Tag: Days out

Road Trip 2 – Extreme North!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie, Knitted Beasties

This time last week, we left Explorer Beastie on a breezy hilltop overlooking Five Finger Strand in Co. Donegal…
Explorer Beastie Above Five Finger Strand - CrawCrafts Beasties… And now it’s time for us to push onwards and upwards, to Malin Head – the very northernmost point of the island!

There’s some pretty wild coastline up here…
The Wild North West - CrawCrafts Beasties… And before we headed up to the viewpoint, we took advantage of the last little bit of daylight (always in short supply at this time of the year) to wander along the shoreline. There are plenty of places for a Beastie to explore here!
Exploring the Coastline, Beastie-style! CrawCrafts BeastiesOf course, sometimes just LOOKING at those rocks isn’t enough. The best way to experience them is definitely to get up close and paws-on…
One Beastie on the Rocks, Please - CrawCrafts Beasties…Because that’s when you discover hidden gems like these! Wouldn’t that pool be just heavenly on a hot day? Mind you, I’m not sure they get many hot days up here…

We also had a chance to watch the waves rolling in off the Atlantic, and see them meeting land for the first time in thousands of miles…
Wave Watching - CrawCrafts BeastiesBut as you can see, the light was fading fast… So we cut short our stroll and headed back uphill to the official lookout spot.
Explorer Beastie at Malin Head - CrawCrafts BeastiesHere’s the proof that we were there! Oh, and the view isn’t bad either…
Malin Head Viewpoint - CrawCrafts BeastiesApparently locals would gather here to catch a last glimpse of friends and family as they left in ships to seek an easier life elsewhere. Malin Head also has a military past – those incredible panoramic views made it an ideal spot to put a watchtower! There’s one here that dates back to the Napoleonic wars, and another signal station from around 1902.
Signal Station or Musical Monster? CrawCrafts BeastiesI’m guessing my photo shows the signal station – although at the time my main motivation for taking the picture was the fact that it looked kinda like a monster singing into a microphone from this angle.

With a jam-packed camera and only slightly cold paws, it was time for us to hit the road again. But Donegal had a couple more surprises in store for us… First of all, a rather spectacular sunset!
Explorer Beastie at Sunset - CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd further down the road, a warm welcome at the Drift Inn! We’d barely entered the cosy bar before some locals sat us down at their table, in front of the most roaring open fire I’ve ever seen – seriously, there was half a tree on there – and started chatting away to us like we were regulars ourselves. They even treated Explorer Beastie to a pint of the black stuff!
Explorer Beastie Quenches his Thirst for Adventure! CrawCrafts BeastiesThat’s a lot of beer for one Beastie – no wonder he looks a little blurry around the edges! Cheers!

It really is amazing what you can discover when you journey even a short distance away from your usual haunts, isn’t it? If any of you have had a fun “staycation” or day trip recently, we’d love to hear about it! Share your story in the comments… and we’ll be back on Tuesday with the last of the pre-Christmas Beasties!

Roooooad Triiiiiip!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Explorer Beastie

Alas, poor Explorer Beastie! He doesn’t get out nearly as much as he’d like. So last week, when an opportunity for a bit of an adventure in Ireland’s wild north west presented itself, it was all I could do to stop him from sleeping in the car the night before.

Ready? Off we go!
Road Trip Montage - CrawCrafts BeastiesBecause this is such a small island, we soon felt like we had left the city far behind…
Hello Countryside! CrawCrafts Beasties… And of course, it wasn’t long before all this fresh air gave us a bit of an appetite. Time for a pitstop – and that most important meal, Third Breakfast.
Explorer Beastie, Eyeing up my Breakfast - CrawCrafts BeastiesYUM! We also had a chance to hang out with some of the locals…
After Breakfast Entertainment - CrawCrafts Beasties… And sign the visitors’ book!
Signing the Visitors' Book - CrawCrafts BeastiesTempting as it was to stick around for dinner, there was exploring to be done! We piled back into the car, cranked up the cheesy 90s dance music to 11 and made for the coast. Next stop, Five Finger Strand!
The Path to Five Finger Strand - CrawCrafts BeastiesNice to feel the sand under your paws, Explorer Beastie? Thought so!
Explorer Beastie at Five Finger Strand - CrawCrafts BeastiesThere’s plenty to do here – look for bird tracks, clamber over driftwood, hide in the grass… And the view’s not too shabby either!
View Along Five Finger Strand - CrawCrafts BeastiesIn fact, it would all make a Beastie feel very small and insignificant… Well, if he wasn’t busy photobombing all my pictures.
DANGIT EXPLORER BEASTIE! CrawCrafts BeastiesAs the daylight started to fade, we took the high road away from Five Finger Strand… and stopped on the side of the road to get a different perspective of the beach and the surrounding countryside.
The View From Higher Up - CrawCrafts BeastiesHow cool is that isolated little church?

Next stop, Ireland’s northernmost point – Malin Head!

Buuuuut in keeping with the coastal theme, we’re going to leave this post as a cliffhanger! Part two will be coming your way this time next week, AND there’s a marine-themed new Beastie for you to meet on Tuesday too!

Are any of you hitting the road this weekend? Tell us all about it in the comments!

FYI – We got our delicious fry-up in Café Donagh, Carndonagh… Highly recommended if you’re planning a hectic day of Donegal-based exploring and/or Beastie-wrangling. This quirky little café serves generous breakfasts all day long, and I have it on good authority that their coffee is excellent too!

 

Strangers in a Strange Land

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

It’s been a while since we heard from intrepid globetrotting Beasties Paddy and Plunkett, hasn’t it? And now I’m beginning to think there might be a good reason for that… Take a look at their most recent set of holiday snaps and you’ll see what I mean!

What a weird, alien landscape… Are they even still on Earth?
Paddy, Plunkett and some Crazy Rock Towers - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“Paddy, look at these – they go on for miles!”
Unusual Rock Towers - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesOf course, Plunkett was in his element – a field full of precariously-balanced rock towers? YES PLEASE!
Investigating the Rock Towers - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesBut then Paddy spotted something else off in the distance, and he just had to climb down for a closer peek.
Paddy's Off Exploring Again! H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“Hey! Plunkett! Check it out…”
Paddy Discovers Rock Pools - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“…ROCK POOLS!”
Paddy at the Water's Edge - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd they were absolutely teeming with wildlife…
Sea Anemone and Hermit Crab - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties…Including this sea anemone, hermit crabs and one rather luxuriant sea slug!
Sea Slug - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesPaddy could quite happily have watched this fellow grazing away on the rich pastures of underwater algae all day, but Plunkett was a little less keen…
Plunkett's Take on Sea Life - H crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesSorry, Plunkett! I promise we’ll stick to rocks next time!

What’s the strangest creature you’ve ever found at the beach? Let us know in the comments!

Oh, and be sure to join us again on Friday… I’m doing an extra bonus post this week to share photos from the day trip Explorer Beastie and I took to Ireland’s northernmost point! See you then!

Beasties at the Flea - CrawCrafts Beasties

Festive Flea Market Fun!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting, Knitted Beasties, Life at Beastie Towers

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

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

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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Paddy Scales the Walls - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett Rock Out!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

All the leaves are brown… and the sky certainly is grey here in Dublin today! But it seems like not all Beasties are reaching for their hats and scarves, or bedding down on the sofa to rewatch “The Muppet Christmas Carol”.

Not Paddy and Plunkett, anyway… They’re still on holiday in Lanzarote!
Rock On, Paddy and Plunkett! H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesToday, their wandering paws have brought them to a part of the island that’s all rocks. Paddy’s not impressed – he had his fuzzy little heart set on building sandcastles. But Plunkett is in his element!
Plunkett and the Walls - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesThese local rocks are ideal for making stone walls, and Plunkett is determined to examine all of them!
Plunkett and the Walls - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesThis is starting to remind Paddy a lot of their trip to Arundel Castle, back in the summer!

Some of these walls even deserve a closer look…
Plunkett, with a Particularly Interesting Specimen - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties…And at least that’s something Paddy can enjoy!
Paddy Scales the Walls - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesBy the end of the day, I reckon he’d even forgotten about those sandcastles!
Paddy, Plunkett and the Pebbles - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesWhere would you like to be spending this wintry Tuesday? Let us know in the comments!

Aaaaand don’t forget to pick up your Beastie calendar, while they’re still hot! A mere €12 each, with free postage within Ireland, or €3 to anywhere else*. Get in touch to reserve yours!

*These rates are for one calendar – larger orders might cost a little more!
Get Your Beastie Calendars! CrawCrafts Beasties

Among Fading Colours - CrawCrafts Beasties

Explorer Beastie’s Wintry Ramble!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie, Knitted Beasties

So, the clocks have gone back and the evenings are starting noticeably earlier every day. And, after a slightly rainy start to the autumn here in Ireland, the sun finally showed his face – fortunately at a time when Explorer Beastie and I were away in the countryside for a couple of days!
Late Autumn Colours With Explorer Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesThe bright sunshine made for some great photos… although the slight nip in the air was a reminder that winter is very much on the way! Care to join us on our stroll?

Oh, but we’ll just have to wait while Explorer Beastie climbs a couple of trees first…
Climbing Trees - CrawCrafts BeastiesAmazingly, there are still some flowers out brightening up the garden at this time of the year…
Explorer Beastie with the Nasturtiums - CrawCrafts Beasties…Even if everywhere else is starting to look a little less colourful.
Among Fading Colours - CrawCrafts BeastiesBut when the leaves fall, they sometimes reveal hidden treasure among the branches – like this cosy, mossy bird’s nest!
Finding a Bird's Nest - CrawCrafts BeastiesYou need to be careful where you perch though… I think you’ve picked up some extra accessories on your hat there, Explorer Beastie!
The Natural Look - CrawCrafts BeastiesFurther down the lane, we found some natural treats – sloes, blackberries and rosehips!
The Natural Look - CrawCrafts BeastiesIn fact, the whole hedgerow had become one beautiful natural tapestry, dancing in the sunlight.
Leaf Tapestry - CrawCrafts BeastiesBut despite the bright sunshine, it was starting to get a little chilly out here! So after a quick pitstop in a sheltered spot…
Sandwich Break! CrawCrafts Beasties…It was time to head for home!

How is winter arriving where you are? Or are you somewhere that’s already looking forward to long, lazy summer days? Let us know in the comments!

We’ll be back on Tuesday, when I’m hoping to have a preview of next year’s Beastie Calendar to share with you all! See you then!

Paddy and Plunkett's New Buddy - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

On The Road Again With Paddy and Plunkett!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

It’s been a while since we last checked in with Paddy and Plunkett… But after hearing from Grim Reaper Beastie and Fairy Princess Beastie over the last couple of weeks, I reckoned it was only a matter of time before the boys got in touch as well! I wonder where they are?

It seems like their latest adventure got off to an early start, anyway – here’s Paddy up and dressed before the sun is fully over the horizon!
Paddy Greets the Dawn - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesIsn’t that sunrise spectacular? Now, time to explore the hotel!

Woooooah, that’s a lot of stairs to climb! Let’s hope the breakfast buffet is worth it…
Paddy and Plunkett, Stairmasters - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesNearly there! Note the curious human onlookers at the top, too… Honestly, you’d think they’d never seen a Beastie before.
Paddy and Plunkett Take on the Stairs - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesAfter stocking up on breakfast goodies – and filling Plunkett’s waistcoat pockets with extra snacks for later -the boys had every intention of hitting the beach. But then they found this!
A Private Beach! H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesSurely that’s just a wine glass with a plant in it? Nope, think again – it’s a private Beastie beach for one!

But the lads didn’t loaf around for long. After taking a refreshing siesta, they headed out into the neighbourhood… And discovered that perhaps they weren’t as far from home as they first thought!
A Place Like Home - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesThey also bumped into some of the locals. This guy wasn’t particularly chatty…
Meeting the Locals... Sort of. H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties…But it wasn’t long before they made a new friend!
Holiday Friends - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesCan anyone figure out where they are? If any of this looks familiar, let me know in the comments! Otherwise, we’ll have to wait until next Friday to find out more…

Hope you all have a fun weekend! We’ll be back on Tuesday with a new Beastie friend for you all to meet… See you then!

Market Stall Closeup - CrawCrafts Beasties

Monster Market Day – Hallowe’en Edition!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting, Knitted Beasties

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!

At The Bridge - L&P Döring/CrawCrafts Beasties

Guest Post – Fairy Princess Beastie’s Adventure!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions

We’re turning the BeastieBlog on its head this week! Last Wednesday, I got another update from a Beastie abroad – like buses, these things tend to come along in threes – and I just couldn’t wait to share it with you! On a sunny autumn day last month, Fairy Princess Beastie’s human family took her on a special day trip, and they were good enough to send me both pictures AND tales of her antics. So, without further ado, I’m going to hand you over to Louise – your guide for this monster day out! Enjoy!

Fairy Princess Beastie spent a lovely autumnal day out visiting Germany’s longest suspension bridge in Geierlay, Hunsrück (that’s in Rhineland-Palatinate if you know your German states!)

Before she set off on her big walk, she needed to build up her strength with a hearty lunch at a local beer garden. As there was no Beastie Menu, she settled for the Kids’ menu… schnitzel and chips (yum) and also some colouring pencils to keep her busy while she waited.
Monster Lunchtime! L Döring/CrawCrafts BeastiesThe 1.8km (that’s about 1.2 miles) walk to the bridge crosses over wide open fields and the views are dominated by various wind farms. Fairy Princess was intrigued and took a few minutes to check out the information panels on wind power…
All About Wind Power - L&P Döring/CrawCrafts BeastiesNot only did they explain the link between the wind turbines and the bridge (this is fully financed by the income produced by the local wind farms), they also described some of the archaeological discoveries made in digs preceding their development. Apparently, the Romans traded with local precious ores.
Now there’s something a princess can relate to – sparkly precious stones!

After plenty of walking it was time for a well-earned break for Fairy Princess Beastie and her companion Isabel. This must have given her back plenty of energy because next thing you know she was off climbing trees – check out this cool oak tree forest!
Time for a Break... And Tree Climbing! L&P Döring/CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd then, finally, they found the bridge! But would they be brave enough to cross? It hangs 100m above a deep valley, is 85cm wide and 360m long!
At The Bridge - L&P Döring/CrawCrafts BeastiesQuite an adventure – even for a big Beastie like this one! And as if that wasn’t enough – check out this hawk circling above for some tasty Beastie-sized treats, eek!
Look Out, Fairy Princess Beastie! L&P Döring/CrawCrafts BeastiesFairy Princess Beastie summoned all her courage (and maybe cast a few anti-vertigo and protection spells for good measure) and was soon walking, jumping and even climbing on the bridge to get a good look down at the valley below! On the other side Isabel and Fairy Princess Beastie were amazed to see that the bridge has only been around since 2015.
Careful Now! L&P Döring/CrawCrafts Beasties(Careful now, Fairy Princess Beastie! It’s lucky your people are there to hold onto you!)

After some more relaxing (and more tree and rock climbing)…
More Climbing! L&P Döring/CrawCrafts Beasties… It was time to head back over the bridge for the journey home. As her fairy wings had been left at home, the Beastie was very glad of a piggyback and a big drink after a successful adventure. The beer garden even had a traditional German beach chair for her and Isabel to relax in.
Heading For Home - L&P Döring/CrawCrafts BeastiesTo keep everyone entertained, Fairy Princess Beastie waved her wand to perform a spontaneous fashion show before it was time for the long drive home – this girl loves her accessories!
So Stylish! L&P Döring/CrawCrafts BeastiesWhat a great day! Thanks again to Louise, Peter and Isabel for bringing Fairy Princess Beastie along, and for sharing your adventure with us!

And to keep with the topsy-turvy theme of the week, I’ll have new Beasties to share on Friday… Join us then to meet them before they head off to Smithfield Market Fair (Gothic Edition!) on Sunday 30th!