Japanese lanterns: I just flashed on a plaster lantern project I had seen once in Better Homes and Gardens which was done over balloons. The oriental lanterns could be done the same way - use a very small balloon and Vaseline it. It is then removed with a lot less mess than clay.

Jacqui Marlin

Lite Brite Shapes: Old Light Bright shapes: Rounded end, then flared tall glass tumbler shape, often with trapped air bubble inside, 1/2 inch high, with a 1/2 inch high bullet shape on top, with a conical head. This bullet shape makes great perfume bottles, once sawn off.

New Light Brite shapes - Flat end (so they stand up on their own), fatter flared glass tumbler shape just under 1/2 inch tall, NEVER with air bubble trapped inside, then short fat pointed bullet shape, 1/4 of an inch tall. This short fat pointed end would make good mock fairy lights once sawn off - but it would not work as either a perfume bottle or candle, as there's more conical point than stubby body, if you see what I mean.

Helen from York, England

Chinese lanterns -- NN, maybe July (What would we do without Joann?? Get desperate like we were pre-SS while she was on hiatus!). Tissue tubes glued around a pencil, then slid down and crumpled to make the accordion folds. Could even make these working lights by slipping them over one of those holiday village battery-operated mini light strings. Another version you might try if there's a party supply store nearby is to buy those cocktail picks with honeycomb fruit toppings. Just snip them off the pick and glue a bit of wire in the top for a hanger.

Loretta Sniarowski

Baskets: Try taking raffia and stripping it down to threads. To make coils or spokes, fishing line works well for the core. I have some tiny, tiny Indian baskets done this way and by adjusting the size of the fishing line and the size of the raffia strips, various sizes can be made.

Jacqui Marlin

--sword shaped toothpicks when painted white first then metallic make a nice set of crossed swords over the fireplace.

--a cheap plastic chess set --the knights, horse heads, make nice hitching posts when pained and using a hot hat pin to puncture through the nostrils, ouch, and a part of a paper clip used for the ring. The base of a pawn when cut off makes a bowl or a flower pot after sealing the hole on the top edge. the top of the pawn painted brown with a gold painted spot on top makes a pepper mill .or a nice hose guard for the garden. the pawn painted gold with a cord strung between might make a cue up ropes in a theater scene. only painted they make lamp bases, the king has a nice cross besides the crowns .the knight glued to a rook makes a garden statue.

Jane Rezza

Wine Bottle Lead: The lead from wine bottles is great for making pewter plates. Cut out a circle and emboss over a small plate or button or, some wine houses have the tops (on full bottles) embossed with a picture already. Cut carefully round the top, turn upside down and carefully flatten the border. If you want a matching set you just drink more wine.

Dorothee

Lite Brite Pegs: Looking for Brite Lite Pegs - try Toys R Us, or a similar store. I have seen them in bags of various sizes.

Dani

Feathers: I have parakeet feathers. I sold a few on eBay and that got me started making miniature glass items and making friends here! I need some of the feathers for quills for the inkwells I make, but most are not appropriate. I don't have enough for stuffing pillows, but if someone wants some for decorative uses (dusters?), I'm sure we can work something out.

They are not listed on my site, but you can contact me though it. http://www.walkerillustration.com/~janewalker

Jane

Plexiglass Boxes and Doilies: Try Michael's craft store, they have a lot of Plexiglas boxes in various sizes. I know they carry one about 5 by 5 so they could have the other sizes too! Dees (the big catalog so many retailers can order from) might have them also! If not check with a beanie baby supplier.

Pat Dees carries the paper doilies or you can buy a big doily package and cut them down into smaller sizes (look at the patterns first as not all have the little doilies in them!

Laura

Lite Brite Pegs: I found refill packages of lite brite pegs at both Wal-Mart and Toys R Us.

Lori

Doilies: For mini doilies for your cakes and pastries, look at some of the regular size doilies. There are small ones, medium ones all combined in the larger ones that you can cut out. We found some one time that looked like snowflakes for one inch scale, and cut out lots of them.

Betty

Doilies: I get my paper doilies from Hanky Panky. They have a web site: www.hankypankycrafts.com I think I clicked on cake supplies to see the doilies. She has a great little catalog available for $3.

Paula

Acrylic Boxes: Here is the name of one that I've bought from at shows.

Acrylic Creations Inc.
500 Winifred
Lansing, MI 48917

Michele & Neil Kaiser
(517) 321-2640

If they don't have one they are able to make one any size you specify. As far as I know they do not have a web site.

Marilyn

Doilies: I wonder if you can make them by either making a pencil rubbing of a crocheted doily or drawing the doily on appropriate white paper, then putting the paper on a piece of Styrofoam and punching out the drawn design with something larger than a sewing needle -- maybe a tapestry needle or the tip of a nail file. After it's punched, cut out the design. I haven't tried it, but I can't see why it wouldn't work.

Rosemary

Lite Brite Pegs: Can be found at just about any thrift store, yard sale, flea market, or you can look for the refill packs at any toystore or Wal-mart (over in the toys near the Play-Doh.) RoseArt made an Peg Light set near Christmas but don't know if it is still on the market.

Anna

Doilies: I got my mini doilies for free. When you go to www.cottonridge.com you click on miniature scale and gallery after, at the bottom of the picture you will see the offer for different gifts if you send them a picture of your minis. There is 6 laser cut mini doilies. It took 2 weeks for me to get it and they are beautiful.

Gisèle

Velvet Paper: I've had numerous requests for the location of the velvet paper I mentioned for printing rugs. I bought mine at a Scrapbooking store. That's all they carry, paper, punches, stamps, etc. BUT..........the site below has what they call Fuzzy paper for printing fuzzy photos. Can't for the life of me figure why you'd want a fuzzy photo, don't we all try to get clear photos? Anyhow, I think this is what you need. Price is 15 sheets for 10.00. What I found in the store was 1.75 per sheet, so........sounds good. When you go to the site, type in Velvet paper and search. It takes you to the Fuzzy place. Click on that and there you are. Have fun. http://www.paper-paper.com/home-details.html

Fannye in TX

Stuffing pillows: When I made pillows for my dh I used cotton balls like you get to clean your nail polish off. They are perfect in size, especially for round pillows.

Grace Shaw

Stuffing for pillow cases and mattresses etc. Old method. Use the lint from the drier.

Dr Bob

Buckles: You can make your own by bending wire into a flat figure 8 shape.

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Sandra