PlaymoFriends
Creative => Customs Gallery => Dioramas & Buildings => Topic started by: Birdie on September 18, 2014, 16:02:33
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The new project is finished ;D :apple:
I was able to use a lot of the items I found at LuxPlaymodays, and a lot of new animals that I've been collecting over the past two years. Some of the smaller sets from the fair theme came in handy too.
I had to wait for the model train shop to re-open after their summer break, but it was worth it, because I found more of that brown sandpaper-ish texture for soil.
I didn't have enough space (what else is new) for rhino's or hippo's, and the European section of the zoo consists of one black bear enclosure, but other than that I pretty much got it all in there - I do have a few very disappointed deer, two brooding foxes and an angry mob of petting zoo candidates on my hands, though.
We've visited San Diego Zoo, the San Francisco Zoo, and the Golden Gate Park (with the beautiful Conservatory of Flowers that has a wealth of butterflies, and the California Academy of Sciences with tons of snakes and parrots) in July, and those served as inspiration:
There's a conservatory with all kinds of birds and parrots, a reptile house with snakes, strange insects and scorpions and a tank with exotic fish and sea-creatures.
Apart from that, the park is divided in five sections for continents (and the European bear enclosure ;)). Some of the sections have their own entrance gate:
- Australia - or shall I say an enclosure for kangaroos and koalas (please Geobra, we need wombats, dingo's and Tasmanian devils)
- Asia - with urangutangs, tigers and panda bears
- America - with bison, racoons, monkeys, possums, guinea pigs, a wolf
- Antarctica - with two types of pinguïns, seals and ... turtles :lol:
- Africa - with crocodiles, lions, meerkats and well basically all the rest, you'll see in the pictures, that section is the biggest 8-)
Come on in :) :
(http://i.imgur.com/LARV90S.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/9wle6s4.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/2D2bu5h.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/YYIIYUS.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/aG4JgJO.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/mkAFBdI.jpg)
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I wish I had a polar bear, I've put it on my wish list :)
(http://i.imgur.com/q0PMQIr.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/kx9BH6g.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/YIjW2Qv.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/1Asv9Cx.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/rfpYTOQ.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/n0lWvse.jpg)
(hey I guess those storks count as European too!)
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When I saw that Viking Village, it looked perfect for a snack area with observation posts. I hate the holes, and the thing kept falling apart when I tried to move it, but it is pretty charming.
(http://i.imgur.com/rve9HQu.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/g4rhMzQ.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Lqki3HW.jpg)
Th Australian animals don't mind sharing:
(http://i.imgur.com/IqUU1Zk.jpg)
And here's Asia:
(http://i.imgur.com/PUqNNAN.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/bz8uhZr.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/b5o1Etj.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/2jheFlx.jpg)
I remember certain people laughing when they saw me leave the Funstore in Zirndorf with two huge bags full of dinosaur sets, but see, I really needed that vulcano, I had a plan! ;D
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Through the Egyptian gate you reach Africa:
(http://i.imgur.com/K4RGbAF.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/uxQ8Gjf.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/XWTa40q.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/N02fPSj.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/pZF9Q6k.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/n4n3x0O.jpg)
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(http://i.imgur.com/pXtypML.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/yFpNeGI.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/PaQQsgW.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/RAeNG01.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/qN153yi.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/pqtcYy9.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/5G8hp31.jpg)
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(http://i.imgur.com/HnY0poE.jpg)
And then here's the American section:
(http://i.imgur.com/GMTS7yZ.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/u3zFU70.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/ztgX23v.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/37FFQMg.jpg)
As I understand it, racoons in the US are as common as pigeons. But the zoo in Antwerp has racoons, and they're in my top five of favourite animals ;D
(http://i.imgur.com/ODQFFDL.jpg)
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(http://i.imgur.com/E1HAgKT.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/LUVNt5p.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/juWGu75.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/UBcjIMw.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/IcWYvwe.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/UlVKHmH.jpg)
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The new babies are starting to grow on me, despite their receding hairline.
(http://i.imgur.com/GQYV2tZ.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Wb868rY.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/3FAyh7r.jpg)
And these are some final shots.
(http://i.imgur.com/qokbyj1.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/HrmSWzM.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/WdTu76M.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/pfTLPLT.jpg)
:wave:
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Wow! I really love how you combine all the different themes. Especially the viking set as kind of snack area! Very creative.
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What a wonderful zoo! You've done some great combining and fit a lot into the limited space. I really like the use of the Egyptian temple building as a gate, and how you set up the meerkats exhibit. Lots of great ideas there.
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Great dio :love:
I agree that it's a brilliant combination of themes!
Love the posing of the animals (like the tiger coming down the rocks).. and I must say again - that "floor" is AMAZING.
Is it real "earth/sand/soil" with the meerkats?
And that guy running scared :P (I was SURE it was the spiders in there!)
Ah, and certain people were laughing cause you were so happy (it's contageous) - certain people never really question the NEED of having some playmobil set or other (as certain people's wallet might attest...).. and certain people have (almost) all the dino sets (and all the dinos!) ;D ;D
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:o you really do magic with the best toy in the world!
Your zoo looks so nice and peaceful with all kinds of vegetation. My favorite parts are the hyena, the ostrich looking so curious around the corner. Also like the family portraits. Those babies are really lovely. I don't mind their hair anymore.
What is the candy in the bag? It looks delicious in that beautiful snack area.
The bear exhibit is very nice. So much room! Love the terrarium too. Great idea. A lovely place to take a rest and enjoy the animals.
One thing I have been wondering about before. How do you create those great skies? It looks so bright and gives a lovely depth in the pictures, especially the one by the cabin looks great.
Are you willing to reveal your secret?
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Thank you everyone :) I find the Zoo theme a fantastic reason to justify buying Playmobil from any theme imaginable 8-)
Is it real "earth/sand/soil" with the meerkats?
Yes, I still have a huge bag of yellow sand from when I used it for the western goldmine area. I wanted to smoothen it out at first, but while heaping it on I noticed it looked a lot like an actual meerkat tunnel system.
And that guy running scared :P (I was SURE it was the spiders in there!)
I have no Playmobil spiders... Now you mention it, that Inca ruin just screams 'tarantula hideout', doesn't it?
Ah, and certain people were laughing cause you were so happy (it's contageous) - certain people never really question the NEED of having some playmobil set or other (as certain people's wallet might attest...).. and certain people have (almost) all the dino sets (and all the dinos!) ;D ;D
:lol:
I actually gave all the dinos to my nephews and niece. Temporary insanity or something :wall:
What is the candy in the bag? It looks delicious in that beautiful snack area.
The popcorn, you mean? Or the churros sticking out of the litlle bags? Both are from Sylvanian Families (there is a set with a popcorn vending stall - the cutest!).
One thing I have been wondering about before. How do you create those great skies? It looks so bright and gives a lovely depth in the pictures, especially the one by the cabin looks great.
Are you willing to reveal your secret?
Oh that is no secret at all! I think Skywalker also mentions how to use lighting that comes from behind the table and backdrop, in order to create a more realistic glow. Can't remember which topic it was though...
What I did was, I went to the market and bought 9 by 2 meters worth of cheap lightblue cloth. I always attach it to the wall with thumbtacks all around the sides (they're easy to remove). The part of the cloth that is suspended in the air (it divides the room in two, it hangs off a wooden beam in the ceiling), has light coming in from behind, through the window. That's why it looks so bright from that angle.
What I should try to do is hang the cloth in midair around all three sides and put spotlights behind them. But then I'd need more room... or reduce the size of the diorama table.
I might give that a go for the next project.
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Great diorama, the use of the Viking longhouse as a snack bar and observation area was fantastic, as well as the Egyptian temple as an entrance point. Well done, thanks for sharing! :clap:
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Yes, I still have a huge bag of yellow sand from when I used it for the western goldmine area. I wanted to smoothen it out at first, but while heaping it on I noticed it looked a lot like an actual meerkat tunnel system.
You are very right - it looks great!
I have no Playmobil spiders... Now you mention it, that Inca ruin just screams 'tarantula hideout', doesn't it?
I guess it does.
:0 We have spiders - 2 we got from parts, and there is a black one on a pirate add on... I only touch the corner of the bag CAREFULLY, IF my sister is not around - or else "can you get the spiders?" - whenever I go into that tub. Which is EXPLICITLY marked with "SPIDERS!!!" on the outside, after a couple of near fits :-[
(it is SOOOOOO STUPID.)
I actually gave all the dinos to my nephews and niece. Temporary insanity or something :wall:
Definetely!
But then I'd need more room... or reduce the size of the diorama table.
More room... yes. We need portals to another dimension!
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Very nice zoo, the stuff you've used for the ground reminds me of some farm boards which I think my Dad made himself for me and my sister, will have to post a photo one day when I do a set up. I like the way you've used parts/sets you wouldn't expect like the Viking set, the old Pirate Island I notied plus of coruse the Inca Ruins and Western parts. Some of your family photos are really nice they tell a story, I particularly like the 2 little boys getting snacks out of the freezer box. I really like the little turtles? in the Viking area and the Orangutans, chimps are also favourites of mine and a lot fo the others look very realistic in their habitats the settup for the griaffess and zebras looks like a proper settup you'd expect to see in some of the UK zoos and the gorrilla climbing up the mound looks realistic as well :).
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There is so much creativity and life into each of your wonderful pictures dear Friend :love: :love:
I am always amazed by the clever way you use various Playmo parts for scènes such as the Victorian conservatory which works so beautifully as a green house !
Your dioramas showcase just what Playmobil is about, fun, imaginative and full of life !
The amount of détails is just amazing :o
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Wonderful work Birdie!!! I love how it is designed and laid out. It looks to be a very popular zoo! I love it
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Wow this really is a very amazing diorama! I really like how you used many things from other themes like the viking fort, the pirate island and the egyptian gate. It really takes a keen eye to combine it all into something that matches.
It just looks like a very fun zoo to visit, very colorfull and nicely decorated. The groundwork is fantastic too with green patches at the enclosures and the walkways being brown.
Many beautifull pictures as well with lots of great animal and clicky posing. I like that a chimp is checking another one for bugs. :)
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Also great to see Meg is out of the hospital again and looking healthy. :)
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Love the zoo! Very clever use of existing Playmobil buildings :hatoff:
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The popcorn, you mean? Or the churros sticking out of the litlle bags? Both are from Sylvanian Families (there is a set with a popcorn vending stall - the cutest!).
Oh that is no secret at all! I think Skywalker also mentions how to use lighting that comes from behind the table and backdrop, in order to create a more realistic glow. Can't remember which topic it was though...
I meant the churros. Never heart of Those before. The recipe sounds good. This Sylvanian version looks very nice. I found a Sylvanian brochure recently. Great stuff indeed.
The effect of the cloth is magnificent. Thank you for sharing. You have a very thorough way of attaching. I don't see any wrinkles.
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Also great to see Meg is out of the hospital again and looking healthy. :)
Yes! I noticed that too. Perhaps it was a special trip to make her feel better.
But I do agree with everyone else. The detail is magnificent! And I never would have thought to put the Fort in the zoo like you did. I love the conservatory and the way you paid attention to the little details! I love your use of the volcano (I too purchased the Dino sets just for the landscapes).
I only hope that when I finally get everything collected to put my planned zoo diorama together that it can be half as spectacular as yours 😊
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Wonderful!
My favourite details:
- the flamingo enclosure
- the bucket of fish for the seals
- the child collecting the ice lolly from the freezer
- the woman more interested in the peacocks than the bears
- the barrels for the raccoons
- the green snake round the tree
And the ground textures, of course.
Oh, and the red peg ladder that goes up to the observation post. Which set did that come from? I don't think I've seen it before.
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Very nice zoo, Birdie! Good use of a tight space, too. I love where you tucked the smaller turtle exhibit, and also the walkway over the crocodiles. :o And using that building for an aquarium was brilliant! I love that building; it's so useful. I use mine for a small animal nursery. And I like your conservatory. It looks like a building that might have been in the zoo since the zoo was first built.
I don't know if someone asked already, but the black baby in white clothes... is that a custom?
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This is majestic! I love how seamlessly it is put together.
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Wow, this is amazing! :love: :love:
I've had to go back and look at some of the things that other people mentioned, as I'd missed them.
Great use of non-zoo sets! Loved the jungle ruins, egyptian building and of course the viking fort is brilliant.
The gift shop at the beginning is great. I like that the zoo has staff taking pictures, and then seeing the result of one of those pictures (the family) was great. I was hoping to get one of the crocodiles from the guy taking a picture from the bridge! ;)
Well done! And great photos too!
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A Brilliant dio! The overview pictures have to be looked at more then once, there's so much in them. Amazing how you could fit it all in on a limited space and make it look so well. And so much detail, it all comes to life. Very imaginative use of several sets in this dio! And i love the penguins!
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Thank you all for your sweet comments :)
And using that building for an aquarium was brilliant! I love that building; it's so useful. I use mine for a small animal nursery. And I like your conservatory. It looks like a building that might have been in the zoo since the zoo was first built.
I don't know if someone asked already, but the black baby in white clothes... is that a custom?
I got that building in a second hand Playmobil store in the Netherlands, and it wasn't complete. I don't have the stairs or the flags, which bums me out a little bit. But I don't want to buy the entire set again for a few accessories only.
The baby is the one from the Colorado Springs Station - its head at least. When I was young I swapped bodies for it, I had no idea how rare or valuable it was at the time.
I was hoping to get one of the crocodiles from the guy taking a picture from the bridge! ;)
I have a ton of pictures that didn't make the cut, and that was one of them :lol:
(http://i.imgur.com/qRZRphN.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/NQ4T14w.jpg)
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I have a ton of pictures that didn't make the cut, and that was one of them :lol:
Ha! Too funny! Thanks for sharing it! :lol:
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Not sure if its wise for that fellow to lean on a rope bridge though. ;)
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Especially not on the spot where the wood is cracked... 8-)
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It's cheaper for the zoo ;D
They don't have to buy food for the crocodiles :P
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Yeah, I think the entire zoo is a bit of a death trap if I'm honest :lol:
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It's cheaper for the zoo ;D
They don't have to buy food for the crocodiles :P
:lmao: :lmao:
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Probably best not to look too closely wether animals are truly well contained in a playmobil zoo. Predators might be able to jump over the many low fences and monkeys could just climb over it.
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It is really a wonderful zoo and I like very much you have used many different parts to build it. Great scenes with lots of details. Very creative, well done Birdie!
George. :)
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Thank you all for your sweet comments :)
I got that building in a second hand Playmobil store in the Netherlands, and it wasn't complete. I don't have the stairs or the flags, which bums me out a little bit. But I don't want to buy the entire set again for a few accessories only.
which parts are those? I have an adress here, her specialty is parts ;-)
and if you need, i can keep an eye out for them
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That would be awesome. Thanks! ;D
They're from set 3634.
There are three little flags with 'ZOO' on them, that go on the top corners of the building.
And there's the staircase that goes up to the building:
(http://i.imgur.com/JSQTYpt.jpg)
Do you need the part numbers? I'm not familiar with PlaymoDB, but I can try :)
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The stairs are actually three parts.
stairs 30 08 1000
rails (need 2) 30 80 1010
If anyone has any for a not ridiculous price I would be in line for a set or two. They tend to get pretty high on eBay.