1500 Pieces!My Largest Piece Count Yet!

April 12, 2019 PuzzlePaws 3 Comments

The fun part of being a puzzle blogger is finding new brands to try to stretching myself as a puzzler. Before I’d started PuzzlePaws, the largest puzzle I’d done was a 1000 piece, and honestly, I preferred 750’s. While I don’t hold with New Year’s Resolutions, I do want to challenge myself and to be active in the puzzling community. Next year, I want to be able to join World Puzzle Days, and Jigsaw Jubilee. To do so, I know I need to increase my piece count to include 1500 and 2000 piece puzzles! It’s a bit scary for me.

Thankfully, while I was at Toy Fair this year, I discovered Playview Brands, which is the spin-off company of Karmin International and their puzzle line. When I explained that my goals, I was offered a chance to try a different sort of large count puzzle.

This is a triptych puzzle, or a three-in-one puzzle. There are three separate 500 piece puzzles that make a single 1500 piece image. It was perfect to help me work on this year’s goals!

The puzzles came individually bagged and included a lovely poster to help with assembly.

I got a bit lucky, while the bags aren’t labeled as to which image they hold, I guessed by using the pieces I could see and managed to assemble them in order! Assembly was an adventure!

I found the pieces to be on the small side of an average 500 piece puzzle, thin, but incredibly sturdy! They connect well and hold tightly.

56749176_410701726390606_987145190139494400_n — Puzzle 1

Puzzle 1, day 1, I had friends who had swung by to pick up some firewood SC had split and they stayed and spent a good hour or so helping me build the image. Elyse refused to go home until she found the piece of deer that was eluding her!

57028912_322606175124039_164383525292736512_n — Puzzle 2

Puzzle 2, day 2, I got a late start, and assembled it all by myself. Because of the late hour at which I finished and took the photo, my overhead glare is awful. Lesson learned, take photos in the mornings!

57154953_560126491146801_1282849393501798400_n — Puzzle 3

Puzzle 3, day 3, I started this puzzle the night before, but had only managed the frame and sky before running out of spoons for the day. One of my besties came over in the morning to help me puzzle. She hadn’t done a puzzle since she was a little girl, so it was fun to show her tips and techniques.

56786094_577281452675381_973459053512491008_n — The Big Picture!!

This is a huge puzzle! When fully assembled, it is 24 inches high by 54 inches long! It completely took over my 6 person dining room table and I had to stand on a chair to take a picture.

PUZZLE SPECS

Company: Karmin International Puzzles/ Playview Brands
Title: Mountain Cabin Scene
Artist: Geno Peoples
Year released: 2018
Pieces: 3×500, or 1500
Cut-Style: Grid
Finished size: 24″x 54″
Bonus poster: Yes
Made in China

QUALITY:

Box: Sturdy, Medium-weight, 12″L x 8″H x 4″W
Board: Thin and sturdy pieces
Cut: Steel-cut Die
Image Quality: Excellent, great color saturation
Finish: Semi-gloss
Puzzle Dust: Almost none
Piece shapes: Grid style, 5 shapes
Piece Fit: Very Good, nice tight fit that if careful, I could lift it

Disability Notes: I can definitely recommend this for a teen, an adult, or for a person whose hands have good and bad days. My friends and I both had fun, and the full assembly only took us roughly 3 days. My hands didn’t ache after assembly, and the difficulty level was certainly up to adult standard.

Where to buy: Mountain Cabin Scene is available on the Karmin International website for $14.99 USD wholesale, I do not know if they do direct retail sales.

Karmin International Company : Website

Disclosure: I received a complimentary puzzle from the manufacturer in exchange for review. The opinions are my own. All links are direct, I do not make money from them.

Thanks for reading, and please click the Follow Button under my profile on the right side of the page. To support posts like this in the future, consider joining my Patreon!

Coloring Supplies Reviews

Pilot FriXion Pens and Markers – Erasable Coloring?

April 9, 2019 PuzzlePaws 1 Comment

Early this year, Pilot came out with a new line of pens and markers. They’re called FriXion, and are a new approach to an age-old problem for anyone who uses an ink instrument. “How do I fix a mistake?” Erasable pens aren’t new, but most are either not effective, nor marketed towards colorists.

I like many colorists, love to try new mediums. I originally reached out to Pilot regarding their gel pens, and my Rep instead recommended I try both their FriXion Color Sticks and FriXion Colors Markers.

Pretty, aren’t they? I’m going to tackle these separately. Pilot FriXion Colors Erasable Marker Pens is a mouthful, so from here on, they’ll be refered to as Markers. The set I received is a set of 12 colors. Each marker has a smooth white body with a colored cap and eraser. The company states it is a bold line, but I found it to be comparable to a Sharpie® Fine Line Marker.

When coloring, I found that the markers were smooth, so long as I didn’t try to cover large areas quickly. The ink is quick-drying and does not smear. While the color is not as vibrant as some of the other Pilot products, it comes out a really pleasing chalk-like matte.

Colored with FriXion Markers, art by Johanna Basford

Now the FriXion Color Sticks Erasable Gel Pens, AKA Color Sticks, were really exciting for me. The set I received included 16 Color Sticks, and are a thin rigid plastic in the color of the ink, with a clear cap and color matched eraser.

The pens are amazingly smooth and the ink is nicely pigmented. The color lays down nicely and has the same matte finish as the markers. It’s been years since I’ve colored with gel pens, and I can’t deny that the Color Sticks have reawakened my love of the coloring medium.

Colored with FriXion Color Sticks, art by Celtic Mandalas

Now, the important thing about the FriXions….Do they really erase?

Top row is markers, bottom row is Color Sticks

YES!!! They erase like a dream! FriXions use a thermosensitive ink that disappears with the friction of the eraser. Now, the darker colors may leave a slight tint behind on the paper, and the more you erase on the same spot, the harder it is to deposit ink on that spot.

Overall, I think both the Color Sticks and Markers are a great addition to any colorist’s collection.

Disability Note: Because of the fact that FriXions are erasable, I can highly recommend them for people who may want to transition from pencils to ink-based coloring. These are great if you have a problem with hand tremors or seeing fine detail. If you do make a mistake, the eraser can clean up your edges.

Where to buy: All of Pilot’s many FriXion product lines are available on their website. Over the last few months, I’ve been seeing FriXion Color Sticks and FriXion Markers at my local art and mass market stores. The prices vary by store, but neither set is more than $20 USD.

Pilot : Website / FaceBook

Disclosure: I received these markers and pens for free in exchange for a review. The opinions are my own. All art shown on this post is Copyright ©Johanna Basford and ©Celtic Mandalas. The coloring is mine. All links are direct, I do not make money from them.

Thanks for reading, and please click the Follow Button under my profile on the right side of the page. To support posts like this in the future, consider joining my Patreon!

Building Bricks

LEGO® The LEGO Movie 2 Polybags

April 5, 2019 PuzzlePaws Leave a comment

I missed out on seeing The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part in theaters, so I can’t wait for the dvd release! To pass the time until May 7th, I picked up two polybags from the local Walmart. I think my favorite thing about LEGO® is that they’re serious about being for ages X to 99!

First is LEGO® 30527 The LEGO Movie 2 Lucy vs The Alien Invader.

From the movie trailers, I know that the villain is the DUPLO® Alien Invaders. This polybag contains a minifigure of Lucy in her new kick-butt outfit and an alien for her to fight. Lucy’s face is two-sided, happy Lucy and angry Lucy. She comes with a brown scarf, quiver of arrows, and a crossbow.

The build for the DUPLO® alien was surprisingly complex! It looks so simple, but looks are deceiving. Check out the instructions.

Alien down!! He’s cute, if a little top-heavy.

I found this build to be quite fun for a small kit. And the end result makes an awesome picture!

My other polybag kit is LEGO® The LEGO Movie 2 Mini Master-Building MetalBeard. Metalbeard is another character that was in the first The LEGO Movie and has an expanded role in the new movie. Again, I have not seen the new movie, I’m basing my info on movie trailers and Brickipedia.

This kit was of a higher difficulty, not surprising as the character is a Master Builder. The really cool thing is that while the instructions only give one configuration, this kit has 2 other configurations that can be downloaded here.

Metalbeard is a really cool figure. He has a telescope and saber, as well as a banner for his “tail” and his signature neckpiece. I loved the flame feather on his hat and golden claws on his spider legs.

Disability Note: I did this on a mild day, so it is easily assembled by kids 6 and up or an adult with good to decent hand motility.

Where to buy: At the time of this post, LEGO® 30527 The LEGO Movie 2 Lucy vs The Alien Invader and LEGO® The LEGO Movie 2 Mini Master-Building MetalBeard are not listed on the LEGO® website. However, I have seen it listed for sale on ToyWiz or BrickLink, and at my local Walmart.

LEGO^®is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site.

Disclosure: I bought these items for my own use. The opinions are my own, and do not in any way reflect the thoughts and views of the Lego Group of companies.

Thanks for reading, and please click the Follow Button under my profile on the right side of the page. To support posts like this in the future, consider joining my Patreon!

Coloring Book, Uncategorized

One Color Arts – A Different Way to Color!

April 2, 2019 PuzzlePaws 1 Comment

Hey gang, I’m home finally! I had fun at ZenkaiCon, and while I had to stay a few more days than I originally planned in Massachusetts; I was far from bored! Smart me had packed this coloring book and a couple of markers. My boss was beyond amused to see me pull a coloring book out of my bag, a fineline Sharpie, and color while exhausted.

Sunlife Drawing has done it again! They took a really interesting idea, how to color if I only had one or two colors and made a coloring book! Animals – One Color Arts is made of dots and lines that by only using one color, creates the image. The images are single sided, with the back of the page being black. This keeps the pens/markers/colored pencils from bleeding through. The paper quality is smooth and light, great for pencils, pens or markers.

It looks intimidating, doesn’t it? It’s not, really. When you look closely, the lines and dots become clear, and you can guess what animal you are creating.

I got curious, I wanted to know what the image would look like if I did the coloring in reverse. That is, What if I only colored the background?

Honestly, the images are excellent either way they are colored. While it is a bit harder to color the background, it is just as rewarding as coloring the foreground.

I will note that I colored all these images with either Sharpies or watercolor markers. While the back of the page is blacked to prevent bleeding, I did also use a sheet of plain computer paper to assist. The only negative I have for this book is that the pages are not perforated, and I needed a craft knife to remove them from the book. However, I am aware that removing pages is my personal preference, and that not everyone does so.

Disability Notes: This book is great for someone who may be suffering from brain-fog, or have problems making decisions. Because of the dots and lines that make up the images, I warn that people with vertigo issues may not enjoy this coloring book. I fully plan to place this book in my travel bag, as with it, I won’t need to haul my full marker set with me!

Where to buy: Animals One Color Arts is available on Amazon, and currently on sale for $7.56 USD. Sunlife Drawing has coloring books in a multitude of styles, all are affordable, and there is bound to be something for everyone’s interest!

Sunlife Drawing : Website / FaceBook

Disclosure: I received this coloring book for free in exchange for a review. The opinions are my own. All art shown on this post is Copyright ©Sunlife Drawing. The coloring is mine. All links are direct, I do not make money from them.

Thanks for reading, and please click the Follow Button under my profile on the right side of the page. To support posts like this in the future, consider joining my Patreon!

Accessories, SC Post, Uncategorized

Nifty Device From Toy Fair 2019

Quote March 26, 2019 PuzzlePaws 1 Comment

Hello?…Is this thing on?

Hi, SC here. Puzzlepaws is unexpectedly out of town for an extended period (longer than expected due to “track maintenance” and “curfew”), so I decided to do a post (or two).

While we were at Toy Fair 2019, we came across a vendor selling this thing called an “iCaddy”. The original design was (not kidding) built out of toilet paper roll cores. The basic concept is simple: a compact, durable phone and tablet stand, with replaceable charger, and cord storage. The iCaddy website calls it a mobile device multitool!

Front and Back.jpg — The item as we received it. The model featured on the front is the creator, Katrina.

We received the cat print, which is perfect for PuzzlePaws! Currently, iCaddy has thirteen different patterns.

Box and contents including: iCaddy with accessories, introduction letter, sticker, and creator’s note.

The entire unit was easy to assemble, instruction were provided in the introduction letter. The charger fits in a secure pocket in the section of the iCaddy that isn’t used for cord storage.

icaddy_802_Cats_15_1024x1024@2x — This is the travel mode, nice and compact, easy to throw in a bag!

While the iCaddy is not intuitive in its use, a bit of fumbling and looking at the back of the box allowed me to place it in its two configurations: Tablet Mode and Phone Mode.

The iCaddy appears to be incredibly handy. It holds the tablet incredibly securely (I was not worried that it would fall or tip), while the Phone Mode left the phone available (with minimal fumbling) if you had to take a call. While it is not shown, there is sufficient space at the bottom of the phone to charge it while it is on the stand.

I was a little leery of “built-in storage”, but I’m pretty sure an engineer was involved in this design. The cover is secure, but easy to open. The storage is large enough to contain: earbuds of your choice, charging cable for the iCaddy battery, and a phone charging cable up to about 3′ in length. It snaps securely closed once loaded.

Surprisingly enough, the iCaddy came with earbuds. Being an audiophile, included equipment comes in three forms: surprisingly good quality, name brand, or crappy. (Not to say that name brand doesn’t also come in “crappy”.)

I compared the audio quality of the supplied earbuds (no brand listed) to my standard set of Skullcandy Ink’d earbuds. While I couldn’t do a direct comparison as I don’t have that equipment, I was not disappointed. The iCaddy earbuds have a good weight and a decent range, they fit my (admittedly standard) ears comfortably, bass support was good with little distortion (even at near-painful levels), the lyrics were not muddy, and the cable felt sturdy. For an included set of earbuds, these were excellent.

The only glaring thing not included? A charger. As chargers have basically become ubiquitous (I think I have about 10 in the house not including the computers), a special charger just for the battery is really unnecessary. The battery will charge with just about any 0.5A to 1A charger outputting 5V. Charging time is reported to be about 3.5 hours. Having owned similar chargers, they will supply about 1 fully battery’s-worth of power for a typical phone.

Overall this is an excellent product with a great design. Since this is Convention season, I’m sure the iCaddy will be torture-tested in the field.

Where to buy: The iCaddy is available on their website for $24.99 USD. It may be available in mass market retailers eventually.

iCaddy : Website / FaceBook

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product from the manufacturer in exchange for review. The opinions are my own. All links are direct, I do not make money from them.

Thanks for reading, and please click the Follow Button under my profile on the right side of the page. To support posts like this in the future, consider joining my Patreon!

Puzzle Review

Cherry Blossoms and Chickadees! A Springtime Review

March 22, 2019 PuzzlePaws Leave a comment

Spring is finally officially here!! Huzzah!

It’s silly, but Wednesday was both the first day of Spring and the start of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC. I’ve never gone, but I have friends who hit it every year. This weekend I’m in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for Zenkaikon, an anime convention. Before I left, I started Cobble Hill’s Chickadeedeedees. It’s a 500 piece puzzle featuring chickadees and cherry blossoms by the amazing Karen Latham.

Pardon the warm tones, I was trying to reduce my night-time glare.

This is one of the new 2019 designs, and one of the rare puzzles SC insisted on. I’d never known that my spouse liked chickadees, but there he was, reading me the Wiki and listening to bird calls on YouTube. If you want an awesome video about chickadees, I recommend LesleytheBirdNerd’s video.

Honestly, I find it cute when he gets excited/inspired by something out of the ordinary. He listens to me explaining the difference between ribbon and random cut puzzles. By the way, this is very much a random cut puzzle! SC likes the random cuts, finding them to be a great mental challenge. “That piece doesn’t go there at that angle…Shit, yes it does!”

I mentioned that I started this puzzle, however, I didn’t manage to finish my assembly before having to leave. SC, bless him, took some of his spare time to finish it and gave me his analysis. He also did my amazing cover photo!

Two thirds finished and yes, that’s a dice catalog in the corner.

I’d managed to do about 2/3rds of the puzzle, finding it to be of moderate difficulty. It’s a 500 piece puzzle, so the pieces are comfortably large and with a random cut, the placements are not always obvious. SC did the final third, noting that I had mistakenly placed a piece where it didn’t belong, so he spent a bit of time looking to place a piece that belonged in the space I’d filled.

His sorting style was thus: flowers first, then obvious leaves, then twigs, then oddball shapes, and finally the standard shaped pieces. He did say it was of moderate difficulty, and that a couple of pieces nearly achieved flight (he was frustrated and want to throw them across the room)! SC notes that the large piece size confused his eyes, but made his hands happy, and that the pieces fit and click in securely. Both of us liked the new small poster included with the puzzle that was printed with the same linen texture as the puzzle and that both puzzle and poster images matched!

All done! I couldn’t have done it without my Spouse-Critter!

PUZZLE SPECS

Company: Cobble Hill
Title: Chickadeedeedees
Artist: Karen Latham
Year released: 2019
Pieces: 500
Cut-Style: Random
Finished size: 19.25 x 26.625
Bonus poster: Yes
Made from recycled materials
Made in USA

QUALITY:

Box: Sturdy, Medium-weight, 10″x14’x2.5″ Matte-Linen Finish
Board: Thick and sturdy pieces
Cut: Steel-cut Die
Image Quality: Excellent, great color saturation
Finish: Satin, linen texture
Puzzle Dust: Almost none
Piece shapes: Random
Piece Fit: Very Good, nice tight fit that if careful, SC could lift it up completely

Disability Notes: I can definitely recommend this for a teen, an adult, or for a person whose hands have good and bad days. SC and I both had fun, and the full assembly only took us roughly about 6 hours over 3 days. My hands didn’t ache after assembly, and the difficulty level was certainly up to adult standard. I can happily recommend a large piece puzzle for people with fine motor skill issues, or arthritis.

Where to buy: Chickadeedeedees is available on the Cobble Hill website for $15.99 USD. It is currently out of stock, but it’s on order, which means there will be more made soon!

Cobble Hill Puzzle Company : Website / FaceBook

Disclosure: I received a complimentary puzzle from the manufacturer in exchange for review. The opinions are my own. All links are direct, I do not make money from them.

Thanks for reading, and please click the Follow Button under my profile on the right side of the page. To support posts like this in the future, consider joining my Patreon!

Coloring Book

Sticker Mosaics, or Color by Number For Bad Days

March 18, 2019 PuzzlePaws Leave a comment

A friend of mine, Genie, shared her de-stress day routine one day last fall. She’d recommended a color by number sticker book. I was intrigued and started to search for something like that. I found Hinkler’s Kaleidoscope Sticker Mosaics : Flora & Fauna.

Sticker by Number is just like color by number….sort of. The designs are blocked into sections and numbered, and there is a mix of difficulty levels.

The stickers are labeled in their section at the back of the book. And the goal is to use the stickers to fill the blank spots.

There is a bit of a learning curve, while you can apply the stickers with your fingers, it’s not really ideal. Genie let me know that a good set of offset tweezers are my friend.

I found myself really enjoying working on this book. My only main complaint is that the adhesive on the stickers isn’t really strong, so I was having to deal with stickers that peel up.

My pictures came out so pretty!

Disability Notes: This is really a great coloring book if you have a wish to color on a low spoon/low energy day. The mix of simple/intermediate/ complex designs means that people with visual and mild motor control issues should be able to enjoy it. I found it to be great for a brain fog day when making decisions is difficult. It could also be handy to have in a hospital or go-bag.

Where to buy: Kaleidoscope Sticker Mosaics Flora & Fauna is currently out of stock at my local Barnes & Noble. It can still be found at Barnes & Noble, and online at Amazon, though the prices vary wildly.

Hinkler: Website / Facebook

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Coloring Supplies Reviews

Hoolanda Watercolor Brush Pens Make My Coloring Pop!

March 15, 2019 PuzzlePaws 1 Comment

Just before Christmas I received a package from Amazon. Inside was this lovely set of watercolor brush pens. I’d been following Hoolanda on Facebook, and was more than mildly interested in trying a new coloring medium. The package had no note, so I’m working under the assumption that it came from Hoolanda itself.

56625452204__D6AC5872-29DB-475C-B455-136ED2B1C252

81HM7QaCiaL._SL1500_ — Photo Copyright Hoolanda 2018

I’d never tried watercolor pens before, but curiosity is one of my personality quirks/flaws. At first blush, I found the 20 colors in this set to be a nice mix of light and dark shades. The two included water pens confused me until I researched tutorials online.

The nylon brush tips make for smooth color saturation; allowing fine, medium, and bold strokes. I experimented with different papers and styles of coloring books.

I learned that the flexible brush tips could fit into the tiniest, narrow places, and that multiple applications would layer color, adding depth and shadow. The only downsides I found were the water based ink would bleed if it got wet after drying, and that you can’t let the brush pens sit in direct Virginia sunshine. When the pens get over warm the water condenses out of the ink.

Disability Notes: I really can’t think of any major issues with these brush pens. The price is affordable, Amazon delivers, and the caps both fit on the back end of the markers and have a Cap Nub. Much like all markers, they will bleed if left uncapped.

Where to buy: You can buy Hoolanda 20 Watercolor Brush Pens at their website on Amazon. The set I received retails for $15.99 usd.

Hoolanda: Website / FaceBook

The art I colored for this post came from Creative Haven® Butterflies & Blossoms Stained Glass Coloring Book, and Johanna Basford’s World of Flowers.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary set of markers from the manufacturer in exchange for review. I purchased the coloring book used on this post. The opinions are my own.

Thanks for reading, and please click the Follow Button under my profile on the right side of the page. To support posts like this in the future, consider joining my Patreon!

Puzzle Review, Uncategorized

Sweetly Addictive, Adding to my Puzzling Habit

March 13, 2019 PuzzlePaws 1 Comment

There are a dozen popular artists whose artwork is used for puzzles. I’m fond of Nene Thomas and Chris Ortega, not so much Thomas Kinkaid. Of the more recent artists, I’ve been avoiding Aimee Stewart. It isn’t that I don’t like her style, rather, I found myself intimidated. Aimee’s art is very reminiscent of Lisa Frank, all bright colors and happiness.

While at Toy Fair, I spoke at length with one of Buffalo’s representative about their new puzzle lines and some of the art styles. When I mentioned how popular Aimee Stewart’s puzzles seemed amongst my puzzling groups, but that I was not sure I could handle the visual busyness; it was suggested I try the 300 Large Pieces version. I chose the Sweet Shop, as it reminds me of the old-fashioned candy store I went to as a girl in Cape Cod.

Yes,this piece is a little bent. It came that way, and I’ve emailed Buffalo about it.

The 300 Large Pieces are designed to be 67% larger than Buffalo’s normal puzzle pieces. I found them to be wonderful for gripping on a bad hand day, and they still had the Perfect Snap™!

This shows both the Large size, and the fact I can pick up whole sections to move them!

My fear of being overwhelmed by the bright colors and busy design proved to be moot. Instead, the cheerful, bright colors made assembly a joy! This puzzle was moderately challenging, but not so much as to need a break. With the tight fit between pieces, it is easy to move whole sections of pieces.

I might be hooked on these, not that I NEED more puzzles. One of the joys of being a reviewer is also the bane of my productivity. There are always new products to try, and very little time to go back and enjoy something I’ve already done. Then again, I might have to make sure an Aimee Stewart is set aside for the 2020 World Puzzle Days.

PUZZLE SPECS

Company: Buffalo Games
Title: Sweet Shop
Artist: Aimee Stewart
Year released: 2016
Pieces: 300 Large
Cut-Style: Steel-cut Die
Finished size: 21.25 x 15 inches
Bonus poster: Yes
Made in USA

QUALITY:

Box: Thin cardboard, sturdy, 8 x 8 x 1.5 inches
Board: Medium weight chipboard, sturdy pieces
Cut: Ribbon Cut
Image Quality: Excellent
Finish: Semi-Gloss
Puzzle Dust: Minimal
Piece shapes: Standard 2-knob and some star-shaped pieces
Piece Fit: Excellent

Disability Notes: As I noted, the large pieces of this puzzle are easy to handle, which is great for those of us with arthritis or other hand mobility issues. I know that several of my readers have puzzlers in the younger generations of their families, and think this would make a great family project.

Where to buy: Sweet Shop is available on the Buffalo Games website for $10.95 USD. Buffalo Games also has displays at local Walmarts and Targets, but their selections will vary.

Buffalo Games : Website/ FaceBook

Disclosure: I received a complimentary puzzle from the manufacturer in exchange for a review. The opinions are my own.

Thanks for reading, and please click the Follow Button under my profile on the right side of the page.To support posts like this in the future, consider joining my Patreon!

Book Reviews, Coloring Book, Uncategorized

Spring is Coming, and World of Flowers is Here!

March 8, 2019 PuzzlePaws 1 Comment

I don’t know about you folks, but I’ve officially had my fill of winter. Gray days and cold weather, nasty colds and aching bones; I’m sick of the lot! But! The first day of Spring is coming soon, and one coloring book has been my mainstay through this whole rotten winter.

Last October, Johanna Basford put out a new coloring book. I hadn’t tried any of her coloring books before, having been intimidated by the level of detail in both Secret Garden and Lost Ocean. However, I can’t grow as a colorist if I don’t test my limits, and Johanna’s Colouring Gallery on her website is a safe, welcoming haven for all colorists of all skill levels. I have to say, I love this woman. Johanna describes herself as an “Inky Evangelist” and her tutorials for coloring are upbeat and encouraging. So I reached out to Johanna and her publisher in the US, Penguin Random House for a copy for the blog.

World of Flowers is a good deal larger than the coloring books I usually use. It has 40 pages of double-sided images, giving you 80 pages of coloring adventures to have. The pages are 10 inches by 10 inches on a fantastic medium heavyweight paper. The pages are not perforated for removal, this style of coloring book is meant to be kept whole. Johanna’s books include a color palette test page, so that you can not only see how your pencils/pens/markers look, you can also check for bleed through. This saved my bacon! My sharpies are a no-go in this book, but colored pencils, Hoolanda watercolor brush pens, fineliner markers, and Pilot Frixion markers all performed well.

I think my favorite thing about this book is the diversity of images. Johanna dedicated World of Flowers to her grandmother, an avid gardener. There is a multitude of plants, lots of tiny insects, a full gardening shed interior, a work truck and even a koi pond! Each page is different, and I found my inky journey being not sure where to go next!

Disability Notes: This is really a great coloring book if you have a wish to color on a low spoon/low energy day. The mix of simple/intermediate/ complex designs means that people with visual and fine motor control issues can all enjoy. The large size of the book means that it is a little unwieldy to use with a standard sized clipboard, if you are like me and color on the couch. However! It works beautifully on my lap desk.

Where to buy: The suggested retail price for World of Flowers is $16.95 USD. It can be found at Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, and online at Amazon.

Johanna Basford: Website / Facebook

Thanks for reading, and please click the Follow Button under my profile on the right side of the page. To support posts like this in the future, consider joining my Patreon!

Little pieces make a bigger picture