Balloons: I have read that plastic grapes could be used as balloons. Either paint or cover with real balloons.

Karen In Dubai

Balloon Animals: what about that stuff you put on tools to give them a rubber grip? Could you not coat polymer clay to give them a rubber exterior?

Bob Francis, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Landscaping a house too big for table:   I think I would handle it with a brick planter on each side of the house.  Make a open top box the length of the foundation and the same height.  Turn the box upside down and brick or adorn it with something that works with your house.   Put and extra row on the top to capture you planting.  Drill holes in the foundation and the boxes and screw together. Then they could be removed to transport easier later.  Fill your planter with an assortment of shrubs and flowers and there you are.  You can then make a front yard to match the new width of your house to sit on the table in the front yard. Hope I interpreted your problem and maybe solved it for you.   I have a wide selection of landscaping supplied please e-mail me for those. I also have some finished scenes on our web site.  Thing you might be able to use in your front yard.

Gail, Gailcrafts Miniatures Showcase

Casting For Purls - A new Section: http://CastingForPurls.com website.

The new section deals with miniature blankets, coverlets and afghans. How to calculate the size, which yarns/threads to use and a lot of other little things you need to consider. Also there are a couple of patterned stitches included to start you off, and I plan on adding more as time permits. So to see this new section, select the Patterns link, then select Blankets, Coverlets and Afghans.

Joy in Pointe Claire

Draping   fabric.   The best method I've found for draping if I didn't want to go thru the hours of stiffening, pinning, and shaping is to sew or glue fine copper wire into the hem of the fabric. Then shape the wire around a small dowel.   It works best on dust ruffles. It also works to drape bed coverings and keep the corners down.   and I bet if I go to the archives this will already be there....VBG.....    Pillows filled with salt.......I've never tried that either, but the little canisters that are shipped to your pharmacists to keep medication dry, contain tiny crystals of silica gel, and this makes a nice pliable filler for your DH pillows, and keeps the moisture out of the DH too as a bonus.  

Carol Wagner, Joshua Tree Calif

Landscaping Challenge: I had the same problem of a complex landscaped project that was kinda like building the boat in the basement.  You can see how I solved this by going to my website:  http://www.homestead.co m/davesminiplace     When you get there, go to the architectural models and surf down to the "connector building."   This one was built in removable parts in two dimensions: Horizontally to get it out the doors and Vertically to show the details of each floor.  Luckily so.  Remember, the model you see at the website was built before the building was.  It helped get the funds to build the building.  I am now challenged to update the vertical members (2nd & 3rd floors) to the latest configuration.  That is the vertical approach.

Next, I must take apart the horizontal phases shown in the website photos to update the aquarium displays.  I am thankful I can do it in manageable steps because each segment can be worked on individually.   

I will be happy to talk further to anyone who has seen this model on the website about how it was segmented, first to get it out the door, and now to facilitate reworking the model.  

Dave

Balloons: animal or the round kind. You can't make the balloons out of polymer clay and cover with real balloons because the polymer clay eats through the rubber of the balloon. Guess how I know?

Cake decorations have great balloon bunches and they can be taken off the white plastic "tree" they are on and rewired with fine wire.

Gail in Orlando

Balloon sculptures: how about making poly clay forms and then covering them with a real balloon that has been blown up to stretch it out. It can be tied at the "joints" with sewing thread of a matching color or invisible thread to simulate the twists in the balloon.

Mary Lou in Portage, IN

Balloons: I made balloons in a workshop from Crayola Model Magic and when dry, dipped in glossy paints by Liquitex. They looked great. Some of the students in class just painted them with regular craft paints and then spray gloss! The balloons are in the Holidays-ME Birthday scene on the picture trail site. http://www.picturetrail.com/fannye

Fannye in TX

Cleaning Up Acrylic Paint: I just started a painting class (not miniatures) and we're using acrylic paints. I was told to get some Wet Ones for cleaning up paint. We started out painting on a slateboard with wooden frame, and I got some unwanted paint on the slate and the Wet Ones cleaned it off with very little elbow grease. Worked great!

Mary