Landscaping Challenge: I have built sets for museums, collectors, photographers, miniaturist and movies for many years.  I only mention that so you will know that I have a bit of experience that I use when making suggestions to you or other collectors.

A base for a house of 50 inch. by 28 inch. is not as great a challenge as you might anticipate. Though you are concerned about the weight, I would still recommend that it be built of 1/2 inch plywood. I only recommend 1/2" plywood as a base for a landscaped set. Other products, such as masonite or pressed wood will warp, foamboard or 1/4" plywood can break. I would not, however, attach it to the house, in fact, I never recommend attaching a structure to a landscaped environment. It is best to make a false foundation the size of the house as a permanent part of the base and set the house on or into this. By so doing, you can remove your house at any time for repairs or to move it to another location. This hollow shell makes a perfect hiding place for electrical boxes. A foundation can be of brick, stone, lattice or a myriad of other materials. I normally use 1" thick by 2" wide bass or plywood strips to build my shape.

I also like to design a landscape set that collapses for storage or moving. To do otherwise can often result in a problem like the man who built a ship in the barn and had to tear down the barn to take the ship to sea.  A 60" round card table with folding legs could convert to the perfect landscaping plot for your home. I would skirt the table to create a more finished look.

Beneath the skirt I would use plastic or wire rolling carts to store all of the items I had collected for this miniature property as well as the building and landscaping materials I had collected.  I would replace the table top with one of the 60" unfinished wood tops found in most hardware stores.

I am going to quote now, from a booklet  I wrote for miniaturists many years ago..........*So many of you have ask how I would council an individual to go about constructing a miniature environment. My advice is simple - just as you do in real life. First there is the lot (board), then there is the foundation (separate from the dollhousefor easier handling) then you frame the structure and complete the exterior. Most people plant a yard and a tree or two and THEN MOVE IN. The same applies to a miniature home. Done in this manner, with a completed exterior that has been landscaped, you do not have to hide your house in the spare room or basement and not let anyone see it

for the next five years while you furnish it.  Just place a ladder and a bucket of paint with a brush, a roll of wallpaper or two, a few packing boxes, etc. and say the house is still under construction. Finish the interior at your leisure and as your budget allows. Since the house has not been attached to the base you may wire it for electricity at a later date without damage to the set......

Tape together as many sheets of quarter inch graph paper as you need to make a 60" round.....Trace the outline of your house, mark where windows, doors, porch, gutters, drains and other exterior elements are located. Label each of these marks. .......Cut shapes from construction paper to represent the gazebo, pond, fountain, ice house or other exterior structures you wish to have in the future. Now play paperdolls and move these elements around until their placement appeals to you. It is important to select all outdoor structures before deciding on trees, shrubs, walks and patio's. These items are a constant, their size is seldom subject to alteration. Your landscaping elements can be changed to meet the space you have available for them....*

This is by no means all of the story but it should spark a few ideas. If you absolutely DO NOT want to go to the time and trouble to create this environment, I suggest you design planters that will surround your house and can be removed at will. Planters can hold trees, vines and elegant flowers. I hope I have given you a few things to think about.  If the members of SS want to know more about landscaping, I will be happy to address questions posted in SS.

Becky Holliday

Rust effects etc in UK: Tanis, Have you tried Panduro Hobby for the things you want? They are a mail order company with a large catalogue (I can never get one without ordering something)They used to mainly deal with orders over 25 pounds but now they take smaller orders. Panduro Hobby Westway House, Transport Ave., Brentford, Middx. TW8 9HT Tel:0208 847 6161 e-mail: pandurohobby@compuserve.com

http://www.pandurohobby.whd.net You can sometimes buy their catalogue at large W.H. Smith branches.

Sharon from Hants

concrete flooring: In skimming the digest, I do not know if this has been mentioned. We learned to make a garage concrete floor in New Orleans last year (and this year) by using the wet gray paint and 1 ply tissue method. You paint your floor with gray acrylic paint and before it dries you lay down, flatly, one ply tissue over the wet paint. You pat it down with a brush, another tissue, or sponge so that the paint soaks up all the tissue. Once dried, the texture is fantastic and looks just like concrete....very very fine as in scale. You may also add your tire marks, oil stains, etc as you wish. Works very well.

Rhonda King

One more sheet of Wallpaper: Wallpaper is printed in batches and the colors from one batch to another can vary from just a small amount that's hardly noticeable to such an amount that the paper is a very different color altogether. Looking for and finding that one last sheet of wallpaper might therefore prove most disappointing. I always recommend buying at least 3 sheets of your chosen paper to allow for the size of the room and making mistakes. If you have a sheet left over it will always come in handy in a room box or smaller project.

Karon

Textured walls: I use a mixture of paint and personal body powder, the cheapest you can find. Mix both together to a thick gluggy consistency and spoon on then use a old telephone or bank card to trowel the mixture over the surface. It can be sanded when it is dry if needed. This also gives strength to the kit houses

Karen in Dubai U.A.E

texturing walls: I'm thinking those products will be too thick to look good in scale, and the spray stuff will have unpleasant fumes until it's dry. I would experiment first on a piece of scrap wood (outdoors) and let it dry before you decide. And please let us know -- the tips based on experience, whether bad or good, are valuable!

Possibly you will like the results from plain, smooth drywall joint compound better (it's pretty cheap and comes ready mixed). I haven't used it on a dollhouse yet, only on a real wall, but I can't think of any reason it wouldn't be just fine. The beauty of it is that it's water based and can be easily removed while wet. When it's dry it can be sanded down if you're not happy with some areas (but makes fine dust). It can be troweled on and pushed into interesting patterns with something like an old credit card (isn't that a great use for those?) or dabbed lightly with a rag or sponge to get various textures. Try it, it's fun. A real knock-down finish is hard to achieve. I watched a skilled guy repair a ceiling one time. The material is dabbed and lifted so that it leaves little peaks and then there is another pass with the trowel just skimming those peaks flat. Orange peel is named for the fruit it resembles. You might be able to get that effect by dabbing a rag or sponge, but will need to experiment.

There is also a product that is called "dollhouse stucco" I wouldn't be surprised if it's pretty much the same thing, but with a very fine texture added. This would possibly be just right for you. Here is a web page where someone has some pictures of her work in progress, including the half-timbered and stucco effect: http://www.dollhouse-by-lilofee.com/workshop.html She builds custom dollhouses in her spare time & completes several per year, while having a full time job. Her site, which she keep up to the minute, is very image and midi intensive, so if you have a slow connection, might as well play free cell while you wait!

I'm sure you won't wreck your house with the water based products. Don't ever wash any plaster-like product into the drain pipes unless you have a crush on the plumber! Have a water bucket and sponge ready because if you're like me, you'll get it on you and several other places it doesn't belong.

Rosalind in Houston, TX

Painting Chrysnbon: I made their pump organ and didn't like their "stain" effect. I used regular acrylic, glazed it and it has yet to peel. For that matter, I think I also used stain on top of the acrylic. They say ignorance is bliss - there may be a few others who gasp in horror (I've been known to make a few people do that), but it worked for me, and it doesn't look bad.

Louise in Toronto

Painting Chrysnbon: You definitely don't need to bother with a primer, IMHO. Testor's model paint always gives me great results, you can mix the colors and they come in flat and glossy finishes, but any craft acrylic paint works too especially if you want a lighter "wash" coat. You may however want to finish up with a sealer just so the paint doesn't chip off.

Karyn

Painting Chrysnbon: I, too, have painted Chrysnbon without any problems. I did use the paint included with the kits (when I didn't want them painted a "color"). But, I didn't like the light color. So, when it was thoroughly dry, I put a regular walnut stain over the top, just to bring out the wood grain. The first time I did it, I had no idea what was going to happen -- fall apart, dissolve?? But, it was just fine. I did it on the kitchen set in my "big" dollhouse, the sewing machine, several chairs in the sewing room, the tea cart in dining room, the rocker in the boy's bedroom, AND the organ (like Louise) in the music room. Also, as the crib in my granddaughter's Nursery Bag and in my grandson's Nursery Bag. If you want to take a look, go to: http://fayzerplace.homestead.com -- then My Minis -- and onward from there.

Fay in St. Louis

Paint for Plastic - by Plaid: Plaid now has "Paints For Plastic" - acrylic type paints that can be used on all the types of plastic that you weren't able to paint before. They may be more 'user friendly' than the Testors paints which require special thinners, etc. Check http://www.plaidonline.com/articleDetail.asp?entry=article&articleID=110 for information. I assume Michaels and other arts/crafts places should carry this new product - but I don't recall seeing it the last time I was at Michaels - about 2 months ago. You can check Plaids site for phone numbers for locations that carry the paints for plastic.

Linda Gale

Wiring over wallpaper: You may wire over existing wallpaper but it may pose a few potential problems.  I would suggest removing the old paper if you can.  Hopefully, you used Yes glue to hang the original paper.  If so, hold a steaming cloth over the old paper & it will pee; off easily.  The problems that may arise if you do not remove the wallpaper are these:  When you wallpaper over the paper already there, the new paste may cause the old paper to buckle & the pattern of the old paper may show through the new paper. 

Sari, The Doll House, Scottsdale, AZ

Magic Bric: I have done many complete building with it, both red brick and white brick.  One (enormous) tip;  when mixing the brick powder, include a tablespoon full of white glue with the water.   This will give you a brick that is about as strong as ceramic.  Without this glue, the brick tends to crumble when touched.  I don't know why the instructions don't include this information.   I've told the manufacturer about it enough times!

Tom Berkner

How I painted my brick.  First I decided what color I wanted the grout to be and I painted the whole sheet bricks included this color.  Since the brick stuck up a little above the grout line I was able to take a sponge and sponge on several different colors to make a realistic looking brick. The technique is you don't paint the brick but lightly put the sponge with color  on the top of the brick. You repeat this with several different brick looking colors to give you a realistic  multi-grained look. then spray on  some type of sealer.

Kathryn from Virginia

Bricks from wood strips. Find the strip that is the width of the brick you want, then measure the length of the brick and score the strip with an exacto saw blade being careful not to saw through the strip. If you make a jig you can score several pieces at a time. I use the miter box that comes with the saw and mark the length of the brick on the miter box, as you score several strips you slide the group matching the score line with the mark on the box and score again. When you have a proper number of scored strips you glue them onto the structure staggering the score lines. When completed you give it a base coat of the brick color of choice. When that is dry you can sponge the different shades onto the brick in a random pattern. When dry use a sealer and seal the bricks. To grout the bricks you can use Elmers wood filler, fill in the score lines and before the grout sets wipe with a damp sponge to clean of the bricks. When it is completely dry mix a dirty wash and brush on, this will color the grout and give depth to the bricks when you gently wipe over the bricks with a dry paper towel to bring out the high lights. You can also use pastels to do the shading to antique the bricks.

Ellen P

Bricks   from Vinyl Tiles-

I've used them to 'pave' a floor and make fireplaces, hearths, etc - I got 12 x 12 floor tiles that were a good brick pattern.  They have to be the 'old fashioned' kind of tile that will bend and snap - not the newer vinyl tiles that are quite bendable.  (I assume these 'cheapies' are still made -check Color Tile or somewhere similar.)   The 'brick red' ones are probably the most quickly identified as 'brick' in a mini room, but you can use one of the other colors.  The texture of the tile, when seen 'up close', is the important thing.  The tiles with a lot of 'grit' in them - that almost crumble along the lines of breakage, when bent, are what you need - but may be hard to find, now that there is so much 'vinyl' tile on the market.  

Make mini bricks like this: Mark appropriate widths of 'brick' with ruler and pencil.   (An average brick is about 3-1/2" wide, through they vary a lot.)   With an X-acto knife and ruler, score the tiles - then score the 'stripes' vertically the 'length' of the brick....about 8" (in 1:12).   Snap the little bricks apart. This gives an irregular edge that makes the bricks looks more 'authentic' when laid. 

I made a template of the floor area to be covered, then cut a piece of posterboard exactly that size and shape.  I laid the 'brick' on the floor posterboard by first drawing in the rows, using pencil and ruler, then glued the bricks  using a regular white craft glue.  (Apply only the minimum amount of glue - since the moisture in the glue may make it curl.  I like the Delta Quick n Tacky and Aleene's new Quick Dry Tacky since they hold well.   The 'Grab' glues would probably work well, too.   Allow a tiny 'joint' between each brick, and keep the rows of brick straight.  

Since you do such beautiful floors, I don't have to tell you to be sure that your bricks show at least a half brick - preferably a full brick, in those areas which will be seen.... and 'fudge' in areas which will be covered by furniture or other architectural features.... but other readers may need a reminder about this. 

Let the new bricked floor dry 24 hours.  Then get a latex based caulking material (which cleans up with water), that is the color of 'grout' desired. If you can't find the right color, you can color it with regular acrylic paints. Following the instructions - for basic use - but apply to the brick as you would grout tile - working with only a small section at a time, since it will dry quickly.  Use a spatula or something similar, as a flexible putty knife, and spread the 'grout' over the brick - working in about 4" x 4" sections.  Work it into the cracks between the brick, then remove the excess.  Quickly wipe with a damp paper towel to remove all the 'grout' from the surface of the 'brick'.  Grout the entire floor in this manner, and then let dry 24 hours. Although the use of latex-based caulk does minimize the tendency of the posterboard to curl, you may wish to weight it down with books, while the caulk dries.   (An alternative to this might be to spray paint - with acrylic paint which would dry almost instantly - BOTH sides of the posterboard floor before proceeding, to 'seal' the posterboard and keep it from absorbing any moisture in the glue or caulk. 

You can then glue in your finished floor with YES glue, or whatever you prefer.   You could also try an application of regular floor wax on a test piece, to see if it gives a softer, 'worn' patina of old brick you might like. 

You can also make a 'stone' floor, using irregular 'stone' shapes, if you get a limestone, granite or marble type 'stone' finished tile.  The nicest thing about this technique is that you don't have to be nearly as precise as one of the beautiful inlaid floors that you have!  

Linda Gale, Artisan, I.G.M.A.

TO MAKE BRICKS - I mixed a tad bit of blue with red (but plain terra cotta looked great too), rolled it out at thin as I could get it right on the (Airbake) flat cookie sheet.  I  then used a metal ruler to score the horizontal lines and the back of an exacto blade to score the alternating vertical lines.   Then I sprinkled the bricks lightly with colored sands... beige & black... slightly rolled again to embed the sand but not hard enough to roll out the shape or scored lines and baked.  After baking, I gray-washed (watered down gray  paint) and wiped.  A little bit of the sand comes off when you wipe and it leaves a blotted color on the bricks while filling in the scored lines like mortar. Looks very realistic.  The bricks can be easily scored with a sharp knife but I try to make the size to fit my project so I don't have to cut.  I also used this technique to make brick planters. 

Lauriel Of Nags Head North Caro

Log Cabin: We had a real life log cabin and to make it more rustic we singed it with a propane torch before we oiled it.   Which is what I would do in miniature.   If you have access to one of those butane fireplace starters it would be perfect to "toast" the wood some.   Barring that, I would try a light brown watercolor or acrylic wash on the logs and then seal with Tung oil.

Renee Kutcher

Log Cabin:   A couple of years ago my brother in law made log cabins for my sister and I. Hers was finished with Min Wax stain and polyurethane, with very neat rows of chinking between the logs...looks like one of the new log homes in the magazines...

Mine was coated with Thomas's Bug Juice to give it that old grey look and sort of pushed in chinking to make it look like it had been sitting in the woods for ever.

We both used a wood filler from Home Depot...can't think of the brand...brown white and black label...we used white...it dries to a dull pale off white. If you have seen old log buildings with chinking still hanging in there the color is perfect..Sometimes you just luck out. Both of them are great if I do say so myself and a little praise for my baby sister...You wouldn't believe to look at them now that they had started out identical.

Annamarie in still chilly Stuart, Florida

Log Cabin:   A couple of years ago my brother in law made log cabins for my sister and I. Hers was finished with Min Wax stain and polyurethane, with very neat rows of chinking between the logs...looks like one of the new log homes in the magazines...

Mine was coated with Thomas's Bug Juice to give it that old grey look and sort of pushed in chinking to make it look like it had been sitting in the woods for ever.

We both used a wood filler from Home Depot...can't think of the brand...brown white and black label...we used white...it dries to a dull pale off white. If you have seen old log buildings with chinking still hanging in there the color is perfect..Sometimes you just luck out. Both of them are great if I do say so myself and a little praise for my baby sister...You wouldn't believe to look at them now that they had started out identical.

Annamarie in still chilly Stuart, Florida

Applying Yes glue on wallpaper: I have two ways of applying glue to wallpaper.  One is to use a stiff bristled brush, and sweep it on.  The other way, which is much faster, is to take a tongue depressor, dip it in the glue, and put a glob on the wallpaper, then using the entire flat side of the stick smooth it out onto the paper. It is kind of like toweling with a stick.   This method gives good, smooth coverage, and you can slide it right off the edges of the wallpaper   onto your underlying paper (wax, newspaper, or whatever).

Carol