Are You a Miniaholic? Made me think of the questions that one has to ask oneself if you suspect you are becoming a alcoholic or a gambler-holic. Such as:

Do you hide your mini purchases in various places, waiting until that spouse goes to bed, or to work, or just out of the room for a few minutes so that you can take whatever it is out and gloat over it?

Do you spend more on miniatures than you know you should?

Are you always the one speeding out to the mailbox, afraid that someone else is going to find out that a) you bought another miniature through the mail, or b) you want to get to that credit card statement first?

When your spouse remarks on a new miniature 'suddenly' showing up...do you tell him/her that you've had it for years, and that he/she just never noticed it before now?

Do you put stuff away...kits, wallpaper, bought furniture, lighting...for the day you retire? (And, when you did retire, did you actually do anything with all that stuff?)

At Christmas time, do you buy more things for yourself than anyone else? (One for me...one for you...two for me...one for you...)

When you bring purchases home, do you carefully remove all price tags? "Look honey, what I got for only $5.00!" (When it actually cost $90.00.)

When you go to shows with your spouse, do you try to shake him/her so that you can get to those tables without them knowing it?

Do you feel guilty about all those unfinished projects lying around? Does your spouse mention that fact when you say you want to start something else?

Is your personal piggy bank always empty?

If you can answer yes to at least five of the above questions...you need help! (And so, dear friends, do I! Because I can answer yes to all of the above.)

On the other hand, I enjoy myself, keep myself endlessly occupied, learn new skills, make new friends, and stay young at heart...so, I am not going to join any 12 step program just yet!

So there!

Kaye in LA

More signs of having a Mini problem: If I may add to the list of symptoms, you know you have a problem when . . .

. . . your veterinarian doesn't even ask (anymore) why you want the vaccine bottles.

. . . the cashiers at the grocery store keep a bag of plastic tubes from the cash register tapes.

. . . your friends are tired of being asked "What can I use this for?"

. . . you make a mad dash to catch the item your friend is about to toss in the trash, saying "Don't you know that would make a fabulous [fill in the blank]?!"

. . . you have no qualms about asking a complete stranger "Are you going to throw that out?" (much to your childrens'/spouses/companions' chagrin).

. . . you go to Bombay company on a regular basis, not for the house that you live in but for the occasional mini find.

. . . your kids suddenly can't find their Fimo. (HEY! Can I help it if they don't put their things away?!)

I'm sure that there are many, many more such symptoms. Maybe we should wear buttons that say "Please be patient. I'm a miniaturist."

Rosemary in Cleveland

You know you're a miniaturist when . . .

You dig in your husbands tool box to find a bolt that will make Fimo bowls.

You feel like an idiot in Home Depot telling the man the electric caps are for Ice cream sodas and the bell wire is for hoses. Never mind just keep looking.

You grab your 3 year old Grandson's Buzz Light Year because it's 1" tall and perfect for your toy shop. He keeps taking it out of the shop and telling me "you know that's mine, Nanny?

The Eckerd's Photo man has a bag of film canisters all ready when I come in the store - (for mailing).

The druggist who sells you cotton balls doesn't understand why they HAVE TO BE PINK. How could he know they are going to be cotton candy.?

Your toaster oven gets more use in your work shop than the one in the kitchen.

Everyday some where you find something that's sure to make a great mini (and usually something no one wants.)

And finally you know you are a miniaturist when Jonathan's story becomes - Been There Done that.

Gail

12 Step Program for Mini-Addicts:

Step 1 Join Small Stuff

Step 2 Join NAME or local Club

Step 3 Save money found in the laundry

Step 4 Go to shows

Step 5 Have fun meeting other addicts

Step 6 Take classes

Step 7 Buy kits or your heart's desire (money from step 3)

Step 8 Buy Mini magazine (money also from Step 3)

Step 9 Visit local shops or internet sites

Step 10 Have fun

Step 11 Have fun

Step 12 HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eleanor of Apex

Edwardian Toys: For the Edwardian toy shop: I'd be delighted if you included a hoop--these were about the size of a modern hula-hoop<tm> and were played with by being rolled with a stick. My Daddy (born in 1911) made me one to play with when I was a child in the late 60s, and boy, was it fun! I'm also thinking some beads, thread and a couple of trimmed toothpicks would make a nifty marionette. I've seen a lot of little animal beads that you could turn into a Noah's Ark. A lot of toys of this period were very simple--gosh, a ball was a big deal to a kid around this time!

Molly

Plastic Window sheets: I have used Aleene's Clear Shrink Art for a lot of things, from wings to my room in the gift bags. I've always found it at Hobby Lobby. You might have to ask where it is, my Hobby Lobby moves it around.

Sherrydon

Reducing Barbie Patterns to 1/12th scale: To make a pattern for an 11 1/2" doll into our size, you just have to reduce it by 50% on a photocopier!

Alice Zinn - Pt. St. Lucie - FL

Patterns for clothes: A friend of mine mentioned to me one day (After laughing at me and my minis) that she noticed that the direction sheet in each pattern packet has a smaller version of each piece for the layout. Now maybe someone with some math skills and mini knowledge could determine just how much to copy and enlarge if need be for these to be for the one inch scale dolls.

Marlene H Smith

Insulating Foam: I've also had great success cutting the insulation board with both a jigsaw (fitted with a fine tooth blade) and an old electric knife. As well as building, I've used it for landscaping, and as firm cushions on furniture, as well as mattresses for beds. Great stuff. . . . and a great value! I like it because if I mess up, I'm not out a lot of $$!

Sloan

Sloan

Tinting glass: There is a way to tint glass that is fairly simple. Certain oil paints are transparent and when thinned down with a non-yellowing oil (linseed eventually yellows I think), or perhaps just turpentine, it can be used to tint the glass. It will wash off or rub off, but this technique was used in Victorian times to do reverse painting on glass. One of the colors I am pretty sure works is Rose Madder. That would give you the cranberry color. Sorry I can't be more exact - I am remembering a technique I did 20 years ago.

Jacqui in Hilo, Hawai’i

Containers: I found that those little plastic cups that come with Robitussin cough medicine are great for minis! You can use them to mix paint in, or you can put a little paint thinner in them to clean your paint brushes. They are also good for holding beads and other tiny pieces while you are working. From now on, no one in my house is allowed to throw away those little cups!

Nancy in Ohio

What to take to a show: I was so happy to see this post about carrying as little as possible as you go around a show. I would like to add a couple of more things, from a dealer's point of view.

Get rid of that big bulky coat or jacket. You can't even feel it if you knock something off a table. If the show does not have a coat rack ask one of the dealers if you could leave it behind their table.. . . most would be delighted to do so.

No big purses, especially like the one I usually have, heavy as lead. A table at a show costs the dealer a small fortune and I know there is rarely a spot left on table on which to rest a checkbook much less a large purse, because economically, they want to get as much merchandise on the table as possible. The dealer will come up with a solution for your checkbook, but not that big heavy purse. And, please, do not use the table of the dealer next door.

If you are ending up with a lot of small bags, ask the dealer if he or she has a larger one so you can consolidate.

Dawn Weaver, Belleview, FL

John Medeiros

Backpacks: Wearing of backpacks at shows can be very dangerous to other shoppers and to the dealers. I have seen people turn around with them on and whack the person next to them and totally oblivious to what happened. I don't know about pushing it. I do know that every show I have gone to has been crowded, I usually wear a fanny pack (turned around of course! LOL! should be called a belly pack!) and carry a good size canvas bag for my goodies.

Judy K

Beginners: what to start with - This is my humble opinion: begin with a room box or room scene of something that you enjoy or recreate a special childhood memory. I love dolls and costumes, so one of my first projects was a miniature Victorian dress and hat shop. It won a blue ribbon at a Miniature show in Louisville, KY. I also collect mini teddy bears, so I did a Teddy Bear House. I have a miniature doll shop with about 300 dolls in it, and a bride's bedroom with the bride getting ready for the wedding. You might want to recreate your mother's kitchen from when you were a child, or do a favorite Christmas morning scene.

One problem is, we all have more ideas than time to do the things. You can always progress to a whole dollhouse later. I found that I'm not so hot at building and construction, and I didn't enjoy doing every room in a house, so I gave up after doing one whole house. Now I've inherited my Mom's wonderful dollhouse, so I end up with a nice big one anyway. Have fun, that's the best advice.

Paulette in Indiana

Beginners: what to start with - You will probably get may different opinions, all of which are correct. Really it depends on you.

Are you into various crafts, do you enjoy "decorating" your own home, enjoy the "Martha Stewart" fun, like building things from scratch, or following some plans, do you have access to woodworking tools, ie: saws, sanders, etc, or a helpful soul to help with from scratch house building, or would you rather take on "kits", and follow others directions.

Do you like to "adapt" your own ideas or content to follow. Of course if you are just into the decorating, you can buy a completed house, ready for furnishings & accessories, and just concentrate on the interior, by making kits, or buying some items completed and ready for their new home. Whichever way you go, relax and have fun. Attend any shows in your area (we will go to any show within a 100 mile radius), attend any classes or workshops available to you (you will learn lots of skills and meet lots of WONDERFUL people. Workshops are usually one day events. Often times a "roombox", so you can start small and work up. And of course join a club if one is available, and continue to read SS Digest for the best of all mini worlds.

Also if you have Miniature Shop (s) within driving distance be sure to check them out also.

Diane in SF Bay Area

Beginners: what to start with - My mini club group has finished a project using insulation foam board we bought at Home Depot or Lowes, it is sold in 4' x 8' sheets and used in full size house construction. It is blue in color if you buy it at Home Depot and pink if you get it at Lowes, they are different brands but the same thing. (They will cut it for you if you can't get it in your car, I have them cut it in half or thirds. )

You can cut it with a box knife, it is a little over 1/2" thick. We have made buildings out of it and are currently building an apartment complex with it. Just substitute it for wood. Glue it together with white glue and reinforce the joins with toothpicks for stability. Prior to construction you must peel the protective film off the surface before gluing or finishing.

You can apply paint to the surface, glue wood strip to it, wallpaper, stucco with caulk or any of the finishes you would apply to wood or foamcore/foamboard. It is so easy to work with and surprisingly sturdy.

You may want to start out with a roombox, to get your feet wet so to speak. You could make it as big or as small as you wish or the same dimensions as a standard picture frame, an 11 x 14 say, then it would have a lovely finished front.

I used round wire for the electrification of my tea shop, just sliced a small groove in the appropriate wall, floor or ceiling to make the wire runs, these grooves are covered by the flooring, wall finish, etc.

Susan in Texas

Working Fountain: I went to the railroad shop and bought a pump for a train engine car that blows steam. 12.99. It was recommended and it works! Need to be a bit creative. I drilled a hole, (carefully), through a garden like urn and set within a circular base I found at Hobby Lobby. A real water fountain!

SuLin

Working Fountain: For those of you interested in having a working, running fountain in your doll house, go to an aquarium store--an actual aquarium store-not Wal-Mart or K-Mart or Home Depot. The people in a real aquarium store are experts on fountains and power heads and the things that you will need to get your fountain working. Good luck.

Carol

Working Fountain: I make table fountains and one thing you have to remember is that somehow, somewhere the fountain mechanism has to be submerged in water and the water it pumps out needs to be able to find it's way back to the pump for recycling. You can find the smallest pumps at your local garden store (eg. Home Depot) for about $15. Some years ago I bought a "ready made" fountain that I thought would go perfect with my dh. When the time comes to landscape, I will incorporate it with some foliage, trees etc.

W. Marie in Edmonds, WA