Carpet Runners: if you're looking for stair or hall runners we have a couple. Have a look at http://www.hijinx.co.nz

Elli

Carpet Runners: We have over 300 designs of woven carpets in 4 different sizes including the runners you are looking for at www.anatolian-treasures.com These intricately woven miniature pieces are perfect for the delicately decorated and accented doll house. They are 100 % woven in rich colors with a silk impression and look almost exactly like their larger counterparts.

Anatolian Treasures

Closed umbrella and a purse for a 4" - 8" doll: For the umbrella, open a paper clip up and straighten it out (or use a tiny dowel rod or straight piece of wire) Cut it to the length you want. If it's a fancy parasol, you can wrap narrow silk ribbon around the shaft. Glue on a pretty bead or beads for handle. Cut out a circular piece of fabric, stick the end of the shaft through the middle, and glue to hold. Then pull the fabric up and twist it to hold it tight. Glue or take a stitch around the top to hold it in place. Gather lace all around this top edge. (Kind of hard to give directions without illustrations, but I hope you get the idea)

For a purse, take a little flat piece of wood or fiber board (maybe 3/4" X 1/2". (or 1" X 3/4" for the 8" doll) Cut out a piece of embroidered ribbon and wrap it completely around, gluing it down, with enough extra length to lap over in front. Glue a little piece of trim along the edge, and a bead for decoration. Glue narrow satin ribbon from one side bottom edge to the other, for a handle, and to cover sides.

Paulette in IN

Closed umbrella: If you take a round toothpick glue a bead on one end and on the other end a smaller bead. Cut a circle of fabric, place the smaller beaded end of the toothpick in center and gather the material up around the toothpick. Now wrap a piece of ribbon around the closed part of the umbrella and glue where necessary. Another way to make the handle of the umbrella is to roll a piece of black or brown bakeable modeling clay and then bend into a handle. These look really cute in a marker cap painted as an umbrella stand.

Kathy from Cedar Springs

Closed umbrella: If you take a round toothpick glue a bead on one end and on the other end a smaller bead. Cut a circle of fabric, place the smaller beaded end of the toothpick in center and gather the material up around the toothpick. Now wrap a piece of ribbon around the closed part of the umbrella and glue where necessary. Another way to make the handle of the umbrella is to roll a piece of black or brown bakeable modeling clay and then bend into a handle. These look really cute in a marker cap painted as an umbrella stand.

Kathy from Cedar Springs

Picture Frames: Mount picture to be framed, centered, on a piece of mat board, illustration board, cardstock or cardboard of a thickness that will meet your approx. finished depth needs and that is wide enough all the way around to take the width of your frame. For instance, if your frame is going to have sides that are 1/8" wide you would add an extra 1/8" all around. Use either YES glue or a quality glue stick for adhering. If you are using glass and/or a matt to your picture, glue it on top, keeping glue to the edges that will be covered by the frame.

You will be using paper strips to frame your picture. The paper may be plain or decorative, thick or thin, smooth or textured. If plain, pre-paint it as desired...for a wood look paint it a raw sienna color and antique it with a dark brown water based translucent stain. For decorative papers look in full sized wallpaper books or in scrapbook sections of craft stores. Cut paper strips to width that is the same size as depth of edge of the cardboard-glass-picture-matboard (or whatever) combination Cover raw edges neatly in four separate pieces.

Cut strips the width of the face of frame sides and slightly longer. Adhere to top. over exposed frame space next to picture (right over glass if it is being used. Do two connected sides first, overlapping the corners. Using a sharp Xacto knife cut thru the two thickness' of paper at a 45 degree angle, using the inside and outside corners of the paper strips as a guide...very simple. Gently lift up the cut edges and remove the excess paper and you will be left with a perfect mitered corner. Repeat for all four corners.

Thinner paper strips or wood strips can be added in the same manner to the face of the first strips to add dimension and interest if desired. Jewelry findings or what have you may be adhered to corners for interest. Touch up paper edges as needed with matching paint. After you have done a few as described above you may want to try using just one strip of paper to cover a side and it's edge. A bit more difficult but makes for a neater finish.

Joann Swanson

Matting Pictures: I was a picture framer for 10 years. So I do have a mat cutter at home which does make this a little easier. Logan makes one for home use that works extremely well. They are around 100 to 125 dollars depending on if you get the one that also will do straight edges versus just the beveled edge. Highly recommend that one over the other. I've used this for years for so many things that it is well worth the price. Easy to cut long strips of mat board for projects that you're working on besides cutting mat boards. Starting with acid free mat board, which is the only kind I use, Cut your mat board the size you want, mark your boarder on all 4 sides and cut your bevel. Then carefully peel several layers of the backing paper off from the front. It works like a charm, you get your bevel in scale. You can then leave it white or carefully and slowly if you've never done this before, with a marker that doesn't bleed, paint the bevel color of choice. I used gold to simulate fillet. It was very effective without balk.

Kathy in E. TN

Halloween Plates: Go to printable http://miniatures.about.com/hobbies/miniatures/mbody.htmthey have all kinds of printable and i know they had the plates.

Pam In North Ga

Light Brite pegs: I had so much fun with them in the Soap Shop I did years ago after being inspired by Joann Swanson's wonderful projects, when she mentioned how to use them in Nutshell News. My Soap Shop is on this page at my site. http://members.home.net/jday1/soapshop.htm

I used them for the bottles of shampoo and fragrances by cutting the bottoms off and adding a bead for the top and painting on a logo. I used the older pegs because they are longer and are beautiful colors.

After I made the Soap Shop I started turning them on the lathe and have had so much fun with them ever since. I used to sell perfume and apothecary bottles that I turned on the lathe. I also made miniature molds from the turnings then poured them with porcelain. Some of my micro turnings from Light Brite Pegs can be seen in in my Micro Chocolaterie, they are the candy jars and other jars.

http://members.home.net/jday1/Chocolaterieshop.htm

I think you will really enjoy working with them. They are great for jam jars too and I have turned wine bottles with them as well.

Jean Day

Books: If you want the kind of shelves that a real reader ends up with after years of buying a book here and a book there, all of them read and well loved, foam core will work better than balsa. Measure and scale your real books and make the faux books one at a time so that even the ones that are similar in size or color will still come out slightly different. Choose a size, a cover material and a page edge color. Cut the foam core shape with a very sharp Exacto blade. Press the metal edge of a ruler down hard very close to the edge on both sides of the "book" where the binding bends in on a real book. Color the cardboard edges to match the cover paper; this makes the finished book look like it has a thick binding, not a piece of thin paper glued to cardboard. Gild or color the "edges of the pages" -- i.e., the foam -- as desired. I've used gel pens, watercolor pencil (slightly dampen the edges first and the color spreads beautifully), and regular #2 lead, all with good results. Stroking the edges of the foam a few times on all three sides with the tip of a sharp pencil makes it look like real paper. Cut the cover material to fit top to bottom as closely as possible, just a HAIR bigger than the cardboard. Leave the wrap-around length bigger than you need to start with. Spread a thin, even layer of glue on ONE side of the book and, while the glue is wet, press the ruler back into the ridge. When the glue is set, spread a thin, even layer of glue on the other side, NOT on the edge, and wrap the cover around. The spines on real books are not stuck down. Barbara Brear recommends putting something in there, like a toothpick, to hold it while you're gluing, but I'm too much of a klutz apparently. Everything I put in ended up sliding out and bouncing around on to the floor, so I went with just eyeballing the bulge and it seems to work for me. Press the ruler into the ridge on the second side. While the glue is drying, I sometimes lay the ruler flat on the book and press down. This gives me some thinner and some thicker books, even though I'm using the same size foam core for them all. After it's all dry, trim the edges, again just a HAIR bigger than the cardboard.

For a well read book, "age" the finished binding with some creative swipes with an emery board where a real book would be worn. I'm not doing much for titles, because the foam core faux books are only going into dark corners as library filler. I have mostly just done some little dots on the bindings in the right places with a very fine tipped marker. I find these books a wonderful way to pass time while I wait for web sites to load so I can shop mini sites. As I finish them, I glue them on to the shelves, put some across the tops of other books or maybe falling a bit sideways, whatever looks right to me at the time, so the library is growing in a kind of realistic, organic way, as a real onewould and it's turning out SO well!

Chrissy

Books: Here's how I make books, I use real books (from the used book sales at the library or garage sales. I take the cover off and then lay it flat on a cutting board and cut with a utility knife a strip (1/2-5/8 inch) the length of the book. Then I place this strip in my miter box and cut off pieces 3/4-7/8 inches - purposely varying them slightly unless they will be a several volume set. I do the same with several different color covers and end up with a variety of books. By the way, the covered edge of the original book becomes the spine of the mini book. Some are more worn, some more colorful. I especially like Reader's Digest Condensed books for colorful covers. Some of the older books have textures and are fabric. If the cover is going to show- like at the end of a book on a shelf I put a book picture from a catalog on it. I have also used white out to make the edge white but was not particularly happy with that. The gray cardboard edge was okay for me. If you would like a sample or a few books send me your snail mail address and I'll send some. Once I get cutting and find new colors I have a hey-day! Use the left over book insides- if you can't bear to throw them way - as a weight for glued objects or if you are gluing small paper items you use a page in the book to glue on, then when it is sticky turn the page to a clean one. I might add that I have also cut the strips on my scroll saw, but the results were a little more ragged.

Dick T.

Picture Frame - Using a miter box and razor saw, you also need a small piece of wood for a "stop" and a small clamp. You need a miter box that has a 45 degree this way \ and / that way. Make a 45 degree cut at this / slot. Measure one side of your picture and add TWICE the width of the framing material that will fit flat on the wall (not the indented portion that holds the picture). Place the stop on the miter box at the measurement you've determined away from \ slot and make the other cut. Do not remove the stop. Make another 45 degree cut on the end of your wood and place it against the stop. You will have two matching pieces. Hold them against each other to check. I always cut the longer sides first. If you make a mistake, they can become the shorter sides. Use a wooden miter box if possible, a metal one will destroy the teeth on your saw blade. If you can't find them locally, I have them available.

Ruth

Mini Paintings: I paint on panels of 1/32 airplane plywood from art or hobby stores cut to 1/12th of the size of the original painting which is being reproduced in mini. I give each panel 3 or more coats of a good quality gesso, alternating in vertical and horizontal directions and sanding in-between coats. I also smear a little water on the back while gessoing, so that warping is minimal. The reason I choose this dimension is standard framing has a 1/32" deep by 1/16" wide groove to fit around the panel. This way the back will be flat. I have seen paintings done on stretched canvas and I think they have too much texture. What ever texture the painting has should be limited to the paint itself and that kept small. It works for me, and should last forever.

Framing is tricky. I still mis-measure and I've done more than 60 of them. The stock comes from Hobby Builders Supply or similar. None of my stores stock it. Hardwood is harder to find. I got some ebony at the Guild show in 2000 and I have gotten cherry and mahogany at the Dollhouse Factory which is, alas, closing. Measure carefully, hold the stock firmly against the miter box. Don't let it roll. The cherry stock has a rounded outer edge and I had a lot of trouble with it but it is worth it when finished. It looks great. Always use wood glue (Elmer's yellow). You can put a drop or two of water on a corner and take it apart and do it again when it doesn't come out right. When framed I sign the panel with my name and date and the name and date of the original painter. I use acid-free paper on the back and sign again, everything with a touch of wood glue so it can disassemble. I hope some of this helps.

Marilyn Crockett

Japanese style miniatures: There a place called Japanese Miniatures there web site is http://www.japaneseminiatures.com they have some great stuff. I love their chop sticks. Check them out.

Pam in North Ga.

Japanese Floral Arrangements: If you're looking for authentic reproductions of Japanese floral arrangements visit Helen David's web site at http://www.smallerthanabreadbox.com and at the bottom of the page under "Show 'n Tell" click on the "Floral Arrangements for the Orient" link.
There's about 29 floral arrangements in this group along with some information on the "History and Tradition of Oriental Floral Arrangements" that will be of interest to you. These arrangements were first introduced at the 2000 Chicago International show and still are quite the conversation piece.

Richard

Baby box: How about in a toy drum or jack in the box? A diaper box would be flimsy but the walls could be reinforced with Foamcore. What about a night lighted scene in a lamp base? If you can use gift bags, you could probably use a diaper bag.

Linda in Leroy, OH

Working Clock using Watch: The thingy sticking out the side of the watch is the "stem". I assume it gets in the way because it is too wide for the width of the clock face area of the Grandfather clock. If you want, you can mount the watch so the stem points downward where there is more room. But you say if I turn the watch in that manner the numerals will be out of whack.

Solution;
Open the watch case. Remove the crystal. At this point you have two choices.
Do nothing but remake the dial face. so the numerals are properly oriented as the watch is rotated for the stem to be down or;
If the dial face is removable (in some very inexpensive watches they are paper pasted onto a metal backing). Separate the paper dial face and then rotate the dial face to reorient the numerals. - OR -
If it is a battery operated watch you can cut off the stem and if you have to adjust the time you can move the watch hands. The stem serves a limited number of uses.
1;wind the mainspring.
2; set the hands
3; if there is a date window it sets the date. If it is not needed for any of these, remove it.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

Working Clock using Watch: when I first started minis I got the grandfather clock from House of Miniatures made, years later I decided I wanted it to be real. I removed the top block and the top and the front spools from the block and made a hollow box the same size with a circle in the front, I got one of those watches on a chain that look like a ladybug case with gold wings that you squeeze to open - this was the only one I could find that the stem setter stem was at the top of the 12- as the ones at the 3 was too wide.

I put it inside and propped it in and put a hinge door on the back-so I could change the batteries- replaced the top and front decorations. It has been keeping the right time - with a few battery changes - for 15 years

Kathleen, CC,NV

Inexpensive Mannequins: Dolls & Miniatures magazine had instructions for making your own mannequin in the Spring 2000 issue (http://www.dollsminiatures.bigstep.com) . You just use a dime store plastic doll (often available at craft stores, or bakeries) as the main part (after removing head and legs & arms -- and then contributor then shows you how you can use those discarded parts) and glue it to a Styra cone. Very easy and very inexpensive to make. Can be painted with a flat paint to lose the plastic look; although very little of a mannequin "shows" after it is dressed. I thought it was really very effective as a mannequin.

Viola

Inexpensive Mannequins: The only one's I've found are in kit form, made by Chrysnbon and distributed by Dee's delights. I buy them through my local mini store. You can contact Jerry at Dee's to ask where they are in your neighborhood or, if none, I suspect that Tom Berkner at Earth & Tree Miniature carries them. They come 2 to a kit, are very easy to assemble, and the black plastic can be painted or covered in fabric. (I've done both and they look quite nice.)

Rosemary in Cleveland