The Only Puzzle I Couldn’t Finish?! - Areaware Gradient Jigsaw Puzzles Review

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Today I’m talking about the Areaware Gradient Puzzles, designed by Bryce Wilner.
Get the 500 piece puzzles on Amazon (aflink): amzn.to/2NvYxA1
Get the 100 piece puzzles on Amazon (aflink): amzn.to/2SsbHPj
Check out my entire Amazon shop:
amazon.com/shop/karenkavett
Get the puzzles on Areaware’s site:
www.areaware.com/collections/...
Get the other Gradient Puzzles I mentioned:
Cloudberries Gradient - www.cloudberries.co.uk/produc...
1000 Colours Puzzle - amzn.to/2UchZUX
puzzle.lamingtondrive.com/
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[@KarenPuzzles]

I'm so happy that my Areaware puzzle review is finally here! Have you ever started a puzzle you couldn't finish before?

[@neptune2600]

Karen Puzzles well I started a sand puzzle that’s really hard but I gave up on that because I got a gradient cloudberry puzzle and wanted to start that.

[@timmartin7258]

I actually have a star wars puzzle I haven't been able to finish, not because of difficulty but because of missing pieces each time and I know it's my fault.

[@amygray4499]

Karen Puzzles I loved what you did at the end with the 100 puzzles

[@karlaedith6191]

Yes but I didn’t disarm it, I keep it in a box and after 3 years I decided to finish. Reason? KZbin started to recommend me puzzle videos and obviously yours too!

[@futureuse7105]

I never really quit puzzles, I would only quit if I got a new puzzle that I would be way more excited about

[@ritzv74]

You should start designing your own puzzles!

[@danielleking262]

That's what I first thought she did when I first saw her channel name! lol

[@rogerkittner1193]

YES THAT WOULD BE AWESOME IF SHE DESIGNED HER OWN PUZZLES I WOULD DEFINITELY BUT THEM

[@blainevanity6]

@@rogerkittner1193 She said it’s a project for next year. I can’t wait!

[@cmanflesh3871]

👀👀👀👀👀

[@snowfall7160]

This aged well

[@dothedo3667]

Just in the beginning of the video the fact that the gradient isn't centered bugged me immediately! Glad you mentioned whether or not it was a problem in the puzzling process.

[@vatsalamolly]

The mix and match stuff with the 100 piece puzzles were so beautiful!

[@fallingstars3572]

7:27 that just ripped my heart in two

[@danielleking262]

Mmmhmm 💔

[@maddie77933]

I did the 1000 piece red and gold gradient puzzle and it was... hell. The problems you mentioned here were definitely huge issues for me, and the last third of the puzzle was just boring brute force puzzling. I totally agree though that as decor pieces these are just the coolest! Left it on my table for way too long after it was done for just that reason lol

[@KarenPuzzles]

I'm impressed you finished it!

[@KnotJani]

I had that one too and also finished it and had to switch the last piece! It took forever!

[@surrendersweet]

So unusual to have the final piece not fit! I think I’ve said before, gradients are not something I’m interested in doing, I’m more of a pretty picture person. Great review though!

[@cameronmueller-harder3916]

I did the blue/teal one about a year and a half ago (actually, within a week or two of this video being published!), and I remember being so frustrated! I had exactly the same problem about the gradient not being centered, and the pieces fitting in the wrong spots, so I'm so happy that wasn't just me!

[@gingermaniac5484]

listening while doing a puzzle, it's nice to hear someone talk about puzzles while you do puzzles, it's less lonely so thanks for that.

[@EmOgirlGuilbert]

I listen to these whilst I play Stardew Valley. I think listening to a calming activity is nice whilst you do a calming activity. I think your right as it's less lonely

[@Name-js5uq]

What an excellent review, my only comment would be that you don't have to say you're sorry for making a long video. I can only speak for myself but I enjoy the length of your videos.

[@maryhicks9211]

The end was the best. I like the way you can interchange the colors. I wonder now if the 500 pieces are of the same cut... If so you could finish the purple one. Wondering minds UM.

[@ImeldaFagin]

I used to touch up custom wallpaper for the super-rich. In one room with an extremely high ceiling that I worked on there was a similar black to white gradient. It was a nightmare because every millimeter was a different shade. Is there such a thing as mini-PTSD? Cause that’s what I’m feeling just remembering it.

[@amorrow271]

The closest I’ve come doing a gradient puzzle it was more of a color wheel which had a pattern in it so that was helpful. Also the puzzle was a circle so the center piece was round and you could build off it pretty easily. It wasn’t a difficult puzzle, except because of the round shape some pieces were hard to differentiate from edge pieces. It was so fun though, and I love your videos!

[@danielleking262]

That sounds cool! Do you remember the name of it or could look it up and reply if you've found it?

[@ichliebebaeumeweilbaum]

I have the same I think...

[@katiek1856]

I think you need to come out with your own puzzles💡

[@Mushiixx]

Now I want the 100 pieces as placemat. I already have 3x3 as coasters (a diaper company made a few from Finding Nemo, like 15 years ago).

[@emmag-du5xp]

that’d be a big placemat

[@icedromeda9410]

The bi flag is what made me click on the video tbh. This reminded me I still haven’t finished one of my puzzles

[@audbee14]

Bi pride!

[@jingpapas1086]

Who else is bi?

[@TashitaxLinda]

👋

[@felixm6541]

i wish it was more even :( i would by and make it buts its way to blue

[@lenka2984]

yeah, same here

[@phyllismarony8948]

Hi Karen, I enjoyed this video as well as the others. I really liked your imagination at the end when you interchanged the colors. Have a good weekend and please continue to uploading . Love your channel.

[@lindseyrose05]

That's how I felt doing my gradient puzzle. There was a huge section that was just the same color. I had to just do trial and error for that section.

[@hudsonsailor54]

Loved the mixed colors, especially the green and yellow!

[@catsgallery3864]

Really thorough review. I loved how you mixed the puzzles. I would never have had that idea 💡 on my own.

[@myha5379]

And i'm about to buy a 1000-piece puzzle of just plain black... Thank you for saving me from miserable times

[@danielleking262]

oh dear lord nooo!!!! lol

[@gaymerjerry]

solid color jigsaw puzzles can work but they rely on every piece being unique

[@kathyc3301]

Me and my sister is actually working on the teal gradient puzzle right now, and it is so hard!

[@KarenPuzzles]

It's definitely a challenge! Are you guys each starting from a different end and meeting in the middle?

[@kathyc3301]

Yup that’s what we have been doing, but it takes so long. We gave up on it for the day and will go back to it another day.

[@captcalvin2293]

@@kathyc3301 Have you finished?

[@bianca2792]

Captain Calkin O think they finish now bc it’s been a year unless they gage up

[@bianca2792]

Captain Calkin gave**

[@MrsJolene-]

I don't like puzzles, but this was in my recommended and it's an awesome video! You bring up so many points I never even thought of. It's a great review. And lovely photos ♥

[@bynro7]

I want to buy some of those 100 piece gradient puzzles! I love what you did with them when you mixed them together - beautiful!!!

[@lis5827]

i am a big big puzzle lover. i usually save them for the wintertime, i live in the north and the weather can be pretty cold and boring! i came across your channel yesterday and i’ve already watched a dozen videos. you are just so cute and sweet, and i love your passsion for puzzles because i love them just as much!!!

[@simplecookin6997]

That was sooo much fun to watch! Love your channel!😊

[@flaviohernandez6281]

Love your energy on your videos! Time binge watch your channel for sure!

[@StoneDigital]

Love what you did with the smaller puzzles. You are so creative!

[@FlowersInTheVase_]

Thank you for your critical and honest review! I might pick up the 100 piece set

[@moms45]

So glad you published this. I have been working on an Areaware 1000 piece orange to gold gradient puzzle. SO frustrating. Had no problems with the top 2/3 but the gold appears to be all the same color. I'm taking a break to decide if I want to try every piece, ugh. I have never not finished a puzzle, even Michele Wilson's puzzles! Thanks for allowing me to not feel like a failure.

[@kidsanghorses44]

Nice such a cool idea towards end to mix them all up! Thank you for video All the best and God bleas

[@pulgamecanica]

Awesome Video!!! Loved it! I just finished a 3000 pieces puzzle (Guernica) and the same thing happened to me, the last piece didn't fit! I spent like 2 and a half hours trying to find out the piece that was wrong! I love to watch your videos! Keep it up!

[@karenhuey1083]

So glad I found this page! I'm working on a Queen, the band, puzzle. It's so hard. Very bad craftsmanship! Even the border pieces are interchangeable. It's been sitting on a table for months. I'm gonna give it another try! Thanks Karen, from another Karen!

[@brandadse.1741]

Love the designs you did w the 100 pieces !

[@svonpier]

Thank you for the honest review. If I were interested in doing a gradient puzzle your honesty would’ve been very helpful to me.

[@danitza628]

this is such an interesting video, karen!! watched the whole thing, i loved how honest you were, and mixing the puzzles at the end was a great idea!! you're really creative!! i hope they do send you the other puzzles 😅

[@KarenPuzzles]

They already got in touch and I might have some more puzzles on the way soon! 😗

[@alexiscastaneda1]

glad to find another puzzle enthusiast !

[@lucstockdale]

I'm so tempted to get the 100 piece ones but I need to finish the Cloudberries Gradient puzzle first.

[@avitalalef9947]

I love your creativity with the 100 piece ones! ♡

[@KaylaFlow]

Light box puzzle table - great idea! (just soft enough - and an on/off switch) to be able to check for gaps!

[@flowergrowersmith449]

Super review Karen. I must say I've never really been drawn to gradients. About the only ones I've ever done are gradients within other puzzles eg. In the Cloudberries Botany one. That's about as much as I wanna do! They are interesting looking though.

[@AuntGrace]

Nice review 💕 I just bought a gradient preowned. puzzle of buttons. Springbok can’t wait to start it.

[@Kimzeb0410]

Thank you for your review. Those puzzles are really pretty

[@dawnpiccolo7044]

Oh my gosh so good to see your videos! I'm a lifelong puzzler too. My family thinks I'm nuts. I did 6000 piece Noah's Arc, which took me 4 months. Overall I loved doing this puzzle, but I got down to the last 813 blue pieces I thought I would lose my mind! I love the Eurographic puzzles where each piece is a tiny painting. I did the Mona Lisa puzzle with this feature and it turned out so cool. Well I'm of the opinion that people who work puzzles are maybe a little bit nerdy but maybe a little smarter too. What do you think. Oh with the Noah's Arc puzzle I used paper plates to sort the colors then I could just move the plates as needed. Yes there were about 15 paper plates and the entire box bottom was the lovely blue.

[@moniica60]

pretty interesting review! that puzzle seemed like, more fun to do in my mind, thank you

[@dralbertpakin8895]

I just found your chanelle. I HATE HATED puzzles until about two years ago when I was unemployed. It made me feel like I accomplished something so now I am hooked! I have done 9 so far since the beginning of this year. I have only turned 2 down that I couldn't do. My Mom and I do them together. I would LOVE To see you make your own puzzles!

[@EmoPurpleTurtle17]

I did the pink and blue 500 piece gradient. The dark blue was really hard!

[@WhattheBeck]

Such a great review!! Didn't leave anything out

[@IHaveaPinkBeard]

Great review, thanks!!!

[@gloriaandrews4477]

how creative of mix and matching!

[@annaterwort648]

hey karen I just want to say that I love your videos🥰 at first when I discovered your channel I though oh no it an english account because I’m from germany, then I luckily decided to watch the video because it looked so interesting and then I was in love with this account. You speak english and I’m very bad in englisch but the way u speak is very well that also people like me can understand thanks for this🥰

[@evamaynard3021]

You're hilarious! I got the 100 piece puzzle as a gift and I found it to be a good refresher. It's the grey one. If you hates this, don't do mosaic puzzles!

[@kevlarblightning]

I received the Yellow-Orange puzzle for holiday 2019, and now I feel so much better that it took me much longer to finish the orange half! I thought I just couldn’t distinguish shades of orange as clearly, since it was my first gradient puzzle. I have the Pink(Purple) -Blue on the way and after you kept referencing this puzzle I decided to watch this video and at least prepared for that one to go slowly as well 😫

[@4167626628]

I actually just finished this puzzle. The way I was able to finish the blue part was after organizing the piece shapes, you then have to start paying close attention to the tabs and blanks. Also, the different piece types have constant concave/convex side patterns which helps too. It took a couple days- I would say 12-15 hours total.

[@petrescuework-difficultcas6581]

Now this is the quality content I need at 11pm when I have less than 6 hours to sleep. #subbed #insomnia

[@cherrigray]

Great comment, and then I glanced up at my clock and it says 10:59 (pm)!!! LOL

[@petrescuework-difficultcas6581]

@@cherrigray lol xD that's a coincidence

[@Kbh982]

I really enjoy watching your puzzle channel and I have been working on a 1000 piece jigsaw called Vintage Candy Wrappers by White Mountain Puzzles. Your puzzle haul videos make me really want to expand my collection. I also have played the app I Love Hue and felt really good about my color vision. Thanks for the puzzle channel! PS: I liked this video after I read that your mic was broken and sad. Just like the rest of us. :)

[@ivisteli7968]

They are so beautiful 😍 The 100 piece puzzles are so cuteee♥️♥️♥️

[@zippan]

Oh my gosh, can I just say thank you! I've been working on a 500 piece gradient puzzle for two days now and I can't seem to complete the non gradient part. It's driving me crazy and making me feel so inadequate! I'm happy to give up on it now! Haha

[@loisgrohmann9091]

just discovered your videos. I do jigsaw puzzles all the time. Over the years there have been only 2 that I didn't finish. One was an "Impossible's" brand. No border. Puzzle didn't exactly match the picture on the box. It was white golf balls and white tees on green grass. I had several "sub assemblies", but could never get them all together. The second one was a field of sunflowers. The pieces were so similar with each other that I couldn't even get the border together correctly. You didn't realize it until the center started. I tore it up and put it back in the box. I like a challenge, but when it is no longer fun to put a jigsaw together, I give up.

[@craftlikeaduck]

Love your honesty thanks

[@darkgirl131313]

I had two puzzles that started before and got stuck on. I left and went bk months later. I saw with fresh look and finished. Awesome review as usual.

[@KarenPuzzles]

I don't know if I could keep a puzzle unfinished for months! I'm glad you managed to finish them eventually!

[@darkgirl131313]

Karen Puzzles I had done so much work I just couldn't tear up. I do more darker night time puzzles

[@dhpbear2]

I'm currently solving this puzzle using a FLAT BLACK surface. This reveals the subtle shades of blue *much better* than a white background!

[@dhpbear2]

7:00 - What I do when solving gradients I pick the lightest pieces to place next. That lightness will get darker as you go along, but it's all relative! Also, you'll need a lot more light when you get to that dark section.

[@KWHCoaster]

Really like the mix and match feature of the 100pc puzzles.

[@barbieshatky5682]

💙❤️💛❤️💙 I always have finished all the puzzles I have started! That pink- blue one I wouldn't! 😆

[@lisagd22]

I had the same thought about all the blue at the bottom of the puzzle and the other gradient issues you talked about. I love the patterns you made at the end. It looks so fun! Did they ever send you any of the puzzles at the end with the designs on them?

[@UnyJustAGirl]

I would love a 1 solid color puzzle. Or the gradient puzzle in 1000 pieces!

[@volking6338]

Theres a 1000 piece solid white puzzle on Amazon

[@leporid257]

I'll keep with the impossible puzzles with recurring pattern. (right now I only have the dalmatian dots)

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

Ha ha I am just watching the video where you first received these puzzles. I’m going to finish watching that puzzle collection playlist and then come back to this one lol 🙂🐿❤️

[@sadstrawberrygirl0]

They definitely should send you more puzzles, I am gonna buy the 100 pieces ones right now because I wanna frame them mixing up the colors!

[@kyttynkross1121]

After seeing the mix ups of the 100pc puzzles, I am so getting them all.

[@KarenPuzzles]

Do it! They're so pretty!

[@samdanger4252]

My go to technique for all puzzles is to sort by piece type from the beginning. I find doing this can help certain colors I'm looking for to pop, while also allowing me to find pieces from geometry. It could be because I've been an avid LEGO builder for 3/4 of my life, so shapes are what pop to me over the image. Plus by sorting the puzzle by type I handle each piece at least twice before even building. I start of by sorting each type into it's own box and will pull out any weird pieces if the puzzle is from a random cut.

[@frankcorso6164]

Great video!

[@happydrawingchannel4293]

you are a expert in puzzles karen..

[@karlaedith6191]

I want one of those :( I just finished a 1000 and I’m the happiest!

[@sowinglight1960]

"I guess this whole video is my unsolicited feedback" LOL! Loved the way you combined the pc ones in different patterns. That was so cool. I love color, too, like you said, especially when they are all next to each other like a rainbow. (My boyfriend is slightly red/green colorblind, and we joke around about him calling red 'brown' lol.)

[@Sentient_Goose]

I love these gradient puzzles! I've done the green/yellow and orange/yellow so far. It's true that the gradient is weighted more towards one side, but if you look very closely you can discern the color transition in every piece until the very end. I'm not much of a puzzler, but I love color and I used that cue more than anything. Lighting plays a huge role. Natural light has been great. Now I gotta try the purple to see if it's a crazy outlier in the series.

[@dhpbear2]

Using more lighting will bring out those 'blacker-than-black' shades and reveals more detail. Similar to when you brighten up a really dark photo in Photoshop.

[@Falona79]

I was wondering if you ever went back to this puzzle and finished it? Looking at your more recent video’s I have the impression that you’ve grown to love solid puzzles in the past few years. I wonder how you see this puzzle now.

[@m_michelle]

I second this! I would like Karen to discuss the puzzles that frustrated her in the past years and either try them again, or just talk about them more in debth

[@JSiuDev]

The 100s mixing is really fun!!

[@joneelagardy8258]

I enjoy your video. I have only been puzzling for about a year but I love it. I am addicted now! I have done mostly Bits and Pieces and I'm so proud of myself I have framed all the One's have done so far. Can you give some hints for gluing? And how do I get the Bits and Pieces catalog.. I would really like that. I'm now doing a glow in the dark puzzle and can't wait to finish it. It is really neat, will the glue hurt the glow in the dark effect I want to frame kt

[@CraftyPrapty]

beautiful

[@rolonegative3334]

The 1000 piece bronze/teal/lavender looks great sealed on my shelf. It'll look great on a wall once assembled, but I dread cracking it open. It will be the 1st gradient I finish.

[@swarbles]

I just finished the pink to blue gradient and spent SO LONG on that blue part! It was HOURS and I thought "gee, I'm sure I watched Karen review these at some point," and lo and behold, you touched on all the same issues I had. The false fits in the blue section were SO ROUGH! I had sorted by piece shape and I would have tried every option possible and THEN realize that the piece I was looking for was in the wrong place, and UGH! Frustrating! I got the yellow to green as well, but haven't started yet. I wanted to get the rest of the colors they've released but after I do the yellow to green, depending on difficulty, I might only track down the white to black.

[@sabinecuppers]

I had UT with 1 piece leeft and die not fit with the Ravensburger Black. Insane. ❤️🍀 from Holland

[@saxumbonum]

At 5:17.... that actually is how I did a gradient puzzle when the sections of colour were tok large for me to find the piece I needed, I'd just move on to the next row, leaving spaces. The promo photo might be fake, but I promise the only gradient puzzle I have ever done did indeed have lots of empty sections that I filled in later when I had less pieces to choose from.

[@hayliedlr]

15:50 I love that look!!

[@barbieshatky5682]

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 That heart you made was beautiful! 😍

[@softfishy]

Your gradiant framing hallway idea is really cool. Also the placemats sound so cool. Only downside would be cleaning it up. Would be better if they were plastic or something.

[@hamie58]

To turn it into a placemat you can cover the puzzle in clear contact paper.

[@Imaginetheday1967]

I worked a puzzle with a typical outdoors/nature scene and got down to the last two pieces, next to each other, and they did not fit. I had to search and search before finally finding my mistake. It was so strange!

[@KarenPuzzles]

It's always such a shock!

[@veitweissgram1360]

Just finished the 500 piece green one. The gradient is almost continuous, beside the last 3 rows. So, i it was really fun and defenitely doable. I´ll try also the b/w, the other ones seem to be to hard. Let´s see.

[@GraemeRobinson]

I enjoy watching your gradient puzzle videos though I find no attraction in them myself. I tend to enjoy building a puzzle with meaningful content - plus I have terrible colour vision (I think) and have really struggled to finish puzzles with lots of gradient sky such as the 2000 piece Ravensberger New York Skyline. Maybe one day I'll give one of your recommended gradient puzzles a go. Thanks again for posting.

[@zacharyhawkins363]

Try doing the gradient purple and pink puzzle from the purple side and work your way to the pink side of the puzzle

[@ChristinaJ01126]

This video is amazing!

[@KarenPuzzles]

Thank you!

[@ChristinaJ01126]

It’s really detailed, and it was nice to watch while doing my own puzzle

[@mandi0903]

OMG I NEEED THE 100 Piece puzzles!!!

[@KarenPuzzles]

They're so pretty!

[@DavidLindes]

I bought one of these (a teal 500) a few years ago at SFMOMA, but it stayed in its box for a long time... I finally gave it to a group house I was staying at, after they'd done another puzzle, and I thought this would be a fun gift. I think I might have made a mistake, because yeah... it's been sitting there unfinished for... months, now, I think. Granted, I've not been there very much, and I do make progress each time I am there. But it's really slow going, and I think for the most part, folks just gave up on it. I wonder how I'd do if I had it at home. Perhaps I'll take it back at some point and find out. :)

[@auntiesash]

I'm so glad I waited for this review. I wondered about the gradient issue - just looking at the images on their website. Why on earth didn't they take it edge to edge? And the "missing colors" is odd to me as well. I may get the pack of smaller ones because the mix & match would entertain me for hours. I did purchase the 1000 piece, Vivid Collection Color Challenge puzzle from Buffalo (model 11711). I haven't started it yet but it looks promising. Wide range of colors corner to corner with some ripple patterns that, I hope, will be a solving clue. Thanks for the detailed review!!

[@nmcvh24]

Hi! I study graphic arts! (I print stuff) the thing about the gradient is that its very difficult to do a good gradient with some colors, there's something called TAK that makes printing gradients a pain... I'm not sure if that's why the design is like that, but seeing that the black and white gradient is the easiest, I'm pretty sure that's why the gradient isn't that clear. (I'm sorry if I misspelled something wrong, I'm from spain 😊)

[@vickiarons8685]

I think that's why I like Ravensburger puzzles so much. Every piece is individual

[@brittneyikeda2344]

Oh my gosh! I would love to try out one of these puzzles!

[@elizabethc3038]

I tried to order the Art puzzle for a Mother’s Day Gift using your Amazon link below but it said puzzle not available 😢

[@rowboat8343]

I had the issue with the last piece not fitting on the 9000 piece Ravensburger astrology puzzle. The piece was so close! These are beautiful puzzles but yeah. Solid colours that fit in multiple places is not my thing! The only puzzle I've not finished had a solid blue sky that was about a quarter of the whole puzzle.