Working grandfather's clocks: As someone pointed out Orvin Fjare does make some beautiful grandfather's clocks which are quite pricey. I have one (not for sale) in my dollhouse which you can see at http://www.spminiatures.com/house/livingroom.html. There are working grandfather's clocks that sell for about $70 which I think are in Dee's catalog (too lazy to look it up).

Carol

working grandfather clock: I found a web site for a craft store called Crafts, Etc. that has a working grandfather clock. They are temporarily out of stock, but maybe they will get some in soon. It sells for $24.99. The web page address is: http://catalog.craftsetc.com/viewProduct.cfm?item_id=378278.I just placed an order with them today on the telephone, and they were very nice to deal with. They have quite a few miniatures listed under the crafts section of their catalog. I hope this helps the person who was looking for the grandfather clock.

Terry T. in WV

Working Clocks: Someone was asking about working grandfather clocks. Try Small Time: http://www.small-time.com/

Colin Bird

working clocks: Both Dee's and Aztec have working grandfather clocks. They are usually in the $40 to $70 range and look very good. The working part is a quartz watch. I think one of them even has a working mantel clock. Contact your local mini store to get them. I keep them in stock all the time and think most other retailers probably do, too.

Dottie in Tucson

Snow: Snow is easy to do - you can build up drifts or snowmen or whatever with PaperClay, foam core, etc. When you have it shaped the way you want, apply a layer of Snow-Tex or Outdoor Snow decorative snow (comes in a 4 oz tub and can be found at craft stores or places like Wal-mart) The most effective touch is to buy the most ultra fine iridescent glitter - so fine it almost looks like powder - in a tiny glass vial - and sprinkle it on the wet snow. It looks very realistic. You can also create patches of ice for your mini people to fall on with Envirotex - just pour it on areas to simulate ice. I used this technique for a pheasant woodcarving and it turned out very effective - except no one believes it is real snow when it is 90 degrees outside...

Bonnie Gibson - Tucson, Arizona

Lit candles on Christmas trees : way long years ago, I did one of these - a tree with lit candles. I used strings of 1 1/2 volt bulbs - the really tiny ones, and strung each one through some plastic white tubing (candle part) with a gold sequin on the bottom for a cup. Now, I don't recall how many bulbs to a string - and you don't need a lot of these for the lights to be very effective. Consult with a Cir-Kit catalog for instructions - they sell all kinds of bulbs and know how many to run on a string and what wattage transformer to use - ( you can run several strings of these small bulbs from a medium size transformer -as well as other fixtures. (just remember this is "series" lighting, and if one goes out they all are dark).

Phyl in Kentucky

Christmas "whirligig": Mel K. said his wife wanted "one of those wooden, candle powered, Bavarian, Christmas whirligigs.'" The article Wanna in El Paso was referring to is in Nutshell News, Dec. 1985, page 98, written by Dee Snyder It is called a "Weihnachtspyramide". Now let's hear everybody pronounce that one!!.

Ruth

Chariots: Fontanini has a Roman chariot in various sizes (they do religious scenes, but also scenery which is secular because except for the burning bush how religious can a bush be?) but I can't remember if the chariot has a person permanently in it.... The web site is   http://www.roman.com/fontanini/fonthome.htm

Religious stores and some gift shoppes which specialize in 'collectibles' carry Fontanini and it is fabulous, although I have to admit I've never thought of belly dancers.  Now of course I won't be able to look at even a palm tree from the collection WITHOUT thinking of belly dancers!   Thanks, Sandi Fellmer!!   LOL  :-)

Gail from Ballouville

Gluing Jig: The gluing jig was from Designs by Dann (Betty and Steve).   The address is

6408 Sunset Terrace,
Des Moines, IA 50311. 
Email is desgnbydan@aol.com

Quinn

Wonderful looking fluorescent lights - sadly they are fairly "not cheap" http://www.members.shaw.ca/ptuckerr/lightsintro.html

Sandra in Wellington, New Zealand