Author: Stacey at myjigsawjournal

Butterflies In Progress

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling2 Comments

Butterflies III – Cra-Z-Art – 500 pieces

I spent A LOT of time yesterday trying to decide on the next puzzle; for some reason my brain was being extremely fickle and I just couldn’t stick with one choice. Several times the decision was made, and several times I changed my mind. At one point I thought the best way to come up with the next puzzle was to go shopping and find something new – my brain is so weird sometimes.

Eventually everything finally came to rest on this set of 18 butterflies and I was able to get them sorted while I was in bed watching tv. I’ve only gotten a few of them finished this morning; either they’re more difficult than usual or I haven’t had enough coffee yet. Or it could be both.

There are some large butterflies in this set and some beautiful (but difficult) patterns. I’ve found myself staring at the pieces, completely engrossed in the assembly; I forget there’s coffee next to me, I forget everything until that mini puzzle is done. Then I come out of my stupor to find that much time has passed and my coffee is cold!

Some of the sets are quite easy to assemble, and some are more challenging. So far I’d put this one in the more challenging category. Last night was a terrible night for sleep and I’m dragging and feeling stupid this morning – that could be a part of the problem. Perhaps I should go watch a couple episodes of the current show I’m binge-watching; I can have a few cups of coffee and make sure I’m more awake and aware before I attempt to put together any more pretty butterflies.

It’ll probably be about a month before you start seeing the assembled flutter-bys being posted, but please don’t expect names and bios; although they’re beautiful creatures they just don’t have personality to speak of.

If I can’t see faces I can’t see individuality, identity, charisma, or emotion. Without those I’ve got nuthin’!

Gone Fishing

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles7 Comments

Gone Fishing by Jen Cameron – MicroPuzzles – 150 pieces

This little cutie was harder than we thought it would be, but truly so much fun. Hubby enjoyed the challenge of it this time instead of leaving all the hard work to me; he told our daughter when she came to visit that “it is a hard one, but we’re both having fun”. Great puzzle!

It looks to me like Jen Cameron is the go-to artist at MicroPuzzles, so many of their images that I’ve assembled so far are her work. According to their website she is their “chief doodler and crayon evangelist” – what a fantastic title! Her work is always so colorful and interesting, I’ve completely enjoyed taking all the little pieces of her works of art and putting them back together again.

Whether we’re putting these micro puzzles together a few pieces at a time in our powder room or all in one sitting on my puzzle board, my love for these minis hasn’t dwindled at all. I’m a member of their subscription program and get two new puzzles every month – and I don’t see myself ending that any time soon. I’m still smitten with these little guys!💜

The Golden Girls

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store Puzzles14 Comments

The Golden Girls – Cardinal – 300 pieces

I love the cartoon style of this image, and found this at the thrift store just a few days before the death of the last surviving Golden Girl – Betty White; she was a comedic force to be reckoned with, and a classy lady all around.

This puzzle was unopened, and I was hoping that it would be good quality, but I was sadly disappointed. The pieces were on the thin side and slightly bent out of shape, but it was the extremely loose fit that made it so terrible to work with. Cardinal Puzzles can be hit or miss with their quality, and this was a big miss.

I wish I’d been able to enjoy this puzzle as much as I enjoyed Betty White’s hilarious performance in the silly horror movie Lake Placid – that movie makes me laugh every time I see it, and her potty-mouthed character was awesome!

Sadly, this puzzle didn’t measure up.

What’s In Progress?

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling12 Comments

Happy Sunday dear readers! What’s happening on your boards this weekend? I finished up the Dogs with Jobs, completed a 150 piece mini (it was so cool!), and have started sorting my next puzzle – a 1000 piece Hot Cocoa collage. I’m hoping it’s as much fun as it looks!

I’m certain you’ve noticed that recently I’ve been posting every third day about what’s in progress instead of posting only new puzzles every day; that’s because my queue of puzzles has dwindled down quite a bit and I’m trying to stretch them out. Hubby has needed me to be his helper and chauffeur since the beginning of the month when he had his surgery, and it’s worn me out – the puzzling has slowed down significantly.

He has just this week had his sutures removed and is now able to walk with a boot, though not all the time. Since the crutches and scooter are not needed nearly as much now I’ve been back at the puzzle board – thank goodness. My services, including making meals and carrying things are no longer as in demand as they were before and I now have a bit more time for myself. Yay!

So what are you all up to? Working on something fun? Something awful? Have you been shopping in stores or online and found anything exciting?

Do tell!

Dog Selfies – Day 4

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles16 Comments

Dog Selfies by Howard Robinson – Cra-Z-Art – approx. 125/500 pieces

Sadly we have come to the final day of Dog Selfies; but never fear, there are four more sets of Cra-Z-Art puzzles here that need to be assembled – including main street buildings, butterflies, and two different sets of “selfies”. Those will be a treat to post about!

Have you tried any of these puzzles yet, or are you just having fun reading about them and have no interest in assembling them yourself? Just wondering. I highly recommend them, and am always on the lookout for new sets or old ones that I may have missed. My hope is that Cra-Z-Art continues to make them and come up with new ideas for new sets; they make me very happy indeed.

And now, the final three mini biographies…

Wesley. Dear, sweet Wesley. He is one of the kindest and most patient pups out there, and he needs to be. Wesley works as a sober companion living with and assisting recovering addicts. His current client is a recovering leather addict and has refrained from chewing any shoes or furniture for almost 17 weeks. When he isn’t working with clients Wesley enjoys teaching himself new skills and is at the moment learning cross-stitching and all forms of needlework and embroidery.

Rhonda works from home as a medical transcriptionist, which leaves her plenty of time for her other passion – pretending to work in the yard so she can keep tabs on her neighbors. She’s a busybody who is always minding everyone else’s business and you DO NOT want to get on her bad side; she tries to watch and see all, and is the worst gossip there is. Don’t be fooled by that face – Rhonda is a know-it-all backstabbing b*tch.

This is Bubbles, and she is a professional cheerleader for the Burbank Badgers. Her expressive face and killer dance moves have seen her rise to the rank of captain of the squad, and she loves to help choreograph their dance routines as well. When she’s not cheering on her team Bubbles enjoys spending her time searching flea markets and antique stores for hidden treasures, and is hoping to find a that one rare item that could finance her retirement. Good luck with your treasure hunting Bubbles!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey through my weird and warped mind with these posts of dog selfies. Creating names and backstories for these little puzzles is, at times, an entertaining break from real life. They may not be as engrossing for you as they are for me, but I do the best I can. 😎