Fimo doll: I've just started making a doll's head out of a push mould. It came out really good, if I may say so.Here is a picture of the unpainted head: http://members.tripod.lycos.nl/DeHaasM/sneaky.htm I gave it two hands with underarms and now I have to start making the body. There is a nice site on the Internet, which gives you detailed tips on measurements and the pose of the doll. Here it is: http://happinessisminiatures.com/howtos.htm

The push moulds can be bought on line at: http://www.polymerclayexpress.com/ Go to "Special Links" and click on "What a Character".

Marjon de Haas

Animal Eyes: I believe Sue Thwaite (LadyBug) has animal eye beads http://www.ladybug-fairies.com

Anne Gerdes

Troll eyes: I got the 6mm eyes for the trolls at Michael's.  The trolls were my first experience at using clay and I had such fun with them!  A package of 10 solid black eyes were 69 cents.  The instructions I had were in DM about two years ago.

Carole Pierce

Eyes: JoAnn's fabrics has the eyes in 3 and 4 mm. Most likely Michaels does too.

Dorothy

Eyelashes:  Tracey, I've never tried to make eyelashes in 1" scale, but here's a technique that works in 3" scale and could probably work smaller:  cut a tiny piece (~2" square) of sheer silk chiffon on the bias (a diagonal line from corner to corner).  Run a line of thin glue (fray check, white glue, super glue, whatever you've got) about 1/8" away from the cut edge and let dry.  Fray the cut edge, then cut a strip of frayed lashes held together by a narrow strip of the glue.  Trim to width of eye and glue to doll, then trim length of lashes--technically, this should be about 1/24th of an inch, but if you use a light color, you can get away with longer lashes.  You can do this on the straight grain, too, for a different look.  I use light to medium brown chiffon for most dolls; black is so obvious that you have to get it exactly right to look in scale. 

Lee

False Eyelashes: Have you considered using the bristles from a soft cosmetic brush? Blusher brushes are usually soft and can be picked up at Wal-Mart for a few dollars. Most cosmetic counters in major department stores have disposable brushes that they can give you.

Lori

False eyelashes: Go buy a set of demi-lashes at the drug store; they aren't as heavy as the regular false eye lashes and may work.

Marilyn

Hooped Skirts: how about cutting the top off of a 2-litre soda bottle, since it is kind of in that skirt shape anyway.  Then you could just cut off the part you screw the top on, and cut out the areas of the "skirt" you didn't want, leaving a framework for the material.

Tori West

When I used to make "Big dolls", we would occasionally add eyelashes. I would suggest to first make a slit above your doll's eyes to hold the lashes, then make a "strip" of lashes just like the real false ones ladies used in the 60's by gluing your tiny whiskers to a piece of thread with superglue or other cyanoacrylate glue. Glue this eyelash "fringe" line into the slit, pressing it in with a needle, after everything else is done. i.e. baking, painting and wigging. Good luck, sounds like fun!!

Nada

Hoop Skirt: How about a badminton birdie or shuttlecock? Should be easy to glue to fabric, it is soft, pliable plastic. Snip off the top and shorten to the length you want.

Marcy

Doll stands: I use florist wire. Bend in half and twist together to make a third 'leg' for your doll. Spread the wire apart at the top and glue to dolls tush. I use Zap-a-gap and the spray to make it set up instantly. When dry cut off any extra wire and file to make smooth on the hips. If the doll has a cloth and wire armature, I attach this stand to that and it is even more secure. Dress the doll as usual. On women the stand is between the pantaloons and petticoat-doesn't show at all. On children, it does show coming out of the bottom of their skirt, but I think this looks much better than hanging them from the neck as the commercial stands do. On men, I usually paint the stand the same color as the pants.

Jan Smith

Eyelashes: I used a bit of silk chiffon. It was, unfortunately, baby blue, but it did offer the beginnings of eyelashes. I painted it in an acrylic after I used fraycheck and the paint made the strands curl-able. I curled the painted 'lashes' over a round toothpick, but it was admittedly somewhat tedious. I have made two sets of eyelashes. One to go on a doll, and a pair of falsies, (eyelashes that is), to sit on the dressing table I am making for a friend.

Trace

Hooped petticoats: I use white florist wire-what gage is a personal call, how heavy is the skirt over it. For a light cotton skirt use 32-fairly fine-gauge. There are two ways to do it. For the purist, make 3 hoops in graduating sizes. glue the overlap and cover with a scrap of lace. Join together with white silk ribbon at the 12,3,6, and 9 o'clock positions, ending with a silk ribbon waistband. A ruffled petticoat and the skirt are worn over this with a smaller petticoat and pantaloons under it. Add that to lace up corsets and southern heat and you know why southern women had to have servants do all of the work and they still had "the vapours" occasionally.

To do it easy, make your petticoat out of cotton, leave it flat. Lay the florist wire just above hem, glue down, cover with lace. When dry, join center back and put on doll.

Jan Smith

Reducing Barbie Patterns: I've done this several times, but generally have found that I needed to reduce them by 60 or 65%. I'm sure that some patterns would work differently than others also.

Juki

Dolls: I purchased a gypsy doll kit and clothing kit which also can be used for my Spanish Lady. Another one of my mini friends saw the kit and just ordered hers for her two story hacienda. The doll is exquisite and is made by Ellen Scofield in New York.  Her home phone number is 518-329-3331.

Sari

African Doll Hair from Sand: I used some black sand for hair on an African doll, looked great.

Lee

Printable Mini Doll: I've created a mini printable doll--print on fabric, stitch and stuff. She's Violet, in Vaguely Victorian garb. She's at http://wingsnthings.tripod.com/violet.htm

Lee

Mini Victorian/Edwardian Dolls: English website http://www.twinfirs.demon.co.uk/

Cindy

Ugly Witch dolls to dress: Annie Pierce has several Witch Kits from her own sculpting porcelain. She is at DOLLSBYAP@aol.com

Anita McNary-Haynes

1/144 Dolls: Model railroad N scale people are a bit small (1/169) but may do. You can sometimes buy a box of mixed unpainted people in all kinds of poses. Alternatively, I have instructions to make 1/144 people of wire and wood. They're not hard to but it may take a bit of experimentation and practice to get the results you want.

Frances