Velouria

FYI I was in the Belgian Lego store today (Wijnegem) and they have some of the summer sets on sale. I saw Ragana's castle and the Crystal mine, and then I ran away as as fast as I could before I could see any more because I really shouldn't be buying any more Lego right now :D That seems quite early though. I thought these were announced for august?

Let's start off with something small...As some have noted with bemusement, there is hardly a larger Friends set on the market that lacks a loo. It's a Friends thing, it seems- maybe girls demand sanitation? But as for the Elves, they get spas...But they still have to do their business behind a tree somewhere. To save the pointy eared ones from further embarrassment, I constructed a pretty little privy for them, including formal garden. Hope you like it.

Love this one, because it is relatively small. This is something the LEGO company would actually sell as a set: affordable and fun.

It's MOCs like these that make me want to throw in the towel! You are just too good. I made a treehouse myself, but this one is much better! Fantastic job!

Gosh, that is amazing. What a great color scheme and aesthetic! Absolutely magical, top job!

This one has been around for a while, as is evidenced by all the dust! I made this before anything was known about the 2016 Elves range. It sits on the edge of a dark forest...where lava comes to the surface next to a charred tree and makes the lake boil. Any adventurer would be wise not to go beyond this place unprepared. But fortunately, the industrious Fire Elves have everything you need....If you can afford to pay the price! The lush and green front yard welcomes the tired traveler with comfortable seats and a small outlet that sells refreshments. The flaming tower and steam coming from the lake make that it is easy to see from afar. What treasures could be down the bronze paved path that leads to the front door? A small play feature hides under a branch There's a lot going on in the back! A stair leads up to the living quarters, which include a very snug little kitchen. There is a drawbridge that can be withdrawn in times of trouble. It does not make a whole lot of sense at that spot, though :D The upstairs apartment has all the usual furnishings and a small attic space. Downstairs is the smith's workshop. She has plenty of tools and a huge anvil. The molten lava serves as source of heat, and a water basin is used to temper the steel. Next door is the shop, where every magical object imaginable is available for the right price. A collection of maps fills the back wall, an in between are racks of weapons, jewels, potions and chalices. So that's it. I see a few things that I would do different now, like the tight situation with the stairs. I may rework it some day :)

the bed comes from set 41061, Jamine's Exotic Palace. So does the magic lamp! As for the lego store, yes, I realize I am lucky. But I don't like going there, and I don't like buying there at all. So much so that I buy sets elsewhere at a higher price when needed...Sigh. Yes, it's Wijnegem for me too. I'm a Dutch expat living in central Antwerp- where are you at?

I would love a minidolls space theme!

it's a missed chance, they could have called it Lead Zeppelin...

Yes, there is a little map which is a sticker; dragon configuration!

Got the Inn too today, and my only complaint is that there isn't enough of it. I love the new compass piece, the tea pot, the little printed windows- well everything really. I'm pretty sure I will buy a second one to turn it into a more substantial building.

The Brothers Brick have a much better reviewup than I could manage, but there are some super amateurish photos I want to share of the many details in this set. First, the dragon. I didn't have very high expectations of it as I am more in it for the buildings. But it turned out to be a nice little build that delivers a dragon that is playable and solid, with posable legs and a seat for one elf. It's pretty cute. Glad it's a nougat treasure chest and not another lavender one. As it turns out, it has given up on the virgins and now only eats pumpkins. The smithy part is not attached to the main building in any way. Upstairs, there are more pumpkins for the dragon. It could have been turned into a little grocery shop with a little bit of effort, but for now, there is just a box of pumpkins. And a portrait of itself. And a staircase- I would rather have had it in grey or tan, but it's Elves, and there has got to be lavender. Here's Flamy's workshop from the back. It has a hammer mechanism that works well and a good level of detail, and also enough space to get a figure inside. This is not one of those flat facade only builds. Unfortunately, the roof does not come of. Here's a closer look at the anvil. On to the main building. Nice gate, and the lanterns made me smile. They are gold frying pans, turned upside down with a blue minifig head and a gold round single stud piece attached to the bottom of the pan. So simple, so well thought out. Onwards and upwards- the bookshop sign is an interesting little build with two tail pieces in tan. The sign itself is one of many stickers, but it looks good. A little garden area next to the building has a bookcase with a hidden function that produces a fabulous new book that opens and has a little printed piece inside. There is a nice little row of books in different colors above it, and a large lamp. And a comfy chair that would make the Spanish inquisition blush. A very good place to sit back with a glass of orange stuff and a good book. The chair has nice printed round wood pieces. The moss piece on the ground is printed as well. Also, a lovely dragon banner that is printed on both sides. Here's the book shop from the back. It has a writing desk with more books underneath that is on studs and can be easily taken out. Inside is a good amount of space for your figs. Fortunately, the top floor is designed to be taken off which makes the space accessible. First floor, Owliver's post office! Lots of detail here. Even a brown paper box tied up with string! Ah, one of my favourite things. Owliver has a perch with some letters, what looks like a stamp. A mail box with a nice sticker on it, a white box that can be opened and has a little gold crown inside. Also a small cabinet with only one nougat drawer, and an ink pot. [ Here's a better look at the small parts. Another funny thing- there is a tiny bed upstairs, too small for a minidoll or even a minifig. It's Owliver's bed. Why sleep on a branch when you can have crisp linnen? And now for the figures in this set. The idea of a shopping centre run entirely by animals is a funny one, and it helps keeping things affordable. Owliver is a light azure owl with a little winged envelope on his chest because she/he is the post master! We have already seen Flamy the Firefox, and what a charming fellow he is. Farran and Aira got new prints. Very detailed, with details in gold and bronze. I love Aira's golden sandals, in particular! Note that this set introduces a sword and a shield in the Elves universe. This opens entirely new options for play. Note, also, that Aira's face does not have the "open mouth" print that some other figures of the 2016 Elves have. And finally, these are the extra bits I was left with. I got a third wing! And one more look at the dragon that shows the partial translucent effect of the wings. So my judgment on this one? Great set. There are a couple of negatives- I'm no fan of the fuchsia and lavender, but that's just something that is hard to avoid in these "girly" sets. I actually think that this is a gender neutral set, even if it isn't sold as such. It would have been better if the roof of the smithy had been made so it can be removed. Other than that, love it, so much stuff and so much detail. Lots of ingenious solutions. I tip my hat to the team at Lego that design these sets, they show great creativity and expand what is possible with Lego.

And Jang has his review up for this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQG4J434Lf8

Has this display case been mentioned yet? http://shop.lego.com/en-BE/Me-My-Dragon-Display-853564 Carry your baby dragons and eggs in style! Bring your baby dragons and eggs from the wonderful LEGO® Elves world along in this multi-functional carry and display case, featuring a drawer and 3 open compartments with baseplate lining. Open the cover to reveal a small playmat and let the LEGO Elves adventures begin! Features a sturdy cardboard carry case with a drawer and 3 open compartments. Shelves feature baseplate lining to secure your collection. A great way to store and display all your favorite LEGO® Elves baby dragons and eggs. This item offers an age-appropriate experience for ages 6 and over. Mini-doll carry case measures over 5” (14cm) high, 9” (23cm) wide and 1” (5cm) deep. Shelves each measure over 4” (11cm) wide and 1” (5cm) deep.

I am very lucky to have a Lego store in cycling distance with "build your own minifigure" bins that offer lots of accessories. Rummaged trough them a lot for this! Love those little Celtic knot shields...

That Starlight inn set looks like it may work well as an expandable modular building.

Looks good! Also, Brickpedia has a close up image of Ragana. The first minidoll without that 1000 mile oblivious smile expression?

Awesome! Love this stuff! Keep it coming!

I hope they can reach an agreement and live together in harmony. Both themes have tremendous merits, and they combine well.

Yeah, that I noticed too. But then again, everyone who owns any Lego should have a 2x2 plate lying around somewhere, it's not hard to fix.

I think I'm in love! Tidus Stormsurfer has stolen my heart with his beautiful brown complexion and blue eyes and hair. He comes with this set that also includes a little blue dragon named Miku. here's how it looks next to my window. This is a rather straightforward set that comes in two parts, the main building and a small island with a blackboard, which is a sticker. There is a yellow bell that can swing, but I think it would have looked better in gold. And from behind. so, it's a large tree and an arch that is not substantial enough to be called a proper building. Under the arch is a desk that can be removed. There is a little swing that the dragon can ride and it works well. There is even a small brake function at the top that keeps the swing in place until the dragon is ready! Upstairs there is a cookie shooting crossbow and a box with spare cookies. And now for the figures- As I said, I love Tidus to bits, with his dragon scale print shirt and his cool copper shoulder protector. Lovely detailed figure, and WE NEED MORE MALE MINIDOLLS! Miku is a pretty little one, made from two colors of plastic. And from behind, no print on the back of the torso and the arms. And a detailed look at that cool new hourglass part. I only got one- same as with the sets I have that had the Erlenmeyer flask in them. I suspect this part is expensive to make? So my verdict, good set and worth the money, excellent figures. But some problems, I'm still no fan of the fuchsia and pink parts. The building is barely there. 8 stickers in this small set is a lot. They are nice stickers though! And the dragons, well- maybe it's just me, but I wish they were a bit more fierce.

Hey, you have to give us a chance to buy these things you know. I have the school, and I'm off to take a few pics.

And a look at what I think is super gorgeous character art in the instruction booklet of the marketplace set. I would like to know who the artist is! Ragana and her evil, evil kitteh!

The set looks more harmonious with the tan staircase Vorkosigan. I should get one from Bricklink to complete this...