Angel Olsen Beastie, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Angel Olsen Beastie Takes to the Stage!

Hello there everyone! And as promised last time, it’s a new Beastie day here on the BeastieBlog… so let’s get ready to meet the latest addition to the family! Here she is now – Angel Olsen Beastie!
Angel Olsen Beastie Plays Guitar - CrawCrafts BeastiesAngel Olsen Beastie was created for Shane, who may be the biggest fan of human singer-songwriter Angel Olsen going. So this Beastification really needed to be a good one! Armed with some carefully-selected reference material (thanks Shane!), I picked out some wardrobe options for Ms Olsen-Beastie.
A Selection of Beastie Outfits - CrawCrafts BeastiesAs you can see, the vintage-style green dress with beehive hairdo won out. And much knitting, stitching and hairstyling later…

Twins? CrawCrafts Beasties
Angel Olsen photo borrowed from https://www.13thfloor.co.nz

Twins? Well, maybe apart from the very obvious differences in human and Beastie body shapes. But I used a nice glossy chestnut alpaca yarn to replicate Human Angel’s very classy updo with short choppy fringe…
Angel Olsen Updo - CrawCrafts Beasties… And I Beastified her dress too!
Angel Olsen Beastie's Dress, by CrawCrafts BeastiesI had a tricky time trying to find an exact match for the green in the photo, but this light olive satin from The Fabric Counter came closest while still complementing Angel Olsen Beastie’s pastel pink skin tone. I gave the dress a bit more of a “wiggle” shape than in the original sketch too, and added a concealed hook-and-eye fastening on the back.

And because satin is slippery… Even my spiffy new birthday sewing machine couldn’t deal with those teeny seams! So all those stitches are hand-sewn. Hey, who doesn’t love a teeny sewing challenge?

Then, we just needed one more thing.

Angel Olsen Beastie's Guitar - CrawCrafts Beasties
Gibson S-1 photo sneakily lifted from http://www.guitar-list.com

Thanks to the marvels of the internet, I was able to track down the make and model of the guitar that Human Angel Olsen usually plays. It’s a black Gibson S-1, in case you’re interested… And it lent itself well to the Beastification process.

And with some tactically-placed magnets in the guitar’s neck and body, Angel Olsen Beastie can really hold onto it!
Play Something, Angel Olsen Beastie! CrawCrafts BeastiesShe doesn’t have to play all the time though. The strap unclips at the side so she can put it down at the end of her gigs.
Holding Guitar - CrawCrafts BeastiesSorry, no more encores… At least not until next Tuesday! Thank you and goodnight!

P.S.

One of the things Shane included in my “Getting to know Angel” pack was this video of a session for Seattle-based radio station KEXP, recorded back in 2017. Since live music is off the cards for most of us at the moment, I thought it might be a nice way to round off the post. Enjoy!

Beastie-sized Vinyl, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Making Sweet Monster Music!

Hey there everybody!

I’m taking a break from frantic pre-market Beastie making to share a new Beastie with you… A rare thing at this time of the year, since so many of my pre-Christmas commissions are destined to be presents, and I wouldn’t want to spoil any surprises! But I received confirmation that this little monster lady had made it safely to her new home at the end of last week, and I reckoned it was high time I introduced her to the world.

Meet Weekes Beastie!
Weekes Beastie, by CrawCrafts Beasties
This was an extra special make, because she was requested by a fellow blogger! I always get a kick out of Ms Weekes’s witty posts – they’re a delicious cocktail of history, daily life and humour, and I’ve now lost count of the number of times I’ve nearly choked on my breakfast tea because I’m laughing so hard. So, if you haven’t already, make sure you add Daze & Weekes to your regular reading list. Go on, do it now! We’ll wait here for you.

All done? Good. Let’s continue with the tour, and take a closer look at that hoodie!
Weekes Beastie Hoodie, by CrawCrafts Beasties
Weekes Beastie’s hoodie is modelled on her human counterpart’s favourite item of clothing – an official “Cats” zip-up sweater with – gasp – cat ears on the hood!

As you can see, this is a very useful addition for a Beastie. Her own pointy ears fit snugly in there, keeping them nice and toasty! Then I finished off the hoodie with an embroidered “Cats” logo, zip, and a drawstring for the hood.
Weekes Beastie Hoodie Details - CrawCrafts Beasties
She can also take the hood down, if she likes.
Weekes Beastie Back View - CrawCrafts Beasties
That way, you can get a better look at her makeup, piercings and classic Sinead O’Connor hairstyle!
Weekes Beastie Makeup - CrawCrafts Beasties
But, most importantly, lets talk about what she’s got in her paw. Because Weekes is not just a blogger – she’s also a talented singer and musician, and her debut album Pocket Bible is out this week! So, it only seemed right and proper to pay tribute to this momentous occasion in felt and teeny sewing…
Pocket Bible Record Sleeve in Felt and Embroidery - CrawCrafts Beasties
And, of course, there’s a special edition Beastie-sized record inside the sleeve!
Beastie-sized Vinyl, by CrawCrafts Beasties
Obviously, this version will only play on special Beastie stereos… But don’t worry! You can pick up a proper human copy for yourself when the full album is released this Friday – that’s the 8th of December 2017. All the info you need is on weekesmusic.com, plus you can also listen to the four singles, find links to curated Spotify playlists and learn a little bit about the stories behind the song lyrics!

Meanwhile, it looks like the two Weekeses have already been out adventuring together…

Beastie’s first outing in England 🌿 @crawcraftsbeasties 💚

A post shared by xWG || #dazeandweekes (@dazeandweekes) on

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What have you all been up to this week? Let us know in the comments! Oh, and don’t forget that the Beasties and I will be here later this week…Dublin Christmas Flea
… So if you find yourself in or near Dublin, pop on down and say hello! We’d love to see you!