Hey there everyone! Summer has returned to Dublin – I think temperatures climbed to their highest heights of the year so far yesterday! And that’s got me in a holiday sort of mood… So I thought I might use this week’s Flashback Friday to revisit some of my favourite “Beasties on tour” moments. Hopefully it will tide us over until we can all travel again!
Let’s start with Explorer Beastie’s trip to Germany in 2018… A rare example of a Beastie holiday where I was allowed to tag along.
And thanks to the themed gardens in Düsseldorf’s Nordpark, you might have even thought we were briefly in Japan! Explorer Beastie does enjoy a bit of zen serenity now and again.
Paddy and Plunkett are also fond of an away trip. Here’s one of my favourite pictures of them, lurking in the tulips around Arundel Castle in Kent.
While I was looking for this photo, I found some other travel souvenirs – pictures from Antonello and Tiziana Beastie’s visit to Abruzzo!
And yes, that is a real live BEAR in the background!
And speaking of dangerous exploits… One of my favourite Beastie holiday snaps of all time comes courtesy of Tammie Painter, who encouraged her Beastie Finn McSpool to try his paw at scuba diving whilst on holiday in Hawaii!
He wasn’t the only one having fun in the sun in Hawaii, either. Grim Reaper Beastie went there too! Doesn’t he look right at home among all that lava?
Then again, holidays don’t have to be all non-stop action and dramatic scenery. They can also give you the opportunity to take a moment to pursue a favourite hobby…
… Or just kick back and relax!
Are you dreaming of getting away on holiday when things return to normal? Or are you planning a staycation in your favourite local hideaway? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!
We’ll be back on Tuesday with more monster mischief… Enjoy the weekend and we’ll see you all then!
Pretty rustic, eh? Back then I was using “graduate” sketchbooks – books with a thick paper cover that are stapled together in the middle like a magazine – and sending my customers photos of the pages. That’s why you can see shadows down some of the sides!
That said, I did keep on drawing by hand for a good while afterwards! Here are a couple from back in 2017 – do any of you recognise these Beasties?
Then when I figured out that I could scan in my fabric stash and show people the actual prints I’d be using for their Beastie’s outfits, I couldn’t have been happier!
And although I can now type most of the text, I still like to throw the odd bit of my own hand-drawn lettering into the sketches too.
How about you? Will you be cracking out your pencils this weekend, or creating artwork on your computer? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!
This set of hammer, torch and pocket knife headed off to Illinois with 
… And the pocket knife opens to reveal a sharp(ish) felt blade!
Next, some of the more unusual work related items I’ve created – a Beastie-sized micropipette and cell culture flask!
Honestly, these little monsters can (and do) turn their paws to just about anything! You can find out which Beastie left Beastie Towers with this lot 
As I said in the 
(I also kinda love her tiara… It’s probably not workplace-suitable attire, but let’s give it a mention anyway!)
This Beastie-sized needle-felted croissant and hand-embroidered newspaper celebrate the way 
… And a scan through the news of the day!
Phew! After that lot, you’d almost need to take the weekend off and put your feet up! Did I miss any favourite Beastie accessories out in my round-up? If I did, be sure to give me a nudge in the comments!
But her fishy tail…
… And aquatic-themed accessories…
… Made me realise that it’s a veeeery long time since I was last at the seaside. So, as well as a timely reminder that Beasties are found under the sea as well as on land, I thought I’d take a trip to the coast through some of my old photos.
And while he was living it up overseas, 
That said, not all of their seaside visits have gone so smoothly. In 
How about you lot? Are any of you still able to get to the beach, or are you longing to feel sand between your toes again? Let us know in the comments!
My very first Beastie dogs were knitted. You know me, I love to knit! But although the technique and yarn worked well enough here, I soon found it quite limiting. It’s hard to capture the huge range of dog body shapes, colours and fur textures with yarn!
… And he makes a special guest appearance in Tierney’s latest blog post, 
…And a Pekingese from a little later that same year.
And of course, because I err more on the side of “cat lady”, I also started making Beastie kitties along the way. My first ones were special editions for my first time selling at the Dublin Cat Fair…
… But I soon started making them to order as well! This Beastie with a black cat was made as a partner for the one in the photo above…
… And then there’s this handsome fellow, created as a gift for a lady who owns a beautiful polydactyl cat called Paddy.
I still love those glasses.
I was reminded of this when I looked back at “Definitely Maybeast” in 
Another bit of teeny sewing that somehow fell into the BMML (Before Magic Magnifying Lamp) era. I look at these now and wonder how I’m not blind! This appliquéd felt and embroidery board game was an important part of the accessory lineup for a 
The Beastie TARDIS was made of felt, and reinforced with foam and interfacing so it didn’t collapse in like a woolly tent! I lined the inside with shiny silver material for a space-age feel, and embroidered on the window panes and lettering. The doors also close with velcro so the Doctor can travel in safety.
… I made a second one! And I took more photos that time. You can see the original posts about these commissions 
… And only went a bit overboard by making the lens and strap removable.
Oh well, sometimes you just have to! Laura’s little monster left Beastie Towers with a whole heap of other accessories too – check them out 
… I did end up with the ferocious-looking gold and silver dragon that my customer asked for! You can relive the entire, um, interesting experience 
… And her miniature miniature schnauzer, Mikelet!
She also left Beastie Towers with two outfits…
… And a whole heap of accessories!
Her “survival kit” pays tribute to a few of Human Tierney’s favourite things – quilting, blogging and visiting her local library.
