The Wasgij Express!

On April 30, 2017May 18, 2023 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

So I finished my first Wasgij Mystery – huge surprise coming up ………………. loved it!!! As is normal for me I refuse to spoil the fun for anyone so I’m only showing a small bit of the puzzle so you’ll have to figure it out for yourself.

Recently I received an email from the site where I purchase most of my European made puzzles telling me that for the 20th anniversary of Wasgij Jumbo was re-releasing the first Wasgij Original, Mystery and Destiny titles. This is what actually spurred me on to make my first puzzle purchase since the World’s Largest Jigsaw Puzzle. (Yup, I did that. 😎 40,320 pieces!) Since I’m relatively new to Jumbo puzzles, I’m almost 20 years behind and definitely didn’t have the first of anything. That meant time to get an order together! This is the first of the Retro puzzles I’ve assembled. I know, you’re all super surprised that I like it, right?

The answer to the question “What will happen to our secret agents next?” isn’t an easy answer – and the solution to their problem is complicated! I’m proud to say I figured it out pretty quickly, and was eager to puzzle and actually see the result. So much fun. I keep saying that over and over with every puzzle, don’t I? It was fun! Perhaps I need a thesaurus?

Graham Thompson’s artwork – amazing as usual. Lots of detail, lots of humor, wonderfully colorful and bright. Jumbo’s quality – amazing as usual. Excellent fit, thickness, image reproduction, piece shape, etc. So to sum up – this puzzle was awesome!

It’s a good thing I have a LOT of Wasgij puzzles to assemble because I absolutely adore them. Not just the quality (but that is a huge plus in my book), but the concept and artwork as well. I love not having the picture to work from and having to figure out how the picture on the box is relevant to the finished puzzle. I wish I had more of them to be honest, but I’ll have to make due with the stack in my closet that is taller than me. I think it’s about 6 feet high. 😮 I’m a little addicted.

Higgledy-Piggledy House

On April 24, 2017May 18, 2023 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

I started this puzzle in the evening at 9 pm, and before 4 pm the next day it was finished! This is another one of those puzzles that is just too much fun to do. 😎

Colin Thompson’s artwork is great for puzzling, there is always something interesting that you didn’t really notice at first, but right there in the room is a whole other house or a doorway that leads to who knows where. Even the most common looking scene has interesting things in it that you don’t notice right away, it’s always entertaining. And this image is almost like there are 12 smaller puzzles to assemble, what could be more fun?

I’ve enjoyed assembling some of his other cupboard puzzles by Ravensburger, and sometimes there is almost too much going on for my taste – it gets a little too crowded with things. (just my opinion, of course). But this puzzle has just the right amount of crowded space balanced out with some more plain areas . I thought it was the perfect combination!

Each room in the Higgledy-Piggledy House has different wallpaper or paint color, so you start there and before you know it the whole darn house is finished. At least that’s how it was for me. Excellent Ravensburger quality as usual, I can’t recommend this puzzle enough!

Back to…. Basics!

On April 22, 2017May 18, 2023 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

You’re probably tired of hearing me say this, but this puzzle was so fun! Pretty much most of the puzzles I do are enjoyable – because jigsaw puzzles are fun!! And as usual with a Wasgij puzzle I am not showing the entire image – no spoilers here!

It took longer than usual to finish this puzzle, most of the week was spent lying in bed and resting – but I buckled down and finally got it done. This Wasgij concept is Back to…. In these puzzles the box shows you a scene as it is today, and you have to puzzle what it would have been like back then – a time period of their choosing. For this particular image the box shows a family’s living room as it is today – people on cell phones, playing video games, on the computer, listening to an MP3 player, reading a tablet, etc. So what would this living room have looked like back in the 60’s? What kept everyone entertained before computers, cell phones and electronic games?

I love this concept, and I was excited to get going on this puzzle – of course it didn’t disappoint! (Tiny spoiler alert) My favorite thing about this puzzle was a small thing but it made me happy – they were playing a board game that looks like Parcheesi! My family and I love that game and I played it with the kids a LOT when they were younger. My daughter learned it so well that she became quite the shark and was ruthless when playing – her daddy taught her that! Anyway, it made me smile. 🙂

I enjoyed this assembly very much, in this particular image it was quite easy to pull out a section of color or pattern and put it together. One pattern leads to another and before you know it everything is connecting and coming together to form the entire image. The artwork by Neil Easton is well done with clean lines and lots of humor. And as usual the pieces are thick, fit together extremely well and have a matte finish with an almost waxy feel. Jumbo puzzles are some of the best out there – they’re right up there with Ravensburger in my opinion. I love them both!

I haven’t tried a Wasgij Mystery puzzle yet, so I think that may be the next one I try. I can’t wait to solve the mystery and puzzle what happens!

Stamp Collector’s Dream

On April 21, 2017May 18, 2023 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

Oh my goodness was this puzzle ever awesome! If you read this blog regularly (although not very many do) you know I love collage puzzles. I’ve been wanting this puzzle for a long time now, and mom found it at the thrift store. YESSSS!!!!

Unfortunately it is missing an edge piece in the lower left corner; but although a bummer, it did not diminish my enjoyment of this puzzle – love love loved it! This is like the matchbook collage, it’s like having a hundred little mini puzzles to assemble and connect. So fun, and so hard to walk away from! Charlie Girard does an awesome job with his collages, they’re always entertaining. 🙂

White Mountain isn’t currently selling this puzzle, but it is still available from some online retailers like Amazon and eBay – or you can see if it’s hanging around at a thrift store near you.

I finished this one in a day 😮 Good thing I can bring my small puzzle board into my bedroom so I can work on it while resting. I just can’t resist a collage, they’re so difficult to leave alone. One piece always leads to another and then you know you need to take a break, but the last piece you put in has a weird color or shape and you know exactly what piece goes there and you just have to remember where you saw it, and then, oh cool, this section connects over here and……………and then, uh, where did the day go?

What If #3 Home Makeover

On April 13, 2017May 18, 2023 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

Another fun puzzle where I won’t show the entire image. You have to puzzle it out for yourself!

This What If shows what actually happens when the family tries to do all the home improvements themselves. Not good. You can tell by the cat’s face that he certainly isn’t impressed! They’re hoping for a great new room, but what if they get something else altogether? 😉

This one seemed more difficult for me than the other What If puzzles I’ve worked, or it may just be that my brain hasn’t been working properly lately. That’s a distinct possibility! Whatever the reason, it took a little extra brain power from me but it was still a super fun assembly. I enjoy the puzzles where I don’t have a picture – it adds an extra challenge and I feel quite proud when I’m done.

Usual great Ravensburger quality, although I think this puzzle may have been near the end of the run, because the fit was looser than normal for a Ravensburger and the piece shapes stand out in the final image more. But I’ve seen that several times with many different companies, it happens. It doesn’t diminish my enjoyment of the assembly much, and they still have great image reproduction, excellent artwork with clean lines, thick pieces – you know, the usual amazing Ravensburger puzzle. (I’m a fan, can you tell?)

I loved this puzzle and highly recommend it, even if it did require extra use of the brain cells. It’s always fun to figure out What If something else happened?!