Mathematics

On October 9, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

Unfortunately we’ve come to the end of our STEM puzzles, or as hubby and I like to call them, “bathroom puzzles”. They’re such tiny pieces that they all fit onto a paper-lined cookie sheet and I put it in the master bathroom for hubby to work on while he’s spending lots of time in there.

I didn’t get to work on this one as much as I’d hoped, although it looked like a lot of fun. Hubby did most of the work during the night when he couldn’t sleep; I woke up to an almost complete puzzle. I was pretty bummed, because Math was the one I was looking forward to the most -those blocks of color looked like so much fun! Of course I didn’t tell him that; I’m not only an excellent puzzler, I’m a wonderful wife too. 😉

This was the last of the four we assembled, and he didn’t tell me until it was finished that he’d like for me to glue them and put them all in one frame and hang them up at his work (he writes programs to run machines, so he uses Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math every day at his job). Now he’s got to put together the other 3 all over again – although I don’t think he’ll mind at all, he really had a good time with them!

I’d love for Professor Puzzle to come out with more of these mini jigsaw puzzles, whatever the subject matter may be. They’re extremely well made – the best quality I’ve ever seen on such small pieces. The piece shape is very obvious in the finished image, but that doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the assembly for me; and once they’re glued that will lessen quite a bit.

If you enjoy mini puzzles or mini pieces, these test tube puzzles may be just the thing for you. We found them at Barnes & Noble in the US, and hubby and I enjoyed them very much! Looks like we’ll be enjoying them once more, we have to re-assemble them so I can get them glued and framed. 🖼

Garden Room

On October 7, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

Garden Room was a lot of fun, I think mostly because I enjoyed having a smaller piece count puzzle with “regular” sized pieces. Most puzzles that are 300 pieces or less have the larger, EZ grip pieces. This one was only 200 pieces, but they were the size you normally see in a 1000 piece puzzle, I had a very good time assembling it!

I am feeling brave this weekend and have started a 1000 piece puzzle from a company I haven’t tried before; plus I’m trying to finish a very large 3D puzzle that I’m reviewing. Wish me luck!

Technology

On October 6, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

This is the 3rd of the mini STEM puzzles (although if I’d done them in order this should have been the second – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). My husband and I had a great time assembling them all, and I highly recommend them.

There are only 150 pieces each, and they come in a test tube. The label serves as both a poster showing what the finished puzzle will look like, and it has a quiz on the back relating to the subject… (click on the photos twice to see a larger image)

If you enjoy working with very small pieces, or would just like to give them a try, they are definitely recommended. We had a great time with all 4 puzzles; only 1 more to go!

Review: Macaroons

On October 5, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviews1 Comment

This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.

All the puzzles in this 8-in-1 box of Sweet & Salty foods are nameless, so I’ve been naming them as I finish each review. Obviously, this one is named Macaroons – I know, I’m being less than creative. Perhaps I’ll name the next one something enigmatic and weird; something that has nothing to do with the food shown on the puzzle. That’ll be fun to come up with!

This puzzle was one of the reasons I chose this 8-in-1 box to review. I love the look of it and hoped it would be great fun, thankfully I was right. I love the pastels (even though I usually prefer bright colors), and I finished the puzzle in one day. Usually I have to break it up over several days; but I was enjoying myself so much and was so absorbed in the puzzle that the pain that normally interferes seemed almost muted. It’s an amazing gift when puzzling can do that for me. 🎁

Ceaco puzzles have a great selection of images to choose from, although sometimes I find the quality to be lacking. The quality of these puzzles has been better than I expected, especially from a multipack. The fit is excellent, the images are beautifully reproduced, and the pieces are a good thickness. Sometimes the chipboard is fanning on the backs of the pieces, and there are some that aren’t cut all the way through; overall though, the quality is good. Click the link above to see their puzzles currently in stock at Puzzle Warehouse.

I’ve assembled 3 of the puzzles from this box so far, and I feel confident in recommending them; the quality is better than expected, and for $16.99 for 8 puzzles you just can’t go wrong. The box contains 2 300-piece, 4 500-piece, and 1 each 750 and 1000 piece puzzles – it’s quite a good value and I’m having a wonderful time assembling them!

Macaroons gets 2 cookies way up, and a glass of milk too!🍪🍪🥛

Details:

Title: “Macaroons”
Artist: iStock
Brand: Ceaco
Piece count: 500 pieces
Size: Approx. 14 x 18 in. (36 x 46 cm)
Purchased: N/A, sent for review

Quality:

Board: Good
Cutting: Good
Image: Very good
Box: Average, 8 puzzles in 1 box
Fit: Excellent
Puzzle Dust: Small amount
Piece cut: Grid cut
Piece shapes: Good variety
Finish: Slightly shiny finish, lays flat

Overall Rating: 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.

Under the Sea

On October 4, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles2 Comments

Not really my favorite, but a nice palate cleanser. Sometimes I just need a quick 300 piecer to feed my addiction while I decide what larger puzzle I’ll be assembling next.

There’s nothing wrong with the puzzle itself; the pieces are ok and fit together well, the image just doesn’t tickle my fancy. Perhaps on another day I’d be more in the mood for this puzzle and would have loved it – when I assembled it, it just wasn’t that day.

It’s a busy image, with lots of cute and not so cute creatures hiding everywhere. The orange octopus was my favorite, and the sunken ship was harder to put together than it looks!