Litherland, Leeds and Liverpool Canal

 We moved down to Bridge 9 where we were to meet the BW men who will open the swing bridge tomorrow.  We were joined eventually by the other boats and at 3 o'clock the BW men turned up.  They were letting boats out and we could go through to Litherland and spend the night there.

So we set off in convoy - 9 boats in all.

We were able to get a pumpout at the service station in Litherland and we all breached up for the night.  The Tesco 24 hour shop is now open and right by the moorings, which is very handy.

A square, white card blank.

I cut a square of four-leaf clover paper with deckle edged scissors and matted it onto silver card.  Then a piece of velum was edged in the same way.  I made the sentiment with some peel-off letters onto more clover paper and cut out.  All three were fixed with a small clothes peg and stuck to the centre of the card, at an angle.

I cut four hearts from the clover paper and a stem and stuck them in the shape of a four-leaf clover.  This was stuck down on the bottom right hand corner.

Halsall, Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Only 3 1/2 miles today as we are lurking, waiting to go down to Liverpool.  We saw a 70ft length of brand new piling and dived in. 

We were in time to watch the Royal Wedding on the telly.

The record for the number of ducklings in one clutch:  14!! Ouch!

We were joined later by the six boats from Bridgewater Marina who are travelling down to Liverpool at the same time as we are. 

A card for the Royal Couple.

A peel-off stuck onto acetate and coloured in from the back.  The doves were done using Snopake!

I cut around the edge of the peel-off and then stuck it onto some turquoise handmade paper and then onto silver embossed card.

The whole panel was then stuck onto a turquoise card blank.

Gt Score Swing Bridge, Leeds and Liverpool Canal

The weather is still beautiful.  We must have been very, very good at some time.

We initially moored outside the Farmers Arms and had lunch there, but it is by a swing bridge and every time a vehicle went over it it banged, and anyway, the mooring wasn't that good, so we moved on the the landing mooring for this disused swing bridge.

No conscience using these moorings.  This boat was already on the one the other side.

Lots more ducklings, even coots and moorhens in abundance.

I don't often stamp on cards, I usually make a mess of it - as you can see.

I covered the top bit of a white card blank with some green and white stripy paper, adding a length of dark green ribbon with a lighter green ribbon, tied in a knot, above it, across the join.

The stamped doctor was coloured in with watercolours and matted onto silver and green card, the edges cut with perforated scissors.

Then I made up the words with individual stamps - which was fun as there are two "o"s in Good and only one in the set.  I stamped the wording with green ink.

Dean Locks, Leeds and Liverpool Canal

An eight o'clock start today (early afternoon?)  and up through Plank Lane lift bridge, arriving just at opening time.  The pumpout machine was not working and we missed the water point as it is before the bridge and the pumpout is after it.

Then up through the two Poolstock locks onto the Leeds and Liverpool proper.  A left turn and through the first Wigan lock down, past the BW offices and to the bottom lock when this sign was posted on the lock gate.

 Basically it asks us not to waste water, inferring that it is boaters to cause the lack of water by using the locks inappropriately (roughly)

 Note to BW:  This is a picture of the top gates of the lock with the notice.

Who's wasting the water?

Fix all the leaks BW and there won't be a water shortage.

Right!  Got that off my chest.

After Ell Meadow Locks (?)  There is only one.  The canal becomes very pretty, and once through Crooke relatively safe.

There were bluebells and garlic in the woods and more ducklings than you could shake a stick at.

This is one of a series of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" cards that I made some time ago.  I covered half the front of a yellow card blank with some computer generated backing paper, overlapping and wrapping it around the back of the card.  I used silver peel-off strips around the edges.

The padded sticker was fixed to some yellow card and stuck just off centre on the card and some padded flower sticks stuck in the bottom left hand corner.

Leigh Bridge, Leigh Branch, Leeds and Liverpool Canal

We sailed up to Plank Lane and winded by the new marina (so far only water and a metal fence and acres of ploughed up land) and went back into Leigh so that I could catch a bus into Manchester to try and get our mail.  Not successful I'm afraid - the Post Office didn't seem to have worked over the whole Easter weekend.  Still we had a good shop in Aldi (right by the mooring) and nearly bought a new leather recliner and some garden chairs, but decided we didn't have room.  If they are still there when we go past on the way back we will buy them then.

We are taking a chance and spending the night here by the pub as David needs to watch the football on Sky this evening.

I got some "men" backing papers a few weeks back and have used up quite a bit already.

This white card blank was half covered with chequered paper and a shiny peel-off stuck along the top join.  Two labels were threaded with red ribbon and then stuck across the join and a sentiment stuck down above it.

The "topper" car was then stuck over the bottom join of the paper.

Pennington Flash, Leigh Branch, Leeds and Liverpool Canal

We had yet another short day just moving up to Pennington Flash, a pretty spot looking down over the water just before Plank Lane lift bridge.

We can't get used to the amount of boats on the move after being on the L&L and Rochdale and seeing only one or two boats a day (if that).

I had fun using my Cuttlebug with this card.

First I used all my oval scalloped Nesties to emboss a piece of white card.  I then embossed another piece of card with the Swiss Dot folder.  I mounted both these cards onto navy blue card and stuck them onto a white card blank.

I printed off the sentiment on the computer and matted that onto navy card and then added the butterfly topper.

Bridgewater Marina, Bridgewater Canal

 David's dream 30th Birthday Party.

A short jaunt up the Bridgewater to the boatyard for diesel, then back across the canal to moor up for the day.

We both noticed today, that we have not seen much wildlife for days.  There are hardly any ducklings and I can't remember when I last saw a moorhen or a coot.





I have used a photograph of apple blossom here, mounting it onto silver card and using scissors to make a scalloped edge. Then I mounted that onto pink card.

I used a white card blank and rubbed the edges in a pink ink pad, tided a knot in some pink and white polka dot ribbon and stuck that underneath the photograph.

Trafford Centre, Bridgewater Canal

 

 I've got a new camera!!! a dinky little Cannon with lots of pixels and things + GPS (I'm sure I really need that).  The best thing was we nearly bought it here last month when we passed through - last week they brought the price down by £100.   Lucky, or what?

 We were hoping that our mail had arrived at the Post Office in central Manchester, so I went into town while David brought the boat here on his own.

The mail had not arrived, so I took a bus to the Trafford Centre and met David there.

This must be one of the most over the top shopping malls outside of Dubai.  There are lots of "Roman" statues, most semi-clothed (which David loves!)

And this gobbing fountain with "golden" mermaids.

 So in the spirit of "shopping" a girlie birthday card.  I started with a pink card blank and covered the left hand side with some pink and blue stripy patterned paper.  I covered the join with a silver peel-off.  I then added a couple of die-cut boots and handbags, adding glass flowers for decoration, plus three more in the bottom right hand corner.


 The sentiment is a peel-off.

Castlefields, Bridgewater Canal

 Guess where we are?  Yes, the place where drunken people fall into the canal and drown, so BW have to spend squillions building a wall to stop them cluttering up the canal.

We set off with Worcester at 0830 and made really good progress (last time it took us 6 hours)



We met two boats coming up and were moored up in the, very, very busy, basin at Castlefields at 1045.

WE MADE IT!!!!!!  No more locks for days.


We celebrated with lunch in Harvey Nichols.

So, Happy Easter everyone.

A cheat's card.  White card blank, stick-on flowers and butterfly and peel-off sentiment.

Piccadilly Basin, Rochdale Canal

 We were at Lock 65 for 0830, but the other boat was nowhere to be seen, so we waited 15 mins, but still no sign.  The lock keeper unlocked the gates and went off to Manchester to let the other boat come up.

We set off.  I opened the anti-vandal mechanism and lifted the box.  The lid went over the paddle gear so I had to hold the lid up with one hand and wind the windlass with the other.  Luckily I could manage with one hand.

Two locks down and I came across this one.  The anti vandal device had been jammed on and there was no way to get it off as the chain was too tight.  Then some cleaver person had come along and painted it all!

By the time we had got to the third lock the other boat had turned up so David went on to wait in the next lock - except he managed to get the boat stuck on something under the water (not difficult in Failsworth - there was so much rubbish around.

The other boat, the hire boat Worcester with three elderly American gentlemen eventually caught us up and with 2 BW guys and lots of help from the bank and after two hours, we eventually got the boat off the obstruction and were on our way again.

This is the bottom lock above our little "accident".  There is only one paddle - on the off side.  The only way to get to the off side is over the bridge and back along by the wall, except there was a locked gate!  The only way across was to tightrope over the ledge at the bottom of the bridge.

I do love it when BW look after the boater.

 We made quite good time and were soon near the bottom lock.  Here we found a new canal under construction.

I don't know if it actually joins up with the Ashton Canal, which was the original plan.

We all arrived in Piccadilly Basin at 3.30 and I collapsed into bed for a couple of hours.  David went off to find some takeaway and ended up with some Caribbean goat and chicken.  We ate that and then went to bed again.

I have not made a card, now, for over a month.  It's a good job I've got lots to spare.

This one uses the photo of two white Scotties.  I matted the picture onto silver, white and dark blue card, scalloping the outside edge.

I wrapped some blue ribbon, vertically, around the blue card base and tied it with a knot, then stuck the photo over it. 

To finish off, I added three silver dots made from silver card and a hole punch.

Henshaw Bridge, Rochdale Canal

David sat on "his" lock gate.









And Mr David in Scowcroft Lock, probably one of the scruffiest locks on the canal, but never mind, how many people have a lock named after them?

We stopped for water at the lock house at Slattock's Top Lock, the residents, Mike and Jean, are boaters and they very kindly share their water.  Mike suggested that we go past The Rose of Lancaster pub and moor up by the Boat and Horses, that way you get all the locks done and the flaky lift bridge out of the way before getting to Failsworth Lock tomorrow morning at 0830.

When we got there we couldn't get near the bank, which looked like solid concrete and there were no mooring rings - so we had to go on.  We are now moored up on the off-side of the new bit of canal where, hopefully, no-one can get at us.

This is a light blue card.  I stuck some white ribbon, with blue stitching across the top and bottom of the card, the bottom one tied with a knot.

I stuck a peel-off tulip onto some acetate and coloured the back of the "glass" then stuck it down onto white card with the edges deckle cut.  Then I matted this onto some yellow card before adding it to the card blank.

Finally, I added three glass gems to the bottom right hand corner.

Blue Pitts Middle Lock, Rochdale Canal

Through Rochdale today - yet another grotty canal scene.  Rubbish everywhere.  At least there were no cars in the two Moss locks like last time.

The Huddersfield Canal is closed again (3rd time since we decided not to chance it)  This time one side is completely de-watered.  We should have been going through the tunnel tomorrow.

Another picture from the Rochdale Canal - some lockside steps.  It is not to clear, but the steps are "hanging" and only fixed to the wall.

I matted the photo onto white and lilac card and then onto a white card blank.

Littleborough, Rochdale Canal

 We set off quite early and reached the summit lock just as 2 boats were coming down.  So we asked the lock keeper if we could go through today (we were booked for tomorrow).  He was waiting for a hire boat coming up at 11am and we could go through with them. 

So, instead of a nice easy day we ended up going down the locks to Littleborough with Sussex, the hire boat.

I was so knackered that I went to bed at 6.30 and woke up at 5.30.

This is a view from the eastern end of the summit.

This is another view from near the top.  The photographed matted onto white, purple and silver card and fixed onto a lilac card blank.  A peel-off of bull rushes is stuck down onto the bottom left hand corner of the photo.

Square Pool, Rochdale Canal

How is this for a view while doing the washing up?

A lovely sunny day, we managed 13 locks in 2 1/2 miles (I walked all the way).  So far the locks haven't been too difficult, but I did swear at a few, and hit one in frustration with the windlass.

It is so beautiful up here, but mooring is not easy.  The pounds between the locks are so small that they rise and fall almost as much as the locks, and the edges are all very shallow.

We planned to get water in Todmorden, but that didn't work Alice was spending the night there.  The goose was sitting on her nest and there was police tape all around it.

This is a lovely conversion of an old warehouse - see the card below.

The lock below our mooring here is is called Nip Square Lock and we are moored in Square Pool - neither is square.

We walked down two locks for a wonderful Turkish lunch and while we were away Alice went past, leaving the lock gates open so that when we got back to the boat it was high and dry with an alarming list.  Thanks Alice.

You won't recognise it but this is the side of the warehouse above taken the first time we came up here.  Just matted the photograph and stuck it to a white card blank.

Todmorden, Rochdale Canal

The Rochdale Canal is certainly very beautiful.  We have been travelling up a very narrow valley with steep hills on both sides.  Lovely stone cottages are dotted amongst the wooden hillsides and the sun shone all day.  Perfect.

After a very noisy night in Hebden Bridge last night (the local youths were having a party in the park) we decided to stop off just before reaching Todmorden today.  We found a lovely spot just before the town.

I walked into Todmorden (market day) and saw these ducklings with their mother.  There were actually 13 of them, so they must be newly hatched and looked the Heinz 57 varieties.

We saw only one other boat on the move, and that was a hire boat from Soweby Bridge that must have left yesterday afternoon.






I don't seem to do many stamped cards.  Too lazy I suppose.  I made this little cutie some time ago.  I is stamped onto watercolour paper and coloured with watercolours, then matted onto gold, red and white card.  I trimmed the white card with decorative scissors and the stuck the whole thing onto a blue card blank.

The sentiment is a peel-off and was matted in the same colour-way as the image.

Hebden Bridge, Rochdale Canal

 One twisty, turny tunnel on the Rochdale Canal, can't remember the name of it at the moment.

No alarms or excursions today.  David was up early and moved the boat up to the lock landing ready to get to the big Tuel Lane lock for 0830 when it opened, but just as he was moving off the new lock keeper arrived and said that we could go straight on up as there were 8 boats at the top waiting to get down.

When we arrived at Hebden Bridge there was only a couple of spare moorings - by the time we left there were 7 boats with patrol notices - ours being the only one without one.

Love Hebden Bridge, lots of lovely little shops, good food and lovely buildings.

 I made this card as a good luck in your new job card for David who have left the BBC and gone to work as a head gardener.

The bear is decoupaged.

Sowerby Bridge, Calder and Hebble Navigation

 So, what was today's accident?

We managed to flood the boat again.  The locks on the C&H are only 60ft long, so our 57 1/2 foot boat fits in fairly snugly.  Most of the locks have only one paddle in the top gate where you can use a windlass, the rest (and always the ground paddles) need a special hand spike (a long piece of wood which you use as a lever).  These are a bit of a bind, and being lazy I only used the windlass paddle (which is a gate paddle).  This particular one managed to catch the boat and fill the well again.  Oops!

The bit from Brighouse to Sowerby Bridge is very pretty, a wooded hill on one side (covered in bluebells) and the river on the other side. 

This  sentiment was chalked up on a disused lock keepers hut.  Sweet!  I feel a card coming on.

David said he did it wrote it for me last night.

So, I'd better show a romantic card then.

I covered a heart with handmade paper (with flower petals in it) which was then mounted onto some pink handmade paper.  I then added a rose and a pink bow.

This I stuck down onto a white card base, adding three oval, pink gems in the bottom right hand corner.

Kirklees Top Lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation

 It isn't getting any better.  We came back down the Huddersfield Locks and back onto the River Calder.  As we got to the first lock I noticed that the bottom paddles were all up.  Good, I thought, someone is coming down.  I got off the boat, walked up and noticed that the top paddles were also all up!!!  There was a BW work boat in the lock and the pound above it was empty.  They were working on the lock gates.

So we tied up for three hours to await the work being finished and the pound being filled.

Some good news though, a boat was coming down and they did most of the first lock for us, and of course they had left the gates open on the top lock so we could just go straight in.

We saw our first ducklings today.

There was a stoppage posted on the Internet.  On the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.  Glad we decided not to try it.

A lovely atmospheric photo of boats and a bridge.  I matted it onto silver and green card.

I cut one side of some blue card with scalloped scissors and pricked a row of dots along it before Wrapping some green ribbon around the other edge.  This I stuck to the right hand side of a white card blank.

The photo was then placed over the top of the panel and a metal photo clip stuck down on the bottom left hand corner of the photo.

I punched out some green leaves and stuck them down on the bottom of the card and then added two silk hydrangea flowers.

Huddersfield, Huddersfield Broad Canal

 What a day!  It started when we noticed that we had scrapped the paint of the bow flare messing up the sign writing.  Then we caught the front fender in the lock and broke it off (that's the third time this trip).  There was a lot of rubbish in the canal and we managed to get this mattress filling wrapped around the propeller.  It all came up through the weed hatch!   Then 5 locks up we met Hug coming down.  They had abandoned their plan to traverse the Huddersfield Narrow Canal after spending 4 hours doing 4 locks and finding the next 1 mile pound empty.

When we got into Huddersfield we phoned BW for some advice - all they would say was that the canal is open, but there is very little water in it.  So we decided to turn around and try for the Rochdale tomorrow.

The best part was that we met up with Janet, a dear friend and designer of our boat.  She took us home to see the dogs and then took us out to lunch.

I finally tried a diamond fold card.  It was surprisingly easy (after the initial mess up with the folds).

I covered the base and the front with patterned paper and then added a diamond of pink pearlescent paper on the front.  The toppers were free with one of the magazines.