Flying free of hassle: To everybody who is worried about taking 'dangerous' mini tools on planes. Do what I do. Pack a suitcase    with clothes and whatever you may need on your trip plus all of your 'dangerous' mini tools, put the whole thing in a box, seal it up and ship it by UPS to someone you know in the town you will be visiting. Believe me, it is a lot less hassle and UPS seldom loses anything. If you are going to be staying in a motel, check with the manager first and get permission to have it delivered there. Be sure to take a small carry-on bag on the plane because the 'guards' are suspicious of anyone traveling without luggage.

Connie in Georgia

Aged Paper: I can tell you how I make my old scrolls, papers, and maps. It's easy and you can't mess up because the more you ruff them up the older and better they look. I use Velum paper. It is a little expensive but a pad can fill 10 mini libraries. To make the paper look old, I usually stain by rubbing a wet tea bag over it, letting some areas stain more that others, then let it dry.

After dry you can put it through the printer or you can hand print it with a very fine brush and water color. Cut the pieces of paper to size, and then roll or fold the paper the shape you desire. Velum holds the shape well. Then very carefully and gently burn the edges of the rolled scrolls. You don't need to burn them much at all. Rub the excess ashes of the paper. I've also herd some people putting paper in the oven to give it the old look too. But I haven't had too much success with that. Burning makes the paper look old because "real" old papers are actually burning extremely slowly too. That's why they are brown and brittle.

If you look at my web site you can see some of my miniature old scrolls, papers and books: www.evminiatures.com

Ericka Van Horn

To add fragrance to mini scenes: I use the oil that is applied to revitalize pooped potpourri. I place the head of a cotton swab dipped in oil into such items as a magazine rack, umbrella stand or mini vase. The result is wonderful. Rose Cottage smells like roses. Granny's kitchen smells like apple pie. It is fun and simple. Just don't place the oiled article on anything that will stain. I replace the cotton every other month.

Becky

SHINING UP PEWTER: I've had pretty good luck shining up pewter this way: wash well in warm water with dish washing liquid (like Palmolive, etc.), using an old toothbrush to scrub it. This gets rid of the whitish release agent often left on the pewter. Then dry and buff with a dry paper towel. They look a lot more silvery after this treatment, although not as shiny as chrome.

Celeste

Acrylic display boxes:   I bought a wonderful little display box (he had lots of different sizes and shapes) from Neil Kaiser of Acrylic Creations, Inc.   He was at the Chicago International.   Don't know about a website but his address at that time was 500 Winifred Ave.   Lansing, MI 48917.   Phone 517-321-2640.   These are really beautifully made and mine has three shelves with a mirrored back.   Good luck.

Gail in Lompoc

Acrylic Display boxes: Someone was asking about large doll display boxes. Just so happens that one of my favorite "junk" catalogs " Harriet Carter" came yesterday with just this item in several sizes. Their Online shop is at http://www.harrietcarter.com   Page 30 of my catalog. I have used these cases for several years. Great for keeping those larger landscaped   items free of dust. Also being of a lighter plastic, they can be cut to the height you need, and you have an extra piece to use for something else.   Hope this is what you are looking for.

Diane in SFBA

Bees: I've made some this way. I layered extremely thin layers, I mean paper thin, of black and yellow polymer clay, maybe 6 layers all together. Then, using a thin metal tube, first dipped in baby powder, I cookie cuttered (Wanna?) out a cylinder from the layers, I rolled it slightly between my fingers to round the ends. I cut the wings out of cellophane, the kind I used was iridescent, although I'm sure clear would be fine. I made a tiny dent in each bee's back and inserted the wings with the smallest dot of tacky glue. I made feelers from a single strand of silk thread stiffened with Elmer's glue, and inserted them into the 'head'. Then I baked them for just a couple of minutes in a toaster oven preheated to 275 degrees. And there they were...bees! Do you know what a bee flying in reverse sounds like? Zzzzub, zzzzub! lol

Alice Zinn

Dumbledore's Room: I have used one of Debbie Jones's "Kitz" theatre kits and made a room for Dumbledore from Harry Potter. I made it bigger by putting both the bottom and top on the top, one half flap opens, and I used the false back for the floor and I used a piece of thick cardboard for the sides with the kit sides glued to inner walls. It came out so handsome for him, and I used not one skerrik of pink as it was the mighty Dumbledore head Wizard of Hogwarts and he demands respect, not frivolity with pink!!!!

robbie roo

baking plates: Any stoneware or oven proof plate will do as long as you deem it to be for "clay only"! Of course it should be smooth and flat. I was fortunate enough to come across some oven proof restaurant platters and serving plates that are large enough to allow me work space on the plate itself and plenty of room for my finished items. This is very helpful when making pastries, for instance. I can roll them out in the middle then "press" them to the plate around the edges so they "adhere" to the plate. I find this makes it SO much easier to frost (paint) after baking because I don't have to pick each up and get paint all over my fingers trying the hold the little pieces. I can paint a whole plate in no time with great ease!

Lauriel

Men's long handles & other 1:12th scale clothing: Dolls' House Needlecrafts by Venus A. Dodge see P. 32, Gentlemen's Combinations (long johns). Making & Dressing Dolls' House Dolls In 1/12 Scale by Sue Atkinson Has all sorts of clothing patterns, I used this book to dress a cook and a butler and to wig the cook, and was quite pleased with my first effort (I'm NOT a perfectionist!).

Havana (FL) Holly

Japanese house:  I purchased a 1/4" tearoom kit from http://japaneseminis.homestead.com/FirstPg.html   It was very easy to assemble, and it looks great! It was the first 1/4" project I attempted. I don't have a picture of it yet on my webshots album - will have to do that! Anyway, I would definitely buy from him again. Very good quality.

Lauren in Abingdon

So far I have Tai-Nee Toys, MBC (Miniscule Bank of Commerce), Jojo Café (Coffee Shop), Demi Dimensions (Dress Shop), Le Petit Bebe (Infant supplies store), NewYouConcepts (a day salon and spa), Bitty Bath and Boudoir (A place to buy fine linen, candles, soaps, etc, and Tiny Ivy, a mini fine dining restaurant. If anybody wants to snatch my idea, feel free!

MsPBody

Sylvanian House: a few years ago I found a Sylvanian house at a yard sale to convert to a memory house for a friend's graduation. The commercial furniture is not the same scale as the animals!   It's bigger, about the same scale as Renwal and Petite Princess, 1:16, which is in between 1:24 and 1:12.

Loretta_Sniarowski

Sylvanian Families: I have a Sylvanian Family in a 1:12 scale house.  The furniture is oversized for them of course, but then, that was the look I wanted for them.  Actually, all my doll house "people" are animals.  And, I think they are all a bit too small for their homes and furniture. But then, the majority of my houses are set up to be played with by my foster kids (closely monitored playtime let me assure you).   So I don't have too many critical eyes viewing my houses and families.

Jen

Sylvanian house:   If the family has plenty of room, I would err a little on the side of it being oversized, for two reasons: 1) while the child is young it is easier for her to move things around without toppling them and 2) having doors and windows large enough to accommodate 1:12 scale later might not look that bad with the little characters and would be wonderful for the child to grow into with more advanced dolls and furniture as she matures.   I see it with half timbering and thatch and a big stone fireplace.   I hope your friend is paying for all the materials!

I distinctly remember being concerned about scale as a child, but primarily in terms of doors that were so short that dolls' heads would bump and chairs that were too tall (added to the frustration that my dolls couldn't sit anyway!).   If the furniture fits, I suspect large doors wouldn't be a problem.  If you're making stairs, I would keep those in a scale friendly to the short dolls, but perhaps make them easily removable so that "normal size" stairs can be used later.   Since objects like tiles and floor planks have varying scale in real life, they shouldn't present a problem.   I'msure you'll have a great time with this once it's underway.

Rosalind in Houston

Fimo food: For those who wanted a substitute for semolina. To make a sponge cake texture you might get away with using polenta (corn meal) as long as it's finely textured. Because you are only using small amounts you could grind it finer in a small bowl (or pestle and mortar if you have one) I also use poppy seeds for fruit cakes and sesame seeds for almonds. Mustard seeds make goodcherries but they need painting first and also you can grind down small piecesof pre-baked clay to make suet pieces (white clay) orange and lemon peel (addedto fruit cake or mince pies), coriander seeds make great walnuts in a bowl(Angie Scarr tip) and don't forget some liquid Sculpey for making icing(frosting) and fillings like jam etc.

Jacquie Hall

Painting Fimo: If you are painting Fimo then only use acrylic based paints as anything else will react with the clay. You generally paint afterwards although there are some innovative artists who experiment with paint and clay in the oven, but let's not go there right now!!!! Most of the commercial craft paints will do the job quite nicely and for the more experienced artist then Daler Rowney or Winsor & Newton both have a range of acrylic paints and these would be found in your local art supplies shop.

Don't ignore this type of paint as there are some wonderful interference mediums that are great for fantasy figures or simply the iridescent sheen on a fresh fish(for example). If you want to color clay before baking there are a few similar ways to do this, most suppliers of the clay may or will stock the pearled and mica powders. Powdered food coloring can be used or even cosmetic powders although the longevity of these is still subject to debate. My own favorite is powdered artist pastels, they come in a myriad of colors and different grades. The softer pastels are easier to grind to a powder and easier to use, application is with a soft paintbrush or a cotton bud. The pastels are generally inexpensive and available at art supplies shops also. There is a range of colors sold for use with cold porcelain but the only ones I have found so far are quite pricey in comparison.

As a general rule, dry color is applied before baking and wet color (as in paint) is used after baking. I hope this helps.

Jacquie Hall

viscose: I've been selling viscose for wigging miniature dolls for the past 16 years. Anyone who'd like a color-price sheet can email me their regular mail address, and I'll send it to them. The sheet is on my web site - http://daintydoll.tripod.com/DaintyDolls/but the colors don't come out very well.

Paulette Stinson

Lead miniatures. I was told by the director of adaptive technology at Stout University, that lead enters the blood stream through the skin simply by handling lead objects and even by handling things that have been in contact with lead.   I found this out when I had a work station assessment done. One of the objects I keep on my worktable is a small container of the smallest lead shot available.   (Shot is the tiny lead balls inside of shotgun shells).  As lead is very heavy, it makes a nice holder in which to stand up small tools and brushes.  The tiny balls keep little tools upright and handy.  I was shown that the handles placed in contact with the lead carry a good deal of lead to my hands where it enters the body right through the skin.   Breathing in lead dust is also hazardous.

Lead is a heavy metal and once it enters the body, it stays there. There is no known method for getting it out.  It is proven to cause brain damage and to affect fetal health and God only knows what else.

The moral of the story?   There is NOTHING WRONG with working with lead miniatures so long as you do it safely.

When handling unpainted lead, wear surgical gloves until it is painted. Never sand on lead objects where particles will be left on your workspace or in the air.   Never sand lead objects without wearing a high quality face mask.

Until I was diagnosed with a severe chronic illness, I never considered the effects of these kinds of exposures. We work with so many different products and materials, that it's just best to overly careful.

Kathy in Wisconsin

Mohair Viscose source: Here is a site for mohair http://www.magiccabindolls.com/shop/product.cfm?icat_item_num=16001

Also note the crochet site at about.com is a good resource for finding different items.
http://crochet.about.com/

Other sites you might try for viscose:
http://www.indiamart.com/sushantthreadmills/
http://freespace.virgin.net/associated.yarns/

Connie