Fans: my fan DIY was first published in NN Nov. 1982....one of my first articles. I have not looked at it for years but I do remember that the wood used was slivers of bamboo. Bamboo can be cut and sanded very, very thin without breaking. If believe I sliced the bamboo from a large piece salvaged from slat blinds but with a bit more work it could come from a skewer. I still have some of the original fans and they, unlike some early pieces, do not make me cringe.....so maybe someone will share the old NN with you and you can see if the fans DIY is something you can use.

Joann

Corrugated Metal roofing: Last night I had one of Pizza Hut's P'Zone's. I noticed in the bottom of the box holding the sandwich a large rectangular piece of white corrugated cardboard. I would imagine that you could probably talk your local Pizza Hut out of some, or they may sell you a few pieces for a nominal amount. The scale looks about right for a tin roof.

Rusty in Ky

Pumice is a wonderful material used as a finishing agent and so is rottenstone. Both are a powder, very fine somewhat like powdered sugar. It is used with an oil as a lubricant and that oil can be just any kind, baby, mineral, motor, etc. I even used the nasty, crudey oil drained from my car on one occasion when I couldn't find anything else. Despite it being what it was, I obtained the best softly glowing appearance that closely resembled the patina of an antique on that piece of furniture. I used it to repair a somewhat less than perfect finish on an old piece of furniture with great success. Both pumice and rottenstone are gray, one lighter than the other and which to use depends on the finish you want. If you want a very low sheen, use rottenstone, but if you desire a soft shiny ( NOT that awful high shine) finish, use pumice. I am embarrassed to say I had never thought of using either on wood minis that have that horrible garish bumpy finish. I would think either would tone it down to a acceptable appearance. I have read that some furniture has been dipped or painted with glue for a finish. How true I don't know and I also don't know how one would remove that.

Mel - Mass., USA

Cinder block: use a wood base and paint it gray with sand in the paint and score lines for the cinder block edges. If you make butt joints where the wood meets wood at the corners, you can use the line between the wood as the line delineating the end of a cinder block run. Play with it.

Better yet use coarse grit sand paper and this permits you to go "around" corners. also paint this cinder block gray. The lines between courses and rows can be done with a fine brush and black or a dark gray paint. Stipple the "cinder block" with the black paint to give the impression of pits. We are talking illusion here. You are only limited by your imagination and the depth of your "pocket".

Dr Bob

Tin roof...when doing my log cabin, I found most of the "tin" roofing was in pieces to small for the expanse of roof I wanted to cover, finally went to a pack and ship shop and got a roll of corrugated packing material. FANTASTIC!!! I unrolled it, hung it on my fence and spray painted it with some chrome paint...because it absorbs the paint, it was a matt finish. I wanted mine to be rustic, so I used Instant Rust and weathered it after I glued it to the roof.

Annamarie

Old and crumbly Classic Fimo: Try this site for some of the original Fimo.
http://store.yahoo.com/fimo/closeoutitems.html

Donna

TV Program Sets: I recommend you try to locate the following book: "TV Sets - Fantasy Blueprints of Classic TV Homes" by Mark Bennett. It was published by Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, NY in l996 and distributed by Workman Publishing Company, NY./TV Books, Inc, NY. (ISBN: 1-57912-107-1) This book contains floor plans and furniture layout for "I Love Lucy" and many other classic TV programs (35 programs altogether). However, the book does not contain any actual photographs of the TV programs - only floorplans/layouts.

Nancy Faye Roach - Port St. Lucie, FL

Great mini book for kids...: I just had to share this information with those who may never have seen the book. I bought a book for my grand daughter that you might want to consider giving to a child that you want to help interest in minis. It's called: Tiny Treasures (American Girl Library) ISBN 1-56247-667-X by the Pleasant Company.

It's $9.95 and worth every penny! It gives step by step instructions for making at least (didn't count) 20+ miniatures with very common, inexpensive materials! Would be a great project book for 4H, Scouts & Youth groups to encourage them to create and enjoy the world of minis! (Sorry, it is geared to girls, because it's by American Girl - I don't think I saw any boys pictures in there.)

Patty Johnson, Campbell's Island

Pastels for polymer foods: I thought it might be useful to go over some points. The artist pastels are basically like chalk, sold as sticks of different colors. These are used as an alternative to paint for the purpose of making objects appear more natural. They are especially useful for coloring baked goods, roasted meats, fruits, some vegetables, flowers, and much more. (I buy an entire set of 12 colors at Wal-Mart for something under $5.) To make the powder, take a stick and press it onto paper (like you did as a kid writing with chalk on a sidewalk) and that's all there is to it. You can mix colors as well. (Example: I use a coat of "mustard" mixed with a touch of brown to coat pastries and breads. Then I add a bit of solid brown and/or some burnt sienna to the tops. Note: I make burnt sienna by mixing orange and brown, then just a tad of red.) Brush on the pastels prior to baking the clay. The idea is to pretty-much dab on the color, rather than to solidly paint the object. To apply pastels to small items, such as potatoes, just roll the objects in the powder. The whole point in using pastels is to impart a depth and variance in color, such as for making oven-roasted potatoes. The pastels become a permanent part of the clay when baked, and do not need a gloss or matte protection. If you use pastels after baking, you'll find that it is harder to apply the pastels and you'll need a gloss or matte finish to protect them. Do NOT use "oil" pastels…just the regular artist pastels. Honestly, if you make mini foods orflowers from polymer clay, this product is a "must-have."

Doc

Chicken pictures: For people interested in chicken pictures for a kitchen or somewhere, Jan Brett has some nice borders, etc. They would have to be reduced before printing.
http://www.janbrett.com/daisy_comes_home_border_main.htm

Laura, Calgary