Goldfinch Garden

Goldfinch Garden
Goldfinch Garden by Cressida Bell – Wentworth – 40 pieces

I think this would be a fun puzzle in most any piece count, the artwork is beautiful! In a very large count the flowers and goldfinches would present quite a challenge – it would still be lovely though.

It’s so nice to still have many wooden micro puzzles here, if I’m feeling the need to puzzle when I’m not feeling well I can always assemble one of these beauties on a small tray no matter where I am. The quality is exceptional and the puzzling itself helps relieve stress and tension. We have the best hobby there is!

Goldfinch Garden whimsies

All the whimsies match the image this time, no guessing required! They also make for some very interestingly shaped pieces that fit around them, which always helps when the puzzle is somewhat difficult. Being only 40 pieces the difficulty level wasn’t too high, but it’s always nice to have a little assistance with the shapes. 🙂

Dapper Dandies

Dapper Dandies
Dapper Dandies by Amy Lynn – Mega Puzzles – 300 pieces

Dapper Dandies was the first of my Facebook Marketplace purchases that I assembled, and what fun! I love the artwork by Amy Lynn, and it made for an excellent and entertaining assembly. 🙂

I find Mega Puzzles to be hit or miss, sometimes the quality is much better than expected and sometimes not so much. The fit was fine on this one but the chipboard was on the thin side and it definitely didn’t lay flat.

Dapper Dandies 1

Still, if we’re discussing the puzzling itself I enjoyed this one very much. It gave me a bit more challenge than I would have thought, but I find the challenging ones are pretty darn fun too! Looking at the finished image I’m surprised that it was as difficult for me as it was, but I can’t only blame the puzzle. I was recovering from a long trip and on pain medication; that sometimes slows down my brain function, which slows down the assembly. 😉

Thrift Store Fun!

Thrift Store Fun

So I went a little insane with power the other day; the thrift store we went to while mom and I were running errands had SOOOO many puzzles and I had extra money in my wallet – the combination was a bit much for me to handle!

I bought quite a few kids puzzles, mostly in multipacks, but the majority of the puzzles were 500 pieces or larger and I bought a lot of them. I couldn’t seem to stop myself from throwing puzzles into the cart. 🛒

There were 2 puzzles that didn’t feel right when we picked them up, so we opened them to be sure there were actually puzzles in there. To our wonderful surprise, some fantastic person had put two puzzles into each box – and the extra puzzles even had a small picture of the image included in the bag. Bonus!!

I think I’m set for a while, and won’t likely buy more anytime soon. Peaceful piecing ahead!

Review: Harry Potter Book 7

Harry Potter Book 7
Harry Potter Book 7 by Mary GrandPre – NY Puzzle Co. – 100 pieces

This is the last of the Harry Potter book puzzles from the collector’s set I received for Christmas from my daughter. I absolutely loved assembling every single one of them – even Book 5 which was quite difficult! They’re excellent quality with fun subject matter, and perfect little *One Coffee Puzzles* you can finish in one sitting (perhaps with a cup of coffee or an adult beverage 😉 ).

I haven’t assembled many NY Puzzle Co. puzzles, but I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve done, and this set has raised my opinion of them even more. They have pieces that are a good thickness and fit together extremely well. The image reproduction is lovely with great detail and beautiful colors, and they were so enjoyable that I’d love to assemble every one of them again! All the pieces were the standard 2 prong/2 hole shape (what I call a ballerina), but there was plenty of variety of size and shape within them; accidentally placing a piece wrong was never a problem. With a puzzle of this size the lack of variety in shapes wasn’t an issue for me at all.

Many puzzlers never bother with small piece count puzzles, and I think they’re missing out. I used to think that anything less than 1000 pieces wasn’t worth my time, but I’ve come to the realization that puzzling is fun no matter the piece count. Puzzles of all sizes, shapes, and subjects make me happy! (In fact, we just bought a box of 10 kids puzzles from the thrift store – they’re only 24 pieces each, but they were so adorable and looked like they’d be pretty entertaining; at $1.99 for all 10 we couldn’t resist 🙂 )

Being an adult doesn’t mean I can only do puzzles with “adult” pieces counts; and I love that NY Puzzle Co. has many smaller puzzles in their catalog. Most of us puzzlers love that sense of pride and happiness you get when your puzzle is complete, and I think it’s just as rewarding to have that feeling when you complete a puzzle you can assemble in the time it takes to have a cup of coffee.

I adore these puzzles, and had the best time with each and every one. They’re wonderful quality and highly recommended. Alohomora! Open the box and unleash the magic. 🧙‍♂️

Details:

  • Title:                  Harry Potter Book 7
  • Artist:                Mary GrandPre
  • Brand:               NY Puzzle Company
  • Piece count:     100 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 7 x 9 in. (18 x 23 cm)
  • Purchased:      New (gift)

Quality:

  • Board:               Very good
  • Cutting:             Very good
  • Image:               Very good
  • Box:                   Very good, 7 boxes inside a larger box
  • Fit:                     Very good
  • Puzzle Dust:     Small amount
  • Piece cut:          Offset grid cut
  • Piece shapes:   Good variety within single shape
  • Finish:               Slightly shiny finish, lays flat

Overall Rating:      Very good, highly recommended

 

Pets Selfie

Pet Selfie
Pets Selfie by Howard Robinson – Wentworth – 40 pieces

For Valentine’s Day this year I decided to assemble this micro puzzle, because what better example of pure, unconditional love and friendship than our furry friends and family? They’re amazing, and always ready to give lots of love❣

You would think a puzzle hoarder like myself would have plenty of “love” puzzles to choose from, but I don’t (at the moment). There are many puzzles here that I love and am looking forward to assembling, but not ones that are love-related. But when I picked up this puzzle and saw the goofy faces of the pets I thought that this would be the perfect image for today. I think I was right; it’s so adorable and I love their sweet faces.

Pets Selfie whimsies

How cute are these whimsies? I was a little confused by the one in the middle though, perhaps it’s a dog house? Or do I have it upside down? Suggestions anyone?

Hubby and I don’t really do Valentine’s Day, we haven’t for most of our marriage. I expect him to treat me as if he loves me every single day of the year, and he expects the same from me. We don’t need a special day for it, in our house that stuff happens all the time. 💖

I do usually celebrate February 15th though – half price candy day!! 😉