WOYWW #483

Well here we are, Crop week at last! Mind you, I think this whole year has passed by almost in a blur! Have to get the suitcase packed, as we're staying in Llandudno Friday & Saturday night, coming home Sunday.  Also have to put together everything I'm bringing, I've decided to go with colouring, as I spend more time chatting than crafting anyway, so I have that to sort out.
 I'll bring my dies, and also all my envelopes of card & paper offcuts, so if you forget card, there will be some available.
Then it'll be packing again, as we are off on holiday to the Netherlands next Wednesday. Driving down to Dover, ferry across to Dunkirk,then up to Tilburg for 3 days,then on to Amsterdam for another 3,back down to Bruges in Belgium for 1 day, then back to Dunkirk for the ferry back to Dover!
But, to the desk! Tickets have arrived for Happy Stampers!

 You may remember a couple of weeks ago, those TH Snowflake dies I bought? Well, on closer examination, they actually work with a couple of stamp sets, as the dies only cut out the basic shape- note to self: Read the pack next time!
 So, I had to get the stamps!

Visible Image have a summer sale, so I got the two stencils, and a Snowflake stamp set I meant to get last year.

 Bought 3 round acrylic blocks from EBay- cost me £7 for the 3, which I thought wasn't bad at all.

Yes, I know, I don't need inkpads- but I saw Eileen Godwin using these IZink inks, and was amazed at the vibrancy of the colours. But I was good, and resisted rushing off to order some. Until I came across them, whilst looking for something else, and found out they only cost £1.50. So, yes. I did. I went there.

These are the colours I bought, this pic taken straight after I'd swiped them on the card. The thing that really amazed me with Eileens video, was how vibrant the colours stayed, (even though she used water with them,) after they had dried.

This pic was 4 hours later, so totally dry. And they look exactly the same as when they were first laid down.

Finished another big batch of the Mixed Media die cards.












Now, I came across this subject on You Tube, quite by accident, but it seems really useful, so I'll add the links here. Apparently, a lot of people are switching out their cutting plate, especially if they have become very marked and bent, and using one cut down from a Self Healing Cutting mat in it's place. I think there is some change in the sandwich, but I haven't watched them all yet. However, the ones I have seen all report that not only does it work well, they are actually getting a better cut from those dies that normally cause problems. And it's way cheaper than keep buying replacement plates, which is always a good outcome.
 Anyway, here you go:        Link 1,          Link 2( Gemini)    List of all videos  

Spent Saturday evening at the Wedding Reception of some friends, Rich & Ellie. Ellie is a hairdresser, and has her own salon,and she and my eldest son were at High School & college together, so I've known her for a lot of years.  Rich is a guy who works in wood, and also forges the tools woodcarvers use,so both very 'hands on' in their work.









 If you enlarge the photos, you can see Rich's buttonhole more clearly. It's carved from wood! Just sort of shaved down to create petals.







He made the bench in this photo for the ceremony.

The cake was made to resemble Silver Birch logs- and they had an AXE to cut the cake with!

Ellie is a real 'Live life to the Full' person- she likes to learn new stuff, and a couple of years ago, learnt to play the Double Bass. So she joined the band for a while during the day.
















Bit of lens flare in this pic, but it's me, My DIL Becky, Granddaughter Merlin, Eldest Son Ant and Grandson Mortimer. He's off to Leicester Uni at the end of September. Told Merlin she's getting far too tall!





And finally.........................

Courtesy of FB!












So, I'll see lots of you on Saturday, and everyone else, I'll see you next week! Link up at Julia's, The Stamping Ground, and come see what we get up to. 😀