Does anyone remember...

Iris wrote:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2386780/Why-heart-shaped-plate-leave-pocket-Customers-tip-restaurants-served-love-symbol.html




Same shade of pink and everything.  I don't think it's the exact same plate because the one Ma Healy is holding up has a wee pattern round the rim.  A pre-printed pattern, not made by a child, it is far too even and exact.  And therefore even more unlikely to have been knocked up at a nursery or in a ceramics café IMHO.

susible wrote:I think I might have sussed the plate thing or rather the unlikelihood of a ceramic plate being used.  On closer examination, the white heart shape with the handprints, actually looks like a piece of paper that's been cut into the shape of the heart plate as it is not 100% equal on all sides and the dips of the hearts don't match up.  It'sthen been stuck onto the plate, which means that the handprints were probably just done on plain paper.  I think the inscription was probably added after the event

Of course the back story still makes no sense, but assuming it's not the most truthful of versions (as if lol) and the nursery handprints were brought from Rothley to Granny after Madeleine's disappearance, Ma Healy has cut it out, stuck it on the heart plate, neatly inscribed with Madeleine's message to her...voila heart wrenching photo of bereft grandmother with her grandchild's last gift to her, presented in true team mccann style as this fairytale type scenario, that on the surface most people would not question..they all just go "Awwwww..poor things"  mission accomplished..

Does Ma Healy know, yes, I think she probably does.

Wintabells wrote:http://www.cheekylittleprintsandgifts.co.uk/ceramics1/heart-plate-ceramic-keepsake-kit-2/

I reckon it's a kit. From somewhere like here ^

AnnaEsse wrote:

Iris wrote:Is this the one kitti?



ETA You're absolutely right!  It's a dark photograph, but I blew it up to 250% and lightened it and Maddie's hair IS dark in the pendant picture!

There is a very active debate about this on the "Controversy" Facebook page. Good questions being asked, imo, and a few simply suggesting that questions are inappropriate about a grieving grandma.

I decided to have a look at this and observe and ask questions about it here.

The writing seems to have been done first because the handprints look as though they are fitted around it.

The phalanges of the fingers are curiously separate and distinct. That surely wouldn't happen if the child pressed her hand onto paint. Was paint applied with a brush, leaving spaces at the joints?

The fingers of the left hand are poker straight, while those of the right curve and they curve neatly parallel to each other. This curve helps the print to fit onto the plate around the writing. The palm is straight. I can't get my fingers to curve while my palm is flat on a surface. I've experimented. If I curve my fingers like that, they won't lie straight against a surface and my palm won't lie flat either. Perhaps it's different with a small child's hand. I'll ask my two grandsons tomorrow to try it out.

Both little fingers look compressed. I don't know how that happens and the print still shows fingers flat against a surface. The third joint of the little finger of the left hand is just neatly not there. Again will ask my two test subjects.