Gas Street Basin, BCN

 A full moon at 0530 when we set off.  We arrived at the Aston bottom lock at 0745 and were finished at the top lock by 0930.  Then, on the the bottom of Farmer's lock at 0945 and found the pound full this time.  We got to the top at 1115 and were safely on the moorings by 1130 with the electic on and the washing machine going. 

A lovely short trip out, beautiful weather and great to be out on the cut again.

Now for a special Christmas card.  Marigold's new back doors on a birthday card!!!  Lucky Kim.

I matted the photo onto some silver glittered paper and then onto a white, square card blank.

Inside I matted a square of white card onto silver glitter card, then patterned paper and more glitter card.  I printed out the sentiment on the computer and matted that onto more patterned paper and spelt out Kim with peel-off letters.  Finally I added the Christmas roses.

Broad Bulk Bridge, Birmingham & Fazeley Canal

 We got back to the boatyard after a swim at the hotel and left after 10 o'clock.  We got water at Fazeley Junction and then set off up the Curdworth locks.  The sign on the lock gate said that the volunteer lock keeper is usually on duty on Tuesdays.  What day was it?  Monday.  S***!

After a very long day (6 hours!!!) we moored up within a stone's throw of Milnworth ready for the long slog up to Birmingham tomorrow.

An early attempt of colouring the embossing, but rubbing an ink pad over over the embossing folder before running the card through the embossing machine.  I think it worked.

The embossed panel was then matted onto gold card and then an even larger piece of yellow card.  Some yellow grossgrain ribbon was wrapped around this panel and a bow tied around it.

Three silk daffodils were then added to the bottom right hand corner.

Streethay Wharf, Coventry Canal

 Don't have a photo for today, so here is one my brother sent me.

We stopped off at Streethay Wharf as we are leaving the boat here for a couple of nights while we got to a wedding anniversary in Sutton Coldfield.

No sign of Qubie who works there, but Kathy arrived later in the day and moored on the opposite bank.

Here is a pretty decoupaged card.  The picture is foiled so it has a lovely shiny texture.

I used a blue card blank and matted the foiled picture onto blue and pink card before sticking it onto the blue card.

Fradley Junction - Coventry Canal

 I have noticed on this trip just how much of the towpaths have become overgrown.  There have been places where there is only just room for one boat to get between the reeds and trees on the off side and the reeds on the towpath.  Whatever happened to the veg pledge, and how am I supposed to get off the boat in an emergency?

We arranged to meet son-in-law and grandson for lunch in The Swan and waited for them for half an hour before we heard that he thought he was coming tomorrow!!   So no pub lunch.

Here is a 007 card.  A black card blank was used and the red backing paper stuck on, I then cut out the figure and stuck it onto the card with sticky fixers.

Hawkeyard, Trent & Mersey Canal

Managed to persuade David to hang about so that we could visit the farm shop, so we moored up at the junction and walked back to buy some goodies.  We stopped again at Rugeley and I did some more shoppingg and then moored up near Bridge 62 on a disused long term mooring. 

Here is a new baby congratulations card.  First you knit the little jacket on normal needles and then transfer them onto cocktail sticks, gluing beads onto one ends.

The "jacket" was then glued onto a blue oval and then onto die-cut ovals and finally onto a white card blank.

Tixal Wide, Staffs and Worcester Canal

 As usual, we left too early to arrive at Midland Chandlers after it opened, but we did arrive at the lock just as a lovely working boat was coming out of the lock, so we had at least one lock for us.

Around Stafford we came across a boat which had managed to get itself stuck in the rushes on the towpath side of the canal.  He refused our offer to tow him off, so we left him with his pole trying to free himself.

At the next lock we were caught up by a boat with four men on board, two of whom insisted on helping us with the locks, and did so for the rest of the day.  Thanks for the help.

And so to Tixal wide.  Lovely as usual.  We stopped and moored just before the wide itself as it was busy.

I set off to walk to the farm shop at the junction and saw that a fellow moorer in Gas Street, Kathy, was moored up just past the junction.  So I went to visit her and then she came back to our boat, so I never got to the shop.

Here is a box/card thingy.  It is a large card with a box containing, in this case, 4 tealight candles.

I made several of them for the floating market in Birmingham, but the weather was to damp to put them out, so I never sold any.

This is a view of the inside of the card showing the candle box.

An alternative to candles could be chocolates or even small toys.

Penkridge - Staffs & Worcester Canal

After a very quiet night we left at 0830 and proceeded down to Penkridge.  There didn't seem to be as many boats around around as yesterday and the visitor moorings in the centre of Penkridge were empty when we got there before lunch.

It's been a lovely day, warm and sunny and, hopefully, more to come.

When we lived in Cyprus we used to take trips down the "panhandle" which was very wild.  There were lots of wild cyclamen so when I see them now they always remind me of lovely, hot, sunny, Cyprus.

These were a foiled decoupage set and I mounted them onto an embossed panel of card with the edges smudged in pink ink.  This was then fixed to a pink card blank and a pink gingham ribbon was stuck beneath the flowers.

Looking at the photo I see that I did some fancy double embossing, though I can't remember doing it. 

Coven Heath - Staffs and Worcester Canal

 The Wolverhampton 21.  We set off at 0830 and had most of the locks for us - with the help of several boats coming up.

It is such a pretty flight, the grass is always neat and tidy and there are lots of flowers.  Not sure what these are, maybe escaped from a garden.

We reached the bottom 3 1/4 hours later, with only one trip down the weed hatch, and turned right into the Staff & Worcs and headed for the bit of piling after bridge 69 and slept all afternoon.

 I have been branching out from cards this summer, hoping to sell them at the Birmingham Floating Market.  But the weather was so bad I was hardly able to put them out for people to see.

Inside the card there are four tealights and the whole thing comes in a box.

Wolverhampton, BCNS

 We are off......  The water tank has been repainted, the satellite dish has been removed and all the other little jobs that have kept us stuck in Birmingham have all been done.  Yesterday was the day were were leaving, but then we were asked to babysit our grandson, so it was postponed yet again - couldn't miss a day with him.

We were due to go down Farmer's Locks but when I woke this morning, after a bad night; and the lack of sunshine, we hung around until 11 o'clock and finally we were on our way.  But not down Farmer's - decided to go clockwise instead so heading to the Staffs and Worcs, T&M, Coventry and back up the Birmingham and Fazeley.

The sun came out and the cruise along the Main Line was almost uneventful.  Only one stop to clear out the weed hatch.  That must be a record.

As we passed the transloading basin we noticed it was now full of boats. 

These horses had been tethered on the towpath, must have been a common sight at one time.

And then when we went past Caggie's it looked closed, no signs, very quiet and not many boats. 

I have had an order from Scotland for 160 Christmas Cards and another 50 greetings cards.  So it's been heads down for a while now.  I have done the first 100 so still lots more to make.

This carad was nice and easy, I cut the white card with a Martha Stewart border punch on both sides to make it look like a ribbon and then wrapped the pink spotty ribbon around it and tied it in a knot before sticking it down onto the pink card blank.  The lily topper was added with foam squares and three pink pearls were added to the top right hand corner.

Gas Street Basin, BCN

 Sorry!  I had every intention of keep up the blog once we got back to Birmingham, but with one thing and another (excuses, excuses!) the time just flew past.

It is difficult to keep up the momentum when we are in one place without gossiping about the neighbours, so I am going to sort of try to catch up where I left off from describing our first time out in the boat, and who knows, maybe the rest of them (it's been 15 years next week!).  So don't go away.

We have spent a lovely 5 days around the corner by Symphony Wharf getting ready for and participating in the Floating Market.  Unfortunately the weather was a bit iffy, and it rained for most of Saturday.  But I think everyone left happy.  Thanks to all who participated and those who worked so hard getting it organised.

Oh! nearly forgot!  We got a mention in this month's edition of the Wet Web in Towpath Talk.  Our edition arrived this morning.  Slightly makes up for not having Bilgepump any more.

This is a tissue box cover.  I had lots of fun with the Cuttlebug and punches.

Gas Street Basin, BCN

It's not clear in the photo, but one chick is decidedly bigger than the rest of them!

The new table arrived today.  A wooden one this time, and even bigger.  Photos tomorrow.

A couple of Beatrix Potter cats stuck to a white die-cut circle and then onto a pink card blank.

Some blue polka-dot ribbon is stuck to the bottom and a knotted piece of ribbon tied through it and the Tom Kitten button added above it.

Gas Street Basin, BCN

We have a new neighbour.  We have since discovered that he is now sleeping in the storage shed under the James Brindley pub.  Company for the rats anyway.

 Had a drink and a natter with Jenny and Bill de Leis and met the couple on the oatcake boat, unfortunately I didn't have any money with me.  They were both moored up under the NIA.

Bought these shoe toppers yonks ago, finally got to use them.  I began with a bright pink card blank and added a panel of pink patterned paper.  The I cut out the label using a Spellbinder die (I think) in white and added the shoes and gems.

Gas Street Basin, BCN

No CRT registration number and no licence?  The big trip boats were having great fun trying to miss this lot.

It's funny how you seem to see some boats only once and others all the time, and some you see every now and again. 

We showed Mr David at the IWA Festival in Worcester in 1999 and one of the other boats was Raggle Taggle.  We never saw David and Jean again for many years when we were traveling in opposite directions on the Lancaster Canal.  Several years later with leap-frogged with them on the Leeds end of the L&L.  And today they were moored up near the Mailbox.  Three times in 15 years!

Missed the orchids on the Bridgewater Canal this year, so will have to do with a photograph.  I matted it onto white card and cut the edges with deckle scissors (you can tell how long ago I made this one, no one uses deckle scissors any more!).  It was then matted again onto dark lilac card and then light lilac card.  I wrapped some green ribbon around the panel and then two strands of organza ribbon on top.  The panel was then fixed to a light lilac card blank and the photograph fixed over the ribbon.  three green gems were stuck down the bottom left hand corner to finish off.

Gas Street Basin, BCN

That sick feeling when you get to the bridge and your home has gone!!!

 Only round to Sherborn Wharf for a few jobs.  But it still makes your heart sink seeing the empty mooring.

Soon be Fathers' Day.  So here's one for the fishermen.  A maroon panel was fixed to the front of a white card blank and a smaller maroon and green matted panel was stuck across the bottom.  I matted the picture onto maroon and green card and stuck this on with sticky fixers to give it some depth.  Then three green candi buttons were added to the bottom.

Gas Street Basin, BCN

Playing with the big boys!

One of the 200 cards I made for a customer.  The girl is coloured in with pencils and decoupaged and stuck to a black oval frame. 

I covered the right hand side of the card with paper and covered the join with pink polka-dot ribbon.  Then two pink flowers and a green feather were added for decoration.

Gas Street Basin - BCN

 It's very busy tonight.  Must be half-term!

Made several baby cards today.  This is one.  I Cuttlebugged a white panel and edged it with blue ink and wrapped some blue polka-dot ribbon around it, tying the ends in a knot.

Actually, I don't usually wrap the ribbon around the panel, I tie the knot with the two ends of the ribbon and then measure it against the panel and cut the ribbon leaving a flap to go around the back; and then I glue the ends to the back of the panel to keep it secure.  This saves up to 4" ribbon for another project.

Anyway,  I stuck the peel-off baby hedgehog onto a white die-cut oval and then stuck that onto a blue scalloped oval and fixed it to the card with sticky fixers.  Then added the sentiment and three blue gems.

Gas Street Basin, BCN

Set off at 0700 (didn't want to go any earlier as we had two boats tied to us).





 This photo was taken last night.  When we went past this morning the boats were three abreast - all on the 1 hour service mooring - the visitor moorings on the other side were empty!









We soon caught up with another boat and followed it to Factory Locks.  The bottom pound was empty, the middle lock had the bottom gate wide open and the bottom lock had to top gate wide open.  So we set about sending water down so we could traverse the locks.  By the time we were in the middle lock there was another boat behind us.


The rest of the journey was uneventful and we arrived back at the moorings to discover that our lovely big, black glass table had been smashed.  It had been used and the umbrella had not been removed and when the wind caught it it broke the glass.  No one is taking responsibility.  In fact they all deny being there.  Be we know who they are!

A lovely trip and hope to repeat most of it next year.  We are now off to get a new table.

We are the cheeky girls....  Aren't they glam?
I matted the picture onto gold card and then onto patterned paper and more gold card.  This was then fixed to a white card blank and a gold bow added to the top left hand corner.

Wolverhampton, BCN

 Either it's a big dog or a horse has been this way - don't they know that towpaths are unsuitable for horses?

There was a smaller pile a bit further up, but we never saw a horse, or a big dog!

It took us 3 hours to do the 21.  All locks for us!  And the two that weren't had a boat coming down.  We were too early for bacon butties at lock 10.  Frustrating, as he was there and you could smell the bacon cooking, but the canopy was firmly shut!

We moored up at the top and I took the opportunity for a rest and some retail therapy.  Never miss the chance, though I was rather nackered and so treated myself to a lovely chocolate, cream and fruit torte in Patisserie Valerie in the town centre.  It was so good I bought two more for us to have for tea.

Later we were joined by members of the BCN Explorer Cruise.  There were boats everywhere.  Two rafted up to us and goodness knows how many on the waterpoint!!!

This card blank had a square cut out of it and a sentiment printed above it.  I just added the silk flower and a pink gem

Hunters Bridge 7, Shropshire Union

We were moored up under the Bridge pub by 0930, on moorings with a large ledge under the water.  Too deep for the fenders to work and too wide for the "wheel" fenders to be of any use and a long way from the bank.  So every time a boat went past or we walked along the boat we got a bump and getting on and off the boat (with short fat legs) was a chore. But we didn't intend spending the night there.

Caroline arrived with Ethan at lunchtime and it was another pub lunch.  Lucky me. In the month since we last saw him he has learned to crawl and got 3 teeth! 

The village was a picture in the sunshine and I fell in love with this building.  Almost makes me want to move on land if I could have a place like this.

After the guests left we moved on to here where we are within a stone's throw of the Wolverhampton 21 tomorrow.

An atmospheric picture of the lock onto the River Douglas at Tarleton.  The colours really matched the paper which I tore into shape and stuck onto the left hand side of a white card blank.

The picture was then matted onto white card, edged with deckle scissors and then matted onto lilac and gold card.  A photo corner was fixed to the top right and corner and a photo hinge to the bottom left hand corner.

I have fond memories of the Lancaster Canal.  We must do it again some time.

Stretton Aqueduct. Shropshire Union

 Another picture from just below Tyrley Locks.  Two "fishermen" made from the trunk of a tree.  Someone around here as a sense of humour.

We didn't go far today.  We are meeting up with Caroline and Ethan tomorrow in Brewood.

We moored up next to the boatyard and noticed a little butty called Montgomery but didn't twig it was the Jam Butty and we missed Andy where he came to pick it up.

The weather has been lovely, really hot and sunny.  Long may it last.

Another blokey card.  This one, maybe for the boy who has just passed his test, got a new car, or just started driving lessons.

I made a panel with yellow, corrugated card and wrapped some blue string around it and stuck it across a white card blank.  Then the boy panel was die cut and matted onto blue card (the right had side was cut off as the car finished there) and it was stuck onto the edge of the card.

Norbury Junction, Shropshire Union

We were taking on water in Middlewich at 0645, and I walked into town to Asda (which should open at 0700, but we were still waiting outside at 0715!) 

Coming down the Tyrley Flight we noticed lots of little shrine type things with toys in clefts of rock.  Whoever is doing it seems to be having fun, because the toys were all in different places on the way back.

We got to Norbury Junction for luchtime and had a pie in the Junction pub.

A card for Fathers' Day?  I matted the camera lense cover paper onto gold card and stuck it onto a white card blank.

The toppers were then added on top.