New Beastie Time! CrawCrafts Beasties

New Beastie Time!

Hello there everyone! Wow, it’s nice to be back with a new post AT LAST. I hope you’ll forgive my rather haphazard blogging habits of late… With any luck, this will signal the start of a return to normality. Well, as close to normality as we ever get here in Beastie Towers, anyway!

And speaking of new, it’s been a while since we had any new Beasties around here, hasn’t it? I reckon it’s high time I fixed that. So… Hello there!
Birthday Beastie - New Commission - CrawCrafts BeastiesLook at this… A Beastie lady with THE MOST amazing hair. I had so much fun styling this – I think we’d better take a closer look!
Beastie Hair - New Commissions - CrawCrafts BeastiesI used two shades of pink yarn to give the hairstyle some depth, and added in some soft silvery yarn in the back to mimic her human counterpart’s ‘do.

And this human counterpart – she’s a busy lady! So this Beastie has heaps of accessories. But before we get into those, let’s start with a quick costume change.
Beastie-Sized Cardi and Scarf - New Work - CrawCrafts BeastiesHer scarf and sweet handknitted pink cardi are both removable, as you can see. And, because various lockdowns have forced me to improvise with my existing fabric stash rather than hitting the shops to find what I need, I ended up dyeing the scarf myself! Let’s just say I’m very glad my customer went for a nice neutral grey, rather than something more difficult to match.

Anyway, that leaves Mrs Beastie free to model this pretty floral print top.
New Beastie Outfit - Floral Top - CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd now that she’s not wearing long sleeves, it might be a good time to get on with a spot of baking. Her magic magnetic paws will help her to hold everything.
Magic Magnet Paws - New Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties

Ready! Cupcake, anyone?
Beastie Cupcakes - Commissions - CrawCrafts BeastiesThanks, don’t mind if I do! They look delicious.
Cupcakes close up - New Commission by CrawCrafts BeastiesRegular readers of this blog will be reassured to learn that, as usual, these delectable treats are free from sugar, fat, gluten, dairy products and palm oil. They’re also high in fibre – wool fibre, of course!

And while we’re on the topic of wool…
Beastie Knitting by CrawCrafts BeastiesThis Beastie’s new human friend is a fellow knitter, so I couldn’t send her little woolly monster out the door without a set of needles and a ball of yarn. As you can see, these ones a bit small for me to use anyway.

Finally, did you spot the bag she was carrying earlier?
Beastie Bag with Rosette - New Beasties - CrawCrafts BeastiesHer new human family has a strong connection with horses, and I wanted to include a big shiny felt rosette somewhere as a nod to that. Beasties have no time for modesty, so it’s a proudly-displayed “Best in Show”!

Hey, is there anything in the bag?

Oh yes.

First Aid Kit for beasties - CrawCrafts Beasties

It’s a miniature first aid kit, to celebrate the fact that this Beastie’s new human minder recently briefly retired from a career in nursing. I say briefly, because when the call went out for Covid-19 vaccinators, she was back in there like a shot (no pun intended)! Definitely worthy of being celebrated with felt and teeny stitches, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Alrighty, I think that’s everything. Time to pack up and ship out!
Time to Go! New Beasties by CrawCrafts BeastiesThanks to Suzi for requesting this awesome Beastie as a special birthday gift for her mum!

And, all being well, we’ll be back next week for another round of “Where in the World are Paddy and Plunkett?”. Be sure to join us then!

Sixteenth Birthday Beastie, made to order by CrawCrafts Beasties

Beastie Sixteenth Birthday!

No, not my sixteenth birthday! That’s longer ago than I’d even care to think about, thank you very much.

This post is actually about a very special creation for a customer who needed a unique, personal gift for her just-turning-sixteeen goddaughter. What better way to celebrate this important milestone than with a customised Beastie?

Let’s meet this VIM (Very Important Monster)!
Sixteenth Birthday Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesHello there!

First of all, let’s talk about that hair.
Amazing Hair - Sixteenth Birthday Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesWOW! I had so much fun with this! I used two slightly different shades of pink to give the colour extra depth, and unwinding the strands to separate the individual plies produced this tumble of luxuriant curls. Then a combination of carefully-placed stitches and a little precision styling with my needle-felting needle helped me to copy my human subject’s favourite swept-over-the-shoulder hairstyle.

(If only I could apply these techniques to my own hair!)

And while we’re on the subject of style, we’d better take a look at her dress next. Beasties love humans with a playful sense of fashion, and I knew I was on to a winner here… A girl who wears bold prints and whose trademark items of clothing are floral nighties? Perfect! I offered a couple of different styles and prints in the design sketch…
Beastie Sketch - Sixteenth Birthday Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties… And as you can see, the long-sleeved version in a cute turquoise, green and cerise floral print with felt collar and buttons won out. Good choice!
Nightie with collar and buttons - CrawCrafts BeastiesIt really complements her hair and healthy blue complexion, don’t you think?

But appearances aren’t everything. A Beastie needs interests and hobbies! It’s ok though – we’ve got her covered. First, a hand-stitched science book to keep her brain ticking over…
Embroidered Science Book - Sixteenth Birthday Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties… And a paintbrush, so she can let her creative side shine through too.
Felt Paintbrush - Sixteenth Birthday Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesFinally, I copied her human counterpart’s cool glasses!
Beastie Glasses - CrawCrafts BeastiesAs usual, they have real clear plastic lenses and are removable. However, with this pair, I developed a new technique for making glasses that allows me to slim down the frames a little.

They also make a stylish hair accessory.
Glasses in Hair - Sixteenth Birthday Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesBut hang on a second, Miss Beastie – don’t you have a birthday party to get to? Best get moving, you’re only sixteen once!
Sixteenth Birthdy Commission by CrawCrafts BeastiesI’d say her future is as bright as her hair – what do you reckon?

Thanks to Maria for requesting this super-fun project, and advising on the details!

And we’ll be back on Friday with another peek into the Beastie archives. See you then!

Quarantine at Beastie Towers

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…
Quarantine Birthday Beastie, by CrawCrafts Beasties… Got a Covid-19-era update!
Quarantine Face Mask - CrawCrafts BeastiesThe 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!
Quarantine Birthday Cake - CrawCrafts BeastiesTwo needle-felted wool sponge cakes, sandwiched between layers of felt jam and icing? That would put a smile on any Beastie’s face!
Smiling Beastie Face - CrawCrafts BeastiesShe’s also dressed to impress, in a sweet floral print sundress with ribbon ties on the shoulders.
Birthday Party Dress - CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd finally, check out those lustrous alpaca tresses! I really should get the Beasties to share their hairdressing secrets.
Shiny Alpaca Tresses - Quarantine Birthday Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesNow all we need to figure out is how she’s going to blow out the candle without removing her face mask!
Quarantine Dilemma - CrawCrafts BeastiesBig 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!
Ophelia - Studio Kitty - CrawCrafts BeastiesAs 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!
From the Maker to the Made Podcast - CrawCrafts Beasties
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!

Personalised Birthday Gift Beastie, by CrawCrafts Beasties

A Special Beastie for a Special Birthday!

Well hello there, Beastie friends! After Paddy’s totally genuine high-speed adventure last week, we’re shifting down a gear to a more sedate pace, and meeting a new Beastie. Hey, Birthday Girl Beastie!
A Special Birthday Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesThis Beastie was requested by a thoughtful mum, who wanted to help her daughter to celebrate a very special birthday in the Beastie-est way possible. I mean, you don’t turn 10 every day, do you?

So, this was the design brief – a Beastie with long, dark brown hair just like her new human buddy’s…
Beastie Hair - Special Birthday Commission - CrawCrafts BeastiesDone! And we needed to include her favourite colours, too – blue, mint green, white and peach.

I managed to tick most of those boxes with this stripey handknitted sweater…
Beastie Sweater - Special Birthday Commission by CrawCrafts Beasties
… Complete with an appliquéd felt “O” for the birthday girl’s initial!

Now, how can we get some peach in there? I know… What about a little felt bag, so she can gather up souvenirs (and, more importantly, birthday cake) on her adventures?
Beastie Bag - Special Birthday Commission - CrawCrafts BeastiesPerfect! I even picked up some rose-gold-coloured jewellery findings to better match the warm peachy tones of the bag and its ribbon strap. Here you go, little Beastie lady!

Handing Over Bag - Commissions - CrawCrafts Beasties
That looks great! Your outfit is complete.
Beastie with Bag - Special Birthday Commission by CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd now I reckon you’d better get going… You wouldn’t want to miss the party, would you?

So, thanks to Dee for requesting this sweet little girl monster! And if you know someone who’s about to celebrate a special birthday too, why not send a personalised Beastie to help with the festivities?

You can check out past Beastifications in my Gallery, or if you’re ready to start now, drop us a line from the Contact page!

We’ll be back next Tuesday with more Beastie shenanigans, so be sure to join us then!

See you next week!