About Bre Burns

After living in the LEGO mecca of Seattle for 9 years, Bre is now home in her native state of Oregon. She briefly worked for the LEGO Group as a Brick Specialist before she left to pursue her career in Zoology, and LEGO remains a huge part of her life. She and her partner Jessie are active members of SEALUG, SPSLUG, FabuLUG and SquatchLUG, and enjoy building creations big and small that span across many themes. Their build handle is Renegade Bricks. Both are also members of the Event Team for BrickCon, and Bre has previously been the Theme Coordinator for Technic/Mindstorms.

Posts by Bre Burns

The most Rapid of metro buses

I have a confession to make: I have never taken a metro bus. Honestly, I don’t know the first thing about taking a city bus, and I have so many questions! And even though the Seattle bus drivers seem to drive a little crazy, it takes our buses twice as long to get somewhere than if I drive myself. They don’t seem very “rapid” to me, but according to The Eleventh Bricks, the real-life version this LEGO bus is.

I’m skeptical, but I’ll have to take their word for it. Joking aside, this is an excellent replica of a metro bus, and it even includes lights, which is always a winner in my book.

Want to see a bus with some impressive mechanics? Check out this custom Technic RC model!

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Same form, different functions

With the release of the latest LEGO Ninjago line, we’ve received a cool new collection of arcade pods. Builder Xennethy has transformed the oddly shaped “game cabinet” shells into some awesome vendor stalls. In particular, this collection features news, hat, and vegetable stands.

The cabinet alone is a pretty awkward and cumbersome element, but a handful of simple accessories gives it a whole new life. It’s easy to imagine them in any city or park scene. Click the link below to see close-ups of the nifty builds.

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Owl be one of the cutest birds you ever saw

Guys, have you ever seen a Eurasian Pygmy Owl? If you haven’t, you need to look it up because they are one of the most adorable animals on the planet. Between their tiny stature and sweet expressions, these little predators swoop in and snatch your heart. This LEGO version is built by none other than the incredible Eero Okkonen. It’s a slight departure from some of the characters he’s known for, but this bird is just as lovely. How can you resist that little face?

If you’d like to see more owls, check out this fierce flyer and these builds of Hedwig.

Surrounded by a rainbow of sound

Each year, talented LEGO builder City Son reveals a new focal creation. This time he was inspired by something special to so many: music. Not just music, but the inherent emotional beauty of it. It’s something that many can relate to. Personally, ever since I was a child, my dad would play all kinds of different music and quiz me on the titles and artists until I had them memorized. As I grew, I learned to play a few different instruments, and when I hit high school, the saying, “music breathes the words we cannot speak,” was my mantra. Indeed, it got me through tough times, and I still cherish it every day. And it’s true; music does speak. It speaks a language so powerful that it’s universal across all ages and races, no matter their tastes or connection to it. This colorful piece embodies the emotion of music. The dimension, liveliness and expertly crafted instruments speak for themselves. But I am most impressed with the expression of pure bliss upon the face of the headphone-clad woman. It takes a truly brilliant builder to bring LEGO to life in this way, and he couldn’t have done it better.

If you’re on a music kick, take a look at our music archive. You can also check out City Son’s animal inspired creation from last year.

Fine dining at its toughest

The meat may be a bit difficult to chew, but this meal still gets top marks. Builder Pistash took extra care in preparing a dish that is entirely LEGO, down to the dinnerware itself. Fun techniques include swords for fork tines, pink afro hair for raspberries, and stacked bottles for the wine glass stem. And if you’re wondering about a couple of the less obvious elements, the napkin is made from the cloth “picnic blanket” found in 10242 Mini Cooper set, while the broccoli is a retro LEGO tree. Compliments to the chef!

At BrickCon last October, the Brothers Brick led a fan-collaborative “Brick Banquet” that turned out to be a big hit. You can see that original article along with other impressive food models in our food archives.

Brick-built adorableness

What says cute more than a LEGO hedgehog? Okay, maybe a real hedgehog, but dang this guy is a cutie! Created by excellent builder Eli Willsea, it’s a great use of that claw element for the spines. Eli says there are almost 200 of them, which comes as no surprise! The trademark curl of the body, little white tummy, and pink toes makes for a loveable build.

Willsea (AKA Forlorn Empire) has been featured numerous times on The Brothers Brick. You can check out more of his builds here.

Cursed be the island rich with spoils

The Pirates LEGO theme is one of the most cherished of all time. It makes sense that even though it is long-retired, fans continue to build fantastic tributes to their epic crusades. Letranger Absurde is one such builder, and has delighted us with this pirate hideout. The shipwreck, complete with cannon, broken mast, and shredded sails, is excellent. I’m also fond of the helmet on a frogs back to make a turtle.

If you’re a fan of pirates, check out our Pirates archives! And if you like Letranger’s style, take a look at these exceptional builds!

Built like an Egyptian goddess

Meet Amunna, Eero Okkonen’s latest elegant LEGO figure. I’m continually flabbergasted with the apparent ease with which he brings these characters to life. This time we have an Egyptian-inspired woman loaded with expert parts usage. Bo Peep’s cane to decorate the legs? Check. A surfboard and treasure map printed tile on the staff? Yep! And what about a little coral flare, treasure chest pouch, and colorful wing skirt? You got it! Dying to know what’s on her bust? It’s a printed radiator element that was only found with this print in one set: 7411 Tygurah’s Roar. (The open area above the curves is carefully hidden by her hair.) Throughout, an appealing color palette abounds, and from head to foot, this is one cool chick.

If you’re craving more, take a look at all of Eero’s builds that we’ve covered by visiting our archive!

Building “Pursuit of Flight” is still attainable [Instructions]

Nearly a year ago, we featured this exceptional kinetic sculpture by Jason Allemann. The “Pursuit of Flight” later went on to become a finalist in the recent LEGO Ideas review round. A week ago, LEGO announced which projects made it into the next production run, and unfortunately, Jason’s “Pursuit of Flight” was not one of those projects. But do not despair! He has made the full instructions available to anyone who is dying to build this wonderful piece of art.

For those big Star Wars fan out there, you can try your hand at a trench run variation of the original model.

As you may know, this is not the first time that Jason (also known as JK Brickworks) has been a LEGO Ideas finalist. He has actually previously won the coveted opportunity to have his build become an official set… twice. He’s responsible for 21305 Maze and 21315 Pop-Up Book (the latter in collaboration with Grant Davis).

What wonders does this shop hold?

I’m all about a good seek and find, particularly when it involves unique LEGO pieces. Personally I prefer finding those parts in a bulk brick bin, but looking at them from a distance is still cool, especially when they’re arranged in such a lovely fashion! This little potion shop built by Sebastian Bachórzewski is loaded with exciting finds. Those fancy shelves are pretty neat too! I spy, anyone?

Be sure to check out some of Sebastian’s other builds, including two different stacked cities.

Another mini LEGO Masters challenge: the exploding alien

If you’ve watched last week’s episode of The LEGO Masters, this little build should look familiar! In the explosive space challenge, Tyler Clites and his wife Amy designed an incredible alien and bomb-toting hero sculpture to be dropped from a balcony. The duo named the creation “The Sacrifice” and the story behind it involved the hero giving up his life to destroy the alien. And in glorious fashion. The ensuing destruction as host Will Arnett launched it over the rail was indeed epic!

Tyler and Amy received the highest praise for their build and are top competitors moving into this week. The show airs at 9PM Wednesdays on Fox. Be sure to follow our extensive coverage! Also, check out Tyler’s Funny Farm mini build from the first challenge!

Two young friends, exploring the world together

I deeply admire those who can take a LEGO build and create a story using beautiful photography. That’s exactly what Orient R Minesky has done with this pair of adventurous school girls. The builds themselves are well done, but their interaction with non-LEGO items brings them to life. The collection includes several great shots, and we wanted to share a few of our favorites. Here they’re spending a beautiful day taking pictures in the park.

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