Wiggins Hill Bridge, Birmingham and Fazeley Canal

Yesterday, David was interviewed again by a local radio station. Don't ask which one, we've got a bit blaze with all this (local) fame. James wanted to know whether it would be better to be on a canal in Venice, or a canal in Birmingham. Now that was a no-brainer! I'd rather be in Venice - even if the locals don't want tourists.

We decided on a mini-cruise to meet up with Ed and Julia on Wildflower to discuss France. So we set off at 0530 this morning and had a great trip down the two flights of locks. We stated with clear blue skies and nearly all the locks for us.

I suffer from vertigo - so this picture was painful to take.








We came upon this lock on the Aston Flight. Where is Health and Safety? The new wooden bollard takes up 1/3 of the narrow walkway on the of-side of the lock and the ladder takes it all up. David had to squeeze past to get to the bottom gate.

There were only 2 boats on the Aston Flight and another at Milnworth bottom lock, but by then it was 10.30, and quite a few boats have gone past since. Birmingham was very busy last night with boats on all the available moorings.

Mooring up just after the winding hole at Milnworth, I was ready for a snooze - well it was 27 locks. Later in the afternoon we had a telephone call from a lady at the BBC who wants to film on a boat for a spin-off of the Antiques Road Show. (Not sure if she meant us or the boat as antique.) So, for the second time in 2 years we have come down these locks and almost immediately turned around and gone back again. We will get off the B&F at the northern end one of these days.


Yet another Birmingham City Fan. I made the backing paper on the computer and decoupaged the badge. Using the Bend It font I typed out the name and sentiments and matted everything onto silver and blue paper.

Gas Street Basin

I finally caught up with Granny Buttons blog today and was interested to see this. No one I have asked around here seems to have any notion of this new trip boat or seen anything - so the camouflage must be really, really good.

David and I walked around to the top of Farmer's Locks (I wanted a picture of a boat coming up for a postcard - of course there were none). We did notice that the Flapper and Firkin pub and been "done up" and is now just called the Flapper. So rumours of its demise seem to be premature.

I phoned our friends on Wildflower yesterday and they told us they were thinking of taking their boat to France and would we like to join them! So looks like we might be sailing on big canals with lock keepers next year.


I made this card for a lady's 30th birthday, but it only says that on the inside - so she can display it without blushing! She liked black and white and lots of pink.

I Cuttlebugged the flowers on black card and stuck it to a large white card blank. I then added three strips of sparkly peel-off lines down the sides and at the join. The butterfly is made from pink feathers and is painted with silver sparkly paint. I finished the card off with a sparkly silver peel-off sentiment, a trail of pink glitter and some pink gems in some of the flowers.

Because the butterfly is so fragile I made a box for the card, but in reverse colours, making the lid with black card and adding a white Cuttlebugged flower. This time adding some white organza ribbon with black dots and a pink butterfly. Hope she liked it.

Gas Street Basin

The dirty deed is done. The wedding has taken place. We are free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been up to my eyes in wedding stationery for our daughter Caroline's wedding which took place yesterday.

Everything went to plan except for the weather, but it did manage to stop raining for the photographs. She was married to Curtis at Eastnor Castle in Ledbury, so we spent last night in a four poster!

Now we have got our lives back I can start blogging again - and maybe even go on another cruise. We missed the 10th anniversary of being on Mr David last week, I didn't remember until two days after the event. At some stage we had a visit from Jan and Bowman from Rivendell who we met on the Leeds and Liverpool earlier this year and he and David managed to get through half a bottle of whisky - so no-one remembers much about it.

On Friday night we accommodated an very old working boat called Spey crewed by a group of young people (calling themselves The Young Friends of Spey) - see the picture above. They repaid us with Pimms and wonderful English folk tunes (well until one of them dropped her flutey thing in the water.

IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED DO NOT READ ON ANY FURTHER

I made a Thank You card for Sidney, the owner of the Legs Eleven lap dancing club for his present of a bottle of wine. This is it.




I found the picture from the Legs Eleven Website (quite an eyeopener in itself) and made a shaker card using my new Nestabilities for cutting and embossing the frame. I added sequin flowers to cover her modesty

BUT

if you jiggle it about a bit,












All is revealed.

Gas Street Basin

Discovered when I woke up today that my husband had visited Legs Eleven (a lap-dancing club) earlier on this morning!!! He said it was about their application for a licence.

Anyway, later this afternoon we had a visit from the owner, who came bearing a bottle of wine and stayed for a beer and some craic (he is Irish). Not a bribe, surely?

David helped Alan take Crane back to his Ichnield Port Loop mooring with the new paint on one side of the boat still tacky. They must have had fun whey they stopped for diesel as the pump was on that side.

I made this card as a 65th birthday card for an American Civil War re-enactment enthusiast. I found the template on the Internet. I cut the waggon from some brown card I found on the side of a tissue box and Cuttlebugged it to give it some texture. The canopy I made with handmade paper and added brown chalk to give it definition. The wheels were ready-cut circle frames which I embossed black and added the spokes and axles. To finish it off I coiled a piece of string and fixed it to the front and added (not shown) a black peel-off 65 in the centre of the canopy. I would have liked to have hung a lantern from the front and a bucket on the back, but I couldn't find anything suitable at the time, and anyway there wasn't really any room left.

Gas Street Basin

I don't know. We bumble along for days on end with noting going on and then, suddenly, lots of things happen!

We took the train and taxi to Braunston to see the working boats and get lots of pictures and meet up with Chris Caterall of Canals and Rivers. On the way back we popped over to Centenary Square to see the Veterans' Whatever. Lots of old soldiers and young soldiers, stalls etc and a band.

As we were leaving there we saw Claire Short MP and David couldn't resist introducing himself and thanking her for her help regarding the noisy bars around here.

Then it was back to the boat to watch the Dragon Boat Races.

As we arrived back our newest moorer was just mooring up. I have not met her yet but she has a cute little yellow boat called Amy.

It was such a lovely afternoon that we were all sat out when we noticed a young Asian couple on the balcony of the defunct James Brindley pub. They kept us entertained for about 45 minutes as we watched his bum going up and down!!! You have to admire their stamina, even if her father would probably kill her if he found out.


Now for something more mundane. Sorry! A card with a picture of President. I have just made 12 - all different, though some of the photos are the same.

This one has a red panel which I Cuttlebugged. The picture is matted onto red and black card and I added three silver dots to the bottom right hand corner.

Gas Street Basin

Apart from the noisy bars at night, and the even noisier drunks, it has been relatively quiet around here recently.

The filming continues in Bridge Street but it doesn't affect us in any way.

There are lots of boats around and most of the moorings seem to be filled by late afternoon.

BW and their signs again - there are going to be dragon boat races on 27th July. Today is the 15th and they have put the mooring restriction signs up on the bollards opposite the ICC. What is the betting that most of them will not be there when they are needed on the 26th-27th?

Had a visit from a young lad last week, needing a get well card for his mother who has just been diagnosed with cancer for the 2nd time. Hope this is what he was wanting.

I cuttlebuged the yellow card and wrapped the lilac, beaded ribbon around the bottom. I printed off the name and sentiment and matted them onto silver, yellow and lilac card. I then added the flowers, feather and bows adding three green gems to finish it off. David thinks it's go***ing. But it's not for him.

Gas Street Basin

I have been a big negligent with the blog lately. I do apologise. I am blaming the computers. Photos have gone missing - or at least I can't find them which is probably not the same thing. Anyway the big computer has now gone down - so who knows what we've lost now.

Anyway - to summarise. We were on the telly last Wednesday on ITV Central's local news. Just a quick shot of the boat and us being interviewed. At least one other person saw it!!!

For the last couple of days the BBC have been filming a sequence from the new series of "Survivors". They are using the old ATV studios behind us, which are being demolished. Seems a bit ironic really.



Had a phone call this morning from someone wanting a card made. Doesn't happen very often. Anyway he had seen one of a sunflower on the blog and wanted one like that and of course I don't have any of those left.

I had to colour a white flower with orange, yellow and brown ink. Then I covered a large brad with glitter to fix the flower together.

Starting with a large white card blank, I made a panel of handmade paper with gold dots embossed on it, gold paper and brown card which I cut with decorative scissors. A brown ribbon was tied in a bow and fixed around the panel and I added a pin with some beads to keep it tied. I used gold peel-offs on brown card which I matted onto gold paper. Finally, I added three yellow gems.

He's due at 9 tonight to pick it up. So I hope he likes it.