Brand: Cra-Z-Art, Title: Christmas Peanuts Multi Shaped Puzzle, Artist: Charles Shultz, Pieces: 500, Size: 12 Individual puzzles.

This was a 'must have' for me, combining Christmas with the Peanuts characters in individual shaped puzzles. I did a minor amount of sorting, mostly distinct colors like red, blue and green, brown, white and yellow. I assembled them according to color across different areas on the board so the individual puzzles took shape.

This puzzle went together quickly and the Cra-Z-Art brand has quality pieces that fit quite well. A totally fun experience to see them all assembled nicely in the end. Highly recommended for a little extra activity during the holiday season.

Brand: Cobble Hill Puzzle Company Title: Snow Globe Cookies puzzle By: Works Photography / Cobble Hill Pieces: 1000 Size: 26.625" x 19.25"

I did my usual sorting routine.  Sorting to locate all the outside border

pieces, while placing the pieces into the 'general- color' layout onto

the14" x 10" trays. I can layout all the pieces easily IF I use the lid for the edge pieces. 

The outside border of the image with the red backdrop were fairly easy to see as indicated on the poster. The new box size is a much more convenient size and the poster has increased in size. I should mention

that it is non-glare, just like the puzzle pieces - very lovely quality.

The sorting indicated that I should start with certain clusters of colors. Blues would be the first choice followed by browns, the Gingerbreads and bells. Some areas were tricky and most of the background red was left until the end. That said, looking closer at the details was the easiest strategy to use.

I highly recommend this jigsaw puzzle but be prepared - it's addictive. So once you start you will just want to keep going until it's completed and I can easily give this one the highest compliment from a puzzler. "The perfect puzzle experience!" 

BRAND: Cobble Hill, TITLE: Cozy Fireplace, 1000 Pieces, ARTIST: Greg Giordano  Size:  48.9 x 67.6cm or 19.25 x 26.625″. Time: 10 hours.

I have switched up from using foam boards for sorting. Since I have established that the Grateful House jigsaw puzzling trays can hold a 1000 piece puzzle laid out, (using the lid for the border pieces) I find it convenient to layout my sorting process. I set up the 8 trays plus the lid and the box of puzzle pieces in the centre to sort according to colours or details. I do the border on my foam board working area first so I can put the lid on the trays for movement.

Even though the border looks dark, there is enough defined colours to assist

with the border assembly. Following the image on the box makes the border task go quicker.

I started with the four most distinctive colours/objects first. The red/white blanket on the chair, the window on the upper left, the presents on the lower left, the green chair, the fireplace, stockings and clock. Those were the easy parts.

I thought maybe the dogs would come together quickly but I wrestled a little bit with their eyes and then defining their fur colours outside of the fireplace colours an the fireplace wall - it was mostly seeing the shades but the fur lines on the pieces helped with the dogs.

Finally, I left the entire Christmas Tree for the last, anticipating the most problems but then as I mentioned above, the bright shades on the right side made a huge difference as it was easy to define both sides. I love how the stockings are hung on the fireplace too.

I really enjoy assembling the Greg Giordano artwork that Cobble Hills Puzzle Company sells. His artwork is true to reality with so much detail. I have done several of them in the past. One of my very first ones that I assembled was Christmas on the Farm which I still have in my collection today.

The Cozy Fireplace puzzle with all those adorable puppies will be a prefect Christmas puzzle to assemble with the family .

Brand: Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, Title: Bird Watchers puzzle, Artist: Persis Clayton Weirs, Pieces: 1000, Size:  48.9 x 67.6cm or 19.25 x 26.625″. Time: 18 hours.

The Bird Watchers puzzle is as challenging as it looks and even more beautiful on the table than in the photo. It is one of those images with colour shades and by that I mean the white areas were really grey pieces.

It's pretty clear the minimal colour sections on the two images below. There's some red, white, golden brownish, lots of shades of white/grey and then lots of black. That does not leave much to go on other than shapes of the pieces.

I usually start with the most prominent colours and in this case I figured the red birds first, then the lighter brown bird and cat. There was a small area of the black/white cat I could get  done due to the difference of shades and visual texture of the white pieces. 

About 1/3 of the puzzle, not exactly but close had to be 'feel-fitted'. When you look at the image the colour appear to be white however, such it not the case at all. This last section took just as long as the rest of the puzzle as the process what to take the shape of the only the tips of the puzzle pieces be it a black tip, a grey shade tip or whitish tip. It was a very slow process.

Springbok  jigsaw puzzle, The Twelve Days of Christmas, Artist: Lynn Bywaters, 1000 pieces, Size: 24" x 30".

First of all, Springbok is known for great quality jigsaw puzzles, this one included. It's a very colorful image showing "The Twelve Days of Christmas". It has 1000 pieces finishing at 24x30 inches.

It clearly depicts the 12 day images attached to the song "Twelve Days of Christmas". The image is like 12 little mini areas to complete so after assembling the border, that was the strategy I used. Springbok uses odd cut shaped pieces but not so small like some of the other "shaped-puzzle images". I like that about it very much.

The 12 Days of Christmas On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me: A Partridge in a Pear Tree, 2 Turtle Doves, 3 French Hens, 4 Calling Birds, 5 Golden Rings, 6 Geese a Laying, 7 Swans a Swimming, 8 Maids a Milking, 9 Ladies Dancing, 10 Lords a Leaping, 11 Pipers Piping, 12 Drummers Drumming

Brand: Springbok 3D Sensations 1994, Stereogram Jigsaw Puzzles, Title: Merry Olde Santa, By: Hallmark Cards and  Digi-Rule, Pieces: 500 random cut, Size: 18" x 23.5". 

I found a trick to seeing the 3D quickly. You can try it right now as you are looking at the puzzle image. Stand in front of a window so there is window/light glare behind you shining on your device while the 3D image is on your screen. Take a minute to look into the light shining on your screen (like looking into a mirror, not at a mirror) and let your eyes drift to eventually see the 3D vision of a Santa Claus in the center, a Christmas tree on your right side and a sack of presents at the left bottom by his boots. Try it— it's really cool!

This was a very challenging puzzle to assemble and even the border pieces were assembled by puzzle piece shapes. I loved this puzzle idea of 3D and it is what got me hooked onto the different kinds of puzzle formats available.

Methods for viewing these are on the back of the jigsaw puzzle box.  I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised and  totally delighted with my accomplishment AND the vision only the eyes can see when looking at the image in the correct manner. 

Brand: Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, Title: Christmas on the Farm, Artist: Greg Giordano, Size: 26.6x19.25, Pieces: 1000 pieces. 

I did my usual sorting routine with this one. I sorted the colors as best I could into piles then did an additional color sort as I laid all the pieces out onto the foam board. I cannot locate the photos of those images. The border went together really well.

I started with the red truck, green tree, the red barn, the dogs and then the tractor. It was tricky to determine the shades of grey sky and some of the snow colors but you sure can appreciate the full colors of the completed puzzle

I love an image that shares these scenic activities of Christmas as you can see in the close up photos on the website. The artwork by Greg Giordano is clear, colourful and crisp making it totally attractive. There are elements in this image that remind me of my very young childhood where I grew up on country sunshine.   

Brand: Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, Title: The Village Tree jigsaw puzzle, Artist: Persis Clayton Weirs, Size: 26.6x19.25 , Pieces: 1000 pieces. 

The Village Tree Jigsaw Puzzle is just awesome. This random cut is helpful for the Christmas Tree cause you are going to need it. The rest of the puzzle went together rather nicely until I got to the tree which ended up leaving a large hole in the puzzle until I completed.  

After sorting the main 7-8 colors into piles, then doing the border and the second round of sort/layout onto the other boards, I determined the Christmas Tree would likely give me the most challenge.  And I was correct (sometimes these things have been known to surprise me but this one didn't) however between lining up the lights and decorations into their 'general area' and paying a WHOLE lot of attention to the shapes of the pieces, I strived through it.

Other than the Village Tree itself, the rest of the image was fairly easy to put together. It's very fun to see the decorations in the windows and the people at the skating rink. It certainly has all the makings of a great holiday hobby jigsaw puzzle including the quality of the board and the type of box Cobble Hill uses.

Brand: Wentworth Wooden Puzzles, Title: Santa Has Arrived Puzzle, Pieces: 250, Size:  Approximately 15" x 10" or 360mm x 250mm, Artist: Richard MacNeil. 

I did not do my usual sorting routine as this is 250 pieces puzzle so laying the pieces out, face-up is good enough. 

I assembled my way through the reds, yellow, browns and blacks so the left over pieces found their way in.

The random cut has the following whimsies: Snowflake, Santa, bird, wreath, the Wentworth symbolic tree, mailbox, telephone, flower, reindeer, present, dog, cat Christmas tree

This Santa Has Arrived Puzzle  was sent to me from overseas - Wiltshire UK. I was contacted by Wentworth Wooden Puzzles to see if I would like to sample and review a couple of their Christmas images. 

Brand: Wentworth Wooden Puzzles, Title: Joyeux Noel Puzzle, Pieces: 206, Size:  Approximately 15" x 10" or 360mm x 250mm, Artist: Richard MacNeil. 

I did not do my usual sorting routine as this is 206 pieces puzzle so laying the pieces out, face-up is good enough. Then I decided to locate a board that would fit all the pieces and the completed puzzle size. I found this cork board for messages which had edges. That seamed to be suitable for this project plus it would be movable so I could work it practically anywhere.

Without a border, the next most obvious place for me to start would be the only unique details available as the text, so that's the path I chose. It

was not difficult so I carried on with more familiar pattern details. I continued to assemble clusters on the board.

Once I completed the nine separate balls, I lined them up nicely in place onto the work space. Now all that was left was the blue pieces with white snow flakes. Even that turned out not to be too tricky either.

The Wentworth Joyeux Noel Puzzle is a such beautiful Christmas puzzle and the image comes from a licensing company called Hello Angel. The

wood quality is outstanding which is another one of their traits. The highest level of quality comes in the packaging too. For instance, the quality cloth pouch that keeps the puzzle pieces safe with the draw-string closure. The secure outside packaging upon quick delivery.

Inside is your delivery notice details in case there is an issue with your purchase.

There is an enclosed 'Returns' Form. Also included is a brochure on their hand- designed wood puzzles and their personalized custom puzzles.

Last, but not least important, is the information on the back of the box. Wentworth goes to great lengths to maintain its product quality while

preserving the environment in every aspect of production. I can certainly appreciate that. 

Brand: Piatnik Jigsaw Puzzle, Title: Toy Factory, 1000 pieces,  Size: 26.7 x 18.8" Created by Y. Kanda 2005. Time: 20 hours 

After a meticulous sorting, I started with the tree first, Santa in the sky was the easiest part but not the sky itself. That as tricky. It was difficult to define the reindeer from the sleigh and all those elves blended. Eventually I got to the castle which entailed dealing with the shades of colors leaving the dark section of sky for last. 
The box is really great quality, nice and sturdy - I like that. The pieces are really good quality  too...close to the best I have seen and certainly acceptable. I really like the cut too...no wanky or super small pieces to get lost.

Then the image was so perfectly clear and crisp. It was a bit of a challenge to complete too...I didn't just whip this one off - it was tricky but not too challenging. Overall I am totally pleased with it even for the price I paid which was approximately $50 after shipping.

This is my most favourite Christmas jigsaw puzzle that is on the wall every year. 

Springbok jigsaw puzzle, Title: Snowman's Delight, Pieces: 500, Artist: The Coca-Cola Co. Finished Size: 20" x 20" Square. 4 hours.

The border was identifiable easily enough. I started with the dark coke bottles, lettering and odd colors like the scarves and woman. After completing those details I did the greenish-bluish-navy colors and filled in the black buttons. The shades of whites were the trickiest but being 500  pieces there were not too many left.

Super fun quick-Christmas-fix and used on the wall every Christmas for decor. It is the expected Springbok great quality. It has all the makings of a terrific image. So fun to whip off during the holiday season. Piece were nice and snug. I could not believe my good fortune to find this one still wrapped brand new at a Thrift Store for $2.00. Very lucky for me!

Sunsout: Christmas Angels jigsaw puzzle, 1000 pieces, 26.75x35.25 inches, Artist Mary Ann Lasher, 2002. 

It was quite tricky to put the tree border together and those were the last pieces to get into place. You must be mindful of the small pieces in this type but I suppose that is required for a shaped puzzle. I have taped the back with clear packing tape to ensure pieces do not escape me.

I really enjoyed seeing all the tiny Christmas ornament coming together as the pieces finally found their rightful place. A real pleasure to work with the adequate puzzle quality that Sunsout uses.

Brand: Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, Title: Hill of a Lot of Snowmen , By: Janet Stever, Pieces: 500, Size: 26.625" x 19.25".  

Being a 500 piece puzzle I did not have to line these pieces up so perfectly due to the extra large size. It's been a while since I have done the extra large pieces so that was fun!  The border went together fairly quickly so I started with the colored scarves first as my base to build the Snowmen. Then I moved onto the Cardinal, carrots and branches. The colorful hues started to fall into place.  Finally the greenery and background was filled in.

I can see this puzzle being perfect for a family Christmas activity. I have assembled other puzzles by this artist however, the 'coloring book' effect in this artwork by  Janet Stever is as attractive as the Snowmen. The children would really enjoy building the Snowmen, the adults can help with the minor tricky branches and the topic is perfect for the Christmas season. 

Brand: Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, Title: Christmas Balls, Size: 26.6x19.25, Pieces: 500 pieces. 

I did not do my usual sorting routine with this one. I sorted the colors as best I could into piles then did an additional color sort as I laid all the pieces out onto the foam board. The border went together really well.

I sensed this one was going to be a bit of a trickster due to the darkish colors but the beauty of the image was irresistible so that triggered the challenge knowing the reward of completion would be worth it. Being 500 pieces also made it acceptable. 

I started with the lightest colors and the most distinctest patterns on the balls. The reds/greens were kinda tricky especially the reds/greens with patterns. But the darkness behind the balls were fairly testy. 

I love an image that shares the twinkle of Christmas and clearly this jigsaw puzzle has captured that essence. This image is known as a T.O.P. which means 'Truly Original Photo' in house at Cobble Hill Puzzle Company. They have produced many of their own images for jigsaw puzzles.

Brand: Hallmark, Title: Woolly Mittens, By: John Donnell, Pieces: 400 Size: 20.5 x 26.75". 

I did not do my usual sorting with this one due to it being a Family Puzzle. In a Family jigsaw puzzle the pieces are in roughly 3 different sizes so I sorted 4 piles. Small, medium, large and border pieces.

The border was fairly easy with all the pieces being extra large. My plan for this one was to work the most obvious Mitten colors starting with the 2 green pairs, then brown pairs, then cream colored pairs, snowflakes, Reindeers and Santa faces. The red checkered pair of mittens was the toughest area and also the one with the majority of smaller pieces as was the strings.

You will not find this online or in the stores - it's kinda on the vintage side. After I finished it, I swapped it out to another Puzzler. 

Brand: Galison, Title: Peanuts Christmas, Artist: Charles Schultz, Pieces: 1000, Size: 20 x 27".  11.5 hours

To assist assembling this puzzle border I laid out all the flat edge pieces according to the shapes. There is a lot of dark/white color along the border so it was a matter of matching the shapes into position by testing one by one - I find it assembles much faster that way.

I tried to do the Christmas Tree first. Then I worked the colored hair on the characters. Once I completed their hair and bodies and Snoopy, I assembled all the faces. So when the tree, characters and Snoopy were done it left only the stars in the sky and the snow on the bottom of the image. I knew they would be testy due to the grid-cut. Once again I laid out all the pieces according to shape and the size of the tips on the pieces. It took me longer to do the sky and snow than the rest of the puzzle.

The Peanuts Christmas jigsaw puzzle by Galison comes with a poster and on the back of the puzzle is the history story of how the Peanuts Christmas Special came to be produced which is quite interesting so I hope you read it.  

Brand: Springbok, Title: White Christmas, Artist: Robert Finale, Pieces: 500, Size: 18" x 23.5”.  12 hours.

There are not many defined colors to be seen clearly. This type of artwork is quite visible with brush strokes on the close up view and much clearer when seen from a distance.

Some of the warm lights in the houses and church blend with some areas of the pinkish sky and reflections in the snow at the the bottom. I did not refer much to the image itself but relied more heavily on the shapes of the pieces. That said, this was a case of the image magically appearing as more pieces found their places. 

This puzzle was sent for review as a 'Christmas in July' article which made it extra fun! 

Brand: Wentworth, Title: He Looked Like A Pedlar, 500 pieces. 

The unique cuts were quite different to handle because they were wood.....it was like the pieces had to be set in from directly above and not slide into place from the sides.

I was unable to complete the border first as the dark brown areas along the top were tricky due to the cuts. When whimsy pieces are included in the cut, the border edge pieces tend to blend in as edge pieces that are actually part of a whimsy cut area making it difficult to determine the correct piece. So I decided to let the pieces find themselves

eventually by assembling towards the border on it own.

The image was so fun to work especially the Christmas tree and Santa. I did think it was a tad dark but it doesn't look as dark as the above image. I received this as a gift from my puzzle friend in Scotland and it is my first Wentworth wooden puzzle. Once I completed it, put it in a frame, it's been on my wall ever since. 

Brand: Dowdle, Title: Hometown Christmas, Artist: Eric Dowdle, Pieces: 500, Size: 16" x 20". This one was a real bang for my buck! 

The border was tricky to complete due to the dark colors. A good portion of this image is dark due to the scene being a night theme. I had yellows and blues to start assembling the snow-ice and lines on buildings to complete the main portion of the top half. That left the 2 buildings on each side which were quite similar.

A very delightful Christmas scene....a little dark in some areas but not enough to deter the fun!  

Brand: Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, Title: Holiday Candy, By: Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, Artist: Andrea Mistretta, Pieces: 500, Size: 24" x 18".

I did manage to get the border done quickly enough  having the edge pieces being the most helpful. I seemed to do a LOT of sorting according to patterns on the candy. So off to the side of the puzzle I had basically set up the pieces where I thought they might go. It was like building 2 puzzles. That way I was able to use the shapes of the puzzles to fit on the puzzle with the border completed. 

By building a secondary puzzle using the colored patterns into the approximate position on a separate board certainly helped but was extremely slow going. I did not want to clutter the 'main' puzzle image with so many pieces as that was simply not getting me anywhere fast.

It seemed like I built the puzzle from the bottom up which is not my 'norm' but my usual puzzling form was not working. I did not want to become frustrated with it because this puzzle was on my wish list for a very long time so when the opportunity arose for me to acquire it by swapping with another Puzzler, I jumped right on it. 

However, for a 500 piece puzzle which can take 4-5 hours turned into almost 20 hours. Yes, this one certainly is a challenge but well appreciated on my wall during this Christmas season!

 The matte finish is always nice on these puzzles. As is the cut and quality of Cobble Hill jigsaw puzzles. In the end, as you can see in the close up photos of how the pieces do fit perfectly smooth together which compliments the extremely colorful and delightful production of the Holiday Candy jigsaw puzzle. 

Brand: Bits & Pieces, Title: Winter Patchwork, By: Helz Cuppleditch, Pieces: 1000, Size: 20" x 27". 12 hours.

To assist assembling this puzzle border I laid out all the flat edge pieces according to the shapes. There is a lot of color/patterns along the border so it was a matter of matching the shapes into position by testing one by one - I find it assembles much faster that way.

I started with the most distinguished large text among the different areas of the images. Then I focused on large areas of solid colors. Slowly the 6 areas started to take form before I tackled the center/borders between the 6 areas. 

There is a lot of darkness in this image but I really enjoyed assembling it. It did take longer than my usual time to do a 1000 piece puzzle but well worth it in the end!

Brand: Eurographics, Title: Ready for Christmas, Artist: Steve Crisp, Size: 19.25"  x  27", Pieces: 1000. 

The snow along the bottom and the dark sky across the top were a little tricky. Snow patches and black starry skies usually are. I had singled out the Merry Christmas text which was then done first on the board followed by the Christmas tree, red fence, reindeer, dog and other greenery. From there I worked all the lighter color areas in the rooms, placing them into position on the board.

Eventually the lower roof and front doorway were completed. After that, all the rooms were completed until I was down to the starry sky and white snow. Those 2 areas took the longest time with the sky being the longer of the two as it extended the puzzling time for this puzzle to about 12 hours. However, I have had a lot bigger sections of dark sky and snow on different images but this one was not a negative at all!

Brand: Springbok Authentic XZL9600, Title: Cool Friends, Size: 34" x 42.5" or 83.3cm x 1.07m, Pieces: 2000 pieces. Board ALERT! 

Watch your board size on this one. It is 34x42.5" (83.3cm x 1.07m).  I needed to add a foam board section to the top and left side of my 'already' double-sized foam boards. It also makes it difficult to get overhead photos as the board cannot be moved to a lower level so I tried to keep the glare a low as possible. 

After I sorted what I thought might be edge pieces, I did a second round of sorting according to colors. I used 6 foam boards. 

I had purchased this one 7-8 years ago from a Thrift Store because it was 2000 pieces and pardon the pun but I thought it was kinda cool. This is also my first 2000 piece Springbok. It was a challenge at times and I did experience the feeling of 'getting over the hump' with it but  once I did, the pieces started moving faster.

So far as the border went, it was not completed until almost the end as it was the blues that were not easy to put into place.

Brand: Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, Title: Christmas Train, Artist: Ingrid Slyder, Size: 26.6x19.25, Pieces: 350 pieces. 

I started with the puzzle pieces that were the size of cookies that being perfect for the children who will adore this puzzle image. It also makes for working across the puzzle from right to left, conveniently for the children, meaning they do not have to reach over other family members during the puzzle session.

The more to the left I got, the smaller the pieces are for the older children/parent(s) to assemble their side of the puzzle.  This time the smaller pieces assembled easier than the Halloween Cookies Family puzzle (which was terrific too), likely due to being so colorful with delightful little details.

I love an image that shares the twinkle of Christmas and clearly this one has captured that essence as you will see in the close up photos included in the article. 

Brand: Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, Title: Christmas Tree Quilt Jigsaw Puzzle, Artist: Cobble Hill , Pieces: 275 large size, Size: 24" x 18". 

The Christmas Tree Quilt jigsaw puzzle is quite a busy one with many mixed details. There's the quilt background that also serves as the border then there's the Christmas tree on top of that.  

The border was completed quickly enough by joining the colour patterns together first, lining them up into the position on the board then filling

in the open spaces. From there, I started with patching up stars, flowers, ribbons and the large balls. I also built onto the edges the Christmas

ornaments. Filling in the purple grid pattern background was quite simple.

Brand: Eurographics jigsaw puzzles, Title: Holiday Cats (Christmas Kittens), Size: 19.25"  x  27", Pieces: 1000.  

I started with patches of pinks, browns, orange-ish and red. That was enough to start building areas up. Then I did as much foliage on the top and bottom border that I could locate.  From there I just continued to build as many Christmas Kittens into their general area on the puzzle....eventually they all found their places. 

The Holiday Cats jigsaw puzzle  is a perfect puzzle experience....it's super fun to see these delightful little Kittens created into a seasonal image. I can highly recommend it.

Brand: Eurographics, Title: Sweet Christmas, Size: 19.25"  x  27", Pieces: 1000. 

I started with a few of the main colorful items as in the Gingerbread House, Candy Canes, Donuts and pink cookies. Then I completed all the large red text and red border decor at the top and bottom. After that it was a matter of picking a delicious treat and locating the colors that matched up. There was not a lot of white space between the treats so that was not even an issue. 

It sure looks terrific on the table and good enough to eat! This brand come highly recommended.

Brand: Bits & Pieces, Title: The Village Wreath, By: Rosiland Solomon, Pieces: 750, Size: 24.6" x 25" or 62 x 63.5cm. 

I lamely attempted the border. I know better than to do that with these shaped puzzles but it can't hurt to get it started. From there I assembled little clusters of images starting with the church and buildings.

The big red bow was kinda tricky due the the red ribbon laced through the wreath but it was the greens and the border that was most testy.

The Village Wreath shaped jigsaw puzzle was put on my wish list the second I saw it so once I received a gift card for Christmas last year I purchased it instantly.  When this puzzle is assembled it is quite colourful and very impressive. Highly recommended! It is available to buy at Bits and Pieces but you should shop around for the best shipping prices. 

Brand: Springbok No. XZL3443, Title: Christmas Keepsake, Photos: Styled by Kim Warner,  photo by Steve Wilson, Size: 18 x 23.5", Pieces: 500 pieces. 6 hours.

I did not do my usual sorting routine with this one. I laid all the pieces out onto the foam board and sorted out the border which went together fairly easily. 

I started with the brown patch inside the wreath and as much of the shelf beam as possible. After that I assembled the popcorn and red/white ribbons along with some of the larger ornaments.

From that point on it was basically looking for odd shapes to locate the matching colors to complete the image.

The lovely ornaments, most of which look vintage are a rare find these days. Springbok has a whole series of the Keepsake Christmas puzzles and this is the 2nd one I located at the Thrift store for .50 cents - both did not have the Ornament that actually comes with the box when purchased new....not that I expected it too.

Brand: WHSmith Limited Edition Panoramic, Title: Christmas Town, Size: 38.5x13.5" or 98x34cm Pieces: 1000 pieces. 12 hours.

I did my usual sorting routine with this one. I sorted the colors as best I could into piles then did an addition color sort as I laid all the pieces out onto the foam board. The border went really well except the blue across the top. Being a grid-like cut these borders tend to fit quite similar to more than one area. So I just hope I get it right but the test will be when that area gets completed.

I started with the most obvious colors first being the tent reds and blues. I worked the color-coats the people were wearing and the storefront lettering. Next was the large Christmas tree and the brick buildings. You can see some of the foil-finish in the images below but it looks much better on the table than it does on the photo.

After completing all the windows on the building, then the rest of the buildings, I was left with the dark trees and the dark sky which was mixed with chimney smoke. This area proved to be the most testy area of the puzzle. 

I was very pleased with this gift that was sent from my puzzle friend in Scotland. It was a pleasure to assemble and the experience was enjoyable. The completed image with the gold foil is seen much better than captured on the photos.

Brand: FX Schmid, Title: Santa's Toy Shop, Artist:  Simon Treadwell, Size: 27.5 x 20" (70x50cm) Pieces: 1000 pieces. 

I started with the blue window area and wreath. I tried to work the white areas such as Santa and the horse head on the bottom right. I basically had to put little color areas together on the foam boards, then tie the sections into place.

The individual puzzle pieces seemed muted - such as, the children's hats were quite blurry but once they were in place it formed the hats very prettily. That happened in several areas of the image.

I love an image that shares the twinkle of Christmas and clearly this one has captured that essence as you can see in these close up photos above. The artwork by Simon Treadwell is very colorful  and traditional making it totally attractive. 

Brand: White Mountain, Title: Christmas House, Artist: Steve Crisp, Pieces: 1000, Size: 24" x 30". 

To assist assembling this jigsaw puzzle border I laid out all the flat edge pieces according to the shapes and colors.

There is dark sky, snow-trees and berry bushes along the border so it was a matter of matching the shapes into position by testing one by one - I find it assembles much faster that way.

Where to start...upper right corner with the snow-white tree branches and work across to assemble the 3 chimneys. Next, the pink bedroom seemed to be the most outstanding of colors. The Baby's room and Parent's room were worked while the Christmas tree in the living room started to appear. Eventually the brown walls between the room were established with the Dining room and Kitchen were assembled last.

Once the rooms were assembled inside the house I tackled the trees along the bottom and sides of the house outside which left only the snowy roof, Santa and the reindeer within the dark sky.  Once again, the starlight sky was last and fit by checking piece by piece.

I love an image that tells us that kinda story. The Christmas House jigsaw puzzle has many versions however I like this one the most as Santa is (traditionally) on the roof AND it was sent to me by a very special Puzzle Fairy!  

Brand: Eurographics, Title: Christmas Stories, Artist: Paul Normand, Size: 19.25"  x  27" Extra Large pieces, Pieces: 300. 

The second I saw this image I knew I HAD to have it in my Christmas collection. The Artist has combined many Christmas stories into one magical image. The only story that I am unfamiliar with is the fishing story....I do not have a clue about it. Maybe someone can tell me.  

This image has several colors and the large areas are the red flowers and white snow and even those are broken down within other colors. So doing the border was easy enough with basically the reds and whites.

Then I started with the Christmas balls along the top, moved onto the Gingerbread house, the open book, reindeer, poinsettias, Christmas trees, Grinch and Santa of course. The rest of the pieces easily fell into place. 

Brand: Springbok Lazy Creek puzzle, Title: Lazy Creek Country Store, Artist: Dona Gelsinger, Pieces: 1000 (Board  size ALERT), Size: 24" x 30" or 61cm x 76.2cm. 

The overall size of this jigsaw puzzle is larger than the many of 1000 pieces so being at 24"x30" I had to take out my larger board. The pieces are big and thick and interlock quite well. The overall size of the puzzle image is also tricky for taking full size photos.

I assembled the tires, the store signs and the snowman first. Next I focused on the building and defined the snowy trees on the left side from the right side. The snow along the bottom is blended with the white in the sky. 

The image captures the falling snow blurred by the yellow Christmas lights around the building. Some areas were more clear-cut while some yellow lights appeared to be captured behind by a falling snow motion. Looking at the image from a distance the trees are excellent however upon a close up view they are more like brush-stroke features.

Brand: Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, Title: Peace On Earth - Poster inside, By: Richard Cowdrey, Pieces: 1000, Size: 27" x 30". 

The border was fairly doable. I thought it best to start with the least of colors which was quite outstanding and that was the blue birds, followed by the light yellow door frame. Then I patched up the baskets and fruits but not the berries.

I decided to go with the bow and sachet on the door handle next. Once they were in place I worked the wreath while lining up the fruits. After that I focused on the red and white berries which were quite tricky.  The background was left until last.

I have to admit, this one went quite well considering the solid colors and berries. But what is most impressive is the image itself. Take a close look below at the artist's immaculate work. I am so impressed with Richard Cowdrey's painting style as he pays attention to perfection and accuracy. 

Also it should be mentioned the way Cobble Hill ensures the image will be printed to the ultimate enhancement of the image giving a terrific puzzling experience - great job there!

Brand: Eurographics Advent Calendar Puzzle, Title: Santa Stars, December Twenty-four, Size: 5" x 5". Turns out the Santa Stars were a little on the tricky side with those 'beady' little eyes. Santa for sure will love them especially the cherries on top for the nose - great idea! Advent Calendar Puzzle 

Brand: Unknown, Title: Christmas Scene Jigsaw Puzzle, Pieces: 1000, Size: 20" x 30". 

I picked this Christmas Scene Puzzle because of the activity going on in

the image. It shares many delightful and colourful children involved in

outdoor Christmas fun. It's quite the cheerful image too.

That said, the flat thin pieces easily stacked upon one another and I had to handle them very carefully. Turn out I had to use the letters that are on the back of the puzzle because the cut had numerous false fits.

The scene has some lovely Christmas activity which was delightful to see and the highlight of the puzzle experience. 

Brand: Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, Title:  Christmas Campers Puzzle, Artist: Diane Dempsey, Pieces: 1000, Size:  48.9 x 67.6cm or 19.25 x 26.625″.  

Of late, I have added another step to my sorting routine. When I pull out the edge pieces, I line them up which helps with the layout when it comes time to assembling the border.

I usually start with the text on the image and this one's text was along the bottom left.....it was a little tricky at first. Then I moved onto the solid green pieces which turned out to be the car and the bottom of the camper.

Once the majority of the greens were assembled I moved over to the reds on the campers and car. Little details like the tires and Christmas lights were easier to put into place. That basically left the different shades of the snow but the patches were not huge so it went well. Christmas Campers Puzzle 

Brand: Vermont Jigsaw Puzzles, Title: The Inn At Christmas Puzzle, Artist: Greg Giordano, Pieces: 550 large size, Size: 24" x 18'.

The Inn At Christmas puzzle (Amazon link) is one of my most favourite

images by Greg Giordano. I keep it on my wall all year round just above my piano. I think it catches what I believe is my true essence of Christmas. A beautifully decorated Inn with warm lights on inside and happy people coming together along with the delivery of the Christmas tree in the vintage truck.

The border was pretty straight forward and I propped the box lid up using the Puzzle Peak Box Stand because it works great!

I wasn't sure how I was going to work this one as it does have numerous details. I started from the top, then worked the white building colours, red truck, greenery and the people. The snowy area along the bottom was a bit tricky but not enough to spoil the fun I was having.

I love the creative artwork by Greg Giordanno and the quality of the Vermont Christmas puzzles with their sturdy boxes, true color images and puzzle piece cut style.

Brand: Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, Title: Catching Santa Puzzle, Pieces: 350 large size , Size: 26.625" x 19.25". 

The Catching Santa puzzle has Family Pieces which means the pieces are 'graduated' from extra large pieces to medium size pieces to regular adult size pieces. So looking at it, large is on the right and adult size pieces on the left.  

In this case, I assembled the pieces according to size leaving a nice portion for the adult to enjoy as much as the children will see so many fun details in the image.

This makes for a delightful experience for a family to assemble the puzzle together in one sitting.

Catching Santa Puzzle 1000 Pieces

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Peanuts, A Charlie Brown Christmas Mini Puzzles. Mini Puzzle Set of 2 180 Pieces Each Assembled Size: 6"x 7.5" Includes a mini book of full color stickers. Ages 7+

These little puzzle are adorable and perfect stocking stuffers. They can be assembled in one sitting and use a small work space. Plus it comes with a mini book with stickers as a second fun activity during the holiday season. The quality of the pieces is quite acceptable too.

Peanuts puzzles are delightful any time and these one are easily stored for the next year.

Brand: Cobble Hill Puzzle Company, Title:  Vintage Main Street Puzzle, Artist: Diane Dempsey, Pieces: 1000, Size:  48.9 x 67.6cm or 19.25 x 26.625″. 

The Vintage Main Street Puzzle brings a new retro theme to celebrate Christmas. The Artist managed to capture a wonderful combination colors and details that's quite outstanding for attraction to puzzlers.

I have switched up from using foam boards for sorting. Since I have established that the Grateful House jigsaw puzzling trays can hold a 1000 piece puzzle laid out, (using the lid for the border pieces) I find it convenient to layout my sorting process as shown in the images. I set up the 8 trays plus the lid and the box of puzzle pieces in the centre to sort according to colours or details. I do the border on my foam board working area first so I can put the lid on the trays for movement.

Using the Poster to assist with the border, it assembled quite quickly. The upper sky and the road on the bottom were fairly easy to distinguish. Then the red colour along the left side, made the right side easy to arrange the pieces into those directions.

I started off with the light soft greens and the bigger store names to help identify areas that could be easily be assembled. The sun and Santa was a given ;)

I continued to gather little pockets of color to put clusters of details together. There was enough detail to get about two-thirds of the puzzle assembled which left the tricky areas being the two vehicles. They were done last but they were not too difficult once I looked closer at the details.

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Brand: Bits & Pieces, Title: Festive Ornaments Kit: Included frames and glue, Pieces: 6 mini puzzles of 15 pieces, Size: 3" round. 

The 6 ornament puzzles come in individual bags. Once all 6 Christmas Ornament jigsaw puzzles were assembled I placed the round-cut-pattern-glue-disc onto the back of the completed puzzles. Then you can easily drop the puzzle-ornaments into the plastic gold frame and then place the other cardboard round discs into the back of the frame. They do set into the frame very nice and secure. 

Brand: Springbok, Title: Sparkling Tree, Size: 24" x 30" or 60.9 x 76.2cm, Pieces: 500 pieces. 

This one has a foil type glitter upon the surface to make it look extra fun.   There are more details and closeup photos in the article plus 140 Christmas jigsaw puzzles to view. 

Brand: Marks and Spencer, Title: Santa Surprise, Size: 30x21cm or 12.2 x 8.2", Pieces: 150 pieces. 

In my one work-in-progress you can see I am working the pieces according to the poster that is included due to all the similar Santas. 

Brand: Disney, Title: no title, Size: 12.2 x 8.2", Pieces: 500 pieces, 2 missing. I was pleased to do this delightful little quick fix Mickey and Minnie jigsaw puzzle. It shows on the box that it comes from the Disney Store. The overall quality of product is on the better level of medium but not top of the line which is acceptable. Even though it was missing 2 pieces it certainly was entertaining enough for a Christmas puzzle.  

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Brand: Ceaco, Title: At Christmas Give Your Heart, Artist: Mary Engelbreit, Size: 20 x 16", Pieces: 500 pieces. 

The At Christmas Give Your Heart Jigsaw Puzzle has several cute cut whimsies which I find extra delightful and an added feature to the puzzle experience. 

Brand: Bits & Pieces, Title: The Gingerbread House, By: Elissa Della-Piana, Pieces: 300 with big easy to handle pieces, Size: 24.6" x 25". 

I sent this one to my 85 year old Mom because it has nice big pieces and it's a colorful, cute, Christmas one. There are more details and closeup photos in the article plus 140 Christmas jigsaw puzzles to view. The Gingerbread House Jigsaw Puzzle 

Brand: Dowdle, Title: Gingerbread House, Artist: Eric Dowdle, Pieces: 500, Size: 16" x 20". 

This was another lucky find for $1.00 at the Thrift Store and perfect for this time of year! There are more details and closeup photos in the article plus 140 Christmas jigsaw puzzles to view.   

Brand: Springbok, Title: Everything's Up To Date At The North Pole, Image by: John Overmyer, Pieces: 500 pieces, Size: 20.5" x 27".

Brand: JaCaRou, Title: Nutcracker, Artist: Anie Maltais, Size: 20 x 27", Pieces: 1000 pieces. 

This special JaCaRou jigsaw puzzle comes with a sturdy Book-like box with an embedded music box so when the lid is lifted the music plays "Dragee Fairy Dance" of Nutcracker Ballet by Tchaikovsky. The Nutcracker  

Brand: Springbok 1JIG10638, Title: Yuletime Ride, By: Sandra Kuck, Pieces: 1000, Size: 24" x 30". How can you beat this delightful one for 50 cents - so fun! 

Advent 2022 Calendar puzzle  24 days. 50 pieces, times 24 days, Size: 5"x5", Total 1200 pieces

Brand: Aquarius, Title: Charlie Brown Christmas Puzzle, Artist: Charles Shultz, Pieces: 1000, Size: 20" x 28"

Brand: Briarpatch I Spy jigsaw puzzle, Title: Under the Tree, By: Scholastic, Pieces: 500, Size: 13" x 19"