Friday, November 7, 2008

a little bearded dragon tangent

I've been really distracted from my normal crafty hobbies lately. I'm getting a Bearded Dragon (an Australian lizard) and I've been intently planning and constructing his future home.

Bearded dragons get up to 24" long so they need a fairly good size enclosure 2'x2'x4' is recommended. So... that's what I"m building.

Currently it's in the staining phase. Here's what I've learned thus far:

1. Sketch-Up is the BOMB!
2. a power sander is a gift from god
3. in projects like this expect to visit Lowe's or Home Depot daily
4. Things always cost WAY more then you plan for.
5. Read the putty CAREFULLY before applying. If it warns that it won't stain evenly LISTEN!
6. Slate is really pretty ... and if you're lucky you can open the boxes and mix and match to get just the best ;)
7. There are MANY kinds of grout.
8. Boys like to play with electricity (but at least it means I don't have to do the wiring)

The BF and I went to a "rock store" and got some really great rocks for decorating the enclosure (termed a Vivarium) and I'm also planning to make a stump like climb for the little cutie.

Here's a picture of the dragon I've got on hold!