August Newsletter 2018

Welcome to my second official newsletter after my mid 2018 Patreon re-launch Thanks again for your support. Youtube is becoming more and more difficult to make a living from and every penny you throw my way will be re-invested in better equipment for future videos.

In this news letter I will be featuring an inspiring build of the month, details of what I have been up to in real life, what is coming up on my channel and a selection of inspiring pictures to keep us all inspired and keen to place those blocks!

Inspiring Build of the Month:

This month’s build is an organic build on the Builders’ Refuge server. It is by UnknownForce (on twitter @AG_UnknownForce) and is called ‘A Moment of Tranquility’. If you don’t know what an organic build is it is when you use Minecraft blocks to make something lifelike – like a horse or person for example. In this case UnknownForce has made a lady sitting in a meadow surrounded by wild flowers and trees.

 UnknownForce’s build is available for download on https://www.planetminecraft.com/project/a-moment-of-tranquility/ although be careful as it was made in a world with no physics of gravity so blocks like sand may fall if you load it in single player. Of particular interest in the build is the tree stump – complete with growth rings! The figure itself is very well done with astonishing detail in the hair especially. 

UnknownForce refers to his build as ‘huge and says it took an ‘insane amount of time to finish xD’. One of the features I like best are the blue birds flying around the figure’s head. These are particularly well done with cool two-tone wings and long tails. One of the best things about the build is of course the flowers. UnknownForce took inspiration from real flowers and was able to re-create them in Minecraft with great skill. This build is full of the coolest details – like the ring on her finger, ornate staff in her right hand and even red toadstools! 

What I have been doing in real life:

I have been teaching a couple of 5 day Survival courses – one for adults and one for youngsters. You can see a few of the pictures I took below from the courses. Both groups had to learn the priorities of a survival ordeal. My course can help prepare people for times when things go wrong like being lost in the hills or on mountains, injured, stranded or caught up in a natural disaster like the unfortunate soles in Indonesia this month. The disaster response of the world is fantastic these days. We live in amazing times with helicopters, widespread first-aid, water shipments, blankets and food all being able to arrive very quickly wherever it is needed. This is why the deaths from disaster has gone from 453 per million people in the 1930’s to just 10 per million in 2010-2016. 

I really enjoy teaching survival and hope to keep on doing it. As the season wears on though I will have less and less days out in the woods and more time to spend making Minecraft videos! One of the highlights for me was seeing my first Common European Adder. If you would like to see a video of it check out my Instagram! It is the UK’s only venomous snake and I very nearly stepped on it!

I also had time this month to visit relatives in Scotland and I took my young cousins to see some excellent comedians at the world famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Edinburgh was mobbed with tourists and festival goers. If you ever get the chance to visit Edinburgh in August you are in for an amazing atmosphere, music, dance, theatre and comedy, street-food and street-performers.

Some more inspiring builds:

The build below is by Froggy_Frog and can be found on https://www.planetminecraft.com/project/the-lentonian-ouse-my-contrest-entry/

It is set in a futuristic planet and the house really captures that atmosphere!

The build below is by VinDC on my server (play.usetheblocks.net) and can be found on /warp elliamarr and do /tppos -2504 78 -1519. It has an incredible interior!

The build below is by roro44 and is a huge mansion. It is also on my server and can be found by doing /warp elliamarr then /tppos 1243 86 1322. It has a huge swimming pool, guest houses and a large number of rooms!

Coming up this month

I want to keep doing some Minecraft village conversions. I want to feature some builds on my server but keep these videos for patreons only at tier 1 and above.

There will be a build tutorial just for patrons at the $3 and above level.

I will be livestreaming as much as I can and releasing an updated map download for $3 patrons and above in the next few days with all my latest builds on it including the floating islands. If you didn’t see the floating island video then check it out here: https://youtu.be/2lA8edc8wtI

Thanks again for your continued support – it actually means the world to me!

May The Blocks Be With You!