I wood like one of these

Builder Steve Guinness doesn't just stick to the ABS.  Here are a couple of pics of his take on the traditional minifig, but in wood. These wonderful woody figs are a foot tall, so perhaps maxifig is more appropriate?  Steve's day job is a teacher of Craft, Design, & Technology. I remember that back in the day we called it Woodwork; then it became Resistant Materials (I was one of those resistant materials myself, but that's another story). Now it's CDT and Steve is rather good at it.  I like the way the grain on the soldier's shako and face matches up. Click through for more figures, including a spaceman and a Unikitty.

One, Two, Tree Reasons to Build Landscapes

I always love it when a good solid landscaping build shows up in my Flickr feed. This build by Markus1984 is a really good example of many different landscaping techniques. The path and rocks are very nicely integrated into the greenery. I particularly like how the path is built at an angle; it makes the build feel a lot more realistic. Also, even though I would normally advise against taking pictures in direct sunlight, it looks great here, since the way the light filters through the LEGO leaves is just gorgeous.

Steampunk Silliness

Creator Lego Fjotten has built three of the most creative (and steamy) steampunk builds I have seen in that genre.  They could be described as "silly," but in the best way possible.  Each build keeps the great color coordination of metallic silver, pearl gold, and brown as you would expect, but manages to make them each so different from the other! I would absolutely love to take any of these for a test drive, but my favorite is definitely the "Steampunk High Wheeler."

Wasteland Roamer

My earliest memory is of my dad building his motorcycle in the garage. It was yellow and orange and that's about as much as I know about motorcycles. Growing up with this however has made me aware of the artistry and effort behind building and maintaining a bike. Builder Stephan Jonsson's chopper is an amazing display of this intricacy. The details put into this creation is what caught my eye, and the subtle use of color brings this hog to life.  

Low Tide

This maritime MOC by O0ger packs a lot of detail and storytelling into a relatively small but very interesting footprint. You can practically smell the salt air and fish, hear the lapping water and ships bells. I don't recall seeing this alternating rows of cones roof technique before, it makes for a very cool texture, but the excellent use of the seaweed is what really sells this diorama. It sets the time and setting in a glance, very effective.

The Surrealistic Adventure That Will Become Your World

I feel very fortunate to grow up when I did. I witnessed the 80's first hand (they were rad), saw the transition from air to cable, then from analog to digital, and experienced the personal computer revolution. I was also there for one of the most intriguing phenomenons of early PC gaming, Myst. Myst was like no game before it, and had graphics and animation that absolutely rocked the gaming world. It was immersive, it was rich, it was addicting and it was fun. This outstanding MOC by Vitreolum makes me want to revisit that world, which I can now do with a device that fits in my pocket (mind blowing)... I witnessed that revolution too.

A Sinking Feeling

The sinks in this build are just gorgeous. And no, I never would have guessed I'd write that sentence. But it's true: the sinks in the latest installment of 'Rolli's Chamber of Secrets vignette series are very nicely done. It's not easy to get several angled sections like that to join smoothly, but he's pulled it off. Also, the cobblestone technique, though fairly simple, is extremely effective. Combine those with a really clever cauldron design, and it makes for a solid build in a very small space.

A Very Large Gun

This Halo inspired rocket launcher is the latest in a long line of life-size weapons built by Nick Brick, and, in my opinion, the most impressive of them all. It is a whopping 50.5 inches long and looks like a Seriously Huge investment in Parts if I ever saw one. The section that grabbed me most was how seamless all of the round sections are.

Find more of his weapons here.

This UAV Will Hunt You Down

This near-future UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) by Red Spacecat is sleek and intimidating. I definitely wouldn't want to get on the bad side of whoever owns this thing. The build, which is a redesign of another UAV, looks very realistic and definitely feels like it could be a real-life weapon in a few years from now. I really dig the color scheme, too: the dark blue and white combine really nicely with the yellow accents.

Pigs...In...Spaaaaaace!

Grubaluk's Muppet Show theme continues with everybody's favorite space-faring even-toed ungulates.  On the bridge we've got Dr. Julius Strangepork, Captain Link Hogthrob, and of course, First Mate Piggy.  On the screen, the evil Dearth Nadir, played by Gonzo.  The nose is a bit of a giveaway.  You may recall Grubaluk's Muppet Show Band a few months ago.  Can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

MIC....See You Real Soon...KEY....Why, Because I'm Going To Stomp You

It would be totally unprecedented, possibly even controversial, but you know, I'd be totally cool seeing this lumbering down Main Street during a Disneyland parade. In fact, I'd even welcome it. Mickey needs his own mech, luckily Moko was around to make that happen.

Heading HomeWorld

In space, no one can hear you...complain about needing symmetry and aerodynamics. Because a spaceship doesn't really need either of those things. Symmetry is usually just for aesthetic purposes, and there isn't any air in space. This HomeWorld-inspired ship by ska2d2 is a big, asymmetrical, chunky slab, and it's awesome. It's a really unique design, which is made even better by some great color blocking and a beautiful edit.

The Scout

A never before seen UFO is orbiting the Earth.  Is this a scout?  Is war coming?  All I know is that I'd love to fly around in this spaceship!  This craft, designed by A Plastic Infinity, has a very unique design and color combination.   After studying this build closely, I haven't been able to find a single standard LEGO brick (1x2 or 2x4's).  Every brown element is a sloped or angled piece that creates the magnificent look of this UFO.  I also especially like the turbine in the rear and also the light blue translucent cockpit.  Safe travels!

Jakku Infliction

All I can say is...wow!  Outstanding work with this build.  Star Wars builder KevFett2011 has expanded and finished a magnificent diorama for The Force Awakens.  The Star Destroyer Inflictor is half buried in the sands of Jakku as depicted in the newest film.  I suppose you could say it inflicted pain on Jakku when it crashed?  Not only is the ship itself well built and realistic, but the microscale debris is well done.  The inclusion of the battle between the Millennium Falcon the TIE fighter is also a detail that I love.  If you want to learn more about the official Star Wars back story of this scene, you should read the novel Lost Stars. 

I always find it fascinating to see builds of this scale in production.  This is no exception!

He's Only Mostly Dead

One of the funniest and most quotable movies of the 80's, possibly of all time, is The Princess Bride. So much witty dialogue and clever comebacks. A must-watch, for sure. This build by W. Navarre perfectly captures the iconic Pit of Despair. Even though this scene has been built multiple times (even once before by W. Navarre), this particular one is definitely one of the best. It has a lot of great detail, and that texturing is just wonderful.

Flights Departing Daily

We all know what a Disney geek I am, we go to Disneyland all time despite the fact that it's over three hours away. And as much as I love Space Mountain, I rarely ride it. The line is always long, and when you're a frequent visitor like us, we just don't do long lines (it'll be there next time). Plus there's something about the geometry of the ride vehicle and my body, it just beats the crap out of me every time I ride. I never rode the one in Orlando though, and I didn't realize the cars were different, as illustrated here in this absolutely brilliant MOC by jtheels. So perhaps on my next visit to Florida I'll give it a go. And now I want to be at Disneyland...

Henchman in a Half-Shell

 Koen (whose video-game style you may recognize) has just put out a fantastic model of Koopa Troopa from the Mario games. In the brief amount of time I spent playing Nintendo games as a kid (mostly Mario Kart), I remember enjoying this character more for his name than anything else, because it was so fun to say. Koopa Troopa!

Dudes on Duty

Another fascinating pair of character builds from creator Eero Okkonen.  What really interests me is all the pieces and techniques used for the armor construction.  My favorite part use is the actual LEGO chain used as chainmail, which is a great and realistic detail.  These two fellows speak for themselves.  Well done all around!

Sergeant Colon

Corporal Nobbs

The Butterfly Effect

Wow, what an eye-catching butterfly! This is the first time I've seen such an amazing combination of incredible colour and interesting pieces. Moko's build is realistic and enchanting. I love the detail and symmetry. This LEGO build definitely has a big impact! 

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