Commission – Page 11

An Irish Pub, in Perugia! A de Girolamo/CrawCrafts Beasties

(B)Easter in Perugia!

Posted on May 3, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Ciao ragazzi!

Wow, what a week it’s been! The Irish weather – not known for its predictability or even-temperedness at the best of times – has been flinging just about everything at us over the last seven days, veering from hot sun one minute to blustery snowstorms the next. So you can imagine how excited we at Beastie Towers were to get word from Italy… Looking at these photos allowed us to escape to beautiful Perugia for a short while, with Antonello and Tiziana Beastie (and of course their trusty Beastiecat Tris) as our guides!

Perugia is right in the heart of Italy, and it’s been an important city since Etruscan (pre-Roman-Empire) times. These days, it’s the regional capital of Umbria, and there’s plenty to see here!

The Beasties started off at St Bernardino church. The incredible marble facade of this renaissance-era church dates back to 1457-61, and was the creation of Agostino di Duccio, a sculptor who started his career working alongside Donatello.
Impressive… Especially to the Beastie-sized tourist! The church also boasts some beautifully detailed bas-reliefs…
…And some fences that certain Beasties probably shouldn’t be climbing.

Fortunately, they made good their escape before the authorities showed up.

Next stop – the Piazza IV Novembre, home of the Palazzo dei Priori. This was the seat of the mediaeval “first citizens” – representatives of each of the city’s guilds.

There’s also a spectacular fountain – the Fontana Maggiore, another masterpiece from the Renaissance era!
Mind you, looking at all that water would make you feel kinda thirsty…

Pint, anyone?
Ah, Ireland’s great cultural gift to the world – the Irish Pub! And the good news is, there’s one right here in Perugia. There was even live music… And of course the Beasties had the best seat in the house.
What a great trip! Thanks to Antonello and Tiziana Beastie for sharing their photos!

And in other monster news… Friday posts are back! Check in with us again on Friday, when Explorer Beastie and I will be sharing what we learned at the Irish Blogger Conference!

Sitting Beastie, Made for S Twist Wool - CrawCrafts Beasties

A Busy Beastie Month!

Posted on March 1, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting, Knitted Beasties

I don’t know about you, but February has just zipped by for me and the Beasties!

A lot of this was down to the fact that I’ve been focussing on just being a Maker of Monsters this past month. I took the plunge, and booked time off from Other Work to take care of some Beastie business that’s been sitting on my to-do list for far too long. So, I’ve already shared my new improved workspace and spruced-up home on the internet… But what else have I been up to?

Well, for starters, I’ve been collaborating with a spinner! I met Diarmuid from S Twist Wool at one of my pre-Christmas markets, and I jumped at the chance to create a very special Beastie for him using his own range of yarns. Of course, Explorer Beastie was on hand to help me choose which wool to use for the project…
… And now here’s the newest member of the Beastie family, hot off the needles!
Diarmuid dyed the chunky 2-ply yarn in blue and purple especially for this Beastie, and I used S Twist’s sock yarn in Tiger for his lovely red hair, and Juniper for his traditional Aran-style sweater.
I was also able to use natural sheep’s fleece as stuffing instead of my usual polyfill! And since S Twist Beastie has been recruited to help out with the business, it seemed only fair to get him started with the spinning straight away… so I made him a Beastie-sized drop spindle!
And now he’s ready to get to work!
But wait… There’s more to this Beastie than meets the eye!
No, your mind isn’t playing tricks on you! Beastie-volution has taken another leap forward… And this little monster has BONES! That means he can wave, dance a jig, or sit down to do his spinning!

And believe me, this extra flexibility is going to come in handy in his new job. Because Diarmuid sources his wool locally (it all comes from farms in Kilkenny and Tipperary), and prepares, spins and dyes it himself, there’s always plenty of work to do!

I’m really looking forward to seeing how S Twist Beastie gets on in his new career as a master spinner! They also have plans to attend several shows across Ireland and the UK over the coming months… If you get a chance, why not pop along and say hello? You can keep up with all the latest news from S Twist on Facebook or Twitter!

It’s always exciting to try out new methods and materials, so this collaboration couldn’t have come at a better time. And we’re not done yet with the Beastie R&D either!
February was the month where I finally broke the ice with my sewing machine, and now we’re working together on some exciting new projects. But they’re not quite ready yet, so you’ll have to stay tuned to find out what monster-making mayhem we have in the pipeline… In the meantime, there will be Beastie antics aplenty, starting with a special travel feature from Explorer Beastie on Friday. See you then!

Christening Beastie Extreme Closeup - CrawCrafts Beasties

Beastie Beginnings

Posted on February 23, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Info, Knitted Beasties

Looking out my window this morning, I could really believe that Spring is finally here! The sun is shining, the sky is blue and I can almost convince myself that there are buds on the trees. So, I reckon it’s the perfect day to introduce you to the first Beastie of the new season!

Please give a warm BeastieBlog welcome to this super-special Christening Beastie!
Christening Beastie is one of my Big Beasties. They’re always fun to make – bigger Beasties means more knitting time for me, hooray!

Then to make this sweet little girl monster even more special, I gave her some lovely soft hair…
… A pretty silver and pink dress…
…And sparkly silver stripey legs!
Christening Beastie was joining her new family just in time to celebrate her soon-to-be-BeastieBuddy Mila Kate’s christening – what a coincidence, eh? So to make sure she looked the part, I added some reminders of the day for Mila to enjoy when she’s a bit older.

First of all, a pair of cute felt angel wings and hearts embroidered with her christening date…
…And then a heart-shaped pillow embroidered with her name!
The ribbon loops mean that this Beastie can put the pillow down if she gets tired of holding it… and then she’ll be better able to play with Mila too!

Thank so much to Louise for requesting this special Beastie, and to Izzy for helping with the colour choices and design!

And while we’re on the subject of new beginnings, a few of you may have noticed that I’ve been monkeying around with the BeastieBlog over the last few days, and it now looks quite different when you view it online! However, I realise that a lot of people (myself included) do the bulk of their blog reading through the WordPress app, so these earth-shattering changes may well have passed you by. So if you have a second, please go and check it out… It’s still very much a work in progess, and I’d love to hear what you all think!

And that’s not all that’s been going on behind the scenes recently! I’ll have more monster news for you this time next week… And be sure to drop back in on Friday, when we’ll be visiting some Beastie friends of mine in Italy!

Doctor Who Beastie's Braces and Bow Tie, by CrawCrafts Beasties

The Doctor Will See You Now…

Posted on February 9, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Knitted Beasties

If it’s Tuesday, it must be… NEW BEASTIE DAY!

And, nearly halfway into February, we’re finally meeting the last of the pre-Christmas Beasties. Let’s have a monster welcome for… Doctor Who Beastie!

This little woolly Time Lord’s outfit is inspired by the 11th Doctor, played by Matt Smith in series 5-7 of the long-running BBC science fiction show “Doctor Who”. As you can see, he’s really made the character’s trademark hairstyle and dapper tweed jacket (complete with felt elbow patches) his own!

And underneath the jacket, he’s sporting an elegant red bow tie and matching braces!

Then, to help him fight intergalactic nasties across space and time, I equipped him with a felt Sonic Screwdriver…

…And a custom-built, Beastie-sized Tardis!

I hope you can see enough of the details in the photos… Unfortunately daylight was in short supply in these parts around Christmas time!

The box has a little felt lamp on its roof, hand-appliquéd panels and embroidered windows on all four sides, and the all important “Police Box” sign hand-embroidered above the door!

With so many details to complete, it was a real race to the finishing line to get this very important commission done in time for Christmas!

But Christmas Eve dawned, and the Tardis was finally ready to carry the Beastie Doctor off to his new home…

…And left me singing the “Doctor Who” theme tune for the next three days straight! Perhaps you’d like to join in?

Right, that should keep you all entertained until Friday, when we’ll be back with news from Paddy and Plunkett! Then next Tuesday I’ll be showing you some behind-the-scenes stuff from within the walls of Beastie Towers… expect to see those elusive, long-promised notebook extracts at last, plus some sketches, many half-baked ideas and a whole lot of crafting gear! See you then…

Meet the Family (Part 2)

Posted on February 2, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Knitted Beasties

OK, so we met some of these Beasties last week… But who are those two handsome fellows on the ends? I reckon it’s high time I introduced you all to Ketto Beastie…

…And his brother Antonio Beastie!

Ketto Beastie just completed his degree in Monster Psychology, so I made sure he looked the part for his graduation ceremony! That means the traditional “mortar board” hat, and some pretty sharp Beastie tailoring!

Oh, and let’s not forget the all-important diploma!

Meanwhile, Antonio Beastie is kicking back and enjoying one of his favourite pastimes – listening to music!

He also loves to dance, but unfortunately I couldn’t capture that on camera. Never mind, here’s a closer look at his awesome felt headphones instead!

I’m also slightly envious of his cosy stripey sweater!

So, the family is now complete! But what happened when they arrived at their new home? Well, a warm welcome on Christmas Eve from their new friends, for starters!

Then some photo ops around the tree on Christmas Day…

…Then getting used to their new surroundings…

…And booking a prime spot for Christmas dinner! Can you find the Beasties in this photo?

Thank you so much to Antonello and his family for sharing photos of their first Beastie-tastic Christmas! They really look right at home!

I still have one more Beastie from the pre-Christmas season to share with you – he’ll be here next week. And Explorer Beastie and I will be out and about again on Friday… I really hope we’re heading somewhere warm, cosy and indoors this time! Also, I think I’ve made contact with all my giveaway winners by now, but check out my previous post if you entered, just in case.

And one more thing – it’s with a heavy heart that I bid goodbye to Sir Terry Wogan, who died on Sunday. While I was strangely obsessed with his chat show as a young child, and enjoyed his tongue-in-cheek commentary on the Eurovision Song Contest, I will remember him most for being the voice of obscure 80s cartoon “Stoppit and Tidyup”. I loved the funny little inhabitants of the Land of Do-As-You’re-Told and their antics as a kid – I reckon they played a significant part in shaping me into the monster-lovin’ lady I am today – and Terry Wogan’s narration was a big part of the show’s charm. But don’t just take my word for it… Here’s the first episode. Go on, it’s only short! Enjoy!

One Big Beastie Family - CrawCrafts Beasties

Meet The Family (Part 1)

Posted on January 26, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Knitted Beasties

The last quarter of 2015 saw me taking on my biggest Beastie challenge yet (in what had already been a pretty good year for big Beastie challenges) – an entire Beastie family! As always, each individual Beastie had to capture the look, personality and interests of their human counterparts… And we couldn’t leave out the family cat, of course!

Oh, and did I mention that they had to be ready in time to catch the last Christmas post to Italy? Never have knitting needles moved so swiftly! Anyway, now that the festive season is over, the presents have been unwrapped, and no surprises will be spoiled, I’m delighted to be able to introduce La Famiglia Beastie at last! First of all, let’s meet Antonello – creating a family of monsters was his idea, so it’s only right that we should start with him!

He’s a fan of all things Irish, especially our ever-popular exports of Guinness and world-class rugby players! So he is proudly sporting a Munster rugby jersey, Ireland rugby ball and felt pint…

…And as you can imagine, I had a great time styling his beard and hair!

Next up – Antonello’s wife Tiziana, who is an ER doctor. So get me a set of Beastie-sized scrubs and a stethoscope, STAT!

And here they are in extreme close-up!
I was also able to indulge in a spot more Beastie hairdressing… I loved capturing the highlights in Tiziana Beastie’s hair!

And of course, no family home would be complete without a beloved pet!

This is Tris, the family cat! She’s made of soft cuddly felt, with embroidered markings to match her feline big sister’s… oh, and a super-contented smile!

But what about the rest of the family? Well, that’s another story for another day – swing by next Tuesday lunchtime, when we’ll be meeting the boys! In the meantime, I’ll have another update from a Beastie abroad on Friday… and you still have time to put your name in the hat for the Great January Begone Giveaway if you haven’t already! I’ll be picking 5 lucky winners this coming Sunday at noon (Irish time) – check out the original post here to find out how to enter!

See you Friday!

PS It seems like the Beastie kitty has stolen the show! So, for all my fellow cat people out there, I thought I’d introduce you to the real life inspiration behind the felt feline – this is Tris!

Isn’t she a sweetie? Thanks again to Antonello and family for your Beastie-tastic order 🙂

A Real Little Cutie… Plus a Monster Giveaway!

Posted on January 19, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Info, Knitted Beasties

If it’s Tuesday, it must be new Beastie time! So, everybody say a big hello to Charlie Beastie!

Charlie Beastie was commissioned as a keepsake gift for a recently-arrived baby girl. I was asked to use as much pink as possible!

She also has her name embroidered on the front of her romper suit…

…Plus a couple of cheeky nods to her Irish/Australian origins, as suggested by the person who requested her!

Apparently this Beastie made it safely to her new home Down Under just in time for Christmas! I’m sure she’s enjoying sunnier days and higher temperatures than the rest of us here in Beastie Towers!

And that leads me on neatly to the other half of this post. It seems that morale is generally low here in the Blogiverse, especially amongst those of us “enjoying” a cold, rainy start to the year in the northern hemisphere. Add to that the fact that this January has already deprived us of David Bowie and Alan Rickman, AND that we had to face into 2016 having bid farewell to Lemmy from Motorhead, it’s a miracle we’re able to drag ourselves out of bed at all.

Now, I realise that there is no freebie on earth that could miraculously fix all this, but some freebies are definitely better than no freebies at all. So, let the Great January Begone Giveaway begin! I have 5 of my remaining Beastie calendars to give away to 5 lucky BeastieBuddies…

As you can see, Explorer Beastie is doing a great job of demonstrating how a Beastie calendar can be an important part of any thriving craft empire.

Oh, and one of the winners will also get a surprise MiniBeastie in their prize parcel!

MiniBeasties are incredibly rare, and there may be as few as ten of these teeny critters in the whole world! This one is made from cheerful blue sock yarn, and I used a small-batch merino wool yarn that I was given by some visiting knitters from Colorado to create his awesome technicolour dream-pants!

So, how do you get your mitts on these, and make your January instantly 150% better? Take your pick from:

Blog Buddies – Follow the BeastieBlog (if you aren’t already!) and leave a comment on this post saying which month you’re most looking forward to this year and why
Facebook Friends – Like the Beasties’ Facebook page and share it with your friends (and all those people you’re Facebook friends with, but have no idea how, or if, you even know them in real life)
Instagram Addicts – Find the Beasties on Instagram (@crawcraftsbeasties), follow us and leave a comment on any picture so I know that you’re a real person and not a “Get more Instagram followers NOW” spambot!
Each of these barely-challenging challenges will earn you an extra entry in the draw, so by doing all three you’ll triple your chances of winning! I’ll be picking the winners at random at high noon (Irish time) on the 31st of January. Good luck!

Don’t Fear the Reaper (He’s on Holiday)

Posted on January 15, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Knitted Beasties

Here’s one Beastie who has truly landed on his paws! Grim Reaper Beastie had barely arrived with his new family before jetting off to enjoy the big blue skies in Mexico over Christmas! He certainly seems to be lapping up the sunshine in the photo above. Let’s hope he remembered to pack his sunscreen… something tells me his ghostly pale skin isn’t used to catching rays!

He does look strangely at home among the Mayan ruins, though!

During his trip, Grim Reaper Beastie visited Tulum and Coba – two major Mayan sites on the Yucatán peninsula. Back in pre-Columbian times, Tulum was the main port for the city of Coba, which is just under 30 miles away. Coba has several large temple pyramids, and visitors are still allowed to climb the 124 steps to the top of the tallest of these, Nohoch Mul. Even with human-sized legs, that’s a bit of a haul!

I wonder if he was able to make the whole climb by himself, or if he had to cheat a little and hitch a lift!

While he was there, Grim Reaper Beastie happened to hear about the Day of the Dead (Día de Meurtos) festival… Apparently the idea of this Mexican national holiday has piqued his interest, and he’s already hoping to make another trip sometime to join in the festivities! Watch this space…

Thanks to Nicole for sending me photos of Grim Reaper Beastie’s Mexican adventure, they’re much appreciated! Hope you all have a super weekend… we’ll be back on Tuesday with another new Beastie and news of a monster giveaway!

Live and Let Dive

Posted on January 12, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Time for another new Beastie! Can anyone guess what type of woolly monster we’re meeting today?

Ta-daaaaaah! It’s more than a year since I made my first Diver Beastie, and it seems he made quite the impression on a fellow traveller when he visited Iceland and Greenland a few months ago! It was so exciting to get a commission like this out of the blue, and thanks to some expert guidance, I was able to tailor this Beastie to match her new dive buddy’s gear as closely as possible! Let’s take a look, shall we?

Like all Diver Beasties, this one lives in her wetsuit! She’s also got a weight belt, which goes on before all her scuba gear…

…And the rest of her underwater wardrobe!

This includes her dive hood…
…Computer…

…And, of course, her fins!

Then it’s time to put on her breathing apparatus, which includes a tank, BCD (buoyancy control device), two regulators (one as a backup, just in case), air gauge and mask!

Ready to go!

Unfortunately, diving opportunities are few and far between in central Dublin in the dead of winter… so rather than have Diver Beastie all dressed up with nowhere to go, I set her down in front of an episode of “The Blue Planet”. Hopefully this will tide her over until her first real dive!

I’ll have another new Beastie friend for you next week – and don’t forget to stop by on Friday to find out where Grim Reaper Beastie spent Christmas!

A Cheerful Start To The New Year…

Posted on January 5, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Yippeeeeee! It’s new Beastie time! And since I’m sure I’m not the only one who is still trying to get used to the transition from the old year to the new (anyone else out there steadfastly continuing to write 2015 dates on things? Because I am), who better to sweep away the clinging cobwebs of last year than…

GRIM REAPER BEASTIE!

With his sweet smile, woolly paws and little monster ears poking out through the hood of his robe, he is possibly the least grim Grim Reaper ever!
He’ll use his felt scythe to clear away the clutter of the year that was, and make space for the new, better year that will be. Oh, and his felt hourglass will help him keep an eye on the time for us all, too.

He can also embrace a more casual look, if it’s called for…

…But it’s getting colder outside, so he might be better off leaving his hood up, at least for the moment.

Before Grim Reaper Beastie headed off to his new home in Germany, I took him out for a walk in one of my favourite Dublin parks. Iveagh Gardens is right in the city centre, but with its high walls and hidden entrances, you really need to know where to look if you want to find it! The crumbling statues and stonework give it a real “Secret Garden” feel…

…While the evergreen-shaded pathways make for some great spooky photos!

And what’s that down there?

Yes, it’s a miniature hedge maze! The sundial at the centre is supposed to be very accurate – unfortunately a sundial in Ireland isn’t really the best way to keep time!

As the winter daylight faded, it was time to head back to Beastie Towers, and ready Grim Reaper Beastie for his onward journey. Apparently he’s settling in well in his new home!

More new Beasties next week… until then I’m going to sit down and practice writing “2016” on everything. I’m sure I’ll get the message by February…

PS Drop in again on Friday for our first “Explorer Beastie’s Dublin” post! I’m not sure where we’re going yet, but he’s assured me he has a plan!

	tierneycreates: a fu… on We Wish You A Merry Beast…
	crawcraftsbeasties on We Wish You A Merry Beast…
	quietwatercraft on We Wish You A Merry Beast…
	crawcraftsbeasties on We Wish You A Merry Beast…
	The Hidden Spain on (Mer)Made Just for You!