Gas Street

Who says you can't have an allotment on a boat?

Funny old week. A visit from our local policeman to discuss the anti-social behaviour in the area - we took him out for a cruise around the "bay" - he'd not been on a narrowboat before.

A pumpout on Tuesday.

On Wednesday my hairdresser said he had recommended me to a friend with a beauty shop and she was interested in 500 Christmas Cards. Fortunately? she has not got back to me yet.

Thursday I went to the Hobbycraft Exhibition at the NEC and managed not to spend all my profits for this year.

And finally today - I have made over 100 reindeer for cards and David is cooking our dinner.




Two more Christmas Cards:

1. A strip of paper, cut out stuck down the left hand side of the card, a fabric poinsettia (from Lakeland) stuck to the top right hand corner and a holographic peel-off in the right bottom corner.

2. More paper stuck just over half of the left side of the card with a gold peel-off strip to cover the join. A gold holographic snowflake corner peel-off in the top right corner and a felt-type reindeer in the bottom right corner.



It's a shame that the couple I made these 30 cards from have now split up - I don't know who inherited the cards though!!

Gas Street

Down in the land of Mawdor. Under the BT tower, Farmers Locks, Birmingham and Fazeley canal - with a lot of extra light courtesy Paintshop Pro. A horrid, dark, smelly place.

Sorry, not been blogging much lately - no real excuse but I have had a cold!

Life on the mooring goes on

David finished painting and re-sanding the gunnel on the other side of the boat so that we are very smart and are just awaiting the signwriter to re-do the coachwork.

Oh! and our cruise to Rio for the Carnival has been cancelled so we won't be joining our daughter there in February.

Two more Christmas cards:

Stripy card and a Merry Christmas banner taken from old cards, holly peel-offs and a sprig of holly and organdy bow probably removed from a cracker at some time!

The other one is made from a strip of paper stuck down the left hand side, and two gold-card baubles with ribbons attached.

I have begun the 500 card order for my hairdresser, but he had good/bad news when I got may hair done last Tuesday - he wants 200 more!!!

Gas Street

We had our flu jabs on Monday and for once it didn't hurt - I found out why next day when I got the cold!!

Caroline telephoned from Bolivia and we had a long talk. The joys of the Internet.

I love looking at boat names and wondering how their names came about. This one must tell a story.


Thought I'd give you a rest from Christmas cards as I've just finished another 40 cards - all different and different from the previous 30 which were for this customer's mother!!

This card was for a 4th anniversary and I had great fun going to town on it. Though it was not all my art work I did copy the idea and colour scheme.

Gas Street

We are back from Lisbon - what a great little city. Friendly, English-speaking people, great little trams, lots of lovely food and the sun shone all the time. We had an apartment in the old part in Alfama - it was like a cave and we could see the river Tagus from the front door. It was only a short walk from the No 28 tram which is the "tourist" tram and went into the centre of the city.

A pretty picture of the BCN from the bridge looking towards the Gas Street tunnel taken in the summer.

This card was made with backing paper (green holly leaves) stuck to the top half of the card blank and a green and gold ribbon stuck along the join. The "topper" was made from a plastic tree matted onto gold, white corugated, green and gold card - a green tree shaped brad was fixed to the bottom right hand corner.

And this one was made with stripy paper stuck along the right side of the paper and a wavy line cut with shaped scissors. A peel-off border was stuck down the left side of the paper. A cardboard star with a wire tail was fixed onto the left side of the card. (The star was taken from an old card that I pulled apart!)

Gas Street

My last post before we go off to Lisbon. Getting excited. We have never been to Portugal before and we have just found out that our friends Janet and Kevin will also be there for the same time.



What are all these signs about? They have sprung up all along the towpaths in the centre of Birmingham




What do they mean? Who are the designed for? Surely anyone who is commuting along the towpath or jogging or whatever already knows about it so you don't need a sign to tell them.

And why keep advertising to people to use the towpaths anyway - they don't support BW in any way financially. Haven't seen the Cycle Race Track sign yet though!!!

Two more Christmas Cards. These two were both made from recycled cards from last year.

One mounted onto silver and red card with a silver ribbon and bow and a holly border (also taken from a re-used card)

The robin one was just mounted on red card with two silver peel-off corners.

Gas Street

We've been having trouble with the Internet for the past couple of weeks. We are in the very centre of Birmingham and cannot get the broadband connection - just the G2 which is slow and flaky.

Life has been going on apace.

There are lots of strange signs popping up along the towpath (pictures next time) which BW have paid a fortune for. The are of no use to anyone and just litter the place.

We had a moorers gathering yesterday, lots to drink !

David and I are off to Lisbon on Monday for five days - so I don't think I'll be blogging for a few days.

I have just had another order for 40 cards from the daughter of the couple who ordered this lot. So I have lots of work to get on with.

This one was made from blue paper with small white stars mounted onto red mirror card and silver card. White ribbon and a bow, a chipboard Christmas tree and three red stars.

And this one was stamped and embossed with copper embossing powder, then mounted on silver, green and silver card. The green card was cut with deckle edged scissors. Green ribbon was wound around two corners and a bow stuck to the top one. The right had side of the front of the card was also cut with deckle scissors and some red crinkly, shiny paper stuck down the right side of the inside back of the card.

Gas Street

We are just back from our moorers meeting with British Waterways. Lots of platitudes and explanations - but they will just go their own sweet way as before and whip us again, and again. They say they listen to what we are saying, but for some reason they do the opposite.

A trip around the "bay" for Calthrop - off to get their pumpout at the appropriate sanitary station.

I got the order for 500 cards for my hairdressers!! Lots of work for me now.

This card was made from one of last year's cards sent to me. I mounted it onto gold card then white card which I trimmed with decorative scissors, then I mounted it on starry blue paper and more gold card. Gold cord was wrapped around the card under the topper and three gold peeloff stars stuck on the left hand side.