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

A bunny with a special talent [Video]

Just in time for Easter, our friend Jason Allemann and his partner Krystal (JK Brickworks) have brought us another marvelous, moving creation! Festive candy seems to be a common theme in their builds lately. This one is an adorable bunny with a unique talent of pooping out chocolate eggs! They have used the new Boost robotics system again, and the design is incredibly simple. It’s so simple that young people could probably build something similar. That’s not to say it isn’t uniquely cute and clever all wrapped into one perfect, pooping package!

Watch the video of Winston hopping around

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The General Store

Somewhere in the heart of America, in some tiny, rundown town, sits a gas station just like this one. Actually, there are many of them along old nearly-forgotten interstate highways. They are a staple of rural American culture. The original (non-LEGO) miniature diorama by Yasu Okugawa from Doozy! Modelworks, was built with many materials, and is quite beautiful. But this version by César Soares packs a ton of detail into a small space, using only LEGO! He does a wonderful job of capturing as many aspects of the original as possible. (Aside from the added touch of recognizable LEGO stickers instead of the originals)

The build is definitely one to zoom in on and take a while to look at every angle. From revolver gas-pump handles to green artist-pallette trees, and even spoon chair legs, it’s certainly a clever use of parts. The techniques used to achieve such an authentic look on the building, pumps, and car are truly impressive!

An upscaled tribute to the original LEGO dinosaurs

A long time ago, before all the Jurassic World sets, and even before the introduction of the old Dinosaurs theme, LEGO introduced the first System-scaled dinosaurs. (Duplo actually had the first-ever dinosaurs). These large reptiles came in a very small number of sets from the Adventurers and Studio themes. Now, Chungpo Cheng, a phenomenal up-scale builder, has given them new life. If you loved this theme just as much as I did, you will definitely recognize them! The only one missing is the Stegosaurus.

His T-Rex is perhaps the most iconic, having been first to come and last to leave.

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Mayan pyramid of El Castillo at Chichen Itza built from thousands of LEGO bricks

In the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza, there’s one temple that rises above the rest as a focal point. The temple is called El Castillo, which means “The Castle,” and it was built to honor a Mayan diety called Kukulkan, or “Feathered Serpent.” Today it’s a major tourist attraction in Mexico and the subject of many pieces of art. This build by 1soko can be placed next to the others as a beautiful rendition of the temple.

The lines on the creation are incredibly impressive. If you’ve ever built something with slopes, you know just how hard it can be to get them right. (And this has slopes on slopes!) It almost looks like it could be superimposed on a picture of the real temple! The only thing that could be more detailed would be the serpent heads at the base of the stairs, but it’s understandable at this scale. Actually, it would need to be many times larger to be the scale of the minifigure standing next to it. Of course, the builder was probably using the character as a size comparison. In any case, this creation is simply outstanding!

The White Stag of Portland welcomes hipsters and tourists alike

In the city of Portland, Oregon there’s a giant neon sign of a stag jumping over an outline of the state. The historic landmark currently reads, “Portland Oregon” through the middle. It has had a few variations over the years, including, “Made in Oregon.” But one thing always remains the same: that white stag. The sign holds a special place in the hearts of many Oregonians, including mine, and Patrick Biggs’. He’s another builder we’ve featured several times, and the creator of this LEGO version of the iconic Portland stag. Usually Patrick builds posable figures and critters of fiction. This time he went for something a little different to display at the BricksCascade 2018 convention this weekend.

The body of this animal is beautifully shaped, and the white is clean and regal. Also, it can stand alone just as easily as with the full display stand. You don’t even need the backstory to appreciate it! Altogether, it’s one tribute to be proud of.

A sharp-toothed frog

Did you know that most frogs do have teeth? They are very tiny and not actually used for chewing. But this frog is on a whole different level. I’m pretty sure you don’t want to make him angry! Nobu_tary, a LEGO builder we’ve featured many times, is the witty creator behind this creature. Usually he makes LEGO food like a banana as well as posable figures, but this is a refreshing new addition to his collection!

The body-shaping here is really terrific, and the use of that head piece brings it to life. You might recognize the part from the retired LEGO Chima Speedorz set, 70103 Boulder Bowling. It’s one of those pieces that are difficult to find another use for, but he’s done it perfectly here! This is one frog I wouldn’t mind dissecting… and putting back together of course!

A Peasant’s Castle

If you were a medieval peasant, would you prefer a cozy hut in the village, or a windmill in the countryside? Though it may be a bit drafty, I think I’d pick the windmill. At least, I’d pick this one, built by Sandro Damiano! With its quaint cabin and cobblestone path, it’s a peasant’s castle!

Sandro does a great job of capturing all the little dimensions and levels. It keeps your eyes wandering around the scene. This garden is full of tasty veggies to take to the market!

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Avast Ye Brick-aneers!

If you’re looking for a scurvy mate to fill your pillaging needs, here be the fellow! He’ll stand guard with his cleverly crafted musket, making sure your enemies walk the plank! The creator of this “maniac gunner pirate” is LEGO 7, and he’s no stranger to great builds. One of the best parts of this particular creation is the unique personality of the character. Not only does he have that wonderful classic pirate look, he also has the best expression on his face. Not to mention, his weapons display a uniquely creative use of parts.

And if you’re looking for a captain to add to your crew, you won’t be disappointed! LEGO 7 has also created a devilish Blackbeard to go with this first mate! He even has the peg-leg and macaw!

Beautiful brick beasts

These mouse-like creatures look like they came straight out of some sci-fi piece! But in fact, Takamichi Irie modeled them after a real-life family of rodents called Dipodidae. As you can imagine, they are like a cross between a mouse and a kangaroo. Thankfully, it doesn’t take someone who studies animals to recognize the beauty in these little beasts, and best yet, they’re not the only amazing creatures Takamichi has created!

Click to see more incredible creatures

Mech-Maker

One of the best things about building with LEGO is the story. Every creation has a unique tale to tell, and some fall within an even bigger picture. One Australian builder, Jayfa, made these beautiful figures as part of an elaborate collection of “Plague Mechs.” Hector (pictured right) is an old inventor, and Artillerix (pictured left) is an arms master. They’re leaders fighting against each other in an epic battle!

Jayfa has made mech-building an art. The combination of Bionicle and System parts is truly fantastic, and these posable characters really seem to come to life! Take a look at the revolvers on Hector’s cane, as well as the minifigure backpacks used for his shoulder pads! But both personalities are great! So who’s side will you choose?

All you need is a little Boost! [Video]

Remember Jason Allemann (AKA JK Brickworks)? He’s the LEGO builder who designed the LEGO Ideas 21305 Maze set. He’s also the mastermind behind several other awesome creations that we’ve featured over the years. Now Jason is at it again with this brilliant little machine, a candy catapult! He constructed it entirely from the newly-released BOOST Creative Toolbox set 17101.

See the video of Jason’s machine in action