Devizes, Kennet and Avon Canal

 A rest day, that means the Launderette.  This time I got a service wash so didn't have to spend the morning there.


We popped into town and bought some new hose and 2 funnels (you couldn't get just one) in the new Wilkos (used to be a supermarket) and I finally found a stuffed parrot for our pirate mad grandson in a charity shop.

This lovely little steam powered boat tooted past, out for a cruise and back. 

PS:  The two boats on the 24 hour moorings opposite are still there!

A white card blank and strips of mauve card stuck onto a white card blank.

The "40" was die cut in glitter paper and added and the sentiment was printed onto the card blank before the rest was added.  (It is important to do that first as it mucks up the printer if you do it the other way - you don't need to ask why I know that!)

Audlum, Shropshire Union Canal

Sunrise on the Shroppie.  The start of a beautiful day.

We were in Audlum for 1115 and had the side hatch open all through the day.  I put my cards out for sale, but no one was particularly interested.

In the evening we went for dinner in the Lord Combermere pub in the centre of Audlum with old friends Jackie and Chris on Rainbow.  We had not seen them for several years, so it was great to catch up with them.  The meal was very good too.

One of the moorers in Gas Street likes to send friends cards with his boat on, it gets to be quite difficult to find something different to make.  This time I cut the picture into 3 rectangles and then backed each one with white card, matting them up onto the front of a red  card blank.  The sentiments were made on the computer and a butterfly was added for definition.

Bridge 49, Warwick, Grand Union Canal

 Another early start before the rain.  We stopped in Leamington Spa so that I could walk around the shops, but I was so tired I had to give up and go back to the boat.

There were three moorings at Tesco because we didn't want to stop there, but none at Lidle, where we did!

We got to Warwick just as it began raining and moored up for the rest of the day.

Pooh for a two year old's birthday.

I cut a panel of red gingham, using deckle edged scissors and stuck it to the front of a white card blank.  I then tore a panel of computer printed paper (saying Happy Birthday) and stuck that over the gingham.  I then added an envelope and stuck down some balloon peel-offs.

The tag was made with some white card, yellow handmade paper and more gingham.  I stuck the ends of a piece of red gingham ribbon to the back of a yellow tag and added the pooh picture.  The whole tag was then tucked into the envelope. 

I made the number using a silver peel-off onto red gingham, matted onto white card and holographic card.

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.

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

 Now to catch up with what has been happening here.

20th October.   Saima (who was living on Potter) bought her first boat.  An old working boat called Cormorant.  She got it for the grand sum of £6,000.  Yes! £6,000! 


Message to Andy.  Have found the map, no date but it shows all the branches.  Pop in anytime to see it.

Mike, one of our moorers, needed a card for his Mother for her 90th birthday.  Something showing the boats.

So I matted a photograph of fireworks over Gas Street Basin onto silver holographic card and sparkly purple card.

Then I added a sparkly silver "90" (which I straightened before it was picked up.









I printed another picture directly onto the inside of the card.  Forgot to photograph it before finishing the card.  Oops!

To finish off I printed the sentiment onto sparkly vellum (4th of July font) and tied it all up with strands of silver cord.












Mike then wanted this card made.  An old photo of Pete with a speech bubble and the sentiment: Have a Great Birthday or Else!

I stuck the photo directly to the card blank and drew a gold frame around it, added a sparkly gold "90" in the bottom right hand corner.

Salthouse Dock, Liverpool

Salthouse Dock - Dawn










 Some of the historical boats left early this morning and while we were photographing them going through Albert Dock I noticed this "Liverpool" shop.  I didn't think I would ever see blue and red shirts side by side like this.

The boat is surrounded with jellyfish!!!

I had forgotten, but they were around last time we were here.

The water is so clear that you can see the bottom of the dock.  I have not seen any fish though, but there are two girls who come around every day catching some for the museum, so they must be in there somewhere.

This is a card that could be used for a 50th birthday, or anniversary.

I printed a '50' onto white card and cut it out, rounding the edges and punching two holes in the two horizontal sides. The '50' was then coloured in with a lilac metallic pen.  I threaded some lilac organza ribbon through the holes and added two flowers to cover the holes.  Then I wrapped some lilac organza ribbon around some silver card, fixing it on the back with double-sided tape and then added the ribbon with the plaque in the same way.

This panel was then matted onto a larger piece of lilac card and again onto white card, which had the edges scalloped.  The whole panel was then stuck onto a lightly lilac card blank.

Gas Street Moorings, Birmingham

An early morning start for Jan and Bowman - a 9 o'clock start! We helped them down the Farmers Locks, this time without any rain and a bit of sunshine towards the end.

By the time we got back all the policemen had disappeared and it was as if no conference had ever taken place.



I received an email a few days ago for a card for a 50 year old. I was shown a sample card, but I had to go one better!

This is what I came up with.

I made an large, blue easel card and added a patterned silver card with a scalloped edge onto some silver card. Then I added the black dress, fixing it with glue dots at the back. The dress was originally a Christmas tree decoration.

I made some slippers with blue, and silver card and topped them with black and silver handmade paper, finishing off with a blue rose. These were stuck under the dress.

Finally in the top right hand corner I die-cut a silver circle and a blue scalloped matt and stuck a silver 50 in the centre and added a blue rose to the top.



For the inside of the card, on the top of the base I layered up silver and blue card with scallops and decorated with silver peel-off strips. The sentiment was a silver rub-on.

Then on the bottom of the card that shows when the card is standing I matted some blue card onto silver card. The handbag was another Christmas tree decoration which was stuck down with glue dots and on the right hand side I die-cut a square in silver and two scalloped mats. The lady's name I added with silver peel-offs and added a pink rose to the bottom right hand corner (I had just run out of blue flowers).









Then I had to make a box to fit the card into!!! I made a blue box and matted a blue panel onto silver card and stuck it on the top of the box. A border of silver peel-offs was added and then I matted a small piece of blue card onto silver card and added the name with silver peel-offs.














Here is another view of the card. But I'm just showing off now.

Gas Street, Birmingham

Signs everywhere. The boats keep stopping, but the police officer hasn't turned up yet!

There are policemen and women everywhere, the roads are being blocked off and the police helicopter is roaring overhead. So it's nice and quiet here. We can't even park our cars in the pub car park until the conference is all over.






Sorry about the picture, I tried cropping it not realising it was still in the camera memory card so when I cancelled, it cropped off the bottom of the card. But I am rather pleased with it so I am showing it anyway.

I used photographs that David took at a Stourbridge Gathering a couple of years ago. I used pictures showing a car, a door handle, the "Austin" badge and a wheel (not shown). I matted them all onto silver mirror card and then onto green card. I also printed out the guy's name, age and a "happy birthday" and matted them in the same way before adding them to a blank white card.

Gas Street Moorings, Birmingham

I know, I know! But I've just got out of the habit of blogging. AND. What with thebig freeze and nothing much happening, there hasn't been much to blog about anyway.

On the bus going to Harborne the other day I noticed these posters. On looking more closely I saw Mr David is in one of the pictures






See a close-up here

We have been more-or-less frozen in over a week now. One or two boats have been moving and breaking up the ice on the main line,and we managed to break out for a pumpout before Sherborne wharf closed for Christmas and the New Year. But we have been firmly stuck in the basin most of the time. So we have tended to hibernate on the boat and making short forays for coal and sustenance.

David and I celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary on the 20th December (longest night of the year!!!) and had another wonderful dinner in Edmunds with Caroline and Curtis.

Christmas Day was spent on the boat, with another visit from Caroline and Curtis (twice in 4 days - must be a record!) They came for "starters" as they always have to have their Christmas dinner with Curtis' parents. So it was 18 huge oysters between them and duck pate for me. Then on Boxing Day I braved the sales in the afternoon, though not for long. Today I was hoping to go the Solihull, but it's too cold - so another day on the boat.

Pete (from Aquamora) needed a card for his daughter's 50th birthday. This is what I came up with. I Cuttlebugged a piece of pearlescent pink card and stuck it onto silver card and then onto a black A5 card. The dress, bag and boxes were a set of toppers which I arranged on the card and her name I made from black peel-offs onto white card and matted onto silver card. I added two grey roses and bows to the name and three pink pearls in the bottom right hand corner.




Inside I made a white panel which I scalloped the edges with scissors, matted it onto pink pearlescent and then silver card. I then made a pink banner and added the black peel-offs and fixed it down with two pink brads before sticking it all down onto the inside of the card.

Pete went off to her birthday party. Unfortunately, he is getting a bit forgetful. He was 1 week late!

Ince Moss, Leigh Branch Leeds and Liverpool Canal

I don't know who paid for these signs - must have been Sustrans 'cos they only give the distances in times with a bicycle by the side. Very useful for the rest of us. And: just how fast do you have to pedal to get there in that time?

The weather forecast was heavy rain, so we set of in trepidation. It turned out to be rather a nice day, and quite warm and sunny at times.

David had a rest and a sleep by the side of Apperly Lock and then we came on here.

There were, surprisingly, several boats on the move which was a bit of a shock after the last few days.

I found this topper in Clinton Cards as a tag for a present. I mounted it onto some dark blue card and threaded the blue ribbon through and tied it in a knot.

Finally, I added a blue gem in the bottom right hand corner.

Gas Street

Give us a hand!!

As seen from a lock on the Grand Union.

There has not been very much activity in the basin since we got back - we have lost 3 boats this year and they have not yet been replaced. One mooring has gone for £2701 per year (a Leisure Mooring which I presume means not live-aboard!) - though no-one seems to have claimed it yet - and the other two should be finalised this week.

We have lots of noise coming from the Walkabout Bar and the Tap and Spile Pub, but that is in hand with the council and only one accident at the lock when a young man missed and smashed his face on the lock side. It meant David had to get up and open the gate for the police and the ambulance crew. Then the following night there were three young men snorting coke outside the new letting agency shop (right underneath the CCTV camera!)

I am missing not being out in the countryside, missing the elderflower and wild roses so far this year. A walk down the Farmers Locks this afternoon didn't really make up for not actually doing them.



These two cards were made for the twins Eleanor and Rebecca. They have not photographed too well, sorry. I 3/4 covered 2 yellow cards with flowered paper and stuck a yellow ribbon over the join with a bow. I then cut out 2 "twos" and their names in gold mirror card on my CraftRobo. I stuck them down with sticky pads and added a Pooh bear to each number with a pot of huny and a butterfly. The "Happy Birthday"s were peel-offs.

Buckby Top Lock

I presume we are moored at the home of the Buckby Can but I can see no references to it anywhere.
This looks like a lovely peaceful spot doesn't it? The picture isn't too clear at this resolution, but on the left is the man railway line and on the right is the M1. It is far from quiet!!

We travelled up the Braunston locks with Heron and I managed to get some lovely "home baked" bread from the shop at the bottom lock. Well worth a stop. They bake them individually so there is always a fresh loaf, well worth a visit.

But we have "stuffed up" again, or BW have this time. There are two locks in front of us which have not opened yet although they should have been on the 8th March. So we are stuck here at Buckby Wharf until tomorrow afternoon. And what is worse, the farm shop is closed too - hope it's not permanent.

Another one of my "age" cards and made just the same way as the last one.

Bascote

Bascote staircase lock. For those who don't know, a staircase is when two locks are joined together so instead of doing one lock and then travelling through a "pound" to the next, the bottom gate of the top lock is the top gate of the bottom lock. You can get 2,3,4 and 5 lock staircases - probably the most famous one is the Bingley 5 on the Leeds and Liverpool. This one is only two, and it shows Mr David moving into the bottom lock while I am filling the top one.

The weather turned wet and windy during the afternoon so we decided to spend two nights just past the top lock and near Long Ichington.

We saw on the news today that the lovely church at Radford Semele has burned down. We normally moor opposite it on our way out of or into Leamington Spa, but we didn't this time.

I did a series of "age" cards. I made the tabs on the computer and coloured them in with gel or metallic pens. I wrapped the ribbons around a piece of silver card and stuck the card onto the base card.

Leamington Spa

Slowhand and Mr David coming down the Cape locks. Most of the crews are doing something useful, Bev is just looking pretty!



We are spending our second night in Leamington due to the mis-reading of the "stoppages" list. The 2nd lock now in front of us is getting new gates and will not be open until next Friday!!!! Geoff had checked with BW before he set off as he has to get to Newbury by the end of the month and was told that it was clear all the way. So I'm not taking all the blame.












After yesterday's card for a 5 year old, I add one for a 1 year old - only one cygnet this time!! And made in the same style as yesterdays.

Budgebrooke Junct

Well, the dreaded Hatton 21 have been done and are behind us, for a couple of months, anyway. We took them slowly and only used one gate and one paddle each time as we were on our own. I have worked out that you don't push the bottom gates until you have counted up to 24 slowly after the Hannabal Lechter slurps. It's not an exact science, but it's almost there.



There were masses of violets growing in the hedgerows all the way down and the weather was just right for locking - not too hot, not too cold.


Early evening we were joined by Geoff on "Slowhand" - he is on his way to take over a marina and shop in Newbury.






A birthday card for a 5 year old? I took a picture of these five cygnets and mounted them onto purple and green card. I then added a swan's feather, a peel-off 5 and a Happy Birthday.