Phew it has been such a hectic week. I actually had to schedule in time to carve the pumpkin!!

I wasn't going to but.......I caved in besides I'll never get another chance!!
Anyway my little pumpkin had a great time at a party!!

Georgia took it all very seriously.......well actually I took the face painting seriously but then I always do!!

She had a fun time to, playing games, dancing and trick and treating in the dark.

Maybe next year I won't get up quite so early to make halloween fairy cakes......I am one tired hagard old witch!! Trust me you don't need a photo of that, just use your imagination!!

Xmas Shopping Lists

These cute lists will be handy for keeping track of what you need to get next time you're out shopping. The snowflake is made from pre-cut felt shapes I added fake snow to the edges of the bottom layer and glitter to the top layer.
My trusty puff paint gives this Melissa Frances Family sticker definition.
I got the idea from a kit my Mother in Law purchased and bought a pack of notelets from the pound shop. I'm hoping to get a few done as Xmas presssies for family and friends.These photos were taken at 1pm and already the shadows were long...however it has been a lovely crisp autum day. I carved our halloween Pumpkin today and will show you it on Friday.

Yesterday we had an outing to the The Deep in Hull. Helena my sister in law had posted loads of photos on her bog here.

Top of the CLASS

When Georgia came home and told me that she had been voted by her classmates to be a school councillor I jumped up and down, whooped with joy and did an extremely embarrasing victory dance!! She thought I was a bit weird but at least it got across to her just how proud I am.

This photo was taken on the first day of the new term, and I have used it instead of the ones where she was presented with her school councillor badge. They didn't come out very well.

I tried to memorise the list of qualities that were up on the notice board in the school hall, I think I may have improvised a little! I tore the Making Memories paper in half and stitched it back together, the ink splatters are exactly that....distress ink refills with a touch of water and splatted (do this outside!) with a paint brush.
The tag says "Be true to you" and has a stamp of a wise owl inside it. To secure it on the layout so it can be removed without having to undo the bow I fixed the string into place with a couple of stitches.

The bling for her name was from a card shop and we made a deal I could have her name and she could have all the hearts and other coloured blings that came on the sheet.

This layout was made for the Paper Paradise October Sketch Challenge hosted by Helena. The sketch is by Liz Weber and is taken from the Craft in Style blog here.

update: thanks to my good friend Lazykay who e-mailed me today that the comments box isn't working. I changed it to the new blogger system that they recommended and I guess it hasn't worked! I just thought no -one loved me:( (love ya Kath xxx)

TFL xxx

Happy Birthday to me....

....Ok so it's not actually my birthday but today is my blogoversary and she is one year old. We have had so much fun in the last year (and the odd bit of cursing thrown in as well!!)


I can't deny how obsessed I am with my daily check-ins because when someone leaves you a comment it's like they care about you and makes the whole point of blogging worthwhile.


I know it isn't all about nice comments and it should be about my personal journey but this is my personal journey and I have met so many wonderfully kind and talented people on the way.


I was going to do a giveaway but I am so useless at organising anything on time that I haven't got around to doing it......to be honest I don't really know where to start or what to give away! Maybe I will surprise you all and do it on my real birthday!

Mark took my camera apart and cleaned all the lenses for me when I was asleep and then he took these sweet photos of Georgia who obviously doesn't pull silly faces for him like she does for me!
The weather has taken a nasty turn today and I can no longer take my crafty photos outside now thats it's too windy. I fear I will be publishing hideous photos all winter. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am finding that I can't possibly vaccum because when Ben isn't trembling in fear from the noise he is trying to show it who is the boss!
Then I turn my back and he has climbed onto the nappy box and is playing with the keyboard......and then just as I am trying to photograph a door hanger I made for Georgias friend he starts to eat my toes!!! yuck!!


Do you ever have those weeks where you get nothing done and then before you know it another blogoversary is upon you!!

Oh well it's all good fun take care and thankyou for visiting me.

Love Ruth xxx

BLOG CANDY LOVERS ALERT!! Julie from Inspirational craft blogs is giving away this gorgeous pile of thickers and more on her own personal blog here.

And while you're at it candy lovers Kristine is giving away the cutest xmas/winter stamp ever here!!

Remember to follow the rules carefully and Good Luck!!

Vintage halloween cards

I have to admit that I am not really into halloween, but I do admire the Americans and how they do such gorgeous displays on their mantle pieces and driveways. I wish it wasn't so commercial over here because the Americans still seem to manage to keep it quite traditional with the pumpkin patches and the harvest festival displays. However I saw these lovely Melissa Frances papers and bought them to make an autumnal layout, then I spied the cutest little chocolates in TK-Max and thought why not make a wee gift for some friends.
The chocolate is inside the little envelopes which close with a loop of gold elastic through an eyelet and hook around a brad. The images were free from the vintage holiday crafts website. I just wish we had a pumpkin patch nearby!!

TFL.........Ruth xxx

I am a DT member!!

Yipeee!!!!! I am so excited!!!

I have been invited by Julie to join Inspirational Craftblogs Design Team. I have of course accepted this time and am thrilled at the opportunity to be part of this awesome team of talent.

I have already become a regular stalker of this blog and it's even easier to track now that I have it on my dashboard favourites and I get all the updates instantly!

I have lined up my first talented individuals and am waiting for replies so I can post their creations. If you have seen something amazing that you think is worth sharing with the world please e-mail the blog address and I'll do my best.

I hope you all had a great weekend and your week has kicked off to a good start!! I shall be getting stuck into those home-made xmas pressies this week which I might not be able to show on here for fear of giving the game away!

Night all........I am off to work my night shift xxx

High School Musical Fever!!

Everything is all about High School Musical in my world, not just Georgias world but mine as well, because at the end of the day there is just no getting away from the bombardment of red and white and I even find myself humming the songs when I am potttering about the house, plus between you and me I am secretly looking forward to the release of HSM 3.

Little Miss found a hidden box in my room and asked who it was for well I could hardly say Santa could I so I decided to let her have it there and then on a number of conditions.

1. We work on it together when Ben is in bed
2. I promise not to be a control freak this is a partnership
3. She gets to write on the pages which will help her writing skills.
4. and she will try not put every single sticker onto one page!!

So far we have done a page a night for three nights and practised some doodling which I am rubbish at but it suits her style!! So finally after all these years she is crafting on her own terms! most importantly she is enjoying it and we get to spend some quality time together.

Which brings me to the title for this layout.....yup you guessed it... A High School Musical song!

The cute little birds are from a heartwarming vintage sticker sheet.
Paper by Fancy Pants, old music sheets from my Grannies house, scrabble tiles by Papermania and white frame from Melissa Frances.

Helena had just popped over she is booking our HSM 3 tickets as I type!! Are we sad or what?


Love Ruth xxx

Georgia listening to her Grandad explaining about Poohsticks at Tickton Bridge.

The brown scalloped cardstock is Bazzil and I punched it 3 times on each scallop, distressed the edges and dry brushed with cream acrylic.
I went to the sewing machine shop to enquire about a service as my tensioner isn't working at all and it's £40.oo for a service so I think I might just put up with the loose stitching for a bit longer!!

The patterned paper is K & Company and it's double sided, it cut out with a scalpel like a hot knife through butter, but it wasn't normal cardstock it was a divider page for a 12x12 paper box so I cut the tab off the side too.
I want to enter this months Basic Grey challenge on SB.Com but you have to use an everyday photo and nice cute face shots don't count!!

I took this while Ben was waiting for Georgia to get ready this morning. His new hat and coat are just gorgeous. The coat is by JEEP the truck company and has the coolest embroidery on the back...can't wait till he's walking to get a photo of that!! And the hat just reminds me of a forestry worker!!

We have the grandparents coming for lunch tomorrow so it's time to put all my play things away for the weekend and after that I'm going to start on some Halloween goodies!!

Have a great weekend whatever you get up to.

Love Ruth xxx

The Butterfly Tamers and Doubting Thomas

I have been meaning to tell you about the butterfly tamers for a while, and then I came across these photos again tonight.

One of Georgias friends had a butterfly net and towards the end of August the grass was left quite long on the field, so they spent their days catching butterflies. Sometimes they would keep them in a glass jar and let them go before bed-time. (I know and I'm sorry if you believe it's wrong but kids need to explore more and I was just grateful they were showing an interest in something other than the tv!!)

Well one of the older girls reckons that once they have calmed down in the jar they become tame!! I didn't believe a word of this (just call me doubting Thomas!!), until one day there was a knock at the door and in came the girls with a huge butterfly on a stick!! They had walked past nearly 10 houses and into my lounge!!!!! ............eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkk....

........I mean don't get me wrong I love butterflies I just had visions of it crashing into the carpet and Ben eating it!! I was convinced it must have damaged wings I mean why else would it stay on a stick and be paraded around the neighbourhood!! So I told them to take it outside and there it remained as they passed it from hand to hand and I ran back in and grabbed my camera!!

I just got the money shot as Georgia held it up to her chin so I could get them both in the frame and it flew away up and over the roof tops. It was perfectly fine. The girls decided it had gone to look for its babies!!

Then when I went to look at the photos the last one had malfunctioned!!!!! I couldn't believe it but then again I still can't believe what I witnessed!!