New blog

Hi folks, three friends and I are starting a new blog called Craft Stamping Quartet We all live apart from each other, but wanted the opportunity to 'craft together'. We came up with the idea of choosing a project each month from Craft Stamper magazine, and each working on the same project, but hopefully coming up with very different finished results. We would like to show sneaky peeks and mini tutorials along the way if possible to make the blog interesting and informative. However, we have just set the blog up, so don't expect great things all at once!
We don't get to see each other very often, so this feels really great, as if we are spending lots more time together. One of us lives in the South of England, I'm in Norfolk, and two are further North. If you'd like to support us by becoming followers or leaving a comment on our blog, we would really appreciate it, thank you, Judith x

Another Challenge Entry!

Blimey! I don't know what's the matter with me this week, here's another card which I have made to enter into some challenges. I have used the sketch from  the Secret Crafter Saturday blog , but have turned the sketch on it's side. I have also gone shabby to qualify for Simon Says Stamps Challenge which is shabby chic. I have used a crate paper DP which I have hoarded for an eternity, and also used it to make my flowers. I have inked  the edges of my layers with Distress Inks, then scuffed them with an edge distresser. I wanted to use my sewing machine, but when I went to get it out, horror of horrors, it was broken. So, that will mean a trip to my nearest sewing machine shop for a replacement part. So, I've just used faux stitching instead. I've used a sentiment from Elusive Images and a Martha Stewart punch to edge my green layers.

I love the little Image from Mo Manning, and I used the sentiment as I'm fed up with all the rain that we're getting now. Bye for now, Judith x  

Joining in Challenges

Last year, I tried to join in with blog challenges, but never seemed to have the time, or I was ill. etc. this year, I decided that I would try really hard to get more involved with challenges if I could. To that end, I have made a card this week that qualifies for two challenges woo hoo! Firstly DP2 challenge blog has the challenge of 'birthdays' this week, and my card is a birthday card for my SIL, using one of Mo's cute images, coloured with Coloursoft pencils and Zest it. I have used Crate paper designs and two Martha Stewart punches to decorate my card, punching out a little cupcake, and covering it with stickles. I punched two holes in it to make it look like a button, and added a piece of twine. I stamped an Elusive Images sentiment to finish. Secondly, Friday Sketchers has a sketch to follow, which really caught my eye. I will definitely use this sketch again, as I like the layout so much. Bye for now, Judith x

Donna Downey Classes

I'm so excited, because I booked up today to go on a weekend of classes taught by Donna Downey. It was a page from one of her scrapbooks that I used in my previous post. She also designs for Prima, as in Prima flowers etc. She is coming over from America in April, and teaching in Bury St, Edmunds, Suffolk running three classes, which are being organised by Your Touch of Craft, (see my side bar for a link). The classes will involve fabric based scrapbooking, and paint based,  paper and chipboard, embellishment scrapbooking too. That means the best of both worlds as far as I'm concerned, because you get touchy feely, and messy and splodgy as well! It promises to be an ecxellent weekend, with lots of new and fresh ideas from a very vibrant talented lady, and I get to spend it with my friends from Touch of Craft too, Kay, Amanda and Rosina.

I've been messing about making some flowers from the Craft Stamper article using grungepaper and the stitchel stamps. They have come up really well, but with the snow, I haven't taken any pictures as the light hasn't been great. I intend to use them on my next canvas project, so I'll blog them soon. The snow here has been rotten, as I know it has everywhere. Our roads are flanked by deep dykes either side, and this morning, I passed three cars in the dyke, one of which was being pulled out while the police attended. A sobering sight. My daughter went back to her boyfriend's house today, on the first leg of her journey back to Uni, and I was very relieved to know that she had arrived safely. Wherever you are, keep safe and warm, Judith x

Scrapbook Canvas

Just a quick post tonight, as my husband is being sorely neglected. I have been working like a trojan lately to get this canvas finished. It has been a labour of love, and I have really enjoyed making it. I have used my favourite colours, aubergine and teal, and lots of swirls and butterflies which I love too.

I used gesso to prime my Donna Downey canvas page, which I then painted with watered down acrylic paint. I then pasted some old book pages onto the painted surface with a transfer medium, Golden soft gel. I stamped some phrases onto dressmaker's pattern, and pasted that too. I overstamped some swirls, and images, added some bling, a handmade flower, and my large butterfly. I used Michelle Roo's instructions for the handmade flower which can be found on her blog. I hope you like my efforts, I'm certainly going to do some more of these, bye for now, Judith x