Hasagawa Kit - gashapon / capsule machine

I bought this kit because I was totally fed-up & upset with people telling me "I promise to get for you a gashapon 1/12th scale machine". I mean... People always promise me things, and I hardly get 1% of those. I usually believed them, and didn't get it by myself, to find weeks later they are not going to help me (for any reason, sometimes they don't even bother giving me one), and the item is now OOP so too expensive, or simply totally impossible to get. I've learnt my lesson well with a bunch of things like japanese sets, parts of sylvanian items, etc. I started to act a bit different when it came to sylvanian school kids. I badly wanted the set. I asked, got positive answers... and then I went ahead and got one by myself. It surely costed me more than the "real" price but no way. I got some angry answers telling me it's stupid, they would have provide me one for less.... But they never did so I'm really happy that I followed my intuition.
Now with the gashapon, I got maybe 6 or 7 promises. None came. I wanted to get a ready made miniature. No luck... Arghhhh... I then learnt about kits, and thought "why not ?". The same people who promised and never sent anything started to tell me they are bad quality kits, they are too hard to build if you don't speak japanese, etc... NO WAY. The first time I saw one on sale at half price, I simply bought it.

Ok, now on the "quality" and "do able" part, here you go for a review

the kit comes in a sturdy box, it travelled in a simple envelop and nothing got broken, so the box is strong enough to face postal troubles. First positive point !

there is no instruction sheet, and first it really drove me into panic. As long as I had several strokes, I thought maybe they are right, I'll fail building it. But finally the pictures are really clear, and if you are able to build a very simple thing, you can manage it with NO stress at all. 2nd positive point : the instructions are printed on the box, no risk to loose them, and they are even clearer than an Ikea one LOL

the bunch of little parts was a bit frightening but if you just cut things one by one, it's very easy to identify the parts. 

the plastic is resistant just enough to make a strong item, but not too much for you can cut all the little boo-boos with a cutter. 

ok, this front clear plastic part is THE only piece that needs a little bit of calm for you put it in place. Once you get it's just fitting perfectly and that you don't have to push it inside the white one, it's so easy !

I like the idea that you have a large choice for the front deco, I even made one cutting a sylvanian catalogue LOL

you have a whole bag of fake capsules (beads), really a lot, and 6 more real capsules per machine. It's a bit tricky to clear all the tiny attachments, but really the result is way over what I expected

the second stressing part was to put the top in place. It's easy but I was afraid to push until I hear the "click", I'm always afraid something can break. But NO, everything went well.
3rd positive point : not only building it is easy, but it's also a good quality !

then you simply put the bottom part in place, and you have attachments to gather 2 machines, if you decide to place them side by side. You can also remove the blue top and pile them up.
4rth positive point : you have several possibilities !

you also have attachments for the back, and when they are settled, with the bottom one, the machines don't move anymore, they don't separate even if you shake it all directions

this is an itty bitty capsule *too cute*
To build it, from the time I opened the box to the time I finished it, including the time to take pictures, it was less than 10mn.
Do I recommand those kits ?
YES

Negative point ?
NONE

I'm planning -if I ever see another discounted kit of this brand- to get more. 

I wish I could have gotten a more "fancy" one like those but this one is just perfect !

Computer things and new Sylvanian corner

If you don't want to read the whole story, you can scroll down to the picture :-)

First of all, I just wanted to tell you I have troubles reading blogs because I see NO pics on most of them. Including my own one LOL.... I've been told several people have the same problem, sounds like it's an update of something that went wrong, but as I am a total modern computer idiot I'm not able to fix it. It's VERY boring. From what I can see, there is only 1 plateform on which I can see the pics (edit : it's on blogger and blogspot where I have the biggest problem, but not only, alas).

As I speak about it, people always wonder why I didn't follow on technology. Well... I first loved computers, I was really interested in ...maybe 30 years ago. It was those old days when google didn't even exist, at least on my side of the world, we were using Copernic to search for informations, you could still easily type commands (basic ones), viruses and fishing and all those nuisance (including the main one : advertising) were totally inexistant...You could chat with someone in another country and trade postal addresses without any fear. People were SO happy to see they can just speak to someone on the other side of the world that nobody had the will to make a mess out of it. My first printer was one with a bunch of needles, and the printing test was printing a marvelous picture of a peacock with all the colors available at that time... magic ! LOL. I could manage the first years of phone technology as well. But soon I felt into poverty, and had nobody around to tell me/show me/teach me the new items on the market. Little by little I got lost. I'm now much under the poverty rate of my country, so getting a fancy smartphone is not even an option. I use a very basic one, cheap, that is good enough for the only use I have of it : sending SMS. My computer is mostly used to send emails, communicate with some web friends, help me with my genealogy things and is a support for my collection searchings/findings/learning. I used to have several blogs, personal life, cooking, crafts, collecting... but with the new media forms like facebook or instagram I lost interest in writing, and closed most of my blogs. I believe I'm not working on the same "speed" as people, I prefer reading stories, see pictures of "real life" etc... Facebook is too "basic", tweeter I'm not even on, instagram looks more like if people wanted to compet on who has the best perfectly smooth life... Don't misunderstand me, I love seeing all those nice pictures but... it's like when I visit a town, I don't want to see only the touristic clean and formated places. I also want to see the subburbs where people are struggling for life, I want to see the WHOLE thing to have a realistic overview. When I went to Paris years ago my ex husband showed me the Champs Elysées, the Eiffel tower... ok... but there are 2,2 million people living in Paris, and only 82 on the Champs Elysées... WHY showing me only the temple of the "luxe" ?! I asked him to go through the ugliest and most dangerous places, at this time the forum of the Halles wasn't renewed. I insisted to go up to the lowest level. He was scared to death. I wanted to see the bad subburbs with the prostitutes. I wanted to see the people living under the bridges. Then I could go back home and say ok, I saw the town. The whole town.
Well, this all to say I belong to a dead specie of old boring people who do not match modern life and progress. I can't follow and I'm pretty sure I'm not much interested in. So, I guess I'm too far behind to ever get "into the big things" about it, and that's why I'm not even searching how I can fix this picture viewing problem, even if it's getting on my nerves HARD. Maybe another update, later, will solve it by itself. If not... let it be ! LOL


So, now, on the Sylvanian side, let's speak about the last corner I'm installing. As I already said François got me a gypsy caravan from the UK. The parcel came totally crushed and opened. I don't know who did it, I thought it should be the customs or postal services, but now I start to doubt about it. The seller promised she is going to search for the missing part (shaft), is going to send me pictures of the parcel ready to go, and contact me around the 22. A week has past, no news. Am I going to bother contacting her again ? No. I have no time/energy for this. I don't want to open a case with ebay, because François would know how bad it is and be too sad. I did not left a feedback, and put her on my blacklist. Not many people goes on it, but I believe we are all able to make a parcel that is sturdy enough and protected enough, or at least send appologizes and arrange this. Already got the same trick with the old oak tree, I bought 13 before only one came to me. The 12 others came from not serious people, including one who simply stole my money. With the few I have, you can imagine it was a real tragedy.
So, the caravan is partly destroyed, many pieces are missing, hinges broken, etc... and I can't tell François how bad it is or he would be too sad. He is someone very emotional, just like me, I don't want to spoil his gift to me. I'll have to arrange whatever I can. Believe me, it's not going to be easy...
First of all, I just ordered (from a UK seller I already bought to, and so I know she is serious and caring) a shaft, and as she had a small ladder I got it too, as it was not increasing shipping cost (the small one of the other caravan). Because yes, after finding this red roof one, I found on french ebay one with the green roof. It sold for really few compared to the regular price of it, so I went ahead, and François helped me get it too. For this one I knew it was not complete, but it was finally a great surprise as there's even a horse (not the original one, but I don't care), the shaft, and so I miss parts that are not essential to me (for a real collector it would be a disaster, for me it's ok).

So, the 1rst one is missing all the dishes and table, chairs, hanging pots, the ligh is not working (didn't try changing the battery), I miss the sleeping bags, the ladder, the horse, the saddle... and the roof hinges are broken. Whuuuuuuuu... I have some extra horses, so I chose one to just be there and complete a little bit (it's a way to focus on something else than the disaster LOL)

The green roof one is missing the chimney, the stove, the dishes, the saddle, the hanging beds, a broken shelf, and surely miss more than this (as I ordered the back stairs let's say it's going to look a little bit better...LOL). I don't even know HOW this roof is attached to the caravan, it's making my brain burn, I don't get it LOL

I got with the 1rst parcel a not complete "house in the tree", missing ladder and roof, and badgers, some are really dirty some are nice. With this whole mess, I'm planning to make a kind of forest camp for the Sylvanian who are looking for a life close to nature. Count me in : my dream would have been to have a cabin in the woods, or live in those marvelous airstream caravans... LOL
Here you go for a picture of the whole thing, before I start working on it (already tried to glue/attach a couple of things). And just in case it was not enough, François gave me a kind of...???... plant support ? made of wood (fragile ++) to enclose in the diorama (not pictured)... Please... no more... LOL... I really don't know what I can do with this whole mess... but believe me it's going to take "some" time before you can see pictures of it as a "ok, I can show it now without people fainting"
oook.... picture

As they say "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade"...

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp LOL

PS : for those reading my other blog about my stupid silly life, I know there are troubles posting messages, don't be upset, it's not on your side, it's a general bug. I'm putting new posts today, let's see if it works better well, if not please keep on using the "contact the author" bloc thanks (and sorry for the troubles)

Xmas card trade - received + the small xmas home deco

I've send 10 cards and got only 5. Not a big surprise tho... Maybe a couple more will come, but I don't count on it. It's always the same in a trade, some are serious, some.... No big deal, and as it's the last year I'm participating to this kind of trade, I know it's the last time I'll be deceived ! BTW I got some marvelous cards, even if the count is not here, and even got the cutest gifts !

this is the cute card I found for François, for his birthday, he let me borrow it for my table deco

a simple fake pine garland to hide the misery of this wall LOL

the tree, fake one (I don't like the idea of cutting a tree...) that I've put as high as possible to protect it from the 4 paws teeth

  

the cards together, with another one I already have (I'm planning to frame those 2 together, and all the others in another frame (it's easier for me to frame a pair number). There is also a set of penguins and snowmen by Jim Shore, a rabbit snowman (why not !), and my 3 cute nordic kids

see how crowded my poor home is... there's even 2 racks under the tree, one for books, one with the hi-fi (antic one LOL) the table the... and believe me, it's worse everywhere else....arghhhh

the tiny deco I made last year (or 2 years ago ? can't remember !) from a kit from Action, with a tiny fake candle in the back to put some light here
Not that bad as long as I really do not want to celebrate anything at this time of the year...

Diaporama (at least I'm trying LOL)

Blogger is making it as hard as possible, but I'm not giving up....
Let's see if it works (sorry, I can't select the speed, and it's really speedy)
To have it displayed better well, just wait for it to start, and then click on the little stars ON the picture, it will put it in the middle of the screen with a black background :-)

Link to the diaporama

Last Christmas gift sent

Not a big one, I'm afraid. But I've been feeling so bad and down those past days... I really couldn't do a single other thing. I'm so ill that my DBF offered I just stay in bed and forget any celebration until I feel better - what I would have gladly accept, but it's also his birthday so I'm trying to insure a minimal service, no matter what...huh

So, here is my little sending to Mariko

I pictured the different parts of the box because someone asked me if my boxes are "fake" ones, or having a real content. Yes, a real content AND you can open the boxes (or bags) and use the miniatures inside (garlands, xmas lights, balls, or candy canes, marshmallows, etc). It's up to the person who receive those to use them as "decorating" or "useful"

and a set of Maple Town buttons :-)

Sylvanian xmas market, the last one

Another pre-registered post, if you read this, it's because I'll still be fighting with my health issues.

So here we go for the final visit

as you probably guessed, my last stall is a "hot cocoa bar"

2 shelves, one with a chocolate pot and cups, and one with cookies (handmade), jar of marshmallows and jar of caramels, and a cupcake that found no other space to be displayed LOL

for now the milk bottles are just dropped on the ground, but I'm planning to display them in a speacil carrier, with maybe a bottle of caramel or chocolate sirup

peppermints, candy canes, reindeer nose chocolates (including a red one for Rudy's nose LOL), marshmallows, snowflake white chocolates, etc

my deer family sounds quite happy to test all those delicious things...

did you notice each of the 3 table has a letter on, creating the word "joy" ?

françois offered me this cute sleigh, but I wanted it to be tracted by a poney, so I chose one I have, and transformed him into a perfect reindeer LOL

the little last stall will be arranged later too

panoramic picture, you can click it to see better well