Paddy and Plunkett – Page 8

I Don’t Bee-lieve It!

Posted on May 2, 2017June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Crafting, Info, Paddy and Plunkett

Hey there BeastieBuddies! Can it really be May already?!

After a bit of a cold snap here recently, it feels like Spring is back on track again… And right about now is when bluebells have their moment in the sun! Having seen so many pictures of beautiful bluebell woods just about everywhere over the bank holiday weekend, Paddy and Plunkett decided to take a break from adventuring and seek out some of these colourful natural wonders for themselves…
As you can see, bluebells are perfect for a Beastie-sized game of hide and seek.
“BOO!”

“Gaaaaah! Paddy, I had no idea you were even there!”

But it turns out that there was an even bigger surprise just around the corner for Plunkett – the lads aren’t the only creatures out enjoying the bluebells today…
“Paddy, what’s that noise?”
“Hey, look! It’s a bee, Plunkett!”
“A BEE?! AAAAAAARRRRGH!”
We all know that Plunkett is something of a nervous character. So while Paddy made friends…
…Plunkett was heading for the hills!
But he really shouldn’t have worried. This bee is one friendly critter.
I’ve actually been meaning to develop a pattern for this busy little lady for ages! My Mum has been working tirelessly over the last couple of years to make life easier for our native bees, which are facing all kinds of problems due to habitat destruction and a particularly nasty parasite called the varroa mite. I had hoped to provide her with a swarm of felt bees to promote her Bee Garden project at Moneypenny’s Lock on the Newry Canal last summer, but of course I didn’t quite get around to it!

This year, the springing of spring got me thinking about bees again… and it happened to coincide with a call for submissions for a Craftivism event in The Make It Shop in Manchester by The Snail of Happiness, whose blog I’ve been following and enjoying since I started here a couple of years back. Finally, the extra nudge I needed!

So in the past week, three little felt bees have buzzed off to the UK, each with a hand-drawn mini-zine about some simple things we can all do to help out our hardworking insect friends. And yes, Mum finally got some bees of her own to snap in her Bee Garden!
So, what’s next for the bees? Well, I had a lot of fun making them, and once I’d figured out the angles of the pattern, it was actually quite a simple make! So I’m toying with drawing up the templates and putting them out there so everyone can have a go – what do you all think? Let me know in the comments!

Paddy and Plunkett, Random Punters - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Cambridge – Worth a Punt!

Posted on April 25, 2017June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

I’ll be honest with you… Paddy and Plunkett were more than a little miffed that Explorer Beastie didn’t invite them along on his recent trip to Copenhagen. So, when they had the chance to hitch a lift to another bike-loving city (one a bit closer to home), you won’t be surprised to hear that they were off like a shot!

And where did they end up?
Aha! In beautiful sunny Cambridge!

Although it’s most famous for its universities – Plunkett actually considered applying here, but was disappointed by the human-centric approach these institutions take to the history of architecture – this little city that sits just outside London has plenty of other activities to keep a pair of curious little monsters entertained.

…Like these!
“Awww, Plunkett! Let’s have a go – the humans make it look so easy!”
“Hmmm, let’s see… Yeeees, it feels stable enough! But maybe we should let someone else drive?”
“DEAL!”

As it turns out, Plunkett took to these little boats (called “punts”) like a duck to water. He appreciated their sturdy construction, visibly-displayed safety information cards and the fact that they packed cosy blankets and umbrellas for the inevitable quirks of the British weather. And after a few minutes of gliding gently under the weeping willows, he was utterly sold!
A punt can hold 12 humans, plus a couple of stowaway Beasties, so Paddy and Plunkett were happy to share theirs with a family from the US. Strangely, they’d never met a Beastie before – what are the chances?

As for Paddy… Well, you know Paddy. Not even the “Bridge of Sighs” could dampen his mood!
This Bridge of Sighs got its name courtesy of Queen Victoria, who said it reminded her of the famous Ponte dei Sospiri in Venice. It didn’t matter that she’d never been to Venice, and that the two bridges actually look nothing alike… I don’t think even Paddy would have dared to contradict her!

And although the bridges gave Plunkett plenty to look at, he was also interested in the brick walls that line the river and keep the banks in check. These walls are carefully maintained, and repaired when necessary.
Further along, the boys came to the part of the river known as “The Backs” – so named because you float past the back doors of some of Cambridge’s most famous colleges.
“Look at this, Paddy! The guide says this is King’s College…
… I think I’d like to go here next!”

Join the boys when they return to dry land in a couple of weeks. Next week, I hope to have something new to share with you, so stay tuned!

Traces of Days Gone By

Posted on April 11, 2017June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties, Paddy and Plunkett

I really wasn’t sure what I was going to write about today. I have a lot of things on the go at the minute, but none of them are at a newsworthy stage yet, so this morning found me (only a little desperately) trawling through my copious Beastie photo archive, plus ALL my emails, in the hope of finding some pictures that I haven’t used before.

But the good news is that my search wasn’t in vain! What are the chances?! I found a series of lost Paddy and Plunkett pics from an adventure they had last spring, at a time when I was super-busy. I had kept them back for future use, and then forgotten about them (sorry lads)… Until today! Let’s take a trip into the past, shall we?
And perhaps in more ways than one…
“Hey Plunkett, where are we? And what’s with the coins stuck in the tree?”
“Glad you asked, Paddy. See that water down there? We’re at an ancient holy well!”
“Oooooh!”

There are hundreds of holy wells dotted all over the island of Ireland. And while some of them are marked with big, glitzy shrines decorated with flowers, statues and religious trinkets, many of them are so simple you’d hardly notice them. They’re often found in wild, remote places… like this one, tucked away in the corner of an ancient forest.
Like many holy wells, the water here is said to have healing properties. In fact, some wells are specialists, offering relief from dental problems, diseases of the eye, back pain, digestive trouble… You name it, there’s probably a well for it! This one was allegedly used by St Colmcille (also known as St Columba), an Irish abbot from the 6th century who brought Christianity to what is now Scotland. The sign beside the well says he “performed many acts of healing” here, although it doesn’t take a stance on whether he or the water deserves the credit!

Further down the road is another well. This one is a specialist… in the treatment of warts!
The rags in the tree branches are tied there as part of the cure. As the fabric rots away, your troublesome wart should also magically vanish. But before you start thinking this is an especially warty part of the country, don’t worry! The rags can also signify a request for help, which will be answered once the cloth has disintegrated. The well itself is just underneath the trees, bubbling up from this moss-covered boulder.
After this, the boys had time for one more well before they headed home for dinner. St Aidan’s Well seems more formal than the first two, and is associated with nearby St Aidan’s church.
Although St Aidan’s (formerly St Caden’s, after a follower of St Patrick) has been the site of a church since the 13th century, the well has been in use much longer and suggests that the area had spiritual significance back in pre-Christian times too. In fact, although most wells are now associated with a Christian saint, it’s thought that these places were considered sacred or significant long before Christianity arrived on these shores.

I think that definitely makes them worth a closer look, don’t you?
Are there any interesting ancient places near you? Tell us all about them in the comments!

And as usual, we’ll be back next week – hopefully with at least one finished monster project to share! See you then…

Strangers in a Strange Land

Posted on February 7, 2017June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

It’s been a while since we heard from intrepid globetrotting Beasties Paddy and Plunkett, hasn’t it? And now I’m beginning to think there might be a good reason for that… Take a look at their most recent set of holiday snaps and you’ll see what I mean!

What a weird, alien landscape… Are they even still on Earth?
“Paddy, look at these – they go on for miles!”
Of course, Plunkett was in his element – a field full of precariously-balanced rock towers? YES PLEASE!
But then Paddy spotted something else off in the distance, and he just had to climb down for a closer peek.
“Hey! Plunkett! Check it out…”
“…ROCK POOLS!”
And they were absolutely teeming with wildlife…
…Including this sea anemone, hermit crabs and one rather luxuriant sea slug!
Paddy could quite happily have watched this fellow grazing away on the rich pastures of underwater algae all day, but Plunkett was a little less keen…
Sorry, Plunkett! I promise we’ll stick to rocks next time!

What’s the strangest creature you’ve ever found at the beach? Let us know in the comments!

Oh, and be sure to join us again on Friday… I’m doing an extra bonus post this week to share photos from the day trip Explorer Beastie and I took to Ireland’s northernmost point! See you then!

Paddy Scales the Walls - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett Rock Out!

Posted on November 29, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

All the leaves are brown… and the sky certainly is grey here in Dublin today! But it seems like not all Beasties are reaching for their hats and scarves, or bedding down on the sofa to rewatch “The Muppet Christmas Carol”.

Not Paddy and Plunkett, anyway… They’re still on holiday in Lanzarote!
Today, their wandering paws have brought them to a part of the island that’s all rocks. Paddy’s not impressed – he had his fuzzy little heart set on building sandcastles. But Plunkett is in his element!
These local rocks are ideal for making stone walls, and Plunkett is determined to examine all of them!
This is starting to remind Paddy a lot of their trip to Arundel Castle, back in the summer!

Some of these walls even deserve a closer look…
…And at least that’s something Paddy can enjoy!
By the end of the day, I reckon he’d even forgotten about those sandcastles!
Where would you like to be spending this wintry Tuesday? Let us know in the comments!

Aaaaand don’t forget to pick up your Beastie calendar, while they’re still hot! A mere €12 each, with free postage within Ireland, or €3 to anywhere else*. Get in touch to reserve yours!

*These rates are for one calendar – larger orders might cost a little more!

Paddy and Plunkett, Livin’ it up in Lanzarote!

Posted on November 11, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

After last week’s post, some eagle-eyed readers were able to figure out that Paddy and Plunkett are currently enjoying a bit of winter (or late autumn!) sun in Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands. Lucky them! Shall we see where their wandering paws have taken them this week?

It seems like they’ve been making friends with some more of the locals, for starters!
Having spent a lot of the early part of their stay enjoying the delights of the hotel they’d snuck into, this week they decided to venture further afield.

“Come on Plunkett, let’s head for the hills!”
Paddy – full of beans as usual – was keen to see the island from the top of this mountain. All the more so after he found out that it used to be…
…A VOLCANO!

Plunkett was a little less enthused at the prospect of encountering pyroclastic flow and rivers of red-hot lava – he hid behind the sofa when we were checking out Grim Reaper Beastie’s last set of travel pics – but once we’d confirmed that it’s a looooong time since this volcano last erupted, he was happy enough to continue with the climb.

Well, as long as there were frequent stops to admire the view, of course…
“Are we nearly there yet, Paddy?”

“Almost… Just around the next corner!”
“Woooooooah! Look at that!”

Mind you, it was pretty breezy on the edge of the crater, so the boys didn’t stay long. On their way back down to sea level, Paddy spotted their next destination – he was all for making tracks to visit that lighthouse, way off in the distance!
However, Plunkett put his paw down.

“We’re supposed to be on holiday!”
And it turns out that it was surprisingly easy to win Paddy over to catching a few late-afternoon rays!

We’ll be back with more monster madness on Tuesday. In the meantime, have a great weekend… And Dubliners, don’t forget that you can catch us at the Creative Collective Ireland Craft Fair in Ranelagh this Saturday and Sunday!

Paddy and Plunkett's New Buddy - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

On The Road Again With Paddy and Plunkett!

Posted on November 4, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

It’s been a while since we last checked in with Paddy and Plunkett… But after hearing from Grim Reaper Beastie and Fairy Princess Beastie over the last couple of weeks, I reckoned it was only a matter of time before the boys got in touch as well! I wonder where they are?

It seems like their latest adventure got off to an early start, anyway – here’s Paddy up and dressed before the sun is fully over the horizon!
Isn’t that sunrise spectacular? Now, time to explore the hotel!

Woooooah, that’s a lot of stairs to climb! Let’s hope the breakfast buffet is worth it…
Nearly there! Note the curious human onlookers at the top, too… Honestly, you’d think they’d never seen a Beastie before.
After stocking up on breakfast goodies – and filling Plunkett’s waistcoat pockets with extra snacks for later -the boys had every intention of hitting the beach. But then they found this!
Surely that’s just a wine glass with a plant in it? Nope, think again – it’s a private Beastie beach for one!

But the lads didn’t loaf around for long. After taking a refreshing siesta, they headed out into the neighbourhood… And discovered that perhaps they weren’t as far from home as they first thought!
They also bumped into some of the locals. This guy wasn’t particularly chatty…
…But it wasn’t long before they made a new friend!
Can anyone figure out where they are? If any of this looks familiar, let me know in the comments! Otherwise, we’ll have to wait until next Friday to find out more…

Hope you all have a fun weekend! We’ll be back on Tuesday with a new Beastie friend for you all to meet… See you then!

Paddy at Ballintoy Harbour - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett, Home Again… (Almost!)

Posted on September 2, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

It’s been quite a summer for Paddy and Plunkett! They’ve spent a glorious couple of months seeing all there is to see in Sussex and Kent, from white cliffs and lighthouses…
… To fantastic castles!
But it’s hard to get out of the way of travelling once you get started, so after the briefest of stopovers at home, they were back on the road again! This time, their wandering paws took them somewhere a little closer to home…
First stop, Ballintoy Harbour! This picturesque little town, situated a bit east of the famous Giant’s Causeway, may not ring a bell with all of you, but fans of “Game of Thrones” may find this place more than a little familiar. Careful, Paddy and Plunkett… You’ve ended up on the Iron Islands! And look, here come some of the locals!
Well, it turns out that only a couple of them were bona fide Iron-Born… the rest are visitors to the area, taking one of the many “Game of Thrones”-themed tours that have sprung up in the wake of the HBO series’ success. The use of out-of-the-way places in Northern Ireland as locations for Game of Thrones has been a huge lift to tourism in these places… and in the country as a whole. For the first time, people are getting out and exploring the natural beauty of Northern Ireland, rather than focusing on our troubled past… and I reckon that’s something to celebrate!
Here’s Paddy posing with some of that spectacular coastline, to give you a taster…
…And check out this amazing natural stone arch!
Back in Ballintoy, Plunkett’s well-publicised love of unusual architecture led him to seek out a local landmark!
This is Bendhu House, and it was the lifelong project of Newton Penprase, a lecturer from the Belfast College of Art. He started it in 1936, and he continued to add to it over the next few decades, earning the building a reputation locally as “the house that was never finished”. The fact that he taught fine art has really left its mark – each window perfectly frames a view, and apparently Penprase brought his students up here to teach them about composition. He was also responsible for the sculptures you can see on the exterior, which add to its unique look!
Penprase died in 1978, and his house was sold and subsequently fell into disrepair. However, in the early 90s, it was bought by its present owners, who have made it their mission to sympathetically restore this incredible, one-of-a-kind home.

And speaking of home, Paddy and Plunkett are off to put their paws up for a while! I think they’ve earned some down-time, don’t you? Of course, please feel free to share your own weekend plans in the comments – you might just inspire them to start planning their next day away!

Paddy and Plunkett on the Beach - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett – Last Day of the Holidays

Posted on August 26, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

Is it just me, or is there a whiff of change in the air? The sun, when it finally makes it out from behind the clouds, is shining with a more mellow light, and the breezes feel a little cooler than they did this time last week. It seems like summer is coming to an end – although how I’m able to notice this when it never really got started is anyone’s guess! But with the shops filling up with “back to school” supplies, and the evenings starting a little earlier each day, it’s time for a pair of adventurous little woolly monsters to think about heading for home.

But not before they’ve hit the beach one last time! This one looks nice – but where are Paddy and Plunkett?
I suppose these pebbles would provide perfect camouflage for them. Helllooooooo?

Oh, wait… there they are!
They really couldn’t have asked for better weather on their last day – look at that sky, reflected in the perfectly still water behind them!
Unfortunately, at this stage their budget has pretty much completely run out, so the boys will be foraging for lunch.
Is that sea kale? Let’s hope so! Sea kale actually did enjoy a brief spell of culinary popularity in the early 1800s, when a lot of people started growing it in their gardens. Although it’s easy to cultivate, it bruises easily and is best eaten soon after cutting, which is why you’re unlikely to see it in your local supermarket. Still, that doesn’t affect Paddy and Plunkett, who will be tucking in straight away!

And after lunch, perhaps it might be nice to snooze in the sun for a while…
“Hey Paddy, what’s that noise in the background?”

“Ah, don’t worry about it, Plunkett…”
“…It’s just the Dungeness B nuclear reactor.”

“WHAAAAAAAT?!”

Hmmm, how DO they end up in these places? Paddy spent the rest of the day trying to keep Plunkett away from the internet, so he couldn’t read about the many setbacks this power station experienced, both during its construction and ongoing maintenance! By the end of the day, both of them were all tuckered out…
…So they thought it was best to get an early night.

I wonder where they’ll be off to next? And how will you be spending the last days of summer (or winter, for those of you in the southern hemisphere)? Let us know in the comments!

Paddy and Plunkett Check out the Defences - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett, Over in Dover Again!

Posted on August 19, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Paddy and Plunkett

Well, it looks like Paddy and Plunkett are still rambling their way around the English southeast! I wonder whose rather elaborate doorstep they’ve landed on today?

This is Dover Castle, the largest castle in England. Most of this massive sprawling fortress was commissioned by Henry II, who probably hoped it would impress the many European pilgrims who passed through Dover on their way to Canterbury.

In keeping with this royal connection, Dover Castle holds replicas of what the crown jewels would have looked like at that time…Oooooh! Sparkly… Although probably a couple of sizes too big for our heroes’ heads.
The Castle also boasts some truly beautiful stained glass windows…
…And a reassuring quantity of cannons.
But not all of the castle is above ground! The cliffs under the castle are riddled with a network of underground tunnels, the earliest ones dating back to the Napoleonic Wars. They were originally designed so that a large number of soldiers could get from the castle to the beaches below quickly and easily in case of invasion.

One of the coolest things about the tunnels is how you get into them in the first place! If you look closely, you’ll see that this spiral staircase is actually a double helix, meaning that there are two separate staircases here, instead of just one. Architecture buff Plunkett found this fascinating, and wanted to share this photo with you all.
And Dover Castle’s history doesn’t stop there. The Castle and its tunnels were pressed back into service during the Second World War, initially as an air raid shelter, but later as a military command centre, telephone exchange and hospital. Some of the tunnels are even meant to be used as nuclear bunkers! Evidence of this more recent military involvement is there for any Beastie to see… and to climb over.
Yikes! Look at that thing! It’s lucky Plunkett is driving this time – who knows what would happen if Paddy commandeered the wheel?
Paddy and Plunkett will be back next Friday – assuming they aren’t held for questioning by the local police – and don’t forget to tune in on Tuesday to meet some more new Beasties!

(Or, if you happen to be in Dublin tomorrow, you can meet them in person! We’ll be at the Ha’Penny Market in The Grand Social, Liffey Street, from 12-6!)

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