Monday 8 March 2010

Sticking Pins in...

Here's a card featuring the Daring Cardmaker's challenge. Aquamarine. I must be honest and say that I did not for one minute consider the deeper meanings of the colour, the stone or its origins. I was simply moved to use this lovely paper and make a card. See: sometimes, all I need is the smallest nudge. And then you only have to suffer a short paragraph of the how and the why. Yeah. No! I originally intended this card would be for my sweet mother-in-law next weekend. But the inclusion of the pin instantly rules that out. Even though cards will stand on a shelf at least a foot taller than her younger grandchildren, and even though both of the 'little 'uns' are well trained not to touch, she will perceive untold peril in having a stray pin within a forty metre radius. So before even opening the card, she'd be trying to pull the pin out - which would, inevitably cause the embellishments to fall off and the card would be spoiled. Then she'd tell me what a nice card it is and could I please save the lives of her younger grandchildren by doing something safe with the pin. Like - ooh I don't know, swallow it. Do anything as long as you remove the danger! Honest. That's pretty much how it would go. Miss Dunnit is one of her 4 grandchildren, so I'm au-fait with her caring levels when it comes to her children's children. The youngest is nearly 3. Grandma still tries to put cushions over the corners of her coffee table, just in case. I bet she thinks my generation of mothers are a bunch of slackers! The best and easiest way to handle this sort of stress inducing behaviour is to avoid it. And so I shall keep this card for something else and make another, more safety inclined one for her Mother's Day greeting. I expect a lot of you are thinking that it should therefore go to my sainted Mother. It can't. Despite my pleasure at the presence of that long pin on the card, I'm not sure I wanna post it. What do you do - post and be damned? (or worse, arrested!?) I'd be mortified if Gorgeous Gordon was wounded in any way in his diligent and cheerful delivery of my post. Do you double wrap, bubble wrap or disarm? I need to know. Before last post for Mother's Day. Advice please.
Are ya free on May 15th? 2 Scrap Ladies had a committee meeting today and that's the date. The Clockhouse project. More during this week and full details at the weekend. Yikes.

23 comments:

Unknown said...

From one slacker to another ... I grab a pair of cutters and snip off the point ... then I just add a small amount of bubble wrap to cover the front embellie!
Could you get a piccie of gorgeous Gordon ??? By say ... erm ... Wednesday :0)

Unknown said...

Ooops I forgot to say ... I love the card ... very elegant and ... that pretty young 'un at the top of your page who is trying to frown because she has sooooooo much debt ..... NOT! is really starting to irritate me slightly ... I must have PMT ... I have never noticed her before!

Unknown said...

That was quick ... she gone :0)

Unknown said...

Oh no ... she's back :0(

Angie said...

That is beautiful ...as for the pin ...put a piece of cork on it ... with a note to remove it before display??

Linby said...

I can just see the news headline now "crafter apprehended for sending dangerous items through the post" the nanny state need something new to whinge about, go on send it as is!!
Linbyx

Liverpool Lou (Anne) said...

Beautiful card Julia :) We can all be inspired by lovely papers. As for the pin, I dunno, sorry.
Anne xx

Carmen said...

It's gorgeous. Your MIL sounds like what my Mum used to be like with the kids. Imagine her horror when Devon as a toddler crawled underneath her glass coffee table and then tried to stand up, effectively nutting the underside of said coffee table. Trip to A&E later, Devon wondering what all the fuss is about once she had had her 5 minute whinge and had forgotten all about nutting the table... *sigh* memories!

Me too with the piccie of Gorgeous Gordon. We have Big Mick as our postie ;)

The Clockhouse Project???? Tease!

mckinkle said...

Stunning although dangerous card Julia!

Keryn x

misteejay said...

Really beautiful card...would I send a pin through the post? Perhaps not.

Toni :o)

Ann said...

I don't think it's 'politically correct' to send weapons through the post, Julia, however small! Our post at the hospital wasn't getting through to the patients for their Barium examinations and we couldn't understand why......until the Post Office informed us the letters had been stopped due to the 'white powder' we were sending through the mail. White powder? Oh,you mean the Preparation the patients are meant to take before their exam, Postie?!

Kay said...

Beautiful but deadly card. Maybe it could be posted in a box?

Kaz said...

Lovely card Julia. I can see why the papers spoke to you. I'm in the 'they'll only stab themselves the once' brigade when it comes to kids. And if they stab themselves twice, then they are dopey!! Maybe it's a good thing I didn't have kids!!
Blob of silicone glue on the end or a little bit of 3D foam xxx

Charlie said...

Hi there - sorry I have been MIA - I was crafting all weekend. PURE bliss - and will share during the next week or so. Thanks for you sweet comment. Giggled when reading about your MIL but I never display the end of the needles - I love the little stars, hearts etc, but try to use them in a manner where the pointy end is hidden - sometimes I cut them short with my Bind it all wire cutter.

Nicki said...

Wow, gorgeous card but who would have thought crafting would be so fraught with danger! Well, maybe some well placed padding will ensure it gets through the Royal Mail sorting office without leaving a trail of maimed posties!

Nicki :0)

Angela Toucan said...

you could make a card box to put it in

wonderful card

Lythan said...

What a beautifully elegant card Julia. And your pin discussion made me smile. thanks for joining in with DCM this week:)

Create With Joy said...

Hi Julia,

I LOVE this card - it is so pretty and elegant! Too bad your MIL won't get it - but if you need a home for it - send it my way - I'll even keep the fur angels away from that pin!

Ramona :-)
http://create-with-joy.blogspot.com

Paige said...

Beautiful card. I like many others would snip off the pointy bit of the pin. I normally then put a tiny of drop of glossy accents on the end just to make it less scratchy. I use pins in my minibooks and LO's and I would hate to harm someone while they were looking through them so the GA really helps with this.

Helen said...

Lovely card. I don't think I've tried to post a card with a pin on, but you've had some great options suggested. I didn't realise there was a "banned substance" list for posting (dohhh!) until Christmas last year when I packed up some nail varnish kits for my step-nieces (after I'd packed them, obviously) and then had kittens until I knew they'd arrived safely.....

Unknown said...

Hi Julia - I think you should give the Health and Safety Executive a call or at the very least do a full H&S Risk assessment - thats just to lick the envelope - never mind the pin!!!

What a world of whingers and litigation we live in. Some good suggestions - especially the glossy accents - 'fraid I don't have anything useful to add... Beautiful card though. Give it to someone who will appreciate its beauty and look beyond the pin issue.

Paula x x x

p.s. Linda had me staring at the top of your blog for ages waiting for a frowny girl - either I'm sad - or as mad as she is tee hee

ikki said...

Lovely card, as for the pin....I've had the same problem in the past...in the end I stuck a few beads together to cover the point. It worked okay but I've not done one since! Perhaps covering the beads with glossy accents would be worth a try?!?!? ikki

ally fiddy said...

1. Save the card for my birthday - its gorgeous.
2. Love your idea of a committee meeting. Makes eggnchips seem so organised and official!
:-)