My sister: Why?

Le me: Why what.

Why the eyes?

Because of a certain game with a bear and a bird. Everything was lively and fun. The bird poops eggs towards bad guys, real funny. There are lots of easter eggs hidden around the set too.

Okay and how many are there?

Yes

*sighs* What was your inspiration to make this set?

I had a written out concept but shelved it because it didn’t seem fitting for LEGO Ideas but it does for the BrickLink Designer Program. So when it got announced I got to work and developed it. The idea originated from brainstorming.

Okay, and what is your favorite fairytale?

What a shrektastic question. The answer has multiple layers to it, like an onion.

Of course it is. And out of the ones that are actually in your set?

Red Riding Hood because it’s the most playful setwise. I worked functions into key storyparts so children can playfully reenact the story while the parent is reading it.

What is your favorite minibuild from the set?

Either the vending machine or stairs. Isn’t it funny how stairs and stars are only one letter apart yet in the real world it’s multiple kilometers?

I.. guess. Wait a minute, what is the story of The Ugly Barnacle? Is that even a real fairytale?

Oh that’s a classic. At least as good as Hansel & Gretel. It goes like this: Once there was an ugly barnacle. He was so ugly that everyone died. The end.

That didn’t help at all. What is your favorite fairytale related meme?

“Somebody toucha my spaghet.” – like it is portrait in the set. Well actually it’s pizza since there isn’t a spaghetti element but if you add lots of sauce it’s basically the same. But when does it become soup? When does pouring milk in a bowl of cereal become soup instead of sauce?

Some angry Italian is making the hand gesture right now. Why did you make the set?

I needed to create a job for myself. I wrote a business plan and am working on it, but it’s a large project and it’ll take a while before it comes out. The Fairytales project will hopefully take care of me in the meantime.

How do you expect busy parents to build such a large set?

By building 10 – 15 minutes with your child everyday while reading a short story and a couple of Sunday afternoons. The most time consuming thing is searching for pieces. Best way to counter this is to flip upside down ones, and not mix different bags; or last resort just point a piece out. It’s okay to skip a day if you don’t have time, but it doesn’t take long and is time well spent. There’s a somewhat flexible baseplate so building can be done in bed, just put the pieces in a bowl. You can use your phone for the stories and instructions, just lay it on bed and turn around the instruction images with the button while you read the story. You can add a shortcut to visit this page from your home screen so you don’t have to search for this tab to open the stories and instructions.

Was there any particular detail you wanted to capture?

The chimney. Easily the strangest part to design. It pulls you in because it’s round and at an angle. I also wanted a roof with 2 bends, easily the hardest part to design. Aside from that I put in as many references as I could from all fairytales. But the point was to get the main feeling across of the “Fairytales” theming. There’s also a classic witch hat & flying broom , potions & ointment above the beds, and a large steering pot in the fireplace.

Did you get stuck a lot designing the model?

Yes. Working out small ideas by themselves is fairly easy compared to incorporating them all into 1 stable model, while having each one maintain their signature look. And then there’s the neverending cycle of changing 1 piece or a part of the concept in general resulting in large overhauls.

What is the open box at the back of the house? And what is the christmas tree on snow doing next to it?

Those are a sandbox and a small extra to bring the story of the Little Match Girl to life. The sandbox is for storing extra character parts & utensils.

What’s the white thing?

Nobody knows really, but if you got 10 of those you could build spacecrafts with them.

What’s the bar of studs doing above the kitchen?

It’s hanging there. If your child finds the 3 lost studs hidden in the set he becomes a True Storyteller .

Who is Kaya and why is she the main character?

I read lots of fairytales and most don’t make any sense. I’m sure they used to be well written stories but I think their meaning has gotten lost in translation. It’s hard to write a good twist and conflict children can understand, but I think how modern Doctor Who used to be written is the way to go. Kaya is the new princess, she is 14 years old and an “older sister” of the reader. Kaya gets to see all twists & turns, needs to make decisions, and deal with simple conflicts that makes children reason and think from both sides. Reading through Kaya’s stories gives meaning, weight, and real lessons to learn from. Modern tellings of fairytales often are too sweetened and the originals sometimes end on a pointless dark note. Old and new fairytales often miss a more realistic viewpoint or the intented clue which is one of the reasons why Kaya is important. She carries lessons from previous stories, adapts to them in a way a child can understand, and lives with them througout her adventures. This does mean that like in real life not all stories end on a good note, but there’s always the next day. Kaya is not a hero, she’s a companion.

Will the instructions be printed?

No, I’m sorry they won’t. I’ll see what I can do with a printable PDF. But on the flip side I did do my best to make them digitally as comfortable as possible. Everything is clear, large, and readable. The use of Almost White instead of Pure White and more ambient colors so switching between display and natural light won’t cause as much fatique. The model exists out of many 5 minute builds, allowing the builder(s) to take a break when needed without loosing track and pick it up again without the pressure of needing to spend 30 minutes on it. In the end many small pieces form the larger picture.

Alright, is there still something you want to say?

Help me Ignite The Dream