Keepsakes

On March 31, 2022March 31, 2022 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store Puzzles7 Comments

Keepsakes by Judy Koenig – Ceaco – 550 pieces

Eh. Not my favorite type of image, but I had hopes it would be entertaining. It was alright, that’s really all the endorsement I can give it.

The quality of the chipboard was good/fair, and for the most part so was the cutting. The variety of different piece shapes and the fit were good as well. There was a lot of image lift, but this puzzle is over 25 years old and it has been assembled more than a few times from the look of it. Overall, the quality was good/fair.

This was my favorite section – more cartoony and less painterly.

Many of the piece shapes were just a little bit off of what “regular” ones look like. In several places the hole where a prong would go was made up of the joining of two pieces; it made for a more interesting assembly.

I had higher hopes for this image, there was something about it made me want the puzzle even though it’s a Ceaco. My thought process was that because it was a thrift store purchase I wasn’t really giving the brand any of my money, and the picture looked as though it would be entertaining to assemble. It wasn’t as fun as I’d hoped, but I still got my money’s worth – it was only a couple of dollars and I worked on it for a couple of days.

Where else can you get that many hours of entertainment for such little investment?

Isis

On March 5, 2022March 5, 2022 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles14 Comments

Isis by Kinuko Y. Craft – Ceaco – 550 pieces

My youngest asked me to do this puzzle when I was choosing what was next, and like the pushover that I am that’s exactly what I did. It was alright, much darker than it looks and just about as difficult as I’d imagined. Meh. It’s ok.

Typical Ceaco quality. Nothing horrid or fantastic, on the lower end of the quality scale in my opinion.

I’ve had this puzzle for at least 4 or 5 years, and it kept getting moved around in the shuffle of puzzles; I was never in the mood for it. At least it’ll be on it’s way to the thrift store now that it’s complete.

She’s got a beautiful face and the artwork is lovely – just a little dark around the edges for my taste. Kinuko Craft’s images make for beautiful but quite difficult puzzles. I’ve still got a few here, and they’re still being shuffled around because these days I’m usually not in the mood for that much challenge (unless my baby boy asks me to be 😉).

Let’s Play Football

On May 23, 2020May 22, 2020 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store Puzzles8 Comments

This is another thrift store puzzle that mom bought (I still probably have a year or more of thrift store puzzles that she bought to get through). Even though Karmin quality isn’t great I did this one because she bought it – and I love dogs and dog puzzles!

As soon as I opened the box and felt the pieces I knew it wouldn’t be the best quality or assembly. The fit wasn’t great and the pieces were pretty thin, but it was a fantastically adorable image and at least all the pieces were there. And I just cannot resist doggy faces, they’re the best!

Let's Play Football 1

Happily playing tug-of-war with a scarf, so cute! I started with the scarf because they were the easiest pieces to pick out, other than the sky most of the pieces were different shades of brown. The scarf leads to two adorable, happy puppy faces – irresistable!

Let's Play Football 2

The smiling face of this dog, and the scarf makes me think of Lady from Lady and the Tramp. It looks a little like the same breed, even though I don’t think it is; it’s really the smiling face.

Let's Play Football 3

You know I can’t resist a sad puppy face either. It just makes me want to give belly rubs and pets and scratches everywhere to make this little guy/girl happy!

Even with less than premium quality, this puzzle was entertaining for me; they don’t all have to be perfect for me to enjoy them. The quality wasn’t the best, but I had a good time anyway; watching the faces come together, figuring out the best way to assemble the sky, finding those pieces of the football that I didn’t pick out the first time, etc. I needed quiet, meditative distraction and this puzzle provided it.

Perfect puppy profiles provided puzzle play, plus peaceful pondering. 🧩💗

Pig House

On April 29, 2020April 29, 2020 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store Puzzles14 Comments

I hemmed and hawed about assembling this puzzle, it’s probably been at my house for two years, perhaps even longer. It’s a thrift store find of mom’s that looks like a fun image, but with it’s muted colors I knew that it would be difficult. Of course you never know until you get to assembling, but it turns out I was right; the truly random cut and muted colors made it quite a challenge.

The Great American Puzzle Factory is no longer in business, but I don’t think it could have been because of their quality. I’ve done several of their puzzles, and they’ve all been very good. The pieces were very thick, with an excellent variety of shapes and an excellent fit. The image reproduction is very good as well, the muted colors seem to be true to the original artwork.

Pig House 1

La Pension Porcinee – the pig boarding house. I love the whimsy of the artwork and the simple and silly things all the pigs are doing. One is out walking the poodle, and there is a piglet blowing bubbles on the front steps while two old timers are in rocking chairs on the porch.

Pig House 2

Bath time – cleaning up with a big bottle of Hogwash – love it!

Pig House 3

Two honeymooners, expressing their love for one another while a cat hides under the bed. It’s not something you think pigs would be doing – traveling from Cincinnati! 😉

Pig House 4

Here we see the deliveryman bringing “food” into the kitchen. I’m certainly glad I don’t live close to this boarding house!

This puzzle is 34 years old – from 1986. It seems odd to me that the year I graduated from high school is that many years ago. That can’t possibly be. My math must be wrong. Right?

Go with the Flow

On April 28, 2020April 28, 2020 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles4 Comments

Cue the fireworks, there was finally a puzzle in this series with all of it’s pieces. Congratulations Ceaco, it seems you finally did your job. Correctly. For once. Well done.

This one was much harder than I anticipated, and it seemed more difficult than the previous two puzzles from this series – but that is only perception and not something easy to quantify. It has been more than four months since I completed the second puzzle in the series, so it seems quite a challenge to remember all the way back to the beginning of January. And remembering the first puzzle that I put together in August of last year seems almost impossible! It’s harder for me anyway, I’m old and on lots of pain meds, my memory ain’t what it used to be.

Even though it was difficult I didn’t mind at all, it kept me completely focused on the puzzle and not on everything else going on in the world and in my house. That’s one of the reasons working on jigsaw puzzles is such a popular form of entertainment – even more especially right now – it’s almost a form of meditation. Your brain is only concerned about what shape, color, or pattern is next and there’s no room to think about your worries or stresses; it’s only the puzzle and what piece fits in next.

Blissful meditation.