dotcom gift shop.

It's that time of the year when I start to alter lots of Christmas boxes, except this year I have found a company that take the hard work out of altering.

dotcom gift shop is a lovely on line retailer that sells anything vintage/retro/shabby...you know the kind of things you would put on your santa list if only "he" was listening!!

I found the naked boxes to be really sturdy and covered in a slightly glossy brown wrapping paper...similar to Post Office brown parcel paper.

Once covered with patterned papers I lightly inked the edges and decorated the tags to go on top.

I made 5 in one day so they must have been simple.....(it would have been 6 if life hadn't stepped in with halloween parties!!)

The Vintage Ribbon is a printed off white twill with beautiful vintage images and a stunning use of duck egg blue and traditional reds and greens.

The Postage Stamp stickers/toppers are easy to peel off and are printed on good quality card with a mix of vintage and modern patterns.

The 50 Victorian images (which come free with the 6 boxes)are tradition re-prints of Victorian scraps and are perfect for altering all sorts of things from tags to baubles.

I almost just wanted to glue them into a scrap book and make my own Victorian scrap album!!

The six boxes vary in size and are as deep as each is wide, making it easy to measure them for covering!!

These boxes are on offer at half price for only £2.95...at that price I'd go for the ribbon and the tags as well!

......ps: whilst you're at the site can you tell Santa I'd like the White Shabby curio cupboard for altering!Love and vintage ribbons

Ruth xxx

Be-witched

To be-witched or not to be-witched that is the question?

It's that silly time of the year when the adults wonder whether they should dress up and join in the fun with the children...fortunately Granny B has a costume and joined in last years Fright Night at Hagg Lane.

The photo was taken by some professionals at a charity event organised by my friends sister and held in the local woods near York.

The fabulous papers are from Happy Daze and are from the Hocus Pocus range by Pink Paislee these papers are called Skeleton Soiree'...cool huh?

I ordered 2 sheets of the same so that I could make the circle design, I wanted to soften the skeleton but also keep it as part of the focal point of the design.

The silver blingy letters are from Papermania and the flowers are from Prima.

Happy Halloween

Love Ruth xxx

Shabby challenge number 17 "Raid your sewing box"

I raided my sewing box with pleasure for this Lets get Shabby challenge and used a zipper,a hat pin and a pearl pin to make my own hat pin.

I was Rak'd this green pin...I suspect it is Maya Road, but I really love making my own just like our gorgeous sponsor, Tattered Inspirations, who incidently sells gorgeous vintage inspired kits!!

The zip was fun and I would definitely use this technique again!!

Want to join in?

Click here and see the stunning samples from the hugely talented team and then play along..it's as easy as 123.

Love and dolls

Ruth xxx

B.E.W.A.R.E......

Halloween is around the corner and that means hiding in your house and turning all the lights off!!

Do you think my banner will frighten away any undesirables?

With it's mean looking Pumpkins...lol

...and scary skeletons



Creepy spiders....





........and flying bats!!

I did have fun making it though...or should I say "we" because Ben thinks it's his as he chose the Pumpkin stickers.

The mini papers by Pink Paislee are called Hocus Pocus and you get 30 in a pad for less than a fiver from Happy Daze.

Love and peel-off bats

Ruth xxx

Charming and sweet...

You should know that you are Charming, Adorable and ever so sweet....from the top of your head to the toes on your feet.

I love how the words are printed onto this paper in such a beautiful arrangement and I felt the need to rhyme with them.

These photos (from last christmas) with Ben and the glittery wreath, are just right for the red glittered My Minds Eye papers.

I was attempting to get him to look angelic with it on his head but he wasn't very co-operative and giggled when he stuck it on his feet...grrr...!!

These papers can be found here at Happy Daze

Love and feet

Ruth xxx

Keep out or the witch will get you!!

I covered this cupboard with the Graphic45 Halloween in Wonderland papers as a present for my nieces birthday.

I'm not sure if she "gets" it, but inside is Alice looking into a mirror on a dressing table and the Queen is pointing at her in the reflection.

I thought Aimee could hide her jewellery in the drawer. We also gave her a sweet Disney Couture Tinkerbell necklace that she chose. Me personally I'd have gone for the Alice in Wonderland tea cups but then I do like to go over the top when it comes to themeing things!!

Love and white rabbits

Ruth xxx

I am only showing this because....

I want the chance to win 72 Copics and the rules say you have to link to a card with a stamped image......as this is the 2nd card I have made this year...lol (as it's October!!)

I thought I'd better play by the rules.

The pretty papers are Prima Annalee from Happy Daze and the stamp is one of those girly ones by someone who makes pretty stamps(can't you tell I am a card virgin still-no name dropping from me!!) Oh yeah thats it I have remembered it's "Whiff of Joy"

To enter this massive giveaway click HERE

Love and luck

Ruth xxx

I love my Camera

Ok: I like my Cannon Rebel but I'd really LOVE a 550d.....one can but dream!!

What I do really like are these Lost and Found papers from Happy Daze. (I keep on using the little lost and found tag at the bottom of them and popping it into the layouts somewhere)....photography was always a hobby of mine at school thanks to my Dad, and now I have found my love for it again.

The edges of the paper are glittered in a deeply rich and luxurious bronze and the word Love was cut from some of the other papers in the range...yet again it's lathered in glitter!!

I love the French words and the birdcage design..they'd go with anything.

Love and lenses

Ruth xxx

Lost and Found

Georgia broke her arm and found out that she was really brave..

The name for these My Minds Eye papers is Lost and Found and they are perfect for grungy style layouts and pretty shabby chic ones too.

They can be found here at Happy Daze along with a whole load of beautiful papers from the same collection...just check out the details in the corner of each paper.......serious style and stamping effects!!

Love and stars

Ruth xxx

Has anyone seen my missing layout?

Sometime back in January /February 2010 I was asked to make a layout for the "new" Scrapbook Trends UK magazine.

I dutifully met the deadline and e-mailed a copy of it to the editor. The next day I posted the hardcopy and that was the last I saw of it.

I recieved an e-mail praising the layout and saying how lovely it was..etc..etc. Stupidly in my excitment I didn't write down the publishers address or keep the editors e-mail so someone somewhere has my layout!!I have e-mailed the publishers twice but no one has replied.

The magazine was obviously never commissioned in these hard economic times..goodness knows why because the US publication is a top quality one and is nothing like the watered down English scrapbooking mags...anyway there is not alot I can do about that (damn and there was me hoping for a cover page..lol!!)

So if you read my blog and happen to be that editor or work in a warehouse that is full of strange looking Pizza boxes...please please send me home!!

Anyway...having finally tracked down my one and only pictures of the layout taken early in the morning before I posted it...I have decided I shall appeal to all and sundry for my granny back!!

OK Georgias Granny but we would both like to have her home again!!

Love and hope

RUTH XXX