Shelf in kitchen: What about making a duplicate scene of your own kitchen, right there in the kitchen. Or, if your kitchen gets hectic, why not make a scene from someplace you'd much rather be, like Tahiti, for instance.

Stacey T.

To whip wax: just melt it in a double boiler and when it is melted, whip it with an electric mixer til it is frothy. Only remember to keep the mixer vertically in the bowl! My sister and I tried doing this in fifth grade (many years ago) and didn't realize that we had to keep the mixer straight- hot wax on the handknit sweater our grandmother had made us.

We hide it, but to our mother's great credit, when she found it (as mothers always do), she didn't get mad and washed it. To wash the mixer, if the wax is dry, just run it under hot, hot water (maybe that's why our sinks always clog), or boil it and skim off the wax when it hardens on the water. Good luck.

Laura

whipped wax: " How do you "whip up some wax"? How do you attach it to the scene?"

You can whip it with a popsicle stick until it bubbles or gets foamy. I've never used it as foam on water, but I think that if you put some resin (water) where you want it (a thin layer... then before it completely dries... add the whipped foam, pulling its edges into the water, so you don't have a straight line of foam.. it should waver a bit (look at a picture to get an idea of what it would look like). When dry, add more resin where the foam meets the water. You may have to now pull the resin's edges into the foam to blend the two together.

I think you'd need to practice this before you put it into your project. As I said, I haven't actually done that, but that's what you could try if you didn't get any tried-and-true ideas from the list.

Here is something I DID try: I wanted to have a witch in a bubble bath, reading a Glamour magazine and looking at herself in the mirror (the mirror cracked by the way)... But I had nothing at home to fill the tub with, so I tried something that did work for me. I poured clear nail polish into the tub. Then melted and whipped chunks from a white candle and poured it into the tub. I added a few clear beads for bubbles. When dry, I poured on more clear nail polish so the wax would be shiny and wet looking.

By the way... if you melt wax, put the wax into a clean tin can (pinch a "spout" at the top of the can so wax can be poured after it melts). Put that can into a pan of water onto the stove's burner, and melt it that way (double-boiler style). Do not put the wax's container directly onto the heat as it could cause a fire. The wax tends to sputter a bit as it melts, so it's important to stay with it.

Viola

Great Movie: I found the perfect Movie for miniaturists it is called Secrets in the Attic and it is based on the Novel The Dollhouse Murders. Anyway there is a smashingly lovely house in this movie, and the furniture is exquisite....I just thought I would share incase there is anyone like me out there, I am also Movie crazy.........My second favorite hobby.

Kathy in Cedar Springs Ontario

Windsocks. They are really easy, and fun, too. You'll need some colorful, fabric ribbon, about an inch wide for the 'sock' part, and then assorted colors 1/8" ribbon for the streamers and loop to hang the windsock up on a hook.

Cut the wider ribbon into pieces about 1-1/2" long. Cut your narrow, streamer ribbons about 2-1/2" long. Lay the wider ribbon pattern side down (facing away from you), then glue 6 streamer ribbons along one edge of the wide ribbon piece, about 1/8" from the edge. Let set up a bit, then run a thin ribbon of glue along one of the shorter ends of the wider ribbon. Overlap the glued edge to the other end, and press into place so the glue grabs. Then, take a short piece of your streamer ribbon, about 1" long, and glue the ends into the top edges of your 'sock' to make a hanger loop.

I've made hundreds of windsocks this way, for tote bags and such. My favorite ones were made using that 'rainbow' stripe ribbon, and coordinating streamer ribbons. Very bright and cheerful!

Laura in OKC

Cup hooks: For the cup hooks I use straight pins. I remove the pinhead with a wire cutter and use a needle nosed pliers to bend the pin into whatever shape I need. The pointed end is the end (business end) I insert into something.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

Cup hooks and screw eyes: To Jonathan in Israel and the rest of my SS pals - just a word of caution. When cutting things like straight pins and little pieces of wire, it does have the tendency to fly off into space. But sometimes, it can fly too near your face. Please, please wear safety glasses when doing that kind of work. I know I sound like a mom but it only takes a second to get a tiny piece of metal in your eye....it only takes a second to dig out and wear the safety glasses.

Vi

Cup hooks and screw eyes: try Jewellery findings. They sell "head pins" which come with tiny loops at the end, in either gold or silver colour. You can use the loops to go into the ends of utensils, and open the loops up a bit, to make the hooks.

Alison from Accrington

Screw eyes, cup hooks: Many thanks to everyone who wrote to me regarding screw eyes and cup hook. I believe I responded to everyone who wrote to me personally, but if I forgot someone, I thank you most sincerely.

The better ideas I received were to fashion them myself by wrapping wire around a nail with needle-nose pliers. Dr. Bob said that he makes them from straight pins, which sounded great, but my straight pins always snapped and flew across the room. I had one odd pin from a shirt, and it worked great, but one just wasn't enough. I'll have to get some more of those pins. Someone else suggested using eye pins from jewelry making supplies, which is also a great idea. The advantage to this is that the eyes are already perfectly formed. Another person said that once I find the screw eyes, I just need to open them up to make cup hooks.

I was anxious to get this project done last night. The pins didn't work out, and I didn't have any appropriate wire. So, I tried paper clips and staples. Both worked out very well. The paper clips are thicker than I would like, but for this particular application, they were fine. I made several attempts before I got a decent eye, and several more after that before I got two that were the same. But I kept at it, developed a method, and started turning them out consistently.

Jonathan in Israel

Interesting Catalog: My wife received a catalog for our grandchildren. In it are many items that would be usable in the 1:12 scale. Its worth the free look. Web site is http://www.constplay.com

Constructive Playthings
13201 Arlington Road
Grandview, Missouri 64030-1117

DrBob

Beanie box -- I used one to make a little dust-free vignette memory case for my dd when she played Mary in the h.s. play of "It's a Wonderful Life." I stuck photos of her and "George" on the "back" inside, dried and separated the petals of some of the roses she got to put in the bottom, dried and placed some of the roses that dried nicely in a small vase and put that next to the silver angel bell her dad and I got her. It's one of her most favorite things and everyone who sees it goes, "Oh, what a good idea!" Gee, I can think of lots of memories I could use those boxes for ... maybe I better go bid on them!

Chrissy the Hyphenated

Flying undies: I've been reading all the creative ideas for your flying bra, and the one that immediately occurred to me hasn't been mentioned. What about having a flagpole (or even just the pole) sticking out from the side of the house with the bra caught on the very tip? I think I might use some "Stiffy" (if I remember the name correctly) to shape the bra a bit. This product was used to stiffen the ribbons for decorating baskets before the wired ribbon became readily available. Don't know whether it's still made or not. I think we'll all be interested to learn how you solve this mini challenge!

Janet in Baltimore

Flying bra: I've lost the address of the miniaturist who wanted to simulate a bra flying through the air - but how about suspending the bra on some fine nylon thread, sold in NZ here in haberdashery depts or craft stores on reels as invisible mending thread, or use the nylon filament (from a quilting store ?) sold on larger reels and used in machine background quilting.

Tess Edwards

flying undies: For the flying undies, how about using the very fine silk thread used in sewing appliques? I think it's about $5 a spool of 200 yds. It comes in a natural color which is almost transparent - and is much softer/doesn't glisten like the nylon sewing thread.

Whui

Flying undies: I was reading your idea of the flying undies (great idea!) and wanted to tell you I have some of that nylon thread that I can send you...but a thought. It's almost invisible, but in some lights/angles, it shines...which would draw your eye to the fact it's there. How about spraying it with Dull Kote...from the model train supplies? Don't know if it would cut the shine, but it seems worth a try.

Rita Pierce

Flying bra: some time ago someone suggested here to make a bra with part of ablisterpack. I made one, it went out to be a bit stiff and I think, that wouldjust be right for your flying bra and you could fix the bra on a piece of cord from a round cord needle, this cord would be quite stiff but also in a light curve and you had not a hanging, but a flying bra (I never tried, but I think that would go). If it's not in the archives I would try to explain the way to do a bra with a small part of a blisterpack.

Karola

Invisible thread. Take if from a guy who _knows_ invisible thread. Here's what you do...just take the next pair of pantyhose you run or ruin or whatever, and pull out one of the threads. Unravel that thread and you will have the invisible thread that's on the market. It's really quite strong, and it's elastic to boot!

Dave Pierce

Paint removal: I was at Wall-Mart the other day in the paint section looking for a drop cloth. I am in the middle of painting the interior of the real house. Since I am the messiest painter in the world a product called OOPS! caught my eye. The label says that it removes dried latex paint, tar, lipstick, crayons, gum, ink, adhesive residue, oil, magic marker, and grease. It does have a list of cautions almost a mile long but I can tell you it took light beige paint out of dark green carpet in my dining room before DH saw said paint very well. I have no idea how safe it would be in dh application but if you have paint on a favorite pair of jeans or a spill on something that is ruined with the paint it might be worth a shot. My carpet looks fine where I missed the drop cloth and DH is really picky (he is the kind that can spot the smallest flaw from across the room)

Joanne in Beavercreek Oregon

Tall acrylic boxes: I think those tall acrylic boxes could hold trees; say one tree in each with different scenes beneath the tree, or someone on a swing: a sandbox with children playing; a couple having a picnic; youngsters at a lemonade stand; maybe a headstone and a mourner; or do a palm tree and sun worshipers, with sand, towels and lotions.

Susan in Cool Green Asheville

Tall acrylic boxes: I think those tall acrylic boxes could hold

Those spray bottles of Fantastic and Windex. Do not discard them. I diluted some of my acrylic paint with water and put it in the spray container and used it to spray paint onto my steel wool trees (green of course).

Next thing I found out was that if I cleaned out the paint and put in Elmer's glue with water and shook it real good. I can spray a surface with the diluted glue and sprinkle what ever I want on to the surface and it sticks when things dry out.

I also found that if I am putting sand on a surface, I first spray with the diluted glue and drizzle the sand on and then I spray after that and the sand is rock hard bonded between the two layers of glue. When I tip the diorama no sand comes off. I then flush out the spray bottle for the next time. I am as happy as a pig in mud (or was it something else?)

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.