Jigsaw Log #8

 

Welcome to a new jigsaw log. I’ve been working on this jigsaw for a while now, and I completed it earlier this week. The image features Positano, Italy, famous for its iconic views. I originally bought this puzzle with my Grandma, she seemed to think it would be a good one to do, with its varied colour and detail.

My Mum and Gran completed it before me, but I decided to come back to it, after their positive review of it. Compared to other 500 piece puzzles, the difficulty level was fairly easy and I felt the jigsaw pieces were well made. The brand is Trefl and we bought it from The Works.

Here are some tips if you are interested in jigsaws:

1.) When choosing a jigsaw, go for colours and designs that appeal to your personal taste, this will add to your enjoyment.

2.) Start easy and work your way up. 500 pieces or less are a good starting point.

3.) Have something to listen to in the background, such as music, a podcast or audiobook.

Do you have any jigsaw recommendations or tips?
Also, do you listen to anything while you are jigsawing? :-) Xx

Jigsaw Log #7

 

Hello and welcome back to a new jigsaw log. I finished this jigsaw last month, and felt it was a really enjoyable one to do. The quality was great, and the picture was the right level of difficulty. My Dad gifted me this Christmas jigsaw last Christmas, and I finally decided to give it a go despite it being summer time.

The brand is called Corner Piece Puzzles, and The Works stock many of their designs. This particular puzzle has five hundred pieces. I thought it would be interesting to include some tips for those of you getting into this hobby.

1.) The different pictures on jigsaws will vary the difficulty of the puzzle. If you are a beginner, I would suggest going for an image with lots of variation, colour, and a medium scale so each puzzle piece looks individual.

2.) Start with separating the edge and corner pieces. Once these are placed down, separate the main themes on the picture. So, if you were doing this Christmas jigsaw you would start with the red pieces to make the postman’s van.

3.) Work out how you would like to fit jigsaws into your routine. You may prefer to set out an afternoon to do it, while listening to music, and having a cup of tea. For me, I like short, active sessions where I keep coming back and updating my progress.

Do you like to do jigsaws?

What kind of pictures do you gravitate towards? :-) Xx

Jigsaw Log #6

 

Welcome back to my jigsaw log series. I had a long period of not really doing much jigsawing so around the start of the month, I challenged myself to a five-hundred-piece puzzle which wasn’t too difficult in comparison to one thousand pieces. I love the cosy feel to this design with the pets on the couch, and I found it to be well made, as well as a nice difficulty level for me.

If you are just starting the hobby, this would be a good one to complete. My Nan was gifted it after having a jigsaw related chat to a friend. I noticed the box had a charity shop sticker, and in my experience, they are a good place to shop as lots of people tend to donate them after completion. It was originally from The Works, and they are online if you fancy a browse.

I found this article on the Gibson’s game blog and it’s a really lovely read:

https://gibsonsgames.co.uk/blogs/news/mental-health-benefits-of-jigsaw-puzzles

Here are a few quick quotes from the article:

‘Puzzling reduces stress by occupying and engaging the mind to create a sense of calm and serenity’

‘Completing a jigsaw works both sides of your brain, the left hand-side that thinks logically and the right, the creative, intuitive, and emotional side. So, when you piece together a jigsaw puzzle, you harness both brainpowers.’

‘Completing a jigsaw puzzle is a fun and entertaining pastime that is enjoyed without any kind of electronic involvement.’

‘Completing a jigsaw with a friend or family member promotes discussion and interaction as teamwork is essential for finishing a tricky puzzle!’

Do you feel like trying a jigsaw too?

What pastimes have you been interested in lately? :-) Xx

Jigsaw Log #3

Hope my readers are doing okay at the moment. Today I’m back with a jigsaw post! I completed this tropical sea life one a few months back now. I bought it for my Nan for Christmas, so we could do it together and this one came from The Works priced at £4.

It has 300 oversized pieces which could suit a wide range of people. I might consider buying another one from this brand, as there are different images to collect. I’m currently working on a very ambitious 1000 piece jigsaw which I’m doing a bit at a time.

Are you into jigsaws too?

What hobbies are keeping you well at the moment? :-) Xx

Jigsaw Log #2

I started this series last year but it’s been a while since I last updated you with my jigsaw progress. With everyone stuck at home at the moment, I thought it would be a good opportunity to revisit the series. From memory I think my Nan won this Wallace and Gromit jigsaw on a tombola a while back and she gave it to me.

As you can see from the photos, it’s a very long and narrow shape which I split into two to fit on a table. My Mum gave me some help with this one. It’s one of the nicest jigsaws I’ve done because of the quality and it's just the right level of difficulty to make it relaxing. It actually has a double sided picture too!

Let me know if you have been doing any jigsaws!

What kind of picture do you like to gravitate towards? :-) Xx

Jigsaw Log #1

Welcome to the first in the series of my jigsaw logs. I’ve been doing jigsaws on and off for a good number of years now, and more frequently just recently. I thought it would be interesting to share my progress sometimes, although it does take me a long time to complete a 500 or 1000 piece jigsaw.

After doing many different kinds of jigsaws, I’ve learned which brands are my favourite. One of my go-to brands is Trefl, as the quality is superb for the price. Trefl jigsaws can be bought at The Works, and in general there selection is really great. Luckily a family friend of ours has a contact who always passes on used jigsaws, so we’ve been delighted with those too.

So as you can see I’ve been working on this Taj Mahal jigsaw, it’s again by Trefl and was bought at The Works for £4.00. The difficultly level was fairly easy, and it was satisfying to get through one so quickly. Because the image was symmetrical, that added a layer of interest and I completed this 500 piece jigsaw over the summer.

I was given this secondhand Halloween inspired jigsaw, which in theory sounds quite fun for autumn but I wasn’t enjoying it as much as others I’ve done. The image was a bit doom and gloom, and didn’t feel in the mood for it. The quality was below average, and the colour palette didn’t inspire. Instead I have a few other jigsaws ready to complete, which hopefully you will see me progress with next time.

What kind of jigsaws appeal to you?

Has this post inspired you to do a jigsaw? :-) Xx