Cat Selfies by Howard Robinson – Cra-Z-Art – approx. 125/500 pieces

This group has my favorite image – can you guess which one? I’m certain that you can. 😉 I enjoyed these pretty kitties much more than I expected to, and I’m glad they were hanging around the house when a bunch of smaller puzzles was what I needed.

These were good quality puzzles, and as always I recommend you give them a try if it’s something you think you might like. I just ordered two new sets, stay tuned to see them at some point in the future. I don’t know that they’re the kind of images that would lend themselves to names and backstories, but they’ll be great fun to assemble anyway – and that’s the whole point.

And now for introductions to our final three…

Everyone, meet Esther – if you guessed this was my favorite image you win! Esther was taken by surprise when her photo was taken, and isn’t too happy about sharing the spotlight with Bertie Butterfly. She likes to be the center of attention at all times, and no matter what you’ve done she’s done something similar – but much more impressive (you know the type). Esther is a retired grandma who spends most of her time doing absolutely nothing. She doesn’t really have any hobbies, but according to her she’s tried them all and been AMAZING at every one. Her kids and grandkids don’t visit a lot, she’s a bit much to handle too often.

Say hello to Cyrus – he really knows how to pose for pictures doesn’t he? Cyrus likes to keep things light and silly outside of work because his job is very serious (and dangerous). He is a snake milker – he milks snakes for their venom! Snake venom is used in making medicines and it’s extremely dangerous work to milk the snakes. Cyrus has a way about him though, and he’s very good at his job. On the weekends he is a clown at birthday parties and business events, and he also enjoys hosting karaoke parties.

Mabel here considers herself a delicate flower of a cat, but the truth is she’s unbelievably clumsy and awkward and is constantly injuring herself. (That’s why I love her!) Fortunately Mabel’s work keeps her sitting down almost all day, so there are less opportunities for her to get hurt – she’s a graphic designer and spends most of her days on her computer. In her spare time she enjoys completing crossword puzzles, watercolor painting, and growing her own herbs. Mabel is awkward, but she’s got a whole group of friends and family who cherish her, and that’s what really matters. 💗

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I always love putting these sets together, even if there are no stories to go with them. I find them to be great fun and love all the different sets they’ve designed so far. They’re good quality and quite entertaining for me – that’s all I really need.

Cat Selfies by Howard Robinson – Cra-Z-Art – approx. 125/500 pieces

Oh dear, it’s day three and I’m already running out of things to say. I love these sets, they’re always entertaining for me to assemble; even if the subject matter isn’t my favorite. There’s something about being able to finish a “whole” image in just a few minutes, there’s a sense of completion that makes me quite happy – especially when I’m not feeling up to sitting at the board for very long.

I’m not sure why there are extra white pieces on the two cats without butterflies – especially the one on the right, it doesn’t make any sense why that why thing is hanging off the side of their head. But all I can do is to finish the puzzle with all of the pieces they’ve provided me.

This is Felix, he works at local gym, teaching other cats how to “pick things up and put them down” as he describes it. He longs to be a poet, although he’s too taken in by the macho society that cats live in to ever admit that to anyone. I say he should just be who he is and let everyone know that poetry and writing are his true passion. Be brave Felix, be yourself!

Bodika (Boddie to her one and only friend) is a personal shopper. She adores seeming as though she’s spending loads of money even though she keeps nothing and none of it is her money. Bodika is one of those NIGHTMARE personalities that thinks having lots of money makes you a better person than those around you. I find her truly boring and frankly quite nauseating to be around. She probably has hobbies, but I’m just not strong enough to spend enough time with her to find out what they are.

Seamus is a factory worker who loves taking his friends out for drinks after work and getting to know them better. He doesn’t drink to excess, and always makes sure that everyone gets home safely. Seamus has a beautiful wife and 6 little ones at home, so he only goes out to the pub when his wife says it’s ok. He loves the weekend because he can take his growing family out to the park or the beach and spend lots of time together. He’s a family cat through and through.

Seamus enjoys woodworking, and made each of his little ones their very own bed – now that they’ve been weaned and don’t have to sleep next to their parents every night. He is very much looking forward to a good nights sleep again!

Cat Selfies by Howard Robinson – Cra-Z-Art – approx. 125/500 pieces

More kitties for your enjoyment ladies and gents. Now we have the added accoutrements of flowers and/or butterflies which gives them a little more razz-a-ma-tazz! For me they’re just cats, but for cat lovers out there, they’re adorable little things that make you go “awwwww”.

As a 500 piece puzzle I LOVE these sets. To be completely honest though, I’ve never actually done any of them as a 500 piece puzzle; they’ve always been sorted by their colored backing so that I can do each one separately as it’s own puzzle. Especially with the animals, so much fur can be overwhelmingly difficult and I choose to do these my way – to make only myself happy. That’s why I puzzle, to enjoy myself – not to be frustrated and annoyed by too much difficulty.

If you’re here just to see the puzzles and hear about the assembly, you can go now. The rest of this post is just my weird little obsession with giving each of these puzzles a name and a ridiculous backstory. It makes me smile, sometimes I laugh out loud at the silliness – and I find it wonderfully entertaining. (I hope at least some of you do too 😉)

Henrietta (or Yetta as her friends call her), is an investigative journalist with the Feline Daily Journal and is one of the most respected reporters they have. Her integrity is without question, and she diligently researches every piece she writes. Her latest piece on the “Meow Too Movement” has been nominated for a Purrlitzer Prize! In her spare time Yetta enjoys bicycling with her biking club, jigsaw puzzles, and searching garage and yard sales for hidden treasures. Hope you find something fantastic out there Yetta, and good luck with the nomination!

Geraldine here is quite the haughty cat, she basically looks down on everyone she meets. We, the peons, could never be worthy of her – at least as far as she’s concerned. Unfortunately Geraldine isn’t popular or well liked in her community, but she doesn’t care at all. She doesn’t work, of course she doesn’t! Mummy and Daddy left her a sizeable inheritance and she spends her days finding fault with others and spending her money on things that she thinks look pretty. How dull her life must be.

Lyston is one of those special personalities that chooses to be happy no matter what the circumstance. I’m a little bit in love with Lyston. He’s a wonderful friend and he can cheer you up with just a look or a kind word. He’s amazing!

Lyston is a “legal bank robber”, which is basically someone who tests how easy it is to penetrate bank security systems both in person and online. He LOVES his job, and can’t wait to get to work each day. It does sound like a fun job, doesn’t it? When he’s not working Lyston enjoys making homemade Kung-Fu movies, soap carving, and playing MMORPGs. (Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Games). He’s a complicated guy.

Cat Selfies by Howard Robinson – Cra-Z-Art – approx. 125/500 pieces

Here we are again with another set of 12 shaped mini puzzles. As my regular readers will know, cats aren’t my thing – I’m a dog person all the way. But I couldn’t pass this set up either, just because of the sets I’ve done before and how much I enjoyed them. They were all fun to put together, of course, and I’m getting my brain back into gear with more silly names and backstories for all these little cuties.

The quality was good with this set; not many of the pieces were still connected, the fit was very good, and the reproduction was excellent. If these sets look like you might enjoy them I absolutely recommend that you give them a try. They’re always a nice break from the larger piece count puzzles – at least they are for me.

The first three cats are ones with nothing extra, no flowers or butterflies to zazz up their selfies. All the rest of them after this have something pictured with them to ramp up the cuteness factor.

So here we go, another trip into the weird and twisted mind of Stacey. Sometimes she speaks about herself in the third person, and writes up little biographies of the puzzles she assembles. It’s bizarre, I know – but it can also be hilarious and lots of fun. 😎

Meet Magnus everyone. He works on the road crews holding up signs to keep traffic safe and flowing properly. Working outside is part of why he loves his job, he’s definitely an outdoor cat. Magnus enjoys grilling and having backyard BBQ’s for his friends and family, fishing in the local creek, and traveling to visit out of town friends and family. He loves deeply and always keeps in touch with those close to him. He’s a big softie and is loved by everyone he’s ever met.

Beatrice here is not really “down” with all of this making faces at the camera, but she’s playing along. If she had her druthers she’d be sitting in front of her typewriter working on her latest novel. Beatrice is quite the celebrity in the kitty cat world, and her naughty romance novels have the ladies swooning. She’s a bit of a recluse, but I guess that’s to be expected from those artistic types. Beatrice enjoys cross-stitch, crochet, and trying out new recipes she sees on the many cooking shows she watches. If she invites you over for dinner be careful not to mess up all the doilies on her furniture – that makes her very cross; but enjoy the meal, it’ll be fabulous!

Frank is a bit of a cranky old cat. He’s retired from the military, and spends most of his time on the front porch yelling at the kittens in the neighborhood to get off his lawn. When he’s not on the porch Frank likes to tinker around the house and keep things in good repair. He’s courting a widowed tabby and enjoys going over to her house for dinner and perhaps watching tv together. Is love in the air? Perhaps!

Go for it Frank!