Handmade – Page 8 – Beastie HQ

Woolly Wedding Gift II – The Groom Arrives!

Posted on October 2, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Hey everybody! I hope the new week (and new month) are treating you well! It’s been another busy week here at Beastie Towers… So much so that last Tuesday’s post feels like a loooong time ago! But you might remember meeting this lovely Beastie lady…
… And getting a brief peek at the handsome monster man in her life, too!
This happy pair were created as a one-of-a-kind wedding gift, to be given to the groom on the big day itself! So perhaps we should take this opportunity to get to know him a little better.

Hey there, Mr Adam Beastie!
Ahhh, look at that winning smile!

In keeping with the “us as we are everyday” wardrobe brief, I kitted him out in knitted jeans and a bright green felt t-shirt. I think the zingy lime shade really makes the most of his lovely blue complexion!
And what’s this? Do we have another guitar-playing Beastie in our midst? I think so!
As usual, I’ve tried to capture the essence of Human Adam’s favourite guitar in Beastified form! This process always takes a while – when I made my first Beastie guitar many years ago, I couldn’t have imagined the huge number of shapes the humble guitar could potentially take! Every Beastie guitar calls for a serious tweaking of existing templates – if not a complete redesign.

That said, the end result always makes me smile… And I’m grateful that I’ve never (yet) been asked to Beastify something really tricky, like a tuba or a trombone! Perhaps you’d like to play us something, Adam Beastie?
Aaaah, music to my ears! And it looks like I’m not the only one enjoying it…
His Beastie Bride certainly seems to be a fan too! Oh, and who’s this coming over to join them?
It’s Zoey, their fuzzy, faithful Beastiedog!
Beastie Zoey was an essential part of this wedding gift, and I brought her to life through the magic of needle felting! She’s also wearing a felt collar personalised with her initial, so there’s no mistaking who she is.

Oh, it looks like she’d like to get to know YOU a little better!
But of course, her heart belongs to her adopted mum!
Looks like doggies really ARE a Beast’s best friend!

And now that everyone’s here, it’s time for…
…WALKIES!

Thanks again to Kristen for requesting this super-special wedding gift, and trusting me to Beastify her family! It’s been a lot of fun, and got me trying out some new skills to boot!

Oh, and in case you missed Saturday’s post, I blitzed the final 3 calendar pages of 2018 at the end of last week, and uploaded them all together as a single handy package.
As usual, they’re totally free… So don’t forget to grab your copy from our online store! And October’s page is a bit special, because it’s another colour-it-yourself drawing. We’d love to see your finished masterpieces, so tag ’em on Instagram or Twitter with #beastiegallery so I can enjoy them!

To inspire you, here’s one Weekes did earlier!

View this post on Instagram

Took time out for some relaxing adult colouring thanks to @crawcraftsbeasties 🍂🍁👩🏻‍🎨 @tammiepainter I featured Finn in his most likely position 🙄 #beastiegallery 🎨

A post shared by xWeekes ll @weekes (@dazeandweekes) on Oct 1, 2018 at 7:01am PDT

//www.instagram.com/embed.js

And now I’m off to set a good example, and colour mine in too! I’ll be back next week with some autumnal pictures from Dublin’s parks, so be sure to join us then!

Have a super week!

Woolly Wedding Day!

Posted on September 25, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Hello there Beastie friends! It’s Tuesday again, and guess what? It’s another new Beastie day! I think I might have mentioned once or twice that I had a pretty busy summer, and I love that I can share these creations with you at last. Today’s project was commissioned as a very special surprise gift from a bride-to-be to her new hubby on their wedding day. So, no pressure!

How about we start with the beautiful Beastie bride?
The brief for this Beastification was to show how this couple looks every day, rather than their one-off wedding outfits. So Mrs Kristen Beastie is wearing her favourite yoga pants and a stylish vest top… Although I couldn’t resist adding some extra detail on the back of the top to make it extra special!
I also had a great time capturing her multi-toned blonde hair!

Oh, and in case you were wondering what that blue stripe across her front in the first picture was…
It’s a Beastie-sized yoga mat in its own custom-made bag! The mat has an embroidered edge that matches Mrs Beastie’s vest top, while the bag has a handy drawstring closure decorated with silver beads.

And speaking of all things silver and sparkly… Perhaps it’s time to add a little extra glamour to the proceedings!
Waaaay back at the beginning of this Beastification, Kristen Beastie’s human counterpart sent a few photos to help me along. One of them showed her dressed for a big night out, with a twinkly tiara to complete the look. She asked if I could make a Beastie-sized version… How could I resist a challenge like that?!

I used silver-coated wire and Swarovski crystal beads to create the teardrop-shaped loops of the original in miniature. It was fun to work with these new materials, but they’re much harder on your hands than the soft wool and felt I usually work with. So, I have a new respect for all the jewellery makers out there! And although I wasn’t able to capture it on camera, the sparkle and rainbow reflections from the crystal beads when they caught the sunlight was off the charts! I might need to make one of these for myself…

After that, this little monster lady just needed one more thing to complete her lineup of accessories…
Well, she has to keep her energy up, doesn’t she? And since a Beastie could easily take a bath in a human-size grande latte from international coffee purveyors Starbucks, she’s chosen a caffeinated pick-me-up from her local Starbeasts instead. Delicious!

This Beastie beverage comes in a wool felt cup, with needle-felted sculpted lid and a hand-embroidered Starbeasts logo. And it just fits nicely in her little woolly paw!
Ready to go!

But wait, you probably need more than one person for a wedding! Has anyone seen Mr Beastie?

Aha! There he is.
A handsome fellow indeed! But you’ll have to wait until next week to meet him… And there might be another family member joining us in the pictures too, so stay tuned!

Also, don’t forget to swing by again on Friday for a between-the-numbers post about Beastie calendars… See you then!

Santa Paws is Comin' to Town! CrawCrafts Beasties

It’s That Time Again…

Posted on August 21, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting, Info, Life at Beastie Towers

It’s just a quick one this Tuesday, as deadlines are a-loomin’. But I have an important public service announcement about orders!

I know it’s reeeeeallllllly early for this kind of nonsense, but…
… If you want to find a Beastie under the tree for a certain festival which rolls around at the end of every calendar year, now is the time to place your order!

You see, with Beastifications becoming ever more elaborate and complex, and after the wall-to-wall craziness of the final quarter of last year, and, well, most of this year, I’ve realised that I need to put out the call even earlier than in previous years.

From past experience, I now know that I’ll also need to move the cutoff point forward. So that means that…

Orders for Christmas close on Friday 19th October

to ensure that all custom Beasties reach their new homes in good time.

So please, if you’re thinking of picking up a bespoke Beastie buddy for yourself, your friends or your family, drop me a line now to reserve your spot! Here, you can even use this form…

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

And if that all seems a bit scary, don’t worry! I’ll be hitting up the usual markets closer to the time, with a whole gang of little monsters in tow… All of them eager to get out and ~~start wreaking havoc in other people’s houses~~ find their forever home.

Alrighty, time for me to get back to the teeny sewing! We’ll be back on Friday with some proper monster shenanigans to share… See you then!

Secrets of Beastie Photography

Posted on August 17, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Ideas

Over the last couple of weeks, the subject of Beastie photography has raised its head a few times in the comments! And that got me looking back at all the crazy things I’ve done over the years in the name of capturing a blog-worthy Beastie snapshot. Better still, it made me think of the sneaky fixes that other Beastie-wranglers around the world have shared with me!

So, I thought it might be fun to combine some of this knowledge into one handy post. Because, let’s be honest, sometimes those little woolly monsters just aren’t feeling the photoshoot, and getting them to cooperate can be hard work!
The first challenge in Beastie photography is keeping these little guys on their feet. Their sometimes overwhelming desire to just pitch over and have a quick lie-down is probably something they get from me.

Fortunately, help is at hand! A simple wire stand like this one takes the weight off their little short legs, and helps to keep them standing while you adjust your camera settings.
As you can probably tell, this is super-easy to make… All you’ll need is a length of florist’s wire, which you bend like this:
Taa-daaaah!
Of course, sometimes you leave home without a stand in your bag, and that calls for a little improvisation! On my recent trip to Germany, I discovered that my snazzy business card holder makes an excellent substitute…
… And Explorer Beastie is a dab hand at seeking out twigs to hold onto when his energy levels start to dip, too.

Other discoveries include using sticky tape…

David Beastie at the Library — Image borrowed from tammiepainter.com

Thanks, Tammie and Mr Husband!

Velcro is also an option – Tierney came up with this one for keeping her Beastie’s boots on, and I borrowed the idea for my latest commission!Then once they’re standing, the world is their oyster!
I especially like pictures of Explorer Beastie where he’s toddling away from the camera – yes, he may be small, but he’s not going to let that get in the way of a good adventure!

Also, don’t forget about those paws! Show that your Beastie is interacting with the world around them by getting them to touch things within arm’s reach. Check out these two pictures…
See the difference? Although the fish was moving a bit too quickly to be photographed properly in the photo on the right, doesn’t Explorer Beastie look so much more interested in him than he was in the mongoose in the image on the left? And notice how his paw is on the glass in that picture, rather than just hanging by his side. It really works!

But the prize for the most intrepid Beastie photoshoot to date has to go to Tammie. She found a way to snap her Beastie, Finn McSpool, underwater.

Underwater Adventuring - Extreme Beastie Photography — Extreme Underwater Beastie photo borrowed from tammiepainter.com

You can read the story behind that monster adventure here! And if you have any tips of your own, please share them in the comments!

Here’s to a weekend of Beastie photography fun… Enjoy!

In The Frame – A Learning Experience

Posted on August 14, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Crafting, Life at Beastie Towers

Well hello there everybody! I hope you all enjoyed the weekend. For any of you who missed Friday’s post, I introduced this brand-new family of Beasties…
… But I did also mentioned that there was something special ahead for this bunch of little monsters and their faithful Beastiedog. Something that meant that they needed to have specially-adapted sticky toes!
So what’s the deal? Well, I can now reveal that these Beasties are going to live in a frame!

The idea of framing Beasties, so that they can lead a life untainted by fears of dust, moths and over-friendly pets, is one that I’ve been toying with for a while. I’ve even gone as far as to mention it to customers at markets… But no-one had ever taken me up on the offer.

Until recently.

And WOWEE, it’s been a steep learning curve! So in today’s post, I wanted to talk about how I went about framing a whole family of Beasties… And what I learned along the way.

Lesson 1 – A Frame ain’t cheap!

When I first estimated a price for this project, I assumed that IKEA would have a suitable Beastie habitat among their vast range of picture frames and display boxes. Errr… Nope. And when I started to research the alternatives online, the price nearly took my breath away. YIKES! Turns out a nice deep box frame in the size I needed involved a custom order, and would significantly increase the cost of making this piece.

So, I had no choice but to go back to my customer – but I was at least able to give him a couple of options if he wanted to stick to the original quote. I figured I could make the Beasties flatter, so that they’d fit in a narrower frame, or create a sewn or embroidered piece for him instead. Fortunately, he preferred to stick to the original plan and pay a little more for “real” 3D Beasties in a custom-sized frame.

All that was left to do then was to have a quick word with Pigbert E. Banks, our financial advisor…
… And we were good to go! But then…

Lesson 2 – Go Bigger or Go Home

Before I ordered my frame, I got Explorer Beastie and a few friends together to help me estimate the size I’d need. I obsessively measured and remeasured, and then added in a couple of extra inches just to be sure.

Let me tell you, I’m so glad I did. Because as the family of Beasties began to take shape, I realised that their hair and outfits were making them considerably bigger than my models had been. The frame was already en route, but would the Beasties all fit inside? I was so worried they wouldn’t that I even considered ordering a second one in the next size up! But when it arrived (please excuse gratuitous Beastie nudity and bed-head hair)…
Saved! What a relief. But then I noticed that raw wood and MDF inside… And it was time for the next hiccup.

Lesson 3 – When the order form says “Would you like a mount board?” the correct answer is YES

Why did I opt out? Well, my uncertainty about getting everybody inside the frame meant that I was reluctant to put anything else in there that might eat up valuable space. I also thought “How hard can it be to get a mount board?” – talk about a rookie mistake!

So, I did the rounds of art supply stores and stationers, in search of either a board that would fit or a nice person who would cut a standard board to size for me. The lady in K&M Evans was especially lovely, even offering to call a nearby printers to see if they would help! But in the end, I realised that I would need to go back to those oh-so-pricey local framing companies.

Fortunately, in my Googlings, I stumbled on a real gem. Dublin Picture Framing have a studio in the very heart of the city, in the most awesome old building. They were super-helpful, and sent me on my way with 3 different boards so I could pick the one that best fitted my frame. Talk about saving the day!
Then all we had to do was to find a matching paint to take care of the sides…
… And the inside of the frame was transformed! Surely that’s everything taken care of now? Not quite… Mum and Dad Beastie can’t very well hang in the air, can they? Looks like we’re going to need something for them to stand on!

Lesson 4 – Make Friends with your Local Builder’s Merchant

At this point, I should have known better than to utter the words “how hard can it be?”, but that’s exactly how I approached the problem of getting a piece of timber cut to create a riser for some of the Beasties to stand on. A tour of the hardware stores revealed that, on a Saturday at least, this service is near impossible to come by. The good folks at Decwells do have a resident handyman who would have sorted this out for me, but alas! He doesn’t work weekends. However, they suggested I try Chadwicks, a local builder’s merchant, which I had always assumed to be trade-only.

Not so! Even though I arrived just minutes before closing time, they directed me to a pile of offcuts and let me take my pick. Best of all – it was free! Then, armed with my Junior Hacksaw, a file and some sandpaper, I set about prettifying my plank.
And with a couple of coats of paint…
Success!

And that just leaves one last lesson to share…

Lesson 5 – Don’t Panic!

If you keep chipping away at any problem, you’ll figure it out. I had plenty of nail-biting moments with this one, but I’ve learned HEAPS along the way. I also found plenty of people who were happy to lend a hand!

So, after all that… You’d probably like to see the finished frame, right?
I’m almost scared to ask, but… What do you think? Any helpful framing tips for next time? Please feel free to share in the comments!

We’ll be back on Friday with something I DO know a thing or two about – Beastie photoshoots! See you all then…

Beastie-Sized Dog, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Beasties For OLIVE The Family!

Posted on August 10, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Crafting

Hey there everybody, and happy Friday to you all! Now, earlier in the week I promised you new Beasties… So, new Beasties you shall have. And not just a couple, either… There’s a whole family of them waiting to meet you!

This project started when I met Lino from Olivieri’s Fine Italian Foods at a market just before Christmas. We got chatting, and I mentioned that as well as the gang of little knitted monsters hanging out on my stall that day, I also do requests. Fast forward a few months, and I’m sure you can imagine how delighted I was when he got back in touch and asked me to Beastify his entire family AND their faithful pooch!

I should probably introduce you to the man himself – or at least his Beastie counterpart!
I used a wool and alpaca yarn for his hair, and dressed him in a smart blue felt t-shirt and grey shorts.

And what’s that in his paw?
It’s a Beastie-sized bottle of olive oil! Lino has been running his family’s olive grove and farm in southern Italy since 2010, and he brings the oil he produces there back to Ireland to supply specialist food stores and restaurants across the country. His oils were even listed as being among the best available in Ireland in this article in The Irish Times last year! Definitely an achievement worthy of being celebrated in felt and teeny sewing, I’m sure you’ll agree. I made sure to include his company logo on the bottle’s label – accept no substitutes!

But hey, where’s the rest of the family?

Let’s meet the girls first, starting with… Florence Beastie!
This sweet little monster lady seems to have a real way with animals… In many of the photos her dad sent me, there was usually a four-legged friend in there somewhere too. At his suggestion, I went hunting for a dress fabric with an animal print… And wow, that’s a tricky thing to find! Many of the fabrics I liked had an oversized design that would be totally lost on a Beastie-sized outfit. In the end, I found three designs that fit the bill, and this was the pick of the bunch – cute without being babyish, and the little pink birds sit nicely alongside her candy-coloured complexion.

I also had fun styling her hair!
And let’s take a proper look at that dress, too.
I changed my dress pattern up a bit for this project – I opted for a circle skirt instead of pleats, and I really like the neater line it gives. The dress closes with my new favourite hook-and-eye fastener, too!

Meanwhile, Beastie Florence’s sister Sophia Beastie is sporting an outfit that shows her love of dance! This was a first for me…
…Voilà! One Beastie-sized leotard!
Perfect for a day at the studio, or her next big stage performance! She looks happy, anyway.

And let’s not forget their brother, Lucca Beastie!
He’s looking sharp in a tailored button-down shirt and boxy-framed glasses.
And after seeing a set of headphones in one of my reference photos, I thought I’d better Beastify those too!
And, last but not least, meet Lino Beastie’s partner Lynn Beastie!This is another new dress design – a sweet sundress inspired by one of the reference photos I used. It’s cut on the bias with a cute A-line shape, has a halterneck (well, as much as I could manage given that Beasties don’t have necks) and fastens with a ribbon at each shoulder.
Then a pair of snazzy sunglasses completes her look!
Oh, and who’s this?
Well, I did mention there was a dog! Hey there, Beastie Lego!
Heehee! I think he likes you.
Now, let’s get everyone together in the Teeny Photo Studio for a group shot!
Lovely!

But this isn’t the end of the story for this monster family! Stop back in on Tuesday to find out where these Beasties are going, and why they have special feet…
… See you then!

A Shy Baby Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties, Beastie HQ

Beastie Super Science!

Posted on July 3, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Hello everybody! It’s a new week, and a new month… So I reckon we’d better have a new Beastie, too! Following my first experimental leap into the world of the Scientist Beastie…
…I got a request for another science-minded monster from the same customer, who wanted a special gift for a friend! And this one has even more of a twist, because…
… She’s also a SUPERHERO!

Here, take a look! I made her some special accessories to keep her heroic alter-ego a secret… A hand-stitched felt mask and a silky cape to billow behind her as she flies off to fight evil.
I also created a personalised superhero logo to go on her jumpsuit, in colours that complement her outfit and her delicate rose-pink complexion. Brand identity is very important in the superhero universe, y’know.

But who’s this? Looks like there’s someone else here too… Although apparently they’re feeling a little bit shy. Can we maybe see that pretty face?
Yay! That’s much better.
Supermum Scientist Beastie’s human counterpart is also a proud mum… So it only seemed right that this monster lady had a little girl Beastie of her own to keep her company. Ready for your closeup, Baby Girl Beastie?

She’s inherited her mum’s lovely pink skin tone, and her rich chestnut-coloured hair too. But hers is still baby-fine, so she loves to wear it in a cute pineapple ponytail on top of her head. I’ve completed her outfit with stripey legs and a sweet botanical-print cotton skirt!

But hey, where does the scientist bit come in?

Right now, actually. It’s time to head off to the day job! On with the lab coat…… And grab a coffee along the way!

Once she arrives, she’s got everything she needs for her working day, too. Supermum Scientist Beastie’s human counterpart is a biologist, so I made Beastified versions of some of the equipment she uses – a cell culture flask and a micropipette!
I used a combination of sewing and needle felting techniques on these accessories to get the shaping just right… I even ended up stitching the flask with fishing line to keep it as close to transparent as possible!
Phew! I reckon I just about captured all the facets of this busy Beastie’s life! What do you think?
Don’t forget to drop back in on Friday for more German shenanigans (or should that be Germanigans?) with Explorer Beastie! And if you missed part 1, you can catch up here. See you then!

Beastie Besties - tierneycreates Beastie and Dog by CrawCrafts Beasties

A New Addition to the Beastie Family!

Posted on June 26, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Crafting

Hello everybody! Wow, can you believe we’re nearly at the end of June already? It’s really flown in… But I figure we have just enough time to squeeze in another new Beastie post before we fully jump into July! So, allow me to formally introduce my latest Beastie commission – tierneycreates Beastie!
Some of you may have met her already – she’s been very active on Tierney’s blog from the moment she arrived in her new home! But this project had me trying my hand at some new/long-neglected techniques which I’d like to share with you… And besides, it’s pretty much traditional to give every Beastie commission their 15 minutes of fame on the BeastieBlog! Now, on with the show!

Let’s start with the outfits, shall we? This little monster lady has a choice of two ensembles – a hand-stitched felt t-shirt in a burgundy shade that goes beautifully with her delicate orange complexion, and a cosy handknit Aran sweater for cooler days and possible return trips to her Irish homeland.
Beautifully modelled, tierneycreates Beastie!
And like many of my recent commission pieces, she’s rocking an excellent pair of Beastie-size specs! Those are removable, by the way.
My Mum also suggested that I start using props in my accessory photos to give you all an idea of their actual size. She’s full of good ideas!

Next, let’s talk hair. Oh, this hair! You see, I went a bit over the top trying to copy Human Tierney’s very awesome skinny dreads. Early in the Beastification process, I decided that the chunky wool I planned to use was entirely the wrong texture. But I figured that if I needle-felted it, it would become dread-ier… And I’d have an excuse to do some needle felting. Double win! Unfortunately, post-needle-felting, my crazy eyes detected too much fuzziness and uneveness in the strands. “I know! I’ll wet felt them to even them out!”

And once I’d started down that road, I couldn’t very well turn back. Cue several cycles of felting, waiting for the pieces to dry, attaching them and then realising I’d need more. Fortunately, we had a minor heatwave as my deadline approached, or I would have had to send tierneycreates Beastie out the door with wet hair!

That said, all this practice has really honed my wet felting technique… Something I plan to make use of in future projects! Oh, and here’s how those dreads turned out…
Also pictured is tierneycreates Beastie’s hand-knitted slouchy beanie hat, inspired by one Human Tierney recently made for herself, but with one slight difference – strategically-placed earholes to help hold it in place on her head!

Then, to complete the top-to-toe ensemble – check out those natty little Beastie boots!
The yellow stitching is modeled on my own beloved DM boots, but I chose a nice sky blue for the Beastified version to add a pop of colour!

Phew! Are you still with me? Because that’s not all.

This Beastie needs a bag!
Human Tierney is a very talented quilter, and I wanted to reflect this in one of her accessories. So I selected some fabrics, cut teeny-tiny squares and pieced them together to create a miniature quilted panel, which I then stitched onto the exterior of a felt bag made to my usual pattern. This is the first quilting I’ve done in about 20 years – although the less said about my teenage efforts (which remain in my parents’ attic to this day) the better! And now tierneycreates Beastie can carry around her trusty laptop and library card in style!

So, that’s everything, right?
Not quite! I think we forgot somebody…
They’re a schnauzer household chez tierneycreates, so it only seemed right that this Beastie should have her own canine companion! And because the humans in the home already have a miniature schnauzer called Mike, this miniature miniature schnauzer has been named “Mikelet”!

Ready for walkies, Mikelet?
And of course, there’s always time for a cuddle!
You can see where tierneycreates Beastie and Mikelet went on their walk in Tierney’s latest Beastie-based post… And don’t forget to join us again on Friday when I’ll be sharing a Beastie adventure of my own!

See you then!

Finn McSpool Storms Kilkenny Castle - T. Painter/CrawCrafts Beasties

Friday Social #7 – What’s Goin’ On? Beastie Family Update

Posted on June 22, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Life at Beastie Towers

Well, as you all know, I’ve been taking a bit of a break from the computer these past couple of weeks… But luckily for me, other members of the Beastie family have been busily snapping and blogging away in my absence! So today, I wanted to say a big “thank you” to those hard-workin’ folks, and to make sure everybody gets a chance to share in these monster adventures.

First up, a familiar monster face…

Yes, Mr Finn McSpool is back, and is sharing the first of his Irish adventures! Check out Tammie’s blog to see what mischief he got up to in Kilkenny Castle!

Also, those of you who follow Tammie already will know that she released her latest novel, “The Bonds of Osteria” at the end of last month. And fortunately, she had a heap of Beasties on hand to help her with her marketing efforts… This is my favourite promo shot!

Beasties Promoting "The Bonds of Osteria" - T Painter/CrawCrafts Beasties — Also borrowed from tammiepainter.com!

If that made you chuckle too, you’ll find more in this post… And don’t forget to check out the Books section of Tammie’s site for more info on the Osteria Chronicles, where you can buy your copies, and all ongoing special offers.

Next up… A sneak preview of a new Beastie!

tierneycreates Beastie, A Personalised Knitted Monster by CrawCrafts Beasties — One of my own photos, for once!

Meet tierneycreates Beastie, a brand-new addition to our ever-expanding global tribe of little knitted monsters!

I’ll be formally introducing you all to this Beastie lady on Tuesday, but I was so overwhelmed by Tierney‘s welcome-to-your-new-home post on her blog (not to mention the comments from her own loyal band of readers) that I couldn’t NOT share it with you! So please take a sec to jump over and read “I’m A Monster!!!“, and its hilarious followup “Beastie Outing: Trip to the Library“… In which an overzealous knitted monster demonstrates how NOT to use a barcode scanner.

@crawcraftsbeasties The tierneycreates beastie got a little silly today at the library and she tried to make her new library card work under Library’s barcode scanner…

A post shared by tierneycreates (@tierneycreates) on Jun 14, 2018 at 5:42pm PDT

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Tierney’s site tagline is “A fusion of textiles and smiles”, and it definitely delivered on both those counts for me this week!

So, that little lot should provide you with some fun weekend reading! We’ll be back on Tuesday to see what tierneycreates Beastie has in that shoulder bag of hers… Then Explorer Beastie will be presenting the first of many, many posts about Germany next Friday!

See you then!

A Beastie Birthday Bonanza!

Posted on June 1, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Crafting, Knitted Beasties

It’s new Beastie day! So it must be… Friday? Yes, we’re breaking with tradition a little here, but after giving this very special pair a brief introduction in Tuesday’s post, I couldn’t wait a whole week to give you the guided tour! This cheerful monster couple were created as a very special birthday gift for author and long-term BeastieBlog reader Tammie Painter, and were requested by her husband as a surprise to round off their recent trip to Ireland.

So, after several top-secret design discussions, we decided to dress the Beasties in miniature versions of the outfits worn by their human counterparts on their wedding day!
That meant a sophisticated black dress with pin-tucked bodice and a floaty organza top layer for Tammie Beastie…
… With a hook-and-eye fastening closure at the back. These are my new favourite dress fastening!
Meanwhile, Mr Husband Beastie was cool and casual in a Hawaiian-style shirt and shorts.
Alas, a true Hawaiian print comes up too large for Beastie-sized clothes! So I picked out a blue fabric that came as close as possible to the colours in the reference photos I worked from…
… And then added a pair of boxy-framed glasses to complete the look!
Very stylish.

But wait a sec… What’s going on here?
Aha! Good call, Beasties!
Those hand-knitted Aran sweaters are much more suitable for exploring the Emerald Isle! Oh, and look…
… They have bags, too! A red felt backpack for Mr Husband Beastie, and a teal shoulder bag for Tammie Beastie! Now, what can they put in there?

How about a sketchbook and pen, to record the highlights of the trip?
Or maybe snacks for long bus journeys!
And if you have snacks, you’ll need something to wash them down with. Hop Monster IPA, anyone? This special Beastie brew comes in a needle-felted bottle, with hand-embroidered felt label!
Or, for the designated drivers, a nice hot cup of tea from the travel flask might be just the thing.
And last but not least… Don’t forget your reading material! This Ireland travel guide will surely come in handy, while “The Trials of Herc-Woollies” will make the plane journey home pass much more quickly!

(Oh, and human readers can pick up a copy of the non-Beastie version, “The Trials of Hercules” for FREE right now! Find out more here)
“Hmmmm… I think we’d better pack all of it, just to be on the safe side!”
And now I reckon they’re ready to go!
Bon voyage, Beasties!

Have any of you got big plans for the weekend? And if so, what will you be packing in your backpack? Tell us all about it in the comments!

Aaand we’ll be back on Tuesday as usual, with more antics from Paddy and Plunkett. See you then!

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