Small Thoughts- Puzzles and Hobbies

Puzzles, crafts and other smaller thought activities!

Den Dreams by Cobble Hill- a Bear-y cute Jigsaw Puzzle

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Bear in den jigsaw puzzle image

Dreams of Spring for both Bear and puzzler alike1 with Den Dreams puzzle

Puzzle Company: Cobble Hill
Number of pieces: 500
Completed size: 19.25″ x 26.625″
Puzzle Artist: Greg Alexander
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Notes: Image is done in watercolours, with rich, intensely pigmented colours.
Cobble Hill puzzle feature glare-reducing linen paper.
The artist, Greg Alexander, from Wisconsin is a well known nature artist. His art is painting is hyper realistic.

Puzzler Notes: Interesting random cut puzzle pieces. Includes a reference poster- the quality is excellent.

The image nice, but lots of similar grasses and fur make it challenging. This is on the difficult side and would not start out with this or give as a gift to beginner puzzler or if you hate fur, like me.
this is good for someone who likes bears.

Christmas Song Birds Puzzle by Ravensburger : Puzzle Review

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christmas song birds puzzle Ravensburger review

Celebrate puzzling season with the sights and sounds of Christmas Songbirds!

Christmas songbirds gather n a holiday wreath: an Oriole, Tufted Titmouse, Eastern Bluebird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red Cardinal, Chickadee, Bluebird, and Western Tanager, all against a snowy winter backdrop.

Puzzle Company: Ravensburger
Number of pieces: 500
Completed size: 20 x 14 inches
Puzzle Artist: Ingrid Slyder
Overall rating: 8.5/10

Notes: Image is done in watercolours, with rich, intensely pigmented colours.
The artist, Ingrid Slyder is known for her watercolours. She lives in Richmond, Virginia with her family.

Puzzler Notes: Larger sized puzzle pieces. Making it easier for less dextrous puzzlers. and a quick fix for advanced puzzlers! Sadly, Ravensburger does not include reference posters with their puzzles, like Cobble Hill.

The image quality is gorgeous, and makes for perfect puzzle on a blustery winter day.
The puzzle had lots of differing colours and textures so was easy- medium easy level.
Highly recommend!

Ravensburger The Christmas Shop Review- Ravensburger 500 piece Jigsaw Puzzle

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Christmas Shoppe Puzzle

The Christmas Shop Puzzle Review

Puzzle Company: Ravensburger
Number of pieces: 500
Completed size: 20 x 14 inches
Puzzle Artist: no info on puzzle artist
Overall rating: 8.5/10

Puzzler Notes: Smaller sized puzzle pieces, the same size as you would see in a typical 1000 piece puzzle. This make it more of medium difficulty, no reference poster included.
The image quality is amazing.
More information on puzzle brands and puzzle brand comparisons.

The Christmas Shop by Ravensburger – Puzzle Review

This is one of my favourite puzzle sizes to do, I usually can only find this size in Buffalo Games brand. I have noticed more brands have picked up on this size. I also that it is less of a commitment than 1000 piece puzzle. The smaller size footprint of The Christmas Shop puzzle and the smaller sized piece size makes this puzzle a manageable size to do. The smaller pieces do makes more of a challenge and may not work well with new puzzler or younger children. I believe this is limited edition- if you can find a copy- grab quickly!
Did this one on my Ravensburger easel.

Enchanted Christmas Puzzle Review- Ravensburger 500 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle for Adults for Holidays

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Enchanted Christmas Puzzle Review

Puzzle Company: Ravensburger
Number of pieces: 500
Completed size: 20 x 14 inches
Puzzle Artist: Demelsa Haughton
Overall rating: 7/10

Puzzler Notes: easy-medium difficulty (medium because there is a lot of gray in the image!), no reference poster included, I gave it a lower rating not because of quality I am not a big fan of digital images.
More information on puzzle brands and puzzle brand comparisons.

Enchanted Christmas Puzzle Review

This is a lovely, well made holiday puzzle! The 500-piece size makes this puzzle a manageable size to do. bright digital images in traditional red , green and gold colours, featuring a Christmas tree loaded with presents. Ravensburger is top of the line, there always satisfying click with their “soft click technology”, an interlocking fit for a satisfying puzzling experience.

Just Like Lush Bath Bombs DIY Recipe ? Make Your Own Bath Bomb Recipe

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diy lush bath bomb

My Small Thoughts DIY Bath Bomb Recipe- Make your own Lush Bath Bombs.
Recipe makes 6-10 bath bombs

Making your own bath bombs at home is a fun and rewarding DIY project. Not only do you get to customize the ingredients to suit your preferences, but you also get to enjoy luxurious baths without breaking the bank. Here’s a simple recipe to get you started:

Please maintain a ratio of 2:1:1 Baking Soda: Corn Starch: Citric Acid. You need at least a 2:1 ratio of baking soda and citric acid to fizz.

DIY Bath Bomb Recipe

2 cups Baking Soda
1 cup Citric Acid
1 cup Corn Starch
1/4 cup oat flour (optional) you can also try using powdered milk for milk bat effect!
1/2 cup Epsom Salts (optional) This makes for a rougher texture appearance on the bath bomb.

1-3 tsp oil (Sweet Almond Oil, coconut oil, shea butter, jojoba oil, argan oil, cocoa butter). I don’t put in too much!
1-2 tsp skin-safe Essential Oils or fragrance oil. I like lavender, lemongrass, ylang-ylang.
( approx 10=20 drops)
1-2 tsp rubbing alcohol (I put in tiny mister)

Use soap dye, food colouring, or mica powder.
bath bomb supplies photo
Mix dry ingredients. Avoid getting wet with water.
Add oils and coloring to the dry mix and combine until even.
You will have a dry crumbly mixture.

Make Your Own Lush style Bath Bombs

Spray alcohol from a small mister or add a *small* amount of liquid at a time to the bath mob mixture. Pack into your mould (you can buy bath bomb moulds, use muffin tins, silicone mold, etc). And then release when formed. I put on parchment paper and cookie tin to dry/harden- wait at least 24+ hours to use, it may take a while for the bath bomb to dry.

  • Once dry, you can seal the finished bath bombs with shrink wrap or package them in clear glass jars or paper gift bags.
  • For added visual appeal, consider decorating the tops of your bath bombs with dried lavender or rose petals. However, keep in mind that this may create a mess in the bathtub, so you may prefer to keep them plain.

With a little creativity and experimentation with colors and scents, you can create beautiful homemade bath bombs that rival those from luxury brands like LUSH. Enjoy your relaxing baths!

Autumn Memories by Buffalo Games Puzzle Review

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autumn memories puzzle
Autumn Memories
Number of pieces: 500
Completed size: 21.25×15 inches
Puzzle Artist: George Kovach
George Kovach on Facebook
Note: Reference poster included

 

I was so happy with Autumn Memories, another puzzle from the “Days to Remember” puzzle series from Buffalo Games! This is one of several puzzles from the series I have completed over the past few weeks. This was a great transition puzzle to do from summer into fall. George Kovach did the beautiful images in this puzzle. It features an early evening scene by the water’s edge. There is a cozy inn, with a fire lit inside. People line the edge along the docks, looking at the night sky or hopeful fishermen by the row of red canoes. There is a full moon in the dark blue sky and cars park outside the local inn and bar. People gather here to spend time together one last time before heading home for the season.

autumn memories puzzle

Another amazing autumn puzzle to do!

Have you done Autumn Mmemories or another “Days to Remember” puzzle? What did you think?
I would love to hear your ideas about this puzzle and other fall puzzles- please leave a comment here on my Small Thoughts Puzzle channel on Youtube. Thank you!

Nancy Wernersbach: Puzzle Artist Profile

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Amazing puzzle illustrator Nancy Wernersbach

One one the best things about puzzles is that people do them for different reasons. Some peo[le like the challenge of solving a difficult image, others prefer easy large sizes. The most important part of the puzzle for me is the image! There are so many talented artists bringing their own style to our favourite puzzle brands! One of the most popular puzzle artists is Nancy Wernersbach . Mancy s one of the most well-known puzzle illustrators famous for her bright oil and watercolour paintings of cozy homes and pets. Nancy’s artwork has a distinctive look- primary colours of warm yellows, rich reds and deep blues. I hope you enjoy doing puzzles by Nancy Wernersbach as much as I do!
Do you have a favourite puzzle artist?
What is the most important part of the puzzle for you?

Artist website: www.nancywernersbach.com
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/nanwernartist/

Nancy Wernersbach currently lives in Long Island, New York where she teaches.

Popular Nancy Wernersbach puzzles:

“Harvest Festival” puzzle review

Autumn at Saruiwa Puzzle | Adult Puzzle Reviews

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Autumn at saruiwa

I like Japanese art, particularly watercolour. One of my favourite Japanese watercolour artists is Kawase Hasui (1883–1957). I especially love his subtle earth-tone colour palette and gorgeous gradients. Kawase Hasui helped to create the shin-hanga art style of the mid-century.

Is Autumn at Saruiwa the best autumn puzzle?

Pomegranate Puzzles have a beautiful buttery soft feel to their puzzle pieces. Their puzzles pieces have a wonderful feel and that makes for a pleasant puzzle experience. The puzzle pieces are cut in a grid pattern and have a good solid fit. The quality of the inks used is outstanding. The puzzle pieces are highly pigmented and the colours are vibrant and saturated.

This puzzle is a stunning piece of art. The stunning oranges, greens and ochres inks used made this a delightful autumn/ fall puzzle! I rate this fall-themed puzzle at a solid 7.5/10.
It was a medium-difficult level mainly because of the grid shape. If you are good with colours, then the gradients will be easy for you!

What do you think makes the best fall puzzle?

Let me know in the comment section here or on my Small Thoughts Puzzle CHannel

Autumn at Saruiwa Puzzle

Purchase Autumn at Saruiwa Puzzle in USA
Purchase Autumn at Saruiwa Puzzlein Canada

🧩 Halloween Town Puzzle | Vermont Puzzle Company | Puzzle Review

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Halloween Town Puzzle
Do you have a favourite Halloween puzzle?
I am really looking forward to doing this adorable 550 pieces Halloween Puzzle! Halloween Town is distributed by Vermont Puzzle Company. I think this might be the same company as White Mountain puzzles- they are very similar. The artist is Thomas Wood. I like this puzzle because I didn’t find the images too childish or cartoonish.

Halloween Town Puzzle

This spooky but cute puzzle features a neighbourhood scene of little trick or treaters who are all dressed up and knocking on doors. There are some very sweet Halloween outfits; I especially like the Super Mario costume and the little princess looking for treats! The images aren’t too spooky- little witches fairies and ghosts galore to look at while doing the puzzle.

What do you think makes the best puzzle for Halloween?


I have set aside several Halloween puzzles to do. Cobble Hill “Halloween Buddies” and “Manfred’s General Store” from Bits and Pieces. I also have my eye on some more folk art styles by artists like Charles Wysocki.

Buy Halloween Town Puzzle
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USA:

Bountiful Meadows Farm Puzzle Review | Bits and Pieces

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Bountiful Meadow Farms puzzle

I just finished another fall harvest puzzle! I have been doing a whole bunch of Country Store/General Store/ down on the farm type puzzles this past month, now they are taking on a fall theme.
Bountiful Meadows Farm is an adorable fall puzzle from Bits and Pieces Puzzles. And indeed it is! There are so many cute images of pumpkins, hay, apples and red barns off n the distant field.
The artwork is by Thomas Wood, it appears to be oil on canvas. 

The puzzle pieces are random cut.
My overall puzzle experience was 7/10 and it was a medium level of difficulty. The challenge came from the similar textures in tree leaves and the similar shade of brown and there were some false fits at first. My current puzzle setup means there is more glare than I would like, the puzzle pieces are a bit glossy.

I am OBSESSED with fall and autumn puzzles and I am really looking forward to doing more in the coming autumn weeks.

What is the best fall puzzle

Do you like fall puzzles? Do you have a favourite autumn puzzle you think I would like? Please let me know in the comments section here or on my Small Thoughts Youtube channel!

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