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.

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.

Curdworth Top Lock - Birmingham and Fazeley Canal

We slipped the moorings at 5.45 and set off towards Birmingham.  There were, orchids on the towpath (though probably not for long as the grass needed cutting), foxes, a cuckoo and lots of gulls.  We stopped at the top of Curdworth locks at 9.15 to rest up for the day ahead.

 Here is a little French girl with her hat boxes standing in fron of the Eiffel Tower.  I edged the patterned paper with ink and wrapped a blue floral ribbon around the top, adding a bow and flower.  This was stuck onto a light blue card blank along with the cut out girl who was added with dimensional foam.

Devizes, Kennet and Avon Canal

 A rest day, that means the Launderette.  This time I got a service wash so didn't have to spend the morning there.


We popped into town and bought some new hose and 2 funnels (you couldn't get just one) in the new Wilkos (used to be a supermarket) and I finally found a stuffed parrot for our pirate mad grandson in a charity shop.

This lovely little steam powered boat tooted past, out for a cruise and back. 

PS:  The two boats on the 24 hour moorings opposite are still there!

A white card blank and strips of mauve card stuck onto a white card blank.

The "40" was die cut in glitter paper and added and the sentiment was printed onto the card blank before the rest was added.  (It is important to do that first as it mucks up the printer if you do it the other way - you don't need to ask why I know that!)

The Barge, Honeystreet - Kennet and Avon Canal

 As usual we were off just after 6am and discovered one of the few disadvantages of being early.  An empty pound before the top lock at Crofton.

The centre was deepish, but I had to go and send some water down before David could get the boat through.

At the top lock at Little Bedwyn there was this sign on the lock.  I always find it baffling about emptying a full lock to leave it empty to save water, so I posted the question on  "The Friendly Narrowboaters" page on Facebook.  It was suggested that the top gates may drift open if the lock is left full and then water leaks through the bottom lock OR the lock is so badly maintained that water leaks through the lock walls.  Take your pick.

We carried on down the locks and onto the long pound and found  a fishing match, so what with the moored up boats and the fishermen it was a tedious run to the shiny new pilings at Pewsey.  Which were full to bursting, so we had to go on to Honeystreet, where we found a spot right outside the pub garden.

A slightly familiar face came walking up and we had found Keith who used to moor around Birmingham a couple of years ago, he has migrated down to the K&A.  Well it was a good excuse for a beer and a chinwag in the sunshine.

A picture I found on the internet which was matted onto black and red and white spotty paper.  A red and black spotty bow was added to the top left hand corner and a black and white spotty bow was added to the bottom right hand corner.  The panel was then stuck onto a white card blank and 3 red gems were fixed to the bottom right hand corner.

Kintbury, Kennet and Avon Canal

Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner by one of the locks.

We left Newbury at 0630 and arrived in Kintbury at 0945.  5 1/2 miles, 8 locks and 2 swing bridges!

I took a walk into the village to visit the lovely bakery there.  It was shut!  There was an "ultimate lardy cake" and some delicious looking almond croissants in the window too.





We passed this boat with a very dried out lawn on the roof.  Goodness knows what the weight is when it is wet and also, what state the roof is in with rust.

So, onto a card for Mum.  A digi stamp which I cut into a circle and matted onto a fancy pink circle.  Some zebra striped paper was matted onto more pink card and some pink ribbon with a bow was wrapped around it.

The panel was fixed to a white card blank and the circle added on top.

Newbury, Kennet and Avon Canal

 "Moored Like a Twat" - it's not just the 5 lines, it is also a lock landing!


Another early morning start, and another cuckoo to serenade us on our way.


Three bags of coal were bought at Newbury Island and then we moored up by Victoria Park for the rest of the day.

A card for a sweet girl?  The girl is a pre-coloured stamped topper and I cut it out using a die-cut and matted it onto a lilac die-cut card.  Then I matted a piece of lilac flowery paper onto lilac card and fixed it to a white card blank.  Four lilac gems were fixed to each corner, the topper was fixed to the centre of the card and an old hair decoration was fixed to the top left hand corner.

Thatcham, Kennet and Avon Canal

 Sunset at Thatcham on this almost empty visitor mooring.

We had a day of rest today and did nothing much at all.

Oh!  I did manage to finish off the last blind for the spare bedroom.  That was 4 sets of curtains and 2 blinds.   I had to adapt the old ones by using the central panels and remaking the borders.  One of the set of curtains was too damaged by wear and tear so I used the 2 panels from the last window to make soft Roman blinds.  It was amazing who much darker the bedroom became with the blinds in place of the curtains.

 Another special card for a lady who loves butterflies.

I made a white easel card.  Using purple flowered ribbon and wrapped it around the panel with white lace and stuck it onto the front of the easel card.  I added a "feather" butterfly and 3 roses and three pearls.

For the inside I matted white card onto lilac card and added a punched butterfly and another pink rose.

The bottom piece (which can be seen when the card is standing) was also white card matted onto lilac card with a peel-off sentiment and three more pink rose.

For the box I covered the lid with embossed lilac card and two strips of the floral ribbon.

Woolhampton, Kennet and Avon Canal

 First boat moored on a lock landing, well, I know it is on the "off" side, but it is a wide canal and there could be two boats using the lock.


We were on our way by 0545 to the accompaniment of a cuckoo.  We had a pump-out and took on water at Tyle Mill and then met up with a group of Girl Guides on a youth community boat at Aldermaston so shared the locks and swing bridge to Woolhampton.

Lunch at the Rowbarge at Woolhampton after visiting the shop in the village for a paper and produce and then another nap.

We were last down here 5 years ago and  found climbing onto these locks was relatively easy (not with a windlass in one hand though).  Now I found I had to put one food in the stirrup, the other knee on the lock beam, then the other one, then sort of crouch and try and pull myself up before walking across to the other side.  Then I had to get back onto my knees and feel around for the stirrup before I could get off the beam.  From now on I'll only do it in an emergency, I'll just walk around the lock to cross the other gates.

This card, made for a lady that loves cats.  It is a pink square card with some brown ribbon fixed across the bottom.  The pink cat was a bought topper which was matted onto white, pink and brown card and then onto a larger panel of white, pink and brown card.  A swirl was stamped down the right hand side of the large panel and a sentiment (matted in pink and brown) was fixed to the bottom right and the cat on the top left.  Tow pink organdie bows were then added for decoration.

The box was made out of brown card with a pink organdie bow fixed across the top.

Cuttle Bridge, Grand Union Canal

Ten more locks today, so it was an early start (as usual) and we reached the pub moorings at The Cuttle Inn at 0945 and moored up.  The pub looked dead and we had arranged to meet our daughter and family for lunch, so when a space became free opposite at The Boat Inn we moved across and had a lovely lunch there.

The Cuttle Inn did open, but it certainly was not very welcoming, and there were no signs of life at 1230, so they lost out.

The Grandsons had a great afternoon on the boat, we walked up to the lock to watch/help a boat down which fascinated the eldest one.

A gatefold card made from a kit which came free with a card making magazine.

I cut a circle out of the front flaps and added decorative paper to the front of the card, adding roses and gems in the corners.

The inside was decorated with a contrasting paper and a topper which was matted onto a white circle of card.

Wolverhampton, BCN

 Loving the colours of autumn.

We got to Wheaton Aston just as the garage was opening and filled up with diesel and arrived at the junction for 1pm. 

I had managed to get a dental appointment for David to get his tooth seen to tomorrow, so we had to go on up the locks and into Wolverhampton for the night

So it was a long hard day, 18 miles and 23 locks. Still we can still do it.

A lock full of leaf soup.

One for the ladies now.  A glittery, decoupaged lady eating strawberries.  I matted her onto a pink die-cut, glittery car and stuck it onto a white card blank.

To finish off and tied a small piece of narrow pink card around a wider piece of pink card to make a bow.

Norbury Junction, Shropshire Union Canal

Mr David in the distance, approaching the locks in the glow of another dawn!

Had to stop for a bit while it rained and then David lost a filling from a tooth!  We arrived at Norbury Junction at 1245 and went to The Wharf for lunch where we met Jenny and John on Roach.

 

This is a card made from toppers that came free from a cardmaking magazine.  It is a "diamond fold" or "tilt" card.  It was never very successful and I ended up having to throw it away.

Wolverhampton - BCN

What do you think of this sign?  It is a large, metal construction and must have cost at least a lock and a half, if not two and states the bl****** obvious.   

Had to wait for the cleaners to finish cleaning the boat before we left, so we went for a swim
first and left at 1230.  The trip was fairly uneventful, there was only one empty pound at Factory Locks, but not empty enough to need re-filling.  The down side was that David had to go down the weed hatch 4 times while waiting for the bottom lock to be ready.

It took us 4 1/2 hours to get to Wolverhampton and we just moored up opposite the services on the off-side moorings and  I was in bed by half past seven.  And only 3 locks!






I love this little ballet dancer.  I cheated with a ready-coloured stamped image and matted it onto a blue, die-cut panel. 

A pink card base with some patterned paper on top, I edged this with some pink ink and wrapped the ribbon around it before attaching it to the card.  Two gems were stuck to the ribbon which was tied in a knot, and a computer generated sentiment was added between the ribbon and topper.

Gas Street Basin, BCN

Artists have been about in Gas Street Basin again.  I don't think these are official CRT ones though.

Not sure how long I can keep up blogging about being on our moorings without it getting booring, so I'll just post if I have something moderately interesting (I hope).

Please be patient.

For this retirement card I covered the right hand side of a light green card with daisy paper.  The lady was decoupaged and added over the join with a compass in the top left hand corner and the sentiment (done on the computer) in the bottom right hand corner.

Gas Street Moorings, BCN

It is surprising what you can see from the canal!

Last time to be up at 5am!!!!!  All the 23 locks were against us.  When we got to Farmers Locks the wind was really gusting through the tall buildings.  David normally stops the boat and closes the top gate before driving into the next lock, but the gusting meant he couldn't leave the boat between locks.  At the lock just before the BT tower he couldn't even get the boat into the next lock in a straight line.  There was a tsunami of water over the towpath from the propeller and I just managed to jump out of the way in time while he bumped his way into the open lock.

We opened the top gate of the top lock just as the chimes from the Brindleyplace clock chimed 0900 - 3 1/2 hrs from the bottom of the Aston locks.  Right at Old Turn for a pumpout and diesel and then back to the moorings for a rest, a swim in the Hyatt and then a nap.  Bliss.





I am proud of this card, I did it all on the computer (apart from the sequins).

Cadbury Wharf, Worcester and Birmingham Canal

We have finally taken the plunge and found a 4 week window when we can actually get away.  We are going to do either a bigger ring or a smaller ring depending on the weather etc.

 But first we had the let our two Polish cleaners get on with their work to make the boat spick and span.

So we set off jut after noon and travelled here for our first night.  Not far, but far enough for our first afternoon out, and the smell of chocolate and caramel was very attractive.

So, for my card.  I started the with the photograph, taken over 30 years ago!  I took a light blue card blank and covered the left hand side with some pretty yellow paper, added a blue doily and the photo which was matted onto blue card.  To finish I added a blue spotty organza bow, some white flowers and a couple of lacy butterflies.  The  Happy Birthday and the name was cut out with diecuts.

Bascote Bridge (No 27), Grand Union Canal

A late start for us today, 0715!!!  We caught up with a hireboat with newbies on, so shared the locks to the top of the Bascote staircase, then we moored up for the rest of the day.  Well, we had done 10 locks.

Now for a flower fairy.  This one is the Stitchwort Fairy.  I matted it onto a die-cut doily and then onto another die-cut label.

Bridge 22 - Middlewich Branch, Shropshire Union Canal

Sunrise on the Middlewich Branch

A very short day today, we left at 8.15 and stopped 8.45.











A cute fairy topper die-cut to size and matted.  The patterned paper underneath has the edges rubbed in ink and then fixed to a white card blank.  Ribbon was wrapped around the patterned paper and a bow and red rose added to the top left hand corner.

Biddolph Aqueduct, Macclesfield Canal

 We left our moorings at 0715 and got here at 0845, a nice short run, a bit cold first thing, but then the sun came out.

I walked into Congleton, and on the way came to this towpath restriction - nothing from CRT on the internet.  The whole of the towpath and moorings are closed!

And one for the girls.  The pre-coloured image is from the same company as yesterday's Mikey.  I die-cut it and matted it onto a blue die-cut label.

On a white card blank I cut some printed backing paper just smaller than the card and inked the edges.  Some red polka dot paper was stuck across the bottom and a string of gold peel-off covered the join.

The label was added to the card, along with some flowers and a red bow.

Farelane Ends, Macclesfield Canal

 An old photo - didn't take any today - forgot the camera.  Our dent is by Black Prince.

We caught a bus into Buxton today, passing through Whaley Bridge on the way. 

David discovered a great chocolate shop by the canal bridge in High Lane, simondunnchocolates.co.uk - well worth a stop when passing.

After we got back to High Lane we travelled on to here.  The first day when we didn't light a fire.  It has been a lovely warm and sunny day.

This picture does not give this card justice.  It was much prettier in real life.

I matted the topper onto a die cut blue, scalloped  square.  This was fixed onto a panel of blue card with a white polka dot pattern and the edges marked with green ink.

Some blue ribbon was wrapped around the panel, a blue bow, two blue gems and a computer generated sentiment were added before gluing it onto a white card blank.  Two more blue gems were then added to the top right hand side of the card.