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.

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. 

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.

Gas Street Basin, BCN

 Well, the New Year's resolution didn't last long did it?  Will try and catch up while we are away.

The plan, which is changing daily is to do the Huddersfield Narrow, and after 5 attempts we find out today that the Marple locks will be out of use until 24 May, so we are going to try and go the other way around and do Liverpool first, then go over the Pennines on the Leeds and Liverpool and come back over the Huddersfield Narrow.  But as they day, great plans.....


We will be leaving Birmingham in glorious weather, the pub has been absolutely rammed while the sun is shining and it can get a bit noisy with drinkers, especially when they realise that the gate has been shut at 2100.  I am looking forward to some quiet nights out in the country.

We will miss this boat being raised, probably some time next week.  It has really settled down into the silt now so it will be interesting to see how they do it.

I was allowed to go to town on this card!!

Lots of sparkle, lacy doilie, silk flowers , die-cut leaves and a bow.

It is for Elsie's first birthday, but you probably guessed that.

Wootton Rivers, Kennet and Avon Canal

Left at 0545 and arrived at Wootton Rivers at

0845.  Just as we arrived at the lock before the moorings the grass cutters arrived. 

We moored up and when they got near loosened the boat so that we did not get covered in grass cuttings.  They were very good and used a blower to get rid of any stray bits of grass.  When they had finished we tied up again.

Unfortunately, about an hour later they came back and the man with the big lawnmower flew past and blew up all the cut blades along the side of the boat.  Can't win!

Occasionally a card making magazine gives out free cards to make.  I made this one using one of these.  It is a heart shaped easel card.

Devizes, Kennet and Avon Canal

 Slipped out of Honeystreet before 6 and the revellers were still in bed.  It was a beautiful sunny day, but with a sharp wind.  Under the Alton Barnes White Horse, through All Cannings (missing the new long barrow where we are going to have our ashes laid), missed the floating debris and arrived in Devizes before 9.

At 1010 I was on a bus to Salisbury for a nostalgia trip (I was born there) and David was going to change the oil in the engine.  (He couldn't, cos he couldn't find the hose and the funnel!!)

I quite like two tone cards (well 3 if you count the sentiment).  The sentiment was made using a computer, I made a space in Happy for the flower.  It was matted onto yellow card.  The larger panel was dry embossed in the Cuttlebug and matted onto more yellow card.  Some yellow ribbon was wrapped around the bottom and a bow added.  The whole panel was then added to a white card blank.

Wallingford, River Thames

 We were off at a quarter to eight and got all the way to Culham Lock before we found a lock keeper on duty so we could pay for a two day licence for the Thames.  The Thames are so easy to use now that they are electrified and we are allowed to use them out of hours.  Mind you, we had to wait for half an hour at Sandford Lock as a hire boat had just come out and for some reason the lock would not open again.  David had to phone up the emergency number.

The moorings at Oxford were rammed and there were one or two scullers on the water.

I love this barge.

Lots of work being done on the willow trees, this stretch looked quite bare.

There were our first swallows, kites, ducks, geese (the proper ones) greebes and most other waterfowl on the water.


We arrived in Wallingford around 3 o'clock and moored up on the left by the swimming pool.  There would have been room on the town side if the gin palaces had moored more considerately.

One happy birthday card.

Napton Bridge, Oxford Canal

 A bank of primroses by one of the locks.

A fairly uneventful day, met a hireboat for the last 3 locks at Calcutt and followed then onto the Oxford.  They turned off at the boatyard and we moored up by the pub.  Yet another one that looked quite dead.

I walked into Napton on the Hill to the shop/cafe/post office to get some supplies.  Perhaps a bit to far via the lock, but the shop at the lock was not open!

For this card I matted a piece of decorative paper onto pink card and then fixed it to the front of a white card blank.  I die cut a circle of the paper and matted that onto a circle of the pink card and added a smaller green circle and white circle with the sentiment stamped onto it.  Three gems and a bow were added for decoration.

Railway Bridge, Stratford on Avon Canal

 Our last view of the James Brindley having it's makeover.  It should be almost finished by the time we get back.

This year's cruise is, hopefully, down to Devizes on the Kennet and Avon Canal.

We set off early-ish and were moored up just before 1pm.

The Stratford on Avon canal is so shallow that we were scraping along the bottom in places, even though we were in the middle of the canal.

It's that time of the year again.  Blossom is blossoming everywhere.  To here are 3 cards I have made from photographs.

Spon Lane Junction, BCN

It doesn't really show in the picture, but you can just see Mr David on the canal as seen from the bridge at Wolverhampton Rail Station.  It's the little blue dot on the left of the railway signal.

We were on our way to Birmingham for David to get his tooth seen to.

Back from Birmingham at 1130, we set off and got to Spon Lane Junction at 4.15 and decided to make it a day, so we moored up on the off side of the lock landing.

Now for a Mother's Day Card.  Now should it be Mother's or Mothers'?

I began with a lilac card base and then embossed a piece of white card where the embossing folder had blue ink spread over one side so that it partially inked the white card.  This then had some lilac ribbon and some fancy ribbon wound around the card and stuck it onto the card base.  Then I added a bunch of silk violets, wrapped in a gauzy ribbon and a computer generated sentiment.

Wenbury Church, Llangollen Canal

 

 Left at dawn, again and stopped to buy coal at a boatyard. 

There was a half hour wait at Grindley locks while the volockies brought 2 boats up and then had to get the water levels right for us to go down. 

Saw a kingfisher today too.

We arrived at Wenbury at half past one and later had dinner in the Dusty Miller.

A couple of interesting trees that I saw from a lock today.

I love pansies, these are decoupaged.  The base card is white and I embossed some light blue paper with my Cuttlebug.  Then two lengths of blue ribbon was tied around it and tied in knots.  The flowers were placed onto a white embossed oval, then a navy blue one and finally a scallop edged white one.

To finish off three light blue pearls were added to the bottom left and corner.

New Marton Br W12, Llangollen Canal

 A fairly uneventful day, we were off at 7 and moored up above the two locks (and past the water points!) by 1015.  I was absolutely knackered after the 6 Grindley Brook locks and 2 lift bridges.  I had gone to bed at 8 the night before, and I had another couple of hours when we moored up!  Must be getting old.

The cyclamen are growing wild in the garden of the lock cottage, they so remind me of Cyprus where they really did grow wild out on the Panhandle, along with the wild donkeys.

I made the embossed panel for this card using vellum paper, it is kind of translucent but where it is embossed it is white.  It is difficult to stick down though as glue shows through, so I made the panel longer than the blue card and wrapped it around and stuck it on the back.

The blue panel was then fixed to the white card blank and some ivy leaves were die cut from green card and two pink blossoms were added to the front of the card.

Radford Semele, Grand Union Canal

Saturday morning at Kate Boats, must be changeover day!

We finished of the last of the Hatton flight by a quarter to 10, stopped for water at The Cape of Good Hope and then went shopping in Tescos before mooring up here in Radford, one of our favourite moorings.  Ready to start the locks up hill to Napton tomorrow.

Lots of boats about, but then it is the school holidays.

There are lots of poppies around.  So here is a poppy card.

The papers are from a cardmaking magazine, matted onto black card and then onto a white card blank. 

I finished off with 4 clear gems.

Bridge 7 - Middlewich Branch, Shropshire Union Canal

A heron just flying off.

Set off at 6.30 and moored up at 8.00.  Just 4 1/2 miles.










The pots of herbs.  Die-cut and matted with a die-cut scalloped oval.  The patterned paper has the edges inked and then fixed to a pink card base.  Lilac gems were added to the corners.

Rode Heath, Trent and Mersey Canal

 Sunrise by Church Lawton.  A quick run into Rode Heath, just 1 1/4 miles and 6 locks.

I took the bus into Nantwich for a bit of retail therapy.   It was fun criss crossing the canal on the way there and back.

A white card blank, red dotty paper, strawberry backing paper, a tag made with die-cut ovals, some flowers and a red gingham bow.

Church Lawton, Trent and Mersey Canal

 Now, that's what you call a shed!

We slipped out of the Red Bull moorings in the mist, did three locks down to the Services station for a pumpout and more water.

Then it was down another three locks and found a lovely spot not far from the Church.

We got here about 0830 and I went back to bed and slept for three hours!

Saw my first swallow today.  Summer is here!

The label said buddlia, but I think its lilac.  Anyway, I die-cut the fancy label from white card and stuck it onto some lilac card and wrapped some green ribbon around it. Then it was stuck onto a white card blank.

The topper was added using sticky-fixers and lilac gems were added for decoration.

Macclesfield, Macclesfield Canal

We spent another day at Bollington so that our daughter, son-in-law and gorgeous 2 year old grandson could visit.  We took them for lunch at the Oliver restaurant. 

This morning we set off at 8 for the 3 mile trip to Macclesfield.  The new moorings were still not in place but there was room through the bridge on the old town moorings, one mooring is quite good by a concrete wall, but the other one is a bit more difficult with rubble in the canal and broken mooring rings.

The weather has been horrid.  Cold, windy and wet again.

Lots more blossom about and some of the trees are showing green buds.  Not seen any ducklings yet, but a couple of Canada geese sitting on eggs.

The card was made from a photograph of some apple blossom which was matted onto white, pink, silver and more pink card.  The green panel was passed through the Cuttlebug to emboss it and some pink ribbon was wrapped around it and tied in a knot.  The panel was then stuck down onto a pink card blank and the topper added above the ribbon.

Bollington, Macclesfield Canal

 
We travelled for 1 hour today.  Really getting on with it!

Another lovely day, we managed to squeeze into the moorings at Bollington, just past Clarence Mill, next to the cafe boat run by Mark.  I even got the cards out and sold a couple.

Took a walk down into the village for milk and bread and saw the aqueduct from a different angle than usual.

This card was made using some flocked handmade paper.  I matted it onto brown handmade paper and wrapped some hessian ribbon around it and stuck it onto a white card blank.  A hessian bow was added to the ribbon and a computer generated sentiment was added to the top.

High Lane, Macclesfield Canal

The lovely pink sunset last night proved true.  A lovely warm, sunny day today.  We left late (for us) and were here at High Lane half an hour later.                                                                                      We caught a bus into Stockport.  That was a first, never been there before except passing through by train.  Got my iPad sorted with 3.  Hopefully it is fixed properly this time, got some food from M&S and then it was back here.  Lots of boats on the move today, but still lots stationary ones.                                                                                         This is a 48 hour mooring, but the ropes on the first 2 boats in the picture are that slack it must have been here weeks.  

This is the card that I made for my Auntie Meg for her 90th birthday.  I had lots of fun  making it.  I used a piece of patterned paper and stuck it onto a square card blank.  I then die cut a scallop circle and a silver frame to go on top.  I added some acetate behind and then added the silver and gold die-cut circles and the silver 90 onto the front.  I then stuck down the leaves, flowers and roses around the bottom.    Another circle of pattern paper was added to the  back of the card which can be seen in the second picture.        

                       

I am showing this card, because today I heard that she died.  She was 94.  RIP

Bridge 5, Macclesfield Canal

 A bank of primroses.

We were off early again, in the mist.  It took us forever to get to Marple with all the moored boats.  There was no room before the Church Lane Bridge, none in the wharf and just 1 on the bank on the Peak Forest Canal.  So we banged some spikes in and when the shops opened, tried to buy some food.

Found 3 lovely bread/cake/delicatessen shops - but no fresh cakes, pastries or pies.  The Asda was closed and not open until next week (apparently it used to be a Co-op and was in the process of a handover) and the queue in the butchers was long.

David asked the guys on the work boat about getting to Whaley Bridge and the advice was that we could "probably" make it there today, but they were not enthusiastic.  Although the canal is not due to be closed until 13th, we decided we couldn't chance it and get stuck the wrong side for who knows how long.  So we winded (amongst the 3 other boats that appeared at the junction from nowhere) and moored up a mile outside Marple on the way back down.  At least the weather bucked up and the sun came out.

Haven't seen any cherry blossom yet, but here is a card anyway.

I die-cut the pink base, wrapped some pink ribbon around the bottom and tied it in a knot.  The matted photograph was fixed to the top part and several gems were added.

The panel was then stuck down onto a white card blank.