Bookends: Helen Cohen sells "blank" bookends for scenes. I don't have an email for her, but her address is PMB 112 668 Stony Hill Road, Yardley, PA 19067. Phone 215-493-4811.

Beth, in Concord, NC

Superglue Haze on Plexiglass: To remove the haze on Plexiglass, try dipping a q-tip into nail varnish remover and gently rub over the surface. Make sure that the nail varnish remover contains acetone.

Karin in South Africa

AC Moore's Paper Mache Pumpkins: Someone else may have discovered this but they are NOT PAPER MACHE! I bought 2 on sale last August (originally $2.99, on sale at 25% off) thinking to make Cinderella's coach and a mouse house from them. I proceeded to cut the openings for the coach using a Dremel tool...gee it sure cut funny for paper...and what was this gray stuff that was being spit out at me.... PLASTIC! They are gray plastic, covered with one layer of brown paper! Once the integrity of the paper covering is breached, the paper falls off, leaving you with a gray plastic pumpkin. In order to paint the coach, I had to etch the plastic with automotive primer before replacing the paper,using Weldbond glue full strength. The same treatment on the inside allowed paint to stick as well but it sure was not the easy quick project I thought it would be! The moral of the story is..."thump" any paper mache shape that you are considering buying to be sure it really is paper mache and not paper covered plastic unless you are willing to go the extra mile to make paint stick to plastic.

Sammy (I'm a girl) Smith

Bubbles: All these huge-haired ladies sitting in 19th century tin tubs, nipples et al. modestly hidden: whoa: in their Victorian world, what's supposed to be creating all those bubbles? As late as the 1930's (grandmother an Avon lady) there were fragrant bath salts, but I'm pretty sure that was all. If Avon offered nothing more spectacular, I doubt anything was available for common use then, and certainly not half-a-century earlier. Sticklers for realism might consider how best to recreate bath water with a film of soap scum and a little burp of a bubble here and there...so sad.

Mary (Oregon)

For repositioning those toy plastic figures (arms/legs/etc.) try using a small soldering pencil to heat the plastic at the joint until it bends so you can move it into the position you want.

Dr. Bob

Insuring Miniatures: Contact Collectibles Ins. Agency, P.O.Box 1200, Westminster, MD 21158, phone 888-837-9537 or 410-876-8833. They offer insurance on Collectibles for dealers as well as collectors through Pacific Ins. Co. LTD, a subsidiary of the Hartford. I just don't know about Canadian coverage, but I am sure they will tell you. They are an advertiser in Dollhouse Miniatures and /or Miniature Collector magazines.

Sir David

Frosted Mylar: If you can find only clear Mylar or styrene, use a rag, not paper towel, moisten it and add some toothpaste, not gel, and scrub away. If not frosted enough, do it again with scouring powder.

Dean Jenson

Frosted Mylar: Take the very thin mylar(or plexiglass) and either put a thin wash of white paint on it and write on that or abrade the surface with a very fine abrasive and write on that or use a pen nib and apply glass paint; no frosting required. Use the color of your choice. I wrote this on the fly so I may come up with more involved methods like using flourine to etch the plate and burn you skin VBG.

Bob in Hollywood, FL

Frosted Mylar: how about the frosty plastic backing that comes with some brands of bacon (not the wrapper, but a sort of flat tray inside the package)? Can't recall which brands at the moment, because I only eat bacon a couple of times a year when I can get vine-ripe tomatoes for BLTs. It sounds like exactly what your friend's looking for -- as long as he doesn't need sheets larger than a pound pkg. of bacon! I've scrubbed and recycled it as a disposable palette, and it's just about the thickness you described.

Loretta

Frosted Mylar: You might try the plastic backing that comes in bacon packages. It is very close to what you described (frosted both sides and the thickness of two index cards) I have used it for very simple stencils. The secret is to use Dawn or another grease fighting dish soap to remove all of the bacon grease.

Marcie and Jim

Wine Bottle Lead: The lead from wine bottles is great for making pewter plates. Cut out a circle and emboss over a small plate or button or, some wine houses have the tops (on full bottles) embossed with a picture already. Cut carefully round the top, turn upside down and carefully flatten the border. If you want a matching set you just drink more wine.

Dorothee

Wine Bottle Lead: A couple of years back, either DHM or MC had an article advising people not to craft with this stuff. Supposedly it corrodes over time, giving off toxic fumes. Maybe this wouldn't matter in the tiny amount needed to weight fly paper, and maybe this is just one of those folk tales, but if you have small humans or pets around the house, it may not be worth the risk.

Loretta

Wine Bottle Lead: Wine bottle lead (and lead used on fishing lines) can be melted in a tin on a low heat. We used to pour the liquid in empty matchboxes to make paper weights and my brothers used it to put some more weight in their trains. Take some baking paper and pour (or draw with the help of a skewer) thin lines of the liquid lead and let it cool. You could use those strips for lead lighting. Maybe you can draw the lines straight onto glass but I haven't tried that (yet). The lead is very soft so you can easily bend a strip to whatever form you want.

Dorothee

Lite Brite Pegs: Looking for Brite Lite Pegs - try Toys R Us, or a similar store. I have seen them in bags of various sizes.

Dani

Feathers: I have parakeet feathers. I sold a few on eBay and that got me started making miniature glass items and making friends here! I need some of the feathers for quills for the inkwells I make, but most are not appropriate. I don't have enough for stuffing pillows, but if someone wants some for decorative uses (dusters?), I'm sure we can work something out.

They are not listed on my site, but you can contact me though it. http://www.walkerillustration.com/~janewalker

Jane

Paper Source: Picture framing shops are a great source for sheets of matboard and foamcore and are often more than happy to save their scraps for you, what goes in their trash could bring tears to your eyes....."one man's trash is another man's treasure".

Joann Swanson

Plexiglass Boxes and Doilies: Try Michael's craft store, they have a lot of Plexiglas boxes in various sizes. I know they carry one about 5 by 5 so they could have the other sizes too! Dees (the big catalog so many retailers can order from) might have them also! If not check with a beanie baby supplier.

Pat Dees carries the paper doilies or you can buy a big doily package and cut them down into smaller sizes (look at the patterns first as not all have the little doilies in them!

Laura

Lite Brite Pegs: I found refill packages of lite brite pegs at both Wal-Mart and Toys R Us.

Lori

Acrylic Boxes: Here is the name of one that I've bought from at shows.

Acrylic Creations Inc.
500 Winifred
Lansing, MI 48917

Michele & Neil Kaiser
(517) 321-2640

If they don't have one they are able to make one any size you specify. As far as I know they do not have a web site.

Marilyn

Lite Brite Pegs/Goodwill Stores: A good source for the lite brite pegs is your local Goodwill Industries store or other thrift stores. They usually have bags full of little goodies in the toy section. That's where I found mine, and only .58 for a bunch of them. It's also where I find interesting old fabrics (actually old clothes) that work for minis and doll clothes. And, I found a big bag full of polymer clay, all different colors, and lots of other craft supplies that probably were bought by someone who had lost interest. Even found a completed room box, it had been badly treated by children I think, and a room box kit still in the box. Plus, I have bought two or three doll houses, in somewhat less than perfect condition, but with lots of possibilities. So, don't forget to go grazing in the "general store". You never know what you will find.

Judi