It’s National Game and Puzzle Week! 52 Pickup

Today is the start of National Game and Puzzle Week here in the US, which is perfect for taking some of the stress out of spending time with family over Thanksgiving. Is Aunt Matilda always making you wait hours and hours for your holiday meal? Set up a jigsaw puzzle to help pass the time, what a lovely way to spend time with your family and loved ones!

You’ll get no board game recommendations from me – it’s too easy to end up arguing (just my opinion, of course). I love board and card games, but hubby is unbelievably competitive, as are many other family members. A fun game of euchre with my parents ends up with the men getting frustrated with mom and I because we “don’t take it seriously”. Mom and I then purposely try to lose, which mean we almost always end up winning; and we giggle hysterically while it’s happening. It’s safe to say the husbands are unimpressed with our behavior. 😁 I’m a jigsaw puzzle gal all the way; everyone can help, you don’t need to explain the “rules”, and everyone wins. Viva le puzzle!

So onto today’s puzzle, I chose this one for today’s post because it’s a puzzle of playing cards which can be used for many games. This puzzle had me so enraptured that I almost couldn’t walk away. I kept coming back to it even though I wasn’t feeling well; I just had to get a few more pieces put in, and I had to know if all the pieces were there!

Another good quality non-traditional Ceaco. This one is called a Conversation Pieces Trompe L’oeil jigsaw puzzle. (trompe l’oeil is a visual illusion in art, it means to trick or deceive the eye to see the painting as a three-dimensional object) Ceaco has a few of these conversation pieces puzzles, but this is the first one we’ve found in the thrift stores.

I wasn’t planning to document this assembly, but mom was here at the beginning and helped me assemble most of the first part. She went home to get some things done, and I kept sending her updated pictures. So I’ve got pics of the assembly as I went along! We started with the face cards, they were harder to assemble than we bargained for!

Conversation Pieces 1

Next I assembled the rest of the cards that were face up, and I tried to place them all approximately where they belong in the puzzle. It sure doesn’t look like much, does it?

Conversation Pieces 2

The next morning I put together the edges; it wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t as difficult as I’d thought either. I was so excited to get that done! All that’s left is to fill in. I can’t explain how engrossed I was in this puzzle and how happy it made me. So happy!

Conversation Pieces 3

I was hoping to have a picture of it glued and mounted on foam board and hanging in my daughter’s game room. Unfortunately, it’s not on the wall yet. Bummer. Still, we had a great time with this puzzle, and it looks so cool!

Conversation Pieces
Conversation Pieces – Ceaco – 500 pieces

If you’re not up close to see the piece shapes it looks like cards strewn across a table. I think it’s going to look amazing on the wall! Perhaps over the holiday I’ll get it hung up – my daughter and her husband are hosting Thanksgiving this year in their new home. I’m bringing the pies, and something to hang up this puzzle! You might just see a picture of it sometime soon. 😎

It’s Taking Soooo Long!

Sugar Magnolia 2
I want to finish it!

Sugar Magnolia is taking soooo long! It has nothing to do with the puzzle itself, I’ve just been unable to sit in front of it long enough to make any substantial progress; fifteen minutes yesterday was all I could handle. 😕

It’s so beautiful, the pieces are wonderfully fun and entertaining to work with, and I’m unbelievably happy to have it – but it’s been 16 days now since it’s arrived and I would really love to see it finished! Yesterday I was able to put together the largest butterflies in the section above (one on each side of the puzzle). It’s coming together, though my progress is much slower than I’d like.

Ok, enough whining about it. Time to put on my big girl panties and get to work!

No Peace Over Pieces?

Pieces
What’s your piece count preference?

Sometimes it’s so difficult to read tone and inflection online. Did they mean to sound so snarky? Do they not realize how that sounds, or am I putting my own attitude into these words? I read something online about the piece counts that puzzlers prefer and it may have been me, but some of the comments seemed to belittle people who did any puzzles less than 1000 pieces.

I’m sure a bit of it is me, I’ve been having such a difficult time with my anxiety that sometimes opening a box with 1000 pieces makes me extremely anxious and even upset. All those pieces, it just seems like too much. That said, it isn’t all just my emotions – some people spoke as though it was beneath them (and others) to work a puzzle under 1000 pieces; as though people who work smaller puzzles are less accomplished or intelligent. What is the purpose of that?

The world is an unfriendly and harsh place at times, why bring that outside world and it’s crankiness to fellow puzzlers who love reassembling chopped up pieces of cardboard and wood just like you? I don’t understand it, and it’s upsetting to me. Some people are unable to work larger puzzles because of a physical or psychological difference or limitation; and some people just prefer a smaller piece count. As far as I’m concerned, every small puzzle completed is just as beautiful and beneficial as a giant puzzle with 5000 pieces.

Who cares if my piece counts don’t measure up to yours, or yours to mine? So what if it takes you 2 days to complete your puzzle and it takes me a month? What matters is that we share the love of a hobby; that we find places online to meet, read about, or discuss that hobby. Not the petty competitiveness of making yourself feel better by bringing others down. Sigh.

I love puzzling. I love puzzles. Every size, every piece count – from 4 pieces to 40,000 – I find them all fun and entertaining in their own way. It isn’t up to me or anyone else to judge what puzzles you like, or like to assemble. If a quick and easy 100 or 300 piece puzzle makes you happy, fantastic! If you only work 1000 piece puzzles, you’re awesome! If your favorites are puzzles larger than 3000 pieces, that’s amazing! If you love jigsaw puzzles then you’re a fellow traveler and I’m so happy to meet you!

When you pick up a piece there’s a small pause; you consider the color, shape, and pattern – where should it go? How should I turn it? Where does it fit? Perhaps we should all pause for a bit before we speak (or type). Consider the shape of the comment, how it’s “color” will be received, does it fit in with the kindness we hope to receive when communicating with others? Just a small pause to consider, maybe that’s all that’s needed.💗

Happy puzzling my friends!

Back to the Board!

Sugar Magnolia 1
I’m finally back to work on this beauty!

It was almost four days that I was completely unable to puzzle, but finally I was able to sit and get back to the hobby that I love! It was only for a few minutes, but I still was unbelievably happy to get back to it. 😁

My birthday puzzle is still far from done, and even though I’m only able to work in short sessions I’m thrilled to be working on it again. Depending on how I’m feeling it may take another week or so to finish, maybe more. It doesn’t matter though, assembling this gorgeous puzzle is a joy – every single piece makes me smile!

I’m Having the Best Time!

Sugar Magnolia whimsies
Having fun with whimsies!

Well, I was right, hubby did get me the most expensive puzzle from my wishlist as a birthday present. I’m assembling it now and it’s coming together slowly, but slow is ok with me – I’m having the best time!

I tried to be upset with him, but I apparently misplaced my distress when I opened the box. Whoops. It’s called Sugar Magnolia from Liberty Puzzles and it’s GORGEOUS….

large_sugar-magnolia-puzzle-xl

The artwork by Phil Lewis so beautiful and unusual – I love it! Though I don’t think I ever really would have bought it for myself. It’s one of those puzzles I put on my wishlist so I can look at it and sigh wistfully. (You know what I mean, right?) I’m so happy to have it, but I’m also upset with myself for not removing it from the list before I let hubby look at it. It makes no sense, does it? That’s me all over, nonsensical.

Nonsense aside, I am enjoying this puzzle so much! Mom came over to help me get started, and we had the best time spending several minutes just looking at the pieces. Then we poured them out onto a board and, oh my, there were so many! I’ve never had a wooden puzzle with this many pieces, there are almost 900. 😮

The pieces were all laid out, and then I put the box away. That’s part of the reason the assembly is going slowly – we’re not using the image. It makes the wooden puzzle experience last longer and gives me more time to look at and feel the pieces while I contemplate where they should go. I love being in the moment and focused only on the puzzle and it’s pieces. Heavenly!

I spent a bit of silly time setting up the picture above with a few of the whimsies. I have no explanation other than it made me smile. ☺ Adorable, aren’t they?