Printable projects: I need to thank all you guys for all the help with my problems with running ink on my printable brick wall paper.

I think I've found the solution. I didn't want to use card stock due to the thickness, and I really wanted to be able to 'slide' the paper into place so the bricks would line up properly, so wall paper paste was the best way to go. So, I "moisture-proofed" the printed brick sheets. First, I tacked the printed sheets to an old sheet of plywood, to keep them all flat. I laid the plywood flat on the ground to avoid drips. Then, I applied a 'healthy' coat of spray fixative. When that dried, I applied 2 coats (drying in between coats) of clear spray enamel. When that all dried, I flipped all the sheets, and did the same process to the back of the paper. (A total of 6 coatings: 3 coating to EACH side. Very important to seal the back of the paper!)

After everything had dried well, I applied the paper to the building with regular wall paper paste. Worked like a charm. Like Johnny Bench used to say........."No Runs. No Drips. No Errors."

Once I got the paper up, I did a final coat of oil based polyurethane to seal it all.

Maggie

Sealing papers: I have been reading all the posts regarding sealing inkjet printed papers so the colors don't run/fade. Has anyone tried making a COLOR LASER copy of the printed item and then using that as the wallpaper, etc? The color toner is heat set and water proof. Color copies cost in the 75 cent range at Kinko's (Anne, shall I say 3/4 of a finger - <g>) Seems like that would work. You would get a bit of color variation from the original, but just a bit.

Whui Chang

Historical hat patterns: Just returned a fascinating book to the library. It is called "From The Neck Up", by Denise Dreher, published in 1981 by Madhatter Press. It teaches full size hat construction but also has 60 patterns for headwear ranging in time from Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman, through medieval to mid 20th century berets. It even has the baseball cap that someone was looking for a while back, plus ones like a mortar board, skullcap, bishop's mitre and witch's hat. The patterns are all drafted on a grid so should be easy to re-scale. It's in my local library, so is accessible by inter-library loan.

Wendy in Clinton, NJ

Dolls' House Details: Over 500: I have this book: "Dolls' House Details: Over 500 Craft Projects in 1/12 Scale". (The author is Kath Dalmeny and it is published by David & Charles.) I really enjoyed it and pull it out from time to time for ideas. It has a wide range of minis with great directions and color photos. Plus you can see all the minis in a scene and that spurs even more ideas. Definitely worth the cost!

Linda in GA

Dolls' House Details: The blurb on the dust cover says, in part: "...no house becomes a home until all the finishing touches have been added. [this book] shows how to create these embellishments ... using inexpensive materials and basic craft skills."
Most of the finished items look very professional, although they're made of odds and ends. There are chapters on Toys and games, In the kitchen, Leisure activities, and six more. It gives templates for everything, and is very thorough. Difficulty rating goes from very easy to quite complex, the explanations are clear, and there are lots of
illustrations.

Kay in Ottawa, Canada

Dolls' House Details: I have got the book Dolls House details by Kath Dalmeny "Over 500 projects in 1/12th scale. It is a good book and very useful. I got mine from a Craft Book Club, I used to belong to.

Karen B in wet and windy Cornwall.

Wall Thickening: I fall on the side of those-who-are-bothered-by-thin-die-cut-walls. I think the easiest solution offered so far is Rik's -- lining the interior with foamcore. One thing I've always done has been to add a half inch wide trim piece to the back, open edges to give the illusion without decreasing the size of the rooms. Someone could treat the interior walls as sheetrock and extend the exterior walls with posts and beams (creating hollow, double walls -- is that clear?) before applying brick sheeting or clapboard siding.
I've used a technique for my Tudor Cottage and on my current, much despised project -- the Glencroft. Of course, it only works in the Tudor motif. I add 1/8 inch thick timbers to the interior and fill them in with TEC brand Premixed Patch 'n Repair Adhesive and Grout from Lowe's. I fill in the exterior timbers the same way and end up with 3/8" thick walls and added stability to the assembly. The grout adds very little to the weight of the house, just enough to keep it from flying in a stiff wind.

Sally Cook-Thomas

Removing hot glued shingles: One time I purchased a house from a yard sale and they used hot glue to put on the shingles I used an old iron to remove them. I would get a section hot by moving the iron over the shingles until I was able to lift them off using a large putty knife.
They came off in large sections and didn't take much time to remove. This method might even work on wall and floor joins.

Sclarise

Resin for Water: If it is a polyester resin, try to finish details in the painted base should be done and dry, first, several days dry. Then pour first layer, this should be accordance to manufacturers instructions. Since the depth of each layer of resin is critical to proper curing, pour no more nor less then it says for each layer. Castolite is 7 ounces of resin per square foot of water surface, so about 1/8" depth each layer. So if area has deep water add any rocks at bottom then put each layer(1/8" at a time) til time to add boat. Then put boat and next layer, or layers, depends on boat. Oh couple tips, do keep the room 70 degrees, while polyester resin is curing. 24 hours is good between pours, acetone removes any that may get on things it should not be on, use it before it dries, and a toothpick helps for bubbles. I hope this helps you a little, please follow the directions from manufacturer, and email me if you have any questions.

Jaime

Resin water: I did a bit of a lake under my nautical shop and even for that small area, it took 4 kits of the water resin from HBS. Depending on how deep you want the boat to float, pour a layer and then study on it for a bit. The resin takes a good 20 or so hours to dry, per layer. I thought I'd die and go to bankruptcy heaven before the lake got full. But yes, I set my boat in the water before I started pouring the resin. The fish, however, were another challenge. My fish were artificial bait from WalMart, and they just really wanted to go belly up before the resin dried. Hence, two or three dead fish in the water and one still hanging on the line ...... and only because of the line might I add.

Paula