Maya Road Chipboard pots and pans......

I finally managed to finish my banner for Bubbly Scrumptious......it took a very late night on very little sleep but that's what happens in my job when you work nights and have to cover for other peoples holidays.......I can't wait till I get some proper time off again. (if only to sleep!!)

I painted these little Maya Road cuties to make them look like the kind of cool kitchen utensils that are around at the moment.

Each little shape was mounted onto a topper (sorry too much "Create and Craft" & "QVC" in the wee hours) ....I mean a square of patterned card stock.

I used about 5 million metres of ribbon again, and my bobble trim collection.

It's very bright and cheerful, now all I need to do is paint the newly plastered plinth and pray my other half will let me fulfill my vision and hang it up for all to see:)


Love and cookies

Ruth xxx

Vintage Shoes Winner announced

The winner of the Vintage shoes over at A Vintage Affair has been announced.

Congratulations Hege these are just divine!!

Pop on over to the blog to see and don't forget to check out the ning site too for more inspiration as the next challenge will be posted very soon!!

Lets get Shabby Colour Challenge No 11

This months challenge at Lets get Shabby is to use a beautiful quilt for inspiration for your colour scheme.......you also have to include some MATERIAL/FABRIC in your project.

I used the last of my Mothers little hessian bags from the Trade Aid shop in New Zealand and some Making Memories foam stamps.

I bought the material samples from a craft show at Harrogate 3-4 years ago and used a new method for making them that I saw on a blog recently. I would love to give you credit but I can't remember whose it was, sorry......... anyway I wired them!!

Please remember that only projects made exclusively for Lets get Shabby will be acceptetd as we are not a multi challenge site.

Foam stamps with Gesso

my token touch of yellow

It's times like this when I remember why I hoarded all of those buttons!! I soooooo enjoyed playing with my first love again...it reminded me of those days when I used to buy Laura Ashley style crafting material by the metre and make skirts from it. It was cheaper than normal fabric so my sister and I had a sprig splurge during the 80's. The only downside was we dicovered that it wasn't very colour fast!! Things have changes since then and fat quarters are really stunning now.

This is the beautiful quilt that inspired our Design Team, so whether it's Autumn or Spring where ever you live there have to be some gorgeouscolours in here to get your mojo going.

Love and textiles

Ruth xxx

Time to choose your Jimmy Choos

It's voting time over at A Vintage Affair!!

We have had some absolutely beautiful entries for The Vintage Shoe Competition and Polly has lined up some super sponsors for the next one!! So make sure you get in on the action!!

Please pop on over here to have a look and to vote for your top three pairs of shoes.

You have until midnight tonight...Monday 26th April.

ps: the next challenge is just as gorgeous.........I can't wait..eeeeek!

Collecting Kitch

In our house at the moment everything is all about the Kitchen, Kitchness and Kitchenalia!! Basically we are going Kitch mad!!

I have not been able to finish this weeks Bubbly Funk project due to the kitchen being re-plastered, however I have been inspired to continue shopping (not that thats hard for me) with my accents of colours for my new cream kitchen.

I got some pretty glasses from Next that are the same design as Cath Kidston only cheaper. (the red and blue ones)
A beautiful apron from TK Maxx for less than a fiver...seriously I couldn't make one for that price with all the detail and ric-rac on it. (you can't see it here but it has a very sexy and revealing neckline!!)

I finally got my butchers hook rack to hang my cookie cutters from and I made a start on some home decor things with my new Cherry Hill papers.

I bought some monster sized letters that spell B.A.K.E. and just need to decorate them .....oh and find them a home as I am probably running out of space.

..... and the plasterer made a mess and still has to come back to do another wall as he forgot one!!

The ups and downs of decorating huh!!

love Ruth xxx

Faking it?

Georgia loves to put on a sling and go outside and pretend to all of her friends that she has hurt her arm!
Then last Monday (during the school holidays) less than 24 hours after buying her own pair of Heelies (with mothers consent and fathers disapproval) she actually did break her arm...and sure enough when she went out to show her freinds they all thought she was FAKING IT!!

Today she returned to school and for the first day back and she had to dress like a character from a Circus, as thats the theme they are studying this term.
We had thought about juggling and hoola hoops but I found this outfit in Tescos and thought she could wear it again (probably with jeans and not those hideous leggings!!). After borrowing a beret' we were sorted....now all she had to do was keep a straight face and really start to act like she was faking it........note the climbing rope pose!!

So there you go Mum (and other grannies and nanas) thats the story behind the pink arm.

Love and breaking it for real this time!!

Georgia and Ruth xxx

UKS Mini Book

The first of my 2 vintage pages for UK scrappers mini book ideas is up on the home page today.

I made a shaker box with acetate packaging left over from a christmas present and inserted it into an opening. The heart is layered with double sided foam tape and hidden with lace. You could place a photo inside the heart or sand and sea shells etc.........as you can tell I made this one way before Christmas so had my Christmas head on!! The lovely papers are My Minds Eye from Happy Daze

Click here to see it on the UKS home page, where there is a pdf with full instructions and more photos........

Love Ruth xxx

Easter Eggs

If you pop over to Lets get Shabby you can see a little how to on making these polystyrene eggs.

I know it's a bit late for this easter but maybe for next year. Now is the best time to buy paper mache eggs as they should all be reduced in price in the stores!!

Don't forget you only have a few days left to get your Shabby Easter entry in to have a chance at winning the fabulous sponsor prize!!

Love and I never want to see a chocolate egg again!! (until next year)

Ruth xxx

On Friday I posted this little chippie birdcage over at Bubbly Scrumptious. I used some really pretty material instead of paper and was surprised at just how easily it stuck to the chipboard with a bit of fabric glue.

Today I took a wee trip to the Hobby House to get my hands on some funky October Afternoon Cherry Hill papers for next weeks chippie project and I am soooo excited because for once this is something for me!!

I seem to have come down with am instant cold so am off to bed to watch Desperate Housewifes......a little bit of escapism.......does the world of good!!

Love and tissues

Ruth xxx

Vintage Kits, DT Call and fresh challenges at A Vintage Affair

A Vintage Affair is about to get a revamp as the lovely Polly from ARTfulwings is taking over the running of the site.

Polly is looking for scrappers and cardmakers who are interested in:

1) Monthly Challenges for scrapbooking or cardmaking either following a sketch, technique, recipe or theme etc.

2) Anyone who is interested in purchasing a monthly scrapbook kit only available at A Vintage Affair containing delicious Prima products, French lace and ribbon and a few other lovely products!!

3) Becoming a member of a DT team (6 month term) to showcase the kits.

4) Guest designers and tutorial contibutors

This is a perfect opportunity to get in at the start of a new and an exciting project.

The UK has been desperate for monthly Vintage Kits for a long time and Polly has such exquisite taste ...so if the thought of a monthly Prima kit appeals to you then either apply for a DT position or sign up for the kits via Pollys personal messgae box HERE. Further notices will be made via the blog or the ning site so keep your eyes open......all good things come to those who wait and boy have I waited for a long time for a kit like this!!

ps...visit the site if you want to find out who made these fabulous creations for the latest challenge!

Love and a girl can never have enough shoes (or stash)

Ruth xxx

Easter 2010 photos only

The Easter Bunny came......... ...amd left a sticky mess everywhere......

The kids found their eggs.............

...and compared their stash!!

I took photos of their delight in finding as many eggs as possible......

..and made the girls pose for photos against this brick wall......

It was all going so well..........

until the Easter Bunny reared it's ugly head (and teeth) again!!

Love and goofy teeth

Ruth xxx

Happy Easter everyone.....

My Mum sent me four of these miniature hessian shopping bags from the Trade Aid shop in NZ.
I think her intention was that the kids would sew and glue things onto them during the holidays, but me being a crafting control freak once I had an idea I had to run with it!
Anyway I needed them for today so last night I whipped three of these cute little Easter Egg Hunt bags up. The buttons were from The Works, cost £1 and I have a handfull left over. I already had the felt so they only cost me pennies to decorate!!

I have named each bag on the back with a permanent marker pen and a different coloured button for each child.

ps: The fourth bag I have nabbed for myself and am going to do something scrappy and vintage with one day........
Thursday afternoon saw us at parent teacher meetings so I left the kids to decorate a box of egg shaped cookies from Tescos whilst we popped over to the school. They had fun and it was £4.00 well spent ( my conscience felt guilty for buying them and not making them), as afterwards I was pleased I had bought them as Ben got so much pleasure out of it as well.

I think Georgia enjoys eating more than decorating...and Ben learnt how to steal the sweets from the other girls.....

Although I am in the easter mood I haven't really done any easter paper crafting this year. I am still waiting for someone to invent those ultimate easter papers!!

Ben has been making shredded wheat nests at playgroup and has turned out to be bit of a mini egg stealer as well as a sweet stealer. I wonder how many eggs he will pinch today when we have an Egg Hunt at a charity fundraiser I am going to?

....... and I was a good girl and went to the market early for some fish and made some delicious Fish Cakes for tea.

Happy Easter
Love Ruth xxx