The pasta machine bricks, I believe are ours, and you can find them on our website.

http://www.thomasopenhouse.com/tips_fimo.html

Noel & Pat Thomas, IGMA Fellows, NAME AOH

Castle Walls: thought I would give a summary of my question on how to do castle walls. Remember, my limitations were 1. Little weight and 2. Minimal artistic painting. So! while I got many responses, some didn't meet the requirements - such as stone molds and poured goo...

1. Many folks, even Rik himself, recommended the Paperclay technique. I have poured over the article in the May 2000 issue of Miniature Collector, and think I can probably do the painting half well. I do have some concerns about the cost of the Paperclay, but think I can buy it in a larger size than my craft store had.

2. Collette sent pictures and very precise directions for painting on top of cardboard cut out and glued on stones, using the Kleenex technique for some texture. Very cheap, very lightweight, but using the "Pepto Bismal pink" paint to start has me worried. while I know the pink will slip into the background as paint gets layered, remember I am painting impaired. Still, worth consideration.

3. The 'stone' page for scrapbooks. These pages are 12 x12, are stiff and have a finish, and were 33 cents each when I got to the store. I confess, I bought 21 pages. they actually look very good, but of course are one dimensional. I will use them for inside, and use either #1 or #2 above for outside.

Beth in Maine

Wallpaper: I have used prepasted as instructed (wet paper). Very successful for about 4 years and still looking good. I have used wallpaper that needs to be pasted also. I put the paste on the walls directly. Be sure you have the paper cut and ready to apply. I had better control of the paste this way and it didn't get all over the finished ceiling and floor. I applied this with my fingers and in the tight corners I used a scrap of thin wood to smear it around. Just put a thin even coat---no lumps. Plus the paper was easier to handle when it was not full of paste. I used the wallpaper paste sold by mini shops.

Elise

Stucco: I used a product called StuccoMate for two dollhouses I just completed. It comes in a quart container and is very easy to apply. I used the fine texture. The label says that it bonds to most surfaces and can be used anywhere a textured stucco finish is desired such as decorating or craft projects. It is paintable, does not require priming, stays flexible (won't crack) and resists stains, mold and mildew.

Courdee

Wallpapering with Scrapbook Papers: I have used regular miniature wallpaper as well as the papers from the scrapbook stores. I use YES glue exclusively. I do NOT thin. Put the glue on the paper with a spreader, credit card or stencil brush or cut of stiff 1" brush. Put it on thin to cover completely. Slide the paper into position and smooth it out with a credit card or plastic spreader. I've never had any wrinkle, bubble or look awful.

Fannye in TX

Your construction paper bricks sound like some we have done but we did them the other way, cut out 5/8" strips, stuck them on paper with a slight gap (for the grout) then cut those into 1/4" strips (which could them be staggered to make a nice bond). Never thought of using the shredder to get even 1/4" cuts though. Good idea.

Sandra Monk

Wallpapering Tips: I found the easiest way to wallpaper was to make templates first using drawing paper that's not too thin. You'll find the same templates can be used for more than one room. If your house has rooms of the same size but different heights - just adjust accordingly. You will also find it easier when matching patterned wallpaper as you can lay out the templates on the wallpaper with the pattern all lined up. I paper the side walls first allowing a small amount of paper to go around and onto the back wall. The back wallpaper is cut to exact size and can then be put on last to cover these overlaps leaving no gaps. I use ready mixed border adhesive but it does not give any time to maneuver so is probably not to everyone's liking. After pasting the paper and placing it on the wall, I smooth it over GENTLY with a piece of soft dry kitchen towel to get rid of air pockets. The thing to remember is it doesn't matter if you do it and it goes wrong. It only takes a minute or two to strip it and start again and practice does make perfect! One last thing - when you open your dollhouse, you can see all or most of the rooms at the same time so choosing your wallpaper to coordinate works better than having the rooms in colors and patterns that clash.

Karon

Filling Wall Seams: I used wood putty to fill the seams in the walls/siding. I used water-based putty, then sanded smooth, and the seams do not show under my wallpaper.

Michelle Fox

Wallpapering Tips: Decide what each room will be, and then select papers - average 2-3 sheets of paper per room. In minis, we usually do not try to 'match' patterns, like in the real world of wallpapering. One sheet for each wall, or less if the room is smaller. Do the back wall first, slightly wrapping a little bit of the edges (right and left sides of the paper), so that those edges cover a bit of each left and right side wall.....this will give you just a bit of 'boo-boo' advantage when you paper the side walls. Papers are usually 'taller' than your walls,leaving excess to trim off at the ceiling or floor. BE CAREFUL if you have wired....don't forget that wiring is underneath those papers - :) If you cut off the excess paper, you may cut right through your wiring - YIKES!

To avoid that, I usually make 'patterns' from plain paper to fit each wall, then cut the wallpapers from this...they will fit almost perfectly when you paste the papers to the walls. If you are a 'bit short' at the top or bottom, just hide this with crown moldings and/or baseboards.

Laura in OKC

Attic Wallpaper: Just a thought, but how about scanning in some full sized newspapers, resizing the pictures to teeny...(not a official scanning size, I'll admit!) and then printing on a yellowish paper? At this time of the year all the catalogs come out, and some have reprints of old newspapers..."The year you were born" type of thing. (There must be some other way of getting copies of old newspapers, but I can't think of where that would be.)

Kaye in L.A.