Tag: Review

Review: Pasture’s Edge (Moo)

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
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Pasture’s Edge (Moo) by Linda Elliott – Ceaco – 550 pieces

This image grabbed me right away when I saw it, and it makes me laugh to look at it. The beautiful flowers everywhere and the angry looking cows are quite opposite and I find it hilarious.

The quality was good with very nice image reproduction and a great fit. The pieces are on the thin side, but sturdy enough with a good variety of shapes. Ceaco isn’t a brand I normally buy new, but I really loved this image and couldn’t pass it up.

It was more difficult than I bargained for, but not too much so. I started with the black and white of the cows, and then assembled each of the different colors of flowers. Once all the flowers were complete all that was left was the grass, and it was relatively easy to fill in. The different textures of the grass in the foreground and background helped, as did the different piece shapes.

This was a fun puzzle, I love the image and it was challenging in a good way. If the image is something you like, I would definitely recommend it. It isn’t a premium quality puzzle, but I found it worth my time, and it still makes me smile to look at the picture. Moo! 🐮

Details:

  • Title:                  Pasture’s Edge (Moo)
  • Artist:                Linda Elliott
  • Brand:               Ceaco
  • Piece count:     550 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 24 x 18 in. (61 x 46 cm)
  • Purchased:      New

Quality:

  • Board:               Good
  • Cutting:             Good
  • Image:               Very good
  • Box:                   Average
  • Fit:                     Very good
  • Puzzle Dust:     Moderate amount
  • Piece cut:          Grid cut
  • Piece shapes:   Good variety
  • Finish:               Slightly shiny finish, lays flat

Overall Rating:      Good, recommended

Review: Butterfly Kingdom

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviews4 Comments
This post is sponsored by Bone Owl Puzzles.
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Butterfly Kingdom – Bone Owl Puzzles – 1000 pieces

Butterfly Kingdom is a beautiful image and makes for a wonderfully challenging puzzle. I enjoyed the random cut and oddly shaped pieces which added to the difficulty, but didn’t detract at all from the entertainment of the assembly.

Bone Owl Puzzles is a new company based in Canada offering a small selection of beautifully crafted “offbeat” jigsaw puzzles from artists all around the world. Their puzzles are manufactured in the US and I found them to be very good quality. The images are unique and interesting and I had a difficult time choosing which puzzle I wanted to review. They have 6 different puzzles in their catalog at the moment, and I was only able to narrow it down to 4. I had to enlist the help of my husband and sons to help me decide! The artwork is so beautiful and unique and each of the choices had something that really drew me in; that’s so important – having images that inspire and get you excited about assembling them.

The quality of the puzzles was very good, and I was quite impressed. The pieces are made from single-ply chipboard to prevent the splitting that sometimes happens with lesser quality multi-layered board. They are a good thickness and fit together well, and have a linen finish that gives a luxurious feel. The image reproduction is excellent, the lines are crisp and the colors are amazing.

My only problem with the quality was the large amount of puzzle dust. It can be annoying to deal with, but in the end doesn’t really interfere with my enjoyment of the assembly. I’ve learned that if you get a puzzle that’s near the end of the run when the die is getting duller you’ll have more dust. I’ve had many premium quality puzzles with a lot of dust, and I don’t consider it to be a flaw, it’s just one of those things that sometimes happens – there is no perfect manufacturing process. I’ve never assembled a cardboard puzzle that didn’t have at least some dust, for me it’s just part of the process of working with puzzles.

The pictures above show the unique cut of the pieces and the beautiful colors in the image, it was a fascinating puzzle that was a joy to assemble. I enjoy the random cut, it keeps me on my toes and makes me look at the pieces differently. The image is always the key though; if the image is boring or uninspiring I won’t be assembling the puzzle no matter how interesting the pieces are.

The trees on either side of the image were the most challenging part of the puzzle for me, but not too much so. There are shades of color and patterns in the tree trunks that help with the assembly, along with the unique shapes of the pieces. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it might be, and I was nearing the end of the assembly and very motivated to see the entire finished image. It was the perfect combination of fun and challenging for me and the completed puzzle is gorgeous!

Bone Owl Puzzles are definitely recommended. This puzzle was a treat to assemble and I look forward to working on more of their puzzles, the only problem is choosing which one I’d like to do next. 👍

Details:

  • Title:                  Butterfly Kingdom
  • Artist:                Dan May
  • Brand:               Bone Owl Puzzles
  • Piece count:     1000 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 27 x 19 in. (68 x 49 cm)
  • Purchased:      N/A, sent for review

Quality:

  • Board:               Very good
  • Cutting:             Very good
  • Image:               Excellent
  • Box:                   Average
  • Fit:                     Very good
  • Puzzle Dust:     Large amount of dust
  • Piece cut:          Random cut
  • Piece shapes:   Very good variety
  • Finish:               Matte finish, lays flat

Overall Rating:      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.

 

Review: Cupcakes I

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviews2 Comments
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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Cupcakes I – Lafayette Puzzle Factory – 500 pieces

Cupcakes I is one of a series of mini shaped puzzles that I found to be great fun. As soon as mom and each finished one of the cupcakes I knew I was in trouble – I want every single set of puzzles in this series!

My picture isn’t the best, I can usually do a better job, but the picture I took seems quite dark. I wanted to show the beautiful colors and shapes in greater detail….

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This would be a great way to start out with shaped puzzles if you’re intimidated or not sure about them. These are color coded on the back so that you can sort them easily, or if you’re looking for more of a challenge you can just ignore the colored backs and put them together without any assistance. I had the best time putting these together and can’t wait to try out all the other puzzles in the series. There are more cupcakes, fish, puppies, high heeled shoes, birds, butterflies, and teacups.

Lafayette Puzzle Factory has an extremely varied catalog and beautiful images to choose from. Their pieces are a good thickness and fit together well; and the image reproduction is bright and colorful. This is only the second adult puzzle by LPF that I’ve assembled, and I find their image reproduction to be stellar – absolutely gorgeous! The finish is slightly shiny and can cause glare under artificial lights although I didn’t find it too annoying. For me the image is a major factor in puzzle quality, and if the colors are bright and fun to work with I find it easier to overlook other minor quality issues. Click the link above to see the puzzles they have in stock now at Puzzle Warehouse.

I highly recommend these shaped mini puzzles, they are so much fun to assemble!

Details:

  • Title:                  Cupcakes I
  • Artist:                Cra-Z-Art
  • Brand:               Lafayette Puzzle Factory
  • Piece count:     500 pieces
  • Size:                  N/A – 12 small shaped puzzles
  • Purchased:      N/A, sent for review

Quality:

  • Board:               Very good
  • Cutting:             Very good
  • Image:               Very good
  • Box:                   Average – must cut to open
  • Fit:                     Very good
  • Puzzle Dust:     Very small amount
  • Piece cut:          Grid cut
  • Piece shapes:   Good variety
  • Finish:               Slightly shiny finish, lays flat

Overall Rating:      Very good, highly 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.

Review: Yoga Dogs

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviews2 Comments
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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Yoga Dogs – Eurographics – 1000 pieces

Yoga Dogs was so much fun to assemble, and the first 1000 piece puzzle I assembled this month. I’ve been having so much trouble sitting to puzzle that most of the puzzles I’ve put together have been 500 pieces or less. This one took a while, but was completely worth it.

One thing I’ve noticed with Eurographics puzzles is the obvious piece shapes in the finished image. It doesn’t really affect the enjoyment of assembly for me, but if you’re looking to frame a finished puzzle it’s something to consider. I have found though, that if you glue the puzzle before framing it reduces the appearance of the piece shapes. The glue fills in some of the space and the image doesn’t seem as chopped up.

Eurographics have an excellent catalog, including some fascinating educational puzzles along with landscapes, fine art, interesting collages, and much more. They are made from good quality chipboard and are randomly cut which gives a very good variety of piece shapes. The image reproduction is very good with a slightly shiny finish that can cause glare under artificial lights. Check out all the Eurographics puzzles currently in stock at Puzzle Warehouse. There are plenty of great images to choose from, even a 300 piece Yoga Puppies puzzle that looks so precious!

The assembly was relatively easy, I separated out all the pieces with letters or words and also all the background colors. It was simple to assemble each colored background and place it in the frame, and once all the colors were put together finishing off all the dogs and fur was the most challenging part. All in all it was quite an entertaining puzzle and if you’re a fan of dogs or collages I definitely recommend it. 🐶

Details:

  • Title:                  Yoga Dogs
  • Artist:                Unknown
  • Brand:               Eurographics
  • Piece count:     1000 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 19 x 27 in. (49 x 68 cm)
  • Purchased:      N/A, sent for review

Quality:

  • Board:               Very good
  • Cutting:             Good
  • Image:               Very good
  • Box:                   Average
  • Fit:                     Slightly loose
  • Puzzle Dust:     Moderate amount
  • Piece cut:          Random cut
  • Piece shapes:   Very good variety
  • Finish:               Slightly shiny finish, lays flat

Overall Rating:      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.

Review: Ladybugs

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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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:                  Ladybugs
  • Artist:                Michael Searle
  • Brand:               MasterPieces
  • Piece count:     100 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 15 x 12 in. (39 x 29 cm)
  • Purchased:      N/A, sent for review

Quality:

  • Board:               Very good
  • Cutting:             Very good
  • Image:               Excellent
  • Box:                   Average
  • Fit:                     Very good
  • Puzzle Dust:     Small amount
  • Piece cut:          Grid cut
  • Piece shapes:   Very good variety
  • Finish:               Slightly shiny finish, somewhat grainy feel, lays flat

Overall Rating:      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.