Tag: Review

Review: Paradise Banderoles

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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Paradise Banderoles by Eva Marie Nitsche – Schmidt – 500 pieces

Paradise Banderoles was the first puzzle I can remember that when I was finished I wanted to take it apart and immediately do it again. It was just a thoroughly enjoyable assembly from start to finish – fabulous!

I believe this is only the 3rd Schmidt Puzzle I’ve completed, and I’m wondering why in the world I haven’t ordered more. The quality of these puzzles is stellar, and it makes the assembly experience even more wonderful. The finish on the pieces feels lovely, and the pieces themselves are extremely thick and sturdy. They fit together satisfyingly, they almost settle into place – I can’t recommend this brand enough!

After I assembled the edge, I had to stop myself from working on the puzzle for a while. The pieces felt so good and fit together so well that I knew if I let myself I wouldn’t get up from the puzzle table until it was finished. I wanted to enjoy the assembly, so I made it last a little while. I started assembling the scalloped lines separating each section, and the entire puzzle just came together. It wasn’t overly challenging, but enjoyable regardless. I was slightly disappointed that there were only 500 pieces – I would have loved to have spent more time with it! Two thumbs way up!! 👍👍

Details:

  • Title:                  Paradise Banderoles
  • Artist:                Eva Marie Nitsche
  • Brand:               Schmidt
  • Piece count:     500 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 19 x 13 in. (48 x 34 cm)
  • Purchased:      n/a

Quality:

  • Board:               Excellent
  • Cutting:             Excellent
  • Image:               Excellent
  • Box:                   Average
  • Fit:                     Excellent
  • Puzzle Dust:     Small amount
  • Piece cut:          Grid cut
  • Piece shapes:   Good variety
  • Finish:               Matte finish, lays flat

Overall Rating:      Excellent, 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: Sweet Surprise

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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Sweet Surprise by Steve Barry – PuzzleTwist – 1000 pieces

That’s not a picture of a completed puzzle! What gives? Well, it’s a surprise, a Sweet Surprise. Just like with What If and Wasgij puzzles, I’m not showing the finished product because that would give it away, and it might spoil someone else’s fun. This is a picture of the puzzle in black and white; the twist is the puzzle inside is in full color! And not only that, once the color is added it forms a picture that you can’t really see it until it’s all done. It’s sweet, trust me. But just to prove I actually completed the puzzle, here’s the lower right hand corner. I’m not giving anything away, this is the portion of the puzzle shown in color on the box. 😉

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I had no idea that it would be as difficult as it was, it took me 4 days to do this one! 😮 Usually I can finish a 1000 piece puzzle in 2 days. It’s so different seeing the full image without color and translating that to the pieces you’ve assembled with color. My brain was working overtime!

The PuzzleTwist quality was very good, I was impressed. The pieces are sturdy, with a good thickness and they fit together quite well. The image reproduction is crisp and clean, with wonderfully bright colors. The cut is random with a very good variety of piece shapes, and there was almost no puzzle dust in the bag. Overall an excellent first impression was made. Click the link above to see all the “twists” currently available at Puzzle Warehouse. There are 6 different types of puzzles, all with a separate twist on the box image; Something’s Amiss!, 4More!, What’s Up?, Here or There?, Mixed Up!, and Reveal the Color!.

Even though it was a bit of a challenge, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will say, there is a LOT of green in this puzzle. A LOT! Luckily there are different textures and shades for each of the green candies used, so although it may test you, it can definitely be done! I’m really proud of myself, my brain cells may have gotten an extra bit of a workout, but they were up to the challenge – even if it took a bit longer than expected. Definitely recommended. 👍

Details:

  • Title:                  Sweet Surprise
  • Artist:                Steve Barry
  • Brand:               PuzzleTwist
  • Piece count:     1000 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 19 x 27 in. (48 x 69 cm)
  • Purchased:      n/a

Quality:

  • Board:               Very good
  • Cutting:             Very good
  • Image:               Excellent
  • Box:                   Average
  • Fit:                     Very good
  • Puzzle Dust:     None
  • 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: Christmas Ornaments

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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Christmas Ornaments – Cobble Hill Puzzles – 1000 pieces

Christmas Ornaments was quite the challenge, but still fun – and gorgeous! A perfect holiday decoration if you’re someone who likes to glue and frame puzzles. If you’re not, it would be a great puzzle for the family to work on during a Christmas get together, it’s a wonderful challenge! 🎄

I’ve always enjoyed Cobble Hill Puzzles, their puzzles are very well made and they have a wonderful catalog to choose from – excellent collages too! The fit on this puzzle was quite loose, but otherwise it was good quality. The image reproduction is lovely, and the pieces themselves are a good thickness and very sturdy. The cut is random and has an good variety of piece shapes. Overall a very good quality puzzle, I only wish the fit was a little more snug.

This assembly took me several days, a bit longer than usual. Once the edge was completed I pulled what I could find of the Santa ornament and assembled that. The rest of that first day was basically me sitting down to try and fit a few pieces together and staring at the puzzle and the pieces trying to figure out where to go from there. I’m not usually so indecisive, but this one had me stumped for a while. There are so many strings of beads and many similar ornaments that I wasn’t sure what the best way to attack it would be. Luckily the second day I had come up with a plan and things started moving a bit more quickly. It wasn’t easy, but it was a fun challenge. All you need is patience, and a good plan for sorting!

I chose this puzzle to review (a bit of a shocker, because I’m not really of a fan of Christmas puzzles). It’s not your typical Christmas image and it’s also a collage of sorts; both of these are a plus in my book. There are pages and pages of Christmas puzzles to choose from at Puzzle Warehouse, there’s sure to be something to please just about everyone. They’ve got everything from collages to nativities, and all manner of interesting puzzles in between. If I could find a Christmas puzzle I really liked, they MUST have an excellent variety to choose from. 😉

Details:

  • Title:                  Christmas Ornaments
  • Artist:                Cobble Hill Puzzles
  • Brand:               Cobble Hill Puzzles
  • Piece count:     1000 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 27 x 19 in. (68 x 49 cm)
  • Purchased:      n/a

Quality:

  • Board:               Very good
  • Cutting:             Very good
  • Image:               Very good
  • Box:                   Average
  • Fit:                     A bit loose
  • Puzzle Dust:     Moderate amount
  • Piece cut:          Random cut
  • Piece shapes:   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: Canned Veggies

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviews1 Comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse.
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Canned Veggies – Springbok – 500 pieces

Canned Veggies makes me think of fall up north, canning fruits and vegetables with mom. There was a lot of peeling, cutting, and whining going on. (I didn’t always have a great time, especially when we were canning foods I don’t like) 🙂

This is another tight fitting Springbok puzzle. I’m not much of a fan of the super tight fit, but this wasn’t too bad, at least the sides aren’t curling up! Springbok puzzles are very good quality, and my preference for a slightly looser fit doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate that quality. The pieces are very thick, and fit together very snugly. The image reproduction on this puzzle was bright and crisp, and would be quite suitable for framing – it would be perfect in the kitchen! With the tighter fit, you most likely wouldn’t have to glue the puzzle, just frame it as is. Click to see all Springbok puzzles currently in stock at Puzzle Warehouse. They have some beautiful images, including Off the Vine – a gorgeous collage of wine labels – beautiful! (And I don’t even like wine 😐 )

I enjoyed this assembly, although I wasn’t prepared for the challenge of it. It looks pretty straightforward, but the darker areas made me slow down and I had to concentrate more. That’s probably a good thing though! I think this puzzle may end up framed and in my mother’s kitchen, she loves the look of it; and it reminds me of her. ❤

Details:

  • Title:                  Canned Veggies
  • Artist:                Allied Products
  • Brand:               Springbok
  • Piece count:     500 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 18 x 24 in. (46 x 60 cm)
  • Purchased:      n/a

Quality:

  • Board:               Very good
  • Cutting:             Very good
  • Image:               Very good
  • Box:                   Average
  • Fit:                     Good, very tight
  • Puzzle Dust:     Moderate amount
  • Piece cut:          Random cut
  • Piece shapes:   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: Dream Cottage Retreat

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzles, Puzzle reviewsLeave a comment
This post is sponsored by Puzzle Warehouse. 
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Dream Cottage Retreat by Cra-Z-Art – Kodak (Lafayette Puzzle Factory) – 1000 pieces

Dream Cottage Retreat is a gorgeous puzzle! Several family members commented on it while I was assembling it, that isn’t something that usually happens around here. They all said how colorful and pretty it was and I agree. 🙂

This was my first experience with Kodak, according to Puzzle Warehouse they are manufactured by Lafayette Puzzle Factory. I was impressed with the overall quality although I did have some minor issues. There were several sets of pieces that weren’t fully separated; this is not a major issue as it’s easy enough to separate them without damage to the pieces. There were, however, 3 sets of pieces that weren’t cut completely through and couldn’t be separated without damage. Both of these issues are most likely the result of the puzzle being the end of the run when the die isn’t as sharp. This didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the puzzle, and the overall quality of this puzzle was very good. The pieces are a good thickness and fit together well, if somewhat loosely. The image reproduction especially is excellent and looking at the other puzzles in the series, the images they’ve chosen look to be amazing as well. Click on the link to see all the Kodak Premium Puzzles in stock now at Puzzle Warehouse.

This was a random cut puzzle, which I find is a nice change every once in a while. It takes my brain a few minutes to make the switch, I solve these puzzles differently than grid cut. It’s good exercise for my brain, keeps me on my toes! Being random cut, some of the pieces of this puzzle seemed quite small, so if fine motor skills or eyesight is an issue it’s something to consider.

I love cottage/cabin puzzles, they are what the British would call “chocolate box” puzzles. I had to look it up, but it means an image or picture that is pretty in a idealized or conventional way. They seem pretty ideal to me; places that I would love to go, or a cottage that would be my dream getaway. Wouldn’t it be lovely to sit in the gazebo with a puzzle on a beautiful summer day?

I enjoyed this assembly, and it went quicker than most 1000 piece puzzles for me. It was hard to stop working on it to do all those annoying life things like eating, walking, etc. As always, I come back to my puzzling – it keeps me sane. ☺

Details:

  • Title:                  Dream Cottage Retreat
  • Artist:                Cra-Z-Art
  • Brand:               Kodak (Lafayette Puzzle Factory)
  • Piece count:     1000 pieces
  • Size:                  Approx. 19 x 27 in. (50 x 68 cm)
  • Purchased:      n/a

Quality:

  • Board:               Very good
  • Cutting:             Fair
  • Image:               Excellent
  • Box:                   Very good, small and square
  • Fit:                     Good, somewhat loose
  • Puzzle Dust:     Small 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.