Puzzles, Books and More!: April 2022

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

My 3rd (and most painful) 'Did Not Complete'

My 3rd (and most painful) 'Did Not Complete'... but I'll come back to this one eventually.

So, puzzles are like books. There are some you love, some you enjoy, and some you just cannot bring yourself to finish. I wanted to love this puzzle. I love the image but it is just too difficult. So many pieces are the same color or have no distinguishing marks. I have literally been putting this puzzle together 1 piece at a time. There is no flow. And I just could not see enjoyment coming from taking each remaning piece and trying to pair it one by one with another remaining piece. So sad. When I looked at it didn't seem like it would be like this. But it is. I put it away with many pieces intact (as much as possible) and would like to think I'll revisit it one day. But not today. I need some successes in puzzles. I need some nice 500-750 piece puzzles that bring enjoyment, not frustration. Have had a run of not great puzzles. Ironically, it coincides with a couple of months of 'not my favorite' book club books. Time for more enjoyable and lighthearted fare all around! :)

This is the photo I chose for the banner across the top of the blog...
I will return and finish this one someday.

Did not complete - April 17-19, 2022

MasterPieces BelleVue Paris Rooftop View - 1000 pieces - David MacLean

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

My 2nd 'Did Not Complete'

Hope this isn't a frustrating mistake. Already harder than it should be. Darned Bits & Pieces puzzles... I keep giving them chances and maybe shouldn't. Like the image, though.

This was a Bits & Pieces 500 piece puzzle - Bear Right

April 5, 2022

ENDED UP NOT FINISHING - WILL FINISH LATER

Will return one of these days... but after finishing that frustrating London Promenade not long before, I just didn't want another frustrating puzzle so soon.

Puzzle #30 - Sunsout - Lake Landscape - 300 pieces

Needed a true palate cleanser after that previous puzzle. This helped. It was not too simplistic due to the weirdly shaped pieces. I am getting a tiny bit more used to those - they do make the 300 piece puzzles more of a challenge and I guess at this point that is a positive. The picture was nice and the image was clear. Sturdy pieces. Good overall quality. Nicely and quickly completed. This was the first puzzle I have done by Sunsout. Have been wondering about their quality. It is good. Still would like a poster, though. (edited to add that this is my 2nd Sunsout... the Yellowstone one from awhile ago was also Sunsout)

Finished on April 5, 2022

Puzzle #30 - Sunsout - Lake Landscape - 300 pieces - Rafael Trujillo

Puzzle #29 - Vermont Christmas Company - London Promenade - 1000 pieces

This one looks like it is going to be really hard. We so desperately need a larger image like a poster to see the puzzle. I cannot make out what is on the box or match to what is on the pieces. They simply don't look the same. Harder is one thing, but nearly impossible is not fun. There is not enough detail in the pieces and you can't distinguish things in the image. Disappointing so far... :( This picture shows a couple of hours of work - just from yesterday's border! :(

This has been such a difficult puzzle. Walked away for most of the week. Started back on Saturday and Sunday. Haven't been able to work on things that connect - just little tiny bits (sometimes even just 2-3 pieces) and then trying to gauge where they might go in the overall picture. No flow and I can't get a sense of it. But it is possible... just really disjointed and difficult. Noting the different color of the box for this 1000 piece puzzle and wondering if that indicates a higher level of difficulty? Who knows. Not my least favorite puzzle so far, but certainly not my favorite!