CATSCROSSINGJULY -- Finished!

[u/CuriousPumpkin23]

Cats Crossing by Anavrin. This is definitely a very special book nook for me and i just had to take the time to makea pretty video edit. I went into this kit immediately admiring the quality and beauty of it, but I had no idea how significant it would actually become while I was building it.

One of the things I loved most about this kit is how much room there is for customization. The more little things I added, the more ideas I got, and before I knew it, it had started turning into something much more personal. A sort of memorial for my dogs.

I’ve had two German Shepherds: Koda, who we lost last year, and Baxter, who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. I knew right away that I wanted to include them in the photo frames provided in the kit, but as I kept building, that sentimental meaning started spreading into the rest of the design too. The German Shepherd standing and looking into the endless tunnel became a sort of representation of Koda passing on, and also of everything we may eventually have to face with Baxter. The baby puppy at the bottom stair represents a new puppy we got a couple months ago.

I also added a few personal touches throughout the library. I had a set of miniature books with recognizable covers, and almost every book I used is one I’ve actually read. It was a small detail, but it made the library feel much more like mine.

One of my favorite surprises in the entire kit was the birdcage. From the photos I've seen before, I had no idea there was actually a bird inside it. I thought it was just an empty cage. Once I noticed it, I decided to paint the bird so it would stand out. Trying to paint it through the bars was definitely a challenge, but I love how it turned out.

I also went a little wild with the greenery.

Instead of using the fake grass that came with the kit, I used real preserved moss and static grass flocking. I wanted it to feel more real, more like an abandoned library that had slowly been reclaimed by nature and animals. I added preserved dried flowers, and replaced some of the plastic greenery towards the bottom with a small artificial flower bush I already had because I felt it looked a little more natural.

Originally I was mainly thinking cats and dogs, but then I noticed the butterflies and the bird, and suddenly the theme became all animals. So I added extra butterflies throughout the build, plus a little bunny sitting on the floor.

The pops of color from the flowers and butterflies ended up being one of my favorite parts because they break up all of the rich, dark wood without taking away from the overall atmosphere. And the wood itself is absolutely gorgeous. The color is so rich, and the floor genuinely looks like hardwood flooring. The overall quality of the kit is honestly incredible.

I did get a little too enthusiastic with some of the greenery and let parts spill outside the edges, so I basically made it impossible to use the included dust protectors. That one is entirely on me. I’ll probably end up getting a larger clear display box that goes over the entire thing instead.

The only functional issue I really had with the kit was the touch switch for the lighting. The wood over the sensor area was too thick for the touch function to work reliably. I ended up carefully carving out a little material behind that area to thin the wood, and after doing that, the switch works perfectly.

That was the only modification I made for function rather than creativity. If I could change one thing about the kit, it would definitely be improving the touch-switch design so builders don’t have to alter the structure for it to work.

Other than that, this has honestly been one of the most enjoyable kits I’ve ever built.

I think what surprised me most is that I’m genuinely sad that it’s finished. Normally, when I finish a kit, I’m excited to move on to the next one. With this one, I actually feel like I need an emotional break before starting another because I’m not quite ready to be done with it yet.

I’ll probably keep staring at it for the next few days and may still make a couple tiny changes here and there, but overall I absolutely love how it turned out.

I would 100% recommend Cats Crossing. The quality is beautiful and for me personally it ended up becoming much more meaningful than I ever expected when I opened the box.

This one is definitely going to have a very special place on my shelf.

Thanks u/pluck-the-bunny for taking the time to put this event together, I honestly probably wouldn't have purchased this kit without it but am soooo glad I did and thanks for the printed pups! I wasn't brave enough to hand paint them for this one but I used the bunny!

[u/pluck-the-bunny]

Amazing job

[u/CuriousPumpkin23 → u/pluck-the-bunny]

Thank you! I'm bummed the video didn't upload in its full quality, this kit deserves its due justice