We recently had a chat with friend of the LUG Andrea Lattanzio, aka Norton74, about his latest LEGO Ideas project 'Santa's Cottage' and this is what he had to tell us about it.

Christmas, the most awaited day by AFOLs
We all know that Christmas is not only the most awaited day by all children in the world, but it is also the most awaited day by all AFOLs. To me too, Christmas has a special meaning, linked in a very strong way to the LEGO world. December 25 was the day on which the much coveted set during the year was punctually, or almost punctually, found under the tree. Really good memories and unforgettable emotions.
It was assumed that even as an adult builder I would test myself at building themed MOCs. In fact, in recent years I have always reserved the first days of December to release a creation dedicated to the festivity par excellence, the day that brings everyone together. And this year too I have pop out a new "snowy" diorama, let's take a look and discover all its secrets.

Santa's Cottage, the MOC for the 2021 winter holidays
My Christmas creation this year is called Santa's Cottage and joins the series of rural houses that I have built in the past couple of years and which have had so much response in the international AFOL community. If you look carefully you can recognize that it is a reinterpretation of my Blue Cottage built early this year.
The basic structure, sizes and general layout are the same as those of the Blue Cottage; colors, characters and settings are different.
The little house is red and white, and it couldn't be otherwise, with a black roof and black and white windows. Note the circular shape of the door and windows, as in the houses of the Hobbits; to recreate them I used the new “Tile, Round Corner” of two different sizes. Rim covers from the Dodge Challenger in the Speed Champion series find new function inside the windows, making the thickness of the portholes circumferences appear smaller and giving the window look a more pleasant, general appeal. The door, on the other hand, has as a texture some simple inverted 2X1 light bluish gray plates, and the outcome is excellent.
The base, as in many of my previous dioramas, is made up of multiple layers of "wedge plate" on a brick base, all in total white, the snow effect is guaranteed!
Snow and ice are also on the roof, on the surfaces and objects in the MOC. Don’t miss the Trans-Clear Electric, Train Light Prism 1 x 3 used as a piece of ice dripping from the eaves, I think no one has ever used it before, it is a forgotten piece that has fallen into oblivion.
The roof is asymmetrical and very sloping on one side: on the left under it there are logs and wooden blocks recreated using the round tiles with the cookies and waffles pattern.
To reach the somewhat battered staircase made of tile 1 x 4 with Wood Grain, you pass a pavement consisting of some gray slopes between which I have inserted white tiles to simulate the porphyry effect. I used this technique in my Magda's Garden Shed.
Featured in my previous A-frame Cabin, the dry-stone wall is comprised of many Thor’s hammers, a clever technique I borrowed from the very talented builder Letranger Absurde. On the right, the white/red off-road vehicle is parked and this time there is a spare wheel on the roof, you never know! The vehicle is based on my very popular Chevrolet Blazer that first appeared in Sheriff Hopper's cabin, inspired by the TV series Stranger Things. It’s a truly ‘chameleonic’ vehicle that lends itself well to various customisations.
The diorama presents some "features" already appeared in previous works and other small hidden details, have fun finding them!
 
Santa’s Cottage is on LEGO IDEAS! 

If you like the bizarre Santa's Cottage you have the chance to support it on LEGO IDEAS. Click the link below, on the QR code or straight on the photo, to land on the project page, support it and maybe leave a comment. Thanks!
 
https://bit.ly/Santas-Cottage-Norton74

We are proud to support bradyjoynerbricks with their annual #DiversifyLEGOHolidays 


Last year they started to build their #legochristmas sets challenging themselves to do so with various skin tones and adding inclusive stories to the scenes to further diversify their displays. 

They found that the original #GoBrickMe set (and the groom and bride sets) provide three skin color options, giving a range of pieces that were perfect for this project. 

Want to join in the fun? Show how you've diversified your seasonal LEGO holiday builds, and use the hashtag #diversifylegoholidays! We'd love to see how you support #representation in the #LEGOcommunity!

#buildalliance #AFOL #diversity #christmas #deckthehalls #inclusivity #legochristmas #advent #representationmatters

As usual we had a Find The Minifigure competition at our last event, Sheffield Brickfest 2021.

We've just finished sifting through all the entries to find the correct answers and have picked a winner.

​Sarah Nazeem is the lucky winner of this awesome 4x4 X-Treme Off Roader set and she has been contacted via email to arrange collection of her prize.