Review: Horse of Iron

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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Horse of Iron by Werner Willis – Sunsout – 1000 pieces

This is quite an impressive puzzle – when I look at the picture the word “majestic” comes to mind. It’s hard to tell from the picture but the train is 3 feet long! (Side note: this is probably the best picture I’ve ever taken of any puzzle – yay me!)

Sunsout puzzles are good quality. The pieces are thick, and they fit together well. Their rectangular/square puzzles have a much tighter fit than the shaped puzzles; I prefer the looser fit of their shaped puzzles, but that’s just me. The image reproduction is very good, they work with many wonderful artists, and they have an excellent catalog that includes a great selection of shaped puzzles. As an added bonus they are an environmentally friendly company that uses recycled board and soy-based inks.

I’ve only recently started working shaped puzzles, and I’m really enjoying them. Sunsout has an excellent array of shaped puzzles, and several other manufacturers make them as well. Click here to see all the shaped puzzles available at Puzzle Warehouse, they’ve got something for everyone. Give a shaped puzzle a try, they’re fun and a good workout for your brain!

I was able to pull all the edge pieces for this puzzle and start there; usually it isn’t easy to find all the edges of a shaped puzzle, but this one has a white border that was easy to spot. This puzzle has a LOT of edge – more than 250 pieces! By the time the border was assembled I had the puzzle 1/4 done. 🙂

The bottom section was about medium difficulty and fun to assemble. The top section was much more challenging – still fun, but I had to take more breaks because it overwhelmed me at times. It doesn’t look like it would be that difficult, but believe me it was. I had about 100 pieces left when mom and dad stopped by and she helped me finish it up. It’s a gorgeous puzzle that definitely makes a statement. The finished puzzle is 36 x 24 inches (91 x 60 cm) it’s quite impressive!

The artwork by Werner Willis is amazingly detailed and beautiful; this was my first puzzle of his and I’d love to find more. I enjoyed Horse of Iron very much, it was a challenge but I certainly was proud of it when I was done!

I’m sorry to say it’s no longer available at Puzzle Warehouse, but I’ve certainly been inspired to work more shaped puzzles, and have even added a few train puzzles to the ridiculously long wish list – including another shaped puzzle with trains and an interesting retro collage from White Mountain called Travel by Train. All aboard!

 

I received this product at no charge in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are truthful and 100% my own.

Kittens with Pumpkins

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment
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Kittens with Pumpkins by Persis Clayton Weirs – Cobble Hill – 60 pieces

Gorgeous puzzle! Cobble Hill makes an excellent large piece puzzle – beautiful linen covered pieces that feet great in your hand and fit together wonderfully. Thrift store finds are so much fun. 😉

This was one of the 5 puzzles mom and I assembled in one day. We grabbed all the kid’s puzzles we needed to assemble to check that all pieces were there and did every one! For me it was the best quality puzzle of the day. The image is adorable and sweet and would be great for kids; and it isn’t too childish, so it would also be good for anyone who needs or likes larger piece puzzles.

Puzzle Warehouse carries this puzzle in two sizes, a 35 piece and a 60 piece. It’s a great quality puzzle, I highly recommend it. 👍

Love Letter

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment
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Love Letter by Bob Byerley – Anatolian – 500 pieces

I finally got to try an Anatolian (Perre Group) puzzle! I saw a puzzle at Puzzle Warehouse that I really wanted to try but it was discontinued and there was only 1 left. I didn’t want to take the chance that someone else would buy it, so I ordered it and added this puzzle to the purchase so I could get free shipping. I took the opportunity to order from a company I hadn’t tried before, and here we are!

The pieces were thick and feel good in your hand, and fit together quite well. I’d heard that Anatolian puzzles have a very loose fit, but that wasn’t the case, not with this puzzle at least. I’d say the fit is about average, not too loose and not too tight. The pieces were quite shiny, which was a bit difficult as there were a lot of dark areas in this puzzle. At one point I noticed that the paper I line my trays with was reflecting light and making it worse, so I took the pieces off the trays and put them on the board – big difference! It was much easier after that; I’ll have to remember that trick if it happens again. 🙂

The piece shape seems a bit obvious in this picture, but it didn’t seem as bad in person. I’m trying to get better at taking pictures for the blog, but obviously I’ve got a way to go. I do the best I can. Apologies. 😐

I enjoyed this puzzle very much and wouldn’t hesitate to order another from this manufacturer. I love that they include a stand for the box top, I always enjoy getting extras and this is one that comes in very handy! Also they have a missing piece service and will send you a replacement –  most companies don’t have that. They’ve got quite a few puzzles that are gorgeous and look like fun to assemble. I’ve only done one puzzle, but what I’ve seen so far is very good. Can’t wait to try more. 😎

 

Review: Spot It Winter Wonderland

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Game Reviews2 Comments
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse. 

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Spot It Winter Wonderland is the most fun game! I wasn’t sure about it when I first saw it, I’m not sure what I thought. Whatever it was, I was completely wrong!

It’s extremely easy to learn and play, and is wonderfully entertaining for kids and adults alike. Definitely adults because my mother and I have been playing it a LOT and having the best time. So it’s fun for kids, and just as fun for “adults” (I don’t consider myself an adult really, I’m a grown up – but in my mind I’m still a fun-loving kid 😉 )

The game is simple, there are 6 images on each card (for this edition they are winter symbols – mittens, hockey stick, snowflake, etc.) There is one, and only one matching symbol between any two cards. Whichever version of the game you choose to play the object is to find the matching symbol between one of your cards and the face up card. Mom and I play by dealing 10 cards to each player (less if you have more than 3 players) and turning over the top card of the remaining deck. Find a matching symbol on your card, call it out and put your card on top of the center card. The winner is the first person to run out of cards.

Sound too easy? Sound boring? It isn’t! When the pressure is on and speed is important it isn’t easy at all! When someone calls out their match your brain tells you to look for that symbol instead of just looking for any match; and the symbols can be different sizes, so if you’re looking for the purple hat it may be very small or very large…

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There are instructions included for 5 different ways to play, or you could even make up your own version of the game. Puzzle Warehouse has many different editions of Spot It to choose from; animals, shapes, numbers, sports, several licensed Disney editions, and even larger editions for parties including one with a timer. Click here to see all the matching/memory games available at Puzzle Warehouse.

The tin is small, about 3 inches in diameter, so it’s the perfect travel size. I keep it in my purse so it’s always available for a quick game. We use the lid of the tin to keep the card pile from sliding all over, so we can play just about anywhere. They even make a waterproof version for playing poolside! It’s great for a quick game for any reason – waiting for food in a restaurant, to decide who gets to take out the trash, etc. – it’s fast and fun and I end up laughing every single time we play. Also, for other grown ups out there, it would be an excellent game to play while enjoying adult beverages. 😉

Most of the Spot It games aren’t available for online purchase at Puzzle Warehouse due to a vendor agreement, but there are several ways to order it. You can call Puzzle Warehouse toll free at 866-539-4278, you can order through their catalog (click here to request a free catalog), or if you’re lucky enough to live near their brick and mortar store you can buy it in store while puzzle shopping. 😎 Also, if you live near their store in St. Louis would you like to be my new best friend???

 

I received this product at no charge in return for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are truthful and 100% my own.

Garden Bridge

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment
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Garden Bridge by Alan Giana – Masterpieces – 300 pieces

Pretty puzzle from Masterpieces, sadly missing a piece. Oh well, at least we saved someone else from having to buy an incomplete puzzle. 🙂

Mom and I had started a whole different puzzle this day, and after about 100 pieces we gave up. The other puzzle was an awesome image, but unbelievably tedious and un-fun. We tried to like it, then we remembered that doing puzzles is supposed to be fun and why in the world were we doing a puzzle we weren’t enjoying?? Sometimes we think that we have to finish a puzzle, just because we bought it. Nope. If it ain’t fun, it ain’t worth it! We spent our money to learn a lesson. That day’s lesson? Sometimes the coolest pictures make the worst puzzles!

So, we gave up on that one and decided to try this uncomplicated, beautiful puzzle with only 300 pieces. It was MUCH nicer to work.

The large pieces were nice and thick and fit together well – we both enjoy a large piece puzzle every now and then. The quality was good and the picture was lovely and we both enjoyed the assembly. It’s nice to work an easier puzzle once in a while, it makes you feel like a puzzle master. Look how fast I completed this entire puzzle! 😉

The scene by Alan Giana is beautiful and serene and it makes me think of summertime in the north. Blooming flowers and butterflies, birds and a small stream – lovely and calm. Extremely nice puzzle that was unfortunately missing a piece. Darn.