TMJ

editted per post above

There are eco-friendly sealers you can buy that supposedly stop the outgassing. Use them on the raw MDF before you do any painting, glueing. Link at end of this post. Look for AMF Safecoat Sealers and Finishes. There is one called Safe Seal which is supposed to control offgassing in things like particle board, plywood. The product I'm talking about is about the sixth one down from the top of the page and about $15 for a quart, which would last a long time for dollhouses and miniature work. I would recommend cutting things like MDF outside in the yard or driveway on a wind free day even if you wear dust mask and I'd apply these sealer things outside and let them dry there even though they are supposed to be low toxicity. http://www.thenaturalabode.com/green_home/afm_safecoat_sealers_and_finishes.htm I am not chemically sensitive myself but these products are recommended by chemically sensitive folks. I do like to keep the chemicals to an absolute minimum in my home, though.

Me, too! There is a lot of wonderful and inspirational information here and more coming every day. I got the impression you are new to the forum, if that's the case - welcome, welcome, welcome!!! Oh, and on the egg cartons if you want to do that, you might ask neighbors and office mates or friends for their used cartons, too. I only mention this because my office manager brought me a large bag of egg cartons today. I have chickens so I'll be using them for eggs but that might be another source of cartons as well as the restaurants.

Yes, little bricks painted and then cut from cardboard/paper egg cartons. Check out this blog/website otterine.com and search for bricks. I think there is a list of topics on the right hand side It's a great site, she is a member here under that same name. You could also search this forum for egg carton bricks or jsut bricks and probably get some other pictures and information. No dollhouse lingo book needed! Egg crates and egg cartons are exactly what you are thinking.

Check out cir-kitconcepts.com for little booklets on both round wire and tape wire. The booklets are less than $5 and I found them really helpful. They also have a couple of other books about wiring that are reasonably priced. I also got a dvd from them on the tape wire, very helpful to see someone actually doing it on video.

Also give Earth and Tree Miniatures a try. Their website is Earthntree.com. They are a full service miniatures store in New Hampshire with a great online catalog. I have ordered from them via internet (as I am in New Mexico and nowhere near close to them) several times -- wide selection of items, excellent customer service, prompt shipping. I usually get my miniature moldings and trims from them or Miniatures.com. I have found the crown molding at Hobby Lobby on clearance a couple of times. I grab it when I see it but it does not seem to be always available at my local Hobby Lobby.

That is awfully steep! Perhaps you can show her the poll results. But I doubt that would change her mind. It's the holidays and someone will be desperate for the "knockout" gift, uninformed about dollhouses in general and their prices and that unfortunate person will pay what she's asking. A little bit of Google goes a long ways towards getting an appropriate price ... I'd be reluctant to buy a kit that was 28 or 30 years old at any price, even bargain basement. I'd be concerned about how it had been stored, or if it had pieces missing.

Yes! It's wonderful! I, too, like the colors, the mirrors, everything. Very beautiful work you have done here!

I bought a Canon PIXMA280 for about $38 at WalMart a couple of weeks ago. It is an all in one - prints, copies, scans. I'm really pleased with the printing, very beautiful. The downside is the ink is more expensive than the other suggestion here. I can get the cartridges online at inkjetsuperstore.com for about $15-$17 each. One color cartridge with the three colors in it and one black cartridge so $30 -$35 to replace, almost as much as the printer! Also, the printer is not wireless.

I don't think you're paranoid, either. I agree that if you really want the house, find someone you know to go along with you. You'll be safe plus have more help to get the house out of the seller's apartment and into your own place if you buy it. Editted to add: As an aside, I sold my serger through craig'slist recently. When we agreed on price the lady then told me she wanted her husband to come get the machine. She was probably concerned about going to a stranger's home alone and I was concerned to have a strange man come to my home. It was solved by me taking the machine - not nearly as heavy as a dollhouse - to my job. The husband came to my office, bought the machine and took to his wife. He was a perfectly nice man and after meeting him, I wouldn't hesitate to have him in my home but of course, I didn't have any way of knowing that beforehand. I think anyone who is doing honest, legitimate business on these sites will respect you doing what you need to do to feel and be safe.

All kits (and not just dollhouse ones!) do have their quirks and even mistakes. I have two Celerity kits - 3/8 inch plywood and sized to accept Houseworks components. One had porch posts that were bevelled at a wrong angle to hold up the roof. Another came with interior partition walls that was too short to reach floor to ceiling like they were supposed to. I would have liked more pictures, diagrams and detail in the instructions for those kits as well. Still, I've really enjoyed both of them and don't regret buying them at all. Having to fix, replace or kit bash those quirks was good experience, made me a better crafter. I was a little intimidated by Greenleaf kits for some reason. I looked at them for many years but finding this forum with all the pictures and information convinced me to finally try one. I'm having a blast working on a laser cut Brimbles, have a Westville waiting in the box. I love Greenleaf for the following reasons: Again - this forum! I don't know of any other dollhouse manufacturer that has an active forum and extensive picture galleries where you can get inspiration as well as a whole lot of help if you get stuck. Greenleaf kits have so many wonderful architectural detail that other kits don't have or would be totally out of reach pricewise if they did. Lighter weight of Greenleaf buildings! I'm totally with Caseymini on this one. My Celerity general store and corner store are not the biggest kits they make but they are still extremely heavy and awkward to move, especially by yourself.

Great color combination on the exterior! It's quite beautiful all over but your exterior color scheme is really delightful!

Seriously, I have enough trouble getting them done enough to decorate them for normal! I admire those who can decorate their mini houses for the holidays as my mind just won't organize that way. I don't even decorate my real house for holidays anymore, not even for Christmas, no tree, no ornaments, no wreaths, no nothing. So I'll just enjoy all the holiday pics that the more organized holiday decorators put in their posts or in the gallery ...

Yep, builders foam is in the insulation section of Home Depot or Lowes. Comes pink, blue and I recently bought some that was white for a real life size home project. Also, if you don't want or need a full 4 foot by 8 foot sheet, you might find it already cut into 2 foot by 4 foot sheets at same stores. It will hold shape better than the styrofoam from packing boxes but is light in weight.