Copyright: I just wanted to correct a misunderstanding of enforcing a copyright. A copyright claim CANNOT be brought in Small Claims Court. Copyright is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal courts, and there is no small claims equivalent in the federal system. Therefore, you must have some resources to sue, and it just isn't a great idea to represent yourself unless you're an experienced copyright attorney. Also, to be practical, if you expect to recover $$ damages, the defendant must have resources as well, otherwise there'd be nothing to collect. However, the court can prohibit further infringements, if that's what you're after. The damages for deliberate copyright infringement can be substantial, especially if the copyright is registered. So infringers (or potential infringers) really shouldn't take this lightly. Also, to clarify what you get when you buy a pattern book -- or a Simplicity pattern, or a kit, for that matter -- the creator of the pattern gives you a license, or a right, to use the pattern for your personal use. He or she, however, is the only one who can copy it, make new patterns derived from it, sell items made with the pattern, or publish it. Think about a songwriter. If a singer wants to record one of his or her songs, the singer must pay for the right to do so. Then, the songwriter is paid a royalty for every recording that is sold, and for each instance in which the recording is played commercially, e.g., on the radio, on a movie soundtrack, at a club -- but not when a consumer plays it for his or her own enjoyment. Make sense?

Rosemary in Cleveland

Copyright: Again, as a warning, the word 'Copyright' is a very complex law, enforceable by Federal Statutes. For those that receive stolen property, it also provides for 'in receipt of said stolen, (non)merchandised property... infringement and fraud.' For both parties, it can mean financial hardship through the Dept. of Treasury, Dept. of Commerce, Trades Commission and, if warranted, federal time. Also, the state in which you reside can say, 'let's take a GOOD look at your business license.' Not to mention the shame you place on yourself and those around you. It is not a good sign for either party. And, to think, all it will take is a Summons, then you're up to your neck in years of hardship. But, what's really on my mind is the bad faith this person has setup. The generosity that pours out from the SS people to share, give insight and being supportive should be taken with gratitude. Not for lucrative means. Maybe this would also be a good time to bring up printing. I'd be very cautious about printing items on sites meant for ordering. If it does 'not' specifically state that it's a printable site, a person might well be on the verge of infringement. Now you ask, who's going to know? YOU WILL!

Rita-Montana

Copyright: I know that many, many people disagree with me... but here is my opinion of people buying either a class or a pattern book and then using it to make items for resale: Once you have 'sold' something, it belongs to the buyer to use as they wish. I don't think it's much different than buying a pattern through Simplicity or any other pattern company. That pattern is now yours to use for your own clothing, or for items you plan to sell. The reason for that is not necessarily 'fair play', but the fact that there is no way to control what happens to any instruction after you've sold it. If however someone 'looks' at your display and then copies the pattern without having paid for it, then I think that's wrong because you have not sold them the idea or the pattern. If it is used, it has been 'stolen', not 'purchased'. Those are my feelings and as I said are not necessarily accepted by others. I sell many pattern books through Lolly's Lilliputians http://www.lollyinc.bigstep.com/ and neither she nor I mind at all if the patterns are put onto dolls and then sold. We do, however, appreciate it if credit is given to Lolly's for the booklet that was used. But we would not appreciate it if the actual PATTERN was sold or even given away. But if the pattern is used by the purchaser (not anyone else), and the finished project sold, we are OK with that. Do any other pattern sellers feel that way? However, if you purchase a pattern and you are clearly made aware of the fact that you are buying it with the promise that you will use it ONLY for your personal use, and then disregard that agreement... that too is wrong in my opinion.

viola

Copyright: I don't know if you have 'small claims' courts in the UK, but in the US you can sue anyone using your copyrighted patterns. What you need is proof of the date you made the pattern and a photo or some other evidence of the person(s)' copying and selling your patterns as their own. The point of using small claims court is that the filing fee is small, lawyers are not allowed, and while there is a limit on the amount of damages you can sue for, the point is not to collect a whole lot of money but to make people aware that you WILL protect your work! Do this two or three times and post a notice that you will sue anyone using your work without permission and I'm pretty sure the copying will cease.

unknown

Copyright: It is not my opinion, but just the facts....When a personpurchases a pattern, or receives a pattern, and IT IS copyrighted, the buyer 'does not'; have the authority to use as she or he pleases ! Sure it does become the buyer's personal property...but only that. The substance of the pattern is 'still'; the maker's property. If you take a look at the purchased patterns, let's say Craft Patterns, somewhere there is a Copyright, and some have 'Sold for individual home use only and not for commercial or manufacturing purposes'. This statement is for the purpose of Trademark, and when combined with Copyright, makes a very sound and stable statement. If the pattern manufacturer wanted mass production, they would have taken their pattern through the assembly-line process. Instead, they hold the rights to have the pattern used as a entertainment item. Although, parts of the Copyright law has 'usage' which allows a person to make (several) items of the product for their 'personal use', and not for profit...Bridesmaid dresses in this instance. This area of the law does not allow for any selling of the dresses for profit. The only way around this it to go into an agreement with the pattern maker, that you are to secure her/his design for this purpose. BUT, these agreements are bound by Royalties to the pattern maker; profit sharing. That's a whole 'nother ballgame. If I ever found that someone was handing out my patterns as a come on to sell their product, it wouldn't be a trip to the small claims court, I can assure you. It would be a Cease and Desist Order signed by a Judge.

Rita-Montana

Lipsticks, nail varnish: Just read the word "lipstick" on the digest. I've made lipsticks for my self & mini friend this week.

If you take a small gold/silver bugle bead( the long thin tubes) glue a small bead on one end (I used black) with "superglue" & dip the opposite end in red acrylic paint it makes a very passable lipstick tube. Another (untreated) bugle bead can be used for the cap or top piece. Also tried making nail varnish bottles - if you use a cocktail stick (I lightly sanded the end so it was less tapered) painted with the desired varnish colour, inserted through your round clear or opaque glass bead , up into the small bugle bead & glued. This then looks very much like a bottle of nail varnish & gives something for the beads to be glued onto.

P.S. Mascara - take a long gold/silver bugle bead & mark just over half way, all the way round with an over head projector pen (OHP) so it looks like a tube that will open.

Brian Cass

Jewelry boxes:   A few years back someone had directions for presentation boxes in Dolls House World that were pretty simple as I recall.  Measure the jewelry and mark a rectangle or square with a small margin around the piece on index-weight paper.  Trace around that and add another quarter-inch for the sides.   Fold the sides up and glue in place, then cover with fancy paper or velvet.  Cut another square of card to fit inside the box and cover that with velvet and glue or tack the jewel to it.  Trace around the box bottom to make a slightly larger lid, cover, and fit into place.

I've checked out a library book (think title is A Family Dollhouse) by Sarah Stein that has off-scale box patterns you can reduce to scale, so that might be an idea.

A jewelry collection box would be more difficult, especially if you have in mind one that's hinged and has a tray.   Probably copying directions for a 1:12 trunk in a smaller scale would work.

Loretta.Sniarowski

Jewelry boxes: I have made some little jewelry boxes using the little thin wood pieces that come in different sizes and shapes, I'm sorry, I don't remember what they are called (I'm at work and the bag is at home!), if you can't figure out what I'm talking about, email me. Woodsies? I don't know, anyway, I used a small oval shaped wood piece for the base, but a strip of index card type material about 1/4" wide and glued to the outside edge of the wooden oval. Did the same with another wood oval and a 1/8" wide strip for the lid. Paint the two pieces you've made. Fill the bottom part of the box, then glue the lid on so it's propped open a bit to see your jewels.

Mary in Minneapolis

Planter from champagne cage wire: I've molded needlepoint canvas over a liter soda bottle cap, glued the resulting basket to the top circle of wire, and painted it to make a fern planter. 

Loretta.Sniarowski

Vertical blinds: I would like to share how I made a vertical blind window treatment. Out of balsa wood I made a four sided box that will go at the top of the window. I then cut a round chopstick [I didn't have a dowel] the length of the interior of the box. For the blinds, I used the "straps" they use in shipping. They are made of a heavy duty grained plastic. These were white and about 3/16" wide. I cut them into strips as long as needed to reach the bottom of the window from 1/2 way inside the wooden box at the top. I wanted the blinds to appear somewhat open...not all the way and not all the way closed either. I took hot glue and made little glue "gobs" evenly spaced along the piece of chopstick. I then glued the "slats" on...one edge of the slat onto to stick and "resting" on the  glue gob. They wind up at a perfect angle!

Cathy Heimbauer