Gas Street Moorings, Birmingham

Well, the ice has almost gone. This picture was taken a few days ago. Originally the chair and stool had just been thrown onto the ice, then the next night someone went out onto the ice and stood them up!

We managed to get water by using the tap in the sanitary shed, passing the hose across the lock and using lots of connections and hoses then having to set the water flowing before the hoses froze again. The proper tap has now defrosted and there doesn't seem to be any damage to the pipes.


Then at midnight, last night, the fireworks. There can't be many moorings where you can get a sight like this every New Year.

Now we have a new cruising season to look forward to. The plan is to go up to Liverpool for the boat show there, and maybe the Grand National. Then to Leeds and back in time to meet up with Wildflower for a trip down the Nene and up the Ouse and Cam. And somewhere in there, two weeks in Spain with Caroline and Curtis! And what with a new mooring, a busy year ahead.








Two cards. The last Christmas Card this winter. This one was for Bruno. I used the photographs from the other ones I made for him this year, matting them onto silver, red and blue card.

I added two pieces of red card and a blue strip for a "background" adding holographic peel-off corners and strips for some bling and a silver ribbon tied in a knot and wrapped around the blue card. The pictures were then added. To finish off I used some "merry Christmas" peel-off strips.



The second card is a "Thank You" to Hannah (Cubie). She spent hours sweeping away the snow off the pontoons. It was almost a full-time job.

I matted a piece of "winter" paper onto some silver card, wrapping some silver ribbon around it, tied in a knot, before sticking onto the white card blank. I used one of my new Nestabilities to cut out a frame in silver card and fixed the photograph of her behind it. To finish, I printed out a "Thank You" on the computer and matted that onto more silver card before adding it below the ribbon.

Gas Street Moorings, Birmingham

Still iced in. Managed to get the water tank filled today, so David got a shower. I've been using the ones in the Hyatt after my swim every day - so that saved some water.

We had our Moorers' Christmas Party on Frederick on Tuesday night. Jenny made the boat very warm and comfortable and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. It certainly didn't finish until the early hours. But without us. Getting past partying late now.

At the moment the sun is shining and the icicles are beginning to melt. Supposed to be rain on Wednesday, let's hope this cold weather will be over for good this winter.

Hope you all have a lovely Christmas and thank you for taking the time to read this blog.



And just to make you feel even colder. A Christmas card made from a photo of the boats in Gas Street Basin in the snow.

Just matted it several times, shaping the corners on the last two mats and adding a silk, gold ivy leaf in one corner and a banner in the other.

Gas Sttreet Moorings, Birmingham

We were sitting in the boat today and David suddenly caught a glimpse of a grey head going past the window.

The heron had walked down the whole length of the mooring and had obviously seen something it fancied in the water as it stood at the end for ages.

There is also a young white swan around at the moment and today it was chasing all the geese, with luck it will frighten them all away; 'cause what with the goose s***, pigeon s*** and seagull s*** around at the moment we could do with some respite.






I just adore poinsettias - even though I read today they harbour lots of bad bugs - so here are a few Christmas cars I have made.

For this one I used some woven and corrugated brown card behind a large red flower.












For this one I began with a large white card blank and covered the front in some red backing paper which I embossed with the Cuttlebug and matted onto green card. I added a a green band across the front and decorated it with gold peel-off borders and one corner. The leaves were punched from green paper and I made the name with gold peel-offs and matted it onto gold card.






With this green card I wrapped some silver edged red organza ribbon around the card and then wrapped silver string around that. Then I added the flower.















Again, I used a green card blank and added a strip of patterned paper, edging it with gold peel-offs.

The flower was stuck with a glue-Dot and I added three small gold dots to the bottom right hand corner.









For this card I used a tall white card blank and die-cut a label out of some thick patterned gold card before adding the poinsettia.

Then I added a strip of green sequin ribbon and sparkly red ric-rac across the bottom before adding the sentiment which was matted onto more of the gold card.













Using a square white card I made a strip of patterned paper to which I added a strip of gold peel-off as well.

Then the white poinsettia was added.











I matted a piece of gold card onto some stripy paper, wrapping some gold organza ribbon around it before sticking it onto a long white card. Then I added some more ribbon, and the flowers. I made the sentiment with gold peel-offs onto gold card and matted them onto stripy paper.

I edged this black and white patterned paper with black ink and stuck it onto a white card blank. I then wrapped some gold edged, red organza ribbon around the bottom. I cut a Nestability Label from gold and white card and added that over the ribbon. The leaves were punched from green paper and the poinsettia flower added with a gold brad. Finally, the sparkly red star was added.







This last card is an easel shaped card. I made a strip cut from red patterned paper, matted onto silver holographic paper and a green scalloped border on the top.

The large poinsettia was added and three red gem stars on the bottom right hand corner.








This is the inside. I made a large panel from the red patterned paper, matting it as before and then edging it with green scallop edged card.

I added a piece of white card for any salutation and a peel-off sentiment and finally a brad to the centre above the sentiment to make the card stand up.




This is a picture of the card with box that I made to go with it.

I made a green box and added a silver peel-off strip around the edge. I covered the top with silver miri card and then more green card before adding a couple of silver peel-off poinsettias in two of the corners.

Gas Street Moorings, Birmingham

Sorry about the silence. I didn't even get off the boat for 5 days except for my daily swim in the Hyatt.

Not too much snow, but we have been iced in for a few days. It rained yesterday and most of the snow melted, so we took the opportunity to sail around the Sherborne Wharf for a £9 pumpout. It is going to be cold again tonight and we will probably be frozen in again.

We got a visit from the "Head of Boating", Sally Ash regarding our mooring on Thursday. The reason for our having to move has changed from the original "The other company have a Planning Permission for our mooring" to "It is in the public good" (whatever that is - there are signs on the pontoons saying "Private". It now looks like we are going to have a pontoon built for us on the opposite side of the Worcester Bar. But when is another matter. So we have cancelled the complaints procedure (for now anyway). At least we can sleep at night again, not having to wonder what will happen to us.



I made this card for Mike, not on his boat though. I started off with a green card blank and used the Cuttlebug to emboss some white card with a snowflake folder. I cut out the aperture using a Nestabilities die and stuck the photograph behind it. I added some green ribbon towards the bottom, tucking it behind the embossed card and two green snowflakes in the top right hand corner of the photograph.

Finally, I printed out the Season's Greetings sentiment and matted it onto silver and green card before stick it to the bottom of the card.

Gas Street Moorings, Birmingham

Yesterday afternoon David heard that familiar "pop, pop, pop" and looked out to see this working boat heading towards the lock.













It was one of the BW working boat volunteer boats collecting money for BBC's Children in Need










They moored up by the Gormet Burger Bar.

The weather has been really lovely during the day, blue skies and sunshine; but frosty in the morning. Tom has sprinkled the first lot of sand and grit on the moorings to stop us all slipping.






As Christmas is coming you get two Christmas cards. (I have got that many in the folder I'll never get to show them all.)

This one is a large white square one. I wrapped some red ribbon around the bottom of the card and then added a large music cleft with shiny green holly leaves and red berries. I think it started off as a cracker ornament or for a Christmas Tree. I printed out the sentiment and name using a music font and matted them both before adding them to the card with sticky fixers.













This one is made using a light green card blank. I wrapped some sparkly tartan ribbon around the top half and then added a table decoration using glue dots. I had to make a box for this one.

Gas Street Moorings, Birmingham

Lots of yellow leaves in the cut. Shame about the rubbish. Just a few days ago Graham discovered a body floating around here.

Went swimming in the Hyatt yesterday (as I do every day) and shared the pool with Dwight Yorke and an actor from the REP and I saw the Manchester United team arriving for their match against Villa. Exciting or what?

Today Caroline came to sort out our tax returns. It only took her 3 hours (she charges £350 per hour when she is at work proper). Still, it's gone and hopefully won't come back again like the Companies House one.







A couple of New Year cards.

For this one I used my Nestability circles, squares and scallops. I printed out the date and sentiment on the computer using a font with stars inside and covered the letters and numbers with glossy accents.

They were then stuck onto the step card with silver stars wrapped with silver cord and blue star gems.




This one was made up in the same way but I made an easel card and added some yellow ribbon and some big stars.

Last Friday I attended the Hobbycrafts Exhibition at the NEC and bought some new Nestabilities. Must find some time to use them.

Gas Street, Birmingham

This picture was actually taken some time ago. It is another boat which was used during the filming. No Photographs Allowed. So I took it for devilment.

The clocks have gone back. It seems to be permanently dark and gloomy now. It just about sums up our moods at the moment.

Though last night we went to see Nigel Kennedy and the New Age Orchestra in the Symphony Call. He, and they, were terrific.



I have finally finished this year's set of cards for Amber Moon. The brief (as usual) was use the picture of the Buckby from the roof. This year I cut the pictures out with a round Nestability and edged it with a gold pen. I then cut out a scalloped circle in gold card to mat behind the photo. I made a hole in the top and threaded some gold ribbon through, tying it with a length of gold thread.

I cut out a green panel and wrapped some more gold ribbon around the bottom. The white panel is Cuttlebug embossed and the whole panel was then stuck down onto a white card blank.