Vintage Hankies: Don't forget to save some of these for bed linens. They work beautifully.

Becky

Leather-Like Material: I found white suede at the art framing store. They have a box a scraps and let me go through any time I need to. The suede will peel off the mat board and is easy to work with, similar to material. It comes in many colors, too.

You can also purchase some very thin lining from a leather shop. They will know what you mean. This will take shoe dye and can be worked with very easily, also. I covered two chairs with this and they look fantastic! Real leather

Terri Young

Primer: Anything that seals a porous surface is technically a sealer. That is why additional coats of paint and sanding between coats are as satisfactory as a commercial primer followed by paint. The only time I use a true primer is when I need to create a tooth on the surface for the paint to adhere to, then Gesso is my choice. It is inexpensive and foolproof

Becky

Children's' project: Had a seasonal thought about beauty salon decor. how about using the pointier half of a plastic Easter egg for the hood of a hair drier? Also, for curlers, what about cutting the spring from a ballpoint pen into 2 or 3 sections, then covering with a very thin black net?

Here's something I did with my daughter when she was entering 4th. (You might need to simplify it depending on how much time you have, how many kids are in the class, and of course, your budget.) She had to do a project of any kind based on a book, so we made a roombox of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. This particular one was pretty complicated, especially since we made back-to back scenes -- the attic room with the wardrobe on one side, and Narnia on the other.

You could keep it more simple, use show boxes or cigar boxes (I bet a smoke shop would give them to you if you told them it was for a classroom project). Use beads for doll heads, pipe cleaners for bodies,pizza-box tables, jewelry findings, etc. Also, if there are manufacturing companies or cabinet shops in your area, you might be able to beg for scraps that would ordinarily go to the landfill. This is a great way to get children to (a) think about recycling and (b) stimulate their imaginations by coming up with unintended ways to use things.

Rosemary in Cleveland

Dulling Aluminum: I just finished a pierced tin cabinet for my log cabin. I went to the Archives and got five suggestions on how to turn aluminum (shiny) into tin (dull). For future reference, if you use disposable aluminum cookie sheets as your base, as I did, none of the suggestions worked except the product called Dullcoat. It comes in spray form, or paint on in either oil or water based. Cost under five fingers at my local train/hobby shop.

Sharon in Watsonville

New Products: I just saw a trade magazine that had two new products that would be of interest to miniaturists. The first is by Krylon and it is called LOOKING GLASS. It is supposed to turn clear glass into mirror glass. It looks as if it is a two step process. The other product is called LIQUID SCULPEY. Ad states that it makes color transfers, custom glazes. add color washes with this new bakeable liquid polymer medium. Uses: make transfers from offset printed images; add oil paints to make a bakeable painting and surface medium; add dry pigments to create glazes and color washes; create stained glass effect sun catchers and window clings. Used with polymer clays for a bakeable adhesive; grout for mosaics,; creating faux enameling; & a translucent glazing and polishing medium. Never having touched any polymer medium, even I can see some possibilities with this. The mfg. is Polyform, Elk Grove Village, Il 60007 (847-427-0426) They also have a web site at www.sculpey.com.

Susan in Mid Tenn

excess as it dries (as in before it dries - harder if you let it dry completely) with a damp cloth. You can add acrylic (or other) paint (or dye) to the compound before you use it to color the 'grout'. You can paint over it (unlike some kinds of real grout or sealers) - you could also try the caulking (be sure it is the paintable kind - the other kind is somewhat shiny and paint beads on it) that is used around window frames, between ceiling molding and the ceiling. Plaster (or the fake plaster wall patching stuff) might work too. These all don't scratch the way real grout can. The other thing you need to remember about Formica is that if you cut it the edges you cut may not be the same color as the surface (often it is black or white). One way to hide that is make the 'grout' deep enough and have enough non-translucent (can't seem to spell opaque) color in it that it hides the edges.

By the way - Having done this in real life with both the tiles that come on the grid and loose ones I've learned a few things about making it straight (as in learned the hard way). I would suggest that you draw the lines for your tiles and glue them down first so that you can see your lines. If you have a very narrow ruler (or strip wood, styrene, thin metal, etc. - although these can bend) slide that between each row first one direction and then the other to straighten the tiles before the glue dries. You can also set the ruler (or whatever) down, push the tiles against the ruler as you set them, then move them to the next row and so the same. When done (presuming the glue isn't dry) then Formica Sample Tile Grout: Try wall joint compound. You can wash off the excess - just put it between the rows going the other direction to straighten. I saw in real life a tool that looked like:
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Carolyn

Food Site: My miniature club has how to make some great foods under workshops: http://post.queensu.ca/~readel/MEKA/MEKABase.html

Marlene Chapman-Ontario

Cheeses: Gouda: cover round of yellow Fimo with flattened wrap of red and form into cheese shape - when cut in wedges -looks like wax over the cheese. The same thing can be done with wax colored with melted crayons. Melt yellow wax and let cool a little- when cool enough to work make the cheese round. melt red wax and keep dipping your yellow round into red till a solid edge is formed (let the yellow really cool) (Put your yellow cheese on a long needle when dipping.) Slice that while warm and you have plenty of gouda. Re-dipping will make the center yellow soft enough to cut with a razor. Cheddar: Try orange dipped in black (or wrapped with Fimo) for cheddar. Brie: a pale colored yellow/cream Fimo can be dusted with corn starch or baby powder for Brie. Hanging cheese: A log of uncolored Sculpey that has been baked with a loop of thread through the top can be a hanging cheese for a shop and tied with beige thread like provolone- dipping that in cream colored wax can make it look very real ,the warm wax will make the cheese look real when tied up.

Now you're on a roll make the same log in Salami colored Fimo with the loop tied at the top before baking. Use the spatter paint technique (with a toothbrush) for adding 'fat'to the salami. Make sausages on a string the same way. And you've got your Swiss so you are all set.

Gail

Coffee Beans: I just made my own last week (a countertop case with five sections of coffee beans behind glass) for my coffee house project. I used #15 Miyuki seed beans in opaque dark brown, from Fire Mountain Gems. I took pictures to show you -- you can take a peek at: http://www.persephone.com/ministyle/CoffeeHouse.html

Alix in San Francisco