How it all started...

I started crafting many years ago now.  First a little bit of cross stitch and sewing and then I discovered rubber stamping and I was hooked.  Luckily a craft shop opened up in Fleet near where I live and from that point on until the current day has been/and is a great source of crafting materials.  Even better is that if you need any information or help either Carol or Mick are on hand to help :)  Authors and Artists Craft Shop

My first query was about a technique used on a demonstration card, and that day I signed up for their course on rubber stamping to learn about it.  This was when I discovered embossing!  And was so long ago now I really can't remember how may years ago it was!

Over the years I have done lots of papercrafting, scrapbooking, a little bit of parchment craft, encaustic art, beading, knitting and crochet as well as the cross stitch and sewing.  And I am sure a few more things I have probably forgotten along the way, with some being more successful than others :)

I am teaching myself to draw, but I don't practice nearly as much as I should.  But each picture is nearly always an improvement on the last!

Then of course there is the world of digital crafting and I love it.  It is a great way of combining my crafty interests with photography and writing.

This is the digital version of a card I created for a Quick Cards magazine (issue 105) competition for a travel themed card. I created it in Craft Artist using all my own photographs, elements and frames. The finished card was layered for a 3D effect, I cut out the framed photos, roses and Paris and used foam pads to mount them onto it. I was selected as one of the winners :) and won a copy of Craft Artist 2 and lots of digikits.

Paris card © 2013 Natasha Forder

The great thing about digital crafting is that it is quicker.  So even if I am pushed for free time I always manage to fit a little bit in!  But there are times where I want to do something more hands on practical.  And this is when I grab my rubber stamps, double sided tape and pens!!!

Since March this year I have been part of the creative team for E-scape and Scrap, an online digital crafting store.

And this month I have started to write blog posts for Real Life Scrapped and become part of Algera Designs creative team.

As you can guess I always have some sort of craft project on the go.  Well actually more this two, three or four!