Just for you MUM as requested!!

We had a wee photo session done at out local Sure Start Childrens Centre and My Mum (in New Zealand) has requested I update my other blog with some photos of her Grandchildren. This ones for you Mum xxx

Some of the ladies from a different one had completed a photography course ( yup I am green, green, green with envy) and they spent 2 days in a makeshift studio taking photos of our kids for a very reasonable price and a CD with all the photos on it too...perfect for a scrapbooker!!

I took my own props..My Grandfathers antique wooden childs chair........

A large flower with a clip-on bird..unfortunately it fell off its perch!!
The ladies had a bubble machine that caught Bens eye......so much it took him off to another planet.....

The football kit photo is purely for my husband!! Becauase we love him even when his team aren't playing well (shhh) ......Go Liverpool!!

The bike was already in the play room I just liked the design of it.

Now all I need to do is convince our committee to fund this course for my local play buddies!!

Shall I start a campaign on Facebook? I mean seriously who wants Maths and English courses when we could be doing this!!

Love and campaigns

Ruth xxx

Such kind comments

I would like to say a BIG THANKYOU to everyone who left such kind comments and hints about Bens itchiness. He is so much better now, the swollen face has gone and his lips are better......even his exzema ( I had to google the spelling on that one!!) has vanished!!



His feet remain mottled and he has scratches all up his legs but he is 100% back to normal and eating like a Trojan Horse! What a relief and not something I plan on going through again in a hurry!!



I have been published this month in an online mag called ScrapStreet it's a fab FREE mag and features my good friends Teresa Manchas on the front cover and Toni Kelly on the inside.

I am inside on page 34 under Chic Street in the crochet section.

I am relieved to have been published as I recently was asked by a different magazine to remove a picture for publication and it never appeared so it's nice to know that this one made the final cut and I can put it back in my gallery!!

Right I must crack on I am supposed to be photographing Fridays tutorial......not playing on here!!

Love and Soda Baths

Ruth xxx

Giveaway, new kit and a hectic week of absence.

I haven't touched a piece of paper in over 10 days!! I am busting to get cracking on some Christmas stuff but first of all I have to re-establish my household.

It all started when we went away to Grannies house for 5 days. The intention was that DH and Grandad would re-build the kitchen. Fix the cupboards and re-place the workbench and sink etc. (Thanks Peter those drawers open out lovely now!!)

Whilst at Grannies house I shopped and I shopped and I shopped.....some of it was for Xmas presents but alot of it was to re=stock my dwindling supplies!! I vary rarely buy paper now as my kits keep me busy but I have had to stock up on flowers and leaves and Xmas embellishments as I have some huge projects planned!

I spent a leisurely 2 hours in a flower emporium......I basically emptied the shelves of paper flowers!!

To my delight I returned home and discovered that Prima are doing some the same as some I bought, so I'm dead chuffed about that.

I returned to a house in chaos and thick full of dust.......the next day was spent cleaning and wiping......and then Ben got poorly:(

He develped a severe rash as part of an allergic reaction and I took him to the GP. 24 hours later we were in hospital as 95% of his body was covered in huge areas of bright red circles and massive areas that covered his entire arms and legs. The hospital discharged him only for his feet, hands and lips to swell during the night and an ambulance was called. (I was foolishly at work-having felt guilty about having to take the previous night off).

Anyway the poor little might is now loads better but he has taken to hiding in corners so that he can scratch his legs.....urgh they are in such a state!! We are desperately waiting for our new flooring on Friday as we think the dust and exposed floor may be the cause?

So I'd like to apologise for my lack of commenting. I have alot to catch up on especially for Lets get Shabby which currently has a stunning giveaway.

Check this out:

To win these beautiful handmade cards simply share your favourite Christmas memories with the team.


One of my favourite memories is of my Mother making the Christmas Mince. She used a huge metal pan and every year we had to stir it with the wooden spoon and make a wish. I treasure that memory as it was a real tradition in our house and god help Mum if she put the mince meat into jars before we had come home from school and made our wishes!!

Following the horrendous Post strike over here I had yet another missing parcel. On Sunday morning whilst I was in Hospital Mark took delivery of my Bubbly Funk November kit.......a dreamy Christmas kit from Fancy Pants packed with Prima flowers, leaves, bobble trim, ribbon, Maya Road chipboard, Tando Creative chipboard and some super cool add on surprises.



Now I just wish I had another 10 days off work to get on with it all.........oh well one can only dream........xxx

Love and magic

Ruth x

Happy Daze-Indian Summer kit

My Happy Daze kit consisted of 2 sheets of patterned paper and 2 half sheets of patterned paper which is great because it keeps the cost of the kit down to you and gives you more choice of papers and patterns to play with!!

It also included a full page of matching chipboard, buttons and brads from the Basic Grey Indian Summer range and an explosion of colour to boot!!


My First Layout is called Fall in Love and it's more about my feelings rather than Georgias...I'm not entirely sure that she likes throwing leaves in the air as she often has her eyes closed, now whether thats with the effort or she's worried about getting bits in her eyes I don't know!!



I made me a cute tree and was thrilled with how it turned out...I thought only quirky scrappers could make these!!! How wrong was I?

I had so much Chipboard left over that I just had to make a second layout!! This time I used the same shape for the base but cut up my Pizza Box instead!!

I really like how the orange and brown acrylic has worked with the bronze spritzer.......so rustic and autumnal.


I added some droplets of Glossy Accents onto the circle bits on the chipboard to create some texture.

..and another cool birdie to finish it off!!

Basic Grey Indian Summer co-ordinating kits can be purchased starting from only £5.25 HERE

Love and leaves

Ruth xxx

Gates of Gorgeousness-thanks to Bubbly Funk!!

I would like to thank Caroline at Bubbly Funk once again for giving me the wonderful opportunity to work with these divine papers.....I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be able to get my hands on these Prima papers so quickly if ever!!





I HAD to cut the gates open there was just NO WAY I couldn't!! I used my craft knife to carefully cut out all the bits in between the gates so that you could see through them and then I strengthened it with acetate as it was so fragile.
I'm still slapping that Opal Dust on everything!!
The gates open to reveal the word love and the flowers tucked into the corners.



To visit Bubbly Scrumptious and see how I made this layout click HERE. Kits can still be ordered from Bubbly Funk HERE.



With floodgates of love

Ruth xxx

Lets Get Shabby Challenge # 5 DT Layout

Challenge Number 5 is open today!! yay!!


*This months challenge is to make something handmade.....it must be obvious on the layout.


* It should be the focal point on the layout apart from the photograph.


*You can make more than one handmade embellishment if you wish.



(I think mine is obvious because you certainly wouldn't pay good money for it! lol!)

Here is my take on it: I made a Christmas Tree!


I cut out a tree shape from cardboard and added fringed layers to it, then I applied various types of fake snow...some better than others!! The enamel star at the top is from one of Georgias broken hair clips!


Papers are by Bo Bunny and I white washed the bottom one as it was too bright and not nearly Shabby enough!!

I am sure I'm not the only Mum who loves going around Garden Centres at Christmas to look at all the pretty baubles.....the only difference is I bribe my daughter with a visit to Santa if she behaves! So each year that makes about 4 Santa visits.......ooops!

However the lovely sweet Santa at Pennells remembers her every year..it's a bit spooky! She thinks it's because Santa knows all the children....I wondered if it had anything to do with my Kiwi accent? Maybe it's just the magic of Christmas and we will never know!!

I am chuffed to bits to have scrapped a Xmas layout because my Xmas photos are famous for being rubbish so it's a good job someone else took this Polaroid..although I did have to pay for the privilege..worth every penny!!

Please come and join the fun at Lets get Shabby there are so many talented layouts to view and all the entrants are wonderful scrappers just like you.

PS: You should see the beautiful prize on offer!!

Love and pine-cones

Ruth xxx

Enchanted Christmas at Bubbly Scrumptious

My projects for Bubbly Scrumptious this week include a painted papermache box that has been lying around for years.....just saw some kits for these in Poundshop/Poundworld yesterday if you haven't got a local craft shop that sells them.

I made some tiny torn circles to poke into the spaces between the paper flowers. My DT colleague Kathy has a tutorial on how to do them HERE.

The Santa Sleigh is made from the Personal Impressions templates......I would seriously recomment these to all cardmakers who like to make shaped cards!! Me...I just like to makecovered matchboxes for some reason (My seat is a matchbox!)

The PEACE card is anothe PI template...I wanted to do them on Acetate but have run out...they would look so cool on that!! So instead I cut out a hole behind the patterned paper on the Bazzill.

Sorry for such a short post but we all have D&V and I am struggling to stay still whilst my tummy is jiggling...yuck!!

Please click HERE to visit Bubbly Scrumptious and Bubbly Funk.

Love and jingle bells!!

Ruth xxx