A miniaturist's tale - The Small Cottage: A few days ago an ssr posted how she'd found a small dh at a thrift store and decided to make a dollhouse shop out of it. Ah, famous last words. I've been able to pick up a couple dh's at thrift stores and "have plans" for them. Then I found a cute little cottage type dh for $5 which I couldn't (of course) resist. But what to use it for? (I buy first and ask questions later). I didn't want to make a Santa house because (if I ever get around to it) I didn't want to make a seasonal scene. Then the light bulb blinketh (and blinded my reasoning). A toy shop! But of course - - fill this little cottage with toys - what a joyful, nostalgic project. Nostalgic? Hmmm, yes. I won't just have a shop of contemporary toys but will also include vintage and antique toys!

So the quest began. I started ebuying frozen charlottes to convert to antique dolls. I have a blonde, a brunette and a black doll. Then a penny doll - hm am getting an education on antique dolls. Then an interesting celluloid doll that reminded me of the same size as the doll my little sister had. Then some artisan Cabbage Patch dolls. And mini Spice Girls! And Barbie! And some more vintage mini plastic dolls that I can bash - hmmm bash doesn't seem the right word to use with mini mini people? Then n scale figures for story book type dolls. The lookout continues for a kewpie and Raggedy Ann and Andy.

If I was going to include antique dolls then I really should include dolls from around the world. So then came 3 mini French dolls in addition to tiny dolls from Japan, Russia, Mexico and Guatemala. Onward! Of course no toy shop can be without Fisher Price and Barbie items and found a bundle of their empty mini boxes on ebay. And games - must have games. Acquired another bundle of mini empty game boxes. Pretty heavy on the girlie stuff and this toy shop is for all kids so haunt Kmart for teeny vehicles. Get a wonderful mini train key chain from an ssr and mini train from ebay. Add a mini John Deere key chain. And more tractors and trucks and military vehicles. Then the dollar store has mini trick bikes and eventually mini regular bikes. And in how many colors? Well, if I'm going to have riding toys then I'd better get some of those Hallmark vintage mini ornaments – ebay sees me again. Get most of them plus a BigWheel key chain from an ssr. Add a mini Radio flier wagon.

But the dolls have needs and dollhouses are a natural. Find various ornaments over time that will suffice. Plus those weird Reader's Digest spice containers. Plus a couple from Upstairs, Downstairs in Victoria BC. Oh my - about a dozen total.    Add to that some empty mini boxes of dollhouse kits. Also remember to have a big wire basket full of balls (various mini bouncers) and a collection of mini children's books which will need a bookrack for display.   And mini stuffed teddy bears!!    And then there's some kites and a marionette and….

Of course I exceeded the capacity of that little cottage several paragraphs ago and have since mentally moved it to one of the 2 story dh's I had. Methinks this is story in not an uncommon one. And now I have to figure out what to make with the little cottage.

W. Marie in Edmonds, WA

Glass Blocks: Since glass brick(block) is translucent and not transparent I imagine that  gluing a few pieces of Plexiglas together and cutting blocks from that should   fill the bill.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

Glass Blocks: Since glass brick(block) is translucent and not transparent I imagine that  gluing a few pieces of Plexiglas together and cutting blocks from that should   fill the bill.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL

Stained Glass windows: Question:  Where do you get those great designs to make your stained glass windows?   I would love to do the same thing- print them out on transparencies and paint the colors on.  But where do you find them so well suited to the shapes of the windows?   How do you get them the right size.

Answer:  I have some excellent books with designs in them.  "Dollhouse Stained Glass Windows for Hand Coloring" by Ed Sibbett, jr., is my favorite.   This book is where I found the black-leaded window pattern I used in the Harrison dollhouses. "Treasury of Traditional Stained Glass Designs" by Ann V. Winterbotham.  has many designs, a number of them almost ready- made for the dollhouse window size.   These can be copied onto overhead transparencies from your scanner. I use either puff paint, or gallery glass for my colors.

Dolores

Question:  You asked when the large eyelets go through to the other side of the wall what do you do.

Answer:  The large outlets are used in connection with the plugs on lamps and outlet boxes.   If they protrude on the other side (in 1/8" size walls) I just file them off.

Dolores

Reflective Surface: In this month's 'Walls, Windows & Floors' (Women's Day special publication) they had a Krylon product which can be painted onto glass (maybe onto other things?) to make a reflective surface (they used it to make a glass vase into a mirror finish - tres cool).  The info phone# is 1-800-457-9566.  Sounds interesting and may be your answer.

Catherine from Toronto

Transferring A Pattern: Avery makes a removable Glue Stick. It makes any piece of paper work like a Post-A-Note. I use a 6B pencil to color the back of my pattern, just as I teach children to do in basic drawing classes. This makes a graphite back that will mark easily when pressure is applied. My pattern is usually scanned to my computer and sized to the appropriate dimensions. Using the glue stick, I gently press it in place on the item I am working on. I use a red pencil to trace my pattern so I know where I have been if the phone rings and interrupts me. This is a simple, quick way to transfer a design.

Becky Holliday

Mildew  on furniture: Wad up a bunch of newspapers and put them into the cabinet and shut the door.    Leave it alone for a few days, then remove and discard the newspapers.   The newspaper absorbs odor and dampness and will leave your display cabinet smelling fresh. 

Pam Scott

Mildewed display cabinet: Pam had a good idea for solving your problem, but in addition to the newspapers, you could unwrap several bars of bath soap and place them in the cabinet along with the newspapers.  Often people who have summer cabins on lakes in the north will leave unwrapped bars of soap in their cabins in the winter. This helps prevent winter dampness leaving mildew odor in the cabin that is closed for the winter.

Mary in MS

Mildew  on furniture: The best thing for this is sunshine if you don't think that will ruin the finish.    If sunshine is not an option, leave it out in a dry area with drawers and doors open to allow air circulation.   It will take awhile but eventually the odor will go away.

Carol