Popsicle stick floors: I'd stick the popsicle sticks down on the cardboard (or whatever) base with Quickgrab, as it will hold tight and not warp.Then I'd use double faced carpet tape to attach the whole thing to the dollhouse floor. If you need to lift the floor for some reason this allows you to do it (i.e. to put wiring underneath, etc

Sue Veeder

Toile wallpaper: Try this site for toile wallpaper:  http://www.itsybitsymini.com/wall/toile.htm    .  Although I haven't bought any from Nhu she is very friendly and helpful, and others on the Digest have highly recommended her products.

Wendy in Clinton, NJ

Cinder block veneer: try Precision Products; they have all sorts of shingles, bricks, cobblestones, etc. It comes in sheets about a foot square - and in a flat box marked "This is NOT a pizza"! - and is easily cut with scissors.

I don't have a web site for them, but the address is 763 Cayuga, Lewiston, NY 14092-1724. The catalogue is $3, but if you tell them what scale you want, they may be able to give you a price right off the bat.

Dani, in Bradshaw, MD

Eileen

Storing Paints: For the person storing paint in a box, I have found that if I tighten the lids before putting them in the box then store them upside down, I can always see the colors, and pick out the one that I am looking for quickly.

Darlene

1/144th Shingles:

What I did for the 1/144th. log cabin shingles (thanks to suggestions from this group) was cut fine grain tan sandpaper in 1/4" strips. Then I cut it like fringe and glued it on in strips overlapping each strip. They can be a little longer than your roof. Once the glue was dried (overnight), trim the strips that hang over to make the roof edge neat. I used a Min-Wax stain pen to color it like I wanted. The stain will color the edges of your cuts darker and it gives you the effect of separate shingles. There are also some shingle strips and sheets made for N and HO railroads that will work well for 1/144th. My sandpaper ones were actually a bit big when all was said and done. If I had cut the fringes smaller, it would have been closer to scale.

John Medeiros

Rusticated wood: During a visit to George Washington's home at Mount Vernon, I spoke with a painter working on the property and he told me that the exterior was made of wooden boards that had been painted with white paint mixed with fine white VA. sand. Washington called it rusticated boards. The painter also said that in order to age exposed stone walls they painted them with butter milk which he said encouraged moss to grow, I tried the butter milk and nothing happened except it smelled bad for a time, Never tried the sand paint mixture but I don't see why it wouldn't make the wooden walls look like stone.

Orrin

Furniture finishing: Everyone that finishes furniture has their own way to do it. I have used a "Delta Ceramcoat" product called "Satin Interior Varnish" with good success. It comes in a 2 oz. bottle and is sold at craft stores & craft departments of larger stores. This won't break the budget & can be used over paint, too. Some of the varnishes sold where paint is sold are too heavy & "out of scale" for me.

Ann Bramlet

Finishing kits: Furniture finishing, full scale or in miniature, is a complicated and difficult craft to master. Lots of different situations. On your basswood kits try using a thinned clear (white) shellac as a sealer before staining. It evens out the color and keeps the end grain from getting too dark. Credit for this goes to Therese Bahl.

If you use the Minwax stains, don't stir them, but just use the dyed liquid that stays on the surface. The solid pigments at the bottom get in the pores of the wood and can make your finish look speckled. Buy a piece of 1/16" bass wood, cut it into little squares and test all your finishes for color. Try oil based artist colors to use as a paste stain. Rub on, then rub off immediately. If you label your samples with the type of wood, the stain and the topcoat, you can start your own reference library.

Shellac is the safest and easiest topcoat for beginners. Thin the clear (white) shellac in the can - 3 lb. with an equal quantity of denatured alcohol(1:1). This makes a 1.5 pound cut which is thin enough not to cause any problems. Brush it on. Wait four hours and rub down gently with 0000 steel wool. Make sure you get rid if all the steel filings before re-coating. Use three or more coats, "steelwooling" between coats. Use little pieces of new steel wool to get less filings to deal with. Cover with paste wax or even natural shoe polish. Clean your brush in denatured alcohol.

The shellac, stain, steel wool and paste wax are available at any hardware store or home center. I have lots of wood finishing experience but try new things and learn a little more every time I finish a new piece. If you test first you will save lots of heartaches

Pete Boorum

Dirtying things up: if you water brown paint down and paint it onto wood it gives it a wonderful "dirty" look. I used this for the project I'm working on. I got a small (about 2" diameter) wooden bowl somewhere and beat it up, pounded it, giving it a nice crack, and then made it into a little fairy home. More watered brown paint on the base. Looks great so far.

Rachel B of MD

Victorian paint jobs: I believe the actual Victorians tended to use muted colors, and were also limited by what paints were available. Somewhere around the late 30's they were all painted white, and it wasn't until the 60's that people began to color them again. With the recent (now defunct) economic boom, lots of houses have been repainted and the city has never been so beautiful.

Christine Sulewski

I started staining the cedar shingles for my dh this morning. I am not one who cares to use much in the way of oil based stains or paints, so I tried mixing up a batch of my own using water based products. I made a stain "bath" using acrylic paints, faux finishing glaze, and water. Dipped a few shingles, patted off the excess and let them dry. Worked great! And, after every few batches of shingles, I added a little more paint to change the color just a bit, this way, all of the shingles won't be exactly the same color. Worked like a charm!

Sloan

Wood Stains: I use Carver Tripp Environmentally Responsible Super Poly in Gloss or Satin for a finish over the stain and on Miniature wood floors. I use the Carver Tripp Wood Stain for large and Miniature wood projects. It's all water clean up and very easy to use. I like this better then the Minwax.

Carol Desmond, MA

Paint Sealers: When I could only find the colors I wanted in a flat acrylic, I finished up with Anita's satin finish "poly". I bought it at Michael's. It comes in semi-gloss and gloss, but the satin leaves a glorious soft finish.

Fannye in TX

Paint Sealers: I have used Poly sealer on acrylic paint, but was not entirely happy with the results as it is very thick and looks out of scale. I might suggest a good spray sealer which is what I now use. The one I really like the best is called Design Master's Super Surface Sealer. It is non-yellowing and suitable for indoor or outdoor use. I use this on the outside of all my house surfaces - paint (always use water-based), brick work, trim, whatever. I apply 3-4 thin coats, letting it cure 24 hours between. It gives a very tough finish. However, it also has a very tough odor, not for use in an enclosed area. Take it to the garage!

Sloan

Paper flooring: Give it a nice, glossy look by covering it with Modge Podge or Super Sealer (available at mini shops).

Tom Berkner

Stucco: I found an easy way to do stucco. I am using 1/2 inch pine for the wall. I sanded and primed it. Then I just painted it with some Sears Basement Waterproofing paint. When dry, I can paint whatever color I want and have a nice grainy stucco surface. I also pre-painted my dollhouse foundation with this before applying the brick stuff. It made great, textured 'mortar'.

Linda in Leroy, OH

Wood Floor: I have used a product called "door skin" which is a thin veneer used on doors, and cabinets. DH says it is 1/8" plywood so can be purchased at a lumber store. It will come in big sheets but they might have 1/4 sheets available. Just cut to your room size, use any white glue (I use Aleene's Tacky) to lay your hardwood floor. Weigh down overnight, sand, stain if desired, and put 2 or 3 coats of poly finish, sanding, and allowing to dry overnight between coats. Makes a beautiful floor.

Diane in SFBA

Door Hinges: Why not try to make your own door. Sounds hard but really isn't. The biggest challenge is getting the tiny hinges in position. Don't forget to cut out where they will be on the door (just like a real door) so your hinge is flush with the door so you don't get "gapitis." I'm sure you will get lots of other options on this subject. If you have a "Tap Plastic" near you, they also carry the acrylic sheets.

Diane in SFBA

Corrugated tin for roofs is available, although the sheets are not very big and it is quite expensive if I remember correctly. I have seen it at our miniature shop, so probably can be ordered. A substitute might be: the inside of heavy cardboard is corrugated. If you can dampen one side it will soften then you can remove the outer "skin," let the rest dry well, and spray with a silver paint. Also for anyone interested, Cherry Tree (a woodworking catalog) used to carry aluminum sheets both plain and embossed to look like shingles. Also comes in copper. I ordered some in 1996 priced at $4.90 and $5.95. I'm sure the price has gone up but worth checking out. Their toll free number is l-800-848-4363.

Diane in SFBA