This month, we’re hosting the AdoraBuild contest here at BrickNerd, and for those who might be having a hard time getting into building cute things, I figured it was a good time to give you a bit of help. After posting my Baby Greeble Mech Suit, we have received quite a few requests for instructions, so I figured I’d share them with you all! But… this wouldn’t be BrickNerd without diving deeper into the topic and looking into: LEGO BABIES. Oh, wait… I already did that… okay, let’s talk about the other thing: GREEBLES. But what are greebles, you wonder? This wonderfully sci-fi technique coined by ILM uses lots of small LEGO parts to add detail and texture to a MOC. But what makes a greeble good? I reached out to some of the “greeble greats” to ask. (Even I was surprised at some of the responses from our Greeble Technical...

Welcome back to Belville! In case you forgot, Belville is the LEGO “ghost town” that “boomed” from 1994 to 2009 and from whose ashes Heartlake City emerged. (In other words, it was the fifteen-year LEGO line designed to attract “the girl market” before Friends.) We previously explored Belville dolls and how they fit in the LEGO figure universe. Belville is a weird and wonderful place. This month, we are going all the way down the Belville rabbit hole to the bedrock - the baseplate! - and building up the foundation from there. (Random side note before we begin: Speaking of “bedrock,” the citizens of Belville seem to be obsessed with beds. Is Belville a land of sleep disorders? Belville manages to hide beds almost everywhere - even in the pony stable! I don’t remember seeing so many beds in LEGO city… …but that's a different rabbit hole. I digress.) A Bevy...

For a LEGO-loving American like me, there’s something glamorous and exotic about European streets, especially when rendered in plastic. The sights! The food! The tiny cars and bike-friendly pathways! But even without any upcoming travel plans, it’s still easy to enjoy the cobbled streets of Andrew Tate’s bustling, pedestrian-friendly European neighborhood. Make sure to stop at the bakery for some delicious pretzels. Then go window shopping for the latest designer fashions. Toss a few coins to the street musician. And obviously, sample some frozen treats. I’m going to assume that’s gelato, because gelato is glorious! It’s a full vacation in LEGO form, minus the jet lag. The post Sample some vibrant Old World charm in LEGO, no passport required! appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Ryan Kunz

Small builds have a poetry to them; you need to choose pieces specifically to evoke the shape of your subject. This LEGO build by Jens Ohrndorf is a striking example of pieces used efficiently and effectively to create a singer (who may be a poet herself!) The stage monitor is two pieces, an inverted wedge and a tile, and the wonderfully retro microphone is no more than six parts in total! I also like the way the singer’s two-tone blue outfit contrasts with her gold belt and the wood floor of the stage. Do you think she sings the blues? The post This fashionable singer takes center stage appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Simon Friesen

This creation by Bryckland titled simply “The Grand Tower” is an excellent example of visual world-building in LEGO. The characters are about to do battle, and Alex has provided a snippet of a larger story on their Instagram, but I’m referring to the environs themselves, which evoke a sense of history. Comparatively, the titular tower is not so grand in stature but the beautiful build more than makes up for it. Throughout, the restrained use of varied colour suggests the aging, decay, replacement, and repair of both wood and stone as the seasons pass, and the texture achieved by roof tiles not fully “in click” lends further authenticity. Plus I have always appreciated good stonework and that beautifully crafted dome roof is just the cherry on top. Imagining what will come next, for “the Grime Brothers”, their unwelcome visitor, and for this alpine outpost, leave me eager for the next chapter…...