download this blend:
http://endi.euromarknet.hu/caleidoscope.blend
I can create this objects in blender on 1 minute.
I discovered a very great technique for this.
When I discovered this, I can’t stop blending in 1 hour!
I think, this is technique is wonderful!
(UPDATE)
the method:
Is it ALT-S ?
Stefano
yes, alt+s
Good Golly! How come alt-S isn’t in the standard hotkey list? 
hm, I still don’t get how you did it though… :-?
the method:
You can try other base shapes.
Ok I will definately try that. Those shapes are super cool.
I guess it’s because not many people bothered (at least to my knowledge…) to update it since BigWhale first wrote it… 
This is a good hotkey list, which I don’t refer to nearly often enough:
http://www.blender.org/pipermail/bf-docboard/2003-April/000637.html
has Alt S even.
Oh yeah, and I believe that’s ‘excellent whale’.
oh I forget this:
Ahhhhhh now I’m getting somewhere… 8)
heh :-?
that’s rather old hotkeycombo…
if you select One Face, do extrude with E-key, and while you do this, don’t move the mouse! and then release the Extrude command with either ESC-key or RMB (Right Mouse Button), and then let it still be selected, and hit Alt-S :D…
…this way you can move a newly created faces along the selected face Normal, to bad this doesn’t work with multiplie selected faces beside each other, this works in Wings3D for example, and this is something that is Really needed as a new tool and/or upcoming higher releases…
that’s my 2 cents
There ought to be a tutorial: ‘Weird things that can be done with Blender’
it is called “Special Modeling Techniques”
Thanks.
:o /me realizes that is not on the Guide too :o
Stefano
YAY! :o
[post deleted on request]
It’s great for making clothes on character models. I use it all the time. Select the area of the character’s mesh where you want clothes. Duplicate. Alt-S to set the clothes off the skin. Woo-hoo!
that is extremely helpful tip, man, thanks.