Don't know if any of you have done this - - in Dec '96 NN, they had some "cheater" quilts and it talked about getting a color "dry transfer" made at a copy center. I stopped at Kinko's today and they do it but you have to take your fabric in there with you and they make the copy AND transfer it onto the fabric (they said home ironsdon't get hot enough). An 8 x 10 sheet copied and transferred is $9.95.
Renee described Marj Adams technique for making paper mache. The glue Marj uses is ordinary carpenter's "Titebond" glue that is sold in every hardware store in plastic bottles like Elmer's. But to make an object you first have to create some sort of a form or mold onto which you layer the strips of thin paper like vellum or tracing paper, alternating the direction of the paper grain with Titebond glue spread betweeen each layer, and carefully working the layers into the shape of the mold.
Let it dry in or on the mold and it should pop right out by itself when dry first put vaseline on any mold before layering on the paper to make something out of paper mache. Well, she learned that in a class with Marj Adams in Castine making tiny boxes on tiny wooden molds. In the recent class in Kansas City making trays, Marj had a mold made from some sort of resin that did not require any treatment with Vaseline. In fact, she had applied Titebond glue on the first layer of paper that was in direct contact with that resin mold, and it easily broke free from the mold after it had thoroughly dried (usually overnight). So I guess it depends on what you mold is made from and what shape it takes. ( Bill and Pat) Bekki - there is an article in an old Nutshell about making paper mache furniture - early 1980's issue I believe - I will try to locate it for you. -
I have found the best way to cut open plastic containers is to use the fine saw blade that comes with the metal mitter box. I rap the container with a soft paper towel and place it into the mitter box and saw with even strokes.
For the foundation of my dollhouse, my kids and I went to the beach and collected small stones. I smeared bathroom grout thickly on the foundation section of the DH wall, then set in the stones and wiped off the excess. Perfect, and virtually free, since I already had some grout! Also used this for the outside chimney. (Kathy N)
Have you tried printing on fabric for your curtains, sheets, etc. Canon sells fabric sheets (which are kind of expensive $35.00 for ten sheets) but I have recently been reading posts from PAFun and a quilt newsletter that I get in the snail mail and it seems that you can iron regular fabric to freezer paper and print on your own fabric. You just have to be careful that you cut off all the loose strings on the edges so it doesn't jam up your printer. ( I haven't tried the freezer paper myself yet) I just finished a project using the Canon fabric sheet and was quite pleased with the results. The first time that I tried the Canon sheets with my Canon 610 I did the washing and ink setting that they reccommend and was very disappointed with the results. Then I figured that mini things didn't necessarily need to be washed and just used the fabric as it came from the printer. (Pat C)
Meloney showed us a great way to do it. She took a thick piece of cardboard, slathered it with spackling compound (maybe 1/16" thick), then let it dry to the touch (but not hard). Now take a dull pencil and draw lines to resemble a stone paving area. Let it dry. Next roll on some brown paint. finish off with some brown art chaulk rubbed on your fingers and then along the edges of the board to "stain" it like old paving would be after years of runoff from the house. Looked great! (MM Faux Finishes video)
You mention that you tried to make a cement block house and ended up with something else instead. Bluette again had a great solution to this (in same tape mentioned to Monika). She took a piece of wood to demonstrate the technique, but it could be done on the side of a house easily enough.
I do use the stain that comes with the kits, but I let it dry for three days. Then after 3 days, wipe on or brush on glaze stain, then wipe it off to suit. The key to using the stain that comes with the kit is to let it dry for 3 days before proceeding with the glaze stain. Otherwise the Chrsynbon stain comes off if you try to proceed too soon. Rose is right: The glaze stain brings out the wood grain, and you'd never know that the piece is plastic and not wood. I learned this trick from na NN article several years ago.
Stain the kit pieces with the stain provided. Let dry overnight. Apply a THIN coat of Min-Wax Jacobean stain with a fine brush, following the grain. (One coat only!) Let the pices sit for at least one day. Spray (don’t brush) with a clear sealer. (Cheryl B)
For those of you with a scanner and color printer. If you need to fill a girl's room with dresses and dolls rather quickly, just buy a doll magazine and scan, print and then kind of bend and shape so they look three dimensional. It really works great. I also like to print out the doll and then print out a dress I like or print an extra doll and cut off the dress and then adhere it to the front of the other. It really gives it a three dimensional look. ( Kathy H)
To Bill Fifer and others interested in Photography. There is a series of articles in Nutshell News January through June 1991. January Equipment p. 32 Febuary Film, Lighting p. 74 March Lighting p. 46 April Focusing p .64 May Close-ups p. 40 June Proscessing Film p.54 and reducing books with photo. p.72
Debbie: Can I possibly make good mini photos with an automatic focus 35mm? It has auto flash and built-in zoom. It will focus as close as 18". Advice?
Should be no problem, if it focuses that close: I would not use the flash if you can help it. I would move the mini to be photgraphed into a bright evenly lit place(no direct sun or lights) even outside in the shade on a sunny day is good. The flash might be ok for single items not in a house or setting. Zoom helps to get as close as possible, makes more difference at far away things that you can't get close to, though. Basically, read the instructions on how to use it and keep records of what you tried so when you get the pictures back you know what worked and what did not. Auto focus can be tricky with close ups-pay particular attention to the instructions about how it focuses- sometimes it focuses on an object in a particular place in the viewfinder. like the center or something. Check to be sure how yours works. Even the cameras that do not focus as close can do fine with houses and room boxes, usually. Debbie S(dasminis@aol.com)
I have printed out stained glass pictures on overhead sheets using the color printer, then sealed with a clear coat. For the leading you can use an acrylic tube paint or liguid nails. More control in following the lines can be acquired by putting either of these products in a shot/injection unit (different sizes are available). There are plastic bottles available with screw on metal tips, usually sold for glue applications, which also work well for this and provide more control in outlining. And yes, the leading should be layed first and then the glass stain painted on. (Sandy)
The same people that make the transparent glass stain (Gallery Glass),
also make something called
"Simulated Liquid Leading" It comes in several colors. You have to outline
your design with it, and then fill in with their glass stain. I got it at
Michaels. (Judy C)
You might try the dimentional fabric paint to outline your stained glass you
could get it in pewter or silver and apply as heavy or lightly as you
prefer. It will give you the 3D effect of stained glass. (Debbie)
leading for windows. A few years back I took a workshop where "stained glass" was done. We used the leading used to weight golf clubs. It comes in a strip, self adhesive. We cut it in thin strips with an x-acto knife and just stuck it to the window. It worked great and looked just like stained glass. I hope this helps. Ricci
I used the post-its to make a pattern, which I then used to cut the wallpaper (Kathy N told me about it); the advantage for me was the ability to get perfectly straight edges and to go into corners, etc., exactly. The different sizes are useful, too -- for a big stretch of wall, the large post-its work; for a small, fiddly corner, the smallest ones are perfect. Worked for me -- the wallpaper looks great (mind you, no expert has seen it!). Mary E
Pat Thomas in Nutshell News, August 1989 gives these instructions. Mix sawdust and Elmer's white glue (a lot of glue) to make a slightly runny, tuna salad-like consistency, stretching it a bit with water so that it works easily, then apply this mixture to the (plywood) base, forming a group of four or five shallow, curved mounds. The mixture should be very gluey, liquid enough that it holds its shape but sticks more to the base than to the hands. The base soon resembles a relief map of sawdust islands on a plywood sea. Next spray the whole thing with Bug Juice to gry-down the surface and to smooth any rough "terrain" on the islands with the additional moisture; dunes are not craggy, but smooth and flowing. Set the base aside to dry overnight before sand is applied. Once the sawdust terrain has dried to the firm-crust stage, the sand can be added. A mixture of white glue thinned with a little water is spread over everything. Sifted sand is then sprinkled evenly over the glue. When this layer dries, tip the base to shake off the excess sand. Some areas will have absorbed more sand than others, leaving bare spots. You can go back and touch-up these areas with more glue and sand. You can also experiment with applying the sand right after you make the sawdust islands. In this case you only need to apply glue to the exposed base areas as the glue in the sawdust will hold down the sand. ( Shirley , Tampa FL)
Paint the walk area a gray or brown color, glue down pieces of eggshell and before the glue is set, press down on the eggshell to crack it in to smaller pieces. After the glue is dry, paint over the whole thing with a wash of grays or browns to give it a stony appearance. Guess you could use brown eggshells, too... Judy in Visalia, CA
stone like Sculpey ( Granitex ? I can't recall the name) and wanted to do the floor of a hallway with it. Then I remembered I had some tiles that come embossed in a plastic sheet.... I used the back of it as a mould for the floor tiles - just by rolling Granitex into it, not bad at all ! I saw some chocolate acetate moulds for making chocolate bars that would make the greatest bricks (Kiki)
Marian, The great thing about today's cameras is that you don't have to understand the meters to use one. MOST cameras today have a built in one that sets your camera for you; that works in most situations- minis included !- pictures of people in the snow or the sun behind them are not! A tripod is not complicated, either- most cameras have a screw hole in the bottom for one. Basically, it gives you a less fuzzy picture especially at slower shutter speeds(that your camera meter sets your camera at) For most of your own mini pictures(except at shows or crowded places)set the camera on a stable table or box or stack of books on a table, etc and use a cable release or the cameras self timer, if it has one-( a lot do so you can get in your own pictures.) By the way, do not feel bad about loosing the pictures, it happens to ALL of us at the worst possible times. Debbie (dasminis@aol.com)
Should be no problem, if it focuses that close: I would not use the flash if you can help it. I would move the mini to be photgraphed into a bright evenly lit place(no direct sun or lights) even outside in the shade on a sunny day is good. The flash might be ok for single items not in a house or etting.
Zoom helps to get as close as possible, makes more difference at far away
things that you can't get close to, though. Basically, read the instructions
on how to use it and keep records of what you tried so when you get the
pictures back you know what worked and what did not. Auto focus can be
tricky with close ups-pay particular attention to the instructions about how
it focuses- ometimes it focuses on an object in a particular place in the
viewfinder. like the center or something. Check to be sure how yours works.
Even the cameras that do not focus as close can do fine with houses and room
boxes, usually. Debbie S(dasminis@aol.com)
This is a tough question to answer when the question comes from a non-professional photographer(I have technical answers concerning light source temperature that come to mind but are irrelevant to all but pros)! My best advice is to try it both ways(with a variety of settings) and see what happens. The answer to your question is that it might(depending upon film choice and exposure time) throw off the color- but even if it does, it might not be objectionable and may actually result in a lovely photograph. Good luck! (Debbie)
I have used a variety of things to mark wood for cutting (don't do round things well yet, so have to cheat sometimes) and I would in no wise recommend either paper punches or Kemper cutters. The reason is that Kemper cutters are not made of a hard enough material, and paper punches, used more than a very few times on wood, would dull beyond usefullness for paper. Also - most punches are not sharp enough to give you clean edges on your wood pieces, and you would likely be disappointed with the resuilts
If you want to cut small pieces, I have found that making a pattern first and tracing it on the wood with a sharp pointed pencil to make a very fine line (pattern pieces could be like stencils cut into a piece of quilter's template plastic, one of those brass stencils found in craft stores, etc.), then cutting out the rough design and finalizing the cuts/shape with a new Exacto blade works best. If you wanted to make a number of copies of a particular item, I'd suggest getting a piece of small enough brass tubing and bending the end to shape. That way, you won't ruin your Kemper cutters, and can tap the design into the wood. However, again, this method will not work as well as the other, more labor intensive one. (Browser)
Someone asked about how to treat the surfaces of a new dollhouse. I make a mixture of 50% clear shellac and 50% alcohol and coat all surfaces inside and out with this mixture. I do this outside and usually coat he pieces before I assemble them. Do not use on any surface you plan to stain because the shellac mixture is a sealer. Then I give any walls that are to be papered in either fabric or paper two coats of semi-gloss namel, sanding after each coat. I use white paint usually, but sometimes a darker paint is used if a dark abric is to cover the walls. Gloria
The wax is artist modelling wax. Its dark brown and quite hard in a block but melts at a low temperature so that it becomes pliable in your hands. I've made two tea pots about 3/4 of an inch high that are very nice but to decorate them properly I will need to make the opening larger. I'll have to run down to the pottery shop and buy the bigger heart shaped Kemper cutter. I always thought the next size up was too big for miniatures so I passed it over I hope its still in stock. Yes the articles I've done so far have cut away parts. I'm going to try vases as well but I have a bunch of committments to meet and shouldn't be playing with the wax until I've filled the orders so it may be a while before I report back on my wax experiments. New is always so much more fun then repeating something I've already done. (Judi JAM)
About Deft. I use Semi- Gloss Spray Deft (white can with Blue and Brown label) extensively and the best way to do it for miniatures is by spray. Take your project and Lightly Deft it about 3 times the first go round. In about an hour steel wool it lightly to take the texture (if any) out and go to a smooth finish. If you have sharp edges I use the steel wool wrapped around and orange stick (the kind you use to push back your cuticles) so not to rub off paint or stain on the edges. Spray another light couple of coats on the piece waiting 20 minutes between. When you have about 7 coats on steel wool again and you should have a good finish coat. Rub with a paste made of Rottenstone and lemon oil and this will bring your piece to final finish. The problem with Deft in some parts of the country is that they have changed the spray can. Here in Louisiana where we are unconcerned about flouro carbons and the like... like honest politics, and ANYTHING enviromental... we still have real Deft.
Another spray finish is the matte and gloss spray by Brite. It is non yellowing (Deft yellows terribly) and I use it as an alternative when working with white things. It is a much thinner product, dries MUCH faster (until you have several coats built up) but still works well. I try to stay away from Gloss products as they are much out of scale for miniatures. High gloss finishes tend to make miniatures look like 00they have been dipped in plastic. Your Antique oil finish is an antiquing product that will darken and age your stain. Try a test strip of wood before applying to your actual piece. You can also antique a piece with brown shoe polish which will buff to a nice sheen as well. If you want to avoid Finish coats altogether you can use natural shoe polish which is not much more than clear wax that can be buffed to a nice shine. I use craft felt. The good stuff not the coarse one. tee-shirts, diapers, and Job Squad paper towels do well too.
Don't use Deft Gloss. Use Deft Semi Gloss spray (White with blue and brown can). First, go over the piece with 0000 steel wool, tact cloth it and make sure it is absolutely clean and free of steel wool lint etc. Spray about 3 LIGHT coats of Deft. Dry about an hour then Deft again. Steel wool again then take Rottenstone (available at hardware stores and very cheap) mix with just a little lemon oil from Old English into a rather thick paste. Use a soft cloth and polish your floor. It will come up to a wonder sheen that is in scale. This is what I do to my faux marble. It becomes shiney with out looking like it has been dipped in plastic. Hope this helps. (Rennee K)
I saw the inquiries regarding how to hollow out a book. There are instructions on how to do that on p32-33 of the May/June Miniature Collector. Pat Ostovar's instructions run something like this: carefully cut off the cover of the book, make a plywood box (6-sided) in which the book fits perfectly. Pencil in lines where the ceiling, walls & floor will go. Cut through the spine halfway up the "wall", & cut around the pencil lines. This was done using a band saw, though you could use a coping saw & a drill. Glue thin wood walls, floor & ceiling. Remove from box when dry, reattach cover w/glue, & mini wallpaper or endpapers. Enjoy! Anne Thornton
The base material Marge used was Silicone RTV. RTV means room tempature vulcanizing. RTV is usually a rubber base material. It is mixed with a catalist like epoxy or resin, then poured. It uaually takes overnight to cure. The key word in Marg's mold is silicone. Nothing, but other silicone RTV, will stick to it. I have cast resin straight in the silicone RTV mold with out a release agent. Release agents uaually have to be removed from the casting before it can be painted, so release agents wouldn't work too well on paper machie as it would probably penetrate the surface making it impossible to paint. Where I want the resin piece to have a coat of primer on it, I spray the mold with the primer then pour in the resin. When the resin cures the part comes out of the mold already primered because the primer has stuck to it rather than the mold. (Bill Hudson)
We made molds, and several different kinds of dishes. Took some of the small round cake decorator things and cut them and put themin to resemble fruit in jello. We had a lot of fun. I found them at Walmart for $3.96. Just down the street at Kmart they are $4.99. At our Walmart they are in the Christmas. They had lots of the red and green so I think they must have just gotten them in. (Dorothy / WA)
You now have two box halves pressed together, with your master inside. Let this dry a couple days. Now separate the two halves carefully -- the jelly or celophane will keep them from sticking together. Your master piece will come out in one of the sides. Now pry it carefully out. Last step is to use a round file and file a trough from the depression in the item to the edge, so that you can pour porcelain into it. Pouring the porcelain is a whole nother topic, which is covered quite well by Judy Orr in Pouring Porcelain Dolls (Master Dollmakers volume 1). (Bill Hudson)