Ivy plants: you can purchase mini ivy on roll at Michael’s or AC Moore's. They come in various shades of green and some mixed with a little lavender color. They sell for about $2.99 for a nice size roll. It is attached around wire, so you can shape it around almost anything.

Darlene/NJ-SP

Ivy: Many ways to make ivy. In one of Andrea Barham's books, she recommends drying a few inches at the tips of real ivy clipped while the leaves are still tiny. I have used wonder-under to fuse a light green solid fabric to a tiny ivy print (so the underside of the leaves are colored), then snipped individual leaves with sharp scissors and glued them to loops along a length of covered wire. I have also used a weed that should be shooting up about now in the US. Dried whole, the seed branches make good mini poplar trees, but if you don't dry it first, just drape and glue it while still green. It makes a nice full vine and holds its color pretty well. Don't know the name; it "ripens" to a bright rust color and grows along roadsides everywhere in Ohio. Many people drag a length of string through tacky glue and then through shredded green Oasis or railroad ground cover. Others buy garlands of tiny leaves at the craft store and use the smallest. Experiment with what works best for you!

Ivy: Many ways to make ivy. In one of Andrea Barham's books, she recommends drying a few inches at the tips of real ivy clipped while the leaves are still tiny. I have used wonder-under to fuse a light green solid fabric to a tiny ivy print (so the underside of the leaves are colored), then snipped individual leaves with sharp scissors and glued them to loops along a length of covered wire. I have also used a weed that should be shooting up about now in the US. Dried whole, the seed branches make good mini poplar trees, but if you don't dry it first, just drape and glue it while still green. It makes a nice full vine and holds its color pretty well. Don't know the name; it "ripens" to a bright rust color and grows along roadsides everywhere in Ohio. Many people drag a length of string through tacky glue and then through shredded green Oasis or railroad ground cover. Others buy garlands of tiny leaves at the craft store and use the smallest. Experiment with what works best for you!

Loretta Sniarowski

Flower Making Sites: On projects, page two of my site you will find about a dozen links to sites with instructions for making flowers http://www.miniaturereality.com/Project2.htm My personal favorite is Michelle's Minis.

Karolyn

Chain Link Fence... I was just at Michael's yesterday and saw some fabulous rolls of metal mesh that is made to be used as a modeling "fabric." It comes in several finishes (copper, silver) and sizes from a really fine weave (medieval chain mail?) to a more open weave that would be perfect for a chain link fence. I was tempted to buy some myself just to have it around when "someday" comes and I have need of that kind of fence.

Diane in Holtsville

9V lighting: I have been asked by Linda to share the little knowledge I have with the list in regard to lighting with 9V batteries. Please accept that I am no expert so I graciously offer my pardon to all those skillful people who work wonders with lights and electrifying their room boxes and dollhouses. I only know that by using a battery connector and a 9V battery I was able to power my single light in my room box and my bags. Also, it would be possible to power, theoretically, 8 bulbs if you use a 7.2 or preferably an 8.4V rechargeable battery because these are able to pull more current to compensate for the lack of voltage, thus lighting the bulb almost to the brightness of 12V. However, both batteries will discharge at a greater rate than they would normally. You can purchase battery connectors (known as 9V snap connectors in USA) from, in the US, http://www.radioshack.com putting in cat#27-324 (1.99USD for 5) or in Europe, http://www.maplin.co.uk/putting in NE19V (0.25GBP for soft or 0.29GBP for rigid)

Joanne

Large Brass Chandeliers: Someone asked about large brass chandeliers. I sell a range of lights including a 6 arm brass chandelier with matching wall lights. http://www.littlebylittle.co.uk

Home made adjustable line scriber: If you have a line scriber; skip this; if not it may interest you. I made an adjustable line scriber.

Needed:
1 adjustable square. The kind that has the sliding ruler and a bubble level.
Some clear "Scotch" tape
Sewing needle.
Some means of cutting a shallow groove in the fixed head of the "C" clamp.
Method:
- Cut a groove in the flat head of the "C" clamp.
- With the clear mending tape, tape the sewing needle to the 1" mark on the adjustable steel rule of the square. The needle point should extend abut 1/8" below the edge of the ruler and be at right angles to the long axis of the steel rule.
- Fit the groove made in the "C" clamp over the needle and clamp the needle to the steel rule.
- Now by using the 1" mark as "0" you can slide the scratch awl (needle) any amount you wish closer to or away from the base of the adjustable square. If you move the needle so the 1" mark is now "0"; the needle will be resting or abutting the flat right angel side of the base in relation to the steel rule. This was just added so you can get an idea of orientation. By moving the steel rule away from the base and fixing it in position you now have a line scriber that will reproduce the same width by scribing a line the same distance from the edge that the base of the square is using as a guide.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL

Real Glass Windows: Noel and Pat Thomas always use glass in their windows. The trick is to blacken the edges with a permanent marker so you can't tell how thick it is once it is in the window frame. They frame them with wood that has a groove in it (although, knowing Noel, he probably makes it all from scratch - you can buy wood that has a groove in it the thickness of a piece of picture framing glass).

Anne Gerdes

Real Glass Windows: I've posted on this subject before but have had some feedback that is worth adding. Besides, with practice I may learn to say it with brevity.- - IMHO, Glass is the far superior choice for miniatures. Is requires a bit of practice and care at first to cut but any new skill is a worthwhile reward of miniaturing. While glass is more fragile than plastic early on, plastic becomes the more fragile over time. Both plastic and glass will discolor with antiquity. Glass discolors far more attractively. Finger prints, glue, paint and other visible byproducts of construction and assembly clean away very nicely from glass with only token care required to avoid scratches in the process. With stencils and acid paste, glass etches very easily and attractively (and period authentically)

Unfortunately, most commercially manufactured windows and doors are manufactured to use thin plastic as glazing. Those who demand "the best" are generally required to either make their own or have custom work done. There are sources for thin glass ranging from microscope slide covers (slips) to mini supply shops but thin glass is usually not necessary unless a cross section edge view) must be presented such as an open transom window or cupboard. If the edge view can be hidden, use ordinary thick glass - paint the glass edges with a flat opaque enamel to control lateral light refraction
and no one will be able to see how thick it is.

My own assembly trick for double hung window sashes is to use full height rails as both the upper sash interior rail and lower sash exterior rail. I normally choose 1/16" "single strength" picture frame glass though, again, thicker will work just as well.

Mel K. Las Vegas, Nevada