Hey there everyone, and greetings from a slightly grey and showery Dublin! What a strange coincidence that, as life here starts to return to something like normality, the weather follows suit! And since Ireland is very slowly starting to head back to work, I thought I’d devote today’s Flashback Friday to some of the “tools of the trade” accessories I’ve provided Beasties with over the years.
So, how about we start with a literal toolkit?
This set of hammer, torch and pocket knife headed off to Illinois with Spencer Beastie in late 2018. The torch even has a glass bead “bulb” inside…
… And the pocket knife opens to reveal a sharp(ish) felt blade!
Next, some of the more unusual work related items I’ve created – a Beastie-sized micropipette and cell culture flask!
Honestly, these little monsters can (and do) turn their paws to just about anything! You can find out which Beastie left Beastie Towers with this lot here.
And seeing that reusable takeaway cup in with the lab equipment reminds me… This Beastie wasn’t the only one who liked to kick off their work day with a delicious hot coffee! Does anyone remember this, from September 2018?
As I said in the accompanying post, a Beastie could easily drown in a human-sized grande latte… That’s why they go to Starbeasts, where the beverages are scaled down to Beastie size. Now this monster lady is ready to start her day!
(I also kinda love her tiara… It’s probably not workplace-suitable attire, but let’s give it a mention anyway!)
And while we’re on the subject of workday routines… This comes to mind.
This Beastie-sized needle-felted croissant and hand-embroidered newspaper celebrate the way Bruce Beastie‘s human counterpart liked to start the day while he was working here in Ireland. And with good reason! Nothing beats a tasty breakfast…
… And a scan through the news of the day!
Phew! After that lot, you’d almost need to take the weekend off and put your feet up! Did I miss any favourite Beastie accessories out in my round-up? If I did, be sure to give me a nudge in the comments!
PS…
Speaking of weekend activities, you might want to take 20 minutes out to catch up with the latest episode of The Book Owl Podcast. Not only do the Beasties get a lovely shout out at the beginning (thanks Tammie!), it’s also a timely look at a very famous diary and the girl who wrote it. You can track it down on Podchaser, here.
And for dessert… A comment about the Beasties meeting up on Zoom on Tuesday’s post made me think of this. You’ll need to watch to the end to see why 😉
Enjoy! We’ll be back on Tuesday with more monster-shaped mayhem… See you then!
“Exploring some interesting places, by the look of it!”
“Wow! You’re right, we should go and visit her… I wonder where she is now?”
“This place looks nice. I wonder if anyone’s in?”
“Oh, look! Is that… The kitchen?”
“Yes! I think I’m going to like it here.”
Now, I know that June Beastie’s ever-present rolling pin has raised a few eyebrows throughout her travels. Did she have trouble getting it through airport security? And why would she need it on a visit to a National Park?
So… Many… Rolling… Pins! And look at all those recipe books, too.
“…I’ll whisk them up a tasty snack!”
“…Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…”
But her fishy tail…
… And aquatic-themed accessories…
… Made me realise that it’s a veeeery long time since I was last at the seaside. So, as well as a timely reminder that Beasties are found under the sea as well as on land, I thought I’d take a trip to the coast through some of my old photos.
And while he was living it up overseas, 
That said, not all of their seaside visits have gone so smoothly. In 
How about you lot? Are any of you still able to get to the beach, or are you longing to feel sand between your toes again? Let us know in the comments!
On her way to her new home last Autumn, 
Then again, the reason this geyser is called Old Faithful is because it erupts frequently and regularly – every 90 minutes or so, to be precise.
Well, this looks much more peaceful. Where are we now?
Aha! Abyss Pool, on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. The still waters of this hot spring really do run deep, too… The bottom lies 16m (53 feet) below the surface. So don’t fall in, June Beastie!
“Really?”
“Hmmmm, maybe that’s what these are?”
Unfortunately, our knowledge of US flora and fauna has let us down here – can anyone identify the mystery guest?
… And to take in a few more hot springs before the sun set.
Those colours are quite something, aren’t they?
My very first Beastie dogs were knitted. You know me, I love to knit! But although the technique and yarn worked well enough here, I soon found it quite limiting. It’s hard to capture the huge range of dog body shapes, colours and fur textures with yarn!
… And he makes a special guest appearance in Tierney’s latest blog post, 
…And a Pekingese from a little later that same year.
And of course, because I err more on the side of “cat lady”, I also started making Beastie kitties along the way. My first ones were special editions for my first time selling at the Dublin Cat Fair…
… But I soon started making them to order as well! This Beastie with a black cat was made as a partner for the one in the photo above…
… And then there’s this handsome fellow, created as a gift for a lady who owns a beautiful polydactyl cat called Paddy.
I still love those glasses.
Aha! Looks like they’ve hopped on the gardening bandwagon and are getting into growing their own veggies.
“Check it out, Plunkett! Sustainable jewellery!”
“… Like this. Now, courgettes grow quickly – you might want to stand back a bit!”
“I think we’re going to need a bigger pot, Plunkett!”
The plant looks much happier in its new home, doesn’t it? Plenty of space there to spread out its roots and keep on growing!
“Ah, it’s a bit early for that yet, Paddy. But if you look veeeery closely…”
“… You can see the first flowers starting to appear under the leaves. We won’t have long to wait!”
Hey there Cookie Beastie! Where did you spring from?
I do love a good cactus, and it seems Beasties are no different. That said, it’s pretty hard to relax with all those prickles around… How about we find somewhere else to put our paws up for a minute?
Can there be any better place to spend a tea break?
Um, you might have to put the cookie down if you’re to make any headway with those weights.
I was reminded of this when I looked back at “Definitely Maybeast” in 
Another bit of teeny sewing that somehow fell into the BMML (Before Magic Magnifying Lamp) era. I look at these now and wonder how I’m not blind! This appliquéd felt and embroidery board game was an important part of the accessory lineup for a 
The Beastie TARDIS was made of felt, and reinforced with foam and interfacing so it didn’t collapse in like a woolly tent! I lined the inside with shiny silver material for a space-age feel, and embroidered on the window panes and lettering. The doors also close with velcro so the Doctor can travel in safety.
… I made a second one! And I took more photos that time. You can see the original posts about these commissions 
… And only went a bit overboard by making the lens and strap removable.
Oh well, sometimes you just have to! Laura’s little monster left Beastie Towers with a whole heap of other accessories too – check them out 
… I did end up with the ferocious-looking gold and silver dragon that my customer asked for! You can relive the entire, um, interesting experience 
While Dad was harking back to the “Madchester” era in a football shirt and parka. Check out the furry hood!
I also can’t believe I managed to do all that teeny embroidery on the album cover before I got my wondrous magnifying lamp!
Back before we were all confined to our homes, in a time when it was still perfectly normal to sit in a room and have a chat with someone, I was lucky enough to be interviewed by 
… And her miniature miniature schnauzer, Mikelet!
She also left Beastie Towers with two outfits…
… And a whole heap of accessories!
Her “survival kit” pays tribute to a few of Human Tierney’s favourite things – quilting, blogging and visiting her local library.