Puzzle #51 - Ravensburger - My Haven #9 The Tea House - 1000 pieces

Puzzle #51 of 2023

Finished September 29, 2023

Ravensburger - My Haven #9 The Tea House - 1000 pieces 

I am unclear the difference between UK and US Ravensburger My Haven puzzles, but there is a difference.  For instance, this one is the UK version and is listed as #9 in the My Haven series and is entitled The Tea House.  There is a US version that is listed as #12 in the My Haven series and is entitled The Tea Shed.  They look the same to me except the UK box is green/blue while the US box is white.  The UK version comes with a poster (which I love!) and I am not sure if the US versions come with posters or not.  Perhaps that could be the difference?  Anyway, this is the Tea House - #9 in My Haven - image by Steve Read.  

I really love that the My Haven puzzles (at least the UK version) all have posters included.  Granted, the poster image is quite small and I often have to refer to the big box for clarity.  But I still vote to have a poster of some kind in the box.  It is just so much easier for my hands to hold than the bulky box.  This is more of an issue for me than for many, I know, because of my carpal tunnel wrist issues.  But still... it would be a sign of goodwill for all puzzles companies to just include a nice poster with their puzzles.  Especially when they cover up the image on the box lid with logos and etc!!  

Anyway, I do love a Ravensburger puzzle.  Colors are always nice although in this one as in some others I remember the colors can be a bit 'off'.  For instance, that dog hair is super dark brown for most of the puzzle pieces, even though the image shows very light hair with some shadow - but certainly not dark brown.  Things like that.  Now that I know to expect that it is easier to navigate, but I do wonder why they are so off from the exact colors shown in the image. Pieces fit together nicely and you don't struggle with mis-fits. So that is also good.  Just a fun and enjoyable puzzle experience thus far.

Very fun puzzle.  Colors were off throughout, but I finally got used to it.  I like that the pieces fit together so well and no mis-fits anywhere.

Puzzle #51 of 2023

Finished September 29, 2023

Ravensburger - My Haven #9 The Tea House - 1000 pieces 

Puzzle #50 - eeBoo - Reading and Relaxing - 1000 pieces

Puzzle #50 of 2023

Finished September 24, 2023

eeBoo - Reading and Relaxing - 1000 pieces

I forget that eeBoo puzzles can be so difficult!  They truly can be!  Pieces can fit (sort of) more than one location.  Even pieces that are correct can cause you to second guess... the shiny pieces are pretty but sometimes harder to see under my lighting.  But I like the way they look.  There are sooooo many tiny details in this one (and many of my recent puzzles) and that can be a bit overwhelming.  I know that puzzle artists are throwing more stuff in now for interest, but I don't know... there is a line where it can be too much.  However, with all that complaining, I do like this puzzle.  And it is totally doable... you just do it slowly and bit by bit.  This is not a sit down and hammer out a puzzle kind of experience.  

I LOVE that they use the recycled materials bag and that it is all women owned and female artists!  And this artist even includes a playlist for listening to while working on this puzzle.  Fun!  Very nice company.  I have bought things for Maverick here, too... he loves their memory game with faces of kids from around the world.

I remember now that eeBoo are really hard for my brain.  :)  For whatever reason my brain just can't see the image on the pieces correctly.  I have no idea if I'm looking at something upside down or right side up or left or right... I will look at a piece and find where it goes and even check with the poster and still cannot determine which direction the piece goes.  Must be a brain thing.  (that scares me, to be honest...) but I have had this happen - and recently I think.  Wonder if I noted it in my comments before? 

It is somewhat frustrating the way the pieces are so loose - moreso on this particular puzzle than my previous eeBoos.  You cannot move pieces without just dismantling and moving them one by one.  And also, this puzzle is hard!  Cannot for the life of me figure out how to put pieces together.  I know they all go there (like in that dark green/burgundy area top right) but I have no idea how to make them fit together.  sigh.

Tough puzzle!  Sorted by shape at the end.  But a nice puzzle.  Good quality.  Still definitely a fan of eeBoo - this one just made me work a little harder.  :) 

Puzzle #50 of 2023

Finished September 24, 2023

eeBoo - Reading and Relaxing - 1000 pieces

Puzzle #49 - White Mountain - For All Seasons - 1000 pieces

Puzzle #49 of 2023

Finished September 20, 2023

White Mountain - For All Seasons - 1000 pieces

By Bigelow Illustrations

Definitely working this puzzle differently from almost every other one!  There is no way to start with the edge pieces.  they are basically identical - that dark blue border with the brown 'wood' edge and perhaps a tidbit of color from the actual puzzle.  Instead, I started by choosing a few squares of the collage to focus on and then am keeping on in that fashion. 

I have managed to put together some small (like 2-4 pc) sections of edge and have now put them along some of my finished interior work.  But that will likely be the very last thing to be completed.  Fun puzzle but having trouble with the smallness of everything.  I hadn't thought about that.  With other collages I feel like it isn't so small... maybe my eyes are just really bad right now.  :)  Good white mountain quality and I like each individual image in this puzzle a lot.  Great theme idea.

nothing but edge pieces left to go

still a few more edge pieces to figure out...

done!

Finished this one up.  Did the edge pieces absolutely last.  :)  It was a very fun puzzle but boy, it was hard to see for some reason.  I know collages are smaller overall but I was struggling with this one.  Not sure why.  It is colorful and was a fun and engaging puzzle.  I love that White Mountain has a poster, but they could enlarge it like Buffalo and Masterpieces and then fold it to put in the box.  That would be great.  Especially for a collage type puzzle.  Just really hard to make out any detail when what you are looking for is so small.  However, I do love the good solid fit of WM pieces.  And the clarity of image.  Too much puzzle dust but I can manage that in various ways, at least.

super cute puzzle

Puzzle #49 of 2023

Finished September 20, 2023

White Mountain - For All Seasons - 1000 pieces

Puzzle #48 - Buffalo Games - Monument Valley Train Ride - 1000 pieces

Puzzle #48 of 2023

Finished September 18, 2023

Buffalo Games - Monument Valley Train Ride - 1000 pieces

Image by Lars Stewart - husband of Aimee Stewart.  

This is a promising start to what I believe is a new series... Train Rides through scenic vistas.  (next up is Swiss Train Ride)  I like that idea a lot!  Lars Stewart creates really pleasing puzzle images and I look forward to trying out more in this series. 

Fun image and good puzzle pieces - but a lot of misfits.  I was always able to figure it out but Buffalo is bad about this.  I guess they feel that is part of their puzzling experience.  It doesn't make me as crazy as it used to but I don't like it much.  I do love the poster.  Did have to sort by shape - the last ⅓ was pretty tough!  Nice puzzle overall.

Puzzle #48 of 2023

Finished September 18, 2023

Buffalo Games - Monument Valley Train Ride - 1000 pieces