jigsaw Archives - Cards and Gift Wrap

Posted on October 1, 2023October 1, 2023 by janet — Leave a comment

What October Means to Me

October is my favourite month of the year, and it all starts with World Postcard Day!

World Postcard Day is celebrated on October 1st every year to promote the use of postcards as a means of communication. It dates back to the first printed postcard in Austria in 1869. On this day, people send postcards to friends and family to keep the tradition of handwritten communication alive.

And you can even put a special postmark sticker on your postcards to ‘mark’ the occasion.

Grab some World Postcard Day Stickers

What October means to me

My childhood October memories are (mostly) fond ones of the playground construction of the annual den.

The only play equipment in our school was a tree swing, some planks of wood and a few old tyres. But if you stuff the middle of tyres with damp autumn leaves and then prop them up with old planks of wood while filling in the gaps with more damp dead leaves you get a fantastic den. 🍁🍂🍁🍂

Then you get arguments over whose den it is and who’s allowed in but we’ll gloss over that bit 🙄

There are many other reasons why I love October, but the main ones are jigsaw puzzles, cozy nights in, socks, and hot chocolate.

October Jigsaw Puzzles

Puzzles are great for relaxation. As the days get shorter and colder, solving puzzles can be the perfect way to unwind. It’s a fun and calming activity to piece together the puzzle, revealing the image bit by bit. It’s also a wonderful way to spend quality time with loved ones, working together to complete the puzzle.

Start your next jigsaw puzzle

Cosy October Evenings

I really enjoy October because it’s perfect for cozy nights in. When the weather gets colder, there’s nothing better than snuggling up on the couch with a soft blanket and enjoying a good book or movie (and of course Strictly is in full swing!). I love listening to the raindrops on the window, lighting a scented candle, and feeling all warm and cozy. It’s a time to relax, take it easy, and appreciate the little things in life.

Make your own scented candles

A Highland Christmas Cow Mens Wrendale Christmas Socks

It’s all about the feet!

Socks are also a big part of October don’t you think?

As the weather gets colder, it’s time to break out the warm and fuzzy bamboo socks. There’s something very comforting about slipping your feet into a pair of soft, thick socks on a chilly morning. They keep your toes toasty warm, and add a little bit of fun and personality to your outfit.

And on Saturday nights when Strictly is on, light the fire and toast your tootsies while you indulge in all the glitz.

Get your cosy socks on

Hot Chocolate

Of course, no cozy night in would be complete without a steaming mug of hot chocolate. October is the perfect time to indulge in this decadent treat. Whether you prefer it plain and simple or loaded up with whipped cream and marshmallows, there’s no denying the comfort and joy that a good cup of hot chocolate can bring. It’s a little bit of sweetness in a world that can sometimes be bitter.

October is a month that holds a special place in my heart. It’s a time for jigsaw puzzles, cozy nights in, socks, and hot chocolate…and the beginning of Strictly escapism. A time to slow down, unwind, and enjoy the simple things in life. It’s a time to be grateful for the warmth and comfort that we have and to appreciate the beauty of the changing seasons.

What does October mean to you? Leave a comment and let me know.

Posted on January 29, 2022January 29, 2022 by janet — Leave a comment

Wrendale Jigsaw Challenge

What would you do with a week of isolation? I set myself a Wrendale Jigsaw Challenge! 6 beautiful jigsaws in 6 very long days! (And yes, I know isolation was more than 6 days but I had a jigsaw to finish off first!)

My Wrendale Jigsaw Challenge

The first difficulty was deciding what order to do the jigsaws in. I mean which one would you do first?

There are 6 to choose from:

Feathered Friends
Country Set Christmas
Zoology
A Dog’s Life
Farmyard Friends
Country Set

A Dog’s Life

I decided to start with what I thought looked the most difficult, A Dog’s Life. If you are a dog lover then this one is definitely for you but as most dogs are varying shades of brown and black this is possibly the jigsaw with the least colour in it. So I thought this made it more difficult than the others.

Now, do you separate the edges out first? Not everyone does apparently. I have been very religiously brought up to separate the edge pieces and complete them first. So for this one I did. Plus I was curious to put together the beautiful poem round the outside. Each of the Wrendale jigsaws has a poem written by Hannah Dale herself and reading it will put you in the mood for the gorgeous images you’re about to assemble.

Country Set Christmas

Next up it was Christmas. My isolation period was in January and I had intended to do this particular Country Set Christmas jigsaw puzzle over the Christmas period but that didn’t happen. There were a few calls from my Facebook followers to complete this one first. And after the slightly tougher Dog’s puzzle the day before I felt indulging in a Christmas puzzle was well deserved. This was a real treat. So many reds and greens and bright colours. By the time I was finished I was craving mince pies.

I just had to put the postbox together first (if you follow me on Instagram you’ll know I have a think about them!).

The Country Set

The Country Set puzzle was also quite difficult though it had more colour than the Dog’s Life one in it. There are a lot of squirrels and foxes.

I love the picture that comes separately with each box, it’s just small enough to prop up while you’re puzzling and not too small to see the picture. You can’t see the poem on the outside of the box so you need this picture if you’re going to follow it to put the poem together. Of course you could be like the Queen who allegedly likes to put jigsaws together without the picture. I think putting the edge pieces together like this would be a real challenge!

The Farmyard Set

The Farmyard Friends jigsaw was lovely to do with some really bright and lively animals alongside cute and fluffy ducklings.

By the time I got to these jigsaws I wasn’t doing the edges first. I decided to do the areas of similar colour first and the poem was the last bit to complete. I felt like a bit of a rebel leaving the edges to the end but actually reading the poem after putting all the animals together was a lovely way to finish.

Feathered Friends

This one is also known as Garden Birds though on the box it says ‘Feathered Friends’ and although it is mainly birds there are a couple of butterflies and other birds that you might not associate with the garden. This was possibly my favourite of all the jigsaws. I mean just look at that Goldfinch and Kingfisher!!!

I find that with all Hannah Dale’s illustrations I could believe that she actually got the creatures to pose for her painting. Each character looks like they are proud to be in her picture. If you could only pick one of the Wrendale puzzles then unless it is Christmas I would recommend this one. Complete the puzzle then take a walk outside and appreciate our feathered friends even more.

Zoology

And last, but my no means least as they say, I complete the Zoology puzzle. For maximum effect complete this puzzle while listening to David Attenborough documentaries (who knew we could all be on the edge of our seats over a common daisy?!).

As you can see I couldn’t decide which image to share from this puzzle. If I had to choose my favourite it was a close call between this one and the Garden Birds.

About the Wrendale Jigsaw Puzzles

The puzzles themselves come in a beautifully illustrated box. There is no plastic shrink wrap round them. The lid is sometimes held on by some paper stickers but I found that some of these come off or rip but the lid fits so snuggly it doesn’t need the stickers. Inside the puzzles are in a paper bag, which I love. Anything that doesn’t use plastic is a real hit with me. There is the image of the puzzle inside and also a small dessicant bag to help protect the box contents.

The quality of the pieces is great, they are study and have a lovely textured coating on them.

As you will have seen, each jigsaw puzzle is a collection of Wrendale illustrations collaged into one big picture. I was worried that these would be difficult with all the white between the images but there was no need to fear. The images are spaced perfectly so that each animal or creature is well defined but not too far away from its neighbour to leave oceans of white.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments about which puzzle you have completed, which was your favourite, which would you like to do next?

And if you’re unfortunate enough to end up in isolation, what jigsaw challenge will you do?!

Posted on October 21, 2016February 10, 2023 by janet — Leave a comment

How to fix Jigsaw Puzzles

I have grown up doing jigsaw puzzles, my family love them and every now and then along comes one that is just too good to break up!

Fixing your jigsaw puzzles so you can hang them on the wall is really quite simple.

You will need:

Fixative/Glue
Old Newspaper (optional)
Wall hangings

You don’t have to use newspaper but it can make jigsaw puzzles a bit more stable if you build it on a good hard flat surface. Once you’ve built your jigsaw slide it on to some old newspaper.

Then depending on what fixative you use you either simply spray the jigsaw fixative on the front of your jigsaw, following the directions on the can, or apply glue as per the directions. Leave to harden and there you have it. Yep it’s as simple as that.

From personal experience the fixative lasts for years. So even if you don’t hang the puzzle immediately you can store it by laying it flat until later. Under a bed is an ideal location!

You’ll need to choose how to hang your jigsaw. You could either glue some strapping to the back then attach some string or hooks, or slide poster holders along the top (and bottom to add weight) and thread string through these. Or frame your jigsaw.

Happy Puzzling!

Some of the most eye catching jigsaw puzzles I’ve seen are children’s ones that were originally posters. Like the one shown above, an illustration by Amanda Loverseed. Now as a jigsaw you can have the pleasure of the puzzle and the satisfaction of displaying your finished handiwork.

My favourite jigsaw puzzles have to be wooden ones. I remember getting them as a child, they seemed to be more common then, and more recently from Wentworth with their famous whimsies. Like this one: