Shed Some Light On Hogwarts

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Those mad geniuses at Brickstuff have done it again. As if LEGO 71043 Hogwarts wasn't impressive enough, now you can trick it out with another stunning lighting and sound kit from Brickstuff. And this isn’t your typical “stuff it with way too bright LEDs” kit we see so much of these days, it’s seriously high tech and incredibly well thought out. Brickstuff took over six months developing it, including the development of a whole new controller board. It’s the most advanced kit they’ve ever offered, surpassing even the stunning Millennium Falcon kit. And it’s not just a bunch of lights that turn on and off, it’s storytelling. The whole kit is designed from the ground up to bring the castle to life, not just make it visible in the dark. And once you add your own sounds to it, you will swear school is in session. The kit is so innovative Brickstuff has created it’s own website, lightmycastle.com to showcase it. The kits are available for pre-order now, but there’s a limited supply of “mega-bundles” so act fast.

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Christmas At Hogwarts

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Christmas may be over, but the surprises and wonderful presents keep coming. I opened my Flickr (sorta like a present) to find this inside this morning. Builder Legopard has built a perfect representation of Christmas at everyone’s favorite school of witchcraft and wizardry, and it’s as charming and wonderful as it is in the movies. Everywhere you look it’s packed with details, check out the bookmark on the mantle, or the melted wax on the candle next to it, just so much to love.

Dumbledore's Office

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Thinking back to all the schools I attended (we moved around a bit, I went to many) absolutely none of them were anywhere even remotely as cool as Hogwarts. I mean not by a long shot. And while is only though the words of JK Rowling and the production design of the films that we get to imagine what it would have been like, they have been so well done that they feel distant but real. So this recreation by builder Legopard is a historical reproduction in my imagination, and it’s perfect.

Dumbledore's Office

The Room of Requirement

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"Sometimes it is there, and sometimes it is not, but when it appears, it is always equipped for the seeker's needs" - Dobby the House-elf.

Builder Wookieewarrior captures the look and feel of the famously elusive non-existent/existent Hogwarts room from the Harry Potter series of books. Look closely and you will find items of significance from the books scattered about the room including the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw.
Now if only I could get this room to appear with a desk full of sorted LEGO bricks for when I start my next project.

Harry Potter - Room of Requirement

Buckbeak and Black Break Free

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With Buckbeak and Sirius Black facing the end of their existence, Harry and Hermione race against time as they use a 'time-turner' to save the beloved Hippogriff and Harry casts a Patronus Charm to escape the Dementors. Kevin Wollert has perfectly captured the scene of Sirius riding Buckbeak to their safety using minifigscale, and microscale for Hogwarts as it disappears from sight. I'm sure there was no magic spell used to create this enchanting piece.

022 - Blacks escape with Buckbeak

Napping in Class

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"Looks like Longbottom's neglected his earmuffs."  ~Professor Sprout

Or has he?  Maybe he's taking a little snooze in the middle of Herbology!  That won't get you any house points.   I really appreciate that Markus Rollbühler is continuing a magical vignette series for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  Every build he has done for this series has been fantastic in its own little way, but this greenhouse scene has become my new favorite.  There are so many nice techniques used throughout this build (which it should be pointed out that it's only 14x14 studs) to create an excellent floor, arch, table, window, and of course a Mandrake.  The amazing outcome of all these techniques speaks for itself.  If this doesn't inspire you to do a Harry Potter build, I don't know what will!  I say 50 points to Gryffindor!

012 - Mandrakes
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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.