Trafford Centre - Bridgewater Canal

Some of the rubbish that floated past us today.  Not a pretty sight.

We had a lovely surprise today, Caroline phoned to say that they would come up from Birmingham to visit us for lunch.

So we walked to the Trafford Centre and met the family outside John Lewis and then went for lunch at Carluccio's.  It was lovely to see the gandsons again, they seem to grow up so much - even after only a couple of weeks of not seeing them.

After lunch they went off to visit their Best Man and his family who live in Sale.  Two birds with one stone as they say.

Here is a Congratulations Card which could be used for almost any contratulation.  The sentiment is matted onto a brown circle.  The stary paper has inked edges with brown ink and matted onto brown card.  This is fixed to the middle of a white card blank and the sentiment added towards the bottom.  Glass type stars were then added at randome over the front of the card and a holographic star in the centre of the star.

Flute Meadow, Br 84 - Trent and Mersey Canal

 This pretty bridge is at Salt (not the one above Middlewich).  It has really pretty stonework.

We left Rugeley around 0545 arr moored up abovb Sandon Lk around 0945, but the TV did not seem to be working so we moved on to Bridge 84 arriving around 1215.  The TV worked here for a while and then stopped again.  David has ordered a new aerial which is being sent to his sister who we will meet up with later on the trip.  Hopefully that will work.

Fortunately we have this new 3 4G Mifi gadget on board and the reception has been excellent.  In fact, much better than on our moorings in the centre of Birmingham.  So we have been able to download the TV programmes we have not been able to watch.

Congrats * Congrats.  I printed the sentiment onto the card blank using a computer then added the die-cut stars using silver holographic card.

Fazeley Junction, Coventry Canal

Now that's what I call a planter!

Yet another early start.  I do appreciate it - eventually - but I do find it hard getting up in the mornings. We got through the locks quite smoothly and then went on the the two at Glascote.  Here we managed to meet a boat coming up on both locks. 

The man who lives in the cottage at the bottom lock came out and helped with the locks.  Quite a rare occasion.  Most lock keeper cottage owners turn their backs on the canal and resent boats using the locks (the one at the top of the Lapworth flight for a start).

By the time we were coming out of the bottom lock there were 3 boats in the queue to go up, and more kept coming as we sailed down to the junction, mooring up just short of the junction itself.

I caught a bus into Tamworth for a look see and picked our first blackberries on the way back to have with our melon.  Lovely.




The digi stamp is called Mikey, I have one of him playing the guitar and another with his girlfriend, but I like this one of him standing proudly by his VW.  I have used this one as a congratulations card, congratulations on passing the test, or just getting the car.

The stamp was already coloured so I die-cut it and matted it with a red label, adding the sentiment with sticky fixers.

Bridge 66, Shropshire Union

 My we are flying.  Can't wait to get back to see the grandson!!

It was up and through Audlum before 0900, with a rude gesture when going past the wharf and a then a rest at the bottom of Adderley locks, before coming on to here.

Twenty locks today.  I'll sleep for a week.

Playing with embossing folders and ink and I came up with this.  I still can't get the colours completely even, but I'm not sure it matters too much.

The bottom white panel was edged using a Martha Stewart punch and the sentiment was done on the computer.  This was all then matted onto some dark blue card nad  blue ribbon wrapped around the join and tied in a knot.  Two pearls decorate the sentiment to finish it off.

Brentwood, Grand Union

 We left early as there was a window in the river and managed to get  to the visitor moorings at Brendford before the rain.  We moored up behind Indus a David wants to interview Liz for Canals and Rivers Magazine and she will be off later today.

I walked into Brentford and caught a bus into Kingston on Thames.  Had a shock going over Kew Bridge - the tide was out.  We only ever see the Thames at high tide here.


 Here is a link to one of the boats that did the upstream tideway in the group of boats behind us Good Friday.  Enjoy.  www.youtube.com/watch?v=327hE86TW4c




Had some interesting news today.  A friend's son is expecting a baby in November and his son is expecting a baby in October too.  So the Uncle/Aunt will be younger than the Nephew/Niece. Confused?

So here is the card.  I began with a white card blank and added a panel of blue paper which the edges deckle cut.  I stamped out the bird and coloured it with watercolour paints and matted it onto white and then silver card and stuck it towards the top of the card.  The sentiment is a silver peel-off which was stuck onto deckle edged white card and matted onto silver card.

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.

Gas Street Basin, Birmingham

 Didn't take any photos today, so here is one from the Droitwich gathering.

David was up at 0530 and we set off (well, David set off, I was still in bed).  Just after he started the heavens opened and it rained all the way back until we got out of the last (very wet inside) tunnel.

We were back on our moorings at 0915.  Don't let me do 42 locks in one day EVER AGAIN!

Another early card.  I stamped the card and coloured it in then matted it onto silver and black card.

I cut some blue paper with wavy scissors and stuck the panel onto the bottom half of a light blue card.  The topper was then fixed over the join.

The sentiment says "A little bird told me!" and I used it for a congratulations card for an expectant couple.

Gas Street

Well! The James Brindley is now dead. The boards have started going up. We have also heard rumours that The Malthouse and Bobby Brown's are also closing down. Things are really getting bad.

More snow today. Really, really getting fed up with it now.

Lots of activity around the moorings on Wednesday afternoon with graduates and families. Turns out Callum had just received his MA. David took the photo and I printed it off and made this card for him.

Gas Street

We had a day out yesterday!! Took the tram to West Bromwich to visit The Public. The town's new £36,000,000 cafe. It is a super space, supposed to have exhibitions and things, a theatre, recording studio and public spaces. But they have run out of money - so all you get is the cafe. So we had a coffee and then caught the bus back. It is all excitement in the Scowcroft family.







The front is just a big black box with wavy pink windows.


But around the back there is this fantastic silver carbuncle thingy. Absolutely fabulous.

The ground floor, which was all we could visit had a pink light display and some of the brightest yellow toilets that I have ever visited.




Walking around to the doctor's surgery yesterday I passed the ICC and there were lots of graduates outside having their photos taken before their graduation ceremony.

Made me think of this card and I made from a decoupage sheet, matting it onto yellow and black card and adding yellow and black ribbon. I faux stitched the yellow panel behind the card and added 3 black buttons.

On the Bends

Well, the weather forecast was good. They lied once again! We set off at 6.30 am and managed to get to Gargrave for water before it started turning nasty. We joined up with Utopia to do the locks up to the moors but wimped out after two.

The weather got better in the afternoon and at 4pm we set off again and got up here. The wind is fairly strong but the sun came out eventually.

Another of the graduation cards I made the other day. Home made backing paper and three mortar boards stuck down with sticky tabs and some red ribbon

Thorlby Swing Bridge

We didn't get very far yesterday - just about 2 miles actually.

We had a pump-out and bought some more diesel before we left and then the drizzle set in so we stopped just before the 4th swing bridge.

I went for my daily constitutional and found a beautiful wild rose bush with dark pink flowers. Of course, the camera

decided to die on me. That's a first. So instead I have posted a picture of the "un-veg pledged" towpath with all the beautiful wild flowers, including an orchid.

This is the result of me messing about with my new stamps. I made the backing paper on the computer using a dingbat for the cap.

The student was cut out and fixed on with sticky fixers

Skipton

We have given up on travelling to York by water.

We spent the last few days on a lovely mooring just before the swing bridge at Lower Bradley. It has rained heavily every day, though the rivers around here do not seem to be too flooded - the worst being south around Doncaster and Sheffield.

It was decided to come back to Skipton for the Sheep Day (today) and for water and shopping etc. Also Ed has to go to London on Wednesday for hospital appointments.

Before we left I took a walk down the towpath and discovered this new monument to the Polish crew of a bomber that crashed near here in 1942. It is at Hamblethorpe Swing Bridge and is the work of a few enthusiasts with lots of sponsors. BW built the monument and have included 3 items of metal recovered from the crash. The actual site of the crash is a couple of hundred yards away and there is a wooden cross there. It looked as if the plane had actually crashed in the the embankment of the canal. Must have been a headache for the linesman that day too.

Back in Skipton they were celebrating Sheep Day. The centre of the town was closed off and there was a Farmers' Market, Sideshows, Lots of sheep (of course) with sheep sheering, sheep dog demonstrations (including herding geese) and a pen with raptors and this lovely barn owl.

It has been raining hard all afternoon we booked tickets to go to York by train tomorrow.

Julia and Ed are still hoping to sail there - this may put them off.

This is the card I sent to my niece Rebecca who has just announced that she and David, her husband, are expecting a baby next year.

I must admit I took inspiration from a layout from a card I saw on one of the Splitcoast blogs I have been reading.

Pretty sprigged backing paper, lilac and purple organdy ribbons, a fabric flower with yellow flower brad, peel-off "BIG news" and rub-down "congratulations". Then three crystals on the lilac card. Can you spot the deliberate mistake though?