(What If #11) Elizabeth and Raleigh

On April 12, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles2 Comments

What If puzzles are great fun, I love figuring out how things ended up and seeing the picture taking shape. As usual, I never show the entire completed image because I don’t want to ruin the experience for anyone else. Half the fun is finding out what happens with everyone and how the picture is different from the box image – no spoilers here!

If you’ve never done a What If or Wasgij puzzle, the premise is simple; the image on the box is not the image you puzzle. Something happens to change the scene and you puzzle the result. What If #11 gives us this scenario….Good Queen Bess enjoys visiting favorite courtiers like Sir Walter Raleigh. He is handsome and dashing, and Elizabeth might just be fooled by his chat-up lines. But WHAT IF Sir Walter wasn’t a true gentleman? And WHAT IF Elizabeth really fell for his charms?

I didn’t enjoy this puzzle as much as I usually do, but it had nothing to do with the puzzle itself. The quality was great, the image is fun and funny – the problem was me. It took much longer than normal to complete because of physical issues making it difficult to sit and work on it for any real length of time. This got me a little down and I was avoiding it which kept the vicious cycle going. Taking too long, upset about it taking too long, avoid working on it which makes it take even longer – repeat. Eventually I got it done though, I promise I did the entire puzzle not just that one little section. 😉

Don’t be intimidated by these types of puzzles; they’re not as difficult as you might think. Ravensburger has the What If series, Jumbo does the Wasgij line, PuzzleTwist is a newer company whose puzzles all have a twist on the box image, and there are probably more I haven’t tried yet. I don’t think they’re too difficult; you can usually get clues from the image on the box which will help you with the assembly. The background is usually the same, many times the people are wearing the same clothing, etc. It’s good exercise for your brain and makes you really pay attention to the images, colors, and shapes. Besides all that – they’re great fun!

Old Town Market, San Diego, CA

On April 11, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store Puzzles2 Comments

I really didn’t think this image would be fun or easy to assemble, but it was 300 pieces and only 69 cents at the thrift store so why not give it a go? As usual I was absolutely wrong on every level – not only was it fun, I didn’t find it difficult at all!

Milton Bradley puzzles are usually pretty good quality, though I’ve had some good and some bad. Their 300 piece EZ grip puzzles are very thick and well made, but the “regular” size pieces can be hit or miss. The pieces of this particular puzzle were thin, but fit together very well. The image is quite dark (which is why I didn’t think I would enjoy it) but wasn’t difficult and I ended up really liking it. It’s funny how your opinion of the picture changes with the assembly itself. Entertaining assembly = I like the picture. If I start out really liking the picture and the assembly is tedious or frustrating I end up not so enamored with it after all. I change my mind a LOT. 😎

I highly recommend checking out your local thrift stores if you have any nearby. Most puzzles mom finds for us are complete, and even if they’re not we still have fun putting them together. I’m not holding my breath, but I have this daydream where mom stumbles across a Stave or any other good quality wooden puzzle at one of the thrift stores. Wouldn’t that be a find?!

The Ark

On April 10, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

Another Noah’s Ark puzzle, we actually assembled this the same day as The Gathering. It’s a very popular theme, especially for children’s puzzles. Even though there was a missing piece we still enjoyed it very much.

Ravensburger puzzles hold up very well, their quality is excellent; and even with a well-loved puzzle from 1991 the quality is still evident. The pieces don’t show much sign of wear although you can tell this puzzle has been assembled many times. There was no image lift, the fit was still very nice, and the only telltale sign of aging was some slight discoloration on the backs of the pieces. What a bummer that one of the pieces escaped, this would have been a great puzzle to donate to the school my daughter works for. 😦

I’m hopeful that soon I’ll be feeling well enough to do more 1000 piece puzzles, there are many more of those in my to do “pile” than any other piece count. Not only is it the size that most puzzlers assemble, it’s the one with the most availability. Still, I’m trying to stay positive and enjoy the smaller puzzles we’ve been assembling – there are more of those around than I knew and I’m having fun looking for new challenges with smaller piece counts. I found a few puzzles yesterday on the way home from physical therapy and I’m looking forward to showing them off.😎

Seed Packets

On April 9, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

Mom and I put together four puzzles the day we did this one, and it was by far our favorite puzzle of the day; it was bright and fun and went together quickly. We barely cared that all the pieces were ballerinas because they were thick and fit together well, and the image was pretty and entertaining.

I haven’t done many Lang puzzles, in fact this is only the second one I’ve done. I was much happier with this one than the first, I believe because of the difference in the color palette. When there is no variety in piece shape a brighter, busier image seems much less of a struggle to complete. The pieces seemed thicker than I remember from the previous puzzle, but that could be a trick of my mind. I enjoyed this assembly more, so I may be more forgiving without even realizing it. I’m not a fan of puzzles with only one piece shape, so unless the image is amazing it’s not a brand I would normally purchase new.

Still, the beauty of a thrift store purchase is that you’re not out much if you don’t enjoy the puzzle, and if you loved it then you got such a good bargain! Seed Packets was a bargain. 😁

Noah’s Gathering

On April 8, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

This is a Cobble Hill family puzzle which contains pieces of three different sizes. From small kids to adults, everyone of every skill level can work together to assemble it. It’s an excellent idea and I think it makes for great fun even if you’re putting the puzzle together by yourself. 🙂

This brand is excellent quality in my opinion, though sometimes the fit can be a little loose. The pieces are thick, linen-coated, and the fit on this puzzle was very good. I will say for a puzzle aimed at the whole family this image was a bit dark in color which made it a bit of a challenge at times, especially when working on the middle. Challenge isn’t a bad thing though, it keeps us interested and on our toes!

Noah’s Ark is a very popular puzzle subject, I think I’ve done at least 7 or 8 Noah’s Ark themed puzzles in the last year or so, maybe more – from 300 pieces all the way up to 2000! They’re all so different and it’s interesting to see the artist’s take on the subject. My favorite was a 300 piece Pomegranate by Jenny Tylden-Wright, it’s so interesting and different and I adore the image; click here to see her beautiful Noah’s Ark.

Have you tried a family puzzle? Many different puzzle manufacturers have made or are making them now. I think they’re great fun, and if you have younger children it’s a wonderful way to spend time together and hopefully get them interested in puzzling.