Altered Windmill and a sea of sails-Bubbly Scrumptious Challenge

For Septembers Bubbly Scrumptious Monthly challenge ( with a super prize) the theme is houses......I decided to make this little cutie. It's a 50p windmill from the pound shop!!

I covered it with Melissa Frances papers and an owl from Elements.

I couldn't think of an appropriate house saying so decided apon "You are the wind beneath my wings". I am going to give it to my best friend as a housewarming present seeing as I kept the birdhouse that I made for her oops!!

A Scrumptious Prize could be yours!!

Make sure you join in the fun because the winner is randomly selected so it's all about taking part and adding your blog to the link....you can't get it much easier than that huh?

Yesterday we went to the Grimsby Docks Open Day to see the Clipper Boats that are just about to start their 10 month journey around the world. There is an entry from Cork where we used to live in Ireland and Hull and Humber are hosting the race so of course we loved that one too, unfortunately we missed the other 5 boats as they had left to cross the river at 6am so we didn't get to see Australia and there wasn't an NZ entry which was a shame.

I dressed in very smart Red, White and Blue and we snuck into the members only area for a close up!!

Note to Georgia: ....Listen and learn and stop asking questions about things like "Mum are we allowed down here because I haven't got a life jacket on!!"

I couldn't resist taking an atmpospheric photo....if only I could spend a day alone with my camera the area is awesome....all full of fallen down Victorian buildings with beautiful windows and moss and ferns growing out of the roof. Last week I watched Attonement and kept an eye out for the part that was filmed on Grimsby Docks...I think I figured out which bit...basically blown up buildings!!

Love and little houses with sails on, be it boats or windmills!

Ruth xxx

MONOGRAM Challenge made easy...

When I received an e-mail from Caroline at Bubbly Funk saying the challenge is due in a few days I thought "eeeeek" and the rest I can't possibly print!!!

Fortunately this months challenge is Monograms and having just received a huge pack of them in the Monthly kit I decided to get on with it quickly.

After some debate about how many letters I could fit onto the crown I went with my cousins daughters name. It's such a pretty name and I'm sure she'll love this when I see her next.


I love these Maya Road crown books they are so versatile. I only used half of the album and had already planned on using the individual ones for seperate projects. The Anna Griffin papers show through the gaps in the letters just enough to see the flowers and the rest were covered with Papermania's new range or gessoed, pva'd and glittered.

It's ages since I have covered letters with paper but I am really into that again..thanks to my latest supply of chipboard!!

Each month there is a cool prize for the Bubbly Scrumptious Challenge so pop along and see if you have something you'd like to enter!!

Love and little girls with BIG names
Ruth xxx

Bubbly Scrumptious Garden Challenge

Look what I found in the garden!! I'm so pleased it's no longer on my mantlepiece collecting dust and taunting me with its wicked ways......

"look at me I still here and you haven't altered me yet!!"

"If you don't get on with it the toddler will eat the bird ala Freddie Starr style!!"

"you can't do it can you huh?"

What was I waiting for Xmas...well actually yes I was going to make this into a Victorian Vintage Xmas house...but all good plans and all that!!


I was a little reluctant but I used my one and only Prima thingymabob!


The miniature feather boa trim finally got an outing it's been inside the birdhouse for months as I always knew it would go on it someday...somehow...somewhere.....

I gessoed the galvanised roof with about 3 coats then applyed PVA glue and liberally sprinkled white glitter onto it ala Melissa Philips style!! A tulle bow and one of these butterflies made from feathers which I'm sure are stamped with PVA and glittered (probably somewhere in China) but sold in my local florist!!

Unfortunately he can't really stay outside as the Papermania Papers would get ruined, so I guess we have a new house guest!!

ps: Don't tell anyone that this challenge is open to all and sundry because there is a prize of approximately £75.oo worth of goodies and I will fight you tooth and nail to win it!!

Just click on the Bubbly Scrumtious Blinkie to see this fab prize and how to enter!!

Love and stuff

Ruth xxx

Cupcake challenge and cake plates.....

For this months fun challenge at Bubbly Scrumptious the theme is "cupcakes" and just like the last 2 months anything goes!!



So in a vain attempt to avoid making a card I made these cupcakes...argherm muffins...instead!! The only reason I made muffins was because of the proportion of cake to the decoration on top, yup "thats how fussy I can get about these things!!".

I love my genius idea of using paper doileys as decorations (due to a recent bulk purchase). I lined a tin with one then placed the baking case inside it and put the mixture in. I was praying it would work and I think with the gold elastic they look pretty special!!

I was the girl who wanted a cupcake wedding cake in the days before they became trendy and available to the masses, I didn't get hem though because no one was doing them at the time!!

But now that I am armed with my (secret) buttercream/frosting recipe and I mean "CREAM" when I say that........bring on a wedding or another celebration so I can have an excuse to live the dream and make these again!!

The background papers are from My Minds Eye and called Andrea Victoria. I just thought that they complimented the gold and brown theme...
Can you see the puff paint on the top right hand photo it's the heart shaped one......the photos were taken late at night so not very good but they look fabulous against the gold papers from the Bubbly Funk June kit.

Now when it comes to stands this is the one I want it's cream and pretty and only available in Australia (Mum I'm sure it would fit into your suitcase!!!) And if I luck out on that one then how's this for an idea!!

Make your own from vintage plates and candle stick holders!! See some here and here and HERE

Guess who had some of those candle stick holders and threw them out when they got broken!!duh!! (never fear I have already started collecting them again!!)

Love and frosting

Ruth xxx

Mum do all animals have babies in Spring?

Georgia is a little overly fascinated with the idea of all animals having babies in the spring.....many of our recent conversations seem to be around this subject. But then she throws me by asking "which ones don't?" Eeeeek you try to come up 101 answers to that ....um Humans....um......cats......um.....dogs.....um..um...um

Spring fever is definately in the air in my crafting mood at the moment!!

Remember I said there were more birds to come well I am sorry that I can only show you another sneak peek as all will be revealed on Bubbly Scrumptious tomorrow.


What I can tell you is that I have had my sewing kit out!!....duh..duh...dah.....

Love and happy nesting

Ruth xxx