Tag: Jigsaw Puzzling

Farmers’ Market In Progress

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlingLeave a comment
Farmers Mkt IP
Farmers’ Market – MasterPieces – 300 pieces

If I didn’t have a puzzle blog this puzzle wouldn’t even be on my board right now! But I do have this blog, and my aim is to post every day so I try to be sure to always have something to show. My pattern is to post completed puzzles for two days in a row and on the third day post whatever’s in progress and on my board. Today is in progress day, so I had to get my butt out of bed yesterday evening and get a puzzle going!

I’ve been feeling awful for the past two days and other than finishing the Aimee Stewart puzzle on my board (only had about 100 pieces left to fill in) I haven’t done a thing but lay around in bed trying to rest. Last night I realized that today was the day I post an in progress picture and I had nothing in the works; thankfully I was feeling a little better and wide awake, and was able to leave my snoring husband in bed to start work on my next project.

It was going to be a 500 piece Milton Bradley puzzle that I’d already picked out, but on seeing the pale and indistinct pieces I decided that image probably would be better suited to a day when I’m feeling 100% (or whatever percentage I’m normally working with 😉 ). Back in the box that one went, and I found this Farmers’ Market puzzle that I’d gotten at the thrift store last month. Three hundred pieces and an easy image was just what the doctor ordered for this partially healed blogger.

It didn’t take too long to get about half of the puzzle done, it was quick to sort and to assemble. I was doing well and could have spent more time at the table, but then I would have been too close to finishing. If I had gotten much more done I wouldn’t have been able to tear myself away until it was complete – and then there still wouldn’t have been a puzzle in progress to post about today!

Vintage Cake Shop In Progress

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling6 Comments
Cake Shop IP
Vintage Cake Shop by Aimee Stewart – Buffalo – 1000 pieces

I’ve been up since 1:30 this morning, it’s amazing how much puzzling you can get done in the wee hours when you can’t sleep. Hubby is sick, and goodness knows I love him, but men are such babies when they’re sick – at least mine is! The coughing has to be overly loud and drawn out and it ends with pathetic moaning – and it woke me up about 1:30 am. I tried to go back to sleep but the whiny man next to me in bed kept me awake.

If he refuses to go to the doctor I have little sympathy. My man in particular won’t even take over the counter medications unless I put them in his hand and make him take them. If you want to feel better, and you’re so sick that you can’t work or reach across your bedside table to get the tissue without assistance then you need to see a doctor! Sigh. Marriage. Sometimes he’s the sweetest man there is, and sometimes he’s so frustrating that I pass the time mentally spending the life insurance money. 💰🤔💰

Anyway, to the puzzle. I started sorting soon after I got out of bed, and this is the progress I’ve made so far. It’s going pretty well, though I must admit seeing all the very pale, pastel colors on the pieces made me hesitate when I opened the box. After I put a few pieces on the tray though I knew it would be alright; it’s an Aimee Stewart after all, and even though everything looks pale an indistinct right now it will all come together and make a beautiful picture in the end. It’s going to be a busy day, but hopefully I’ll be able to get a little sleep later on in the day, and get some more time at the puzzle table too. I’m enjoying this puzzle very much!

*My Buddy is having surgery this morning, so he’s off to the vet early and I’ll be picking him up this afternoon once he’s awake and the anesthesia has worn off. Think good thoughts for both Buddy and hubby, and if any of you have some extra patience anywhere, I could really use some – the men in my life are definitely wearing mine thin!

New Puzzle In Progress

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlingLeave a comment
In Progress
My new puzzle!

My husband surprised me this past week and bought me a new wooden puzzle! Then he went one better and got one from a company I’ve never tried before, AND he picked out an image that I really like. He is the sweetest man, and after 31 years he still loves me and loves to surprise me. 💗

The image is The Prague Clock, or The Prague Astronomical Clock – which I must admit that I had never heard of before and knew nothing about. I’ve been reading about it since he presented me with the puzzle and am now completely fascinated by it. Did you know it’s the oldest working astronomical clock in the world? It was built in 1410 and is still working today; and it’s amazing the things this clock face can tell you.

prague_clock_label_1024x1024

Astronomical clocks are designed to show you astronomical information (obviously), like the positions of the sun, moon, and certain constellations. The Prague clock, however, shows this information and much more. If you know how to read it you can tell the date, how long until sunrise or sunset, the location of the Sun on the ecliptic (which tells you the date in relation to the sign of the zodiac), what lunar phase the moon is currently in, and, oh yes, it tells time too (both current standard time and Ancient Bohemian Time). There may be more, I haven’t read through everything yet or committed all the information to memory.

I’m fascinated by the clock, and I’m excited to get started assembling the puzzle! I’ve looked through the pieces and picked out all the whimsies, and hopefully all the edge pieces too. The puzzle is on the small side, 19 x 14 inches, and only 500 pieces, so I’ve decided to just lay the pieces out on the board and work it that way with no trays to look through. I think it’s partly because of the discussion we’ve been having in the comments about the merits of sorting or not sorting; so I’ve decided to give not sorting another try. We’ll see how that goes. 😉

Sorting…ugh!

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling4 Comments

Sorting

Every puzzler is different, but for me sorting is the worst part. It’s a necessary part, at least for me, but it’s the part of puzzling that gives me the most anxiety and it’s just no fun at all.

Many people don’t sort, other than the edge pieces, but that’s something my OCD won’t allow me to do. Scrabbling through the box looking for pieces makes many people happy, I’m just not one of them.

My next puzzle – a 2000 piece (not the one shown above) – is being sorted at the moment, and it feels as though it’s taking forever and a day. When it’s finished I’ll be glad that I’ve spent the time sorting, because in addition to the edge pieces I’ve pulled out, there will be plenty of little sections in their separate containers ready to be dumped out and assembled. But when I’m in the middle of it – it just feels like drudgery.

For me, part of becoming familiar with the pieces starts with the sorting and laying the pieces out. It’s my first look, and I touch and look at every piece to see if it’s part of a section I’m pulling out or if it’s just going to be put on a tray; I’m getting used to the colors and patterns, and it helps me later on in the assembly.

Pulling out pieces to start working on after the edge is assembled is almost always necessary for me as well. I love being able to start right away putting something together once the edge is done. Unless the image is very difficult there are usually several sections that can be pulled out during the initial sorting, and it makes me happy to get to the puzzling right away. If it’s a collage I can zero in on a bright color or unique pattern, or I can set aside all the pieces with words or letters, or even pull out all the sky pieces; it all depends on the image. No matter what pieces I pull out, being able to start assembling something immediately after I put the edge together makes me happy.

I know all these things, and sorting is necessary for me and the way I puzzle – but I still hate the sorting. 🤷‍♀️

My Free Puzzle

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling10 Comments

BOX.indd

This is the update of the 12 Nightmare Christmas Puzzles advent calendar set – I got my free puzzle, and it’s shown above. To say I am underwhelmed doesn’t cover it, I’m a little disgusted too.

First of all, I don’t care for the image; it’s a little dark (the actual box image seems darker) and it’s just not my cup of tea. Secondly, the set was 1200 pieces, and I get a 300 piece puzzle to make up for the horrible experience I had? I realize that I returned the puzzle to the store for a refund, and therefore don’t really need a 1200 piece puzzle as recompense, but seriously? An ugly 300 piece puzzle is supposed to smooth everything over?

I am done with Ceaco. I will no longer purchase any of their puzzles, no matter how beautiful or interesting the image is – not even if they end up with exclusive rights to all future Aimee Stewart images. (Please Aimee, don’t do that to me. You’re my favorite puzzle artist!)

One person no longer buying their puzzles is just a drop in the ocean, and I’m sure it won’t even be a blip on their bottom line. But it doesn’t matter, not to me. There are plenty of puzzle companies with excellent customer service who I’d much rather spend my hard earned money on.

You’ll still see Ceaco puzzles here on My Jigsaw Journal for a while, I’ve received some as gifts and there are still boxes and boxes of puzzles at mom’s house to go through. She was constantly at the thrift stores finding puzzles for us and I’m certain there are quite a few Ceacos there to be assembled too.

I may relent at some point, but right now I seriously doubt it. I’m still pretty pissed about the whole thing.