Tag: Jigsaw Puzzles

Words of Wisdom

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles20 Comments

Words of Wisdom by Steve Cameron – White Mountain – 1000 pieces

This puzzle was a little too easy for my taste – the hardest part was laying out pieces. It was still fun though, and it was probably the perfect puzzle for me to attempt while dealing with hubby recovering from his very first surgery. My big tough Marine isn’t the easiest to deal with when he doesn’t feel well (if you know what I mean).

As far as White Mountain puzzles go this one was about the norm – quality was good/fair. The fit was slightly loose, which I have been noticing more often from this brand than I used to. It used to be that many of their puzzles had a fit so tight that I felt as if I were working on an exercise program for my arms and fingers; I haven’t run into that issue at all since the pandemic began.

Just an observation.

As far as the image goes, a lot of these words of wisdom are your average clichés, but some of them I’d never heard or read before. Regardless, it was entertaining and I enjoyed myself even if it was a little too quick to go together. (I think if it had been a little more challenging I would have been able to spend extra time and enjoy it even more). But honestly, finding the perfect puzzle image that is just the right amount of fun/difficulty is pretty rare; so I don’t hold it against anyone that this was a little too easy for me.

This was the first section I assembled; mostly because it’s bright color was extremely easy to pick out, and partly because that’s how I feel most days – like my brain is running Windows 95 and there are 17 tabs open. Yep. That about covers it.

This is a good reminder. Whatever style you like, take some time out to listen to music when you can; it’s helped me tremendously during the past couple of years and I highly recommend it.

As I’m typing this up I’m enjoying an eclectic mix of music from the 1940s to present. Most of it is from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, but I like many different genres and delight in putting it all on shuffle and having fun with whatever song pops up next. Could be Mama Cass, could be an 80s hair band, could be Elvis or The Beatles, could be some classic rock or my favorite a capella group – you just never know. 🎼

Gone Fishing

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles7 Comments

Gone Fishing by Jen Cameron – MicroPuzzles – 150 pieces

This little cutie was harder than we thought it would be, but truly so much fun. Hubby enjoyed the challenge of it this time instead of leaving all the hard work to me; he told our daughter when she came to visit that “it is a hard one, but we’re both having fun”. Great puzzle!

It looks to me like Jen Cameron is the go-to artist at MicroPuzzles, so many of their images that I’ve assembled so far are her work. According to their website she is their “chief doodler and crayon evangelist” – what a fantastic title! Her work is always so colorful and interesting, I’ve completely enjoyed taking all the little pieces of her works of art and putting them back together again.

Whether we’re putting these micro puzzles together a few pieces at a time in our powder room or all in one sitting on my puzzle board, my love for these minis hasn’t dwindled at all. I’m a member of their subscription program and get two new puzzles every month – and I don’t see myself ending that any time soon. I’m still smitten with these little guys!💜

The Golden Girls

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store Puzzles14 Comments

The Golden Girls – Cardinal – 300 pieces

I love the cartoon style of this image, and found this at the thrift store just a few days before the death of the last surviving Golden Girl – Betty White; she was a comedic force to be reckoned with, and a classy lady all around.

This puzzle was unopened, and I was hoping that it would be good quality, but I was sadly disappointed. The pieces were on the thin side and slightly bent out of shape, but it was the extremely loose fit that made it so terrible to work with. Cardinal Puzzles can be hit or miss with their quality, and this was a big miss.

I wish I’d been able to enjoy this puzzle as much as I enjoyed Betty White’s hilarious performance in the silly horror movie Lake Placid – that movie makes me laugh every time I see it, and her potty-mouthed character was awesome!

Sadly, this puzzle didn’t measure up.

Dog Selfies – Day 4

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles16 Comments

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

Sadly we have come to the final day of Dog Selfies; but never fear, there are four more sets of Cra-Z-Art puzzles here that need to be assembled – including main street buildings, butterflies, and two different sets of “selfies”. Those will be a treat to post about!

Have you tried any of these puzzles yet, or are you just having fun reading about them and have no interest in assembling them yourself? Just wondering. I highly recommend them, and am always on the lookout for new sets or old ones that I may have missed. My hope is that Cra-Z-Art continues to make them and come up with new ideas for new sets; they make me very happy indeed.

And now, the final three mini biographies…

Wesley. Dear, sweet Wesley. He is one of the kindest and most patient pups out there, and he needs to be. Wesley works as a sober companion living with and assisting recovering addicts. His current client is a recovering leather addict and has refrained from chewing any shoes or furniture for almost 17 weeks. When he isn’t working with clients Wesley enjoys teaching himself new skills and is at the moment learning cross-stitching and all forms of needlework and embroidery.

Rhonda works from home as a medical transcriptionist, which leaves her plenty of time for her other passion – pretending to work in the yard so she can keep tabs on her neighbors. She’s a busybody who is always minding everyone else’s business and you DO NOT want to get on her bad side; she tries to watch and see all, and is the worst gossip there is. Don’t be fooled by that face – Rhonda is a know-it-all backstabbing b*tch.

This is Bubbles, and she is a professional cheerleader for the Burbank Badgers. Her expressive face and killer dance moves have seen her rise to the rank of captain of the squad, and she loves to help choreograph their dance routines as well. When she’s not cheering on her team Bubbles enjoys spending her time searching flea markets and antique stores for hidden treasures, and is hoping to find a that one rare item that could finance her retirement. Good luck with your treasure hunting Bubbles!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey through my weird and warped mind with these posts of dog selfies. Creating names and backstories for these little puzzles is, at times, an entertaining break from real life. They may not be as engrossing for you as they are for me, but I do the best I can. 😎

Dog Selfies – Day 3

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles4 Comments

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

These three were the funniest in my opinion, and with every name I gave them it made me laugh even more. I absolutely adored these puzzles, especially these three faces!

I mean, how can you look at these three silly puppy faces and not laugh? They’re hysterical, and they lent themselves to names that just immediately popped into my head when I looked at them. Sometimes it’s like pulling teeth and I can’t settle on the right name for the right face; but these three let me know who they were with no hesitation at all.

This is my friend Mingus. Mingus is a freelance photographer who doesn’t sell many of his pictures, but he tries his best. He always seems to catch his subjects at exactly the wrong moment, but sometimes those make for more “interesting” images. Mingus is looking for love on many dating sites/apps, but has so far failed to find a heart-mate (I fear it’s because he took his own picture to put on his profile – the one above). He is a homebody who enjoys making and stuffing his own sausage, and creating elaborate dollhouses. Sweet, silly, simple Mingus.

Henrietta here is the best loved third grade teacher at Precocious Pups Primary School. She loves to encourage her students to study what they love best and are most interested in, and is always ready for a field trip to someplace fun. Her class is the most requested, and every third grader under her tutelage loves going to school. Henrietta loves watching trashy tv in her spare time – dating shows are her favorite, and she enjoys taking ski trips with her partner whenever she can.

Everyone, meet Greg. He is the MOST enthusiastic canine officer you’ll ever find, and loves nothing more than chasing down a suspect and keeping him busy until backup arrives. He’s hoping to be promoted to the drug enforcement unit soon, but he’s having trouble with sinus issues – it’s hard for him to smell anything at the moment – therefore drug detection may be a problem for him. Greg and his wife Millie have 13 pups, and coming home to play with them all is his great joy. Perhaps there’s a budding canine officer or two in the litter – you never know. 🚔🚓