Adding Sounds: I know there has been some recent discussion about adding sounds to miniature settings. Thanks to Ron of Ron's Miniature Shop in Orlando, who used these in several settings, I found a neat idea online. They are sound chips which can be easily wired into your settings! Here's the link! http://www.ittcsoun deffects.com/puppies.wav   Have fun playing on this site, you can listen to sample sounds!

Alice Zinn- Pt. St. Lucie FL

Sound in Miniature Settings: I borrowed tapes from a Bell Choir and picked out the opening bars of several of my favorite hymns. These were placed between recordings of birds chirping, squirrels chattering, wind blowing and other earth effects. This is on a repeating tape on a voice activated recorder hidden in the foundation of my chapel. The chapel sits in a garden complete with a lake and swans. The effect is enchanting....... I always build a foundation on my buildings that is attached to the landscape set. This has a channel for the actual structure to sit on that allows room below the building for lighting equipment, repair elements of wallpaper and molding, a recorder and other goodies I want to hide from site.

Becky Holliday

Packaging necklaces: I package necklaces and other small items in round foam backed plastic cases. You can buy them from a jewelry display company and they run about 50 cents each. They come in sizes about 1" wide to around 2" wide. They come in groups of 48 (I think it's 48). They also sell a display tray for these but I don't use that.

One trick I use with these is to turn them upside down. The top is not very deep and comes off easily. I reverse the foam (the "top" of the foam is nicer than the bottom), put the piece on the foam, and then put the bottom of the case on with the top on the bottom.

Carol - S P Miniatures

Researching pictures online. Here are easy directions:
Go to: http://www.google.com

click on the 'images' tab at the top of the screen. Type what you are looking for in the box, or use advanced search, which provides a more narrowed search and is easy to use!

Alice Zinn

What I've done with pretty papers that I wanted to use for upholstery fabric on chairs and such is to scan the paper and then in whatever software you have to use, size it if it needs to be to a smaller scale, and then print it onto the transfer paper that is used for photo transfers (to fabric) like tee shirts and quilts. That paper is available in many stores - WalMart, Best Buy, Office Depot and others. This not at all hard to do. The one trick I learned over the years is to use a ceramic tile (you can go to a tile shop and buy just one tile - if you do this get a large one and make sure it has a smooth surface) and NOT an ironing board for the pressing surface. Also be sure to follow the mfgs instructions for time and heat setting. Another trick is when you put the transfer down onto the fabric, fold back a tiny part of one corner - this will give you a "handle" to hold on to when you peel back the paper. Then when you are ready to peel the paper off the fabric, just peel back a little bit to make sure the transfer really "took". If it didn't just smooth the transfer paper back and press more. If you just yank the transfer paper off, and the image hasn't transferred evenly, or completely it is nearly impossible to get the transfer paper back in proper place. Some fabrics take to this better than others and generally speaking, the natural fibers work best; like cotton, linen, silk and such. When using a light colored fabric or a delicate fabric it is a good idea to use a press cloth so you won't scorch your fabric and good old parchment paper works great for that. If you have any questions on this, please email me and will be glad to try to help if you want to try this.

Ronni

Tapered Candles. To make mini ones try taking a piece of thread and dipping it into a small amount of melted candle wax (about 1"deep). Dip & blow on your string, dip and blow again & again until you have the right diameter. You will end up with a REAL hand dipped mini candle!

Brooke,Wa

Mini-Hold: You can buy Mini-hold from Craft Club http://www.craft-club.com/2001/categories.asp  

Linda Barrett

Alley scene: I'm trying to finish my alley scene but it lacks a lot. So far, this is what I have:

Three brick walls which I think I should put graffiti on somewhere, a back door of a restaurant that opens just to see in a little.  And one of those green hooded overhead outside lamps. (that gives the scene a nice evening glow).

On the wall near the back door I made an electric meter from the plastic that covers Sucrets lozenges.   I painted the alley ground with a grey/black acrylic with sand in it but it doesn't look like hot top.   Any ideas how I can make old cracked hot top?

I have three of Noel's trash cans in the corner with a miniature green trash bag. And crumpled and squashed yellowed newspapers, I have two alley cats (but I know I could use more!) some wine bottles and a fish scale.   That's it.

Now what else?   It looks too empty and lacking something.  

Judy K

On your alley: It is important to keep the eye moving at all levels...something of interest. Have you got a window with an alley view? Just make a picture frame style window, no cuts needed and make it "dark" inside with a curtain. Then add a flower pot to the window sill...inside or out. Or, a pigeon could sit there. For fun, how about an open window with a fluffy, pet cat looking down at the alley varieties? Or a picture of a parrot inside the window "talking" to the pigeon?

Now for the middle area...no graffiti needed but how about a circus poster? A play poster...that would give you information about the city and the date where this alley occurs. Some good ones are found on the internet or antique ones are in mail order magazines. (Cut them out, spray with fixative and apply with Mod Podge giving an extra top coat for protection.) Position the poster so a pedestrian could read it as they cross the alley. A reduced scale newspaper blowing about would also give more clues. Clues are a good way to think of your details. How can I tell viewers more about this set? Have fun.

Laurie Sisson

Alley scene: how about a fire escape for your alley? Or a window over the restaurant with an iron balcony? Could be the owner's apartment window, with some puny geraniums reaching for light. Maybe a convoluted drainpipe? When I was a child, on Saturday afternoons my friend and I used to go to the movies. After it was over we always had a little time before our parents picked us up, so we used to pick up milk and soft drink bottles to return for the deposits, which is where I got most of my spending money. (With the states having to pay so much to have litter picked up I wonder why it isn't done any more.) Anyway, we used to wander down alleys in that little South Texas town looking for bottles. I still remember the smell of old decaying vegetables outside a produce market door.

Separated by a narrow alley, the produce market's back entrance faced the back entrance of a western wear and leather goods store, a gathering spot for surrounding ranch folk (the store, not the alley). Besides a regular source of discarded soft drink bottles, the alley was a treasure trove of cardboard boxes and leather scraps, which my friend and I liked to take for our many projects.

Although he generally did not approve of people going through his trash, the western store proprietor knew us and had no problem with our rummaging, since my friend's father, a wealthy rancher, was among his best customers. "Just be careful, kids. Sometimes a sharp knife blade breaks off among them leather pieces" he warned. "And watch out for them winos from the pool hall"

I suppose you could have one of those guys, too, holding his bottle of bay rum or vanilla extract.

Wanna in El Paso

Marianne

Gail in Orlando

POTPOURRI BALLS:
On a strip of wax paper, drop small circles of glue; let set until almost dry.
Peel off glue circle, roll in potpourri to form ball. Let dry. If bare spots show, add touch of glue
and roll again.
OR coat tiny beads with glue and roll in potpourri.
Pile in basket or bowl; use as ornaments on Christmas tree, etc.

NET POTPOURRI PACKETS OR GARLANDS:
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Minutely crushed dried flowers, herbs, etc. One teeny whole bloom in each packet often looks very nice.
Small funnel (can be done without it)
Small bowl spoon
A larger size cut down soda straw (about 3-4 inches) OR glue together a round paper tube of size desired
Tacky glue
Scissors
Fine bridal tulle or netting (examine your laces; some are fine enough to work)
Colorful thread, narrow silk ribbon

1. Cut a strip of netting longer than the soda straw; overlap over the straw and glue edges together. (This is the same principle as used in making bags over a form)
2. Slip net slightly off end of straw and tie tightly; slide back up.
3. Using funnel or narrow spoon, place potpourri in straw. OR use straw to scoop through potpourri to fill.
4. Slide off amount of net and potpourri desired; tie tightly. Make a second tie close to that one. Continue filling and tying with fine gold or silver thread or narrowest silk ribbon until net is filled. Cut between ties for individual packets.
5. For a garland, leave uncut, with longer spaces between ties, looping ribbon in and out, etc., if desired.

FOR NET POTPOURRI BALLS:
1. Cut small square of net and cup over end of straw
2. Fill and tie off. Cut off excess net.

FOR LACE POTPOURRI POCKETS:
Look through your laces for those that have tiny net in the center of small designs. Use a toothpick to apply glue around the lace edge. Add bit of potpourri and place second matching design on top of first; pressing edges together tightly. I find it easier to do these if I leave extra around the designs, glue them together first, then cut around the individual packets. If you want a hanger, insert loop of thread before gluing second piece down.

OPEN POTPOURRI TUSSYMUSSY:
Cut lace designs as above. Glue potpourri in center, leaving lacy edge visible. These look great glued on tree tips, especially with fine thread or ribbon streamers hanging down from back. Again, one teeny bloom looks good.

TOPIARIES:
1. Coat small Styrofoam ball with glue and roll in potpourri.
2. Use dowel or small twig and poke into ball; plant in pot; decorate with ribbons, lace, silk roses.
3. Coat inexpensive plastic toy animals - rabbits, ducks, chickens, etc., with acrylic paint; roll in potpourri. Tie small bow around neck, make hat of small snippet of lace, etc.

These are especially pretty in Victorian-type Christmas decorating, as well as in bathrooms and bedrooms.

Wanna in El Paso

Jewelry:
Here are some mini findings and beads sites:

http://www.wolfemyrow.com/home.html

http://www.coolmini.com/finds/findings.htm

http://www.johnbead.com/

http://enterpriseart.com/index.php?logo=Enterprise%20Art&page=main.php

http://www.shipwreck-beads.com/

Marlene Chapman-Ontario

FIMO cooking times: Polymer clay is a combination of chemicals, they are activated by heat and combine to form the clay in it's baked state. You MUST cook it for a minimum of 20 minutes or the chemical process will not complete, as polymer clay is 'live' until cooked not completing the cooking correctly is potentially dangerous. The temperature of your oven is important, never bake at higher than 130c it will not cook quicker!! this is not cake mixture here it's as near to rocket science that we mini makers get!!! If you're using a pale clay try lowering the temp. just a teeny weenie bit, no lower than 120c.If your stuff is scorching try using a shield of baking foil, cover the delicate pieces with loosely wrapped foil, the foil will diffuse the heat so baking times must be observed. Your average oven takes at least 10mins to reach the set temp. you need at least 15mins cooking time after that, 20mins is the barest limit. Not cooking your clay minis properly can result in them crumbling and falling apart later on, please remember the manufacturer has to conduct rigorous tests on the product before it goes on sale, he/she does know what they're talking about. As a final note, I use polymer clay every day and I have only had one scorching mishap, using my cooker oven and switching the temp just a bit too high. I now use a toaster oven with the temp set at 130c and I bake everything for 30 min.

Jacquie Hall

Future Floor Wax for Fimo: Yes, Future Wax works beautifully for getting a shiny coat on Fimo items. I learned this from Judy Kafka, renown for her Fimo Candy Castles and trains. No stickiness whatsoever. Future is made by Johnson Wax Co. of Racine, Wisconsin and is still available as far as I know. I've used it on my no-wax floors, too, to enhance them.

Jeanette in Wisconsin

Tile Sealer: You might try using Deft Semi-Gloss spray on your tiles to seal them. Cut the tiles to fit your room then spray them before you glue them in. The more coats, the shinier they will be. I use two coats on the tile floors in my Southwest room boxes. Spray evenly and not too heavy. Several thin coats are better than 1 heavy coat. Let dry completely between coats. Sealing before grouting prevents the grout and water from penetrating the tiles and it also eases clean up of the grout. When the grout is completely dry, usually about 24 hours, you can spray one more time to bring the shine back to the tiles.

Spencer

Murals: Try a wallpaper book and look at the borders. I have a border in my real house that I used as a mural over chair rail in a Colonial house. It is 8 inches tall including a little plain border on each edge. But I cut it down for my house.

Martha Simpson

Murals: Who ever was looking for a source of murals, check out http://www.minigraphics.com/.

Nursemini

Potatoes: I make russet potatoes from white FIMO, poke a few little holes with a needle tool for eyes and bake at 250 degrees for 12 minutes. For the coating, I use ground brown chalk. Just rub the chalk over a piece of screen. When I put them in a pot with Envirotex (casting resin), they then look wet andunder water. Different colored chalks have a lot of uses. I've scraped many over a screen and store in one of those 12-section plastic boxes.

Ruth