Gas Street, BCN

 The re-opening of the guillotine lock on the Stratford-on-Avon Canal



We moved down to the guillotine lock early, reversing the boat from the junction (stopping 3 times to go down the weed hatch).  Eventually everyone turned up, including the Timothy West who was opening the lock.

The working boat Scopio took the VIPs through the lock (after getting stuck in the mud and then glancing the side of the lock (which ITV Central pointed out on the evening news) before eventually going through for the ribbon to be cut.

Sorry, couldn't resist this picture.  The discarded bit of ribbon left over from the ribbon crossing the lock.

After supplying Timothy West with a whiskey and a black coffee we set off back home, seeing our first ducklings (lovely) and Canada goslings (not so lovely).  We even had some lovely warm sun to see us on our way.

I have to make 50 cards for someone who runs a spa.  This is one of the samples I made up.

I cut out the feet in some pink hand-made paper and the toenails in pearlised pink card.  I stuck the feet onto a matted die-cut label, one silver, the other purple and fixed it to a lilac card blank.

I used a paper flower to cover the ankles and four pink pearls in each of the corners.

One down, 49 to go....

Cadbury Wharf, Worcester and Birmingham Canal

 Just a quick dash out for a couple of days while we await a date for my little op (three weeks and still waiting!). 

We just managed to squeeze into the security pen at the wharf.  One boat was here when we went past at the beginning of March.  Now, I am sure it has been away all that time and they just popped in again yesterday, but the ropes are pretty slack and stretched, so I don't think so.  Then the couple on the other boat bought three of my cards.

I walked around to Cadbury World - it was miles away - right around three sides of the factory.  Bought some chocolate but baulked at the £11 entry fee.

We caught President and Kildare on they way back from Alvechurch having watched it go down on Saturday while we were still in Gas Street.

So here is another of the cards I made using a previous picture.

I matted this one onto silver, red and green card.  Then I Cuttlebugged another piece of green card before matting it onto red card and then tying a piece of red ribbon around the bottom, finishing it off with a knot.

The panel was stuck down the left hand side and the picture above it and finished off with three green gems.  Why do they always look crooked in the photo, but not when looking at the card?

Gas Street Basin, BCN

Well, as long as you are sitting inside, with the fire on, it is a beautiful day.

Sunshine and tell tale piles of snow still hanging around, but a cold, cold, biting Easterly wind that cuts straight through.

Been keeping up with what has been going on on the Basingstoke Canal assault.  So sorry we didn't make it, but we were not the only ones.  And it seems a landslip blocking off the complete route too.








Still the flowers have started to bloom at last.

Walking down the towpath just past the Worcester Bar and I noticed this.

Someone has been chipping away at the plaster and the ghost of a bridge has been etched out.  It leads through to the side of the ITV building.

This will see if Andy is still reading the blog!

A picture of warmer times.  I matted it onto silver, red and blue card to match the livery of the boats.  I then made a red card panel, which I Cuttlebugged, cut out a silver strip, edging one side with a Martha Stewart punch and wrapped some navy ribbon around the join, tying it in a knot before adding the picture.