Partners in Puzzling
Jigsaws bringing generations together
Puzzling Puns
Our favourite jigsaw jokes
The tiny details count in this series of mindboggling 1000-piece puzzles. Hundreds of your favourite characters designed to test your puzzle power!
Welcome
Welcome to the autumn/winter 2024 edition of Positively Puzzling!
In this issue we’re celebrating lots of fabulous newness! Avid puzzlers will be noticing our puzzle packaging is changing, with a new look and smaller box sizes; we’re ringing in the changes by giving you the chance to win a £250 voucher to spend at ravensburger.co.uk. We also share more about our new partnership with design team Crumble & Core and find out about a community initiative by a puzzle enthusiast.
Settle in with a cuppa and immerse yourself in our puzzling world for a while.
Happy puzzling!
The Ravensburger
UK Puzzle Team
PS Don’t forget you can always get in touch at positivelypuzzling@ravensburger.com
04 Bits & Pieces
Bite size news from the jigsaw jungle
05 In the Community Meet Alan and Puzzle Club Corner
06 Find the Fox
Can you spot the secret in Aimee Stewart’s new puzzle
08 £250 Voucher Competition
Your puzzle shelf wants you to enter
10 Puzzling Partners
Kasia and James piecing together
12 Connecting with Comedy
Our favourite puzzle puns
13 You’ve Been Framed Insta-worthy puzzles
14 Puzzle Picks
Choose your favourite in our regular round-up
Bits&Pieces
One to watch
If you love puzzles, it’s a fair bet you love to hear about puzzles and talk about puzzles! We’d recommend tuning in to Vicky Makes and Builds on YouTube. Vicky has thousands of subscribers for good reason. Her channel is a fabulous mix of reviews, strategies, speed puzzling and more.
Stylish to the Crumble & Core
We’re delighted to welcome to the Ravensburger family Crumble & Core. This family-run business based in East Sussex produces luxury hand-finished greeting and jewellery cards. Their enchanting artwork caught Ravensburger’s Sindy Randall’s eye and this spring saw the company’s resident artist Jilly Mercer create a bespoke watercolour image for a new 1000-piece jigsaw. Secret Garden celebrates the charm and warmth of the countryside cottage. “Having the opportunity to create a unique scene that jigsaw enthusiasts would find challenging but enjoyable was a new way for me to think about my work,” explained Jilly. We can’t wait to puzzle this one!
Crafty Puzzlers
Once again we’re heading to the Creative Craft Show at Birmingham’s NEC. Every time we go, we’re bowled over by the lovely reception we get from puzzle fans at the show, even Father Christmas couldn’t resist paying us a visit! The show runs from 31st October to 3rd November. If you’re visiting the show, please do stop by and say hi.
More info at www.creativecraftshow.co.uk, use code RAVENSBURGER30 for a fantastic 30% discount off the ticket entry prices* T & C apply.
Legendary puzzle lover
There are plenty of celebrity jigsaw fans, but right up there is movie icon Marilyn Monroe. According to legend, Monroe was a collector of jigsaws. That’s a puzzle shelf we’d love to have seen.
Community
Connections
When avid puzzler Alan saw a way to share his love of jigsaws and help keep his local library open, he jumped at the chance.
When the local library in Grappenhall was closed by the council over 10 years ago, local people took on the challenge and now run the library with an army of volunteers. With running costs being several thousand pounds a year, the supporters are on a year-round mission to fundraise and keep their community hub going.
At the start of the Covid lockdown, volunteer and puzzle enthusiast Alan set up the Puzzle Corner Club in the library – with the dual mission of sharing his love of jigsaws and raising funds for the library through loaning out puzzles. Having posted about the initiative on several puzzlers’ Facebook groups, Alan was soon receiving dozens of donated puzzles from all over the world.
Now with over 200 puzzles to choose from and ‘regulars’ popping in on a Saturday to sit down and enjoy a small puzzle and a chat, the Puzzle Corner Club is a firmly established part of the local community. “I never meant to get so involved, I only meant to set it up,” explained Alan, “However, as it has grown, I’ve got to know lots of locals, and I love seeing how happy they are when they come in to work on a puzzle.”
I’ve got to know lots of locals, and I love seeing how happy they are when they come in to work on a puzzle
We love hearing about how puzzles can be a force for good in the community. If you’ve got a local jigsaw initiative you’d love to share, please do get in touch at positivelypuzzling@ravensburger.com
Find the Fox
Are you outfoxed by the hidden friend in Aimee Stewart’s latest puzzle, the Merry Mushroom Village?
An absolute favourite among puzzles fans across the world, Aimee Stewart’s designs are always captivating. Did you know that Aimee loves foxes, and always includes one in her jigsaw images? See if you can spot it amongst the stunning detail in this captivating puzzle.
“I adore foxes. They are my favorite animal! For me, they are my symbol of whimsy and wonder - life’s little joyful jester peeking out from unexpected places. I always hope it puts a smile on people’s faces when they finally spot the wee little fox in one of my puzzles, like a little happy nod between me and them.” Aimee Stewart
Merry Mushroom Village, 1000pc
Competition It’s Time
Enter for your chance to win a £250 voucher to spend at Ravensburger.co.uk*!
What could be better than relaxing with a lovely new puzzle?
Relaxing with a whole bunch of new puzzles that you won in a competition of course! Our jigsaws have a new look, and we’re celebrating by giving our readers the chance to win a whopping £250 voucher to spend online at ravensburger.co.uk*.
Fresh new look, same Ravensburger quality
Eagle-eyed fans among you might have noticed a change in the way our puzzles are packaged recently.
The fresh style is part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability, and we hope our Ravensburger puzzle community will love it as much as we do.
Over 70% recycled materials in puzzle cardboard No shrink wrap
Full image shown on the box
10% Smaller box sizes for our 500, 1000 and 1500-piece puzzles Autumn Viaduct, 1500pc
All Seasons Flower Shop, 1000pc
To enter:
Scan the QR code. For digital readers, please click the QR code to reach the entry page.
*31st December 2024. No purchase necessary. Competition is open to residents of UK and ROI only, aged 18 years or over at the closing date. There is one prize of a £250 voucher code to use at www.ravensburger.co.uk.
The voucher is valid until 30th April 2025. See full terms and conditions via the competition entry form.
Rabbit Recital 500pc
Pair-fectly
Puzzling
It’s not just a fabulous solo activity, puzzling can bring people together too. We caught up with Kasia and James, a father –daughter puzzling pair. They enjoy competing in jigsaw competitions and will be heading to the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships in Spain for the second time this September.
How did your love of competitive puzzling come about?
J: My father used to like to puzzle. I’ve always loved puzzling but tend to get a bit obsessed once I start. For many years I would get one puzzle at Christmas that would usually be completed by 3am Boxing Day. I competed in a local competition in 2020 just before covid, and came second. Then I watched a Karen Puzzles video about the World Championship in 2022 and very quickly set ourselves a target of September 2023 to be ready to give it a go.
K: I have memories of puzzling from a young age, but the main reason I started properly speed puzzling was because of lockdown. I moved back home and had time on my hands because my second year of uni was cut short, so I started puzzling more with dad.
Our puzzle pick for Kasia Rainbow of Birds, 1000pc
Favourite puzzle style
J: I like busy, cluttered scenes like someone’s garage or library.
K: I know dad and I have disagreements over this one. I love a gradient or nice sky to do. I don’t like hair or something super detailed! Outside of puzzling, I also have an interest in bird watching and reading. I especially love a puzzle that includes more than one of my hobbies!
Edge first?
J: In competitive pairs puzzling, Kasia almost always does the edge while I get on with the most obvious, sortable detail. I tend to puzzle the right way up and use the image a lot as a guide, while Kasia works upside down and rarely uses the reference image!
Our puzzle pick for James Aimee Stewart Treasure Trove, 1000pc
James’ favourites puzzle style is a cluttered scene. We think he’d love this one!
Kasia loves gradiant puzzles and also birdwatching in her spare time, so Rainbow of Birds is our top pick for her!
On a mission
K: I took a gap year after university and was at home so dad and I decided on two pretty ridiculous missions. The first was to see twelve rare British birds and the second was to train to make it to the finals at the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships. I am happy to say we have completed both of these.
Going for gold!
J: Our first trip to Worlds was a joy. The competitive nature and idea of puzzling alongside some of the best was great fun, but the thing we weren’t expecting was the wonderful community.
K: It was one of the best weeks of my life and a massive highlight of 2023. I am so happy that I got to share such an amazing experience with my dad.
On this year’s Worlds
J: We’re scheduled to return in September aiming to complete the puzzle in the pairs final as well as competing in the Teams competition. A huge draw to our returning was to meet up again with all the friends we made last year.
The positives of puzzling
K: Puzzling has helped massively with my mental wellbeing. Since coming out of full-time education, puzzling has given me the chance to complete something that I feel really good about myself for. It’s this contained bit of completism that I love. And it’s introduced me to a lovely community of puzzle enthusiasts.
J: It is a privilege to spend this time together with Kasia and we have developed skills and teamwork along with meeting many wonderful people.
Positively Painting
Among James’ other passions is portrait painting. He’s currently on a mission to paint 193 portraits of 193 subjects from different countries, each involved in a positive environmental activity.
Follow on instagram @globalportraitproject @kasiajigs The 2024 World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships takes place from 17th to 22nd September in Valladolid, Spain. www.worldjigsawpuzzle.org
You Must be Jigsaw Joking
Why did the puzzles break-up? They just weren’t a great fit!
Comedy puzzles are a big hit with many puzzlers. That combination of simple silliness and the pleasure of putting the pieces together has many fans hooked. Our new puntastic puzzle range, Ray’s Comic Series, aims to have you spotting the hilarious antics of holidaymakers as you complete each picture. And, as the collection growns, the images are designed to all fit together to create one fabulous scene.
What happened when the puzzle fell down the stairs? It got a little jig-sore!
To get the laughter flowing we thought we’d share some of our favourite puzzling puns and jokes.
Why do avid puzzlers do so well in their careers? Because they’re great at making connections.
Ray’s Comic Series, The Campsite, 1000pc
Who is Ray?
Ray’s Comic Series is illustrated by namesake Ray Nicholson. The Dutch cartoonist and artist has worked across a diverse range of publications and products including creating cover art for Disney magazines.
Doctor doctor, I’ve swallowed a piece of jigsaw! Calm down, calm down –let’s find your inner piece.
Ray’s Comic Series, The Hotel, 1000pc
Floral Fantasies
Puzzle Picks
By artistRobinsonHoward
If we’ve put you in the mood for a new puzzle, check out some of our favourite new and hot-off-the-press jigsaws here. You might need a bigger puzzle shelf!
Twist in the Tale
Rose Cottage, 500pc large piece
Snow White and the Seven Gnomes, 1000pc
Beautiful Gardens: Stresa Italy, 1000pc
All Seasons Flower Shop, 1000pc
Street Market, 1000pc
My Haven Artist’s Shed, 1000pc
My Haven Cosy Shed, 1000pc
EXPERIENCE ART IN EVERY PIECE.