More Spots!* – Brother/Sister Design Studio – 100 pieces
When I see this puzzle I imagine the little guy was trying to add more spots, so that’s what I named it. Sometimes when puzzles aren’t titled I try to give them titles that are funny, silly, ironic, or just nonsensical – this time it was just accurate – my creativity didn’t seem to be flowing well that day.
All the puzzles I’ve assembled from the Brother/Sister Design Studio (Hobby Lobby’s brand) have been very good quality; thick pieces, nice fit, good variety of shapes, and a nice matte finish.
I don’t think I’ve been in one of their stores for almost a decade now, but am sent some of their puzzles from time to time by a friend. They’re very nice puzzles, it’s just not a place I spend my money.
Have you ever noticed how much orange coloring there is on butterflies? I’m not sure I ever have until now. It’s not a color one might normally say looks particularly pretty, but here it looks amazing. Just my weird observation.
When assembling these mini puzzle sets I almost never look at the box or poster, it’s more fun to just figure it out on my own. If I was looking for help it would take much less time and I enjoy getting to complete each one at my own pace.
The color of the purple one was my favorite out of all 18, just absolutely stunning! The blue one took me longer than it should have, I was expecting the shape to go upwards and it just kept getting wider and wider.
I’m not certain what the difference is between moth and butterfly, but some of these with their furry bodies seemed more moth-like. It doesn’t make them any less lovely, they just didn’t seem like butterflies to my untrained eye.
Aren’t the pastel colors on the one at the far right just amazing? Love the look of that one. 💗
This gorgeous set had 18 puzzles instead of the usual 12. So instead of many days of butterflies with no commentary other than “look how pretty they are”, I’ll just split this up into two days of posts. Each separate puzzle won’t be getting it’s own picture, but they’ll be in groups of three.
They were all quite good quality, and there were far fewer pieces connected than there usually are. Perhaps Cra-Z-Art is getting better at cutting all the way through the colored backing, or perhaps this is one of the rare times that I ended up with a puzzle that was cut when the die was new and sharp. You’re always hearing me say that a puzzle may have been cut at the end of the run when the die was dull, what a novel thing to have the opposite – finally!
I enjoyed all the different shapes of the puzzles. And that pink one on the right is gorgeous!
You can tell that there are big differences in the sizes as well. Some puzzles were only around 15 pieces, and some were closer to 60. It’s nice that they’re all not just the same shape and size with only the colors separating each species.
I spent A LOT of time yesterday trying to decide on the next puzzle; for some reason my brain was being extremely fickle and I just couldn’t stick with one choice. Several times the decision was made, and several times I changed my mind. At one point I thought the best way to come up with the next puzzle was to go shopping and find something new – my brain is so weird sometimes.
Eventually everything finally came to rest on this set of 18 butterflies and I was able to get them sorted while I was in bed watching tv. I’ve only gotten a few of them finished this morning; either they’re more difficult than usual or I haven’t had enough coffee yet. Or it could be both.
There are some large butterflies in this set and some beautiful (but difficult) patterns. I’ve found myself staring at the pieces, completely engrossed in the assembly; I forget there’s coffee next to me, I forget everything until that mini puzzle is done. Then I come out of my stupor to find that much time has passed and my coffee is cold!
Some of the sets are quite easy to assemble, and some are more challenging. So far I’d put this one in the more challenging category. Last night was a terrible night for sleep and I’m dragging and feeling stupid this morning – that could be a part of the problem. Perhaps I should go watch a couple episodes of the current show I’m binge-watching; I can have a few cups of coffee and make sure I’m more awake and aware before I attempt to put together any more pretty butterflies.
It’ll probably be about a month before you start seeing the assembled flutter-bys being posted, but please don’t expect names and bios; although they’re beautiful creatures they just don’t have personality to speak of.
If I can’t see faces I can’t see individuality, identity, charisma, or emotion. Without those I’ve got nuthin’!
Pretty Kitties by Keith Kimberlin – Cra-Z-Art – Approx. 125/500 pieces
Our last day of the Pretty Kitties, and to be honest I’m so glad! I’m just not a cat person, and although these little ones are exceptionally cute they’re just not the subject matter I prefer. I’m sure you could tell by their backstories, it was difficult for me at times to come up with anything to say, they just aren’t that inspiring for this little old lady who prefers dogs. Oh well, I enjoyed the puzzle aspect of them and that’s what truly matters here at My Jigsaw Journal.
I hope some of you have been inspired to give one of these sets of small shaped puzzles a try, they really are enjoyable to play with. Taking a small pile of pieces and in a few minutes having a complete little puzzle is so satisfying and feels like an achievement; and they’re great when you don’t have a lot of time to sit and puzzle. I adore smaller puzzles, and these are terribly cute – even I have to admit that. 😸
This color is awful, honestly it’s like a bad 70s outfit. Mirielle here doesn’t mind though, she’s a budding designer who loves all things fashion. Her style is quite bold, as you can see, and she loves to shock with her mix of fabrics and textures. She’s hoping to attend the Massachu-catts College of Art and Design to study both design and merchandising. I’m not sure Mirielle will make it as a designer, but you never know – there’s no accounting for taste.
This is one of my favorites; love the color of this purse and the big, chunky beads. This is Pamela, and she is very regimented in her ways. For example, she has this bag because it matches her eyes – things have to match! It will come as no surprise that she’s going to college for a degree in mathematics; because rules are rules and there’s no changing them for math. I’m not sure how she’s going to use her degree, but hopefully if she becomes a teacher she can learn to relax a little bit. Sometimes bending the rules is necessary, and life doesn’t have to be so rigid. Perhaps Pamela might benefit from some yoga or meditation, or a fun partner who is a bit more adventurous. 😉
And lastly we have Herman. He’s that guy in high school who knew he was good looking, he’s kind of a …… lady’s feminine hygiene product one might use on a summer’s eve. All the girls think he’s awesome, and they call him Herm. He’s not awesome, he’s a lazy user who gets what he wants by stepping on and over other people. I hope Herm changes his ways very soon, if not, he’ll probably be a politician, the worst kind of politician. Ugh. Other people are important Herman, everyone is important to someone – grow up!
My Jigsaw Journal 