Project #1: Lightsaber

Today I started the first project completely for this challenge... Yes, I know that I posted the Batman yesterday but truth be told that was because I just wanted to post it.

I have spent a lot of time over the last three days sorting out all of my legos so they will be more accessible and this evening I completed that task to my own personal satisfaction (for the time being at least). I took a shot of the whole set, so that we can all get an idea of what I have to work with...

I have to say that I feel like I have a pretty good start on being able to do whatever I can come up with... unfortunatly I thought that I had a lot more legos than this, turns out as I was sorting through that I found a pile of Megoblocks. I got pretty good at spotting them right away and barely took notice as I tossed them aside into an empty lego bucket... next thing I knew the thing was half way full and I have hardly any black plate pieces; Go figure. It was nice to see that I have a veritable minifig army, that could always come in handy!

So having completed this part of the task I decide it is time to start a project... so I sit down to my newly sorted legos and I... ... ... draw a blank! I honestly had no idea where to even start. I wanted to do something that was challenging enough that I felt accomplished but simple enough that it would build my confidence for the days ahead, but here I was with no ideas what-so-ever!

Normally when I find myself faced with a problem like this I run to google, but that would not help me here because I want to keep my projects as original as I can manage. So, I did the next best thing and called my best friend. At first he was as stumped as I was, but then it came to him like a vision.

"Oh hey I know, why don't you build a full size Lightsaber."

Brilliant!!!111one111 A light saber would be perfect, a simple design that is easily recognizable. I started looking at my bags of sorted legos, and came to the quick decision that if I wanted a full size blade that I would have to make a Sith saber, because I have lots more red block than blue. Therefore, I have chosen as my first project in this challenge... drum roll please?...

Darth Vader's Lightsaber from ANH

(as seen in the Vader, electronic hilt that I had laying around on the house enshrined on the book shelf)

Darth Vader's Lightsaber

"Not as clumsy or random as a blaster; an elegant weapon for a more civilized age." - Ben Kenobi

I did have one minor issue with building this beautiful piece of weaponry... a lack of grey legos, it seems all I have in the grey tone are plates and wings. Downhearted, I chose to make with the building and at least get the black parts done, and maybe even the blade... My wife suggusted just using another color to replace the grey... blue? yellow? How about white?

DING! DING! DING!

Now, I do know that it is not perfect but I am pleased with the outcome... check it out:

Well there you have it, the first real project in my Lego Challenge.

Be Champions!

So here I am back again, I am starting to get really excited about this challenge, I have spent the last couple of days sorting my legos and trying to see what exactly I have(not as much as I thought I did) and realizing that I am going to need either a bigger workspace or a better plan for working. I think that my sorting will help out with that just a little bit.

I am ready to share my first project with you... A pixelart styled Batman.

Now I am excited about this because it was my very first time trying to make a picture out of Legos. It took me a little while to figure out which pieces need to go where and how to make a certain shape, but i felt that this was a good start to my challenge. It was new and exciting!

I have learned a couple of things already getting this image ready to upload:

1. I have to learn how to take better pictures

2. I need to add in something for a size reference, because I don't think that you will get the full magnitude of this pixel portrait from this one image.

3. I need to get some better jokes ready or something.

Between tonight and tomorrow I will get my collection fully sorted so that I can share pictures with you. I am considering making a spreadsheet to catalog how many I have of each piece, but I don't know if that will even be worth it... opinions?

Creation

First a little about me and then a word about the challenge. I am 28, married to the most beautiful woman in the world have a 4.5 weeks old son who is the light of my life... and currently I am unemployed. I have several leads on employment but nothing has come to fruition as of yet. It is only day 11 of my self imposed joblessness and already I am starting to feel the depression of not having to really do anything. Yes, I am spending time with my family, looking for jobs, and hanging out with friends, but none of these things has a deadline. And that is how I work best, when there is nothing to do, I stay up late and sleep in and that just gets old.

So to combat this onset of laziness inspired depression I have decided to start a blog. I know that is very 2002 of my but I need a challenge and after watching "Julie & Julia" with my wife (again I will reiterate here that I have the most beautiful wife in the world, and I will do anything for her.... and yes I cried :P so there!) while sitting and playing with Lego that I had bought at a thrift store that morning, I realized that I could make a similar challenge and set a goal for myself... though not with cooking through a cookbook (mainly because that is expensive) but with building Lego projects. To do this I know that I have to set some ground rules (or I would end up with 5 white bricks stacked up and call it an igloo). So here are the rules I came up with:

1. I can only use Lego brand building blocks (is there any other kind worth using?)

2. I can only use the Legos that I currently own, or find at a yard sale or Thrift store (basically no going out to buy a piece for a project, makes it more challenge)

3. Projects must be recognizable. (I can't just build a random cool spaceship that I hobble together and count it as a project)

4. I must update the blog at least twice a week (being from Sunday - Saturday) or fail the challenge

5. I must not become obsessed!

I feel that these rules will set a grand stage for creativity and for beating back that laziness that loves to creep in.

Be Champions!