Handmade – Page 10

Pict in PA Beastie, a very special monster commission by CrawCrafts Beasties

A Picture-Perfect Beastie!

Posted on February 27, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Well hello there! And despite the best efforts of the mean ol’ flu bug that temporarily disrupted my blogging last week, I’m now back in the land of the living. Hurrah! So, shall we celebrate by meeting a new Beastie? I think so!

Those of you who keep up with Laura at A Pict in PA might see some eerily familiar features in this Beastie face…

I’ve been reading and enjoying Laura’s blog for a good while now… I love hearing about what she and her family have been up to (their summertime road trip posts are a particular favourite), and having a nosey through the latest additions to her art journals! I also try to keep up with her sister blog, Pict Ink, which is dedicated completely to her art and illustration projects.

So, as you can probably imagine, I was super-excited when Laura got in touch with me to request a Beastie friend of her very own… Well, excited with just a sprinkling of terror. Because doing a preliminary sketch for anyone is always a shot in the dark, but drawing for someone who I know has mad monster-drawing skills? Eeeeek! Fortunately, Laura’s blog was a veritable goldmine of ideas, and I was able to pick out some Beastie accessories that I thought might appeal to her wide-ranging interests!
First, we had to pay woolly tribute to her go-to hairstyle of choice – the messy bun!

Then, one of the things I really wanted to include in this Beastie’s kit was a camera. Like me, Laura still has a soft spot for “real” cameras, and I’d say she doesn’t go far without her trusty DSLR! Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I was able to find photos of the make and model she uses, and then Beastify it for her little monster friend.

I couldn’t resist taking a few extra shots to show you the camera’s key features – viewfinder, screen, prestigious “Kniton” branding…

…But my favourite bit is taking it apart! The lens and strap are both removable.

Linking in neatly with Human Laura’s enthusiasm for photography is her love of film and musicals – and having read about the Dorothy-style red spangly slippers she picked up to wear on Oscars night, I thought a Beastie-sized pair might be a fun way to reflect her movie-buff side!

Like the originals, they’re cosy and sparkly… and these ones close with snaps so they’re easy to take off! They’ll also help Laura Beastie to stand up on her own two feet.

Then there’s another clue to her fondness for the silver screen tucked away safely in here…

You can always be sure that when a Beastie gets a bag, there’s going to be stuff in there! In this case…

… It’s a hand-embroidered cinema ticket and book! There’s a little bit of Dublin history in here as well – the Screen was a small cinema in the city centre which closed in 2016. Now its name lives on in felt and teeny sewing! As for the book, Poe is one of Human Laura’s favourite authors… And how could I resist a name that lends itself so well to a yarn-based pun?

Wow – this is an epic one, isn’t it? But the final element of this Beastie’s outfit was – taaaa daaaah – a pair of felt-framed glasses. And they’re removable, too!

Now she’s all ready for her first adventure!

All she has to do is to click her heels together three times and…

… She’s away!

Thanks so much to Laura for commissioning this fun and challenging project! Hopefully we’ll see this Beastie popping up again the next time the Picts hit the road!

And speaking of hitting the road… I’d better get going myself! I’ve just realised I owe you all a March calendar page, so look out for that landing on the BeastieBlog shop in the next day or so.

Enjoy the rest of the week… And we’ll see you again on Tuesday with another new Beastie friend!

Please Excuse Us…

Posted on February 20, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties, Life at Beastie Towers

… We’re sick!

And that has upset the apple cart a little bit here at Beastie Towers.

So, I’m just stopping in to say hello, and to promise that the new Beastie I planned to introduce to you this week will be joining us next week instead. She has SO MUCH cool stuff to share and I want to make sure I’m back on form to show it all to you!

In the meantime, here are some of my favourite silly Beastie pictures from the archives to help brighten up your Tuesday!

A close encounter of the porcine kind… Careful there, Explorer Beastie!

Remember the time Paddy went in search of the perfect all-over tan?

Or how about another beach adventure, when Plunkett recreated Botticelli’s Venus?

Oh, and here’s a typical night out with the lads. Lest we forget, this is what happens when you let them split a human-sized hot whiskey.

And finally… I love this picture of Fairy Princess Beastie, sent to me by her new family. Look how intensely she’s concentrating on her colouring in!

Ha! I’m feeling better already! Here’s wishing you all a sniffle-free week, and I’ll catch you again next Tuesday!

Surf's Up, Explorer Beastie! CrawCrafts Beasties

Back to the Wild North West!

Posted on February 13, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Explorer Beastie, Knitted Beasties

Explorer Beastie’s been a bit quiet lately, hasn’t he? But he always likes to take advantage of the post-Christmas lull to do a spot of out-of-town adventuring, and last week found both of us up in Donegal again, treading a slightly different path from the one we took this time last year.

Actually, this breaking of new ground was thrust upon us by circumstances beyond our control. We had originally intended to fuel up with a monster fry at Café Donagh in Carndonagh, but alas! Some pre-trip research revealed that the owners had retired from the breakfast business, leaving us high and dry in the fried food stakes. We only had memories of last year’s feed to sustain us as we embarked on our quest for a new spot to enjoy Third Breakfast (the most important meal of the day).

Our first stop was the pretty little town of Ramelton. Surely there must be a good breakfasting spot around here?

But unfortunately not – it being a Sunday, we had the choice of pricey gastropub fare or the diner in the local Eurospar. So Explorer Beastie Beastie-bombed my last photo of the river…

…And we hit the road again. Several potential candidates were rejected along the way, until we drove up to Ripples Restaurant just outside Kerrykeel. We didn’t hold out much hope – we thought it might be a bit fancy for the kind of food we were craving – but the chef was happy to put together a plate of fried goodness for us while Explorer Beastie toasted himself by the fire!

The meal itself escaped photographing, since it was half-eaten before I thought, “Hey, maybe I should have taken a picture”. Please be assured that it was very good, and feast your eyes on the glorious view outside the restaurant instead.

Well and truly refuelled and recaffeinated, we hopped back into the car and did the best thing you can do when in Donegal – drove to the extreme end of the finger of land we found ourselves on to enjoy some wild coastal scenery!

This time around, that meant heading for Fanad Head, where Explorer Beastie found some ruined houses to explore!
Does it still count as “Urbex” if the buildings are in the middle of nowhere?

Post-road-trip research has revealed that this is an old coastguard station, which was abandoned after the Second World War. Back in the day, it would have housed four families, with sheds outside for storage (that’s the building in the top right of the image above). But hey, what’s that just around the corner?

A LIGHTHOUSE!

Explorer Beastie did everything he could to get a little closer…

…But we’d just missed the last tour of the day. Still, we enjoyed admiring it from a distance in the bright winter sunlight.

Building work on this lighthouse started in 1815, and its light shone for the first time on St Patrick’s Day 1817. Its last full-time keeper retired in 1983, and these days it only needs a caretaker… But that means that us regular folks can now book a stay in the former keepers’ cottages! It’s lucky we didn’t know this at the time, or we might not have come home.

As it was, we thought it best to make the most of the remaining daylight – let’s head down to the shore!

One Beastie on the rocks, please!

We spent a while watching the waves crashing on the rocks – they were seriously huge, even though it was a calm day! Then, as the sun set, we jumped in the car and made for home.But next time, we’re totally staying in the lighthouse.

Have your travels taken you anywhere interesting yet this year? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments! And we’ll be back in a week with our first new Beastie of 2018, so join us again next Tuesday!

PS Explorer Beastie isn’t the only one who’s been out adventuring lately! Finn McSpool has been enjoying the benefits of an unseasonably warm start to the year in Portland, and we’ve a new monster face in the Blogosphere too… Take a moment to meet Slartibartfast, who’s just taken up residence on Escribble!

A Bewitching Beastie!

Posted on February 6, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Hello there everybody! Today seems like a fitting day to share the last of my pre-Christmas commissions with you, since I’m looking out my window and watching the ground being slowly covered with a dusting of snow and hail! It seems we might have a bit of a way to go yet until Spring starts springing… But perhaps a little pinch of witchy magic might help?
I love a project that gives me the opportunity to create a Beastie who’ll share the unique style and interests of their new human friend, and there was plenty of that going on here!

For starters, this sweet little Witchy Beastie never leaves home without a big cup of freshly-squeezed green juice – what a great way to get the day off on the right foot (or paw)!

I even dunked a stick of celery in there as a garnish! Witchy Beastie’s human counterpart is apparently a big fan of morning juice raves, so this should help lay the foundations of a good strong friendship!

This lady also has a favourite hooded cape in rich bright purple… so of course, Beastie does too.

The original plan for this cape was to make it out of felt, but it was waaaaaaay too bulky on a small Beastie frame! So I switched to a lighter, woven fabric from my stash, and cut the pattern pieces on the bias for a little bit of extra swishiness. On the front, I fitted a gold chain and clasp so that the cape could sit open without slipping off her little woolly shoulders.
Then her outfit was completed with a little A-line dress, in a cotton print sprinkled with magical stars!

Oooh, we should probably talk about her hairstyle next! We went for a swept-over look in light blonde (erk, is it obvious to anybody that I don’t speak hairdressing?) with a cool baby-blue streak in the front…

… And a tightly-cropped section on her left hand side. You would not believe how lovely and soft that short Beastie hair is!

Then her look was completed with a pair of chunky-framed cat’s eye glasses…

… And special witchy “shoes” with curly toes!

Finally, I added one last essential piece of kit – after all, every self-respecting Witchy Beastie needs her own broom!

This one has thick, bushy needle-felted bristles, and tucks neatly under the arm of Witchy Beastie’s purple robe when she’s not using it!

Well, hopefully that’s brought a little bit of magical monster sparkle to an otherwise wintry Tuesday lunchtime! And we’ll be back next week with photos from my latest road trip with Explorer Beastie, so be sure to drop in then… Have a great week!

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!

Merry Beastmas!

Posted on December 25, 2017 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

Hang a shining star from the highest bough…
… And have yourself a merry little Beastmas, now!

Here’s wishing you all a monster Christmas… However you celebrate it 🙂

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!

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