Weāre here @brickfairexpo in Virginia and I learned I was nominated for a Brickee for Coolest Kinetic for my #winniethepooh build out of @lego - what a lovely surprise! If youāre nearby, come say hi!!!
#bethanybuilds #interactivebricks #lego #afol #legomoc #toy #womeninlego #ladieswholego #playwell
This past weekend we were at the @theultimatebrickshow - and it was a blast! I led a workshop on movement and fun talking with other AFOLs.
And, much to my surprise! I won not one but TWO awards. š± Iāll share the second one later, but this is the one that Iām most proud of: Best Humor for my āEven Dragons Brush Their Teethā Great Ball Contraption (a marble machine that moves the ball along a loop). I got the idea from trying to convince one of my children about the importance of dental hygiene. ššš¦·
#bethanybuilds #interactivebricks #lego #afol #legomoc #toy #womeninlego #ladieswholego #playwell #dragon #teeth #dentist
I am still pinching myself that this is real. I won Best Mechanical Movement at @brickworld Chicago. This is an honor that words cannot describe - there are so many deserving builders with incredible builds. š±
The judges said I was selected for 3 reasons:
1. For the variety of mechanisms (Muppet Treasure Island has 12 distinct movements)
2. For showing how things work (I have teaching modules kids and adults can hold and spin to see how things move)
3. For overall aesthetic
What an incredible honor.
And because Iām me, right after this I had a medical emergency in our booth where we almost had to call an ambulance. š¤¦āāļø I had to spend the rest of the day in a wheelchair, but Iām all good now and at home resting.
This weekend I also led some movement workshops that were so much fun and Iām already thinking of what workshops to teach next year. ā„ļø But for now, Iām a bit speechless and in shock at such an incredible honor.
#bethanybuilds #interactivebricks #lego #afol #legomoc #toy #womeninlego #ladieswholego #playwell #muppets #automata
Merry Christmas from our house to yours! This is one of my favorite LEGO sets EVER that Santa kindly delivered to my house this year. May your stockings be full of LEGO and your feet saved from stepping on them as your kids run off leaving parts in your walkway. Anyone? No? Just us? š¤£š
Built for #nerdvember2025 hosted by @bricknerdofficial !
I call it āBuilderās Dilemma.ā
This yearās prompt to build with the Nerdly mascot was āVacation.ā For us, vacation is usually a staycation involving LEGO in some capacity (or a LEGO show where we might display).
For those who like details, starting from the top down:
I used a gearbox with bevel gears so that when he looks left, the left arm lifts. Body is hollow to allow axle to pass through.
It connects to that linkage mechanism thingy I mentioned above (does it have a name?)
The far right axle goes from vertical to horizontal, with bevel gears again.
Lastly, to slow it down to the right speed, a brick built worm gear box.
Iāve started a Discord to help catalogue creative movements. DM me if you want an invite! Itās a great place to brainstorm and learn!
#bricknerd #nerdly
š„ Built by my 16 year old daughter! š„
Featuring: Rumi and her blade and Zoey with her throwing daggers. After reading an article about dynamic posing on BrickNerd, she improved her skills and took her build to the next level. š„
She limits herself to whatever parts she has on hand. I canāt sculpt to save my life ā so it makes me extra proud and awed to see her excels at this medium. I will update when she completes the Huntrix trio!
#kpopdemonhunters @kpopdemonhuntersnetflix@ejae_k
My latest automaton is Bearās Gone Fishing. I show a little behind the scenes as to my build process. This was a bear I made last year for @bear_foot_bricks bear building competition, but I never got any farther than his face.
The original plan was to have Bear fishing in a stream and realistically catching fish. But Iām a fan of humor and a bear using a fishing line for a picnic is way more fun.
Major kudos to my engineer husband who helped me brainstorm the right curve ratio to keep the water from getting stuck while moving in an S curve. I came up with a complicated idea, but he found the easier solution of using 4x4 curved corner bricks. Building diagonal curves with @lego isnāt easy!
This was a fun weekend project.
While Bearās Gone Fishing didnāt get much attention from the general public, I am very pleased with the challenge this represented.
Any suggestions on what to build next? My big 2026 project is on hold as I need a ton of Light Aqua parts to pull it off. Iād love ideas for a medium size automaton build!
#automaton #kineticsculpture
AT-MakeTea, based on 75075 Microfighter, #friendshiptember style! Armed with a tea pot, mugs, and cherries for garnish!
This is not the month I expected to have. More on that in a minute. Iām late to @friendshiptember and @letsbuildseries hosted by @brickdistorted and @brickhuntress ā but better late than never, I suppose.
This wasnāt what I dreamed of building and itās not my most polished build. But after the month Iāve had, it feels like an achievement and celebrates the return to something I love.
Behind the scenes for friends who want a peek behind the curtain:
This month opened with still being in a walking boot for my broken foot (fractured it by sneezing at a LEGO show - my super sneezes are dangerous). My muscular dystrophy has been progressing and my muscles are hurting. My husband had an emergency root canal. And this past week we had two urgent care trips for both kids, three ER visits, and are awaiting the first of two intensive surgeries for our youngest.
Simultaneously IG shadow banned me from commenting or posting. Itās been a weird few weeks.
Life has a way of pouring when the rain comes. But if it wasnāt for the rain, the drought wouldnāt pass. This is the first MOC Iāve been able to build since breaking my foot ā havenāt been able to build since August. And it reminded me just how much fun (and stress relieving) MOC building is.
But Iām okay taking a break from the rain. And if the rain doesnāt stop, maybe Iāll build a LEGO umbrella. āļø
Voted Best Watercraft at @brickfairexpo in Virginia! š±š“āā ļø
We had a wonderful week as part of the Automatown collab with all our moving builds. Had everything on display from Muppet Treasure Island to my Pirahna Plant Peril and the ever popular Glowna Lisa! Stay tuned this week for more videos - Iāve got lots of MOCs I havenāt shared yet!
Canāt wait for next year!
@legobuilds if you are ever wanting videos of little automata scenes, Iām happy to partner!
#bethanybuilds #interactivebricks
What do you get when you cross a Red Car and Captain Rexās Microfighter? A crying clown of course!
Had a lot of fun with this quick combination building game at #brickfair. When I saw the hubcap piece, the first thing I thought was EYES! š Used Captain Rexās helmet for a nose and minifig legs for buck teeth. And Rexās shoulder fabric thingy (too tired to remember the right word) as a goatee. You can see a tear coming out of his eye.
Did I know I would build a scary clown today? No. But do I regret creating this monstrosity? Also, no.
It ended up being voted first place! I think the clown scared them into doing it - or he would haunt everyoneās dreams forever. Mine included. š¤”