Japanese homes: while foraging in one of my piles of books, I found the book I knew was required - The Japanese Home Stylebook, Architectural Details and Motifs, illustrations (and yes, it's ILLUSTRATED, to the max - hundreds of perfect architectural renderings) by Saburo Yamagata. This is a fabulous book. It is a paperback, published by Stone Bridge Press ($18.95)  and it has wonderful scaled drawings of almost everything you could want if you are doing a traditional Japanese house - plans, interior elevations, shoji screens, tatami arrangements, windows and doors, railings and garden stuff.....  Worth every single cent, and many more.  I got it from Amazon, but I'm sure there are other ways.

Melissa

Dolls: we have added two new dolls to our site. Just visit http://www.twinfirsdolls.co.uk  and go to our news page. We now have the Tudor, Victorian and Edwardian styles fully covered!

Roy Dean

Miniature bidet:  Here is one site.  http://www.stokesayware.com/asiaticws.htm  Another at SP miniatures: http://www.spminiatures.com/bath.htm

Nursemini

Rubber Dollies: http://www.lollyinc.com/

Nursemini, Akron, Ohio

Bricks: I rolled paper clay out thin (about 1/8" thick) and used the sawed off part of a disposable bristle brush that Rik provided at the class, and pounced it over the clay surface to give it a used and porous look. You can even gouge it a little here and there for a really used look. Then I used the little wooden thingy that Rik provided at the class to divide the clay into brick pieces. Of course you don't know what little wooden thingy I'm talking about. It's a thin wedge of wood with tapered edges. You can use the edge of a putty knife too. I was just too lazy to go out in the shop and look for it, LOL.

Now paper clay shrinks so I divided mine into rectangles,1/2" by 1", and they shrunk up okay for my immediate use. One day I will most likely experiment around until I get the right size raw, to shrink down to the right size dry. The trick is to divide the bricks first and let the clay dry, because as it dries, it separates at the cut edges.

I forgot one thing: it sticks so roll it out on a piece of glass, marble, or granite so that you can ease it up with a putty knife when its dry. The neatest thing is when it dries it shrinks like I said, and the bricks almost break themselves apart. Now that it is all dry you can apply you paints and washes, and Voila, you have some pretty nice bricks. I bet someone else has a better idea, but this worked for me.

Carol Wagner, Joshua Tree

Bricks: You could try using a thin slab of styrofoam (NOT the kind that has little "balls" in it) by scoring across it with a pencil, and then alternating vertical lines to look like bricks. Now paint across in a brick color. The scored section can be painted grey or left white.

Viola

Brick slips in UK: Standard bricks in UK are 9" x 3". Richard Stacey supplies slips cut from real bricks (mini-sized 3/4" x 1/4" x 1/16") richardstacey@easthampnett.freeserve.co.uk (Fax/phone: +441243 533132 http://www.richardstacey.com He sells at fairs and through shops - not sure if he sells direct. I think that they are available from http://www.JoJays.com and http://www.maplestreet.co.uk Both supply worldwide.

The product is a delight to work with - easy to 'cut' and (I think) looks wonderful - after all they're real bricks!!

One of his styles / colours can be seen on the Flower Shop - took nearly 2000 slips to cover this wall hanging 1/2 house (front and 2 sides). Pictures at: http://www.picturetrail.com (view album = mini-jane)

Jane, Warwickshire, UK

bricks and stone: On making bricks: I have used Das terra cotta air-drying clay. I roll it between two sheets of wax paper. Score lines using the edge of a steel rule. When leather dry it can be cut with scissors. It takes paint washing well for color variation and can be stippled for texture. I have also taken scored wood (very thin, maybe 1/32) and broken apart the strips. Painted them, snipped and glued individual bricks. These can be seen on my Colonial farmhouse at http://www.picturetrail.com/l.b.lee on the brick piers holding up the front porch pillars as well as the bedroom and study fireplaces. Then look at the stone piers under the brick ones. For these, I used the Rik Pierce techniques. Shape paper clay, stipple with a pouncing stiff bristled stencil brush and then paint wash. Both products are available at Joann.

Linda in Leroy, OH

Bricks: Here is my method for making bricks. I use Das terra cotta air dry clay. I run a small amount through the pasta machine to the thickness desired. On a sheet of paper I have drawn a whole sheet of bricks the desired size. I put a heavy clear plastic over this. The piece of clay is laid on this. I take a long straight sharp edge and line it up with my lines of bricks and slightly indent the clay. When this is partially dry I break it apart and turn it over to dry as the edges seem to dry first. When completely dry I glue the brick to the surface to be bricked after drawing lines to insure accuracy. When this is dry, I spray with a sealer. Then I mix water putty and apply as mortar, wiping off the excess gently with a wet paper towel. When this is thoroughly dry, dry brush with various colors.

Juanita in Missouri

Butterflies: I have used fine wire twisted in shapes and dipped in Sobo glue mixed with a small amount of paint for color and made butterflies...thanks to a sis-in-law from MI. I believe there was an article on this in DIM magazine sometime last year. This dries like a very thin layer of latex or plastic.

Kfurqueron