It’s Showtime!

Pop Up Shop

Taaa-daaaah! Today I was out in Dun Laoghaire setting up Creative Collective Ireland’s Pop Up Shop. After a whole lot of shelf hauling, bemused studying of empty spaces and incremental tweaking of the displays, I think we’re ready to go!

And of course I got a little bit of extra help…
Hipster Girl Beastie
Well, sort of. Hipster Girl Beastie was too busy checking out the jewellery.

Beastie with Jewellery
Fortunately my rhubarb-and-custard-coloured Beastie was on hand to tidy up after her!

Beastie with Box
He also took a shine to this hand-turned gift box, then…

Beastie with Scarf
… found a soft silky scarf, and settled down for a bit of a snooze. At least Ninja Beastie was working hard – he’s in charge of security.
State-of-the art Security System

Others were happy just to pose for a couple of publicity shots! I’d like to introduce you to one of my Big Beasties – this is the first time I’ve had them up for sale, so I’m interested to see how people react. They’re twice the size of regular Beasties… and at least twice as huggable!
Big Beastie and Rose Beastie

Opening day is tomorrow, so wish us luck! I wonder who our first customer will be…
Victorian Explorer Beastie with Soap

Victorian Explorer Beastie

Victorian Explorer Beastie Close-Up

Regular visitors to the BeastieBlog will remember this dashing chap from our visit to Bray in Co. Wicklow a couple of months ago.
Bray Head

However, he was so busy strolling along the promenade, climbing the hill and picking up interesting pebbles on the beach that he didn’t get a chance to show off all his tip-top explorer kit. So I’ve invited him back!Victorian Explorer Beastie

No gentleman explorer should leave home without his pith helmet, belt pouch for assorted sundries, and knapsack. I wonder what he’s taking with him?
Map and Hipflask

Oh, of course! A map of a distant land and a hipflask of finest gin. Nice!

Victorian Explorer Beastie’s next port of call will be Dun Laoghaire in South Dublin, for Creative Collective Ireland’s annual Pop Up Shop… but who knows where he’ll go after that?

Beasties in the Garden

Explorer Beastie in the Kale
I’m yet to knit a Beastie with green fingers (or any visible fingers, for that matter), but it seems to me that they’re managing fine in the garden without them. Here’s Explorer Beastie, celebrating his return home from his travels by mucking around in some kale!
Explorer Beastie and Gardener Beastie
He’s not the only one outside today. I guess this must be Gardener Beastie, who is clearly hard at work!
Gardener Beastie with Seedlings
It looks like she’s already pulled up some carrots for dinner. Now she just needs to check on the seedlings…

Gardener Beastie with Rhubarb
…admire the rhubarb…

Gardener Beastie with Ladybirds
…and say hello to some helpful garden friends.

Gardener Beastie Accessories
She also insisted I include a close-up of her beautiful felt gardening basket and seed packet.

In other news, the BeastieBlog is going to be a bit quiet for the next week and a half! I’m off to Roscommon (the land where internet fears to tread) to help out on the farm. Away from the distractions of the digital age, I will have no excuses not to knit like a woman possessed… which is just as well, because I have another selling opportunity on the horizon! Check out Creative Collective Ireland on Facebook for more details!

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

St Patrick's Day Parade

I woke up this morning to find my street closed to traffic and overrun with people in leprechaun costumes.  Must be St Patrick’s Day, then!  My building is actually on the parade route, so the Beasties and I had front-row seats for the whole show.  Since Explorer Beastie still isn’t back, I thought I’d let Green Sweetheart Beastie take the lead on this one… Enjoy!Viking Float

"The Wheels of Time" Float

LSU Marching Band

"Celtic Tiger" Float

"History of Love" Float

Beastie Close-Up

Thanks for dropping by… have a great St Patrick’s Day, wherever you are!

Liebster Award – it’s like Oscars Night all over again! (Sort of)

Well, a little exaggeration never hurt anyone… Many thanks to lovely Roma at Cottage on the Green, who has nominated me for one of these:

Liebster Award logo

If you have a minute, check out her blog – it always makes me smile!

Anyway, it seems that I have some work to do before I can swan off down the red carpet and start swigging champagne like it’s going out of fashion. Let’s start with some rules… the first rule of Liebster Awards is that you do not talk ab… no, that’s not right. The rules are:

*Thank the person who has nominated you and link back to their blog (by posting a link on yours).

*Copy and display the award in your blog post available from here

*Answer the 11 questions about yourself, which are given to you by the person who nominated you.

*Write 11 random facts about yourself.

*Nominate 5 – 11 blogs/bloggers that you feel deserve the award. They need to have less than 1000 followers.

*Think of 11 new questions for the bloggers you have nominated and write them in your post.

So, it looks like you’ll be finding out more about me this week. Here goes…
1) Where would you most like to visit?
I’d love to travel on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Not really a destination, but never mind.
2) What item do you treasure most?
It’s a tie between my spiffy fabric scissors, the bookshelves my Dad made for me and the toy monkey I got on my first Christmas.
3) What craft do you admire most?
All of them. Seeing a skilled craftsperson at work is the most fascinating thing, whatever they’re doing.
4) What is your favourite meal?
Pie or sushi. But not together.
5) What is your favourite TV program?
Murder, She Wrote.
6) What makes you laugh?
My boyfriend.
7) What is the best time of day?
MEALTIMES.
8) Who is your favourite author?
Truman Capote.
9) What is your favourite flower?
Cactus flowers.
10) What must you do before leaving the house?
About six entirely unnecessary things.
11) Do you wear a watch?
Yes.

11 Random Facts About Me
1) I can sleep anywhere, apart from on long-haul flights.
2) I hate getting up early, especially when alarm clocks are involved.
3) I brew my own beer.
4) I once worked on a commercial pig farm for a week, to learn where sausages come from.
5) I have flown a plane, but can’t drive a car.
6) I am unbelievably, hilariously bad at singing.
7) I need at least 2 cups of tea a day to function.
8) I still listen to cassette tapes.
9) I would never go to the cinema alone.
10) I don’t really understand the appeal of Twitter.
11) I find it incredibly difficult to compile lists of information about myself.

I’d like to nominate:
Monster Maven

Make + Do

Strey Creative

Manon’s Maze

CultureGeek

A Wandering Teacup

…And my 11 questions are:
1) Where would you most like to revisit?
2) What’s the most useful thing you own?
3) What’s your guilty pleasure?
4) Do you tend to arrive late, early or on time?
5) What’s your hot drink of choice?
6) Where is the scariest place you’ve been?
7) What makes you nostalgic?
8) What annoys you?
9) What was your favourite childhood TV show?
10) What item of clothing do you most regret wearing?
11) Yippee! You have an unexpected day off! How do you spend it?

Thanks for reading! To wrap up, I’ll include a picture of some Beasties with the giant box of tea (“Knitting Fuel”) I was forced to buy yesterday… it was either monster-sized Lyons or any other tea, so that decision pretty much made itself.
Beastie Tea Party

New Beasties in New Places…

Sweetheart Beasties

Meet some more of my new arrivals!

I’ve been making these Sweetheart Beasties with a view to reviving my long-dormant Etsy shop in time for Valentine’s Day! If you have a second, why not drop in and pay them a visit?
Beasties on Etsy

Sharing Beasties in more places meant heading out for another photo shoot – this time I chose Iveagh Gardens, one of my favourite Dublin parks. Even though it’s right in the city centre, it’s a little tricky to find, and with its crumbling statues and high walls, it feels like you’ve stumbled into the Secret Garden…

Red Valentine Beastie Red Rose Beastie met a stony-faced lady…

Sweetheart Beastie … While Pink Sweetheart Beastie battled through the miniature maze to reach the sundial at the centre.

I’ve also been busy this week making my own selection of Valentine’s cards. I have to admit that I’ve never been the biggest fan of Valentine’s Day, so I decided to make the kind of cards I’d like to see. Was this a good idea? I’ll let you decide…

Valentine Cards 2

Have a great weekend!

Beasties Invade Facebook

Heart Beastie

When I started doing this blog, my brother suggested that I set up a Facebook page for the Beasties as well, so that (and I quote) “they can spread their unique brand of adorable terror into my news feed”.  Since I’m no longer knitting market stock like a woman possessed, I thought I would use my newly-freed hands to give it a go.  Two hours down the line, I think I’ve managed it… so if you have a second to spare, visit the page and show the Beasties some Facebook love!

It’s Market Day!

My Craft Fair Stall

The Beasties and I had a great first day at the Ranelagh Christmas Craft Fair! This is how my stall looked just before the doors opened this morning, and a good few of these are off to new homes tonight! Not bad for a first attempt… We’ll be heading back tomorrow, and I’m going to have to try VERY hard not to spend too much money at the other stalls.

Here are some of the Beasties who left with new parents today:

Ghetto Blaster Beastie

Ghetto Blaster Beastie – inspired by 80s films and my ongoing love of cassette tapes.

Punk Beastie

Punk Beastie – shown here in close-up so you can admire his safety pin piercings and blue mohawk. I love this photo, it cracks me up every time I look at it!

Schoolboy Beastie

Schoolboy Beastie – since the Craft Fair is being held in a school hall, it made sense for me to include a school-themed monster! As well as the official uniform of felt tie and cap, this guy has a hand-stitched leather satchel.

Carrier Bags

I also spent a bit of time yesterday making my own carrier bags – not very high-tech, but they were fun to do. And that’s all that matters! More tomorrow…