Chopper II: I have the Chopper II with the replaceable self-healing pad in the center and noticed this morning I needed to turn the pad one turn so that there was a new surface under the blade - and it would be the last time I could do that. HOWEVER...it dawned on me that if I cut a half inch strip from the pad (I used my scroll saw - you can follow the grid on the pad for this), place the pad back in the Chopper II but move it all the way over to the right (OR the left--whatever) then simply tuck/squeeze that cut strip into place, and, "Voila" --- you now have another new surface to cut on. I would think you could do this several times with that same pad, making sure the pad/cut sections are always flat. This will definitely extend the life of each pad.

Bonnie Soucek/Normal IL

New Glue: I just discovered a New Glue!! New to me anyway... Made by Loctite (there's a clue) Wood Worx. Comes in a tube like toothpaste. The caption says it's a new thicker formula... I think it's kind of thin, but they like it I guess. I've used it on books, fabric, wood/metal so far and I really like it. Claims to bond in 7 minutes and dry in 24. I find it grabs in a few seconds and sticks great while still making it possible to move the surfaces around slightly for a few seconds. Price at Lowes $2.95 tube. It's a bit opaque tan color when wet, Dries nearly clear. Water clean up for wet glue (as on paintbrush) Nail polish remover for dried glue. I rather like it. . I use a toothpick dabber and for really tiny glued spots this rather thin formula is neat, it holds good and seems a nice well behaved glue.

Judie

METAL CUTTING TOOL: There is a tool called a "Nibbler" which does a very nice job of cutting light metal without distorting the metal, guiding your hands to laceration, or requiring all work to be near an edge. Nibblers come in power and hand models. The hand model may be difficult to find but is worth the search. Mine came from a LARGE (Not Radio Shack) electronics supplier who sells them for prototypes to make cutouts in chassis boxes and such. You need to drill a 3/8" starter hole after marking the perimeter of your cutout. Insert the cutting head through the hole and line the cutting mouth to your line. Squeeze to remove a tiny rectangle of metal, move, squeeze again, and so forth. It is spring loaded to open when you release. The process can be slow but is neat and easy. Work over a newspaper (or a Florida ballot box) to collect the chad for disposal somewhere other than into your bare feet in the middle of the night. Unless you are far more precise than I, You will have to dress your edges with a file or emery cloth when finished. The raw edge can be sharp but a bit of rubber wire insulation split lengthwise and peeled from the wire can be set over the edge for protection.

Mel K. in Las Vegas

Metal Cutting Tool: A great tool for cutting tin is in Micro-Mark catalog. #60662 Metal shear. It works on a nibbling idea and cuts out a path for itself as it goes. It doesn't distort the tin as much as a regular shear would. You first need to drill, cut or punch a starting hole in the side of the can or tin to get started. This starting hole is based one the idea of the inside of the section to be removed. Such as a window or similar opening. I prefer to cut the opening a little smaller to start with then trim and file it to final opening size. CAUTION. Tin is sharp and sneaky. It can grab, stab or cut you when You least expect it. But tin is my favorite media to work in. I usually teach it in some form at the Guild School each year. I know this may sound like bragging but I think I turn out some of the very best tin miniatures out there. That is my goal at least.

Bill Hudson

Fibre Optic Fireflies: I have been working on a project for my parent's 50th wedding anniversary, using fiber optics. Thanks to Alice Zinn, (hope I'm right on this, as I had a 'puter crash, and lost all saved stuff) I found fire works from Dept. 56 to use in my beach scene. My parents are taking 40 of us to Cape Cod to celebrate! I bought 2 sets of the fireworks, and made my own very large 50 in the center, using fiber optics I bought on-line. I am using a (kit-bashed) poinsettia plant from K-Mart that had fiber optics, just for the base & lights. I made my own color wheel to replace the red/green/white, yellow lights that came with it, using gold and black, to have the 50 light up then shut off. (I know this sounds complicated, but I am not an electrical engineer, and did it! LOL!) Forfireflies, I would get very small diameter fibers, and try to find a small blinking white light, preferably 2 or more small lights that blink at different times. I think that would look more natural, just like real fireflies, some blinking in one part of the yard, then the next. You need to get End Light fibres! You don't want the whole length of fibres to light up, just the tips. You can easily hide the fibres under grass, bushes, etc. (I poked holes in the back of the box my dollhouse came in, that I'm using for the scene, as I needed a very large one, to hold 40 dolls, to make the 50, and also to poke the ends of the fireworks through. I have exactly one week to finish this, and will let you know how it turns out. Just remember I'm winging this... I'm not an expert!

Cindy in MA

Flower making paper: As far as I know, any kind of dyed paper will fade. Many people say it won't but my feeling is if I am going to put in the time, I am going to hand paint the paper. Flower making is very time consuming since you are making them 1 petal at a time. When I started designing laser cut flowers, I had them cut with 2-3 petals together. For example, my orchids have the 2 side petals as one piece and the back 3 petals as one piece. I did this after I taught a class and people were having a hard time putting so many petals on straight. The best paper for flower making is Japanese silk/cotton art paper. If you need to know where to get it, e-mail me. marykinloch@att.net

Mary Kinloch

Silk Flowers: you asked about using silk flowers to make mini flowers. this is one of my favorite ways to do flowers because the colors are so wonderful. I have had very little luck punching petals and leaves but do hand cut them using a card pattern. I have found that careful examination of the full size flowers will reveal pieces that can be cut off and reassembled into minis.

Susan in OR

Creating Sand: I took a Pat and Noel Thomas class (see finished "The Garden Shed" under "My Miniatures", plus a bunch of my other miniature projects in various stages of completion on my website) and the way we did landscaping was to mix fine sawdust with lots of Elmer's Glue and a little water. Spread it out in the area you need and sprinkle with lots of sand while glue is still wet. I placed small shells, driftwood etc. into the sand while it was still wet. Make sure your base is sturdy as it has a tendency to curve a bit from the moisture. It takes a couple days to dry thoroughly. If you plan on using this technique to make dirt, they mixed their "Bug Juice" in the sawdust first to darken it (I recommend this), then mix the glue in, spread it and sprinkle with lots of fine dirt. If you would like to see a finished sample of the "sand", please check out my new website at http://www.the-china-doll.com it features my miniature porcelain dolls. Look for "George" laying in his hammock, in the last pages of the adults.

Connie Sauve

MIXING DECIDUOUS WITH CONIFERS. YES YES YES!!! Around the mountains here in Nevada, Pines are by far the mightiest trees but mountain mahogany, manzanita, scrub oak and others abound immediately adjacent. Most notably, white trunked Quaking Aspen groves are prevalent near the water. Don't forget berry bushes which can offer brilliant sparks of color in your setting. (Not to mention appropriate hiding places for fire fly tubing).

Mel K in LasVegas

Trees. I have a southern mansion (you can see it on my website) and I needed big trees since it is three stories. What I did, was go outside in the woods and look for branches to be the trunk and branches of my trees. I used that moss stuff the railroaders use for the leaves but there is no reason if you want to sit and put the leaves on one by one that you couldn't. Real tree branches give one of the most realistic looking trees. IMHO.

One problem is how to attach them. If I knew then, what I know now, I might have tried some different ways to attach them to the ground/board. I used those Styrofoam balls cut in half glued to the board and wires for the largest ones to keep them from falling over. You don't notice the wire if you use the green ones. I had used that indoor/outdoor carpet that looks like grass for the lawn and cut x's where the trees would go. Then I used sawdust stained brown for "mulch" around the base of the trees to cover the remainder of the half-Styrofoam balls. If your tree trunks are thick enough, you could also drive a nail from the bottom up of the board your house sits on. Drill a hole in the center of the tree trunk and then glue the tree and nail. You will need long nails to go up as far as possible into the tree for stability. I did that with a dowel I used for an electric poll to "bring the electric line into the house". It worked okay. I've never tried this, but you might also put Fimo on the Styrofoam balls at the bottom to make it look like gnarled roots. Hope this give you some ideas.

Grace Shaw