All Oaks Wood (Between bridges 34 & 35) - Upper Oxford Canal

How is he going to get that facing this way to go through the lock?

Summer is definitely over.  We awoke to a misty, cold, grey morning.  We were through the stop lock  just after 7am.

Ansty was its usual unfriendly village of the year. Lots of signs saying no moorings along the village embankment.

We were hoping for a pumpout and diesel from Rose Narrowboats at Stretton Stop, but they were tono busy to help us out.  Their loss.

We are now moored up on the end of a long line of piling which is full of boats and it is raining.

One for a gardener?  The backing paper was matted onto green card and string wrapped around it tied in a knot.  The topper and mat were made using a die-cut label die and fixed using dimensionals over the string.

Three clear gems were added to the top right hand corner.

Hawkesbury Junction (Sutton Stop) - Coventry Canal

On the Monday before we set off, I took our prescriptions to the doctors for signature.  Normally they are signed and sent electronically to Boots for pick up.

I phoned Boots on Saturday and they had not recieved our scripts, so a quick trip back to Birmingham on the bus to pick them up would be a waste of time.

So, today we got up early, ordered a taxi to Coventry railway station, took the train back into Birmingham and were at the surgery for their opening at 0800.  "Yes", they had our prescriptions, "But they need to be signed. Come back at 1230 when the doctor has seen all his patients."

 Not happy bunnies to put it mildly.  So we went back to our empty mooring, checked the mail and went for a swim in the Hyatt hotel.

Back at the surgery for 1030 and a wait for the doctor to finish his surgery - he was an hour over time, so EVENTUALLY at 1.30 we got the scripts and then had to wait another 15 minutes at the chemists to get all the pills.

Then back to the station, a train to Coventry and another taxi back to the boat.  Only cost us £30 in taxis and £16.00 for the train.  We are changing our doctors as soon as we get back.

A pretty little card just using an embossed white card panel with some lilac ribbon tied around it tied with a knot.  The topper is added with demensionals, the computer generated sentiment is also fixed with dimensionals and two lilac gems are stuck to the top right hand corner.

Hawkesbury Junction (Sutton Stop) - Coventry Canal

We left at 0630, it was misty and cold until the sun came through.  I got a bit of a lie in and then managed to get some washing done.

Atherstone locks were all for us. We met a couple of boats on their way down.  Why do people you meet at locks tell you that the locks behind them are all for you now?  It's fairly obvious if that is where they have come from and not only that, they already were for us before they came down them anyway.

Some of the lock beams were in a sorry state, this one had the handle hanging by a thread.

There were vlockies at the top lock who helped us through and several boxes of books for swaps.  I chose 3 and put them on the settee in the boat.  Then I left the boat to go to the shop by the bridge for the newspaper and met David at the moorings.  We set off and he said: "I left the books at the book swap"! 

We got to Hawkesbury at 10am, managed to find a mooring before the junction and settled in for the rest of the day.  David being bored becase he didn't have a book to read.

Three "French Girl" cards, all using the same pre-coloured digi-stamp.  Anything not to have to colour in.

This one has red, white and blue stripy paper at the bottom, matted onto silver card.  The topper is matted onto a blue scallop oval and a die-cut sprig and roses added to the side.
Three gems finish it off.

 This one has navy, blue and white stripy paper.  The edges are sponged with dark blue ink.

The oval topper has also been sponged with ink and a red ribbon and bow is wrapped around the stripy paper.  A red carnation and leaf sprig is added to the bottom right hand corner and three red gems in the top left and corner.

The last one of this set (I have made about 10 using this stamp) has the red, white and blue backing paper with red ribbon tied around the bottom.

The topper has a red border and lots of flowers and leaves are added around it.

Red gems finish off the card.

Railway Bridge, Polesworth - Coventry Canal

 We left at 0615, both Glascote locks were for us and working well.  I had to wait for the Co-op at the top to open at 0700 for a newspaper - too early for the freshly baked rolls and pastries though!

Moored up at 0845 just past Polesworth and I walked back into the village to post the card below.

Still lots of lovely sunshine and some blossoms left on the trees.

I needed to make a card for a fellow moorer who's sister is expecting.  This is almost a  steal from a card I found on the internet.  Of course, I could not find my new watercolour pencils so I had to use ordinary ones, still it isn't too bad.

I die cut the circle topper and a larger one in kraft card and stuck them onto the kraft card base.  For the inside I

made the sentimen on the computer and cut it out with two circle dies.

Fazeley - Coventry Canal

We left at 0700, had no problems with the locks, except that they were all against us and we reachedthe junction at 1115.

Initially we moored just past the junction and I went to the Tesco's for a paper etc but then moved on to the pilings after the last bridge.  As we arrived there was a woman by her boat   cutting the grass with a pair of scissors!  We should have moved on then but began to moor up just past her boat.  She then started shouting uninteligently and singing Camptown Races at the top of her voice and laughing manically.

We just ignored her and she eventually went quiet.

Lovely Chinese takeaway for tea.


 Some time ago I made some cards for a shop in Edinburgh.  This is a retirement card.  Thought the golfing bear in tartan might be appropriate.

The topper was matted onto red card, as was the computer generated sentiment and then fixed to awhite card blank with dimentionals.

Wiggins Hill Bridge - Birmingham and Fazeley Canal

I was going to use this cruise to catch up with this blog but I cannot find the notes.  The boat is 57ft long and 6ft 10ins wide.  Where it has gone is anyone's guess.  So here goes.  I will try and catch up when I find them.

 The mist was all around as we left the Basin at 0645 and there was a cruel wind.  Farmers Locks were all for us but as I crossed the first lock gate to do the paddle on the other side my knees complained so after that we only did one gate paddle

The sun did try to come out, but not very successfully.

We had vlockie help with several locks going down the Aston flight but the fun began at Milnworth top lock.  Firstly I got off the boat at the front but my windlass was on the back, so David threw onto the towpath for me.  It bounced onto the towpath and bounced again and then bounced straight into the canal.  We tied up, got out the magnet and fished it out.

The locks were for us (great), but top lock gate was jammed and I could not open it without help (bad).  David had to moor up the boat and come and help me budge the gate open.  Then getting the boat into the lock proved a problem - it tried to go in sideways, bouncing from side.

Finally, after 6 1/2 hours we moored up here, just outside Milnworth and before the pub .  Lovely and tranquill, Spring is springing, the bluebells are out and I got my first lungful of the beautiful scent of mayflowers.  Also I've had a couple of hours sleep!

So, starting off 3 different cards using the same photograph.  This time it's Cambrian Wharf

The first one is just a plain photograph matted onto silver card and then onto the white card blank.

For the second one I cut it into lots of rectangles and then put it together using sticky dimensional pads, raising it up in the centre so it has a sort of 3D effect.

And for the 3rd one, I did the same thing, except the rectangles and arranged the other way around.