Mermaid Beastie, by CrawCrafts Beasties

(Mer)Made Just for You!

After Explorer Beastie’s trip to the northwest coast last week, it seems like a good idea to carry on with this maritime theme for a little longer! How do you all feel about meeting a real, live Mermaid Beastie?Mermaid Beastie, by CrawCrafts BeastiesLook, there she is… elegantly running her paws through her tresses, as mermaids are wont to do. Now, at the risk of running aground on some treacherous rocks, let’s take a closer look at this elusive Beastie… You may never see her like again!

First, you’ve probably noticed that she’s wearing a rather fetching seashell bikini top… A girl has to keep up with fashion, even if she does live underwater.
Mermaid Beastie's Pink Seashell Top - CrawCrafts BeastiesShe also has a friendly starfish in her hair, to keep her lustrous locks out of her eyes.
An Unconventional Use for Starfish - CrawCrafts BeastiesBut of course, you probably want proof that this isn’t just a regular girl Beastie in a costume. So, here you are – check out her beautiful, scaly, sparkly tail!
Mermaid Beastie's Tail, by CrawCrafts BeastiesSharp-eyed Beastie spotters will also notice that her tail is stitched in such a way that she can lounge coyly on rocky outcrops, rather than sitting bolt upright…
Mermaid Beastie Makes her Escape - CrawCrafts Beasties… Although this shot captured her just as she got tired of posing for the camera, and she prepared to swim off to new and exotic shores! Since she left just before Christmas, I’m sure she found the waters around Ireland pretty chilly, but fortunately it wasn’t long before I received confirmation that she had arrived safely in her new home!
Mermaid Beastie at Home - C Alexander/CrawCrafts BeastiesHeehee! It looks like she’s settling in well – and possibly challenging the Christmas fairy bear for her spot at the top of the tree!

Thanks for joining me for another New Beastie day – I’ll have the last of my Christmas commissions to share with you next week, so be sure to drop back in for that! And join us again on Friday for part 2 of Explorer Beastie’s trip to the very top of Ireland. See you then!

Get Along, Lil’ Beastie!

Yeeeeee haaaaaa!

It’s been a while, but at last… It’s New Beastie Day again! I’m so happy that I’m FINALLY able to share my pre-Christmas commissions with you all. And we’re going to kick off 2017 in style, with Cowgirl Beastie!
Cowgirl Beastie, by CrawCrafts BeastiesShe’s got everything she needs for a long day out on the ranch – first, a classic blue and white checked shirt…
Cowgirl Beastie's Checked Shirt - CrawCrafts Beasties… A toasty jacket…
Cowgirl Beastie's Jacket, by CrawCrafts Beasties… With real leather fringes on the front and back…
Beastie-Sized Leather Fringed Jacket, by CrawCrafts Beasties… And of course, a lariat tied with an authentic lasso knot!
Cowgirl Beastie's Lasso Rope - CrawCrafts BeastiesThis miniature cattle wrangler was requested for a real-life rancher, and she was already looking forward to helping her new friend out on her huge farm in Saskatchewan, Canada. She’s expecting to work hard, so I put her hair into a nice chunky braid to make sure it doesn’t get in her way!
Cowgirl Beastie's Hairdo - CrawCrafts BeastiesThen I added one last finishing touch…
Cowgirl Beastie's Hat, by CrawCrafts Beasties…A felt cowboy hat, complete with a star on the brim in tribute to sharp-shooting queen of the cowgirls Annie Oakley!
Cowgirl Beasties, Ready for Work! CrawCrafts BeastiesTa-daaaaah! Ready to go!

With a long journey to her new home ahead, I sent Cowgirl Beastie on her way good and early – and luckily, she arrived well in time for Christmas! Here she is – looks like she’s settling in nicely, don’t you think?
Cowgirl Beastie at Home - N Couture/CrawCrafts BeastiesThe new Beastie bonanza continues next week, so be sure to join us for the intriguing tale of a little woolly monster who got lost in space… See you then!

Plan Your Life the Monster Way - CrawCrafts Beasties

Ch-Ch-Changes!

Out and About With Explorer Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesHey there everybody! It’s great to be back!

We hope you all enjoyed the holiday season and that 2017 is treating you nicely so far. I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I’m ready for another year as eventful as 2016 was!

Anyway, after rather a lot of this…
Relaxing Times! CrawCrafts Beasties… We’re excited to get back to reality!

But, as you might have guessed from the title of this post, some things are gonna change around here, and I’ve spent the last couple of weeks having a big ol’ think about the past year and where to go next. Overall, I reckon 2016 was generally Beastie-friendly – for starters, I’m still reeling from our success at the Dublin Christmas Flea!
Crawcrafts Beasties at the Dublin Christmas FleaIn 2016, I also enjoyed meeting and collaborating with other craftspeople…
New Friends - S Twist Yarn and Niki Collier - CrawCrafts Beasties…Seeing the world through the eyes of Beasties who had left home…
Beasties Abroad - CrawCrafts BeastiesFinn doing his best David Attenborough impression.…And getting to write for the Olann And Blog!

My Featured Craftspeople! CrawCrafts Beasties
My Featured Crafters! Clockwise from left: Dinah’s Dolls, Guadalupe Creations, Niki Collier Design.

And outside of my Beastie-making activities, I also landed a new job – one which I’m really enjoying, and which I hope will better complement my hectic monster manufacturing schedule!

So, if everything’s so rosy, what am I going to be changing? Well, I felt I spent most of last year lurching from one panic to the next – it seemed like there was always a deadline looming, and time just zipped by! I’m still trying to figure out what happened to April, July and September… Oh, and then the last quarter of the year hit, and somehow I found myself with hardly any market stock, and several commissions whose trickiest elements I had sensibly decided to leave until the darkest days of the year. GAAAAAAH! By Christmas Eve I was totally frazzled, and badly in need of a few days R&R&MW (rest and relaxation and mulled wine) with my family.
Explorer Beastie at Christmas - CrawCrafts BeastiesBut with that (and a few healthy portions of Christmas dinner) under my belt, I was ready to start scheming for the year ahead. It’s the first time I’ve really taken the time to sit down and plan what I want to do and how I might get there, and I was surprised by how much it felt like time well spent! So, without further ado, here’s what I’ll be doing differently in 2017.

  1. Make more, more often! Last year it seemed like I spent more time talking about making than I did actually making. This year I want to get back to what I love most – making monsters!
  2. Prepare for Christmas, starting NOW. I’m planning to start assembling a crack squad of Beasties throughout the year, so we can take the Christmas markets by storm, AND save more of those precious December daylight hours for creating special bespoke monsters for anyone looking for a seasonal commission.
  3. Set a stricter timeframe for commissions. I’ll be making myself stick to a 4-week turnaround time from first sketching to completed monster masterpiece! I’m also going to be learning some new skills to help speed up some of the parts of the process that I find trickiest… more on that soon!

And finally, this might raise a few eyebrows – but I’ve decided to cut back my posting on the BeastieBlog  to Tuesdays only, at least for the foreseeable future. I’m hoping this will free up more time to actually keep up with all YOUR blogs, and feed my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts more frequently!

How about you? Are you doing anything differently this year? Tell us all about it in the comments!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2017, everybody! Thanks to everyone who visited us here on the BeastieBlog in 2016… Here’s wishing all of you a year filled with fun, laughter and lots of monster adventures!

We’ll be back with some fresh Beastie fun in a couple of weeks… In the meantime, what have you planned for the new year? Let us know in the comments!

Beasties at the Flea - CrawCrafts Beasties

Festive Flea Market Fun!

Woweeee! It really has been all systems go here at Beastie Towers lately – and in between getting Christmas commissions ready and starting a new job, I haven’t been able to go to half as many of the festive markets as I would have liked. Fortunately, I booked my spot at the Dublin Christmas Flea at the end of October, and I decided that come hell, high water or complete sleep deprivation I was going to be there!

It’s one of the markets I’ve been hoping to go to since I first became a Maker of Monsters, and this year they annexed an extra space in the Point Village in Dublin’s Docklands to make it their biggest event yet. So many stalls of crafty goodness… Plus some excellent vintage and food sellers as well!

Oh yeah, and the Beasties and I were there too!
Beasties at the Flea - CrawCrafts BeastiesHere we are, all set up and ready for Day One… And then a few more Beasties and beanies arrived throughout the weekend…
Crawcrafts Beasties at the Dublin Christmas Flea…Then it was all paws on deck come Sunday! Hallowe’en Beasties don’t usually hang out at Christmas markets, but the prospect of new friends and a new home was too good to miss…
Hallowe'en Beasties are GO! CrawCrafts BeastiesBy the time 6pm rolled around on Sunday, almost every one of my little monsters had toddled off with their new family!

Thanks so much to everybody who stopped in to visit us over the weekend – it was lovely to meet you all, especially those of you I already know a bit from your blogs, or from Instagram and Facebook! And a big thumbs up for the Dublin Flea team as well, who put in an immense amount of work to beautify the venue and let all of Dublin know that the market was happening. Best of all, they gave me a spot right next to the tea stall! You guys are the best!

Right, I’m off to start getting ready for next year’s market now… And for anyone who left the Christmas Flea with a new monster friend in tow, please feel free to share photos of your Beastie’s adventures with us back here at Beastie Towers! You can post to Facebook, share your Instagram pics with the hashtag #beastiesofinstagram, or email photos to crawcraftsbeasties@gmail.com to feature in a blog post in the new year!

Beastie Meets Beasties at the Oregon Zoo

Wow, it’s been a busy week here in Beastie Towers… AGAIN!
Fortunately, not all of the global Beastie family are entangled in Christmas market preparations. So today I’m going to leave you in the capable hands (and paws) of Tammie and her mischievous monster companion Finn McSpool, as they have some close encounters with the residents of Oregon Zoo. Enjoy!

TammiePainter's avatarTammie Painter

I know I promised a continuation of my tales from Orvieto for today’s post, but I thought I’d take a little break from the Italian adventures and share a recent outing that’s a little more local.

As you know, Finn McSpool recently moved to the U.S. from Ireland (although he’s thinking about packing his bags and returning after learning the results of our latest election). He’s done a little local exploring to Portland’s Japanese Garden, but this week was his first trip to see some local beasties at the Oregon Zoo. Late November may not be the best weather for wandering around a zoo, but Mr. Husband and I discovered a few years ago that on the Monday after Thanksgiving, you pretty much have the place to yourself.

I know many people hate zoos and think they’re cruel, but the Oregon Zoo is an outstanding steward for animal, environmental, and ecological issues, including…

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Calendar Time! CrawCrafts Beasties

Theeeey’re Heeeeere!

2017 Beastie calendars, that is!
It's the 2017 Beastie Calendar! CrawCrafts BeastiesThis year’s calendar features all-new photos – for those of you who are proud owners of the 2016 version, there won’t be any repeats in the coming year! Explorer Beastie is hogging the limelight as usual…
Explorer Beastie Calendar Shoot - CrawCrafts Beasties…But I snuck in a few of my favourite Beastie friends from the last 12 months as well!
Beastie Calendar Models 2017 - CrawCrafts BeastiesI’ve chosen a slightly different layout this time, which I think looks clearer and allows more space to write in the details of your busy life. Now all you have to do is decide how to spend your year!
Plan Your Life the Monster Way - CrawCrafts BeastiesIf you’d like a Beastie calendar to call your very own, head to the Contact page and drop me a line, or PM me through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!

The Science Bit…
A single calendar will set you back a mere €12, and postage anywhere on the island of Ireland is free! If you live elsewhere, P&P will be an extra €3 for one calendar… Or if you’d like a few, I’ll calculate the postage based on the total weight of the parcel. Ping me over payment by PayPal, and your calendar(s) will be in the post that same day (Post Office opening hours permitting, of course)!

Oh, and get your order in soon – I’m only doing one batch this year!

And while we’re on the subject of time management and busy lives, Silly Season is now officially in full swing! So much crafting to do… and since most of my latest Beasties are destined to spend a little time under the Christmas tree before meeting their new families, it’ll be New Year before I’m able to share their photos with you. With that in mind, the BeastieBlog will be scaling back to just Tuesday posts for the time being. Normal service will resume in 2017!

Seasonal Market Set-Up - CrawCrafts Beasties

Jumping on the Festive Bandwagon!

Uh-oh! Try as you might to ignore it, there’s no denying that it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! And while I’m already preparing to be haunted by my least favourite seasonal song (“Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time”) as I wander around Dublin’s city centre over the next couple of months, the ever-earlier arrival of the festive season has its advantages too… Top of the list being CHRISTMAS MARKETS!
Seasonal Market Set-Up - CrawCrafts BeastiesI do enjoy going to markets – obviously there’s a Beastie adoption motive underpinning every one I attend, but I also really like the buzz of market day. Not only is it a super way to catch up with other craftspeople (and probably, let’s face it, leave a substantial chunk of your earnings at their stalls), I also love meeting my own customers face to face! For a crafter, markets are a great (and non-creepy) way to get to know the people who admire your work, and to see which aspects of what you do appeal to them most.

This past weekend, I spent Saturday and Sunday at my first Christmas market of 2016 – the Creative Collective Ireland Craft Fair, which is held annually in the Multidenominational School in Ranelagh, one of Dublin’s most charming suburbs.
Ranelagh Craft Fair - CrawCrafts BeastiesThe Ranelagh Fair is always a special one for me… BeastieBlog veterans may dimly remember my first market update back in 2013, when I launched my Beastie-making career at this very market! And although my stock and setup have changed a bit since then, it was nice to see to see some familiar faces, both behind the stalls and among the punters!

I also thought it was time to crack out the party season finery for my stall… My spooky Hallowe’en setup has made way for bright red felt and cheerful fairy lights on my (only slightly Scrooge-y) black Christmas tree!
Feelin' Festive! CrawCrafts BeastiesThere were a couple of festive special guests at the table too, of course…
Christmas Beasties and Jingle Beans - CrawCrafts Beasties… And on day 2, I managed to get my banner up behind the stall as well!
Beastie Banner - CrawCrafts BeastiesBy the end of the weekend, we’d found new homes for some Beasties… And a whole lot of cuddly beans!
Au Revoir, Beasties! CrawCrafts BeastiesHopefully they’ll stay in touch, and share their adventures with us in the new year!

We’ll be doing more markets as Christmas draws closer… Be sure to follow us on Facebook to see where we’ll be popping up next! And don’t forget to call back on Friday, when we’ll be doing some wintry countryside rambling with Explorer Beastie. See you then!

Rugby Girl Beastie Closeup - CrawCrafts Beasties

A Very Beastie Birthday Surprise!

Well, THIS has been a while coming! Today’s new Beastie actually left Beastie Towers back at the end of September… But since I devoted all of last month to Hallowe’en-themed monsters, this is really the first chance I’ve had to introduce you to this little lady! However, now that the days have suddenly got much colder, and tickets for the Six Nations have gone on sale, it seems like a good time for you all to meet Rugby Girl Beastie!
Rugby Girl Beastie, by CrawCrafts BeastiesRugby Girl Beastie was commissioned as a very special birthday gift for a devoted Munster Rugby fan! So of course she’s proudly wearing her team’s jersey…
Rugby Girl Beastie's Jersey - CrawCrafts Beasties… Featuring a hand-embroidered crest and a personalised number, to mark the occasion!

Rugby Girl Beastie’s new human friend also LIVES in her Converse trainers, so I made her a pair of her own to match!
Beastie Cons! CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd so that she can join in on the pitch if needs be, she got a hand-embroidered rugby ball too!
Beastie-Size Rugby Ball - CrawCrafts BeastiesThis Beastie girl’s new human buddy is a busy lady! When she’s not following her favourite rugby team’s exploits, she loves going to gigs and festivals… and so that Rugby Girl Beastie can tag along, I included a special VIP wristband to help her sneak backstage.
Access All Areas Wristband, by CrawCrafts BeastiesThen, as a final finishing touch, an accessory to celebrate her love of travel!
Travelling Beastie Suitcase, by CrawCrafts BeastiesThe hand-embroidered felt “stickers” are from some of Rugby Girl Beastie’s new friend’s favourite holiday destinations… and since she often travels to see Dublin band The Coronas play overseas, I’ve included a nod to them on there too!

Now I think we’re ready to hit the road!
Rugby Girl Beastie Hits the Road! CrawCrafts BeastiesThanks so much to Katie for requesting this commission!

Oh, and thanks to all of you as well! Last week the BeastieBlog hit the 400 followers mark… And we literally couldn’t have done it without you. So… CHEERS!
Cheers! CrawCrafts BeastiesJoin us again on Friday for more overseas antics with Paddy and Plunkett… And don’t forget that this weekend we’ll be at the Creative Collective Ireland Craft Fair in Ranelagh, Dublin 6!

Market Stall Closeup - CrawCrafts Beasties

Monster Market Day – Hallowe’en Edition!

Hallowe’en may be over for another year, but I couldn’t let it pass without sharing my special seasonal market setup with you all! On Sunday I did my first ever Hallowe’en market, and since I brought along some Hallowe’en-y monsters…
A Bevy of Hallowe'en Beasties, by CrawCrafts Beasties… It only seemed fair to modify my props to make them feel more at home! So I strayed outside my usual crafting comfort zone, and had a bit of fun with papier mâché and paint instead. Can you tell what I’m making from this in-progress shot?

As well as a 3D gravestone, I made some simpler flat ones and a two miniature ones. As it happened, I found perfect headstone-shaped photo frames in Tiger, which cut down on my making time a lot!

So, after covering myself in glue, doing my best Banksy impression in the basement of Beastie Towers and a heart-stopping moment where it seemed like my painted details weren’t drying at all, it was time to set up!

TA-DAAAAAAH!
Monster Market Day! CrawCrafts BeastiesOther new additions to the table included some spiderweb fabric, to add a bit of a spookier feel to my cheery bright red tablecloth, and I made some creepy flickering lanterns using LED nightlights and black tissue. It was also nice to have some fixtures to hang my banner from – I don’t always get to use it!

And the Beasties seemed happy enough with the changes too…
Market Stall Closeup - CrawCrafts Beasties…Although on reflection, it might have had something to do with this.
Pint Beastie, on the Tear - CrawCrafts BeastiesOh Pint Beastie, you know it’s not a good idea to mix your drinks!

At least it meant that everyone slept soundly on the journey home… Hopefully the sore heads will be a distant memory by the time our next market rolls around! We’ll next be popping up at the Creative Collective Annual Fair in Ranelagh, on the 12th and 13th of November – save the date!

I hope you all had fun this Hallowe’en! We’ll be back on Friday with an update from Paddy and Plunkett. Yes, they’ve been on holiday again! I’ll really have to get them to take me along next time… See you then!