GOBSMACKED, I AM! PLEASE READ THIS

Apologies for the length of this post, but please read it, 'cos your input is valuable.
Been a heck of a week - 1st July was the 5th anniversary of Dad dying after the car crash, always a rubbish date for us - but it was really topped off on Friday.
G's school has been taking part in a Road Safety scheme, set up by what I believe to be our local Road Safety Partnership. We thought it was a good idea so we gave our permission for her to be taken out of school with the rest of her class and learn about being safe on the roads (I must confess that I am more than a little psychotic about this topic, having had 2 serious RTAs myself, which left me partially disabled, and having lost my Dad - all through other people's lousy driving).
So when she came back on Thursday, I asked her what she'd been learning.

To cut a longer story a little bit shorter, she has been taught to cross the road behind parked cars because they act like a "second pavement and give you more protection". Yes, you read that right.

You stick your head out around the car to see if there's anything coming. If there is, you can jump back.

(I know.)

She can't have been paying attention, we thought. She's not understood the point.
Which made me a bit cross 'cos if you're going to teach a bunch of 6-yr olds anything this important, you flippin' well make sure they're paying attention, but hey ho.

But she was adamant that that's what had been said.

So hubby took her to school on Friday morning and collared her teacher. He told her what G had said and asked her to clarify this.
We were both fully expecting her to say that G had got it all wrong and to confirm that she would make sure she put it right.

Imagine our surprise when the teacher told us that it was in fact correct. (Keep reading; I can hear you swearing from here!LOL)

The bit G had got wrong was that she is supposed to check if there's anyone in the car and ALSO TO CHECK FOR REVERSING LIGHTS!!!!!!! She's 6!

Apparently, it's the new policy due to the increased amount of traffic on the roads these days.

I nearly passed out.
We've always taught her that you keep walking until you find a safe place to cross, away from parked cars, preferably a crossing of some sort. All the TV adverts and the Green Cross Code, etc, all say the same.
I understand that in big cities, there is not always a crossing immediately in front of you, so you keep going until there's a sensible place, surely? Besides, at 6, she isn't crossing any roads by herself.
There was no supporting literature given to her for us; all that was issued was a plastic reflector for her book bag.
I cannot express how furious I am about this.
Luckily, G herself thinks it's a rubbish idea, cos she can't see me from behind my car and I can't see her, so she doesn't get how it's safe to cross when neither one can see the other.

I am speaking with - or do I mean speaking at? - the Partnership tomorrow. Can't wait.

Your thoughts, please?
xxx

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY, DAD

Left us on 1 July 2004

Wish you were still here cos I've found loads of stuff I could have bought you for Fathers' Day! You were always so flippin' difficult to buy for!

And Georgia would have made you the bestest card.

Love you loads,

Debbie-Doodrop x

BIRTHDAY BUTTERFLY

Made this for my friend's birthday.. and only used ONE - yes 1! - Melissa Frances thing!! I must be ill!! Hope she likes it....

I stamped the butterfly and used clear embossing powder on the patterned wings. I put little drops of dew on the flowers with Glossy Accents.

The papers are Pink Petticoat's new range called 'Elegant' - it's gorgeous.

TFL xx

ANYONE FOR CAKE??

Well, we've done it. Sat and rolled up 40 nappies and facecloths, baby-grows and socks and made them into this!
It has 3 feeding bottles, a brush, a comb, 3 pairs of socks, 3 facecloths, baby powder, 40 nappies, 2 fleece blankets, 4 nappy pins, 2 bottle brushes, two dummies and a purple hippo!
It was easy enough but a bit fiddly.
We took a feeding bottle and put 5 rolled nappies around it. Then we put another layer around that and tied it with ribbon.
Then we put another layer around that one and wrapped one of the fleece blankets around the edge and secured it with a pin.
The top of the bottle was sticking up so we put 5 rolled nappies around it and the second fleece blanket.
Then it was a question of slotting in bits and pieces. The facecloths were folded to look like candles (with the middle pulled up to be the wick) and the socks were folded to look like roses.
There are loads of tutorials on YouTube for making these, but they all seemed to use a whole lot of nappies - we used 40 and seems to work quite well over two layers.
Hope they like it!! TFL x

ANOTHER BABY CARD

This is based on the first Welsh wedding card I did with the hearts punched out. All I did was stick some Pink Petticoat "Pretty Doodles" behind the punched out shapes.
The edges are done with a lovely silver pen and I added the bow charm.
The sentiment is, of course, Melissa Frances.
Going to try the nappy cake now! xxx

FIRST BABY BOY CARD

So, did I mention that my next-door-neighbour had a baby boy yesterday? Here's the first of the baby cards I need to make.
I found the template on http://www.apathofpaper.blogspot.com/ and just HAD to have a go. Thanks Deneen!
It's so easy to make and I love the effect.
I used Pink Petticoat Mini Big Dots in Lovely, cut out the straps and added the buttons.
The 'J' is from American Thickers and I added the pins.
Off to make something else now.... xxx

BAD NEWS, GREAT NEWS AND A CARD!

Hi all.. sorry it's been so long. I'm off with yet another bout of lurgy and a chest infection - yippeee! Not. But at least I have time to play with all my new stuff.... That's the bad news out of the way.

Good news is that my next-door neighbour has just had a baby boy today - Jake, weighing in at 8 lb 10 oz. So big congrats to them... going to try a nappy cake!!

And here's the card. It's for some friends who have just moved to a bigger house in the next village. I don't usually make A5, especially gate-fold, but I quite like how this one turned out.

Hugs xxx

WHAT A PROUD MUMMY I AM!!!

No, still no cardage, I'm afraid... hoping to get some done over the next few days, BUT... I got home tonight to find a letter from the Young Writers, who tell us that Lil G's school entered an acrostic poem she wrote into a competition and ...... (drum roll please!)...

.... they think it's brill and they're publishing it in their Young Writers' Anthology!!!


WOO-HOOO!!!!

BIRTHDAY PRESSIES - WOO-HOO!!!

You may remember that I went on a bit of a bender on 22 May at a couple of online craft stores? Well it's all arrived!! Look:

I may be gone for some time..... LOL! xxx

BIRTHDAY CARDS FROM MY LOVELY CHUMS!

From the very talented Rosie!

From my good friend and super-talented bag lady, Vicky!

From another very lovely and talented crafter, Alex.

How very spoilt am I?? xxxx

MY BABY...

Just LOVE this pic of Lil G.... it wasn't posed, just caught her as she was trying to sort out her armbands to go back into the pool.... Perfect.

WE'RE BACK!!

Hi all. Got back from the sunny Dordogne yester-day and I really wish we'd stayed. So much so, that we're now seriously considering going again and not coming back, but that's for another time....

Took a LOT of photos, but I wanted to share a couple with you that my very clever hubby took:

Great pictures, aren't they? I'll upload some more of the fabulous places we visited... xxx

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY **edited**

BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! Don't get me wrong, not at all happy about my age, but I've got lots of lovely money to go spend on craft stuff!! Yay!! May be gone some time.....

Off to France for the week, too. (Wonder if they have any good craft shops..... )


And I got this beautiful card through the post from one of my very talented DC buddies, Annette. How gorgeous is this???

See you later! xxx

****just been on a major spending spree at Scrap Shed and MaC!!! Woo-hoo! This is great cos now I won't be wandering around the Dordogne looking out for craft shops..... well, not as much!!!***

TAKING CRAFTING TO THE NEXT LEVEL...

Hi all, hope you're not all drowning under all this flippin' rain?? Just wanted to tell you about a new kind of crafting blog that I heard about - The Next Level. Not only will there be challenges, but also tutorials, downloads, hints and tips.. sounds fab!! Oh, and there's BLOG CANDY to be had, too! Take a peek xxx

SHABBY BIRTHDAY TO YOU...

I made this (after 3 rotten attempts!) for one of my oldest friends. No, not oldest, silly! She's not that much older than me! I mean, I've known her for a lot of years. We're Godmothers to each other's rugrats, etc.
The card is coloured with Pink Petticoat 'Washed Damask' in Stone, papers are Papermania Signature collection (getting a bit of a thing about this stuff! Love it!), thingummybob and sentiment by Melissa Frances (and I DEFINITELY have a thing for that stuff!!)
Oh, and the string is from hubby's tool box!
xxx

DREAM...

.. which is what I should be doing, given the time - eek! Just wanted to finish this last one for the exhibition...

Sorry for the lousy photo, but the light's not too good at midnight!!

TFL x

DANCING IN THE RAIN

And this is another one for the exhibition. Yes, more MF stash, but this time combined with papers from the bloomin' excellent Papermania Signature collection.

TFL xx

STARLIGHT, STARBRIGHT

Well, it's that time of year again around here - Open Churches weekend. Our local church always does an exhibition of local art (loads of Mum's paintings in there!) and I've been asked to make a few things to show.. so here's the first one.

Got around to using some of the very precious Melissa Frances stash I've accrued (I'm worse than Fagin for nabbing this stuff!).

It's a lousy photo but it is actually blue-ish!

TFL xx

POPPICRAFTS CARDS

Just wanted to share some of the cards I made for the Poppicrafts' DT. The papers are fab, aren't they? xxx

NAH NAH NAH-NAH NAH!!!

Got up this morning feeling really duff and with horrible creaky backache again. Didn't feel up to doing much at all... but His Lordship decided it would be a great idea to go out. 'Don't want to', I said. "Think of the fresh air.. blah blah blah..." he said.

So off we went to the local garden centre. Triffic. Dead impressed. Honest.....

.. till I saw their huge craft section!! Perked up, I did. A lot.

Oddly, £70 later, he wasn't looking quite so perky!!LOL.

Been really struggling to find Melissa Frances stuff. Even the best retailer over here only stocks a fraction of the range and it's bloomin' expensive. So I was dead chuffed to find the Papermania 'Signature' range - bought 'Regency' and 'Blueberry Hill', which are quite similar to the muted pastel colours of MF. Also found some Basic Grey rub-ons which are gorgeous. Got the Core'dination's 'Whitewashed' pack, as well. Oh, and a full set of Whispers and blending pens.....

.. serves him right!! I do feel a lot better now, though... so maybe he was right in the first place?

I hope not, cos I'd hate that.

xxx
PS What do you think of the new background?