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Saturday, 7 March 2015

Robert Addams Motorbike Die


Last Sunday Ange and I trotted off to Farnborough  to the Make It Show.
Going on a Sunday has it's advantages and disadvantages.  One disadvantage being the stall holders  tend to sell out of certain products.

But the advantages are, .. if they ain't got it you can't buy it, so you save money.

The main advantage being is that it is much quieter so you don't have to fight for a space to watch demos  or fight to get to the stalls, it's much more relaxed and some of the stall holder will give you a little discount on the last day.

Robert Addams had a stand there selling his massive range of dies. I didn't realise he had so many dies in his range. I knew he did a few wordy dies  and the motorbike, mini and campervan dies  (all of which are on my wish list). 

But I had no idea his range was so vast. I fell in love with the puppies, the kittens, the fisherman, the clock face the coggs and so many more.

 I was very good and only bought the motorbike die as I wanted to see how I got on with this type of die. 
Robert did tell me that the Motorbike die is fiddly but well worth the effort.

Well, my first attempt at assembling all the pieces had me in a bit of a tizzy which later turned into pure rage the more frustrated I got. 
I am sure the air turned blue as the  foul language flowed from my mouth. Thank goodness I was the only person home  that afternoon.

I got to the point where I was so despondent I was going to put all the bits in an envelope with a card   and send them to my brother with a message saying " here's the kit,  make your own bloody birthday  card." 
As a biker at least he would have the advantage of knowing where all the bits  should go.


I have to say that my frustration and anger was all due to my lack of patience and not watching the Video Tutorial on assembling  this motorbike first.
Having watched the video.....

My second attempted went like a dream.... and I now have a couple of tips to share with you.


1.  Watch the video tutorial before you even start working with this die.

2. Some of the pieces are very tiny  so be very careful to collect all 
the pieces and put them in a pot as soon as you cut them.

3. Watch video again after you have cut out all those tiny pieces.

4.If possible.. Watch video as you assemble the bike.

5. Use a black card with a sheen on it for the frame and wheels. 
It reflects the light giving a more realistic look and the debossed detail stands out more.

4. Ink the edges of the card used for the tank and mud guards. Use a slightly darker shade of ink in the same colour as the card you choose. It will add depth and give a more curved impression to the tank and mud flaps.

5 . Take your time this is not one to be rushed.


Now I have Just enough time to to stick down the mud flap and  then I must get this in the post for my Brothers Birthday. I do hope he appreciates all the effort that went into making this card.  In fact I may just send him a set of all the pieces  to make up just  for fun.

I'll post Robert's  video here too.

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