Tag Archives: Holidays

Fresh from the oven, it’s the ginger-brick man

We’re all familiar with the loveable LEGO minifigure, right? And some recent sets and creations have also brought us the big-fig, whether from Harry Potter, Castle, or even a generic theme. But what about the minifigure representation on a medium scale? Donny Chen introduces us to a fresh-baked midi-scale LEGO figure with his delicious gingerbread man. In these post-holiday times, I must admit there’s such a thing as too much sugar. So thanks, Donny, for tempering the size of this cookie-fied fig to something more diet-friendly.

A LEGO build on-theme for the present holiday

Trying to recreate fabric using LEGO bricks has always been a difficult feat for me. So many ideas have been left on the backburner because I couldn’t figure out how to work out a cape on a character build. But when it came to making a bow, as in the bundle of ribbon topping a present, I knew there had to be a better way to achieve the look without resorting to specialized pieces with a reduction in scale or simple curved slopes with no volume. Last year, I cracked the code on the bow of my dreams. But it wasn’t until this Christmas season that I was able to fully realize my vision of a perfect present. It’s helped quite a bit to have increased availability of the 2×2 inverted curved slope, plus enough time to engineer a box with a half-plate of “ribbon” running down each side.

Present 2.0

From everyone here at The Brothers Brick, we hope you have a merry and safe Christmas with plenty of LEGO sets under the tree!

This gingerbread house requires some real dough…

Stilly Bricks has paid tribute to my favorite holiday tradition: crafting miniature houses out of cookies. But this particular house isn’t quite so miniature. Rather, it’s a luxurious candy-covered manor suitable for the upper crust of gingerbread society. The use of staggered teeth plates gives the impression of realistically runny icing, while the use of star and heart pieces perfectly replicates those hard candies that seem to exist only in gingerbread architecture. And I can practically taste the peppermint railing on the porch.

Gingerbread Manor

LEGO 40603 Wintertime Carriage Ride and 40604 Christmas Décor Set [Review]

It’s the holiday season, and the mall is total chaos. But your kids need to find those latest Friends and Ninjago sets under the tree. Well, LEGO has a holiday present for you because they’re offering up two holiday themed gifts with purchase to make the shopping worth it. 40603 Wintertime Carriage Ride and 40604 Christmas Décor Set will be available this December with qualifying purchases. Let’s unwrap things a little early and have a sneak peak at these sets.

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.

Don’t open until Christmas? Nah, click right now.

A message from a thankful editor

For me, an American in Washington state, today marks Thanksgiving, a day built around good food and counting one’s blessings. I’ve crossed the first off my list with this lovely LEGO turkey, complete with a pair of golden brown drumplates. And normally I would spend the rest of the article gushing about the techniques I used, how I was inspired, or what I plan to use it for. Maybe I’d even make a joke – something about carving it with a brick separator, no doubt.

But instead, I’d much rather focus on the second point I listed above: giving thanks. Five months ago, I took on a heaping helping of responsibility at The Brothers Brick, and I’m so incredibly grateful for the team here and all the help and patience they’ve given me as I’ve adjusted to my new role. I have the honor to work alongside some truly inspiring people, and my admiration of their collective writing ability, IT know-how, graphic design skill, and LEGO artistry knows no bounds! And thank you too, dear reader, for clicking on the link, for reading our posts, for commenting and enjoying this wonderful hobby with us. TBB exists to serve the LEGO fan community with news, reviews, and a spotlight on the best creations we can find. And we would be nowhere without our readership!

Feel the holiday season approaching with the new 10325 Icons Alpine Lodge set [News]

With just over three months till Christmas, LEGO unveils this year’s addition to the prominent Winter village collection10325 Icons Alpine Lodge set. Unlike the last year’s 10308 Holiday Main Street, the new lodge will take you away from the busy uptown, straight to a distant rural resort. The new model comes with 1,517 pieces and five minifigures, and will retail for US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £89.99.

Read more…

A thick’un of a chicken!

LEGO or not, nothing screams Easter like baby chicks and ovoid objects. Andreas Lenander smashes the two together to create an avian friend that’s an absolute unit! The sculpting of its yellow egg of a body is spot-on, deftly applying all kinds of curved slopes to emulate a tangle of feathers. Two comically small wings stick out to either side, tipped with leaf parts in orange. And I love the pop of feathers sticking out the top of the bird’s head. But most notably, I just can’t get over that derpy face that would feel right at home in the Angry Birds franchise. It’s a great use of one of my favorite parts for character creation: the white technic ball with an eye print. Happy Easter, everyone!

Happy easter...

10308 Holiday Main Street unveiled as LEGO’s 2022 Winter Village addition [News]

It’s that time of year again! LEGO has revealed this year’s set in the ever-expanding Winter Village line that’s now part of the Icons theme: 10308 Holiday Main Street. Consisting of two buildings, the obligatory Christmas tree, a trolley, and a trolley stop, this yuletide construction is brimming with all the hustle and bustle of a wintertime downtown. And at 1,514 pieces, this is the largest Winter Village set to date. For those looking to start the holidays early, this addition to the Winter Village theme will go on sale at LEGO stores starting on October 3 for VIP members, with general availability on Oct. 7. The set will be available for VIPs starting on October 3rd, and retails for US $99.99 | CAN $99.99 | UK £89.99

More pictures and LEGO’s press release below

Come fly with MEE, let’s fly, let’s fly away...

A lot of the time when we see mecha here on TBB, they look as though they’re about go to an epic battle with a kaiju. But this one from Dicken Liu seems altogether more peaceful. In fact with what looks like a suitcase next to it, perhaps this is a holiday suit! In truth, Liu describes it as a Mars Exploration Exoskeleton, or MEE. No, not me, MEE! I’m not in there. I wouldn’t mind it though – it’s very stylish, considering it’s for space exploration, which is definitely not where you want form to come over function. The red and white colour blocking is excellent, and I love the use of a dragon head for the back of the helmet. It must be a nightmare when going checking in at the spaceport though. Do they still have luggage weight restrictions for flights to Mars? I’m not sure that case will fit in the overhead lockers. And that plant in its hand is definitely getting flagged up at customs.

Exoskeletons-01

Walkers in a winter wonderland

Pascal Hetzel wants to remind us that even the evil Empire gets into the Christmas spirit. That’s why these microscale AT-ATs have been outfitted in festive sweaters and ordered to leave some presents just outside the Rebels’ base on Hoth. There’s so much life to the walkers in this vignette. The head tilts and the tracks left in the snow make it feel like a scene from a stop-motion Christmas special. Maybe they’re going caroling next. “It’s Beginning to Look AT-AT Like Christmas.”

My Micro AT-AT  wishes you a Merry Christmas ????????

This large-scale Christmas scene looks like a cozy place to enjoy some eggnog.

At first glance, you might not realize this idyllic holiday scene is made from LEGO. That’s because builder aukbricks has made use of roughly 14,000 digital bricks to render a spacious living room at a scale large enough to trick the eye. I’m particularly impressed by the mosaic hanging on the wall, made using the tips of bar elements. Although this model is a computer rendering, aukbricks assures us that only existing bricks/colors were used. So, you can build this yourself in reality…assuming Santa brings you enough LEGO this year. Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

LEGO BrickHeadz Chinese New Year 40540 Lion Dance Guy – #151 is a tribute to tradition [Review]

Last year, LEGO released 80104 Chinese New Year Lion Dance, a colorful, playful display set. Many of you already know that the Lion Dance is a tradition performed by acrobats to bring good fortune. The legendary lions make their appearance on various occasions, but none more impressive than during Chinese New Year. This year LEGO continues their tribute to the holiday, starting with a new BrickHeadz. Number 151 in the line is aptly named LEGO BrickHeadz Chinese New Year 40540 Lion Dance Guy. The 239-piece set will be available January 1st and retail for US $9.99 | CAN $12.99 | UK £9.99. Join us as we take a closer look at this special little character.

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.

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