Tag: MasterPieces

Review: Willow Whispers

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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Willow Whispers by Alan Giana – MasterPieces (Memory Lane Series) – 300 EZ Grip pieces

Willow Whispers was a quick, fun puzzle to get myself back into puzzling after a short trip out of state. It took a little longer than normal for a 300 piece puzzle, but I’m still recovering from traveling. 🙂

MasterPieces puzzles have come up quite a bit in my eyes, their quality is very good and their puzzles are a great value. The pieces of this puzzle were thick and extremely sturdy, and they fit together very well; I was able to lift the finished puzzle without any pieces coming apart. There was little to no puzzle dust in the bag, the pieces were all separated and undamaged and had no hanging bits of paper on the back. The EZ Grip puzzles are excellent for anyone needing larger pieces. The image reproduction is bright and colorful with a slightly shiny finish. All in all, wonderful quality! Click here to see all the puzzles available from MasterPieces at Puzzle Warehouse.

This assembly was fun, I always enjoy a 300 piece puzzle. It’s a good feeling to start and finish a puzzle in one day, and even nicer when it’s a lovely picture. The edges were easy to find (I appreciate that), and it was also easy to pick out sections to work on without having to check the picture on the box. The red leaves in the foreground and background were easy to spot, as well as the water, path, and bench. There are several sections of flowers, but it’s easy enough to find their places by checking the picture. I wasn’t able to sit for long to work on it, and it was nice to be able to come and sit down for only a few minutes and be able to find and place several pieces.

The finished puzzle is 24 x 18 inches (61 x 46 cm). The box has the name of the puzzle, manufacturer, piece count, and image of the puzzle on all four sides. The name of the artist is on the top and one side of the box, along with a short bio on the back and pictures of other puzzles in the series.  Interestingly, if you wanted to shelve this horizontally you would have to store it upside down – the image and wording on the side for storing flat is upside down on the lid. I don’t think it would be a deal breaker if you like the image, but it’s unusual and I don’t recall seeing that on any other puzzle boxes before.

The artwork by Alan Giana is charming, calming, and colorful and makes for excellent puzzling. I’ve done several puzzles with his artwork and they have all been entertaining and sometimes challenging, depending on the piece count. They are beautiful and detailed, and make me want to visit the places shown for a relaxing weekend. 🙂 Click the link above to see all the puzzles from this artist available at Puzzle Warehouse.

Willow Whispers is a beautiful puzzle that made for an entertaining assembly. At 300 pieces it’s quick to go together and could be a great family project for an evening. Definitely recommended. 👍

 

I received this product at no charge in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are truthful and 100% my own.

 

 

Review: The Old Country Store

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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The Old Country Store by Art Poulin – MasterPieces (Town & Country) – 300 EZ Grip pieces

There’s so much to see at The Old Country Store, you’ll keep finding new items as you assemble this puzzle. Look at everything you used to be able to get in one store! Fixtures, furniture, fish bait, groceries, toys, etc – it was also the post office and barber shop – everything you need in one place. Including lumber and marriage licenses! 😮 It makes an excellent image for puzzling, lots of fun.

This puzzle by MasterPieces was very good quality. They have excellent large piece puzzles to choose from, including several series like Town & Country, Memory Lane, and Playful Paws to name a few. The larger pieces are great for seniors or children; the large pieces are easier for aging hands and eyes, and do not compromise the image quality. I like them just because they’ve got great images and sometimes it’s enjoyable to work with the larger pieces. Click here to see all the puzzles available from MasterPieces at Puzzle Warehouse.

The finished puzzle is 18 x 24 inches (approx. 46 x 61 cm). The pieces were undamaged and fully separated, and there was no puzzle dust in the bag. The puzzle is a random cut, so there were a good variety of piece shapes. They were a good thickness, sturdy, and fit together well. The image reproduction was very good, with lots of detail, and a slightly shiny finish. The box is smaller and square, with the name of the puzzle, piece count, manufacturer and a small complete image of the puzzle on all four sides.

This was an easy assembly for me, starting with the edges of course, then the words, buildings, etc. One section leads to another and before you can get up to warm up your coffee the whole thing is done! It was interesting to see all the things you could get at the country store, I’d love to be able to visit one, but those days have passed us by. We had a “general store” where I grew up, with everything from candy to clothing, but I’m sure it wasn’t nearly as diverse as the old country stores used to be. The big super stores of today have almost everything we need in one place, but definitely not the same feel.

The artwork by Art Poulin is detailed and beautiful. He specializes in Americana and his artwork has been turned into many gorgeous puzzles. You can tell he has a love for the simple things in life and his landscapes are charming and inviting. Click here to see all the puzzles currently available from Art Poulin at Puzzle Warehouse.

The Old Country Store was a fun assembly, with large easy to hold pieces that would be great for seniors or younger puzzle fans. If you’re a fan of Americana or folk art, you should definitely enjoy this puzzle. Recommended! 👍

 

I received this product at no charge in return for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions expressed are truthful and 100% my own.

 

 

 

Review: Albuquerque Balloons

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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Albuquerque Balloons – Masterpieces (Masters of Photography) – 500 pieces

Albuquerque Balloons went together very quickly and was easier to do than I imagined. The last of the space saver puzzles for review. To my surprise it was a fun assembly and the image was excellent for puzzling, just enough challenge, but not too easy.

I can report after having done 3 space saver puzzles that the quality is quite good. The pieces are thick and feel good in your hand; they fit together well with a random cut that makes for an interesting assembly. They have a slightly shiny finish which can cause glare, but otherwise the image reproduction is beautiful. Two out of the three puzzles I assembled had obvious piece shapes showing in the finished puzzle; and while it isn’t ideal, it doesn’t really detract from enjoyment of the assembly.  Click here to see all the space saver puzzles available at Puzzle Warehouse.

I’ve been pretty impressed with the Masterpieces puzzles I’ve done lately, the quality is quite good. They have a nice catalog to choose from and their puzzles are extremely reasonably priced – which is good for a tightwad like me! Check out all their puzzles available at Puzzle Warehouse by clicking the link above – all Masterpieces puzzles are on sale at Puzzle Warehouse now through August 15, 2017 – 25% off, no coupon required!

I have actively been avoiding all hot air balloon puzzles for quite some time; it just seems so overdone – every company seems to have one or more puzzles of hot air balloons. I hate following the crowd and doing a thing just because other people are doing it – I’m a bit of a rebel. Turns out, I’m a rebel without a cause – at least where balloon puzzles are concerned! I enjoyed the puzzle in spite of myself and found that it was a superb image for puzzling. Will I ever learn? Maybe, maybe not. 🙂

Albuquerque Balloons is no longer available at Puzzle Warehouse, but you can find space savers and Masterpieces puzzles by clicking the links above. Or you can check out the pages and pages of hot air balloon puzzles – there are so many beautiful puzzles to choose from – the wishlist is still growing!!

 

I received this product at no charge in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are truthful and 100% my own.

Teddy Bear Christmas Tree

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment
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Teddy Bear Christmas Tree by Dona Gelsinger – Masterpieces – 500 pieces

Our last Christmas in July puzzle – feeling that chilly winter air yet? Me neither. Oh well, at the very least there were some beautiful Christmas puzzles. I even reviewed a puzzle that had a Christmas tree in it, did you notice? Paris Opera House, in the center of the hall was a Christmas tree!

The day I started this puzzle I had the worst time trying to decide what puzzle to do next, I changed my mind at least 5 times before I settled on this one. Now that this one is done, I don’t know what to do next – again!

I’ve been impressed with Masterpieces puzzles lately, in my eyes their quality has gotten much better. This puzzle was very good quality and as an added bonus – glitter! You can see some of the glitter at the top of the puzzle; in the negative space is the silhouette of Santa and his team. That’s not all of it though, there’s glitter all throughout the puzzle; it just doesn’t photograph well. (Or I don’t do photographs well, who knows?)

The teddy bears are adorable and the image reproduction is excellent with bright, fun colors. The pieces fit together very well with what I guess I would call a semi-random cut. Fun assembly!

Here’s another question for you, did you notice that one of the pieces was chewed up? On the left border near the top. 😉

Garden Bridge

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment
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Garden Bridge by Alan Giana – Masterpieces – 300 pieces

Pretty puzzle from Masterpieces, sadly missing a piece. Oh well, at least we saved someone else from having to buy an incomplete puzzle. 🙂

Mom and I had started a whole different puzzle this day, and after about 100 pieces we gave up. The other puzzle was an awesome image, but unbelievably tedious and un-fun. We tried to like it, then we remembered that doing puzzles is supposed to be fun and why in the world were we doing a puzzle we weren’t enjoying?? Sometimes we think that we have to finish a puzzle, just because we bought it. Nope. If it ain’t fun, it ain’t worth it! We spent our money to learn a lesson. That day’s lesson? Sometimes the coolest pictures make the worst puzzles!

So, we gave up on that one and decided to try this uncomplicated, beautiful puzzle with only 300 pieces. It was MUCH nicer to work.

The large pieces were nice and thick and fit together well – we both enjoy a large piece puzzle every now and then. The quality was good and the picture was lovely and we both enjoyed the assembly. It’s nice to work an easier puzzle once in a while, it makes you feel like a puzzle master. Look how fast I completed this entire puzzle! 😉

The scene by Alan Giana is beautiful and serene and it makes me think of summertime in the north. Blooming flowers and butterflies, birds and a small stream – lovely and calm. Extremely nice puzzle that was unfortunately missing a piece. Darn.