Lorna's Kindle Kovers

They say in life, there are no such thing as strangers, only friends you haven't met yet...and this i'm glad to say has come true recently. I went to an acoustic night at a local Art Cafe, three artists playing thier music in a cozy and amazing setting. One of the artists was a singer/songwriter called Jim Chorley, a lovely guy with great music to share.

Then i discover that his partner Lorna is super arty crafty (in fact they both teach art at a school), and has a blog crammed with gorgeous makes. Her textile creations are just lovely and i couldn't help thinking of a few friends when i saw these great Kindle Kovers...





How cool are they?!!!

You can see more of these on Lorna's blog, and she also has an Etsy shop here where you can get them.

Jim and Lorna are the loveliest of people, so take a trip over thier blogs and have a browse. It's not often that you get people that have thier priorities in the right order, but when your life revolves around art, music and love.....you just know things will be good for a long time! :)

So a big thank you to Jim and Lorna, it's people like yourselves that make the world a brighter place. :)

Long time no see!

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Hello dear friends! No i haven't been abducted by aliens, and no you're not seeing things with my banjo fund pot there lol, all will be explained in good time.
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So how have you all been? Behaving and still turning out fantastic crafty makes i hope? Well i've had a bit of a lull in the crafty activities latley, mainly because i have lost my beloved craft area! As some of you may know, one end of my daughers double bedroom was the craft area, but other things have taken over and it's been replaced. Sigh.
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So what have we been up to? Well to say things have turned slightly musical in our lives is a bit of an understatement. I'm starting back with my guitar learning and am getting on pretty well. As a secret bluegrass music lover, i'm also looking to get myself something i've always wanted....a 5 string banjo!!! That is what my fund pot is for at the top. So far it's not going too well, but i'll get there....this is what i'll be getting....
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Before anyone says it, yes i will be sat in my rocking chair wearing dungarees and scaring the tourists with a rendition of duelling banjos! :)

As well as that, i bought myself a Ukuelele...but it's not just me that got one....
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Yes our Maddy is a dab hand at one now too! Maddy's always been musical though so she's got a head start on me, she can hold a tune on a violin and is learning the guitar with great results.
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At least my efforts are appreciated by Maddy's daughters dog, little Mojo...




So are we good i hear you say? Well i'd like to say that the pic below is our new album cover...




However it was just a pic from a day in the rehearsal studio we had up in Leeds. Lots of fun, and it really perked up my girls interest in music.....which means that the new gear like mic stands and amps for the bedroom has taken the place of the craft table!

Maddy has been busy with her daughter Georgette too, she is doing really well with her music, she's performing at a lot of live gigs, on radio and is through to the Open Mic Uk area regional finals, if she gets through she could be performing at the O2 arena. So it's been all go here and very tunefull whilst it happens too. :)

I hope to get back to crafting again soon.....as soon as i can find a place to do it! I hope you are all well, i'll take a trip round everyones blogs over the next few days and catch up.


Take care all,


Calv.

Post-it note holder.

Hi all, hope you are keeping well and crafting loads?

Today i finished off a little project i have been working on, just a simple post-it note holder, but i wanted to test out a couple of new stamps. I made this for my lovely neighbours, they are two of the nicest people you could ever wish to meet, and i knew they would appreciate this make. The Wheel of the Year on the front shows the eight pagan festivals throught the year...i distress inked it, put a layer of UTEE on it and edged it with gold embossing powder...



I handstitched all the way around it with metalic multicoloured thread, always looks nice against a darker paper background. My neighbours love nature so i added a couple of brass leaf charms on small lengths of chain, and the antique brass srapbooking corner charms added to the nature theme with thier daisy design...

Inside, very basic, but i added another new stamp of mine.....The Green Man....

This is a beautiful stamp, very detailed compared to some of the Green Man stamps around, i got this one from the U.S....ordinarily he would be green of course, but as this was on a dark background i though i'd leave it plain....besides, unlike my girlfriend Maddy, i colour like a drunk chimp, so best leave it be i think...

Popped another leaf charm and chain through the spine....

The whole of the edge of the holder is lined in gold embossing, looks real nice against a dark background. In case you've not made these before, the holder is just a piece of cardstock covered each side with your chosen patterened paper.

I enjoyed making this, not only because it got me out of my crafty dry spell, but i know it is going to a good home where crafty skills are appreciated.

I'm also going to enter these into a challenge, Divas by design "Anything but a card" challenge...thank you to the Divas by Design ladies for the challenge. :)

Till next time...:)

Calv.

Guest designer for Papertake Weekly.

Hi all :)

I haven't made anything too crafty for a while, so i was chuffed to bits when Dawny from Papertake Weekly Challenge asked me to be a guest designer for this weeks Dads and Lads challenge.

I've never been a great one for matching colours and papers, so i just did what i liked, i like to think it turned out ok. I used the Mikey download image from the lovely Karen over at Charmed Cards and Crafts and then kept it simple with some chain and a few layers of paper and card ripped and edged with distress ink pads.....and you'd hardly notice where i got carried away with the Cropadile! :)

Hope you like it, thanks again to Dawny for inviting me to take part in this, it was a pleasure. :) Why not pop over to the blog and see the great makes that her design team have made, and even take part in the challenges yourself? By the way, i did see that Rotty got his snout in the picture too....i thought for a minute he'd been up to mischief, glad to know he hasn't .

By the way, for anyone new to my blog, i don't just talk about bees, trips to hospital and delinquant clay rats, i have on occasion been known to make cards and other papercraft items, proof being here, here and here! :)

Thanks again...

Calv.

My bees are hatching!

As most of you have already read here on my blog, i've been playing host to some solitary bees for the winter, they moved in, made cocoons.....they were even on time with the rent!

Well today i went out and saw that some have hatched and tunneled out of thier nests....



How cool is that?!!! There are about 4 0r 5 in each hole, i'm not sure if they've all emerged yet, i won't disturb them though to look.

So tonight i'll raise a cuppa to them and wish them all the best on thier new journey. It's nice knowing i did my little bit to keep a few more bees around.

I took a video too, a bried one of one of the babies emerging after hatching....heres a link to the Youtube video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwyz_9CmJNU

Thanks for looking.....i promise the next post will be about crafting. :)

Calv.

Look what i just bought!

I've been after this for ages, it's been sat in my local antique shop for a while and every time i've passed it i've stared at it like a kid staring at an ice cream! There are so many things i wanted it for, some crafty ideas. maybe some kind of storage, but most of all i envisaged it as a nice addition to my garden.

The lovely lady who owns the shop gave it too me with a big discount, which was much welcome as it was the price that had put me off getting it for ages.

I thought i might put it in part of the garden where it could be used either as a hanging basket for trailing plants, or maybe something for the birds. I love the way the top comes off so i can access it easily for sorting out or cleaning. I think this will look even more lovely when it's weathered a bit.

What do you think?

Calv.

12 x 12 storage and magazine rack.

Hi all, really quick post to show the easiest 12 x 12 project there is.....a wooden pallet rack that can take 12 x 12's and magazines, or indeed anything you crafty lot hoard these days. (Yes i know what a craft room gets like!).

So we have our humble wooden pallet....doesn't matter if some of it is beat up like this one, you're only using an end of it...

Cut off an end that is two slats thick, you can do three if you want but it's a little too deep to get the paper out....

Either leave it like that and give it a sand, or give it a little wavy effect with a jigsaw, i also carved a few notches around the edge and used a hole saw too as i like the way the colours show through from the papers and mags....like i say though, give it all a sand otherwise you WILL get splinters off of these rough pallets...

Once thats done, give it a lick of paint, and hey presto.....one quick and easy storage idea...

I fogot to say, i have'nt done it here, but don't forget to put some sort of base on the bottom, otherwise your papers will fall through....i didn't bother here as i wanted to blog it quick.

Of course you can fancy this up as much as you want, stamp on it, paint on it, do whatever you want. If it's too rough a project too have in your craft room, maybe use it in the garden or shed.

Just an idea.

Hope it gives you some ideas.....take care,

Calv.

Wooden pallet potting bench

Hi all, hope you are all well...

Yesterday i decided to alter something, ok it's not really a crafty project but it kept me out of mischief for a couple of hours. I've often read about projects made from old wooden pallets, there are many ideas out there on the web if you search for them.

So after my local hardware shop advertised free pallets, i picked up a couple and set about making a new addition to my garden....a potting bench. The project took just one pallet...

I then cut it lengthways, i made the top a little wider than the base...there were a couple of spare slats from another pallet so i used these as the supports either side and a couple more to slot into the gaps on the bench surface...

So thats the basic shape....i may put a middle shelf in there at some point but this is ok for now. I felt my garden was lacking in colour though, so i found an old pot of pale lilac paint in the shed...only did one coat as if it gets worn quickly it will add to a nice rustic effect...

I was eager to test it out, so after adding a couple of hooks underneath to hold garden tools, here is the finished bench...

Not bad for a quick little storage project for the garden. I'm just getting into gardening and it will be a great place for me to plant seeds and deal with plants. Yes i'm aware that it probably won't stay that colour long, but it's for potting plants, not for the catwalk...a little dirt here and there will be a nice addition i think.

Talking of storage, whilst i was chopping this pallet up, i looked at the holes between the main wooden supports and thought to myself, "They would make a good magazine rack". So if you look at the bottom shelf above, imagine that on it's own, turned on it's side so it's standing up, if you cut the pallet about 2 slats wide and put a base on it, it could hold magazines easily.

Maddy took one look at it, and said, "I wonder if it could take 12 x 12 papers?". Lets find out....

Would you look at that! The spaces are just over 13 inches wide, so your papers fit in there lovely. Again, picture this turned on it's side and a base put on it, you could store tons of papers here. I'll do a better tutorial for a 12 x 12 paper storage from a used pallet another day.

Thanks for looking, hope you enjoyed it. I'm now off to casualty to get my ankle x-rayed....whilst making this yesterday i twisted my ankle badly and it's black and blue and like a balloon!

Take care all...

Calv.

Better late than never...

I'm always late when it comes to planting stuff in the garden, my gardening year usualy starts around August time....i'll decide to do something with my flower beds and thats as far as the plan goes.

This year is not much different, however i have made progress with a patch i want to use for veggies. I'm so fed up with the price of basic vegetables, especialy salad leaves, so i'm getting into the whole growing lark. It will be major trial and error for me, but i have read up on a few tips from books and websites, plus i have a few people close to me who know what they are doing if i go drasticaly wrong.

So after sifting through what seems like a weeks worth of roots and stones, i now have a few small beds prepared ready for stuff to be planted. I already have strawberrys and tomatos growing nicely in the jute hanging planters on the fence and in the hanging baskets. I'm trying some upside down growning this year....

As usual the bees were taking great interest, and i had my first new resident of my new solitary beehive (yes another one...i made this one myself), so he was packing his nest nice and tight with mud and leaves ready for his babies....

We now have a sunflower competition going on, me and my girls, and Maddy and her girls (and Maddy's mum all have a sunflower seed in a pot, even the dogs have one. :) I will be keeping a close eye on the growing to make sure it's fair...i'll keep you informed of thier progress.

As for my kids helping me.....my youngest spent ages working her little fingers to the bone and produced some quality work to be proud of...

Ah well, they do say that gardening is all about love and care don't they?

Any hints and tips most welcome as i am very much a novice gardener.....also if you have any tips on how to slap blogger so it works properly for me....i'd be most gratefull.

Thanks for stopping buy....hopefully i'll have something crafty to show next time.

My bee hive update...

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Hi all, just popped in to give you a quick update on my solitary beehive that i've mentioned here before. As you may well remember, i bought the above hive and waited patiently for it's first residents....it didn't take long before i had some interest...
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This was last year, the idea is that they make individual nests in there for thier eggs. So for the past few months they've been busy coming to and fro, and this is what they've produced....
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How cool is that?.
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Each hole is full of this packaging....it is tiny bits of leaf that have been bitten off by the bee, then stuffed into the hole, then they have made little tube type things for thier eggs to go in. So what you are seeing here is about 5 bee eggs in each hole, each one carefully wrapped in leaf and pollen. Then the bee stuffs the end with leaves to keep it well protected..
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My kids were fascinated by this, as was i too. This is what i liked about this kind of solitary hive, you can take the sections off to learn about how the bees store thier eggs. So eventualy these eggs will hatch and the new bees will emerge and the cycle will start again.
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You can make these yourself, or just drill loads of holes in a log like i've just done today, it's just somewhere nice for the bees to find shelter for thier young. If the worlds bee population dissapeared we'd be in serious trouble...so i reckon this is a worthy project for the kids to folow in the garden.
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See ya soon. :)

My first ever painting.

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Hi everyone, tonight is a first for me, i painted a picture for the first time in my life, and it actualy looks half decent!

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For those who don't know me, whilst i can usualy knock up an ok looking craft project, when it comes to painting, i have always been useless. In fact, if i may quote the famous Blackadder for a second, when it comes to painting "I have all the artistic talent of a cluster of colourblind hedgehogs....in a bag!". I have never been any good with paint, so have avoided it any every oppurtunity.

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Enter Maddy....yes Maddy spent the evening with me and my kids, showing us how to paint with acrylics on canvas. This is particulary funny because Maddy has never painted before either, so she made it up as she went along. The results were very pleasing for a first effort and it has certainly given me the enthusiasm to do some more. They were not copied from any picture or anything, just made up as we went along.

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So the above painting is mine....here is my youngest daughters....she's 12 years old....enjoys art but is very self critical and like i say, has not painted like this before. If you are wondering what the "tyre tracks" are doing leading into the lake, i have no idea......they were intentional, she has a strange sense of imagination...

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Below is my 13 year old daughters first painting....she has never really been one for art, thinks she is rubbish at it and steers clear of art if she can. We always encourage her and with perserveranace she can accomplish bits she is proud of...takes some doing though....so she is chuffed to bits with this.

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I am so proud of the kids paintings, they've done a few paintings at school before, but they were typical kids stuff. This is thier first try at something a bit harder.

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Not bad first attempts considering all we used was some paintbrushes that i had in my shed which i use for painting my skirting boards with!

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A big thank you again to Maddy for being patient enough to get us through these paintings, lets just say it was a bit challenging at times.

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Hope you like them. :)

Welcome home Rotty!!!

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Aha! Look what the cat dragged in!
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Hi everyone. Well as some of you may remember, Rotty Rat has been up to all sorts of adventure over the past few months. He threw a tantrum because Calvin Mouse had a house nd he didn't, so in the end he left home. Needless to say, he's been in trouble as usual. Last week i had a letter from the police saying he had to come home. He was charged with stealing cupcakes from Calvin Mouse, and he is seriously on my naughty list!
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"So then Mr.....how are you doing? Long time no see?"
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"Oh, yeah...hi there boss...the police just dropped me off...said i had to come straight home."
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"Home Rotty? Are you saying you want to come back here after all the trouble you've caused? Look at you, you've got to wear an electronic tag for a week due to your naughtyness!" I am seriously not impressed Mr!!!"
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"Ah yeah but...i can explain boss....you see it's a funny story....."

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"Sorry Rotty..i don't want to hear it! You've brought embarrassment to my doorstep, i don't appreciate getting letters from the police through my letterbox! What have you got to say for yourself?"

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Yes i'd hang your head in shame you little scallywag! So you are expecting me to house a criminal? Really Rotty, i thought you knew me better than that."

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"But boss, you need me to guard your stash from that thieving little Calvin Mouse. You know what he's like, he's got those evil eyes, and don't get me started on his ears!"

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"Sorry Rotty, i've made up my mind...you can't stay here any more."

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"But boss....i....sniff....sniff....i need a cuppa and a decent bed....sniff.....my tummy hurts."

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"Look Rotty, grab your stuff, i might know of a place round the back where you can stay for while."

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"Really boss? Does it have a bed...coz i need a good sleep....police cells are no laughing matter you know?"

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"Yes Rotty, i hear it has a bed....come on Mr....this way..."

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"So where is it then boss? Maybe i'll ask at this house here. Bit posh around these parts isn't it...look at the size of that place!"

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"Go and ask them then Rotty, you never know, they might even know of somewhere you can stay?.

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"Hey look at that boss...that has has a plaque on the upper floor with initals like mine....how cool is that? Wonder who lives there?"

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"Umm boss....i don't understand....i knocked and nobodys in, but thats not all....have you seen this door?"

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"Whats the matter Rotty?"

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"The door plaque boss....look at the name on it..."

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"That is strange Rotty....maybe you should take a look inside?"

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"Ok boss....will do....you watch my back...."

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"Why do i need to watch your back Rotty?"

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"Well just incase the police turn up.....don't want to be caught raiding someones house again, that would be all i need."

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"Rotty you doughnut...who's name is on the door? It would be difficult getting arrested for entering....YOUR OWN HOUSE!!!"

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"WHAT?!!!! Say that again? This is my house? My very own house? You mean to say you actualy made me one in the end? I can't believe it!!!"

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"I sure did Rotty. Not that you deserve any treats after what you've put me through, but i did promise you a house a while back didn't i?"

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"Go on then, go have a look at some of your things. It still needs some things to make it more cozy, but i think you'd like it. I wanted it to have that old feel to it, just like the places you like to frequent."

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"Your very own flatscreen telly...i know you like your TV....made you some nice curtains too, and your very own furniture."

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"Wow boss!!! This is amazing!!! Look....i got my own log fire too!"

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"Certainly have Rotty, just what you need on a cold night. Already stocked up with logs and coal too...even made you a little stoker for the fire, and of course a broomstick to sweep up the mess."

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Oh my boss...is that what i think it is above the fireplace?!!!"

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"Yes Rotty....your very own piece of rat artwork by Banksy!" Just a print of course, it's hard getting him to do personal commissions."

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"Of course...i'll be the envy of the sewers with that!

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"I also made you a coffee table Rotty, and a little something on it to help you get back on your feet again."

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"Oh boss, i don't know what to say....it just doesn't get better than this when you are a sewer rat like myself!!! This sofa is great too...very comfy indeed!"
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"Yes it is, and you have Maddy to thank for that sofa, she was kind enough to donate it to you."

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"Really? That was nice of her....Calvin Mouse didn't touch it did he? You'll have to disinfect it if he did you know?"

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"No it's nice and clean Rotty....now then, you might want to take a look upstairs..."

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"NO WAY!!!! I have my own bedroom!!!!! WOOHOOOOOO!!!"

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"Yes indeed Rotty.....just look at those most excellent duvet and pillow sets that our lovely friend Nicki from Switzerland made you! Aren't they fantastic? You've also got another TV so you can watch telly in bed...and dartboard too, can't be a boys bedroom without a dartboard!"

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"THANK YOU NICKI...i love them!!! xxx ....and you are so right boss... if you notice, Calvin Mouse hasn't got a dartboard in his room....so i'm seriously starting to have my doubts about him! I HAVE TWO BEDS!!!!!"

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"Yes Rotty, just incase you have any friends over to stay".

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"Oh boss this is way too cool, you wait till i tell the other rats in the sewer, they'll all want to come and stay!"

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I'm sure they will, oh you found your teddy. Actualy Maddy made that little horse, i thought you might like it for a bit of company in your new bed."

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"Thank you so much boss....i really like my new house....might change a bit of the decor here and there but you can't get everything right can you?"

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"I guess not Rotty. Now look, you have to take good care of this house ok? I don't mind having it in my craft room so you're a bit warmer, but no wild parties ok and make sure that fire is out when you go to bed! Deal?"
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"It's a deal boss....a rats promise even and you can't get better than that. By the way, i did notice that you didn't make my laboratory and gym that i asked for, but i'll let you off as you did such a good job. All in good time eh boss?"

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"Lol yes ok Rotty...i'll say goodnight now and leave you to your new place."

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"Night boss."

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Well folks....thats that! Rotty has his house, and i think he's quite happy don't you? I hope he has as much fun in it as i had making it. It took a little while as it's my first attempt at anything like this, but i like to think it was worth it...don't you?
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I wonder how he's getting on....lets have one last peek before we go eh?....

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Big tough Rotty Rat eh....look at him cuddling that teddy lol.

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Night all.....see you soon, i'll explain a few things about the build of this house in my next blog post. Thanks for popping in to take a look. :)