About Bre Burns

Bre is an Oregon native who came to Seattle with her partner, Jessie, in 2015. She briefly worked for the LEGO Group as a Brick Specialist before she left to pursue her dream of being a Zookeeper. Now she works at Woodland Park Zoo, but LEGO continues to be a huge part of her life. She and her partner are active members of SEALUG, FabuLUG and SquatchLUG, and enjoy building creations big and small that span across many themes, under the name Renegade Bricks. Bre is also the Theme Coordinator for Technic/Mindstorms and a member of the Senior Staff for BrickCon.

Posts by Bre Burns

LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31131 Downtown Noodle Shop – more options for your city layout [Review]

If you’re looking for more bang for your buck, LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets are one of the best options out there. Fun techniques and pieces coupled with three different instruction manuals provides loads of playability, and the ones that feature small buildings make for good additions to any city layout. The latest, LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31131 Downtown Noodle Shop, is no exception to that. While it may not be the most exciting set out there, particularly in a summer wave full of awesome sets, it’s both practical and cute. Join us as we take a brief look into the details of this 569-piece kit, which will be available August 1st and retail for US $44.99 | CAN $59.99 | UK £39.99.

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LEGO Creator 31132 Viking Ship and the Midgard Serpent – An ode to a beloved classic [Review]

Even though the LEGO Vikings line was short-lived, it garnered a fairly decent fanbase. With only eight sets (including chess), the theme was packed with enough exciting elements that they still stand out today. Whether you’re a fan of the line or not, you may have instantly noticed that LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31132 Viking Ship and the Midgard Serpent looks familiar. And you’d be right! There are so many similarities with LEGO Vikings 7018 Viking Ship Challenges the Midgard Serpent, that it can only be a tribute to that iconic 2005 set. Come with us as we take a deep dive into this 1192-piece 3-in-1, which will be available August 1st, retailing for US $119.99 | CAN $149.99 | UK £104.99.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to read the full review.

LEGO Botanical Collection 10309 Succulents – faux plants that don’t suck [Review]

Faux plants serve a purpose, but in general they just collect dust. Don’t get me wrong, they can look cool, but there’s not a lot to them. LEGO made a really good call when they decided to create a new collection of sets featuring popular plants. The latest two were just announced and they look wonderful! Come along as we review LEGO Botanical Collection 10309 Succulents. This 771-piece set is available for online preorder from LEGO Shop @ Home now for US $49.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £49.99. It will be widely available in store and from other retailers May 1st.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to read the full review

LEGO Botanical Collection 10311 Orchid – beauty comes in many shapes [Review]

Someone at LEGO headquarters must have been having an awesome day when they dreamed up the idea to start a line of sets that features fan-favorite plants. Absolutely brilliant in so many ways! Since its creation, the Botanical Collection has been an epic hit, and the latest wave are sure to be crowd-pleasers! Join us as we take a look at the first of two new additions: LEGO Botanical Collection 10311 Orchid. This lovely build stands at 15 inches tall and contains 608 pieces. It is currently available for online preorder at US $49.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £49.99 and will be more widely available starting May 1st, just in time for Mother’s Day.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to read the full review!

LEGO Technic 42140 App-Controlled Transformation Vehicle – it’s all about the flip [Review]

When you can’t decide if your next ride should be a racer or a utility vehicle, why not make it both? And add the ability to flip?! The latest wave of LEGO Technic vehicles includes lots of colors (especially orange) and a solid range of features, from almost none to loads. The LEGO Technic 42140 App-Controlled Transformation Vehicle falls right in the middle of that range, as this wave’s sole RC car. Join us as we hop in the cockpit of this 772-piece set, which is available now and retails for US $139.99 | CAN $179.99 | UK £114.99.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to read the full review!

Putting a new spin on the word “limestone”

My, oh, my, isn’t it crazy how good LEGO renders are getting these days? You’d never guess that this “agile planetary tricycle” by Ivan Martynov is actually computer-generated. But while some of the parts don’t exist in those colors, it’s still a thing of beauty. I love the colorful, large “lime-stone” front wheel, but it’s equally impressive on the back end.

Limestone

While you’re here, check out more builds by Ivan, as well and many other interesting vehicles.

A sequel to the “Chromalagous” dragon

If you have no knowledge of “Chromalagous” by awesome LEGO designer, Wes Talbott, stop right now and check it out. It’s one of my most favorite builds of all time! Now, if you’re familiar with that build, you might see similarities to this one. Wes hopes to create a rainbow of dragon busts at a slightly smaller scale to that of their predecessor – starting with this Red Chromatic Dragon. As with the last one, this dragon’s shaping is gorgeous and organic. It’s also inspired by D&D.

I’m a huge fan of the shape of the horns in particular, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the collection looks like! Stay tuned for more, but while you wait, check out some other builds of dragons. We’ve also created content surrounding some of Wes’ official designs for you to discover. For example, take a peek at the 21325 Medieval Blacksmith review and the modular 10270 Bookshop designer video.

LEGO Technic 42139 All Terrain Vehicle – A vehicle that really does have it all [Review]

The LEGO Technic theme is all about the fun of engineering, and what’s more fun and filled with mechanisms than a utility vehicle? But not another tow truck or crane or piece of construction equipment. No, we’re talking about the LEGO Technic 42139 All-Terrain Vehicle! It’s about time we’ve had a solid-sized ATV in the Technic lineup! So let’s not beat around the bush. Instead, let’s hit that throttle and get in the thick of it! Come along with us as we build and test this 764pc model’s many features. It just became available today, and retails for US $79.99 | CAN $99.99 | UK £64.99.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to read our in-depth review of the rad ATV

Frogs on candlestick pond

There really aren’t enough candlesticks in the world. Well, LEGO candles, anyway. They’re so useful! Take this wonderful build by Eli Willsea, for example. It uses over 50 of them to create the look of bulrushes. Excellent execution! But that’s not the only excellent parts usage here. I love how he used those 1×2 hinge plates to create adorable frog eyes and the center of the waterlily. Those flies and that incredible tongue are awesome too!

The Frogs

If you like these techniques, check out more builds by Eli (AKA Forlorn Empire). Also, if frogs are your thing, we even have a collection of builds that feature frogs!

LEGO Technic McLaren Formula 1 Race Car – A replica worth buying? [Review]

We all know that LEGO is the best toy company in the world. And in the Formula 1 community, one of the most (if not the most) popular teams is that of McLaren. As the second-oldest competitor, they have a lot of clout under their belt. They’re also known for being innovative in the world of racing vehicles. So it was only natural that the two joined forces to introduce the LEGO Technic 42141 McLaren Formula 1 Race Car. This 1432-piece set will be available beginning March 1st, and retail for US $179.99 | CAN $239.99 | UK £159.99. Come along as we hop in the driver’s seat to take a closer look and run her through her paces.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Read our hands-on review of LEGO Technic McLaren Formula 1 Race Car

A “painted” tiger that prowls right off the canvas

Tigers are one of the most impressive animals in all of the animal kingdom. Regal, mysterious, intense… They inspire a plethora of bold descriptors. In Chinese culture, the tiger symbolizes power, fearsomeness, and majesty. This beautiful LEGO-ized “ink” sketch by Dad’s Bricks couldn’t convey that majesty any better. The multidimensional artwork truly comes off the “canvas” to bring this animal to life.

[LEGO] Ink painting - ［Fierce Tiger] （水墨畫- [猛虎下山］）

What’s more, is that this piece isn’t even the whole artwork. Upon completion, the tiger is given an exceptional mountainous background with vibrant pops of color in the plant-life. The forced perspective and depth are truly inspiring. I’m particularly fond of the wing elements used to fill out those fuzzy cheeks.

[LEGO] Ink painting - White Tiger

If you like this style of 3D paintings, check out some unique “sketches” by Tobias Munzert, as well at the official LEGO Brick Sketches (Star Wars, DC Comics, and Disney). And if you’re a fan of these big cats, we have plenty of them in our tiger-themed builds and animal archives too!

LEGO fun in the summer sun

Up here in the Pacific Northwest, it’s that dreary time of year. It’s a gorgeous place to live, but gloomy, bone-chilling rain continues for weeks at a time, making even those who love rain crave the sunshine. I can’t wait for summer, and this adorable LEGO sand castle is a cheerful reminder of what’s to come. Built by fellow Seattleite Peter Zieske, it uses clever angles to give it that classic shape.

Sand castle

I’m a big fan of this playful creation, which includes an excellent shovel and a colorful spinning pinwheel. (Yes, it’s actually motorized to spin!) But this isn’t even my most favorite build from Peter! While you’re here, take a look at his awesome record player and adorable wind-up penguin!