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.

Adlington - Leeds and Liverpool Canal

We picked up a passenger at Haigh Hall!

We moved up to Adlington where we arranged to meet David's sister and her son for lunch.

Then it was just a quiet afternoon, resting after yesterday's toils.

Anenomies are one of my favourite flowers, I love the deep, vibrant colours.  This lilac one is a favourite of mine.

I used a piece of backing paper which I was experimenting with.  I have no idea what I did but it had a sort of translucent look where the colours were.  Anyway, I matted it onto some lilac patterned paper and wrapped a lilac ribbon around it.  Then I added the flower, a bow and two lilac gems. 

Haigh Hall - Leeds and Liverpool Canal

There were 5 boats waiting to go up the locks when they opened at 8 o'clock.  We managed to be one of the first with a couple we had arranged to travel with via the Wigan Flight Crew Facebook page.  (Well worth looking into if you are traversing these locks, it can match you up with other boats and the volunteers know who is needing help.)

Well we set off and got to the middleish bit where the boats on the previous afternoon had to spend the night, to discover that there was no water in one of the pounds above and we had to wait about an hour for the water to be stabilised.

Meanwhile David discovered the insides of a duvet around the prop which took him and the man in the boat behind quite a while to removed. He had a Prop Mate which was a kind of long hook with a round handle.  It was definitely the right tool for this particular problem.

So by now we were having to empty the locks first.  We did meet Ariandare on the way down though, but that was only for 1 lock.

The volunteers were excellent, they all worked very hard and it made a difficult journey almost a breeze.  I still ached all over by the top.

There is a metal structure at the top lock to keep the doors from collapsing (or something) and in the joint this wagtail had made a nest.  She kept popping back with food for the brood inside.



We arrived at the top of the locks at a quarter past one and went on to Haigh Hall for the night.  My, the trees have grown.  You used to be able to see right across to Preston previously.

I cheated slightly with card, the house and sign are bought toppers!  I diecut the pink patterned paper and the green one (which is dry embossed) and fixeed them to a white panel, matted onto orange and green card and then onto a white card blank.

Bottom of Wigan Flight - Leeds and Liverpool Canal

We got to the bottom of Poolstock Locks at a quarter to seven to be met with this site.  Apparently someone unscrewed the collar of the lock gate and threw it away yesterday afternoon.  The CRT team arrived this morning, found the collar and were able to fix it. 

At noon we were able to set off, but not before there was this queue for the locks.

Once through the locks we turned right at the junction and moored up ready for the Wigan Flight tomorrow.

I used some pretty handmade paper for this card.  I used a wet paintbrush to make a general rectangle shape the size I wanted and wetted the paper.  It is then soft enough to tear apart.  When dry I stuck it down onto a white card blank and added the pink daisies, green leaves, a pink ribbon and the "thank you" banner.

Dover Lock - Leigh Branch, Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Some people are really unbelievable.  What a mess.

An uneventful day, we were hoping one of David's sisters would have met us at Dover Lock but she couldn't make it.

It is the first time we have been here when there have been no boats moored up.  We had the whole place to ourselves all day.

Maybe the closure of the pub has got something to do with it!


Where do I start?  I dry embossed a  white card panel and stuck it onto the bottom of a larger orange piece of card, brown/orange/yellow/white stripy card was added above and a strip of orange lacy card covers the join.  Orange and white butchers twin is wrapped around this and tied in a bow.

The sentiment is printed out and added to the top of the card with dimensional foam stickies and the whole panel is fixed onto a white card blank.

Trafford Centre - Bridgewater Canal

Some of the rubbish that floated past us today.  Not a pretty sight.

We had a lovely surprise today, Caroline phoned to say that they would come up from Birmingham to visit us for lunch.

So we walked to the Trafford Centre and met the family outside John Lewis and then went for lunch at Carluccio's.  It was lovely to see the gandsons again, they seem to grow up so much - even after only a couple of weeks of not seeing them.

After lunch they went off to visit their Best Man and his family who live in Sale.  Two birds with one stone as they say.

Here is a Congratulations Card which could be used for almost any contratulation.  The sentiment is matted onto a brown circle.  The stary paper has inked edges with brown ink and matted onto brown card.  This is fixed to the middle of a white card blank and the sentiment added towards the bottom.  Glass type stars were then added at randome over the front of the card and a holographic star in the centre of the star.

Trafford Centre - Bridgewater Canal

The long mile at Sale and the usual scullers.  This couple were novices and ended up in the bank when they panicked an saw us.

Apart from that an uneventual trip to the Trafford Centre.  I got the bus into Manchester for a bit of retail therapy and David had a rest.

Lots of signs on the Bridgewater telling the towpath users what they can and should not do.  As usual there is dock shit on the towpath, cyclists pushing their way through pedestrians and the odd motorised bicycle.  Didn't see any swimmers or horses though.

This type of card is called a "card in a box".  It actually folds flat to go into a regular envelope and when it is taken out it "pops" up.

This one has lots of golden (brass?) die-cut musical instruments.  The blue panels fixed to the sides were dry embossed with a musical score and dark blue ink rubbed over the embossed parts.

Ye Olde No 3 - Bridgewater Canal

The Bridgewater Canal looking charming in the spring sunlight.

After the usual early start we stopped in Lymm for shopping before 9 o'clock.  We then moved on to Ye Olde No 3 where we planned to stay but there was only room on the water point, so we got some water and then worked it out that if  shuffled up a bit we could moor on the edge of the water point.

Don't think we got in anyone's way.

This was a commission card, but the commissioner never came back to pick it up.  I got the images from the internet (Jacob was a massive Transformers fan) and matted it onto gold, red and green card and fixed it to a white card blank.  The name was done on the computer and the age number is a peel-off, both were matted and then added with dimensional sticky pads.

Moore - Bridgewater Canal

Bluebells!!  What can I say?  Wonderful.

A family reunion day today.  First of all one of David's nephews came to pick us up to take us to Runcorn to see David's eldest brother and his wife (who has just fallen down the stairs and broken a hip and a wrist).

She is doing remarkably well as she is almost 80 but determined not to let it hinder her in any way.

Later on another one of his nieces (there are 8 in this particular family) and her husband met us in the Red Lyon for supper and lots of laughs and reminiscences.  Later they came back to the boat for a nightcap before walking back home.

This lovely little chap with a butterfly about to land on it's nose is matted onto dark and then light brown card with the corners rounded off.  Brown gingham card was wrapped around a panel of pink card (again with the corners rounded) and fixed onto a white card blank.  To finish it off I added 3 pink pearl gems to the bottom right hand corner.

Moore - Bridgewater Canal

Forget-me-nots on the bank.  Lovely.

We were up at dawn's crack (yet again) and through all the tunnels by 8 o'clock and sharing Preston Brook tunnel with a duck who paddled on before us, quicking furiously.

There was a boat already moored up by Moore Post Office so we used the one spare ring put a pin in for the back rope.  Later this boat moved and we were able to move up and moor on the rings at Moore.

I took the opportunity to catch a bus into Warrington and then another from there into Liverpool.  I wanted to see the Chinese Terracotta Army but would have had to have waited until 3.30 pm before I could get in.  So, after a wander around the shops I caught the train back to Warrington and then the bus back to Moore.  It is such a handy service a bus goes past the mooring every 1/2 hour.

One of my Big Wishes card (I think I made about 4).  A jolly lady with her jolly ginger cat.  I cut them out and stuck them onto a blue background with dimensional stickers.  The edge of the card has been edged with dark blue ink, as has the blue dotty paper behind it.  The whole panel was then added to the white card blank.

Anderton - Trent & Mersey Canal

Today we visited the breech at Middlwich.  You can see what the locals feel about donating towards it's repair!

We were off very early again and were at King's Lock Middlewich for 0745.  We walked up to see the breech, which is pretty spectacular.  I can't find the pictures at the moment, but will update when the come to light.

After buying diesel from a very unhelpful and uninterested member of staff at the chandlry below the lock we carried on down into Middlewich, stopping off to go to Tesco to stock up and then set off again.

Arriving at Anderton we filled the water tank up and then moored on the first visitor mooring for a well earned rest after yet another long, arduous day.  (And we said we would take it really slowly this year!!!)

How about a bit of seaside?  I just matted this picture onto silver card and then onto the white card base, adding the sentiment which was also matted with silver card.

Wheelock - Trent & Mersey Canal

Still coming down the Cheshire Locks (Heartbreak Hill).  Today we got as far as Wheelock.  This time doing 14 locks in 3 1/2 miles and taking 3 hours.  I feel like a rag doll.  I was promised a pub lunch but it never materialsed (again!)

Still, the weather has been good to us and this is the beautiful sunrise this morning.

I love this picture, it was taken outside the Bishop of York's palace on the River Ouse just outside York.

The moorhen is sat on her nest inside a tyre fender.  This time I used the picture I matted it onto silver, black, pink and then more black card before adding it to a pink card base.

The sentiment I made using a computer and matted that also onto pink and black card.

Rode Heath, Trent & Mersey Canal

The ferns growing on the lock wall were all spread out and looked like stars, very pretty.

We were up and off by 6.30 and then waited 1/2 hr for the tunnel to open at 0800, we were in it by 5 mins past and out again by 40 mins past.  Coming down Heartbreak Hill we met a nasty single hander who complained when I tried to help him and then started shouting and swearing at me, then he had a go at David when he came to my defence.  We just let him get on with it in the end and left him to it. Meanwhile there was a queue of boats waiting to come down.

Today we did 6 miles and 12 locks in 3 3/4 hrs - no wonder they call it Heartbreak Hill.  

Saw a kingfisher today, a very rare sight 

One of my waterways themed cards.  On this one I matted the photograph onto holographic silver card and light blue card.  I created a banner to go behind with patterned paper and plain blue card and added a 3D butterfly to finish it off.

Westport Lake - Trent and Mersey Canal

This boat looks wider than a narrowboat, or is it just an optical illusion.

We set off around 0530 and did the horrid Stoke Locks.  As usual the top lock was the worst, very stiff and awkward.  Why are the locks closest the the CRT maintainance yards always the worst.

By now it was raining hard so we moored up by Westport Lake around 0900.




This is a simple card made with some pretty gold foiled card.  I wrapped a piece of gold ribbon through a die-cut buckle and fixed it to the back of the panel and stuck that onto a white card blank.  The sentiment was made on the computer and the numbers were die-cut in glitter card.

Barlaston - Trent and Mersey Canal

 We left around 0454!! David couldn't sleep.  So we were in Stone by 0645.  I left David filling the water tank and walked to  Morrisons for milk, bread and a paper etc.  By the time I got back he was in Star lock and beginning to fill it.

One or two of the locks were a bit iffy.  I decided not to try and walk across this one.





 I always love going past this back garden.

We were moored up at Barlaston 0945 and then had a great lunch at The Plumes





All the locks on the T&M have a little bridge over the bottom lock which makes it easy to get around the locks, unfortunately when the gates are open they close off the bridge and you have to clamber over the lock beam.

They are pretty though, and this card was made using a picture of one.  The picture was matted onto white and green card and fixed to a white card blank then several colourful butterflies were added as decoration.