Category: Jigsaw Puzzles

Santa & Rudolph

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles2 Comments
IMG_3974
(What If #9) Santa & Rudolph by Geoff Tristam – Ravensburger – 1000 pieces

Not counting my “Christmas in July” on the blog, this was my first Christmas puzzle of the season! As usual, I’m only showing the character shown on the box – no spoilers. You’d miss out on the fun of discovering for yourself why it’s better if Santa keeps his job instead of handing it over to Rudolph. 😉

I adore Geoff Tristam’s sense of humor – even the gift tags on the presents were funny! His partnership with Ravensburger for these What If puzzles is a great pairing in my opinion; I hope it continues for a very long time!

I really appreciate the quality of a Ravensburger puzzle, especially after I’ve worked on another brand that isn’t as “premium”. It even makes me happy to lay all the pieces out, because I just know it’s going to fit well and that there will be enough variety in the piece shape so that the assembly isn’t overly tedious. (I’m working a puzzle with not much variety in the shape of the pieces and I’m feeling frazzled 😳 )

If you haven’t tried a What If or Wasgij puzzle yet, I highly recommend it! You’re not really working completely from scratch, most of the time you can tell from the picture on the box what the background, flooring, or scenery will be, as well as the clothes people are wearing. You can get a general idea of what might go where, you may just have figure out where the scene might end up. For me, it focuses the attention. If I’m looking at the image on the box I don’t have to pay super close attention to background items or colors to tell me where a section will end up. Without an image you’re guided by only the colors and shapes – and the hints on the box of course. It’s a pilates class for your brain cells, it makes them use their “muscles” in a different way. 😀

Santa looks pretty cute with his antler hat, but I think it would be better for everyone if he drives the sleigh!

Ninety-Nine Butterflies

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment
IMG_3956
Ninety-Nine Butterflies – Bits and Pieces – 300 pieces

This is a beautiful puzzle and it was just what I needed at the time; a smaller puzzle that was the right amount of challenging to keep my brain occupied. It’s not too difficult, but it ain’t easy either!

This was the best quality Bits and Pieces puzzle I’ve ever done. The finish made it look like a china plate – just lovely! The pieces were a good thickness and the fit was excellent. I’ve had several Bits and Pieces puzzles that were extremely loose or that had many pieces that just sit next to each other – or both! Thankfully that wasn’t an issue with this puzzle, it was a pleasure to work with. 🙂

Such a pretty picture, and it was the perfect distraction to keep my nerves in check and help lower my stress level on a very rough day. Thank goodness for jigsaw puzzles!

I Spy Blue

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store Puzzles1 Comment
IMG_3939
I Spy Blue (Colorful Kids) – Briarpatch – 100 pieces

This puzzle is so interesting! There are 6 in the set of different colors, and if you line them up it looks like they’re holding hands. Really cool! The poem around the edge tells you what to look for once it’s assembled; it’s also quite handy for assembling the edge itself.

IMG_3940

The pieces are thin, but very sturdy. It’s not an easy kid’s puzzle, but it’s worth the challenge in my opinion. If you can find these for a good price, I’d highly recommend them. They’re excellent for assembling with kids, you can help each other find pieces and then compete to see who can find everything first.

It was an entertaining puzzle for the elderly ladies of My Jigsaw Journal, we had fun! 👵

Review: My Sister’s Closet

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviews, Thrift Store Puzzles2 Comments
IMG_3904
My Sister’s Closet by Tricia Reilly-Matthews – Sunsout – 300 pieces

I liked the quality and the image of this puzzle very much. Sunsout is hit or miss for me sometimes. We all have different things that are important to us in a puzzle, and sometimes the fit of Sunsout is too tight and (for me) it takes away from the enjoyment of puzzling. This 300 piece puzzle though, was a great fit and such a sweet image. 🙂

I don’t believe I’ve worked a puzzle by this artist before, she seems to capture the essence of children. I don’t know another way to explain it, you can tell looking at the little girls in this picture that the artist knows and loves children. Once I looked her up it all made sense, Tricia Reilly-Matthews teaches art to children from kindergarten to 5th grade – of course she paints children so well!

It’s amazing how tastes seem different depending on how much you have to spend on something. This image is very cute, but I don’t think I’d purchase it if I had to pay full price. It’s just not the type of image I’m most drawn to. But ask me to only pay 69 cents for it, and I’m there! Absolutely I’d love to do this puzzle! I wonder if that speaks more to my puzzle addiction, or to my tendency to be a tightwad/cheapskate?

Whichever is the answer, I’m glad mom found this puzzle to do, I enjoyed it very much!

Details:

  • Title:                  My Sister’s Closet
  • Artist:                Tricia Reilly-Matthews
  • Brand:               Sunsout
  • Piece count:     300 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 18 x 24 in. (46 x 61 cm)
  • Purchased:      Used, thrift store

Quality:

  • Board:               Very good
  • Cutting:             Very good
  • Image:               Excellent
  • Box:                   Average, quite large for a 300 piece puzzle
  • Fit:                     Very good
  • Puzzle Dust:     Moderate amount
  • Piece cut:          Grid cut
  • Piece shapes:   Good variety
  • Finish:               Slightly shiny finish, lays flat

Overall Rating:      Very good, recommended

Dear God I Nearly Missed the Bus

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment
IMG_3936
Dear God I Nearly Missed the Bus by Annie Fitzgerald – Vista Puzzles – 100 pieces

This adorable 100 piece puzzle is deceptively difficult! We knew after completing the first of three that were purchased together at the thrift store that these little puzzles take a little more brain power than your average 100 piece kid’s puzzle. I look at the finished image and think “how in the world was it that hard?” I don’t have the answer, all I know is that it was a little bit of a challenge.

They’re very cute, and although a little thin the pieces are sturdy and fit together well. I haven’t come across any other Vista Puzzles before, these are the first I’ve seen. For a kid’s puzzle, I’d say they were about mid range, quality wise. A quick search online leads me to believe Vista Puzzles aren’t in production any more. (I could be wrong, I haven’t yet had my entire first cup of coffee)

There’s one more of these for us to complete so we can donate it, perhaps we’ll get it taken care of on our next visit day. 🙂