My Christmas Village 2023 - by Silvio Allena 

Hello Susan, Thank you for all your passionate comments.

Thank you Robin. Especially for your constant appreciation throughout the entire season. Your advice is always fundamental in making me notice all the mistakes I make.

Thank you for your appreciation Lisa. Best wishes to you.

Hello Rolie, A small mockery of the too much serious baroque era. Yes I completely removed the original Lilliputian carolers and replaced them with item 72403 from Lemax (the 4 harmony carolers). Now the building has improved (IMHO) otherwise it was unwatchable if placed near others Lemax figurines. Thank you for your appreciation.

Grazie infinite. Have a fantastic 2024.

Thank you.

Ti ringrazio di cuore Flaviana. Lunga Vita a tutti i "Villaggisti" Italiani.

Thank you Jose. Villaging is just an alternative therapy to cope with my undisputed madness.

Hello Jeanie, You know how much I appreciate your words. When a highly talented Christmas Village Builder as you appreciate what I do it always fills my heart with joy. Merry Christmas to you and all your family.

Happy birthday Vicky !!! Thank you, your words comfort me because now the saddest, darkest period begins. When a project is finished and you still have no idea for the next one. Best wishes.

Thank you Silvio. I’m sure you will come up with another amazing project, I’ll be looking forward to it!

Hello Helle, Thank you very much. I think the Viking fishing village theme turned a lot of noses up when I announced it. Perhaps because everyone has been influenced by films and television series of recent years where the Vikings were portrayed as warrior sailors and always looking for blood. But there is an 800-year difference between that period and a Viking colony during the Victorian era. During 800 years civilizations evolve and progress. 800 years later Vikings may have become peaceful fishermen and only retained their way of conceiving buildings and boats. Best wishes.

Hello Rebecca, Thank you. I must confess that it wasn't easy to find where to store that giant curved stairs. And dismantling the section with water by reheating the glycerin was a total mess. But at least the room smelled like a soap shop!!!

Thank you very much. I'm already sad because it will disappear in less than a month😭😭😭😭

Thank you very much. But yours is certainly no different and you can feel the Christmas atmosphere more.

@@silvioallena Thank you Silvio, its a honor to receive a compliment from you. I'm happy to have met such great creators like yourself here on you tube Cheers! 🍹

Ti ringrazio Cesare. Probabilmente ti sarà sembrato molto immobile rispetto ai fantastici movimenti che crei per i tuoi villaggi. Capisco anche che la lunghezza del video possa apparire esagerata a molti ma la superficie occupata non fa altro che aumentare ogni anno e filmare decentemente il tutto in meno minuti non è semplice. Auguri per un sereno 2024.

Thank you Sharon. I promised you I would 3D model also your twin sister but unfortunately I didn't had the time. Please, forgive me.

maybe for the next village. Thanks for remembering. I'll keep a watch out. @@silvioallena

Thank you Anja. And for the first time I didn't get intoxicated by Silicon caulk while making the water.

Ti ringrazio. Si forse la sezione ddedicata al circo è leggermente inferiore allo scorso anno, ma non di molto. Le figurine sono le stesse è le attrazioni che erano sotto la gigantesca cupola ora sono sparse sui palchi dei teatri nella zona del parco. Sì Lemax non ha a catalogo tutte le figurine che mi occorrevano per dare vita al villaggio di pescatori quindi gran parte dello scorso inverno ed oltre l'ho passato a modellare in 3D e poi a stampare in 3D e poi a dipingere. Il resto è Lemax con l'aggiunta di qualche figurina della Luville. Ed anche tutte le case del villaggio di pescatori è di mio disegno. Buone feste.

Hello Anja, Being concise when the topics are 3D printing and 3D modeling is almost a Mission Impossible. I've received many questions about this recently, perhaps it could be useful to do a mini-series in the first weeks of 2024. Anyway... If you decide to start 3D printing the first choice you have to make is the type of 3D printer: FDM printer --> Filament printer (cartesian printer with x, y and z movements) good for big prints, prototypes, strength models, scale building models. Average printing surface is 21x21x25 cm SLA printer --> Resin printer (only z movements) good for highly detailed models or figurines (as they need to have a smooth surface) Average printing surface 12x15x20 cm When you have a 3D printer you must have something to print and once again you have 2 choices: --> You print something already created by someone else ( a good starting for that is thingiverse.com) but it is not simple to find exactly what you need for your village. --> You 3D model yourself what you need If you need to 3D model there isn't a software that can do everything (buildings, props, trees, figurines....). This because 3D modeling software tend to be specialized and industrial modeling is different from organic modeling. Buildings and props are man-made, based on simple 2D geometry and 3D geometry (from circles to spheres, from squares to cubes....) Where you add and subtracts geometric forms to obtain the desired result. Organics (people figurines, animals, vegetation...) need to be sculpted. I can't be more concise than that, sorry Software: --> for non-organics I've been using Rhino 3D since before the beginning of the new millennia. --> for organics I use ZBrush With Rhino 3D you can model with you mouse, for ZBrush you will need a graphic tablet to connect to your computer. Printers: FDM --> I started with a Creality Ender 3 V2. Now I also have an Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro for better quality and increased speed. (The fishing village buildings have been printed with the Ender, the cloister garden, chapel and cathedral with the Neptune) SLA --> I started with an Elegoo Mars 2 (a 2K printer). Now I also have an Elegoo Saturn 8K (for larger printing surface and best definition, all the circus figurines from last season have been printed with the Mars 2 printer, all the Viking figurines with the Saturn) If you need to start practicing with 3D modeling, my suggestion is Freecad (freecad.org) completely opensource and free. Math and geometry are mandatory!! Every 3D modeling software has an .STL file export option. Every 3D printer comes with its proper "slicer" software that translate the .STL file in layers upon layers to be printed. Should I make a series on all these arguments applied to Christmas Villaging? Best wishes to you and your family

Thanks Silvio. Oh yes that will be amazing if you are making a mini episodes regarding 3D printing. 😊