July 31, 2013

Friends Building Event at LEGO stores

At LEGO brand stores:

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Building instructions and parts list can be found here.


July 29, 2013

Review: Emma's Sports Car

by fujiia

Set n° 41013 - Emma's sports car
Lego Friends, 2013
retail price: $14,99
159 pieces for ≈ $0,0943/p
1 minifig/minidoll, 1 cat


Here is the box art:
http://p5.storage.canalblog.com/57/32/763360/88626440_p.jpg

And its content. Having already scrutinized the box, I already know there are some good pieces in there, and it seems to be confirmed. See further down.
The minidoll, it is Emma. Her top is new, I think. Otherwise, nothing to report.

http://p5.storage.canalblog.com/52/92/763360/88626595_p.jpg

The cat is new. It already existed in black in one of the series 1 baggies. A new lil' fella never hurts. Shame on me, I will make an unspeakable confession, I don't like animals. Real ones, I mean. Cats scratch, dogs lick and all furry animals smell.On the other hand, I can be quite fascinated by whatever wild animal, but they don't play in the same league. Back to the bricks, I can accept that they, my mini-characters, do like animals.

http://p5.storage.canalblog.com/58/03/763360/88626610_p.jpg

And a new bag. A backpack. It's always nice to be able to vary. This one also exists in purple.

http://p7.storage.canalblog.com/77/91/763360/88626629_p.jpg

Before beginning with construction, let's have a peak at this set's rare or new pieces.
❥In magenta, only the 2x4 tiles, the book and the slope roof brick already existed. All the others are new. With our friendly Friends, magenta is generally still pretty shy, but today makes up for it. With one of my favourite pieces, for instance, the modified plate with clip light.
Light violet is pretty much a new colour all together. It is actually a Duplo colour. And some Friends accessories or torsoes already contained this colour, but it is the first time Lego comes out with bricks to build with in this colour.
❥And finally, some dark blue, an mp3 player, and some other interesting pieces, some light bright orange and 1x1 round plates in green, pretty rare!

http://p4.storage.canalblog.com/45/21/763360/88626659_p.jpg

Let us begin with actual building. First off, an oh, so cute road sign with, as we can suspect, some stickers rather than serigraphy. We're not counting anymore, are we?

http://p6.storage.canalblog.com/60/04/763360/88626685_p.jpg

The kind of maps one can find in forests or in national parks. Very rustic, I love it! It is actually a map of Heatlake city and surroundings. Yup, we are located near the mountain and forest ^^.

http://p2.storage.canalblog.com/26/63/763360/88626714_p.jpg

My first ever animated GIF!!!!!!!!!!! (well, I think that, back in the days of Claris Works, I had already tried to make a little cartoon!) Once you've figured it out it's quite simple!! Or, how to reduce the number of photos, heh heh!!

We start with the pic-nic table. Woah, there are already flowers in the herbarium!!! (dixit the instructions!!!!!!!)

http://p4.storage.canalblog.com/41/36/763360/88625361_p.gif

And now, for some serious business, the caaaaaar, for goodness' sake! This is where it all kind of crumbles down. When I was little, I am not sure this set would have appealed to me. It's just another car. I have to say, I did have a Barbie Ferrari (that was at my grand-parents place, the rest of the time my dolls had to share my roller-skates) and a life-like minature of my dream car, a candy-pink thunderbird. But I am not sure I would have liked to have yet another car. It's kind of a guy thing. Anyway, here are some of the construction steps in gif.

http://p1.storage.canalblog.com/14/98/763360/88625783_p.gif

http://p5.storage.canalblog.com/54/27/763360/88626167_p.gif

http://p0.storage.canalblog.com/00/01/763360/88626290_p.gif

Now that we've built all this, here are the spare parts. Compared with licensed sets, it's not too bad, but the Friends have gotten us used to better. In one of the series 2 baggies, the 41021, Poodle's little palace, there are even three spare 1x2 bricks in three different colours! Yes, yes, you heard that right!!

http://p7.storage.canalblog.com/73/96/763360/88626841_p.jpg

And here is the finished product. Almost as it si on the box. And then in different stagings. Well yeah, you have to have fun a little. It's a little sad for Emma to be travelling alone, but I guess she has her cat to keep her company.

http://p4.storage.canalblog.com/46/39/763360/88626861_p.jpg

http://p9.storage.canalblog.com/92/75/763360/88626877_p.jpg

http://p9.storage.canalblog.com/93/54/763360/88626888_p.jpg

http://p3.storage.canalblog.com/30/08/763360/88626908_p.jpg

To conclude, a set for which I wonder if it will please your average little girl, but I've seen it in some dioramas of Heartlake city. It is indeniably a plus for any city build. I don't think it is a good set to offer someone not familiar with Lego or Lego Friends. But for people who MOC, like me, this set is full of interesting pieces, in particular in my favourite Lego colour, magenta. Not that I don't like other girly or "normal" colours… I highly recommend this set for adults. For children, maybe a little less.

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Her blog:  http://fujiia.canalblog.com/archives/2013/07/27/27432193.html
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