I was waiting for a prescription for my dad to be ready at the pharmacy, and of course I ended up looking at the puzzles while I passed the time. I saw this 100 piece puzzle series from Cra-Z-Art and just had to get the puzzle puzzle!
For only 100 pieces, this was quite a challenge. The pieces were very large, and the quality was fair/good. They have 6 images in this series of Cra-Z Difficult puzzles, and they all look pretty difficult if you ask me.
It was a fun distraction after finishing a 1000 piece puzzle, and a quick fix for someone who suffers from PADS and needed a jolt of puzzle dust. 😉
I absolutely loved this puzzle! The image is so pretty to look at, and everyone knows how much I enjoy blocks of color – that’s all this puzzle is! The assembly wasn’t too difficult, but it wasn’t always easy either; it was Goldilocks – just right. 😎
Cloudberries is a small, family owned UK company, and they have a wonderfully interesting catalog. Their images are so varied and different than the usual puzzles you normally see, I would love to do pretty much any of their puzzles! Click the link above to see what gorgeous images they have available now, and even some that are coming soon. (When Geometry and Patchwork are available, I’m definitely getting them!)
The puzzles are manufactured in the Netherlands, which is why I think the pieces feel similar to a Jumbo puzzle (also manufactured in the Netherlands) its almost a waxy feel; they just feel great in your hands. They have a very good fit, although some pieces can seem to fit where they don’t belong – but with this image that was more my fault because sometimes you think you know the right color and your brain is just wrong. The majority of pieces were ballerinas (2 prong/2 hole), but there was a variety of shapes; and the image reproduction is gorgeous.
I had a great time with the assembly, and I completely adored this puzzle, both the image and the quality. It is definitely recommended – 2 thumbs way, way up! 👍👍
*Just a note from a personal perspective – This was the first 1000 piece puzzle I assembled after losing my mom, and I have to say that the assembly just drew me in and allowed me to stop thinking and just become absorbed with the puzzle and which piece came next. It was a lovely respite from everything that was going on, and was exactly what I needed – the perfect puzzle at the perfect time. *
Details:
Title: Pixels
Artist: Cloudberries
Brand: Cloudberries
Piece count: 1000 pieces
Size: Approx. 19 x 27 in. (48 x 69 cm)
Purchased: N/A, sent for review
Quality:
Board: Excellent
Cutting: Excellent
Image: Excellent
Box: Very good, sturdy
Fit: Very good
Puzzle Dust: Moderate amount
Piece cut: Grid cut
Piece shapes: Good variety
Finish: Slightly shiny 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.
Christmas Puzzle Ball Set – Ravensburger – 27 pieces each (108 pieces)
Mom found these at the thrift store for 99 cents – brand new in the wrapper! With a larger 3D puzzle I usually have to use the numbers on the back to help with the assembly. With these though, I used only the image. It made it more difficult with the blue snowy sections, but I was pretty darned proud when I got them put together.
There are two images on each ornament, here’s the other side…
They were engrossing and entertaining, exactly what I needed that day. They remind me of my mom – but in a happy way. She always was the best at finding us great deals on puzzles, and this was no different.
Pretending to be Normal by Suzy Toronto – White Mountain – 1000 pieces
I’ve been putting off writing up this post because sadly this is the last puzzle my mother and I assembled together; happily though, I love Suzy Toronto and this puzzle was a joy to put together – I have wonderful memories. I’m planning to reassemble it and hang it on the wall in my puzzle room.
Good quality, lots of words, great fit, fun colors – but it really doesn’t matter, because it was our last puzzle together I will cherish it forever.
We started with all the little words, of course – we both enjoyed assembling words in a puzzle – like mother, like daughter. 🙂 Everything was put approximately where it goes and then the harder part began.
These were our two favorite quotes; mine was the hissy fit and mom’s was the sofa. And they both describe each of us perfectly. 😇
Thank you so much Penny for swapping puzzles with me and sending this one. I loved it when mom and I put it together – not knowing it was our last. Now that I do know, I love it even more and it will always have a special place in my heart (and in my puzzle room too). 💖
This is a beautiful image, and a very good quality puzzle. This was the first puzzle I assembled after mom passed, and I was worried that puzzling without her would be too difficult emotionally. I was happily surprised that once I started the actual assembly, my “puzzle brain” took over and I was engrossed with the picture and the pieces. I’m not usually someone who enjoys photographic puzzles, but I found this one both entertaining and calming.
FairHope Promise Puzzles is a subscription service where you get a new puzzle every month with a 30 day devotional included; but it seems you can also just purchase the puzzles without the subscription by clicking here. Their catalog is small, but they do have some interesting and very pretty images. They also make and sell a variety of other Christian themed items, including greeting cards and music cds.
The quality was very good – the pieces are a good thickness with a nice variety of shapes and they fit together extremely well. The image reproduction is beautiful, with lovely bright colors; though the finish is somewhat shiny. There weren’t many dark areas in the puzzle though, so the shiny pieces weren’t too difficult under artificial light. In addition, each puzzle includes a poster to help with assembly, which I love. My eyesight is getting worse by the day it seems, and having the poster as a reference definitely helps!
I enjoyed this assembly very much, and it was an excellent choice for the very first puzzle I did after losing mom. Although I know these puzzles won’t appeal to everyone who reads the blog – we puzzlers are a wonderfully varied group – for those who might be interested I can definitely recommend these puzzles. 👍
Details:
Title: God’s Comfort
Artist: Promise Puzzles
Brand: Promise Puzzles
Piece count: 300 pieces
Size: Approx. 18 x 24 in. (46 x 61 cm)
Purchased: N/A, sent for review
Quality:
Board: Very good
Cutting: Very good
Image: Very good
Box: Average
Fit: Very good
Puzzle Dust: Small amount
Piece cut: Grid cut
Piece shapes: Very good variety
Finish: 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.
My Jigsaw Journal 