Lace on Picture Frames: I make a basic frame out of mitered balsa wood, to fit the picture, I might add. I've applied fine lace with white glue, (also mitered the corners), painted the frame first with red, then dry-brushed gold paint on top. I've used heavier lace, the embroidered looking type, and painted or stained the whole thing brown, black, red or whatever, then used Rub-n-Buff. The results look like carved frames. The problem is finding the 1/8" lace for the smaller frames, for larger frames 1/4" is fine. I have also cut out designs from the lace, i.e. two petals in a "V" shape, and used this just on the corners. They really go quite quickly and are fun to make. I've used "V" shaped angled wood for frames, 1/2 round wood, and even layered a small frame on a larger one, to add depth. I then paste the picture onto card stock, glue clear vinyl sheeting cut to size for glass, and then glue the whole works together. I try to put the name & artist on the back of the card, if possible.

S. Begley

Holly Hobbie DH: Plaid Enterprises put out this dollhouse in 1" scale, last advertisement for it I saw was in a NN from 1980, but more than that we need help from the list!

Joy Perkins

Cleaning plastic windows: I think rubbing alcohol works to clean off plastic, I use it all the time.

Kaye in L.A.

Glue on Plexiglas: I just finished some bakery cases that involved gluing a lot of clear plastic and I also got some glue where I didn't want it. So I used Goo Gone and a very soft old dish towel to rub it off and it worked pretty well. Not sure if it would also work on Plexiglas, but you could try it first and see. It didn't smudge my plastic and in fact it came out nice and clear and shiny. Good luck.

Helen in New Jersey

Mirror: they have mirrors that stick to school lockers that you can cut with scissors to shape for a dollar or two inn the school supplies dept at most dept stores hope this helps

Sue Groves from Cobourg Ont

Chrysnbon kits: Model airplane glue or any other plastic model cement (Testors makes one) is perfect for these kits.

I, too, never knew what a "cleansing tissue" was, maybe I'll find out from someone else who posts an answer for you! But I've always found that if you apply the wood stain they give you with a foam brush in very thin, watered down layers it gives you a more transparent finish a la real wood.

Karyn Zabrouski

Cleansing tissues: They still sell cleansing tissues where they have the fabric paint in the writing tubes. The differences between Kleenex and cleansing tissues is that the cleansing tissues have a little more substance to them (they don't pull apart as easy as a Kleenex) and they have no little hairy fibers to stick in the paint (or under the roller balls) and mess up all your hard work. I don't know how they make a fiberless tissue, but that is exactly what it is supposed to be.

Peggy

Books: If you want the kind of shelves that a real reader ends up with after years of buying a book here and a book there, all of them read and well loved, foam core will work better than balsa. Measure and scale your real books and make the faux books one at a time so that even the ones that are similar in size or color will still come out slightly different. Choose a size, a cover material and a page edge color. Cut the foam core shape with a very sharp Exacto blade. Press the metal edge of a ruler down hard very close to the edge on both sides of the "book" where the binding bends in on a real book. Color the cardboard edges to match the cover paper; this makes the finished book look like it has a thick binding, not a piece of thin paper glued to cardboard. Gild or color the "edges of the pages" -- i.e., the foam -- as desired. I've used gel pens, watercolor pencil (slightly dampen the edges first and the color spreads beautifully), and regular #2 lead, all with good results. Stroking the edges of the foam a few times on all three sides with the tip of a sharp pencil makes it look like real paper. Cut the cover material to fit top to bottom as closely as possible, just a HAIR bigger than the cardboard. Leave the wrap-around length bigger than you need to start with. Spread a thin, even layer of glue on ONE side of the book and, while the glue is wet, press the ruler back into the ridge. When the glue is set, spread a thin, even layer of glue on the other side, NOT on the edge, and wrap the cover around. The spines on real books are not stuck down. Barbara Brear recommends putting something in there, like a toothpick, to hold it while you're gluing, but I'm too much of a klutz apparently. Everything I put in ended up sliding out and bouncing around on to the floor, so I went with just eyeballing the bulge and it seems to work for me. Press the ruler into the ridge on the second side. While the glue is drying, I sometimes lay the ruler flat on the book and press down. This gives me some thinner and some thicker books, even though I'm using the same size foam core for them all. After it's all dry, trim the edges, again just a HAIR bigger than the cardboard.

For a well read book, "age" the finished binding with some creative swipes with an emery board where a real book would be worn. I'm not doing much for titles, because the foam core faux books are only going into dark corners as library filler. I have mostly just done some little dots on the bindings in the right places with a very fine tipped marker. I find these books a wonderful way to pass time while I wait for web sites to load so I can shop mini sites. As I finish them, I glue them on to the shelves, put some across the tops of other books or maybe falling a bit sideways, whatever looks right to me at the time, so the library is growing in a kind of realistic, organic way, as a real one would and it's turning out SO well!

Chrissy

Picture Frame - Using a miter box and razor saw, you also need a small piece of wood for a "stop" and a small clamp. You need a miter box that has a 45 degree this way \ and / that way. Make a 45 degree cut at this / slot. Measure one side of your picture and add TWICE the width of the framing material that will fit flat on the wall (not the indented portion that holds the picture). Place the stop on the miter box at the measurement you've determined away from \ slot and make the other cut. Do not remove the stop. Make another 45 degree cut on the end of your wood and place it against the stop. You will have two matching pieces. Hold them against each other to check. I always cut the longer sides first. If you make a mistake, they can become the shorter sides. Use a wooden miter box if possible, a metal one will destroy the teeth on your saw blade. If you can't find them locally, I have them available.

Ruth

Mini Paintings: I paint on panels of 1/32 airplane plywood from art or hobby stores cut to 1/12th of the size of the original painting which is being reproduced in mini. I give each panel 3 or more coats of a good quality gesso, alternating in vertical and horizontal directions and sanding in-between coats. I also smear a little water on the back while gessoing, so that warping is minimal. The reason I choose this dimension is standard framing has a 1/32" deep by 1/16" wide groove to fit around the panel. This way the back will be flat. I have seen paintings done on stretched canvas and I think they have too much texture. What ever texture the painting has should be limited to the paint itself and that kept small. It works for me, and should last forever.

Framing is tricky. I still mis-measure and I've done more than 60 of them. The stock comes from Hobby Builders Supply or similar. None of my stores stock it. Hardwood is harder to find. I got some ebony at the Guild show in 2000 and I have gotten cherry and mahogany at the Dollhouse Factory which is, alas, closing. Measure carefully, hold the stock firmly against the miter box. Don't let it roll. The cherry stock has a rounded outer edge and I had a lot of trouble with it but it is worth it when finished. It looks great. Always use wood glue (Elmer's yellow). You can put a drop or two of water on a corner and take it apart and do it again when it doesn't come out right. When framed I sign the panel with my name and date and the name and date of the original painter. I use acid-free paper on the back and sign again, everything with a touch of wood glue so it can disassemble. I hope some of this helps.

Marilyn Crockett

Picture Frames: Mount picture to be framed, centered, on a piece of mat board, illustration board, cardstock or cardboard of a thickness that will meet your approx. finished depth needs and that is wide enough all the way around to take the width of your frame. For instance, if your frame is going to have sides that are 1/8" wide you would add an extra 1/8" all around. Use either YES glue or a quality glue stick for adhering. If you are using glass and/or a matt to your picture, glue it on top, keeping glue to the edges that will be covered by the frame.

You will be using paper strips to frame your picture. The paper may be plain or decorative, thick or thin, smooth or textured. If plain, pre-paint it as desired...for a wood look paint it a raw sienna color and antique it with a dark brown water based translucent stain. For decorative papers look in full sized wallpaper books or in scrapbook sections of craft stores. Cut paper strips to width that is the same size as depth of edge of the cardboard-glass-picture-matboard (or whatever) combination Cover raw edges neatly in four separate pieces.

Cut strips the width of the face of frame sides and slightly longer. Adhere to top. over exposed frame space next to picture (right over glass if it is being used. Do two connected sides first, overlapping the corners. Using a sharp Xacto knife cut thru the two thickness' of paper at a 45 degree angle, using the inside and outside corners of the paper strips as a guide...very simple. Gently lift up the cut edges and remove the excess paper and you will be left with a perfect mitered corner. Repeat for all four corners.

Thinner paper strips or wood strips can be added in the same manner to the face of the first strips to add dimension and interest if desired. Jewelry findings or what have you may be adhered to corners for interest. Touch up paper edges as needed with matching paint. After you have done a few as described above you may want to try using just one strip of paper to cover a side and it's edge. A bit more difficult but makes for a neater finish.

Joann Swanson

Matting Pictures: I was a picture framer for 10 years. So I do have a mat cutter at home which does make this a little easier. Logan makes one for home use that works extremely well. They are around 100 to 125 dollars depending on if you get the one that also will do straight edges versus just the beveled edge. Highly recommend that one over the other. I've used this for years for so many things that it is well worth the price. Easy to cut long strips of mat board for projects that you're working on besides cutting mat boards. Starting with acid free mat board, which is the only kind I use, Cut your mat board the size you want, mark your boarder on all 4 sides and cut your bevel. Then carefully peel several layers of the backing paper off from the front. It works like a charm, you get your bevel in scale. You can then leave it white or carefully and slowly if you've never done this before, with a marker that doesn't bleed, paint the bevel color of choice. I used gold to simulate fillet. It was very effective without bulk.

Kathy in E. TN

Door Hardware: Kendall doesn't have a website but I have those doorknobs on my site. http://www.spminiatures.com/kendallall.html

Carol

1" scale Mason jars: http://www.cottonridge.com has them!!!

Marsha, Newark, CA

Miniature kaleidoscope: There are instructions for a working 1870 kaleidoscope in "The Toys of Christmas", The Best of 'The Scale Cabinetmaker' series, Volume 1, by Dorsett Publications. It was originally in TSC 8:3. It is what induced me to buy the publication although I am a long way from trying to make it. It uses tin stock, hobby mylar mirror and acetate "glass". The instructions also include a wooden stand for the kaleidoscope.

Wendy in Clinton, NJ

Baskets: Cut a small square of embroidery canvas. Dunk it once into water and then pull it over a convex shape of some sorts. (lids, bottles...). Hold it in place with an elastic band. Leave to dry. When completely dry, remove the elastic band and ease off the convex shape. Invert it and you have a concave shape. Now trim the edges to make it the shape and size you want. Trim the raw edges with plaited (braided) thread or, or, or .... Once trimmed and edged they are very satisfactory and such fun you end up making more than you need.

Barbara B in S. Africa

Baskets: several of the do-it-yourself mini crafting books have directions for making your own baskets. Basically, get some needlepoint canvas, collect some different shapes and sizes of molds (chapstick, acrylic paint bottle, shampoo caps, etc.), some plastic wrap or plastic mesh fruit bags, twist-ties, and tacky glue. Cut squares of canvas, soak briefly in warm water to make pliable, and smooth around your mold. Use plastic wrap or fruit bag and twist-tie to hold in place around the mold till dry. Trim the edges evenly, and finish off with a braid of the finest upholstery braid or unravel and braid several strands of the canvas. Glue in place over the edges, let dry, and paint if you want. You could use the same technique with cross-stitch fabric soaked in fabric stiffener. Quilling paper (cut your own in 1/16 - 1/4 inch wide strips) can be coiled and glued around a mold or criss-crossed with a band of same paper folded in half lengthwise as the top band to make berry baskets. Just look around and experiment. It's easy and fun.

Loretta Sniarowski

Swaps: Try MiniShopAndSwap. They have swaps all the time.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MiniShopAndSwap

Grace Shaw

Sequin centres, Sound Boxes:
Tee Pee Crafts in England sell small bags of "sequin dust " in their catalogue. It is mainly an "eggers" catalogue, but just full of goodies for miniaturists. I get all my tiny crystals and they have a terrific range of sound boxes that include " woman screaming" and "manic laughter " as well as the more normal sounds. They have a web site and when I have dealt with them I have received the order within 2 days. the address is:-
http://www.teepeecrafts.freeserve.co.uk

Claire in Morecambe, England

Tents: Scala has a really neat tent. If you are interested go to http://lugnet.com/ check out set # 3143 to see the tent.

Diana