Hot Air Balloon Sunset – Milton Bradley – 500 pieces
My daughter took me puzzle shopping last week, and while I don’t normally care for hot air balloon puzzles this one was only 500 pieces and the colors were so pretty that I couldn’t resist it.
I’ve been finding a lot of these Milton Bradley puzzles lately, they’re pretty good quality and they have some really nice images to choose from. I especially appreciate the nice fit and variety of piece shapes. The feel of the pieces is smooth and pleasant, and I enjoy working with them. Good thing too, since almost all the smaller piece count puzzles I’ve been finding have been this brand.
The colors are quite striking and they all work together to make a beautiful puzzle; although there’s no mention of the artist anywhere on the box. This seems to be a theme lately, why are puzzle companies not crediting the artist? It isn’t just Milton Bradley, it’s been the case with several puzzles from different manufacturers. Not cool if you ask me.
How many hot air balloon puzzles have you seen or done?
Alice in Wonderland by Royce B. McClure – Wentworth Wooden Puzzles – 250 pieces
This was an extremely entertaining puzzle to assemble, I love the image! I’ve seen many of Royce McClure’s images on puzzles, but I believe this is the first one I’ve assembled. The artwork is so detailed and beautiful, and the subject matter is so fun and funny – it really was a great puzzle to put together. I highly recommend it!
This was one of the 5 puzzles I ordered for myself last month. It was the only one that wasn’t on sale (although I did use a code to get 10% off), I’d had my eye on it for quite some time. The image is exactly my cup of tea – served by the Mad Hatter, no doubt – and I couldn’t resist finally getting it when I ordered the others on sale. I’m so glad I did.
As with all laser-cut wooden puzzles, the fit is quite loose. I’ve never worked a hand-cut wooden puzzle so I can’t speak to that fit (if anyone would like to send me one to try out, I wouldn’t say no. 😉 )
Besides the loose fit, the quality is exceptional. The wooden pieces are thick and have a satisfying “plunk” when they fall into place. I don’t know the process of how the image is attached to the wood, but it’s beautifully done from my perspective.
The quality of the image is exceptional, the characters and faces are gorgeous! I always enjoy having words to assemble, and each of the small sections of the scene was so much fun. It definitely makes me want to find more puzzles by Royce McClure – I absolutely adored his work, it’s so appealing and detailed.
If you have the chance, I definitely recommend Wentworth puzzles; it’s a whole different experience than working a cardboard puzzle, so much fun!
Details:
Title:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Alice in Wonderland
Artist:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Royce B. McClure
Brand:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Wentworth Wooden Puzzles
Piece count:Â Â Â 250 pieces
Size:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Approx. 14 x 10 in. (36 x 25 cm)
Purchased:Â Â Â New
Quality:
Board:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Excellent
Cutting:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Excellent
Image:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Excellent
Box:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Nice, pieces come in a cloth bag
Fit:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Loose
Puzzle Dust:Â Â Â None
Piece cut:Â Â Â Â Â Random cut with whimsies
Piece shapes:Â Â Good variety
Finish:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Slightly shiny finish, lays flat
Overall Rating:Â Â Â Excellent, highly recommended
This cute little guy was a bit of a challenge, but I really enjoyed it! The artwork and brush strokes, along with the super random cut of the pieces made for a more difficult assembly than I bargained for; but it was quite fun to put together.
Sunsout puzzles are good quality, although I find that the fit can be hit or miss in my opinion. I’ve had some of their puzzles with an extremely tight fit (like Springbok), and some with a good fit that doesn’t require a workout. Fortunately the fit here was wonderfully average – not too loose and not too tight. The pieces are a good thickness, with an excellent variety of shapes; and the image reproduction is very nice too.
You can see in all the images that the cut is definitely very random – it kept me on my toes! When you can’t rely on the grid cut to help you identify what shape you’re looking for, you have to pay closer attention to the shades of color, patterns, and shapes. I find that my brain has to work a little differently when assembling a random cut puzzle, and it takes me a few minutes to make the switch. It keeps the grey cells limber. 😉
There’s something about this image that I find absolutely adorable; perhaps it’s that you don’t actually see the little guy’s face – just his cowboy hat. I’m not certain. Whatever it is, I like the artwork and had a great time putting it together.
That’s all I really need in a puzzle; an image that’s pleasing and good enough quality that the assembly is entertaining. Check on both counts!
The Puzzle that Ruined Christmas – Wentworth Wooden Puzzles – 30 pieces
Luckily, the name of the puzzle was scarier than the actual assembly, this one was great fun, and the colors are absolutely beautiful!
Like The Puzzle that Froze Christmas, this was made into a larger puzzle as well – 245 pieces. I believe in that piece count it would have been much more of a challenge, but so lovely when complete. And what an accomplishment! Wentworth puzzles are so wonderfully made and such fun to put together. I’ve got four 250 piece Wentworths yet to assemble, but I’m trying to make them last; I thought about starting one of them yesterday, but decided to wait a bit longer before I grab another one to do. 😇
It wasn’t that difficult to put together, but the shapes were so interesting and fun to work with, Christmas trees everywhere!
These micro puzzles are perfect to throw into my purse and take with me when there’s a doctor’s appointment or a hospital visit. When there is waiting to do these puzzles are perfect to pass the time, and can easily be broken up and put back into their box to take home.
I love pretty much all jigsaw puzzles, but these small ones especially make me very happy! 😎
Barnyard Antics by Howard Robinson – Ceaco – 700 pieces
This panoramic puzzle is so adorable, it helped make up for the less than wonderful quality of the pieces. Also, there was no name of the image or artist on the box. I don’t understand that, if I were an artist whose work was made into a puzzle I would definitely want my name and the name of my artwork somewhere on the box!
This thrift store puzzle was in pretty good condition, but it didn’t seem to be the best quality to begin with. The pieces were thin and easily bent, and separating them caused them to split and peel. The image reproduction seemed quite nice though, and I very much enjoyed watching it come together.
The faces of the animals and their silly smiles were so cute that I enjoyed assembling them very much. Look at two of my favorite faces….
I love that the bunny was sticking it’s tongue out – that’s definitely something I would do when having my picture taken! And the lamb’s face is just funny, it makes me smile every time I look at it.
For me, all the puzzles I assemble don’t have to be perfect. If the quality isn’t premium or a piece is missing I can still enjoy putting it together. It’s the assembly itself that I enjoy, being able to zone out and focus solely on the pieces, shapes, and colors. It helps me to reduce stress and deal with anxiety and chronic pain. It’s almost meditative for me.
Every puzzler has their own reasons for why they enjoy puzzling, what’s yours?
My Jigsaw Journal 