"Stranger Factory and Cotton Candy Machine are teaming up to create a collaborative crossover exhibition, one big awesome event taking place simultaneously both at Stranger Factory Gallery in Albuquerque, NM and at Cotton Candy Machine in Brooklyn, NY on the same evening. All works by each artist will be split up evenly between both galleries, so no matter which location you attend you will ![]()
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Stranger Factory x Cotton Candy Machine (July 11-Aug 3)
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Another look at figma Captain America
The folks over at Akiba Hobby had a look at figma Captain America, and I thought I'd share a few images here - just a small selection, really, so check them out for the full look. If you can block the extravagant asking price out of your mind for a moment and just appreciate the pictures showing off his awesome sculpting and great action poses, you'd probably be all the better for it.
In case you'd missed it, pre-orders went up for ol' Cappy last month for ¥6,111. Links to all the usual places:
[ Pre-order at HobbyLink Japan | Hobby Search | AmiAmi | CD Japan | Big in Japan | J-List]
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Nintendo jumps on toy figure trend to boost Wii U
Nintendo on Tuesday said it is adding real-world game figures to Wii U play to boost the popularity of its console, which has lagged rivals in the market. Nintendo is blending Will U virtual play with tangible toys as it faces off against powerhouse offerings from Xbox One and PlayStation 4 at an E3 gathering here. The Japanese video game stalwart is jumping on a trend that has paid off for ...
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Mattel Disney Pixar CARS: SDCC 2014 Special Edition Neon Racers Gift Pack
Some nice new high resolution photos of the San Diego Comic Con 2014 Special Edition Neon Racers Gift Pack. The box has it’s own lights. It looks like each CAR lights up in 2-colors! Shu, orange & purple and Lightning, white and purple. Nice! It also comes with a … “specially designed furoshiki, Japanese wrapping […]
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Fast and Easy Cut and Sew Dolls Is A Great Way To Teach Kids How To Sew
When I was designing my cut and sew dolls I couldn't help but think about my own experiences as a child learning how to sew and thought that cut and sew dolls would not only be a good way to teach a young child how to hand sew but also how to teach them how to machine sew as they could be put together either way. Plus, they quickly see the results of their efforts.
My mother and her best friend taught me how to sew when I was about ten years old. First they made me practice sewing two pieces of fabric together by hand until my running stitches were even and I knew the difference between a running stitch, straight stitch, back-stitch, etc. Then they explained the various types of stitches and their use and some of the sewing terminology.
I, of course, was anxious to start with the sewing machine. Just let me make something. They tried to explain that I needed to master the hand stitches before moving on to the sewing machine. I couldn't understand why back then. I can now. I wanted to create something right then and there.
When they were happy with my hand sewing I moved on to the sewing machine. First they explained how the machine worked, the different parts of the machine, the different machine heads, the different stitches, winding bobbins, etc. I couldn't move on until I knew this. I had no idea when I wanted to learn how to sew how much I needed to learn first. I was ready to go. Let me at the sewing machine - now.
Finally, the day came when I was allowed to start my machine sewing - or so I thought. Au contraire!
First my mother and her friend explained all the sewing terms, showed me how to sew a straight line with the machine, how to sew in reverse, etc. Here, too, they had me practicing rows and rows of stitches on single pieces of fabric. I, of course, thought I was ready after sewing two or three rows of stitches.
My mother would look at my rows of stitching and tell me to continue practicing. My rows of stitching were crooked. I wasn't allowed to move on until they were straight. I really think my mother made me practice much more then I needed just to keep me out of her hair. In any event, I practiced sewing straight lines forward and backwards until I could do it with my eyes closed.
When I thought I was done and ready to start my project here, too, I was wrong. I had no idea they had a test in store for me. YIKES! I'm learning to sew not going to school. Needless to say I passed my quiz with flying colors and they decided I was ready to move on to my first pattern.
The first thing I decided to make was a shirt for myself. I set about buying a pattern, buying the material, supplies, etc. My mother wanted me to start with a simple pattern like a pillow. I convinced her I could handle a shirt. Little did I know that here, too, I would need to understand patterns and how they work before moving on. Just put me in front of the sewing machine. I can do this!
So, she showed me how to read the pattern and how to layout the pattern pieces on my material. I never followed the pattern layout instructions, then, and I still don't as I always thought they wasted too much material. She also told me to read the instructions carefully and to follow the pattern step by step. For my first few years I didn't dare go to step 5 before finishing steps 1 through 4. I thought the earth would fall apart if I did. What did I know I was just a kid!
So my mother explained how to read the various instructions on the pattern sheets and what the little black notches meant. I used to cut them off until I realized they could be quite useful. So I set about cutting out my shirt and then attempting to sew it.
I knew what I was doing, or so I told my mother. Let me do my shirt. So she, as mothers always do, sighed and said "fine!" Go ahead!
I sewed the side seams and the shoulders, then the side seams of the arms. Piece of cake. This is easy. Then the instructions said that I needed to sew the arms to the shirt easing the fabric so that it fit. Well, I looked at the shoulders of my arms and the armhole opening of my shirt. No way that was going to fit. The shoulders of my arms were way too big. I figured the pattern must be wrong so I cut the arms of my shirt straight across the top of the side seam so that the armhole opening of my shirt and shoulder of my arms would fit. Hey, no problem now. No more excess material. Oh, was I good. I sewed both of the arms on and then turned the shirt RSO.
I figured this might be a good time to try my shirt on. Of course when it came time to put the shirt on it was difficult at best. Well, you all know what happened. The sleeves were way too short and my armhole opening was a bit too tight. I looked ridiculous. So, when I asked my mother what the problem was she could barely contain her laughter. She didn't want to laugh as I knew she didn't want to discourage me but, I really did look ridiculous.
When she asked me to tell her how I had sewed the sleeves on she gently explained that there was a purpose for the shoulder curve of the sleeve after all. She helped me remove the stitching, cut out new sleeves, and showed me how to ease the shoulder seam of the sleeve to my shirt. Of course, when I tried my new sleeves on they fit.
My mother told me that there were so many things to learn when sewing that you can't master them all at once. She, in fact, was still learning. So, when in doubt the best course of action is to ask.
What else did I learn. Well, I wasn't a superstar and laughter is the best medicine. No matter how old you are or skilled you are sewing is always an adventure. I figured if you don't try something you'll never know if it would have worked. My solution could have worked and the pattern could have been wrong! Right?
So, when I was designing my cut and sew dolls I wanted to create something that would be a great sewing tool for kids as well as something that would give them a more immediate feeling of achievement. Something they could do without have to go to school and pass a final exam! Something that they could be proud of that they had created. Something to inspire them to want to learn more.
I now have 72 different cut and sew doll designs. Plenty of inspiration for learning how to sew. They're fast and easy and are a great way to teach kids how to sew. If you'd like to see all my cut and sew designs please CLICK HERE.
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Hasbro Says Please Buy a Lot of Transformers So We Can Make Another Movie
“Brian Goldner, Hasbro President and CEO, claims the films have largely focused on the same group of hero and villain robots – resulting in limited variation for the toy line. Goldner asserted, for Transformers 4, the story would center around a new batch of robots – for the purpose of refreshing the toy line. [The […]
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building in your backyard: stick-lets
We were sitting outside already, playing with sidewalk chalk and debating the finer points of Hopscotch, when the perfect summertime package arrived in the mail: a bag full of Stick-lets. After showing her the Stick-lets booklet, Birdie immediately began telling me about her “secret stick stash”. We then went hunting all through our yard and the […]
The post building in your backyard: stick-lets appeared first on Small for Big.
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set database: LEGO 6689 post station
set database: LEGO 6689 post station
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set name: post station
theme: town, postoffice
year: 1985
pieces: 53
price: us$na
minifigs: 2
nice town set.
image courtesy of bricklink
image courtesy of peeron
image courtesy of naokisumida
image courtesy of avante
set number: 6689set name: post station
theme: town, postoffice
year: 1985
pieces: 53
price: us$na
minifigs: 2
come with a post station and a red bicycle.
minifigs included a postman minifig and a female minifig.
great playability.
overall design is great.
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Squid Kids Ink's new customs show Deadpool some love
Squid Kids Ink's newest work— Squibpool — goes up for pre-order on Friday for 24 hours, and as the name suggests, it's a set of customs based off of Deadpool's design. The two figures are a 3-inch Squib custom called Squibpool and a larger 5-inch Squib Kid custom called SquibKidPool, each repainted to look like the merc with a mouth. The larger SquibKidPool will also come with two swords, just to complete the costume because what good is Deadpool without some weaponry in hand?
The prices are US$45 for the 3-inch Squibpool, US$100 for the 5-inch SquibKidPool, and US$125 for a combo of both starting at midnight Friday on Squid Kids Ink's website. If you can't grab one and you'll be at Anime Expo in July, Squid Kids Ink will have another 10 sets at their show booth.
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Squibpool and SquibKidPool Pre-Order
Squids Kid Ink will be opening up a pre-order window for their Squibpool and SquibKidPool customs beginning at midnight on June 12th 2014 through midnight on June 13th 2014. The 3" tall Squibpool will run $45.00, while the 5" tall SquibKidPool will run $100.00. The combo set will cost you $125.00. There will be 10 […]
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A Closer Look at the ARC Cannon & ARC Cannon of Titanfall: Atlas by Threezero
After all the image teases, Threezero finally readies to release their Titanfall: Atlas mecha toy, with an online pre-order date set for June 16th, 9:00AM Hong Kong time via www.threezerostore.com! But take particular note here, as there will be 2 versions available - and by that, it's the weapon the mecha carries, and not it's pilot, yeh? Got that? Good. :)
A Standard Retail Version will come ![]()
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"Wananeko" the Yokai Cat by Javier Jimenez
Today TOYSREVIL is excited to put a spotlight on Javier Jimenez’s newest character and resin figure; WANANEK, THE YOKAI CAT!
Standing approximately 4.8 inches (12cm) tall, the first release of this resin-made neko will happen at the Tokyo Cat Fight show on the 5th and 6th of July at the Design Festa Gallery in Harajuku, Tokyo. Coming in bagged with header card and include sticks, a very limited![]()
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Watch out for Javier Jimenez's Wananeko
Javier Jimenez has kept his latest project secret for a while now, but he's just revealed a resin figure he's calling Wananeko, which is Japanese for "trap cat". The little guy is a cat that had to suffer through living on the streets, where he died and became a yokai that harbored a hatred for humans. So now, he takes vengeance by shape-shifting into a little basket of meowing kittens on the porches of the unsuspecting, transforming into his yokai form and attacking anyone unfortunate enough to open the door. It's a heck of a backstory for the character (also in video form), and I'm always a fan of a good, fleshed-out story that tells a character's history.
As for the figure itself, it's a resin piece about 4.8 inches tall (12 cm), designed and painted by Javier, sculpted by Cristina Ravenna and handcasted by Rafael Rodriguez Santos. As is usual for these smaller, independent releases, Javier has gone the plastic bag with a header card route for his packaging, and you can expect to see the first release at the Tokyo Cat Fight show on July 5-6 at Design Festa Gallery in Harajuku, Tokyo.
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Toy Market Reflects FIFA World Cup Mania
According to The NPD Group, sales of World Cup-themed toys have been growing since the start of the year, as fever for the event starts to take hold across the UK. One toy out of every nine sold, or over 9.1 million toys, have been linked to the competition. More than one quarter, or 27 [...]
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Street Posters for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"
"The new black and white art stylized posters feature the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo and their arch nemesis Shredder. The new street art posters were spotted by Instagram user WestCoastGeek (found via MovieWeb) in the streets of Los Angeles, California." -reported SlashFilm (not forgetting Leonardo too…)
When I read the headlines, I actually imagined them to be![]()
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More Images of BotCon 2014 Flamewar Hit eBay
More images have surfaced of BotCon 2014 souvenir figure Flamewar, this time from an eBay auction for an "advance" copy of the figure. Flamewar is a pretty nice-looking repaint of Beast Hunters Arcee with an increasingly dated internet term for a name. Click the title to see the images!
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KICKSTART THIS SHIZZ: HOMEMAKE HomeMake is a superbly stylish...
KICKSTART THIS SHIZZ: HOMEMAKE
HomeMake is a superbly stylish platformer currently in development by two architecture students and it is in serious need of funding on Kickstarter. The visuals are gorgeous, the music is a super hip mix of hip-hop and soulful jazz, and the concept is wonderfully unique.
HomeMake takes place on an inverted planet in a neon electric playground city environment. Players can switch between bodies on the fly - each one controlling differently than the other. Some jump higher, some run faster, some see the world more vividly, and some have a softer sense of sound. The cool part is, even though you’re changing bodies, you’re still playing as one character - one consciousness or soul floating in and out different vessels to achieve a goal.
In HomeMake, as the player swaps bodies, your desires are handed off to the new character. The same goal is required but now must be continued with a different body. The game character inhabits a new body, maintaining self mentally, but losing self physically. Commenting on the meaning of self and identity, when you finally achieve your desires, are you truly the same person you were when you started? Or have you become someone new? Is the act more important than the object in a world where something as precious as the body is discarded?
Check out the trailer below then click here to Kickstart this shizz.
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Transformers 4 Age of Extinction - New Kre-O Dino Force TV Commerical
The official Kre-O YouTube Channel has posted a new TV spot for their Age of Extinction sets. Stop-motion-style Grimlock stomps down the street chomping Decepticons with an attack that is just as much Kirby as it is Yoshi. Click the title to see the video!
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Gummy Keiko – Sweet of the Dead
Fools Paradise has revealed all of the pre-order details surrounding their Gummy Keiko - Sweet of the Dead figure. The transparent PVC Bear (outer case) features a painted resin sitting Keiko. The PVC Bear stands around 6" in height. You can currently pre-order one for $239.00, with the pre-order window closing on July 11th 2014. […]
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Tomopop Review: Aoshima Haganai NEXT Sena Kashiwazaki
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (or Haganai for short) is an anime series I've actually wanted to watch for quite a while, and after finally having a Sena Kashiwazaki figure in my own hands, I think it's darn near time. This splashy beach figure of Sena is based on Haganai NEXT's view of her, and I think it's safe to say she will end up being my favorite character in the series. I mean.. she plays dating sims. What else do I need to know?
Hit the jump to see how I felt about the figure from Aoshima and FunnyKnights!
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