Hamish, hearts and happy times

I forgot to mention in my last post, but it has been a whole year since I started writing my blog!

The 12 months since that very first post written in Malaysian Borneo has been a whirlwind. Finishing our travels, starting new jobs, moving house twice, meeting new people and of course a whole lot of creative bits and bobs in between have made this year fly past at 100 miles an hour. I've enjoyed every minute and am so glad to have this blog as reminder of all the good things which have happened.

Now I have a lovely group of followers on Facebook and Twitter, some great online 'blogger' friends and commissions to keep me busy in my spare time! Thank you to all who've been there from the beginning and those who've joined me along the way. :)

Now, on to this week's projects!

This is my latest paper cut heart, a (slightly belated) housewarming present for some friends. I asked for a list of what they would like included and drew out the design by hand before I started to cut. Can you spot a kite surfer, cupcakes, butterfly, teapot and teacups, poppies, hearts, Dartmoor, wine, stars, bees, 'love' and a bike?

Copyright Clare Willcocks

Here are a couple of close-ups. The kite surfer is about as small as my fingernail. I think I'll replace this background colour with a dark olive green to frame it.

This bank holiday weekend has been quite a productive one as I also managed to get started on another lovely piece. The 'Hamish' in today's post title was a very special Scottie dog of whom very few photos were taken, so this paper cut is to remember him by.

It's designed in a similar style to the cat paper cut which I did recently, although this time I've decided to feature the dogs and doggy bits and pieces as negative space.

It still has a little way to go but it's a lovely one to cut. As always, it started out as a hand-drawn design in reverse, rubbed out and tweaked until I was happy!

In fact, I've done quite a bit of drawing this weekend. This is a biro sketch I did while watching Sam fishing in Shaldon, South Devon.

Finally, I'll leave you with these photos taken on our walk today from Mortehoe, just a little further up the coast from Woolacombe in North Devon. We took a picnic and followed a circular route up and down along the cliffs and then back around to the village, finishing with a cup of tea in Town Farmhouse café.

Woolacombe beach looked very busy, it's clear that summer's on its way!

The bottom right photo below is a thumb-sized caterpillar which we came across on the path.

A nosy little lamb watched us from a precarious position where it was munching grass.

I ended up with loads of photos of these little pink flowers!

And that's all for today! I would love for you to pop by my Facebook page with a like if you haven't already.

Also, don't forget that if you'd like to have a go at paper cutting yourself, my free template and tutorial can be found on Hope and Chances Creativity. :)

Today I'm sharing this post on the following blogs: Handmade Harbour, Manon Popje's Illustrations, Be Different Act Normal and Beyond the Picket Fence.

A new blog header and a lovely, sunny weekend - life is good!

Introducing my new blog header! It's taken me every evening after work this week to cut, so it was a time consuming piece but I think it was worth it! What are your thoughts? Should it stay?

Disaster nearly struck as I had forgotten to mirror the year (top left) when I drew it from the cutting side. Thanks to my Dad's eagle eyes, disaster was averted and the date is the correct way round!

Here are some more close-ups of the papercut.

I like the idea of having to look at it for a while to find all the little details hidden among the flowers. There are a whole variety of things to spot, from teapots (see below) to bees and butterflies.

There are also a few stars hidden in there too.

At the beginning of the week I also completed another heart commission to be given as a wedding present. I'll be able to reveal that one when the big day is over later this year!

My Mum and Dad came to stay on Friday night, and, as luck would have it, the weather has been absolutely stunning.

We took the opportunity to get out exploring the lovely North Devon coast, walking from the south end of Westward Ho! around the corner and along the South Devon Coast Path.

It's warmer than it has been in a long time and a sure sign that spring is in the air. It makes me feel very happy to be outside enjoying such incredible scenery, catching some rays and much needed vitamin D.

The colours at this time of year in England are so vibrant. There's something lovely about these tufts of springy grass on weather-worn mounds of earth.

Mum and Dad went home on Saturday evening, so Sam and I took advantage of a second day of sunshine for a little road trip to Bude, about 40 mins south and just over the border into Cornwall.

We took a little walk along the breakwater for a closer look at the crashing waves. The surf was amazing today - a little too big for most of the surfers braving the winter-chilled sea!

This photo shows the view from the end of the breakwater across the bay of Summerleaze Beach and back towards the town.

After an ice cream we set off north along the coast, past Crooklets and on to Northcott along the South West Coast Path. The views were beautiful across the sea and coast, and back across the fields.

A ladybird hitched a sneaky lift on Sam's shoulder!

After a brief pause to admire the view, we set off back to Bude for a well-deserved pasty from Tasty Pasties - and they are just that, yum!

When we got back it was still sunny in the garden, so the sun-worshipping continued, this time with a book and lounger.

As it got a little chilly, I came inside and finished a sleeveless top sewing project that I started on Saturday evening. I adapted it from a few patterns and the block that I made last week, which may explain why it's not quite right!

The little tucks in the neckline weren't originally intended, but when I tried it on the neck was a little baggy so I improvised.

It needs a good iron!

The back went a little wrong as I didn't line up the shoulder darts with the waist ones, so there was a baggy part between the points of the darts which I just pinched together and bodged so its still a bit lumpy.

Not bad for a first attempt though and it'll teach me to match my darts line up next time!

I'm sharing today's post at Handmade Harbour, Manon Popje's Illustrations, Be Different Act Normal, Lamb Around and Tatertots and Jello. 

Heart shaped papercut and a 1918 Singer sewing machine...

Last year I bought my Dad a book of awesome intricate papercut examples, compiled by Laura Heyenga. A couple of weeks ago was my first chance to have a really good look through it myself (backhanded present alert!) and it inspired me to give it a go.

Our walls are looking very cream and boring at the moment, so I decided to do a papercut to brighten the place up a bit. I chose a heart shaped design and drew out a curly pattern, filling in the gaps with little leaf motifs and flowers. It took absolutely ages to cut, but turned out really well!

It was extremely fiddly, I was worried that I'd cut a section right off!

Can you spot the not-so-deliberate mistake?

Now we just need to find a frame! I think a square frame with a broad mount would suit it, what do you think?

A surprise find at the recycling centre

Yesterday we paid a visit to the recycling centre at the tip in search of a couple of little tables that we could spruce up a bit for the lounge.

Of course, as always happens, we didn't come away with what we'd intented to buy, but instead brought home a photo frame, fishing chair and.........this!

A 1918 Singer sewing machine! As soon as I saw it sitting there, looking so chic and vintage on a chair, I knew I had to have it. I love the design, it's heaviness and the fact it still works! I've yet to try it with fabric, but the mechanism seems to run really smoothly and it still has the original instruction book and selection of feet.

Sam's reaction was "where on Earth area we going to put that?", which is why it's currently sitting on the windowsill. I quite like it as a quirky ornament though!

It has beautiful decorative metal panels on the end and back, more inspiration for papercuts perhaps! The wood is a little damaged, but I think that just adds to its charm :)

A lovely walk on the beach

Our friends came to stay last night and we went for a walk this morning to make the most of the rare sunshine! The beach at Westward Ho was looking as lovely as ever.

The recent storms had washed away the sand revealing the clay bed underneath which had been moulded into interesting formations by the water. There's something really satisfying about squishing a firm rounded clay mound under a welly booted foot!

All the stone-like ridges in the photo below are the clay poking through the sand. 

That's all for today, after a yummy lunch at the Village Inn in Westward Ho, I'm now ready to snuggle up for the evening in front of the fire!

I'm sharing this post on the following blogs: Handmade Harbour, Manon Popje's Illustrations, I Gotta Create,  Lamb Around and Tatertots and Jello.

Beautiful walk at Westward Ho!

On Thursday we moved house (thanks to Mum and Dad for all their help)! Today was the first day that we've had a chance to relax and enjoy our new home.

Having moved from a fully furnished house to a completely empty one we've spent the last three days rounding up a whole host of furniture and appliances. We're still lacking a fridge freezer though, (arguably the most important thing!) which means our food is currently cooling outside the back door. Good job it's winter!

There are distinct disadvantages to our doorstep larder, however. Some cheeky little critter decided that a big block of cheddar cheese would make a lovely midnight feast. We went outside this morning to find only half of it remaining!

We woke up to glorious sunshine so we took the opportunity to go for a walk at Westward Ho!.

If you, like me, are intrigued as to why Westward Ho! has an exclamation mark, I looked it up and apparently the village was named after the bestselling novel by Charles Kingsley as a sort of publicity stunt (thank you Wikipedia!).

Here are a few of my snaps from today.

And just to prove we were actually there....

This afternoon I made a heart to match the vintage style shabby chic chairs I renovated a while ago. The edge is crocheted in white cotton thread.

I'm sharing this post at the following link parties: Be Different Act Normal, Sunny Simple Life, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days and Shabby Nest.