The Best Days of our Lives!

On June 27, 2017June 27, 2017 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

The very first Wasgij Destiny! This one was much more difficult for me, perhaps because I wasn’t feeling well, or just because it was more difficult. Who can tell? As usual, I don’t show the entire image because I don’t want to spoil the fun of figuring it out!

With this puzzle the box shows children at school in the cafeteria and you have to puzzle them at their class reunion many years later. Will the lovebirds still be in love? Will the best friends still be friends? How will the teachers have changed? As usual Graham Thompson’s image is fun and funny and excellent for puzzling!

It took me 3 days to finish this puzzle, partly because it was a little more challenging than usual, and partly because there were many things going on with family obligations. Still, when I could I worked on it and it was a pleasure. As usual the quality was excellent and makes for a great tactile experience. Every time I complete a Jumbo puzzle I want to immediately do another; the way the pieces feel and fit together makes for a wonderful assembly in every way.

If you haven’t tried a Wasgij or any other Jumbo puzzle I highly recommend it. They have a great selection of puzzles to choose from – photography, landscapes, collages, fine art, and some of the best cartoon puzzles around. There’s something for everyone!

Paying the Price!

On June 9, 2017 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

Another fun Wasgij, haven’t found one yet that wasn’t fun to assemble. They’re different and challenging and funny, and I have enjoyed the assembly of every single Wasgij that I’ve done.

This was a Destiny puzzle, the box shows a scene from a certain time, and you have to puzzle what the scene would look like now. The box for this puzzle shows a gas (petrol) station back in the good old days when there were attendants that pumped the gas, checked your oil, cleaned the windows, etc. So what would that same place look like today with our newfangled cars and automated pumps? Is the mechanic’s garage different? And how about the small convenience store?

As usual, things are very different, and pretty funny. It’s always entertaining for me to start assembling and try to figure out what will be different and what remains the same. How does that young man on the box look now – will he be balding with a paunch? The results are usually even better than my imagination.

The usual excellent Jumbo quality, and an it always makes me want to do another Wasgij right away. The feel of the pieces and the way they fit together makes for a great tactile experience and I always find myself running my hands across the puzzle, especially when I’m concentrating.

It’s the 20th anniversary of the Wasgij puzzles this year, and I have barely put a dent in the catalog of available puzzles. I still have a stack about 5 feet tall in my closet of Wasgij puzzles yet to be assembled. I’m working on them one at a time and thoroughly enjoying every single one! 🙂

Slumber Party!

On May 29, 2017December 29, 2019 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

Why can’t grandpa get some rest? What in the world is going on while everyone else is asleep? You’ll be surprised when you puzzle the answer. 🙂

Another awesome Wasgij by Jumbo, with excellent artwork by Neil Easton. The box shows a crazy evening at home with everyone getting ready for bed, crying children, barking dog, etc. You must imagine what the scene looks like a couple of hours from then – what is going on and what has woken grandpa? I thought I had it figured out pretty quickly, but it turns out I was only half right. 😦 I usually get it early, but this one stumped me a little bit!

Jumbo quality is some of the best there is. It’s right up there with Ravensburger in my opinion; and in some areas I think Jumbo beats Ravensburger. They’re both at the top of my list, we’ll call it a tie.

This puzzle was quite fun, and I really enjoyed the assembly which is no surprise. Cartoon puzzle?- check, Jumbo quality? – check, Mystery picture? – check, Awesome puzzle play time? – double check!

The Wasgij Express!

On April 30, 2017May 18, 2023 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

So I finished my first Wasgij Mystery – huge surprise coming up ………………. loved it!!! As is normal for me I refuse to spoil the fun for anyone so I’m only showing a small bit of the puzzle so you’ll have to figure it out for yourself.

Recently I received an email from the site where I purchase most of my European made puzzles telling me that for the 20th anniversary of Wasgij Jumbo was re-releasing the first Wasgij Original, Mystery and Destiny titles. This is what actually spurred me on to make my first puzzle purchase since the World’s Largest Jigsaw Puzzle. (Yup, I did that. 😎 40,320 pieces!) Since I’m relatively new to Jumbo puzzles, I’m almost 20 years behind and definitely didn’t have the first of anything. That meant time to get an order together! This is the first of the Retro puzzles I’ve assembled. I know, you’re all super surprised that I like it, right?

The answer to the question “What will happen to our secret agents next?” isn’t an easy answer – and the solution to their problem is complicated! I’m proud to say I figured it out pretty quickly, and was eager to puzzle and actually see the result. So much fun. I keep saying that over and over with every puzzle, don’t I? It was fun! Perhaps I need a thesaurus?

Graham Thompson’s artwork – amazing as usual. Lots of detail, lots of humor, wonderfully colorful and bright. Jumbo’s quality – amazing as usual. Excellent fit, thickness, image reproduction, piece shape, etc. So to sum up – this puzzle was awesome!

It’s a good thing I have a LOT of Wasgij puzzles to assemble because I absolutely adore them. Not just the quality (but that is a huge plus in my book), but the concept and artwork as well. I love not having the picture to work from and having to figure out how the picture on the box is relevant to the finished puzzle. I wish I had more of them to be honest, but I’ll have to make due with the stack in my closet that is taller than me. I think it’s about 6 feet high. 😮 I’m a little addicted.

Back to…. Basics!

On April 22, 2017May 18, 2023 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

You’re probably tired of hearing me say this, but this puzzle was so fun! Pretty much most of the puzzles I do are enjoyable – because jigsaw puzzles are fun!! And as usual with a Wasgij puzzle I am not showing the entire image – no spoilers here!

It took longer than usual to finish this puzzle, most of the week was spent lying in bed and resting – but I buckled down and finally got it done. This Wasgij concept is Back to…. In these puzzles the box shows you a scene as it is today, and you have to puzzle what it would have been like back then – a time period of their choosing. For this particular image the box shows a family’s living room as it is today – people on cell phones, playing video games, on the computer, listening to an MP3 player, reading a tablet, etc. So what would this living room have looked like back in the 60’s? What kept everyone entertained before computers, cell phones and electronic games?

I love this concept, and I was excited to get going on this puzzle – of course it didn’t disappoint! (Tiny spoiler alert) My favorite thing about this puzzle was a small thing but it made me happy – they were playing a board game that looks like Parcheesi! My family and I love that game and I played it with the kids a LOT when they were younger. My daughter learned it so well that she became quite the shark and was ruthless when playing – her daddy taught her that! Anyway, it made me smile. 🙂

I enjoyed this assembly very much, in this particular image it was quite easy to pull out a section of color or pattern and put it together. One pattern leads to another and before you know it everything is connecting and coming together to form the entire image. The artwork by Neil Easton is well done with clean lines and lots of humor. And as usual the pieces are thick, fit together extremely well and have a matte finish with an almost waxy feel. Jumbo puzzles are some of the best out there – they’re right up there with Ravensburger in my opinion. I love them both!

I haven’t tried a Wasgij Mystery puzzle yet, so I think that may be the next one I try. I can’t wait to solve the mystery and puzzle what happens!