Thursday, November 22, 2012

Christmas Craft Fair Success!

Monster Den had its very first Christmas stall at the Royal Pump Rooms in Leamington Spa last night and it was a great success. Lots of people turned out to see all the lovely stalls and get a good start on their Christmas shopping.
Here is my stall, Lots of goodies on view here!

It was also for a good cause as we raised money for Zoe's Place Hospice with a large raffle. Herbie the Hedgehog kindly volunteered to be given away to a lucky raffle ticket holder. Well he does have an heart of gold x

Do go down to the Monster Den and check out all the wonderful ideas for Christmas Presents! There something for everyone with fun badges to cuddly critters - plus a fun selection of decorations. Monster Den

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Bonfire Night!

Well, its almost Bonfire night - the 5th November! I hope everyone is enjoying the fireworks and Bonfires.
Herbie on Etsy


Herbie the Hedgehog would like to remind everyone to check their Bonfires for Hedgehogs and other little woodland Critters before you light them! He gets especially nervous around this time, making sure all his friends are safe and sound.



Here's Herbie (center) with his woodland friends. They are all looking for forever homes - could yours be the one?

Monday, October 22, 2012

Halloween at Monster Den

I'd like to introduce you to my Scary Pocket Monsters:


Vincent the Ghost


Only hes more of a wanna-be ghost as hes not actually dead yet. Oh and only his Mom calls him Vincent so is it okay if you call him Vince?
He's been practicing for weeks and has his scary look and 'Oooohh' just right so he's ready and waiting to haunt your pocket or bag right now!

Vincent is hand sewn and so he's one of a kind! His scary sheet can be taken off when he's 'off duty'. He is a deep funky purple colour. He is 90 mm/3.5 inch tall and perfectly capable of standing on his own two feet. His waist (round his tummy that is) measures 155 mm/6 inch so he could do with feeding up a little. 

Vincent is good friends with Reggie the Zombie, whose a nice chap really. He's hanged out with HellBoy a few times but hes a little scared of Count Draco.
Click here to buy on Etsy


Reggie the Zombie



Reggie went on holiday and got bitten it was only when he returned that he realised something wasn't quite right. He kept getting this urge to bite his friends and would wake up from his dreams thinking about brains (he even started mumbling about Brains in his sleep). 
He thinks he has everything under control now and his urge to track down other monsters and eat their brains is like totally locked down! so he's ready and waiting to roam your pocket or bag right now!

Reggie is hand sewn and so he's one of a kind! He is a sickly grey colour, with a few bite marks just just wont heal. He is 90 mm/3.5 inch tall and is pretty skinny due to his new diet, his waist (round his tummy that is) measures 120 mm/6 inch. 

Reggie is good friends with Vincent the Ghost and has promised never to bite him. 
Click here to Buy on Etsy!


Count Draco


Count Draco used to be called Count Dracula but he's a big fan of Harry Potter and really liked Draco the super bad enemy! He bought a wand too but he keeps forgetting where hes put it and secretly thinks its now in Frankie-Stein's laboratory. He used to have a castle, it had a dungeon and creepy cobwebs too, but the repayments were just too much for him on his own. He promise's he will not drink your blood (not all of it anyway) and is ready and waiting to roam your pocket or bag right now!

Count Draco is hand sewn and so he's one of a kind! He is a deathly white colour, with a super stylish black & red cape. He is 90 mm/3.5 inch tall and his waist (round his tummy that is) measures 120 mm/6 inch. 

Count Draco is good friends with Hellboy and likes to meet up with Frankie-Stein in the local whenever possible. 

Click here to buy on Etsy

Frankie-Stein



Frankie was made deep in the basement laboratory at Count Draco's old castle. He has come a long way since then - he loves to make things and tinker with machines. He often can be found behind the TV trying to rewire it to take in even more channels than you can imagine and is a bit of a computer wizard. If you have a computer or laptop and a need a little help then Frankie is ready and waiting to move into your pocket now.

Frankie is hand sewn and so he's one of a kind! He is a geeky green colour, with fetching grey neck bolts. His hair is pretty wild though and lets face it - it probably wasn't his in the first place... He is 90 mm/3.5 inch tall and happily stands on his own two feet. His waist (round his tummy that is) measures 130 mm/ 5 inch. 

When Frankie isn't re-programming the microwave he can be found hanging out with Count Draco and Vincent the Ghost.
Click here to buy on Etsy


Hellboy



He is a little red devil who loves getting up to mischief! He loves to play jokes on his friends and has often crept up on Vinnie the Wanna-be Ghost and made him jump right out of his sheet!
If you think you can handle a little devil and keep him out of mischief (or perhaps get into trouble with him!) he's ready and waiting to move into your pocket or bag right now!

Hellboy is hand sewn and so he's one of a kind! He is a hot red colour, with black horns and a cute tail. He carry's his trusty trident (useful for BBQ's) everywhere with him. He is 90 mm/3.5 inch tall and is his waist (round his tummy that is) measures 130 mm/5 inch. 

Hellboy loves going to BBQ's with his friends, Count Draco and Frankie-Stein, and uses his trident to toast the sausages! 
Click here to buy on Etsy

Pocket Monsters live off all that fluff that always seems to appear in your pockets and bag. They would appreciate it if you could drop in a few sweets* now and again though, Reggie really likes Jelly Babies so when ever you hear him muttering about brains do drop a few in there for him. 

*chewing gum however is Not a good idea though...

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

The Heli-Bugs

The Heli-Bugs are small insect like creatures from the planet Lumpet. They have a round body, a long-nosed snout and small helicopter like wings. Their wings rotate round much like an helicopter allowing them to go straight up or down and hover over plants. They dart from plant to crevice looking for tasty bites which they suck up through their long snout. The snout enables them to get into those hard to reach corners and dips.

Like the Sniffets (see earlier posts), these have been documented to come in 5 main colors/flavors but the last - 'Chocolate Supreme' is so rare it is almost mythical!

  • Rhubarb Puff - red, with a well rounded belly that is mainly air (sucks up too much gas)
  • Pink Blamange - pink, often wears a bow.
  • Chicken Korma - dark yellow, can be quite spicy.
  • Mushy Pea - green, blends well into surroundings.
  • Chocolate Supreme - Brown, rich and velvety - very highly prized!



These Heli-bugs are the main source of food for the Gulpalump. They entice the Heli-bug down onto its 'platform', which looks like a flower. Once they are in the 'critical red zone' they are Gulped down into its belly. Often an Heli-bug has escaped to tell the tale* and become a Hero much celebrated by its kind!
*usually the Gulpalump has fallen asleep and failed to notice when the Heli-bug landed.


These little pesky bugs are easy to knit and come free with the Gulpalump pattern! All you need is small 2.25mm double pointed needles and some scraps of yarn in your choice of color/flavor - which will you make? Pink Blamange or maybe the rare Chocolate Supreme!


Friday, September 28, 2012

New creature discovered on Planet Lumpet!


After extensive research I am able to bring you details of The Gulpalump!!

Species: Gulpalump


The Gulpalump is a very patient creature that will happily wait for hours (Earth) for
the next unsuspecting Heli-Bug to land on its platform. Once it has landed the Gulpalump remains very still and waits for it to enter the ‘Danger Zone’ (see details below), then it takes a deep breath sucking the silly bug into the ‘Critical Zone’ where death by Gulping is imminent.
Hele-Bugs
The Gulpalump’s main feature is its top platform which resembles a common flower on the Planet Lumpet*. It has a frilled edge with 3 zones. The outer Zone is relatively safe for the bugs - it is only when it wanders into the yellow ‘Danger Zone’ that it is in trouble. The red ‘Critical Zone’ usually means imminent death to the bug as it is gulped down (unless the Gulpalump is asleep again). 

It also has 3 sturdy legs for spending long periods of time standing in one spot as it rarely moves and 1 large eye which is often closed for deep mediation. It is believed that the Gulpalump is very wise and spends much of its time deep in thought. Many others seek out the Gulpalumps to help answer and solve their problems.

Facts:
Home: Planet Lumpet
Diet: Heli-Bugs
Temperament: Patient and calm
Favourite Activity: Having deep Thoughts (and sleeping)
Strengths: Patience, sturdy legs, thought to be very wise
Weaknesses: Often falls asleep, no depth perception

Make your own Gulpalump! Pattern available in my store on Etsy!
get the Heli-Bugs pattern for free!!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

The Gulpalump!!!



The Gulpalump is a very patient creature that will happily wait for hours (Earth) for the next unsuspecting Heli-Bug* to land on its platform. Once it has landed the Gulpalump remains very still and waits for it to enter the ‘Danger Zone’ (see details below), then it takes a deep breath sucking the silly bug into the ‘Critical Zone’ where death by Gulping is imminent. 


The Zones!
The Gulpalump’s main feature is its top platform which resembles a common flower on the Planet Lumpet**. It has a frilled edge with 3 zones. The outer Zone is relatively safe for the bugs - it is only when it wanders into the yellow ‘Danger Zone’ that it is in trouble. The red ‘Critical Zone’ usually means imminent death to the bug as it is gulped down (unless the Gulpalump is asleep again). 




It also has 3 sturdy legs for spending long periods of time standing in one spot as it rarely moves and 1 large eye which is often closed for deep mediation. It is believed that the Gulpalump is very wise and spends much of its time deep in thought. Many others seek out the Gulpalumps to help answer and solve their problems.

*Heli-Bugs have small round bodies and long noses; they have 2 wings that rotate like helicopter blades that allow it to hover over flowers. Like Sniffets they come in various colours and flavours. More details on Heli-Bugs will be available soon.
**Lumpet is in a galaxy far, far away (further than Tatooine). It is the 4th planet from its Sun and has a gravity 1.25 x greater than Earth.



The Gulpalump with his friend The Snufflelump!

Facts:
Home: Planet Lumpet
Diet: Heli-Bugs
Temperament: Patient and calm
Favourite Activity: Having deep Thoughts (and sleeping)
Strengths: Patience, sturdy legs, thought to be very wise
Weaknesses: Often falls asleep, no depth perception

Make your own Gulpalump! The pattern is available from my Etsy Shop - Monster Den!

It is simple to knit in the round using double pointed needles - so no seems to sew up. 

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Sniffets! with FREE Pattern!


The Sniffets are a type of insect that inhabit Planet Lumpet, they are known as social insects as they enjoy a good party. They live in burrows underground in groups of 10 to 25 depending how big they have made their burrow - extensions can be made but young Sniffets are encouraged to venture out and start new colonies (who wants to live with their parents forever?). Some have been known to wander Lumpet for many many months seeing as many of the sights as possible before settling down - these are considered the wisest of the Sniffets and welcomed into most colonies.

Sniffets are easily identified by their long torpedo bodies that have 2 sets of eyes and a bumper-like nose each end. It also has 2 sets of 4 legs. This allows it to change its direction in a split second ensuring it a fast getaway from its predators. It is also very useful in the narrow underground tunnels where few 'turning-circles' have been incorporated.






There are 5 main types of Sniffet recorded, these are easily distinguished by there colour, smell and taste.
  1. Yellow - Pineapple Sponge
  2. Brown - Treacle Tart
  3. Green - Apple Pie
  4. Beige - Roasted Peanut*
  5. Orange - Carrot Cake
Plus 3 rare types:
  1. White - Pina Colada
  2. Dark Brown - Chocolate Whip
  3. Blue - Blueberry Surprise
*No one knows why there is one that is savoury as opposed to sweet.

Want to make your own Sniffet? Here's how:


What you need:
  • 4ply wool (I used Jura Sunshine 22)
  • 4 x 2.25mm double pointed (DP) needles
  • Tapestry needle
  • Toy stuffing
  • Small pieces of Felt in white and black
  • Embroidery floss in black
Body
Cast on 6 sts and distribute onto 3 DP needles
Round 1 : Join in the round with a Knit row
Round 2 : KFB (Knit into front and back of stitch) 6 times
Round 3: Knit
Round 4: KFB, K1 - 6 times
Round 5 - 30 : Knit
Round 31 : K2tog (Knit 2 stitches together), K1 - 6 times
Round 32 :  Knit
Round 33 : K2tog - 6 times
Stuff body with toy filling
Cut wool leaving 4-5 inches tail, thread onto tapestry needles then draw through the last 6 sts and pull tight. Secure end and weave in. Also, use needle to weave in the other end.

Legs - Make 8

Cast on 3 stitches onto 1 DP needle work as an I-Cord and knit 14 rows.
Bind off and using the tapestry needle pull it tightly through last stitch.
Using the needle insert the leg into the underside of the sniffet about 6 stitches down from end and leaving 4 stitches in between the entrance and exit of the leg. You will need to give it a few tugs to get it through! Then just weave in the ends of the wool.

Each leg was placed with 2 stitches in between them and 4 stitch gap in the middle.

Eyes and Nose

The eyes were cut out of white felt - 4 small circles.
The Nose was cut out of black felt - 2 slightly bigger circles.

I used 2 strands of black embroidery floss to sew a french knot into the centre of each eye and then onto the Sniffet. The nose was then sewn on to the front and back of the Sniffet.

Tah Dah!!!

Your Sniffet is now done and ready to cause mischief!! What colour/flavour will you make?

Please visit my Ravelry page or Facebook page to upload a picture of your completed Sniffets! :D

Why not buy the Snufflelump pattern and make some of these cute animals too!

Snufflelump spots Yellow Pineapple Sponge Sniffet!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Snufflelumps Big Adventure!

The Snufflelump thought it was time he got to see some of the world - Earth that is.

So off he went of his first Big Adventure!!

First he went to the area known as The Lake District, he had been told that there he would find large expanses of water surrounded by lovely green countryside. He was not disappointed! He was impressed by the white animals that seemed to float across the water. They had strange long necks and made strange noises. He wanted to try out the wooden boats but had forgotten to pack his rubber ring.

After the excitement of the Lakes and as it was such a sunny day he was advised to try the traditional British pastime of having a long cool beer outside a public house which most people referred to as a 'Pub'. It was great just to sit back and enjoy the views after all that walking around a place called Windermere. He looked it up and discovered it had been around for over 13,000 years - he continued to be suitably impressed.

The next day he got to go to the beach! It was in a place known as Scotland so he was no longer in England and had travelled to a new country! He was sooo excited!
The beach was a lot of fun, it was full of sand which was very easy to dig in but got everywhere! He got sand in his feet and sand in his tail hair and even sand in his snout! He went down to the sea and saw how it moved in and out. He was told this was due to the tide and also was under control from the Earths Moon. He found this hard to believe and wondered if the Moon had a remote contol like he had seen for the TV.
The Snufflelumps adventure wasn't all play though, next up he went to find out about this guy called Robbie Burns. He was an important man that was very popular in Scotland. He was a little disappointed that he was no longer around but got to visit his house and found out all about his poems and music.
The Snufflelump returned home and was so happy to have seen so many things and loved his Big adventure!

Make your own Snufflelump! Relive his adventure and create many more!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Sufflelump Pattern now available!

Yes! its true :) The Snufflelump is now ready and available as a pdf pattern to buy.

Do visit my Etsy shop and check it out : http://www.etsy.com/shop/MonsterDen

Friday, July 27, 2012

The Snufflelump


The Snufflelump is a friendly inqusitive mammal from the planet Lumpet. Its most obvious attribute is its remarkable snout! It is used to sniff out, and indeed snuff out, the insects known as Sniffets' which is its main food source. It has a very powerful sense of smell and can detect the Sniffets* from more than 2 (Earth) miles away. It uses its snout to create an air tight seal over the entrance to the Sniffets home and then sucks out the hapless Sniffets! A Snufflelump has suction power much more powerful that even the best vacuum cleaners on Earth.
The Yellow 'Pineapple Sponge' Sniffet
 

The Snufflelump has 4 small legs and so rarely reaches speeds of greater than 2 miles an Earth hour, but then it prefers to leasurely walk around taking the time to sniff the flowers. It has large eyes which allows it to see the sniffets and there often concealed home entrance. It has a striped band around its middle which makes it quite fashionable amongst the animals on Lumpet. The female Snufflelump is more inteligent than the male enabling it to be better at the game of Hide and Seek (a Snufflelumps favourite pastime).


Facts:
Home: Planet Lumpet
Diet: Sniffets
Temperment: Very Friendly
Favourite Activity: Hide & Seek
Strengths: Excellant sense of smell, Suction Power, Good abilty to hide
Weaknesses: Slow runner, poor hearing, forgetful

Snufflelumps will soon be available in my shop - Monster Den!

*Sniffets have a very distinctive smell, dictated by there colour. More details on Sniffets will be available soon.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Where has all that time gone?

Gosh, its July and I havent done a blog in months and months! Where did all that time go and why havent I been blogging?! I guess I just wasn't sure anyone wanted to read my blog and I just kept putting off posting the next one. Well its time to get on with it and put all my next exciting story!

Just to make sure you know the Monster Den has been up and running in Etsy all this time and I have made lots of cool items some of which have sold :P

So, the next post is going to be about a new monster I have created called the Snufflelump....

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Totoro Plushie Update

In my previous post I said I planned to create Chu Totoro (blue) and Chibi Totoro (white) to go with Totoro (grey) as he turned out so wonderful. These are now finished!

You may be wondering who is Totoro and why do I keep going on about him? Well I only recently watched 'My Neighbour Totoro' a delightful japanese animated film by Hayao Miyazaki and just loved these characters.

Chu Totoro is the medium sized blue rabbit-like spirit that is first seen carrying a sack of nuts. I made him out of this fun bright blue turquoise felt and gave him a white belly. He turned out really cute:

Chibi Totoro is the smaller white rabbit-like spirit that is first seen in the film. He helps Chu collect the nuts.



These are quite small and available to buy together in my shop on Etsy. Here they are together:

Grey Totoro has now sold and so I need to make another! I think I will try him with his big smile this time!

Next post should be about Brown Bear!

Kindle Covers Update!

I now have 4 Kindle cover designs!
I made the Totoro cover - the large Grey one that is known as the Keeper of the Forest. He has a lovely padded belly and cute ears sticking out at the top!

and I made Chu Totoro - the smaller blue one that is first seen collecting nuts in the film.
I then decided I needed to make a Domo Kun case as I love this character too!
Lastly I did a Pac Man case as I had this requested by a friend! The Pac man is padded too so offers some cushioning for the kindle and makes it look extra awesome!


I hand sewed the features onto all the cases and used a machine around the kindle case edges to ensure they were strong. I hope you like them - they can be bought in my Esty shop - Monster Den:

Monday, January 16, 2012

Creating Fun Kindle Covers!

I recently got a Kindle - the smaller one without the keyboard bit, and thought it would be a great idea to create a cover for it. At first I thought a monster face would do the trick but then I watched My Neighbour Totoro and knew it had to be a Totoro case!! I love rich colours especially blue and so designed it based on the Blue Totoro.
Here it is:


Its made out of felt and I hand sewed the eyes, nose and belly on. The belly is lightly stuffed so its kinda cuddly :D I machine sewed the edges to make sure it would be sturdy and added ears!

Do you like?

I then had to make a Totoro plush! I did a grey one from felt - its totally handswen - no glue anywhere. I made a separate leaf to pop on his head.


These will be available to buy in my shop  - Monster Den on Etsy.
I am now making the Blue Totoro plush and maybe the White one too!

Progress will be reported in my next post!