Pirates Pub: How about a carved bow sprit of a beautiful woman attached to a false column against a wall. I seem to remember seeing one somewhere. Maybe one of our fellow shipmates knows the whereabouts of one. How about some ratlines attached from the floor to a loft instead of a ladder. The loft could hold some barrels of ale and maybe a chest of pieces of eight, pearls, and silver and gold booty hidden in the corner. I can see this string going on for a while. What fun!

Spencer

Pirates Pub: Your Pirates Pub sounds wonderful. I'd love to offer hints for accessories but I see the people first! I made myself laugh out loud as I envisioned a bunch of drunken rowdy pirates( many of the missing various body parts) <G>having their way with the boozy, wild-haired, loose wenches! LOL One of the pirate's collapsed from too much rum and his parrot is taking a bit of the brew.

Pearl Jordan

Pirates Pub: In your pub I would have a shelf or barrel where all 'hooks' have to be deposited prior to entry. That minimizes the possibility of bar room fights ending in fatal wounds. What about a pegleg stand? Sorta like an umbrella stand for wet umbrellas but instead it could be for wet peglegs (you know - wooden legs). A Parrot Refreshment Centre where tired parrots can perch and get refreshments? A Stolen Booty deposit box? An eye patch refurbishing service? A hat stand with bandanna style scarves hanging on it in the corner of the room? Instead of a bucking bull in the other corner - a Plank? Women?

Trace, Melbourne Australia

Pirate's Pub... if you've ever played Lucas Arts' Monkey Island, they have great ideas for pirates, including a pub. The pub is right on the pier, and when you walk in the door, there are several round tables & chairs, ship's wheel chandeliers, etc. Then there is a red velvet curtain, almost like a stage curtain, with Very Important Pirates sitting at a long table, next to the kitchen door. Scruffy dog, fireplace in the corner, grungy cook, peg legs, eye patches, etc. Lots of pewter mugs, etc. Sounds like lots of fun!

Cindy in MA

Pirate's Pub: The first thing that springs to mind is a trollop or two! Pieces of eight (gold coins), a pegleg, a hook, those green glass balls with the rope netting around them (floats), pewter tankards, sawdust on the floor (for unfortunate spills), shark jaws on the wall, netting, cutlasses, a treasure chest, Blind Pew, phew! A good idea would be to rent some pirate theme videos. Yellowbeard is a favourite of mine, then there is Cutthroat Island, and the Muppet Treasure Island, and then there are the classic; ones with Errol Flinn (a good Aussie boy!)! But for REAL style, you can't beat The Dread Pirate Roberts and his pirate ship Revenge1

Fran in Melbourne

Pirate's Pub: Pewter tankards, spittoons on the floor, buxom wenches serving beer. Oil lamps swinging from the beams, maybe two pirates having an arm wrestling competition. A thin mongrel, a few bones on the floor. A skeleton with a noose round its neck swinging from a beam. A lobster pot ,model ships, a ship's figurehead. Bottles of Rum, a dagger lying on a table. Jar of tobacco on the bar.

Jay from Rugby U.K

Pirate's Pub: Hubby had some great ideas...how about a Jolly Roger banner? And maybe a ships wheel? A bust of a mermaid off a ship's front? Not to mention shells,nets, and wenches...

Crystal

Project Ideas for Hospital Stay: I don't remember who recently asked for ideas for her minis to do during her hospital stay but I think this might work for many people. I have health problems and sometimes end up in bed for a couple of days. Also when I travel these are great.... I make my own kits. As I go through magazines or read ideas, or occasionally come up with my own I jot them down. Then as I buy the fabric or whatever I cut it out put a copy of the pattern and or instructions in and any thread or whatever. I put all this into a plastic Ziploc bag. I've done pillows, nightgowns, a quilt. I find sewing projects good for this but you could also have punched flowers and cut bits of wire and then take some markers to decorate the paper flowers. When you get ready to go just make sure you have a separate bag or pencil box for the basic tools: glue, tweezers, scissors, pencil, markers, needles, whatever you need. I also have a small round cutting block that is handy to work on. Other projects could be cutouts, books, printables, If you keep them made and have a bad memory like me you might even surprise yourself with a new project.

Rita

Cutting plexi glass and Lucite: I found that by using the Plexiglas cutter on Lucite (1/4" thick) and making numerous score marks on both sides. (regrooving the same score mark many times) I was able to snap off the portion of Lucite that I needed. I originally tried sawing and it took a year and a day and made me perspire too much (in Florida that is easy)

Dr Bob

Titebond glue. As I was putting kits together w/it I was thinking how much I love it and wondering how the world ever got on before it. I can't say it's the best wood-glue in the universe since I haven't used them all; but I can't imagine a better one. I've used it for a zillion years, and it's never failed me. And some of the joins it's made for me on minis and real furniture you'd never imagine any glue could hold together. The body is perfect--not too thin or too thick, it grabs beautifully, giving just enough time to do your adjusting, it cleans up easily, if you goof all you have to do (w/minis) is run the piece under lukewarm water for a second and it comes right apart. (I put it on w/a tiny spotter brush; I don't know how it would do in a syringe injector.)

Hilda Hardcastle