Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays to all our customers, and readers of this blog. If you are holidaying away, at the relatives, the bach or camping, be sure to take a jigsaw. They are great for the evenings without TV, or those days of inclement weather when you can't get outside.

Worried about losing the pieces? - try the pieceless puzzle.






Need to occupy everyone? - there is our family puzzle with two sizes of pieces.






No room? Try a travel puzzle or a scramble square.


Jigsaws keep everyone entertained during the holidays!

Rosina Wachtmeister puzzles, beautifully framed

Sandy from Kaiapoi, New Zealand, recently sent us this wonderful photo of herself and her framed Rosina Wachtmeister jigsaws - 'Window' and 'We want to be together'.
She has them hanging in pride of place in the room her Grandchildren use when they visit. Thanks Sandy!
If you have photographs of jigsaws you have completed, and would like to share them with other puzzlers just email them to us at puzzles@xtra.co.nz.

What do you call a person who enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles?

A Dissectologist!

The BCD, or Benevolent Confraternity of Dissectologist’s to give it it’s fuller title, is a Worldwide club for lovers of Jigsaw Puzzles from all Nationalities and time periods.

Recycle Old Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces: Craft a Wreath, Ornament or Picture Frame

Heres a novel way of finding a new use for those old jigsaws with missing bits - make them into a Christmas decoration or wreath.

Pieceless Jigsaws

These puzzles are made from single sheets of felt like material with a pattern cut into it like a jigsaw puzzle. The pieces, however, are not cut 100% so they stay attached in a single strand. In this way you can never lose a piece. The puzzle has a picture on both side - like having two puzzles in one.
They are perfect for traveling or while waiting (doctor's office, dentist, anywhere you end up sitting with nothing to do).
Take a look at this utube video for a close up look at the pieceless puzzle.

WASGIJ Christmas 5 That Warm Christmas Feeling

WASGIJ Christmas 5 is due out at the beginning of November, so WASGIJ fans - order yours now so you don't miss out! All the family are enjoying that warm Christmas feeling that fills the room while Mum brings in the tea. Then why does Dad look so cross? WASGIJ fans, you know the puzzle holds the answer! The picture on the box lid is not the puzzle; it is simply a clue to what the puzzle is! I love the humour and cheerfulness of the WASGIJs. What is it you particularly like about WASGIJ puzzles?? Post a comment and let us know.

Difficult puzzles

The complexity of a jigsaw puzzle largely depends on two things - the size of the puzzle, and the colour of the design, or a combination of them. The Worlds Largest Jigsaw, 24,000 pieces relies on considerable patience by virtue of its share size, although the pattern itself is bright and colourful and not too difficult.
In a puzzle such as Lunchtime 1932, 1000 pieces, the pieces are shades of black and white, and so it is very difficult to complete.

No matter what your age or puzzle ability, the more challenging the jigsaw, the more rewarding on completion. What is the most difficult puzzle you have ever put together?? Click on comment below, and let us know.

I'd love this bookshelf!

How I'd love to have this bookshelf at home! The books on each shelf relate to a particular topic - Lady Chatterleys Pullover, Much Ado about knitting, Withering Tights... A fun jigsaw to do, full of detail and humour. The artwork is that of Colin Thompson, who has illustrated some wonderful jigsaws.. He has a great website - take a look here

How to make your own jigsaw roll

When you need to be able to shift your puzzle off the table a jigsaw roll is a useful thing to have. Here are the instructions for making your own jigsaw roll.
If however, you are not too good with the sewing machine, we sell them ready made! Take a look here.

The worlds largest and unsolved jigsaw puzzle

Archaeologists are all set to unearth several pieces of the world’s oldest and largest unsolved jigsaw puzzle- a 2,200-year-old map of Rome made of thousands of marble fragments-by next year.

The rare pieces could be excavated following construction work for a new metro line near Rome’s majestic forum area.

Read more about this here.

Rosina Waschmeister jigsaws back in stock

These beautiful jigsaws sell out as fast as they come in, so don't delay if you want one to add to your collection.

New EDUCA puzzles

We have lots of new EDUCA puzzles in stock, so check out whats new here. You will be as pleased as we are!


Puppy Collage 1000 pieces






Mia 1000 pieces

The Argentinian film "Puzzle"

I recently went to the NZ Film Festival viewing of the Argentinian film "Puzzle". It tells the story of a middle-aged Argentine wife and mother, Maria, who develops an interest in doing large jigsaw puzzles. She finds a like minded jigsaw partner, and secretly spends two afternoons a week doing jigsaws with him, they enter and win a competition. There are all sorts of subplots and th overall metaphor of life being a jigsaw can't be missed.Take a look at this trailer for the film.
If you also saw it, I'd love to hear what you thought. Leave a comment.

New jigsaws on website

We have been flat out the last few days adding new jigsaws to the website. In particular we are now well stocked with beautiful animal jigsaws. Heres a couple of them:


Check out the other new puzzles here

Take a look at this article about a 87 year old man who spends over 7 years doing a 5000 puzzle, only to find one piece missing when he completed it. Can you imagine the distress!

I have found since starting to use a portapuzzle I've had a lot less "Oh no, where did that bit go" moments! Check it out on our website.

New jigsaws with large easy to handle pieces

We have just received a beautiful selection of Ravensburger jigsaws with larger pieces for puzzlers who are visually impaired or who have difficulty handling the small pieces of a standard jigsaw.
Avian World



Dad's Shed

Doggie Delight

Check out our full range here.

A moving online jigsaw!

Here is a jigsaw that is not your usual online jigsaw puzzle!

This is amazing, the picture has movement in it the entire time you are working on it. A tip - take all the pieces out of the box first.
Drag the pieces together to make a picture, it can be done completely!

Click Here : Unusual Puzzle

Jigsaw wallpaper

If you're looking for a new use for your old jigsaws, or those with missing bits you got at that garage sale, try making wallpaper!
This is what Tracey Kendall, wallpaper designer has done. Quite impressive don't you think?

Crazy Football

Football fans, you will love this 500 piece puzzle by Heye. The humorous image will give you a chuckle as you put together the 500 pieces while you watch/listen to the FIFA World Cup.

WASGIJ Mystery 6 now available!!

At last, another WASGIJ mystery! This time its called Camping Commotion. Get away from it all and go back to nature with a restful camping holiday... Oh dear, it looks like the peace on this particular campsite is about to be shattered! What have the characters seen? Don't you just love the humour of these jigsaws?
Available now from Pathway Puzzles.

New NZ scenic jigsaws

We have just received some beautiful New Zealand scenic jigsaws from Blue Opal. These are ideal for posting overseas, or taking with you as gifts if you are heading somewhere sunnier this Winter. They are also quite inexpensive at $25.00 for 1000 pieces. Take a look at the full range here.

Jigsaw puzzle clock

Knowing how puzzlers lose track of time when engrossed in a jigsaw, I thought this was a fantastic idea - making a clock out of a jigsaw! A puzzle piece moves around on the hour hand, and when it strikes twelve the piece fits. Now how cool is that!! Tell me what you think.
Click here to go to the website.

New Heye jigsaws by Rosina Wachtmeister

Rosina Wachtmeister's art is well known, and we have just received a shipment of 1000 piece jigsaws featuring her colouful cats. Every piece is vibrant and colurful, with the addition of gold foiling as an added dimension.

Ever wonder how a jigsaw is made?

Last Wednesday, The Breakfast Show on TV 1 made a visit to the Holdson's jigsaw factory in Auckland, and followed the course of a jigsaw from go to whoa. I was fascinated, as despite my love of jigsaws I have never actually seen the process. If you are interested click here for the link

World's largest puzzle completed

Here is an interesting report from the UK Man completes worlds largest jigsaw. This puzzle is available in NZ, just contact us if you are interested. It is certainly a beautiful puzzle, and is also available in a smaller version of just 3000 pieces.
I am constantly amazed at the patience and perseverance shown by people who do jigsaws. Congratulations! What a great achievement!

The pieceless puzzle

Here is a new idea! Made of soft flexible material, the Pieceless Puzzle is actually one continuous strand of interconnecting branches. Great for travel, fun for all ages, and--best of all--there's no risk of losing any pieces! Once you pick it up, you won't put it down! Whats more, it is 2-sided. Twice the challenge, twice the fun!

All the world's a stage...

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and entrances; each man in his time plays many parts....." This is the perfect puzzle for the Shakespeare lover! Put together the 1,500 piece puzzle by James C. Christensen, then try and identify the 38 Shakespeares plays depicted in the image. Then, can you tell which scenes are from which plays? You'll find Othello and Iago, elves from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard the Third and many more.
This is a jigsaw that is challenging and just a little different. I think it is fabulous, tell us what you think. Click on comment below...

Easter weekend

Whatever you have planned for the long weekend, we hope it's a great one! Its the ideal time to have some quality family fun and what better than completing a jigsaw together. This beautiful jigsaw, Country Horses, by Ravensburger has a circle in the middle consisting of 100 large pieces for the kids. The surrounding 525+ pieces are for the adults. Complete family fun!

Guinness World's Record Official timed jigsaw

For those of you who can't resist a challenge heres a very special one! Your challenge is to put together this 250 piece puzzle in record time. The timer is also included.
The puzzle itself is a montage of various amazing world record holders showcasing such achievements as the man who completed the most Pogo Stick jumps in a minute and the most tennis balls held in a mouth (this record is currently held by a dog!).

The pack is presented in an official Guinness World Records box and includes an official Guinness World Records stopwatch timer to record your record-breaking attempts with.

We had fun just trying to beat each other. It is certainly a bit of family fun for the holidays!

How to complete your record attempts:
Complete the puzzle on a hard flat surface
Open the bag containing the puzzle pieces and tip them into the box
Shake the box
Start the included digital timer, tip out the pieces and start puzzling!
As soon as the the last piece of the puzzle is placed, stop the timer.

Available now from our website. Have fun!!

more shaped puzzles

We promised to show more shaped puzzles from Sunsout and here they are:

Barnyard strut
A delicate balance










And for the kitten lovers:
Kittens delight
To whom it concern







All are about 1000 pieces and available now from our website www.pathwaypuzzles.co.nz

EDUCA piece replacement service

Did you know that if you lose a piece of your EDUCA jigsaw you can simply email them and they will send you the replacement piece? What a fantastic service!
Just go to their website, (www.educcaborras.com) and complete the form. They identify the puzzle by the 11 digit code on the box, and this is required to identify the exact puzzle. You then identify the missing pieces by counting the pieces up and across and quoting this.
So, remember to keep the box from EDUCA puzzles just in case a piece disappears!

Hear Margaret Drabble reads from The Pattern on the Carpet

I have just been relaxing, sitting doing my latest jigsaw (Lunchtime 1932) as I listen to a podcast of Margaret Drabble, reading an excerpt from her book, The Pattern on the Carpet. I really recommend you do the same the next time you are puzzling. Fascinating listening! here's the link.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/audio/2009/apr/03/margaret-drabble-pattern-carpet

The power of jigsaws!

Here's an interesting article about the power of jigsaws and how jigsaw puzzles have helped author, Margaret Drabble with her depression:

The puzzling power of jigsaws
Time-wasters or sanity savers? Cassandra Jardine ponders the power of the jigsaw.

I am bereft. Each time I pass my kitchen table, emptiness assails me. Flowers, salt, pepper – all the usual clutter are there – but no jigsaw. I am happiest when there is a 1,000-piecer half-done, ready for me to tinker with whenever I am passing. I crave the buzz that comes when an incomprehensible set of squiggles finds its home but, once I start, I can't stop. Only backache saves me from staying up all night working on The Rokeby Venus's curves.

Jigsaws are a harmless addiction, unless you share the Puritan view, expressed by Daniel Defoe, that: "The killing of time is the worst of murders." In the privacy of our own homes, thousands of us thrive on our daily fix.Theatre producer Michael Codron has done a jigsaw a day for more than 30 years.

The Pattern in the Carpet by Margaret Drabble: review "I like making order out of chaos," she says. The Queen is another jigsaw junkie: for many years she has been a keen borrower from the British Jigsaw Puzzle Library, some of whose 3,500 wooden puzzles have been returned, it is rumoured, with the odd Corgi bite mark.

Princess Margaret was thought to have been another jigsaw addict but in reality she did not share her sister's enthusiasm, at least in later life. After her death in 2002, it was said that no fewer than 1,700 jigsaws were found in her attic, well-intentioned but unopened gifts.

Jigsaws, though, make excellent presents. They are silent, calming and can be combined with a little light social life. And they are gloriously cheap compared with other amusements, which explains why weekly cardboard puzzles became a national obsession in the US after the crash of 1929. That boom led to a bust all of its own when, in December 1932, a terrible period known as the Jigsaw Famine ensued.

Our current recession may show jigsaw history repeating itself. Jigsaws need a new champion and now they have one in the surprising form of Dame Margaret Drabble whose latest book, The Pattern on the Carpet, is subtitled "A personal history with jigsaws". As she explains, puzzles saved her sanity when her husband, biographer Michael Holroyd, was diagnosed with bowel cancer. While he had operations and treatment, Drabble was homebound.

Too distracted to read, she felt herself "sinking into paranoia and depression" – until she started doing jigsaws. Piecing together framed pictures gave her "an illusion of control" when everything else was uncertain. They also made a "clumsy" woman feel dexterous.

Puzzles may be done slowly but they cannot be done badly, which is one reason why they appeal to small children who start with pegged pieces and graduate to television spin-offs. Unlike adults, who start with the edge, they go straight to the drama: having completed the dinosaur, they often leave the rest. My children have outgrown that phase and now hover while I am doing a puzzle, safe in talking to me because they have only half my concentration. Sometimes they help but mostly they laugh at me because jigsaws aren't clever like crosswords, nor a quick-fix like Sudoku.

In time, they may see the point of them again. Although puzzle-makers are usually men, the vast majority of those who do them are women of a certain age. "They add 10 years to people's lives," says Dave Cooper, who runs the Jigsaw Puzzle Library, some of whose members are in their nineties. "They are so absorbing that you forget your problems."

That need for diversion is not exclusive to any age group and last month Katie Best, a 27-year-old business school lecturer who chairs the Islington Women's Institute, staged a competitive jigsaw night. "I thought I was the only person who liked them," she says, "but, of our committee of 10, six said they were secret puzzlers."

The Islington teams tackled a reproduction Fifties puzzle. Those are perennial favourites, along with (groan) animals and thatched cottages. Maps, the first jigsaws – famously mentioned by Jane Austen in Mansfield Park – continue to be popular.

But jigsaw fashions come and go. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor created a vogue for puzzles containing "whimsies" – specific shapes – in their case, Scottie dogs. Murder Mystery puzzles were the rage a few years ago, as were 3D models. Currently, comedy Wasgijs are big sellers, according to online retailers, who talk of a revival.

Along with Drabble and Codron, I prefer art puzzles because, in return for the investment of time, you gain a unique familiarity with a great painting.

I've now done all those the National Gallery has on sale and must wait until the autumn for new releases. A wooden Wentworth puzzle – one of Codron's favourite – is in the post.

Hence my empty table.

By Cassandra Jardine c/o The Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk

WASGIJ Destiny 10 High Street Hassle

Here's advance notice - the latest in the WASGIJ Destiny series - High Street Hassle - is now available. Battle your way through the shoppers on crazy Wasgij High Steet, if you dare! Remember the picture you are looking at above is just a clue as to what is inside. What have the characters seen? Piece together the clues to form the hilarious solution!

Have some fun!!

Just in case you have some spare time, here is a bit of fun. Try this online jigsaw - just click on the picture to mix the pieces, then click and drag the individual pieces to where you ant them. (Thanks to Jigzone for making this possible)
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Gluing a puzzle

After all the hard work of piecing together a jigsaw puzzle it is very rewarding to glue the finished work and mount it on the wall for all to see. A common mistake people make is to use PVA, or a wood glue, and glue it from the back. Not a good idea! Not only can this cause the pieces to swell, and then the puzzle won't lie flat, but it is messy to do. Especially formulated puzzle fixative is available, and it is gently applied to the front of the puzzle with a soft cloth, finger or the applicator sponge that comes with some brands. It seeps into the joins and also adds a gloss to the surface of the puzzle, which improves the look, and also helps to repell dust.
Pathway Puzzles sells the puzzle fixative and can also send a tip sheet we have developed after a number of years gluing jigsaws. Just send us an email and we will happily send it to you.

Valentines day is not far away!

Valentine's day - February 14th.
Go on - send your Valentine a jigsaw greeting card. These are unigue and only available in New Zealand from Pathway Puzzles. Write your message on the back of the jigsaw, break it up, post it for the cost of a standard letter. Your Valentine wil then have to put the jigsaw together to get your message!!
20 pieces, and cheap at $6.00 each!!




Or how about this 500 piece shaped jigsaw - isn't it just the cutest!


Visit our website for more ideas!

New shaped jigsaws from Sunsout

We always get excited when a new shipment of puzzles arrives here at Pathway Puzzles, and especially when it is from Sunsout in America. It was from 12 of their shaped jigsaws that we launched our business just over two years ago. How time has moved on and we have grown in that time! Sunsouts shaped jigsaws have changed too. They have now started to include hidden images within the puzzle, which adds another whole dimension. For example, in the Proud Peacock jigsaw are hidden 6 hummingbirds and 3 tree frogs.

Included in the shipment are two beautiful new shaped butterflies for those who collect these!
Wings of colour.
Fantasy Butterfly.


Keep an eye on the Blog as we are expecting new puzzles from Ravensburger soon.

Which jigsaw manufacturer is your favourite??

We are regularly emailed to ask if we have the jigsaws of a particular manufactuer or jigsaws by a particular artist. We do try to keep a good range of puzzles in stock from all the manufacturers we can get here in New Zealand. Thanks to your feedback, we are now adding the manufacturer to our entry for each jigsaw on the website.
But we would love to here from you. What manufacturer is your facourite - Nz's own Holdsons, Ravensburger, Sunsout, Ceaco, Jumbo, Falcon, Heye... the list goes on. Send us a comment below, tell us which you prefer and most importantly why?