Marcia

I'm not used to using a quote .... don't know if I did it right or what it will look like! Gatorfoam/gatorboard is great to work with. It's nothing like heavy MDF. It's so lightweight .... like picking up a piece of regular foamcore. I bought 1/2" sheets from www.dickblick.com because I didn't have a local source. Since I only have a Preac Saw which cuts up to 1/4", I ask my neighbor to saw it for me on his table saw. He said it was like cutting nothing .... sooooooo easy!! Is that the type of cut you're referring to? Marcia in Fremont, OH http://www.picturetrail.com/miniatureoma

Oh, I'd love for ANYONE attending the Orlando Show to stop by and say hello! I'm just a volunteer ..... have been helping Eileen Vernon (Vernon Pottery) for several years now, although this will be my first Orlando Show. Eileen knows I make my own furniture, so ask if I'd make a few plate shelves for her to display her hand-thrown dishes/pottery. Not that they won't be for sale, but I'm not holding my breath! She also saw one of the potting benches I'd made as a swap at Ohio State Day and told me I was welcome to make a few of those and put them out too. I think she's making a new hanging basket pot that could be used with my benches. It's all so exciting .... I love minis!! Marcia in Fremont, OH http://www.picturetrail.com/miniatureoma

Thanks for your comments on my Queen Anne, Margarita! I've found it easier to build than any of the other houses I've done .... just quite a bit larger so it takes up more space. I got a really great deal on my kit several years ago .... only $400 for both boxes on ebay. I chose to pick it up rather than have it shipped, but combined the trip to Pennsylvania with another project I wanted to do and everything worked out perfectly. It's been waiting for me to finish Emma's Marquam Hill Mansion and my Bellingham Farmhouse. Oh, yes, I guess there were a couple of workshops in there too! Marcia in Fremont, OH http://www.picturetrail.com/miniatureoma

Nutti, I'm not sure which "other tube thingies" you're talking about, but perhaps it's a "sono tube"? They are used in real life constructions for pouring concrete to make concrete pillars. In our mini life, they make wonderful towers to castles. I understand you have to pull the inside paper off before applying your Creative Paperclay. I've never tried it myself, but I did purchase a sono tube for my son to try. He hasn't gotten around to it yet. I bought his at Lowes. Marcia in Fremont, OH http://www.picturetrail.com/miniatureoma

I've been working on plate racks and potting benches that I'm taking to the Orlando Show in February. This will be my first time at putting anything out for sale. Last night there were 6 of us that got together at my house for a mini-meeting. We'd started this a year ago, but only had 3 meetings before I had to leave for Indiana. Anyway, we made tiny Victorian purses out of ribbon and gold chain. They're precious! Marcia in Fremont, OH http://www.picturetrail.com/miniatureoma

I took my Medieval Watermill Class at Philadelphia Miniaturia in November 2005. Marcia in Fremont, OH http://www.picturetrail.com/miniatureoma

Warm bodies are a great way to start. Many people have started by making minis as a hobby, only to find warm bodies who are willing to pay for the things they've made, so they make more and more. I think part of it depends on how much time your product requires too. If you spend hours/days on 1 item, you'd have to have some sort of a market for that particular item because the cost would be prohibitive for many people. I've been having fun recently making a few plate shelves. My friend .... Eileen Vernon (Vernon Pottery) .... said she could use some for her hand thrown plates. Since her display table had no walls, I also had to make a display wall for the shelves. I'm just about finished with the 6 I've made, but have put lots of time into them. Their first showing will be at the Orlando Show next month, where I act as a volunteer helper for Eileen during the sale. I'm not sure how so price them .... if they don't sell it's fine with me because she will keep them to display her plates. If they do sell, I want to make sure I get enough to make it worth my time to make more. I'm also making some less time consuming potting benches. She's throwing a hanging pot that can be used with them ... a new hand-thrown product for her. It should be interesting. I KNOW it's been fun! Marcia in Fremont, OH http://www.picturetrail.com/miniatureoma

Don't know that I can answer all your questions, but I took Rik's Medieval Watermill class last November. I haven't worked on it since I brought it home, but am looking forward to doing so in a few months. He's an awesome instructor .... lots of fun .... very knowledgeable about the history of medieval/tudor buildings. He makes trips to England just for inspiration! Creative Paperclay can be found in most craft shops, or you can buy it direct from: http://www.paperclay.com/ Marcia in Fremont, OH http://www.picturetrail.com/miniatureoma

I started my first dollhouse in 1991 from scratch, using a book called Building Miniature Houses and Furniture by Dorie Krusz. I thought it would be an inexpensive hobby. I worked on it for years …. scratch building brick fireplaces, windows, doors, ceiling beams with hidden lights, stairway, etc. During this time I also started building furniture from scratch and from kits. In the Summer of 2001 my grandaughter, Emma, was coming to the US from Europe for a visit. She was 3 ½ at the time and needed a dollhouse to play with. I found an Ashley by Dura-Craft at a flea market for $5.00 and built my first kit. I built a kitchen for her using child-proof yarn as drawer and cupboard pulls and furniture for the house. Emma loved it! It was the beginning of a mutual hobby that we will share for a lifetime. It was also her introduction to bigger and better things … as demonstrated when she ask me to build her the large Marquam Hill Mansion a couple of years later. Needless to say, I was hooked on kits! Parts from my unfinished scratch-built house were used on other projects. No digital pictures were taken of it, although I do have a photo album I kept. Marcia in Fremont, OH http://www.picturetrail.com/miniatureoma

Pocket Doors .... Oops .... that should have been <2" from each side ... less than not more than. They didn't use those funny marks when I was in school, so every now and then I get them turned around. :lol: Marcia

The pocket doors are Timberbrook #4800 Paneled Pocket Doors. I ordered mine from Earth & Tree, but any mini shop should be able to order them for you if they don't carry them in stock. Really easy to do ... it's a full wall, 10" H x 16" W. To reduce the height you cut off the top of the wall. You can take off as much as 2 3/4" from the width ... equally from each side or >2 from either side. The instructions say the wall can be cut down as small as 7 1/4" high x 12" wide. Trim for the doors comes with it, but since it's plain ... I made my own. They're spring loaded like Timberbrook Windows for The Pierce, so you can remove the doors to stain or paint them. I understand Timberbrook makes a French Pocket Door also ... with windows. Marcia in Fremont, OH http://www.picturetrail.com/miniatureoma

Thanks everyone for taking a look and for all your compliments! It's such a dream house to build .... well ... I guess all my houses were "dream houses" at the time I was working on them! :lol: They're each so different, especially when they're made by different manufacturers ... all are unique in their own way! Marcia in Fremont, OH http://www.picturetrail.com/miniatureoma