Old Piano Keys: Could he build them up to look like marble steps? Perhaps use a feather to draw a few "marble" lines on them. Or perhaps make a stool or bench from it.

Viola

Bible Size: I don't think it's the size of the book because Bibles can be very large. To me, the scale problem would be whether the thickness of the pages and cover, etc. would be correct.

Bobbie

Pocketmail : with Pocketmail you can also send short faxes for a small fee (25 cents, I think). It's good for keeping in touch with short emails, but if you get dozens of emails a day, you will be holding the unit up to the phone for a long long time. So it has a limited use, but the price is definitely right! I purchased mine off http://www.egghead.com about a year and a half ago for less than $30 - I have the JVC version.

I think the Palm VII is a much better unit, as you can send and receive email wireless (still has a character limit - 8000 max, I think) and surf the web, but the drawback is the unit cost ($400-500)...and it only works where there is a phone signal. So if you want something to send/receive a few short emails or faxes per day for a reasonable price, the Pocketmail is a good way to go. Lots of retired RVers use it to keep in touch with the grandkids while they are traveling - just hold it up to a payphone and presto! email!

Whui

Removing acrylic paint from jeans: I have had success removing acrylic paint with methylated spirits on a cotton wool ball, just dab it on, leave to soften and it comes out pretty well. Once washed it should be removed. The stuff I removed was acrylic house paint from Dulux for real houses, I would assume it would work on other acrylic paints too. (Might help to test on an inconspicuous area first!!)

Trace

Live mini plants: If you can find a copy of the August 1997 (issue 59) magazine "Dolls House World", there is an article in there about John Chasty who makes living miniature gardens. The plants recommended are:

For trees -- - Coniferous; chamaecyparis lawsoniana, 'Ellwoods Pillar' (tall thin column), Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, 'Green Globe' (says it can be trimmed into miniature topiary), Juniperus communis 'Compressa' (light thin spire of smoky foliage)
- Deciduous; Betula nana (miniature birch tree), Salix Boydii (tiny willow), Syringa micorphylla (miniature lilac, (Ulmus X elagantissima, 'Jacqueline Hellier' (miniature elm).
- Shrubs & Bushes; Calluna vulgaris, 'Foxii Nana' (compact heather which can be planted as a hedge), Rhododendron radicans (tiny rhododendron with purple flowers), Fuchsia 'Lottie Hobby', Sisyrinchium bellum (a perfect miniature iris).
- Ground Cover; Raoulia australis, Thymus minimus, Scleranthus biflorus (the ideal miniature grass).

According to the article, John Chasty has written a book entitled "Miniature Gardening" which is available from "Miniature Bookshop". I searched for their website and found the bookshop, but no gardening book :( Maybe you can find it through one of the bookfinders though.

Tori West - Tucson, Arizona

1/4 doll sculpting: I took a workshop in sculpting a fimo doll with Cat Wingler. The most important thing she emphasized was that the oven fire clays would get too soft to sculpt the face. The way we got around this was to pre-fire some of the head.

First you buy or make the eyeballs and bake them. Next you roll an egg shape to the proper size for the head and halfway down the egg push the eyeballs in until they are buried halfway. Then you bake it. Now you can add more clay for the forehead, cheeks, chin, neck etc. and sculpt the features on the hard base.

HRKorff

Downspouts: Cheapest solution, a straw with a flexible tip, just snip to fit, put on a little verdigris and you're all set. 

Molly

Wallpaper Woes: Wendy in Clinton, NJ......."primed the wood surface with latex house paint and used Yes glue, undiluted, applied to the paper, and painted the ceiling paper with latex paint to coordinate with the walls.

The paper bubbled and buckled...." Everything was okay and on track until you applied the paint. Should have painted the paper prior to wallpapering theceiling.

[1] Cut to size of wall or ceiling.
[2] Pin down to a wax papered covered pinning board.
[3] Paint with acrylic paint as desired.
[4] Cover with wax paper and weight down with heavy books overnight. 
[5] When thoroughly dry apply to wall or ceiling.

atricia / Redwood City,CA

Crochet: I crocheted a small afghan with three strands of variegated rayon sewing thread and like the silk, found it difficult to work with but beautiful, soft and drapey.

Chrissy the Hyphenated from Upstate NY

Preventing edges from raveling: I ran a basting thread along each seam allowance before cutting and cut my seams extra wide. Also holding the fabric by the "body" part so the cut edge was away from my fingers helped hold down the raveling. The extra seam allowance can be trimmed, and when flat-felling, French-seaming or other seam finishing allows for an un-ravelable (new word?) finish without any more bulk. Overcasting in 1/12th just seems like overkill. However I have learned so much about gluing I'm ready to try it.

olegator