Tag Archives: challenging jigsaw puzzles

Challenge Yourself: Scheming with Color

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Finding yourself itching for a challenge, but not quite ready to jump up to the impossible puzzles or the other uniquely challenging puzzles with a twist?

Or maybe you just prefer the traditional puzzle look and feel. You might like the routine of starting with your edge pieces or working with familiar piece shapes. Whatever the case, don’t think you still can’t challenge your brain. The bright side is, you don’t have to up your piece count either. Work with the size and style you already love. Just switch up your color scheme!

Finding puzzles that are largely of one or two color schemes can make you have to work a little harder, be a little more creative, and definitely test your patience as you wonder how you should start organizing the pieces!

If you have a favorite puzzle that you’ve completed before that was challenging because of the color scheme, share it with us in the comments. We’d love to hear about it!

zebra puzzles, safari puzzles, black and white puzzles

Explosion by SunsOut. 550 pieces. Finished size: 15” x 24.”

waterfall puzzles, boats puzzles

Crash Course by Thomas Barbey Puzzles. 1000 pieces. Finished size: 23” x 29”.

greece puzzles, white jigsaw puzzle

Greece by Clementoni. 1000 pieces. Finished size: 26.5” x 18.25”.

 

rose puzzles, flower puzzles

Red Rose by Ravensburger. 500 pieces. Finished size: 19.75” x 19.75”.

kitten puzzles, cats

Kittens in Pots. 1000 pieces. Finished size: 19.25” x 26.5”.

feathers puzzles, red puzzles

Feathers by Piatnik. 1000 pieces. Finished size: 26.5” x 17.25”.

 

ocean puzzles, surfing puzzles

Big Wave by Heye. 1000 pieces. Finished size: 22” x 22”.

 

Beautiful Swan by Ravensburger. 500 pieces. Finished size: 19.5″ x 14.25″.

Autumn Reflection by Springbok. 1500 pieces. Finished size: 28.75″ x 36″.

 

 

Challenge Yourself: Keeping your Brain Active

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We already know that puzzling has multiple benefits—it’s relaxing, fun, and a good way to keep your brain in tip top shape. In fact, puzzles (and the variations of puzzles from Sudoku to Scrabble) are second on Wiki’s list of things to do to exercise that big mass of nerves inside your cranium.

The more you challenge your brain, the more new nerve pathways you form. The benefit of this has some amazingly positive benefits: namely, it can help you avert cognitive decline.

So here’s some things (easy things!) you can start doing in your daily life to make things a little more interesting, and make your brain work just a little bit harder.

1. Get strategizing! Play strategy games like chess or bridge, Poker or Scrabble.

2. Do new things to perk up your brain. Brush your teeth with your eyes closed or use your non-dominant hand to brush your teeth (or build a puzzle)! Take a new route to work and stop living life on autopilot.

3. Read more. Books, magazines, blogs (this one counts!) or the newspaper. Set little goals: ten pages of your novel a day before bed, an article with your lunch break meal, whatever—just fit in some reading time!

4. Start memorizing more. Stop relying on your cell phone and try to learn a new friend’s phone number. Or your grocery list. Or how about the US presidents in order?

5. Listen to classical music because it increases brain activity more positively and helps with spatial intelligence.

How about trying something new with your puzzles? Creative Crafthouse has a huge selection of brain teasers that will push you in entirely new ways! For instance, check out this brain puzzle:

Brainwave. Ages 10+. Difficulty: 4 out of 6.

From the info page: This fellow really has a lot on his mind. Can you help him organize his thoughts? You must insert the 10 pegs into his mind such that no color is repeated on any of the rows, columns, or diagonals of the triangle on BOTH sides at the same time. Each peg has a different color combination on its ends.

Wrebbit’s Return and the Spirit of Puzzle Designer Paul-Émile Gallant

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As part of our new inventory this year, we’re happy to now have Wrebbit 3D puzzles back in stock! For any serious 3D puzzle fan, Wrebbit has the best three dimensional puzzles out there. Need some data to back up this claim? Wrebbit offers:

  • Larger models with more pieces
  • Fair prices for high quality materials
  • Sturdier structures with  new technology
  • High-quality illustrations that will knock your socks off

Wrebbit is committed to continuing the spirit of ingenious puzzle designer Paul-Émile Gallant, who created the famous Puzz 3D line in the 1990s. Gallant became a renowned toy designer, making 3D puzzles of famous landmarks that incorporated flexible foam pieces that were “rigid enough to be portable and beautiful enough for display.” In 2008, Gallant was recognized for his contribution to the toy world and was included in the Canadian Toy Industry Hall of Fame.

Sadly, Gallant passed away in September 2011, but his revolutionary visions paved the way for the new beautiful puzzles of Big Ben, the Taj Mahal, and even Hobbiton!

Check out these lovely new additions, perfect for any 3D puzzlers’ dream displays.

big ben wrebbit puzzlesAbove: Big Ben is 890 pieces and measures 18.9″ x 10.63″ x 28.74″ when assembled. Recommended for ages 12 and up. If these seems a bit intimidating, try starting with a smaller Big Ben 3D Puzzle - we have several from other brands, too!

lord of the rings puzzlesAbove: Citadel of Minas Tirith from Lord of the Rings The Hobbit is 819 pieces and measures 17.52″ x 16.54″ x 25.98″. Want more of The Hobbit? We also have the Hobbit Collector’s Puzzle, a regular 500 piece jigsaw.

germany puzzles, germanAbove: Neuschwanstein Castle is a whopping 890 pieces and measures 21.95″ x 11.42″ x 15.26″. This castle in Germany is the subject of many jigsaw puzzles – from 550 pieces up to 4000!

Don’t Forget to Vote! + Fun Political Puzzles

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It’s time to register to vote! November will be here before you know it and the 2012 Presidential Election is going full speed ahead. We’ve got some really fun political puzzles to share with you – no matter who you’re voting for, you’re sure to find a red or blue puzzle that will be fun to put together this election season.

US Presidents poster puzzle for kids - will the puzzle have to be redesigned or will it stay the same? It’s up to you to vote!


Click for for more information on when voter registration deadlines are due for your state.

GottaVote is also a great site for learning more about registering and how to vote and what you need to do in order to vote.

Artist James Mellett has chosen key moments and key players in the ongoing dialog between Left, Right and Center. Whether you grit your teeth or laugh out loud, you won't be bored by this incredible puzzle. 1000 pieces.

Take a break from all the media coverage and political debates and just have some fun learning about the presidents. Here are some neat facts you may not have known about the first 44 leaders.

  • James Madison was the smallest and measured at 5’4”. The tallest was Abraham Lincoln at 6’4”.
  • John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe all died on the 4th of July, while Calvin Coolidge was born on it.
  • Andrew Jackson killed a man in a duel.
  • Martin Van Buren was the first born as an American citizen. Jimmy Carter was the first born in a hospital.
  • William Henry Harrison died of pneumonia after only 31 days in office.
  • Zachary Taylor never voted for in a presidential election.
  • The White House didn’t have a stove or running water until the time of 13th president, Millard Fillmore.
  • There was no First Lady during the 15th president’s time. James Buchanan never married, so his niece was the White House’s hostess.
  • Ulysses S. Grant had some trouble with the law: he was fined $20 for speeding in his horse and carriage.
  • The first president to have a phone was Rutherford B. Hayes, and his phone number was pretty simple: it was merely “1.” The first president to have his photograph taken was James Polk, and the first one to ride in an airplane and appear on television was Franklin D. Roosevelt.

    These trivia cards are a great way to learn about past USA presidents.

  • James A. Garfield was a talented ambidextrous. He could write with both hands simultaneously—in different languages!
  • Grover Cleveland is the was the first one to get married in the White House. He married his business partner’s daughter whom he had known since she was born. They also were the first ones to have a child born during a presidency.
  • Campaign buttons were first used by 25th president William McKinley.
  • Theodore Roosevelt officially dubbed it the White House in 1901. Before it was the Executive Mansion, the President’s Palace, or simply the President’s House.
  • Poor Woodrow Wilson never fulfilled his dreams. He wanted to be a stage performer—instead he was just the president.
  • John Tyler, a father of fifteen, had the most children. James Madison, James Polk, and James Buchanan were all childless.
  • Warren G. Harding liked to gamble. He gambled away a set of the White House’s china.
  • Gerald R. Ford was either really cool or really protective: he held his daughter’s high school prom in the White House.
  • George W. Bush has a collection of over 250 signed baseballs. Barack Obama collects Spider-Man comics.
  • The state where the most presidents was born was Ohio, with 7 presidents. No presidents have been born in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, or Wyoming.
  • Imagine if your mechanic or your teacher became your president. That’s what happened to many customers and students when Lyndon B. Johnson took office. Other notable careers of presidents before they were presidents: Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer, Ronald Reagan was a movie actor, Abe Lincoln chopped rails for fences, Andrew Johnson was a tailor, Calvin Coolidge was a toymaker, and Gerald Ford was a model.

Can you name them all? This is a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle.

How about these guys?

EASY WILD ALASKA BERRY RECIPES

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This is a handmade wooden puzzle made my Peaceful Wooden Puzzles. Makes an awesome and memorable gift!

Seeing this beautiful picture of our wooden Alaska Wild Berries puzzle, I was curious: what kinds of delicious foods could I be prevailed on to make with these, as I am in the beginning stages of learning to cook at all? Here are some fun, easy recipes for Alaska Wild Berries, and some interesting information about the berries as well!

Juicy - 1000 piece summer berry puzzle is sure to inspire some tasty treats!

Wild berries that found in Alaska are an excellent source of antioxidants, those helpful substances that fight other substances which roam around and deplete healthy cells of oxygen and contribute to aging, heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses. Basically antioxidants counteract other bad things going on in your body, so they’re very good for you.

Some of Alaska’s berries, like lingonberries, have just over eight times the amount of antioxidants as blueberries found in the contiguous U.S.

So you can use that excuse when you treat yourself to these sweeter indulgences offered below.

ESKIMO ICE CREAM
Eskimo ice cream, or Akutaq-Alaskan, is a light and fluffy dessert that can vary quite a bit as to its ingredients. Some recipes call for moose, caribou, or fish fat and oils. The recipe holds quite a bit of history: Native women traditionally made Akutaq after the first polar bear or seal catch, and the dessert was shared with the community members as part of special ceremonies. The modern recipe, which omits the animal fats, is as follows:

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 1/2 cup sugar (more is optional)
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 4 cups of berries (salmonberries, blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries)

Directions

  • Soak raisins in hot water
  • Whip Crisco and water in a bowl until smooth/creamy
  • Add in 1/2 cup sugar; mix well
  • Add berries and soaked raisins; mix well
  • Chill before serving

NAGOONBERRY SYRUP
Nagoonberry syrup is a delightful recipe to put over the classic waffles and pancakes, but also tastes delicious over ice cream or hot biscuits. After it is prepared, it will keep up to six months in the refrigerator without sugaring.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups nagoonberries
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

  • Extract juice by combining 4 cups of nagoonberries with 1 cup water in a bowl
  • Crush berries
  • On stove, bring mix to a simmer in a covered pot for 10 minutes
  • Place mix in a jellybag OR layers of cheesecloth in a colander
  • Let juice drip into a bowl (do not twist or press jellybag/cheesecloth)
  • Combine nagoonberry and lemon juices and sugar in saucepan
  • Heat to 160 degrees; do not boil

ALASKA WILD BERRIES MUFFINS

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups Wild Alaska berries (1 cup each of blueberries, cranberries preferred)
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar (more is optional)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup butter-flavored Crisco
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (more is optional)

Directions:

  • Mix together flour, salt and baking powder in large bowl
  • In SEPARATE bowl mix Crisco, vanilla, sugar, eggs
  • Combine both mixtures together
  • Add milk
  • Fold in wild berries
  • Pour batter into lightly greased muffin tins
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes

WILD BERRY STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

This is a recipe which could be used with any berries of your preference, but would also be great with the syrup you made from the noganberry recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 loaf Italian bread, unsliced
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 cup wild berries (blueberries or raspberries preferred)
  • 12 eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Maple syrup

Directions

  • Slice end off bread (save for another use)
  • Cut next slice part way through so that it has a pocket and is thick, but to your preference
  • Cut next slice all the way through
  • Continue until all bread is sliced (6-7 pieces preferred)
  • Place slices of cream cheese in each pocket
  • Add spoonfulls of berries
  • Place bread on cookie sheets
  • In large/shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup, and melted butter
  • Dip each slice stuffed bread in egg mixture; coat well
  • Place on greased griddle over medium heat
  • Cook until lightly browned (about 3 min. per side, turning once)
  • Remove from griddle, sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional)