Monsters – Page 21

Paddy and Plunkett on Holiday - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Fun in the Winter Sun, Part One!

Posted on February 12, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

It’s been a while since we heard from Paddy and Plunkett, and now I can reveal why… These two intrepid Beasties, clever little monsters that they are, decided to head south to escape the rather grey and gloomy winter we’ve been having! Like I always say, it’s pretty easy for a Beastie to sneak aboard a suitcase or stow away in a handbag… after that, it’s just a case of choosing where they want to go.

And this time, it was destination Gran Canaria! A bit of sun, sea and sand always helps the Northern winter pass a little more quickly. The boys made landfall after sunset…
… And made sure they got an early night, so they could make the most of…

…The breakfast buffet!

Recipe for a healthy Beastie: One bowl of cereal with fruit juice, then a big ol’ Full Irish, and then…
… Hit the baked goods!

“Hey Plunkett, grab me a few of those Beastie-sized doughnuts from the basket in the middle, would you?”

Next, feeling pleasantly full (but having effectively bankrupted the hotel restaurant), the boys headed out to explore! First, they found a giant sundial… A much more useful thing here than at home in Ireland!
(Loving the sunglasses, lads!)

Then, a jaunt on a penny farthing bicycle!

“Gaaaaaah! Paddy! Why do I always let you drive?!”
And now, a quick cup of coffee – just to keep their strength up.
It’s also a good opportunity to check out the photos they’ve taken!
So far, so good… But it’s not the whole story! Be sure to drop back in next week for the second instalment! See you then…

Meet the Family (Part 2)

Posted on February 2, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Knitted Beasties

OK, so we met some of these Beasties last week… But who are those two handsome fellows on the ends? I reckon it’s high time I introduced you all to Ketto Beastie…

…And his brother Antonio Beastie!

Ketto Beastie just completed his degree in Monster Psychology, so I made sure he looked the part for his graduation ceremony! That means the traditional “mortar board” hat, and some pretty sharp Beastie tailoring!

Oh, and let’s not forget the all-important diploma!

Meanwhile, Antonio Beastie is kicking back and enjoying one of his favourite pastimes – listening to music!

He also loves to dance, but unfortunately I couldn’t capture that on camera. Never mind, here’s a closer look at his awesome felt headphones instead!

I’m also slightly envious of his cosy stripey sweater!

So, the family is now complete! But what happened when they arrived at their new home? Well, a warm welcome on Christmas Eve from their new friends, for starters!

Then some photo ops around the tree on Christmas Day…

…Then getting used to their new surroundings…

…And booking a prime spot for Christmas dinner! Can you find the Beasties in this photo?

Thank you so much to Antonello and his family for sharing photos of their first Beastie-tastic Christmas! They really look right at home!

I still have one more Beastie from the pre-Christmas season to share with you – he’ll be here next week. And Explorer Beastie and I will be out and about again on Friday… I really hope we’re heading somewhere warm, cosy and indoors this time! Also, I think I’ve made contact with all my giveaway winners by now, but check out my previous post if you entered, just in case.

And one more thing – it’s with a heavy heart that I bid goodbye to Sir Terry Wogan, who died on Sunday. While I was strangely obsessed with his chat show as a young child, and enjoyed his tongue-in-cheek commentary on the Eurovision Song Contest, I will remember him most for being the voice of obscure 80s cartoon “Stoppit and Tidyup”. I loved the funny little inhabitants of the Land of Do-As-You’re-Told and their antics as a kid – I reckon they played a significant part in shaping me into the monster-lovin’ lady I am today – and Terry Wogan’s narration was a big part of the show’s charm. But don’t just take my word for it… Here’s the first episode. Go on, it’s only short! Enjoy!

One Big Beastie Family - CrawCrafts Beasties

Meet The Family (Part 1)

Posted on January 26, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Knitted Beasties

The last quarter of 2015 saw me taking on my biggest Beastie challenge yet (in what had already been a pretty good year for big Beastie challenges) – an entire Beastie family! As always, each individual Beastie had to capture the look, personality and interests of their human counterparts… And we couldn’t leave out the family cat, of course!

Oh, and did I mention that they had to be ready in time to catch the last Christmas post to Italy? Never have knitting needles moved so swiftly! Anyway, now that the festive season is over, the presents have been unwrapped, and no surprises will be spoiled, I’m delighted to be able to introduce La Famiglia Beastie at last! First of all, let’s meet Antonello – creating a family of monsters was his idea, so it’s only right that we should start with him!

He’s a fan of all things Irish, especially our ever-popular exports of Guinness and world-class rugby players! So he is proudly sporting a Munster rugby jersey, Ireland rugby ball and felt pint…

…And as you can imagine, I had a great time styling his beard and hair!

Next up – Antonello’s wife Tiziana, who is an ER doctor. So get me a set of Beastie-sized scrubs and a stethoscope, STAT!

And here they are in extreme close-up!
I was also able to indulge in a spot more Beastie hairdressing… I loved capturing the highlights in Tiziana Beastie’s hair!

And of course, no family home would be complete without a beloved pet!

This is Tris, the family cat! She’s made of soft cuddly felt, with embroidered markings to match her feline big sister’s… oh, and a super-contented smile!

But what about the rest of the family? Well, that’s another story for another day – swing by next Tuesday lunchtime, when we’ll be meeting the boys! In the meantime, I’ll have another update from a Beastie abroad on Friday… and you still have time to put your name in the hat for the Great January Begone Giveaway if you haven’t already! I’ll be picking 5 lucky winners this coming Sunday at noon (Irish time) – check out the original post here to find out how to enter!

See you Friday!

PS It seems like the Beastie kitty has stolen the show! So, for all my fellow cat people out there, I thought I’d introduce you to the real life inspiration behind the felt feline – this is Tris!

Isn’t she a sweetie? Thanks again to Antonello and family for your Beastie-tastic order 🙂

Monster New Year!

Posted on January 1, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Info, Knitted Beasties

Phew! I might already have mentioned how busy December was for me and the Beasties, but with Christmas now under our (considerably tighter) belts, it’s time for us to start looking forward to another year of monster mayhem!

There’s going to be plenty going on over the next couple of months… starting with a veritable deluge of new Beasties! They’ve all had to keep their identities secret up until now, for fear of spoiling Christmas day surprises, but it’s finally time for them each to have their star turn on the BeastieBlog. I’ll be introducing you to a fresh Beastie face every Tuesday, so be sure to stop by! To whet your appetites, here’s an oatmeal stout-swigging Pint Beastie who made it to his new home in the UK just in time for Christmas!

2015 was a great year for Beasties abroad, and I’m so grateful to everybody who shared photos of their little woolly friends exploring the furthest reaches of the planet! When I said “hey, send me photos of your Beasties”, I never expected to see them gadding about in Canada…

… Enjoying ice-dripped coffee in Taiwan…

…Polishing off Christmas dinner in Argentina…

…Or scaling cliff faces in France!

Please please PLEASE keep them coming! I’ll be sharing photos every other Friday, in my Beastie Family posts! And that leaves two other Fridays each month for…

…Explorer Beastie!

He’s had a bit of a quiet time in 2015, but this year I’m hoping we’ll get out and about more to show you a few of our favourite places around Dublin. And of course Paddy and Plunkett will be back with more tales from further afield… Last I heard, they were heading off somewhere in search of some winter sun. I can’t wait to see pictures – they’ll be the perfect antidote to the blustery drizzliness of an Irish January!

So, that’s what you can expect from the BeastieBlog this year… Plus we have lots of other schemes, capers and new ideas in the pipeline. I can’t wait to share them with you all!

But what do you have lined up for 2016? Be sure to share your hopes, dreams and plans for world domination in the comments! And now all that’s left for me to do is to wish you all a happy new year… may 2016 be your beast year EVER! Cheers!

Christmas Explorer Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties

Beastie Newsflash!

Posted on December 15, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Info

Well, there’s no getting away from the fact that Christmas is in full swing! We’ve been BUUUUSYYYYY here in Beastie Towers, and there’s still a lot for us to do over the next couple of weeks before we get to put our feet/paws up by the fire and enjoy some festive treats!

For starters, we’ll be heading out to MART in Rathmines, Dublin 6 this coming Friday (that’s the 18th) for their Christmas market. This is going to be the Beasties’ last outing before Christmas – so if you’re around, do drop in and say hello!
We’ll be sharing the space with lots of other great artists and craftspeople, and there’s a fancy dress photobooth too – so we’re looking forward to a fun day out!

And if you’re still trying to figure out the best way to get 2016 off to a good start, I heartily recommend getting your paws on a Beastie calendar!

Explorer Beastie certainly got good use out of his last year…

This year’s edition can be yours for just €10, plus P&P. All you have to do is email me at crawcraftsbeasties@gmail.com and we’ll take it from there!

Righty, better get back to work! The Beasties and I will be back next week… see you then!

Piemaker Beasties Get to Work!

Posted on December 8, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Wow… Looking at this picture, it really seems like a very long time since I sent these two off to their new home in the UK! Check out how green everything is outside!

Anyway, despite the pre-Christmas rush, the Piemaker Beastie Girls have found some time to send me a couple of photos of themselves. They’re working hard for fellow pie enthusiasts Farmhouse Direct…

… Or so they say. To me, it looks like they’re gadding about in a pie-filled wonderland!

While one Beastie poses next to a mountain of pies stacked as high as her head, the other is lounging around on a gigantic pastry-based sofa… YUM!

OK ladies, breaktime’s over! Time to show off the human-sized pies that inspired the Beastie versions I made for you…

…And tell everybody about the special offers!

That’s better. All in a day’s work for these two!

Thanks to Suzanne for taking these photos – I always love getting updates from Beasties abroad. And now I think it’s time for lunch! I could really go for a pie today, for some reason… See you all next time!

Beasties in a Giant Bird's Nest - CrawCrafts Beasties

Beasties, It’s Cold Outside!

Posted on November 24, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties

Well, that photo might be a slight exaggeration. But even so, after a surprisingly warm start to November, it’s got mighty chilly here in Dublin lately!

And despite promises of a clear, bright day on Friday, low temperatures and teeming rain did temporarily stop play when Sweetheart Beastie, Christmas Gift Beastie and I headed out for another photoshoot with Eirin Torgersen! Anyone who has spent any time here ever will know that weather forecasting in Ireland is never an exact science, and at least it gave us an excuse to seek shelter in the Natural History Museum for a few minutes until it dried up a bit outside. Just enough time for the Beasties to make a new friend!

Once the sun came out again, we headed across the road to Merrion Square, which I’ve been meaning to use for Beastie photos for ages!

And it seems like there have been some changes since I last stopped in myself – a giant bird has taken up residence, for starters…

The Beasties were having a great time hanging out in this cosy nest, until I pointed out that each egg was bigger than both of them put together…

“Gaaaaaah! Wait for me!”

Where’s Sweetheart Beastie run off to?

Ah, there she is. But what’s she sitting on?

Ha! Looks like a giant shoe. But where’s the…

GIIIIAAAAAAANT! Eeeeeeeek!

First rain, now giants… will I EVER get any pictures taken?!

Luckily Beasties are expert escape artists…

…And charming enough to win over just about anybody!

But we needn’t have worried. Turns out giants are victims of bad press – this one was a real softie, and he even agreed to let his new Beastie pals dance around on his luxuriant eyebrows for these pictures!

And it’s not just giants who live in Merrion Square – the park has one very famous resident, who we went to visit next!

No, not her! Although if anyone was in need of some winter woolies that day…

Anyway, can anyone guess who this rather dapper foot belongs to?

If you guessed Oscar Wilde, then award yourself a first-edition signed copy of “The Picture of Dorian Gray”! This characterful sculpture lives on the north corner of the park, and from where he sits, he can look out into the street and (I like to imagine) make witty comments about the people who pass by.

I wonder what he’d have to say about the Beasties’ antics…

After that, there was just time to call in at the memorial to Dermot Morgan (of “Father Ted” fame)…

…Before we headed off inside to warm up. Brrrrr!

The Beasties and I will be back for more monster fun next Tuesday… December is going to be a busy month, so things are going to be a little quieter on the BeastieBlog for the next few weeks! If you need an extra Beastie fix in the meantime, be sure to check out Eirin’s photos from our visit to Merrion Square!

See you soon!

It's the Paddy and Plunkett Show! H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Sending Paddy and Plunkett to Coventry

Posted on November 20, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

In my (now fairly distant) youth, I read a lot of Enid Blyton books. For the characters in these stories, the idea of being “sent to Coventry” was just awful – it’s a slightly dated idiom that describes the timeless playground punishment of completely freezing someone out, by pretending you can neither see nor hear them.

However, Paddy and Plunkett are complete strangers to the work of Ms Blyton, and being generally optimistic little creatures, they jumped at the chance to be sent to Coventry for their latest adventure! Their first stop was in the oldest part of the city – although much of Coventry suffered severe bomb damage during the Second World War, some buildings did survive. Let’s take a walk, shall we?

On the left of these photos, you can see the shell of the old St Michael’s Cathedral. Most of the cathedral was destroyed in the Coventry Blitz, but the spire (apparently the third tallest in England) still stands… in fact, Paddy and Plunkett were treated to the sounds of bell-ringing practice while they strolled around!

Next, they went to take a peek at the new St Michael’s Cathedral, which is just next door. It was opened in 1962, and looks very different to its 14th century predecessor. Paddy and Plunkett were hoping to catch up with St Michael himself, but when they found him he looked a little busy…

Never mind, there’s plenty more to see! Paddy has a bit of a thing for classic cars, so there was one place the boys definitely had to go…

Plunkett had to pose for the photo, because Paddy had already run off to have a look around.

The Transport Museum isn’t just for car buffs, either! From the very earliest days of two-wheeled travel, Coventry was a veritable hub of bicycle manufacture, so you can find all sorts of crazy bikes in here…

… As well as the cars Paddy wants to see! Here are the lads enjoying the rather morbid display of hearses.

And Paddy was thrilled to be able to see ThrustSSC, current holder of the land speed record!

He was just about to climb aboard and take it for a spin, but fortunately Plunkett was able to distract him by appealing to his inner showman…

That’s the way to do it, indeed!

And after checking out every vehicle in the whole museum, the boys were finally able to find a Beastie-sized one to drive home. Thanks for the lift, Brum!

See you next time!

Mame-Chan and Friends - CrawCrafts Beasties

Monster Market Day!

Posted on November 10, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Info, Knitted Beasties

Oh woweeeee! What a super weekend we all had at the Creative Collective Ireland Craft Fair! I’ve been working flat out since I came back from my holidays, and I think I assembled one of my best-ever teams of Beasties…

…With some super accessories!

I also brought along some Beans (which are fast becoming a market day staple!) and an order form for my Beastie 2016 calendar!

And if that wasn’t enough excitement for one day, my Beastiebuddy Eirin stopped by to take some photos of the stall for a project she’s working on!

She got some great shots of my monster Christmas tree, complete with Jingle Bean decorations…

… Beasties playing hide and seek…

…And even some of me.

You can see more photos on her Facebook page, or check out her website!

What I love most about markets is that it gives me a chance to leave Beastie Towers for the day and introduce my little monsters to the world! I still get such a kick out of seeing people’s reactions when they meet the Beasties for the first time, and I was especially chuffed to talk to people who remembered us from the last time we did this market, back in 2013! So thanks to everybody who stopped for a chat, or decided to bring a woolly friend home with them. I also lucked out with my neighbours – cheers to Kate and Andrew from Baressential soap and Aoife from Diplodocus Books for Beastie-sitting when I went on a caffiene run! Aoife even adopted a Beastie of her own…

Meanwhile, I think I showed admirable restraint… I only bought myself a couple of teeny treats! Explorer Beastie seems pleased with them too…

Clockwise from top left: Hand-bound Crow notebook by Diplodocus Books, Ruth Turpin‘s homemade mince meat, chamomile and juniper natural soaps from Baressential, Ye Old Town Candles‘ Winter Time tin and felt bowl by Teri Collins.

I’m hoping to do a couple more markets before Christmas… hopefully I’ll get to see some of you there!

Helen's Bay Beach - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett’s Seaside Adventure!

Posted on October 16, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Autumn may be in full swing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a day by the sea! And this isn’t any old seaside – Paddy and Plunkett took a day trip to my childhood stomping grounds, where I spent many happy hours (at all times of the year) clambering over the stones and poking around in rock pools. Come and see for yourself!

Our tour starts at the local railway station. Getting here from Belfast only takes about half an hour, and then it’s just a short walk to the beach!

See?

Plunkett’s certainly enjoying the view!

The next stop if you carry on along the coast is Crawfordsburn Country Park. Formerly a private house and grounds, the park is now open to the public year-round, and is great for walking, cycling and picnics! It’s also home to all kinds of wildlife, since it contains a variety of different habitats – you’ll find seashore, woodlands and meadows here. Paddy and Plunkett bumped into a couple of the local residents at the Countryside Centre when they dropped in for a quick cup of tea!

Since it was such a lovely sunny day (we’ve really been enjoying some very un-Irish weather these last few weeks), the boys decided to carry on walking. There’s a coastal route that takes you all the way around to Bangor, a seaside town which was a popular local holiday destination back in the day. Of course, there’s a proper human-sized path you can use to get there, but the lads thought it would be more fun to take the scenic route…

Much later (they do only have little short legs, after all) they arrived at journey’s end! They resisted the urge to set sail on one of the swan boats at Pickie Fun Park…

… But they were really kicking themselves when they found out that
they could have done part of their travelling on the Beastie-sized Pickie Puffer train!

Oh well, at least they still had time to enjoy the walled garden at Bangor Castle before they had to head for home!

All in all, a great day out! Where was your favourite childhood haunt?

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