Gingerbread Train

The 2017 holidays seem to be in a hurry to get here. There was stuff in Micheal's a month ago, my truck insists on playing Christmas carols on my iPod and now here's a gingerbread train from builder Swan Dutchman. Yes, it's a bit early, but just look at this charming little train, you can practically hear the sleigh bells and smell the gingerbread.

Sweden Circa 1979

I've said it many times, the 70's weren't pretty, but there was an unquestionable earnestness to the era. The Gong Show was a thing, disco was on the radio and let's not talk about fashion, but it was all done with a brash energy and unapologetic gusto. Cars weren't pretty back then either, but they were necessary and everywhere. This scene from 1979 Sweden by builder LegoJalex captures the working class vibe perfectly, and feels so very 70's I wouldn't be surprised to see it's on a Thrifty "Twin Pic".

Steampunk Clock

Time, there's never enough of it. Every day I find myself racing one of these for some reason or another, I just have too much I want to accomplish. And now in a true twist of irony, here's something else I don't have time for, building a steampunk clock like Zilmrud. I'll just have to admire his, but not for too long, gotta get back to work.

Technique Tuesday - How Could Tree Designs Get Anymore Crazy?

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. . .

I think Full Plate broke the barrier when it comes to microscale tree designs. This technique could totally work for a larger tree, but man would it require a lot of parts! I know that I have seen many tree designs used for microscale models, but I haven't seen anything new in ages. A strange combination of parts in green can create something very organic before your eyes. Check out this breakdown provided by the builder! 

The Center for the Performing Arts

Ahh, the theater. I was in a few productions during high school, and I still remember that feeling of extreme anxiety moments before you walk out on stage before you make a fool of yourself (I was a natural at that). This micro-scale theater by Aaron Newman is much less intimidating, and much more charming. The use of the fan pieces for the curtains are inspired.

Merchant Matteo

Bionicle builder Mana Ramp Matron is back with another awesome creation, not only for it's construction, but for the lore behind it. Giving a back story on a build isn't uncommon, many builders weave a little storytelling into their MOCs (which is so cool) but this one is unusual for the subject matter. This is actually based on a previously built character, and tells the story from his past. The original figure of Matteo has seen numerous upgrades and rebuilds over the years, now a new chapter opens, with some of his mysterious past coming to light.

Slim

There's something so stoic about the mechanical wonders of builder m_o_n_k_e_y. Take Slim here, he's clearly robotic, large and capable, but there's also a wistfulness and innocence that comes through. My guess is it's the pose and composition, but I'm not totally certain of it, perhaps there's something else?

Light! There Must Be Land Nearby!

I feel like lighthouses a quite a rare site today in the real world, which isn't something I've thought too much about until I saw this lovely model by Tim Schwalfenberg. With such a dark atmosphere, the white tower really pops and draws your focus to this creation. I think the white stone design was a good choice, besides creating the contrast that begs for your attention. I think white stonework isn't done too often, and works so well for a lighthouse such as this creation. Ships don't need to worry, for this lighthouse will show you the way!

He's Alive...Alive!

...And pretty stinkin' adorable. It's Frankenstein's monster, by builder DOGOD Brick Design. Yes, I said Frankenstein's monster, it's not Frankenstein, that's the doctor that built him. Fun fact: he actually doesn't have a name. He refers to himself (yeah, he actually spoke) as "thy Adam", in a nod to the bible (first man, get it?) but this has never really been explored in the films. Then again he's also never referred to as "Monster" in the book, so we're all wrong.

Argggg!

Avast there me hearties, take ponder at this here MOC with yer good eye and I think you'll agree, LEGO 7 be a fine builder. It be Blackbeard, one of the most feared pirates sailing the seven seas. Just one look at him and me timbers be shivering. 

Boo

Halloween is just 10 days away, and I spent part of the afternoon testing a pumpkin decoration rig. Moments later I discover this wonderful jack-o-lantern by Legohaulic on Flickr, and of course I had to blog it. I love this time of year, what spooky MOCs do you have planned?

Never Get Them Wet

I dig a good MOC that tells a story, and one based on a classic 80's movie is even better. Here we see Stripe taking advantage of a convenient water source to make some friends courtesy of builder LEGOMINDED. The use of the pom-poms here for pop up mogwais is pretty inspired, poor Gizmo.

"I Can Show You the Ways of the Force!" "What?"

Carter Witz recreated the stunning new lightsaber duel we saw in the Force Awakens. Excellent rockwork, with Rey positioned just over the edge as Starkiller Base splits apart. The trees made by Carter are also well done, though a tad skinny. I continue to see just how useful minifigure arms and hands can be to a wide range of creations. I also appreciate the base of this model, just the way the rockwork meets the blade border. Very sleek! 

Bustin' Ghosts, Mecha Style

I can't help but think the movie Ghostbusters would have been entirely different if the boys in gray were equipped with these babies. Builder chubbybots imagines Ghostbusting via mech, and the results are captivating. This is Ecto 4, 5 and 6, each equipped we assume with an unlicensed nuclear accelerator. Staypuft wouldn't have stood a chance against these.

Weelond Oktoberfest

Way back in October 1810, Crown Prince Ludwig got married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, and the whole of Munich turned out for the party, and they've been partying ever since. But humans started gathering for celebration with beer, food and friends long before that, and builder Ayrlego shows us what it looked like in medieval times (pretty much the same).

Do You Need Waste Removed? I Know a Truck. . .

I think some creations that deserve more recognition then they receive are well-built city vehicles for minifigs, such as this garbage truck by De-marco. With some simple experimentation, and even by using basic elements, you can create excellently scaled (and detailed, too) vehicles for your city layouts! If you're a city builder, you need to check out this creative truck (it even has a working feature!). 

Alien Covenant Lifter

I haven't seen Alien Covenant yet (yeah, I'm a bad nerd sometimes), but I have seen lots of the designs from the film. The first time I saw this lifter (and a few other vehicles) by legendary designer Steve Berg I knew it was only a matter of time before we saw them in bricks. This one practically looks like LEGO in the film, it's just it's natural state. Builder AL13N163NA totally nailed the look of this very industrial ship, it looks pretty much camera ready. Fun fact: I got my first big break in film when I got a hot tip from a friend while attending Steve Berg's bachelor party, funny how Hollywood works.

Gladensong (A Fairy Tree House)

While surfing the pages of Eurobricks I happened across this magical gem. The post is from Sean Mayo, of the duo Siercon and Coral, this is from his new profile Random Vector.

Normally I would try and point out techniques and such that make this a special MOC but this time I will be content to let the picture do most of the talking. Just some little bullet points.. 

• The treehouse itself.
• That adorable little boat.
• Well everything really....

As a side note if you want to explain what it means to be an AFOL and want to show someone what we aspire to, you could do worse than send people a link to Sean and Stephs flickr. It's a real tour de force of techniques, themes and style.

Technique Tuesday - Tile Floor with Grout

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. . .

Joe Miller shows us a technique that can turn a boring, plain floor into a floor with a pro design! This can go with any modern kitchen, or old dungeon. It's a simple combination of 2x2 tiles and putting those 1x2x1 wall elements together to create a small gap between the tiles of your flooring. Simple, but next level detail!