Glittery Chicks and Yellow Daffodils.......

First I fell in love with the glittery chicks in this cool Making Memories paper, then I had my on-going no decent photo's crisis and I pulled out these ready printed ones from what feels like yesterday/forever ago!!



I can still remember Georgia eating this first egg like it was yesterday. A sweet neighbour gave it to her and it was a Thorntons white chocolate chick. I'm thinking of getting Ben one just to keep the tradition going!!


My dilema was that I really wanted to use both colours even though I'm not that keen on yellow, I think I have got away with it just..................not having any yellow in my stash I found a local supplier (florist). There I got the daffodils and a load of prima type leaves I also got the little lillies too. I think thats enough yellow for a life times supply don't you?

I painted the Basic Grey letters with Distress paints, it nearly killed them but I like that they look even more distressed than they were before although they are eggstremely fragile. lol!!

Tomorrow is technique class with Sue at Running with Scissors, yet again I am so excited at the thought of making and learning with my buddies!!

Love and chocolate chicks

Ruth xxx

Moments of Beauty

This layout is for my Bubbly Scrumptious friday blog post. I have kept it fairly simple and actually used white space for once!! Shock horror!

I am such a good girl I even added a hidden journalling tag...which is something I haven't done for about 2 years. To find out how I altered the flowers and the techniques used to make this page click HERE and read all about it.

Did you know that something new is added to the blog everyday and all with instructions included....just like having your own daily paper only free!!

Do you remember I said I would tell you about SUE. Sue was the owner of the craft shop that got me into this trouble!!!

Well I have been back to take her classes on techniques after over a years absence and trust me nothing changes!!! My lovely Wednesday friends are all still as gorgeous as ever some are even slimmer than before thanks to our in-house Slimming World consultant...you know who you are!

Anyway this week we made cards using the serendipity technique.

Sues examples were stunning and creative so please don't go by mine. I loved that we ripped up the paper doilies to add to the mixture of papers and then blended in twinkling H2O's to give the paper co-hesion.

From our paper we then cut small tiles and built up on them to add dimension and layers. To visit Sues blog please click HERE.

I think I'll send mine to my Mum for her birthday because I only ever make cards in a class!! So it's not like I have a spare stash of them.

and finally Sue has also tagged me grrrrr. The challenge is to take a photograph of yourself immediately after reading you have been tagged. ie: no make-up, no time to comb your hair, pj's whatever.....so as I had Ben climbing on me like a human frame I just clicked away until I had managed to get both of us in the frame. Look at the remnants of the previous days make-up!! Well it was about 8am on Mothers Day.

So I am going to play along and choose some victims!!

Terri who is a fabulous Aussie scrapper trying to deal with a hectic life and lots of hospital appointments so I am sure you will take a great messy photo.!!

Toni whose pages are immaculate yet busy but I can't imagine Toni having a hair out of place.

Helena my sister in-law who rarely turns the camera on herself.

and Carol who loves altering boxes and birdhouse too.

Sorry guys:)

ps: i'd just like to say thankyou for leaving me lovely comments especially about the Easter Eggs the reponse has been wonderful and it's such a great feeling to know that your work is appreciated. I am so grateful that strangers believe in me.

Love and mascara bags

Ruth xxx

I may not be Martha Stewart.......

......but I'm trying to get there!

Last week I saw an absolutely gorgeous egg on Pia's blog last week and a few days later another one on Melissa Philips blog.I discovered they are from Martha Stewart and have sold out and are probably not available in the UK anyway.
So thank goodness for my local Boyes, I picked up three polystyrene eggs at 70p each painted them with acrylic and complementary Ranger Distress Paints. Glued trim around the sides and decorated the tops of each one. I used three eastery colours and accented the green egg with pink, the pink egg with yellow and the yellow egg with green.
Hopefully I will be able to keep them in the glass bowl without the kids destroying them.

The photos don't show how dimensional they are but they look so touchy feely.

The little tags are fom a stationary shop and have Victorian egg images from an old Dover Crafts book on them (a car boot sale find!).

The decoupage type flowers are from an ATC embellishment book

The butterflies are cut from old cigarette trading cards.

I usedPaper flowers, net and floristry wire to bind each posy together and either glued or poked it into the polystyrene egg.

Now I really feel as if easter is on it's way.

Love and vintage eggs

Ruth xxx

The Candy Winner is.....!!!!

Congratulations to SHAWNSGIRL315, Georgia pulled your name out of a vase!!

Please e-mail me your address and I will get your goodies parceled up and posted to you. (You can do this via the link underneath my photo profile)

I'd love to say a huge thankyou to everyone who took part and followed the rules, hopefully you will stay as a follower and enjoy more of the journey with me.

I hope your box turns out beautiful or whatever you make from the items I'd love to see a picture one day.....xx

I have had such a busy week but very little to show for it. A layout for a magazine that I can't show, next weeks project for Bubbly Scrumptious that I can't show until Friday and this weeks one.

I have had late nights early mornings, deadlines and stress....arggghhhhh I'm not used to this!! Although I have to say I have loved every second of it!! (tiny sneak peak of the layout)

My Mother-in-Law received this present from us on Mothers Day and being a crafter herself I think I can safely say she loves it!! I'm sure I heard her say they were almost "too good to open". I reckon they won't last long though! I used my yummy scrummy April Bubbly Funk Kit to cover the Chocolates and the Wine bottle.

The double sided Bella Bella papers are a dream to work with the quality is fabulous and I am spoilt for choice as each side is just so perfect that I am spending ages debating which side to use and whether to actually cut them up or just stroke them for hours at a time!!
Click HERE for a full set of instructions on how I made the cover for the bottle and chocolates.

I am off to my first craft class since I was pregnant over a year ago so I am very excited at seeing all my old friends again and catching up with Sue.......more about Sue tomorrow!!

My First Blog Give Away

CANDY GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED..THANKYOU FOR TAKING PART...WE HAVE A WINNER

I promised a while ago that when I had 10,000 hits I would do a blog giveaway and I have finally made it. I mentioned in my recent loveletters post that the giveaway would contain the items needed to make a similar box to mine. So I have collected together everything you will need.
* 5 pages of Melissa Francis papers 12x12
* 1 yard white cotton lace trim
* 1 yard faded rose-bud ribbon trim
* 40 small pearls
* A piece of white Tulle net
* Prima flowers
* Feathers
*1 large flower (vintage-ish)

This little cutie is in my blog colours and a wee reminder that this candy is sent to you with love from "Altered Geisha" . Now wouldn't you really just want to win one of these Momiji Dolls I know I would!! The rules to enter this candy giveaway are as follows.
1. Become a follower. If you are already a follower you will automatically be entered
2. Post on your blog that there is blog candy up for grabs here with a link to my blog
3. Leave a comment on my blog so that I will know you have done both

This giveaway will close on March the 21st and the draw will take place on Mothering Sunday.

Good Luck and Happy Crafting

Love Ruth xxx

Note: This post will stay here for two weeks please read below to see my latest creations.

My first DT reveal tomorrow!!

What a lovely day it has been in North East Lincolnshire today...the sun was shining all day and we went on a spur of the moment trip to a local farm.

The fresh air has worn the kids out. (my ulterior motive being enough time to do my first post on the Bubbly Scrumptious Blog!!)

To reveal what is behind my sneak peak click on the link HERE tomorrow!!!!

Have a wonderful Mothers Day and make the most of it!!

Love and fresh air Ruth xxx

I'm Bubbly Funky!!

I am delighted to tell you that Caroline from Bubblyfunk has chosen me to be on her kit design team!! Yipee!!!!

Not only is Bubblyfunk an on-line shop but it has it's own super friendly forum and manufactures it's own uber cool chipboard..... Did I mention how much I love chipboard?

My first kit arrived yesterday and I was so excited I couldn't sleep last night, so I crept downstairs at 3am and got to work on my first assignment.

This months kit is from My Minds Eye and has the most elegant range of Bella Belleza papers, also included in the kit are ribbons, twine, tag sheets, Bazzil cardstock, brads, eyelets, safety pins, a Melissa Francis keyhole and a stamp and of course some chipboard........ A totally gorgeous large chipboard flourish and chipboard flowers!! All this for a credit crunch busting £20.00!!

Shabby Chic is definately the theme of the month for Aprils kit and I LOVE IT!!!

I can't show you what I have made until it has been published on the The Bubbly Scrumptious Blog on Sunday. Bubbly Scrumptious is a blog that showcases the designers work on a daily basis and links to instructions on how to make each item. Check it out HERE it's packed full of ideas!

Love and Bubbles Ruth xxx

Budding Footballer.....

I took a series of photographs on a beautiful summers day when Georgia was about 18 months old, and have wanted to scrap them ever since. Then I started to make this layout with a completely different photograph in mind until the said photo when printed was actually rubbish in real life.
So I had a rumage through my box of photos and I came apon this!! Not only did it match the cute 1950's girl and the floral spray at the top but it meant I got to cross one of those I must do's......off the list!! The poor lighting doesn't show the pink glitter card in the middle and the stickles on the floral spray and the cute girls clothes. I was quite pleased with my idea to add liquid pearls around the cardstock as it has added definition to the shape......and the Budding Footballer title is very apt don't you think?


I just wanted to share this with you. It's a digital scraplift of my Sing Hosanna layout and was made by Mary Buttons who kindly asked my permission to lift the LO. Isn't it nice when someone gives you credit and then shows you their finished work. I think she has done a fantastic job......love the string of pearls Mary..if only I could do digi my jewellery box would be never ending!

Love and rosebuds RUTHxxx

Tilda Tin

I am such a fan of baby milk tins and keep my flour and muesli in old ones from Georgia's baby days. I do feel guilty even recycling Bens ones but this one has been rescued from the great metal crusher in the sky and has been given the Tilda treatment!!

I covered it with Colorbok paper and cut out the adorable birdhouses from a Panduro collage sheet..The largest birdhouse is foam mounted and the smaller ones are flush with the tin. Pretty lace and ric-rac around the edges to make it extra girly.These colours are so easy to work with, why did I never clue onto this before? My pastel fear has turned into pastel fetish!!

I kept the lid red because if I had painted it the paint would have cracked with the constant opening of the lid and I like the touch of vava voom.

I used a variety of paper, net and Laura Ashley fabric circles to create the flower on top and a jumbo sized brad painted to match and secured through the lid.
The opposite side has foam letters saying My Hair Stuff and some large beautiful birds from the collage sheet. I am hoping it may inspire her to keep her hair accessories tidy!! Somehow I doubt it will happen though!!

Georgia now has two matching items for her room.....just one more to go...hmmmm what can I get my hands on next.......I feel a bird house coming on!!

Love and altered organisation psychology Ruth x

Love lost and Found

I found this LOVE sign in Sainsburys for .10p and couldn't keep my excitement to myself!! (sorry Sue) As soon as I got home I re-painted it and crackled it to soften the colours.

The cute birds are from the "Tilda" range from Panduro.......I have fallen in love with these beautiful images and am going project mad with them.

When Laura Ashley first said they were doing papers I imagined them to be like this but they still haven't reproduced their old classics that I first fell in love with as a child. But this range (from Tillys) is in my favourite colours.

Basic Grey Wholy Cow rub-ons and a few trimmings and voila this will look so sweet in Georgias room with a cute photo of her and our sadly deceased dog.

Lost: somewhere in the bowels of our house my tub full of old lace...can I find it no!!!!

Lost: my mobile phone cover....courtesy of little miss..can she find it no!!!

Lost ; many hours when I could be crafting looking for above items!!

Love and pastels Ruth xxx

My little merboy......

Do you think it was because Ben was born in a birthing pool that he adores water or is it because his mother was exactly the same?
A regular fish...I lived in a swimming cossie (togs) until I was 14 and became too self conscious. Which reminds me Mum sent me a great photo of me in a pool recently and I really must scrap it. (Note to self)

I caught these wonderful photos of Ben when he was screaming with pleasure at himself in the bath clearly loving the sound of his own voice. (I have no idea where he gets that from... he he)
I named it SPLASH because it conveys lots of bathtime conotations.

Although it isn't a scrap lift it must be an ode to Toni because it was her who told me to paint the paper doiley. Thankyou Toni xxx.

I was surprised it worked because once when I used alcohol inks it just killed it, the edges tore in places but that just adds to the charm. The background lined cardstock is from Websters pages I wish I could get my hands on more of their stuff but I only have 2 pages so am using/choosing them carefully. The metal butterfly is from an Anna Griffin kit.

I had another go with my distress paints as the large brown flower looked very flat but this time I used a similar colour rather than a contrasting one. Do you get the feeling this will be my signature from now on!!!

Love and wet cameras

Ruth xxx

Camera Shy!!!

Taken at Pleasure Island last September this is the only decent photo I have of my 2 boys (and I call myself a scrapbooker!!! ) The problem is DH refuses to pose or come within a 30 mile radius of me when I have camera in hand...I shall leave it to him to explain to Ben when he's older why there aren't any photos.....then again I think I have deleted thousands of myself in this last year!! Maybe I should learn to scrap the good, the bad and the ugly.

Cosmo Cricket paper, Bo-Bunny Press sticker, 7 Gypsies parenthesis, Prima flowers, Ranger Distress inks and paint. The large LOVE lettering is from The Range.

The tag reads "I love you twice as much as yesterday but only half as much as tomorrow."I refuse to give up on these Distress paints and gave them another go, I still don't like the clumsiness of them but I really like how they have turned out on the edge of the photo. The flowers I'm not so sure about, what do you think?

Love and rare photos

Ruth xxx