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A Beastie Backpack for Explorer Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties

New Frontiers For Explorer Beasties!

Posted on January 30, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Happy Tuesday, everybody! And, after a brief wintry wander with Paddy and Plunkett last week, we’re going to dip back into the pile of pre-Christmas commissions, and meet another new Beastie!

So, you all know Explorer Beastie, right?

…And some of you might remember a few variations on the theme over the last couple of years, like Explorer Beastie’s little sister…

… And this rather retro gent, Victorian Explorer Beastie!

But here’s the newest addition to the Explorer Beastie clan, and he’s a little bit different!

First of all, he was made as a very special commission for fellow blogger Simon at Planet Simon. Although Simon’s blog mainly focuses on science (both fact and fiction!), his posts also drop in the odd slice of humour or snapshots of his day-to-day life, and it’s always a fun place to hang out and have a chat! But back to that Beastie… Can you tell what makes him stand out?

So far, so similar… But check out his paws!

Simon always seems to be fixing or making things, so I thought it made sense to create a useful companion for him who could lend a hand if needs be. One leap forward in Beastie-volution later, and here’s a little monster with magic magnetic grippy paws! And that, dear readers, means that he can hold onto stuff!

Mmmm, lunchtime!

Ready to fix stuff with his handy spanner!

I made him a compass as well – that’s essential kit for an Explorer Beastie, after all.

And of course, he can’t carry all these cool things in his paws ALL the time, so a Beastie backpack was called for too!

Let’s get everything packed away there, shall we?

Perfect!

I can’t wait to see what exciting exploits this pair get up to! Oh, and if you’re planning some adventures of your own, why not grab your free February calendar page from my shop?

It features the ever-intrepid original Explorer Beastie, enjoying the balmy (ahem!) Donegal coast at around this time last year. Oh, and did I mention that it’s FREE?

Have a great week, everybody… And don’t forget to join us again next Tuesday to meet another new Beastie! See you then!

Plunkett Admires the View - CrawCrafts Beasties

Chillin’ With Paddy and Plunkett!

Posted on January 23, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Knitted Beasties, Paddy and Plunkett

There’s been some pretty chilly weather in Ireland and the UK this past week or so… And much as I love snow, I’m glad we just got a brief flurry here in Dublin last Tuesday, rather than the full-blown blizzard that hit Scotland and the north of England! But the plummeting temperatures reminded Paddy and Plunkett of a frosty walk they took at the very end of last year, and prompted them to send me a few choice happy snappies!

As far as I can tell, they were first lured outside by the idea of being able to skate on the frozen bird bath…

As usual, Paddy was showing off his moves, while Plunkett played it safe at the edge of the rink.

But wait a sec… Is that a rock poking up above the surface of the ice there?

SPLAT!

Apparently so, yes. Yeowch!
“Here, Paddy… I’ll help you u – WOOOOOAAAAAOOOOW!”
Uh-oh. There goes Plunkett as well.

“Maybe that’s enough skating for one day…

…C’mon Plunkett, let’s go for a walk instead.”
I think this is much more Plunkett’s scene, don’t you? And on the way, they found some beautiful frosted leaves…

… And some pebbles that almost looked furry thanks to their icy coating!

Later, Paddy was even able to talk Plunkett into attempting a little climbing.

Mind you, the view from up there made it totally worthwhile!

But even little woolly monsters start feeling the cold in their paws eventually. Time to head back indoors! Although the winter sunlight was playing some strange tricks as they strolled home…
“Check out our shadows, Plunkett! We’re giants!”
“Whatever you say, Paddy…”

Thanks for the photos, lads! Hopefully the days are going to start getting a little warmer again soon… And with that in mind, I thought it was high time February’s calendar page made an appearance!

It’s in the store now, it’s ready to download, and it’s FREEEEEE! Cheers to everybody who welcomed Paddy and Plunkett onto their walls, noticeboards and fridges for January – I loved seeing the pictures some of you posted on your blogs and social media of the calendars in action!

As you can see, Explorer Beastie has stepped up to the plate this month. I chose one of my favourite shots from our trip to Donegal last February, which captures some of the best bits of late winter in Ireland – yes, the weather can be a bit wild, but the gentle light and the fact that there’s still plenty of green about make it a quietly beautiful time of year. I hope you’ll like this one as much as I do!

That’s it for this week, folks – we’ll be back next Tuesday with another new Beastie for you to meet! See you then!

Monster Family Fun!

Posted on January 16, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Knitted Beasties

OK folks, I promised you something big this week, and here it is! Now, I’ve made Beastie families before (you can meet some of them here and here), but when I was asked to create individual little monsters for all of a customer’s nieces and nephews, I did briefly wonder what I was letting myself in for. Sometimes families here can be on the large side – in fact, Boyfriend has so many cousins that he’s pretty sure there are some out there that he’s never even met! Fortunately, the grand total turned out to be a totally manageable seven… And although that’s still more than I’ve ever made for any one Beastie enthusiast, I reckoned I’d definitely be able to get them ready in time for Christmas!

So, let’s take a quick tour through my biggest Beastie custom order ever! These Beasties were heading to three separate households, with a brother and sister in one…

…Two sisters next…

…And a family of three to complete the picture!

We decided it would be best to keep all the Beasties quite similar, but each with their own unique twist to make them as individual as their human counterparts!
For the boys, who are both big into their Gaelic football, that meant shirts in their county colours… So, blue for Cavan and white for Kildare. And they both get to be #1 in their own teams!

Oh, and I had to send them each out with their own felt football, of course. The shape of the segments that make up the ball are based on the human-sized version – that took some figuring out!

You might also have noticed that I experimented with a new way of doing short hair for these two – I think the fur fabric captures the fineness of children’s hair better than wool can, and it’s so soft as well. What do you all reckon?

As for the girls…

… Each got her own hand-knitted sweater with an appliquéd felt initial, and I was in experimentation mode with their hairdressing too!

Sometimes Beastie hair (as I’ve made it in the past) has come out a bit thick and unmanageable, and because I had five girls to make, I wanted to ensure that each of them had their own distinct hairstyle. At first, I experimented with a technique I found in a magazine, which involved laying out a line of sticky tape, sticking strands of yarn to it, sewing through the tape, then peeling it away and stitching the hairpiece to the head, which had been prepped with a piece of felt in a similar colour.

Um, the less said about my state of mind that day, the better.

When she was bad, she was horrid! — (Image from my old Dean’s Gift Book of Nursery Rhymes)

That said, I did like the effect I was able to create by using multiple shades of yarn, so I decided to cut out the sticky tape middleman, and sew strands directly to the felt “hair cap” where they were needed. The result? More readily style-able pigtails and ponytails!

So, I suppose that means we’re all ready for the group photo…

Oh. Maybe another one, with everybody looking at the camera this time?

Much better!

Did any of you take on a monster project in the run-up to Christmas? Tell us all about it in the comments!

Aaaaaaand next week we’ll be taking a break from Christmas commissions and catching up with Paddy and Plunkett… They have some wintry photos they’d like to share with you. See you then!

A Busy Beastie… And Her Best Friend!

Posted on January 9, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions

Hello everybody, and welcome to the first proper BeastieBlog post of 2018! I hope you all got a bit of a break over the holidays – I know I certainly took advantage of the end-of-year lull to catch up on some sleep! But it’s great to be back, and right now is actually one of my favourite times of year. Yes, really! Because NOW I can finally start sharing my Christmas commissions with you all!

It was tricky to choose which of my latest Beasties I’d introduce you to first… But in the end, the honour has gone to this little monster lady!

At a time of year when many of us are resolving to make changes in our lives or try new things, I thought that this multitalented Beastie might provide a little inspiration. She was created as a special companion for a lady who works as a translator, so she speaks a couple of languages…

…And she’s also interested in art history, so she never leaves home without a handy sketchpad and pen! You just don’t know when inspiration will strike.

Of course, she’d never get anything done if she had to carry all this stuff around in her paws. So I made her a cool satchel-style bag to put everything into!

Perfect! She certainly looks happy… But what’s that I hear?

Aha! Beastie’s best friend… A sweet little felt pooch to keep her company while she works.

Because this Beastie was going to live in Germany, I modelled her four-legged friend on traditional German breeds, like the German pinscher and Jagterrier. Hello there, pup!

I think it might be time for walkies… What do you reckon?

And of course, there’s always time for hugs and treats!

This year certainly is off to a good start! How about you – any big plans for 2018? Let us know in the comments… and if one of your new year’s resolutions is to be more organised, don’t forget to download your FREE Beastie calendar pages from the store!
January is there now, and February will be added shortly!

We’ll be back next week, when I’ll be sharing snaps of my biggest ever custom order! See you then!

2017 – A Year of Monster Adventures!

Posted on December 19, 2017 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Info, Knitted Beasties, Life at Beastie Towers

Oh wow, I can’t believe we’re nearly at the end of 2017 already! It’s all been a bit of a blur – surely it was only just Hallowe’en? So I thought I would use this, the last “real” post of the year, to take a look back over the highlights of the last 12 months. If nothing else, it will help me figure out whether I’m right in thinking that I lost a month or two somewhere!

So, what did we get up to? Well, first of all, Explorer Beastie loved getting the chance to go a little further afield on his adventures! We started the year with a trip to Donegal…

… And then made it to Copenhagen in the spring…

…and Düsseldorf in early summer!

Paddy and Plunkett were also at large, dropping in on some ancient Irish wells…

…Punting down the Cam…

…And sampling some highly unusual cuisine in Croatia!

Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, Tammie‘s Beastie Finn McSpool has been keeping her readers entertained with his unique brand of “help”. With this guy around, it’s a miracle she gets any books written at all!

Finn’s adventures appear on Tammie’s blog every Saturday. I had a hard time picking a favourite to recommend to you all, but I think his underwater exploits in Hawaii back in September win out!

More recently, an old friend dropped us a line while on holidays in South Africa…

… And we welcomed a new face to the Beastie family!

Beastie’s first outing in England 🌿 @crawcraftsbeasties 💚

A post shared by xWG || #dazeandweekes (@dazeandweekes) on Dec 2, 2017 at 2:43pm PST

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You can meet Sinéad the pro-cat activist on Daze and Weekes, and find out more about her mission to improve Beastie-feline relations!

The Beasties have been getting social with other blogging folk this year, too! Back in April, we were lucky enough to be featured on Melissa’s excellent fibre craft blog Knitting The Stash…

… While an appeal for handmade items for a craftivism event in Manchester from Jan at The Snail of Happiness gave me the opportunity to make these little critters!

I also worked out a pattern and tutorial for these felt bees, which is FREE if you’d like to have a go at making your own!

Oooh, and let’s not forget that the BeastieBlog got a facelift back in August…

… Which included not only a snazzy new look, but also the addition of my very own online shop! Admittedly, the virtual shelves are a little bare at the moment, but there will be fresh monster faces in there again in the new year!

The Beasties also found themselves in some real shops, including this intrepid mob who journeyed all the way over to Carrick Mór in New Jersey!
We also did a few markets… But I reckon you’ve probably heard enough about those recently! I’m still super-grateful to all the good people who organised those events, or who came to visit us in person while we were there – it was lovely to meet you all!

And that only leaves one bit of news to share, and it’s one that I’ve been holding onto since the end of the summer. Since I decided to quit regular 9-5 employment in favour of making monsters a couple of years back, I’ve always worked part-time on the side – it’s reassuring to know that I’m not going to end up out in the streets if I have a couple of commission-free months, or if a market turns out to be a bit of a dud. But back in August, I was let go from my job… And I thought, why not try being a maker of monsters full time for a couple of months, just to see how things go? I’d often wondered what I could do if I got the chance to focus exclusively on the Beasties, and with Christmas looming on the horizon, it seemed like a good time to give it a bash. So, that’s what I’ve been doing! And while it’s had its hairy moments – like me losing my voice for the entire of the biggest market in my calendar – it’s been quite the adventure, and I’m already looking forward to seeing how much more I can do in the coming year!

But of course, dear readers, none of this could have happened without your support – so thanks to all of you who regularly read, like, comment and send me photos of your own monster adventures! I realise that I’ve been a little less diligent in keeping up with you all over the last couple of months, as I tackled the challenge of my first self-employed Christmas season, but I’m so looking forward to getting caught up again in the new year, and seeing what delights 2018 holds for us!

So, that was my 2017 – no wonder I’m tired! How was yours? And what have you got planned for the coming year? Be sure to let me know in the comments!

Dublin Football Beastie, Ready To Go! CrawCrafts Beasties

Dublin The Beastie Fun!

Posted on December 12, 2017June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Wow, what a hectic week it’s been! And before I introduce you to another pre-Christmas new Beastie, I wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everybody who came along to meet me and my little monsters at our recent Christmas markets! It was so nice to see the faces behind some of my favourite Instagram accounts, catch up with Beastie buddies I’ve met at past events, and make some new friends, too. You all rock!

Now, we’re really keeping it local with this week’s new Beastie – she’s a true Dublin girl! She was created as a surprise birthday gift for a lady who’s a big Dublin GAA fan, and who loves her coffee. Knowing that, and with a few photos to work from, it was easy to sketch up some ideas for a little monster friend!

Then, a few tweaks and a lot of teeny sewing later… She was ready!

This Beastie has soft, curly wool and alpaca hair, and a pair of super-cool glasses…

… Which she can take off, if she likes.

She’s also proudly sporting the latest Dublin GAA football jersey, complete with sponsor logo and the team crest!

I used a combination of hand embroidery and appliqué to get these details as close as possible to the real thing… here, take a closer look at that teeny tiny Dublin crest!

There’s also a little personalisation on the back of the jersey, to make this gift extra special!

And finally… That all-important cup of coffee! This Beastie’s new human friend is especially fond of Americano, so that’s what she’s drinking too. I thought it might be fun to add a wisp of crema around the edges, to give the coffee that proper barista-made look!

Now, making Beasties makes me very happy… But what makes me happier is seeing them well settled in their new homes! So you can imagine how delighted I was to receive this photo of these two girls posing together for the camera!

Hopefully this is the first of many fun adventures for this pair! And if you’d like to know how you (or someone you love) would look as a little woolly monster, I’m already starting to take orders for 2018! Sooo…
Find out more about the design process here
or get in touch with me through the Contact page to book your spot!

Next week, join us for a look back through the highlights of 2017 – it’s been quite a year! See you then!

Beastie-sized Vinyl, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Making Sweet Monster Music!

Posted on December 5, 2017 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Hey there everybody!

I’m taking a break from frantic pre-market Beastie making to share a new Beastie with you… A rare thing at this time of the year, since so many of my pre-Christmas commissions are destined to be presents, and I wouldn’t want to spoil any surprises! But I received confirmation that this little monster lady had made it safely to her new home at the end of last week, and I reckoned it was high time I introduced her to the world.

Meet Weekes Beastie!

This was an extra special make, because she was requested by a fellow blogger! I always get a kick out of Ms Weekes’s witty posts – they’re a delicious cocktail of history, daily life and humour, and I’ve now lost count of the number of times I’ve nearly choked on my breakfast tea because I’m laughing so hard. So, if you haven’t already, make sure you add Daze & Weekes to your regular reading list. Go on, do it now! We’ll wait here for you.

All done? Good. Let’s continue with the tour, and take a closer look at that hoodie!

Weekes Beastie’s hoodie is modelled on her human counterpart’s favourite item of clothing – an official “Cats” zip-up sweater with – gasp – cat ears on the hood!

As you can see, this is a very useful addition for a Beastie. Her own pointy ears fit snugly in there, keeping them nice and toasty! Then I finished off the hoodie with an embroidered “Cats” logo, zip, and a drawstring for the hood.

She can also take the hood down, if she likes.

That way, you can get a better look at her makeup, piercings and classic Sinead O’Connor hairstyle!

But, most importantly, lets talk about what she’s got in her paw. Because Weekes is not just a blogger – she’s also a talented singer and musician, and her debut album Pocket Bible is out this week! So, it only seemed right and proper to pay tribute to this momentous occasion in felt and teeny sewing…

And, of course, there’s a special edition Beastie-sized record inside the sleeve!

Obviously, this version will only play on special Beastie stereos… But don’t worry! You can pick up a proper human copy for yourself when the full album is released this Friday – that’s the 8th of December 2017. All the info you need is on weekesmusic.com, plus you can also listen to the four singles, find links to curated Spotify playlists and learn a little bit about the stories behind the song lyrics!

Meanwhile, it looks like the two Weekeses have already been out adventuring together…

Beastie’s first outing in England 🌿 @crawcraftsbeasties 💚

A post shared by xWG || #dazeandweekes (@dazeandweekes) on Dec 2, 2017 at 2:43pm PST

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What have you all been up to this week? Let us know in the comments! Oh, and don’t forget that the Beasties and I will be here later this week…
… So if you find yourself in or near Dublin, pop on down and say hello! We’d love to see you!

It’s The Most Beastie-ful Time Of The Year…

Posted on November 28, 2017June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Crafting, Info, Life at Beastie Towers

Hey everybody!

I’m just popping in for a very quick “Hello!” today, because I’ve done the sums and this is definitely the busiest, Beastie-est week of 2017! Last overseas postage dates are looming, and I’ve booked places at two of Dublin’s most popular Christmas markets, so that’s my entertainment taken care of for the next two weekends in a row. I’d better start on a programme of intense caffeination immediately, as ably demonstrated by Tae Beastie here.
I already had a chance to get out and road-test my new market display a couple of weeks back at RMDS’s Christmas Craft Fair, and I’m pretty pleased with how it looks! I’ve used lightweight fabric-covered boxes to add a little extra height…

… Made up some promotional postcards with a little bit about the Beasties on the back…

…Thrown a little light on the proceedings with a pair of spiffy spotlights, a Christmas gift from my brother last year…

… And Boyfriend picked up a Beastie-sized chalkboard for me to play around with use constructively for marketing purposes.

So, when do all these goodies get their next outing? Well, to kick things off, this Sunday I’ll be at Newmarket on Cork Street for their Christmas event. I’m looking forward to this one for a couple of reasons… It’s my first time going to this market (always exciting), and it’s in my neighbourhood too! Plus I thought I’d missed the application deadline, so it was doubly satisfying when my offer of a spot came through.

Then next week, it’s the biggie – The Dublin Christmas Flea! I had a blast at this market last year… hey, why not take a look around yourself? Plus, eagle-eyed viewers will spot me working away behind my stall at 1:12 in this video!

Dublin Flea Christmas Market 2017 from dublin flea on Vimeo.

For the 2017 event, they’ve added an extra day (the market will run from Thursday to Sunday) and there’s going to be a special press-only early opening on one of the days as well. I’m optimistic that the Beasties will be on their best behaviour, but I’m expecting at least one of the major newspapers to carry the headline “Reporter Mauled by Publicity-Hungry Knitted Monsters” on Monday morning!

Of course, I realise that not all of you lovely readers are likely to make it to Dublin this December. But no matter how far afield you are, there’s still time to adopt a monster friend from our online store!

I’ll be able to send worldwide right up until the 7th of December. After that:

Last post for mainland Europe is the 13th
Great Britain the 18th
Northern Ireland the 19th
Republic of Ireland the 20th

of December 2017.

I’m also already taking pre-orders for the first quarter of 2018, so if you’d like to get your paws on a Bespoke Beastie anytime before March 31st, don’t be disappointed! Drop me a line and I’ll get your name into the order book nice and early.

Alrighty, time for me to get back to work! Next Tuesday, I’ll have a new Beastie to share with you all, so be sure to stop by… Have a great week!

The View From Table Mountain - S Allen/CrawCrafts Beasties

Beasties on Safari!

Posted on November 21, 2017June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Knitted Beasties

We’ve a special guest Beastie on the blog today! It’s been a while since he last showed his fuzzy little face around here, but those of you who have been following the BeastieBlog long-term might well recognise him. Hey there, Garcia Beastie!

If you’ve met him before, you may remember that he is partial to a spot of skiiing…
… But this time he’s found himself up a mountain, and there’s no snow in sight! What’s going on?

Well, it’s not exactly ski season where he is, for starters. Summer is just around the corner in South Africa! Still, that means it’s a perfect time to enjoy the view from the top of Table Mountain…

But there’s so much else out there to see! And it wasn’t long before Garcia Beastie found himself back down at sea level… Even without the help of his trusty skis.

First port of call – The V&A Waterfront!

When I first saw the name, I assumed it was the “Victoria and Albert” Waterfront, but the “A” actually stands for Alfred. He was Queen Victoria’s second son, and his visit to Cape Town earned him such popularity with the colonial community that they named one of the basins of the newly-built Navy Yard after him… and the other after his mother, of course. This port on the Atlantic shore also happens to be South Africa’s oldest working harbour!

But that sea air really does work up an appetite… Snack time!

And of course, you can’t come to South Africa without sampling one of their most famous exports either…

…Everything in moderation, Garcia Beastie!

Fortunately, he was none the worse for his tumble… Just as well, because it was soon time to leave the city and head out on safari!

Across the border in Botswana, Garcia Beastie got acquainted with some of the local wildlife in the controlled environment of the game lodge’s natural history museum.

He also had fun recreating that scene from “Jurassic Park”…

But let’s get out there and see what we can see, shall we?

It felt like they were driving forever, but then…
“LOOKLOOKLOOKLOOKLOOK! Elephants!”

Such excitement – so much so that he Beastiebombed the photo in his attempts to make sure everyone else in the car saw them too!

And by the end of the day, he’d really settled into the idea of life on the African plains…

…Even if the skiing isn’t up to much!

Thanks to Suzanne for sharing Garcia Beastie’s holiday snaps! And if any other Beasties out there have been off on an adventure lately, please do share your pics with us – all of us here at Beastie Towers would love to see what you’ve been up to!

We’ll be back next week with more monster shenanigans… In the meantime, don’t forget to check out my new Christmas Market page to keep up with the Beasties’ heady festive social schedule!

Paddy and Plunkett in Poreč

Posted on November 14, 2017June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Knitted Beasties, Life at Beastie Towers, Paddy and Plunkett

It’s starting to feel decidedly wintry here in Beastie Towers these last few days – the trees outside are almost bare, and the sun seems to be getting up ever later every morning, and having A LOT of early nights! So I’m sure you can understand why I was very happy to discover this last update from adventurous Irish Beasties Paddy and Plunkett in my inbox this morning… The final installment of their recent Croatian adventure! Care to join us as we take a sunny wander through the cobbled streets of Poreč, a pretty harbour town on Croatia’s Mediterranean coast?

Plunkett is certainly enjoying himself here – the back streets are so peaceful, and this place is brimming over with history. The town centre stands on the site of a Roman castrum (or fortified military camp), which was established there in the 2nd century BC. Then, a century later, Poreč (or Parens, to give it its Latin name) was officially declared a city, and it’s been continuously inhabited ever since. It hasn’t all been plain sailing though – during its lifetime, Poreč has survived almost complete destruction by the Genoese in the 14th century, a nasty brush with the Plague a couple of centuries later, and Allied bombings during the Second World War. Oh, if these streets could talk!

Meanwhile, Paddy is more interested in THIS…

However, since it was still quite soon after breakfast, he agreed that it was probably better to have a nice cup of tea instead.

But what’s going on over there?

It looks like they’re setting up for a wedding party!
“Oh Plunkett, let’s go! There might be some free cake and champagne!”
“No way, Paddy! Anyway, you can’t – it’s bad luck to show up at a wedding wearing white unless you’re the bride.”
“Ah, you’re probably right. I’d hate to upstage her with my beee-yooo-tiful smile!”

With that settled, the boys decided to take a stroll down by the harbour.
And then Paddy spotted this…

“Hmmm… Rent a boat? Yes please!”

“This one looks perfect… Nice and speedy!”
But Plunkett isn’t so sure.
“NO WAY am I letting you drive that thing, Paddy!”
Fortunately, Paddy has a plan up his woolly sleeve…

“Don’t worry, Plunkett! Meet my new friend Captain Jack… He says he’ll get us back to Ireland no problem, and it’ll only cost us 3 barrels of rum!”

Hmmm… Does anyone else think this might not be such a good idea? Hopefully we’ll catch up with Paddy and Plunkett again soon, but I’m not making any promises!

And before I go, I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to some fellow bloggers, who have been keeping me cheerful this past (hectic!) week with their kindness and generosity. Check out this haul of happy mail!
The box of goodies is from Jan at The Snail of Happiness, who sent me something from her garden (I can’t say any more on that one until after Christmas), plus some incredibly soft Welsh wool (I’m mentally running through project ideas already), locally-produced soap and a lovely card. Best of all, everything now smells deliciously like zesty black pepper – glorious! Then in the front, there’s one of Tierney’s (from Tierneycreates) little wallets, which I was lucky enough to WIN in her 4-Year-Blogiversary Giveaway! She’s been making these little wonders from leftover quilting fabrics, and it’s such a neat, lightweight purse. Plus she also included a handmade card, made from upcycled old business cards! So once again, thank you both – your parcels have really made me smile this week!

I’ll be back next Tuesday with more monster adventures, so stay tuned! Have a great week, everyone!

	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…
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	The Hidden Spain on (Mer)Made Just for You!