Potions, Baby!! WooHoo!

[gingerwitch.livejournal.com]

We have more pix from the summer 2024 wave lego Harry Potter 76431 Hogwarts Castle: Potions Class - 397 pieces ($40)! Including a peek at the set folded together... The rear of the box gives us one look at it; the last picture here shows how it would slot into the 76435 Great Hall set. What to note about it: unlike the lavatory and the Hufflepuff Common Room, the set is then closed when folded together. The door can face outwards, however, so it isn't that it doesn't make sense, but it effectively can only be viewed or played with when it is not in the Great Hall set. given the number of people who complain about the inaccessibility or unplayablity (that's totally a word) of the 2021+ modular sets, I think I can predict that will meet with some displeasure. In as much as it won't collect as much dust, I can't say I mind it too much. The sliding feature means the modules are easily removed, the primary issue there is most of the ones they've designed are too open and prone to dust collecting, and storage of the modules is going to be an issue, particularly as they aren't stackable.

There are two 1 x 3 flat tiles on the centre base plate, presumably the opposite side we can't see uses the 1 x 3 jumper plate with two studs. This permits us to anchor the workbenches in a fashion that's easily removed to push it forward or set them off to the side for easier access for play.

There's a clip visible in the ingredients bench that doesn't make too much sense unless it's used to anchor the bench when the set is folded closed. There's a section of brick extending out from one of the arches to the left of the centre plate. On the box front art, it holds the new yellow flask piece, although that's more clearly visible in the first set up of the set somewhat further below. Snape's lectern rests on these bricks when the classroom is folded together. I don't believe it's used to hold the folded set closed, because I think it would need to extend into the massive cauldron's space to do so. That cauldron definitely seems brick built. I'm wondering why that was deemed preferable to the large cauldron piece they have?





Love Hermione trying to hand Snape a flower to try to get him to ignore the ten extra inches she included in her assignment. Love his "the hell is this?" look even more. 😆 (Anna Arvensis had no more luck with that than Hermione will.) For shame, Hermione! Bribery is thoroughly inappropriate. You could always just follow the instructions, you know... Just saying. (Swots unite!)

In addition to the new flasks and explosion / smoke pieces, I really like that they're giving us spiders in so many of the sets and in different colours. That will really make the Aragog scene, and it's such a small thing to do. Here it serves to both highlight the dungeoniness of the classroom or as an ingredient, if need be. I think that's great. 😃

Comments

[gingerwitch.livejournal.com]

As a person with limited space (and budget), I like that it folds up. Also, seriously digging Snape's buttons. Long overdue. 😊

[gelsey.livejournal.com]

Haha right?

Well my limited space has gone straight to the dollhouse I rescued a few weeks ago and have started restoring lol.

[gingerwitch.livejournal.com]

Nice! I'd love to see pictures as you go, if you're taking any? Dollhouses are neat. Tbh, that's also a big portion of how I approach lego, as a dollhouse with places to fill, except the things you make to fill it are limited in scope for size- / scalability and you can do more about changing the space flexibly as you go. Along those lines, erexen and I were both kind of enjoying a small lego bed & breakfast from the friends line. (I can't get past the window colour and will save the budget for something HP related; she, on the other hand, might take the plunge.)

[gelsey.livejournal.com]

I do! I thought I'd posted a link but apparently effed it up, so I just re-uploaded. If you scroll through, you can see it when I got it, and then I'm putting siding up and removing the shingles because there's a large swatch of damage that was probably from rodents but could have been something else. It's 1:12 scale, roughly anyway. I'm making an effort at making my own furniture for a few things at least but it's a learning curve - for instance I spent some time earlier making a farmhouse sink out of foam board. Saw where I'd made a few mistakes so I'll be trying again tomorrow probably. I'm also thrifting old dollhouse furniture. Dollhouse in progress https://imgur.com/gallery/xDUsK9h

Still trying to settle on the rooms that don't have a label in those pics I uploaded. I don't think the house fits the family that came with it, I think they need a Victorian. For now I'm letting my tiniest rabbit figurines run rampant in it lmao

It's making me want to do HP box rooms eventually. But it'll be a hot minute, I'm saving ideas on Pinterest lol. I'm particularly interested in doing Snape's office of course.

[gingerwitch.livejournal.com]

That looks so good! (And good on the bunnies... 😆) I really like your cast iron stove, too. And the palette with bricks! I bet picking out wallpapers is fun. (And now I'm tempted to suggest the Black Family wallpaper from minalima ...lol)

Also, you are very organised. ❤️ Love the whole labelled plan.

[gelsey.livejournal.com]

I'm trying!

Believe it or not that's a salt and pepper shaker. Lol. It's going to be a mostly updated place but I'm tempted to place that in a corner like maybe everything isn't updated haha.

The pallet had siding on it as I cut it too, because that's how I roll lol. It amuses me.

Oh I have some wallpaper! The kitchen is going to have sunflower wallpaper it's great. Oooh black family. I will have to go look.

I still have to settle on the other rooms. I could do bunk beds on one room and a nursery. Or I can do a rabbit/pet room and a such. I'm having a lot of trouble deciding.

I just amuse myself endlessly lol. And I'm enjoying the project. The outside is going to take forever, so I think on the inside a lot.

[gingerwitch.livejournal.com]

A kids' room where one of them has a dollhouse. I feel a case of recursion coming on 😆 I like the idea of a pet room, but maybe they'd have a rabbit hutch outside with a bunny run?

How do you do panelling at that thickness on the outside and not bury the window frames?

[gelsey.livejournal.com]

I've seen the dollhouse in a dollhouse! I'm not sure I have the mad skills for that yet but some people are amazing with it.

It's actually pretty thin, they're bamboo slats. But the windows are too large and clunky I think. I hate the inserts in some of the windows, a couple of them are quite discolored from time I think. I also have shutters I bought (no way I could make those at my current skill level) to add too. It'll be painted and shingled with small asphalt shingles.

[erexen.livejournal.com]

That is going to be so much fun to fix up! All the tiny metal items are fascinating, like the pram, etc. Bunnies everywhere! We used to have rabbits many years ago, they are truly unique personalities when hand raised.

I absolutely adore making tiny things, got hooked as a kid making dioramas. Hand carved .5 inch tall candlesticks out of random twigs, then melted crayons to make tiny actual candles. Favorite was creating a Blacksmith's, mainly because of the awesome tools & of course the horses. Built a wagon, and the structure was build out of branches, almost "Lincoln Log"-esque.

[gingerwitch.livejournal.com]

I do not want to know how many hours I've spent watching videos of people making pots and pans out of pop bottle lids and such. 😆 I think I love the miniature potions stores most of all.

(https://gelsey.livejournal.com/profile/)gelsey (https://gelsey.livejournal.com/), as for the HP stuff, there have been some amazing projects with people making potions rooms and Diagon Alley dioramas mostly from foam and balsa that were sooo well done. I'm especially partial to the book nooks, because space is always at a premium.

Along those lines, I'm building a (lego compatible) Diagon Alley book nook right now. I've got one done and am probably half way through the second. I really love being able to just fold them up and put it away, but immerse myself when I choose without sending DH into fits. In parts, the build was pretty frustrating to put together though, because I wanted a certain result, but the depth doesn't exactly lend itself to it easily. erexen can testify to some pretty blue language dropping as I went. 😆

[gelsey.livejournal.com]

I'm still learning with foam, haven't attempted balsa or basswood yet but I want to. Space is definitely an issue but as long as I'm having fun lol

Book nooks are so charming and fun, I love them even if I don't have one yet!

[gingerwitch.livejournal.com]

I'll take some pix when I finish the building blocks version. Whatever else, it's cute.

[erexen.livejournal.com]

Yup, blue language, interspersed with periodic yelps from the bricks taking a bite out of her fingers.

[gingerwitch.livejournal.com]

Never let it be said I didn't show at least a modicum of dedication. 😘 Oh, plus the hair I occasionally built in between bricks. lol I guess there's something to be said for putting it up... 😆

[erexen.livejournal.com]

After seeing your fingertips the other day, I'd say you're a survivor of sharp brick torture.😱 As to the hair, yeppers, one strand built in & yanked out cured me. Hair in a bun. Funny how my kids could hang from my rope of a braid without pain... but pull on STRANDS of my hair & I'm yelping like I lost a toe. 🤣

[gingerwitch.livejournal.com]

I think the issue is more suspending a build from the single strand that gets me... 😆

[gelsey.livejournal.com]

I have two house bunnies :) they're my besties, I love them so much.

Between school dioramas and my dollhouse my mum made, I have always loved tiny things. I want to build all sorts of things... But figured an existing house would be a lot of good practice before starting my own unique rooms! A blacksmiths would be amazing.

[erexen.livejournal.com]

Our bunnies passed at the ripe old ages of 11-13, they are missed, but when I took on my Mom's care I knew I wouldn't have the time to spend with any new bunnies. We currently still have our last 2 ancient cats, siblings that are coming 19. Plus our pack of dogs that own our 2 acres, ranging from 8 years to 17.

I love the minute details in crafting anything, and am especially fond of sculpting & woodwork. You can ask Ginger, I get all excited over tiny unique Lego stuff.

That's a terrific idea, to practice on an existing one, so you can decide what methods you like best. Have to admit, it was incredibly fun doing the blacksmith's, all the tool blades & metal parts made out of tin foil, but the handles were all twigs I carved. Favorite part was sculpting the horses, one standing lazily waiting, while the other had his leg lifted to have the shoe fitted. I made the shoes too!

[gingerwitch.livejournal.com]

You also built the lego Creator Smith's from a few years back, didn't you? I seem to recall a "bearskin" rug that had me giggling.

[gelsey.livejournal.com]

Those are good old ages! Pip is two now, and Merry is 3.5. maybe you'll be able to have some again someday. I never thought I'd have bunnies but Pip was dumped on my parents' farm and I kept her, then got her a friend after she was fixed. It's almost two years since we found her.

I wish I was better at a lot of artistic pursuits. I wish I could figure out clay. It's still baffling to me on how to get it to do what I want I love tiny things, always have. Legos I've always enjoyed as well.

See I never would have thought of tin foil! I want to do a lot of different things eventually, but we'll see how it turns out. Your blacksmith scene sounds so cool. I'm also a horse girl, soooo. Lol

[erexen.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I do the best I can for my 4 legged children. Most of mine over the decades have been a variety of "dumped" critters. I will never be able to comprehend the cruelty involved in that.

As to sculpting, if you were close enough, I could try to walk you through making some things? I'm out in the AZ desert, hanging with the saguaros... which is Far better than hanging From a saguaro, just sayin'. Although, they Are Almost as prickly as our Potions Master...

Loved legos as a kid, then again when my kids were growing, but stopped when my kids outgrew them. And THEN I met Ginger!💖🧡💗 It's ALL her fault, she just Had to send me a lego set WHILE being prepped for surgery. Yep, and my adult lego addiction was born.

Tin foil can be wonderful with imagination! Thanks, I wish I still had it, but my Dad's GF got rid of all his kids saved stuff when he passed.

HORSES❣❣❣❣❣ Do you have any? I trained and bred arabians for over 20 years, but I was incredibly picky about them being super intelligent and exceptionally athletic. My last colt I bred went to a warmblood breeding farm to stud, he had 'at liberty' Naturally fluid dressage movement before he was even under saddle.

[gelsey.livejournal.com]

Most of ours are some variety of dumped. Even one of the horses. It boggles my mind especially since we found Pip and now I keep supplies in hand in case I need to go catch a bunny.

Alas I'm in Tennessee. But thanks! I've always wanted to see the saguaros.

We have 3 horses! Bobbi is a Standardbred I think? Jumana is a quarter horse. And Butterfly is a paso fino. She's retired now because she has EMS (equine metabolic disorder, essentially a form of diabetes) and has a 15° rotation of her coffin bones. I grew up on an Arabian though! I've heard a lot of the American strains are rather craycray though. Always loved the breed though (I spent my formative years in Saudi, dad worked for oil). I was really good when I was a kid (three day eventing so all of that) but I went over a decade without horses when we moved back. Now we just have fun and play games on the farm, some jumping and dressage and just hacking. Games with poles and jumps, all stuff we made ourselves usually.

[erexen.livejournal.com]

I'm glad there are more folks out there giving homes to the ones who deserve Far better treatment. I've spent most of my life rescuing the abandoned.

Thank you for adding me, I'm glad to make new friends, even when they are geographically challenged.😊 I've been to Nashville once a couple decades ago, for a convention, and I will state for the record that I'm IMMENSELY jealous of your lush greenery. Ginger sends me pix of her lush countryside. Out here... it's almost Nothing except brown. Well during the pollen explosion the air & ground turn yellow for a while, but that not particularly pleasant on my allergies. But, we do get Amazing sunsets.

Fantastic that you have cool whinnies! I'm sorry about Butterfly's condition, poor baby, but she's so lucky to have someone to give her a good life. If you're comfortable, I'd love to see pix of your critter babies. Oh I miss my horses terribly, I haven't snuggled a velvet nose in years. Being in a mobility chair removed my ability to maintain them properly, so I had to find them all homes. Sigh.

Oh good grief, don't get me started on the morons destroying the breed. Mine were Spanish/ Polish
/Crabbet. My horses had *Barich De Washoe, *Abha Onyx, *GG Samir, & *Bask++, Medalion, & *Raffles in their lines, but there was so much more. Sadly I've forgotten a lot of my pedigree info, I had researched my horses all the way back to the Desert Bred. I'll try to find my paperwork, but it hurt for so long to be reminded that I packed them somewhere.

I began my training in dressage/ hunter jumper, but then moved across country, so never was able to finish because I started my family. One kinda cool fact about my youth riding, I grew up riding a grandson of Wing Commander the Saddlebred. There weren't any Arabians in my area as a kid, it wasn't until I moved out to CA that I found & fell in love with my babies.

[gelsey.livejournal.com]

Of course! This has been a great chat and I'm glad you don't mind. Plus I know ginger has great taste :)

It is absolutely gorgeous here. If you have FB or insta, I'm always posting pictures of nature and animals, particularly of my mum's gardens which are beautiful. I can send you the info if you're interested. If not, totally cool! I occasionally post some pics here :) the allergies here are real but I don't know that I'd be happy somewhere not as pretty. (Tho I grew up in a desert and it has its own beauty!).

I'll upload some pics when I have a chance. You totally need to find a velvet to snuggle. I'm sorry that happened, horses are pure happiness. If you're ever around these parts you could come kiss some noses.

Yeah I did dressage/show jumping/cross country and I miss parts of it. There might be an alternate universe where I was able to pursue equitation on a serious level, but we ended up back in the states rather than me going to boarding school as was the plan (at the time once you reached after 9th grade you had to, I've heard they now have an international high school there but I think a fair amount of expats still do the boarding school thing).

Our Arab wasn't any special line or anything I think, but he was my first love and I "blame" him for no one else measuring up ;) and not in a creepy way.

Our girls are all creeping up in age. I'd say Butterfly is probably about 20, and the other two at least 15 I think? We don't really have full history on anyone but Butterfly. Bobbi was obviously a brood mare for a while at least, and passed through a fair few hands. It's obvious she was raised well and trained well at some point though. Jumana was abandoned in a field by someone who went to prison, I think, and she was by herself for something like 5 years . The guy who owned the field offered her to us after we lost our gelding and Butterfly had her diagnosis, so mum and I hadn't been able to ride together. She also was obviously well trained at some point. But we had a lot of trauma to resolve with her. She is a really good girl now, but there were a lot of issues for several years.

[erexen.livejournal.com]

Ginger is one of the most astute people I've ever know, and I'm glad we got to finally chat a bit. I look forward to more fun! I do have instagram thing, haven't been on it in I don't know how long? To keep info safe & private, you can share stuff through Ginger so we can connect outside of Ginger's Lego posts. LOL! If she can tell me where to go, I'll connect with you there. 😊

I SOOOO need to nuzzle a velvety nose, there is Nothing quite like it to soothe my soul. I love pretty much all critters, but horses have a special place.

Those AU's are always interesting in concept, and I too sometimes wish I had stayed back East & continued equitation. But, if I had, I wouldn't have my hubby of 35 years, my kids, or have met all of the incredible people & critters I've known here. That would be a tremendous loss.

Once you meet your 1st horse love, it's difficult to find more that fit in that tight circle. And the only reason I mentioned their bloodlines, was to share that mine were not tied to the messed up insanity that has happened in the US breeding programs. I deliberately searched for lines that had consistent intelligence & athleticism. I didn't buy into whatever lines were All the rage at that time, couldn't have cared less about the hype, I wanted horses that had the brains to learn and grow With me.

Hopefully you'll still have plenty of years to love on them, mine made it into their late 20's to mid 30's. The health issues can affect that though, but I sincerely hope not.

Ahhh, the beautiful babies who've faced & moved beyond trauma hold a special place too, those were my favorites who moved through my life.