Rainbow World by Michael Searle – MasterPieces – 300 pieces
This image is quite an assault on the senses (my son picked it out), but the puzzle was excellent quality and I enjoyed the assembly very much – in spite of the eyeball blistering artwork. 😲
This was the best quality MasterPieces puzzle that I can remember assembling. The pieces were quite thick with a very good variety of shapes, the fit was excellent, the reproduction is bright and crisp – overall just a great quality puzzle and I was duly impressed.
The fit was so impressive that I even got one of my favorite types of pictures….you guessed it!
I was so confident in the fit that I took this picture first, before making sure I had a good “normal” picture for the post. If I’m not mistaken I have never been able to take one of these pictures with a MasterPieces puzzle before – this puzzle really impressed me!
Also, this is a glow in the dark puzzle. I’m not always a fan of these types of puzzles, only because of the tactile feeling of the pieces. They can feel grainy, almost like there is sand glued to the puzzle, and this one did as well. I can usually deal with it, as most GITD puzzles are smaller piece counts; but I’m not a fan of the way it feels in my hands.
Grainy feeling or not, I got a FANTASTIC glow in the dark picture!
Lady Bug Land by Michael Searle – Ravensburger – 300 pieces
Beautiful and colorful, this one was a goldilocks assembly – not too hard, not too easy, just right. I couldn’t pass this bright beauty up when I went to the thrift store, it was too gorgeous to leave it sitting there on the shelf.
Great Ravensburger quality even though it’s been assembled many times. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten one of their puzzles from the thrift store that wasn’t in good shape; they hold up well in my opinion. Especially the smaller piece counts and images made for kids, they’ve always been great quality.
Obviously there was a missing piece, but it’s been a while since I’ve had a thrift store puzzle with a piece that’s gone AWOL. It’s a risk we take when buying second-hand, but it doesn’t bother me much at all.
As a friend told me, “Our job is to put all the pieces together until there are none left; even with missing pieces you can still complete your task and put them all together.”
Ladybugs by Michael Searle – MasterPieces – 100 pieces
Ladybugs is a bright, beautiful puzzle that’s fun to assemble but not too easy. It would be a great challenge for a young one in your life, or even for you if you’re so inclined. 🙂
MasterPieces puzzles can be hit or miss quality sometimes, but for the most part I find them to be quite good. They have a varied catalog of beautiful images and interesting series to choose from, and great prices too. The pieces are a good thickness and fit together very well. There are a nice variety of piece shapes, and the image reproduction is absolutely gorgeous! Click to see all the MasterPieces puzzles currently in stock at Puzzle Warehouse.
I love a good glow in the dark image, but you have to deal with the somewhat grainy feel of the pieces that glow. Whatever they use to add the phosphors (luminescent material) feels like very, very find sand. If you have tactile issues, be warned – glow puzzles may not be for you.
I’m a big supporter of giving children puzzles, they’re excellent for helping develop essential skills every child needs. Problem solving, spatial awareness, fine motor skills, reasoning, sequencing and many other skills are developed when solving jigsaw puzzles – and as an added bonus they’re really fun and great for family bonding! I have wonderful memories of assembling jigsaw puzzles with my grandma, my mom, my husband, and my children. Even in this crazy world of 24/7 information and electronics, having time to sit and talk and work on a puzzle together is a must for me – it’s so much nicer than staring at your phone or the television!
Ladybugs was a fun assembly, but wasn’t as quick as the average 100 piece puzzle. The greenery in the background added to the challenge, and the sheer number of ladybugs kept me on my toes. Having different shapes helped in finding the right pieces, the bright colors helped as well. Even though it was a small piece count I found it to be the right amount of difficulty; it’s definitely recommended.
Check out all the kids puzzles available at Puzzle Warehouse – they’ve got tray puzzles, block puzzles, floor puzzles, and many more to choose from. From 3 pieces all the way up to 1000 or more, there are tons of puzzles for kids or for the kid in you. 😎
Details:
Title:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ladybugs
Artist:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Michael Searle
Brand:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â MasterPieces
Piece count:Â Â Â 100 pieces
Size:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Approx. 15 x 12 in. (39 x 29 cm)
Purchased:Â Â Â N/A, sent for review
Quality:
Board:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Very good
Cutting:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Very good
Image:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Excellent
Box:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Average
Fit:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Very good
Puzzle Dust:Â Â Â Small amount
Piece cut:Â Â Â Â Â Grid cut
Piece shapes:Â Â Very good variety
Finish:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Slightly shiny finish, somewhat grainy feel, lays flat
Overall Rating:Â Â Â Very good, recommended
I received this product at no cost in order to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are truthful and 100% my own.
Construction Crowd by Michael Searle – Ravensburger – 60 pieces
This puzzle was a fun image to assemble, even though there was a missing piece. I think all the children’s puzzles mom bought from the thrift store that day might have come from the same child – perhaps they didn’t take care of their puzzles. Or it could just be that they were roughly handled at the thrift store, you never know.
As usual with a Ravensburger puzzle the quality was excellent. I didn’t think I’d enjoy the image as much as I did; assembling the different vehicles was a lot of fun! I’m not sure if I’d want it as a larger piece count puzzle, but for only 60 pieces I found it pretty entertaining. 😎
If you’ve got a little one in your life who enjoys construction vehicles and puzzles, this one is definitely recommended.
Wild Animals by Michael Searle – A Broader View – 500 pieces
Wild Animals is a beautiful puzzle with bright, fun colors that mom and I found much more challenging than we assumed. Even looking at it now I’m surprised that it was difficult, because it really doesn’t look as if it would be. Perhaps I need a new prescription for my glasses? 🤓
A Broader View puzzles are perfect for puzzling with two or more people, the “top” of the image is at the center of the puzzle. No matter where you are sitting while assembling these puzzles you’ve got the right perspective. The pieces are thinner than a premium puzzle, but still a respectable thickness and fit together quite well. All in all I find them good quality puzzles and I’ve enjoyed every one that I’ve done.
We spent a bit of time on our last visit day looking for smaller piece count puzzles that we wanted to do. We had several to choose from, but they weren’t “speaking to us”. At times I have to be in the right mood to work certain puzzles, and neither of us could find a puzzles that we both wanted to do. I’m sure it’s the same for other puzzlers out there, you have to be inspired or excited by the image or even by the pieces.
I stopped at a Tuesday Morning on the way home from physical therapy and found several smaller piece count puzzles that struck my fancy, so we’ll have plenty to choose from on our next puzzle day. 😎
My Jigsaw Journal 