Turner's Green, Grand Union

 Water shortage?  What water shortage?

Slipped away at 7.30 and as David had set all the locks before we started we did all 5 locks amazingly fast.  We were moored up here by 0915.

We were joined later by another boat, and saw only one more on the move all day.

It was a sort of anniversary today.  Our official 1st date was on 29th February in 1972.  The agreement was that David paid for dinner and I paid for the drinks.  I changed my handbag and forgot my purse!

Not really a "hand" made card, though I suppose I did put it together by hand but I just followed the instructions.

The side view.

Knowle Hall Wharf, Grand Union

The Knowle sign, with a narrowboat stemmed across the canal!

 Still stuck at the boatyard.  Maybe get the new alternator tomorrow.  So we decided to take the bus to Kenilworth as neither of us had been there before.  The timetable at the bus stop said there was a bus every half hour.  So off we went.  The signs on the Kenilworth side of the road had another timetable saying there was only one bus a week!!!  Fortunately it was on a Monday and the bus was due.  So off we went.  We hot 1 1/2 hours in Kenilworth, just enough time for all the charity shops, Waitrose and a lovely coffee in a cafe.

Another oldie.  A blue card blank with a black, vertical panel.  The stamped nurse was colored in with water-colour pencils and then matted onto black and pink, deckle edged card.  The sentiment was matted the same way and was a gold peel-off.

Knowle Hall Wharf, Grand Union

 The Summer is over.  Cold and dull today and I never actually got off the boat.  David walked up to the petrol station to get a paper and I read it in bed.

While out walking yesterday we passed a holly hedge and there were lots of ladybirds getting amorous.

I made quite a few cards with this idea.  This one for 40 years - either age or anniversary.

The tag was made on the computer and I coloured the numbers in with a blue gel pen.

I cut a panel of silver card and wrapped some silver tissue ribbon around it fixing it at the back.  Then I threaded some blue and silver ribbon through the tag and around the panel and tied it in the front with a bow.  Then I stuck the whole thing onto a white card blank.

Knowle Hall Wharf, Grand Union

 Stuck outside the Knowle Hall Wharf, breached up by a brand, spanking new widebeam and sticking out a bit into the canal.  Luckily there are no many boats about.

Walked into Knowle again today (for something to do mostly) and bought more lovely cakes. 
Hope we are not here too long!

Two cards, two different looks.

For the first one I covered a cardboard heart with some gold angel hair stuff, sticking it on the back with glue.  Then added a gold paper rose.  This was then matted onto yellow and gold card squares.

I wrapped gold ribbon down the front of a white card blank and made a bow with more ribbon and stuck that under the heart.

I wasn't too happy with the card so I took it apart.  I cut the white card level with the sides of the topper with a scalloped edge and added some gold peel-offs.

Then I added the sentiment which I printed on the computer and matted it onto  gold card before adding it to the bottom of the new topper.

Still not happy and may take it all apart again and start all over.

Knowle Hall Wharf, Grand Union

 We travelled all of 2 3/4 miles today.  We have been having a bit of trouble with our batteries while out and thought we needed new ones.  But we set off yesterday with hopes that it was just that we hadn't really run the engine enough.  Well, yesterday we began with 100% juice and when we stopped we only had 93%.  This morning it had gone down to 79% and would not come up so we stopped at the Stephen Goldsborough boatyard to ask for help.

We are now moored up by their wharf with an electric landline and awaiting a new alternator. 

To be truthful, I was quite happy not to have done the 5 wide Knowle locks today, still quite shattered after yesterday!

Notice, BW are aware that yet another paddle is not working.

More signs of spring, lots of ducks, moorhens and birds in general.  David said he saw at least 2 kingfishers this morning.  That's 3 in 2 days, more than we saw during the whole of last year's cruising.

I walked into Knowle, great bread shop. Well worth the walk.

Talking of ducks.  We have about 5 in Birmingham (but lots and lots of Canada Geese).  So here is a card I made of a couple of ducks.

I actually manipulated the photograph and put the 2 ducks closer together so they look like a couple.  I matted the photo onto black card and then onto orange pearlescent card, this had the corners rounded off and then it was matted onto more black card and the corners were rounded again.

A green card blank was used and I Cuttlebugged some orange pearlescent card and cut it into a wide strip.  This was stuck down the middle of the card blank and the matted photo was stuck towards the bottom of the strip.  An orange silk daisy was stuck to the top right hand corner of the photograph.

Catherin de Barnes, Grand Union Canal

We made it!!!  Left around 0845 and did Farmer's Bridge Locks with the help of Kathy and Smudge (only two against us).  Never done them so fast.  Then it was a right turn and the Digbeth Arm.

 Approaching the top lock at the Ashted Locks we came across Grant cleaning out the sluices.  Look at all the rubbish he has already removed.  Goodness knows what is lying in the bottom of the canal.

Well we ended up with some of it around the prop, as usual.

 At the Warwick Bar we came across a pair of these two locks gates.  Couldn't work out quite how they worked.

The weather was beautiful, didn't need a coat and the sun was shining.  There were catkins out and at one point the blackthorn was just bursting into bloom and the daffodils are not far behind.

After the Camp Hill Locks we were on the GU proper.  It was so shallow that we could just manage to get down the centre of the channel.  There was no way we could have got into to side.  Several times were were scraping along the bottom and David had to go down the weed hatch about 4 times.  Horrid.  This is why we usually go down the Stratford on Avon Canal to get to the GU.

The first fisherman we met was grumpy, but all the rest smiled and spoke and we even saw a Kingfisher.

We pulled up at Catherine de Barnes at 3.15 absolutely shattered.  25 locks and lots of walking and then I got treated to a lovely dinner at at Longfellows (David is doing a review of it in Canals and Rivers magazine).

Wednesday was Saima's Birthday and she got this card from us.  It was from the stockpile, unfortunately, didn't have time to make a fresh one.  I matted the photograph onto white card and cut the edges with deckle edged scissors, then matted it again onto lilac and silver card.

I stuck it down onto a light lilac card blank and added the lilac ribbon, tied in the centre with a knot using double sided tape.

Gas Street Moorings, Birmingham

 The title of this post should have read "Catherine De Barnes, Grand Union Canal".   But it rained, so we've stayed on here for another day. 

So, this is the view from my bedroom window tonight.  Pretty eh?

Went to London last Friday and found these to die for shoes.  Only £150 and just right for a muddy, wet towpath.  I bought a pair in each colour (I wish).

David's Birthday on Saturday.  Port and chocolates as a present, Manchester United beat Liverpool, our daughter visited and Cheryl Cole on his birthday card.  He had a great day.

I got the two photos from the internet and matted them both onto gold card.  One I stuck to the front of a card blank with a gold 65 and the other one on the inside.

I only had about 10 minutes to make the card in, while he was out of the way, so it was a quickie and I just added a peeloff sentiment to finish it off.

Kelly Brooke next year!

Gas Street Moorings, Birmingham

Way back when....  The Birmingham Canal Navigation Society Bonfire Meet 2011.  It is held by the Engine Arm at Smethwick and for our "safety" the society erects a huge floodlight.  So it is almost like daytime all night.

This year the Council, in its wisdom, did not sub the fireworks, so they were paid for by the Society.  

And they put on a great show.  Probably the best ever.

The bonfire itself is built from hundreds of pallets and there were 6 Guys made by a local Cub Scout Pack.

So thank you to all the hard workers (including us) who made the meeting such a great weekend.

The outgoing Chairman, Graham Whorton had just resigned with ill health and at the AGM it was suggested that someone bought a "Get Well Card" for him and for everyone to sign it.

So I jumped in and offered to make one for him. 

I made a concertina card, sticking 5x7" card blanks together to give it strength.  Then I used photos of Atlas and Malus because it was Graham who worked so hard to get the boats for the BCNS. 

This is the front with the blue ribbon tied in a bow.

And this shows the two matted photos with the bow untied.  I matted the photos onto silver card and then yellow card.  These photos were then matted onto one larger piece of blue card with was again matted onto silver card.   The blue and yellow colours follow the livery of the boats.

 This picture shows the "back" side of the card.  I stamped various waterways related items, wild flowers, birds, butterflies, toadstools etc.  There is lots of room for signatures and good wishes.

This photo shows the "front" side.  On the second page I matted the sentiment.  It was decided to say "We hope you feel better soon" rather than "Get Well" in the circumstances.  (Graham sadly passed away not long afterwards).  I matted this onto blue and silver card and added more stamped pictures.

On the back page I used another photo which was matted in the same colourways as the front and stamped some seedheads and a flying wild goose.  The ribbon was stuck down with some double sided tape to keep it in place  Fortunately the card fitted into the envelope so I was well chuffed I didn't have to make a box too.

Gas Street Moorings, Birmingham

 Our first snow this Winter.  Lots of it, but most of it has gone now; but still enough to cause trouble when it freezes again tonight.   David got to use his new snow scraper, which we bought way back in October in anticipation.

Forgot to mention it before, but we have got a place in the Queen's Jubilee Pageant on the Thames this year.  Must have been good somewhen!

Just need a VHF radio and some bunting and we are ready.

 Two more Valentine cards.  Both on the same thing.  Nipple Tassells!!

I printed the sentiment onto white card and matted it onto red before sticking it onto a white card blank.   Then I stuck the tassells down with sticky fixers.

 Inside I printed the sentiment again in the same font and matted it onto red card and then onto a larger piece of white card which was again matted onto red card before sticking into the inside of the card.

For the second card I used a different font, but made the card in the same way.

For the insert I decorated two sides of some red card with a Martha Stewart edge punch and added the computer generated sentiment on the right hand side before sticking down to the inside of the card.