If web photosites, work for you--great! But I would like to say that it is possible to have *thousands* of pics on a webpage and organize it so it loads quickly.
1) Divide your pictures into categories (furniture, settings, different projects, etc.)
2) Create a thumbnails page for each category (you may need two or three pages for this, but thumbnails load quickly). You can get freeware or shareware thumbnail programs from zdnet or cnet that are pre-tested to be virus-free.
3) On your index page, create a link for each category that leads to the thumbnails page for that category.
Browsers do not load an entire site at a time; they load page by page. Any decent HTML editor (including Front Page Express and Composer, which come free with your IE or Netscape browser) will give you an estimated 'load time' for each page you build.

Molly

Free sites for photo albums: Tripod.com has an easy to use photo album / site builder.
Trellix, as it's called, is their free web-based editor. If you're skittish about learning new software, rest easy. This one almost drives itself. You get 50 megs of storage (that's LOTS of pics). If you need more room, they will hook you up with an affiliate that can boost your storage considerably. (also for free, I think)
Geocities.com also has free space for pics. Not quite as much room though, and their editor- PageBuilder is not quite as intuitive. Nice tool though - we use it.
Come see what we've done with PageBuilder.
http://www.geocities.com/roundwood2/

Brian

Free sites for photo albums: I just have been looking at webshots site Webshots.
It took me less than 30 minutes to read instructions sign up and email pictures, and have them posted right away. I also printed the page so I would not forget the information until I learned it completely.

Anita Crawford

http://www.homestead.com/ has a web site builder that is easy to use. You might want to give it a try.

Nertha

PhotoPoint alternative. For anyone with some free web space wanting an alternative to PhotoPoint there is a wide variety of software available for creating your own web based photo album. One program I like is AutoGraphics HTML available here:
http://www.fcodersoft.com/products/autograph.htm
This will take a folder of pictures and generate a page of thumbnails each linking to another page with the full size picture. You can add titles and descriptions for each picture and it comes with 32 templates which can easily be changed to suit yourself if you have some basic knowledge of HTML. Price is $29.00 including free upgrades. There are many other similar products available.

Colin Bird

My unscientific results : photohosting sites

After playing with 3 different photohosting sites, I'd like to let you know what I have found out from my experiences and feedback from other people.

Bonnie Gibson

Free web photo album sites: I know of a couple of free web photo albums:
"Studio Ave" hosted by the people who make Paint Shop Pro:
http://www.jasc.com/studioave/index.asp?

And "Picture Trail"
http://www.picturetrail.com/

Anne Gerdes

Free web photo album sites:
Yahoo! Photos - http://www.yahoo.com
click under Photos.
Webshots - http://community.webshots.com/scripts/controlPanel.fcgi

free photo hosting sites: http://www.andromeda.com/people/ddyer/photo/albums.html

The above link is to a site that compares most of the online photohosting services. (It doesn't include web building sites, just photo hosts such as photopoint.)

Webshots: I have opened a new photo album in WEBSHOTS with a Christmas Scene. I like the ability to use larger pictures. Click on NORMAL to get the best sizing.

SEARCH at Large Web Sites: Since my web site was launched last year, one of the criticisms I receive by E-mail is that it is so big, with many, many categories, therefore it is difficult for them to find something they are looking for easily. Well, yes...the site is big with over 1300 items and over 900 photos (just at Pannikins alone).  I usually post this message back, but decided to post on SS because perhaps many of you do not know about the SEARCH feature....not just at my web site but at so many others also.  It is really very easy to find what you are looking for in less than a minute. Here is how the SEARCH feature works at my site http://www.pannikins.com, and I am sure it works just about the same at other large sites also: You click to the catalog pages (where the Shopping Cart system is). There you will see a clickable box that says SEARCH phrase.  Now let's just say you need a HAM for your country kitchen setting.  In the Search box, you type in HAM. The system will do a speedy search and will list any hams in the catalog.  On that list you will see Country Ham and all you need to do is "click" on the entry, and the picture and description will come up.  (The search feature is so sensitive that on that HAM list, you may find HAMentaschen,  cHAMpagne, etc.) I hope this information helps...when you go to a large site, look for that Search feature.....none of us likes to get stuck at web sites for a long time, and still not find what we were looking for in the first place.

Mary Eccher

Modern Bathroom Fixtures & Kitchen appliances: There is a Canadian company (even better eh? Canadian dollars!) that makes just what you wanted. Brooke uses their work. It's called Model Builders Supply. Their address is 40 Engelhard Dr., Unit 11, Aurora, Ontario L4G 6X6 They have modern bathrooms (check out Brooke's Luxurious bath) and kitchen pieces. At a great price. Phone is: (905)841-8392 fax is (905) 841 - 8399. I've used their modern bathroom pieces with my wicker and just lately have done some wicker microwave stands using their microwave kit on them. They also have some ¼ scale items. I'm sure Noella could fill you in more on them. She's the one who introduced me to them.

http://www.modelbuilderssupply.com/

Debi in Quesnel

Lycopodium: I have seen lycopodium in the catalog for Hobby Builder's Supply. They may have it on their web site at http://www.miniatures.com

Linda in GA

Copyrighted Images: When I put any pictures on the web I expect to have them copied just because it is done all the time. It isn't legal, but it is done. Speeding isn't legal, but it is done all the time too. Since I put everything up expecting it to be copied, I make the image hard to use if someone does copy it. Even without any copyright symbol, or statement, all images are copyrighted to the maker of the original. Also, IDEAS can't be copyrighted, the words and the text you type to explain the idea is copyrighted to the writer, but, the ideas themselves have no protection from any one using the idea for whatever purpose they want to, even to profit from it, under copyright law. I think ideas and processes have to be patented.

I use a couple of different methods to make my pictures hard to use. If they are too hard, or it takes too long for a "skilled retoucher" to use them, they just forget it. It is a lot easier than trying to prove someone stole my picture and then sueing them. One method is to rotate the image slightly. Or to select an area inside the image and rotate it slightly. Especially if you blur the edges of the chosen area, retouching it is almost impossible. Another way is to use text as a chosen area, and choose an antialias type of setting to use as the text borders. Then adjust the areas inside this  chosen area to be lighter than the rest of the picture. Or change the color slightly. This too, will produce a blur or a funny colored area, almost impossible to fix but will leave the detail of the picture good enough to see if you are using it to sell an item. Think of pictures on the Internet as being made up of dots much bigger than the dots from a printer. Say you have a picture of your dog that is 72 dots wide. On most monitors this picture shows at about an inch. If you print it, most printers need 300 dots to make up an inch so since it only has 72 dots to use it can only make a picture about one-forth the size as what you see on the screen.

Here is where you can go to get a full (legal) working copy of the program someone mentioned: Paint Shop Pro. It will work for only thirty days, then it won't work anymore and you have to buy one but all the work you do with it in those thirty days won't be lost. http://www.jasc.com

Harriet Palatkow

To Put Mini's On The Web. Try scanning them. And no I don't mean the pictures, I mean the mini. It doesn't work for everything, but you can get incredible detail. I used this for my 1/4" scale minis and my dresses: It almost works too well. It takes some ingenuity with some 3-D items, but if anyone wants to know the tricks I use, just email me.

Laura Miller

Mary Engelbreit (ME) Sites:

http://www.giftsinc.com/mary_engelbreit.htm

http://www.mbol.com/me.htm

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/2049/engelbreit.html

Maria in MD

To Put Mini's On The Web. Try scanning them. And no I don't mean the pictures, I mean the mini. It doesn't work for everything, but you can get incredible detail. I used this for my 1/4" scale minis and my dresses: It almost works too well. It takes some ingenuity with some 3-D items, but if anyone wants to know the tricks I use, just email me.

Laura Miller

Transparencies: There are two types of transparencies. Well, three, actually, but I'll get to that. There is one made for laser printers and another for ink jets. My darlin' 'liberated' a single sheet of laser transparency from his office for me, but we have an ink jet (most folks do, at home, as l. printers are VERY $$$) and the ink *never* dried. A week later, it was still wet enough that when I tacked the paper on the bulletin board to get it off the desk the ink sagged down the page.
The transparencies made for ink jet printers will dry, just as regular paper will. If you handle it too fast, the ink will smudge, but only for a half an hour or so - just like a letter. There is also stuff made for copy machines. It works quite well, but it has a slight grey cast to it, so you have to be careful where you use it. Some one suggested using clear address labels - I've never tried that, but it sounds good, if you can get it lined up properly. I think that I'd try the shipping labels, which are six to a page.

Dani Rice

Shop signs: I have two suggestions for shop signs.
1. Use your computer. Most have many fonts to choose from and will make them in a small size to start. If you happen to have Excel it has an option to print out the page smaller than its standard setting, i.e. on the print preview - settings adjust print to 50% smaller than normal.
2. Use dry transfer lettering. This comes in a few different colors, sizes, and styles. You will find it at most hobby and art shops. We have a train store that carries these. This application works best on a smooth solid
surface.

Preble McDaniel

Shop signs: Why not use the tool at hand to make your sign? I do them on the computer all the time. You have your pick of fonts and size etc. Print them out on cardstock(which comes in many colors) and spray with a fixative like Patrica Nimmock's Matte or Gloss finish. Cut to size and mount on wood. You can even put a border around it and other designs on it if you have a greeting card program or something of that sort.

Casey

Signs: You could print it on transparency, cut it out, then cut another piece of transparency the same size to put over the top, then use tiny gold nails to hang your sign.

Carole Pierce

Shop Signs: What I did for my shop sign was print out the wording on a clear label on my color printer along with a picture. I then stuck the label on the sign and then sealed it. You can also stencil the letterings. I know Joann's carries "mini" lettering stencils.

Marsha