Tag Archives: Virginia_bricks

Set sail for the pink and purple seas – Friendshiptember is under way

As we reach the halfway point of September, this is your friendly reminder that there’s still plenty of time to break out the pink, purple, and aqua bricks and participate in Friendshiptember! The annual challenge invites builders of all experience levels to create a ship (space, sky, or seafaring, all are fine!) inspired by the colors and minidolls of LEGO Friends. This year, The Brothers Brick is joining the sponsors with a prize of the Friendship Camper Van for one lucky participant.

To participate:

Build a friendship!
Post it to Instagram
tag @friendshiptember as a collaborator

You can make a grand sailing ship like Virgina_bricks did last year:

But don’t worry about needing ton of parts like SHIPtember. You can also enter with a cute little craft like this one from Kayla.

You can learn more about the contest, follow Friendshiptember on Instagram or read Josh Parkinson’s article on the joys of embracing the friendly side.

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SNOT Mosaics are nothing to sneeze at

Mosaics are an amazing entry point into LEGO creativity, but the sky’s the limit for how you can create beautiful patterns with bricks. Every week, dozens of new designs are shared as part of #MosaicsOnMonday. A few weeks back, I was struck by this design from the event’s co-host Dana (virginia_bricks) which uses SNOT bricks to add more depth and negative space.

Dana credits Onibabalego for leading her to the technique, and no wonder. The French builder has pioneered mesmerizing mosaics from SNOT bricks and unconventional pieces. Her kaleidoscopic builds are truly inspiring.

There’s a joy and a magic in finding surprising ways that LEGO elements can jigsaw together into tight patterns. What I love about onibabalego’s mosaics is how they incorporate gaps of negative space into the design. And the colors!

“Top 5 LEGO record stores in the modular style, go.”

Dana (virginia_bricks) is best known as the co-host of #MosaicsOnMondays on Instagram, but for this build, she breaks free from the frame with a charming record shop modular. Built as a corner unit for her LUG’s collaboration at the upcoming Brickfair Virginia, the building captures American Main Street charm with an exposed brick apartment over a brightly painted storefront. The shop could just as easily be a beloved institution going back decades or a part of a modern downtown revival. My favorite details are the awning, which cleverly evokes a keyboard, and the subtle facade texture under the window. And of course, any old brick building becomes infinitely more cozy with dense flowering vines climbing up the side!

The music shop windows look even more inviting at night with custom lighting setting it aglow.

Today’s the day to fall in love with Mosaics on Monday [Feature]

One of the great things about LEGO is that there are so many creative ways to build. Some people navigate towards spaceships or castles. Some gravitate towards trains or buildings. And some explore the more esoteric fringes of artistic creativity with sculpture. Or, in this case, mosaics.

Over on Instagram, there’s been a lot of great art showing up in the #MosaicsOnMonday tag. We recently had a chance to sit down (virtually) with the innovators behind this challenge, and learn a bit about where this tag came from, where it is, and where it’s headed.

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