Dainty Doll Newsletter: how to subscribe to The Dainty Doll Newsletter. You can email me privately for more information as I run the newsletter.
daintydollnews@home.com

Paulette

Reflected Color: Rik Pierce can always be depended upon to give good, factual and easily understood instructions on any given topic. Regarding the color scheme for the interior walls of a home, please remember that the walls reflect each other. This results in a deeper shade of color than you may have originally intended to use. If you are choosing color from a wallpaper swatch or a fabric or carpet - sample select a shade half as light as the finished color you desire. A soft pink, so light it seems to vanish will become a true baby pink when applied to three walls in the room of a house.

Becky

Miniature Painting List:
Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/miniaturepainting/and I will welcome you!

Connie

Glue Applicators: When you are working on a project, if you place a sheet of paper towel in a cup and dampen the paper towel. (Just damp) and place the glue applicator on the dampened paper between uses, the tip will remain clear. You can even leave the glue applicator in the moist paper towel over night.

Sangelscooter

Ungluing: The quickest and easiest way I have found to unglue something is to use a heat gun. (used in the rubber stamping hobby) I bought mine at Michaels. But you must be careful if you are using it on furniture. It can get very hot if kept in one place and may bubble your finish. Oh yes, watch those fingers if you are holding the piece. OUCH!!! I found if I kept it moving like a hairdryer and only for a few moments, then used a putty knife or my exacto knife in the joint it usually came apart quickly. Clean off the old glue and away you go again. I restored a 9 room dollhouse using a heat gun to remove all the old windows, moldings, wallpaper, etc.

Diane in SFBA

Glue Applicators: when the glue runs out, the applicators last longer if you soak all the pieces clean of dried glue before refilling. I keep several, so I always have a clean, dry one to fill right away.

Chrissy the Hyphenated in Central New York

Basketry reed: This page may offer a source for the 000 round reed that someone was asking about. I know it is extremely hard to find. Hope this helps.
http://www.weavenet.com/Supplies/Reed.htm

I used to use tiny natural reed to make mini wicker furniture, in fact my wicker was featured in an article in Nutshell News in the late 70's or early 80's. (I know I have a copy somewhere...) When I look back at those early efforts of mine I am almost embarrassed by their crudeness. Waxed linen and other materials give a better scale effect. But I still love the basketry materials - I use flat reed to make mini Mexican style furniture and I use reed to weave tops on some of my gourd art.

Bonnie Gibson - Tucson, Arizona

Glue Dispenser Pin: In the interest of keeping that pin that you put in the tip of the glue dispenser from becoming hopelessly rusted, be sure it is a stainless steel pin.

Dottie in Tucson

Christmas Minis: Last winter I got some adorable scale Christmas balls for decorating a tree from Smaller and Better things Beautiful detail!

janetkaybb

Ivy: You could use steel wool for the vine, stretch it out so it's very fine. Spray paint it brown. I use a country (curved) heart punch for ivy leaves. (I got a 1/4" heart from Fiskars and a 1/8" heart from Hanky Panky.) Punch a bunch of leaves, use a stylus to give them a little shape by "drawing" a line down the middle of each leaf, and glue them all over the vine. If you're not so concerned about the "leafiness" of your vine, spray your brown steel wool with spray adhesive and sprinkle with landscape grass used with railroad models.

Mary in Minneapolis