Songbird Symphony

On April 14, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

This isn’t the typical image that I prefer, but mom assembled it first and even though it’s missing a couple of pieces she recommended that I put it together too. She thought I would really enjoy it, and she was right. (She usually is – it’s annoying sometimes!) There’s just something about collages that push all the right buttons for me, they’re the perfect type of puzzle for my weird little brain and I absolutely love them!

Photographic images are not my favorite, they’re pretty far down on the list of preferences. But as usual I enjoyed this one in spite of myself. Each section was like it’s own little mini puzzle and I got lost in it, only concentrating on the next piece or the next color and found myself relaxing and de-stressing. It was a wonderful distraction in a very trying and busy week.

Springbok puzzles can sometimes fit a little too tightly for my taste, but this one wasn’t too bad. The pieces were thick, and didn’t have the fuzzy edges that you sometimes find on the backs. It’s a beautiful puzzle with very good quality and I found it the perfect puzzle at the perfect time for me. Thrift store puzzles make me so happy! 💗

Seed Packets

On April 9, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

Mom and I put together four puzzles the day we did this one, and it was by far our favorite puzzle of the day; it was bright and fun and went together quickly. We barely cared that all the pieces were ballerinas because they were thick and fit together well, and the image was pretty and entertaining.

I haven’t done many Lang puzzles, in fact this is only the second one I’ve done. I was much happier with this one than the first, I believe because of the difference in the color palette. When there is no variety in piece shape a brighter, busier image seems much less of a struggle to complete. The pieces seemed thicker than I remember from the previous puzzle, but that could be a trick of my mind. I enjoyed this assembly more, so I may be more forgiving without even realizing it. I’m not a fan of puzzles with only one piece shape, so unless the image is amazing it’s not a brand I would normally purchase new.

Still, the beauty of a thrift store purchase is that you’re not out much if you don’t enjoy the puzzle, and if you loved it then you got such a good bargain! Seed Packets was a bargain. 😁

4th of July Market

On April 7, 2018April 7, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store Puzzles2 Comments

IMG_E4406 — 4th of July Market by Geraldine Aikman – Karmin – 500 pieces

There’s something about this image that just draws me in; so much so that even knowing it was a Karmin puzzle and wouldn’t be stellar quality, I still wanted to assemble it.

Karmin puzzles have pretty thin pieces, but on the positive side there are a good variety of shapes, the image reproduction is good, and they fit together quite well. It’s all about the image when it comes to brands I don’t normally assemble; if I really like the image I’ll put up with what I consider quality shortcomings. This was one of those images that I very much wanted to assemble, and it was fun and entertaining just like I thought it would be!

I can be pretty snobby about puzzles and what brands are best – we all have our own opinions and all of us are absolutely right. Some people prefer a premium puzzle with very thick pieces and some have no problem working puzzles from the dollar store with very thin pieces. For some a good brand has to have a variety of piece shapes, and others don’t mind working with just one shape. Find what makes you happy and go for it, regardless of anyone else’s opinion.

Puzzling is good for you no matter the brand, if you’re having fun and relaxing you’re doing it right.

Summer Flowers

On April 1, 2018April 1, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store Puzzles1 Comment

This gorgeous puzzle was much more difficult than I assumed it would be, but luckily I was able to share the load with mom and my daughter – that always makes it more fun.

The pieces had a great feel to them, were a good thickness, and as you can see the image reproduction is stunning; it even came with a poster of the puzzle because the box was an upright square tube and you couldn’t see the entire image. The fit was quite loose though, and a bit of a pain to work with. When we finally got this one finished we swore off flower puzzles for a while, it was a struggle!

I can’t always tell from the picture how difficult a puzzle will be, I’m usually surprised in some way even though I assemble puzzles a lot. I love trying out new companies or even different types of puzzles from the same company and finding out what’s good and what needs work. Sometimes I’m enthralled by the image and go into it knowing it’ll be a bit difficult, sometimes I think it’ll be a breeze and it turns into a windstorm. Other times I think it’s going to be very challenging and it turns out to be the perfect amount of challenge and it’s incredibly fun and entertaining.

I’m usually not correct in my assumptions about the difficulty level of a puzzle, but it sure is fun to keep trying and to keep being surprised. 😎

Review: The Typewriter

On March 27, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment

This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.

The Typewriter by William Doree – Clementoni – 500 pieces

The Typewriter is a gorgeous puzzle that took my breath away when I saw it, and although it seems very dark and difficult to assemble, it was a joy!

I don’t have a ton of experience working Clementoni puzzles, but the ones I’ve done have been impressive; the pieces are a good thickness, have a nice variety of piece shapes, and have a linen finish that feels good in your hands. The fit of this puzzle was a bit loose but still workable, though I did have to take care when moving small sections around the board. The image reproduction is crisp and clear with no fuzziness, and although it’s not an overly colorful picture it’s a fun image that I really enjoyed assembling. Clementoni has an excellent catalog of landscapes, illustrations, photography and fine art to choose from, click here to see all their puzzles currently available at Puzzle Warehouse.

I enjoyed this assembly very much, and though it looks dark there were not many pieces that were all black (not nearly as many as in Ruby Red!) The pieces were relatively easy to sort and assemble and the more I worked the more fun I had. It’s a little more difficult when you first begin sorting to know what everything is, but the more you assemble the more familiar you become with the pieces. I love old typewriters, and I’m so glad I got to assemble this puzzle – it was great fun! 👍

Details: