Hardware: Also equally great is Virginia Hultberg, HB Brass http://www.zianet.com/hardy/

Anita McNary-Haynes

I get catalogues from Carolina Biological Supply and US Forestry Suppliers. These are also sources for those sleek, thin, black pins made to mount butterflies and insects. I use them for gauges in making jewelry chains; many miniaturists use them for working with silk fabric.

Lynn O'Shaughnessy

Gallery Glass brand glass stains: I bought some from either Hobby Lobby or Michaels and mail ordered from Lou Davis catalog.

Leslie in Buffalo

Gallery Glass: I just bought some at Joann's Fabric Super Store today.

Leslie in Buffalo

Skycrest Products: I bought a lot of Skycrest Products pieces from Karen Stull, of Karen's Minis from Las Cruces, New Mexico. Her email address is Karenminis@aol.com I heard that she had bought out Skycrest and was the retailer for them now. Don't know if that part's true, but I do know that she carries the 3 tier fountain that you're looking for, plus lots of other ceramic items. http://www.skycrestproducts.com

Tere Perry in Texas

This is a Crafters Message board. You might pick up a few tips here. Good format. Easy to use and interesting to read http://www.craftweb.com/bbs/wwwboard.htm

Judie

Metal Miniatures: Debbie has quite a few metal miniatures for sale on her web site at http://miniatures.tripod.com/MiniatureAccessories.html

Sir Thomas doesn't have a web site. I have a lot of his things on my site.
http://www.spminiatures.com/sirthomas.htm

Carol

Mini Knitting Nneedles: I sent in the URL for Lacis http://www.lacis.com/catalog/catalog.htm and found mini knitting needles there too!

Mary Aycock

Sir Thomas Thumb, 8123 SW 47th Road,
Gainesville, FL 32608
Phone 352-374-6986
FAX 352-371-9031

Sir David - Parrish

Shrinky Dink Plastic: I think that the Shrinky Dink brand of shrink plastic hasn't been made since the '80's, but a company called Lucky Squirrel markets one by the brand name of PolyShrink. They offer it in Clear, Translucent, Canvas White and Black. It can be found in some arts and crafts stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby, usually near where the scrap book items are found, but mostly found at stores that specialize in scrapbooking.

They can be reached directly at:

Lucky Squirrel
PO Box 606
Belen, NM 87002
Ph:505-861-5606
Fax:505-861-5616
Orders: 1-800-462-4912
or you can check their website at http://www.luckysquirrel.com for more info on ordering the product directly from them, or where to find stores that sell it. It does look from the order page that they will ship overseas at a reasonable rate.

Tere Perry

Resin Coloring: There are dyes and colors compatible to Envirotex available at your craft shop or from my web site http://www.pannikins.com/. Some people have good results using glass stain for color, but I have found that sometimes the color changes from what you mixed during the curing. Have fun with your beverages!

Mary Eccher

Build your own "Cookbook" from my Website: You asked if I still have my project booklet. I haven't had those for years. When I was writing the Mary's Menus articles on Fimo and resin for Nutshell News, I put that booklet together from copies of the articles. Well....as the number of articles increased, it became very costly to continue the booklet.

BUT.....for anyone interested in learning about modeling compounds and resin in miniature cookery, I have a plan and I hope you will like it. As of today, my WORKSHOP link at my web site http://www.pannikins.com/ was uploaded.....the very beginnings of it anyway. There you will now find information on ALL ABOUT MODELING COMPOUNDS, ALL ABOUT RESIN (dispelling some of the misinformation out there), the GINGERBREAD MAN project, and the WITCHES' BREW project. The EGG NOG will go up there tomorrow. This is just the beginning. My intention is to post many, many more projects (for the novice as well as for the advanced student) to my web. Each and every project at the Workshop link will be fully able to be printed out easily. Therefore, those interested, can compile the projects into a folder of some sort and create their own instructional miniature cookery book. All I ask is that these projects not be used for monetary gain, either by submitting them as articles of your own to the magazines, writing your own book using my techniques, or becoming a dealer at a show creating just my projects, instead of using your imagination to create your own. Yes, all these things have happened to me in the past 20 years. You are welcome to use the projects for your own use, club projects, or to develop your own talents with your own projects using the techniques mentioned...and I truly hope you do so.

Mary Eccher

Candy and cookies: I carry the fimo rolls you can slice. I have gingerbreadman cookies, plus candy cane, Christmas trees, peppermints, holly, poinsettia cookies or candies. Email: yumaminis@juno.com

http://www.jbsdollhousesminiatures.com

Jackie Bruno

Fimo Cookies to slice: For the fimo rolls that slice up like cookies, please check my site. http://lincsminiworld.bizland.com/ LINC'S Mini WORLD The HOME of SHAPED Polymer Clay "STIX"(canes) for slicing EXACT DUPLICATE shapes. You should be able to find almost any kind of Christmas cookie shape you would like, from Gingerbread Boys/Girls, Trees, Angels, Snowmen, Santa, etc., down to the NEW 1/16th inch Snowflakes. Oops, the Snowflakes aren't on the site yet. I haven't seen SHAPED fimo/polyclay stix/canes anyplace else.

Now when it comes to "round" canes for candies, etc., check with Jane King JKMINI317@aol.com - for already sliced pieces, or Donna Smolik wolfes@flash.net for canes to slice. SS's own Noella used to do some really great canes, but I'm not sure that she's still doing them.

Linc in Indiana

Making Grapes: Last year I went to a show in Atlanta and had the wonderful luck to meet Sue Ann Thwaite, aka Lady Bug, and she has a very easy kit to make grapes. They were great looking and very easy to make. She even whipped some up at her table right before us. I am not sure if they are on her web site but I am sure if you emailed her that she could help you! http://www.ladybug-fairies.com/

Linda in GA

Dolls by Annie: These may be out of your price range but it is worth looking at. She does the best I have ever see. Note the hands and faces.

Also something to ask when you buy figures...will the faces rub off? If you are buying porcelain, more and more are going to acrylic paints which are NOT fired on and will rub off.

If you are looking for less expensive dolls, Bonnie Justice does some wonderful children in polymer clay. I do NOT buy anything but porcelain and from the best artists. I DID buy a little girl from Bonnie and she is wonderful! (That is something I swore I would never buy - polymer clay people)

Anita McNary-Haynes

1/2"Doll Molds...House of Caron has a good number of 1/2" scale molds including a tiny baby (boy is that a challenge!)-all from different doll artists, and Doreen Sinnett has a beautiful 2 1/2" fairy called Fairy Faye that makes a wonderful lady. Some of the doll's dolls also make good children (I think Janna Joseph has a couple of these). I personally didn't mind doing the dolls but the dressing of them is quite a challenge now that age is creeping up on me. These are the only sources I know of so if anyone else knows of 1/2"molds available please post.

Ana

Bows: Joy's site has the bow making instructions with pictures. http://swallowhilldolls.com/bowmaker.htm

Karolyn (Plymouth Ma)

Those of us who want to make dolls but don't have a kiln: While answering an email message for a request for my book, I decided to click on a link at the bottom of the message, in fact, this link: Konittajo's Playhouse:

http://www.geocities.com/~konittajo

I started out in the dolls section and saw what she had written about the compound she uses for her dolls, and went to my trusty search engine Copernic to try and find out more. I found the home page for some stuff called LI-QUA-CH=C9 by Activa. So looking around the site I learned more. You do not need a kiln and can use normal molds for making porcelain-look dolls. I would love to make my own dolls, but being an apartment dweller I have a severe case of no space, no money, etc. I plan to try some of this out sometime this spring. I can hardly wait! The compound's description says that it looks and feels like porcelain and can be painted with any non-fire required paint. If you want to learn more, go to this link;  http://www.activaproducts.com/index.html

I was just so excited about this that I thought I should share the info!

Sue Darby