Tag: Holiday Puzzles

Ugh, more holiday puzzles!

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlingLeave a comment

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I have to confess that I’m absolutely OVER this Christmas in July thing I’m doing. Christmas puzzles have never been my favorite – in fact, I usually go out of my way to avoid them if I can!

Of course no one is forcing me to do this, and to be honest it’s not the actual assembling of the Christmas puzzles that I’m having an issue with. It sounds completely crazy (and most likely I am) but it’s the deciding what holiday puzzle to do next that’s causing me grief. I finish a puzzle and realize that I should do a Christmas puzzle next and it just makes me feel “blah”.

There are so many Christmas/winter puzzles out there, and a lot of people enjoy them. I’m just not a follow the crowd kinda gal; if everyone loves them it doesn’t mean I have to, and I don’t. The images all seem very similar to each other which I find to be boring, so it’s usually only the ones that are very different that appeal to me.

Oh well, there are only 11 more days in the month. There are 5 Christmas puzzles in the queue at the moment (4 micro puzzles and one larger size), that oughta be enough to finish out the month. 🎅

Perhaps it’s not really the Christmas in July thing that’s the problem, perhaps it’s my weird, fickle, little old lady brain. Who knows? Certainly not me!

Review: Easter Eggs

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviews1 Comment
This post is sponsored by Cobble Hill Puzzles.
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Easter Eggs – Cobble Hill Puzzles – 1000 pieces

I love collages, bright colors, cookies, and puzzles – it’s no wonder I loved Easter Eggs! It pushed all the right buttons for me and was one I had a hard time walking away from. For me, these are the most entertaining puzzles, and I loved figuring everything out piece by piece.

Cobble Hill Puzzles are excellent quality, with the only issue I’ve found being that the fit of their 1000 piece puzzles can be somewhat loose. It isn’t so much as to be overly annoying (not for me, anyway), but it is worth mentioning if you’re someone who prefers a tight fit. I puzzle on a fabric covered board, so the loose fit isn’t as much a problem for me. All other areas of quality I find to be excellent, and I never hesitate to purchase a Cobble Hill puzzle. Click the link above to see all of their puzzles currently available from one of their preferred online retailers, Puzzle Warehouse.

I think this was my first Easter puzzle, though I can’t be sure; my memory isn’t what it used to be. I assembled Cobble Hill’s Sugar Skull Cookies last year and had a great time with it, and was looking forward to assembling Easter Eggs – I wasn’t disappointed. The pieces are easy to sort and the random cut was interesting to assemble. I enjoy taking a bunch of similarly colored pieces and figuring out how they fit together. I don’t need the box to tell me anything, I’m figuring it out on my own. This is basically the thing that all puzzlers enjoy, putting the image back together. Collages like this are the most fun for me because it’s like assembling many mini puzzles all connected together.

I highly recommend this puzzle, it was great fun to assemble and has me looking forward to working on the rest of their cookie series – Halloween Cookies, Ugly Christmas Sweaters, and there’s another Easter puzzle called Easter Cookies (mostly the same cookies in a different pattern – looks like fun!) They also have one called Christmas Bake Sale, but it looks like a little bit too much of a challenge for me!

Details:

  • Title:                   Easter Eggs
  • Artist:                 Photography by Jo-Ann Richards
  • Brand:                Cobble Hill Puzzles
  • Piece Count:      1000 pieces
  • Size:                    Approx. 27 x 19 in. (69 x 48 cm)
  • Purchased:        N/A, sent for review

Quality:

  • Board:                   Very good
  • Cutting:                 Very good
  • Image:                   Excellent
  • Box:                       Very good, poster included
  • Fit:                          Somewhat loose
  • Puzzle dust:          Minimal amount
  • Piece cut:              Random cut
  • Piece shapes:       Very good variety
  • Finish:                   Matte finish, lays flat

Overall rating:              Very good quality, 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.

Vintage St. Nicholas

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles2 Comments
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Vintage St. Nicholas by Alison Lee – Wentworth Wooden Puzzles – 500 pieces

Challenging puzzle, but gorgeous and fun with excellent whimsies! Take a look….

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My last Christmas puzzle of the year, I did quite a few for someone who doesn’t really like most Christmas puzzles. I’m posting this before any presents are unwrapped, so we’ll see if any of my family, or even Santa, gifted me puzzles this year. 🎄

My mother decided she absolutely had to take advantage of the black Friday sale at Wentworth and got this puzzle and one other for 35% off! (The other is an art nouveau collage, 750 pieces – SO BEAUTIFUL!) We started this one together at her house, but it was quite the challenge so it wasn’t finished by the time I left; she finished it on her own late into the night.

First thing for us to do when assembling a wooden puzzle is to pull all the whimsy pieces we can find and get a picture of those separately. We are still amazed and delighted at every new shape we find – we’re like little kids on Christmas morning! Next we try to assemble the edge, but they’re so sneaky about the cutting that we have never found all the edge pieces on the first try. Still, it’s fun to give it a shot.

The assembly was quite time consuming, much more so than we’d expected. The piece shapes are mostly like the random cut of a cardboard puzzle, but they are cut in a way that makes the assembly more difficult and more fun. The shapes aren’t fantastical and wild, but it doesn’t matter as much because the working of the puzzle itself is such a pleasure.

I love the look of all the vintage Santa characters, they are all so different, but similar too. So sweet and lovely to look at. I think we’ll assemble this one next year at my house so I get to be the one staying up late into the night! ⏰

Merry Christmas everyone!

Review: Christmas Ornaments

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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Christmas Ornaments – Cobble Hill Puzzles – 1000 pieces

Christmas Ornaments was quite the challenge, but still fun – and gorgeous! A perfect holiday decoration if you’re someone who likes to glue and frame puzzles. If you’re not, it would be a great puzzle for the family to work on during a Christmas get together, it’s a wonderful challenge! 🎄

I’ve always enjoyed Cobble Hill Puzzles, their puzzles are very well made and they have a wonderful catalog to choose from – excellent collages too! The fit on this puzzle was quite loose, but otherwise it was good quality. The image reproduction is lovely, and the pieces themselves are a good thickness and very sturdy. The cut is random and has an good variety of piece shapes. Overall a very good quality puzzle, I only wish the fit was a little more snug.

This assembly took me several days, a bit longer than usual. Once the edge was completed I pulled what I could find of the Santa ornament and assembled that. The rest of that first day was basically me sitting down to try and fit a few pieces together and staring at the puzzle and the pieces trying to figure out where to go from there. I’m not usually so indecisive, but this one had me stumped for a while. There are so many strings of beads and many similar ornaments that I wasn’t sure what the best way to attack it would be. Luckily the second day I had come up with a plan and things started moving a bit more quickly. It wasn’t easy, but it was a fun challenge. All you need is patience, and a good plan for sorting!

I chose this puzzle to review (a bit of a shocker, because I’m not really of a fan of Christmas puzzles). It’s not your typical Christmas image and it’s also a collage of sorts; both of these are a plus in my book. There are pages and pages of Christmas puzzles to choose from at Puzzle Warehouse, there’s sure to be something to please just about everyone. They’ve got everything from collages to nativities, and all manner of interesting puzzles in between. If I could find a Christmas puzzle I really liked, they MUST have an excellent variety to choose from. 😉

Details:

  • Title:                  Christmas Ornaments
  • Artist:                Cobble Hill Puzzles
  • Brand:               Cobble Hill Puzzles
  • Piece count:     1000 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 27 x 19 in. (68 x 49 cm)
  • Purchased:      n/a

Quality:

  • Board:               Very good
  • Cutting:             Very good
  • Image:               Very good
  • Box:                   Average
  • Fit:                     A bit loose
  • Puzzle Dust:     Moderate amount
  • Piece cut:          Random cut
  • Piece shapes:   Good variety
  • Finish:               Matte 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.

Review: Homage

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse. 
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Homage by Danny Hahlbohm – Sunsout – 500 pieces

As soon as I saw this puzzle, I knew it was the one I wanted to review first. It’s visually stunning, and just makes me smile. Homage is a beautiful reminder that Christmas isn’t only about getting presents and acquiring things to make us happy.

Sunsout puzzles are of good quality in my opinion. They have thick, sturdy pieces that feel good in your hands and usually fit together well. The fit on this puzzle would make Goldilocks proud, I think it was just right! Their catalog is varied and interesting, and there are always plenty of Sunsout puzzles I would love to assemble (I especially love their Nene Thomas and Lori Schory collections). Click the link above to see all the Sunsout puzzles currently available at Puzzle Warehouse.

This puzzle went together quite fast for me, it was hard to walk away! The pieces fit together quite well, and the more I assembled the more fun it became. The trees in the upper left corner were the most challenging, but with the semi-random cut it was pretty easy to pick out the shapes I was looking for. A truly enjoyable puzzling experience that had me wishing for more pieces – it was over almost too quickly!

I absolutely recommend this puzzle; Christmas puzzles aren’t usually my thing but I really enjoyed this one. This is the time of year when people start buying puzzles for the family to work on together during holiday visits, or as gifts. If this puzzle isn’t quite your taste, click the link above to see the other Christmas puzzles currently in stock at Puzzle Warehouse. There are definitely plenty to choose from! 🙂

Details:

  • Title:                  Homage
  • Artist:                Danny Hahlbohm
  • Brand:               Sunsout
  • Piece count:     500 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 18 x 24 in. (46 x 61 cm)
  • Purchased:      n/a

Quality:

  • Board:               Excellent
  • Cutting:             Very good
  • Image:               Very good
  • Box:                   Average
  • Fit:                     Very good
  • Puzzle Dust:     Small amount
  • Piece cut:          Semi-random 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.