Tag: Holiday Puzzles

Christmas Spirit

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

Christmas Spirit by Susan Winget – Ceaco – 577 pieces

This special edition Ceaco was quite a difficult puzzle to assemble, but I’m glad that I finally put it together. Mom bought this at the thrift store at least 5 years ago, and paid a whole 99 cents for it! I can’t say it was overly enjoyable, but it wasn’t too bad either.

Ceaco came out with a few puzzles backed in velvet many years ago, and this is the second one mom found at a thrift store. They’re interesting to work with…

Beautiful to look at isn’t it? Not so much fun to assemble on a fabric covered board though; the velvet grabs onto the fabric and sliding sections around is almost impossible. The irregular border meant that I didn’t start there, I started with the words in the middle. When you don’t start with the border all you can do is “guesstimate” where everything goes, and it’s never perfect; there’s always adjusting and wiggling pieces around to get things exactly where they belong. Once the pieces were laid down they didn’t want to let go of my beautiful fabric board; and because there are whimsy pieces in the puzzle, lifting a completed section to move it meant pieces falling out. Frustrating. Annoying. So, because the border wasn’t put together first, things had to be moved around to fit together properly – and the damn velvet made it so difficult!

The pieces are thicker than a regular Ceaco puzzle, and the velvet adds even more thickness. Otherwise the quality is only fair/good. Many of the pieces were bent and had image lifting off, the fit was very tight, and the finish is shiny. It’s a beautiful image, but working with this puzzle had me to ready to say NO MORE CHRISTMAS PUZZLES!

There were quite a few whimsy pieces as well as these letters, but so many of them were two pieces that weren’t easy to find on the initial sort – that means I didn’t take a picture of anything other than this.

I wish I’d enjoyed this more, but I just didn’t. 🤷‍♀️

If you find one at a thrift store, or somewhere out in the world – give it a try. Hopefully you’ll like it more than I did.

Sweata Weatha

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles4 Comments

Sweata Weatha – MicroPuzzles – 150 pieces

Now this is my kind of Christmas puzzle! There is no perfectly decorated tree with snow falling softly outside, no Coca-Cola Santa, no roaring fire – just silly sweaters in a colorful image. It was so much fun!

If memory serves me correctly this was in my MicroPuzzles subscription box from the holiday season in 2021, it was an extra puzzle sent “compliments of Brian in shipping“. You remember Brian, don’t you? If not, check out Brian’s Worst Nightmare that I assembled a couple of years ago.

Unlike all the rest of the puzzles you get in your subscription box each month, this image is actually available on the MicroPuzzles website. Each subscription puzzle is an exclusive you can only get in your monthly box, but this one was a gift from Brian, so if you like it you can get your hands on this one.

Loved it!

Dainty Dissectology December

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling, Miscellaneous6 Comments

It looks as if you, dear readers, are going to be seeing a LOT of small puzzles this month; get ready, there are going to be quite a few of them. They aren’t all micro puzzles like the one above, but almost every puzzle this month is a mini puzzle with a small piece count. I don’t have many holiday puzzles because they’re just not my pile of pieces, for the most part. There are only a few 1000 piece Christmas puzzles here, and all the rest are little ones.

After hubby brought home the advent calendar of puzzles from Aldi, it prompted me to read through my posts of the previous advent calendar puzzles assembled in 2019. It reminded me how hectic (and maybe a little depressing) the holiday season can sometimes be and that most days the only puzzling I was able to do was that small advent calendar puzzle in the morning with my coffee. So I decided to do these puzzles the same way – one every day, and I’ll post about them the same day they’re assembled.

*Get ready for the ever-changing menopausal moods and attitudes of Stacey, it may be a roller coaster ride!😏🎢*

In addition to the twelve puzzles in the calendar, I have several other small holiday themed puzzles here to assemble. A 40 piece wooden micro puzzle from Mr. Bob Puzzles, a 100 piece gingerbread house puzzle from a company called Paladone, a 100 piece E & L puzzle of a wintery holiday scene (thrift store puzzle from a friend), and a set of three 100 piece puppy puzzles that are all decked out in holiday gear.

All in all that’s 18 holiday themed mini puzzles (plus two MicroPuzzles I’ve already assembled). Therefore I have dubbed this month Dainty Dissectology December.

Also, because of the number of holiday puzzles and the fact that I’m posting about each one separately, there will not be any in progress posts this month until after Christmas. I don’t know if they’re something you enjoy, or whether you’re looking forward to not hearing my banal ramblings about whatever puzzle I’m working on – but with all the dainty puzzles I’ve got here, there will be a new one every day until Santa comes! 🎅

I hope you enjoy seeing so many small puzzles – and I’m desperately hoping I enjoy assembling them too!

Please allow me to toot the horn of My Jigsaw Journal for just a moment, the site has been featured on the blog of Cloudberries Puzzles. If you get bored of all the dainty puzzles this month, maybe go and check out their post of Fun Jigsaw Puzzle Sites to Check Out When You’re Bored.

Holiday Books In Progress…

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling13 Comments

Holiday Books – Re-marks – 1000 pieces

Another holiday puzzle already on my board, and we’re not even halfway through November! Surprised that I have so many Christmas puzzles here? So am I! Although, thinking about it just now I realized that almost all of them were given to me – they aren’t ones I purchased, because….well, you know.

In fact, of the twenty-one holiday puzzles here at the house left to be assembled, I purchased ONE of them. The set of 12 advent calendar puzzles was a gift from hubby, three are thrift store puzzles mom bought, five (including the one I’m currently working on) were sent to me by my bestest puzzle buddy Penny, and only one of them was actually purchased by me.

When I tell you the title of the Christmas puzzle I bought, you’ll get it. It’s called Ruby the Red Beaked Emu. I just gotta be me! 😁

I’ve already put together three holiday puzzles, and I gotta tell you – I’m sick of them already. Yep. Once I finish this one I’ll be taking a break from them. In fact, there are two 1000 piece Christmas puzzles that perhaps will be put away for next year because I just don’t want to make myself put together puzzles because it’s the right season. I’m supposed to be having fun!

Eighteen of the puzzles are 100 pieces or less, so I’m planning to save those until December; I can assemble them in the morning with a hot cup of coffee and start my days with a completed puzzle. Doesn’t that sound lovely? It does to me.

This collage puzzle I’m working on right now is going pretty quickly, and other than a very loose fit I’m enjoying it. Collages make me happy.

Even if they are holiday themed. 😉

Christmas Spirit In Progress…

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling, Thrift Store Puzzles8 Comments

Christmas Spirit by Susan Winget – Ceaco – 577 pieces

Yesterday I got a text from my puzzle pal Penny, that said “Stop the presses! Stacey has a very Christmasy/Santie Claus puzzle on her board??? Am I in the Twilight Zone?” No ma’am, it isn’t the Twilight Zone and you’re not having a stroke, I am working on my Christmas puzzles right now!

I’ve got one going in the bathroom, and this one on my board; and there are a couple of them finished already too! (You can see them on the November page if you don’t believe me – but I really did do them 😎)

This puzzle is a special edition Ceaco puzzle with a red velvet backing and whimsy pieces. Mom got it at the thrift store (she was the thrift store ninja), and it still has the sticker on it – she paid 99 cents for it! Unfortunately even though I just got started it is obvious it won’t be complete…

This lovely piece was in the box. It has obviously been chewed up by a pet; the velvet backing is gone, and the front of the piece looks like this. Sigh. Maybe it’s just me, but I think I’d rather a person just tossed this piece in the trash and didn’t put it in the box to be donated. It would be better to get to the end and realize there’s a missing piece than to find this while you’re laying out pieces and know for sure this puzzle won’t be complete. That’s just my opinion of course, but that’s how I feel.

Anyway, I won’t get much work done on this today as I’m off to deliver a birthday cake to a friend and probably spend a little time visiting. When I get back I’ll most likely be wiped out and spend the rest of the day in bed. So, I’ve got an hour or so this morning to puzzle, and then I’m off.

Happy puzzling today my friends!