Cardcaptor Sakura Figure and Stationary

Keeping with my magical girl theme. I'd like to take the time to talk about my Cardcaptor Sakura goodies! In terms of merchandising, I find that it's harder to get anything CCS. While Sailor Moon is absolutely booming because of the new Sailor Moon Crystal anime. But Sakura fans are in luck because a few things are being released every few months. So here is my collection so far!

Sakura as a chibi is perfection!

You know what? there are some people who absolutely hate the chibi style. But when you look at Kinomoto Sakura it's just perfect. She's so adorable that I can't stop going "awwww". Okay, I'm going to try and focus now on talking about this.

Zoomed up on her face

Well, for a tiny figure I like how the details on her dress. Such as the ruffles around her arm, they're really well done. The crinoline under her dress could use a bit more detail on the edges like the ones on the arms but the under of her dress has layers upon layers of lace so it looks really puffy underneath.  

So this figure was won through a Ufo catcher by my brother's wife Saori. Yeah, she's crazy good at those games! A majority of the things that I'm going to post about was won by her! For anyone going to Japan planning on trying, it is definitely possible to win stuff at the arcade. It just takes some time and a lot of concentration. Anyways, here's a picture of Sakura from the back.

I forgot to take a picture of the stand but it has the Sun and Moon with Sakura's name on it. Similar to the Clow Card design. 

Moving on to my stationary. 

My little note pad

Originally I saw this online at Amiami and liked the idea of a Clow Card shaped note pad. So when I went to Japan and saw this at the electronic store, Yodobashi I didn't hesitate to pick one up. This was actually the last one there and so I'm torn between using it and keeping it in pristine condition.

The Cardcaptor Sakura part is just a plastic cover for the paper. Here's what the paper looks like when you flip the cover off. 

Yes, that's the note paper the only thing that confuses me about this notepad is whether to write on the Clow Card design or on the back. Here's what the page looks like from behind.

So the back of the page is similar to the real Clow Card except it's blank and Sakura is in the corner. This makes using the notepad difficult since I'd have to turn the page upside down to write on this blank side of paper. Since this is also the first page I would definitely need a hard surface to write on. 

I think that I'll keep this item as something I can appreciate and look at from time to time. Onto the next stationary item! 

I tried this Cardcaptor Sakura Lottery game! It's a really lovely greeting card. The envelope is a really nice touch. 

It's the same size as the Clow Card! The paper is nice and thick. The inside actually surprised me!

A popup Sakura appeared dressed as the Prince from the Sleeping Beauty play! 

A small space to write a message on the bottom of the page. The background is really lovely but I would have to think and compose something short and sweet if I ever used this.

I think this is a little description about the Dark but I'll have to ask Saori when I have time. The matching Clow Book envelope is the final icing on the cake.

There's a nice little spot where you can writhe person's name on the back. 

I really love this greeting card and envelope. I think any fan of the series would love to receive card, the popup Sakura was adorable. 

Finally the matching pen to go along with all of this stationary. 

The sealing wand chain at the end of the pen with a picture of Sakura wrapped around the body of the pen. 

And that's my Cardcaptor Sakura figure and stationary! I think it's a nice little haul that I've come home with. There's a few more things Cardcaptor Sakura merchandise that I got from Japan but that's for another day and another post! 

Legend of Zelda Valentine's Day Theme!

Happy Belated Valentine's Day everyone!

I just wanted to show everyone what I made this year! Now I'm no Martha Stewart but I'm determined as hell whenever I set my eyes on baking or making something crafty. Unfortunately, I planned on making baked goods and making a whatever card this year. The whatever card turned into my pride and joy after I ended up modifying the design a gazillion times.

Without further ado here are my Valentine's Day crafts. Sorry about the picture quality I didn't have time to snap a photo with my DSLR.

Chocoalates that I melted into my new mold

So about a week ago I found some really cute Wilton Heart Chocolate Mold at Michaels and since I had a 40% coupon I snapped up these bad boys in a heart beat. Here's what it looks like from the Michael's website.

The chocolate molds I bought

I'l be honest, I actually have a fear of melting chocolate ever since I burnt some white chocolate chips in the past. The chocolate was over melted but this time I screwed up my courage and gave it a go. My chocolates came out beautifully and I had no problems with the chocolate cracking when removing them from the molds. There were a a few air bubbles but they were unnoticeable anyways. With the guidance and wisdom of Saori I managed to make cute chocolates.

I was ambitious this year and decided to  melt some white chocolate and sprinkle some crushed tea biscuits and placed them in the freezer for about 25 minutes. When the chocolates had cooled down and formed, I melted some milk chocolate and poured it over. For some of the chocolates, I added a fourth layer of dark chocolate. Yeah, it got complicated pretty fast! I'm just kicking myself for not taking more photos of them. I made about 24 pieces of chocolate so it took more or less approximately 2 hours all together.

Now onto my pride and joy which I didn't really even plan for ahead of time. A Legend of Zelda themed card to go along with the copy of  Majora's Mask.

My card and copy of Majora's Mask

I'm really happy with how my card turned out. I found this amazing tutorial on Instructibles called Zelda Pop-Up Valentine Heart Card by fungus amungus It was really easy to follow and I recommend also reading Pixelated popup card by kate12345  for a few extra steps to make the heart pop up easier.

But this is how the card looks originally from the website.

The stock photo from instructables

I loved how the heart and the quote looked but I was unhappy with how the background looked and so my obsession with modifying this card occurred. I probably could have just edited the card on photoshop but I'm absolute rubbish at editing images online.

So I rolled up my sleeves and prepared myself  to manually edit the image with more construction paper. I took black construction paper and cut it down to the size of the card, cut out the shape of the heart and box where the text was and just glued it over. Then I took some white paper cut out a little border and glued it on. Now here's the important part, take a permanent marker and a ruler and just outline the border that you just cut out to make a text box. Then glue any coloured construction paper to the back to finish the card.

Another shot of the finished product of the card!

That took a lot of patience and cutting but I like how it turned out. I added a little white box so that I could write a little message as well. And now  let me show you how the front of the card turned out.

The front of the card

Tada! So I was just planning to leave the front the card empty but it just looked so plain and ugly that I had to do something about it. I looked on google for some some inspiration and saw two that gave me the idea. One of them was the Legend of Zelda Card by Adam Bing that was featured on Kotaku and other gaming websites.

Custom made card by Adam Bing via Albotas on tumblr

The second card that inspired me was Starleaf-Creations Legend of Zelda Valentine . 

Custom made card by Starleaf-Creations on Deviantart

This card is exactly what I wanted to make but with the design that I modified.. So with the card above as my guide I just took some yellow construction paper cute out the outline of the chest glued it on. Took some light brown and white construction paper to make shaded areas and my most trusted companion the permanent marker to make the black outline.

Here's the front of my card again so you don't have to scroll up.

Success! I love how my card turned out and I couldn't stop ogling my card. A part of me was tempted to just keep it for myself haha. Anyways, here's the envelope that I made to go along with it.

A very plain brown card with a pixelated heart from my failed attempt at making the 3D popup heart earlier. At that point I was exhausted and just wanted a cute envelope that wasn't difficult to make. 

And that everyone was my Valentine's Day Project! 

All my little projects that didn't feel so little!

And that's all folks! Until Next Time. 

-April

Kikki K Lilac Travel Wallet with Zipper Review

So recently, I've had the pleasure of discovering the wolrd of  planners and how they varied in style, size and colours. There were so many options that I researched everything that was on the market. Well, I ended up getting the Malden Filofax but that doesn't mean I've given up on the other brands all together.

If it wasn't for the Malden, I probably would have ended up with a Kikki K. time planner. I'm a sucker for diamonds and polka dots! Despite getting a Filofax, I still ended up ordering a few things  from Kikki K. At the time New members got  a $10 off coupon, which meant free shipping for me! whoohoo! So I took the risk of ordering 2 medium time planners and 2 leather travel wallets. 

The two planners were given to my friends as a gift and the travel wallet was for myself and my brothers wife. I was really worried about getting anything Kikki K. because I watched a few videos on youtube saying that it was like a lottery when ordering. Well it seemed that I was pretty damn lucky because both planners came in perfect condition. I could go on and on about them but since it's been covered so heavily already on a ton of videos and blogs. I think that talking about the travel wallet would be more interesting, since I couldn't find anything about them.

Here's the packaging of it. 

It looks so cute!

The box for this is absolutely perfect! Golden diamonds against a white backdrop. The white part is actually a sleeve that slides off. So yes, it's the same box that you get when ordering the personal size planners. The little diamond tag with the item description is really cute! I think that I'll use it as a card to write a name and message on it.

Here's how it looks inside 

Still wrapped up with tissue

My first reaction when seeing this was holy crap it looks gorgeous. I really want to travel just so I can start using this baby. It was a lot larger than I expected though but I guess when travelling you need something big enough to hold all the documents you carry, 

The leather is also so soft and smooth, its exactly like the time planners. I'm happy to report that the diamonds are all perfect, there are no fading. The gold finish on the zipper and strap and lettering just make it look really appealing to the eyes. 

Here's a size comparison with my Personal Malden

Here's what the back looks like 

 The pocket in the back makes getting the boarding ticket easier and more accessible.

And finally the inside! 

It's very roomy inside and I feel like it can hold everything that I need. There are so many pockets on the right side, there's room for a few cards and an itinerary or any other documents in the back. On the left side it could also hold any other papers like tickers and money, there's two pockets here so it could hold a lot of papers. 

Another added bonus is the pen strap that's attached!

The strap

With my Muji Pen

I can imagine this coming in handy when filling out forms and tags at the airport. I can't count how many times I needed a pen and I had to dig around my bag for one. 

The inside lining of the wallet  is the same as the time planners. Cute little lilac diamonds against a black backdrop. 

The wallet is almost perfect but alas there are 2 small things about it really bug me. 

First is the wristlet strap, it's attached to the zipper tab. Here take a look! 

Why couldn't Kikki K. just put a small metal attachment on the bottom?! Like the ones on a purse. 

What I wish the wristlet was attached to

I mean yes, I could just remove the wristlet strap and carry it around to make it easier. But I'm extremely forgetful. When I travel, I plan on having this attached to my wrist when walking around the airport. Everything I need such as ID, boarding pass and money all in one place makes it a lot more convenient. 

And for some reason the zipper doesn't open smoothly just at the beginning part. I think it's because the zipper isn't even on the sides. But that's only naturally with a zipper but here's what I mean.

It's hard to explain what I mean

Also the cover is almost perfect,when I run my hands over the cover it's nice and even but near the spine there seems to be one spot that is bent in? It's as if the cardboard underneath was morphed. The card board at the top area feels like it's split. I can heard the cardboard push back when I press it. I might actually contact Kikki K. about this problem. I can live with it but it just really bugs me. 

On the inside there's this one small blemish that's bugging me. It looks like its glue and no matter how much I rub at it, it won't come off. 

Overall, I love this wristlet and it's definitely close to perfection. All the problems I mentioned above are things that I could live  with and it doesn't really take away from what the product does. I actually chose the zipper wallet over the more expensive one because of the zipper. The normal travel wallet was  just had a magnetic clasp and that made me a little nervous. When I travel I like to have little scraps of paper together securely tucked away. The zipper just eases my mind  that nothing will fall out and the pockets will safely hold my documents instead of a little accordion style wallet with a magnetic clasp. What finally convinced me that this one was a better investment was the pen holder. This version just seemed infinitely more useful than the other style, it was also more affordable.

Here's what the magnetic one looks. All images below are just taken from the Kikki K. website.

For anyone on looking at getting the magnetic style here's the link for it:

http://www.kikki-k.com/shop-by/sale-last-chance/leather-travel-doc-wallet

Both travel wallets are 50% off right now but for those looking for a cute zippered style travel wallet  can find it on the link that I posted below!

http://www.kikki-k.com/shop-by/sale-last-chance/leather-travel-wallet-w-zip-lilac

Till Next Time! 

-April 

Girls Memories figure of Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars

So my brother and his wife surprised me with these two figures this week! I was actually debating on ordering them online a few days ago. So imagine my face when they texted me with just a photo saying “We won this for you!”  The only thing I could reply back to him was “FAHFKJHSAFHKJSHDFDSHFKDHHF OMFG SERIOUSLY?!?!” because everyone who’s vying to buy some moonie items in Japan are aware of just how quickly they go in stores and at the arcade. So my brother and his wife are addicted to these ufo catchers.

Here’s a picture of one in case you weren't sure what it was. 

Exactly like this! I just googled Ufo catcher lol so this picture isn't mine

I swear it just takes one successful win to get you hooked. When I was there in November, I was awful at it but 1 small win got me hooked. There’s also this feeling you get when you leave the arcade with a prize and finding out the next day while browsing around in a store that the prize you won is being sold for more. Sorry, I’m getting a little off track now. So here is a picture of my figures! 

Mercury and Mars! 

They look so lovely together! 

Here are the photo's of Mercurys box if anyone was interested!

Front of the box 

Sides of the box

Back of the box

Top of  the box 

The box is a bit darker in person and it's such a nice box. Here's a look at Mercury out of the box.

Mercury with her cute smile 

I like her expression it suits her, very serene and happy. I thought that the bandai tamashii nations figuarts zero mercury had a very downcast expression. Usually, I find the faces of figures to be a little off or different especially with small ones like this but I really love how she looks.

her earrings 

In this photo the plastic lining from it seems obvious and deep but in person it's not as visible. My macro lens just picks up on every fine detail. But I  love her earrings and how they're accurate to the show.

From the back

It looks great from the back and I like how the skirt pleats look, it could use more shading for definition. The sailor collar looks great! it obviously itsn't just a straight piece of plastic and it looks like it's in movement. It's a great touch to the figure.

Her ribbon

A close-up shot of her ribbon. I wish that the ribbon had more details and definition to the bow.

Full body shot of her

Here's a full body shot of her. I love this figure and it looks amazing! Her pose just screams that she's not the type of person to attack straight on unlike Rei. The tactician of the group has an air of kindness and innocence around her.

Overall,  I'm really happy to have her. But seriously I love her expression and face. Her pose right after the transformation is spot on and I think this is a great figure to have in a collection. 

Time for Sailor Mars! Like Mercury here is the box that she came in.

Front of the box 

Side of the box

Back of the box

Top of the box

So just like Mercury's box, the one here is a bit darker in person. Let's take a look at Mars out of the box. 

Sassy Mars

Her hair looks  fantastic! when my mom who has no idea about figures saw her the first thing that she said was "I love her hair!' and I agree with my mom. She has fabulous hair! 

Rei's I can kick your ass face

I also love her expression! There's something about her smirk and eyebrows, how it shows a very confident warrior. Everything about her seems to scream the opposite of Mercury and I just like how there is difference between the two figures. This is definitely the guardian of passion. 

Look at the bow 

Her bow and the pleats on her skirts are the same as Mercurys. 

her earrings

The plastic seam is not apparent with Mars, I think that maybe it's because of her long hair? Her earrings are red stars. It's nice that they aren't just red blobs on her ears, which is a large plus in my books.

Another full body shot

Overall both figures are well made and I'm so happy to have them! I think I'll keep an eye out for the rest of the scouts. The completion-ist in me wants all of the  girls together for a nice photo op! I hope that the outer scouts get made as well! I wonder if there's going to be a size difference between the other girls when they get released.

Anyways, that's a quick look at the Girls Memories figure of Mercury and Mars!

Until next time! 

-April