Slicing polymer clay: Having made mini foods in the past, I would suggest that for things you want to slice (like your candies) that you bake them, not boil them. Boiled clay tends to be very brittle and I'd recommend it only if you don't have access to an oven. Put the candies on a baking sheet lined with tin foil or on an old pie pan and bake, then while they're still warm, slice them quickly with a SHARP, new razor blade. If they look whitish or cloudy, or are crumbly, pop them back in the oven and bake a few minutes more, then try to slice again. If the canes get too cool as you're slicing them, you can warm them up in the oven again, then continue slicing.

Celeste in Boston

Copying: I was told in a workshop on the Business of Art that if an artist uses an idea but changes it by 30% or more, it may be con-sidered out of copyright. When a book on technique is published the author expects you to use the techniques and the art work may be a springboard to your own creative work. When you look at another artist's work and say, "oh I can do that," and then you go home and copy it exactly (or almost), that is true copyright infringement. Why would anyone even want to copy someone else's work and call it their own. That person must be very insecure - to want praise and adulation for something someone else created.

I once did a pen and ink drawing of a hula dancer using a photograph in a book. I believe it was changed by more than 30% but I did send a photocopy to the photographer and asked him if I might use it. He said he would consider it copyright infringement and of course I never did use it (except for my wall).

If you are just learning how to do something, like making dolls, practice using the techniques you learn from someone else, and then try making your own. It probably won't come out perfect at first, but the teacher learned by doing it over and over, and you will too. And then you can be very proud because that work is truly yours!

Jacqui in Hilo, Goddess of Chaos

Copyright: If you modify the item and it is changed in a way even though it performs the original as the original; modification is the basis for patent application. To make an existing product work better or more efficiently But if you do not change the original fabrication and incorporate it into a larger piece of work than the permission or licensing from the holder of the patent or copyright must be obtained.
This is my understanding having gone thru the patent route.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

For anyone interested in combining dollhouse stuff with dolls, Seeley is also issuing a body where the skirt opens to reveal a couple of shelves- I immediately saw miniatures where they had a child's toy kitchenware. The doll would be about 17" (the body is 13"). Seeley has a web page - have them send you the flyer - it would make a really different
"roombox"! http://www.seeleys.com

Ana

ProSculpt: Maria asked if anyone had used ProSculpt ( a brand of polymer clay) I have. It has its good and bad qualities. I found it a bit too mushy, especially if you want to use it in a mold. But the color is great, especially, the one they call 'ethnic'.

Alice Zinn

Pro Sculpt: Yes, I use Jack Johnston's clay Pro Sculpt regularly for doll making, as part of my clay 'recipe.'. It's an excellent product with a very life-like coloring. However, the translucency can be a problem for tiny dolls. I found that when using ProSculpt alone, the small facial details tended to get 'lost.' When I've done is mix three clays (and someone will rap my knuckles for mixing!) because each provides a different property, either matte (reflective) quality, translucency or flexibility when sculpting.

Here is my recipe: 1 part Puppen Fimo plus 1 part ProSculpt. Blend well. Add two parts Premo (another polymer clay) and mix well. There is the tendency to get the dreaded 'half moons' (little white spots which look just like their name) because of air trapped beneath the surface of the clay when baked. I try to keep this down to a minimum by kneading and kneading. Also, I don't bake the clay for as long as the package suggests. In the lighter colours, I find it darkens too much. (ie. looks burnt.)

Diana in Canada

Prosculpt polymer clay: I use it for all my miniature dolls and it is brilliant stuff. Once it is baked, I go over it with acetone to remove fingerprints and then I use Aquaclour which is a theatrical make-up and brush that all over. Then I leave it for a couple of minutes and wipe the bulk of it off. Any problems with translucency are removed this way. It also 'primes' the clay so it takes acrylic paints better, and settles into creases, lines and features - gives the dolls more life. This is a tactic I gleaned from my all time favourite book on mini dolls - 1/12th scale character dolls for the dollshouse by James Carrington. One I recommend anybody interested in miniature doll making should buy!!

Trace

Inexpensive Mannequins: Dolls & Miniatures magazine had instructions for making your own mannequin in the Spring 2000 issue (http://www.dollsminiatures.bigstep.com) . You just use a dime store plastic doll (often available at craft stores, or bakeries) as the main part (after removing head and legs & arms -- and then contributor then shows you how you can use those discarded parts) and glue it to a Styra cone. Very easy and very inexpensive to make. Can be painted with a flat paint to lose the plastic look; although very little of a mannequin "shows" after it is dressed. I thought it was really very effective as a mannequin.

Viola

Inexpensive Mannequins: The only one's I've found are in kit form, made by Chrysnbon and distributed by Dee's delights. I buy them through my local mini store. You can contact Jerry at Dee's to ask where they are in your neighborhood or, if none, I suspect that Tom Berkner at Earth & Tree Miniature carries them. They come 2 to a kit, are very easy to assemble, and the black plastic can be painted or covered in fabric. (I've done both and they look quite nice.)

Rosemary in Cleveland

Closed umbrella: The easiest way to make an umbrella is to cut a circle of appropriate size (either hem it or glue lace all around. Then run a gathering thread about 1/2" or 3/4" from the top. Now poke a hole in the middle of the circle and poke the umbrella handle through it to the other end. Glue beads over both ends of the handle. Pull the gathering thread tight and tie off. Then twist (and glue) the circle around the handle.

Viola