Dollhouse Display: I've had the same problem for years. It is especially horrendous since my huge dollhouse is open in the back. Two weeks ago, I had the kitchen designer at Home Depot put together some Kraft Maid cabinetry just slightly smaller than the base of my dollhouse. I also ordered a Formica top just slightly larger. When the cabinetry comes in, I will have a handyman build a frame for the bottom of the cabinets with large casters so it can turn and roll, etc. You could also do this with a table (I found one at an unfinished wood shop) or other cabinets. I like the cabinets because he designed lots of storage for all my components, etc. They should be in next week, but of course something ALWAYS goes wrong, so when it is put together I will let you know. I was also toying with the idea of opening up a wall, about a third of the way up, having a cabinet resting flush with the bottom of the opening on the other side of the wall and having a cabinet built around it so it could be closed off. After this dollhouse, I believe I will stick to roomboxes and display them in my bookcase along with my thousands of mysteries. Maybe a little vignette of my favorites, like Miss Marples' sitting room. Hope this helps.

BJLLAL

Dollhouse Display: My dollshouse is displayed on an old treadle machine base. I pulled off the damaged machine top and drawers and replaced it with recycled Baltic Pine floorboards. It stands (with it's conservatory) on top of that and looks terrific! My church will take something more substantial probably but I'll get to that at some other point in time!!!! I prefer to have my dollhouses scattered around where we spend a lot of our time. What point is there is spending a heap of time making some tricky looking dollshouse only to shut it away from view? I have my treadle table with dollshouse in our main bedroom and the church (for want of anywhere else) is in progress in our family/dining room. This also doubles as my work room - I have a table 2 feet by 5 feet against one side wall- where I do all my minis, patchwork, sewing, quilting, stained glass, painting etc. I envy all you people with loads of room!!! If you don't have small kids - mine are 14 and 11 - you can get away with living with your miniatures and not having to worry about them being damaged. Besides - my church has no interior yet apart from the roof trusses so it makes a pretty handy cupboard!!!!

Trace, Melbourne, Australia

Dollhouse Display: Just thought I would tell you what I have done to show my minis. My big dollhouse is on a wooden cart on rollers so you can see both sides, my other two dollhouses sit on the counter in my dollhouse room.(Was our third bedroom) I had kitchen type cabinets but in with Formica top so as to hold all my "stuff". Over the one long counter I have a shelf to hold room boxes and vignettes. The window is large and deep and about 8 feet tall. My daughter and her husband put in shelves all the way up to hold all the other roomboxes etc.

Ruth Morey, Corpus Christi on Padre Island

Dollhouse Display: 1. The Playmobil house is in the bathroom (BR is 10 x 12), on top of the laundry hamper. Took me a few years to figure out no one used the hamper, just dumped clothes in front of the washer. All the houseplants go in there during the cold months, but during the warm, there is room for another house on a small table. Thought for another house: Sacrifice the house plants. 2. 5 houses in bedroom, one each on top of 3 dressers and one desk. The low dresser has the antiques, in 6 old boxes. Taller dresser has a Cape you can see into, and tallest dresser has an old house, front opening, that faces out. This house is too high to be accessible. On DH's desk top is the set of Petite Princess foamcore rooms. On my bedside table there is a tiny display made from a hanging outdoor lamp he found at the dump. The Petite Princess lighting ishooked to the bedside lamp thingy, so one switch turns both on. The castle, made from a smallish bookcase, stands next to my desk. Thought: At the moment, my desktop contains photographs..hmm... 3. The 1928 house sits at the end of a cut-in in the kitchen, that is filled with 9 recycling containers. If I'm not careful, the trash can occlude the view of this house. It sits low, beneath the level of the counters. I have a desk spotlight sitting on one of the containers, and turn it on at night. Still, I forget this house sometimes since it is not out in view. 4. At the moment there is a ca 1940 garage sitting on the dining table. At Halloween, the Halloween House sits on the kitchen counter, viewable from both sides. 5. The Tynietoy House is sitting on a coffee table by the front door. This table is on wheels, and at Christmas I turned it front out, and decorated it with lights and greens. Noww, though, it is back out to as I'm working on the rooms. 6. A King Tut's tomb is set up on the lower shelf of a table next to the sofa- probably meant for magazines. 7. I, too, live in a open house, LR/DR/Kitchen all one room, and at present there is only one house (Tynietoy)viewable in this space. 8. In thinking about this, I recognize there is a ton of space for more houses, it's just a matter of what to get rid of! We also have a huge birdhouse he found on a burn pile at a friend's house, it sits on a beam that runs through the living area. Street of shops?? Top of piano would probably hold 2, it's full of antique things at the moment...

Beth in Maine

Miniature Iron: I used a really neat miniature iron at a recent workshop for ironing miniature clothing. It had a small spade shaped foot and otherwise looked like a curling iron. The only name I could find was Clover. Anyone know where this item could be purchased?

***** Note from Joy Perkins ***** I have one of these miniature irons. They are sold in Quilt specialty shops...Maison Calico in Pointe Claire, Quebec sells them and are $50CDN with tax...and well worth it if you do mini sewing. *****

Shirley

lenses for eyeglasses: I've found that you can use PVA glue for eyeglasses! It goes on white, but it dries clear, and it's gungy enough to cover the little apertures. I've also made Tiffany lampshades with PVA glue. You use one of those filigree domes they use for egg craft as a base, colour the PVA with dye from a felt tip pen, or better still, coloured inks or glass paint. Work from the back with a cocktail stick and you can 'colour in' the little gaps in the filigree with the gungy stuff. It works a treat, and looks very intricate. Most of these egg crafting domes come in bright silver and gold, so you might like to paint them before you start to a suitable black or dark grey.

Lynne Connolly

Stained glass: I made some stained glass squares for my San Franciscan dollhouse and thought I would share them with all of you. They are small and fit in the small cross bars of this house but you might be able to find a use for them. I have put enough on the page where you do not waste as much transparency film. http://www.50megs.com/brassrail/win_doll_house.html

Sclarise

Books - new and used: I want to echo Rose's post, and say that ABE Books is the best place I have found to get both new and out of print books. They don't have everything, but when they do have what you want, you get to choose from quite a few dealers and quite a few different prices! Through ABE, I have purchased books from dealers in Canada, the US, and England, and have been absolutely delighted with every transaction. At the moment I am into books on porcelain - John needs ideas for mini plates and teapots and such. Some of the porcelain books have quite beautiful illustrations, so I am getting to the point where I just want the books for the sheer delight of the illustrations. As you can probably gather, I am buying used books *g*. http://www.abebooks.com

Joy in Midland, Ontario

New book on mini shops: I ordered this book published recently, but have not received it yet. The review says it contains instructions for creating 5 model shops in 1/12th scale. I remember another review mentioning an Edwardian toy shop, and a grocer. Full plans for the shops are included, including fixtures, fittings, signs and stock. Details: Dolls' House Shopkeeper, by Lionel and Ann Barnard. Published by David & Charles, 2001 ISBN 0175309668

Betsie, South Africa

Book recommendation: In answer to Peter's question about the best mini book, without doubt I would choose Building Miniature Houses and Furniture by Dorie Krusz. She's the one who build houses using a craftwood stud frame and matboard. I know it sounds crazy, but the things she makes are perfectly lovely and she does it without any expensive power tools. She builds a perfect colonial chair from toothpicks, pins, beads, sequins and string. I love her work not only for its perfection but for the 'make it from what I find' mini worldview it represents. Anyone with endless time and especially money can come up with a nice mini presentation. But let's face it, most of us can't afford real porcelain, silver, and so forth. On top of that, lots of us WANT to make what we display. The Krusz book shows how to do that and do it well. My favorite.

Linda in Leroy, OH