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Found 181 results

  1. cimddwc

    [MOC] Maxidolls Store

    Hi everyone! My latest house features a shop selling the Friends minidolls as "maxidolls" for the minifigure population... » Album on Flickr (23 photos) Back side: Let's walk inside... ...warning: Lots of pink and purple! More dolls and accessories on the second floor: A gamer's living in the apartment on the second floor: Apparently a fan of Minecraft and TMNT (admittedly a bit hard to see): Fourth floor is where Ma and Pa cop are living - having a cup of coffee before leaving to the police station for their shift: And this is where it's placed in my town: » Album on Flickr (23 photos) Hope you like it...
  2. My Daughter wanted to diversify our squadron of 12 Airspeeders....I now have a happy 5 year old (I am not sure who will appreciate it more, Star Wars fans or friends fans, so I will start here until I get moved somewhere else). We were inspired by the friends AT-AT walker. you can view more here: https://www.flickr.c...th/15954244954/
  3. The idea was very simple, to make some real juice with Lego 41035 Friends Heartlake Juice Bar birthday present for my granddaughter Laura (will be three on this Valentine day ), so I added some more Lego parts, including 12V pneumatic pump machine, and two (non-Lego) bottles as storage canisters for apple juice and apricot ice tee. Hope this will be great fun at her birthday party. Bottles can be easily refilled from the back if children will be thirsty. Some Juice Bar photos (with hi-resolution links, where appropriate): (http://www.bricksafe...ar/DSC06244.JPG) (http://www.bricksafe...ar/DSC06249.JPG) (http://www.bricksafe...ar/DSC06273.JPG) And also a short video:
  4. Redhead1982

    REVIEW 41033 Jungle Falls Rescue

    ''Help a baby tiger in trouble at the LEGO® Friends Jungle Falls Rescue with Olivia mini-doll figure, cliff hut, dam function and caves.'' But... ...did the TLG get the right story? If you're interested, scroll down (and read the review) to find out. Basic info of the set Set no.: 41033 Name: Jungle Falls Rescue Theme: Friends Subtheme: Jungle Year: 2014 Pieces: 183 Minifigs: 1 (plus a tiger and a chameleon) Age group: 6 - 12 Price: £ 17.99 / US$ 19.99 / EUR 19.99 Price per part: 9.831p / 10.923 c / 10.923 c Links: Brickset, Bricklink, LEGO S@H The box The front of the box is (as always) in bright Friendly colours, with the main five characters on the top right corner as opposed to the main set's character, in this case Olivia, in the bottom right corner. The sides of the box are typically curved, as seen in larger sets from the Friends series. The landscaping on the box art is tropical and acts as a nice background for the set. Interestingly, there are many features that set the box(es) in the Jungle subtheme appart from the classic ''Town'' Friends. The five characters are dressed in tops seen in the Jungle subtheme, the box art is framed with bamboo and tropical flowers. I also noticed that the set as shown on the front of the box differs slightly from the set as seen in the instruction booklet. Can you spot the differences? The back of the box reveals other aspects of the set, most importantly the playability of the set. The Friends theme is aimed at female population, young and less young girls like me, and playability is an important factor. Individual play set-ups are framed with a bamboo pattern. There's a mechanism that allows sliding the waterfall panel to the side, Olivia saving the baby tiger, exploring the cave in the rocks and giving him a treat. In addition, Olivia can enjoy a meal with her chameleon. Same as seen at the front of the box, the most obvious box art are the bamboo and tropical flowers, clearly distinguishing the Jungle subtheme. The same jungle box art is seen on the sides of the box and it looks really nice. Of course, the mandatory hearts, butterflies and dog paws are seen in subtle print. The top of the box has a bamboo framed picture of Olivia as a measure of scale. The tropical flower pattern nicely rounds up the top of the box. I'm only missing the butterflies here. The booklet The front art design is repeated on the front page of the booklet instruction. It's slightly bend on the left side as a result of bags of bricks being pushed against it. Luckily, the instructions were not damaged. I know it's just a small set, but having more protection for the instruction booklets would be nice. On the inside, the booklet is as neat as ever. The background is in lavender, again a typical Friends colour. Building steps are simple, with not many bricks to add in each step. What I liked specifically, in some steps, such as step 18, there are red arrows emphasizing the right placement of some bricks, where it's a bit hard to see. This is a nice addition, not so much for the experienced builders, but for the beginners. The odd pages differ from the even pages in that they have a small heart and butterfly design in bottom right corner. Again, this kind of watermarks is typical for Friends. Although, it's not a necessary one, it became a traditional, and the page would look a bit empty without it. A positive surprise in the instruction booklet was the promotional page for the Jungle subtheme sets. Apart from the pictures of all 4 sets, there's a lovely presentation on how to combine those sets into one larger setup. Although it's more of a MOD, I see this feature as a promotion for MOCing. It also shows nicely how the TLG planned the individual sets to allow for combining them together. The pieces Inside the box, there are two numbered bags of similar size, a 16x16 plate in medium azure, a sticker sheet and two lime plant vines with leaves. Medium azure plate of this size is available in only 4 sets of the Friends and Disney Princess themes. Since the standard base plates in blue are not available any more, this medium azure plate can be considered as its substitute to create water. The lime plant vines are the highlight of this set - they're a new mold and one of them is an extra part! They're flexible, and can be placed in different positions. Sticker sheet is included, but again it could easily be avoided. While it does make some of the rocks slightly more interesting with the printed flowers, the set would be just as nice without it. I have two copies of this set, and chose to use the stickers only in this one for the presentation purpose. In general, I like the flower designs, but I'd rather see more plants and flowers included. The build starts with the bag no. 1. The parts found in this bag form the base of the rocks and the waterfall. Here, the torso and legs for Olivia are found, but I forgot to include them on these photos (they're discussed in more detail later on). The parts to point out include the dark bluish grey rock panels and the trans-light blue waterfall panel. The latter is actually quite rare, it's included in 3 sets only. These are my first parts of the kind, and although I'd prefer smaller parts for the rocks, in the end, these do their job just fine. Most parts are in light and dark bluish grey, and from the colours seen on the picture I'd never guess this is a Friends set (where's the pink?). Inside the bag no. 1, there's a smaller bag with the smaller parts. These parts are more colourful, and surprisingly there's only 3 parts in pink - again, is this a set aimed at girls? Yes, it is! My favourite parts here are the trans-light blue ones, they complement the waterfall nicely, and I only wish that more of them were included in the set. The 1x1 bricks were re-introduced in 2014 after a 12-year gap. The other interesting parts are the 1x1 round bricks in dark orange, appearing in 5 sets, but only 2 of these sets are currently available at the stores. Bag no. 2 contains slightly more colourful parts, but again, there's not as much pink as I'd expect from my experience with the Friends series, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The dark pink plate is the only part in a girly colour. The interesting parts here are the lime palm trees which were introduced in many sets in the last two years, two inverted tan tiles and the chameleon in bright green with medium lavender pattern. Inside the bag no. 2, there's another polybag with smaller parts. There were only a few. The most interesting (and anticipated in my collection) were the 1x1 round bricks in dark orange (there's a total of 6 in the set). Other parts are not that excited, apart from the round tiles - they are the new types with a bottom stud holder. The best parts in this set are the the panels for the rocks and waterfall. I might be too excited over those, but these are the first ones in my collection, and I'm looking forward using them in future MOCs. Also, the trans-light blue bricks and tiles are interesting and useful parts to build various water features. In addition, there are the newer molds, the 1x1x3 brick, the round tile with bottom stud holder and one with a hole in the middle. The dark orange 1x1 round bricks are welcomed too, as they allow for more variations of bark colour when making trees, and the highlight for me is the new plant vine. Did I mention you get two and one of them is an extra? Chameleon with the lavender pattern is also a new (recoloured) LEGO species. The extra parts are the usual small bricks that could get easily lost. As mentioned before, there's an extra plant vine. I won't complain about that one. I was positively surprised to see one, but I wonder why it was included as an extra part. Is it possible it breaks more easily when under stress? Never the less, it's a great part to have as extra! The minifig Olivia is the main and only character in this set. Her outfit is a uniform of the Red Cross Friends Jungle team. The dark pink printed scarf is a lovely addition to add more feminine touch to the uniform. Her hair has holes for hair assessories, but there are none included in the set. If I could choose, I'd go for some type of large pinkish tropical flower as seen on the box art. Well, I guess Olivia knows better than to pick wild jungle flowers just to put them in her hair. I didn't include the parts of Oliva in the parts section, so here they are. We all know the Friends anatomy, so there's nothing new here. Everyone would look so thin with an empty stomach, right? In addition to Olivia, two animals are included in this set. The baby tiger is the first one presented in the set. It's the same type as in the Friends Animals series 4, Tiger's Beautiful Temple. It has a nice back printing. I only wish the dark brown pattern would be printed also on the sides of the torso. It has cute written all over him/her. Beware if you have a soft spot for blue eyed kitties! The tiger has the main role in this set, as Olivia seems to be rescueing him/her from the waters in the waterfall lagune. The tiger is placed on this simple raft, that could be easily thought of as a drift wood. What I like about it, is that the underside of the 2x4 plate has inverted tiles attached to it. This way, the raft moves more rapidly over the studded water surface. The other animal in this set is the chameleon. It's a new LEGO species that was introduced in the 2014. One of them is Pascal, the chameleon from the Rapunzel's Creativity Tower. Chameleon in this set differs from Pascal in two ways, both obvious. He/she doesn't have a name, and he/she has a more realistic chameleon-like pattern. It comes in bright green with a medium lavender pattern. Since I own two copies of this set, I thought to compare the lavender pattern, and it's actually different. For me, this is really great, as it's easier to distinguish between them in case you name them. The build The set is targeted at girls from 6-12 years old, and it's basically an intermediate build. There are some more complex aspects of the set, where you need to be careful when placing parts in the correct positions. Contrary to some other Friends sets, where smaller subsets are included, the Jungle Falls Rescue is a one build set. The building process is divided into two parts as already indicated by the two numbered bags. It's starts with forming a base for the rocky landscape or the cliff, as TLG described it. The tiles seen here are where the waterfall slides into the cave, and the black jumper tile is where the crystal stone can be found. What I found interesting at this step, is that the stickers were applied to parts which are not visible from the front. This is why I think the sticker sheet could be easily omitted from the set. However, in a way it feels nice to have some details included also at the back side. At the end of the day, each builder gets to decide for him/herself whether to apply the stickers. As for me, I applied them in one set only. Few steps on, part of the mechanism for sliding the waterfall is built using Technic gears. Also, the first rock panel part is included and it's decorated with a stickered butterfly. My least favourite parts, the 1 x something x 5 bricks are included here, and although I'd prefer smaller bricks, I have to admit these parts are efficient when trying to gain some height. So far, all the building was on the baseplate. The next step is building the highly anticipated waterfall. While having a completely brick built waterfall would be amazing, I'm liking this panel-built version just as much, although it's more simple and less realistic. The trans-light blue colour of the panel with a rocky pattern works great as a water feature. Different views of this minibuild show part of the sliding mechanism. Another panel is included here, and I can not blame the TLG for using a panel instead of bricks. This is a part that's not visible in the completely build set. The LBG gear rack connects to the gear and allows movement. The waterfall is then placed on the tiles, and its only connection to the rest of the structure is by gears. The only thing I'd change here is the base of the waterfall. Instead of white plates, I'd go for blue or even trans-blue plates, and then use white, trans-clear and trans-blue 1x1 round plates for the splashing water at the bottom of the waterfall. . A view from the back shows how the gear rack connects to the gear. It looks simple, but I have to admit, I wouldn't think of such mechanism. Well, I'm one of those AFOLs who think Technic bricks are too complicated to use correctly. Here you can see that a medium azure tile was used as the top of the waterfall and it looks much better than the white plates at the bottom. My favourite choice here would be a trans-light blue tile, but you can't have it all. The right part of the sliding waterfall is nicely hidden by a LURP with addition of some slopes and dark orange bricks. Considering the size of the build, this large element fits just fine. To me, it even seems as if the set planning was based on this part, and then build around it. The only thing missing here is some more greenery. More details were added to the water. The LBG tiles look great as stones, and the trans-light blue tile at the bottom of the waterfall creates an effect of splashing water. I would add more of them, though. When opening bag no. 2, another interesting minibuild pops up. It's the handle for the sliding mechanism and is camouflaged as a dam. It has a gear rack on the later hidden side, and dark orange and reddish brown bricks and plates on the visible side. The handle is very colourful, and I really wonder why TLG uses these colourful parts in hidden places. In the end, only the parts above the 1x8 reddish brown plate are visible, so the use of yellow and blue bricks is not a big problem. With the above handle in place, the waterfall can already slide to the right. Here's a view from the back side, showing an ''open'' waterfall. At this point the mechanism doesn't run very smoothly, but this gets better after addition of extra bricks, that help keep the handle in place. Ok, I admit I had to try sliding the waterfall as soon as the handle was added, and I had much fun doing that. It's a great feature, and adds so much to the playability of the set. A view of the sliding mechanism from the top. The yellow handle is used to slide the gear rack to the waterfall slide, and by moving the gear in the middle, it moves also the waterfall part, thus opening the entrance to the caves bellow. I like that the TLG camouflaged this sliding mechanism as a dam, but I'd prefer to have the yellow handle in brown or at least green. It wouldn't stick out so much. Also visible from the point of view is the crystal rock hidden in the cave behind the waterfall. A few steps on, little chairs are added to the top of the rocks to form the platform for Olivia's observation point. At this point, more greenery is included, and the rocks look much better already. The new plant type extends from the top of the rocks to the bottom right. It's attached with clips, and its flexibility allows for different positions. Considering there's an extra plant vine in the set, it could well enough be used in the building of the set. There's no such thing as too much plants, right? The little table at Olivia's observation top is built very simply. It's a combination of lime and reddish brown parts which gives it a more natural look. Colour-wise it fits nicely in the little hut at the top of the rocks. The most interesting part here is the stickered 2x2 tan round tile. My first though was that it's a pizza, but I'm not sure who would order a tropical pizza with kiwi fruits, so I'm guessing it's a fruit pie. As for the yellow spots and pink sauce, I have no idea what could it be. Maybe some sliced bananas and berries. The table is then placed at the platform at the top of the rocks, under the shadow of the palm tree roof. From this front view, it's not so obvious, but the table is not completely covered by the roof. I'm guessing it doesn't rain in the jungle or Olivia is not watching out for little tigers when it does rain. The building of the set is finished here. The size of the build surprised me nicely, as I didn't expect it to be this big. After all, there's only 179 parts in the set. This number would be higher, though, if bricks and slopes would be used instead of the large panels. To increase the parts number, more plants could be included. Bamboo leaves would fill the gaps bellow the tan plate really nicely. The finished product After 42 building steps, the set is finished. The finished cliff looks great from three angles, that is the front and both sides. From the left, the rock panel is nicely decorated with the butterfly sticker. It makes it more interesting, but I'd prefer to see more plants instead of stickers. Also, the yellow handle is well hidden from this side, and the transparent waterfall panel creates a nice effect. As it is not as clear to see through as from the front view, it looks more realistic to me. From the right side, the cliff is partially opened to allow easy access. The stickered flowers add more detail here as well, but as I said before, I'd prefer real flowers. My first thought would be to add a couple of those bionicle spines hanging from the top, and it would make the set even cooler. Also, more plants could be used to camouflage the rocks and the steps to the top of the cliff. A view from the back reveals a cave behind the waterfall and the hidden crystal rock. The cave is a nice feature in this set. At first it may look that it's just an empty space beneath the cliff, but it's much more. The hidden crystal is there waiting to be found, and in addition, the (stickered) flowers are a proof of life in the cave, so there's obviously lots to explore. The access to the cave from the back is relatively easy also for the adult fingers. Another interesting feature is that the access to the cave is revealed by stopping the water flow. The dam function stops the water, and as the waterfall dries out, Olivia can set to explore the cave beneath the cliff. I really like that on one side you can have a tea party at the hut, chat with your girlfriends, and on the other, you can have an adventurous afternoon by exploring the cave beneath the cliff. Olivia climbed down from her retreat, and is debatting whether to call for help or go in the water with the life preserver to save the baby tiger. The tiger is floating on a drift wood in the middle of the lagune under the waterfall. The inverted tiles on the bottom side of the brown plate really allow for smooth surfing. When the baby tiger is safely out from the water, Olivia can return back to her hut on the rocks, and enjoy the kiwi pie. As seen on the box art, the chameleon can join her at the table, but I'm not sure if he can use the cups. Maybe the baby tiger can use them. Anyway, it's nice to have an extra cup included, so Olivia doesn't fell all alone in the jungle. Additional play features were explained in the text above, here I just want to emphasize them again. Apart from the surfing tiger, Olivia climbing up and down the rocks, the dam can stop the water and reveals the entrance to the underground world with hidden treasures, so Olivia can explore the cave. Considering the size and the price of the set, there really is a lot to offer. The Final Verdict Design: 9/10 The overall design is great, but there is still room for improvement. Considering the target population of 6-12 year olds, the build is simple and well done. I'm only missing more plants here. Considering that trees in official sets often have just a couple of leaves, I know I shouldn't complain here. After all, there's an extra plant included. There some rare and interesting parts included in the set, adding more value. I was surprised with the colour scheme, as there's hardly any pink. While being a small set, with not a large number of parts included, it offers a lot. Parts: 10/10 The parts in the set are a nice selection of various bits and pieces in interesting and very usefull colours. There are some new and rare parts included, and that makes the set also nice as a parts pack. The interesting parts are the new lime plant vines (there's 2! ), the panels for the rocks and the trans-light blue parts for the waterfall. The parts selection is very useful for various MOCs, and for me that was the reason to get an extra copy of the set. Build: 8/10 It's a simple and straight forward build approriate for beginners, but also with some elements for the more advanced builders. I was excited to see the dam mechanism. It's a lovely play feature. I missed some extra plants here, but that can be easily added, as probably everyone has some extra greenery. Considered it's targeted at girls, there's a lot of building, and not many mini builds, as in some other Friends sets. It also has a potential to modify it and make it larger. Playability: 10/10 Playability is the most important feature of this set. There's enough action for everyone, boys and girls, and adults. There are moveable features, such as the dam and the surfing tiger, the hut to enjoy a meal, a cave to explore and baby tiger to take care of. Minifigs: 8/10 Olivia wears a Jungle uniform. Her top is a new design, while the skirt isn't. This is probably one of the few minidols without hair accessories, and she looks good that way. Well, I wouldn't mind some tropical flower pinned in her hair. Price: 9/10 It's a small set, but it offers enough interesting bricks for the price. The price per part is a bit high in this price range, as there's sligthly less parts included due to some of the panels. I mentioned there are some rare and new parts included, and these justify the price per part. I was nicely surprised with the selection of very useful bricks, and I have to admit I got two copies of the set for both the parts and playability, and considering the price, it was a great deal. Overall: 55/60 (90%) The overall score implies, this is a set worth having. It's an interesting design, appropriate for the beginners, it has a great selection of parts to attract AFOL, and it offers a lot of playability. Considering its price, this is a set that should attract different demographic groups of LEGO users, and still meet their various needs. So, did the TLG get the right story? I think the baby tiger was after an adrenaline-pumping ride at the waterfalls, and Olivia missinterpreted his intentions. But that's just my story, you can make your own....
  5. ficbot

    MOC: Lego Friends Pet Store

    Hi everyone! This is the first part of my second modular building. It is a pet store built only with Lego Friends pieces. I have not decided what I will put on the next level yet. Maybe a toy store or computer store :-) Anyway, I welcome any constructive feedback; I feel like I have just reached a new level with my creative skills now that I have mixed all my pieces and am not just following the instructions to build sets, so I would like to improve even more. An overview of the shop: Lego Pet Shop! by ficbot, on Flickr The back area, with the pets: Lego Pet Shop! by ficbot, on Flickr The front area, with accessories for sale: Lego Pet Shop! by ficbot, on Flickr Exterior shot: Lego Pet Shop! by ficbot, on Flickr
  6. Hi everyone I am very excited to share this creation with you. I just completed a big sort and mix of all my Friends pieces, so I could build my own stuff, and this is my first one. I used to keep the sets a little separate (I grouped them by categories and binned them 2 or 3 together) but I was getting frustrated that I would sometimes need pieces from other boxes. and my stepson was getting them all mixed up when he played. So I did the big sort this week and merged everything. And this is my first creation I made using ALL the pieces! ​I think it is a much higher level than my previous stuff, and when I think back to last year, when I first started Lego, I am embarrassed at what I posted. I think this is much more sophisticated and I really tried to make it nice. I used some techniques like the flower boxes which I learned from building sets, but the only part of this build which came from instructions was the pizza oven---I had just picked up the Stephanie's Pizzeria set and loved the pizza oven, but I was disappointed we didn't get a full restaurant with it so that inspired this build. This is my first attempt at a modular building, and I am currently working on a dorm room, a pet shop and an electronics store to go with the cafeteria. I hope you like this build! I welcome any constructive feedback for ways I can improve my stuff. Overview: Modular #1! by ficbot, on Flickr Right side detail: Modular #1! by ficbot, on Flickr Left side detail: Modular #1! by ficbot, on Flickr Exterior: Modular #1! by ficbot, on Flickr Window shot: Modular #1! by ficbot, on Flickr
  7. *Sigh* In a recent article on the comedy website Cracked.com, the Lego Friends line is, once again, called sexist. It's the 4th entry, read it here:http://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/5-ridiculously-sexist-ways-toy-companies-are-targeting-kids/ and then start weeping. This guy talks about the Friends line as if it is something that is forced on little girls, but that's simply not true. What I've seen working at the Lego store is that very often, little girls, or their parents, go to the Friends section because that's what the girl wants to play with. Now, there are exceptions, but they are so uncommon that I cheer in my head when I see a girl going for City or Star Wars sets. That's why Lego made the Friends stuff in the first place, because they did market research and found out what most little girls want to play with. Now, some might argue that that would be catering to sexism, but I don't think that that is the case. Also, I think that Friends is a lot better than Belville, or Scala, the previous girl oriented Lego themes. So, what do you guys think?
  8. Hello everyone, Hope this subforum is a good place for this theme-spanning post... anyway, I got the three advent calendars - City, Friends and Star Wars - and let them "compete" each day. It's (usually) not meant to be about who's got the nicer mini-sets or the best value for money, but I'll just see what stories and "battles" emerge from the contents. I already did this last year, but with German texts only. Note: I won't post images of future days, but depending on your timezone and daily calendar-opening schedule, they may be spoilers to you anyway, so beware... City's first day gives us a boy with a letter - got to be his wish list to Santa -, but not only do we get a spare letter, we also get another hairpiece. The competitors send Mia and an Armored Assault Tank: "Try this hairdo, sure looks good on you too!" – "You're right, I'll keep it, thanks!" But what should the two do with their wish lists? No mailbox in sight. But surely... ...the little blue guy from space can help - he'll take the letters to Santa on time for sure. So the first point goes to Star Wars, the score is now 0:0:1. Let's see how this continues – I only opened one third of the calendars so far, so it's a surprise for me too... I probably won't post daily updates here, rather combine a few days, but when I do, I'll add another post to this thread. (Or you say you don't like it, then I won't. )
  9. The Friends Review Index As the Friends line grows, so does our review index. The waves of sets have been separated into their own posts for easy reference and the links for each are provided below. 2012 Spring Wave 2012 Summer Wave 2012 Seasonal / Promotional / Other 2012/13 Winter Wave 2013 Summer Wave 2013 Collectibles 2013 Seasonal / Promotional / Other 2013/14 Winter Wave 2014 Summer Wave 2014 Collectibles 2014 Seasonal / Promotional / Other
  10. Gwail

    MOC - friendly Corvette 1957

    Let Andrea take you today for the little time trip to the classic era, back in America! There are some excellent Vettes' models, but I havent noticed this specific one in this scale - 6-wide Chevrolet Corvette 1957 convertible. This is the first non heavy duty car of my collection, due to the wheels mounting and fragile parts of body, sticked by one stud, like rear fenders. It was tricky to make the openable doors and maintain the thin gap between doors and rear wheels, but the final effect is satisfatory to me. Thanks to Aurie from Chrome Block City the car shines like a christmas tree, but it gives the required look, I think ;). My personal favourite. Of course, there are still some disadvantages: Yellow 1x2 panels with the "foot holder" instead of white ones - quite rare in my country, on BL wanted list, obviously. Central part of front bumpers - the red 2x1 plates with arms up are temporary, I'd like to take a try with the chrome knives in 1x1 horizontal clips, but still failed to hunt them down (there are so many single parts available in separate stores, can't afford to buy them all :)). Wheels! Both look (I don't have experience with custom wheels, I have to take some lessons from the master ER0L ;)) and mounting - sticking via 1x1 round plate to the half-pin isn't too effective, I will have to research the possibility of using bars 3L / wheels on full pin. Rear lights? Whooops... But hell, who needs them, the chrome exhausts look much better ;). More shots on my flick page. My previous presentations:
  11. technic70s

    Diorama - Friends

    I present to you the "Friends" city layout my wife Joanna build for our Lego show in October, she did a lot of modifications to the "Friends and creator buildings, she calls it "Friendszerising" them (is that a word) Hope you like it DSC_9395 by Technic70s, on Flickr DSC_9393 by Technic70s, on Flickr DSC_9696 by Technic70s, on Flickr https://www.flickr.c...57649423062996/
  12. I made this MOC from the Friends Bakery and Smoothie Bar sets. I never have enough flat pieces to make a single coloured floor. I know it's not as good as the other stuff you guys make but I kind of like this one.
  13. 3BrickFriends

    [MOC] Heartlake High School

    This is an extra large version of the Lego Friends Heartlake High School which my daughter and I created earlier in the summer. Hope you like it. I'd love to hear your comments. Mike
  14. 3BrickFriends

    [MOC] Beauty Shop & Apartment

    This is our small suburban beauty shop. The ground floor is heavily based on the Lego Friends set with a new apartment and roof added above. Hope you like it. I'd love to hear your comments. Mike
  15. Number – 41005 Name – Heartlake High Theme – Friends Year – 2013 Minidolls – 3 Pieces – 475 Price – $49.99/ €49.99 UK price not yet known Links: Brickset, Bricklink, Peeron (not yet listed). LEGO shop@home [Germany] The Summer 2013 wave of Friends sets will soon be available in stores, in fact some are already available for shoppers in Germany, and we've already been treated to a few High-Res pictures of these sets, but with the opportunity to get my hands on one of these beauties a little ahead of time was certainly not one to be missed. The most striking thing about this set is the colour scheme, and I really wanted to see this bright light yellow up close. TLG helped make it possible, so many thanks to them as I take you through the details of this exciting new Friends set! So if all that's whetted your appetite, let's get on and have a look at it! The Box The outer cardboard box this set arrived in was almost mangled beyond recognition. I feared the worst; I was prepared to cry, but remarkably, somehow, magically almost, the set box inside was absolutely pristine. And a very nice box it is too. It has the usual lavender and pink Friends livery, and the updated picture of the five girls, and is also shows the set as a whole. well, we'll see enough of that, but you can also have a sneak peak at the interior with the inset, and learn the names of Matthew, the new boy for this set, and Ms Stevens, the new grown-up included too. There's so much to see on the back; you get great views of all the many details in the interior, plus close up views of some of the most interesting pieces. There's the usual "how to" for putting together the minidolls (in this case Stephanie), plus a few illustrations to show the build is modular and can be put together in several different configurations. The box top and bottom are pretty standard for a Friends set, with the usual wash of lavender. The 1:1 scale picture is of Stephanie, and next to that is a little scene with the other characters, where Ms Stevens seems delighted with her owl. The sides have the familiar detailing with a little picture of the set and an advert for the Friends section of the LEGO Club. It seems that because Ms Stevens has a title ("Ms") that this is required to be translated, so we have "Ms.", "Frau", "Mme", "Sra." and "Ms" Stevens written down the side of the box. The Box Contents Your LEGO comes in four numbered polybags for the modular building. You can see the bright light yellow and dark blue splattered across all four bags, but that's hardly surprising if you just look at the model. There are a lot of stickers here, and they go in a lot of places. Some will perhaps be more self-explanatory than others, like the basketball one, but the cat one in the top left has me a trifle baffled. Clearly it's one of those notices where people pull off a telephone number to call up for something. I've seen them for people renting rooms or wanting to join clubs, but this seems to be some sort of cat hotline. For Ella. Call Ella's crazy cats? Who knows, but anyway it's lavender and it's got cats on, so kids will probably like it. In addition to the ploybags full of LEGO, there are also these 16x16 and 8x16 tan plates. It's pretty clear that these will be the floors for the various sections of the school, and some of you may currently be thanking the heavens that they appear in a neutral colour rather than pink or lavender. I actually must admit that I am. The Instructions Shipping from Denmark was not kind to the instruction booklets. They are distinctly wavy, but also reassuringly think, and seemingly identical aside from the numbers in the bottom left corner. They both show the lovely artwork from the front of the box with the school set in green and luscious surroundings. There is no escape from the "Gagne" child, but I've said before that the little girl version of this abomination is faaaaaaar preferable to the obnoxious boy-child on regular City sets. The back of the second instruction booklet has some nice artwork to show what happens at school with Stephanie and Matthew (looks like she flirts while he stares at stuff under the microscope) and there are some cute insets with posed LEGO scenes which just make you want to build faster so you can play with the set. Who doesn't want to see a full list of all the goodies in this set? Ok, maybe some of you, but if you would like to see this in more detail than please click on the picture for a high res image. The Parts So you got all excited about the new bright light yellow, and open up the first bag to find... just two pieces. At least they're 1x6x5 panels, so they're quite large pieces, and they really do look good next to the dark blue. There's lots of other goodies here, but I'm going to pick out the azure bicycle and new mould bag as other standout parts here, although there's also a nice selection of medium lavender. As I've just said, the bag is a new mould for this summer wave of Friends, and an azure version can also be found in 41013 Emma's Sports Car. Notice also the various Technic bits and bobs, which aren't exactly uncommon, but hint at an interesting build ahead. Loads more bright light yellow! Yumm! There's a good amount of medium lavender plates, and a few nice aqua bricks, along with some of those lovely dark blue tiles and bricks too. The printed cash register gets around a bit, especially in Friends sets, but your eye might be drawn to those 4x4 light bluish grey plates with the cutouts. These are relatively new (2011) and not available in that many sets. There's also a reprieve of the printed 1x1 milk and orange cartons that first appeared in Friends sets last year and remain pretty much Friends exclusive, although the milk carton was available on the online shop@home PAB last year. Bag three has another good mix of colours, and yet more of the bright light yellow and dark blue combo. There's more azure and more medium lavender (and lime green) so if you looked at these parts you could guess they were from a Friends set. So let's point out the special bits. The trans-clear/ green flask may be recognisable from the Series 4 CMF Crazy Scientist, and it has popped up in a few sets, but it was an exciting part for me, all of that notwithstanding. The 1x1 round tiles have only been around since last year, and there are a couple of trans-dark blue ones here. Your best bet for finding more, though, would be the 60004 Fire Station, which has 16! The reddish brown owl has only appeared in 7 sets so far, one of which was an exclusive store opening set, and the others are all fairly large sets, so it's not that easy to get hold of, and I really wasn't expecting an owl in a school that's not Hogwarts, to be honest. More bright light yellow, dark blue, medium lavender, azure and more of the nice flower shaped 1x1 plates, plus an apple and a plate. The lime green cupboard has only been in six sets, however it is lime green. We get two paintbrushes, just like the Series 4 CMF Painter (and only available with him so far), plus the printed music sheet which has appeared only once in 3939 Mia's Bedroom. The best piece, for me, is the light aqua printed guitar which has also been released simultaneously in 41004 Rehearsal Stage. Interesting Parts I've included the books here partly so you can see the stickers on the front, and partly so you can see that you're supposed to put pieces inside the books. I've also included the laptop because it is interesting, just maybe not quite so much next to an azure bicycle, which is only available in two other sets. The other parts I've already mentioned, and this is really for those of you who just look at the pictures, rather than read what I actually say, who won't even read this, so I can say whatever I like. The Minidolls Stephanie is Stephanie, we've seen her enough times to know what she looks like, but she's got a smart new outfit for school. Her crisp white jacket is tied in a bow with nice detailed printing, including lapels and buttons, and she has a pretty purple skirt to compliment her dark pink top. Ms Stevens has a lovely lavender blouse and jacket combo, again with detailed printing, and being a demure adult (like Olivia's mum) she wears a longer skirt than the kids. It's nice to have a new leg/skirt piece in a different style, as a change from always having short skirts. Ms Stevens is obviously grown up and serious as she wears glasses, and it's well known that grown up, serious teachers all wear glasses. She has a nice face, though, and with a different outfit she could possibly even transform into another "Friend". Her hair is the same as Olivia's mum's hair, except in dark brown rather than black, and it's great to get this style in a new colour, as it's a style that works well on regular minifigs. Matthew has a similar shaped torso as Olivia's dad, which is probably a good thing really (no moobs), but it's not exactly the same. See Oky's review of 41015 Dolphin Cruiser for a further comparison. Matthew wears a simple shirt with button printing, and has a nice face with a cheeky grin, but he comes with the requisite boyband hairstyle that can be easily found on many a minifig. It would have been nice if Matthew the new boy had been given new boy hair too, but perhaps the excitement of even having a new boy is enough, and new boy hair would have just tipped us into a frenzy. Not much to see at the back except the two-tone printing of Stephanie's sandals and Ms Steven's sling backs. Again like Olivia's dad, Matthew has moulded pockets on his bum, in the same way that Ms Stevens has a moulded pleat in her skirt. Here's just a further comparison between Ms Stevens and Olivia's mum, because they share the same hair type and outfit type too. They're the 'older' females of the series, although I doubt they're all that old, they just aren't teenagers. As I've already said, it's great to have this hair in a new colour, as it's a really nice style, and it's also good to have another pleated skirt print, and the two outfits are almost interchangeable with the heads and hair. The Build Bag One It's good to know the first priority is the plumbing. Good sanitation is the fundamental cornerstone of education, so Heartlake High comes fully equipped with one unisex bathroom (restroom). We'll see inside shortly, but in the meantime we can have a look at the very nice picnic table. A simple, but eye-pleasing, build in natural tones but with a bit of Friends detailing afforded by the very nice 1x8 medium lavender tiles. With it comes a laptop, a nice modern accessory that is appropriate for a high school setting. The basketball hoop is the same hoop that appeared in 41008 Heartlake City Pool, and it's huge. It must be incredibly easy for them to score hoops considering the opening is about twice the width of a minidoll. So the tearaway phone numbers for the crazy cats hotline is stuck up in ... the WC? What kind of phoneline is this? I'm not sure this is suitable for young eyes! Plus it besmirches the back of a perfectly lovely bright light yellow panel. Then again it does provide detail, and school is all about education, after all. Anyway, you can see the wash hand basin on the near wall of the WC which also uses some of that very nice dark blue. The back board of the basketball hoop is decorated with another sticker, which really makes sense of the little build. So the back of the basketball hoop shows (as if you hadn't already worked out from the front) that it's a SNOT build incorporating Technic axles and joints. Not your regular brick-on-brick LEGO build then. Just want to point that out in case there are still people whining about how simple the builds are compared to other sets. The toilet and the sink are part of a nice matching set with the white, light bley and dark blue. They make this bit of the build more than just a closet and delineate its function. Bag Two So this is the first time in the build that you get to see a decent amount of the lovely new bright light yellow, and it really is a lovely colour. There's not a huge amount of the dark blue here, but the little you can see really does contrast nicely. The "Friendsness" is provided by the aqua and lavender foundations and also the lavender accent in the school sign. They aren't huge amounts of these "Friends" colours really, but they add energy to the model and still mark it out as a Friends build. The main entrance has two large full-length windows on either side of the doors, adding light to the hallway and also a nice architectural feature. The school hallway is plastered with stickers. Behind the bench there's a noticeboard, which even has a flyer for a magic show; possibly Mia's magic show? Next to the noticeboard is a small stack of lockers with more carefully applied stickersTM, and the stickers include the vents that make the lockers look like... lockers. On the opposite side, the hallway has also become a cafeteria of sorts. This is much more interesting than another wall of lockers and noticeboards, and also more interesting than say a trophy cabinet, which they could have had, but it's still a bit of a strange thing to have in a school entrance hall. The cafeteria is a play feature; it's there for kids to play shop with the model, and it has to go somewhere, and that's why it's been stuck here. That said, it's a nice cafeteria, with a couple of sandwiches safely protected from grubby little fingers by a glass or perspex screen. There's the railed bit where you slide your tray and in addition to the sandwich you may purchase milk or orange juice. There's even an advert for milk on the back wall, and a cash register represented by a single printed brick. Here’s another view of the front, and you can see how the floor length windows work so well, allowing a good view of the inside, along with the windowed doors. You can also see the Technic pins that allow the modules to be joined together in any desired arrangement. The sign, like so many (but not all) things is a sticker, and the designers just couldn’t resist putting a heart on it. Bag Three Lots of windows with interesting stuff behind them. We'll get to the interesting stuff, but first let's revel in the gloriousness of the bright light yellow and dark blue colour combo - it's a bit easier to see at this stage because of the dark blue slopes, but there’s a smaller proportion of that lovely bright light yellow, and a bigger chunk of medium azure. Not that I mind, I quite like the medium azure. The window boxes with flowers are pretty, but they are a bit uniform. The model is built exactly according to the instructions, but it wouldn’t take much to go absolutely crazy and mix up the order of the vegetation here. Craaaaazy. This really is one of my favourite areas of the school. There’s so much stuff in here! We’ll start with the obvious; cute little builds of desks and chairs, carefully positioned at the open end of the model for easy access, with space for Ms Stevens to stand at the front next to her owl. I can only assume that’s supposed to be a taxidermied owl, as this ain’t Hogwarts, and surely it would be very messy if it were alive? Along the back, on a very nicely built set of counters, are a couple of smaller builds. On the far left there is a very lavender microscope, which is such a cute and simple, yet instantly recognisable, little build. The “specimen” is a 1x1 trans-dark blue round tile. Next to this is a bottle of poison, or toxic waste, or severely corrosive acid, without which no classroom is complete, and then there are a couple of books. Both the books have stickers on the front, and parts hidden away inside. The bookends made by the bright pink panels add a little girly accent, in fact one of not very many girly accents. Next to the books is my favourite little build of the set: a telescope. It’s not very big, it’s not particularly complicated, and I’m not even sure what they’re hoping to see indoors, but it’s still great. Again, it’s instantly recognisable thanks to the great design, and it can be moved slightly to different poses, to an extent. From this view you can see the “world map pull down chart” sticker on the back wall of the classroom, and see one of the stickers on the front of one of the books. It’s also easier to see the design of the microscope, and that it has a lovely curved back thanks to the curved medium lavender brick. Here you can see the images on the blackboard, and evidently the owl is stuffed (unless they plan to dissect it later ) as there are diagrams indicating wingspan and .. where its entirely non-anatomical heart is. Serious science. Bag Four The outside of this classroom looks astonishingly like the outside of the other classroom, and the reason for that is because they are, in fact, identical, even down to the order of the plants in the window boxes. Spooky, eh? Different things, however, can be espied through these windows. So after the serious science room, this is the arty room, and it’s quite fun. There’s a decent amount of stuff in it, but also enough space to fit the minidolls in too. We'll work our way around the room, checking out the details. The left side of the room is the music section, complete with a new printed light aqua guitar , attached to the wall so high that the minidolls need the pink-topped stools just to reach it to play it. If they succeed then there’s a nicely angled music stand with a printed music tile for them to use while they practice strumming. Next to the music stand is a chest of drawers, for storing spare paintbrushes, which also provides a convenient surface on which to keep the necessary paint. In the opposite corner is an artist’s easel, again nicely angled (although that does make putting a minidoll in front of it a little trickier). Clearly the painting (provided by a sticker on a 4x4 modified white tile with studs on edge) is of a still life, and if you look to the right…. There’s the still life that’s the subject of the painting, although the painting is a little lacking in green… But it’s ok, because the foremost pot of paint is green and there’s clearly green paint on the end of both of the paintbrushes. Phew! Disaster averted! I actually really like all the logic in this, and I’ve even managed to subvert the logic by having the apple stand up when in the painting it’s clearly lying down. As a final note (no pun intended) on the near wall you can see the black 1x1 round plates that sit on top of the 1x1 modified black plate with horizontal clip that’s used to attach the guitar to the wall. It's a shame they used round plates, as it makes the outside of the wall look odd, and I can't see any particular reason to choose round over square. The final build is the single roof piece that can be attached to any module (except the bathroom, obviously). This is the best example of how lovely bright light yellow and dark blue look together, but there are also the compulsory Friends colours too, by way of a medium lavender line of plates and two 1x1 round azure bricks. Having this just completes the build and gives an illusion of a roof, just like all the other dark blue slopes on the individual modules. The back demonstrates that this roof section is just a frontispiece, so fingers can still get inside the models of the rooms to play, but the building itself is topped-off. Surprisingly, there's a lot of bits and pieces left over. Yes, you really do have 1x1 round tiles in pearl gold and trans dark blue left over in addition to the usual (but higher number than normal) 1x1 round plates. So here's the full main build all together from the back, where all the interesting stuff happens. It's really easy to get into all parts of the school, especially because the ground floor hallway juts out a bit at the back. The way the cafeteria area is built to also face this way (with the orange juice and milk facing out) make you feel you're looking at only part of a much larger school, but that these are the bits you can get to. The Technic pins still present at the side of the art and music room mean that you can place the science classroom next to it if you want to, but this is the configuration from the instruction book. The WC looks a little odd just stuck on the side. I guess there's an argument for teaching kids hygiene, but there are so many other sets without sanitation that its presence would be odd, if this weren't a Friends set where it's commonplace to have bathrooms. There's plenty of space in the hallway to make up scenarios, and the other rooms look packed and playful. From the front you can see all that wonderful bright light yellow and dark blue together, and it really does look so good. The Friends colours in this set are really just accents, and their presence allows cohesion with the other buildings in the Friends line, but certainly don't overpower the whole building, so this might be more palatable for those who aren't Friends fans. It all makes an attractive building, and the additional features with the bicycle, picnic table and basketball hoop just add more life to the overall build and playability to the set. Conclusion Design: 9/10 I just love the bright light yellow and dark blue colour scheme, and it's possible I may have mentioned it a few times. I also love how the rooms can be moved around, just like in 3315 Olivia's House, so you can arrange the school any way you want. It lives up to the Friends theme with all the furnishing, and boy there's a lot of furnishing here, and it all makes sense in the school. It's just a fabulous looking set and it loses only one mark because the WC looks a little awkward, which is such a minor point really, and I'd much rather have it than not. Parts: 9/10 As with so many of the Friends sets there's a bountiful and colourful mix of parts, especially interesting bits and pieces. The azure bicycle particularly, but also the orange juice and milk cartons, and indeed the items from CMFs like the paintbrush and flask. Oh, don't forget the owl! And so many other things too, like all the new bright light yellow, and the dark blue. Did I mention that? Minidolls: 10/10 Yay! A new male figure! He'd do well to have new boy-Friends hair, but I'm just so glad to have him, and the new teacher Ms Stevens is great, as is the new outfit for Stephanie. This is an appropriate number and mix of minidolls for the set, and they're all great. Especially the new boy! The Friends line is safe from extinction (in the future, I might add!) with the presence of some males for repopulating. Build: 9/10 I like having things split into modular builds as it appeals to my OCD, but there's nothing at all stopping you from tipping the whole damn lot out and not building bag by bag. The build is interesting and fun, and a lot like other City sets (how many times do I have to say this with Friends sets?), plus, unlike City sets, there's almost always a little bit of Technic in the bigger builds, just as there is here, along with SNOT work and other unusual techniques. Playability: 10/10 There's just so much for the minidolls to do here! The playability is huge. They can play shop, play with the microscope or telescope, or paint or play guitar or shoot hoops or ... go to the toilet. The huge amount of inside furnishing mean that the fun after building is fantastic, which just adds to the value of the set. That and playing around with the configuration of the school, too. Price: 9/10 It is a little on the expensive side, being a Friends set, but you get so much in this set, and so much bright light yellow too. There are loads of cool pieces, a great build, two new minidolls (including a boy) and a new outfit for Stephanie, so overall, I really think it's worth it. Overall 93% I love this set. It's done for me what 3315 Olivia's House did and just makes me crave the Friends line more. There are a few minor oddities here and there (like the WC, and the 1x1 round plates in the wall), but the designers really have ticked all the boxes with this set in terms of parts and playability and minidolls. The build is great fun and the overall set just looks fantastic. This is yet another shining example of the Friends line going from strength to strength, and I can see these flying off the shelves when they go on sale. Remember that the modules can be rearranged! Thank you for reading, comments are always very welcome. High-Res pictures can be found on my flickr account.A big thank you to KimT and TLG for providing the sets for review. Please also check out Hinckley's Review of 41006 Downtown Bakery, and Oky's Review of41015 Dolphin Cruiser!
  16. Redhead1982

    REVIEW 41026 Sunshine Harvest

    It's autumn, when the leaves turn various shades of red, yellow and brown, and when it's time to harvest fresh fruits and store them for the cold winter months. Olivia is offering some fresh fruits and homemade jams at her stand, but she could use an extra hand picking up those tasty red apples. Why don't you join her? Basic info of the set Set no.: 41026 Name: Sunshine Harvest Theme: Friends Year: 2014 Pieces: 233 Minifigs: 1 (and a dog) Age group: 6 - 12 Price: £ 17.99 / US$ 19.99 / EUR 19.99 Price per part: 7.721p / 8.579c / 8.579c Links: Brickset, Bricklink, LEGO S@H The box The front of the box is (as always) in bright Friendly colours, with the main five characters on the top right corner as opposed to the main set's character, in this case Olivia, in the bottom right corner. The sides of the box are curved, again as is typical for the larger sets from the Friends series. The landscaping on the box art is a lovely way to present various mini builds and adds some depth to this relatively small set. The back of the box reveals other aspect of the set. Contrary to the front box art where the set is presented as a whole, the back of the box gives much more information to the potential buyer just by a quick look. Again, Olivia is shown on the top right corner as the main character of the set. The five smaller pictures show off different parts of the set - the mini builds and accessories found in the set. This is a great way to promote all the interesting bricks found in the set (but more on that later). The side of the box (again) shows Olivia as a measure of scale. In my opinion, it might be more interesting to show off some of the interesting new and rare pieces, such as the new grass stem or the red apples, instead of a minidoll. Afterall, the set's name is Sunshine Harvest, and some of the crops would look nice on the side. The other side of the box has the same, but smaller, picture of the set, as on the front of the box and in my case shows signs of some wear and tear from a few months storage. The booklet The front art design is repeated on the front page of the booklet instruction. Luckily, the box is big enough and the booklet doesn't have to be folded in half, thus avoiding possible creases. Nevertheless, my booklet was only slightly damaged, as it's visible on the top right corner, with the last page sticking out a bit. Inside the booklet, I was surprised to see a page with all Friends characters from the first wave of 2014's new sets. I've seen this design only in some LOTR sets, and here I was tempted to put tick marks in the corresponding boxes to show off my 2014 collection of Friends. I do find this a bit commercially oriented towards the target population of little girls, collecting all the minidols from the series. ''Look mommy/daddy, I only need Mia and Liza from the Sunshine Ranch to complete my collection!'' A random page from the instructions shows one of the intermediate steps of one of the many mini builds. I specifically chose this page as it shows off nicely a new type of plate, the 3x3 cross in dark orange. The parts needed for each step are shown in light blue boxes on a lavender background. Having in mind the set is targeted towards 6-12 year olds, individual steps are very easy to follow. The pieces The set contains two numbered bags of similar size, and quite colourfull. Logically, I opened the bag no. 1 first. In comparison to some other Friends' sets, the parts come in many bright colours. In addition, there are some interesting parts included, such as the red apples, cherries, printed strawberry tiles, and the ice cream cone. Parts I specifically like, although they are very common are the flower stems, yellow flowers, bright green and dark pink flowers. Bag no. 2 holds some goodies as well. The most interesting are the greenery bricks, the more common leaves in green and dark green, flower stems, bright green and dark pink flowers. In addition, a redish brown arch 1x3x3 and a new mold of grass stem are included. The highlight parts of this set are shown separatelly. Most of them are greenery parts, such as the leaves, flowers, and plant stems. In addition, the red apples made a comeback after 10 (long) years. As they were included in five of this years sets, their price on Bricklink dropped, however it's still much higher than bright green apples. In addition, five apples in the set makes this set the best one to get for the apples alone (as was almost the case with me). Luckily, the set has other interesting parts, such as the 3x3 cross, which is handy when building trees, printed strawberry tiles, pearl gold tiles, red cherries and the icecream cone. Most of them are smaller parts, but they can be very handy when creating small details around your MOCs. In addition, the extra parts are interesting as well. There are some extra plants, cherries and pearl gold tile. The minifigs Olivia is the main and only character in this set. Unfortunately, her outfit is pretty generic. The dark blue skirt can be found in 7 sets, while the lovely top with light pink flower design was seen in 4 sets. In my opinion, clothing is the limiting factor of the minidols, and I welcome all the new clothing designs found in the newest sets. I played with colours in Photoshop, and this is what I came up with. Different shades of purple and blue would still look Friendly, and they would differ enough from the white top. However, I still like the top design, yet I'd be happier with a different print or top colour. Surprisingly, none of the almost standard hair accessories can be found in this set. Contrary, Olivia got her own pitchforks to work around her apple tree orchard. Another detail I like is the asymmetrical back opening of the top, which is actually hidden by Olivia's hair. Not counting as a minifig, but as her best friend, is a white nameless dog with brown spots. The dog appeared in 4 sets, one of them being UK promotional set. According to Bricklink, the dog's name is Charlie, but the name connect to only this promotional set. Charlie looks cute enough for Heartlake, and can be easily included in any City layout. The build The set is meant for a fairly young population (6-12 years), and the simple mini builds can be expected in this age range. Within the set, several individual mini builds can be assembled and then combined together to picture a lovely scene found on the box of the set. The first mini build is also the simplest. It's just a bucket stand with some flowers. I'm not a fan of the stand, as it looks too colourfull, but it's a nice idea to put the pink basket to use. On the other hand, I was excited to find the ice crem cone used as a holder for the flowers. It's still a rare brick type, and it's nice to see it used also for something other than as ice cream cone. I wish there would be an extra one included. As for the flowers, the I like both the yellow classic ones and the newer dark pink ones, but not on the same stem. The next mini build is Charlie's hut. I'm guessing Charlie is a girl, considering the pink roof and flowers around her hut. The hut is made pretty simple, and it's actually just the front part of what might be thought of as a dog's hut. This is convenient for the little hands that mostly play with these builds. I'm a bit annoyed with the pink-red combination of the hut's roof. The red plate could easily be changed to white or bright pink, and the colour combination would look much nicer, in my opinion. Despite the pink-red colour combination, Charlie looks happy inside her hut. Well, it might be for the extra bone at her feet. My favourite mini build in this set is Olivia's market stand. It's also larger than the first mini builds, and it's even more colourful. However, various colours used in this build are much more pleasant to the eye. To start, the roof colour is the same pink-red combination, and it would look much better without the red. Even an awning could be added, and the overhang might hide the red a bit. Side view of the stand shows nicely a wide selection of goods on offer. The most interesting here are fresh red apples and strawberries. Although strawberries and apples don't grow in the same season, including them on the stand was well thought of. On the other side of the stand, there are some homemade jams, as is also indicated by the printed sign on the roof of the stand, and probably a home made fruit cake. Front view of the stand with Olivia behind the counter really emphasizes her various goods on offer. I mean, who wouldn't want to stop and try some of the strawberries or homemade jams? My favourite detail on the stand are the jams. Using trans-coloured bricks with simple pearl gold tiles as lids look really realistic. Also the different colours are indicative of different flavours. My guess, from the left to right, is two glassed of apple jam, orange jam, and 2 glasses of strawberry jam. If you were wondering, where Olivia grows her vegetables and fruits, she has a small garden close to her stand. She grows extra large carrots and some flowers. The design of the garden is again simple, but it looks really nice surrounded by a low white fence and a door. It also offers some playability as the crops need to be picked up, or substituted with other greenery. The highlight of the garden is the new grass stem. The fifth mini build is a tree. It's a somewhat typical Lego tree with branches expanded to three sides. Here, a new plate type is utilized, and this new 3x3 cross comes very usefull stabilizing the branches. Also, the dark orange colour is suitable for the tree design, I only wish it will appear in other brownish colours as well. The finished tree design looks great from the front as opposed to the back side. My only complaint here is that more green leaves could be included, ast the treee looks rather bare with only 3 leaves. On the other hand, another intriguing detail is that apples and flowers grow at the same time. The trees I'm familiar with, have flowers in the spring, and fruits in the autumn. Nevertheless, these characteristics are easily improved by adding more leaves from your own collection, adding extra fruits and removing flowers in the autumn, or removing fruits and adding more flowers in the spring time. As mentioned above, the tree looks very bare from the back side. Here, the lack of extra leaves and branches is much more visible than from the front side. I know it's not much work adding more leaves, but I wish the designers would do that. The sixths mini build is a tractor. What stands out are the colours, the dominant medium azure and accents in bright pink and lavender. Another unusual detail are the flowers used for the exhaust. If you consider the set as a useful parts pack, then the dark pink flowers are a nice detail. However, from the technical view, I found this detail unusual. At the back of the tractor, there's a hook to attach the trailer. The trailer is predominantly in medium azure and some lavender. It has enough space to transport various goods from the garden to the stand. The stud in the middle of the trailer can be used to attach havier loads. Olivia fits nicely on the tractor. The only flaw is that she can't reach to the steering wheel, but that's a problem with the minidoll design. This is even more obvious from a side view. An alternative connection of the steering wheel on SNOT bricks to achieve a 90° change of orientation could solve the problem, but I'm not sure how would that affect the overall appearance of the tractor. The finished product At last, here's how all seven mini builds look together. Considering varying size of these mini builds, the end product looks quite large. It also allows for flexibility of individual mini builds, as they can be moved around and everyone can adjust the positioning of the mini builds according to their own whishes. The set also offers a lot of playability. It is targeted towards girls mostly, and offers a lot of imaginative play. I actually prefer this kind of role playing in contrast to various missiles found in some City sets. In addition, as mentioned above, there are quite a few interesting bricks and pieces included that give the set an extra value. The Final Verdict Design: 9/10 The overall design is great, but there is still room for improvement. Considering the target population of 6-12 year olds, the set with seven mini builds is appropriate for this rather wide age range. In addition, there are some interesting parts included in the set, adding more value. Colour wise, the set is rather colourful, yet it's not too girly coloured. The highlights in pink, lavender and medium azure don't look out of place as they're combined with more neutral colours. I also like the idea of position the set more in the rural area with orchards then in the town. Hopefully, more sets in this theme (farming) will follow. Parts: 10/10 The parts in the set are a nice selection of various bits and pieces, that you can use to play with in different MOCs. The parts standing out as more rare or new are the above mentioned red apples, new grass stems, and printed strawberry tiles. Build: 8/10 It's a simple and straight forward build with no special or advanced techniques. I like it for what it is, it's simple enough for inexperienced builders, but offers a chance to improve and/or reuse individual builds also in a more advanced settings. Playability: 10/10 Playability is an important feature of this set. It's probably more targeted towwards girls, but even boys (or adults) with imagination can enjoy building and playing with the set. The playability of the set is based on various situations that can happen either around the garden (picking the apples or greeneries), transporting them to the stand or selling various fruits and home made products at the stand. Minifigs: 7/10 Mia has a rather standard clothing design, and I'd prefer to see at least a different colour combination of her top and skirt. Price: 10/10 It's a small set, but it offers enough (interesting) bricks for the price. None of the parts are particularly outstanding, but there are many interesting parts as mentioned in the parts section. I was pleasantly surprised with the selection of bricks, and I have to admit I got the set for parts mostly, and considering the price, it was a nice deal. Overall: 55/60 (90%) As the overall score implies, this is a set worth having. Although the builds are simple, the value of the set is its design - combination of interesting parts forming various smaller builds that can be combined in various ways and offer lots of playability. Also, the price of the set is in favour of buying it, even if it's just for some parts. I'd definitely recommend buying this to anyone. Despite the long line, customers in Heartlake are leaving the stand with smile on their faces.
  17. dr_spock

    Friends-ship: The Pink Pearl

    Avast, everyone. Presenting my latest Friends build, the Pink Pearl. It's a galleon type sailing ship in the style of pirate theme ships. The Pink Pearl is friendly. If there are pirates around, she has 4 shooting cannons to defend herself. The Pink Pearl by dr_spock_888, on Flickr Captain Mia's cabin is cozy. She has a comfy bed, desk, treasure map, sword, pistol and a lip sticks rack. The Pink Pearl by dr_spock_888, on Flickr In preparation for their journey, our Friends-ship is docking at the Imperial Trading Post for supplies such as, meat. Hey, where's the beef going? Imperial Port by dr_spock_888, on Flickr Weigh anchor and set sail on the high seas for a friendly adventure with the Pink Pearl.
  18. This is my build for "Friends in Space" contest on Rebrick. If you like it, please support it and 'Like' it here: http://rebrick.lego....ervatory/8vd1p5 The Friends' Moon Base Observatory The building hinges open and we see Mia is charting the night sky on observatory's telescope. Emma is just arriving through the airlock. She has two friends she made on a previous expedition excited to have her home. And Stephanie is busy examining rocks brought back by Emma. Her robotic dog keeps her company and reminds her that she needs to eat and drink as well as investigate. The ladder hinges up for easy access of the lab below and fits into its own space vertically for when the building is closed. The telescope dome opens and the telescope gantry rotates 360 degrees. Stephanie investigating in the lab with her robotic dog. Every hard-working gal needs a coffee machine. Emma is arriving home through the air lock. These two cute and cuddly creatures Emma found on a previous exploration. They have been waiting for her. Window seats contain the girl's lockers. Thank you! - Cara.
  19. Hi all! This is my first MOC post and due to a lack of parts (and skills, it turns out) I'll be sharing this diary styles - a little like Lightning Tiger's - so you all can see and contribute to the build. So far it's gone from this: to this: With a whole lot of rebuilds along the way! Currently only the basic wall layout for the lower floor is complete. The left side of the build is a bedsit complete with old cat lady and exterior stairs to the second floor. The right is the ground floor bookstore and small rear exterior for a dumpster etc (I'd like to devise a working trash chute). There will be another 16x16 plate to be the footpath (or 'sidewalk') featuring a newspaper and magazine vendor in front, as the set is designed to be played with an open hinge (forming a handy 16x16 square). The second story will be a two bedroom family apartment, and above that there will be a nominal roof terrace 'garden' (probably only on one side). The book shop doors are unfinished and I'll be working on some brick built ones in the morning. Also the base plate colours need work, don't you think? I've set myself up with a pretty steep challenge as well. The build has to meet some criteria which have been defined by myself out of fun and also from necessity, as this MOC will end up being played with by my 5 1/2 yo (and the Friends target age) and we don't have a lot of money to spend on parts. Challenge: 1) It has to fit in the Friends/City universe, and I like to think it fits somewhere in between - a little closer to Heartlake maybe, a hard working borough on the outskirts of town? Bella calls it 'the Neighbourhood'. Thanks Mr. Rogers! Anyway, it has to look like a proper Lego building, with that nice Lego realism/playability balance. 2) It has to be easily accessible, playable (durable!) and buildable by kids in the 5-12yo range. 3) The parts must come from one major set (3185) and any other parts used must be readily available in small sets, polybags etc. (btw, does this make it a mod?) 4) Key design challenge - it has to be compact. The whole shebang is designed to close up, stack up and be put away neatly. (No spreading mini-builds!) 5) It has to be aesthetically pleasing in both 'closed' and 'open for play' form; including using a reasonably limited colour palette, not covering/blocking wall panels (a real bugbear of mine) and not having large expanses of blankness. 6) There have to be at least 3 "real" play features. Guess who gets to judge what constitutes real?! I'm always so in awe of the amazing MOCs I see on here, especially the high quality modular buildings. This sure isn't one of them, but I hope you can see the inspiration. Thanks for reading!
  20. LegoMyMamma

    [MOD] Spring Riding Camp :circa: 1901

    The last year of the Victorian era, 1901, is the setting for my modification of the Summer Riding Camp 2012 set. With Spring Lavender starting its blooming carpet, it's time to go to camp to learn horse riding. Arriving in the Carriage at the last year of the Victorian era, campers pass the Gazebo and get ready to quench their thirst at the wishing well. Then it's on to greet Blanca & Snowdrop! As Bella leads the Carriage into camp, Blanca comes out of "Blue-Horseshoe" Barn with her Winter blanket still on to greet her friend. Carriage is fitted with blue curtains -- being the color most associated with girls during that time period. Bella is leading the carriage back out of the camp grounds. You can see the details of the seats inside. Can you spy a favorite Friends Animal enjoying the view? Blanca with her horsey blanket because even though Spring is near, Winter's chill is in the air. Bella enjoying a flower by the Gazebo. After a long ride, Campers can relax in the Gazebo surrounded by the lovely scent of Lavender just blooming. The Gazebo was a popular structure in the Victorian era. A Well for water and wishing was not uncommon at all during the Victorian era. Inside the barn we have the reigns, saddles, hay feed, water trough, and storage boxes. Oh, and sneaky little friend ;-) Inside the camp house we have stairs to the Loft with a bed and clock; below there's a carpet, sink, table, cupboard, chair, and sofa -- for relaxing with friends. Overhead view ~ Loft removed ~ Inside the camp house -- in evening glow -- there's a carpet, sink, table, cupboard, chair, and sofa -- for relaxing with friends. Or enjoy a Croissant. Sepia-tone-view ~ (Indeed, colors do affect our lives.) Imagining the Victorian era was fun, although next time I hope to build with my full range of bricks. Having access to only the last few sets I bought is good for realizing what it's like for a young girl, new to LEGO :) I borrowed some wheels from the Ice Cream Cart set(s) and a few bits from Lily. Of course, we all here know who Lily is, right? ;) Hope you enjoyed my vision of the riding camp years ago ... back when it was smaller and blue was the color most associated with girls. ~~~ For reference, photo of Summer Riding Camp 2012 LEGO Friends Summer Riding Camp #3185
  21. BHs

    Olivia's X-Wing

    What will happen when Friends meet Star Wars? Introducing the X-Wing fighter of the Orange Squadron, flown by commander Olivia herself. Armed with cake torpedoe lunchers and four bloming cannons, this craft sports advanced shield generator based on MP3 player with J.Bieber hits&bits and shoe store discount coupon dispenser to loose any pursuit it may encounter. The R2-Squirrel droid can track up to 10 nuts and can easily hyper you to the nearest shopping mall. Enjoy the rest of the photos here
  22. Veynom

    [MOC] Club Med Endor

    For those who know, you need to remember the famous son from the French Club Med vacation company. Sorry, the song is in French but pictures do not need explanation. This is a clear crossover. ;) Y a du soleil Y a du soleil et des nanas Bienvenue à Endor là-bas Darla dirladada Club Med Endor by Veynom, on Flickr Y a du soleil et des nanas Darla dirladada Endor Luggage by Veynom, on Flickr On va s´en fourrer jusque là Darla dirladada Endor On va fourrer by Veynom, on Flickr Pousse la banane et mouds l´kawa Darla dirladada Endor Banane by Veynom, on Flickr Endor Coffie by Veynom, on Flickr Tous les soirs on f´ra la java Darla dirladada Endor Terrasse by Veynom, on Flickr En chantant à Endor là-bas Darla dirladada Endor Music by Veynom, on Flickr Y a du soleil et des nanas Darla dirladada Endor Nana by Veynom, on Flickr On va s´doucher sur la playa Darla dirladada Endor Tortue by Veynom, on Flickr Et les bonus: Endor Kitchen by Veynom, on Flickr Endor Washing by Veynom, on Flickr Endor Photo by Veynom, on Flickr This was fun, really fun and my kids have even more fun playing with all this.
  23. Anne Mette

    MOC: Rainbow Holiday Center

    After I have built my sad grey town, where I only used a limited number of colours, I wanted to build something very colourful. I thought the many colours fits well with the LEGO Friends Theme. Therefore the holiday center has been occupied by Friends girls. The last weekend in June the layout was exhibited at LEGOLAND Friends Days in Billund. More photos can be seen here: https://www.flickr.c...157645952903042
  24. Here we go today with my younger daughter Alice's favourite car of my collection - Shelby Cobra 427. As many builders I've started with a brilliant model from lichtblau, adapting it to Friends dolls requirements (and adding the doors, of course :)), but I haven't liked its proportions and too vintage look. I wanted something more modern and sporty, so I've started the MOC from the scratch. The car is 6 studs wide, as it fits best to its dimensions in comparision with the previous shown Mustang and other cars, and it's heavy duty construction allows playing for my little daughter. The final effect is presented below, I'm almost pleased with it, besides some minor disadvantages, such as tiled grills on the side instead of the modified bricks (quite hard to get in my country, still on my wanted list). I've spent tons of time looking for optimal look of exhaust pipes, but there went Aurie from Chrome Block City in hand, adding some extra bricks to my order for one of the next creations (coming soon!) - I didn't realise, that the chrome helmet horn will fit so well. Hope you like it :)! More photos on my flickr page. Download a LDD file (not 100% accurate there are some differences). My other presentations:
  25. Gwail

    MOC: BMW X6

    I'm glad to present you another MOC in my garage! Today the model based on the mid-size luxury crossover - BMW X6, called by the manufacturer Sports Activity Coupé (SAC). It's not a recreation of a factory stock car, the inspiration was the model tuned by the german company Lumma Design. The car is adapted as 2-seated coupe (a bit shorter than an original), both for minifigs and Friends minidolls. This time the doors don't open in the primary configuration (unless you dismount the mirror clips), but there is still a posibility to use the alternative door design (however, they don't look well). Forgive my little deviation - I don't know why, but I always put the white rims to black cars . The last pic is a little joke - you can see the original here. More pics in my flickr album. My other presentations: