Hey there everyone! It’s a sunny spring Tuesday in Dublin, and I’ve a fresh new Beastie to share with you all! Now, from the title, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this one has a geological theme… But in fact it’s more of a rock ‘n’ roll vibe we’re going for! Hey there, Beastie lady!
This Beastie was requested as a very special birthday gift and she needed to match her new buddy’s look as closely as possible. So, that boiled down to a pairing of flashes of bright colour with a few nods to gothic/heavy metal style. No problemo!
I started out with the black hoodie. The hood can be worn up or down…
… And is removable, too. However, after several instances of Beastie nudity on this blog, I’ve decided this little monster is going to stay dressed. We don’t want to be getting a reputation.
The hoodie also features an embroidered zip, just because zip manufacturers haven’t caught on yet to the need for non-human-sized clothing fastenings. Now, it’s normal for me to have at least one “go overboard” moment with every Beastification I take on, and this time around it manifested itself as the quest for fake zip perfection. In the end, I used short stitches with a slight overlap to create the effect of interlocking zip teeth… What do you think?
And now that the hoodie hood is down, you will have noticed that this Beastie is rocking some rather spiffy piercings and a cute bob and fringe!
I made sure to keep the individual strands of hair quite fine, though – just to make sure her hair wasn’t too big to fit inside her hoodie hood.
Then, I completed her styling with some winged eyeliner and eyelashes. Just tuck your hair behind your ears there, so we can see…
Very nice!
And while her beautiful mustard yellow complexion and turquoise stripes mostly ticked the “splash of colour” box, we decided that a bright pink backpack would complete the look.
As you can see, it tucks in neatly underneath the hoodie hood, so she can bring it with her come rain or shine!
Then, she’ll definitely need something to go inside that backpack, right? Here you go!
Beastification complete… Rock on!
Many thanks to Caspar for this awesome Beastie project… And to all of you for dropping in to visit! Paddy and Plunkett will be back next Tuesday, so be sure to join us then.
Enjoy your week!
The lads do enjoy a nice trip on the train.
Um, Cullywherenow?
And it doesn’t stop with leprechauns, either. Look out, Plunkett… Here be dragons!
Oh, and unicorns and fairies too!
But you might be surprised to learn that these wondrous creatures are not the reason Paddy and Plunkett took the train to Cullybackey. Well, not the only reason.
Ta-daaaaaah! Bluebells galore!
This incredible display is in 
So, where’s he got to?
And on the other side… It’s a Beastie-sized cabin!
You’d better get the kettle on, Paddy… I think Plunkett will need a big cup of tea when he eventually tracks you down!
… But following a Grand Slam victory for Wales in the Six Nations rugby tournament earlier this year, she thought a special celebratory addition to their wardrobe was in order. So I found a willing Beastie model to help me get the sizing right, and TA-DAAAAAAH!
One Beastified Wales Rugby jersey!
… And added an appliquéd number 8 on the back!
The significance of the number 8 is still a mystery to us here at Beastie Towers, but it’s clearly got some sort of special meaning to Jon Beastie and his human counterpart. I’m keeping an eye on 
I can’t imagine why that might be.
Poor Explorer Beastie!
… But Explorer Beastie really enjoyed his therapeutic bubble bath!
“Aaaaah! We should do this every week!”
Whiter teeth and a nice clean beanie hat were just an added bonus!
And now he’s ready for action again!
Beastie Hospital services are available to all Beasties, too! You only need to reach into your pocket to pay postage back to Beastie Towers – we’ll take care of the rest. Contact me 
This boutique distillery is proud of its small size, and the owners are eager to keep as much of their production in-house as possible. That means using locally-grown grain as the base for their gin, whiskey, vodka and poitín, distilling and bottling everything in that cool-looking building in the photo above… And even designing their own specialised equipment to help the process along!
Those apple trees are pretty special – they’re descendants of a variety created for the original owners of the land where the distillery stands! They’ve a bit of growing to do yet, but I’m sure the Echlinville folks are already dreaming up fun things to make from those apples.
Hey there, Garcia Beastie! Loyal BeastieBlog readers may remember this fuzzy little guy as one of my very early commissions. The post where I introduce him is still knocking about 
Too late. I suppose it’s for the best that Garcia Beastie left his skis at home today!
Then the sun kept on shining all day… And Easter Monday too! Time to catch some rays.
Of course, you can’t count on the sun to stick around in these parts. So when we went to the beach on Tuesday…
“Hey, where did the good weather go?”
… But we had more fun looking for curious things on the tideline. And where could that mysterious gate lead?
Next, a little break to sit and watch the world (and some of the local bird life) go by. A perfect end to a relaxing holiday!
So, did any of you get away for a spring break? Be sure to tell us all about your adventures in the comments!
Meet Julia Beastie! This particular monster lady was made as a very special “Yay, you finished your MA thesis” gift… And as you can see, she’s not travelling alone. She’s being kept company by her feline felt friend, Paddy the cat!
Now, Beasties with pet cats aren’t new – you may remember that I made a few for the 
However, this was the first time I had attempted to copy a particular cat’s markings. Since this Beastie’s human counterpart is the proud owner of a devilishly handsome polydactyl cat, it only seemed right that Felt Paddy paid proper tribute to Real Paddy.
… And the combination of delicate green skin with rich dusky rose stripes!
Aaah, you can’t beat those classics! Although I adjusted this Anne Bront
And how about a ticket to a show, to complete the set?
“Carousel” is one of Human Julia’s favourites, so it’s fairly safe to assume that her new Beastie companion will enjoy it too. Just one thing, though…
“… And pop it in my backpack for me?”
As you can see, the straps clip into place at the base of the bag. That means they can simply be slipped around a Beastie arm and attached!
Perfect!
Here’s wishing them all kinds of monster adventures together!
No, I haven’t been hiding out in the daffodil patch with Paddy and Plunkett for the last month… Although I bet that would be a party!
Since we last spoke, I’ve been gradually moving more of my crafting kit out of Beastie Towers and into the studio… One blue IKEA bag at a time! Honestly, what did craftspeople use to transport their gear around before?! I’ve also picked up a few things to make my little workspace a bit more “Beastie”, and I’ll be sure to give you the new and improved photo tour in a future post.
…Plus a couple to finish up and add to my online store (AT LAST)!
And what about you? What have you been up to since we last saw each other? Be sure to tell us all your latest news in the comments!
We’re just down this passageway, in the open-plan Back Loft area! Turn the corner and…
Please excuse the mess… I’m still in the process of moving in! A bit of that craftsplosion I mentioned earlier will definitely take care of those empty walls and clear tables, too.
… While still having a separate fabric-cutting and ironing station!
And here’s a sneaky peek at some of the communal spaces. I’m really looking forward to relaxing in the roof garden this summer.
Today, I brought along the first (and most important) decorations for my studio walls as well – pictures and cards from some of my Beastie friends! Perhaps a few of you will spot something familiar in here…
Oh… And one more thing. This studio comes with a free feline friend! Hey there, Ophelia!
Isn’t she pretty? Expect to see a lot of her in future posts! Apparently she has a bit of a thing for yarn though, so I’m making sure all my storage boxes are kitty-proof!
And with the warming temperatures and gradually lengthening days, activity levels have been picking up a little too! Today I wanted to share some of the extra-curricular activities that have been keeping me and the Beasties busy this past while.
But this year, I decided enough was enough. Let’s master those sewing machine demons! So I signed up for a class with 
You see, a lot of students want to take on the challenge of making a jumper quite early on… But even the simplest-looking designs often have next-level knitting skills lurking in the pattern. And while some new knitters thrive on being thrown in at the deep end, more than a few are put off by the idea of fancy shaping techniques, decorative seams and the alphabet soup of abbreviations that crop up in many “beginner” patterns.
… And I couldn’t resist leaving a monster behind on one of the beaches, just to prove I’d passed through!
We also had a delicious lunch at 
Paddy was only a little disappointed that he wasn’t allowed to climb up on one of the silvery points and shout “I’m the king of the world!” at passers by. But once Plunkett pointed out that no-one would be able to see him up there anyway, he agreed that a portrait on the steps was a better way to go.
This sculpture by English artist Andy Stallard shows the celebrated liner as an Airfix model kit… And local engineering firm Harland and Wolff (who built the real Titanic) assisted in its creation!
This is the 
Paddy is most impressed!
Beastie legs are of course wee-er than human legs, and more in need of rest!
This is where the Titanic was built and launched, more than 100 years ago. This slipway was originally designed to accommodate 3 ships, but because the Olympic-class liners were so big, the area was reconfigured for 2 larger vessels. The line of posts down the left side of the photo shows how long Titanic was – Plunkett is mesmerised by the sheer scale of it! Meanwhile, Paddy has gone to trace the ship’s “footprint”, which is outlined in granite cobbles, and lit up in blue after dark!
And as the sun set on another Beastie adventure, the boys took a detour to visit a new addition to the Titanic Quarter… One that they thought I would especially like to see.
This is the