Kool-Aid Dyeing: Just to reassure the person who thought Kool-Aid dye would fade - I just received this from an email friend in the States "I'm happy to report that the orange Kool-Aid color in my husband's Broncos socks has not faded after several machine washings."

Here are some more sites that deal with it Kool-Aid dyeing
http://www.woolworks.org/dyeing.html
http://freenet.edmonton.ab.ca/weavers/dye.html
http://members.tripod.com/countrywool/dyeing.htm
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/7212/koolaid.htm
http://www.thepiper.com/fiberart/koolaid/(this one has the color photo)

Roxanne

Model Train Scales:

1/2" is G scale or 1/24.
1/4" is O scale or 1/48
S scale, 1/64
HO scale 1/87,
N scale, 1/160,
Z scale is 1/220'

Emily

Mt. Fanny Cottage Crafts: Someone was looking for the address for Mt. Fanny Cottage Crafts, and I knew I had it - I just had to find it. Now I have found it, and I can't find the e-mail from whoever it was who wanted it. (I wouldn't mind senior moments so much if they didn't happen so often and if I hadn't been having them since infancy!). Anyway, here is the mailing address for Mt. Fanny. Mt. Fanny Cottage Crafts, 904 Hill St., PO Box 53, Cove, OR 97824

Jeanne, San Anselmo, CA

MINI STORES IN NYC: I don't know if all these stores are still there but someone sent them to me and I thought I would pass them along. In New York City area:

Doggone Purrrty - 151 W 25th Street 8 Floor, New York NY 10001-7204 (212) 242-0525
Japanese Miniatures - 131 West 81st Street #4, New York NY 10024
Manhattan Doll House Shop---236 A Third Avenue, New York NY 10003 (212) 253-9549
Tiny Doll House - 1179 Lexington Avenue, New York NY 10028 (212) 744-3719
Trebor International Toy Co. - 211 West 92nd Street #60, New York , NY10025
Wendy's Miniatures - 4 Henry Street, New York NY 10956-3404 Staten Island
Auer Mini Wonderland - 28 Starbuck Street, Staten Island NY 10304 (718) 815-7025
Brooklyn Foxart - 5617 - 13th Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11219
Great Expectations - 1791 E 3rd Street, Brooklyn NY 11223-1936
Michele's Country Crafts - 2090 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11234
Nancy Nancy - 244A 5th, Brooklyn NY 11215

Leilani

1/44" scale: I don't know weather they carry micro bricks but here is a site for items in 1/44" scale. http://www.wood-street-miniatures.co.uk

Marilyn

Flowers: I've made a lot of plant with plain florist wire, and leaves I've cut from silk life-sized plants. To stick the leaves to the wire, I make little puddles of PVA glue (Tacky) and super glue, dip a leaf point in the tacky glue, then the super glue, and stick. This works really well for me, and is not as expensive.

Lynn (No E)

Good stuff: http://www.hitechnic stuff.com/products.htm Lego has an electronic wonderment of sensors and lights...Lego size, for those who need something to make something else work. The lights embedded into a Lego brick in different colors could make a lit walkway or ultra modern something. Go look and lets see what this group can invent.

Laurie Sisson

Transformers: [I went to our local Radio Shack in search of a 6 volt DC 500mA AC/DC

Adaptor for my miniature bar. It would allow me to use electric current to light the bar, rather than batteries. However, Radio Shack had only 6 V 800mA and 6V 1000mA. Using a higher voltage or higher mA adaptor will damage my little bar. So I didn't buy one.]

Either of those transformers will work fine. Excess (too high) a voltage will shorten the life of electrical devices, but having extra current available (amperage) will not really matter. The 800mA is the maximum that the transformer is capable of providing, but it will only supply the amount required by the bar. This will make the transformer a little less efficient, and you may waste a nickel's worth of electricity a month, but it won't really damage the bar.

Having said all that, now let me contradict myself. If you use a greatly overrated transformer,(like a 40 watt transformer with 1 or 2 bulbs) you may create a power spike at power up. This can shorten your devices life.

Tom Kari

AC/DC Adaptor: With regard to ac/dc adaptors, it is not the current that you have to watch, but the voltage. The current is just a measurement of how much power the adaptor can deliver. The 1000 mA one can drive twice as many light bulbs as the 500 mA one and so would be alright to operate with a system only requiring 500 mA.

It's the voltage that can do the damage. So a 9 V adaptor would quickly see off your lights. However, the converse is also true. By reducing the voltage the light intensity is reduced but the life of the bulb is extended. If you have a variable voltage adaptor, try setting it to 4.5 V. Your miniature people may not be able to see to read so much, but it can give a more romantic look to the scene.

Neil Helsby

Tapered Candles. To make mini ones try taking a piece of thread and dipping it into a small amount of melted candle wax (about 1"deep). Dip & blow on your string, dip and blow again & again until you have the right diameter. You will end up with a REAL hand dipped mini candle!

Brooke,Wa