Tag: puzzle

Ceaco Peggy’s Garden Fanciful Jigsaw Puzzle Review

My jigsaw puzzle craze continues with another review of a puzzle I completed! I found the Ceaco Peggy’s Garden Fanciful puzzle at the thrift store for $3.00. I was excited to discover that it was still brand new when I got it home! I love flowers, and the bright colors on the box are such a cheery image. It may be snowing outside right now, but I can at least imagine a sunny, floral atmosphere with my puzzle!

This post includes an affiliate link. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Ceaco makes a few different versions of Peggy’s Garden, with this one being the Fanciful edition. This is a 1000 piece puzzle that measures 26.6″ x 19″ when completed. It comes in a square box that is small and easy to store. Just as with the White Mountain puzzle I completed recently, this puzzle is Made in the USA in my native New England – this time in Massachusetts! I once again love that the brand uses recycled materials to make their puzzles. This puzzle typically retails for $12.99, but it’s currently on sale on Ceaco’s website for $4.99! It is also available on Amazon.

The pieces themselves are made of cardboard, and they measure on the smaller side. I did have issues with the image peeling a bit off of the backing whenever I would try a piece in the wrong spot. It’s almost like the pieces would get stuck together! The image is high quality, but it is a bit glossy, which reflected the sunlight when I worked on the puzzle during the day. I needed to get right over the pieces to avoid glare.

All of that being said, the pieces fit together really well, and it was obvious whenever I put a piece in the wrong spot. It can be tricky to move sections of the puzzle around, though, as the pieces do not lock together strongly. I carefully slid sections around, and only moved small groupings at a time.

In terms of difficulty, I found this puzzle to be quite the challenge! I began with the edge, and then moved onto the middle of the flowers that have the small dots at the center. I then built out the flowers from there, and kept working outwards. The leaves in various shades of green came last! Once I got the flowers done, the rest moved pretty quickly, and it was satisfying to see everything come together so nicely.

One thing I absolutely loved about this puzzle is the included poster of the puzzle image. This allowed me to use both sides of the box for sorting. I definitely used the image to help me lay out many of the pieces, specifically the colored circles in the background. I appreciate that the colors in the print match the puzzle exactly!

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Beautiful artwork with vibrant colors
  • High quality image
  • Included print out of image
  • Made in USA of recycled materials

Cons:

  • Pieces do not lock together well
  • Image peels off easily
  • Glare due to glossy finish
  • Puzzle dust

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed putting together the Ceaco Peggy’s Garden Fanciful puzzle. It was a nice challenge for me, and the issues I did have with the pieces did not detract from the puzzling experience too much. Instead, it just felt more like a “budget” puzzle, which makes sense since the original price is $12.99. I will definitely keep my eye out for more Ceaco puzzles!

Follow me on Instagram @PolishlandReads to see more of my puzzle adventures!

White Mountain Puzzles Tapestry Cat Jigsaw Puzzle Review

After YouTube recommended the channel Karen Puzzles to me, I’ve rediscovered how much I enjoy jigsaw puzzles. I’ve decided that 2023 is going to be the year that I allow myself to spend time doing cozy and crafty hobbies. I thought it would be fun to document the different puzzles and projects I complete here on the blog. That way, I can look back and see all of the fun creations I put together, all while sharing my thoughts on the products with you. Let’s jump right into the first jigsaw puzzle I completed this year from White Mountain Puzzles called Tapestry Cat!

This post includes affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

I purchased the White Mountain Puzzles Tapestry Cat by Lewis T. Johnson on Poshmark, but it is available on the brand’s website and Amazon for $19.99. This is a 1000 piece puzzle that measures 24″ x 30″ when completed. I absolutely love that the puzzle is Made in the USA in my native New England! The box also reads that the puzzle is made with recycled materials, which is awesome as well.

The pieces are made of a nice, sturdy cardboard. I did have a few issues with false fits, or pieces fitting in places where they don’t belong. Thankfully, the colors on the puzzle are very clear and rich, so when I took a closer look I was able to see my mistakes and rectify them. I appreciated that the pieces lock together well, so I could easily move around sections as I worked on them.

I started the puzzle by working on the tapestry section on the outside border. I found this quite challenging! I think I struggled a bit because the pattern repeats itself multiple times. Once I got this section completed, though, the rest went more smoothly for me.

Once I finished the tapestry, I moved onto the cat. I put together the cat’s face and paws, but then quickly moved onto the flowers. The flowers were the most fun for me! I matched up the pieces by color and texture, and used the photo on the box to arrange them on the board. It was so satisfying when all my sections began locking together!

Lastly, I filled in the darker areas around the cat to complete the puzzle. This was a bit tricky, but at this point I didn’t have many pieces left, so it went together quite quickly. The end result is just stunning! I love the beautiful colors, and the cat is darling. I left the puzzle out for a few days because I loved looking at my feline friend. I definitely see myself doing this puzzle again, and perhaps framing it if I ever have a library room.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Sturdy cardboard
  • High quality image
  • Beautiful artwork
  • Large box size (great for sorting!)
  • Pieces lock together well
  • Made in USA of recycled materials

Cons:

  • False fits
  • A bit of puzzle dust (I kept blowing it away)
  • Image on the box is obstructed with writing (I would love a separate poster/print inside!)

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed putting together the Tapestry Cat from White Mountain Puzzles! The few cons that I encountered are nit-picky on my end. I will definitely keep my eye out for other designs from this brand. Plus, they have a store in Jackson, NH that I would love to visit one day!

Follow me on Instagram @PolishlandReads to see more of my puzzle adventures!