Holiday Remix

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LEGO 7 has taken three Christmas characters and has redesigned them in a crazy, remixed style.  My favorite (even though I like them all respectively) is the elf on the left.  His colors and design just really blend well together, while keeping an insane style.  Santa, on the other hand, might scare a few kids who are waiting eagerly by their home fireplaces.  Rudolph seems to possibly be wearing an "ugly" Christmas sweater?  And he's definitely got some bling on those antlers.  Never be afraid to have some serious fun with your creations.  Merry Christmas, everyone!

Jinglemix
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Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here. 

Only One Week Left!

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That timer at the top doesn't lie, you only have one week left to get nerdy with it. The creativity and skill of BrickNerd readers never ceases to amaze me, and I find great joy in checking out the official Flickr group every day. Tomorrow I will be at Disneyland to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family, the place where this all started, and you can bet I'll be checking in on my phone to see what you've all been up to. There's still plenty of time left, and no shortage of inspiration from the wonderful world of Disney, get building, enter, and maybe win some totally awesome prizes from BrickNerd and our splendid sponsors. Things like:

  • A complete set of Disney Minifigures from LEGO
  • A lighting kit from Brickstuff
  • Custom printed bricks and accessories by EclipseGRAFX and CustomBRICKS
  • Stickers from Cooperworks
  • A year subscription to BrickJournal magazine
  • Books from No Starch Press
  • Surprise LEGO sets from FBTB
  • Brick Loot boxes
  • And of course a big pile of worthless BrickNerd swag, including the new custom printed Duplo Nerdly and BrickNerd Studios magnets!

So what are you waiting for? Build on and nerd out!

They Have A Machine!

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On Wednesday I was one of 100 lucky AFOLs to go to the new Lego Store in London before it officially opened to the public. The store is the largest Lego brand retail store in the world and has two floors of Lego loveliness. There was a well documented scratch card giveaway of the Lester mini figure mascot (I did not win one) I did however win a go on their new Lego Mosaic Machine. This is essentially a photo booth that turns your face into instructions to make a Lego mosaic of it! It comes with a box (set number 40179) of 4500 1x1 plates in 5 colours (900 of each) and a 48x48 baseplate. Normally it retails in the store for £99.99 but as it contains nearly £240.00 worth of lego (at Shop at Home prices) its a bargain. But better than that you have your own super exclusive lego set! And I will share that with you here, no copying it now, I can trust y'all?

Lego Leicester Square AFOL pre-opening event 16/11/2016

I Think He Went a Little Too Bananas

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Or he slipped on a peel. . .

Skulls are not a common item to find in LEGO form.  They're also not easy to create, assuming you're going for accuracy in shaping and size.  I've only seen a few skulls that have been well done, and I'm happy to add this MOC to that short list!  Grantmasters chose to create the skull of an ancient primate, which is even more unique!  The builder says that this was his first attempt at a build like this, and I believe that he should be proud these bones! 

It Began in Africa
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Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here. 

Dwarvish Runemaster

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So, you find yourself with some runes to decipher (don't laugh, it could happen). And say for argument these runes happen to be not very far off the ground (I said stop laughing). And say they're guarded by some nasty little thing that needs to be smashed (no really, stop laughing) what do you do? Well, you seek the services of a dwarvish runemaster, depicted here by Pate-keetongu, of course.

Dwarvish Runemaster

LEGO Illuminati

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Rumors of the legendary LEGO Illuminati, the secret society of enlightened AFOLs, are greatly exaggerated. I for one don't know what you're talking about. I mean, really, a sect of adult fans of LEGO who know people on the inside of the organization, who have special preview knowledge and early access to sets before the general public. A group who can...wait a second...I think I've said too much. Alex THELEGOFAN, it's time you learned the secret handshake.. 

LEGO illuminati

V.I.N.CENT

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The Black Hole might have been of questionable entertainment value, but it came along when we were all absolutely craving some more space movie goodness. And while it had some eye-roll moments, it also had some cool weapons, fun visuals, Ernest Borgnine and two seriously cool robots, the bashed and beaten B.O.B and the venerable V.I.NCENT, realized here by builder Pascal. It's worth a watch (but have a distraction standing by for some of the more languishing moments).

V.I.N.CENT

The 2016 Christmas Collection

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Just in time for everyone putting their trees up! Builder and author Chris McVeigh is sharing some new ornament designs on his website. I hope I have time to build a few this year, I've been inspired since I reviewed his new book back in September, Check out these and many, many more from years past and start building some holiday cheer.

Platecraft Snowman
Arcade Ornaments

Braaaiiiinnnsss!!!!

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I'm a big fan of zombie related stuff so Legovore's creation really appealed to me. I love the effect of the loose wooden floorboards that lead to the creaky old staircase. I love the window that's been smashed by a zombie trying to enter the mansion (he clearly didn't see the open door!) with the broken glass beneath and the curtains above that look like they're holding on for dear life. The lighting on the door gives it that creepy feeling and I'd definitely be running too!

Zombies!!!

Secret Cottage in Farnor Forest

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I believe that the secret in Farnor Forest is not actually the cottage, but the forest itself. Upon first glance the trees of the forest look to be standard fare, but look again and you will notice some very cool new designs. Realistic looking tree trunks have always been difficult to pull off and over the years many new techniques have been added to the collective design base. Builder Ben Tritschler has a shared a few new concepts with us including some some Ben 10 parts for the trunks of the larger trees and the mini shooters for the smaller ones.

Nine Kingdoms - Secret Cottage in Farnor Forest CCC Entry

Nerdvember is halfway over!

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2016 has been a rough year, but it's almost over. and so far Nerdvember has whooshed by. It's hard to believe it's already half over, but the countdown timer at the top of the page doesn't lie, you're running out of time! There's been a lot of very cool Nerdlys so far, but there's time for more, and if you haven't built one yet now's the time! We have some amazing prizes donated by the most awesome sponsors on the planet. Three winners will be chosen, you could be one of them, get building!

Occlumency

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No, Harry doesn't have remedial potions (despite what you've heard). He is being taught the art of occlumency, the blocking of one's own mind from external forces. Professor Snape has reluctantly accepted this task, and so far Harry's not doing so well. I don't think I've ever seen so many diverse bottles and vessels together in such a small space as in this MOC by Vaionaut. Snape certainly keeps his shelves well stocked.

Occlumency

Venice 1486

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Inspired by the game Assassins Creed II, Jonas Kramm and Brick Vader have created this charming diorama of everyone's favorite City of Water.  Beyond the major landmarks depicted in the LEGO Architecture set, there's a lot to appreciate about Venice.  That's exactly what they captured in this scene of ordinary life during the fifteenth century.  Before it was a tourist trap, Venice was a hub of commerce and economic power.  But it also had its moments of tranquility, as you can see from the boy fishing on the pier to the gondolier rowing along the canal.  That guy on the roof, though, I think he's up to something... 

Venice 1486

Buzzzzzz. . .Houston, We Have a Problem

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"I see them. . .Buzz Droids!"

Takamichi Irie may be having some problems with his spaceships soon!  This is a wonderful and incredibly accurate recreation of a Buzz Droid first seen in Revenge of the Sith.  My favorite part of this model is the eyes, which are so realistic!  I'm not sure how much time was spent on this creation, but a lot of Star Wars love and detailing went into this MOC!

Buzz Droid
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Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here. 

Plastic Men Tell No Tales

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This idyllic pirate MOC (by Vitreolum) shows something I really love to see in MOCs online: an entire scene built fully out of LEGO. A White background is nice and all but it's really cool when a builder goes the extra mile to flesh out a scene with more details. I especially love the forced perspective with the tiny island, and the puffy white clouds.

Pirate Cove