Joyful Blooms

On April 3, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

This was much more difficult than I thought it would be, but it was only 300 pieces so it didn’t seem like too much of a commitment to keep going. I really need a break from flower puzzles, they keep faking me out!

The chipboard used for this puzzle is different than the other MasterPieces puzzles I’ve done, the backing is white and is thinner than usual but quite sturdy. They fit together very well and being random cut there were a very good variety of shapes. The image is fuzzy in some areas, but I believe that is the artwork itself and not the reproduction. Overall it’s a good quality puzzle that comes in a metal tin. It’s great for collecting, but not so great if you need the image to help with assembly, the picture on the lid is quite small and makes it difficult to see the detail.

It’s a pretty image, but it’s quite dark near the bottom and took a bit of concentration to get it done. Still, it’s nice to be in the moment and focusing only on the pieces and colors and how they fit together; that’s the stress relieving part of puzzling for me. I end up hyper-focused on the puzzle and turn off the part of my brain that’s thinking, planning, worrying, anxious, or stressing. It’s the closest I come to actually meditating, and it’s necessary to help keep me sane in this crazy world we’re living in. 🙂

Green Acres

On March 1, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

I think my age is showing, when I see the title of this puzzle my brain immediately starts singing the theme song to the old tv show. Green Acres is the place to be, FARM living is the life for me! 🎵

This puzzle is absolutely beautiful, and at only 300 pieces was a quick, fun assembly. The cut is random and interesting and the fit was wonderful! There was never any guessing whether or not a piece fit in a certain spot. MasterPieces large piece puzzles have excellent quality, I have never had an issue with any of them. The pieces are thick and fit together well, and the images are crisp and clear and always beautiful.

Many people only do 1000 piece puzzles, and I think they’re missing out; there are wonderful puzzles to be assembled in every shape and size. But I would never tell someone what they should or shouldn’t do, so if they’re working only the larger puzzles that leaves plenty other sizes for me, right? 😎

White Duck Inn

On February 1, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

Another small piece count puzzle to get me back into the groove after being stuck at the hospital doing small puzzles to fit on my bedside table. This one was fun and fast and the image makes me smile, doesn’t that look like a lovely place to spend the weekend?

I love the extremely random cut of MasterPieces puzzles, it makes for a fun and interesting assembly. Their EZ Grip 300 piece puzzles have large, easy to handle pieces that are great for hands with dexterity problems, or just someone who enjoys large pieces from time to time. Like me!

The finish was a little bit shiny, but not too terrible to work with under artificial lights. I was able to assemble it resting in bed on my white board without too much difficulty from the overhead lights; and it was easy, which was what I was looking for. I’d love to able to get back to 500 and 1000 piece puzzles soon. Hopefully by the time I get this posted I’ll have a larger piece count on my board and be back to puzzling sitting up. Fingers crossed! 🤞

Vegetable Garden

On January 20, 2018January 20, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

I really love the artwork in this puzzle, and as a bonus there are quilts – nice! I’ve been doing 300 piece puzzles a lot these past few weeks, and enjoying them greatly. 🙂

MasterPieces large piece puzzles are excellent quality with extra-thick pieces that fit together very well. I appreciate the quality of these EZ Grip pieces, and love that it makes it easier for both the older and the younger to puzzle. While I’m recovering from my illness I’m finding it quite difficult to sit and puzzle for even a few minutes. 300 piece puzzles can be done on my white board while in bed, and are giving me that injection in the puzzle vein so I don’t go through withdrawal. 💉

A friend of my mother has given us about 10-12 300 piece puzzles to do and then donate – the timing could not have been more perfect! They’re all I seem to be able to do at the moment, and if I didn’t have any puzzles to do I would be even crankier than I already am (I’m kinda whiny and bitchy when I don’t feel well, if you add not being able to puzzle – YIKES). That’s just the truth of it. I make no excuses, I am who I am; those who love me have accepted it already. 🙂

If you’re one of those people who say “I only do 1000 piece puzzles, or more” I get it. I used to say the exact same thing. But in my humble opinion there is enjoyment to be had in puzzles of many sizes. I even enjoy kids puzzles down to 24 pieces; a puzzle is a puzzle. They may go quickly and be over too soon, but if you think about it you may realize that it’s the assembly that makes you happy, and you can enjoy assembling the little ones too. Well, I do anyway.

Maybe if you’re thrift store shopping and find a really interesting looking 300 piece puzzle – give it a try. They’re great when you don’t have a lot of time, when you’re having someone younger or older help you, or just when you want to relax a little more and finish your puzzle more quickly. Give it a shot, you may surprise yourself! 😉

The Color of Love

On January 19, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment

For some stupid reason I thought this one was going to be as easy and as fun as Pencil Pushers. I am such an idiot; this was not nearly as fun. I even toyed with giving up on it once or twice. It was much more difficult, and I knew early on there were missing pieces, which always bums me out a little bit. It’s a cool picture, I just went into it with an unrealistic expectation of how it easy and fun it would be.

The quality was MasterPiece’s usual. Good thickness, interesting shapes, good fit. I started with the scribbled heart in the middle, and knew pretty quickly that there were at least 2 missing pieces – little did I know it would turn in to 11 missing pieces! Why on earth would someone donate a puzzle with this many pieces missing? It makes no sense to me. It’s a chance we take when we buy used from the thrift stores, but it’s still a let down when there are this many pieces missing.

There were colors in multiple places, so it wasn’t as easy as Pencil Pushers with just one pencil of each color. It was easy enough to separate out the different colors, but not as easy to assemble them all in their respective places. It took more time than I planned on, but it was still a fun assembly.

Luckily as I was nearing the end my daughter came over for a visit, she helped me finish it, which made it more enjoyable for me. I enjoy my “alone” puzzle time to decompress and relax, but it’s fun to share a puzzle and time spent together too. ❤