If Only…

On November 20, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling12 Comments

This blog has always been only about puzzles. I don’t talk about religion or politics or anything other than puzzles and my puzzling. Today though, I’m feeling as sad as this handsome puppy looks, and feeling the need to share a bit. It’s partly about puzzling, I suppose, as it affects my ability to work on my puzzles.

My recent surgery was supposed to help with my pain. If only… 😦

The surgery only provided a small amount of relief, and not nearly as much as the doctors and I had hoped. It was the trial of a device, and it’s since been removed; so even the small reduction in pain is gone.

You tell the doctors and the people around that you’re not getting your hopes up and you have realistic expectations – but deep down you’re hoping to be one of those lucky people who gets an enormous amount of benefit and feel almost like their old selves again. It’s depressing and frustrating and a gigantic letdown when it doesn’t work for you. It’s been years now, and this was sort of the “last hope” – something doctors do as a last resort when all other traditional remedies haven’t worked. For many it’s extremely beneficial, for me it was more painful than I expected, with less than hoped for results. I don’t know where we go from here, I’m hesitant to try any other therapies and contraptions; they get more and more invasive and scary (at least for me).

So from here I’ll try to be as thankful as I can be that I still have some mobility, and that I’m still able to puzzle. I can sit for a while or lay in bed and become engrossed in a puzzle, enjoy the feeling of holding a piece in my hand while I contemplate it’s placement, and enjoy the benefits of my meditative state of mind while I work on reassembling a beautiful image that’s been cut into little pieces. I have this blog where I’m able to talk about my puzzles, hear from puzzle friends in the comments, and have a somewhat creative outlet – even if it’s only about jigsaw puzzles.

I always try to be upbeat in my posts, even when my feelings that day aren’t upbeat at all; but I needed to vent a little today, as I’m dealing with my disappointment. Tomorrow’s post, however, will be much less depressing (and more about puzzles) – I promise! 🙂

*Tomorrow’s puzzle will also include that sweet doggie shown above – I love his sad little face!

Wild Animals

On November 19, 2018November 19, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles8 Comments

These were so much more difficult than the rest of the individual puzzles we’ve assembled! They were still fun though – lots of fun. The aren’t as brightly colored as the rest of the small shaped puzzles we’ve put together, but they were so beautiful!

My oldest son helped out and was completely engrossed in this set of puzzles. He started out with the elephant and it was much more challenging than we thought it would be. He worked on it for a LONG time and wouldn’t accept any help, but he got it done!

Puzzle Posse Member

His puzzle complete!

I think we were all put to the test with this set of puzzles, they definitely didn’t go together as quickly as the others because they didn’t have the brighter colors and more similar shapes as the previous sets we’ve done. I loved looking at them though, and left them assembled on the board for several days and kept thinking they’d be great in a jungle-themed kid’s room – they’re so beautiful!

These puzzles were difficult, but so satisfying to work on. We all loved them!

It’s National Game and Puzzle Week! 52 Pickup

On November 18, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Jigsaw Puzzling, Thrift Store Puzzles4 Comments

Today is the start of National Game and Puzzle Week here in the US, which is perfect for taking some of the stress out of spending time with family over Thanksgiving. Is Aunt Matilda always making you wait hours and hours for your holiday meal? Set up a jigsaw puzzle to help pass the time, what a lovely way to spend time with your family and loved ones!

You’ll get no board game recommendations from me – it’s too easy to end up arguing (just my opinion, of course). I love board and card games, but hubby is unbelievably competitive, as are many other family members. A fun game of euchre with my parents ends up with the men getting frustrated with mom and I because we “don’t take it seriously”. Mom and I then purposely try to lose, which mean we almost always end up winning; and we giggle hysterically while it’s happening. It’s safe to say the husbands are unimpressed with our behavior. 😁 I’m a jigsaw puzzle gal all the way; everyone can help, you don’t need to explain the “rules”, and everyone wins. Viva le puzzle!

So onto today’s puzzle, I chose this one for today’s post because it’s a puzzle of playing cards which can be used for many games. This puzzle had me so enraptured that I almost couldn’t walk away. I kept coming back to it even though I wasn’t feeling well; I just had to get a few more pieces put in, and I had to know if all the pieces were there!

Another good quality non-traditional Ceaco. This one is called a Conversation Pieces Trompe L’oeil jigsaw puzzle. (trompe l’oeil is a visual illusion in art, it means to trick or deceive the eye to see the painting as a three-dimensional object) Ceaco has a few of these conversation pieces puzzles, but this is the first one we’ve found in the thrift stores.

I wasn’t planning to document this assembly, but mom was here at the beginning and helped me assemble most of the first part. She went home to get some things done, and I kept sending her updated pictures. So I’ve got pics of the assembly as I went along! We started with the face cards, they were harder to assemble than we bargained for!

Conversation Pieces 1

Next I assembled the rest of the cards that were face up, and I tried to place them all approximately where they belong in the puzzle. It sure doesn’t look like much, does it?

Conversation Pieces 2

The next morning I put together the edges; it wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t as difficult as I’d thought either. I was so excited to get that done! All that’s left is to fill in. I can’t explain how engrossed I was in this puzzle and how happy it made me. So happy!

Conversation Pieces 3

I was hoping to have a picture of it glued and mounted on foam board and hanging in my daughter’s game room. Unfortunately, it’s not on the wall yet. Bummer. Still, we had a great time with this puzzle, and it looks so cool!

If you’re not up close to see the piece shapes it looks like cards strewn across a table. I think it’s going to look amazing on the wall! Perhaps over the holiday I’ll get it hung up – my daughter and her husband are hosting Thanksgiving this year in their new home. I’m bringing the pies, and something to hang up this puzzle! You might just see a picture of it sometime soon. 😎

It’s Taking Soooo Long!

On November 17, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling6 Comments

Sugar Magnolia is taking soooo long! It has nothing to do with the puzzle itself, I’ve just been unable to sit in front of it long enough to make any substantial progress; fifteen minutes yesterday was all I could handle. 😕

It’s so beautiful, the pieces are wonderfully fun and entertaining to work with, and I’m unbelievably happy to have it – but it’s been 16 days now since it’s arrived and I would really love to see it finished! Yesterday I was able to put together the largest butterflies in the section above (one on each side of the puzzle). It’s coming together, though my progress is much slower than I’d like.

Ok, enough whining about it. Time to put on my big girl panties and get to work!

Skiing

On November 16, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

I adore this new image from Wentworth, it makes me laugh. I have a whole new batch of micro puzzles for a couple of reasons; 1) I’m a jigsaw puzzle junkie, and 2) I needed more very small puzzles that I can work on in bed. I think the puzzle addiction is the biggest reason though, if I’m being honest. 😏

I actually assembled this puzzle this morning specifically to post today. There are almost no puzzles left in my queue! Oh dear. My readers have a lot more “chatty” posts to look forward to in the next few weeks while I build up my stash of completed puzzles again. Don’t worry though, I’ll be keeping the chit chat to puzzle topics.

This puzzle has one of the cutest whimsies I’ve ever seen – a nun ice skating! Love it!

Skiing whimsies

This puzzle would be a fun challenge in a larger piece count, the bigger areas of both black and white would be a bit difficult – but entertaining I think. The artwork itself is a bit fuzzy, which I think would help with the larger areas of one color. There’s something so wonderfully whimsical and sweet about the image, it just speaks to me.

Skiing - box