Month: November 2019

Today’s Project

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling4 Comments

Mr. Bob

Yesterday I received these two puzzles to review, I’m very excited to get to assembling today. The image I chose was Save the Whales, and I was surprised to find when I opened the package that I had not one but two puzzles!

Mr. Bob Puzzles are manufactured in Australia, and they have recently switched over from making cardboard puzzles to making wooden ones. I’m so appreciative that I’m able to assemble and review these puzzles, and my initial impression is very positive. The pieces are quite large and thick and the image is beautiful. The puzzles come in cloth bags, and each one has a “tag” to tell you which puzzle is inside…

I adore the Save The Whales image, and even though that was the one I chose for review I’m starting with the 100 Aussie Icons. I’m saving the whales for last – to build excitement perhaps. They both look like they’re going to be lots of fun, I don’t think it matters which one goes first.

When I poured out all the pieces I was shocked at how large the pile was, and it had me going through my other wooden puzzles to find another 500 piece to compare it to. This is a 500 piece Wentworth next to the 515 piece Mr. Bob puzzle…

Mr. Bob 3

The Wentworth is on the left, Mr. Bob on the right; there’s quite a difference in size! I’m so looking forward to going through all the pieces, looking at all the shapes and sizes and finding the whimsies. Being an American I’m certain I’ll need help identifying all the Aussie icons, but it’ll be fun even if I don’t know what they are; the image looks very entertaining!

Who Said That?

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store Puzzles4 Comments
Who Said That
Who Said That? by Colin Bodie – Crystal Lines – 504 pieces

What a fascinating and fun jigsaw puzzle! It was almost as much fun sorting this one as it was assembling it. I loved reading all the quotes – many I knew, and many I’d never heard before. If you can find one of these puzzles I would highly recommend giving it a try; it’s not easy, but the challenge is oh so much fun.

In my previous in progress post regarding this puzzle I mistakenly said that this was a Buffalo puzzle, in fact it’s by Crystal Lines. It was made in Australia, a great product sent to us from Down Under. This particular puzzle is 25 years old, produced in 1994. I highly doubt it’s still being manufactured, but you might be able to find it in your local thrift store if you’re very lucky.

There were 240 portraits and 240 quotes to match up. Every portrait piece fits with every quote piece, you have to be careful. The portraits all overlapped with the pieces above or below them (or both), and they were helpful in making sure you matched them up properly. You don’t need to know them all to assemble this puzzle, but knowing some of them helps to get you started. There were quite a few quotes from movies that were easy to match up with the actors who said them: “Frankly my dear I don’t give a damn” can only be one person, find the portrait of Clark Gable and you’re on your way.

There were philosophers, artists, entertainers, businessmen and women, writers, poets, and public figures just to name a few. From Socrates to Robin Williams the quotes were thought provoking, funny, a little shocking, and hilarious. Reading through them all was so entertaining! 😎

I knew more than I thought I would, and there also were a few that I thought I knew for sure and was completely wrong. Oh well, I don’t usually get a perfect score on anything.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes – mostly silly and very true….

Who 1Who 2Who 3Who 4

The quality of this puzzle was stellar, and the pieces were quite large. At 504 pieces this puzzle measured approximately 38 x 24 inches, about the size of the average 2000 piece puzzle! The pieces are very thick and fit together quite tightly. The portraits were very well done and I could tell who most of them were without reading the names (the ones I was familiar with, anyway).

If you are lucky enough to come across this puzzle, I suggest you give it a try. It isn’t easy, but boy howdy is it fun! 🙂

Grandpa’s Potting Shed (National Jigsaw Day in the UK!)

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles8 Comments
Grandpa's Shed
Grandpa’s Potting Shed by Steve Read – Wentworth – 40 pieces

It’s National Jigsaw Day in the UK, and as usual I’ll be celebrating by working on a jigsaw puzzle. You’re shocked I’m sure; it’s a complete surprise, right? 😉

The United States has National Puzzle Day in January, but it isn’t specific to jigsaw puzzles – it includes all types (jigsaw, crossword, logic, sudoku, etc.). Wisely, the UK has a day just for our beloved jigsaw puzzles and in honor of that today’s post is a puzzle manufactured in England; a Wentworth wooden jigsaw puzzle.

I absolutely loved putting this image together, and to be honest I didn’t think I would like it at all. I’m not sure why, but I put off assembling this puzzle for quite a while; the image just didn’t excite. Luckily I was completely wrong and it was much more entertaining to assemble than expected. I’d love to come across this image in a larger piece count; the artwork by Steve Read was great fun in 40 pieces and hopefully would be in a larger puzzle as well.

Why there is a bat shape in the whimsies I’m not sure, perhaps the shed might be home to a small family of bats? Maybe they’re grandpa’s friends and keep him company while he’s out there. 🦇

Grandpa's Shed whimsies

Happy National Puzzle Day to all my fellow PADS sufferers! We may not all be in the United Kingdom, but we can absolutely celebrate with our fellow puzzlers across the pond. I hope you can find a few moments to spend with a jigsaw puzzle, or perhaps if you’re out and about you can treat yourself to a beautiful jigsaw puzzle to enjoy later.

I’m not enabling, it’s unconditional love and support, that’s all. 😁💖

My Poor Old Eyes

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling4 Comments

I think it may be time to get some new glasses. I started a new puzzle yesterday, but had to stop because my poor aging eyes just couldn’t handle it. The pieces are miniature, all the same shape (thankfully they’re not ballerinas, they’re shaped like little people), and the picture is very detailed. I just couldn’t see the intricacies of the image when two pieces connected and I had to stop.

I want very much to finish this puzzle, it’s so unique and interesting and I was really pumped to start assembling it. I’ll have to wait until I get new glasses, or I get myself a strong, lighted magnifying glass – or both. 👓+🔎

It’s a Pyramid Puzzle by D-Toys, and when it’s completed there are four sides, each with a different image. Each section is assembled in the tray, which you fold up and put on a base for display.

Pyramid 1

The edges of the tray have some of the image, perhaps so that you can be sure you’re placing the image correctly.

Pyramid 2

I didn’t know the pieces were so small when I purchased the puzzle, there was no mention at all that the pieces were so tiny. I figured the images would be fun to put together, but I can’t see the damn things!

Pyramid 3.JPGMy poor old eyes just aren’t up to the task at the moment. 👵

Traditional Mexican Skulls

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles4 Comments
Skulls
Traditional Mexican Skulls – Eurographics – 1000 pieces

This beautiful puzzle was a Christmas gift last year from one of my beautiful sons. Although my oldest gave this to me, my youngest was adamant that I not assemble it until closer to the Day of the Dead. Being the awesome mom that I am, I waited months and months to assemble it; it was difficult to wait though, I absolutely love decorated skulls and the Day of the Dead (which is why they picked this one out for me, for sure).

I was a bit disappointed by the lack of variety in piece shapes – most Eurographics I’ve ever done have been a random cut. It didn’t have to be a random cut though, a grid cut with variety in the shapes would have been just as welcome. The quality was otherwise very good though, and I’m thankful for my gift no matter what. (Shout out to my fantastic sons and my amazing daughter who helped them shop for Christmas presents. I love you guys so much! 💗)

I truly love this holiday – especially this year. It’s a two day Mexican holiday for remembering and praying for friends and family members who have died. I’m not of Mexican heritage, but I’ve always loved the meaning of the holiday and especially the traditional decorative skulls. This year though, with the loss of mom so new, and the fact that my birthday is the same week and I’m struggling with celebrating without her – the Day of the Dead very much seems like the perfect holiday for me.

I miss you mom, and today I’m remembering you with all my love and praying that you’re at peace and maybe even enjoying a fun little heavenly puzzle with grama. We always spent the day after Halloween together, going from store to store buying all our favorite candy at bargain prices and having a ball. It won’t be the same without you, and I’ll be thinking of you all day. 👼