Author: Stacey at myjigsawjournal

Chocolate Artistry

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment
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Chocolate Artistry – Springbok – 1000 pieces

Excellent thrift store find, it was so much fun! This one was unusual in that mom completed it first, and then I did; typically it’s the other way around. We both enjoyed it very much, it was absolutely worth the 99 cents we bought it for. 😎

The fit was tight, but not in the extreme which was good. Sometimes the Springbok puzzles are so tight the edges curl up! I’m not a fan of the super tight fit and was glad that wasn’t the case here. The image is perfect for puzzling, especially for someone who enjoys collages. I love being able to grab a bunch of pieces for a small section and put them together without having to look at the box image. I think that’s why I’m not a fan of the super busy images; I dislike having to stare at the box trying to figure out what I’m actually assembling or where it goes.

I had a very good time with this puzzle, it was hard to walk away from working on it and was completely entertaining. Excellent quality puzzle with an awesome image; if you come across one new or used I would definitely recommend it – 2 chocolate bars way up! 🍫🍫

Festive Fir & Festive Gingerbread House

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles5 Comments
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Festive Fir – Wentworth Wooden Puzzles – 30 pieces

These are a couple of the Christmas micro puzzles from Wentworth Wooden Puzzles. I went a little insane and ordered MANY of these 30-40 piece puzzles when there was a free shipping special. I don’t regret it, I’m worth it, and they make me happy. Besides, they’re so cute and fun to assemble they will be done many more times – no doubt about it!

The festive fir was a challenging cut, but even the more difficult ones aren’t too bad when there are only 30-40 pieces. It’s lovely to sit and assemble a puzzle in the time it takes to have a cup of coffee. A fellow jigsaw puzzle blogger from Russia calls these “one coffee puzzles”; they are small piece count puzzles you can finish in one quick sitting. I love the name and have started using it too.

I’m not really a collector, so puzzle boxes aren’t really that important to me. I do take note when they’re interesting or really well done. The boxes for these Christmas micro puzzles are so adorable I had to give them a mention. They’re shaped like Christmas crackers! You twist open one of the ends, and the pieces are inside in a gold mesh bag.

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It won’t be as easy to shelve these as it would for regular boxes, but they’re just too cute not to show you. They’re a little more expensive than the regular micro puzzles, but oh well. 😎

 

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Festive Gingerbread House – Wentworth Wooden Puzzles – 36 pieces

A completely adorable gingerbread house! I’m glad I splurged and bought all of these micro puzzles – mom and I absolutely love them. This one was also a little bit of a challenging cut, but it was a joy to put together.

My wonderful husband has never said a negative word about any of my puzzle purchases, in fact he thinks I should spend money on myself more often! So there’s really no problem with all these purchases, right? Of course right! 😁 (Sometimes I have to keep reminding myself of that, it’s still pretty new to me spending money on things I don’t really need, and at times I feel a little buyer’s remorse)

Review: Harborside

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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Harborside – MasterPieces (Shutter Speed) – 1000 pieces

Harborside is a beautiful puzzle that was much more fun to do than I anticipated. It looked more difficult than it was and I enjoyed the assembly very much!

I’ve reviewed several MasterPieces puzzles this year, and I’ve had great quality puzzles every time. The chipboard they use is thick and sturdy and the fit is excellent – you’re never unsure whether or not a piece fits and when complete you can lift the entire puzzle without dislodging any pieces. The image reproduction on this puzzle is bright and crisp and absolutely beautiful. This puzzle is part of the Shutter Speed series which features some of the world’s most spectacular photographs – from big cities to small towns, carnivals, and more. MasterPieces puzzles are a great value as well, click the links to see the puzzles currently available at Puzzle Warehouse.

I started this puzzle with the sky and the water, and built up from there. There were different shades in both the water and sky which made those areas easier, and before I knew it I had the reflections on the water complete and was putting together the boats and buildings. The challenge level was just right, about medium difficulty. As usual it was great fun even though it isn’t the typical puzzle that I would choose to assemble.

If you’re a fan of boat/harbor puzzles, or are looking for a gift for someone who is I would definitely recommend this puzzle. It’s beautiful and entertaining and I had a great time assembling it for review. 👍

Details:

  • Title:                  Harborside
  • Artist:                Vibriant
  • Brand:               MasterPieces
  • Piece count:     1000 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 27 x 19 in. (68 x 49 cm)
  • Purchased:      n/a

Quality:

  • Board:               Very good
  • Cutting:             Good – some hanging bits of paper
  • Image:               Excellent
  • Box:                   Average
  • Fit:                     Excellent
  • Puzzle Dust:     Moderate amount
  • Piece cut:          Semi-random cut
  • Piece shapes:   Very good variety
  • Finish:               Slightly shiny finish, lays flat

Overall Rating:      Very good, recommended

 

I received this product at no cost in order to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are truthful and 100% my own.

Review: Golf Around the World

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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Golf Around the World – Eurographics – 1000 pieces

Collages really make me happy, and Golf Around the World was no different. I don’t even like golf! I enjoy the 4 hours or so I get to myself when my husband goes golfing, but golf just isn’t for me unless it’s in puzzle form. ⛳

Eurographics puzzles are good quality, and they have an excellent catalog of puzzles to choose from. They’ve got many beautiful collages, along with a great number of educational puzzles for both children and adults; I love the informational puzzles! From fine art to cartoons, there are plenty of interesting puzzles to choose from. Their pieces are thick and sturdy, and fit together well. The pieces of this puzzle were a bit snug, but it wasn’t extreme. The finish is slightly shiny, but otherwise crisp and clear with bright, beautiful colors. Eurographics puzzles have a random cut, which I find interesting, but not everyone enjoys the non-traditional piece shapes. Check out all their puzzles currently available at Puzzle Warehouse by clicking the link above.

This puzzle went together very quickly – collages usually do in my house. It’s hard to walk away, because finishing one small section leads to the next and so on. I loved all the colors in this image, there’s something really beautiful about the vintage posters. The illustrations are detailed and lovely, much more interesting than the posters and ads we have these days in my humble opinion. Collage puzzles are my favorite 🙂 , click to see the pages and pages of fun to assemble collages available at Puzzle Warehouse.

I’m not sure if this puzzle is going to be framed for hubby or not, we’ve already done several puzzles that have been glued and framed; we may be running out of wall space! This puzzle would be an excellent wall hanging for a golf lover, and as a bonus it’s a puzzle that’s a LOT of fun to assemble!

Details:

  • Title:                  Golf Around the World
  • Artist:                Eurographics
  • Brand:               Eurographics
  • Piece count:     1000 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 19 x 27 in. (49 x 68 cm)
  • Purchased:      n/a

Quality:

  • Board:               Very good
  • Cutting:             Very good
  • Image:               Excellent
  • Box:                   Average
  • Fit:                     Good, a bit tight
  • Puzzle Dust:     Moderate amount
  • Piece cut:          Random cut
  • Piece shapes:   Good variety
  • Finish:               Slightly shiny finish, lays flat

Overall Rating:      Very good, recommended

 

I received this product at no cost in order to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are truthful and 100% my own.

Review: Paradise Banderoles

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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Paradise Banderoles by Eva Marie Nitsche – Schmidt – 500 pieces

Paradise Banderoles was the first puzzle I can remember that when I was finished I wanted to take it apart and immediately do it again. It was just a thoroughly enjoyable assembly from start to finish – fabulous!

I believe this is only the 3rd Schmidt Puzzle I’ve completed, and I’m wondering why in the world I haven’t ordered more. The quality of these puzzles is stellar, and it makes the assembly experience even more wonderful. The finish on the pieces feels lovely, and the pieces themselves are extremely thick and sturdy. They fit together satisfyingly, they almost settle into place – I can’t recommend this brand enough!

After I assembled the edge, I had to stop myself from working on the puzzle for a while. The pieces felt so good and fit together so well that I knew if I let myself I wouldn’t get up from the puzzle table until it was finished. I wanted to enjoy the assembly, so I made it last a little while. I started assembling the scalloped lines separating each section, and the entire puzzle just came together. It wasn’t overly challenging, but enjoyable regardless. I was slightly disappointed that there were only 500 pieces – I would have loved to have spent more time with it! Two thumbs way up!! 👍👍

Details:

  • Title:                  Paradise Banderoles
  • Artist:                Eva Marie Nitsche
  • Brand:               Schmidt
  • Piece count:     500 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 19 x 13 in. (48 x 34 cm)
  • Purchased:      n/a

Quality:

  • Board:               Excellent
  • Cutting:             Excellent
  • Image:               Excellent
  • Box:                   Average
  • Fit:                     Excellent
  • Puzzle Dust:     Small amount
  • Piece cut:          Grid cut
  • Piece shapes:   Good variety
  • Finish:               Matte finish, lays flat

Overall Rating:      Excellent, highly recommended

 

I received this product at no cost in order to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are truthful and 100% my own.