Introducing Bronte... Our (Now) INSIDE Cat!

Bronte has always been one of those cats who is a really people cat, so he loves being inside and snuggling up to whoever is available, but he also loves an adventure outside... 

Not anymore!  Since moving into our new house in September, Bronte has been rescued from a stormwater drain not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES!!

The first time he was rescued by the RSPCA after a night in the drain, the second my hubby retrieved him after a couple of hours.  Both these times he was in the pit under the manhole - the pipes were too small for him to get through.  So although it wouldn't have been pleasant, he was reasonably safe. 

Not this time though.

This time he found a drain that had larger pipes... on a rainy night.  So Bronte spent a night in what can only be described as a grotty waterslide...

This is Bronte this morning... about to have a shower...

I think he looks a little sheepish.  :-)

If any of you have ever bathed an unwilling cat, you'll know it's not fun!  And since Bronte's needed THREE baths in the past couple of months, we thought we'd try him in the shower.  So much easier!  No scrambling to try and get out, just aim the water wherever he walks.  We tried the shower the second time he came out of the drain.  Today he needed a LONG shower!

Result...

Then we had to dry the baby...

Content (ish!) and curled up on hubby's lap. 

He'll be ultra-clingy for the next couple of days.

It's okay though, he smells like Pantene.  :-)

There She Goes!

My There She Goes stamps arrived today and I just had to make something with one of them as soon as possible!  I've based this card on a few different challenges, the first of which is the current colour challenge at There She Goes:

And here's my card!

Isn't that cat image adorable?

I'm entering this card in the Passion for Papertrey Scrapalicious Challenge - although it doesn't look like it, I did actually use scraps to put this together!  And I'm also entering the Scrapbook Boutique Christmas Challenge.  I decided not to add a Christmas sentiment, but this will definitely be a card for Christmas.  :-)


Materials:

Stamp sets - Cattitude (There She Goes)

Cardstock - Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, watercolour paper

Inks - Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Black Stazon

Accessories - Papertrey Ink Moroccan Motifs Impression Plate, Big Shot, kitchen string, dimensionals, Aqua painter

JAI45 - A Sketch Challenge

Time for a Just Add Ink Sketch Challenge!

I've used the sketch to make a Christmas card for my stash.  It doesn't get much easier than creating your own DSP with stamps!

I like to keep my cards simple... have you noticed??  ;-)  Make sure you drop past Just Add Ink to check out the gorgeous DT entries this week!

I'm also entering this card into the Christmas challenge at the Scrapbook Boutique Blog.


Materials:

Stamp sets - Season of Joy, Many Merry Messages

Cardstock - Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler

Inks - Cherry Cobbler

Accessories - dimensionals, kitchen string

Our House... The Finished Product!

Finally!  I have some photos of our finished house to share!  Well, parts of it!  We haven't finished setting up all the rooms, but I thought I'd show you what we have done so far.  :-)

I apologise in advance... this is a WHOPPER of a post!

The main living area.  It's an open plan lounge/dining/kitchen that opens out onto our deck...

The door leads to the bedrooms, bathrooms and laundry.  Master bedroom to the left, the rest to the right.

  

That's the front entrance on the right.

  

The door closest to the left of the screen is to the garage, with a cat flap so our cat Bronte can do "his business" in private!  The next door leads to the downstairs... no photos of that yet!

Speaking of Bronte, he approves of our new lounge...

I love our pull-out extendable tap fitting...

It might be sad, but I also love our pull out bin!  Makes preparation a breeze.  :-)

And I love that out pull-out range hood "disappears" into the cupboards... all thanks to a vinyl cover strip.

Master bedroom.  The doors either side of the bed are to our walk-in robe.  We upgraded to a king size bed... and now we need a new quilt!!

Master ensuite.

I won the battle for a recessed shelf...  :-)

And a separate toilet!

Olivia's bedroom.

Main bathroom.  Or as Olivia likes to call it... Olivia's bathroom...

Aren't these bird adorable?  Forgive the lighting, they're actually a creamy colour.  The gorgeous Amanda Reddicliffe sent them for my birthday.  :-)

And the star of the bathroom show...

That's the end of today's tour!  Stay tuned for more updates... I'll be sharing my craft space soon!  :-) 

Stopping The Show...

I definitely needed a boost this morning, and I got it when I read that my Four Leaf Clover card was chosen as a Show Stopper for Curtain Call Color Challenge: {ACT 56}!

Such a cute stamp...  :-)

Check out Stacey's Stamping Stage for the next gorgeous challenge!

Thanks for stopping by!



25/11/10 EDITED TO ADD:

Wow!  I was also chosen as a Pals Paper Arts Pick for this card!  Awesome!  :-)






Materials:

Stamp sets - Four Leaf Clover - My Favorite Things

Cardstock - White Cambric Linen, watercolour paper, Pear Pizzazz

Inks - Versamark, Blush Blossom, Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait, Creamy Caramel, Going Grey

Accessories - Black embossing powder, heat tool, So Saffron ribbon, Aqua painter, dimensionals

Four Leaf Clover...

As soon as I saw this gorgeous project on Mel Stampz, I knew I had to own the stamp I've used on tonight's card...

I've taken inspiration from three challenges.  The first is the My Favorite Things challenge to be inspired by the song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound Of Music.  Instead of following the lyrics literally, I've chosen to use some of my favourite techniques (watercolouring and ribbon ruffling), my favourite style (clean and simple) and my current favourite line of stamps from My Favorite Things (Pure Innocence).  You can find the challenge thread here on Splitcoast Stampers.

The second challenge is for Curtain Call Color Challenge: {ACT 56} , which is this:

I would never have put these colours together... but they're so gorgeous together!  I think that's what I like most about challenges, that you get pushed out of your comfort zone.

And the third is the Pals Paper Arts Challange to keep it Clean and Simple and use ribbon.

 
And here's what I came up with...

I find I gravitate towards watercolouring when I'm stressed or anxious.  It sounds silly, but I can lose myself in it and forget about whatever's troubling me... for a little while.  :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Materials:

Stamp sets - Four Leaf Clover - My Favorite Things

Cardstock - White Cambric Linen, watercolour paper, Pear Pizzazz

Inks - Versamark, Blush Blossom, Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait, Creamy Caramel, Going Grey

Accessories - Black embossing powder, heat tool, So Saffron ribbon, Aqua painter, dimensionals