Laser Cut: A laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) is a device that creates a very narrow, beam of coherent (one wavelength or color) light. This give the beam a very high energy. Kind of like the sun and a magnifying glass, only much stronger. When this beam hits a non-reflective surface, it basically vaporizes anything it hits. If you place a piece of paper or wood into the beam, it will burn a hole though it, turning the wood to smoke. The edges of laser cut pieces are typically charred for this reason. Most laser cutters have an x-y table which is computer controlled. This allows your piece of wood to be moved in two directions so you can create any 2 dimensional pattern you chose.

Since the light exerts a miniscule force on the wood, it can cut very fragile or delicate things without destroying them. The major limitation is that it works in 2 dimensions, so you can't, in a practical manner, make a 3 dimensional object.

Tom & Kari

Glycerin: "What is glycerin and where does one get it? … Linda in Leroy, OH " Glycerin is (you will be sorry you asked) a clear (colorless) liquid obtained from rendering of animal fats or can be made synthetically. Formula is C3H5(OH). It is Hygroscopic (attracts water) It is used in the manufacture of soaps and medications, Also some plastics. For practical purposes in your area in the winter if you get sheet ice on your car windshield; before the rain comes and freezes, spread glycerin on the windshield and when the rain hits it and freezes it is a simple matter to "push"it off. (old cab driver trick) Where to buy it? any store that sells toothpaste "vbg" personal health items or drug stores. If you rub it on your hands and face prior to painting a human sized room, any paint that splatters on your hands or face is simply wiped off. Less expensive than cold cream and less smelly than Vaseline Which I used to keep paint from sticking to my skin. Now aren't you sorry you asked?

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

Glycerin: Glycerin is a humectant--it equalizes moisture, basically. (Do NOT use it as a moisturizer on your skin if you live in a dry climate as it will pull the moisture out of your skin and disperse it to the drier air.) You can buy it at a drugstore, both plain and mixed with rosewater.

Molly/StormBorn

List for Aussie's to swap and trade? Sue here, Well, I did it, we now have a swap and sell list for people in Australia and New Zealand. All are welcome, please feel free to join us, its an open list. list website page is at Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mini_downunder_swap_and_sell Group email mini_downunder_swap_and_sell@yahoogroups.com

Sue Maynard, Founder

Paper Pulping: I found out that toilet tissue is better than paper towels and most likely facial tissue is even better. The toilet tissue yielded a pulp that was cottony and velvet like to the touch. Real soft. You do not have to tear the toilet tissue into itty bitty pieces and then put it in the blender. Nor did I soak it over night. I found that if I put water in the blender (2 glasses of cold clear water). Then I pull from the toilet tissue roll perhaps 2 feet of the stuff and pulled that apart to make about 3 or 4 sections with 3 squares apiece and put that in the blender. Pulsed it and keep adding paper until the machine tells you its "choking" on the stuff. I pour the pulped toilet tissue into a nylon square of screening which is sitting over the opening of a large plastic jar (huge jar that pretzels came in). After I have emptied out the blender container I can pick up the screening and twist it until I get the pulp almost free of water. I open the screening and remove the pulp which now is a stuck together mass. I put this into a plastic salad bowl; plastic because as my wife saw I was going to use one of her cooking bowls she said something's in her native tongue (American English) which would make a sailor blush. I never knew she harbored such a vocabulary. See the things one learns from minis. O.K. I now have the pulp in the plastic bowl. Over this I pour some white glue diluted with tap water perhaps 50:50 I saved some of the Elmers' containers and put the water in those and shook well. I then kneaded the mass and actually reconstituted the pulp with liquid (glue + water) Then it was applied to the frame I had prepared.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

Removing acrylic paint from Fabric: An easy and inexpensive way to remove dried acrylic paint from fabric is with rubbing alcohol. You can also clean your brushes with it. If the paint has dried just pour some alcohol into a cup and soak the brush (or fabric) for a while, then rinse. It works wonders and can save an expensive brush with very little effort. I was taught this trick when I took tole painting classes.

Karen Golomb

Removing acrylic paint: Acrylic paint can only be removed mechanically (scraped off) when dry and the remains by using acetone. But acetone may leave a stain.

Marcella

Metho: 'Metho' is short for metholated spirits. I think it may be called 'denatured alcohol' in the US. It consists of ethanol (the kind of alcohol you can drink) mixed with methanol (wood alcohol)... Adding methanol makes the mixture poisonous. Me, I *hate* the smell of metho, so I use isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol.

Charlene

Paint on Jeans: What, you don't like technicolor pants?;) LOL! Actually, one thing you could do is get a pair of old jeans from the salvation army or other charity store, and use them exclusively as your "craft pants". that way it doesn't hurt if you stain them, cut them, glue them, whatever, and you don't have to worry about cleaning them either.

Kim From Canada

Removing paint from clothing: I am the one who sent the hint about removing acrylic paint from clothing. just use alcohol, soak it and then use a paper towel or rang to rub off. works great!! I cleaned up several sweat shirts that had become rather variegated over the years. they had been washed many times and the paint still came off.

Gracia from California

Removing acrylic paint: I think I remember reading that a product named GOO GONE works well on dried paint. Check at craft stores or Joanne Fabric.

Fran Schroeder, Virginia Beach, VA

Styrofoam packing; The kind that cushions expensive equipment. Not the "peanuts." This is what I use to make bricks, slabs of rock etc. This stuff can be cut very nicely with a razor saw. I was able to cut the slabs of "rock" into thinner slabs with a sharp, single edged razor going very gently. This Styrofoam is great stuff. The resultant mini project is as light as a feather. I imagine the Styrofoam can be cut to make "rocks" for a stone fence as it does not matter if the edges of the Styrofoam "rock" are uneven. Paint accordingly and glue together to make the fence.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

KFC Takeout: How about using one of the white creamers from a restaurant, adding red stripes with paint, and adding a label cut from an ad for KFC? For the box, search for a similar shaped box on one of the printies sites and add words cut from an ad.

Martha Simpson

Carpets: Look at the upholstery fabric.....some of the small designs are perfect and you can see the weave etc...just fringe the ends...I got mine from sample books (old ones ) in a drapery store.....they usually throw these out.

Heather

baseball rug: I wanted to share something I tried for a rug. In the applique section of Joanne's or other fabric store, they usually have a good size baseball meant to be sewed on a jacket. I found this works on the floor nicely for a rug. I used a small butterfly in the bathroom too.

Lee from Melville, NY

Decoupage:I have never used modge podge and have made lots of things. If you can it's better to use a varnish such as estapol and a lot of coats before sanding, at least six. After that use wet and dry sandpaper dipped in water with a little washing up liquid and sand lightly in a circular motion. Dry thoroughly and apply another coat of varnish. You can do this for as many coats as it takes, more if the paper is thicker but if you are doing it in miniature, the thinner the paper the better. Water based varnish can also be used but needs more coats, gentler sanding, but doesn't yellow your paper. Hope that's helped

Julia

Estapol: Julia suggested a product called 'Estapol ' - which is an Australian product. It is a polyurethane varnish. (There is a water based version as well) I forget what the US brand names are for the same thing (& I used to use the stuff, too)

Charlene in wintry Canberra

Decoupage: I have done quite a bit of decoupage in my life, and I +think+ the problem just may be that you need a few more coats of the Modpoge. I used to wet-sand between every other coat of finish and put on as many as 20 (!) coats to get an absolutely smooth finish. But, was it smooth? You bet! Don't give up, it just takes awhile, and the thicker the paper you used for decoration, the more coats of finish will be required, which is why we usually spray the top of the print to seal it and then carefully remove several layers of paper from the back before we start. Does this make sense?

Marian in New Bern, NC

Decoupage: I did a lot of decoupaging in the 70's and basically one has to "sink the print". This means you apply several coats of varnish, letting them dry between coats. Then you take fine grade wet/dry sand paper, wet it slightly and you carefully rub it across the print portion of the design but NOT the outlying area, taking care not to rub through to the actual design. Then you add more coats of varnish and repeat the process. Eventually, the design will seemingly "sink" because you are not sanding the surrounding area and thus the edges have disappeared.How many coats you will need will depend on the varnish. Water based is thinner and will take more than oil based varnishes.

Jeanette in Wisconsin

Brass knobs: Look at linoleum or carpet tacks (nails) They are brass and come in different sizes. They make great small door and cabinet knobs plus they have the pointed shaft to ease mounting.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.