Rant Review: Wicked & Whimsical 1,000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle (Werkshoppe, art by Claire Wilson)

Getting in just under the wire, my final Halloween puzzle for the year is my first from Werkshoppe. I see these pretty frequently in TJ Maxx and Home Goods, but the ones I typically see don't appeal to me too much. I liked this one enough to grab it when I saw it a couple of months ago, despite already having a puzzle featuring a Halloween shop. This was partly motivated by my wanting to try the brand, of course. I like the vivid, colorful art, and while parts of it are quite busy, there's enough variation in color and textures to keep it from really being difficult. I made it tougher than it had to be by not bothering to sort it beforehand. Just wasn't in the mood for it! I just went through a chunk of my usual Simpsons Treehouse of Horror marathon and plugged away at it. 

The pieces are on thick brown board, with a pretty standard feel. Some areas, such as the ghosts, are embossed. This is a nice touch that adds some visual and tactile pizazz. The pieces generally fit well, though there were a few times where a piece had to be forced into place. This didn't occur often enough to be a real issue. Comparing the quality to Werkshoppe's storemate Hobbry, I find that I very much prefer the feel and texture of Hobbry's pieces, but I have no doubt that the Werkshoppe will hold up better over time. While I haven't run into the problems with disassembly many have with Hobbry, seeing how widespread it is would make me hesitant to buy one secondhand. I would have no such reservations about picking up a secondhand Werkshoppe. The included poster is large enough to actually be of use, which is always a plus!