Mega Mantis

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Insects must bee his thing lately, because Takamichi Irie has built several larger insects recently. This crazy-cool flying mantis is the latest addition, and a great one indeed. I must say, there is quite the buzz around this MOC. The wings are a definite highlight, and catch light beautifully with all the translucent colors used. What an awesome LEGO insect! This would be something very cool to hang from a wall.

Flying Mantis
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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. 

Pizza & Pugs

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Well, this is a surefire hit. I mean, who doesn't love pizza, and who doesn't love pugs? Add them to LEGO and you've got something that appeals to pretty much everyone. There's also a peanut dude, and my personal favorite Mr. Toast. Crazy Bricks is back with another Kickstarter campaign, and needs your help. Upstanding human (and man who knows how to work a top hat) Guy Himber has a loads of cool stretch goals too, so get over there and show your support!

Get Your Ass To Mars

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Sorry, couldn't help the Total Recall reference. It's just hard for me to not think of that when the subject of mars comes up (you should see my Arnold decompression impersonation). Builder eldeeem shows us the not to distant future with this brilliant (and huge) mars colony diorama. There's lots to love here, but my favorite details are the solar panels (I'm a sucker for the perfect part choice) and that rover looks ready to explore the red planet.

Arsia Prime
Arsia Prime | 1

Micro Scale Castle in a Glass Dome

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I've always had great respect for builders who build in micro scale. While their builds are (typically) small, the part selection, and piece usage has to be very intentional to convey a specific idea(s) while only taking up a very small space. As an added level of difficulty builder Peter Ilmrud also restricted himself to a specific dimension, in this case an IKEA glass dome. The result is stunning and makes for a beautifil desk decoration.

Micro Scale Castle in Glass Dome 1

Micro Scale Castle in Glass Dome 4

Don't Get Your Feathers in a Tangle

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Cab ~ reveals a nice brick-built bird display, something that reminds me of some stuffed bird displays I have seen in museums. The body of this bird has some very nice organic shaping along the sides and top. The head and neck also fit very well into the patterning of the white and black feathers. This creature, known as the Tahitian Rail, is an extinct animal from the 1930's (according to the builder and Wikipedia). It may be extinct, but the builder just gave us a reminder of this creature!

Tahitian Rail
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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. 

Table Scrap Tiny Fighters

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Labelled as table scraps by the builder (which is quite ironic, considering that there are several kitchen utensils used here), David Zambito used some brand new collectible minifigure accessories to good use. David used the new dark blue food trays as the panels for the iconic TIE fighter vehicle. With perhaps a recoloring of these pieces in black in the future, and maybe some custom sticker work, these would work incredibly well for microscale TIE fighter building. The other use, which is my favorite, is the at the very end of the Y-wing. Those are the new wisk accessories, which work so very well to cap off a little rebel starfighter. Simplicity is not always a bad thing, as demonstrated here. All you need is your creativity.

Star Wars Table Scrap (extra shots)
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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. 

Transformable Midi-scale Bots

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Transformers are certainly not in disguise in the LEGO community lately. The excitement builds for the release of the next Transformers film, and fans like PsychoBrick46 are building and transforming some LEGO MOC's for the occassion. Though these bots are designed using simple parts, what I really appreciate about them is how well they transform. Both bots are fully transformable, without having to "rebuild" them by taking them completely apart and then building them differently. They function much like the actual Transformers toys, where you turn parts around, pop off parts and put them on at a different angle, etc. For a better understanding of how well they transform, check over on the builder's YouTube channel, where he has posted some breakdowns!

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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. 

Feather Dragons Are Fierce

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How many of you have those dragon-shaped minifigure helmet plumes? Well, have you ever thought of using them as a tiny dragon attacking a castle or village? Neither have I! This tiny medieval layout that is only a mere 6x6 studs (plus SNOT border) is being attacked by two terrifying dragons. The design of this creation may be simple, but the plumes are such an excellent idea brought to us by Jsnyder002!

Feather Dragon Attack on Plume Keep!
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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. 

Technique Tuesday - Treasure Chest Lids

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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 I actually wanted to share one of my own techniques. I recently came into possession of more treasure chests, and I happened to be working on a creation that needed a uniquely textured wall. For this technique I removed the treasure chest lids and only used those. By connecting lids together with tiles, they came together to form columns (as seen below). The lids do not connect together from the inside, so this can be a bit fragile at first. The small hole you see half way up the column is not large enough for a bar attachment, which is a downside. There is no way to get rid of it, because half of each column must face the other way in order to fit together. However, neck brackets can slide into the gaps on the top and bottom of each column. This allows you to switch back to studs-on-top building, which means you could connect each column to a floor or ceiling. With enough friction on the top and bottom, this wall will hold securely. Hope you found this technique inspiring and useful! See this technique and more on my Flickr, NS LEGO Designs.

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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. 

U-Wing Troop Transporter

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Another fine addition to many AFOL's recreations of the new U-Wing from Rogue One. Inthert created his own replica of the Rebel transporter, yet it's still unique compared to other designs. Of course, the function of the wings works and looks very nice, lining up with the large engines. Make sure to check out the builder's photos for views of the cockpit controls and cargo hold!

U-Wing (1)
U-Wing (3)
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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. 

Wearable Overwatch LEGO

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LEGO and Overwatch video game enthusiast Nick Brick has done something many builders don't -- build something that is completely wearable! Known for making weapon props from pop culture, that is certainly not the same as what Nick has accomplished here. His latest creation is Tracer's Chronal Accelerator, complete with even the character's goggles (with LEGO lenses)! With this creation being complete, Nick now has Tracer's complete arsenal.

Tracer's Chronal Accelerator - Overwatch
Tracer's Chronal Accelerator - Overwatch
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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. 

Let's Play Some Music!

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I've seen many excellent custom LEGO guitars, and I think this instrument by Vitreolum should certainly be on that list. The model speaks for itself, being well-crafted and using simple parts to great effect. Even the shaping of the guitar was accomplished using common elements, while not being too crazy with the curves. Complete with a guitar stand, the only thing missing from this MOC is a case! Though that may have taken up a lot of parts. . .

Gibson SG Standard
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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. 

Another Type of Raptor You Don't Want to Meet

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Though dinosaurs may be extinct, their presence is still used to great advantage. Moko took it upon himself to strike fear into the enemies of these soldiers by building them a raptor mech, one that is clearly ready for action. It may be mechanical, but the essence of the powerful spirits of dinosaurs is represented well here. Two pilots, two legs, one larger turret, and no doubt plenty of other combat abilities.

Raptor
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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. 

Simply a Magical Castle

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What an absolutely beautiful creation by none other than Koen. Completely recognizable, excellently detailed, and even fitted with a wonderful scene to surround the highlight of this model. The Disney castle has recently come to life in LEGO form with the recent release of the set's design. However, this is the first microscale recreation that I have personally seen, and easily even one of the best microscale castles! It's hard for me to put into words how much I appreciate this little display. It's truly magical! Make sure to visit Koen's photostream for more photos (and angles) of this magical MOC!

Cinderella Castle
Cinderella Castle
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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. 

Vultures Incoming

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This build appears to me to be demonstrating an effective way to recreate a nicer looking Vulture Droid compared to the original LEGO model. By using similar parts, Inthert made his own model that is a simple cross between old and new. According to the builder, this Vulture has lots of articulation, including each leg and the ability for the head to pop up and rotate for more poses. Inthert also explains that it is very fragile (though it doesn't look it) due to the extra articulation, but I think that's a worthy sacrifice. I'd still have several of these in a Clone Wars diorama. Well done!

Vulture 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. 

Galo de Barcelos

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This has never happened before. I'm at an event, I see an amazing creation, I meet the builder, and during the event itself, the builder publishes a picture and gives me the link. I've walked past this stunning and unique MOC of the mascot for Communidade 0937 several times and it captivates me every time. The entire interior structure of this is lightsaber blades, captured in a frame. For the display it's backlit too, making it even more magical.

Portuguese Rooster / Galo de Barcelos

Tekbalang

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The source of inspiration for a MOC can vary wildly. It can be from a favorite movie, a childhood memory, a cherished aspect of life or just your imagination. Sometimes it's as simple as seeing something and thinking "I can build that". That's the spark of inspiration that led to this outstanding mech from LEGO's own Lee Magpili. He saw an illustration by the very talented Ian Sta. Maria and thought just that, and the results speak for themselves.

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IMG_1841

Rubber Bands Don't Just Grow On Trees, You Know

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Jigsawjo continues to amaze with this clever vignette, aptly titled Christiansen Park. The most striking thing here is of course the rubber band trees and bushes which look surprisingly realistic - a very NPU style that I expect to see often in the future. I could imagine a much larger park inside of a microscale layout still looking great in this style.

Christiansen Park