Crafts – Page 15 – Beastie HQ

The Best-Laid Plans of Mice and Monster-Makers…

Posted on September 13, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Info, Life at Beastie Towers

Oh dear. Ever just have one of those days?Yes, I know I promised new Beasties galore today, and I even have a couple of little monsters who are oh-so-keen to meet you all! But alas, they’re just not quite ready yet… A small matter of one accessory that is refusing to coooperate. However, the good news is that I think I’m finally close to breaking its spirit and bending it to my will, so you’ll definitely be able to meet them all next week!

You’ll also surely be reassured to learn that I haven’t spent the whole weekend cussing at tiny pieces of felt. It’s been a busy one here at Beastie Towers! There have been commission sketches to prepare…

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… And, in case you missed my all-over-all-the-social-media-announcement last week, I did a guest post for local crafty magazine Olann And!

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

It was great to have a chance to introduce their readers to some of my favourite Dublin craftspeople – two of whom (Niki Collier and Ann from Dinah’s Dolls) are also fellow WordPress bloggers. So do stop by their blogs if you get a second, they’re some seriously talented ladies!

And if that wasn’t enough to keep me out of mischief, I’m also gearing up to head to the Ha’Penny Market at The Grand Social again this Saturday!

We had such a great time on our last visit, and this is the first Saturday we’ve had free since then, so we’re really looking forward to it! As always, feel free to pop in and say hi – we’d love to see you!
Alrighty, time to recommence battle with those accessories! We’ll be back on Friday, with photos from the day trip Explorer Beastie and I took last Saturday. See you then!

Something New(ish) on the BeastieBlog!

Posted on September 9, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Info, Knitted Beasties

Hello everybody!

Today I’ve decided to launch a new regular feature on the BeastieBlog, inspired by one of the more recent arrivals to our ever-growing gang of monster enthusiasts – hey there, Lives in Stone! Take a bow!

A couple of days ago, Liv (sorry if this isn’t your real name! I’m just going by how you sign off your posts!) took a trip through some of my really, really early posts, and was good enough to comment on a few. And oh, the fun I had revisiting these past Beastie creations! So I thought I might make it easy for the rest of you – especially if you only just got here – to catch up on a slice of monster history. Plus it would be nice to take some time to revisit an old friend every once in a while!

I’ll be doing this once a month on Fridays, and as soon as I come up with a catchier name than “Throwback Friday”, I’ll set up a separate category on the blog so the posts are searchable.

Alrighty, let’s get started! Today’s Throwback Friday Beastie is… Ninja Beastie!
I’m actually a little disturbed by how far back I had to travel in my archives to find this guy! I made Ninja Beastie in early 2014… I was still buzzing from doing my first market, and I’d also survived my initial round of Christmas commissions. I had so many ideas, and I wanted to make ALL of them! It was such a fun time, and it’s strange to think that back then my craft stash occupied a single plastic IKEA storage box, and my accessory templates could all fit into a small sandwich bag – now I have to have them in themed, labelled file pockets, or I’d spend all day hunting for the one I needed!

Ninja Beastie was also one of the first Beastie projects where I took pleasure in going overboard with the details. I made sure he was positively bristling with weapons, and I researched them online to make sure they were as authentic as possible…
Of course, it wasn’t long before Ninja Beastie stealthily stole out of Beastie Towers to make his own way in the world! Have any of you seen him in your travels? Let me know in the comments!

Oh, and we’ll be back with NEW Beasties as usual on Tuesday, so stay tuned! Have a great weekend!

A Nice Relaxing Day at Beastie Towers

Posted on September 6, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties, Life at Beastie Towers

Being out and about is all well and good, but sometimes you just want to enjoy the quiet life! And as someone who has always been a fan of more… um… sedentary activities – just ask anyone who has ever tried to get me to run anywhere, or play sports for “fun” – it was only a matter of time before I started sharing my favourite pastimes with my ever-growing Beastie family!

Here, let me introduce you to my latest batch of Hobby Beasties…
First up – well, no surprises here! It’s always nice to have a Knitter Beastie around, even if they do dip into my yarn stash every once in a while.

What are you working on there, Knitter Beastie?
“Hmmmm… I think this might become a toasty winter sweater!”

Much as I love to knit, there is one other hobby that I really go out of my way to make time for…
…READING!

I’ve been a bookworm for as long as I can remember. I even loved books before I learned how to read them, a quirk which my parents used to make my earliest mealtimes go a little more smoothly. As I pawed through my book of animal pictures, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, I barely even noticed that I was surreptitiously being fed at the same time!

So of course, the first Beastie accessory I ever made was a little felt book…

Bookworm Beastie, by CrawCrafts Beasties — Not the first one, but definitely an early one!

…and you’ll usually find a Reader Beastie hanging out in the gang on my market stall!

I also have endless fun coming up with titles for their books… Regular visitors to the BeastieBlog will know that these titles have to be a pun that references monsters, yarn or craft, so this latest Beastie is reading “The Purl”!
And here are some other classics from the Beastie Towers Library!
How do you like to spend your down time? Let us know in the comments!

The Recipe for a Monster Day Out!

Posted on August 23, 2016August 23, 2016 by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Here at Beastie Towers we like nothing better than heading out together for a fun day at one of our local markets. And even though the weather here was less than stellar on Saturday morning, we still managed to have a good time at the Ha’Penny market – it’s definitely worth a look if you ever find yourself in Dublin!

A few of our group even went home with new human friends – first to go was Cookie Beastie…
…who was snapped up by Ali from A Little Idea, one of our stall neighbours on the day!

Many of the other Beasties who ventured off to pastures new have featured on the BeastieBlog before. But one of my recent additions found a new home too! It’s been a while since I last made a Chef Beastie – perhaps two years – so I really enjoyed cracking out my old templates and making some subtle adjustments to the design. The basic formula is the same – Chef Beasties always need a classic tall white chef’s hat and an apron…
…And I still get a chuckle out of making “useful” things to put in the apron pocket!
Put it all together, and you get…
…And perhaps you can see the BeastiEvolution which has taken place since I made my very first Chef Beastie!Who knows where they’ll go from here? Hmmm…

I have more new Beasties for you to meet, but I’m going to save ’em for next week. In the meantime, Paddy and Plunkett will be back to entertain you with more travellers’ tales on Friday. See you then!

Meet Cookie Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties

Hooray! The Sun’s Out!

Posted on August 16, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Info, Knitted Beasties

Look, everyone! The Irish summer has made a surprise reappearance!

So I thought today’s new Beastie should have his photo taken in the luxuriant(ish) gardens of Beastie Towers. I’m pleased to introduce you to Cookie Beastie, who is outside enjoying his favourite treat in the lovely warm sunshine.
But picnicking alone isn’t much fun…
…So a few friends came out to join him!
Much better. But of course, it didn’t take much time for these mischievous monsters to start running riot among the plants! Maybe they had too much beer… or fizzy pop!
Um, how exactly DO you climb a plant whilst holding a full pint of Guinness?
But not everyone was clambering through the undergrowth. Cheerleader Beastie was eager to practice a couple of new moves…
…While Redhead Beastie was happy to stop and smell the flowers.
But rounding up these little critters was more than a little tricky – especially when they’re as well camouflaged as Aran Beastie!
Still, I managed to lure them home by promising a market trip this weekend… our first of the year! We’ll be at our old stomping ground, The Ha’Penny Market at The Grand Social on Liffey Street, from 12-6 on Saturday. So if you’re in Dublin (or even if you’re not – take a day trip!) stop by and see us. We’d love to meet you!

Explorer Beastie Portrait - CrawCrafts Beasties

A Monster Gallery Overhaul!

Posted on August 9, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting, Info, Knitted Beasties

Aaaah, if only I had a magic wand like Fairy Princess Beastie’s! It would definitely save me an hour or two the next time I take a notion to give the BeastieBlog a little facelift. As it is, I’ve spent the morning looking through photos, making lists and trying to get my poor semi-senile laptop to cooperate… all in the name of deciding which Beasties get to star in my updated Gallery and Hall of Fame pages!

There have been a good few new arrivals in Beastie Towers since I first put the Gallery together back in February, and I wanted to make sure that some of these got a chance to take up residence in the prime internet real estate on my homepage! So I’ve added some recent favourites…
… While still keeping a few familiar faces in there too!

If you have a second, do go and check them out – I’d love to hear what you all think! Especially if you reckon there’s a Beastie missing who should be part of the lineup…

We’ll be back on Friday, with more Beastie antics! See you then… and in the meantime, have a great week!

Another Monster Big Day!

Posted on August 2, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Hey there Beastiebuddies! It’s Tuesday again, so that means I am duty bound to introduce you to the newest arrivals here at Beastie Towers – and since wedding season is still in full swing, it looks like you’re actually getting TWO new Beasties for the price of one. Don’t say I ain’t good to ya!

Ooookaaay, where shall we start? Aha! Here comes the bride now.
Isn’t she pretty? I loved styling her beautiful long hair!

Her dress is an understated yet elegant ivory satin, with a fitted wool bodice and net petticoats, and she has a veil to match… topped with pale yellow roses, to complement her golden skintone.
This Beastie bride’s human counterpart is a big fan of board games, so I also made her a personalised miniature Scrabble tile necklace to complete her outfit!
And what’s that in her paw?
It’s a “Carcassonne” board game, shrunk to Beastie size! Apparently this is the human bride’s very favourite board game, and I thought Beastie Bride would like one too.
I used felt as the background, then appliquéd hand-cut pieces of felt on for the larger blocks of colour, before adding in the details and lettering with hand-stitched embroidery. The finished box measures just 5x6cm!

But let’s not forget about the groom! He’s looking dapper in a navy felt and wool suit, and his golden yellow tie is a thoughtful nod to his lady-wife’s complexion.
And because he’s an enthusiastic Latin scholar and budding writer, I couldn’t quite convince him to leave his dictionary and favourite pen at home…
…But I did manage to attach them both to his jacket…
…So he can show off his sweet dance moves at the reception!
Congratulations to the bride and groom, and thanks to Niamh for requesting this fun commission as a gift for her friends!
We’ll be back on Friday, when we’ll be checking up on Paddy and Plunkett. Let’s hope the sun is still shining on them, wherever they are…

Until then, have a super week!

What's this Beastie up to? CrawCrafts Beasties

Getting Down to the Knitty-Gritty…

Posted on July 26, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Well, this has been a long time coming.
Who would have thought that I had never considered making a knitting Beastie until one of my diligent readers suggested it a couple of months back? But in between commissions, I found a spare minute to make some felt knitting needles (with needle-felted ends), and set this little monster on the road to ~~the same yarn-based addiction that I myself suffer from~~ discovering the joys of knitting!
This Beastie has clearly got the hang of garter stitch already… but then, I suppose knitting is in his genes! I wonder what he’s making? Only time will tell, I suppose…
… But knitting is a great way to pass the time on long journeys. And this Beastie has in fact headed off on a top-secret mission! I’ll let you know how he’s getting on as soon as he reports back!

Speaking of long journeys, I had another Barróg Beastie (those are the ones made from 100% Irish wool) leave Beastie Towers this week. Hurling Beastie is on his way to the USA!Thanks to Kerry for finding him on our Etsy shop, and offering him a brand new home!

Anyway, time for me to get going – I have some Beasties here clamouring for new outfits. I’ll be sharing the results next Tuesday, but don’t forget to pop back on Friday to see Explorer Beastie’s holiday snaps from our recent “staycation”!

Have a great week!

Happy Families at Beastie Towers!

Posted on July 22, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Well, now that we’re back in Beastie Towers, suitably rested and relaxed from our little holiday, it’s business as usual here on the BeastieBlog! I’ve some new Beasties to introduce, and they’re super-excited to meet you all. So, without further ado, here they are… a whole FAMILY of Beasties!

These were made as a very special commission to celebrate the arrival of human baby Roibín… so of course the most important element was a little baby Beastie!
Look how cosy he is in his stripey handknitted blanket! I’ve given him big wide-open eyes and a little tuft of blond hair as well, to more closely match his human counterpart. But of course, we’d better not forget about Mum and Dad…

First of all, pretty Mama Beastie is modelling a mostly hand-stitched skater-style dress… yes, I’m FINALLY trying to do more of my monster tailoring on the sewing machine! All the stitches you can see in the photo are done by hand, but my machine made short work of speeding through the seams. I’ve also made Mama Beastie a necklace similar to the one her human normally wears!
And check out her beautiful blonde merino wool locks!
But what about Papa Beastie? Ah, here he is.
More tailoring here – this time, a bespoke checked shirt! After watching “The Great British Sewing Bee”, I’ve learned the benefit of strategically placing template pieces so the fabric’s patterns line up better on the finished article. I have to admit to being quite pleased with how this little shirt turned out!
And since Mama Beastie is holding the baby, what’s Papa Beastie got? Well, it turns out he’s a bit of a musician, so…
Perfect! Now he can play a gentle lullaby to send Baby Beastie off to sleep!
Here’s wishing this little monster family a nice quiet weekend together! And have any of you got fun family time planned for the next couple of days? Let us know in the comments!

As usual, we’ll be back on Tuesday… and there will be another new Beastie for you to meet, too. See you then!

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David Bowie Beastie, A Special Commission by CrawCrafts Beasties

Scary Monsters (And Super Beasts)

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

Loyal Beastie spotters will already have seen this picture on our Instagram yesterday, but in case you missed it here’s a clue to the identity of the new Beastie you’ll be meeting today…

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And here’s how he turned out – meet David Bowie Beastie!
Or should that be Beastie Stardust? Either way, I had fun playing makeup artist to a real life monster rock star! The famous “stripe” is mainly felt appliqué, but with the finest lines embroidered in black cotton…
…Then I picked some chunky merino yarn to recreate his signature brilliant red feathered hairdo!
Since this Beastie is going to live with a human mum and her recently-arrived little one, we decided to keep his accessories to a minimum – just in case he ends up babysitting! Even so, I thought I could add a touch of glam rock style to his jumpsuit by using a shiny cotton and viscose yarn, and popping on some over-the-top satin shoulder pads…
Thanks to Tracy for requesting this very special Beastie as a gift for her friend! The idea had been stewing in my brain for a while, and it was great to finally have an excuse to make it a reality.

Here’s wishing you all a monster week, and don’t forget to share your favourite David Bowie song with us in the comments!

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