Stripping the ends off wires: About the plastic on the lamp wires, if you use a dull knife, such as a paring knife and just very gently cut turning the wire and then gently pull, the plastic should come off. Practice on a piece of long wire. You have to cut very softly so you don't go thru the wires. If one or two tiny wires come off, it's okay as long as the majority of them are there and then twist them together. You can either direct wire them to the wire using the brads to wrap the ends around or use a little plug. Remember that one lamp wire goes on one side of your wire tape and the other lamp wire goes on the other wire tape to complete the circuit. Assuming you are using the tape wiring system.

Linda

Aging fabric: What you need to do is think of the look you are after and DO test. Tea will often give an orange undertone while Coffee will be, as Linda mentioned, more umber. Take a look at the colour of things as they age. Unless there is a high level of iron in the water of the area, things age a brownish tone, not orange.

These are things to remember though.

- - tea will be lighter than coffee and range in tones
- - strong mixtures in HOT water are are must
- - what colour it looks wet? It WILL dry darker.
- - wet the fabric in plain water before dipping in solution so your dye job is even and not splotchy.

Debi in Quesnel

Fimo food: For those who wanted a substitute for semolina. To make a sponge cake texture you might get away with using polenta (corn meal) as long as it's finely textured. Because you are only using small amounts you could grind it finer in a small bowl (or pestle and mortar if you have one) I also use poppy seeds for fruit cakes and sesame seeds for almonds. Mustard seeds make goodcherries but they need painting first and also you can grind down small piecesof pre-baked clay to make suet pieces (white clay) orange and lemon peel (addedto fruit cake or mince pies), coriander seeds make great walnuts in a bowl(Angie Scarr tip) and don't forget some liquid Sculpey for making icing(frosting) and fillings like jam etc.

Jacquie Hall

Aging fabric: I had an idea about aging fabric or any other absorbent material. How about dissolving, (boil) some old leather to get the tannins into the water. If you have Oak trees near by you can use the leaves. (heavy in tannins). (Acorns also) After you get the color tint you desire, soak the fabric or other absorbent material in the solution. It should pick up the color in the solution.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

Aging Fabrics: I have had great success with the use of Rit Taupe Dye. Sprinkle a few grains in a container of hot hot water. Wet your fabric thoroughly and flatten out as much as possible. Dip into the dye water and swish around. Remove and rinse in cold water. Instant age!

Barbara Cooper

Fading/aging fabric: I'm going to cut small sample pieces of fabric and then try each of the suggestions given to me. I'm then going to make a "sample board" of sorts and label each technique used with each piece of fabric. I'll photograph it and post it to my picture trail site when I have it completed. Then anyone can go and use it as a reference if they would like. I'll let you know when it's complete.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to email me or post to SS. I sure do appreciate all of your help!!!!!

Tammy Fischer

Painting Clay: I never really heard of the idea of painting Sculpey before baking. It seems like it would be a monumental mess to do, and not very safe to breathe (depending on your paint.) I can only imagine that some paints might even blister on the surface of your piece, and then you'd really have some troubles on your hands. Are you having difficulty getting your paint to adhere after you bake it? I've used a lot of Sculpey (the colored stuff for food) and Super Sculpey for dolls.

For the dolls, outside of an acrylic "wash" to blush up their skin tones, and lightly detail their faces, I've never seen a need for extensive paint work on dolls, or finishing sprays or varnishes. Less done the better...to me. The baked patina of Super Sculpey is perfect for that application (skin). With the colored stuff, or Regular white Sculpey - acrylics are a great choice for painting your baked pieces. (Acrylic is perfectly versatile as a wash and dry brush application as well.) Use a small fan brush to eliminate your brushstrokes, and give your pieces at least two light coats (after baking). You shouldn't have a problem after that.

These days I use Super Sculpey almost exclusively. (I recall the regular Sculpey being white, Super Sculpey is a flesh tone.) I'm still working on that room box, the Egyptian one...redoing the bed itself...but EVERYTHING...in that room so far outside of the wood bed frame, and the tiny glass "seeds" in the pomegranates...it's ALL Super Sculpey...the dolls, the dishes, the headboard, foot board, the table, the food. The Super Sculpey dolls were "washed" and detailed, and the other pieces simply painted outright. (All with acrylic paint...after baking) If you want to see, they're in the Egyptian room box album.) The product is really easy to "finish." I've never needed to prep it. And despite a lot of complaints I've heard about it, it has never surface cracked on me, or begun to shatter...ever. Never happened. AndI have dolls I've made that are at LEAST 10 years old. It's a great product.

Sherise

Help with fabric stiffener: If you go to Aileene's site, you can find some information on spray fabric stiffener:

http://www.duncancrafts.com/learning/product.asp?ID=55&SID=1

Information on stiffening fabrics in general:
http://ttsw.com/MiscQuilting/StiffenSmallItems.html

There is also a liquid (Stiffy fabric stiffener) that I used for kid's Halloween projects
http://www.frightnights.com/howto/ghost.htm. It was wonderful stuff for making 'stiff' ghosts out of thin white cotton and Origami projects
http://www.fabricorigami.com/instructions.html

For more information, check out Carol Duvall's huge repository of craft projects here:
http://www.hgtv.com/ I've seen a couple of her shows where she has used fabric stiffener. To purchase, check Http://www.joann.com

Deborah

Fabric stiffener : if you can't find fabric stiffener, you can use regular fabric starch (although that will "wilt" eventually) or dilute tacky glue with water to a more liquid consistency. Soak the fabric completely, squeeze out most of the liquid, and then form on the object you're covering, leave alone till dried in place. My mom used diluted glue on crochet projects before they marketed commercial stiffener, and she's convinced it's nothing but dilute tacky anyway.

Loretta.Sniarowski

Painting Fimo: If you are painting Fimo then only use acrylic based paints as anything else will react with the clay. You generally paint afterwards although there are some innovative artists who experiment with paint and clay in the oven, but let's not go there right now!!!! Most of the commercial craft paints will do the job quite nicely and for the more experienced artist then Daler Rowney or Winsor & Newton both have a range of acrylic paints and these would be found in your local art supplies shop.

Don't ignore this type of paint as there are some wonderful interference mediums that are great for fantasy figures or simply the iridescent sheen on a fresh fish(for example). If you want to color clay before baking there are a few similar ways to do this, most suppliers of the clay may or will stock the pearled and mica powders. Powdered food coloring can be used or even cosmetic powders although the longevity of these is still subject to debate. My own favorite is powdered artist pastels, they come in a myriad of colors and different grades. The softer pastels are easier to grind to a powder and easier to use, application is with a soft paintbrush or a cotton bud. The pastels are generally inexpensive and available at art supplies shops also. There is a range of colors sold for use with cold porcelain but the only ones I have found so far are quite pricey in comparison.

As a general rule, dry color is applied before baking and wet color (as in paint) is used after baking. I hope this helps.

Jacquie Hall