Cheery Lyn ChooChoo Die with Memory Box Landscape, NBUS + WOYWW

Hi everyone, 'tis Wednesday so it’s time to pop over at Julia’s Stamping Ground, where we see desks, of marvellous inspiration worldwide. 
Couple of desks shared but none of today as scheduled, busy!

Desk on Saturday, starting a card which really should’ve been mailed a week ago now, but wasn’t made. 
I think there should be a law against having birthdays in first week of any given month! 😁
Don’t you? They always trap me? And have most of birthdays in first week this month and next! 
I’d had these lovely new Gansai Tambi Japanese Watercolour paints for my Feb birthday, they arrived from Japan a bit late. I’d swatched the colours but not used. I bought them because all the reviews made me think they’d be more like Gouache watercolours than original artist watercolours. I’ve several sets, best is Windsor and Newton set, but not as good as Gouache for my ornamental work in calligraphy. My Windsor & Newton Gouache are only available in tubes. In our weather they dry out too quickly, so very interested in these paints!
Yes!!!! was right, the binder in them makes them dense in colour and vibrant, *opaque too like gouache, not like watercolours which are translucent.. I like these a lot! 
(*although opaque, maybe diluted to almost translucent , but not same as my usual pure watercolour no binders).
Here I’m playing trains and scene building, ain’t growed up yet!😉 These two Dies are almost five years waiting to be used, pretty bad isn’t it?

Prize from Playground in 2015! (Sorry Miss!)
They’re NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff), so off to Darnell’s NBUS Challenge Yay! All cardstock except  black is recycled from cereal, muesli bars, biscuit, tissues box etc. This desk shows the Memory Box Modern Background Die cut x 3 pieces inked up with Memento Dew Drops.

Fun painting these train cars and engine. Researched, of course, the train colours. Decided the nicest ones to use were the Flying Scotsman, loved the colours they even they varied! Added gold highlights with Gold watercolours set by Finetec (left of image on first desk).
Totally not the right colours for this train😉, wrong era as think this Choo Choo Die is US 1850s as opposed to UK 1900 ->.

Handcut a cloud stencil, with ink dusters shaded sky clouds (Adirondack inks x3 used for sky).

Well, here it is finished, everything has multiple shades, eg 4 greens, 3 blues, even in paints mixed that too.

Houses were cut separately and they’re just the white side of the packet used, with roof line painted in. The rail track was made out of another really brown scrap back of box, I scored it lengthways, then cross ways and inked it up and cut to size. Frame is triple cut out rectangle stitched die set A6 by Paper Roses see link.

The timber background is brown inside of cereal box, and then inked in three different types of browny Memento inks. The greeting too is NBUS from disc SU birthday greeting set, bought second hand on eBay. It says: “Happy Cake Day! Oh and and happy birthday too,” .. rather think suits the very dear recipient well. 😁
Now for the Aussie photos!

Two different days, two different skies and moods, but same location! Those are crab excavations around their tunnels in front. When little, we thought they were crab eggs!

There are Pacific Silver Gulls and Crested Terns, in the foreground, pretty much always here in a big mixed flock.

I do enjoy watching the birds, the water and the skies and communing with our Father Who made it all. 
Well, that’s it for me today .. didn’t WOYWW last week.
Did do Friday Smiles post below... pray that all is well with you! I have lifted out my UFO and am working on it, God willing, for next week's Anniversary Reveal! 
I do pray might have it finished for next Wednesday!
 Our 11th WOYWW anniversary!
 Thanks so much if you popped over for a peek and chat. May God bless you all and keep you all safe and well too. 
My love thoughts and prayers are with you all, that you will be kept safe in all this perplexing time. 
Love and prayers, 🙏🏻🤗 Shaz in Oz.x 

Thought of the day:
There are so many gems in Psalms.

David has many a giant to fell in his life, not just one called Goliath. 
Out of trials David learnt where his Refuge was..
More encouragement also on Purpose of Aloneness, see latest post here on Wonderful Words Of Life.

Linking over to:

**Darnell's NBUS (NEVER Before Used Schtuff) May challenge here  

**Word Art Wednesday - anything goes. Both cards  http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au/

** Simon Says Wednesday Challenge is Dies and punches over HERE!