Altered Cards using recycled covers

My Bubbly Funk projects this week are recycled cards...not last years christmas cards but recycled covers!!

I am sorry Spice Girls but you had to go in order for me to get the CD case!! (My photos are in the wrong order but I can't copy and paste and the moment so here is the inside first..sorry for the poor colour quality..again!!)

The outside of the case is covered with the most beautiful Fancy Pants shaped glittered acetate sheet from the Bubbly Funk shop. This can be purchased as an add-on to the kit.

It's kind of hard to show but in real life it's translucent and packed with depth and texture and bling. A great way to make an alternative card for your alter(ers) out there!

I made some little Organza petals with a new technique that I will share on a layout next week.

This chunky card uses a recyled notebook cover but you could just as easily make it with a bind-it-all.

A little stamping to make the snowflakes and the saying and a few layers, plus a couple of the ATC sized cards from the kit and that's it. Not a lot of work for another effective textured card.

I still feel like a cheat when I call them cards though....maybe it's because I still don't have a clue about sizes and envelopes and try my hardest to avoid those regimented rules..lol!!

Love and Spice Girls Re-cycled!!

Ruth xxx

Lets get Shabby Challenge 6 "Shabby Christmas"

Yay I finally get to share her with you........today the new challenge is up at Shabby!! It really is a Shabby Christmas over there.....I get the feeling there will be lots of fabulous entries this month, especially once you see the sponsored prize!!

My naked Tree...yuck!! I simply painted it with two coats of household magnolia wall paint!!

The star is from a Cake decorating shop and goes on the top of one of those piles of fancy fairy cakes or muffins. I just snapped the metal stalk off it.

I'm pleased I picked up these Making Memories Poinsettia flowers when I did because they really are very Christmassy. I wasn't sure if I liked them at first but now I do.

The patterned papers are from Bo-Bunny and the girl was very carefully cut out by hand to make sure the drawers still opened.

I didn't bother replacing the drawer numbers as I did all that last year and I really wanted to keep clean simple lines on this Advent Calendar.

I love the Norwegian saying God Jul and always think how fabulous it looks on their beautiful stamps on Christmas Cards. It is an all encompassing saying for the whole season (I think, please correct me if I am wrong) I did a little research into it on line and decided that seeing as I am a Viking then I'm sure they wouldn't mind me using it, apparently we all used it once apon a time!!

All finished and sitting on my mantle piece...waiting for me to get the rest of the trimmings out!!

So it's simple...it's that easy...just make whateever you want and leave a link and a comment on the Lets get Shabby blog and thats it you have entered!!

God Jul

Ruth xxx

A Bubbly Bauble

I used one of my round canvases to make this bauble for Bubbly Scrumptious this week. I am still in love with my new Fancy Pants kit from Bubbly Funk......it feels new to me because I am running a week behind so I have loads of stash leftover still!!

There is a sheet of ATC type sized cards in the Fancy pants kit and I simply mounted one of them onto cereal box cardboard and placed it in the middle.

My eclectic collection of christmas flowers came in handy for decorationg it and voila one wallhanging/display thingy ...done.

Yet again the dull rainy days have interfered with my photos.....does anyone actually use a light box and get decent results I'd love to know?

Love and trimmings

Ruth xxx

I am introducing a Christmas wish list to my blog: a girl can dream can't she! (plus I know Mark secretly reads it!!)

Laura Ashley gifts HERE...hint...hint...

Patience is a virtue

I bought this dated 3D frame clock from a charity shop with the exact intention of using these Websters Pages Papers to put inside it and turn it into a cute/kitch 1950's clock.

The only problem was I didn't have the papers and had no way of getting them....so I bid my time and waited....and waited......and finally YIPEE....Tillys has the whole range in..SCREAM!!!!


Now I can hang out at Websters.ning again Yay!! The ladies are so talented over there.

(Mind you the beautiful Christmas papers will probably arrive in the UK next Summer!!) So I will still be a season behind" Oh well" like I said...Patience is a virtue!!


I was busting to get my clock made especially as my kitchen is nearly finished and I know it will look perfect. It is going to be my inspiraion for my new colour theme. Red, white and touches of pale blue and pink......think Kath Kidston meets American/Swiss country cottage! OK in my mind it looks like that in reality it needs tiling and painting and new blinds still!

I have entered the clock in the November Challenge on Inspire Me so pop on over and check out the rest of the creations in the Websters Pages gallery it really is a breath taking place to be.



Love and virtues
Ruth xxx

Bubbly Magic with Fancy Pants.

These papers by Fancy Pants are called Christmas Magic and it's such an apt name. They have certainly put the sparkle back into my Christmas mojo!!



Today over at Bubbly Scrumptious I have a small tutorial on how to make these ribbon flowers......not that you need showing really because they are soooooooo easy!! Can you see the lush velvet Prima leaves that come in the kit......plan on seeing more of those in my projects I love them!! Can't wait to contrast them with some red velvet flowers I bought......mm..mmm. The lush flower on the bottom of this one is by Prima too........see...you have to buy this kit!

The secret to these has to be the torn out journaling cards across the middle they are so varied and detailed and are a definite must from the Bubbly Funk shop!

I love altered Bingo Boards especially as they only cost £1.00 each to buy and are so well constructed. I think I might keep all my Christmas receipts on mine just incase anything breaks down or needs returning. I love how versatile the top one is with its calendar and the clip and they even come with a hanging hole ready to hang........do I need to say it?

These would make a great handmade gift!!lol!!

Love and snowflakes
Ruth x

Just for you MUM as requested!!

We had a wee photo session done at out local Sure Start Childrens Centre and My Mum (in New Zealand) has requested I update my other blog with some photos of her Grandchildren. This ones for you Mum xxx

Some of the ladies from a different one had completed a photography course ( yup I am green, green, green with envy) and they spent 2 days in a makeshift studio taking photos of our kids for a very reasonable price and a CD with all the photos on it too...perfect for a scrapbooker!!

I took my own props..My Grandfathers antique wooden childs chair........

A large flower with a clip-on bird..unfortunately it fell off its perch!!
The ladies had a bubble machine that caught Bens eye......so much it took him off to another planet.....

The football kit photo is purely for my husband!! Becauase we love him even when his team aren't playing well (shhh) ......Go Liverpool!!

The bike was already in the play room I just liked the design of it.

Now all I need to do is convince our committee to fund this course for my local play buddies!!

Shall I start a campaign on Facebook? I mean seriously who wants Maths and English courses when we could be doing this!!

Love and campaigns

Ruth xxx

Such kind comments

I would like to say a BIG THANKYOU to everyone who left such kind comments and hints about Bens itchiness. He is so much better now, the swollen face has gone and his lips are better......even his exzema ( I had to google the spelling on that one!!) has vanished!!



His feet remain mottled and he has scratches all up his legs but he is 100% back to normal and eating like a Trojan Horse! What a relief and not something I plan on going through again in a hurry!!



I have been published this month in an online mag called ScrapStreet it's a fab FREE mag and features my good friends Teresa Manchas on the front cover and Toni Kelly on the inside.

I am inside on page 34 under Chic Street in the crochet section.

I am relieved to have been published as I recently was asked by a different magazine to remove a picture for publication and it never appeared so it's nice to know that this one made the final cut and I can put it back in my gallery!!

Right I must crack on I am supposed to be photographing Fridays tutorial......not playing on here!!

Love and Soda Baths

Ruth xxx

Giveaway, new kit and a hectic week of absence.

I haven't touched a piece of paper in over 10 days!! I am busting to get cracking on some Christmas stuff but first of all I have to re-establish my household.

It all started when we went away to Grannies house for 5 days. The intention was that DH and Grandad would re-build the kitchen. Fix the cupboards and re-place the workbench and sink etc. (Thanks Peter those drawers open out lovely now!!)

Whilst at Grannies house I shopped and I shopped and I shopped.....some of it was for Xmas presents but alot of it was to re=stock my dwindling supplies!! I vary rarely buy paper now as my kits keep me busy but I have had to stock up on flowers and leaves and Xmas embellishments as I have some huge projects planned!

I spent a leisurely 2 hours in a flower emporium......I basically emptied the shelves of paper flowers!!

To my delight I returned home and discovered that Prima are doing some the same as some I bought, so I'm dead chuffed about that.

I returned to a house in chaos and thick full of dust.......the next day was spent cleaning and wiping......and then Ben got poorly:(

He develped a severe rash as part of an allergic reaction and I took him to the GP. 24 hours later we were in hospital as 95% of his body was covered in huge areas of bright red circles and massive areas that covered his entire arms and legs. The hospital discharged him only for his feet, hands and lips to swell during the night and an ambulance was called. (I was foolishly at work-having felt guilty about having to take the previous night off).

Anyway the poor little might is now loads better but he has taken to hiding in corners so that he can scratch his legs.....urgh they are in such a state!! We are desperately waiting for our new flooring on Friday as we think the dust and exposed floor may be the cause?

So I'd like to apologise for my lack of commenting. I have alot to catch up on especially for Lets get Shabby which currently has a stunning giveaway.

Check this out:

To win these beautiful handmade cards simply share your favourite Christmas memories with the team.


One of my favourite memories is of my Mother making the Christmas Mince. She used a huge metal pan and every year we had to stir it with the wooden spoon and make a wish. I treasure that memory as it was a real tradition in our house and god help Mum if she put the mince meat into jars before we had come home from school and made our wishes!!

Following the horrendous Post strike over here I had yet another missing parcel. On Sunday morning whilst I was in Hospital Mark took delivery of my Bubbly Funk November kit.......a dreamy Christmas kit from Fancy Pants packed with Prima flowers, leaves, bobble trim, ribbon, Maya Road chipboard, Tando Creative chipboard and some super cool add on surprises.



Now I just wish I had another 10 days off work to get on with it all.........oh well one can only dream........xxx

Love and magic

Ruth x

Happy Daze-Indian Summer kit

My Happy Daze kit consisted of 2 sheets of patterned paper and 2 half sheets of patterned paper which is great because it keeps the cost of the kit down to you and gives you more choice of papers and patterns to play with!!

It also included a full page of matching chipboard, buttons and brads from the Basic Grey Indian Summer range and an explosion of colour to boot!!


My First Layout is called Fall in Love and it's more about my feelings rather than Georgias...I'm not entirely sure that she likes throwing leaves in the air as she often has her eyes closed, now whether thats with the effort or she's worried about getting bits in her eyes I don't know!!



I made me a cute tree and was thrilled with how it turned out...I thought only quirky scrappers could make these!!! How wrong was I?

I had so much Chipboard left over that I just had to make a second layout!! This time I used the same shape for the base but cut up my Pizza Box instead!!

I really like how the orange and brown acrylic has worked with the bronze spritzer.......so rustic and autumnal.


I added some droplets of Glossy Accents onto the circle bits on the chipboard to create some texture.

..and another cool birdie to finish it off!!

Basic Grey Indian Summer co-ordinating kits can be purchased starting from only £5.25 HERE

Love and leaves

Ruth xxx