Solar System (Glow in the Dark) – MasterPieces – 60 pieces
Fun kid’s puzzle! I love seeing what kind of quality the larger companies put into their children’s puzzles. MasterPieces did well. 🙂
The pieces of this puzzle were very nice; thick and quite sturdy. They fit together well and the puzzle lays flat, which hasn’t always been the case with a lot of the kid’s puzzles I’ve assembled. Excellent quality! There’s even an informational poster included that has a picture of the image along with some planetary fun facts. This puzzle is being donated to a school and I know they’ll enjoy the educational poster.
My only issue with this puzzle is the paint or the powder mixed with the ink that glows. It almost feels like sandpaper to me, but not so rough that it would scratch your hands; it feels dry and like very fine sand. I detest the feel of sandpaper and for me this was almost like nails on a chalkboard! Of course, this is really only a big issue for me, but if you’ve got a child with any tactile sensitivities it may be something to consider.
Fun puzzle, and an excellent thrift store find! I love a glow in the dark puzzle, I enjoy seeing what parts glow. Usually it’s difficult to get a “glow” picture, but luckily this one worked out pretty well.
Winter Aspen by Henry Holdsworth – MasterPieces (World’s Smallest) – 1000 piecesThis is as far as I got 😦
Winter Aspen is a “world’s smallest” puzzle with VERY small pieces that comes in a collectible tin. The finished puzzle is 16.5 x 11.7 inches (42 x 30 cm) which is quite small for 1000 pieces. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this puzzle for the average puzzler, as you can see I didn’t finish it. 😦
I’ve done quite a few MasterPieces puzzles lately, and I haven’t had a problem with the quality. They have an excellent catalog, the quality is quite good and they are very reasonably priced. Many of their puzzles are a random cut which gives a great variety in piece shapes, and they fit together very well. Even though this puzzle didn’t float my boat I don’t have a problem with MasterPieces; I think they’re great quality at a great price.
I guess everyone who reviews a product has to deal with their first bad review. You must be tactful, but truthful and let people know specifically what the problems you found were. With puzzles, so much of the like or dislike of an image or puzzle itself can be subjective; I may not care for photographic puzzles, but many people do. Therefore, I must put aside my own personal preference as much as I can and review it, keeping in mind that the review should take into account what others may like or be looking for in a puzzle.
I find it hard to separate my feelings here, this puzzle was maddeningly frustrating and tedious for me. The image would make for an extremely challenging averaged size puzzle, but when you add in the small pieces it really ramps up the difficulty level in my opinion. For someone in their late 40’s or older as I am, it was a difficult puzzle to work with, irregardless of the image. The pieces are so small it was sometimes difficult to hold them, and it’s even more challenging to see the detail to compare shade and colors.
I can’t speak for everyone my age, but it was difficult for my aging eyes to work with this puzzle, and the sameness of the entire image was mind numbing. There are quite a few of the puzzles in the “world’s smallest” series that perhaps wouldn’t be so difficult, this wasn’t one of them. The image is just too challenging for such small pieces, it needs colors and shapes – at least for me.
The quality of this puzzle was good/fair. The pieces were a good thickness and sturdy; all the pieces were ballerinas which added to the difficulty. (2 prong/2 hole) The fit was ok; because all the pieces were the same shape it was easy to put in a wrong piece and not know until surrounding pieces were inserted. The image itself was most to blame for this in my opinion, everything looks so similar. The image reproduction was good, even with such a small image. There was a poster enclosed that was almost as big as the puzzle itself, which was extremely helpful and a must when working with such small pieces.
I’ve never not finished a puzzle for review, but I just couldn’t continue with this one. I put just over 400 pieces of the 1000 together. It was too difficult to see and handle and made me feel quite inadequate. I’m not really a fan of monochromatic puzzles, or overly challenging images. I found that I was bargaining with myself while I worked on it – to make myself keep going; once I get x number of pieces put in I can do something else. For me puzzles are a way to relax and de-stress, if the image is so challenging that it feels like work it isn’t worth it for me. Puzzles are supposed to be fun!
If you enjoy a challenge, check out the World’s Smallest Puzzle series by MasterPieces. Literally any one of those would have been easier for me to do than these trees! I’d be interested in working one of the less challenging images to see how it compares, but don’t ask me now – I need a little time to cool off. 😉
If you are one of those people who enjoy a super-challenging puzzle, Winter Aspen may be the puzzle for you! If you are like me and use your puzzling time to relax and relieve stress then perhaps you should pass right on by this puzzle.
I received this product at no cost to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions are truthful and 100% my own.
Policeman Dreams by Dan Hatala – MasterPieces (Childhood Dreams Collection) – 1000 pieces
There’s something about this image, I love it! I haven’t had enough coffee this morning to articulate exactly why, all I know is that this image makes me smile and was a pleasure to assemble.
I went about assembling this puzzle backwards – I started with the more difficult sections. No idea now why this was, but I started with the sidewalk/road and then the sky. The rest of the puzzle wasn’t as challenging, although the cars did take a bit more concentration.
MasterPieces quality has been improving, in my opinion. The pieces fit together very well and are a good thickness. The finish is still a bit shiny, but overall that’s really my only issue. Every once in a while I get a puzzle where the pieces aren’t completely separated, but I’ve seen that with every puzzle manufacturer. There’s never going to be a company that is perfect every single time.
The Childhood Dreams collection by Dan Hatala is nostalgic and heartwarming and focuses on moments between parents and children. There are at least 11 more in the series that I’ve seen and I would love to do every single one of them; they are absolutely gorgeous! My black belt thrift store shopper has been given instructions to buy any of this series that she can find. 🙂
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.
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.
