How to make a baby grow.......(feed it!!)

Augusts new Bubbly Funk kit has arrived and it is called His & Hers so you can guess the colour combos huh?

I couldn't resist using some of the girly colours first!! And I just had to get this idea out of my system....having admired a real altered onesie (I think it was on Ewonnes blog) I finally had a go at making my own out of corrugated cardboard.

I found this ready printed photo of Georgia and a buddy in a box and used it because of the printer malfunction problem...(usual story about printers)...I wish I had known about scrapping back then because my photos would have been better, saying that I thought having Ben would give me the opportunity to catch up but time is flying and I still don't have any awesome photos of him...I think I need a trip to a cheap studio somewhere....no not the Venture experience again...I wish but not enough pennies in the pot!!

The kit is full of little embellishments....I especially love the green ticket and the dragonfly brad. See the clear alphabet stickers from Chatterbox...I gessoed the edges to make them stand out and overlaid them onto the photos....that was fun!!

I am assured that this months kit is a credit crunch busting price and I know for a fact that it is jam packed with papers, chipboard alphas, flowers and a whole stash of brads and ephemera perfect for doubling your supplies in one quick go!!

If you would like to make a baby grow or adapt the idea onto a layout, then as usual every Friday full instructions are posted on the Bubbly Scrumptious e-mag blog HERE.

ps: Denise at Tillys has the most beautiful coat hangers made by Melissa Frances in her sale.....perfect as a starting point for any baby project!!

Love and tiny toes

Ruth xxx

Squashed strawberries...includes fence tutorial

Aren't these just the most scrummiest berrylicious papers from Websters Pages perfect for summer photos, barbeques, garden photos and kids having fun in the sun!! Then again if you like these wait until you see their Christmas papers...OMG....you'll be speechless!!


I had saved these lolly sticks ready to make a fence around my birdhouse but in the end I didn't use them......however fences are very trendy right now and if like me you live on the wrong continent for getting hold of whats "in" in the scrapbooking world then you'll just have to act like your Grandmother did during the war and make do!!

You will need:

*5 ice-cream sticks (can be purchased from Boyes or model shops or washed well after a hot days treat!!) painted with gesso or white acrylic

*Cut three in half..these do not have to be exactly in half as the uneven-ness adds character to the fence.

Place the two long ones horizontally and the 6 short ones vertically. Adhere with strong glue like Rangers glossy accents.

Randomly ink with brown distress inks or a chalky catz eye.

*Wire with small paper flowers, glue the flower heads in place if they are loose and prone to movement.

*Attach to project with 2 long strips of double sided foam on the rear of the horizontal fence posts.

Anyway back to the layout...I get 10 points for journaling!!


10 points for stamping......

.......and another 10 for doing a multi pic layout!!
Oh look even a date on it...well done me she says with her sarcastic voice!!

Feeling the credit crunch let me tell you about "Recession Chic!!"

If you like a bit of hoarding and collecting then you have got to read this....just don't fall into the trap of paying for the pretties!! Do what I do and scounge around charity shops for it all!

Check this story out HERE!!

Enjoy your week mine is full of germs, snuffles and 3 night shifts...oh and the dreaded school holidays..wish me luck!!

Love and strawberry kisses

Ruth xxx

Hatpins and other things.....

I know I've said it before and I'll say it again Hatpins are HUGE!!...and boy oh boy are they sooooo easy to make!!

I made a handful for todays Bubbly Scrumptious post and also a twee holder for them so they are handy next time I want one!! Many thanks to The Vintage Vignette for her inspiration for a quickie hatpin holder...check out her tea cups whilst you are there!! Read my hatpin tutorial HERE


If my sister Linda sees this spelling mistake I'm dead...not because she is a teacher (which she's not)but because I ought to know my Channel from my Chanel...ones for boats and swimming in and the other is for wearing and admiring...oops do I feel dumb!

I had alot of fun making these little ATC's and the Maya Road tin with Julys Bubbly Funk Verbena kit...you could too it's still available and begging to be bought...you just can't leave these ladies sitting on the shelf!!

Love and stylish ladies

Ruth xxx

You wish....Graphic45 July Challenge

You wish...I wish...we all wish...for these papers!! Well not actually all of us my sister Linda wishes for the car along with a hunky young mechanic!! Honest she told me so!!


I made the USA road sign shape myself from a piece of ugly 12x12 and then traced around it onto the black Bazzill. The stripey one was made slightly smaller and distressed with Ranger Black Soot distress ink.
The black and silver line is a broach I picked up along with quite a few vintage ones at a recent car boot sale. I removed the clasp with pliers and glued it in place with glossy accents. The round velvet one is one I bought from Next and wore to my grandmothers funeral....one day it will be vintage!!

The crochet is from a collection that I also bought at the car boot sale......a lifetimes work with every shape pattern and colour you could imagine....quite heartbreaking really but I hope the owner knows they have gone to a loving home...as long as she doesn't mind me cutting them up (32 pieces in all!!)

I painted a doiley black and layered it behind the Prima black crystals.
The challenge on Graphic45 this month is to use papers from 3 collections and white space....well this is probably the closest I am going to get to white space....I found myself wanting to spread out a little too much!!

Black is the new white!!

Help needed!!!! My blog has slipped...a bit like my double chin and all the side bar is now at the bottom of the page, however it still shows as normal in the layout section. Does anyone know how to fix this?

Love and black velvet

Ruth xxx

My K&CO Verbena Birthday Banner for Bubbly Funk

I have wanted to make one of these for sooooo long, that when the opportunity arose with this months Bubbly Funk kit I jumped at the chance!!

The kit has so many pages of patterned paper in it that even after four weeks of projects I am able to make something of this size and still have quite alot left over. Although I am now on the hunt for a childs shoebox to cover with my leftovers to store this banner in.



Tricky to photograph on a rainy day...I couldn't exactly hang it from the washing line to get a photo so I apologise for the baby buggy in the background!!

I used a small nation worth of lace but I am afraid there is no other way around it approx 10 metres.... Sorry no shortcuts today!!

Unless you count using a crop-o-dile to get through the layers of lace and to apply the eyelets..thankyou Denise from Tillys of Immingham for lending me the punch and the crop-o-dile it went through those layers like butter on a hot knife and yes it is now on my wish list!!

"I am a crop-o-dile convert"...there you go I have said it out loud!

There are full instructions and page by page photos for those of you who are interested or who just want to inspect my terrible stitching up close over HERE.

I would seriously recommend buying this kit for all those Christmas presents and winter projects, there are so many embellishments you'll still be using them up in the New Year!!

I have received an award from the lovely and incredibly talented Anneliese aka l'atelier.

I am extremely honored and humbled that Anneliese even visits my blog...as she is the designer for Trading Post....(who just happen to have some Graphic45 papers in their UK shop!! yeehah!!) Sue and Sam you will love her work...check it out!!

The rules are that:

By accepting this award you agree to display this award proudly on your site and include a post link back to the giver. Share this award with a few other people or as many as you would like.

I'd like to pass this award on to Loriete who makes the most stunning layouts and cards on her blog

Carol who I love dearly, you must visit her to see her recent works of miniature altered art...it's awesome

and Sue who deserves a million awards for her patience in teaching me so many techniques some of which I occasionally drag up from the bottom of my brain!

(And while I have a big head!! I just have to tell you that both of my layouts have been featured on the Websters pages blog, one last week and one this week!! Toot Toot)

Love awards, banners and blogs

Ruth xxx

Do you remember when I got 3 of these cabinets for only .50p each?.....

.....Well it's my friends 40th and I wanted to make her a pretty but quirky box so I decorated it and took it to the glaziers who put a mirror into it for me for the price of a pint of beer! (lovely chap said "no charge" but I felt bad leaving without paying so gave him a tip!)

My friend suffers from an extremely difficult to treat skin condition on her face which causes her to look like she has severe acne........so I want her to remember when she is feeling down that "beauty lies within" and not to give a sh*t about other peoples hurtful comments and cr*p doctors who won't sort her out once and for all and send her to see a skin specialist!

I'm thinking "Mirror, Mirror on the wall who is the fairest one of all" for a cool little girls present? And perhaps a shrine to the God of Graphic45 for the other cabinet!! What do you reckon?

....arghhhhhh...sorry..how did that photo get on here?..lol!


and whilst we are on about pretty but quirky things here is a photo of Georgia in her new raincoat........it cost a wee bit and she will have to wear it day and night until she leaves home at the age of 21 but isn't it lovely......it's made by Joules,(click HERE) unfortunately the Adults one doesn't have the waxed coating and isn't in a Jacket style:(....if "I" had this coat "I" would be praying for rain!!....I wonder if they do matching wellies? hmmmmm)

These next 2 photos are probably the ones I will treasure the most...as soon as I clicked I knew I had the money shot!!...and the one of Georgia and I was taken by Georgias' friend who was also in the photo shoot...it's very rare to have photos of me and certainly not publish(able) ones, but I am going to make an exception for once......make-up less and all!


Love and pink and blue roses

Ruth xxx

lOVE AT FIRST SIGHT..puppy or paper? hmmm

Tough decision huh?

I captured a whole series of sweet photos of Ben meeting our neighbours puppies. Thet are Sharpei (sp?) Blues and are quite rare they are all cute and wrinkly and just so adorable!!

I decided to keep the photo in colour as the detail on the Puppy looked better.........anyway..did I tell you...

...Websters Pages ROCK!!!!!

Once again I made the most of my one page and extracted the centre added painted cardboard and repeated the foam letters. I sprayed the centre surround with Antique Copper Cosmic Shimmer Mist...well actuallywith a toothbrush as mine has clogged!! "Yes I know" not to angle them as the mica gets stuck but how else are you supposed to get into corners!! Anyway I only had my baby home one day and it's knackered.....still I just love the effects of these and want the whole range.....I'm not fussy who makes them as long as I can play with them all day long......

I wish I had the guts to cut up all of my pages and layer them and use random pieces but I just don't!! I guesss I am a one trick pony...or at least a one page pony!!

I was tempted to re-scrap that picture of Georgia holding the frog but Ben won the fight!!

We have had major printer problems again this week..so I have 2 layouts ready to roll but no photos....I got this one done at Asda which for once didn't let me down because I don't normally like their colours...I just wish they did the smaller sizes because I am contemplating a multi-photo layout...shock horror...and can't get it finished!! ggrrrrrr...nothing worse for a scrapper than printing problems!

Love and printers, papers and puppies

Ruth xxx

Bubbly Funk Friday Stuff.......

Can you believe that I made this covered matchbox in a matters of hours.....I had the idea the day before and bought a large matchbox from the corner shop, then in between the school run and two hospital appointments I covered it painted it and did the finishing bits and it was done by 4pm.

Apart from the acrylic paints, background stamp and brown jute everything came in the July Kit. Oh and an empty cereal box for the larger shapes..........thnx kids!

I have seen these done in Christmas papers and think they would make wonderful gifts for someone who has a roaring log fire.......warning if posting overseas you may have to remove the matches first!! lol!! Watch out............boom!!

The reverse side is not covered in paper so you can still strike a light, if however you wanted to make one as a gift box then cover both sides.

(I'm thinking I love these so much I might whip up a batch full... a bit like baking cakes!! But if my family do that handmade Xmas pressie challenge again I'm going to have to get cracking on with it!!)

I used my newest Fiskars punch for this layout and one of my all time favourite photos of Granny and Mum. The extras added were the music sheet, some chalk ink and shimmer mist. A small amount of bling and a couple of brads. The saying is from a seperate K&Co sheet and seems a perfect match...but then what else would you expect from K&CO...I love that I get to use up my old stuff too!

Next weeks project is nearly finished but having used about 15 metres of lace, I have dried out the local supplies and may have to shorten the project!!

I guess you'll just have to wait and see........in fact that makes two us because I haven't got a clue how this one is going to end!!

ps:This kit is still available from Bubbly Funk starting from £10.00 and the colours are perfect for Xmas presents for Mothers, Mother in Laws and Grandmothers!!

Love and log fires

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