16th Scale: My next project is to re-create the home of my childhood, complete with my Renwal furniture saved from my childhood. It's 16th scale, and I've found that it works perfectly well with some judicial 12 scale added. The older dollhouses, of which mine is, had lower ceilings, 9 ft instead of 10 ft, and the 16th scale actually looks better IMHO. I was planning to get a photopoint site, but now I'm dithering, not because of cost, but I don't like the changes they've made. I sort of like webshots, but I really need one that idjuts like me can use!!!!

Sharon in Watsonville CA

Purple Gift Bag - *I don't know what to do with a purple (shiny) bag ... Has anyone got any ideas as to what I can do to make something fun and/or lovely out of my first room bag? Any suggestions?* How about something from that terrific poem 'When I Am Old I Shall Wear Purple' There are SO many great images that come to mind from that.

Pat in SC

Purple Gift Bag: First thought I had -- How about a vineyard tasting area? I could picture a little tasting area on a veranda, little table with wine, cheese, grapes. Beyond the table you can see a panorama of a vineyard? I could see grape leaves and a trellis gracing the outside of the bag, etc.

Kim from Canada

Purple Gift Bag: For some reason when I read your post I immediately saw a purple polka dot bedroom for a teenager-sort of a 60's thing! The polka dots could be yellow! Or, it could be a lovely sunroom with pale violet shades on wicker furniture. Or a nursery done in mostly white with pale violet and pink accents. Or an elegant living room with gold touches. I think you made a great choice!

Martha

Purple Gift Bag: What a joy this would be to almost any little girl. Don't know why but little girls (and gray haired little girls) love PURPLE. My just 4 year old granddaughter included. How about a child's room. All done in shades of purple. Maybe a closet with purple outfits, hairbows, etc. Of course the inside of the bag is white, so how about The Purple Tulip Flower Shop? Or A (gray little girl) in her rocking chair in her 'Sunday Best' rocking with her cat on her lap and a tall glass of lemonade, in the garden? Have fun! You chose purple for a reason, now run with it.

Diane in SFBA

Purple Gift Bag: Off the top of my head, how about doing a floral scene, one filled with pansies, lilacs, and other pretty purple flowers. Or maybe a room scene, especially a child's, where the color scheme is purple. Or a vineyard scene with lots of purple grapes.

Karen from PA, USA

Purple Gift Bag: since you love purple, why not put all kinds of dress, lingerie, hats shoes, ladies' wear all in varying shades of purple, lilacs or lavenders? You could hang a pretty picture in the background , have a dressed mannequin in front, with hat boxes, shoe and garment boxes lying around open with white tissue paper and pretty things spilling out - someone's just been shopping. Or have little shelves against the back wall like it's a little shop. Just an idea, and probably what I'd do

Paulette in Indiana

Room Bags: Well, you'll probably get a b-zillion answers to the this question, but they are simply little rooms or vignettes in a giftbag. You cut out a 'window' in the front of the bag--I use foamcore to build the walls and floor and then slide into the giftbag from the top. I leave the top open because I like to be able to see in and it allows more light. Barbara Demaris taught a class in St. Louis and I loved her method. I used to make the 2 sides and the back separate pieces and was never happy because there were 'seams' in the corners. She taught to measure the sides and back and cut one piece to that dimension. Then, score through one cardboard covering and foam insert and NOT the other cardboard covering where the sides would fold. I use spray adhesive (3M) on the wallpaper (cut to fit the entire foamcore piece) and then stick to the foamcore. Fold the sides in and NO SEAMS in corners. The only tricky thing in this method is to remember that you have to allow the width of the foamcore (I use 1/4" foamcore) before you 'score' the sides--measure twice, cut once. I invariably will miscut and the piece will not fit into the bag. So, I have to tape the 'score' line and recut. Duh! I cover the top edge of the walls with paper because I leave the top open and I don't want to see the 'raw' foam. You can also use wood trim. This also hides the little 'L' where the score is made. Or, if you put a ceiling in your bag, the trim isn't necessary. I have some giftbags I have made on my website, Vet Bag, Sunflower Bag, Wedding Bag,Nursery Bag and then in 'My Sister's Minis' she has made a couple of rooms using giftbags. The url is: http://fayzerplace.homestead.com - -- click on the button 'My Minis' and you'll see all the links to these bags.

Fay in St. Louis

Gift Bags: You can light these bags with battery operated lights. I've made several, a ME 1/2" Kitchen, The Wedding Day, several Baby Showers ones and my most recent was a teenager's room which I made for my boss's granddaughter. If interested you can see them at: http://hometown.aol.com/muscka/crafts/index.htm

Marsha, Newark, CA

Round Room Boxes: Hatboxes, cheese boxes, a 'slice' of a barrel or keg, all make wonderful round roomboxes! My friend Lorraine found one years ago in a Rag Shop Fabric and Craft store that was covered in metal studded leather. She built a lovely ship's captains quarters in it, standing it up! She used the area below the floor as the hold of the ship and filled it with all sorts of nautical gear!

Alice Zinn- Pt. St. Lucie FL