LEGO Stitch

Jordan Schwartz has done it again with this very recognizable Stitch, which just happens to be one of my favorite Disney characters ever.

And as always Jordan builds in an unconventional, but very organic model.

LEGOLAND California’s Ambassador Class

Last Sunday I was fortunate to participate in a very special building session — the Ambassador Pass Master Model Builder class. This is an annual building class that is available only for the lifetime park passholders (at $2500 per person) and LEGOLAND California is the only LEGOLAND Park that offers it.

Now as I don’t have an Ambassador Pass, I wouldn’t normally get to go to this event. But as I was covering it for both BrickJournal and my blog I was able to sit in.

The Ambassador Class has a special meaning for me. I remember before I worked at LEGOLAND I thought it sounded like a really cool thing. Every year the Ambassadors get to go to and build a model with the LEGOLAND Master Model Builders. But of course, I worked in the Model Shop. So while I worked there, I not only got to be part of the Ambassador classes, but I also got to design some of the models and actually teach the class.

This is one of the models I did for the 2005 Ambassador Class.
Photo credit: John Cooper

Master Builder Gary MacIntire designed this years model, and I have to say it is one of the coolest so far. He, along with Model Builder Ryan Ziegelbauer taught the class. If you would like to see pictures of the class you can see them on my Flickr photostream

You can also see what all the past years models look like on LEGOLAND Ambassador John Cooper’s brickshelf.

10216 Winter Village Bakery

It may be a little early for Christmas, it is still August after all, but this newest Winter set is worthy of talking about early. As a the sequel to last year’s Winter Toy Shop series it is a nice follow up.

I like the cute bakery and the ice skating pond is fun, even if the kid in the snowbank looks a little funny.

It looks like this will be available around October, but no news on the price point. It will probably be about the cost of the Toy Shop ($60 USD). From what I’ve heard the idea is to eventually have an entire Christmas LEGO village like Department 54. That is a cool idea, if a little pricey per set. But then so are the Department 54 ones.

Model Building Secrets’ Blog is 2 years old!

When I started this blog two years ago I honestly couldn’t have said where exactly this was going. I have to admit, I was a little bit skeptical of blogs back then. I honestly didn’t think that people would be interested in hearing what I had to say. Especially when in the first month I only got about 700 hits total (I usually average about 1000 hits per day now).

But then I also didn’t realize that I’m pretty much the only (former) Master Model Builder that blogs consistently and that I do have a tendency to put a different spin on what I write about. I guess it helps that I’ve always been a writer, and that it was one of my dreams to become a famous author. I haven’t quite reached that goal yet, at least not in the non-LEGO community, but I’m getting there.

As it is my blog’s birthday I thought it was a perfect time to write about the new LEGO Birthday Party kit that now is available online.

LEGO® has the tools you need for the best birthday ever built!

Celebrate the LEGO® way with brick inspired party products! Build the perfect party with LEGO invitations, thank you cards, name stickers, building tips and trick booklets, minifigures and more!

* Includes 10 each of invitation cards, thank you cards, 3D name stickers, building tips and tricks booklets, Birthday Builder Packs, Official LEGO Builder Licenses and minifigures as well as 1 pop up card and 1 magnet.
* Exclusive birthday-themed minifigures
* Everything comes packed in a handy kit!
* The ultimate resource for LEGO fans of all ages

Now at $60 this is a pretty pricey kit, especially considering the very few actual LEGO that you get. On LEGO.com you don’t really get to see whats in the kit, but on Eurobricks member Alywin has detailed pictures.

The only things that are really of note are the 10 minifigs and the decorated magnet.

I know I won’t be getting this, but at the same time, I can see how it would be good for a Mom that can’t figure out how to create their own LEGO themed party kit.

So happy birthday blog and may we have many more birthdays, and many more readers, as the years go on.

10214 Tower Bridge

In the same vein of the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal the 10214 Tower Bridge promises to be a great addition to the large scale building series.

At first glance this model doesn’t seem quite as impressive as the Taj Mahal, in fact it almost looks like a fan created MOC (my own creation), that is until you take a closer look at the Hi-Res picture.

This model is teaming with lots of small details and new elements, the most notable in my mind as well as many others is the Tan cheese slopes! Up until this set cheese slopes in tan (which come in virtually every other color) have been but only a much requested dream element of LEGO fans. But of course its not just the cheese slopes. There are multiples of tiles, technic wheels, windows, and if I am not mistaken (which I might be ) baseplates in medium blue.

Although there is no official word, with the part count at over four thousand pieces this will not be a cheap set. It will most likely be in the $300 range like the two previous Building sets. The Tower Bridge is slated to be available this October, at least from what I can find on BrickSet. There is also a forum on Eurobricks discussing the set.

Forestmen’s Crossing – version 2010

Eurobricks member Jonas really likes the classic 1990 Forestmen Crossing set but as he couldn’t get the original he made his own.

For us, lovers of the Forestmen (Robin Hood) Lego line in Europe, the 6071 set Forestmen’s Crossing has been like a frustrating dream. Unlike the other sets from the same series of 1988-1990, it has never been sold in Europe. Nobody knows why.
I always wished to have it, but was not ready to pay extreme prices for which it is offered on Ebay or Bricklink, now. Hence, these days I decided to built my own version of the set. My small MOC is made 20 years after the release of the original, so it is a sort of homage to this wonderful set. The idea to build it was stimulated also by the fact that this year two minifigs from the Forestmen series were released: a forest lady in Vintage Minifigure Collection Vol. 5 and a forest hunter in Minifigure Collection Vol. 1.

I have to say, although I loved the original set — the Forestmen line is one of my all-time favorites ever — this is truly an improvement. I never really liked the printed river baseplate. Brick built landscape is much better in my opinion. And of course, brown wasn’t available in bricks in the 90s it was only in the very short-lived Dark Forest theme in 96 that we even got brown trees.

You can see more images of this model on Jonas’ Brickshelf gallery.

LEGO Collectible Minifigures Series 2

Grogall of Eurobricks has provided us with the first hi-res images of the LEGO Collectible Minifigures Series 2.

There are quite a few wonderful gems in this set. The Pharaoh, the Centurion, and the Surfer all look really cool. I have to say, one of my favorites is the Karate master with the trophy.

The coolest thing is that when I was at Bricks by the Bay Mads Nipper said that the plan for these collectible minifigures is to have two series a year until they either run out of ideas or they stop being popular. From the vast popularity that is already evident both on and off the internet I don’t think that will happen anytime soon.

Christmasification of a Star Destroyer

Eurobricks is holding a Star Wars Christmasifiication challenge till the end of the month. We’ve all seen Christmasified Star Wars MOCs (my own creations) over the years. Larry Lars Nativity, Tim Goddard’s Xmas Speeder, and Louise Dade’s Season’s Greetings from Hoth are just a few examples.

Starwarsboy5 (aka Mos Eisley on Eurobricks) has come up with a rather ingenious Christmas Star Wars model that I’ve only seen something similar once before.

Before their secret location was discovered by the Empire, the Rebels always enjoyed Christmas on Hoth. Not only did they always have a white Christmas, but Luke and Leia could often be found singing carols near the giant Christmas Tree in the Echo Base Galleria…

The details on this are simply stunning! The micro ship ornaments are one of my favorite touches and the caroling Luke and Leia are a fun bonus.

You can see the full set of pictures on Brickshelf.com and you can also post comments on the Eurobricks forum.

Dissolution of a monastery 1536

I’ve posted several of SlyOwl’s creations before, and his latest does not disappoint.

There are a whole slew of model techniques that boggle the mind in how well they are executed here and the subject matter as always is something a little different (in a good way).

A few things to pay attention to are the chandeliers, the fountain, the roof, the windows, and the archways.

Running from a Rhino

Sometimes I forget to check BrickShelf.com anymore. With Flickr so much more user friendly, BrickShelf just isn’t what it was. But if you don’t check it out once in a while, you miss out on some great things like Evildead’s great model “Hunting or being Hunted…”

The brick built Rhino is truly stunning!

I also like the split bush that the Rhino plunged through to get to his quarry. It’s details like that that make me happy.