Joyful Blooms

On April 3, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

This was much more difficult than I thought it would be, but it was only 300 pieces so it didn’t seem like too much of a commitment to keep going. I really need a break from flower puzzles, they keep faking me out!

The chipboard used for this puzzle is different than the other MasterPieces puzzles I’ve done, the backing is white and is thinner than usual but quite sturdy. They fit together very well and being random cut there were a very good variety of shapes. The image is fuzzy in some areas, but I believe that is the artwork itself and not the reproduction. Overall it’s a good quality puzzle that comes in a metal tin. It’s great for collecting, but not so great if you need the image to help with assembly, the picture on the lid is quite small and makes it difficult to see the detail.

It’s a pretty image, but it’s quite dark near the bottom and took a bit of concentration to get it done. Still, it’s nice to be in the moment and focusing only on the pieces and colors and how they fit together; that’s the stress relieving part of puzzling for me. I end up hyper-focused on the puzzle and turn off the part of my brain that’s thinking, planning, worrying, anxious, or stressing. It’s the closest I come to actually meditating, and it’s necessary to help keep me sane in this crazy world we’re living in. 🙂

Beach Bums

On April 2, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

You can usually tell a Wysocki image just by looking at it, but I didn’t realize this puzzle was his until I read it on the box. This is unusual and I absolutely love it.

I’m always a little surprised at how good the quality of the Hasbro 300 EZ grip pieces are. They’re super thick and sturdy and fit together extremely well. There are a very good variety of piece shapes and excellent image reproduction; just all around wonderful quality. I’ve worked several larger piece count puzzles by Hasbro/Milton Bradley and they are not the same quality-wise. I never hesitate to get one of their EZ grip puzzles though, they’ve always been excellent.

There’s something about this image that I can’t put my finger on, all I know is that when I look at it there’s a smile on my face. It makes for wonderful puzzling as well; it’s easy to sort and fun to assemble but it isn’t so easy as to be boring.

Can’t wait to see what other awesome puzzles mom finds on her next thrift store shopping spree!🛒

Summer Flowers

On April 1, 2018April 1, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store Puzzles1 Comment

This gorgeous puzzle was much more difficult than I assumed it would be, but luckily I was able to share the load with mom and my daughter – that always makes it more fun.

The pieces had a great feel to them, were a good thickness, and as you can see the image reproduction is stunning; it even came with a poster of the puzzle because the box was an upright square tube and you couldn’t see the entire image. The fit was quite loose though, and a bit of a pain to work with. When we finally got this one finished we swore off flower puzzles for a while, it was a struggle!

I can’t always tell from the picture how difficult a puzzle will be, I’m usually surprised in some way even though I assemble puzzles a lot. I love trying out new companies or even different types of puzzles from the same company and finding out what’s good and what needs work. Sometimes I’m enthralled by the image and go into it knowing it’ll be a bit difficult, sometimes I think it’ll be a breeze and it turns into a windstorm. Other times I think it’s going to be very challenging and it turns out to be the perfect amount of challenge and it’s incredibly fun and entertaining.

I’m usually not correct in my assumptions about the difficulty level of a puzzle, but it sure is fun to keep trying and to keep being surprised. 😎

Hopetown Light

On March 31, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

I love this image with it’s bright colors and warm feeling, but it’s deceptively difficult and gave us a bit of a challenge. It’s beautiful to look at, but much harder to put together; the brush strokes are what put us to the test.

Mega Puzzles quality is fair, I’ve had some that were poor quality and some that have really impressed me – it’s a gamble, so this isn’t a brand we purchase new. The pieces are on the thin side and don’t always lie flat as well as having very little variety in piece shape. On the positive side, the image reproduction is very good, and the pieces fit together very well.

Mom and I are almost exclusively doing smaller piece count puzzles on our visit day, mostly because I haven’t been able to puzzle much lately and she’s helping me make sure I have puzzles to post here every day. We enjoy being able to do multiple puzzles in one day, there’s always something new and fun coming up next!

Backpack Kitty

On March 30, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

This was a fun puzzle that’s perfect for working with a friend, but sadly it didn’t hold up well to multiple assemblies. Still, isn’t that a cute kitty? 😻

This is a Bits and Pieces puzzle purchased at the thrift store. For me, their puzzles are hit or miss in the quality category and this seemed like more of a miss. I can’t say for sure how many times it’s been assembled, but this puzzle had some problems. There was image lift on several pieces, and many other were bent. The pieces seemed a bit thinner than usual for this brand, but on the plus side the fit was quite good and we loved the random piece shapes. All in all the quality was disappointing, but we still enjoyed putting it together.

I love when a puzzle seems made for working with more than one person – you take the green backpack and I’ll take the red and we’ll meet in the middle. I think that’s also part of the reason I love collages so much, they’re perfect for working with others as well as on your own. It’s easy to pull pieces for a section and work it by yourself, but you’re still working together. Mom is my favorite person to puzzle with and we have a great time no matter the image, but it’s even more fun when it’s so bright and charming and gives us our own little sections. Neither of us are “cat people”, but you can’t deny the adorable factor of the kitten in the backpack – so cute!

Even if the quality was less than premium we can still enjoy the puzzle itself as well as the time spent together. Thrift store puzzle that’s cute and fun to assemble – 99 cents. Time well spent with someone you love – PRICELESS.