About Elspeth De Montes

Elspeth De Montes is Scottish but lives in North Yorkshire with her partner and twins. She is a LEGO Builder not a collector of sets, which in theory should make the hobby less expensive (ahem!) but monochrome collections can be pricey. You can see more of Elspeth's work on her blog or website and Flickr. Elspeth is also a bike lover; mountain bike, fixie, road bike, tri-bike (n+1=number of bikes I need).

Posts by Elspeth De Montes

Around the World in 26 LEGO scenes

It’s time to go on a journey around the World with Denmark-based builder Lasse Vestergård, who has built a huge scenic sculpture complete with handy globe to help keep you on the right track. Around the central globe are two circular stages each showing scenes from different countries. There are 26 countries in total, including Denmark, Greenland, UK, Italy, Spain, Israel, Australia and lots more in between. Each country has a few minifigures that represent part of the history, heritage and culture. There are lots of fun minifigures to spot, such as a mermaid in Denmark, footballer in Germany, Leprechaun in Ireland, Medusa in Greece, Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus in Israel, Shakespeare in the UK, and so on.

See more details of this geographic sculpture

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LEGO designer video offers an express look at 10259 Winter Village Station [News]

LEGO’s winter holiday sets have become annual must-have items for fans looking to expand their winter village scene. LEGO has released a video in which the designer of 10259 Winter Village Station gives us a closer look at this highly anticipated set. A station seems to be a logical accompaniment to last year’s 10254 Winter Holiday Train, so we are excited to find out more. The set is available October 1st and will retail for USD$79.99 / £74.99. Look out for a thorough review by The Brothers Brick in the very near future!

Nya, the dragon slaying warrior

In the world of LEGO Ninjago, Nya is the current Elemental Master and Ninja of Water, as well as Kai’s younger sister. Daniel Huang has crafted a large figure version of her using a mixture of Bionicle, System and Technic elements. Daniel has posed Nya slaying the Green Dragon, with her samurai sword plunged deep into the head. The clever use of tyres and tracks within her leg structure contrasts with cloth robes and some ample CCBS assets for a unique blend of styles.

Contrasting with her dragon-slaying pose, Nya also has a clear feminine side, albeit with a few weapons in tow. I particularly like her head, as it’s well constructed with her helmet, and she gives off a ton of attitude in ABS.

A slice of Medieval coastal life

We go back in time to experience Medieval life in this diorama of a coastal village by goilive. To describe this as a village seems an understatement to me as there are a lot of buildings and infrastructure, even a port with a ship moored up. I love the changing colour gradient of the sea as it reaches the sand and the host of details little wooden jetty located centrally or the market stalls in front of the large castle.

From a slightly different angle, it is easier to see some of the activities going on in this busy scene. There’s a fisherman trying to catch lunch down on the beach, a cargo load being transferred onto the ship, while a jester and unicorn entertain some onlookers in the central park. This diorama is going on display at a couple of locations in France later this month and the next; it’s definitely well worth a close-up look in person to enjoy the full scene.

Post-apocalyptic friendships are the best

It’s not often we re-visit a LEGO model, especially after only a few days. But when we shared an atmospheric post-apocalyptic scene from Adam Sochorec earlier this week we didn’t realise there was more to come. It turns out Adam’s build was only part of a larger collaborative build with Jan T. I love the way the rough terrain has crept over to cover the road, and how the two builds have been united with lovely rock work and landscaping. Jan’s harbour with its little fish market and decrepit building really adds to the whole scene. Clearly, even after the apocalypse, life goes on despite the struggles.

Collaborative builds are not unusual but what makes this one special is the story behind it. As Jan puts it…

“We started planning it about two months ago. Adam is from Czech Republic, so he had to convince his parents to let him go to Poland. Luckily, he made it and his 5.5 hours of travel were worth it. He stayed in my house for 4 days. We traded some parts and minifigs and spent two days and one night building the collab. We shared the bricks, Polish food, and a bottle of Becherovka with each other.”

Two builders are clearly better than one and the resulting collaborative build is a great scene. What a perfect reminder of how LEGO can be a source of fun, learning, community and life-long friendship.

Even a LEGO Lamborghini goes faster in red

Only five Lamborghini Venenos were ever produced to celebrate Lamborghini’s 50th anniversary back in 2013. While Lamborhini kept two, the other three were sold for US$4,500,000 each. Lachlan Cameron has built a LEGO version of the road-worthy, racing prototype Lamborghini Veneno, and it’s certainly a head-turner. Lachlan has mainly used Technic parts to achieve the aggressive, aerodynamic shaping, with some clever techniques to achieve the wheel arches and the steeply sloped hood.

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Inflate your LEGO collection instantly [INSTRUCTIONS]

An air compressor may not be at the top of your wish list at the moment, but a LEGO version may pump up your interest in it. Hoang Dang has kindly provided instructions for his red LEGO air compressor, that will allow you to build you own and blast some fresh air into your LEGO scenes. (Click here for embiggened version)

Hoang actually used his little air compressor within one of his recent builds depicting a street corner in Saigon. The air compressor was sitting amongst the skeleton of a moped, some tires and a street-light overloaded with overhead cables. The air compressor seems right at home in this pop-up, roadside vehicle repair stop.

Forgotten but not gone

One of my favourite genres of storyline, be that film, book or LEGO building theme, is post-apocalyptic. Adam Sochorec has created this atmospheric, futuristic scene that certainly has a few markers of a post-apocalyptic world. I love the distressed, run down building with a poorly constructed lean-to on the front. Perhaps this used to be an inviting porch into a comfy little home, but the building has definitely seen better days. The mix of colours used gives a real sense of ‘make and mend’, and I love the details like the old AC units, the rusting pipes and the paint-cracked outer walls.

There’s a rather downtrodden person sitting outside the front door. Is he hoping to be allowed inside or has he come outside to drown his sorrows in some strong moonshine served in an old, used glass bottle.

Station yourself here to get back on track

One of the buildings that most large cities have is a railway station, and LEGO cities are no different in this respect. morimorilego has built this rather traditional looking railway station with its bell tower and pleasing arched design, using a complimentary combination of greys, reddish brown, and tan. Every station needs a clock at the entrance to help passengers decide if they are late and require a last minute dash to the platform.

There are plenty of nice architectural details and interest with the main façade. The Mansard-esque roof and floral displays bring a touch of class to this building but those light stone steps will definitely be high maintenance on rainy days when muddy footprints strike.

My friends all drive Porsches, I must make a LEGO Porsche 911 Targa

When it comes to designing jaw-dropping models engineered from LEGO parts with an insane level of detail, then the Arvo Brothers should be one of the first names that comes to mind. Spanish brothers Ramon and Almador have brought us iconic LEGO models like Kaneda’s Bike, the Alien Xenomorph, and their Vespa P200, and they have just taken their latest model for a spin. The Porsche 911 Targa drives on the line between a coupé and a convertible, and this model is a fantastic LEGO rendition of the luxury sports car. The smooth curves are beautifully captured with the usual high standard we have come to expect from the Arvo Brothers.

Not content with engineering a beautifully shaped model, the Arvo Brothers have also added some functionality with doors and a rear boot that open. Check the tan leather interior, its just calling you to jump in and go for a ride.

This is not the first Porsche 911 that the brothers have built; back in 2009 we covered their version of the Porsche 911 Carrera. It is interesting to see how the introduction of new parts and techniques have allowed that earlier Porsche model to evolve into something far more beautiful. If you want to build your own copy of the Arvo Brothers’ Targa, they are making the instructions available for purchase as a PDF.

Cruising the aquatic streets of Amsterdam

Amsterdam’s 165 canals were created over the centuries to stimulate trade and transport, reclaiming land to expand the city. They continue to define the city’s landscape as a network of ‘water streets’ and in 2010 Amsterdam’s canal ring was recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site. Palixa and the Bricks built a canal corner in LEGO, capturing the essentials of the canal, canal house, and two barges. There’s a busy street scene with a florist, book store and a cheese shop on the ground floors and lots more going on inside the modular buildings.

See more of this lovely city in the Netherlands

A woodland home with Tolkien’s bear essentials

Thorin and Company, along with Gandalf, seek the aid of Beorn after their Misty Mountains adventure — calling in at Beorn Hall, on the western borders of Mirkwood. Paul Rizzi has based his LEGO version of Beorn’s Hall on the description and illustrations from J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing rather than anything seen on the big screen. There’s a lot of detail in this huge build, the beehives on the far left, the tall oak trees, and the landscaping around this woodland home.

A closer look shows some of the detail used to give a lot of character to the Hall. There are different textures represented with the wooden main structure, a stone opening, the green landscaping, and vegetation on the roof. It’s no surprise to learn Paul won a prize for this creation at Brickfair Virginia earlier this month.