Photographs and Fun projects

Welcome to my Photography and Projects page!

I take photos all the time - of my kids, my work projects, at interiors shows ... and to fuel my ongoing obsession with pot-holes to rant to the council about.


I use my iPhone on the hop, my little digital Fujifilm camera on holidays, or my husband's fabulous Canon DSLR if it's a serious shoot!

I also love creating things - a lethal combination of hating to throw anything away, being a keen DIY-er, and having an ability to work out how to get something done and getting on with it! 


Recycling our old garden bench into a planter 

Last summer my husband and I spent a gorgeous weekend at The Feathers Hotel in Woodstock. We were really taken with the herb planters outside the boutique hotel, and I took a photo of it to store in my 'future projects' file.

This sunny Sunday we (helpful husband and I) decided to break up this old grey garden bench which was left in the garden by the old owners, and recycle it into a lovely planter.

We are delighted with the results! 

We needed some new timber for the outer sections, but all the rest was recycled. The tools we needed were a saw, a cordless drill and screwdriver, and some screws.

 

The slats from the recycled bench seat were used for the legs and the base. We poured in 2 bags of all-purpose soil, using the plastic bags to line the planter.

We've now planted lovely neat straight lines of rocket, onions and carrots.  My lovely friend Tracy Lowe - who has inspired this planting project -  gave me some baby Gem and purple lettuces on Friday and they are now all safely tucked in.

Thank you also to Toby Phillips for excellent holding and helping!

The new wood cost £18 from Wicks, the soil was £6 and the salad seedlings were £4.

Tomorrow I will paint the planter - I think I will go for 'Downpipe' . It's one of my favorite Farrow & Ball colours.

Photo Place-cards  
These personalised place cards are easy to make and are a fun way to show your guest to their seat.   

I made them for our family Christmas lunch, and this week I'm making our friends Easter Bunny ones for a big lunch on Easter Monday.  Here's how to make your own.....