Scotty Room: The person looking for Scottie motifs might look at Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine. Center section usually has ME merchandise for sale, illustrated with useful small pictures of the items, and the Scottie is one of her favorite motifs. I found paper dolls for my toy shop in one of these ads. Gift shops in your area that carry ME merchandise may also have gift wrap or something with the little dogs.

Loretta.Sniarowski

Scotty Room: I know Pam Scott has instructions for a really neat 1/4 scale Scotty kitchen on her website, perhaps it could be adapted for your 1" project: http://members.aol.com/prsweb/scottiekitch.html

John Medeiros

Medieval: I have some on my web site at http://www.spminiatures.com/medievalmain.html

Carol

Medieval Furniture: I think that in medieval times furniture did not really amount to much more than planks and pallets unless you were very wealthy and even then it was still pretty basic. It was in Elizabethan and Jacobean times that furniture became stylish and decorative as well as fit for a purpose. I have some early Tudor/Jacobean style dining and bedroom furniture available on my web site if you'd like to take a look http://www.littlebylittle.co.uk

Karon

Medieval: The Wild Orchid has wonderful medieval things! I'm not sure what their web address is, but here's the email: OrchidMini@aol.com. They are from here in Central Iowa and are very nice people!

Sloan

Mini Golf Course: Finally something I have actually done. My boss was retiring so I made him a small acrylic box golf scene. He is a big time golfer who was determined to convert me, I kept trying to explain that without a clown mouth to shoot through or a windmill to avoid it was a hopeless idea :) Green felt makes great looking grass for your course and a 1/4 inch or smaller hole punch are an instant hole in one. I had small rounded white beads which were remarkable golf balls, especially if you "sink" them in the hole disguising the holes in the bead. I used floral wire for the stem of the flag and cut out the flag from colored heavy bond paper (2 pieces, so you can sandwich the wire in-between). I also put a number in a circle in the center of the flag to represent the whole number. I had a couple of golf clubs lying by the whole and a copy of the "Idiots Guide to Golf". Plus a golf visor, trophy and a pair of golf shoes minus their owner...wonder how that happened.

Suzy

1/2 & 1/4 Southwest Kits: Check JB's Doll Houses & Miniatures (in Arizona) for smaller scale
Southwestern kits. http://jbsdollhousesminiatures.com

Anne Gerdes

Lighthouses and Pirates: All this talk of pirates and lighthouses lately prompts me to mention that in the new issue (No. 106) of Dolls House World, there is a review of a lighthouse kit, which looks really good, and also an article on how to make a pirate, complete with treasure chest.

Annie

Log Cabins: Here's a link I found for 1/2 scale log cabin reproductions. Someone might get ideas for doing their own. http://www.1860woodcompany.com/

Kim

Dressing Room: Joann Swanson did a theatrical dressing room project some time ago in Nutshell/Dollhouse Miniatures -- check their site or the NAME project finder. I don't recall it very clearly, but think it was built as a roombox with the exterior resembling a makeup-case; had the usual large tabletop under a wall-length lighted mirror, dressing screen, lots of costumes in a wardrobe, makeup, and other props.

Loretta Sniarowski

Dressing Room: I think the most important thing would be the makeup table with little light bulbs all around the mirror, all kinds of makeup, toiletries and perfume bottles. You could have a rack of costumes, wigs on stands, star photos or movie posters on walls. The room itself wouldn't need to be large or fancy, as most of the time dressing rooms are trailers on the set. You would also need shoes and lingerie lying around, and maybe one comfy chair for relaxing? Sounds like a fun project.

Paulette in IN

Archaic Fitness Devices: When I read your message I was reminded of a movie which took place in a Health Spa or Sanitarium (not sanatorium) owned by Mr. Kellog. It is called "The Road to Wellville". They had many interesting archaic fitness devices and watching it may be of some help to you. It was a satire on the "American cults of hygiene, nutrition and cleanliness" at that time. I also remembered all the different contraptions in my old Sears Roebuck and other catalogs that would also be good reference books for older exercise devices.

Jean Day

Ice Fishing Shanty: Go to your local video store or library and enjoy a few hours watching Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier. . . Good, very realistic ice fishing sets. A mix of saw dust from cutting Corian and Lucite makes pretty nice chopped/cut ice around the holes. You can make a nice press for creating corrugated metal roofing by gluing a row of 3/32" dowels spaced 3/32" apart. When glue is dry, overlay a piece of extra heavy aluminum freezer wrap, wrap them, starting at one end, press between bottom dowels with similar dowels from the top. Remove top dowels and tip up to drop out a nice piece of roofing. Practice a bit to get desired sizes right so you do not need to recut after pressing.

Mel Koplin - Las Vegas

Ice Fishing Shanty:: I think that frosted glass (shiny side up) would make excellent ice, but, as you probably want to cut a hole in it to fish thru, I think I would use Lucite. There is a frosting spray you can buy to put on it. It might be neat to have the 'ice' have space below it, so you could see the fish in the 'water'.

Aali

Ice Fishing Shanty: I am in the process of trying to collect old Nutshell News for reference. I read the post about the Ice Fishing Shanty. When my "real" mail came I got 10 more issues of Nutshell and the first one I opened fell to a do it yourself project for an Ice Fishing Shanty. It is January 1996 if you have access to the books. I love these books. This not only shows you how to do it but tells you why she selected certain items to include which were specific to ice fishing.

KarenChat

Ice Fishing Shanty: In the January 1996 issue of Nutshell News (after going to larger format but before changing the name to Dollhouse Miniatures)our Joanne Swanson gives a very detailed instructions for making just the thing! She mentions using baking soda and diamond dust to simulate snow and ice. Some things to be found in a shack: bunk, table, stove, fishing poles, auger for cutting the hole in ice, ice chest of beer, iron tea kettle, chairs or stumps for sitting around hole, radio, fish(of course!) a bucket for fish, thermos for hot coffee or tea, outside perhaps a tin barrel for a fire, wood pile etc.

Donna

Ice Fishing Shack: translucent plastic light fixture cover (it comes in sheets) should work very well for ice. The material is easy to cut and very inexpensive. Buy it at one of the big box DIY stores like Lowe's or Home Depot.

Margaret in Texas

Japanese or Chinese: To the woman who was having trouble deciphering what is Chinese or Japanese: It depends on the item. Some things are used in both cultures and some things are unique to one or the other. Most mother of pearl inlay furniture is Chinese. The shoes that you described, called geta that are wooden with slats underneath and thongs on top are Japanese, so I don't know what the problem with them is. Chinese shoes are usually black or embroidered and look like ballet slippers (not toe shoes) with little straps. Japanese tables tend to be low so that you can sit on the floor and work or eat off of them comfortably. Chinese tables more often have chairs to go with them and painted designs with scenery. The Japanese furniture is in general more simplistic. If you check out even some picture travel books from the library and look at the indoor scenes you will get a better feel of the difference.

Char Lee

Chinese vs. Japanese: About telling Chinese things from Japanese things: Well, since I'm Chinese, I can usually tell the two apart on sight. But it's harder to come up with general RULES about it! Here goes: - Chinese shoes: Depending on the era, they may be simple sandals (like bedroom slippers, with the toe area covered, not thongs), simple black cloth shoes (no laces... think of a ballet slipper, but with a flat sole). This is for both men and women. If you are doing a pre-1920 china scene AND if your scene is of non-peasant people, the women's shoes should be VERY small. Bound feet were common on for almost all women (except peasant women--bound feet prevented work in the fields). For anyone that doesn't know, this involved breaking the foot across the instep and folding it back so that the toes were under the heel. The shoes would have been sort of triangular, 3"-4" on a side, and often had tall wooden heels in the center of the sole (think stilts). I remember seeing shoes of the royal women in the Forbidden City in Beijing. However, if you are doing a peasant scene, it is not inconceivable that the people would simply go barefoot. The men's shoes of this era would probably be the plain black ones described above. For a modern Chinese scene, almost anything goes. But the sandals on two little wood blocks are definitely Japanese. Also, Japanese socks sometimes have a separation for the toe (like the thumb on mittens) to make thongs easier to wear. - Chinese dress: Again, I don't know much about the Japanese side, but I can say a few things about the Chinese side. Chinese "formal" wear for women is a long embroidered silk gown, with a stand-up collar and "frog" fasteners (those knotted silk button-and-loop things). It would either have no sleeves or long sleeves, and should go down to the floor. These are still sometimes worn today (I have one in gold, which was my grandmother's, which I wear on certain special occasions.) As far as I know, these have been popular for a long time. Depending on how far back you are going (Imperial ages, etc) headdresses may be common as well. Be sure to check the internet to see what kind of headdress is appropriate for the woman, as well as what hairstyle is appropriate for the men of the time. When watching "Crouching Tiger," my mother could identify the time period by the men's hairstyle! I think the men would have worn long, probably black tunics over pants (like those described below, only with fancier frogs). Peasants would have worn plain-colored (not patterned) tunic-style shirts with simple frog closures instead of buttons and long sleeves, over pants. This is true for both men and women. I think those cone-shaped straw hats were worn at one time, but I don't know if they are still worn, or when they disappeared. - Chinese furnishings: Back in the day, the furniture would be ornately (but not flamboyantly) carved and possible inlaid with mother of pearl. Common colors are black and reddish-brown. They would be made of wood, and not cushioned. Tables are typically round, with barrel-shaped stools around them. Symmetry is often used in noble/royal rooms, so keep this in mind when making/buying furniture! As in most cultures, the richer/more elite the person, the more decorated the room. I'm sure there are lots of books out there about this. - Japanese furnishings: Fewer or no chairs; more cushions to sit on. Beds are also usually on the floor (futons, which can be rolled up and stored). Tables should be appropriate heights for a person sitting on the ground. Straw mats are definitely Japanese. For some inspiration, try the children's book "Miss Happiness and Miss Flower," by Rumer Godden. - One last thing: White is a color of mourning for the Chinese. Traditionally, clothing is not white. Black does not have the same connotations for the Chinese as it does for the West. Red is the color of celebration and festivity; this is why most Chinese new year decorations are red, and a historical Chinese bride would wear a red dress with a red veil over a headpiece.

Celeste in Boston

Ice Fishing Shanty: While a little primitive, an ice fishing shanty I have been in had a 10 gallon white bucket turned over with a stadium pad on it for a chair and an electric heater (on top of another over turned bucket) run on a modified cord to a car battery - not attached to a car - to power it. There was also a cooler full of bait and lunch (to keep it from freezing actually - not to keep it cold). The hole in the ice was more or less round and wider on top than at the water level. The 'chair' was set on top of plywood - I presume spread out the weight of the fisherman either that or to keep the bucket from freezing to the ice or both. I have no idea how typical this is or not. I'd suggest go to the library and look up fishing magazines. I'm sure they'd have run articles on ice fishing.

Carolyn