Tag: Artifact Puzzles

Color Dream

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles14 Comments

Color Dream by Nadieh Bremer – Artifact – 403 pieces

Oh man! This was a challenging, beautiful, fantastic puzzle to assemble! It was quite difficult, as I didn’t use the image on the box – but I absolutely adored both the challenge, the image, and the assembly itself. 🧡💜💙💚

This was my third puzzle with an image by this artist, and I am completely smitten with her work – it makes for such fun puzzling! And I also have to give a shout out to the designer of the pieces, Chandler Millwood (who designed all three of Nadieh’s puzzles), whose design was like artwork in itself. Stunning!

Look at all those loops and swirls, it was such a challenge, but so much fun! The groups of stars in each corner, the connectedness of everything – just a wonderful design to go with such a lovely image.

The star in the center and the loops that form the flower-like image around it aren’t visible from the front. It made for such an interesting puzzle! I know, my use of exclamation points is getting ridiculous, but this puzzle made me so happy that I just can’t help myself!!

There was a surprise in the box, the description on the website alluded to it, but I skipped right over it when I was ordering the puzzle. It said “Tools included to make your own tiny orbit artwork.” Whatever does that mean?

It came with it’s own tiny little wooden Spirograph! Does anyone remember those from when you were younger? I certainly do, and let me tell you there have been a LOT of little pictures made with this already. I have to fess up and tell you that it didn’t occur to me until I was probably 50% through the assembly that all the little images on the puzzle are ones that you could make with a Spirograph. I was looking at the shapes and putting together colors and suddenly realized that all the loopy, swirly, interesting shapes are ones you could make with the toy in the box. DUH!

This puzzle was unbelievably difficult, entertaining, beautiful, and FUN!

Africa Map

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles10 Comments

Africa Map by Liv Wan – Artifact – 441 pieces

What a fun puzzle! This is a testament to the fact that even though an image may not be what jumps out at you at first when you’re shopping, it can still be a highly entertaining puzzle to assemble – I absolutely loved this one. 💖

Normally I prefer a Victorian cut in a wooden puzzle, or better yet something even more out of the ordinary; this puzzle has “grid cut” shapes, and usually I would pass right on by this one in favor of something more “interesting”. But offer me 50% off and free shipping and I cannot be responsible for what happens. Someone gave me access to my debit card and left me alone and unsupervised – even with my very advanced PADS disorder. Not my fault – not my fault at all! 😇

Look at these fabulous whimsies! All manner of African animals, their beautiful people, even buildings and monuments. Stunning!

It’s a little tricky to find, but just below and to the left of the elephant on the right side of the picture is a street food called Bunny Chow. I was intrigued when this section was put together and did a little research into what it was; it sounds amazing! It’s a mix of spices, meat, chickpeas, and potatoes served in a hollowed out bread bowl – yummmm. As long as it isn’t too spicy I’d be all over that! (My daughter finds my lack of spice tolerance amusing, and when something is too hot for me she says “OMG Mom, you are SOOOOO white!”)

There were so many interesting animals, foods, and natural wonders to see in this image – 100 pictures wouldn’t be enough to show you everything. I adored it once I started assembling, and loved learning about all the regional foods and native animals. Ever heard of a Giant Ghana Snail? I hadn’t. How about Suya? It’s a traditional smoked, spiced meat skewer that’s popular in much of West Africa. (Also, this little picture is a small shout-out to one of my regular readers from Nigeria – hi Tayo!) 😎

I had such a good time putting this one together that it makes me re-think all the puzzles I pass on by when I’m puzzling shopping online. First impressions aren’t always correct.

Hmmm, maybe I need to stop typing and get myself to a puzzle website – tout suite!

Meditating Skeleton

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles4 Comments

Meditating Skeleton by Ryoko – Artifact (Ecru) – 81 pieces

What a fantastic puzzle! It was easier than I thought it would be and went together very quickly. Although it was assembled in May of this year, I kept it on the back burner to post on my favorite holiday – Halloween. I absolutely loved this puzzle❣

LOVED IT!

Looking at a well cut wooden puzzle from the back always makes me smile, so I like to take a picture from the back when it’s possible so perhaps you’ll get a smile out of it too.

These are such fabulous whimsy pieces. Don’t you just love that spine? I do!

Happy Halloween to all my friends, family, and posse members! ☠🎃☠

Africa Map In Progress…

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling8 Comments

Africa Map by Liv Wan – Artifact – 441 pieces

I’m REALLY enjoying this assembly, though it’s taking much longer than usual for a puzzle with this number of pieces. It doesn’t matter though, the enjoyment is the point – not speed or comparing myself to how long it “should” take.

This image isn’t one I would normally go for, but it was another puzzle I bought for 50% off earlier in the year when Artifact was having a sale. Honestly, I felt like buying just one puzzle for $18, Medicine Teepee, didn’t really warrant the free shipping that was offered. I know, if they offer free shipping I can buy however many or few puzzles I want; truth be told I wanted some cool wooden puzzles and getting only one at half price just wasn’t enough for me. The PADS took over and I make no apologies.

So I bought this one, and even though it isn’t an image I would normally go for, nor the piece shape I prefer in wooden puzzles, I’m loving it. 💕

When I work a wooden puzzle I do not look at the box image, it makes the puzzle last longer. Slowing down and having to pay attention to each shape, each color, each texture makes for more immersive puzzling – for lack of a better word. I become completely engrossed in how things fit together and the time spent puzzling is so relaxing and enjoyable.

If I were more familiar with the geography of Africa I might be quicker at putting this together, as the interior of the continent is crammed full of images from the many countries; food, people, destinations, animals, buildings, etc. Hopefully though, I’m learning and absorbing the geography as I go. (I did know where Madagascar was, so that little island wasn’t difficult to place!)

I’m having a great time puzzling today, how about you?

Coronium

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles6 Comments

Coronium by Nadieh Bremer – Artifact – 172 pieces

If you’re thinking that this looks like quite a challenging puzzle to assemble – you would be absolutely correct! It was much more difficult than I gave it credit for; although I did assemble it during the week that an extra medication was added to my regimen that made me feel very dizzy and disoriented, so perhaps it was the meds and not any lack of intelligence on my part that made it seem so hard. 😉

Fantastic image again by Nadieh Bremer, this one almost seems as though it’s a companion puzzle to Nebulium but it really isn’t. The artist seems to enjoy creating images with color gradients and science mixed together – and I’m glad she does! Coronium was the suggested name of a chemical element thought to exist in the late 1800s. It wasn’t a new element, just ionized iron in the atmosphere around the sun. This is her version of the element, should it actually exist. Isn’t it gorgeous?

I’ve got one more of Nadieh’s puzzles here from Artifact and am very much looking forward to putting it together. It’s over 400 pieces though so I’m certain it will definitely put my gray cells to the test.

I didn’t pull any whimsies to photograph separately as most of the pieces seemed to be fantastical and interestingly shaped. I did recognize the symbol for pi, but that was about it. I didn’t go very far in my mathematics classes (Algebra II was as far as I got), so perhaps there are more symbols that I just don’t know. I’m certain someone will let me know if that’s the case.

Absolutely LOVED this one even though at times I felt stupid and thick and that it might be too difficult for me. It wasn’t too much for me, and it was so interesting and different from most of the puzzles that I assemble that I couldn’t help but fall in love with it. The colors, the shape, the pieces and the way they went together all made for a truly amazing assembly. 💙💛💚