CCT All Boy

Hello again! it seems an age since I was last sharing a card with you .. .. so much else going on just now with family and the house that crafting has been on the back boiler - but I will have some good news to share with you soon.

It's time for our next challenge at Cute Card Thursday and this time it's all boy - a card for a man or boy. Nikki at Bunny Zoe's Crafts is sponsoring our challenge this week so why not stop by the CCT blog to read all about it and see what the DT have come up with for your inspiration.

I finally got to colouring in this chap from LOTV - I got him a while ago but apart from stamping and cutting out the circle that's as far as I'd got.  I've coloured with my Copic pens to match the papers from the Maja Design Life in the Country pad I won recently - lots of pretty flower pages along with checks and plaids on the reverse sides so perfect for all kinds of occasions.

My base card is another of the off cuts from the square cards I've been making so hanging the circle design off the edge adds interest as well as fitting the square envelope.  I'd got the golf club charms as a prize too a while back so fixed them to the stamped text tag with a little red brad.  I've run the edges of the papers down my Marianne Design die LR0161 to give the faux stitching and highlighted with a brown chalk ink, a sprinkling of punched stars and a trio of brads finished it off.  Now I would have loved to embellish with flowers and swirls but this is a manly card - so stars is all it gets!

The Corrosive Challenge blog want to see metal this time around so with my metal brads and charm I can enter with them.

That's it for the craft chatter, however, I have been pondering a question this week and would like your thoughts.  As many of you know, I live with my elderly mother who is almost housebound, only venturing out in a wheelchair for hospital appointments (although I am hoping she might like to get out a little more come the warmer weather).  Monday morning a nurse walked in, unannounced I might add, to take blood from Mum.  I had no idea she was calling and Mum was just getting out of the shower, and I was still in my dressing gown (I wait until Mum is dressed before I get myself sorted - just in case).  I stopped her from barging in on Mum, naked, which she didn't like .. .. nurse or no nurse, Mum deserves some privacy!  I queried why she had called without phoning first to make sure it was convenient .. .. her reply was that medical staff don't need to make appointments to see house-bound patients and can just turn up and walk in when they like, for whatever reason.  As it happens the front door was unlocked (we live in a relatively safe area and rarely lock the door during the day if we are home as neighbours will come and go, but at least they shout out before coming past the porch area.  I asked the nurse what she would have done if the door had been locked .. .. she said that as Mum was housebound it wouldn't be and asked me if I locked my mother in when I went out - as if that was a crime!

It has set me to thinking - what should I do? Do all housebound people have to leave their front doors open just in case a doctor or nurse should call?  If I pop to the shops I'm gone for at least an hour, or the local shop up the road can be half an hour if I meet someone for a chat.  I've never thought about it before and generally have left the door unlocked.  But, what if some no-do-well had come along, walked in and attacked Mum and taken stuff?  I wouldn't be insured against the loss as I'd left the door open, and Mum could be seriously hurt.  But, if I lock up an elderly old lady am I being cruel and heartless (as implied by the nurse) and breaking some other humanitarian law?  I know some of you are or have been in similar situations and I would like to know your thoughts and experiences on the matter - either here or email me at anniejuk@yahoo.com

Bye for now
xx