Rock Girl Beastie, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Beasties Rock!

Hey there everyone! It’s a sunny spring Tuesday in Dublin, and I’ve a fresh new Beastie to share with you all! Now, from the title, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this one has a geological theme… But in fact it’s more of a rock ‘n’ roll vibe we’re going for! Hey there, Beastie lady!
Rock Girl Beastie - Commissions by CrawCrafts BeastiesThis Beastie was requested as a very special birthday gift and she needed to match her new buddy’s look as closely as possible. So, that boiled down to a pairing of flashes of bright colour with a few nods to gothic/heavy metal style. No problemo!

I started out with the black hoodie. The hood can be worn up or down…
Beastie Hoodie - CrawCrafts Beasties… And is removable, too. However, after several instances of Beastie nudity on this blog, I’ve decided this little monster is going to stay dressed. We don’t want to be getting a reputation.

The hoodie also features an embroidered zip, just because zip manufacturers haven’t caught on yet to the need for non-human-sized clothing fastenings. Now, it’s normal for me to have at least one “go overboard” moment with every Beastification I take on, and this time around it manifested itself as the quest for fake zip perfection. In the end, I used short stitches with a slight overlap to create the effect of interlocking zip teeth… What do you think?
Embroidered Zip Detail - Rock Girl Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd now that the hoodie hood is down, you will have noticed that this Beastie is rocking some rather spiffy piercings and a cute bob and fringe!
Beastie Jewellery and Hairstyle - CrawCrafts BeastiesI made sure to keep the individual strands of hair quite fine, though – just to make sure her hair wasn’t too big to fit inside her hoodie hood.

Then, I completed her styling with some winged eyeliner and eyelashes. Just tuck your hair behind your ears there, so we can see…
Beastie Makeup - CrawCrafts BeastiesVery nice!

And while her beautiful mustard yellow complexion and turquoise stripes mostly ticked the “splash of colour” box, we decided that a bright pink backpack would complete the look.
Beastie Backpack - Rock Girl Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesAs you can see, it tucks in neatly underneath the hoodie hood, so she can bring it with her come rain or shine!

Then, she’ll definitely need something to go inside that backpack, right? Here you go!
Cookie Time! CrawCrafts BeastiesBeastification complete… Rock on!
Rock Girl Beastie, Ready to Go! CrawCrafts BeastiesMany thanks to Caspar for this awesome Beastie project… And to all of you for dropping in to visit! Paddy and Plunkett will be back next Tuesday, so be sure to join us then.

Enjoy your week!

Paddy Scales the Walls - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett Rock Out!

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

David Bowie Beastie, A Special Commission by CrawCrafts Beasties

Scary Monsters (And Super Beasts)

Loyal Beastie spotters will already have seen this picture on our Instagram yesterday, but in case you missed it here’s a clue to the identity of the new Beastie you’ll be meeting today…

And here’s how he turned out – meet David Bowie Beastie!
David Bowie Beastie, by CrawCrafts BeastiesOr should that be Beastie Stardust? Either way, I had fun playing makeup artist to a real life monster rock star! The famous “stripe” is mainly felt appliqué, but with the finest lines embroidered in black cotton…
Beastie Ziggy Stardust Stripe - CrawCrafts Beasties…Then I picked some chunky merino yarn to recreate his signature brilliant red feathered hairdo!
David Bowie Beastie's Hair - CrawCrafts BeastiesSince this Beastie is going to live with a human mum and her recently-arrived little one, we decided to keep his accessories to a minimum – just in case he ends up babysitting! Even so, I thought I could add a touch of glam rock style to his jumpsuit by using a shiny cotton and viscose yarn, and popping on some over-the-top satin shoulder pads…
Glitzy Costume Details for Beastie Stardust - CrawCrafts BeastiesThanks to Tracy for requesting this very special Beastie as a gift for her friend! The idea had been stewing in my brain for a while, and it was great to finally have an excuse to make it a reality.

Here’s wishing you all a monster week, and don’t forget to share your favourite David Bowie song with us in the comments!

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Indie Rock Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties

Weekly Photo Challenge – From Every Angle

Indie Rock Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “From Every Angle.”

For this week’s Weekly Photo Challenge, I thought I would revisit a Beastie I made at around this time last year… Indie Rock Beastie!

Once he was ready, I took photos of him from a couple of different perspectives, to showcase his handsome smile…
Indie Rock Beastie closeup, by CrawCrafts Beasties
…And the details on his totally handmade guitar – a miniature Gibson ES325, lovingly rendered in felt and thread!
Beastie Guitar, by CrawCrafts Beasties
I don’t often photograph Beasties from so many different angles, but I thought this guy was worth it!

Enjoy!

Climber Beastie Gets a Little Bo(U)lder!

Climber Beastie Rocks! J Donaldson/CrawCrafts Beasties
Climber Beastie is at it again! Last week I was sent a few pictures of his rock-based fun and games in France over Easter. He was really looking forward to tackling these big boulders at Fontainebleau (a paradise for climbers just 60km outside Paris) and even the slightly soggy weather that day wasn’t going to slow him down!

Ready, set… CLIMB!
Climber Beastie in Fontainebleau - J Donaldson/CrawCrafts Beasties
…Nearly there!
Climber Beastie goes Bouldering - J Donaldson/CrawCrafts Beasties
However, scaling these dizzying heights was just training for something far more extreme…
Climber Beastie's Next Challenge - J Donaldson/CrawCrafts Beasties
…Playtime with Amelie the kitten!
Climber Beastie with his new friend Amelie - J Donaldson/CrawCrafts Beasties
ADRENALINE RUSH!

Who knows where Climber Beastie’s thrillseeking will take him next?

Has anyone else any similiarly exciting weekend plans? Share your dangerous exploits in the comments… Happy Friday, everyone!

Sweet Charideeee…

Indie Rock Beastie

A UK-based Beastie enthusiast contacted me recently to ask if the Beasties and I would like to help her out with a little fundraising. She’d already done all the hard work, by taking part in this year’s RideLondon, an 86-mile long road cycle through London and Surrey, to raise money for three charities that are especially important to her – Ebony Horse Club, North West Air Ambulance and The Injured Jockeys Fund. Despite occasionally torrential rain, she managed to smash her target time of 8 hours, making it home in just over 6. Even reading about it made me feel exhausted, so I was happy to get involved in a more crafty, sofa-based way!

So, where do the Beasties come in? Well, if you pop over to Suzanne Allen’s Ride London, you’ll see that she’s very generously offering donors the chance to win prizes… one of which is Indie Rock Beastie, pictured above! Indie Rock Beastie has been out and about on the festival circuit for the entire summer, and figured this was a great opportunity to give something back.With his artfully tousled mop of black hair…
Indie Rock Beastie closeup

… And awesome hand-sewn checked shirt and guitar…
Indie Rock Beastie Shirt and Guitar

… he’s sure to draw a crowd to his first-ever charity benefit gig!

Anyone who donates a unique amount between £5.01 and £29.99 will be entered into the prize draw, and Indie Rock Beastie is looking forward to heading to his new home already! Go on, try your luck!

 

 

Beasties Don’t Cry…

Robert Smith Beastie

My first encounter with The Cure didn’t go so well. It was 1990, they’d just released the remixed version of “Close to Me”, and the video for the song was played over the closing credits of Top of the Pops that week. And it FREAKED ME OUT. The wobbly camera work, the whole band trapped in a wardrobe that’s just fallen off a cliff into the sea, the over-friendly trumpet-playing octopus with the human face… GAAAAAH! Horror! Anyone with nerves steelier than my 8-year-old self can check out the video here, if they dare.

I’m not sure what changed my mind about them, but somewhere along the way The Cure ended up being one of my favourite bands. I’ve whiled away many long bus journeys listening to “Disintegration”, and danced like a loon to “The Lovecats” more times than I’d care to think about. And who could forget Robert Smith stepping in to save the small town of South Park from total destruction by a rampaging Barbra Streisand? I figured it was high time I paid tribute to one of the most recognisable faces in rock, Beastie-style.

Robert Smith Beastie 2
After I’d finished his trademark dark eyes and red lips, I added a mop of curly hair and a tailor-made black shirt, and then…
Robert Smith Guitar

… a hand-stitched guitar, based on one Robert Smith actually plays!

Has anyone any ideas for other musicians who deserve to be immortalised in wool and felt? Let me know in the comments!

Explorer Beastie Rocks!

Explorer Beastie at the Volcano

Another postcard from Explorer Beastie this morning! It turns out he’s quite the amateur geologist, and he’s been spending a few days checking out all the exciting stuff his destination has to offer. In the main picture, he’s peering into the caldera of an extinct volcano. There seem to be plenty of those around!
Volcano

He’s also been scrambling through the lava fields…
Beastie Climbing Lava

… carelessly.
Tumble in the Lava - Oooops.

He even met some of the local wildlife in amongst the rocks…
Explorer Beastie with Lizard

… and discovered some interesting Beastie-sized caves.
Beastie Caves?

Later on, he found some more elegant rocks – a local green gemstone called Olivina, polished and teamed with black obsidian (volcanic glass) to make some pretty spiffy jewellery. Maybe I can expect a present…
Olivina Shop

Anyone know where he is yet?