Gas Street Basin

Discovered when I woke up today that my husband had visited Legs Eleven (a lap-dancing club) earlier on this morning!!! He said it was about their application for a licence.

Anyway, later this afternoon we had a visit from the owner, who came bearing a bottle of wine and stayed for a beer and some craic (he is Irish).


David helped Alan take Crane back to his Ichnield Port Loop mooring with the new paint on one side of the boat still tacky. They must have had fun whey they stopped for diesel as the pump was on that side.

I made this card as a 65th birthday card for an American Civil War re-enactment enthusiast. I found the template on the Internet. I cut the waggon from some brown card I found on the side of a tissue box and Cuttlebugged it to give it some texture. The canopy I made with handmade paper and added brown chalk to give it definition. The wheels were ready-cut circle frames which I embossed black and added the spokes and axles. To finish it off I coiled a piece of string and fixed it to the front and added (not shown) a black peel-off 65 in the centre of the canopy. I would have liked to have hung a lantern from the front and a bucket on the back, but I couldn't find anything suitable at the time, and anyway there wasn't really any room left.

Gas Street Basin

I don't know. We bumble along for days on end with noting going on and then, suddenly, lots of things happen!

We took the train and taxi to Braunston to see the working boats and get lots of pictures and meet up with Chris Caterall of Canals and Rivers. On the way back we popped over to Centenary Square to see the Veterans' Whatever. Lots of old soldiers and young soldiers, stalls etc and a band.

As we were leaving there we saw Claire Short MP and David couldn't resist introducing himself and thanking her for her help regarding the noisy bars around here.

Then it was back to the boat to watch the Dragon Boat Races.

As we arrived back our newest moorer was just mooring up. I have not met her yet but she has a cute little yellow boat called Amy.

It was such a lovely afternoon that we were all sat out when we noticed a young Asian couple on the balcony of the defunct James Brindley pub. They kept us entertained for about 45 minutes as we watched his bum going up and down!!! You have to admire their stamina, even if her father would probably kill her if he found out.


Now for something more mundane. Sorry! A card with a picture of President. I have just made 12 - all different, though some of the photos are the same.

This one has a red panel which I Cuttlebugged. The picture is matted onto red and black card and I added three silver dots to the bottom right hand corner.

Gas Street Basin

Apart from the noisy bars at night, and the even noisier drunks, it has been relatively quiet around here recently.

The filming continues in Bridge Street but it doesn't affect us in any way.

There are lots of boats around and most of the moorings seem to be filled by late afternoon.

BW and their signs again - there are going to be dragon boat races on 27th July. Today is the 15th and they have put the mooring restriction signs up on the bollards opposite the ICC. What is the betting that most of them will not be there when they are needed on the 26th-27th?

Had a visit from a young lad last week, needing a get well card for his mother who has just been diagnosed with cancer for the 2nd time. Hope this is what he was wanting.

I cuttlebuged the yellow card and wrapped the lilac, beaded ribbon around the bottom. I printed off the name and sentiment and matted them onto silver, yellow and lilac card. I then added the flowers, feather and bows adding three green gems to finish it off. David thinks it's go***ing. But it's not for him.

Gas Street Basin

I have been a big negligent with the blog lately. I do apologise. I am blaming the computers. Photos have gone missing - or at least I can't find them which is probably not the same thing. Anyway the big computer has now gone down - so who knows what we've lost now.

Anyway - to summarise. We were on the telly last Wednesday on ITV Central's local news. Just a quick shot of the boat and us being interviewed. At least one other person saw it!!!

For the last couple of days the BBC have been filming a sequence from the new series of "Survivors". They are using the old ATV studios behind us, which are being demolished. Seems a bit ironic really.



Had a phone call this morning from someone wanting a card made. Doesn't happen very often. Anyway he had seen one of a sunflower on the blog and wanted one like that and of course I don't have any of those left.

I had to colour a white flower with orange, yellow and brown ink. Then I covered a large brad with glitter to fix the flower together.

Starting with a large white card blank, I made a panel of handmade paper with gold dots embossed on it, gold paper and brown card which I cut with decorative scissors. A brown ribbon was tied in a bow and fixed around the panel and I added a pin with some beads to keep it tied. I used gold peel-offs on brown card which I matted onto gold paper. Finally, I added three yellow gems.

He's due at 9 tonight to pick it up. So I hope he likes it.

Gas Street Basin

As in our old adage - "What is going to happen today on this fabulous mooring?" - We had a visit from Katy from ITV Central News. She is doing a piece about downsizing in the credit crunch. Could she interview us? First she interviewed us, then Callum (on the right in the sunglasses) and then Bruno. She had already been down to Alvechurch to see a boat that was for sale which had been built more like a studio flat.

We should be on the local news tomorrow night - hopefully.

A baby congratulations card. I used a white DL card. I printed out the word C ngratulations in white with a pink background and matted it onto silver card which I trimmed with postage stamp edged scissors. I then put a little teddy bear with a pink bow where the "o" should go.