Big shot mark 2

Thank you for the lovely comments regarding my little ornaments , I know now they are called Fauna.  Now I know and will not forget.

The weekend has gone rather quick, the boys went to visit DH family (not my cup of tea!!') and me and Little Miss, well we decided to head off to Carmarthen , just because we fancied it.  We were there over 4 hours and I have never know her so chatty and telling me so many stories about new school, sometime she was laughing so much I started laughing and she could could not finish the story straight away.   We went to The Range ..oh wow.   The last store I visited was back in Kent probably over 2 years ago...oh we oohed and aaarghed .  We filled a basket with goodies that Little Miss thought we should!!!! She has asked me for the first year to help her make her friends and family home made presents......I saw her looking at some Christmas trimmings and she was a bit quiet,   I asked her if she was OK and she said, "mummy I have lots of ideas ....could you help me make some other things, not just my angels ? My hands are not good like yours ?"  Oh wow again....
She has never suggested anything like this and well like giggling schoolgirls (oh course she still is!!)
we chose some bits, wow our little basket soon was full, thank goodness we didn't have a trolley.
We came home and oh we were so tired......... But we wanted to see our goodies again....
And still laughing,  we emptied our goodies on the dining room table and we got some craft books and mags out and she started her "to do list".    (Just like her mother I thought with a smile...I always have lists, not one ever gets finished, but the good intention is there. !). I went to bed with a huge happy heart last night.  Missing my boys ...home today....

my new die cutting machine (sizzix big shot) arrived to replace my old broken one on Friday .
I have had comments about the old die cutters.  I buy manuals because they are cheaper and do
"everything it says on the tin". They have come down in price so much since they first came on the
market.  I got the standard size again...I don't see the need for the bigger size.  I would say if you have
a dilemma about buying one go to a big outlet that sells them first and ask for a demo.  That's what I did.  The dies are a personal choice and vary in price .  I use my quilt dies all the time, they are not cheap, but you can shop around.  I suffer from numb and tired fingers especially when using tools like scissors and gripping for long periods so for me this machine is heaven and leaves me to enjoy sewing whereas if I was cutting for hours , well sewing would not get down.  The shapes cut are always perfect (with a bit of practice!!!') and with thin fabric you can cut up to 5 layers at a time ,
Again I start off with 4 layers if the cut is crisp I add another and so on.  I haven't but I am sure there
are loads of demo's too on YouTube..I hope this has been useful. You can get electric die cutters of course, but up until last week I have not had a problem with the manual cutters and they are much cheaper, if you have a question please ask and I will reply ....

My old broken machine 

and the offending handle .

Now some more Christmas making 

these are destined for the Christmas markets..

I am loving this little chap.

And now for 

big shot Mark 2

Well first of all it is a new colour

And

It has a much longer platform  

And

I wonder if there was a problem with the "fixed "

handle  in previous models 

Because now it 

Separate..mmmmmmmm

Handle 

I couldn't wait to use 

my new toy

and with this die

I made this 

(I love gingerbread men)

and more in the pipeline

...all the components are cut on the die cutter.
Imagine having to cut all those little bits out by hand?



See you soon.xx