Mill Cottage In Progress

Mill Cottage IP
Mill Cottage by Debbie Cook – Milton Bradley – 1000 pieces

I was up most of the night, so this puzzle finally got sorted and started. Yay insomnia? Yeah, I don’t think so. 🥱

On the plus side I’m finally working a puzzle again after a couple of days of almost no puzzling at all; on the minus side I’m exhausted and loopy and not all here mentally. Although one could argue that I am never “all there”. Whatever. I’m lots of fun!

When I was near the end of the sorting I found a couple of edge pieces that had become completely delaminated (the image was separated from the chipboard), but luckily both parts of the pieces were there so I could fix them before I started assembling. It was odd that it was only two pieces and that they were next to each other along the edge.

Mill Cottage pieces

The paper used for the image was quite sturdy, in fact when I was sorting I didn’t notice that these two pieces were much thinner than the rest. But I recognized immediately that the two pieces of chipboard had no image on one side. It was easily remedied with a little bit of super glue, not much of a problem at all really. Onward!

It looks as though it’s going to be a difficult assembly – there’s a LOT of green. But perhaps I’m wrong and it’ll be much easier than I thought. Here’s hoping.

I hope all you members of the PADS Posse have a great day, with plenty of time for our favorite hobby/obsession. Happy puzzling! 🧩

Thank You Easter Bunny!

Temperature IP
What’s the Temperature? by Lois B. Sutton – White Mountain – 1000 pieces

I didn’t get a basket full of Easter eggs and candy, but look what the Easter Bunny DID bring me – an empty puzzle board so I can get back to the thing that lifts my spirits and keeps me a little more sane. Thank you Easter Bunny! 🐰

Now that’s more like it! This is what my puzzle board is supposed to look like; it’s usually a bit more chaotic with trays and pieces everywhere, but when there’s a puzzle on the board then I am definitely much happier! (Just ask my family, I’ve been a bit grouchy without my puzzles)

Now that I’m back to it, I will hopefully be a little easier to be quarantined with. I have PADS, and my mental health and level of happiness is directly tied to my puzzles; it’s a very good thing that I have my puzzle room back, with an empty (of sewing materials) puzzle board full of possibilities.

Whatever you celebrate – I hope you’re observing your respective holidays at home, to keep yourselves and others safe. Happy Easter, Passover, Ramadan, or whatever holiday you observe. If you don’t observe any holidays this month, Happy Sunday!

Stay home, stay safe, happy puzzling! 🧩

Air Mail In Progress

Air Mail IP
Air Mail – Re-marks – 500 pieces

On what was most likely my last puzzle shopping trip for quite some time I got myself a few collages. Collage puzzles are my happy place, and what I need right now are puzzles that make me happy. 💖

This collage of stamps is this first one I’ve picked to assemble, and it looks like it’s going to be great fun! Once the edge was assembled the first stamp I saw that I wanted to put together was Rosie the Riveter. She makes me smile, and also makes me think of the times we’re living in right now.

When called upon, the greatest generation did what needed to be done; men enlisted, women went to work in the factories, they rationed food, they limited their travel to save on resources for our troops, and much more. With Covid-19 running rampant across the globe, we all have to pitch in where we can – even if all we can do is stay at home when we are asked to, to help stop the spread of the virus.

As a disabled person who also has underlying conditions that make me more vulnerable, all I am really able do to pitch in and help out my community is to stay at home. All that’s being asked of me right now is to plant myself inside and stay there; I can absolutely do that without complaint.

In this unique situation in the world today everyone can help out in some way, even if the only way for us to help is to do nothing (or do puzzles) in our homes.

Just like Rosie, We Can Do It! 💪

Cake Shed In Progress

Cake Shed IP
Cake Shed by Steve Read – Buffalo – 2000 pieces

There hasn’t been as much progress on the Cake Shed as I’d have liked, but a family member was visiting this week and I didn’t spend as much time at home as I normally do. I’m back at home now; a bit worn out, but ready to get back to my big puzzle. 🧩

My apologies for the wonky picture, it looks to me as though it’s leaning at the top – it makes me tilt my head to the left every time I look at it!

The green dresser and shelf are next up, and hopefully that will fill things out a bit – but there are many, many green pieces so it may also take a bit of time. It’s been a pretty entertaining puzzle so far, and I’m enjoying it very much.

*I do admit to wishing it were only 1000 pieces at times; it’s taking up most of my puzzle board, and it’s sometimes anxiety-inducing when I walk into the puzzle room. #anxietysucks 😐

I hope you’re working on a fun puzzle today. Happy puzzling!

Songbirds In Progress

Songbirds IP
Stained Glass Songbirds by Ciro Marchetti – Buffalo – 500 pieces

This puzzle got started last night when I couldn’t sleep, but I made pretty good progress before I finally went back to bed. I’ve had this for quite a while now, but was never really in the right mood for it, but last night was the night!

It’s a thrift store purchase, and I was surprised to find that this puzzle was unopened – it was one that mom bought. An unopened puzzle at the thrift store is a treasure indeed, and mom was good at finding buried treasure within the shelves of the thrift store. 🙂

I was also surprised to see that this artwork was by Ciro Marchetti, I usually associate his name with fantasy images. It is beautiful though, like all of his artwork, and I’m hoping to get it finished sometime today if all goes well.

Happy puzzling today!