Scottie dogs: I've had a look on some UK sites for Scots terriers, and have found set of 4 small dogs, The breeds look as though they're: Scottie, Cairn, Pekinese & King Charles spaniels they cost £4.32 p+p, they may be what your searching for. The site is http://www.Dijon.co.uk

Christine in Chorley, Lancashire, UK

1/2" scale: In reply to the request for 1/2" scale (we call it 1/24th scale) we make rocking horses and slab sided rockers in that scale, also other nursery toys in case anyone is interested.
http://www.woodencraft.co.uk/

Peter Cook

Insulating Spliced Wires: I took a class about a year ago, at Lantern House Miniatures, here in the greater Seattle area. I am so embarrassed because I can't remember the instructor's name. The class was basically soldering, with applications for stained glass and wiring, and I learned so much! The instructor insulated splices with something called "liquid electrical tape", and I ran right out to look for it and got laughed at by macho electricians and really confused people in the electrical department at Home Depot. Then I actually stopped to think, and it occurred to me that I needed latex -- essentially rubber. The false eyelash glue from the drugstore worked just fine -- just be sure you get the right one, because there are two, and you want the kind that lists "latex" as the first ingredient. You can also get latex from a theatrical supply store, where they use it for attaching fake facial hair, as well as a few other things!

Vicki

Covering Wire Splice: There are 2 products that Micro Mark sells that you could use. Neither of them are white, but I don't see any reason that they couldn't be painted. The first one is Liquid Electrical Tape, item # 82216. It only comes in black. The other one is Plastic Dip, item #82214. Micro Marks is red, but if I'm not mistaken, this can be purchased at hardware or home improvement stores and I believe that it comes in different colors. This does insulate and it is flexible.

Rusty in Ky

Covering Wire Splice for 2 Story Chandelier: If my understanding is correct, what about this solution: use the shrink tube or silicon caulking as suggested, THEN cover the entire exposed wire of the hanging light with a series of long, skinny, gold tube-type beads. This would not only hide the wire completely, along with the spliced area, but also give more weight to the wire/lamp so it hangs straighter. I've found with mini hanging lamps, the weight of the lamp itself often isn't heavy enough to make the wire hang nice and straight anyway.

Maggie

Covering Spliced Wire for 2 Story Chandelier: Yes, there is a gold chain for the chandelier but no gathered material. My suggestion about the material was meant for you to make a sleeve/cover of white material to fit over the chain. Take a piece of white material twice the length of the wire that you wish to cover and a little wider than the wire plus 1/4" seam allowance. With the right side of the material up facing you, run a thin line of Tacky glue along one edge. Fold right sides together so that they will be glued together along edge. Turn case right side out. Slip over chain and scrunch material down, you will then have a white scrunchy material covering your chandelier's chain.

Marilyn, MI

LONG CHANDELIER CHAINS: I'm not so sure that even the best soldering tech with the very finest shrink tubing can completely hide a splice along a swag chain in 1" scale. Certainly not in 1/2" scale. If you can't disguise it along a continuous chain, why not insert a finding to break up the long, continuous chain? I would consider a small "split egg" finding about half way along the chain. Split the finding and hide your splice within. Some times when a fixture hangs on a VERY long chain, the chain may come up to a branch point then continue up to the ceiling with three or four spread out chains rather than a single chain. This helped minimize swing when ventilation generated a great deal of draft in the space. An electrical splice could be hidden in the branch point finding.

Mel K. in Las Vegas

Porcupine Quills: first you get a porcupine - more seriously I have gotten them three ways.
1) Straight from the porcupine. This one happened to be down the hole in the outhouse on a regular basis eating it so I'd kick the side of the outhouse to get him out (you have to do that anyway to use the outhouse for its intended purpose) and toss a blanket on him as he'd make his exit. Then once he escaped from the blanket and scrambled up a tree (after a while he'd only back off and glare at me) I'd pick the quills off the blanket.
2) From Native American friends - quills are used a lot in native dress with tribes just east of you and north of you - they often get them from road kill
3) Native American craft supply places also sell quills. They can be very thick to very thin, long to short so you need to have some idea of what you need. The ends are always brown and so you can get interesting patterns between the off white and brown parts.

By the way when you get them wet they get soft so you can bend them and then when they dry out they retain their shape more or less. The problem is 20 years later they tend to dry out and break at any bends.

Carolyn

Acrylic Turning Material: Keith uses this technique for making some of our symmetrical originals. Some suggestions from Keith are:
- -check the ad sections in wood turning or lathe magazines for non-wood blank suppliers
- -get in touch with the Ornamental Turning Society, as they use plastics as ivory substitutes
- -search out button manufacturers as they machine plastics for their tooling-up and may be able to steer you in the right direction-unless you are going to make buttons!
- -solid Corian type counter top off cuts may be useful if you want marbled or obsidian effects
- -check Lee Valley Tool catalog. They have sold marbled pen making kits. Also jewelry suppliers, ditto.
- -other plastics to try are Teflon, Acetal, etc. Check Internet or yellow pages for plastic (rod) suppliers
- -Here in the UK there is a supplier " for alternative ivory, horn & tortoiseshell in rod, bar or sheet" called GPS Agencies Units 3 & 3A Hambrook Business Centre Cheesmans Lane, Hambrook, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 8XP Tel: +44 (O) 1243-574444 Fax: +44(O)1243-574313 The (O) is for England; you leave it out from America Mail order including postage should be bearable for small weights; one of the perks of minis!
I just phoned GPS and they also make an "alternative black grained ebony" (he experiences pain if you call it plastic) and said they usually deal with larger amounts than you might want BUT have just sent a shipment of 12" rods to CRAFT SUPPLIES Provost, Utah Tel: 801 3730919 ?? They also supply MASECRAFT SUPPLY Berlin, Connecticut Contact Bill Veley 203 2383049

Donna from Devon

London shops:
LONDON DOLLSHOUSE CO. 29 Covent Garden Market -downstairs in the old banana vault
KRISTEN BAYBARS-7 Mansfield Rd. Gospel Oak Village -London- Tues.-Sat. 11:15- 6pm.
KATE'S CORNER 93 West Yard Camden Lock Place

If you have time, you may want to take a side trip to Windsor to see Queen Mary's dh; truly a museum piece, but they hustle you past it pdq.. When the castle went up in flames a few yrs ago ( QE2 's "annus horribilus"- hope I spelled this right, or I'm for the Tower...) I must admit my first reaction was - I hope the dollshouse is OK...ETON DOLLSHOUSE SHOP is nearby. Back to London, years ago, went to the Bethnell Green Museum of Childhood; fascinating place. Hope it is still going; Pollock's Toy museum , alas, is now gone.

You may want to surf the net or libraries (Yellow Pages) for more info; and travelers to UK are advised to consult TICs (Tourist info centres) Every town & city has one; goldmines of info & (usually free) maps.

Donna from Devon