Cupcakes II

On August 17, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

With such beautiful colors, wonderful detail, and excellent fit these puzzles give me so much enjoyment that I can’t seem to put my thoughts into words. I know that shaped puzzles aren’t everyone’s jam, and to be honest they’re not always what I’m looking for either. But these small, separate shaped puzzles are amazingly entertaining.

If you haven’t worked a shaped puzzle before, these might be just the thing to get your feet wet. The colored backs mean that you can separate each puzzle by color before you begin, or you can ignore the colors and treat it like a “regular” 500 piece puzzle.

I think I prefer regular old cupcakes to eat, but these cupcakes are much more fun to assemble. I enjoy sorting them into different piles, colored backs facing up, and then picking a pile to work on and then enjoying watching each puzzle take shape (I put the box away immediately, and don’t consult it at all while I’m assembling). These are my favorites from this batch, but they’re all so intricate and lovely to look at that it was difficult choosing which ones to show here…

Which of these 12 gorgeous cupcakes wets your whistle? If I had to choose, I would probably go for the chocolate cupcake with the chocolate frosting in the lower left corner. As for which one to assemble – all of them!

Review: Peace Love (POP Art)

On August 16, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment

Peace Love (Pop Art) by Howie Green – Ceaco – 550 pieces

This is a wonderfully colorful image that was extremely challenging to assemble. I love the look of this puzzle, but it was much more difficult to assemble than I bargained for.

Ceaco puzzles do not always get a recommendation from me, but this one does. The pieces were on the thinner side, but they were sturdy and fit together very well. The image reproduction was very good, with bright colors and clear lines. Altogether the puzzle had very nice quality for a Ceaco, and I even commented on it while we were assembling it.

I assembled this together with my mom and son. It wasn’t a puzzle that went together quickly, but it was still entertaining – although mom wasn’t as entertained as I was (she commented when we were finished that she did not find it much fun). We started with the blue coat and the long, flowing hair. After that, there were so many colors and lines that we had to let the pieces guide us on where to go. It took a bit longer than a 550 piece puzzle would normally take, but the end result is a beautiful finished image.

The psychedelic color scheme is fun to look at, but not as much fun to assemble. The colors and lines everywhere make it hard to know what part of the puzzle you’re assembling, or where the piece you have in your hand may go. That said, if this image is one that you like, the quality was quite good and it’s definitely recommended. It would make a great wall hanging, perhaps for an old hippie in your life. Flower power! 🌻🌻

Details:

Title: Peace Love (POP Art)
Artist: Howie Green
Brand: Ceaco
Piece count: 550 pieces
Size: 20 x 20 in. (51 x 51 cm)
Purchased: New

Quality:

Board: Very good
Cutting: Good
Image: Very good
Box: Average
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

Unpuzzle-y

On August 15, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling8 Comments

black and white blank challenge connect

I’m feeling particularly unpuzzle-y today. Do you ever feel too sad or upset to puzzle? That’s exactly how my day has been so far.

I have lots of fun and interesting puzzles here that are calling my name, but my heart or brain (or both) just isn’t in it at the moment. I’m even having a problem focusing on typing up this post, let alone typing one up for one of the puzzles I’ve already completed.

It has nothing to do with the puzzles, I’m just feeling upset after a particularly distressing doctor’s visit yesterday and I can’t redirect my brain to stop obsessing about that and refocus it on something else. Hopefully at some point today I can focus on the new puzzle I’m reviewing and get my brain and my puzzling fingers in gear.

Wolf Rider

On August 14, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

I was cruising my favorite wooden puzzle websites (as one does) and found this interesting image for only $14! How in the world do they expect me to pass something like that up? I’m a jigsaw puzzle junkie who was left unattended with access to my own debit card, so of course I had to buy it – and in order to get free shipping I had to buy another puzzle. Guess who got free shipping? 😇

At only 58 pieces this one didn’t take long to put together, but it was very entertaining! Mom actually did most of the work; she came over to see the new puzzles the day they were delivered and couldn’t leave before we assembled this one. It’s so small, why not put it together right away?

We started with the blue dress, the male rider, and the wolf. The flowers on the right side were next, which then left mostly dark pieces. Although it wasn’t easy, it wasn’t too difficult either – it was Goldilocks – the difficulty level was just right!

As usual, the quality is excellent. The pieces are made of 1/4 inch wood and are laser cut. The fit is loose, as laser cut puzzles tend to be, but I don’t mind it much because the rest of the puzzle’s quality is so good. The whimsy pieces are extremely detailed and make for interesting adjoining pieces as well. Artifact puzzles are quite reasonable – especially compared to many other wooden puzzle manufacturers.

It was a fun assembly from start to finish, although mom did most of the work. We enjoyed the quality, the image, the pieces, and how they all worked together.

Birds

On August 13, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

Are you getting tired of these small shaped puzzles? I’m not! They’re so much fun to put together that I wish I had more of them. There are still a few left that I don’t have, and I’m super tempted to have myself a little online shopping spree and get the rest of these babies on their way to my house!

The only drawback to these puzzles is that they’re not completely separated when they arrive, and some pieces from each one have to be taken apart. I believe it’s due to the colored backing that allows you to separate them before assembly. The pieces are on the thin side, but they are sturdy and the fit is very good.

Bits and Pieces also has a couple sets of small separate puzzles, but to me they are way too much money – $18.99 for a 700 piece cardboard puzzle is way too much for my taste. I’ve worked a couple of this brand’s shaped puzzles before, and the quality was horrible on one, and good on the other. With hit or miss quality I’m not willing to spend that much. Bits and Pieces is a brand whose quality leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion, so their puzzles are ones we only buy secondhand.

Like the last few sets of these puzzles, my oldest son helped me assemble them while we spent time together watching M*A*S*H. I’m enjoying both the puzzles and the bonding. (Not many 29 year old men want to spend time with their mom watching tv and assembling puzzles!) The two birds above were our favorites; the colors are beautiful and although they look a little boring in the pictures they are quite stunning in person. Gorgeous!

There’s more to come, because I find them so entertaining; not to mention it’s easy for me to work these when I’m not feeling well. For the most part each one is small enough to assemble on a tray lined cookie sheet while I’m lying down. Perfection!