Our Princess

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Star Wars Celebration is currently underway in Orlando Florida, and I'm not there. But I am tuning in periodically to check out the live stream on StarWars.com. Yesterday there was a very heartwarming and loving tribute to Carrie Fisher, with an introduction by George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy, followed by a touching video and then John Williams himself conducting the Orlando Symphony Orchestra performing Princess Leia's Theme (I'm not crying, you're crying). Obviously I'm not the only one thinking of my princess, our princess during this celebration. Builder Miro78 put together this wonderful Leia in her Hoth costume. Her jaunty attitude comes through perfectly.

Hoth Leia

Tunnels

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It always amazes me how being a fan of LEGO and those that build with it opens doors on other aspects of life and art. I've never heard of the book series Tunnels, but after seeing this gigantic MOC by builder CheesyStudios I am curious. The books tell the story about the struggle against a subterranean enemy, and as you can see, the story literally goes very deep. If you're attending BrickWorld Chicago this year you'll get to see this in person. Click through for more pics.

Tunnels

That's A Big Crane

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Whenever one of these behemoths passes me on the road I'm in awe. Humans sure can built some crazy big stuff can't we? But I think seeing this colossal MOC by Dirk Klijn in person would be equally awe inspiring. This is the culmination of over three and a half years of work, and it shows. With five S-Bricks controlling over 17 functions it's a workhorse as well. I can't wait to see video of this baby in action. Click through for loads more pictures including a lot of WIP.

Liebherr LTM 1090 4.1 - Sarens
Liebherr LTM 1090 4.1 - Sarens
Liebherr LTM 1090 4.1 - Sarens

Your Favorite Birds in LEGO

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Here at BrickNerd, we like to occasionally look back at past creations from the community. . .Especially when it includes seeing your favorite troublemaking birds made out of LEGO.  To me, it seems that the popular Angry Birds has still remained so to this day.  Waaaaay back in 2012, Iain Heath created perfect little models for 3 of the iconic feathered beasts and 1 green ball of bacon.  Now all we need is a slingshot and some wooden planks...

LEGO Angry Birds "Minis"
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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. 

We Can't Repel Awesomeness Of This Magnitude

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The Mon Calamari are a curious lifeform, with a bipedal, humanoid body and a squid-like head. They also have a sixth sense for not only assessing the strength of nearby weapons, but also detecting traps. Very handy in dungeon raids or say, assaulting a giant space weapon with an armada. Another fine character build from builder Djokson.

Admiral Ackbar

Technique Tuesday - Tinkering with Treads

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technique_tuesday.jpg

One of the best things about the LEGO community is that we can learn from one another.  Here at BrickNerd, we like to share techniques that we see from builders all around the world. . .

This week we share a very different and more unique technique compared to the structural ones we featured previously.  Karf Oohlu shares a technique "scrap," but I happen to really like this design (in truth he just didn't want to order more parts).  Using the popular t-bars and light gray binoculars, Karf developed an easy to expand tank tread.  Though it may require hundreds of each element to make a complete tread like this, it could work to make some smaller versions.  A very interesting, but parts intensive technique!

Tune in next week when we explore more possibilities with the bricks!

TrackScrap/center>
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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. 

Fountain Of Blood

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Yes, it's a bit grisly, morbid and borderline distasteful, but this sculpture by builder timofey_tkachev is also compelling, evocative and strangely beautiful. And while my first reaction was "ooh", I have to admit the second thing I thought of was the demon from Sword and the Sorcerer (yeah, I'm a cheesy movie fan) emerging from his crypt. I don't know what that says about me.

fountain of blood in the shape of a girl 1

Rogue One Pinball

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For the final round of Star Wars Moc Olympics on the German LUG Imperium der Steine builder modestolus decided to take the task "One Movie One MOC" and interpret the film Rogue One as a pinball game. The results are pretty epic, with a fitting homage to an awesome movie in one playable MOC. Check out the video to see it in action. Now it needs lights and sound, just sayin'.

Rogue One Pinball Machine Details
Rogue One Pinball Machine Video

Rising Star

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My little sisters used to do this kind of stuff when we were kids. Get all dolled up, break out a "microphone" (it's truly stunning how many things can be substituted for an actual microphone) and belt out a few tunes. It appears the daughter of builder(s) vir-a-cocha loves doing this, and they immortalized the moment with this adorable MOC.

The Girl Who Sings

The Future of Garbage

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Look what the future holds for our garbage trucks?  It looks like we utilize these big trucks to our advantage to mount a large defence during the zombie apocalypse.  Guy Smiley built a cool armored garbage truck that looks like it could be from a video game.  Super cool job!

Zombie Trasher
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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. 

Stick Shack

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Grant Davis completes yet another MOC full of NPU.  How often have you seen a building that has walls made entirely out of bars (and bar-like parts)?  For me, never -- before I met Grant here.  This creation is another that can't be fully appreciated unless you check out this video on Grant's YouTube channel.  Though it may not appear so, this shack can be turned upside without a single bar coming loose.  How cool is that?  Wonderful work, Grant!

A Weathered Lodging
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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. 

Easter Chicks

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With the Easter holiday only one week away, JK Brickworks prepared yet another fantastic mechanized model to celebrate!  If you're not familiar with Jason's work, you need to check out more of his models featured on his YouTube channel.  The detailing on this MOC is very nice, especially that nest using a mix of tiles and plates.  Though the detailing is outstanding, you can't fully appreciate it until you see the action.  Happy Easter!

Hatching Eggs
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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. 

Samurai Jack & Aku

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Long about 2001, when Samurai Jack premiered, I had a son who was the perfect age for Cartoon Network and a boy about to be born (and both had a dad who never grew up), so CN was on at our house all the time. The animation style and production quality of Samurai Jack always made it a favorite, and if it was on we were watching. So this marvelous pair of busts of Jack and Aku by builder chris office instantly caught my eye, and a follow on Flickr.

Samurai Jack & AKU

Admit It, You Used To Shoot At That Damn Snarky Dog

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For s generation, this was the screen of total frustration. With the original Nintendo Entertainment System there was an accessory called the Light Gun, and while there were a few games that took advantage of it, this game ruled supreme. Duck Hunt was simple enough, shoot the ducks, but it could be difficult. And as if it's wasn't frustrating enough, this dog would taunt you after every round. This MOC by Pate-keetongu captures that moment perfectly, when you pointlessly aim your pistol at that dog and unleash.

Duck Hunt

City in a Tin

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When life gives you lunchboxes, you make futuristic Toronto inside of them.  Canadian builder Simon Liu built his own version of his home city of Toronto in the future.  As part of the celebration of Canada's 150th birthday, Simon was given a decorative lunchbox.  Appropriately, he then decided to fill that box with LEGO, specifically a microscale city.  A very neat concept!  The shiny surface of the box gives a nice effect to the city's reflection.

City of Tomorrow
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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. 

The Golden Gate

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It's the most recognized bridge in the world, one of the top 10 tourist destinations on earth, and it gives me no small sense of pride that it's in my home state of California. Now it's a gorgeous MOC that spans over 12 feet. I have to confess I am a bit jealous of attendees of BrickUniverse this weekend in Raleigh NC who get to see this stunning work by builder Rocco Buttliere in person. Click through for many more pictures and loads of information and history on the bridge, it's truly a labor of love.

LEGO Builder's Habitat

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Every LEGO builder has one of these: their own build area.  A LEGO room.  A LEGO lair. . .AKA LEGO Man Cave.  Shall I go on?  I think you get the point.  Every LEGO builder organizes his collection differently, an aspect that become quite unique and creative on its own.  Now, pictured in this scene by Jsnyder002, many of our build areas probably look like a bit of a mess.  How familiar does this room look to you?  Is it like your collection, right now?  Furthermore, this "Out of Time" creation depicts the last few minutes a builder has to build and enter for a contest.  Sound familiar?  A lovely and true to life scene!

Out of Time
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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. 

Handful Fighters

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In time for the home release of Rogue One, Tim Goddard celebrates by creating an awesome small version of the now-famous U-Wing!  To make it even better, Tim added a small squadron of X-Wings to the mix for a wonderful display piece!  Tim was even able to get the folding wing feature to work on the U-Wing!  Pretty neat.  How are you celebrating the release of the film (besides watching it)?!  May the Force be with you.

U-Wing
UWing open
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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. 

Coyote Mech

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Here on the central coast of California we have fairly few predators. There's the occasional mountain lion, black bear or bobcat, but those are pretty rare. Far more often we see coyote, but they just look like wild dogs, not anything nearly as intimidating as this mech by builder ToyForce 120. I also assume the local mammals are glad this is just a figment of his imagination.

LEGO Mech Coyote-01