Hey there everyone! How are you getting on? We’re still locked in here in Ireland, but there’s the possibility of a few things starting to return to normal next week, so hopefully I’ll have some good news for you then. In the meantime, we’re sticking with quarantine procedures, and trying to go out as little as possible. And although they’re Corona-immune, even the Beasties are getting in on the act. Here, take a look!
Quarantine Birthday Beastie – A sign of the times!
People are pretty quick off the mark when it comes to suggesting personal touches for their Beastifications. So this Birthday Beastie…
… Got a Covid-19-era update!
The face mask is made from cotton, pleated and lined with felt for some good woolly air filtration. Then, a pretty ribbon strap with a little elastic helps to hold it in place.
And when she’s staying safe at home, and not having to be socially distant… There’s a whole birthday cake to eat!
Two needle-felted wool sponge cakes, sandwiched between layers of felt jam and icing? That would put a smile on any Beastie’s face!
She’s also dressed to impress, in a sweet floral print sundress with ribbon ties on the shoulders.
And finally, check out those lustrous alpaca tresses! I really should get the Beasties to share their hairdressing secrets.
Now all we need to figure out is how she’s going to blow out the candle without removing her face mask!
Big thanks to Annemarie for suggesting this fun and timely project! And speaking of fun…
Quarantine Entertainment
So, I’ve been working from home these past few weeks – you might remember seeing my desk invaded by a Beastie raiding party on St Patrick’s Day in this post – and I’ve noticed myself picking up some new hobbies. I thought I’d share them with you… Mostly to see if any of you have started doing similarly odd things yourselves!
The big difference between home and my studio is that I now have a window to stare out of when I’m figuring out the angles of my latest Beastification. I also don’t see Ophelia the studio cat as often as I did. I miss her antics!
As such, I have been avidly following the daily patrollings of Big Ginger Cat and Little Tortoiseshell Cat, who swing by several times a day to sunbathe, hunt bluebottles and wage war on the magpies in the big tree. It’s nice to see them continuing about their usual business!
And when the cats are away, the birds get a chance to play… A lot of people are saying that they’ve been noticing birds and birdsong a lot more, and we’ve been enjoying the occasional full-on dawn chorus here some mornings. It’s harder to see the little birds in the trees now that they’re all leafed out, but I’ll sometimes catch a glimpse of a robin or blackbird as they flit from branch to branch. This morning I spotted some swifts for the first time this year, zipping around high in the sky! Has anyone else become an amateur ornithologist lately?
Then again, there’s a downside to that window too. When the sun comes around in the late afternoon, it blazes in and makes my work table hotter than the surface of Mercury! What’s a girl to do?
Why, retire to the garden of course! My balcony pots are looking better tended than they have in years, and on Sunday I harvested my first home-grown radish. Talk about satisfying – I’ll share some pics when a few more things sprout or flower.
And how about you? Have you taken up a new quarantine hobby, or had a change of pace that lets you see things you’d have missed before? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!
We’ll be back on Friday with a run-down of some of the craziest Beastie accessories I’ve ever made, so be sure to join us then!
PS…
In case you missed it in last Friday’s post, I did this!
Barry interviewed me for his podcast just before the lockdown kicked in, and the episode went live last week. You can have a listen here, or on your usual podcast provider. And a big thank you to all those people who listened already and got in touch afterwards! It was so nice to hear from you all!
Well that is certainly the most adorable face mask I have seen since this pandemic started! I love that the accessory will always connect this birthday gift of a Beastie to this time in history.
Glad to hear you are keeping busy at home and seem to be making the most of this weird life we find ourselves living. No new hobbies for me so far as I am overseeing the four boys doing distance learning and that feels like a full time job. I am furloughed but swear I have less free time now than I did when I was working. If we are still on lockdown over the summer (which is a real possibility here) then maybe I will have time to venture into a new hobby.
Yes, I’m sure you really have your hands full… Especially since all the boys are at such different stages in their schooling! I was just thinking this morning that I’m so glad I’m not a teenager just now – that’s got to be tough. Cheers for dropping in to meet this week’s new Beastie, Laura… Hopefully there’s some quiet hobby time just around the corner for you 😊
I actually consider myself lucky. A decade ago, with four tiny kids, this would have been the absolute pits.
Well now that you mention it… Yikes!
That cake with felt jam and cream sounds delicious. Lucky birthday Beastie.
Congratulations on your radish. I also grows them and love them.
Thanks, Mariss! My rocket plants have been very generously providing leaves for sandwiches and salads too… It’s so much nicer than picking up a plastic bag of squashed greenery in the supermarket. What other goodies are growing in your garden?
Parsley rosemary thyme (never managed sage). Also have and love to eat rocket. Green peppers, chillies, lettuce, spinach. A feast!
Yes, you’ve really got the makings of some tasty treats there! Yum! 😋
Forgot to mention the best of all — sweet basil
Oooh, is that the one that pairs so nicely with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese? 😋
It is indeed 😊
I’ve been waiting and watching for the appearance of a Beastie in a face mask….and here she is tonight! But I have to say, Beasties look different when you can’t see their teeth (or fangs?). And thanks for the link to your podcast interview. For anyone who hasn’t listened in yet, Helen is guaranteed to brighten your Lock Down day with a lively discussion on the fun of creating Beasties. Her description of the art of French Knitting to a bemused male interviewer is a hoot!
Hahaha! Thanks for listening, Queen Bee! I think I got a bit off-topic at that part of the interview, but I’m glad someone got a kick out of it! It seems my enthusiasm for French knitting is still going strong, even 3 decades on 😂 Cheers for popping in!
Hmmm….with all that feline longing, do I see a pet cat in your future? Also, I might have to borrow your felt cake recipe if the stores don’t start getting some flour and sugar back on the shelves. LOVE the interview, by the way :))
Thanks, Tammie! I’m so chuffed that people are taking the time to listen 😊 As for cats in my future… I’ll settle for sharing other people’s for the moment. All the fun and cuddles, none of the vets’ bills! Here’s hoping there’s some flour and sugar in your stores soon – it’s the same over here 🙄 Well, we’ve got sugar back in now, but free range eggs have vanished from the shelves. I might have to resort to eating Beastie cake myself if this carries on!
Well, the felt fiber will be great for your GI health. As for pets and vets, my old lady cat is 20 years old and has only been to the vet once in her life…they asked me not to bring her back because of her drama queen antics 😸
Ha! It doesn’t seem to have done her any harm though – maybe a fear of the sawbones is the key to a long and healthy life? 🤔
Speaking of health, it’s probably time to go and whip up a nice woolly cake… Still only sad chicken eggs in stores, so human baking will have to wait another week!
Boo to sad chicken eggs. Only happy chicken eggs should be used for cakes and cookies 🐔 😃
Seconded! I did briefly consider getting some hens to live on the balcony, but that’s probably not much of an improvement on a cage… 😆
Luckily my mom has the inside scoop on a chicken lady in her area so we’ve been kept supplied with eggs from happy chickens 😍
Awww, lucky you… Enjoy! Welfare concerns aside, they’re so much tastier as well!
Very nice – I am going to have a listen to that podcast! I got to hear Tammie’s (another Beastie-fied person) voice on her podcast and now I will get to hear yours!
Birthday Beastie is adorable and how awesome she has a mask!
I couldn’t wait, I found the podcast episode on Apple podcasts and I am listening to it on my phone 🙂
Ha! Thanks, Tierney! It just goes to show – whatever people have, Beasties want it too! Hope you enjoyed the podcast… I certainly had a blast recording it 😁 Seems like a lifetime ago now though! Cheers for swinging by 😊
tierneycreates Beastie is so proud of you – she was the guest blogger today… https://tierneycreates.com/2020/05/24/proud-of-my-maker-guest-post/
Awww, amazing! I’ll pop over & check that out now… I’m not getting as much blog reading time as I’d like these days so thanks for the heads up! 😊