A few weeks ago, LEGO announced the release of the first LEGO Ideas set in 2018, 21313 Ship in a Bottle, available at the LEGO Shop online. The successful LEGO Ideas project was originally submitted by Jake Sadovich and is a LEGO version of the classic concept of a ship in a bottle — a perfect mix of art and craftsmanship. The set contains 962 pieces and retails for $69 (obviously with variations in other countries), which falls deep within the magic 10 cents per piece zone. However, you will need to judge the real value for yourself, as several hundred of the elements that make up the part count are sized 1×1 or 1×2, most notably the 284 1×1 round plates in translucent light blue. The box and instructions The Ship in a Bottle box art is quite good, with antique nautical imagery like portholes and drawings on aged paper...

This row of colorfully crooked medieval houses by Ralf Langer depicts his first attempt at building a custom LEGO creation. While it’s hard to believe a new builder’s first LEGO creation can be a masterpiece, it’s certainly possible but usually requires lots of studying other creations and experimenting with building techniques. Ralf has probably done plenty of both, and the result paid off beautifully. I like the style of using detached landscape elements to enhance the setting, which adds a lot of depth to the scene. The post A splash of medieval color appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Nannan

Yes, the future is now! No more tying your own shoes: Flickr user vmln8r has designed the “Self-lacing shoe.” Better late than never, Marty! The design looks simple and requires relatively few parts. The single axle accomplishes the real work of winding the shoe laces taut. The genius of this contraption, I think, shines in how the powered components—Power Functions L-Motor, IR Receiver, and AAA Battery Box—wrap snugly around the sides of the shoe. The transfer of power bears attention, as the machine uses a series of gears, including a worm gear, to direct the twisting motion from the vertically-oriented L-Motor to the horizontal axle. In case you’re wondering: yes, the contraption works! You can watch the self-lacing shoe in action in this YouTube clip: The post Never lace your shoes again! Introducing the LEGO Technic Self-Lacing Shoe appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Eric

Starting today, LEGO IDEAS 21313 Ship in a Bottle is available at your local LEGO Store and the LEGO Shop online for $69.99. We predict this set will be a popular one, so we are hoping LEGO has the appropriate amount in stock to handle demand. For larger orders of $125 or more, the promotional set 40290 60 Years of the LEGO Brick is still available from the LEGO Shop, so this is a great opportunity to get both amazing sets if you haven’t already. The post LEGO IDEAS 21313 Ship in a Bottle now available with 60th Anniversary freebie [News] appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Dave Schefcik

Over the past couple of days I've been tearing apart, putting back together, and shifting around large areas of New Jang City and its adjunct displays.  Table tops have been reoriented & legs removed.  Fresh ground has been prepared for new building.  In all, I have over 350 sq. ft. of easily-accessible tables dedicated to LEGO displays, with space to add still more in the future!  For the sake of context, the last time I measured the surface area it was under 250 sq. ft.Video: Crouching City, Hidden Update (Jan. 8, 2018)Time to order up some more under-table lighting and some bulk terrain parts to kickstart some of the new displays!Original linkOriginal author: theJANG