PUZZLERS LOVE WINTER 

MORE TIME FOR PUZZLING

The derivation of the word puzzle is unknown but all dictionaries agree that it means to perplex (to stretch your brain in nowadays talk). In about 1760, John Spilbury a European map maker got the idea to paste maps onto thin mahogany panels and cut them up with a fine marquetry saw (hence jigsaw) in order to sell more maps. It worked and over the next 100 years, others expanded the jigsaw puzzle idea to consumers who were not interested in maps. Puzzles arrived in North America around 1800. The skill level is controlled by varying the number of pieces and the complexity of the cuts. Typically the more pieces, the more difficult.  In other words, start easy and slowly.  Work them from the outside to the inside.

COBBLE HILL PUZZLES

STRETCH YOUR BRAIN

AND KEEP YOU OUT OF FREEZING RAIN

Random cut puzzles are the signature style of a Cobble Hill puzzle. Quirky piece shapes make puzzle time more adventurous while the linen print texture is calming to your fingertips. Durable high-quality blue board makes snapping your piece into place possible time and time again. Travel the Cobble Hill road to peace and you can keep warm and dry at the same time that all these other good things are happening.

Cobble Hill Puzzles are not only puzzles, they are a brand that chooses subjects of special interest to the puzzler.

COBBLE HILL

MORNING ON THE LAKE

A 275+ piece puzzle, it depicts loons floating on a quiet lake. This puzzle is designed to be a fairly easy beginner's puzzle with larger, less complicated pieces that are simpler to fit together.

COBBLE HILL

RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD

This 500 piece puzzle is of medium difficulty.  The colors are differing shades of green and yellow but the picture is easy to fit together as the flowers have differing combinations of those colors.  

COBBLE HILL

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I know! I know! This is a Christmas puzzle but it is the dearest design so I thought you might like to have a look and work off season or tuck it away for next Christmas.  1000 pieces.

COBBLE HILL

WE'RE ALL MAD HERE

1000 Piece Puzzle with a title straight out of "Alice in Wonderland". Difficulty is pretty difficult but super challenging and fun when it starts taking shape.

COBBLE HILL

A MOTORCYCLE STOP

1000 piece puzzle that would particularly be great for those bikers who can hardly wait for the season to begin again. Difficulty is difficult but more dramatic color shifts make it a three quarters difficult puzzle.

COBBLE HILL

MORNING MIST

1000 piece puzzle with a finished look that would be beautiful framed. A gentleman studying all the Cobble Hill puzzles in our shop told me that his family sets up a puzzle each Christmas and everyone who comes to visit works on putting the pieces together. At the end of the season when the puzzle is finished, they frame it and hang it up until next Christmas when they start a new one. This has been a long time tradition for this family. I really thought it was great.

COBBLE HILL

COMFY CAT

This is one of the most popular  18" by 24" 1000 piece puzzles. Working on solving it seems to produce a zen like feeling of peace. Cats are definitely a popular puzzle topic and Comfy just has it so right.

COBBLE HILL

WELCOME TO THE LAKEHOUSE

Surrounded by best friends, the faithful yellow and black Labrador dogs, sunshine and a beautiful sunset- nothing is missing in this 1000 piece pretty difficult puzzle. The intricate sky will require some thought but it will be a hoot to finish.

Rob McIntosh is a unique 26,000 square foot group of shops just off the 401 at Exit 814. We're close to Montreal, close to Ottawa and a stone's throw from Cornwall and Brockville. In others words, it's a perfect location for everyone to visit. Easy to find, lots of fun and you never know what product you'll discover. Rob McIntosh opened in 1979 and has watched the ebb and flow and the trends of the retail business for 46 years. Probably the biggest change in the last 46 or so years is the change in formality. Clothing, dinnerware, bedding, decorations have all moved from pretty culturally dictated to a relaxed, laid back style, one suited to the multi-tasking world in which we live. However, we also notice (in our shops for sure) that when we slow down, take a moment to just look around and enjoy the fabric, the food, the colors that surround us, people have really not changed all that much. Everyone loves to sit with their friends and have a coffee and a butter tart. We find that cards (which are a huge product for us) which you send as a message through the mail or attached to a present are a great method of transmitting a warm, fuzzy moment. We see people stopping to help others or smiling when you see a little toddler trying to navigate our back hallways. Unique is where we're at. We can't tell you where we're going but we can say that 2025 brought us Manitobah and Tilley Shops and these have been a huge hit. We can tell you that Crocs will be back in stock this spring (which I'm sure will make everyone including us happy). We can tell you that we had a huge Christmas in spite of the weather. And... we can say 'Thank you for being our friends and our customers" Welcome to 2026. Not a clue what it will bring but it sure will be interesting. If you have time to give us a review or share this email, it would be great. Talk next week (yes back to once a week). 

 Barb McIntosh

Rob McIntosh

20369 South Service Rd, South Lancaster, K0C2C0, Canada

[email protected]

http://robmcintosh.ca

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