffalo Games…
Perfect Snap Assembly: Experience the Perfect…

An Easy Challenge

We do love a good challenging puzzle. And at first, The Naturalist’s Collection Puzzle from Buffalo Games seemed very, very difficult. It’s dark in places. There are so many objects. Like shells. And claws. And nests. My goodness, they’re everywhere! But in reality, this puzzle was easier than it looked. The use of colors actually made it easier to determine where pieces went. An easy example is the wooden case. It’s not the same color throughout. That helped a lot!

In the end, this was a true joy to do and a real Aimee Stewart work of art!

I couldn’t find this puzzle available online for sale new. You can certainly look around and hopefully find one used. It’s well worth the hunt! Puzzle designs come and go, so you can always check with Buffalo Games to see if it’s back in production.

The Last Piece

This puzzle included a poster. There are 1000 pieces in this puzzle. The assembled puzzle is about 20″ high and 27″ wide. The pieces fit very well and the image quality on the pieces is fantastic. The colors were great. There are a few darker sections of the puzzle that were a bit challenging. This is a great puzzle that will bring hours of fun.

SaleBestseller No. 1

Buffalo Games – Aimee Stewart The Nostalgic Baker…

Perfect Snap Experience: Dive into the Buffalo…
Reference Poster Included: Assemble with ease…

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Buffalo Games Aimee Stewart Winterland Fun…

Winterland Fun Puzzle Experience: Dive into the…
Precision-Cut Perfection: Enjoy the seamless fit…

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Buffalo Games – Aimee Stewart – Mystery Jar…

ART BY AIMEE STEWART: Glass jars, packed shelves…
TINY TREASURES TO FIND: A handwritten note, a…

Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Ceaco – Puzzle Scoop with LED Light & Magnifier…

LIFT & MOVE PUZZLE SECTIONS: Slides under…
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Kraft Mac & Cheese Puzzle from RoseArt

We usually head towards the 1000-piece puzzles at the store. But something stopped me when I saw the Kraft Mac & Cheese puzzle from RoseArt. Maybe it’s because we were hungry (we were). Maybe it was the bright colors (they are bright!). No matter what the reason, we had to have this 300-piece puzzle. We got it at Five Below, so the price was right ($3!). So it came home with us!

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RoseArt Kodak Premium The Bakery 1000 Piece Jigsaw…

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RoseArt Bigelow Country General Goods 1000 Piece…

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Big Pieces, Big Colors, Big Fun

This Kraft Mac & Cheese Puzzle from RoseArt was quite fun to complete. Well, almost complete. The pieces are really big. The colors are amazing. In no time we were enjoying the mac-and-cheese wonderfulness. Well, almost. This bought-new puzzle was missing a piece. You can see it in the upper right. Or not see it. Maybe someone took a bite out of the puzzle!

I contacted the manufacturer (they have a website on the box). Very soon after they emailed me a few quick questions which I answered and sent back. In a matter of days we got a new puzzle! I wasn’t expecting that! This puzzle is apparently no longer made, so they couldn’t send the same one. Instead we got another brand new puzzle! Now, THAT’S customer service!

The Last Piece

This puzzle contains 300 pieces. The final puzzle is about 24″ wide and 17″ high. The pieces are large, cut into fun shapes, and fit well together. The image is colorful and detailed. Our bought-new puzzle was missing a piece but the manufacturer quickly sent us a replacement puzzle, more than making up for it!

Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Ceaco – Puzzle Scoop with LED Light & Magnifier…

LIFT & MOVE PUZZLE SECTIONS: Slides under…
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Bizarre Bookshop 2 Puzzle from Ravensburger

Whew! Boy oh boy did this Bizarre Bookshop 2 Puzzle from Ravensburger ever give us a challenge! From the second we opened the box until the moment the last piece went in (many days later), this puzzle made us work for every piece. We more than got our money’s worth from this one as we spent many an enjoyable (and challenging) hour working on it!

Ravensburger The Bizarre Bookshop 2 1000 Piece…

[About This 1000pc Puzzle] Discover the fun of…
[Bestselling Puzzle Brand Worldwide] Ravensburger…

Many An Interesting Character…

There are so many fun and interesting things in this Bizarre Bookshop 2 Puzzle from Ravensburger. Below is just a (very) small sampling. This is one of those puzzles that you must spend a lot of time on when you are done, finding things that you missed while assembling it. We didn’t notice these as we went, we were too busy just hoping we’d find a place to put a piece. Our marveling at the details didn’t come until later.

The Last Piece

This 1000 piece puzzle did include a poster. A small poster. Even smaller than the image on the box, actually. Oddly, the box is huge. Much bigger than the size needed to hold the puzzle. We could’ve gone for a bigger poster. We made extensive use of our magnifying glass when we did this puzzle. The assembled puzzle is about 27″ wide and 20″ high. The pieces fit very well and the image quality on the pieces is very good. The colors were great and bright. The artwork is fun and whimsical.

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Got questions about puzzling? Are you new to this great hobby? Check out our FAQ and guide to puzzling!

Taffy Shop Puzzle from White Mountain

It’s no surprise that the Taffy Shop Puzzle from White Mountain caught our attention as we perused the puzzle section of our local Meijer store. We were drawn in by the wonderful colors. And the vintage look of the taffy shop depicted. Never did it cross our minds how challenging it might be to complete this puzzle. So many similar colors. Would this puzzle be our downfall?

White Mountain 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle Nostalgic…

A Sweet Treat for the Senses: Step into a colorful…
1,000 Pc Large: This puzzle features larger…

Not So Scary

This Taffy Shop Puzzle from White Mountain ended up not being so terribly challenging. Oh don’t get me wrong. It’s not a 5 minute puzzle. Not by any stretch of the imagination. But the pieces are big, and that helps. A lot. The colors, though similar in spots, are different enough from place-to-place that you don’t get frustrated. Not at all. This is one fun puzzle to work on and enjoy when completed!

The Last Piece

This 1000 piece puzzle included a poster. The pieces are cut in fun shapes that actually made them easier to put into place. It’s quite hard to put a piece in incorrectly. The colors are bright and wonderful. The assembled puzzle is about 30″ wide and 24″ high, so it’s a bit larger than our usual 1000-piece puzzles.

Bestseller No. 1