Snow globe info:   The globes are about 1/2" diameter, give or take a bit.  Right now is a good time to look for them ....I found mine at a Hallmark shop... and they were "on sale!", snow globes. Yes, it is the Christmas balls that I am talking about ........ acetone removes the color and bleach removes the silver.  You can use a long pipe cleaner to get at any stubborn spots, which can occur. The most important thing is to rinse thoroughly before using the other  chemical......I usually just get a small container, put the chemical in, then submerge the globe, using a pipe cleaner to hold it under the surface.  I do the same thing to rinse.       

I did not use any kind of sealer on my figurines. I haven't had any problems so far with my figurines going soft, but then, a lot of my snow globes were gifts and so the owners may not be telling me. I do, however, lightly coat the inside of the base with silicone before putting the figure inside.

I mostly make my bases out of fimo, as the findings bases are a bit too bulky for me. I can also imprint the base with tiny stamps, or make it to my own choosing, because I find the neck of the bulbs can sometimes be a bit longish.   After baking the bases while already on the empty bulb, I then add the silicone inner coating. Then   I add the water, with one drop of glycerin, a few small, hole-less glass beads and the glitter.

Now I set the figurine into a dab of silicone, and give it a minute or so to sort of set up.   Then I put it into the snow globe.  There is usually a tiny space left by the water escaping, and I use this as an entry to "bleed" the air from the globe.  I sort of developed a "tool" for this, which is a hypodermic syringe with another needle attached to the original, the opening of the attached one placed higher than the other so I can inject the water while air escapes through the opening ...... if that makes sense.

If I get a leak, I try to "re-inject" the water, which appears to work ok.

Vickie

Snow Globe: I'm nearly there on my snow globe, found some glycerin in a sugar craft store, made a little clay figure, painted it and sprayed with loads of coats of varnish. I've made a collar around the bulb with Milliput and made a base for the  figure that fits this quite tightly. Now over the weekend I'm gonna get my ultra fine glitter, a few teeny, clear no hole beads, some distilled water and the   glycerin and put that in the globe. Then I'll place some putty around the figure on it's base, lower it into the globe, smear the putty around the edges to seal, keep the globe still for a couple of hours, then sand the base, paint it and hope it doesn't leak.

Jenny

Bra Uses: you should be able to harvest metal parts from bras, if nothing else –

-   the hooks and eyes that fasten at the back can be cut off; flatten the hooks and stick into a basket of yarn for non- working sewing scissors;

-   the eyes were used for drawer pulls in the mini olden days when commercial mini-hardware was unavailable and still are by some DIYers.  

- The metal loops on the straps, pulled through a hook, would make a hanging loop for mini-towels, or a base on which to glue greenery for a 1/24 scale wreath.

- The buckle-like loops pulled through a hook would make a toilet paper holder with a strip of paper wrapped around the lower bar

- the fabric's lace trim may be the right scale for mini curtain or sheet edging.

Loretta.Sniarowski

Making your own turntable:   just thought I would give my own input on how to make your own turntable.   I saw it on a DIY programmed once, hope I remember it all for you.  As I remember what they did was to cut identically sized circles from wood, they then routered a circular channel in them both the same distance from the edge of each circle of wood.   They drilled holes through the dead centre of each circle and put a bolt + nut through for an axle.

Then they filled the channels with marbles (all the same size - this is important) put the two bits together and the marbles move and allow it to turn.   As I remember they about 1/2 to 2/3 filled the channel with marbles and the channel in the bottom circle of wood was deeper than the top circle.   I'd imagine you'd also have to leave a slight gap between the two wood pieces (i.e. total channel depths are about 1/2mm less than diameter of marble) for it to turn smoothly. 

Natalie

PREMIE INCUBATORS:   you ought to be able to dummy up pretty realistic incubators by recycling bubblepack (the packaging for small items that has a card backing with a hanging hole and a square or rectangular clear acetate box containing the item).   You can peel off most of the card, then soak in water to remove the rest.  That results in a clear tub with a flat rim around the edges.  You'd need four bubbles, all the same size, for incubator tops and bottoms.   Use a round hole punch for the openings, and once your babies are safely diapered and have their monitor wires affixed, place them inside and glue the tops on, or make the lids removable using a couple of the tiniest size of paper fastener threaded through small holes punched in the bubbles' flat rims.   The little plastic babies used for shower favors would be just the right size (and repainted they look nice). Make incubator stands from   some of those little plastic tables used to keep the lid out of the pizza cheese.

Loretta.Sniarowski

I bought those key rings that have those little battery run lanterns attached to them...took off the rings and set them around.(Got them at Wal-Mart) It looks really nice...wish I had a picture on here to show you.

Anita...BelAir, MD

Lighthouse: for those of you looking for lighthouse ideas, here is a link to a virtual lighthouse tour!   Pigeon Point Lighthouse Virtual Tower Tour http://www.pigeonpointlighthouse.org/vtt_intro.htm This is a really interesting virtual tour to take with the whole family.  When you get to the site you are introduced to a 19th century lighthouse   Keeper. He will be your tour guide. On each page of the tour you can  read all about the history of the lighthouse and the many  responsibilities of the Keeper. There are clear photographs of every  feature of the lighthouse -- both inside and out -- and the Keeper explains them all. You will even discover what qualifications are necessary to be a Keeper. The tour continues to the top of the tower where you can see the Fresnel Lens and learn how it was used to help sailors avoid the dangerous rocky shoreline.

Jenny Gabrenas

I Love Lucy room: Why not troll garage sales/flea markets for a "dead" small portable tv, gut it, build the roombox to fit behind the screen opening, and then decorate it entirely in black, white, and shades of gray? Spray the exterior bright red like Lucy's hair or a fifties hot pink, decoupage a couple of the I Love Lucy logos in black and white on the sides, and you'd have a real eye-catcher, with the monotone color scheme completely self-explanatory.

Loretta.Sniarowski

Bending tubing: My method of bending a tube is cost effective. Fill the tube with sand, flour or anything that will fill the tube and remain fairly dense. Then I delicately (gently) bend the tube, By filling the tube a fracture is prevented.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

Hanging Plants: do the plants you want to hang already have wire or macramé hangers attached to the pots?   If so, try what I've used:   get the largest size of hooks and eyes from a fabric store or Wal-Mart / K-Mart sewing department. Save the eyes for something else (they make good pot handles and drawer pulls).  Glue the hooks along the underside of the porch roofline, with the sewing loops to the top and the hook facing up.  Once the glue is dry, you can slip the plant hanger loop through the hook and voila, your plants are hanging.   Make sure you space them far enough apart that the plants won't bump each other as they dangle.   You could also use a skewer and two grommets to hang a horizontal bar (like a shower curtain rod) below the roof.   Measure and mark where you want the bar to be attached on the side walls.  Measure porch width and cut the skewer that width; sand ends so it is just slightly less, enough to slide in between the walls.  Slide the grommets over the end of the skewer with their flat sides facing each end of the skewer (like two tiny top hats facing each other top-to-top).   Slip the skewer in place between the walls and line it up with the marks on the wall.  Apply glue to the "hat brims" on the grommets and slide them into place against each wall.   Brace or tape in place until dry.   Make s-hooks from wire, slip through plant hanger loops and hang along bar where needed.

Loretta.Sniarowski