Project Wednesday ~Garden Progress

I haven't said much about the garden recently and I guess cause at this time of year it really only comes to watering and feeding, which Dad does as I'm at work most evenings when the plants are okay to be watered (or asleep in the mornings :x). The weather has been getting warmer these last few days which has been lovely, even though I haven't had much time to enjoy it. When I did though, I sat in the garden doodling while just taking in my surroundings.

The front garden at the moment has this beautiful big lily, a different kind to the orange ones which didn't get hit by the horrible lily bug. Just look at the size of them, I really need to keep in mind to get more of this kind for next year...

Out the back there has been a lot of progress in some areas too. Remember the other day I said we were roasting tomatoes over the brazier? Well those were the first very early ones, and we're about to come into a glut of tomatoes XD The plants are going mental, even growing out the greenhouse though a crack in the roof! I like tomatoes, but i'm not sure I like them enough to be eating them constantly for the next month..!

Talking of over-productivity, the peas have given us a bumper crop this year too and I certainly don't think these is such a thing as too many peas! Although a little annoying to shell, it's actually all part of the fun and it's a challenge when shelling with someone else to see who can get the pod with the most peas in it. My record so far is 12 ;p

I have been getting mixed results with onions however. As you can see these guys are becoming beauties, possibly the best onions Dad's ever grown and definitely the best I've done! I think it's either down to the type or location though as I'm certainly not doing so well with the white onions planted only a couple of weeks after these and tended as well. Luckily I've still got the packet for these ones to look out for the same kind again next year.

So as all these plants are coming to crop and plants like the peas are quickly looking the worse for wear, it's not all lost as we've still got plenty to look forward to, such as squash, potatoes and beetroot. Oh, and these apples! Our tree is just a twig really but it always put a lot of effort into making really tasty apples!

And this is hopefully coming in the future too...baby corn! Can you believe how big it's got? It not has the pollen/flowerhead on the top and the fluffy red bits that will become corn. I've never grown corn before as I'm sure I've said many times, but I just don't know what to expect from these! I had no idea they even grew a wheat-like flowerhead XD I've been shaking them over the red fluff in hopes of getting good looking baby corn in return, of course I'll let you know how that turns out!
Have you, like me, already got a few plans for next year? I'd love to hear them x3



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Project Wednesday ~Gardening Round Two

I thought for this Project Wednesday I'd let you see the progress in one of the longer term projects- the garden x3

Since Dad's been back quite a lot has changed, both front and back. I've given over the reins a lot as the weather hasn't been nice enough for me to get out (I like it HOT or at least not windy and likely to rain every 5 minutes...) and he has been keen to crack on. Where I'd left bare patches of dirt out the front, Dad has actually got around to putting some bedding plants in, so it should be pretty floral around here once summer actually arrives ;p

Out the back the greenhouse is looking a lot more empty but what lives in there is doing really well! These little tomatoes were ones I bought on special for about a pound for 4 and look at them now! On the other side the plants in the growbag aren't growing quite as fast as I would like, but patience...it's still early yet! I swear this little courgette hasn't been trying at all though...

I got super keen just before Dad got back and bought a polytunnel so I could try and get some vines growing strong before autumn, so there are three plants in there- a courgette, squash and cucumber. The cucumber was the only one I didn't start from seed and although it seemed to love its new home at first, just lately it hasn't seemed very happy. I'm not quite sure what its deal is. The problem with gardening is so many different things can affect plants x.X I'm keeping an eye on it anyway and hoping for the best.

The onions I planted only a month ago are getting on now, happily getting some greenery going and hopfully putting some effort into getting bigger bulbs! The brown onions I planted a few weeks before them are also doing well, I'm not sure if you can tell, but they are definately bigger than the white onions planted a few weeks later!

And last time I was telling you about the garden I was trying another project, something I'd seen in vague form on pinterest; stacking pots x3 Well, here is the finished item, and so far I think it is a pin success! I hope to see the little trailing plants get bigger over the summer and trail down, covering the faded pot a bit XD At least the snapdragons have got some flowers and height, I think it should turn out pretty well overall!
Are you tending a garden? Have you been having any problems with wilt this year? I'm hoping that maybe I just got a little over keen on the watering than something more serious :x I'll let you know anyway :]



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Project Wednesday ~Camera Love

Okay, okay, so todays topic may not be strictly a 'project' as it's more of an actual hobby or collection...but I guess you could see it as an ongoing project to gain more? ;p

As you may've guessed from my banner, I'm rather keen on my camera, a Canon EOS 650D, it's about the 3rd in a line of 'main use' cameras and my first DSLR <3 It's my baby, as were the others that went before it, who now sit on my desk as part of the coolection. When I got my first job I'd already toyed with photography, but only film (yeah...I'm that old ;p) and so with my new paycheck I decided to get something I'd wanted a while, a digital camera! My first digicam was a Casio, a small handheld that went everywhere with me and actually took really nice pictures. It was also the camera I started my four year stint in photo-a-day blogging with. After about 5 years though it suddenly fritzed one day and I was left with no camera! I bought one exactly the same second hand from ebay and carried on for a while.

As I got more into it I started looking at the bigger cameras though, and although I really wanted a DSLR I couldn't afford one. I asked my parents to buy me a bridge camera for my 21st, which was also a Casio. This became my next baby and was carried about literally everywhere for the next 5 years. Seriously, this thing went shopping with me and to work most days, 'just in case'. Aha. People got used to seeing me with it! 5 years takes its toll on a bridge camera though, and it's buttons were starting to get a little unresponsive and it just wasn't focusing as it used to. But I'd saved and was ready to make one of the biggest purchases I'd ever made so far in my life! So after much deliberation I eventually chose my DSLR. This one doesn't get toted around everywhere like my other pair, it's just not got size on it's side, unless I'm on holiday. I don't always fully understand it, but part of the fun is learning and I feel that although I don't use it to it's full potential, I still have time to improve my photography xD So long as I enjoy it, right?

But DSLRs aren't where it stops, I love all cameras equally and this is where the collection comes in x3 I love finding unusual film cameras in charity shops, but I'm not at all beyond scoping them out on ebay x3 In fact that's where this little beauty came from, a Diana Mini Latitude. I thought I was going to have to pay through the nose for this limited edition camera that was on my dream list, but happened to be lucky on ebay and got a really good deal on it!

I've got about 10 different cameras now, and most of them work ;p Nearly all are 35mm film and I try to put film in them and take them out with me if I'm likely to go anywhere of interest. In fact not that long ago I picked up this rather more normal one of my cameras after it'd been sitting on a shelf for a year or so. It only took 3 more shots before the film was done, it's so weird now to take pictures and not instantly know what they are going to turn out like, but that's definitely part of the appeal! I took it to get processed (also so expensive these days ;0;) and this film must've been in the camera for near enough 4 years from my guess, and it's got some real gems on it. Being in the camera that long seems to have taken it's toll though as they've all got this rustic, grainy feel to them which just makes them all the better in my eyes x3 I can only imagine what people would've said about shots like these back when this was the only option!
Oh, this has got quite lengthy XD I'll leave it there for now, maybe another time I'll show you some of the others I have! Have you got any old cameras? Do you think they are still worth the time and money or not now digital has well and truly taken over? Let me know! (Not that'll it'll change my mind if it's negative, sorry ;p)



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Project Wednesday ~Dossing in the Garden

Well, usually my projects are little more paper based than this weeks, but it's nice to have a change, right?
I had a long weekend this week thanks to my bosses rotaing so I took full advantage to spend most of it in the garden! The weather was supposed to be terrible but it actually turned out pretty good, I even got to see the sun a fair bit! I admit it's getting chillier, but it's not enough to stop me at the moment (if it gets much colder it will though, I'm terrible for avoiding the outdoors!).

I was given some tiny little seed pots that were going to be thrown away so I dived straight in with filling them with compost and now they all have peas or beans in them XD Some other peas that I started off about 3 weeks ago were starting to outgrow their seed tray and although I'd planned for them to be planted out by Dad they were just getting too root-y so they got planted outside, and the seed tray is already being used for broad beans! I still have two more sets of peas to germinate so I'm sure Dad will still have something to do :]

It's not all been legumes though and I've also been paying some attention to the front garden where I hope to plant some flowers for colour. I don't trust vegetables to stay out the front, although the general consensus of the neighbours appears to be that if it comes from the ground its poisonous! Later on in the year I'll probably end up putting some peas out along the fence line though as they've done pretty well there for the last couple of years. (I think people think they are boring sweet peas xp) I'm trying to make a bit of a feature in the front garden with some plant pots as the middle piece is getting so boring to me! The cherry tree is offset from the middle and not big enough yet to draw much attention, so I'm hoping to get this pot set to have lots of nice blooms and some trailing plants down the side. I've never attempted anything like this before so fingers crossed!

Out the back garden I've got two lots of onions in, they like the sunshine so I've tried to get them in prominent spots, and because I don't usually have a lot of luck with getting them to grow as big as I'd like I've done a little research this year and put a whole bunch of compost and slow release plant food in before planting them :] I'm hoping that'll give them a head start while I concentrate on watering to try and get them chunky XD

And of course with all this I feel the need to bring a little paper organisation in somewhere so I created this chart to keep track of everything as it's planted and grows. I'm really looking forward to filling it in, but I feel theres more I could do with a more garden-focussed journal, but I'm not really sure where to start, or how to go about it. Even Pinterest isn't bringing much up for me!
Do you have any ideas, or have you done any garden themed journals or crafts before? I'd love to hear about them!
Catch you soon,

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Project Wednesday #6- Completed Banksy Diary

Hey, if you were here on Sunday, you may remember that I was thinking about writing about my Thai Smashbook today. Well, I admit, I changed my mind XD Instead, I've decided to write about another ongoing project that has another stage complete: my diary/journal:


Like I said the other day, I've not been consistently writing a diary for a while before this, until about November when I decided to start it back up, give it another go and all that xp
Usually my diaries are full of all sorts of cut-outs and doodles and what not but as this one was just an aim to get back into the swing of things, I thought I would leave it simple and just put stuff in if I really felt like it, rather than feeling I was forced to find something to decorate a page. Because of that, it doesn't make for the most interesting flick though, but those interested in journal-keeping might like the peak into another's book x3
I've moved on now to one of the ones I previewed in my last post on journals- the pink UK ferris wheel book :] I'll let you know how it goes, in fact, I may just go write in it now while I enjoy the sunshine :]
Catch you soon,

Project Wednesday #4 ~Travel Journals

So, with my This is Not a Book complete, you'd think I'd have time for another type of art journal, right? Well, yes and no. I think I'm going to try and focus on finishing a couple of my travel journals first.
I like keeping track. After a holiday, I tend to forget little details, and it's those kinds of things that are what you want to remember, of course. So I try to keep journals while I'm away. It usually goes that it works for a while, but then I get overwhelmed or just want to relax with everyone else for the evening so I put it to one side. I'm terrible for it. Because the longer I put it down for the less I want to go back to it.


This is the one I partially did during my trip to Japan.
My Japanese one I set up like a smashbook, decorating a lot of the pages before I went so I would just have journal and stick instax photos or leaflets in. But as ever, I got really carried away with it and each day was taking me a solid two hours before I could go to bed. I started to get really frustrated as my boyfriend watched TV (which is MASSIVELY distracting to me) and fell asleep without me. What I hoped would make it easier was possibly taking even longer than normal as I got really particular over little things instead of focussing on the major idea- taking notes to remember the holiday by.
And I do this every holiday! I have yet to learn that I can't be left alone for an hour to write while I'm on holiday, I'm either with people who are too active or I feel like I'm wasting time when I should be out exploring a new place!


This is my Ibiza Journal from 2014
So, they inevitably get put to one side as I decide I'll finish them off at home, when I get back and have all that time to myself. Which, you may guess, I don't really get. I seem to work a lot for someone who generally starts their working day at 3pm. If I have any time to myself before that I'm sleeping from late bedtimes, or eating before I have to go to work XD
Wow, I realise this sounds like a massive whinge-fest but I didn't mean it to be that way, sorry! I guess I'm trying to explain why it's been this long and I still have these journals partially completed when I really like how I began XD
So, my next project is this:
It was the Smashbook I took to Thailand in 2013, which I managed about a week and a half of out of two weeks. Sadly, it's been so long now I've forgotten a lot of the details but I still have all the photos printed out so I'm hoping to at least get them stuck down and a little bit of information around them. I also plan to do more 'progress reports' on this one, either here on video.
Is it just me, do you struggle with travel journals? Or do you have an easier way to keep track? I'd love to know!

Project Wednesday #1- La De Dah~!

I'm pretty big on wasting my time doodling. To me, doodling isn't just putting little sketches down on paper but to be doing almost anything which takes up a lot of time with relitively little to show for it; aka timesuck projects!
Recently I completed a year long project that I had been doing in tandem with my Sister, a La De Dah Smashbook type scrapbook.

This used to be lovely and sleek! As you can see the cover is still plain, I don't know what it is but I really prefer it this way. If I don't have an idea I can't force it, as to me it just won't look right. I'd rather it still be a nice cardboardy colour! So far i don't have one smashbook that I've managed to decorate the cover on :x

Inside, the trend follows as the first page is also undecorated, that's a throwback from my old diaries where I seemed to think leaving the first page blank would trick people into thinking that I'd not done anything in the book at all, like they couldn't flick through the pages...

So my first actual page is about my sister and Mum, as it was a gift from my sister and she and Mum were going to do their own La De Dah books throughout the year too this seemed like a good place to start, just as following it with my own homelife seemed the logical next step. But that's pretty much where cronilogical order stops as after that I was filling in pages which I thought suited the theme I was looking to 'smash in' best.

This next page has some things my sister & Mum had sent me throughout the year, a few postcards, a couple of photos and the like :] I started to get more imaginative here with lifting pieces and frames, trying to put more effort into layering while still not hiding anything too important.

Next is my Christmas 2013 page, actually one of the first pages I did. As I got the book for xmas it only seemed right that I smash a page about it! I quite liked how this page turned out when I did it but after flicking past it for a year I'm a little worn with it!
So that's the beginning of my La De Dah smash/scrapbook! There are plenty more pages in this one, but we'll get round to those another day :] Let me know what you think!