National Parks and Reserves of Canada

by Elmer Prather, guest blogger 

This is the 44th Cobble Hill Puzzle I have had the pleasure of putting together. It is a 1000 piece puzzle titled National Parks and Reserves of Canada by Cobble Hill Puzzles. I need to have a connection with a puzzle before I spend the time and energy putting it together. The connection I have with this puzzle is my love for Canada. Canada has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world and it goes from coast to coast. It has the second largest land mass of any country in the world. There are 10 Provinces, 46 National Parks and approximately 207 Reserves in Canada. I have had the pleasure of visiting 11 of the national parks and 9 of the Provinces. Each has its own characteristics and beauty. This puzzle depicts scenes in each of these parks you may be able to see if you visit them. 

Photo and assembly by Elmer Prather

The National Parks in Canada are protected natural areas throughout the country that represent distinct geographical regions of the nation. Under the administration of a government branch, Parks Canada, National Parks allow for public enjoyment without compromising the area for future generations, including the management of Canadian wildlife and habitat within the ecosystems of the park. Within Parks Canadian is a wide range of protected areas, encompassing National Historic Sites, National Conservation Areas and National Parks Reserves. 

This puzzle introduces the person putting it together to the beauty of the Canadian National Parks. When the puzzle is finished the end result is fascinating. The many different bright colors and muted hues used in the puzzle jump out at you. You will want to look closer at each National Park park shown in the puzzle to be sure you did not miss anything. See picture below. I really enjoyed putting this one together.

Sort, Sift, Stack, and Store!

Cobble Hill is excited to finally have some accessories added to the line! Just over a year ago we added Sorting Trays and a felt Roll Away Puzzle Mat. We were shocked at the welcomed reception we had to the products and excited to see that the felt mats sold out incredibly fast! Like lightning fast! We have them in stock (as of this moment), but not to worry, the last reorder was increased ten fold to ensure that we don't run out again any time soon! 

Here's a look at the felt Roll Away Puzzle Mat. On the felt mat is Common Quilt Blocks, a popular 1000 piece Cobble Hill puzzle that has a finished size of 26.625" x 19.25". You can see that there is plenty of room for your puzzle pieces. 

When you're taking a break or want to travel with the puzzle, you can simply roll it up! The tube is a sturdy cardboard that is used to roll up the mat, then use the hook and loop strap to keep the pieces from falling out. These are excellent to have if you have a pet because we know kitties like to swipe your pieces and dogs like to eat them. So, it's a good idea to put the puzzle away if you need to take a break from it!

The other cool accessory that we brought on board are our Sorting Trays. These are incredibly unique to Cobble Hill because our sorters includes small holes in the tray that allow one to sift the puzzle dust. Now granted, we hope there isn't any puzzle dust in your puzzle, especially ours, but the reality is that it happens. Now you can open the bag, plop the pieces into a tray and give it a little shake to sift out any dust. Just be sure to sift over an area that isn't your working space!

Photo of Cobble Hill Sorting Trays & Archie Love Triangle puzzle by Dorothy K

Included in the box are six sturdy trays. You can obviously sort any brand of puzzle using the trays. They stack on top of each other too, for saving space, if you're just working on one tray at a time. We've been getting great feedback from puzzlers who are using these trays, so we're confident it's a must have accessory if you're a sorter!

Cobble Hill Puzzle Sorting Trays

The above is a good visual of the holes and what the box looks like. If you give them a try, let us know by sending in your comments to our General Inquiries form!

Last, but not least, we will soon have glue!! When I was a kid there was a PSA with puppets where one character yells, "Glue, I need glue!" Granted it was a PSA about borrowing without asking and the puppet broke a lamp he "borrowed". But we have had SO many puzzlers ask us about glue that I can't help but hear that cry for "glue, I need glue"... Glue will be coming. It was a challenge getting the right mixture, but final approval on the formula has been made.  We can't wait to announce it once it arrives to our warehouse!

Cobble Hill Puzzle Glue - not final art

We hope that you are all still enjoying your puzzle hobby during this pandemic. So many puzzlers have been whipping through puzzles, we thought we'd hear about puzzle burnout by now, but nope! Happily, everyone is still enjoying their puzzles and we're thankful that you choose Cobble Hill. 

If you have been enjoying our Sorting Trays and/or Roll Away Puzzle Mat, please share on Facebook and Instagram. Be sure to tag us #CobbleHillPuzzles.