The Music Castle by Colin Thompson – Ravensburger – 500 pieces
I’m trying out a new review format here. What do you think? Love it? Hate it? Let me know in the comments or email using the contact me page above. 🙂
As usual, this Colin Thompson puzzle by Ravensburger was wonderful to assemble! I love his artwork and have done several of his cupboards and boxes. I love the little details but at times, for me, they can be a little too busy. It all depends on my mood; sometimes I’m all about an intricate, detailed image, and sometimes I crave simplicity and straightforward colorful images. This one had a little bit of both, the perfect happy medium!
The sky was the easiest place to start with the streak of pink and all the turrets, and from there I worked on the moat and piano keys. The rest of the puzzle seemed to fall into place quickly, and was a joy to assemble. And for you Colin Thompson fans, never fear – there are plenty of little pink people hanging around this castle; they’re singing and playing instruments, or just hanging out. 😉
I don’t always order puzzles new since my puzzle “dealer” keeps me supplied with almost unlimited thrift store purchases; but I saw this puzzle while online window shopping and had to get it. It was as much fun as I’d hoped, and just the right amount of challenging.
Details:
Title: The Music Castle
Artist: Colin Thompson
Brand: Ravensburger
Piece count: 500 pieces
Size: Approx. 19 x 14 in. (49 x 36 cm)
Purchased: New
Quality:
Board: Thick and sturdy
Cutting: Excellent – fully separated, no hanging paper
Winter Aspen by Henry Holdsworth – MasterPieces (World’s Smallest) – 1000 piecesThis is as far as I got 😦
Winter Aspen is a “world’s smallest” puzzle with VERY small pieces that comes in a collectible tin. The finished puzzle is 16.5 x 11.7 inches (42 x 30 cm) which is quite small for 1000 pieces. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this puzzle for the average puzzler, as you can see I didn’t finish it. 😦
I’ve done quite a few MasterPieces puzzles lately, and I haven’t had a problem with the quality. They have an excellent catalog, the quality is quite good and they are very reasonably priced. Many of their puzzles are a random cut which gives a great variety in piece shapes, and they fit together very well. Even though this puzzle didn’t float my boat I don’t have a problem with MasterPieces; I think they’re great quality at a great price.
I guess everyone who reviews a product has to deal with their first bad review. You must be tactful, but truthful and let people know specifically what the problems you found were. With puzzles, so much of the like or dislike of an image or puzzle itself can be subjective; I may not care for photographic puzzles, but many people do. Therefore, I must put aside my own personal preference as much as I can and review it, keeping in mind that the review should take into account what others may like or be looking for in a puzzle.
I find it hard to separate my feelings here, this puzzle was maddeningly frustrating and tedious for me. The image would make for an extremely challenging averaged size puzzle, but when you add in the small pieces it really ramps up the difficulty level in my opinion. For someone in their late 40’s or older as I am, it was a difficult puzzle to work with, irregardless of the image. The pieces are so small it was sometimes difficult to hold them, and it’s even more challenging to see the detail to compare shade and colors.
I can’t speak for everyone my age, but it was difficult for my aging eyes to work with this puzzle, and the sameness of the entire image was mind numbing. There are quite a few of the puzzles in the “world’s smallest” series that perhaps wouldn’t be so difficult, this wasn’t one of them. The image is just too challenging for such small pieces, it needs colors and shapes – at least for me.
The quality of this puzzle was good/fair. The pieces were a good thickness and sturdy; all the pieces were ballerinas which added to the difficulty. (2 prong/2 hole) The fit was ok; because all the pieces were the same shape it was easy to put in a wrong piece and not know until surrounding pieces were inserted. The image itself was most to blame for this in my opinion, everything looks so similar. The image reproduction was good, even with such a small image. There was a poster enclosed that was almost as big as the puzzle itself, which was extremely helpful and a must when working with such small pieces.
I’ve never not finished a puzzle for review, but I just couldn’t continue with this one. I put just over 400 pieces of the 1000 together. It was too difficult to see and handle and made me feel quite inadequate. I’m not really a fan of monochromatic puzzles, or overly challenging images. I found that I was bargaining with myself while I worked on it – to make myself keep going; once I get x number of pieces put in I can do something else. For me puzzles are a way to relax and de-stress, if the image is so challenging that it feels like work it isn’t worth it for me. Puzzles are supposed to be fun!
If you enjoy a challenge, check out the World’s Smallest Puzzle series by MasterPieces. Literally any one of those would have been easier for me to do than these trees! I’d be interested in working one of the less challenging images to see how it compares, but don’t ask me now – I need a little time to cool off. 😉
If you are one of those people who enjoy a super-challenging puzzle, Winter Aspen may be the puzzle for you! If you are like me and use your puzzling time to relax and relieve stress then perhaps you should pass right on by this puzzle.
I received this product at no cost to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions are truthful and 100% my own.
Dr. Suess The Cat in the Hat I Can Do That! Card Game – Ravensburger
I was a little bummed out when I got I Can Do That to review, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to play it. I was injured several years ago and have had mobility issues since, but I’m still a child at heart. So even though I was looking forward to playing it, I turned it over to my 10 year old product tester instead. Thank goodness cookies keep him on the payroll! 😉
The game is simple, really. There are 24 cards and a foam fishbowl (see the picture above). You lay all the cards out face down, like when you play a memory game. The object is to turn over a red action card, a blue location card, and a yellow fish card. If one of each card is not drawn they are put back and it is the next player’s turn. Remember where the cards are so that you can turn over one of each color on your next turn. Once all 3 color cards are drawn that player has to act out the activity described by the 3 cards, e.g. crab walk to the window with the fish between your elbows. If the player completes that activity they get to keep the cards. The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins.
I made sure that Levi had the game before Hurricane Irma dropped in to visit, there’s no better time to play games then when the power’s out! Here’s his review…..
He thought this game was fun and interactive (his word not mine). He thought some of the things you have to do are funny and some are hard, such as hopping to the front door and back with the fish on your head! He said you look goofy doing some of the things, but that also makes it fun. He wasn’t sure about the age range starting at 3 years old because some of the things are very difficult to accomplish – even when you modify the game for younger children as per the instructions.
Levi thinks it would be a good family game, maybe for a holiday gathering or family dinner. Also, he says he thinks there should be more cards, because with multiple people the games goes by really quickly. Overall he liked it very much; it kept him moving and there were plenty of laughs too. It gets a thumbs up from Levi. 👍
While I wasn’t able to play it, I agree that it would be a fun game at a family gathering or game night, especially with kids and grownups playing together. I knew that Ravensburger made games and toys in addition to puzzles, but I had no idea the range of games they have available. Click to see all the Ravensburger games available at Puzzle Warehouse. (Mom loves the mandala designers – she has about 4 in her house right now!)
This was a fun review for Levi, but I’m hoping the next game I get to review is something I can play too – I hate being left out of the fun stuff! 🙂
I received this product at no cost to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are truthful and 100% my own.
Remember When by Charlie Girard – White Mountain – 1000 pieces
Remember When is another fun collage from White Mountain. How many of these things do you remember? I remember many of them, and most of the rest I have some knowledge of. I was a little old when Cabbage Patch dolls were all the rage, but I do remember signing the birth certificate for my friend’s younger sister. Is that a hideous green AMC Gremlin? Oh my!
White Mountain Puzzles really do have the best catalog of collages around, there’s something for just about everyone. Beer, wine, cereal, neon signs, stamps, etc.; there’s a bunch of entertaining collages to choose from. They don’t just have collages though, they have fine art, educational maps, historical works, and much more. White Mountain puzzles are good quality. The pieces are a good thickness with a nice variety of piece shapes, and they fit together well. Sometimes there can be an issue with image lift if a piece is placed wrong and has to be removed, but it isn’t too much of a problem in my opinion – a touch of super glue and the piece is fine. The image reproduction is very good, with excellent colors. Click the link above to see all the White Mountain puzzles available at Puzzle Warehouse.
There was a moderate amount of puzzle dust in the bag, with a few slightly bent pieces. The pieces were a good thickness and fit together very well. The image reproduction was bright and colorful with no fuzziness. The finished image is larger than the average 1000 piece puzzle at 24 x 30 inches (61 x 76 cm), be sure you have enough work space before you begin. The box is about the average size for a 1000 piece puzzle with the name of the title, artist, manufacturer, and piece count on all 4 sides. 2 sides have a smaller complete image of the puzzle, and 2 sides have a small partial image, making it suitable for shelving either vertically or horizontally.
Part of the reason collages are so much fun for me is that you can pick out the pieces for a small section and assemble it easily, usually without having to look at the box much. One section leads to another and another and it goes quickly and is very entertaining. This puzzle was even more fun because I remembered many of the people and things. There are plenty of words too, which I always enjoy – after the edges I usually begin with the words. For this puzzle, once you’ve assembled all the words you’re already at least 30% done and it’s easy to build off of them to start filling in.
Charlie Girard has become one of my favorite puzzle artists; his collages make me happy and there are so many to choose from. If you’re a fan of collages click here to check out all of Charlie’s puzzles available at Puzzle Warehouse. The first page alone has 4 or 5 puzzles I would love to do!
Remember When brings back memories for me, although I don’t recall seeing any signs instructing hippies to use the back door. 😉 The image is colorful and fun and makes for a great puzzle. It’s no surprise that I’m giving two thumbs up to this collage – definitely recommended! 👍👍
I received this product at no cost to facilitate this review, all thoughts and opinions expressed are truthful and 100% my own.
I REALLY like sugar skulls! Though sugar skulls are used to decorate gravestones for The Day of the Dead in Mexico, they’ve become a popular image in western culture, especially for Halloween decorations. I love them because they’re beautiful and interesting, and represent a holiday that celebrates the lives of friends and loved ones instead of mourning them. So – did I want to review this puzzle? Absolutely!
Sugar Skull Cookies was extremely enjoyable to assemble; I loved that it wasn’t too easy and had a great time working color by color and seeing all the cookies take shape. Surprisingly it didn’t make me hungry for cookies!
Cobble Hill puzzles are excellent quality and I never hesitate when buying one. The pieces are thick and linen covered which provides a great feel in your hand, and they fit together well with a random cut that makes for an interesting assembly. Their image reproduction is beautiful, and they have a great catalog of puzzles to choose from. Click the link above to see all the Cobble Hill puzzles in stock now at Puzzle Warehouse.
There was a bit of puzzle dust in the bag, and a few pieces still connected or with bits of paper hanging off the back. It wasn’t too bad, but can be annoying when you’re trying to sort, etc. The box says that the puzzle is random cut, but it seemed more grid cut to me – there were some odd shapes – perhaps it’s semi-random? Anyway, a good variety of piece shapes and they fit together very well. The image reproduction is detailed and beautiful with a gorgeous matte linen finish that feels good in your hand. The box is about average size for a 1000 piece puzzle with the name of the puzzle, manufacturer, piece count on all 4 sides; 2 sides have a small complete image and 2 sides have a small partial image making it easy to shelve either way for collectors.
This was about a medium difficulty puzzle. Sometimes I’m not in the mood for anything too simple or too challenging, this puzzle falls right about in the middle. I started with the pink, red, green, and blue cookies, working them one color at a time. I hadn’t worked a Cobble Hill puzzle in a while and it was nice to work with such lovely pieces on such a fun image.
These cookies are so beautifully decorated that I don’t know if I’d be able to eat them. Looking at all the sweets/candy puzzles available at Puzzle Warehouse, there are so many puzzles that look both deliciously fun and just plain delicious! Every time I review a puzzle I look at similar puzzles and end up adding several of them to my wishlist – the total cost of my wishlist right now is over $600! 😮 I’ve added several sweets puzzles today, including another cookie collage from Cobble Hill called Ugly Xmas Sweaters that looks like so much fun!
Sugar Skull Cookies was an excellent quality puzzle with an image that made for an extremely fun assembly. It wasn’t too easy or too difficult; it was Goldilocks – just right! If this image is one you like, it’s definitely recommended. 👍
I received this puzzle at no cost to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are truthful and 100% my own.
My Jigsaw Journal 