Check those Electronics!

Tanya wrote:
Be sure you check out those old electronics because there's lots of goodies inside. I found a mini metal file holder inside of an old DVD player.

Chris from Canadsa wrote:
My daughters are now 32 and 35 and beyond the annual birthday cake, but a few weeks ago I discovered some of those plastic flower-shaped candle holders I used to use in the back of a drawer. I doubt these would sell on eBay, even if they are "rare, vintage and in the original package" , but they are definitely not trash IMHO. Turned upside down with the flower portion painted with a metallic finish and the point with a suitable ivory or cream nail polish, you have a lovely 8-9" candle in a metal holder.
Or cut the part that goes into the cake off flush with the bottom of the flower, and they look like those small containers for floating candles, single roses or arrangements of small flowers from an English garden. By cutting the stem off part-way down and gluing it into a small bead attached to a base (button, jewellery finding etc..) it can be a taller stemmed container or even a porcelain candy dish. The white ones can be used as is or with a coat of clear gloss, but an opalescent nail polish or some glass stain would easily convert the other colours into 'glass' or 'porcelain'.
"BUT," you ask, "what about that pointy stem you cut off?" How about pencils, pens or artist's brushes in a holder, handles for small kitchen utensils, whisk brooms or children's toys, garden stakes, tent pegs, candles in a box and so on........

Valentine's Day

Tanya made this fabulous scene for Valentine's Day....

Don't it just make you all warm and fuzzy?
Here is a link to her Picturetrail album:
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/7251673

All Tied Up!

Chris From Canada wrote:

Don't pitch broken shoelaces from until you have:

• cut the ends off about 2/3" down the lace from where the plastic or metal thing-a-ma-jig ends, assuming they're still there and aren't the reason for changing the laces. Coat the thing-a-ma-jig with paint or nail enamel in the desired colour, and shred the shoelace stump with a pin right up to the thing-a-ma-jig. Trim the threads evenly to between 1/3" and 1/2", and you have an old-fashioned duster. AND
  
• examined the lace to determine whether it is a hollow knit tube or is joined together. If it is a tube, you can make use of the good parts from the wider ones for small knit items like a baby/child's hat, undershirts, panties, and adult socks, leggings, and long sleeves. Dye or decorate (if desired) with food colouring and water, water colours or marker, then measure, mark, cut, treat edges with glue or Fray Stop and hem (or not) as desired.
  

The round laces for dress shoes, although usually hollow, are generally too tiny for clothing except maybe as an evening gown in 144th, but could possibly work as a body for a snake in a 1:12 museum or zoo scene with the aid of some marker or paint and some stiff reddened thread for the tongue. I can't think of much the flat joined laces could be turned into except perhaps a 1:12 scarf, or a QS doormat, but I am sure someone can come up with something else.

Paperweights

Those clear little bumper stickers used to cushion doors or prevent ornaments scratching furniture can be turned into a paperweight. Find a seed catalogue or use any tiny picture. Attach the dome to the picture, and the picture is magnified. Trim the bottom of the dome, and there you go!

Drill

Got a plug that looks like this? Turn it into a drill for your mini handyman.
http://picasaweb.google.com/DaisyCarpi/DIYMiniFuradeira#

Mould-y Things

Chris from Canada writes:
I am sure many of us have used part of a tube of sealer, closed and sealed it carefully before storing it for the next project, only to find a year or so later that it has hardened into a useless lump. Knowing realistically that you probably won't need it before it becomes useless, use it to replace those pricey commercial moulding products like Mold'n Pour or Fimo Flex. Here's the recipe:

1 part silicone sealer
1 part corn starch
Mineral spirits/paint thinner-enough to thin the mixture so it is thick like muffin or nut-loaf batter.

Work in a well-ventilated area, i.e. outside, in a garage with the door open a bit, under the stove vent with the fan running etc.... Put sealer and corn starch in roughly equal amounts into a disposable container (I used a disposable plastic cup) and then add a small amount of the liquid. Stir vigourously with a popsicle stick, or an old spoon or fork, adding more liquid gradually until it is the consistency of a smooth, very thick batter. It should be pourable with a bit of help from the mixing tool. If you add to much thinner by accident, just add more silicone and cornstarch (equal amounts) and stir again until smooth. And that's it.

If you've never made a mold before, check online as there are countless tuts out there, and the instructions are the same whether you are making a mold of a mosquito or a mastadon molar.

I used vaseline as my release agent for the original, and everything popped out like a dream. I didn't need anything for the copies because the mold is flexible. I experimented with just a tablespoon each of sealer and corn starch and about 1/2-3/4 tsp. of mineral spirits and ended up with enough to make a 1.5" square mold of a fancy button that I want to use to make ceiling medallions (or whatever you call the carved plaster circles that chandeliers used to be hung from). I cast one in plaster which looked great until I dropped it into the drain of the sink :-( and also tried it with air-dry clay and Fimo. These came out nicely too with very clear detail. The worst part is the vinegary smell while the stuff is being mixed and is curing, but once it is finished, there is little or no odour.