Cupcake Heaven by Ruth Black – MasterPieces – 1000 pieces
My first completed 1000 piece puzzle of the year. I chose it because it’s the kind of puzzle image that makes me happy – a collage with bright colors – and I wanted the first puzzle of the year to be awesome and entertaining.
Cupcake Heaven had 7 missing pieces and a devious random cut that had me using more brain power than I’d bargained for. If the puzzle was complete and the fit were less spongy it would definitely be one I’d assemble again. It wasn’t always easy to be sure the pieces were in the correct places because the fit was odd.
Even though it had missing pieces and a wonky fit I still enjoyed myself, which was the aim all along. Everything doesn’t always have to be perfect – life certainly never is! It’s what you do with what you’re given that counts in the end.
Progress is slow on this insane task I’ve set for the posse, but every piece found is a small triumph and there are many little old lady high fives being handed out. And let me tell you, gray-haired old ladies high fiving each other is giggle-inducing adorable!
My oldest son has gotten in on the act too, and apparently pops in the puzzle room when no one else is there to find a piece or two. Then he comes back when we’re working on it to proudly show us “this piece belongs to me”. I don’t blame him, each piece you find seems like such an accomplishment that you feel as though every connection should be witnessed by someone. I did it, I FOUND A PIECE!!
Vintage Baker by Aimee Stewart – Holdson – `1000 pieces
I’ve been wanting this image for a while now, but I’m thinking I should have waited to find it from a company whose quality I was familiar with. Terrible fit, horrible to work with, too shiny causing lots of glare – quite disappointing. 😦
Holdson Puzzles are made in New Zealand, and although I’d heard good things about the quality I found myself pretty let down by this puzzle. The finish was very shiny, the glare was hard to work around and the fit was awful – so loose that you couldn’t even pick up two pieces together. I work on a fabric covered board so it’s a little more difficult for the pieces to slide around, but these pieces managed it well enough somehow. On the positive side the chipboard was a good thickness and the image reproduction was very good.
I love the look of this vanilla bottle; not only is it cool looking, but it also shows the detail in the artwork and the quality of the reproduction.
The handwriting in the recipe below looks like my Grama’s, although I know it isn’t. I have noticed that many older people’s writing seems almost identical. Of course schools used to teach things like penmanship and cursive writing. Sigh. I’m old.
I try not to make a final decision about new brands until I’ve worked at least 2 or 3 of their puzzles. I’d work another Holdson puzzle if we found it in a thrift store, but I’m not going to go out of my way to buy one retail. If I find one second-hand perhaps it’ll be great quality. Who knows?
Details:
Title:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Vintage Baker
Artist:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Aimee Stewart
Brand:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Holdson Puzzles
Piece count:Â Â Â 1000 pieces
Size:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Approx. 19 x 27 in. (49 x 69 cm)
Purchased:Â Â Â New
Quality:
Board:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Very good
Cutting:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Good
Image:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Very good
Box:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Average
Fit:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Poor
Puzzle Dust:Â Â Â Moderate amount
Piece cut:Â Â Â Â Â Grid cut
Piece shapes:Â Â Good variety
Finish:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Very shiny finish, lays flat
This puzzle is a beast! It doesn’t mean we’re not having a good time though. Mom came over 2 days in a row to play puzzle with me, and we’re having tons of fun. 🙂
As you can see we’ve been attempting to work on the edges. We find though that the pieces are so intricate and distinct that it we’re constantly being distracted. If I’m looking for a certain shape and come across a piece that I recognize might fit somewhere else I immediately forget what I’ve been looking for and try to find where that new piece goes. The more we work it and become familiar with the shapes the worse our puzzle a.d.d. gets! Still, we recognize that we’re doing it and end up laughing about it which makes the puzzle even more entertaining.
Silly old ladies that mom and I are, we’ve already got an inside joke going about this puzzle that makes us giggle or dissolve in to fits of uncontrollable laughter. My humor is quite dark and dry sometimes so I won’t share the joke here in order to keep from upsetting or offending anyone; but it’s certainly keeping us entertained. She sent me a 3 word text yesterday morning that seriously had me laughing out loud for several minutes. 😆
I haven’t decided if this is it’s own puzzle or part of a larger one, but I’m attempting to forget about that and just relax and enjoy putting it together. A five pound box of vintage wooden puzzle pieces with no clue as to image, size, or piece count turns out to be one of my best purchases in a while!
Harry Potter Book 2 by Mary GrandPre – NY Puzzle Co. – 100 pieces
This was my very first puzzle of 2019 – I like to do a small puzzle on New Year’s Day so that I can start and finish the whole puzzle to start the year off right. Luckily this year my beautiful daughter gave me this set of seven 100 piece puzzles. They are so much fun!
I appreciate the adult-type difficulty level in a 100 piece puzzle and I love the Harry Potter books, so these puzzles make me doubly happy – and they help me keep up with having enough puzzles to post too. 😉
My Jigsaw Journal 