Tag: Jigsaw Puzzles

Butterflies

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles4 Comments

Butterflies by Anne Geddes – TCG – 300 pieces

The image is what drew me to this one, who could resist adorable sleeping babies? It was lots of fun, and didn’t take long at all.

TCG isn’t a brand I normally purchase; but the fact that it was only 300 pieces, an image that I liked, and was on sale were probably the deciding factors. The quality was fair; chipboard was nice and thick, and the image reproduction was excellent (other than the shiny finish). The fit wasn’t great, however, and it doesn’t lay flat.

Although this puzzle had a great image it reinforced why this isn’t a brand that I normally buy. Fit is paramount, and when a puzzle has a bad fit and doesn’t lay flat there aren’t many factors that can make up for it – at least for me, that is.

Look at that face! Sleeping babies are just too adorable for words, I think that’s why I couldn’t resist this puzzle.

Krystol’s Palace

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles2 Comments

Krystol’s Palace by Ciro Marchetti – Buffalo – 750 pieces

This puzzle was unbelievably beautiful, and challenging enough to be fun and completely engaging. What’s not to love about Ciro Marchetti’s color palettes and stunning scenes?

Great Buffalo quality – pieces are slightly bigger for a 750 piece puzzle than a 1000 piece, and for me they’re the perfect size. The fit was excellent and the image reproduction was stellar. I’ve been on a bit of a Buffalo puzzles binge lately, and most of my purchases have been either Ravensburger or Buffalo; I know the quality will be good with both brands and they have a lot of images that are definitely my pile of pieces.

There’s something about the detail on this balloon, my eye is drawn to it every time I look at the image. Gorgeous!

There’s not much to say, other than the peacock’s color works wonderfully with the entire image. I’ve seen peacocks in several puzzles with Ciro Marchetti’s artwork, and they always seem to blend with the scene perfectly.

The colors are just lovely, everything fits just right. The purples/pinks, and oranges/reds of the sky, the brighter colors of the cupolas on the palace towers: it’s just a fantastic puzzle image that was completely engrossing to put together.

💖LOVE LOVE LOVED IT!💖

Dinosaur Alphabet

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store Puzzles4 Comments

Dinosaur Alphabet by Karen Rossi – Ravensburger – 60 pieces

This artwork isn’t my favorite color scheme, it’s slightly washed out and dull – but it was a fun little kids puzzle that went together quickly. As an added bonus I learned the names of a few dinosaurs that I’d never heard of before. I just love learning new things! 😁

It had a loose fit, but has also been a very well-loved puzzle that seems to have been assembled many times. The previous owners seem to have been quite organized too. There was an X written inside the box, and an X on every piece; if piece(s) got loose you would know which puzzle they belong to and which box to put them in – great idea for kids puzzles if you ask me.

The last three letters were dinosaurs I’d never heard of before. I’ve done my share of dinosaur puzzles and I don’t recall ever seeing these names. Very cool!

Many of the words that the letters represented were put into the image in the middle to pull it all together. Overall just a great puzzle for kids; the image, the information, and the quality.

The Quiltmaker Lady

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles4 Comments

The Quiltmaker Lady by Charles Wysocki – Buffalo – 1000 pieces

A little more challenging than I bargained for, but still very entertaining. You know I can’t resist a puzzle with quilts! This was great fun, and a bit difficult at times – but I loved it.

This image was the most “painterly” Charles Wysocki I’ve ever done, I’m used to his puzzle images being crisp and symmetrical. This had elements of symmetry, but the entire image was fuzzier and more brush stroke-y than I’ve ever seen in his work. I’m no expert by any means, and my only exposure to his work has been in puzzle form; but I’ve done MANY a puzzle with his artwork and this is the first time it seems different in this way.

Again, great quality from Buffalo – excellent fit, nice variety of piece shapes, beautiful reproduction – overall just a wonderful puzzle to assemble.

This was my favorite of the three quilts to assemble. I didn’t use the poster image at all, just let the pieces take me where they went. I absolutely adored this section. 💛

You can see from the closeup of grama and the pups how fuzzy and indistinct some of the elements are. It was odd for a Wysocki, from my point of view anyway.

Whether it was fuzzy or crisp, it was still so entertaining to assemble – one of my favorite Wysocki images that I’ve ever done. Trick or Treat Hotel is still my favorite of all time, but I think The Quiltmaker Lady is running a close second. If this one interests you it is highly recommended, two spools of thread WAY UP! 👍🧵👍🧵

Jungle Selfies – Day 4

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles2 Comments

Jungle Selfies by Howard Robinson – Cra-Z-Art – approx. 125/500 pieces

Our final day of jungle selfies has come, and that will be the end of the ridiculous life stories of these adorable jungle animals. I’m sure some of you come to see the cute puzzles, some enjoy the off-her-rocker bios that Stacey dreams up – and some of you may enjoy both. Today’s the last day for a while, until we get to the next set (providing the next set has subject matter that includes faces, that is).

Even if they aren’t premium quality, these sets by Cra-Z-Art are still well made and enjoyable to assemble; and that’s enough for me. I highly recommend you give them a try if you’re of a mind to, I find them charming, relaxing, fun, funny, and overall just great puzzles – especially if you’re needing a break from larger piece counts.

Have I convinced you yet?

Chuck here is a sweet soul full of kindness, giving, and good thoughts for every creature he knows. Unfortunately he’s about as intelligent as a box of hair….maybe slightly less so. Luckily his friends all keep an eye on him and protect him from those who might want to take advantage. Chuck earns his living as a mailroom employee at one of the jungle’s biggest corporations. He is happy there, and has no plans to move up in the organization or change jobs. He’s content.

I think I may envy Chuck, just a little bit.

Brad and Cassi, also known as Brassi to their besties are the most adorable couple in their circle of friends. What matters most to them is making sure that they’ve always got each other’s backs; it’s the two of them united no matter what happens. Brad and Cassi work together from home; their Etsy shop (selling handmade safari hats) is flourishing and they’ve even hired a few employees to do the bulk of the work. Their semi-retirement years are upon them and they’re making the most of it!

The Jungle Joyriders are a “biker gang” that rides around helping their fellow creatures and spreading positivity; you’ve already met a few of them, beautiful souls that care about others and love speeding across the country on their custom rides. Their holiday parties are legendary, and one of these days I’m hoping to be lucky enough to wrangle an invite to one of their New Year’s Eve blowouts. Wish me luck, maybe it’ll be this year!

Hope you’ve enjoyed our trip through the twisted mind of your friendly neighborhood Puzzle Goddess. It’s a weird place, I know – but you get used to it. 😎