Another way to create "marble": An old trick from Girl Scout craft projects....(from an old Girl Scout)....You'll need oil base paints, preferably enamel, which can be hard to find.

But the paint used on models may work. Just don't try it with water-based paint (because it will mix with the water.) Paint the object the base color you want and let it dry thoroughly. Fill a small throwaway container (large enough so your object will fit) with a couple of inches of water. A foil baking pan will work. Drop blobs of two or three colors of paint into it. Use a toothpick, craft stick, coffee stirrer or something similar to swirl

the paint around on top of the water until you have a pattern you like. Don't cover the surface of the water completely, leave spaces with just water between the colors. Then dip one side of your object, just touching the surface of the water enough to pick up the paint. Repeat with the other sides. (You may have to let one side dry, then do the others, depending on how your object is shaped.) If the colors get too thin, you can add more paint and swirl it around some more. I tried this once years ago with tube oil paints thinned with linseed oil and it works, but not as well as the enamel did.

Nancy in Indiana

Plaster moldings: This would be very authentic for Victorian architecture. Many of the "wood" cornices and such were "wood grained" plaster. For miniatures, Hydrocal is finer and retains more detail than ordinary plaster of Paris. In the USA it is usually available through model railroad suppliers. Look into purchasing in quantity - it is much more affordable than the small bags which are simply repackaged and marked up ridiculously.

For molds, RTV works well if poured carefully over patterns well coated with mold release. Everybody has their own favorites so check your local art supply and (again) look at commercial quantities as a possible way of saving over the long run though most RTV does have a relatively short shelf life even unmixed.

For my plaster moldings, I "paint" the first layer into the molds to assure no surface bubbles, pour about half way and then add a strip of precut gauze for added strength before pouring the remainder. Slightly overfill the molds and then sandpaper away the excess after all is very-very thoroughly cured. Do not use wood or metal stiffeners as the widely different coefficients of climatic expansion and recession will cause cracking and separation with time.

Installing plaster cornices (for example) I usually glue to the wood shell or right over wallpaper with Elmer's white glue. Cope and overlap/underlap at corners rather than mitering. Paint AFTER all is in place but allow at least a month of cure time after casting prior to any glue or paint.

Mel K. Las Vegas

Cars: I looked at the two die-cast car web sites that I have dealt with, and only found a different model of a Renault. Sorry. Here are the sites however, in case they would consider doing a special order....? http://www.toy-mart.com/ertl.die.cast.cars.html and https://www.ewal.com/index.html and type the scale you want in the search block. I looked under 1/18 scale, although I didn't know what you might want.

Sandra

Chimney's and Spindles: http://www.miniatures.com/

http://www.dollhouse-dollhouse.com/us/asp/prodtype.asp?prodtype=10

The Dolls House Emporium offers a free 146 page catalog by mail.

http://www.dollhouse-dollhouse.com/us/asp/product.asp?product=65

Katharine Medeiros

Dogs: Peggy wanted to know how to find a dog by Carol Cardinal, shown by Lilliput Land. Carol Cardinal has been making phenomenal pets for many years. This is the last address I have for her, from 10 years ago: Carol Cardinal Miniatures by C.C. 9535 Diagonal Rd. Mantua, OH 44255

You can find Beth Stark of Lilliput Land at Tom Bishop shows. She's famous for carrying unusual and finely hand crafted miniature items. This is her address: Beth Stark, Lilliput Land, 89 Lisa Dr., Northport, NY 11768

Paulette in IN

Selling at Shows: Below is a copy of my "checklist". I've left some things off the list that are specific to us and annotated some of the things on the list

bags and packing material
business cards
calculators
cash box with change
credit card cutter
credit card slips
display cases
duct tape - for taping down extension cords
extension cords
lights and bulbs
magnifying glass
masking tape
pens
display shelves
sales slips
scissors
table covers - I use top sheets made for beds. Some hotels provide table covers
pens
ruler

[I would like to sell bedding and pillows. How should I arrange items? Should I have actual room boxes or can I just have little furniture vignettes?] A friend sells these type of items and she has a turntable with several levels. As long as the pieces are easy to see any setup is fine. I like to keep as many pieces as possible accessible so that people can pick them up, look them over, and check the price.

[What are the best shows to go to? ] A loaded question. I would not want to make a public negative comment about a show. Also, a show that is good for one seller may be awful for another and sales at shows can vary from year to year. You also have to take into consideration the cost of doing the show. Sales at a "bad" show might be more profitable in the end than sales at a "good" show depending on your expenses. In general, we do best at shows located near large cities. The date of a show is important and weather is a factor, good weather being a show killer.

[How do most customers pay? Cash, check, or credit card] Most of them bring checks and cash because many people at shows don't accept credit cards. However, they can run out of both and that's why we started accepting credit cards. If the pieces you're selling are not very expensive then you can probably get away with not accepting plastic. In the six years we have been selling at shows we have never gotten a bad check or a bad credit card (knock on wood) but I do know of people who have gotten burned.

Selling from a website is easier to do than shows, but selling at shows can be a lot of fun.

Carol

Found the Basketball Article: Ha Ha! I found it, Kathy! It is in Dollhouse Miniatures, March 1998. It is a two-page article with a couple of pictures and just general directions. She does say that she puzzled over how to cut the ball for quite a while before it dawned on her to just let the air out. She then cut a hole in the ball and gave it to a fried who treated the inside with a hardening substance so the ball would permanently hold its shape and have a level floor.

Dayle in MD

Fimo faeries: Sue Heaser's tiny 1inch high faeries can be found at http://www.polymerclaycentral.com  just look under lessons and instructions.

Jacquie Hall, Essex, U.K.

Zodiac Prints: When you get to the site, click on Fantasy, then when that comes up, go to the right side and click on Zodiac--Or go where ever you wish to view, the pictures are exceptional I think. http://www.mondopuzzle.com/

Leslie in WA

Elaine in Herndon, VA