Eyestrain: I just purchased a GE reveal light bulb. All I could find was a food light with a medium base. I got a 50 watt for the small clamp light I have that shines light over my left shoulder. It is clamped onto my wing chair (not a decorator's choice, but it works). Boy, does this make a difference. The light is not yellow, it seems to be whiter more like natural light. I have always found it easier to work on a sunny day but not in direct sunlight. This light feels like I am sitting in strong natural light with out being directly in the sun.

I should explain that I do mini crochet with fine threads and .4, .5, and .6 mm hooks. I need good light just to be able to see my work let alone deal with eye strain. I have been using this new light bulb for two days now and I really like it. I am working longer and faster. Also, the work suddenly seems easier. But I still have to work out how to see the "holes" working with super fine silk.

Lee Ann

Magnification: Eons ago when I took my first piece of petitpoint with me for my annual eye exam, the doctor recommended a magnifying lamp with the light underneath the magnifier to light up the work. He said the light was equally, if not more important than the magnification because you could see much better with proper light. So I did that.

Next visit I brought in a piece I had worked on 72 count and told him that after a few hours my eyes bothered me a bit with this. He said to wear reading glasses from the drug store and get whatever strength was necessary to easily see (with the magnifying lamp) without straining.

Also he said, stitching while "watching" television was good because the looking up, refocusing, looking down, refocusing, was good exercise for your eyes. The amazing thing was that stitching several hours a day for many years, under the proper conditions, IMPROVED my eyesight and my prescription (nearsighted) had to be lessened 3 or 4 times over a period of years. In the 6 years that I didn't stitch at all, my prescription had to be made stronger. Moral: Use whatever it takes to see without strain, BUT be sure your work surface has the proper light!

Bobbie

Eye Strain: Don't forget that you need to BLINK once in awhile while sitting at the computer and reading masses of SS digests and other mini info and also when you are concentrating on something under a magnifying glass. Eyes tend to dry out and cause all sorts of problems otherwise. Staring without blinking when concentrating becomes a bad habit for computer and hobby people.

Miniroses

Tin roof - get sheets of crimped metallic paper, cut it the length you need into wide strips that will over lap, paint to appear weathered and rusted. It mustn't be perfectly done or it won't look authentic unless you're doing a fancy log cabin, in which case I'd do cedar shake shingles, say that ten times fast!!!!!!!!!

Molly Cromwell

viscose: I've been selling viscose for wigging miniature dolls for the past 16 years. Anyone who'd like a color-price sheet can email me their regular mail address, and I'll send it to them. The sheet is on my web site - http://daintydoll.tripod.com/DaintyDolls/but the colors don't come out very well.

Paulette Stinson

Lead miniatures. I was told by the director of adaptive technology at Stout University, that lead enters the blood stream through the skin simply by handling lead objects and even by handling things that have been in contact with lead.   I found this out when I had a work station assessment done. One of the objects I keep on my worktable is a small container of the smallest lead shot available.   (Shot is the tiny lead balls inside of shotgun shells).  As lead is very heavy, it makes a nice holder in which to stand up small tools and brushes.  The tiny balls keep little tools upright and handy.  I was shown that the handles placed in contact with the lead carry a good deal of lead to my hands where it enters the body right through the skin.   Breathing in lead dust is also hazardous.

Lead is a heavy metal and once it enters the body, it stays there. There is no known method for getting it out.  It is proven to cause brain damage and to affect fetal health and God only knows what else.

The moral of the story?   There is NOTHING WRONG with working with lead miniatures so long as you do it safely.

When handling unpainted lead, wear surgical gloves until it is painted. Never sand on lead objects where particles will be left on your workspace or in the air.   Never sand lead objects without wearing a high quality face mask.

Until I was diagnosed with a severe chronic illness, I never considered the effects of these kinds of exposures. We work with so many different products and materials, that it's just best to overly careful.

Kathy in Wisconsin

Mohair Viscose source: Here is a site for mohair http://www.magiccabindolls.com/shop/product.cfm?icat_item_num=16001

Also note the crochet site at about.com is a good resource for finding different items.
http://crochet.about.com/

Other sites you might try for viscose:
http://www.indiamart.com/sushantthreadmills/
http://freespace.virgin.net/associated.yarns/

Connie

Handling lead: For the SS'r who asked about the problems that lead presents? If you sand lead, inhaling any of the dust can be dangerous, in fact the USA has a department to answer any questions you may have: The following hopefully is of use:

The National Lead Information Center (NLIC) provides the general public and professionals with information about lead hazards and their prevention. NLIC operates under a contract with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with funding from EPA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development Their phone number is: 1(800) 424-LEAD [5323].

An American doctor, Bruce Lanphear presented the results of a study where he had found that children with blood containing LEAD at the levels now considered safe scored an average of 11.1 points lower on the Stanford-Binet IQ test than a control group of children with blood that contained amounts of LEAD that measured 1 microgram per deciliter or less. The ingestion of LEAD by children is usually caused by inhaling LEAD dust or eating chips of LEAD paint, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. LEAD-based paint was widely used in the painting of homes until its manufacture was banned over twenty years ago. Currently, the most common childhood exposures to LEAD are found in older housing. High levels of LEAD poisoning can result in mental retardation, convulsions and coma. For additional information, contact the following sources:  Environmental Protection Agency:  http://www.epa.gov/lead Just be aware and take adequate safeguards!

Peter

dressing miniature dolls: it's easy and fun to learn to dress dolls, and you can learn a lot by subscribing to the Dainty Doll Newsletter. Each issue has 6-7 costume projects of all kinds, complete with patterns and detailed instructions. Anyone can email me for more information, or check out my web site. http://daintydoll.tripod.com/DaintyDolls/

Paulette Stinson

Downspouts from straws: In a recent Bluette class we added downspouts by using a straw with a flexible neck, cut to fit the space, and then use the copper ageing kits, or just paint with copper paint, and when thoroughly dry, dry brush some burnt umber on it and wipe to the finish wanted, grungy or not. You can do the same for gutters, use a piece of wooden molding that is u shaped and glue on the roof but age first.

Molly