Blind as a Bat by Mike Jupp – All Jigsaw Puzzles – 500 pieces
This is the third puzzle in the Party Animals collection from All Jigsaw Puzzles that I’ve assembled. I was a bit worried about all the snow in this one, thought it might be difficult. It wasn’t of course, it was the perfect amount of challenging, and a lot of fun!
The quality of these puzzles has been very good, but there was a bit of an issue with this one. There were quite a few pieces still connected and many pieces with hanging bits of paper on the back. I must have gotten one from the end of the run. The first two puzzles in this series that I did had no problems at all.
I love these Party Animals by Mike Jupp, they’re so fun and adorable; glad I bought all four. The artwork is incredibly detailed and beautiful and the humor is right up my alley. I’m hoping that my quality issue with this puzzle is just a manufacturing mistake – All Jigsaw Puzzles have so many great looking images that are very tempting! 😉
Paradise Banderoles by Eva Marie Nitsche – Schmidt – 500 pieces
Paradise Banderoles was the first puzzle I can remember that when I was finished I wanted to take it apart and immediately do it again. It was just a thoroughly enjoyable assembly from start to finish – fabulous!
I believe this is only the 3rd Schmidt Puzzle I’ve completed, and I’m wondering why in the world I haven’t ordered more. The quality of these puzzles is stellar, and it makes the assembly experience even more wonderful. The finish on the pieces feels lovely, and the pieces themselves are extremely thick and sturdy. They fit together satisfyingly, they almost settle into place – I can’t recommend this brand enough!
After I assembled the edge, I had to stop myself from working on the puzzle for a while. The pieces felt so good and fit together so well that I knew if I let myself I wouldn’t get up from the puzzle table until it was finished. I wanted to enjoy the assembly, so I made it last a little while. I started assembling the scalloped lines separating each section, and the entire puzzle just came together. It wasn’t overly challenging, but enjoyable regardless. I was slightly disappointed that there were only 500 pieces – I would have loved to have spent more time with it! Two thumbs way up!! 👍👍
Details:
Title: Paradise Banderoles
Artist: Eva Marie Nitsche
Brand: Schmidt
Piece count: 500 pieces
Size: Approx. 19 x 13 in. (48 x 34 cm)
Purchased: n/a
Quality:
Board: Excellent
Cutting: Excellent
Image: Excellent
Box: Average
Fit: Excellent
Puzzle Dust: Small amount
Piece cut: Grid cut
Piece shapes: Good variety
Finish: Matte finish, lays flat
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.
Darling Doe by Charlie Zabarte – Andrews + Blaine – 500 pieces
Another puzzle with only ballerinas – good thing this had interesting artwork too or it might not have been completed! The artwork is quite nice, and perfect for puzzling. It was a thrift store purchase, and even though it’s missing 2 pieces we still got our money’s worth.
Mom and I assembled this puzzle together on one of our visit/puzzle days – so much fun! Andrews + Blaine puzzles seem to be hit or miss quality-wise. The pieces were a good thickness and fit together well. But I really don’t care for puzzles with only one shape piece, it’s boring and makes the assembly more difficult. Although if the image is a good one I’ll put up with it; sometimes if the image makes for a fun assembly I barely even notice that all the pieces are the same. Andrews + Blaine have some beautiful images to choose from, I wish all their puzzles had a good variety of shapes as well.
Luckily the image of this puzzle was a good one, and we didn’t have too much trouble with large areas of the same color/pattern. It was definitely better that mom and I worked it together – she’s my favorite puzzle partner and many puzzles I wouldn’t want to do alone I have no problem doing with her. We’re an awesome puzzle posse! 🙂
Canned Veggies makes me think of fall up north, canning fruits and vegetables with mom. There was a lot of peeling, cutting, and whining going on. (I didn’t always have a great time, especially when we were canning foods I don’t like) 🙂
This is another tight fitting Springbok puzzle. I’m not much of a fan of the super tight fit, but this wasn’t too bad, at least the sides aren’t curling up! Springbok puzzles are very good quality, and my preference for a slightly looser fit doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate that quality. The pieces are very thick, and fit together very snugly. The image reproduction on this puzzle was bright and crisp, and would be quite suitable for framing – it would be perfect in the kitchen! With the tighter fit, you most likely wouldn’t have to glue the puzzle, just frame it as is. Click to see all Springbok puzzles currently in stock at Puzzle Warehouse. They have some beautiful images, including Off the Vine – a gorgeous collage of wine labels – beautiful! (And I don’t even like wine 😐 )
I enjoyed this assembly, although I wasn’t prepared for the challenge of it. It looks pretty straightforward, but the darker areas made me slow down and I had to concentrate more. That’s probably a good thing though! I think this puzzle may end up framed and in my mother’s kitchen, she loves the look of it; and it reminds me of her. ❤
Details:
Title: Canned Veggies
Artist: Allied Products
Brand: Springbok
Piece count: 500 pieces
Size: Approx. 18 x 24 in. (46 x 60 cm)
Purchased: n/a
Quality:
Board: Very good
Cutting: Very good
Image: Very good
Box: Average
Fit: Good, very tight
Puzzle Dust: Moderate amount
Piece cut: Random cut
Piece shapes: Good variety
Finish: Slightly shiny finish, lays flat
Overall Rating: Very 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.
Fall: The Joy of Puzzles with Bob Ross – Wellspring – 500 pieces
I’m not usually one for landscape puzzles, but this one looks serene and calming, Fall: (The Joy of Puzzles with Bob Ross), it’s quite a lovely image. And the fact that it’s Bob Ross is an added bonus – just thinking about his show makes me smile. “We don’t make mistakes, we just have happy accidents” 🙂
This was a fun assembly that I took on immediately after a more challenging puzzle, it was the perfect palate cleanser. I needed something fun and a little bit simpler – this was absolutely the right puzzle at the right time.
I was glad to be able to try out the new Bob Ross puzzles from Wellspring. I’m not sure if they’re an offshoot of Sunsout, or if they’re just manufactured at the same place; the box is the same size and shape of a Sunsout with the number stamped on the bottom and the slip of paper inside from Sunsout Customer Service. The quality seems about the same as a Sunsout puzzle, but the puzzle is grid cut instead of random. The chipboard is nice and thick and the fit seems the same as well – good quality overall. If you’re a fan of his artwork there are 4 puzzles in this series, one for each season; click the link above to see the ones currently available at Puzzle Warehouse.
I definitely recommend this puzzle. It went together quickly but wasn’t too easy, and was a nice change of subject matter for me. Landscape puzzles aren’t normally what I would choose, but I see the draw. As usual when I review a puzzle I try to look through other puzzles of that genre, and as usual I’ve added more puzzles to the wishlist. Check out a beautiful and VERY interesting Pomegranate puzzle called Enassamishhinjijweian. No, I did not fall asleep face first onto my keyboard – that’s really the name! I provided a link so no one else has to struggle to spell that. 😉
I guess I have to rethink my preferences, apparently I do like landscapes.
Details:
Title: Fall: The Joy of Puzzles with Bob Ross
Artist: Bob Ross
Brand: Wellspring
Piece count: 500 pieces
Size: Approx. 18 x 24 in. (46 x 61 cm)
Purchased: n/a
Quality:
Board: Very good
Cutting: Good
Image: Very good
Box: Average
Fit: Very good, a bit tight
Puzzle Dust: Small amount
Piece cut: Grid cut
Piece shapes: Good variety
Finish: Slightly shiny finish, lays flat
Overall Rating: Very good, recommended
I received this product at no cost to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are truthful and 100% my own.
My Jigsaw Journal 