Found Love

On November 27, 2018November 27, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

I had the hardest time getting a good picture of this puzzle, it was constantly cockeyed and not level (there were at least 6 different tries to get a good one) – I think the meds and menopause are slowly braising my brain!

I love trying out new puzzles brands, no matter whether they’re cardboard or wooden (as long as they’re relatively affordable). I spent a bit of time in bed looking at/shopping for puzzles this month, and decided to give this brand a try, even though their pieces are more uniformly shaped than I like in a wooden puzzle. And while checking out all the pages on their site I found one of their Peapod (childrens) puzzles on sale, so of course I had to try one of those as well. I should absolutely NOT be left unsupervised with access to my debit card these days!

This adorable puzzle is by Zen Art & Design. They are beautifully made and I love the feel of their pieces – it’s almost silky – they feel lovely in your hand! They have quite a large catalog of images to choose from; composed mostly of nature, landscapes, and close-up photography. This might be the right company for you if you’re looking for a wooden puzzle but you’re not a fan of random or Victorian cut puzzles.

I love the dancing couple in the center!

Found Love back

It’s such a beautiful whimsy, but the rest of the pieces are so ho hum; I do wish they weren’t all so typical. I did know that going in, so there was no surprise, but I wanted to give this brand a try anyway. It was a fun little puzzle to assemble, and I’m glad I finally gave it a go. But I don’t think I’d buy any more puzzles than the two I purchased already. It’s only a personal preference, and not at all a reflection on their quality.

Found Love whimsy

This is a “teaser” puzzle, a small piece count and less expensive puzzle so you can try out the brand (or if you just enjoy small puzzles). The box is the size of a ring box, you could throw it in your purse or backpack and off you go!

It’s a lovely little puzzle, and I enjoyed putting it together.

Desserts

On November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles5 Comments

Some of the colors on these yummy desserts were the brightest and most colorful of all the mini shaped puzzles I’ve done so far, and they were so much fun! This was the last set that we finished during our mini puzzle marathon that had us completing 1500 pieces (3 sets) in one day!

There are only two sets left – mini cottages, and a second set of birds. I’m a little sad that there aren’t any more to look forward to, but I’m so happy I found them and that they brought me so much puzzle happiness. (Lafayette Puzzle Factory – if you’re listening, PLEASE make some more of these fun mini puzzles. Please.)

I put together the chocolate mousse cake, mom did the rainbow cake, and my son assembled the shakes. He couldn’t understand why in the world anyone would put pretzels or cracker jacks on a shake! (Seems weird to me too, but then again salty and sweet is a fantastic combination)

The fact that these were all so many different shapes made them lots of fun, a little challenging, and did I mention they were lots of fun? I loved them!!

Obviously I adore these little puzzle sets, if my count is correct this is the 11th set that I’ve done! Perhaps I’m a teeny bit obsessed. 😎 Of course part of it may be that my son loves working on them too and comes out of his room/cave to sit on my bed, watch tv with me, and work on these puzzles with his old mom. Quality time together with the people that I love makes puzzling even better! 💗

Pups in Cups

On November 15, 2018November 15, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles4 Comments

How cute are these puppies? So darn cute! They were absolutely as much fun as I’d hoped. I was finally able to get the last 4 sets of these mini puzzles, and mom, my oldest son and I went a little “mini puzzle crazy” a couple of weeks ago and assembled 3 sets in one day! 1500 pieces in total all in one day. 🙂

It’s not hard to get that many pieces assembled when you’ve got a lot of help and you’re putting together a lot of very small puzzles. It was so much fun working together – we had the best time!

The quality of these mini puzzles is very good. The pieces are a good thickness and fit together well, and the image reproduction is excellent. My only problem is that the colored backing seems to make it difficult for the die to cut completely through, and there are pieces on each of the mini puzzles that aren’t completely separated. It’s a minor detail, but worth mentioning.

Pups in Cups was the set I most wanted to assemble, and they didn’t disappoint. It’s so much adorable cuteness in one puzzle! The brightly colored cups were easy and fun to assemble, and the pups were more of a challenge than I thought they’d be. It was a great combination.

Pups in Cups 1 — Look at those sweet, sad eyes!

It was hard to choose a favorite, they’re all so sweet (and they didn’t have a Boston Terrier). But in my opinion all puppies are cute, no matter the breed.

These mini shaped puzzles are so much fun, and such a blessing when I’m not able to get out of bed and sit at the puzzle table. If I’m feeling well enough I can sit up and work them on my white board, and if I’m not they’re small enough to assemble one by one on a cookie sheet. And they’re much less expensive than the wooden micro puzzles!

If you haven’t tried shaped puzzles before and you’re not sure about them, I would recommend giving these mini shaped puzzles a try. Each mini puzzle has a different colored backing so that you can sort them easily, or if you want to give yourself a challenge you can ignore the backing and treat it like a regular 500 piece puzzle. They’re completely entertaining to assemble and so adorable! 🐾🐶🐾

Daisy Field Farm

On May 21, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles6 Comments

Here’s the last of the 3 “bathroom puzzles” – hubby enjoyed this one the best. Assembling the fence was his favorite part. He loves structure and linear images so the fence was what he wanted to work on the most. I even left the last 10 pieces of this puzzle for him to put in – what a sweet wife he has! 😉

This puzzle was as much fun to assemble as the other two, and I was sad for us when it was finished. I didn’t see any more at the store the last time I was there except for Starry Night, and I don’t think I’m brave enough for that.

I have to go out twice tomorrow for appointments, so if I’m feeling ok I just might make a stop at the same store and see what else there is for me. These aren’t premium quality, but they’ve got me and my husband working together on puzzles again, that’s what makes me happiest about them.

Delphinium Cottage

On May 12, 2018 By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw PuzzlesLeave a comment

I thought I should show one of these mini framed puzzles actually in the frame. The glue I used was high gloss, so there’s a bit of glare; but it looks pretty darn good to me. ☺

This was the second of my newly named “bathroom puzzles”, and hubby and I enjoyed assembling it very much. It’s difficult not to work on a puzzle when it’s sitting there – and you’re sitting there. To be honest, I miss not having a tiny puzzle in there now that they’re all assembled. Here’s hoping I find more of them one of these days.

I found this image easier to work with than Colors of Venice, and it went together more quickly. The bright flowers and more obvious contrasts helped speed up the pace; it was much easier to separate out certain sections. It may have helped that we were a little more experienced with the very small pieces too – they really were great fun!

To be honest, I didn’t even notice the puppy in the bushes until I was assembling the dogs in the grass. I got all the dogs in the foreground put together and still had pieces with light yellow fur on them, they didn’t seem to connect to the dogs already assembled, where in the world did they go? And how did I miss that every time I looked at the poster? I’m claiming muddled middle-aged brain as an excuse for my lack of perception.😉

I’ll puzzle just about anywhere that’s it’s possible, obviously. It actually helps me deal with my chronic pain, and reduces my anxiety and stress. And even if those things weren’t a factor I find puzzling to be fun, engaging, entertaining, and satisfying. Whatever reason motivates you to puzzle is the best reason there is. Puzzle on my friends!