I UGG my Scrumptious Whooga Boots!!

Actually they are Whoogas as I refused to buy UGGS due to there being so many fakes on the market and I really wanted the genuine thing.

My last pair of Uggs were pure sheepskin from New Zealand and they have lasted for about 7 years with the last 3 years of me wearing them everyday during winter to school and back. So I figured a new pair were worth the investment.

I used the Violette Wings kit from Bubbly Funk to keep a record of my favourite Christmas presents.

The journaling is a bit hard to read but it says: 1) Whoogas, 2) Love Links, 3) Handmade Needle Holder, 4) Crop-o-dile, 5) Crafty Stash.

I love the way the lime green brings out the purple on the layout. Does this mean that I might have to buy some lime green accessories to go with my boots?

Mark bought them for me for Xmas so I have had to wait for a month for them to arrive from Australia. Boy were they worth the wait. They are Aubergine with Purple backs to them and match my coat and handbag perfectly!!

Instructions on how to make these little windows on the layout can be found at Bubbly Scrumptious HERE.

Love and warm feet always

Ruth xxx

I love Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen

Cough splutter...watch out you may mess up your screen!!

Q: Did you read that right? A:Yes

So I am browsing in a non-craft shop when I stumble apon this awesome purple trim and for the bargain price of £2.00. Yet the photo of the smug designer in the corner looks vaguely familiar.....could that be because I am hooked on Pop-star to Opera star?

So I bag my trim because it works out to be about 40 p per metre..bargain!!

Debate over the tassles but as it's not pay day yet and I still need to buy popcorn for the movies so I give them a miss. But thats OK because I will be going to the movies far more often now that I have found a bargain shop near it!!

Anyway I did a litttle research on the Trim Craft site and disapointingly it shows mainly card making products and yet Laurence is working alongside Rosemerry Marry on a DVD.....maybe they will design some awesome 12x12 pages...here's hoping.

Love

Lucy-Ruth Philps-Low (thats my full hypened name...I can give Laurence a run for his money!!)

Haiti by Hand- Help for Haiti through Etsy

If like me you have been moved by watching the disaster in Haiti unfold then you must read this:
HERE and have a look HERE. Rebecca Sower has set up an etsy shop to help Haitian ladies that she met just 2 weeks before the earthquake. They wanted to set up a small shop to sell hand crafted soaps etc to the tourists. Then the earthquake struck and Rececca thought lets see if we can still help but from an international perspective.

The stories on Rebeccas blog are wonderful with stunning photographs. They kind of remind me of all the good work my Mum still does for the trade aid shops in NZ. She has spent 40 years of volunteering her time so that women in deprived nations can have clean water and send their kids to school. I am doing my bit from over here.......I have asked my daughter to ask her teacher if they can have a mufti (non uniform) day and the head teacher said yes. So hopefully there will be a biscuit stall too and we can do some baking.

Love and hope

Ruth xxx

LOVE LETTERS-Lets get Shabby Challenge 8 is up!!

This months Lets get Shabby Challenge is to use a love letter. (Check out the blog for the full list of Rules )

I searched high and low through my cluttered house and muddled mind and after discounting some of the kids ones and some vintage postcards...and thinking I didn't have any from Mark when I finally remembered where they were, it was too late I had come up with this idea.

I altered an empty clock case to create a Letter Box for new love letters...it's about time our family started to tell each other more often that we love them!! Inside is a pencil and note pad so they (we) can leave each other sweet nothings whenever we want.

The papers are designed by Brenda Walton for K&CO and feature postcards and love letters all over them.

Finger painting works best with these wings...I smudged on the gesso and the gold paint with my fingers.

The Shabby DT have some truly stunning examples this moth to give you heaps of inspiration so pop on over and give Shabby a go!!

Ruby Street is this months sponsor and the prize is Two Vintage Kits..thats got to be worth a try for huh?

Love and letters

Ruth xxx

Winter Memories mini-book

This delightfully shabby mini-book is made from Websters Pages double sided journalling cards, clear CD wallets and the Violette Wings kit all available from Bubbly Funk.


I have used the CD wallets as envelopes to store spare photographs and to create layers to look through. The front page is simply a clear front page and that's all, as putting anything into it would ruin the look.

I never did get around to doing my christmas journal for a number of reasons but this little cracker inspired me to fill it with snow-day photos and some christmas memories.

My new crop-o-dile worked a treat to punch into the plastic and delicately apply an eyelet to the envelope tab.

Full instructions and more photos can be seen at Bubbly Scrumptious.



Love and frayed edges

Ruth xxxx

Bless that little Birthday babe.......

After a week of illness, high temps, countless doctors visits etc....it was Bens 2nd birthday yesterday.

He was well enough to enjoy the day....not that we did much or that he understood what was happening, but he loved his new toys and beamed at the candles on the cake!!

At the last minute I decided to make him a chocolate cake and he had no sooner blown out the candles then he crashed asleep in the corner of the lounge on a pillow. He has never ever done this before so I couldn't resist taking a photo to tease him with when he is older!!

I have done absolutely NO CRAFTING all week whilst my little bundle of heat has been laying on my tummy!!

So I finally get a day off from being a Mum and have to go the dentist....what a waste of perfectly good crafting time!!

In the mean time I thought I'd tell you about this:

Vanilla Sugar is a new challenge blog that hopes to challenge you to try other craft mediums each month.The aim is to get you to make, sew and craft items for the home or altered art projects rather than the usual cards and layouts! Januarys challenge is to use coasters aka Beer Mats!!

I also hope to catch up on all those awesome Shabby Summer entries ASAP!!

Love and vanilla sugar

Ruth xxx

Introducing Your Royal Highness.......

....the Crown Princess of Holly!! I found these beautiful flocked and glittered Holly leaves and berries in my MIL's flower arranging stash....they are so touchy feely but drop glitter like mad all over my work bench!!
The small Maya Road letters were painted and stickled.......I only have about 4 stickles and yet for some reason one is green and one red, I bought them a couple of years ago and have never used them since......I think I had visions of card making at the time..lol...like thats ever going to happen!!

To paint them I applied glue stick to my non-stick baking mat and placed the chipboard letters onto it...this makes them easier to peel off once the paint has dried.


Then I added a layer of similar coloured paint to the stickles and left it to dry...once dry I added stickles and waited 24 hours for them to dry.......when are Ranger going to invent quick drying stickles I wonder?

Love and Holly Berries

Ruth xxx

ps: I am going to meet a real live princess next week.....hush hush I can't say anymore!! And no cameras are allowed......what! and me a scrapbooker!!!!

Twinkle Twinkle little star.....

Hair, makeup, nails and a glitter tattoo what more could a 7 year possibly want for her birthday ?


(I took this lone angel off the Christmas tree and just thought...you belong on a scrapbook page!)

How about 6 other friends to join her.........Georgia was very lucky to be invited to a Poppys Princess Party and she made the most of every opportunity to act like a diva.......she does it with such style!!




I made this layout with the luscious Websters Pages papers from the Violette Wings kit from Bubbly Funk.......oh my beating heart be still!!

I took tons of photos but can only share those of Georgia so here are some.........

Love Lady Gaga and friends xxx

UKS mini book classes

Starting January 11th on UK Scrappers there will be free mini-book page classes every Monday.

Each page has a 6 inch side so you can mix and match the different styles and sizes or stick to your favourites.

There are five different styles all made by various designers.



1) Freestyle/Artsy: this is more messy and experimental (6x6 with some shaped pages)

2) Simple: simple scrapbooking at it's best -think Kathy Z (6x6)

3) Vintage: shabby chic, distressed: think Tim Holtz-y (6x8 portrait)

4) Kid friendly: as it says more playful and fun loving style (6x6)

5) Pretty Pretty: glittery, flowery blingy (6x6)



You can use any of your own papers as the instructions are not manufacturer led. You can also use these pages to do the 2010 challenge run by Shimelle Lane. Either way it looks like it's going to be a whole lotta fun over there at UKS.





I have been sponsored by Happy Daze to make 2 pages in the Vintage style. With my left over matching papers I plan on making some of the other designers projects...oh what fun!! I do hope you will join us......

Love and anticipation
Ruth xxx

Another Shabby giveaway!!

Wow that was quick we have a winner for the flowers giveaway so in a generous giving New Year mood we have another one: but this one might be a bit more tricky!!

Click HERE to enter:

Love and lengths of lace

Ruth xxx

Lets get Shabby RAK- from Toni

Toni has kindly donated a fabulous RAK this month to one lucky follower of the Lets get Shabby Challenge Blog.

To win you must:

1) Be a follower of the blog

2) Have 1 guess at how many flowers you think there are in the picture!!

The winner will receive the RAK and a special ready made layout from the talented Julie...Shabbys founding lady!!

The competition closes Sunday the 10th Jan so thats probably Saturday night for us in the northern hemisphere!!

Good Luck and remember "you have to be in it to win it"

Love and Luck

Ruth xxx

Scrumptious Welcome Sign......

I know.......... I know........ Christmas is SOOOOO last year!!!

However I couldn't resist making this Shabby Welcome sign from some of my Bubbly Funk Websters scraps and some really strong cardboard packaging. I wanted to make a Happy New Year one but it just didn't look right so I went with this instead.

I recycled Georgias buckles from her school shoes!! The shoes were completely worn out and this heart is a bit scruffy but it's perfect for this shabby sign.

The kids bought me a crop-o-dile and with it came loads of eyelets, so I added 2 snowflake ones onto the top.......love them!!

Ribbon from a present from Linda -I am all for this Christmas recycling thing! lol!!

Love and welcoming in the New Year.

Ruth xxx