Kidlington Green Lock, Oxford Canal

Great fun leaving the mooring this morning. We were quite aground!

Instead of going into Oxford via Isis Lock as we usually do, we took the longer route via Dukes Cut. The difference in the river above Iffley Lock is quite marked. It gets really rural and the huge flood meadows are full of cows, horses and proper geese.

Then it was back onto the canal and winding locks and lifting bridges.

One of my "Big Wishes" cards. I love these. I put a piece of yellow handmade paper onto the white base card then added the decoupaged lady and the sentiment.

Abingdon, River Thames

One of the vintage beauties cruising down the river. This one is Sabrina.

We began locking at 0700 when the electricity comes on at the locks and, again, almost got through Days Lock before the Lockie took over. They don't like you using the locks by yourselves do they?

The weather was a bit better and eventually the sun came out, but it was a slightly tedious trip up to Abingdon. The moorings were packed and we just managed to squeeze in on to the end of the bank with one ring at the front and one in the middle and the back tied on a spike.

Then at 5 o'clock the Swan Uppers caught us up again and the skiffs went and touched the bridge and the men all stood and drank a toast to The Queen. Then it was all over for another year.

This is Her Majesty's Swan Marker. Quite a uniform.

The toast to The Queen.

For some reason I had to make this card again
for publication in a magazine and I had already sent the original away. So this is the other one made like the last one, but with a different colourway.

Goring, River Thames

A dull, grey start to the day and it was through Blakes Lock and onto the Thames by 0630. We managed Caversham, Mapledurham and almost Whitchurch locks without lockie help, so we had to stop and buy a 3-day licence from him.

By this time it was raining, but we were moored up below Goring lock by 1015.

Later, in the afternoon, we were visited by Anne and Bob from Amber Moon and while we were still on the boat the Swan Uppers came past.

This is a tradition that has been going on since the 12th Century. The Swan Uppers consist of the Queen's Swan Keeper (in a red jacket and white had in the far boat) and representatives of the Vintners' Company and Dyer's Company (why?) (in navy) plus assorted rowers and followers-on with liquid refreshments.

They row up river from Sunbury to Abingdon and catch the swans to ring them. Though the swans must have known they were coming because they all scarpered before their arrival.

After all that excitement we went to The Miller of Mansfield for a meal. After a shaky start when we were ignored for a bit; then the barmaid couldn't get the order for drinks right (Bob had to remind her 4 times!); and then there were no tables for 4 so we had to move the furniture around; the food was surprisingly good.


A card that I actually stamped, embossed and painted. I stamped the figure 3 times and coloured it with watercolour paints and then cut it out decoupaged it in three layers. I added crystal glaze to the raindrops and puddle to make them sparkle.

I used scalloped scissors to cut out the base and matted it onto blue and pink card, adding 2 brads to the top corners. The panel was stuck down with double-sided tape. Some pink ribbon was then stuck across the card and bottom of the panel and tied in a knot.

I printed out the sentiment on the computer and matted it onto pink and then blue card and tied some more pink ribbon around one end before sticking that onto the card with double-sided tape.

Reading, River Kennet

We have something living in and eating our plank!!!

An early start today as we wanted to try and get to Reading in one go. There were lots more boats about, all going towards Newbury, maybe going to the water festival there next weekend.

We reached Theale and David asked if I wanted to stop. I wasn't tired, so said to go on. 1 swing bridge and 1 lock later I wished we had.

After the dredded Fobney Lock (which was almost a pussycat today) we were confronted with Duke and Dutchess breached up coming in the opposite direction (on a blind bend of course).

Still we were on the Reading moorings at 1pm and then it was back to bed to get over the 12 locks, 6 swing bridges and 1 lift bridge. Do the bridges count if they are electrified?

A card with a picture taken on our way up last month. Mr David is just about to enter the lock and the two boats coming from the lock are travelling towards the lift bridge at Aldermaston.

I matted the picture onto gold, yellow and lime green card.

The card blank was white and I added a yellow strip of card which I Cuttlebugged and wrapped some lime green ribbon around it, tying it in a knot.

To finish off I added 3 cardboard circles which I covered with Diamond Glaze to make them shiny and slightly raised.

Woolhampton, Kennet and Avon Canal

Left Newbury quite late so that we could say goodbye to Geoff and Bev and thank them for their hospitality.

There was work going on in the pound between Widmead and Monkey Marsh locks - you can see where the water went when we came past on our way to Bath.

Thankfully there was lots of water there today.

It was quite an uneventful trip to Woolhampton and we were moored up by noon.

A picture of a pretty watering an full of flowers on top of a boat. The photo is matted with silver and pink card, the pink card decorated with scalloped edged scissors.

A narrow card strip which I Cuttlebugged with dots is placed on the left hand side and the photograph added with sticky fixers.

A large pink "gem" is then added to the bottom, right hand corner.

Newbury, Kennet and Avon Canal

One of the leaky locks on the K&A.

Left Kintbury at 6.15 and reached Newbury around 9am. We moored up to wait for the shops to open and discovered a Farmers' Market in the market square. Lots of goodies and we spent lots of money there.

Then it was through the lock and on to Bev and Geoffs' Pitstop for a pumpout, diesel and water. They have, kindly, let us moor up here and we have got an electric hook-up for the night, so I got the washing done.

Four cards today. Again the first attempt and "improved" version.



A bought topper, matted onto silver and lilac card and stuck at an angle onto a lilac base card.

I then added a lilac ribbon, tied with a knot, on the left hand side of the card. Finished off with 5 lilac sequins in the right hand corner.

This one began with a light turquoise card. The topper was matted onto silver and white card and stuck down at an angle.

I cut the card up with scallop edged scissors. Using a white card base I wrapped a turquoise dotty ribbon around the front and tied it in a knot fixing the topper over it with sticky fixers.

Then I added three white sequins on the bottom right hand corner.

Kintbury, Kennet and Avon Canal

Some of the boats on this canal have so much junk. Sorry! Flowers on them it must be really difficult to move them. Which is probably why they don't move very often. Still this one does look rather pretty.

Having stopped for 2 days in Hungerford we got lazy and decided to stop at Kintbury, travelling a whole three miles. Then of course, I said, we had to stay and see the horse drawn barge which was due past on Saturday.
So it turned into two days.



This is Bonnie, enjoying herself enormously. First she walked for one hour downstream, then the boat winded and she walked back to Kintbury. She had an hour for lunch before setting off upstream for another hour's pulling to Hungerford before returning back to her stable.

Mind you, her handler also walked all that way, but he also had to jump up onto the roof of every boat to get the rope over any obstructions, do the locks, polish the tack and feed her.

Walking into the village for a newspaper I found a fab bread and cake shop. Only open on Fridays and Saturdays. On a nearby empty shop there were signs saying that it was going to open as a chocolate shop next week. Darn! Missed that one.

To make up for it we had a rather disappointing meal in the restaurant of the Blue Ball at the top of the village.

Three cards on the same theme.

This was the original card, the bought topper matted onto blue corrugated card and fixed to a white card blank.

A blue gingham ribbon is stuck along the bottom and three blue buttons fixed over it on the right hand side.







The original card got a bit "old", so I cut the topper and ribbon out using deckle edged scissors and fixed them to a blue card base.





















I used the other topper and matted it, again, onto blue corrugated card and white card which I edged with small scalloped edged scissors.







A blue organdie ribbon was wrapped around the card and tied in a knot on the left hand side of the card and a blue button was fixed to the bottom right hand corner.