Tag: MasterPieces

Review: Paris Opera House

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviews1 Comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
IMG_3434
Paris Opera House – Masterpieces (Masters of Photography) – 500 pieces

An absolutely beautiful puzzle that I was scared of, to be honest. It looked like it was going to be too difficult to be fun – of course I was wrong. As usual. 🙂

This gorgeous puzzle is part of the Masterpieces Space Savers collection – 500 piece puzzles in smaller boxes for a smaller price. I had it in my mind that because the box is smaller and has a flip up top that the puzzle wouldn’t be very good quality, I mean how good can a puzzle that costs $5.99 be? As it turns out, pretty darn good. 🙂 Click the link above to see all the Space Savers available at Puzzle Warehouse.

The pieces were a good thickness and fit together very well; I never thought a piece went where it didn’t belong. The image reproduction as you can see is excellent and the finished image is flat and seamless. The piece shape isn’t obvious partially because the image itself is quite busy and also because of the fit. The only issue I had with this puzzle is that the finish is a bit shiny which can cause glare, and you may have to be careful when working under lights.

This is the second Space Saver that I’ve done and I’m very impressed with the quality. I definitely recommend them – they’re the perfect size to throw in your suitcase when you’re off for a weekend away. Don’t want the kids to sit and stare at their phones or the television? Pack a puzzle! It’s pretty hard to walk past a partially assembled puzzle, you can see exactly where that piece should go and you’ll just sit for a few minutes and work on it too. It’s a great activity for one person or the whole family.

Photography puzzles aren’t usually what I like to assemble, or at least I used to think so. Looking at all of the photography puzzles available at Puzzle Warehouse there are so many I would love to do! They have puzzles of just about everything – pets, food, landmarks, nature, architecture, people, landscapes and so much more. My poor wallet, this wishlist is getting out of hand!

I’m really enjoying these reviews because I’m assembling puzzles I normally wouldn’t have chosen for myself and enjoying them immensely! I know what I like as far as puzzles go, but just because the picture isn’t something that jumps out at me doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy it. Because honestly, so far, there hasn’t been one puzzle that I haven’t enjoyed. 🙂

I enjoyed this one even though I was scared of it! Unfortunately this puzzle is no longer available at Puzzle Warehouse but there are plenty of puzzles from Masterpieces to choose from; or click the links above to look at the Space Savers collection and the photography puzzles available. Masterpieces space saver puzzles are definitely recommended. 👍

 

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

 

Review: Neuschwanstein Castle

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse. 
IMG_3376
Neuschwanstein Castle – Masterpieces (Masters of Photography) – 500 pieces

Neuschwanstein Castle was a quick, fun puzzle that had better quality than I thought it would. I honestly don’t understand the fascination with this castle, there are so many puzzles of it from so many different companies! It’s an interesting looking castle in a beautiful setting, I guess because it makes for a pretty picture? Whatever the reason, it does make a lovely image and it was an enjoyable puzzle to assemble.

This puzzle is part of the Masterpieces Space Savers collection. Small boxes approximately half the size of a regular 500 piece box designed to put a lot of puzzle fun in a little box for a little price. The puzzles are either $4.99 or $5.99 at Puzzle Warehouse, which is a great price for a 500 piece puzzle if you ask me. I was impressed with the quality of this puzzle, and I’m looking forward to working on a couple other space saver Masters of Photography puzzles that I have to review. I’m hoping they’re all nice quality like this one. Click the link above to see all the space saver puzzles available from Puzzle Warehouse.

I was surprised by the pieces of this puzzle, they seemed very nice and not what I expected from the space savers box. I assumed (incorrectly) that the pieces would be thin; they were thicker than expected and fit together very well. The puzzle was random cut and had a nice matte finish that didn’t cause glare.

My only issue was the obvious piece cut in the finished puzzle. It makes it a little more difficult to see the details of the picture through all the piece shapes, but doesn’t really detract from the enjoyment of the assembly. I’m reserving judgement until I complete more of this series for comparison.

The space saver boxes are all one piece with a top that flips up. Not ideal for keeping the puzzle after you’ve assembled it; it would be too easy to lose a piece. I would recommend using a zip top plastic bag to store the pieces in the box after it’s been assembled. Also, because the box is smaller the image of the puzzle is smaller – it could be difficult if you need to reference the picture on a puzzle with more detail. On the plus side, these small boxes are perfect for travel.  Throw it in your suitcase for a vacation or just a weekend away and you’ve just packed some quality family time. 🙂

I enjoyed Neuschwanstein Castle even though it isn’t an image I would normally choose. It’s a good quality puzzle that was an entertaining assembly, definitely recommended.👍

 

I received this product at no charge to facilitate this review, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

Review: Vineyard Visit

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse. 
IMG_3383
Vineyard Visit by Art Poulin – Masterpieces (Town & Country) – 300 pieces

Vineyard Visit was a quick puzzle I put together while waiting for a new order of puzzles to be delivered to my house. I didn’t want to start a larger piece count puzzle because I knew I’d want to start one of the new puzzles that was on it’s way. This was the perfect solution! With only 300 pieces I would definitely be done with it before the delivery person arrived, and I could still work on a fun puzzle while I was waiting. 😎

I’ve always been happy with the Masterpieces puzzles I’ve done. Click the link to see all the Masterpieces puzzles available at Puzzle Warehouse. This was the first EZ grip large piece puzzle from this manufacturer I’ve assembled, and I was pleasantly surprised at the thickness of the pieces and how well they fit together. There were a good variety of piece shapes and excellent image reproduction. The finish on the pieces was a bit shiny, but there isn’t much dark area on the puzzle so it wasn’t a problem. All around a very good quality puzzle!

The box is made of sturdy cardboard and is 8 inches square (20 cm). All four sides show a small image of the artwork and have the brand name; 3 sides have the name of the puzzle and series along with piece count. On the bottom of the box is a picture of the artist and a small biography along with pictures of other puzzles in the series. A nice box for collectors that could be shelved either vertically or horizontally.

Art Poulin is an award winning Folk/Americana artist whose simple but pleasing landscapes and countrysides make for excellent puzzling; and his Town & Country series offers plenty of great scenes to choose from. Click here to see other puzzles by this artist available at Puzzle Warehouse.

I didn’t always want to work 300 piece puzzles, but have changed my mind since working on the world’s largest puzzle. I began working large sections that took weeks to complete, so working a 300 piece puzzle I could finish in one day seemed like the best thing ever! I still enjoy working smaller piece count puzzles, because pretty much all puzzles are fun if you ask me. 🙂

Vineyard Visit was an excellent quality puzzle by Masterpieces that made for a fun, fast assembly. Definitely recommended! 👍

 

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

 

 

The Adventures of Robin Hood (Buried Blueprints)

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Thrift Store PuzzlesLeave a comment
img_1897
Buried Blueprints Adventures of Robin Hood by Al Lorenz – Masterpieces – 1000 pieces

I did NOT enjoy this puzzle at all. If it weren’t for my husband working it with me and making me keep going I would have stopped halfway through. He seemed to enjoy it more than I did, and being the wonderful wife that I am I humored him and kept working on it even though it was frustrating me. 😉

The quality was good enough, but the artwork was fuzzy and indistinct which made it quite difficult to find pieces you’re looking for. I believe it was the nature of the artwork and not the image reproduction. The pieces were random cut which was a nice change from the grid cut puzzles I normally do, and I did enjoy the informational blurbs placed throughout the puzzle.

Not a very fun one in my opinion but it was a 99 cent thrift store purchase, and it occupied me for a while.