Indian paper cut update - it's FINISHED!

After hours of sitting hunched up, toiling over the cutting mat, I have finally finished this Indian-style paper cut and I couldn't be happier with the way it's turned out.

It's cut out of 'normal' thickness paper with a size 11 scalpel blade.

I think I'm going to stick with the yellow background, but as it's for my sister, I'd better give her the final say! I love the way the contrast is so vibrant when it's held up to the light like in the photo below.

Although I'm glad it's finished, I really enjoyed cutting out all those tiny patterns!

Here's how it started life, hand drawn on a piece of plain A4 paper.

It casts beautiful shadows in the sunshine.

One last photo!

This weekend I've also been working on the dog portrait commission I began a few weeks ago. His nose was the focus today! The fur still needs toning down so it's not so pale.

Finally, I've almost finished this doodle, but you're only getting a sneak peek for now!

That's all for today, thanks for stopping by! I'll leave you with this photo taken at Westward Ho! while Sam was land boarding this evening.

PS. Please pop by my Facebook page if you'd like to see more of my work :)

I'm sharing today's post on the following blogs: Handmade Harbour, Nifty Thrifty Things, Be Different Act Normal, Sunny Simple Life and Manon Popje's Illustrations.

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.

Enjoying the sunny weather on Teignmouth seafront, Devon

Last Sunday was a beautiful, crisp day so we went for a walk along the seafront at Teignmouth in south Devon. Despite the chilly temperature, the sea was really blue, although you still wouldn't have got me in there!

It was high tide so we stopped to watch the waves crashing on the slipway. Every few minutes there was a big one which I tried to capture on camera - easier said than done!

I took a photo of these rusty poles because I thought they'd be interesting to draw, perhaps on brown paper. It's so much more interesting to sketch something with a bit of texture!

How to draw water continued...

Staying with the watery theme, I finished this pencil drawing of water that I wrote about in my last blog post: How to draw water. I used a 2B and B pencil for the shading and sharpened it up at the end with a slightly harder one.

I'm extremely pleased with the way it's turned out. Not sure I'll be doing another one any time soon though as for such a small drawing it took a very long time to complete!

I'll be back soon with some drawings inspired by an artist I found on Pinterest (inspiration Mecca!). If you'd like to see them, follow my blog :)

Also, a little plea to those who use Facebook! My art page is currently on 92 likes so it would be great if you could like and share to push me over the 100 mark! Thank you :D

Today I'm sharing this post on the following lovely blogs: Handmade Harbour, Blue Chair Diary Illustrations, Lamb Around, Cornerstone Confessions and Manon Popje's Illustrations.

Summer fun in Torquay - watercolour seagull painting for PPF and WOYWW

Hi folks! I've had a fantastic time this week with the students of Kaplan International English school in Torquay! We've been all over the place, doing lots of activities outside to make the most of the sunshine. An afternoon spent on the beach here, a game of crazy golf there, trips to Living Coasts (the local seaside zoo) and games of tennis and bowls at Torre Abbey - we've really been spoilt with such good weather! Some of the students at the school haven't even experienced one day of rain during their stay!

All this fun hasn't left a lot of time for creativity, but I found an hour or so one evening to finish this painting of seagulls which I started last week. Firstly I drew a grid to arrange the seagulls in, then sketched them out in pencil, taking care that each one was facing a different direction to the next. When I was happy with the combination I drew over them in a fine pen and painted them in watercolours. I had trouble getting the colour of the wings all the same as the paint kept separating once I'd mixed it (cheap paints maybe?!), but as Sam said, seagulls are all slightly different anyway! I'm linking this one up to Paint Party Friday. What do you think?

'Seagulls' - © Clare Willcocks

All it needs now is a frame! Can you spot the teeny line I forgot to draw? 

This afternoon, when I got home from work, the sun was shining and the decking in the back garden was calling! Armed with a juice, my pad and watercolours I spent a lovely hour painting al fresco! I wanted to paint my 'workdesk' for this week's What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday (WOYWW), so here it is! I don't have a set place that I work, so my workdesk always changes!

Watercolour painting in the garden.

Same view, with a few bits and bobs added/moved!

The painting in progress...

Just a quick post today as I'm off for a barbecue on the beach! I love summer! See you soon lovely readers :) Don't forget to follow my blog if you like what you see!

Today I'm linking up at Shabby Nest, Creative Princess and Rhinestone Beagle.