Tag: 300 pieces

Review: Queen Anne’s Revenge

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Puzzle reviews6 Comments
This post is sponsored by CubicFun.
Queen Anne's Revenge
Queen Anne’s Revenge – CubicFun – 340 pieces

While not technically a jigsaw puzzle, Queen Anne’s Revenge (Blackbeard’s ship) is a 3D puzzle/model. It was unbelievably challenging for me (being new to this type of puzzling), but I’m super proud that hubby and I were able to complete it together, and my son is thrilled that he’s going to be able to keep it in his room. It was fun, sometimes frustrating, but completely worth it – it’s GORGEOUS!

CubicFun contacted me asking if I’d be interested in reviewing one of their 3D puzzles, and I was more than happy to give it a try. I love all things “puzzle”! I’ve completed puzzle balls, but this would be my first 3D puzzle that wasn’t an orb. I probably should have chosen one that was a little easier on the difficulty scale, like a building, skyline, or even one of their smaller ships; but the pirate ship just spoke to me when I saw it. It’s the one that looked like the most fun to me – good thing it was! They have many 3D puzzles in their catalog, from very easy to very complex. Click the link above to see their store at Amazon and all the puzzles they carry. (CubicFun is a Chinese company specializing in 3D puzzles)

Since this puzzle has only 340 pieces, I assumed it would be no problem at all to assemble it – I was very wrong. Apparently the puzzle I chose was an 8 on the complexity scale. Oh my. My frustrations with this puzzle had nothing to do with it’s quality, only with my brain and my ability to understand and process the instructions (new meds had me feeling fuzzy and unable to think until I got used to the side effects). The quality of the pieces is excellent, most especially the quality of the sails; they’re some sort paper, but softer and much sturdier. The pieces themselves are made of EPS foam board (no tools are required) , and are much stronger than I thought they would be. From my novice standpoint, the quality is excellent.

Hubby suggested that the tabs be a bit longer (in places where it wouldn’t affect the aesthetics), and my suggestion is to be a little more clear about the order of the assembly. Of course, I am new to models and their instructions and chose one of much higher difficulty; perhaps if I’d assembled more of them and was more up to the task it wouldn’t have been so frustrating for me.

This ship is one of their LED enhanced puzzles; it’s beautiful in the light and breathtaking in the dark! I kept turning the lights on and off once I finished to take in the effect – I’m so in love with this ship and so proud that I got it done! (with a little help from the hubby) It’s harder to capture the effect well in a picture, but I did my best…

IMG_5173

The little details are amazing, with even the smallest pieces being accurate; the decorative accents make for a lovely finished image. Check out the front and back of the ship…

It also comes with a stand and nameplate that you build for it, they both make it seem even more beautiful and authentic in my opinion…

And what self-respecting pirate ship would be complete without a Jolly Roger? It’s one of my favorite parts of this puzzle/model. There are also lighted stairs, cannons in each of the gun ports on the sides, and even a tiny little bench near the helm for weary pirates to rest their tired feet when they’re steering the ship!

The puzzle also came with a gift of a small 3D puzzle of the Empire State Building. Look for that post in the next couple of weeks!

This puzzle was complex, interesting, frustrating, and engaging; and I couldn’t be happier with the results. If you’re a fan of models or 3D puzzles, and you’re a little more experienced with them than I am and think you’re up to the challenge – Queen Anne’s Revenge is definitely recommended.

Are ye brave enough? Arrr! ☠💀☠

Details:

  • Title:                  Queen Anne’s Revenge (Blackbeard’s Ship)
  • Artist:                N/A
  • Brand:               CubicFun
  • Piece count:     340 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 27 x 25 in. (68 x 64 cm)
  • Purchased:      N/A, sent for review

Quality:

  • Board:               Excellent
  • Cutting:             Excellent, easy to detach without breaking or bending
  • Image:               Excellent
  • Box:                   Very good, quite sturdy
  • Fit:                     Very good
  • Puzzle Dust:     N/A
  • Piece cut:          N/A
  • Piece shapes:   N/A
  • Finish:               N/A

Overall Rating:      Excellent, highly recommended

 

I received this product at no cost in order to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are truthful and 100% my own.

Under the Sea

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles2 Comments
Under the Sea
Under the Sea – Re-marks – 300 pieces

Not really my favorite, but a nice palate cleanser. Sometimes I just need a quick 300 piecer to feed my addiction while I decide what larger puzzle I’ll be assembling next.

There’s nothing wrong with the puzzle itself; the pieces are ok and fit together well, the image just doesn’t tickle my fancy. Perhaps on another day I’d be more in the mood for this puzzle and would have loved it – when I assembled it, it just wasn’t that day.

It’s a busy image, with lots of cute and not so cute creatures hiding everywhere. The orange octopus was my favorite, and the sunken ship was harder to put together than it looks!

Review: Droids

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
IMG_5059
Droids – Buffalo – 300 pieces

Droids was much more fun than I anticipated, I love Buffalo’s smaller piece count puzzles. The fit is excellent, and the pieces are the perfect size (for me). Great puzzle!

I don’t always like the 1000 piece puzzles by Buffalo, sometimes I have to be in just the right mood. I find the piece shapes are all too similar. Not so with their 300 and 500 piece puzzles; I find the pieces to be the perfect Goldilocks size – not too small and not too big. The shapes are less “boxy”, and they offer more variety in the size of the pieces as well. The image reproduction is stellar and the fit is wonderful. Their smaller piece count puzzles are my favorite. Click the link to check out Buffalo Games and see all of their available puzzles, they have some gorgeous images to choose from!

I’m not the world’s biggest Star Wars fan, but looking for some 300 and 500 piece puzzles to keep me entertained I decided I might as well give these droids a try. It didn’t look like a ton of fun, but fortunately looks can be deceiving and it was very entertaining. I had a great time putting it together, even more fun than making the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs! (That seemed kinda Star Wars nerdy – I know – but I have so much useless information and quotes in my brain and I can’t get them out!)

If you or someone you know is a Star Wars fan, I absolutely recommend this puzzle. It’s the right amount of difficulty and the right amount of fun. 🤖

Details:

  • Title:                  Droids
  • Artist:                None given
  • Brand:               Buffalo
  • Piece count:     300 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 21 x 15 in. (54 x 38 cm)
  • Purchased:      New

Quality:

  • Board:               Very good
  • Cutting:             Very good
  • Image:               Excellent
  • Box:                   Sturdy, glued shut
  • Fit:                     Excellent
  • Puzzle Dust:     Small amount
  • Piece cut:          Grid cut
  • Piece shapes:   Good variety
  • Finish:               Slightly shiny finish, lays flat

Overall Rating:      Very good, recommended

Picnic Raiders

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles2 Comments
IMG_5040
Picnic Raiders by Steve Read – Buffalo – 300 pieces

I assembled this puzzle after resting for several days from a car trip/medical procedure. Funny that it’s in the queue for today, since this afternoon is another 3 hour trip to a doctor, gee doesn’t that sound like fun? 😐

I don’t always like Buffalo puzzles, the pieces seem so uniform and uninteresting; I have to be in the right mood to work a larger piece count from Buffalo. Luckily the 300 pieces they have don’t give me the same feeling, and I very much enjoy them. This cute little one by Steve Read was adorable, interesting, good quality, and just the right amount of challenging.

The puppies are the best part of the image, in my opinion. Puppies make me happy, although Boston Terrier puppies would have been even cuter if you ask me. 😉

Review: Donut

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviews1 Comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
IMG_5049
Donut – Ceaco – 300 pieces

Technically this puzzle doesn’t have a name, according to the box – I have named it Donut. It came in a multipack called Sweet & Salty. I think this is without a doubt the most challenging 300 piece puzzle I have ever assembled. It looks amazing though, doesn’t it? I’m not one for sprinkles, but a chocolate frosted donut sounds so good right now! 🍩

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this puzzle, especially since it was in a multipack. My experience with many puzzles in one box has been that the quality was quite poor. This is the first one from this box that I’ve assembled, but the quality of this particular puzzle was better than expected.

The pieces were thicker than I remember from other Ceaco puzzles I’ve assembled, and the fit was excellent. There was a good variety of piece shapes, and the image reproduction was very good as well. The cutting leaves a bit to be desired, as all the pieces weren’t cut completely through; and although the thickness was better than I remember there was still some fanning of the chipboard on some pieces. Still, overall, I found the quality to be good. Click the link above to see all the Ceaco puzzles currently in stock at Puzzle Warehouse.

The obvious place to start was with the edges and the center, and they went together pretty quickly. I don’t normally work this way, but I separated the pieces by shape and worked from center to edge all the way around. The image is pretty challenging, but I enjoyed it anyway and the finished product is very cool looking!

Although Ceaco isn’t a premium brand, getting 8 puzzles for $16.99 is a pretty good bargain in my opinion. And even though the chipboard isn’t the thickest around, they have beautiful images and an excellent fit. I enjoyed this first puzzle very much – keep an eye out for the remaining 7 puzzles, I hope they’re as much fun as this one was.

Details:

  • Title:                  Donut
  • Artist:                iStock
  • Brand:               Ceaco
  • Piece count:     300 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 14 in. (36 cm)
  • Purchased:      N/A, sent for review

Quality:

  • Board:               Good
  • Cutting:             Good
  • Image:               Very good
  • Box:                   Average, 8 puzzles in 1 box
  • Fit:                     Excellent
  • Puzzle Dust:     Small amount
  • Piece cut:          Grid cut
  • Piece shapes:   Good variety
  • Finish:               Slightly shiny finish, lays flat

Overall Rating:      Good, recommended

 

I received this product at no cost in order to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are truthful and 100% my own.