Vintage Collection Mini Puzzle - Lagoon (88 pieces)

Given as a gift from a dear friend this was a little trip down memory lane as I had this exact book when growing up. What a little treat and made me smile. 

Time taken: 5 minutes 

The Bizarre Bookshop 2 - Ravensburger (1000 pieces)

When I was first given this puzzle I nearly passed it on without checking it as I thought I had already completed. Little did I realise that Ravensburger has released a second version of their bookshop puzzle which I enjoyed immensely. With slight changes from the original and yet plenty of interesting quirks, I was soon totally engrossed. I put all the bookshelves in place and then began work on prominent coloured books, before filling in the gaps. 

Time taken: afternoon and evening 

Jan Van Haasteren - Jumbo (1000 pieces each)

I simply love Jan's work and couldn't believe my luck when presented with a set to check. For those who don't know the series or puzzles the pictures are busy, busy, busy with lots going on, plenty of humour, and yet still areas for you to start with rather than being too difficult. The puzzle world is a better place for the work of Van Haasteren! 

Time taken: an evening for each 

Secret Santa

My Secret Santa knows me well and I was presented with this little beauty - thank goodness it wasn't any larger than 500 pieces or I think it would have been very difficult. As it was I spent a happy 'snow day' afternoon feeling very peckish!

Time taken: afternoon

Wasgij Joy - Falcon (1000 pieces each)

A very happy occasion when you are given lots of puzzles to check, an even happier one when you are given several Wasgij ones. I was given a range from classic to destiny and had a very happy few afternoons working out what each picture was going to be. 

Time taken: approx 4 hours for each one

BCD Weekend

...and so it came round again - another chance to meet with people who love jigsaws as much as me, if not a little more!! The theme was trains and the orient so lots of scope for some lovely puzzles. I also had a personal mission to finish one which had been on the go for at least 3 meetings - it was lovely to finally get it finished and I feel it was one of the most lovely puzzles I have ever had the privilege of completing. 

Wasgij Blooming Marvellous - Falcon (1000 pieces)

I do love a good Wasgij and this was what I call 'an original' where you simply create what the people on the box people are looking at. Some of the newer range have different themes so it was nice to have an old school one given to me. I began with the fence and sky before moving onto the rather large caterpillar and finishing with finer details. A pleasant afternoon creating this fun picture. Falcon also cut well so pieces fit together satisfyingly. 

Time taken: 3 hours

Castle Howard - Country House Treasures (500 pieces)

I always think it shame when the cutting machine leaves in the white border of the puzzle in the final cut. It is even more frustrating when it is not around all four sides as was the case with the one. The puzzle itself was lovely, nice features to work with and a good amount of sky for this geek! The path and grass were the final pieces to be put in place and the overall enjoyment was good. 

Time taken: 1.5 hours 

Crazy World - King Puzzles (1000 pieces)

Amazing puzzle, but low quality card so flimsy pieces which don't feel nice and don't slot together with a satisfying click. The picture was brilliant however, and provided lot of lovely little details - such as animals, boats and buildings. I started with the sea area, progressed to grass/trees and finished with the sky after putting together the buildings. Loved the bright colours, just wish King could get the same quality as some of the mega firms. 

Time taken: 2.5 hours 

Polperro - WH Smiths (1000 pieces)

I have been given a collection of jigsaws to check and was excited to start with this one. Really great focal features in the two boats and the rest of the jigsaw quickly built up around it. The only really tricky bit was the pebble area, but as that was my final area I wasn't working with many pieces so it quickly fell into place. WH Smiths always do a nice clean cut so the pieces fit well. 

Time taken: 3 hours 

Cirencester Market - Wentworth Wooden Jigsaws (250 pieces)

What a charming little puzzle. Didn't take long to do, but a real pleasure. Lovely little 'whimsie' pieces, a local subject and bright colours to pull you in. Did the sky first, then buildings and finally the street scene. Just wish I could afford to get more of them! 

Time taken: 30 minutes 

Jigsaw Jigsaw - Mensa (1000 pieces)

I was given this 2 sided jigsaw some time ago by a friend and completed and enjoyed the 'normal' side at the time. I had then put it to one side knowing that I would need to be in the right frame of mind for the other side which as you can see what tricky. I wasn't wrong. The cut of the jigsaw actually worked against the cut of the picture which made it even harder than anticipated and by the end of the it I don't know whether I was pleased to have finished or simply relieved. Not one for the fainthearted! 

Time taken: Not worth thinking about.

BCD Weekend

Time races round now between BCD weekends and a weekend adventure in September was a much needed catch up with friends. One of the things I like most about these weekends is people bring puzzles along you wouldn't normally come across - this one was picked up at a car boot sale and its owner suggested I might enjoy it. We spent a happy morning busily completing it and I think you will agree it's a good one. Only disadvantage - it's push-fit, but then, you can't have it all. 

Time taken: morning 

Meekats - Impossipuzzle (100 pieces)

A friend gave me this puzzle knowing I like puzzles. Normally Impossipuzzles don't interest me terribly as I feel they are a mental challenge more than an enjoyable one, but this one bucked that trend. Perhaps because it was only tiny, and perhaps because you had clear meerkats to work with rather than a jumble or beans or smarties. Didn't take long, but was fun. 

Time taken: 10 minutes 

Seasons - WH Smiths (1000 pieces each)

4 puzzles in a box = a heavy box, but also equals a rather enjoyable couple of weekends. The cut was good and the pictures all great. Good details to focus in on from them all, but trickier areas as well. I decided to do them in order of what I felt was their difficulty, which equated to: Spring, Autumn, Summer, Winter. I tended to start with a key focal point such as one large tress, one area of colour, or the house and then built the puzzle up around this. 

                                             Time taken: spread over 2 weekends 

Name not known - maker not clear (1000 pieces)

Oh dear! Had I not been checking this for a fete I would have given up after tipping it out. The quality was very poor and even when completed some pieces would not sit flat - you can see this in the photo. The picture and subject were quite pretty, but the poor cut really did detract from the overall enjoyment of the puzzle.

Time taken: afternoon

Three Mini's - King (1000 pieces)

Normal cut problems aside this was a great offering from King. I went straight for the sign and lettering which turned out to be a lot of the puzzle done quite quickly. I then built up the cars, followed that with the posters and then placed other things in around it. This ensured the picture built up quickly and the overall result most pleasing. 

Time taken: evening 

A Peaceful Retreat - Gibsons (1000 pieces)

Beautiful picture, beautiful puzzle, lovely afternoon. The sky and water went first, followed by the green trees. I actually left the red trees until last and the house just before that. The subtle tones of the painting made for an interesting assembly and there is always a sense of deep satisfaction putting together something as beautiful as this! 

Time taken: afternoon

The Brands that Built Britain - Gibsons (1000 pieces)

This was a boomerang puzzle which I gave as a gift to someone knowing I would be able to do it after they had finished. It didn't disappoint. I love putting these types of puzzle together. Finding little signs, labels, colours, and pictures and then working out where they fit in relation to other things is always great fun. These puzzles do take longer than your average block colour ones, but are well worth it. 

Time taken: afternoon and evening 

Stratford - Jigraphy Cityscape Maps (300 pieces)

These are actually harder than you think they are going to be and having done a 1000 piece one some time ago of a town I knew I was quite relieved to see this had fewer pieces. There are some little tricks you can employ like looking at the house orientation on pieces, but essentially there are lots of roads to confuse. I put some of the larger names in first which gave me reference points as well as the river and railway line. Not a bad challenge though. 

Time taken: afternoon

Polperro Harbour - WH Smith (1000 pieces)

In a market seemingly dominated by Gibsons and Ravensburger I always enjoy a WH Smith Puzzle. The cut is of good quality and the card is thick enough for a good click. I was given this by a family member who lamented that there was too much blue and grey for him. I, however, always enjoy sky as it has subtle shades and palettes which I enjoy piecing together. I actually decided to leave the house until last on this occasion, getting the slightly trickier flowers out of the way earlier on. 

Time taken: evening 

Parcel for Canal Cottage - King (1000 pieces)

I am always slightly frustrated by King Puzzles as they are always a little flimsy and the cut can be a little poor - pieces often stick together and tear when you try to separate them. However, they do some lovely images, so if you can get past the poor quality the puzzles are good. This was no exception. I did my normal trick of starting with the sky, placed the cottage in place after that and then worked on the tree. The rest built up quickly and I enjoyed the overall image. 

Time taken: afternoon 

Chocolate - Paitnik (1000 pieces)

Finally, a tricky jigsaw which was actually good fun to do. I was lucky enough to be given this as a gift by someone who obviously understood that difficult puzzles don't actually have to be boring. This was a delight - lots of different elements made up what most people would just see as 'brown'. I started with the patterned chocolates, then put the chocolate drops in place before working on the cookies and other individual features. A great puzzle. 

Time taken: afternoon and evening 

Iroha Meguri - Appleone (1000 pieces)

I always enjoy puzzles from other countries and it is interesting to see the cut and style of pieces. This was a standard cut and the pieces didn't leave too much dust. The picture itself was beautiful and colours incredibly rich. I got the girl, ducks and grass in place first before tackling the pink flowers. The left hand side of the puzzle was left until last, but wasn't too difficult - I often enjoy building up tree branches. 

Time taken: evening 

London: Trafalgar Square - Ravensburger (1000 pieces)

I wasn't sure the picture was defined enough for my liking, but once I got going I was soon sold on the subtle lines and colours. I got the fountains, sky and buses in place first and then worked on the trees. There were subtle variations of grey, cream, and whites which I then sorted and built up the rest of the puzzle. The best bit was finding and placing the little people into their daily actions. 

Time taken: afternoon

The Bizarre Bookshop - Ravensburger (1000 pieces)

I really enjoyed this one. At first site it appeared that each book was going to have to be worked out on its own, but then after closer inspection I realised that there were coloured sections of the bookshelves which meant you could group and sort pieces. I started with the two black and white sections and then moved to the red, blue and green areas. Once all this was in place you could start to piece other quirky pieces in around it and the puzzle was soon done. 

Time taken: 4 hours 

Famous Places Collection - AA Puzzles (500 pieces)

I've done this puzzle more than once and have enjoyed it before so was not sorry to have another shot at it. I normally start by getting the skyline in place and completing the sky before moving onto the the domes. Once these are done it is a case of getting some of the brick work which is more obvious and then simply filling in the gaps. A nice puzzle and the cut wasn't bad. 

Time taken: 1.5 hours 

LINE CUT MISERY!!

It appears I have become to be known as 'that crazy lady, who will give anything a go'. Therefore when I was approached by a fellow BCD member with the words - 'I have a puzzle for you, it is too tricky for me, I've made a start but...' - I knew I was in for a challenge. Particularly because the member in question is a very good line cut jigger himself. Anyway, he had made a start on the birds and large shell and I was presented with the rest. I am not a fan of line cut jigsaws in the first instance, and this one seemed to follow no colour logic. However, my pride got in the way and instead of giving up I struggled on and did complete it. I can't say I enjoyed it, but at least I can say it didn't beat me. It is now all packaged and ready to be shown at the next BCD meeting.

Time taken: I don't wish to think about it....

The curse of a puzzle checker...

It's that time of year again - the final push for puzzles to be ready for fundraising fetes and sales. I am currently ploughing my way through a selection of children and adult puzzles (2 big boxes) and every time I see an end I am quickly topped up by committee members and local groups. However, how lucky I am to have a constant stream of free puzzles to do! One happy lady - but thank goodness it is the summer holidays! 

Pippin - myphotopuzzle.co.uk (500 pieces)

Having recently adopted a cat I was delighted to receive this thoughtful end of year gift from my teaching assistants at school. Also knowing how much personalised puzzles can cost I was also slightly abashed at their generosity. It was a lovely puzzle and a good cut with very little dust left at the end. Not one I will be selling on though! 

Time taken: 2 hours 

Bringing home the sheep - Falcon (500 pieces)

I have been given a box of puzzles from a friend and so have begun checking them ready to sell on. With my normal puzzle table out of commission for a variety of reasons I needed one which would fit on my coffee table and this little beauty fitted the bill. I enjoy 500 piece puzzle, but just don't do them very often - partly because people tend to buy me 1000 piece ones. Anyway, the picture was lovely, the cut good and it made for a couple of hours fun. 

Time taken: 2 hours 

BCD Weekend

The weather was gorgeous and the theme was maps for the lovely meet up in Clevedon. I was lucky enough to tackle two puzzles by the same cutter. Both were trickier than expected, but made for a lovely visual end. Hard to report the time taken as I was working with friends and chatting as we went. 

   

June Apology

Just a quick apology for not posting in June. The month just seemed to get away from me. I was completing jigsaws and even went to a BCD meet up, just didn't manage to post. I am in the process of completing an incredibly difficult line cut jigsaw which is taking much, much longer than I could have ever anticipated. The problem is that I am not very good at giving up, and having spent this long already I want to keep going - however at an average of 3 pieces of night, it's going to be a long process. 

Santa's Christmas Party - Ravensburger (1000 pieces)

It is a long standing family tradition that we get my dad the latest Christmas puzzle from either Ravensburger or Gibson for Christmas. Once he has completed them they get passed round the family. This year he has had a back log of puzzles (as have I) which is why it took so long for it to arrive. However, that isn't to say it wasn't a lovely puzzle - great quality, beautiful picture and lots of little details to keep me busy. Started with Santa and Mrs Christmas, then put the rest of the people and animals in place before ending with the background. 

Time taken: afternoon 

Boston Waterfront - Mount Washington Puzzles (1000 pieces)

The last in the collection of my American Christmas presents and it didn't disappoint. Fireworks and lettering were quickly put in place, followed by the water and a lot of seagulls. I wondered whether the actual buildings and roads would be tricky, but once some of the main buildings were in place the rest of the puzzle quickly took shape. For added interest there were little signs all over the place. A lovely puzzle and I'm sad it was the last one from this brand...for now...

Time taken: afternoon/evening

National Trust Minatures

Not a lot to say about these little beauties, except that they both seem to have the same cut....something to monitor, because if this continues I will have lots of puzzles which are all exactly the same other than the picture on them! 

Robert Opie Jigsaw Exhibit

I'd been told my members of the BCD that there was a jigsaw exhibit at the Museum of Brands in London. Dutifully, and with some excitement, I arranged a visit to London with my mum and amongst other things persuaded her to indulge my hobby and we make a visit to the museum. At first glance I wondered whether I had dragged her there for no reason. There were some very old dissected maps when you first entered the exhibit and then the puzzle seemed to dwindle away. However, on further inspection the puzzles were simply part of the larger exhibit which is organised in chronological order. What this meant is that you were able to see how the humble jigsaw has changed over time. It was lovely to see some of the brands that BCD members are keen to collect and at some points I almost sounded like I knew what I was talking about. No photos inside the exhibit, but of me on the outside! 

A new collection

Having received National Trust life membership for my birthday I chanced upon the opportunity for a new collecting hobby. At all of the large NT properties you can often find a range of Wentworth puzzles, including small 40 piece ones. I have decided to start collecting these little pieces of fun and am already looking forward to visiting my next property to extend my collection.

Time taken: 10 minutes per puzzle