A Very Merry Holiday!

A Very Merry Holiday! by Neil Easton – Jumbo (Wasgij Original) – 1000 pieces

Suddenly a few days ago I remembered all the Wasgij puzzles I have here to do, and I also remembered how exceptional the quality is and how much fun they are. Of course it was time to grab one of them and put it together. This was the first one I got my hands on, and it looked perfect for this time of year – lots of sun and sand and people at the beach.â›±

If you’re new to Wasgij puzzles (jigsaw spelled backwards), you do not puzzle the image shown on the box, in the original series of puzzles you are shown a character on the box image and told to puzzle what that person/character sees. There are a few hints, you can see people or things in front of them and for the rest you have to just go where the puzzle takes you. It isn’t as difficult as it sounds, you will find colors or patterns when sorting or laying out the pieces – just grab some pieces and get puzzling!

Another hint is that there is one person or character shown on the box that will be in the finished image. That is the only part of the completed puzzle that I show here, I never want to spoil the fun for anyone – it’s more fun to figure it out yourself. At least I think it is.

I had the best time with this puzzle; in fact I told both Penny and my hubby that it was dangerous. It was so enjoyable for me that I couldn’t stop myself from working on it and sat in front of the board for WAY too long. I should have taken many more breaks to give my poor hip a rest, but I just didn’t want to stop! Even after I went to bed, when I didn’t fall asleep right away I got myself out of bed and had to put more pieces in. Maybe it was just me, but if that isn’t the case I feel it’s my duty to warn you that assembling this puzzle may be addictive.

If a Wasgij puzzle seems like something you might want to try, this one is most definitely recommended. 😎

Slumber Party!

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Slumber Party! (Wasgij Imagine #3) by Neil Easton – Jumbo – 1000 pieces

Why can’t grandpa get some rest? What in the world is going on while everyone else is asleep? You’ll be surprised when you puzzle the answer. 🙂

Another awesome Wasgij by Jumbo, with excellent artwork by Neil Easton. The box shows a crazy evening at home with everyone getting ready for bed, crying children, barking dog, etc. You must imagine what the scene looks like a couple of hours from then – what is going on and what has woken grandpa? I thought I had it figured out pretty quickly, but it turns out I was only half right. 😦 I usually get it early, but this one stumped me a little bit!

Jumbo quality is some of the best there is. It’s right up there with Ravensburger in my opinion; and in some areas I think Jumbo beats Ravensburger. They’re both at the top of my list, we’ll call it a tie.

This puzzle was quite fun, and I really enjoyed the assembly which is no surprise. Cartoon puzzle?- check, Jumbo quality? – check, Mystery picture? – check, Awesome puzzle play time? – double check!

Back to…. Basics!

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Wasgij Back to …. Basics! by Neil Easton – Jumbo – 1000 pieces

You’re probably tired of hearing me say this, but this puzzle was so fun! Pretty much most of the puzzles I do are enjoyable – because jigsaw puzzles are fun!! And as usual with a Wasgij puzzle I am not showing the entire image – no spoilers here!

It took longer than usual to finish this puzzle, most of the week was spent lying in bed and resting – but I buckled down and finally got it done. This Wasgij concept is Back to…. In these puzzles the box shows you a scene as it is today, and you have to puzzle what it would have been like back then – a time period of their choosing. For this particular image the box shows a family’s living room as it is today – people on cell phones, playing video games, on the computer, listening to an MP3 player, reading a tablet, etc. So what would this living room have looked like back in the 60’s? What kept everyone entertained before computers, cell phones and electronic games?

I love this concept, and I was excited to get going on this puzzle – of course it didn’t disappoint! (Tiny spoiler alert) My favorite thing about this puzzle was a small thing but it made me happy – they were playing a board game that looks like Parcheesi! My family and I love that game and I played it with the kids a LOT when they were younger. My daughter learned it so well that she became quite the shark and was ruthless when playing – her daddy taught her that! Anyway, it made me smile. 🙂

I enjoyed this assembly very much, in this particular image it was quite easy to pull out a section of color or pattern and put it together. One pattern leads to another and before you know it everything is connecting and coming together to form the entire image. The artwork by Neil Easton is well done with clean lines and lots of humor. And as usual the pieces are thick, fit together extremely well and have a matte finish with an almost waxy feel. Jumbo puzzles are some of the best out there – they’re right up there with Ravensburger in my opinion. I love them both!

I haven’t tried a Wasgij Mystery puzzle yet, so I think that may be the next one I try. I can’t wait to solve the mystery and puzzle what happens!