National Puzzle Day 2024

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling, Miscellaneous10 Comments

My favorite puzzle ever!

Happy National Puzzle Day to all my fellow puzzle posse members. Today is the day to do whatever kind of puzzles you love; crossword, sudoku, anagrams, word search, jigsaws, etc. – and enjoy!

I usually talk about the people in my life who helped or are still helping me love my jigsaw puzzles. The problem this year is that I’ve already done a National Puzzle Day post about all of them previously. Oh well, I can talk about them all again and let those who are still here know how much I love and appreciate them.

Starting on the left is my Grama (with me in my best 70s pajamas at a sleepover at Gram’s house), who started me off young helping her with her puzzles. She never gave me a kids puzzle so that I would stop “helping” her even though 1000+ piece puzzles are a LOT when you’re so little. But she knew I wanted to spend time with her and that I like working puzzles with her even though I wasn’t very good in the beginning; she taught me to be observant, look at the piece in my hand and really look at the puzzle and see if it was actually the piece I was looking for. She was never impatient with me when I got in her way (and I know for a fact I got in her way many a time), and her love of jigsaw puzzles rubbed off on me at an early age. Miss you Gram. 💟

The next picture is one I’m sure you’ll recognize if you are a regular reader, it’s my beautiful Momma holding up my favorite puzzle ever – the one we did together from a box of pieces bought off eBay. She was my black belt thrift store shopper, my closest and best friend, the original member of the PADS and Puzzle Posse, and the best Meema to her grandkids. We LOVED to puzzle together every week and she was always down to help with a difficult one that was giving me fits, or to laugh over a ridiculous one that was terrible quality and giving me fits. She was the best Mom and my best friend and I miss her every single day. 💕

Next to her is a picture of my darling hubby and my favorite sister-in-law working on a vacation puzzle from last year. My handsome hubby is always helping me puzzle even when he isn’t actually helping me puzzle. He helped build my puzzle boards, made the puzzle table that they sit on, found the best lights for over the table, and will stop whatever he’s doing to help out if something goes wrong in here that makes it difficult for me to work on my puzzles – not to mention, he goes to work every day to earn money and doesn’t care how much of it I spend on more puzzles! He’s a keeper (though I will take credit for a bit of training him in the 35 years we’ve been married) I really did get one of the good ones. 💖

And last, but certainly not least is my beautiful daughter. She’s my new bestest friend and loves to help me with puzzles when she can and is always looking out for puzzles when she’s shopping and sending pics to see if I’ve done it already or want her to pick it up for me. She always listens to my puzzle talk even though she isn’t nearly as interested in them as I am, and reads my blog every day. She loves to work on my bathroom puzzles when she’s here, and it makes me so happy that she wants to share my puzzles with me. I love my Baby Princess to the moon and back and am so proud to be her Momma. 💝

And finally, a puzzle buddy whom I don’t have a picture for, my bestest puzzle pal Penny. Although we’ve never met in person she’s a wonderful friend who always wants to hear what puzzle I’m doing, how I’m feeling, and helps me especially when I’m down in the dumps and want nothing to do with puzzles. She’s the reason I came back to blogging (both times) from my extended hiatuses; she knew when to push and when to back off, and gently nudged me back to the puzzle table because she knew how much they would help me back to some sanity. We’re constantly sending each other puzzles we’ve done and want to share, and at this very moment we each have a big pile of puzzles ready to send to each other. She a fellow PADS sufferer and puzzle posse member, and a true blue friend. 💙

I hope each of you out there has a few puzzle friends or family members in your life to encourage and uplift, or hopefully even enable you to enjoy the puzzles that you love. If not, I’ll be that friend for you. I LOVE to talk about puzzles and answer every single comment made here on the blog, and can talk your ear off about brands, piece shapes, artists, genres, wooden puzzles, cardboard puzzles, old puzzles, new puzzles, thrift store puzzles, etc.

So Happy National Puzzle Day my friends, although it isn’t a day only for our beloved jigsaw puzzles, that doesn’t matter at all to us Discerning Dissectologists. I’ll be spending today with a fun puzzle, and I hope you will too! 🧩💚

Oh Dear…

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling, Miscellaneous8 Comments

The past two (almost) weeks have been rough on this old broad, and there hasn’t been much in the way of puzzling at all. The puzzle on my table has been finished for a few days now, and although the pictures have been taken it’s still there waiting to be disassembled before I can start a new one.

Problem is, sitting at the table and puzzling has been damned difficult with my recent back injury and the added pain is not only tough to deal with, but it also does a number on the mind – at least for me. It makes me want to not do anything at all except find a comfortable position and stay there forever and not have to think or talk or do or deal with the world. NOT GOOD.

I finally gave in and went to urgent care yesterday; got a couple of shots in the behind (steroids and a painkiller) and will be taking steroids for the next week to reduce the inflammation. I’m hopeful it will start helping me feel better at last – to help me get back to my table to enjoy the gorgeous puzzles that are patiently waiting to be assembled and loved.

The next puzzle I do is going to be one that I’m excited about; it won’t be one I choose because “it’s best for the blog to do a _____ type puzzle next”. I need to get back to the puzzle love and enjoy the hell out of whatever puzzle is next, no matter what! 💚🧩💚

Happy Beads

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles2 Comments

Happy Beads by Elspeth McLean – Ravensburger – 500 pieces

This gorgeous image was even more fun to assemble than I thought it would be. Great quality, beautiful colors and interesting designs – absolutely adored it! 🧡💛💚

Elspeth McLean is a new to me artist, who actually hand paints everything you see here, they’re just completely stunning little works of art, and it makes for really fun puzzling as well. Very smart of Ravensburger to partner with her to make such detailed and fabulous puzzles. This is my kind of artwork.

There is just so much intricate detail, and even though when you look closely you can see little differences in the size of the dots and lines it still looks almost perfect. Her use of color and the beautiful designs she creates are just so striking, and I can’t wait to get more puzzles with her artwork.

The fit was really quite good for a Ravensburger puzzle. Normally the fit is somewhat loose, but this one had such a good fit that I was actually able to stand it up – I’ve NEVER been able to do that with a Ravensburger before, not ever!

It’s a little warped out of shape, but still, I was amazed that I was able to do it at all. Being able to stand this one up and get a picture absolutely made my day. My emotions are sometimes tied too tightly to my puzzles (the scourge of PADS strikes again) but days when I can do something like this to make myself happy are completely worth the bad days.

I absolutely recommend this puzzle, if you can find it and feel as if you’re up to the challenge then by all means you should go for it; it’s a gorgeous, well made puzzle and there are hours worth of fun in that little box; it makes this puzzle geek’s heart go pitter patter. 😍

Land and Sea*

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles2 Comments

Land and Sea* – Robert Frederick – 100 pieces

I was all set to be disappointed in this puzzle, but happily it surprised me with much better quality than the first Robert Frederick puzzle I completed, Woman with a Parasol, Facing Right.

Unlike that first puzzle, this didn’t have the bent pieces or the overly shiny finish. That means the cut, chipboard, variety in shape, fit, and finish were all very good. What a pleasant surprise!

Sadly, in my mind that doesn’t speak well of the company. If it can have very good quality but there is no consistency it wouldn’t be a brand I would be confident in purchasing retail. When there’s no guarantee it’ll be at least good quality it goes on my list of brands to only buy second hand. It’s annoying for me, knowing the potential for a good or great quality puzzle is there, but the standards aren’t always met. Although this particular puzzle was quite good, I find myself disappointed in the brand.

Thinking back to my shopping trip with my daughter, I cannot recall why in the world this puzzle was chosen. It is definitely not my pile of pieces, as far as the artwork goes. Why did I pick this one? Not a clue. It’s the mind/memory that goes first. Sigh. Old age ain’t for sissies. 👵

Still, at only 100 pieces it didn’t take too long, and it was a nice palate cleanser in between larger piece count puzzles.

*There was no title for this image, nor artist credited; I named it Land and Sea as I wasn’t feeling overly creative or inspired today.

Travel In Progress…

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling6 Comments

Travel – Cavallini & Co. – 1000 pieces

Thought I’d be done with this one yesterday, as the two spaces shown here are all that’s left to go; but I was feeling like crap on a cracker so I didn’t even sit at the puzzle table all day.

Oh well, I’m feeling a little better today and back at the table this morning, so it shouldn’t be too long before this one is done.

Are you working on something fun? Do tell!