Fire Retardant for Show Tablecloths:
FIRE RETARDANT D-I-Y MIXTURE:
The Phoenix Fire Department gave me this "recipe":

7 oz Borax (laundry soap aisle at Supermarket has it) added to 2 quarts warm water. Make a paste of 3 ounces Boric Acid (pharmacy has it) and add to above. Wet cloth & dip in the solution. Hang to dry. Must be re-done after each washing.

Notes from Debbie's personal experience: MESSY MESSY MESSY!!! Use a large bucket and work outdoors! Use a stick to stir the solution which likes to clump and not mix in well. Hang soaked cloth to dry outside. This will make it stiff when dry, so you'll need to iron it. Next time, I will look for commercial spray-on retardant or search for material such as that used in Children's Pajamas (must be fire retardant by law.) Some shows allow the disposable plastic tablecloths in lieu of fire retardant cloth ones. Check with your show promoter.

Debbie Jones

Fire Retardant: CIMTA requires that all covers be fire retardant. Several years ago they suggested several different ways to make your table covers fire retardant..
1. A Borax and water mixture sprayed on the covers. I don't remember the exact formula.
2. Fire Retardant Interior Spray (for unfinished wood, fabric & paper) - water based non- toxic - Reorder #702032 - Fire Project Safety, Inc., P.O. Box 14342, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Phone # 1-800-468-2876 .

Eileen Vernon

PaperClay - I use PaperClay all the time, thanks to Rik Pierce and other SSers that suggested it to me. It is a paper based product, and is great to work with. It is more for sculpting than for making food and such with. I prefer it to poly clays because I like the texture much better.....doesn't feel like I'm sculpting silly putty. It is an air drying clay, but you can bake it......250 degrees until dry, and doesn't "burn", even if forgotten for many hours (don't ask....let's just say I know this from experience and leave it at that! LOL) It takes paint and paint washes very well, and I've also used wood stains, antiquing gel, and even diluted food coloring with good results. As to texturing it....go to town! I've used a the end of a piece of wire, a dampened stencil brush, even a dry finger pounced over the surface lightly will give various textures. If you want it smooth and porcelain like, wet your finger and smooth over the top....you can also use a small piece of cosmetic sponge. BTW, it is nothing like paper mache.

Sloan

Crumbly Fimo/Liquid Sculpey: All I can say is to hang in there. You might try, as some folks do, using a small heating pad to warm the Fimo, because it's mostly warmth that stops the Fimo from being so crumbly. The softener does help, but you still have to knead a lot. (And, no, I don't think that you can use fabric softener...or rather, you could try it, but I don't think it would have any effect at all.) I have Fimo that is years old, and using the Fimo softener definitely does help to bring it back. Here is one of the best sites I've ever seen on polymer clay:
http://www.glassattic.com/ This has so much information on all of the clays, including preparing the clays, and for Judie, who wanted more information on Liquid Sculpey, they have that too. Wonderful site for anyone working, or wanting to work, in polymer clays.

Kaye in L.A.

SCANNER Quits: A tiny hint about maybe fixing your flat bed scanner.... if it stops... but sounds like it wants to go... unplug it, take the cover off. Unscrew two screws near the cover hinge and lift off the glass scanning bed. Look inside and you will see a chrome rod that the scanning mechanism rides on. Rub your finger on it and see if it feels dry. If so, get some 'White Grease' (comes in a tube at most hardware stores). Rub a light coating of this on the rod. Gently (Very Gently) pull the notched rubber belt with one hand and assist (Very Gently) the scanning mechanism to move forward. (This is a tight belt, and sturdy mechanism, use a bit of muscle, but be slow about it). There are a series of plastic gears that assist this process. Keep all your movements very gentle and slow. Grease behind the stopping place for the mechanism... lightly. Then clean the glass, replace the scanning bed, re-screw and plug back in. If that was the problem. . . it normally is... you're back in business! You've just saved yourself about $35 in tech charges for fixing something the factory should have seen to in the first place. Dry sliding rod and tight fitting cork bushing makes the scanner mechanism stick!! I even found dirt on the rod and some lumpy sticky stuff just where the mech. was stopping. . . this is the reason for that LOUD Clicking sound when you scan too!! The belt is slipping over the cogs. . as it scans. This will ultimately wear out the belt and damage the gears. Grease it!

Judie - Daytona Beach, FL

African dolls: looking for African dolls, if you want doll kits to make yourself with African skin tones, I believe Dana & Gwen of www.miniatureart.com will be able to help you. They made me an Asian lady kit and two Asian girls kits. I just looked on their web site and chose the doll kits I preferred, and they were made in Oriental colored porcelain just for me! Cute as a button! And the kits are wonderful - lots of materials in case you "mess up" and easy to follow instructions.

Whui

Wax dolls: Heidi asked about wax dolls as were made in days of yore. I was reminded that I have seen large porcelain dolls (we are talking close to life-sized here) who are coated in wax. They have a thin wax coating over the porcelain. Their "skin" glows with a depth that is very life-like. I wonder if you could take a miniature porcelain doll and buff it with paste wax (available at hardware stores) and get a similar effect? You may want to tint the wax to make a rosy glow...
I did a search in Google ( http://www.google.com ) for "wax dolls" and came up with these promising sites:
http://www.sowatzka.com/dolls/wax.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/3808/lmakwax.html
http://www.hattonsgallery.com/antique/wax.cfm

Anne Gerdes

Fringing carpets: Janet Granger's book has very clear instructions for fringing stitch, Even I managed to do it right! Miniature Needlepoint Carpets by Janet Granger ISBN 1 86108 023 9
It has lovely patterns too.

Betsie

Chenille: Chenille is a thread, a fabric and chenille stems (which are made of something completely different) are pipe cleaners, both the kind for pipe and the many kinds for craft use.
The thread: actually more of a yarn, you can find it in yarn shops and Wal-Mart craft dept.
The fabric: Think bed speads and bathrobes. This is usually in rows, and would not be suitable for using for fake fur.
Pipe cleaners: I cannot imagine making furs out of them, Most these days (except for the ones made to really clean pipes) are synthetic and bristly.

Alice Zinn

Faux Fur:
http://www.dollsinminiature.com/index_e.htm
http://msatminidolls.minilists.com/index.html
We have experts in this field who comb shops in Europe for the perfect material. We do not have to reinvent the wheel on this Mink Question. Or patterns for that matter. I have given two sites. The first is a lady in Belgium who carries wonderful findings. The second is an alphabetized list of doll makers and people who have specialties such as leather or feathers to be used for doll making. The MSAT mini dolls list is a great resource for people in any stage of making a miniature doll who might need a hint or two. They also run a contest using the same format every now and then that keeps things interesting. I play there often.

Laurie Sisson