Thin leather, gauze: beautiful thin leather at very reasonable prices can be obtained from http://www.littletrimmings.co.ukThey also sell, as the name implies, all sorts of fabrics, ribbons, threads etc. for miniaturists and doll makers. They have a large catalogue full of exciting things, including antique lace, plus buttons, buckles etc. This business is run by Christine Orchard, who recently took it over again (she started it in the first place and then sold it when she had twins) and she told me that she's going to get the website up and running so that things can be ordered on line. Meantime she's doing mail order.

I've never met her, but I buy my leather from her and the service is first class. I think they may be working on her website at the moment, but her phone no. is +44 (0)118 9473155. She's based in Berkshire, England.

Annie

Small plastic boxes: Try http://www.thomasregister.com/olc/althor/pg3.htm for small plastic boxes. I am very pleased with them.

Kaye Burlason in Altoona, FL

Fuzzy paper can be had at: http://www.paper-paper.com/fuzzy-paper.html

Alice Zinn- Pt. St. Lucie FL

Electric guitars, banjos and many other musical instruments: Go to http://www.firebirdarts.com/indexmin.shtml Another SSer (I'm sorry, I don't remember who) told me about this site and I have never seen it mentioned anywhere else. The range of instruments they have is very large. They have them in 1/6 and 1/12 scale, electric guitars, banjos and many other types of instrument. Their prices also seem very reasonable ($5 for the 3" banjo) although I have not ordered from them so cannot speak for the quality. The instruments are arranged by type rather than scale so do make sure that you don't miss one that would work for you.

Wendy in Clinton, NJ

Cakes: We were making cakes at our mini club on the central coast NSW in OZ and after the meeting of course I'm sure we all did some more at home , well I woke at 3.am  with this idea to decorate a smooth cake we had 'iced' to stamp it with a small stamp we can get a 2.00 shop, usually children's play stamps, just the right size and looks good. Not earth shattering but good if you are not an artist.

Judith

Cornish Pasties: If I was on holiday in Cornwall and bought the real thing we would have  eaten them hot in our hands as a snack for lunch. No doubt some may eat theirs differently. They were a complete meal in a pastry case with meat and vegetables inside. Made originally for workers to take with them.

If I made or bought them we would have them with thick cut chips/ French fries and peas or baked beans. Or with mashed potato, thick onion gravy and boiled vegetables. , like carrots, peas and cabbage.

For those that would like to know what they look like to make some English fare, the famous Be-Ro site has the old recipes with pictures. Look for pastry then Cornish pasty. http://www.be-ro.com/f_insp.htm

This is the book I learnt to bake with. I have several editions including the 100 year old anniversary one. The firm has been going since 1880.  So many recipes are from the original, so lots of ideas for mini Fimo food. Also on the home page is a picture of the first one produced as well as later editions.

Pauline, UK

Murals: Who ever was looking for a source of murals, check out http://www.minigraphics.com/.

Nursemini

Yard for a large house: have you thought about the possibility of doing your landscaping on removable shelves? You could attach 2 brackets to each of the legs (which would place 2 brackets on each side of the table), then measure, adding the length on 2 of the sides so that it would make a complete "square" around the house (if you do all four the same length, you'd wind up with "empty squares" at each corner).  This way you could lift the shelves off for transporting and, if you buy the kind of brackets that have 2 "keyhole" slots, you could easily remove them as well. 

Lyn

Potatoes: I make russet potatoes from white FIMO, poke a few little holes with a needle tool for eyes and bake at 250 degrees for 12 minutes. For the coating, I use ground brown chalk. Just rub the chalk over a piece of screen. When I put them in a pot with Envirotex (casting resin), they then look wet and under water. Different colored chalks have a lot of uses. I've scraped many over a screen and store in one of those 12-section plastic boxes.

Ruth

Yard for a large house: last year someone posted a recommendation that you landscape on plywood as you described, but make the house itself removable by placing it where you want it on the "property" before adding the plantings.  Trace around the outline of the foundation and remove the house.  Glue/nail wood blocks inside the traced outline plus the thickness of the walls.  Then you can rest the house over the blocks and they will hold it in place if somebody bumps the property.   Maybe you can figure out a way to combine this with using several pieces of ply that can be hinged into place -- Dr. Bob is good at this sort of planning so he might have some ideas.  But remember than once you've planted your garden, moving the property will require you to make allowance for the height of the plants so you don't smash the trees!  I find it easier to use my imagination and make the garden separate from the house, so I can store them on tv carts with the garden on the lower shelf in a glass- topped aquarium.  That way it doesn't get dusty.  Nothing sadder than a dusty garden that looks like it's part of the Dust Bowl.  My house is deco, but I don't want it to be quite that period authentic.

Loretta Sniarowski