Clear caulking for water: I just made a 'bobbing for apples' tub for my Halloween room box. I used a black soufflé cup that is used in restaurants for salad dressing, put in a layer of caulk, let that dry --- it is still a little sticky --- then another layer. On the third layer, I used a scrap of wood to smooth it out and pushed some plastic apples I had so they were about half in/half out. It really looks great. I thought about painting it with silver paint, and then decided not to. I may spatter on some white paint to make it look like enamelware. I have come to enjoy Halloween and am having a great time making this box.

Martha Simpson Nock

Resin: Here in South Africa we make molds of old jewelry and metal decorative items using Vinamould and then duplicate them using resin. Also use resin for drinks and sauces and water. We use our molds to make decorative architectural items for our houses and also things like picture frames etc. We have very few mini items available here and have to innovate and duplicate.

Roberta Pijper

Snow: The idea of caulking for snow seems most satisfying, however instead of dusting it with powder which would seem to make it look fairly dull and lifeless, I would suggest using diamond dust. This is actually a crushed glass or sometimes very thin and glittery pieces of plastic. Snow, being frozen water, reflects light and sparkles. Diamond dust, being small fragments of glass, does the same thing and looks very realistic. Always handle it with care since it is glass, but once it is attached to the project it would no longer present any danger and it looks very sparkly and snow like.

Marsha Hedrick

Stone Foundations/Fireplaces: I made a stone foundation and fireplace by spreading light grey caulk on the base and then pushing the stones into it - quite effective. If you have the caulk thick enough, you do not need to add any mortar to the joints.

Shelby

Log Cabin 'grout' (chinks) between logs: First, after all the 'logs' were installed and the glue was completely set, I stained them and let them dry completely.

I bought a small tub of spackling paste (drywall gook to fill in holes, etc). I thinned it with a little water so that it would flow thru the fine pointed tip of a plastic glue/fabric paint bottle. It needs to be thin enough to flow, but still 'goopy' enough to stay in place on the walls.

I took my bottle, and ran a bead of my 'chink' between each log, wiping the excess off with a soft, damp rag. After I was all done, I let it dry completely, went back and filled in any little air bubble holes that appeared, and let dry again. Then, I sealed the entire thing with Min-Wax brand, clear, satin finish varnish. I used Min-Wax stains on this entire house; different colors for logs, windows, door and shingles.

When you are ready to furnish your cabin, Lucy Iducovitch makes wonderful Hudson Bay blankets (4 pointers, no less!) - a must for a log cabin, I think!

Laura in OKC

Chinking Logs: To Chink the walls... this is the "mud" or what ever between the logs to keep out the cold.... I used the dry spackle added to paint and applied it with a glue syringe. Kind of a mess but it worked. Perhaps using the already prepared stuff and just applying it with a finger might be easier.

Dorothy

Chinking: I am working on the RGT Adirondack Log Cabin now. The outside is all finished. I stained all the logs before gluing to the shell and chinked them with caulk. I just filled a monoject with the caulk and it was very easy to fill in the little lines this way. It wasn't nearly as messy a job as I thought it would be. I think that using the monoject helped to keep the lines in scale. I also made a corner stone fireplace by building the fireplace with 1/4" wood, then gluing the rocks on and filling in the spaces with caulk. I put little stone shelves on it, too. I added a stone foundation to the Adirondack using this same method. I really like the way it turned out and have gotten many compliments on it. If you would like pictures or have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Carole Pierce

Bubble bath: A couple of years ago I discovered a way to create a great bubble bath, and ended up having it published in NN. I filled my tub about half way with resin and let it completely dry. I then took white beaded wax (the kind you make your own candles with). Sold at White Rose/Michaels etc. The beads are very small. I simply mixed tacky glue into the wax beads (more wax that glue of course). I then 'piled' my bubbles as high as I wanted! The effect was great. I finished my bathroom scene over 2 years ago, and the 'bubbles' have never discolored. Of course there would be more bubbles around the faucet where the water is pouring.

Kathy Carey in Toronto

When working with caulk (especially the clear caulk I got from Ladybug), I found that coating my finger with liquid soap makes it smooth really well, without sticking, clogging, bumping, etc.

Monica from DE

Casting Resins: You ask about molding material for making molds of your grandmothers buttons. I suggest trying Micro-Mark. They have an ez to use silicone putty that sits up in about five minutes. They also have a urethane resin that casts very good parts. You will find them on page 56 of their winter 2000 catalog. I've used both of these products and have had excellent results. http://www.micromark.com

Lloyd

Water: I use the clear candle gel for water.   It's great if used in a dustproof roombox.  I have it dripping from a laundry tub, from a bucket, etc. - it stays shiny and I don't have to worry about mixing stuff together.

Theresa Thomas

Waterfalls: Make your second pond just like your first one. Make sure your water path for the water fall is painted, then use some clear tape as a guide for the waterfall. 50 year Clear Silicone makes good falling water, it can also be highlighted with white paint after it dries. Just apply it directly over the clear tape. If all else fails, go to your local bookstore and sneak a look at a model railroad how-to book. I have made several waterfalls this way and they all turned out well. You can go to either my web site or photopoint and look at Akademia- A wizards' college for examples of finished waterfalls.

http://purefantasy.centramedia.com

Shaun Crawford

Water- Polyseamseal is a self-leveling CLEAR 50 Yr Caulk. It makes wonderful waterfalls, streams etc. I use this in all my classes and it is fool proof. No mixing, and non toxic fumes, very little odor. If you cannot find it locally, I have it on my website. http://ladybug-fairies.com

LadyBug, Sue Thwaite

Underwater Look: It sounds like you are trying to create the surface of the water from underneath...sounds like an interesting problem. Two ways I thought of were:
1. Paint the underside of the top to look like water seen from below (see any underwater movie to get an idea of this -"Splash" comes to mind) or
2. Replace the top of the box with Plexiglas and then do something with one of the silicone mixtures that were suggested for water (I can't remember exactly what he used but I think it was Dr. Bob and he used alcohol to slow the drying time and create turbulence in the water.) This would give you the effect of looking up from the bottom through the surface of the water. I think silver on the cover would increase the light but not give you the effect I think you are looking for.

Ana Gerard

Ponds: I have been making pools and ponds under glass domes for a while now, and the people that have them say they prefer the ones I do with a sandy bottom and clear water. They can see the tiny rocks on the bottom and the fish and even the roots of the lilies or whatever plants I put in. I put a very thin coat of glue around the bottom half of the wall and part of the bottom and sprinkle on the green railroad "grass" and then shake off the excess. That gives the look of algae around the bottom. I use natural little stones laying around haphazardly and sometimes piled together and put the fish in and among them for more realism.

If you have no source for the grass, you can just paint the bottom of the wall and edges of the bottom with a wash of green acrylic.

I use preserved plants a lot, take the smallest leaves, etc. I sometimes use purple strawflowers(dyed ones) for the lilies and I float a dead piece of leaf on the surface sometimes.

For water I use Envirotex Lite, which is a two part resin polymer coating. I buy it at any craft shop and even hardware stores. If you can't find that brand, just look for the poly coatings that say "1 layer equals 50 coats of varnish". I pour it in layers, adding little things in each layer so you can see the depth of the water. Make sure you cover it with a box or something till it cures to keep dust off.

For anyone interested, for the basic pool, I buy a round white foam circle about 8" across and 1" deep. I cut a rough shape out of the center(the pool) and leave a border around the edge for landscaping. I glue this donut shape to a sheet of foil. I run a line of thick tacky glue around the inside bottom edge, gluing the hole to the foil. I also run a line of it around the outside bottom edge. This seals the hole for the resin later. I then use my fingers and smash the top edges of the ring to slope them. I use the part I cut out of the center by breaking it up and piling "boulders" up on part of the ring. When this is all done I spray the whole thing with waterbased "granite" spray paint. When people pick up the finished pool, they are amazed that it isn't heavy.

I add real stones or pieces of wood etc. to finish the top and then landscape with plants and flowers. I usually put on at least a banana tree, weeping willow, or plumeria tree for shade over the pool. Each one is different and each one is unique. They are a joy to make and a pleasure to show.

Norieta

Polymer Compound Resin - a 2-bottle kit - one is your resin, the other your catalyst. These must be mixed one part to one part, VERY ACCURATELY AND STIRRED THOROUGHLY.

I was told that you should have two separate containers for measuring. Fill one container with one compound... and a second container with the second compound... then pour them both into a third container, and stir thoroughly. That makes a much more accurate measurement. Little containers with "measuring lines" especially for resin can be purchased at most hobby shops.

Viola

Bubble Bath: I have a doll in a bubble bath. She's at: http://members.aol.com/marshaanne/victorian/index.htm.

I covered her in Saranwrap and then covered the Saranwrap with silicon. I then poured very fine beads over the glue (the kind they use on the highways to make them sparkle) and then topped them off with clear beads. (I learned this from Beth Lane). Makes a very realistic bubble bath!

Marsha, Newark, CA

Material to make a pond. I used DAP Clear Caulking and GE Clear Caulking. They are both as clear as water, so I painted the surface they were on and it made the entire "water" appear the color I wanted it to be. I found that with the GE Clear Caulking I was able to "work" the surface of the caulking by dipping my finger into plain rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) and spreading or redirecting the caulking with ease. The alcohol also slows down the setting of the clear GE Caulking and allows for more working time.

Dr.Bob

Water: My specialty is ponds and I love envirotex for the water. It comes out perfectly clear, but you do have to be careful to mix it exactly. I had some that turned yellow! Fortunately it was going in my toilet, so I blamed it on the man of the house!

Sarah

Ponds: I took a piece of cardboard box and cut it to the size and shape that I wanted my free-form pond to be. Then I used aquarium sealer and spackle and covered the cardboard and built up the edges to the height and shape I wanted and then I let it dry, I painted it dark grey-green and let it dry. I then poured in the resin and as that was drying I put in the plants and fish. I made the koi from fimo and the resin didn't hurt them at all. I used painted masking tape for the cattail leaves (wire stems and the reconstituted bread dough tops which I made about twenty years ago). I added water lily leaves and flowers last as the top was just dry.

Carol