INFO re ALL Miniatures

"Miniatures" on this page will mean small items --suitable for a diorama or doll house, or other use.
....and also to very small miniatures --for jewelry (charms, etc.) or very small scenes

When you're working really small, it's almost like learning a whole new medium
....many things will need to be baked in stages ..curing only once results in a lot of frustration and major fingerprints. Eliz.w

Using molds (or making your own molds from polymer clay or from 2--part silicone putties, e.g.) can be a great way to duplicate many of the same item
...here's one place that shows finished silicone molds for making pie crusts of various types, etc.
http://www.candlesandwoodcrafts.com/molds.html
...or make your own mold: http://www.norajean.com/New_Projects/PieCrust/Index.htm
Elizabeth's little cave below was created with molds because she had to make a number of them for a swap.
......(see much more on making or buying molds on the Molds page)

Miniatures can be made with any of the clays, but Premo, for example, allows some flexibility and strength for thin things such as petals, leaves, etc., (and projecting things) that might break easily (esp. if using Sculpey III). Patty B.
...I did some strength tests with mini teapots (Fimo, Sculpey, Cernit, & Premo) ... I made one teapot from each clay, then put'em in my young sons' toychest with all the Tonka trucks and stuff.....several weeks later I fished them out
......Fimo & Premo ones were fine... Cernit pot had a broken handle... Sculpey ones were in powdery piles and pieces. Sarajane

Polymer clays come in a range of colors, but they can also be mixed together to create any color (or tint, shade or tone of it) you might want
...adding translucent clay, and mica-containing metallic clays, to the other clays also yields many special effect colors

If I ever paint small baked pieces, to do them more easily I attach a small object to the top of the golf tee with Fun Tack
...... the tees can then be stuck into floral foam or something similar for drying. Cynthia

things to think about for scrounging whole minis and parts to make into minis from everywhere
http://wannainelpaso.com/cheapthrills/index.shtml (click on all !)

The most common scale for dollhouses, etc. is 1:12 ...or 1/12th ... (1 inch = 1 foot in real size)... it's to figure out and to work with because of that (..so if a room is 8x10 feet in real life, it'd be 8x10 inches). Most pre-made dollhouse furniture and accessories are in this scale. The only disadvantage to this scale is that it has the potential to be huge, especially when you're modeling actual modern house plans with their enormous great rooms and not the quaint country cottages that so often come in dollhouse kits.
....Another scale that is smaller and perhaps more manageable is 1:24 (1 inch equals 2 feet) or "half scale" in dollhouse enthusiast terms This is much more manageable size-wise. You can still find pre-made dollhouse goodies in this scale, though not nearly as many as you can for 1:12, and a lot of the stuff is fancier made specialty items.
...The other option is 1:48 (1 inch equals 4 feet)...often called "quarter scale" by dollhouse people, but it is also the same size as "O scale" in model trains. That means that you can find a great amount of outdoorsy miniatures since that's what train people use most. You're more limited on indoor furniture items, but there are some places online that sell that size furniture, usually unfinished. Of course, you can always make your own as long as you remember the sizes, but that gets a bit hard for quarter scale (or O scale), since everything is so tiny. But if you're good with something like polymer clay, you could probably pull it off. cabritoesneato

FLOWERS & LEAVES

There are directions for small flowers in various of the Hot Off the Press-type books and even in the Klutz Press clay books for kids—(see above). ....Sue Heaser has mini flowers and plants in several of her books. ...Donna Kato has lots of flowers in her book too.

Most. foods need at least some translucent clay (solid or liquid) in them along with the base color, since most food has some transparency. Laura
....translucent clays and translucent liquid clays can be used to lessen the saturation of a color, and make icings for cakes/cookies. Patty B.

(Translucent) liquid clays can be colored with oil paints, metallic powders like PearlEx, and alcohol-based inks like Pinata to create colored liquids which can be dribbled onto things such as melting ice cream, melted butter, etc. Patty B.
...also gravies, etc.

To get yourself a library of great food photos to use as guidelines for making mini foods, NoraJean recommends buying cheap cookbooks often on sale at larger bookstores, often in a special section
... books like these are also good for ethnic or specialty foods if you want to make them (Japanese/sushi, Chinese or other Asian foods, breads/rolls, cookies/sweet rolls/pies/cakes, Mexican foods and/or Dia de los Muertos shrines and their foods, barbeque, chicken/gravy/meats/fish, veggies, fruits, soups/stews, etc.)
....she also recommends making your own scrapbook of food photos taken from magazines, etc., and watching the Food Network on TV

book: ...If you want to add candies to your list of fruits and veggies :-), try Fimo Sweets by Esther Olson
......(for lots of candies, pies, cakes, cookies, etc....see also Houses > Candies & Sweets)

There is a very good 18-page book by Barbara Meyer called Meyer's Homemade Meals you may want to find.  I bought it at D & J Hobby in Campbell (Bay Area), California--they have a large dollhouse section in their store.  Its table of contents lists beverages, garnishes (fruit and veg.), breakfast foods, breads, family favorites, cold cuts, salads and shrimp,  vegetables, and meats.  Her results are very realistic looking! Diane B:
(........see more books and videos, etc., at top of page... esp. from Angie Scarr)

mostly FRUITS

CITRUS fruits (lemons, limes, oranges)... some whole fruit, some just canes, and some both
...Candy's lesson on a caned orange (uses all opaque clays tho so not as realistic, and more segments)
........ she uses one white-wrapped log, cut into lengths and made pointed along one edge, surrounds a plain white log with the pointed sides of the wrapped logs, then wraps all with white, orange, and dark orange... lots of white in this cane
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/candy_citrus.html
.......Maureen Carlson's lesson on making citrus canes (lemon, lime, orange)
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_occasions_december/article/0,,HGTV_3472_1390370,00.html (pictures at top of page, but instructions in middle)
.......Marina's lesson on making orange and lemon slices & putting on barrettes, bracelets
http://www.marieidraghi.it/agrumimurrine.htm
.......Eliz's lemon, lime, orange canes http://polymerclayexpress.com/images/wreath25.jpg
..NoraJean's lesson on making citrus canes with tinted translucents + opaque clay (for the white)
..... limes, oranges, etc. http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/Citrus/Citrus-Grp.htm
..NoraJean's sheet of slices made with translucent and opaque citrus canes (or semi-opaque)
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/Sproing-002.htm
.......Nora Jean's sheet of slices on a black background (original photo gone, but this shows a bit)
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/Sheets/OnBlack/Grp-Fruit.htm
.....Lindly H's slices of lemon (one with pink flesh), lime and orange ccanes, with white pith layer, and flesh a fine chop of colors
http://www.lindlyhaunani.com/images/citruscanes.jpg
whole and/or caned oranges/citrus = (whole) straight orange clay for the outside, then roll on a toothbrush for texture. Transparent with a little orange for the inside if you want to cane for slices - and orange with a little white for the segment divisions.
....Angie's very thorough lesson on making an "orange" cane, then turning it into a "sliced," or peeled, or whole orange ....she uses an insertion technique before wrapping
http://www.angiescarr.co.uk/UK_Oranges_Demonstration_Page_1.html
....Nora Jean's lessons on citrus fruits ... whole and caned
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/Citrus/2002-orange-grp.htm
....Miniland's lesson on whole oranges, rolling on a metal file for texture, then making 4 indentions with Xacto in bottom for stem, and brushing a bit of powder from leaf green pastel chalk onto the center and in indentions before baking
...http://www.miniland.ca/OrangeClass.html
...see also Sue's lesson on making tiny whole lemons for lemon tree, above under Flowers & Leaves
... limes = same as ones of the techniques above, but with lime green clay
...tiny slices of mandarin oranges (see Jane W's photo link below under Pies, etc.) ... making them isn't too bad, except that they fly all over the house, cured or uncured. They came out so cute!... But it was hard to dunk them and then retrieve them... finally settled them down with a strainer for tea. Janey

kiwis
--WHOLE fruit, cut in half -- inside colour transparent + leaf green, caned with tiny purple logs for the seeds... outside, roll on quilt batting for texture then brush with browney green pastel powder
--CANEs (cross-section, slice, only):
.... very simple kiwi cane lesson by minagi... wraps a thick layer of green around a translucent log ...after slicing, each slice gets its seeds by dotting it with black paint on a pin
http://minagi.hybridi.net/minagi/crafts/tuts/polycakes/polycakes.html ("direction # 4)
....simple kiwi cane lesson by notamiwithani uses a log of translucent for the center... surrounds it with many tiny logs of alternating black and green... wraps with thick layer of green
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=165263.0
...NoraJean's lesson on a more realistic kiwi ...(folded cane as component for kaleiscope cane)
......she lays 5 tiny black logs in between the folds of a green+translucent sheet... (first black log placed inside top of first fold, 2nd black log placed lower during next fold, etc.... ending up with 3 seeds up, and 2 down)
(see Canes-Instr.> Folded for more on this type of cane)
......wraps with sheet of green+trans ...reduces cane
......cuts into 3 lengths... pinches** each seed end of cane till has a triangle cane
......rejoins lengths side by side ..... reduces again
......cuts into 4 lengths, then rejoins radially ......wraps with light brown
......(this creates an pretty uneven center though, so might want to do the wrapping with green-trans-white only around 3/4 of cane leaving the seed end free, then placing the cane lengths around a center log of the same green-trans-white radially)
......also, reducing this way will make the round seeds turn to streaks, so might want to build the cane as a triangle cane rather than squeezing it into one in this step**
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/Food-Kiwi-grp.htm
..OR could create an even more realistic kiwi cane component for using in the "kaleidoscoped" cane, using a placement of seeds end to end like this --only 2-3 seeds per unit
http://www.dpcprints.com/print.php?IMAGE_ID=198412
...Angie Scarr's triangle cane component has only 1 seed per unit (approx. 24 units), and no brown skin on the outside of the thick slices
http://www.angiescarr.co.uk/1001_18.jpg.UK_Craft_Items_Canes_and_Slices.html
very realistic kiwi slices from Midlands Region (British Polymer Clay Guild)
http://www.bpcg.org.uk/images/midlandsregion/tarts2.jpg
(see more in Canes-Instr >Triangular Kaleidoscope Canes for general method onmaking triangular kaleiscope canes, and see also Kirsten's similar eye cane in Sculpting-Body > Eye Canes)
(more real kiwi slices: http://tinyurl.com/ylzha5)

strawberry-slice canes
Angie Scarr's realistic strawberry slices
http://www.angiescarr.co.uk/1001_18.jpg.UK_Craft_Items_Canes_and_Slices.html
...think of that more realistic strawberry-slice cane as a red+translucent (or just translucent log), wrapped around most of it's perimeter with the other parts. So, one not-toosimple way would be to:
......lay a rectangular sheet of translucent clay on top of a (twice as thick) sheet of red+translucent clay (these should be a little bigger than the same areas of color of the cane you want to make)... press together a bit
......cut the stack in two places lengthwise, so that it's a longish strip
......cut across the stack as many times as you want the "lines" to be... e.g., this cane has about 15
......separate two sections gently, and insert a very thin tiny sheet of translucent+white clay between them... press sections back together and trim off excess trans+white... repeat for each cut
......lift the new strip and wrap it almost completely around a log of red+translucent (or translucent clay which has been lightly tinted with red)
......reduce if necessary ...shape the roundish cane into a strawberry-slice shaped cane by pressing on the "top" end of the "slice" shape, and flattening out the bottom end
......cool cane and cut slices from the cane. Diane B.
...more possibilities for making strawberry-slice canes: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=270993.msg3061048#msg3061048
...could also be similar to making leaf canes (see Canes-instr > Leaves)
...mini-lesson on making a whole-strawberry cane with leaves, by Pinchy, by inserting wrapped stacks of leaf color into the top of the strawberry cane
http://www.geocities.com/pinchyspolymerplace/strawberry3.htm

banana slice canes ... regular bananas seem to have 3 major divisions for their (non-viable) seeds--or areas that used-to-be seeds-- so making areas near the center which are slightly darker than the surrounding banana flesh would work; real banana slices vary a lot though in look, also by age and oxidation level
... one could do this by inserting various odd-shaped logs into a log of background color
...or by building a triangular log with the darker logs for seeds and other areas near the pointed end and/or radiating from it, then cutting the final cane into 3 parts and recombining them (kaleidoscope canes)... sometimes there are darker bits or streaks radiating from the center of a final slices as well... the circumference area of the banana (without skin) is a little uneven so could indent a bit with the side of a pin, etc.... (plaintain-type bananas have more pronounced seeds)
...Angie Scarr's slices have very pronounced markings and include 6 med. brown seeds as well and the areas of translucent with creamy light yellow with translucent
http://www.angiescarr.co.uk/1001_18.jpg.UK_Craft_Items_Canes_and_Slices.html
...real banana slices: http://www.google.com/images?q=banana+slice

(...see various whole bananas and skin-on bananas in various places on this page)

Eliz's mini-lesson on grapes (+ bunch) http://polymerclayexpress.com/images/wreath05.jpg

Miniland's lesson on making a tomato http://www.miniland.ca/TomatoClass.html
.. Eliz's mini-lesson on a tomato http://polymerclayexpress.com/images/wreath08.jpg

pineapple cane (exterior)..Zuleykha's .lesson on making the fat-prickly-body under the thistle flower would also work for making a pineapple cane... Skinner blend plug rolled to round, reshaped to square with green at one corner, cut into many lengths, stacked together with color-side/point up
http://zuclay.blogspot.com/2009/03/thistle-cane.html

apples... Nora Jean makes a nice, green apple by taking a slice of a green & green-with-white-or-yellow-added Skinner Blend rolled up into a log (light green on inside) and running it through the pasta machine to enlarge and lengthen it
...She then wraps the slice around another ball and smooths then rolls? to smooth the seams
...She creates an apple shape with the light green at top and bottom, indents the top and adds a stem.

Elizabeth's lessons on ...apples (including Winesap with Skinner blend) ...more realistic, whole apple
http://polymerclayexpress.com/octo2003.html (click on photo for details)

Here is the formula I use on apples of various colors, using chalks
Red: Mix 5 parts red to 1 part transparent. Form into 1/4 inch balls. Indent depression at top and put a bit of dried flower stem in. Indent shallow depression at bottom. Bake.... Touch irregularly with dark red or dark green chalk depending on the apple you are trying to duplicate.... Gloss.
Green: Mix 1 part leaf green to 1 part green to one part transparent. Form as above. Roll in green chalk. Bake. Gloss.
Yellow: Mix 5 parts golden yellow to 2 parts transparent. Shape as above. Roll in yellow scraped chalk. Bake. Gloss.
I find it works best to take the chalk or pastels coloring on my finger and touch it to the apples in a pattern that looks like nature... mine are one inch scale so you might want to increase the size a bit. You can use eye shadows, chalks or artists pastels for the colors. The pastels are your best source I think ...Nature does not present perfectly shaped or sized apples, so I always let them vary a bit for more authentic looks!!! Laura

more apples are in Gifts > Teacher gifts (cut apples, caned apples, bas relief apples, etc)

candy apples
...Miniland's lesson...make a green apple from clay... embed a sliver of cedar shingle (dollhouse supplies)--or use something similar... bake
.....dip apple into red artists' oil paint mixed with a bit of liquid clay... bake... coat with gloss finish (these will stand upright)
.....she also made chocolate-dipped apples in the same way but with dark brown paint presumably
http://www.miniland.ca/CandyAppleClass1.html
...chat-noir's (iampoison) similar lesson for a candied green apple but she embeds a long eye pin in the top of the apple (so it can dangle) which is covered by brown-stem-colored clay except for the loop
......then she dips the apple partway in red acrylic paint with a bit of gloss finish mixed into it for shine
http://chat-noir.deviantart.com/art/Candy-Apple-Charm-Tutorial-44403486

caramel apple lesson ...make apple shape with caramel color clay ... insert bit of toothpick in one end ... bake
...for pooled caramel at bottom , make small irregular disk of caramel-colored clay slightly larger than apple and press to bottom (with liquid clay, Diluent, white glue, or let sit before baking)... rebake... add gloss finish
http://post.queensu.ca/~readel/MEKA/Workshops/CaramelApples.html (gone)

Betsy's apples (green, red/green), grapes, cantaloupe-honeydew, peaches or nectarines
http://www.angelfire.com/art2/smallstuff/page7.html

Lesley's lesson on making fuzzy peaches with clay by pressing a bit of white flocking (usually sold in the scale plastic model section of a hobby store for model car upholstery) to raw clay peach before baking after applying a bit of matte acrylic finish then allowing to dry till tacky (or could use dryer lint?)
... then add bit of red, peach, pale yellow and/or green chalk or artist’s pastels over flocking with foam applicator or cotton ball (spray with matte artist’s fixative to hold chalk of if will be handled a lot)
http://miniatures.about.com/od/miniatureprojects/ss/fzzypeach.htm

mostly VEGGIES

Nora Jean's many lessons on veggies + fruits
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/Diner-Grp.htm & http://norajean.com/Tute-List.htm ....from there, see also more of NoraJeans food lessons:
...purple onion slice. . . . vegetables, seafood, bananas, sweets, Asian food, more fruits, pie
(many of these may be now on Nora Jean's new website: http://norajean.com/Tute-List.htm )
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/2708/mini.html
... watermelon that was broken open. It was quite easy to make, just get the right color pink for the inside, do a simple green stripe for the out side, cut apart and make the edges jagged after baking and paint on the seeds. At least that one didn't leave me with 100 feet of left over cane! Cynthia
..(.grapes being mostly water, like the Tompson's seedless green grapes, are achieved in polymer clay with a massive dose of translucent and the smallest smidgen of green.)... I took equal portions of cobalt blue and zinc yellow premo, made a nice dark green. Then I took one part green and four parts translucent and got peas for the pod green, still too dark. Took one portion of that green and mixed it again with four parts translucent and got a lettuce green that when done in layers with no color translucent makes for believable lettuce for one's summer mini sandwiches ...,
... ok take the lettuce green mix and take the 1 to four ratio with no color translucent and then I got the green for the seedless green grapes. White clay will cut the natural translucence of the yellow and the blue ...want to see INTO the grape after curing. . . . Make wee branches and lay them down on your ceramic tile or baking surface. Then place your grapes on the branches and let your memory of what a cluster should look like, wider and more abundant on the top, trailing down to that last grape at the bottom. After they are all arranged I mash them down a bit with a dry soft bristle paint brush, tap tap tap, not to distort the grapes but just to make them snuggle down a bit. Cure and then finish. When using translucent remember to do the ice water dunk as soon as they are finished curing. It is true that your translucents will come clearer when they are cooled quickly and not let to cool off on the tile over time.
~With Premo I'm finding that the primary colors are translucent, they will allow light to shine through them if they are mixed with other colors that are naturally translucent or mixed with translucent.
...In fact Takwan pickles are exactly zinc yellow and need no mix to look true to life. Nora Jean
....papaya http://www.norajean.com/food/Papaya-grp.htm
... guacamole and avocado http://www.norajean.com/Mexico/03-10-03-GuacamolePixs.htm
...Mexican foods (peppers, tacos, etc.) http://www.norajean.com/Mexico/Index.htm
...whole and caned citrus fruits: http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/Citrus/Citrus-Grp.htm
......orange, lime ( logs are incompletely wrapped, spiral cane as center...& she uses tinted translucent & opaque clays
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/Citrus/2002-orange-grp.htm
...many fruits and veggies http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/Diner-FruitNvegs.htm

fruits and veggies for sale (made from cold porcelain)
http://www.polymerclayminiatures.com/1-6-playscale-play-scale-Doll-Food-miniatures.html

Donna's (worthart) lesson on corn on the cob (like mine too--she also used a window screen to make the indentions in the cob and mini-rods of various greens to make cane for leaves)
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=655476&uid=448958&members=1 (website gone)
Angie S's lesson on corn on the cob... she uses a clay gun to extrude yellow clay through the smallest multi-holes disk just a little, flattens some with finger, then shaves it off... wraps this around a tapered base; her leaves are thin slices of multi-stacked greens (this makes larger "niblets" than using window screen method)
http://www.angiescarr.co.uk/ (click on corn demo in left nav. bar)
Karen T's (caned) Indian corn (over a thimble) ... Skinner Blend logs (light in the middle) in burgundy, tan, yellow, cream seem to have been reduced small and joined in several long sort-of rows to create mixed corn... each applied cane slice partly covered by dead corn leaves from stack of several light yellow, pale green and cream layers.
http://www.claycat.faithweb.com/cgi-bin/i/co01.jpg
Nora Jean's lesson on (caned) Indian corn
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/2708/corngroup.html

the mashed potatoes were made with off white clay that was mixed up with Diluent (now called Clay Softener) to get a mashed tater texture (...or use liquid clay).
...the gravy is liquid clay mixed with some pastel powder to get a gravy color.
...the corn is just yellow corn colored clay scored with a blade and after they were cured I put a little yellow glass stain on for a melted butter look.
...the biscuits were cut out of a light tanish clay and then I manhandled them a bit so they didn't look so perfect and then brushed the tops with a golden pastel.
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=1134282&uid=448958 Donna in MT

Katie's lesson on baked potato smothered with cheese and red peppers
http://tutorials.theclaystore.com/miniature-food/polymer-clay-baked-potato

Japaya's realistic whole raw russet potato is made with inclusions in transcluent clay (FS)
...look fairly realistic and "thin-skinned," and has with very small areas of other browns/reds/yellows:
....dried red chili peppers (including seeds & skin) ground to flakes (some becomes powdered) (these will tint the translucent a light brown)
....thyme leaves (chopped?)
....yellow mustard seeds (could use brown ones?)
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u232/meriporlared/imitacinpiedra3copia.jpg

(photos of many types of potatoes, for reference
http://www.foodsubs.com/Potatoes.html )

Christina's whole, Idaho-russet type potatoes and carrots
http://www.geocities.com/chellstr/clay/miniatures.html

Marita's mushrooms in basket
http://bussola.supereva.it/italyclay/book/foto/marita2.jpg

Sherrall's lessons on carrots, broccoli & caulifower put in jars, plus tips on using Envirotex
http://miniatures.about.com/library/clay/bl091700mix.htm (still somewhere at site??)
Flo's mini scene of many vegetables in bins and in back of pickup truck ("Produce Stand" memorabilia)
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=297871&uid=155794

video lesson on making fluffy head of lettuce (or cabbage if use a larger ball) around a baked ball of clay, by GardenOfImagination, by using a clamshell like tool to texture the edges of each disk of clay before wrapping it around the ball (adding liquid clay as an adhesive would be good too)...don't use Sculpey III tho-- too brittle in after baking in thin areas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-8Dr4iXlt8
(see other lettuces, etc. on this page)

Elizabeth's lessons on veggies. . . potato..... corn on cob ... lettuce ... squashes... pumpkin
http://polymerclayexpress.com/octo2003.html (click on each for photos of that lesson)
Maude's veggies lessons
http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/cezanne/4/minis/veggie.html
Betsy's whole onions with skins, garlic heads, untrimmed cabbages... yams, carrots, tomatoes
http://www.angelfire.com/art2/smallstuff/page7.html

carrots:
...lessons on making whole carrots and "carrot cane" for carrot slices... also parsnips
....(carrot cane is translucent-tinted-slightly-with-orange log, wrapped with thin layer of trans. tinted withmore orange clay, then thick layer of orange)
http://www.toddtoysandminiatures.com/projects.html
...lessons on making very simple whole carrots with green stems:
http://paperfaceparade.deviantart.com/art/Carrot-Polymer-Clay-Tutorial-111053698
http://www.sculpey.com/Projects/projects_BunnyCarrot.htm
...after making my tapered orange logs and rolling a pin over each side (partway) to create some crevices, I bake and then antique with brown acrylic paint (wiping off top areas) to make them look a bit more dimensional
...leafy stems can be made all kinds of ways with green-ish clay, or even with other mediums
....video lesson on making carrot, then dried green moss (from hobby store--package) to top as stems
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lvhjjnm15A
...(I had decided to try some faux carnelian.) I used some translucent premo, trans red and trans orange, with a dash of black crumblies. I was feeling very proud of myself when I cut it up into long rectangular beads, until dh came out and asked if julienne carrots were on the menu tonight. When I looked again, he was right. They do look remarkably like carrots :( Grumblez, Sera
...Marcy's various carrots, one with slices from a leaf cane as stems http://www.marcysclaypen.com/easter/easter.html
...lesson on making whole carrots (with structural paint? in tubes)
http://www.thaiminiatures.com/learn_from_pics.htm (gone)
...large "carrot pen" lesson http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/polymer-clay-veggie-patch-pens-holder/index.html
...for more carrots, do Ctrl + f search on this page for the word carrot, to see examples of whole carrots and also carrot slices
...may be more also in Halloween, Etc > Easter

for more on pumpkins, see Halloween > Pumpkins

Angie's lesson on making leeks... she uses a green and white Skinner blend to make a type of ikat stack (see Canes-Instr > Ikat)
....squishes the blend sheet into a "plug" cane, pasta machines into a long ribbon, cuts lengths from it (which she forgets to mention) , then stacks the lengths with each color falling on same side, but offsetting each layer so it extends past the previous layer
... adds a bit of solid green or white to each end to lengthen.... forms into a slim rectangular block
....use thick slice from block for center stalk (cutting down ctr. of green end a bit to make 2 inner leaves), then add 2 or more thin slices around center fanning outward... press bottom on coarse sandpaper ... add a little brown powder or ink to bottom for dirt
http://www.angiescarr.co.uk/UK_Leeks_Demonstration.html

asparagus
...Lindly Haunani made bunches of stalks of wonderful tall asparagus spears as vertical part of a diorama/sculpture for an open-on-one-side box
http://www.nwpcg.org/ravensdale/rave/rave00/haunani.shtml (gone now)
....Lindly's short asparagus spears as earrings
http://www.tinapple.com/oldsite/retreat (click on # 38)
...... stalks are rods of yellowish-green and translucent clay mix
......".leaf-bits" at tip end are slices from 2 bullseye (or Skinner blend) canes formed into pear shapes, then overlapped
......... cane 1 is same medium yellow green mix, around around light reddish purple, around light yellow-green, (prob. all mixed with some translucent), and are in approx. 3 staggered "rows" beginning a tip
.........cane 2 is same cane but no purple (thin yellow-green wrap around light yellow green), overlapped in one "row" --and also placed down the stalk (wherever old "leaves" grew)
http://www.craftsreport.com/february05/oe.html
http://lindlyhaunani.com/06work.html
...Kim C's lesson on asparagus stalks made to onlay on a clock face (not very colorful though)
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_clay/article/0,1789,HGTV_3236_2331459,00.html
...Betsy's stalks of asparagus... thick ends rather translucent white
http://www.angelfire.com/art2/smallstuff/page18.html

cucumber slices
...simple tiny traingular cucumber cane made for sushi by cutting 1/4 wedge of a bullseye cane (translucent wrapped with green)
....full-round slice...basically a bullseye cane of translucent surrounded by translucent+green... cucumber seeds can be somewhat symmetical or kind of jumbled up, and placed in the cane by inserting tiny seed logs or canes into the center of the bullseye cane (see Canes-Instr. > Insertion), or by making a triangular cane with 1-2 seed canes built into the pointed end, then cutting the cane into 3 lengths and recombining the lengths...then wrap with green
........nail superstore has cucumber slice cane with 6 teardrop-shaped seeds (tiny translucent bullseye canes with trans-white surrounded by translucent)
http://www.nailsuperstore.com/store/item.aspx?DepartmentId=277&ItemId=50443&
many real examples: http://www.google.com/images?q=cucumber+slice

sushi.....+ fish... Asian foods
NoraJean's lesson(s) on making canes of sushi rolls (rice grains made here with translucent and white clay finely chunked in food processor)
.. fish & salmon etc. for "open face" sushi... + many other Asian foods in Bento, platters, etc.
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/Sushi/Sushi-Grp.htm (click on one-tile-NoriMake...+ Fish...+ Asian Meals)
....NoraJean also has separate lessons for making canes of:
salmon http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/FishMix/FishMix-Grp.htm
+ meat strips http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/MeatMix/MeatMix-Grp.htm + wasabi (green + translucent)+ yellow pickle Takwan (Premo's Cadmium Yellow)+ pickled ginger (crimson and translucent + sea weed (black + touch of purple and silver--for shimmer)
iampoison's lesson on making sushi rolls with rice made from a cane of translucent wrapped with white then cut into multiple lengths, and laid around logs of green, red and orange for carrot, avocado and salmon (...these logs would stay round next to the rice canes better if they were cooler than the rice canes when the total cane were reduced, or they were all surrounded by a layer of white before adding the rice canes, and/or they and the rice canes were each pressed together more so there wouldn't be as many empty areas before reducing)
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/58865159
Pine Studio's lesson on making sushi rolls + slices with sea eel, egg, cucumber (1/4 wedge of long translucent- wrapped-with-green bullseye cane) and rice
.....to view in English thru AltaVista's BabelFish, go to: http://babelfish.altavista.com
.......then enter http://park2.wakwak.com/~pine/studio/howto/index.htm in the Translate Page window ..select Japanese to English ..click on WindingSushi --in the long category, 4th from bottom)
.....she makes her rice as individual grains (not a cane) by scraping at white (or trans/white?) chunk of clay with an awl to make many tiny chunks... then lets the chunks firm up for a few hours (softer brands of clay probably wouldn't work well), and puts a thick layer of it loosly on the black "wrapper" (which is actually black paper she's added a layer of glue to), then adds the eel and cucumber canes/logs on the rice, and rolls the whole thin up, slightly overlapping it at the end
minagi's various sushi, etc.
http://minagi.hybridi.net/showcase/Polyclay_food (click on 4 sushi links at bottom)
Philippa Todd's various realistic sushi and Japanese food items
http://www.bpcg.org.uk/images/agm2007/sushi.jpg
Elizabeth N's many sushi items, for jewelry (rice here is just solid white clay)
http://www.creativeadornments.com/sushi.html
Noriko's various sushi pieces as "numbers" on a clock face (you gotta check this out)
http://www.sushiclock.com/
NoraJean's lessons on fruits and vegetables (some for sushi)
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/Diner-FruitNvegs.htm
(see also more at Pine Studios just below)

peanuts
.....for a simple replication, you could make a round ball from peanut colored clay**, then roll it to lengthen it a bit. Then put it on a flat or textured surface, and roll over the middle section (back and forth like sawing) with the handle of a paintbrush, or a knitting needle, etc. to create the “waist” … you could kind of twist one half to one direction if you wanted to make it more realistic.
**Premo’s Beige, or FimoClassic’s Champagne or Ochre… or any brown lightened with a lot of white
....for a little more complicated way, you could make two small oval balls from tightly-scrunched aluminum foil (or even from polymer clay then bake them) to use as forms... cover those with a layer of peanut-colored polymer clay (could even glue them together in this accurate "offset" configuration before covering:
http://www.irteb.com/herbal/images/peanut.gif )
...You could texture the raw clay peanut with a tool of some kind (like maybe a grid of impressed rectangles, made by cutting down a pencil eraser into a rectangle), or make a “texture mold” from polymer clay using a sheet of plastic canvas.... Or you could just texture with anything rough for a general simulation, or not texture at all.... (if you want to “antique” the texture to make it stand out more, rub on a bit of brown-ish acrylic paint getting it down into all the crevices, then wipe it off of all the top surfaces with a paper towel, etc.).... Or you could just draw on the “grid” texture lines with a fine paintbrush and some light brown acrylic paint, I guess.
...Or, if wouldn’t be too big, you could also “cover” a real peanut with clay instead. Most foods do fine under polymer clay as long as a big enough hole is left for the moisture to escape… or even better, take the 2 peanuts out of a shell, then glue the shell back together and use that for covering (then no hole necessary). Diane B.
(for chopped nuts, see below in Donuts, etc.)

PROTEINS

eggs --I cane hard boiled eggs these using golden yellow and white. You get a better result if you bake the yellow first as a nice round log, then wrap in white and bake again - slice while warm. Sue Heaser
...Katie's lesson on making fried eggs + bacon ... and + a cast iron frying pan to put in it
http://tutorials.theclaystore.com/miniature-food/making-a-frying-pan-with-bacon-and-eggs/
... more eggs below?

cheeses (whole and wedges):
Philippa Todd's various fabulous cheeses: http://www.bpcg.org.uk/images/philippatodd/cheeses.jpg
Gail's cheeses ...Brie: pale colored yellow/cream Fimo, dusted with corn starch or baby powder
...gouda: cover round of yellow Fimo with flattened wrap of red, and form into cheese shape - when cut in wedges, looks like wax over the cheese
...cheddar: orange wrapped with black
...hanging log of cheese: bake clay with a loop of thread through the top ...tie with beige thread like provolone- dipping that in cream colored wax (or translucent clay) can make it look very real . Gail
...for cheeses, play with different yellows mixed with a lot of white - too many kinds to type out here! Sue Heaser
melted cheeses
...for her macaroni & cheese, teapotdnky tinted liquid clay orange, the blobbed a little of it on top of a pile of clay elbow shapes... then she blew hard on the liquid clay to coat the elbow macaronis
.....iampoison did the same thing for her cheese fries... over a pile of tiny french-fry-shaped clay pieces

whole ham with skin, hanging http://www.bpcg.org.uk/images/midlandsregion/hanging%20ham.jpg
... whole ham...mix of pink and brown... outside part is translucent mixed with a yellow
whole roast beef ...a little tricky --ended up being a deep red with a brown, with the layer of translucent and yellow
meatloaf ... two shades of brown chopped up real fine, then blended together.... same as the meatballs. junebug6162
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e81/primcreek/minifood.jpg

whole fish ...I got directions for from Angie Scarr's book ( http://www.angiescarr.co.uk/ )
...she makes a cane for the body of the trout... and separate canes for the eye and fins.
(Donna's tiny wrapped canes, in-between various layers of clay, rolled and tapered to form a realistic 3-D rainbow trout with added fins ...based on Angie Scarr lesson)
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=985985&uid=448958)
...Alexandra's whole "salmon"?... half black, half silver http://www.bpcg.org.uk/images/midlandsregion/nov08/fish.jpg
...the bones of that fish with only a head and tail are from a feather! Donna in MT
(see also sushi + more on fish just above)

For fried chicken I made some tiny leg bones from mostly translucent clay. I rolled a very tiny log and then for each leg I sculpted tiny knobs at the ends. I loosley mixed up some carmel, yellow, translucent and brown clay for the flesh on the legs, made a little tear drop and inserted the cured bones into them and smoothed down the flesh onto the bones. I textured the legs with a toothbrush. After they were cured I brushed them with some wood gel acrylic paint and then covered with Flecto.
.....When you are making small scale food you really have to keep your scale in mind. This is a one foot equals one inch scale. It's also helpful to have the actual food in front of you or a good picture. Donna in MT
....Sherrall Chapman's lesson on making turkey and dressing
http://miniatures.about.com/library/clay/blturkey.htm
... It is amazing what a sprinkling of real pepper seasoning can do for a little piece of polymer clay chicken (fried chicken patty on a sandwich) !! kishcrafts

Philippa's many meats .....& some chicken
http://www.bpcg.org.uk/membergallery/philippatodd.htm (click on each photo containing meat) (sliced, whole)
including http://www.bpcg.org.uk/images/philippatodd/meats.jpg (raw roasts, chicken legs, ground beef, etc.)

Allyson's mini site... whole turkey.... cold cuts.... bacon strips.... bone-in ham
http://members.aol.com/alsminis/index.html
NoraJean's mini- lessons on various meats
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/MeatMix/MeatMix-Grp.htm

*Angie Scarr's fruit, veg, plates, meat/fish, etc. (& lessons on oranges/peels, corn, leeks)
http://www.angiescarr.co.uk

(see other meats elsewhere on this page --esp. in Mixed Foods below... and hamburger beef, salami, pepperoni sausage slices, hotdogs, etc. just below))

PIZZA, HAMBURGERS, TACOS, SANDWICHES, etc.

pizza
...I made my pizza by stacking a disc of pale yellow clay under a slightly smaller brownish clay disc, then adding toppings of pepperoni (see above) and mushrooms (cane slices), plus red and green and translucent/white bits for peppers and onions, (more?).
........ can't remember if I cut the pizza into (4-6) "slices" before baking, or while still warm from the oven but did use a single-edge razor blade for the cleanest thinnest cut. Looked pretty convincing . . . Diane B.
....I used precured pizza toppings ....makes the making of pizza just a breeze... take uncured pizza "cooked dough" (remembering the brown around the outer edges of a real cooked pizza), then take the cured toppings and arrange... cure ...while still hot, slice quickly with a razor. Nora-Jean
...'s lesson on making a pizza Margharita http://tinyurl.com/7fote
...Angie's various toppings for pizza (bell pepper rings, tomato slices, (red) onion slices, pepperoni, mushrooms)
http://www.angiescarr.co.uk/1001_33.JPG.UK_Craft_Items_Canes_and_Slices.html
...Raggedy D's lesson on making pizza
.....crust is white + translucent + ochre, formed over small dish for rim... then brushed with all over with crushed soft pastels (or chalks)--yellow ochre all over , then along rim with soft brown
.....pepperoni cane made with translucent + white + brick red and white + translucent (chopped, then formed into log) ...log baked, then sliced
.... tomato sauce is made from artists acrylic paints
.....cheese is white glue tinted marbly with yellow-brown paints
.....all dry-brushed with burnt sienna acrylic paint here and there
http://raggedyds.com/howto1.htm

pepperoni slices...I made some very convincing pepperoni slices by making a lace cane (many wrapped logs) from translucent, wrapped with reddish brown and reduced it really small... took slices, then put them on my tiny pizza. Diane B.
...whole long salami or sausages ..use dark reddish brown clay, with a thread loop tied at the top before baking.
.......then use the spatter paint technique (with a toothbrush) for adding 'fat' to the salami. Gail

Katie's lesson on making a hot dog in bun (textured on the inside of each half with tiny pin pricks) --cartoony
... with squiggles of mustard and ketchup
... "relish" (could mix in some darker greens too) and chopped onions
... or spaghetti noodles (clay gun extruded snakes of white clay with a bit of yellow) with meatballs and red patches for tomato sauce
http://tutorials.theclaystore.com/1/how-to-make-clay-hot-dogs

Norajean's lessons on hamburger patties... plus cheeseburger and fries
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/burgerNfries/CheeseBurger-010.htm
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/CheeseburgerGrp.htm
lesson on making a cheeseburger and fries (colors used lat and opaque though)
http://www.sculpey.com/Projects/projects_BurgerFriesKeychain.htm

cheeseburgers & pizza by Marie S. http://www.clayfactory.net/marie/images/831.JPG

Katie's lesson on hamburger, with tomato, lettuce and sesame seed bun
http://tutorials.theclaystore.com/miniature-food/polymer-clay-hamburger

Jacey's club sandwiches, etc.
http://www.geocities.com/sopcg/MemberJacey.html

taco ... Katie lesson
http://tutorials.theclaystore.com/miniature-food/polymer-clay-tacos

lessons on making peanut butter & jelly sandwich by NoraJean (more jellies elsewhere on this page) (where are the other pb&j's?)
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/PBandJ/How-To-grp.htm
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/PBandJ/001-pbj.htm

BREADS

(+ other links on this page also have lessons and examples)

Norajean's many many lessons on various breads
...and ways of making them look realistic with diff. colors of clay, liquid clay, eye shadow, etc, etc.
http://www.norajean.com/New_Projects/Bread/Index.htm
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/Diner-MeatNbread.htm
(Norajean's techniques changed over several years, so try to find them all --see just below as well)

Norajean's lessons on making "toasty tops" with a clay color composed of translucent, yellow, red, bit of brown ... (she calls it "melted cheddar cheese mix")
...she makes a 3-layer sheet to use for various bready things (top layer the orig. mix, middle layer orig. mix combined with light yellowish clay, bottom layer white)
... for some types of bread she uses the layered sheet in different ways
....... for example, sometimes wrapping it around a ball of white clay, etc... then shaping or making "open cuts" in the "crust", etc
....to make (one half a) hamburger bun from the layered sheet, e.g... cut out a disk from the sheet, then smear the orig.mix layer down over the sides a bit to soften the layers, which also causes the color to lighten toward the bottom of the smear for more realism.
http://www.norajean.com/New_Projects/Bread/02-20-How-To.htm
http://www.norajean.com/Food/ToastyTop/Index.htm (don't know why these are all "wet" looking)
...biscuits ("bikkies") http://www.norajean.com/Food/ToastyTop/Bikkies.htm

CRUSTS, etc
...Norajean (just above) also uses brown eye shadow on the upper parts for darker crust areas in some lessons
...You can make the top of the bread brownish by using a "wash" of paint (acyrlic)
...... or artist's chalks (& pastels?) --which can look more realistic. Cynthia
...........(see Powders > Chalks... and Paints > Pastels and Chalks)
....liquid clay (TLS) with brown ochre (oil?) paint on a make-up sponge-brush (like the eye shadow applicators), smeared on to the right thickness to look like the pies had browned (shiny when cured). Jane W.
...I made a very thin skin of golden-brown + translucent claysby rolling the mised colors between sheets of parchment paper on the next-to-thinnest setting on the pasta machine... then I carefully layered on to look like the crust
.......a little Future when they came out of the cure made them look like they were butter-brushed
....Nora Jean also sometimes adds a white-chalk powder for the flour-y look some breads have after baking (and in the open cuts)
(see more ideas for crusts also in many areas just below, re Liquid Clays, Thinner Icings, Thicker ... plus in other lessons)
(for crumbiness and texturing, see mostly below in Cakes)

Kathy's lessons on french, farmer's, and regular bread
http://post.queensu.ca/~readel/MEKA/Workshops/Bread.html
lesson on making a baguette, by iCandiie...cream colored clay, formed into baguette shape slightly tapered on ends, then flattened a bit ...top slashed indented times diagonally with slender rod... top areas brushed with shaved brown chalk or pastel powder with cotton swab...slightly textured in crevices with side of pin
http://icandiie.deviantart.com/art/Polymer-clay-baguette-tutorial-124277317
bun and twist loaf
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=4043334&a=30603422&pw=
Betsy's French bread, buns, rolls, toast, buscuits & dough
http://www.angelfire.com/art2/smallstuff/page4.html ...http://www.angelfire.com/art2/smallstuff/page3.html
toast and sliced bread
http://www.bpcg.org.uk/membergallery/philippatodd.htm

Raggedy D's lesson on bagels, with cream cheese and jelly
...she makes hole with wooden skewer, then shapes a bit before removing from skewer
...makes powder from a Burnt Sienna artist pastel stick, and paints it all over bagel, holding bagel with q-tip in hole
...cuts a shallow line around equator if cutting in half later, and bakes (cut bagel in half while still warm)
...for cream cheese, she spreads on Premo white clay and bakes
...for jelly, she tints tacky white glue with acrylic paint 1 to 1, then paints on (...adds a coat of matte --satin?-- varnish)
http://raggedyds.com/howto1.htmhttp://raggedyds.com/howto1.htm

various breads, desserts, etc. http://www.pancakemeow.com and/or
http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=pancake_meow&mode=full

Garie's stuffed pastry rolls like empanadas, piroshki,etc (fruit inside tho?) with faces (for animated TV commercial) ..(not miniature)
http://www.garieinternational.com.sg/art/animation/1a_animation.htm

SWEETS

FROSTINGS. +. ICINGS
Whipped Cream ... Meringue

basic info

The shape and the final look you want will dictate which materials & which techniques you'll want to use
...icing or frosting can be made very thin all the way to very thick
....can be opaque or translucent, or transparent (jellies, sauces, etc.)
... can be colored .... can have speckly "inclusions"
... the thicker frostings can be applied and shaped in various ways (spread with tools or placed by hand, extruded through a clay gun or icing tip, etc.)
.......thinner icings can be spread on, self-leveled, or drizzled as well

COLORING solid clay or liquid clay (...coloring them "white," or pastel, or stronger colors)
....mix colored clays into white or other softened solid clays, or into liquid clays
....use various colors of artists' oil paints in tubes
.........tint with shavings from oil pastels (esp.when coloring liquid clay)
NOTE: most oil paints are translucent, but white oil paints and oil pastels contain titanium oxide so are opaque (...could also work on darker surfaces like chocolate cakes, etc.)... if not much is addded to liquid clay or translucent clay though, may not be completely opaque
.....you can tint liquid clays with transparent alcohol-based inks ...(Pinata, Adirondack) .....the alcohol can cause bubbling and frothing in the liquid clay though if there's too much of it (so I've been dropping the ink onto the surface and letting it sit for a while in hopes that the alcohol will evaporate off ....then I mix the color into the liquid clay....so far, no problems even when I didn't wait to let the alcohol evaporate). Elizabeth
....can use small amounts of acrylic paints (fairly opaque), but let sit awhile before baking since the water in them can cause problems
....can use "inclusions" mixed into liquid clay, or mixed into translucent or Pearl or any color solid clay (though some inclusions may also act as thickeners and stiffeners)
.........powders: like mica powders (Pearl Ex, etc.), powdered chalks, eyeshadows, blush powders
.........or maybe just white cornstarch, baking soda, talc powder
.........ground-up spices (some may remain somewhat particulate), or perhaps embossing powders
.........or use real-metal powders, or microfine glitters
(see Inclusions for more)

THINNING solid clay
Solid clay (translucent, white, Pearl, or a color) can be thinned with various materials to create icings and glazes; the more thinner that's added, the thinner the icing/glaze will be...some possibilities are:
....liquid clay (any brand that's translucent... or the opaque white version by Sculpey called "Liquid Sculpey")
....Diluent (now called Sculpey Clay Softener) --perhaps more inconsistent than liquid clay
(if either of those 2 is added to baked clay, it must be baked again to cure --regular temp... can be baked multiple times)
....vegetable oil... glycerin... mineral oil... Vaseline
....rubbing alcohol (let sit awhile before baking)
....a soft .solid clay
....... most translucent clays are softer than colored ones ...the Sculpeys are also softer (Sculpey, SuperSculpey, or Sculpey III), and FimoSoft (...and fresher bars of Premo, etc., may be quite soft).... Mix Quick is a bar of clay (mainly translucent) also sold as a clay softener by Fimo

THINNED solid clays may also need to be SOFTENED MORE before using by subjecting to heat and stretching (from conditioning by hand or in the pasta machine, or by putting in a very warm place a while)... especially if wanting to spread or extrude them.

APPLYING:
...depending on thickness and desired effect of icings/frostings/etc., they can be applied with brushes, palette knives, fingers, extruders, or other tools
... can also be textured or "combed" with tools like sponges, rubber-tipped brushes, wadded plastic wrap (stamped, stippled/pounced, stroked, etc.)

thicker frostings

Can just use regular clay alone (white or colored) ....esp. the soft chalky "original" white Sculpey that comes in a box
...or use a white clay mixed with some translucent clay

Or regular clay, thinned with various things (liquid clay, Softener-Diluent, veg oil, etc.).
...thinned clay can be shaped by hand...spread on...or extruded from a clay gun or through an icing tip
(partly depending on the proportion of liquid clay to solid clay mixed... how thin or thick it is)
.....I used a lot of liquid clay (both the opaque LS & also TLS... and others) for the icings. Jeanne
.....add liquid clay to white clay .... mix until it peaks like meringue for a fluffy frosting.
....Nora Jean's lesson on fairly soft white icing made with liquid clay and white clay
http://www.norajean.com/Food/Cinnibun/007.htm
.....Betsy's lesson on making fluffy, stiffer, white icing ..or could be whipped cream (with liquid clay and white clay, by mixing them very firmly on a ceramic tile until mix is smooth with a popscicle stick, then spreading with a toothpick (she feels Kato liquid clay mixes up the easiest)
http://www.cdhm.org/tutorials/making-a-miniature-cake.html (photos 28-34)
...teapotdnky mixed rubbing alcohol into her clay for very thick cupcake frosting... stirred every so often over a day or two before spreading
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k84/blogcraftster/cupcakes.jpg

applying frostings
...(sometimes it's useful to cure the clay shape first, before applying a frosting)
...you can put frostings on already-smoothed out... or you can spread and smooth them with a spatula on other tool (on cakes, cupcakes, e.g.)
......or shape and/or texture slightly (on cakes, e.g.)
......or extrude softened clay through a clay gun and/or through any shape of icing tip
--into logs, fluted logs, other shape logs --which can then be used to make lines, dots/stars, spiraled dollops (if thin enough, clay should also thin out at the top when pulled upward for making a dollop), as well as dropped cookies, candies, etc.
..........for miniatures though, such tiny amounts of clay are needed that the clay can just be pushed through an icing tip with a finger
......especially for extruding stiffer thinned clays (i.e., only a little bit thinned), clay should be softened first (condition till warm, or heat slightly in other ways, after thinning)
....can also use clayalley.com's icing tip adapter tool with an icing tip on a clay gun
....PineStudio's clever "icing tip" made from tiny cylinder of serrated metal strip fr.plastic-wrap box...+ transparent tape as the "icing bag")
(to view English translation through BabelFish, first go to: http://babelfish.altavista.com
...enter this url in Translate Page window: http://park2.wakwak.com/~pine/studio/howto/index.htm
...select Japanese to English... click on Cookie in left bar)
(for more info on using icing tips and/or clay guns, as well as various other mediums that could be used or mixed together to create icings, see Clayguns )

whipped cream + custards
....NoraJean's stiffer "piped" whipped cream --TLS + white and/or Pearl clay-- on a lemon custard pie
http://www.norajean.com/New_Projects/PieCrust/006.htm
...for a spiraled dollop of whipped cream, roll a ball of regular clay (or thin it a bit first) into a tapered log, then arrange it in a tall spiral
...minagi's realistic foods --multi-layer cakes and pies, many with whipped cream and/or fruit on top
http://minagi.hybridi.net/showcase/Polyclay_food (click on each link, except sushi ones)
....Eliz's whipped cream-looking frosting on cookies & gingerbread men
http://thepolyparrot.com/cookies.html
....colored "whipped cream" could also be used as custards for pies, tarts, and cakes (or alone)
(see also just above in thicker frostings for similar looks)
...Raggedy D used plain Premo (white) clay (a fresh, soft bar) to spread on her baked "bagels" for cream cheese

meringue .... mixed white & Pearl clay (a whitish mica-containing polymer clay)
.... added a little liquid clay at a time with much mooshing (kept adding till I couldn't handle it any more and added a little more, which made peaks just like I wanted.
.......I glopped it on the pies... peaked it with a toothpick, and baked
... then just .touched the tips of the meringue with a dab of TLS mixed with a dab of brown ochre paint.... re-cured for 15 minutes.
...added the "weeping" look with Future on a paintbrush, if desired. Jane W (...see below in More Sweets)

(for making round or other shapes of ropes of frosting, see Clay Gun > Small & Med. Extruders... and Icing Tips)

[for making edible candy doughs which can be extruded, molded, caned or sculpted, see Kids-Beginners > More (Various)]

thinner icings...+ glazes, jellies, gravies

Somewhat-thin to very-thin icings and glazes, etc., can be made by tinting liquid clay (or other clear liquids)... see Coloring just above in Basic Info
....or by thinning solid clays way down till they're runny or almost runny ...see Thinning above in Basic Info

some uses:
...translucent .thin icing for cookies http://www.angelfire.com/art2/smallstuff/page8.html
...........or drizzle for cinnamon buns
.....can drip these where you want then spread around them with a toothpick, etc
......or drizzle in patterns or lines/dots
...transparent,.colored . fruit glazes or pie fillings for pies/tarts/cakes, jellies, jams (... use with fruit or fruit pieces, or without... or other sauces)
.....can pour over fruit in contained cells/pools, for pies or tarts... or drizzle over fruit, or just anywhere you want)
.....can also use an epoxy resin (colored with artists oil paints or not) for these thicker effects by waiting till the resin begins to gel before pouring it out, etc. (see more on using resins in Other Materials)
....opaque .chocolate sauce for ice cream, or other opaque sauces and gravies

liquid clays
(the thickness of the icing will depend on proportion of liquid clay to additive, and the stiffness of the additive)
...NoraJean's lesson on thin icing for a cinnamon bun
.......photo shows her smushing white clay with TLS liquid clay on a work surface with a palette knife till it's thin enough... then spreading onto cinnamon buns
http://www.norajean.com/Food/Cinnibun/007.htm
.....Betsy's lesson on making thicker fluffy, stiffer, white icing ..or could be whipped cream (with liquid clay and white clay, by mixing them very firmly on a ceramic tile until mix is smooth with a popscicle stick, then spreading with a toothpick (..she feels Kato liquid clay mixes up the easiest)
http://www.cdhm.org/tutorials/making-a-miniature-cake.html (photos 28-34)
...regular liquid clays can be colored with oil paints, metallic powders like PearlEx, and alcohol-based inks like Pinata to create colored liquids which can be dribbled onto things such as melting ice cream, melted butter, etc. Patty B. ...also gravies, etc.
...liquid clay mixed with artists pastels' shavings (I used white pastel for the white icing, schmeared it on, and baked it... then used the colors over it once it was cured (artists' oils?). nae
....(I shave the color off the pastel into a glop of liquid clay then smush it up with a toothpick). Hadn't ever added white to the glops before... will have to try that as icing on chocolate cakes since the white is opaque. SqueakieCat
...flow on or pour on white, translucent+ white, or colored liquid clay on top of cookies, donuts, etc., then spread
.......blowing hard on tinted liquid clay is another way to coat other polymer foods after dabbing some on... (see macaroni and melted cheese above under Proteins)
.......that flat icing looks like iced animal crackers...specially the ones with green and red vests. SqueakieCat
.....or pour into "cells" of pies/tarts, etc., over fruit or not
...if liquid clay is too thin and runs off of sides, thicken it with powders, etc. as above... or let it sit out to thicken (though may take awhile)
...for very thin icing with areas of whiteness... I buy white charcoal sticks from the art store (near the black charcoal)... you could also use a hard white dry pastel pencil or stick
......I just dab a little TLS liquid clay on the surface of the food, grate the charcoal with a razor blade, and then bake... if some comes off (which it will), after you glaze/varnish it just throw on some powdered charcoal while it's wet

other clear-drying mediums (instead of liquid clay) can be tinted and will work too for some things:
......Varathane... Future......acrylic fingernail polish...(some will automatically give a glossy finish)
......or use a white glue tinted with acrylic paint) (dries clear & glossy)

or use an acrylic paint for glazes, etc., then coat with a glossy finish if the paint doesn't dry glossy

other mediums to spread on or to extrude through various tools for frosting embellishments:
...acrylic modeling paste (sometimes called structure paste) ... can be tinted if desired with acrylic paint
.......Betsy N. also uses a bit of well-stirred-in cornstarch if it won't hold a peak on its own, or Delta's Texture Magic
...acrylic texture paste is thicker than acrylic modeling paste (?)
...acrylic texture gel works too (but is transparent)
..........you can tint texture gels with acrylic paint or paint pigments, but, since gel medium looks "milky" before it dries, it often doesn't appear to be the right tint at first. It dries clear, though, and the color shines through beautifully (which eliminates the color limitation of "structural paint"). .... produced by both "Golden" and "Liquitex" brands. Barb

syringes of various kinds (usually translucent plastic) can be used to extrude many of these mediums as well:
.......Betsy N. uses a curved tip glue syringe to pipe "icing" embellishments on her miniature baked & frosted cakes, and holds it in her palm with her thumb pressing on the plunger (and supports that hand with the other hand if necessary)

(see more on using icing tips and other extruders in Clay Guns > Icing Tips, etc.)

(for making drizzled ropes, etc, of icing, see Liquid Clay > Drizzling)

DONUTS, Cupcakes, etc.

Norajean's many-lessons on making 3-D donuts of various types:
...plain glazed donut... iced donut....double-chocolate long crullers...
...donut with sprinkles........ jelly-filled donut with powdered sugar on top
http://www.norajean.com/Food/Donut/Index.htm (click on each type of donut for lessons)

lesson by iampoison for making a jelly donut with powdered sugar on top... doesn't use liquid clay mixed with regular clay for jelly like Nora Jean's lesson does)
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=223979.msg2419907#msg2419907
or http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/xxiampoisonxx/jelly7.jpg (then replace the 7 with 1, then 2, then 3, etc for steps)

Pine Studio's lesson on making donuts
.. she somewhat flattens a ball of clay, then creates a hole in the middle with an awl, and lets sit a couple of hrs to firm up
.... then paints thinned down brown acrylic paint on top, & later adds clear acrylic finish (fingernail polish?) for glossy chocolate icing
...one donut has a sugar topping (... fine sand glued on top of icing)
(to view English translation through AltaVista's Babel Fish, first go to: http://babelfish.altavista.com
...& enter this url in the Translate Page window: http://park2.wakwak.com/~pine/studio/howto/index.htm
...then select Japanese to English ... click on various links in left bar, including Doughnut

icecreamcute's donuts ..... ice cream cones ... and cupcakes
http://www.livejournal.com/users/icecreamcute/2293.html#cutid1

video lesson on waffle cones for ice cream cones, by by creating a texture plate with polymer clay (gridded) and baking, then pressing an oval of raw clay onto it to get texture and wrapping the textured clay around the point of a pen to get a cone shape (she also trims off the top of the cone)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpkQKA0knDI

Jeanne R.'s very convincing donuts & crullers, with icing, etc.
http://www.heartofclay.com/page7.htm

cupcakes:
Sculpey's lesson on making a (short) simple cupcake (like a choc. Hostess cupcake with choc. frosting and a white frosting squiggle)...bottom & sides of cupcake given a spongy texture by rolling repeatedly over a plast grater with tiny prongs
http://sculpey.com/Projects/projects_EC%20CupcakeEraser.htm
(see more on making crumb-y texture below in Cakes)
cupcakeaccessories' lesson on making a (tall) simple cupcake ... twisted rope (diff.colors, rolled smooth) coiled around a clay ball armature for top (placed on top of a slightly-tapered, fat cylinder, bottom)... after coiling, top pressed into white/clear glitter before baking (heat safe glitter)... no sealing?
http://img399.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cupcaketutorial2wr8.jpg
icecreamcute's donuts ... cupcakes.... ice cream cones
http://www.livejournal.com/users/icecreamcute/2293.html#cutid1
Mandabeads' many cupcakes (some with glitter, onlays, scallopped icing pushed through star icing tips, bright colors, etc.)
http://www.freewebs.com/amandahinson/gallery.htm
...teapotdnky mixed rubbing alcohol into her chopped clay for very thick cupcake frosting... stirred every so often over a day or two
......also used glass glitter, pastel pearly seed beads, and dark brown Reese's mini pb cups to put cupcakes in
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k84/blogcraftster/cupcakes.jpg
...(see the many ways to make frostings and icings for adding to cakes, cupcakes, donuts, cookies, etc, just above in Frostings & Icings )

angeli's lesson on simple flat-ish cupcake .... all clay
... she used pastel colors (Premo), and glued the cured cupcakes onto earring posts with E6000 allowing glue to dry/cure for 24 hrs before wearing
http://beadladyangeli.blogspot.com/2009/02/diy-tiny-2d-cupcakes.html

cinnamon rolls
...Norajean's lesson on cinnamon buns with icing
http://www.norajean.com/Food/Cinnibun/Index.htm
......flatten two logs of slightly different light brown+translucent colors together, one on top of the other (the long edges of each layer will be rounded)... roll the strip up into a short jellyroll (do not cut ends)... cut jellyroll in half crosswise to create 2 cinnamon rolls (place the non-flat end of the jellyroll face up, and gently round its bottom edges)
..... for the icing, mix liquid clay into white clay, and slather over top of cinnamon rolls... bake
http://www.norajean.com/Food/Cinnibun/008.htm
...can mix real cinnamon or any brown powder (see Powders) into liquid clay or into translucent clay
.....for individual rolls, then roll a long log of dough colored clay
.......slather one side of the log thickly with the liquid clay (or press on log of translucent-clay-with-brown inclusions)
.......roll into a spiral, taking care not to flatten the dough log too much (can flatten some after spiraling if want)
...OR for a cane-like log from which slices can be cut
.......spread the brown-colored liquid clay (or lay a thin layer of the brown trans.clay) onto a rectangular sheet of dough colored clay...roll up into a jellyroll log ...can then cut into thick slices, and round off edges for individual rolls
(for icing, see below)
...I mix liquid clay with a touch of white oil paint for the icing
.......for the filling, mix cinnamon with liqiud clay to form almost a paste
.......make a long, skinny triangle-ish shape from tannish clay, spread on the cinnamon fillng, and roll up from the wide end to the skinny end.... the filling will ooze out, but just spread it around the outside of it... put it on a baking surface, and drip on some "icing"...bake. somethingweird

Garie's stuffed pastry rolls like empanadas, piroshki,etc (fruit inside tho?) with faces (for animated TV commercial) ..(not miniature)
http://www.garieinternational.com.sg/art/animation/1a_animation.htm

(see just below in Cakes for making spongy or crumb-y textures for breads or cakes, and other ideas that would apply)

(see above for other info on making Icings-Frostings)

TOPPINGS:
chopped nuts... first I make a peanut-color clay ...then roll it out into a thin sheet, and bake it... once cooled, I chop up the sheet Rachael Ray style with an ordinary large kitchen knife (as if mincing a veggie/garlic with a chef's knife) ..I end up with finely chopped bits or "peanuts". iampoison
(for a whole peanut, see above in mostly Veggies)

sprinkles
...Nora Jean rolled out various colors of clay into very thin logs... baked them... then cut into disks while still warm
http://www.norajean.com/Food/Donut/Sprinkles.htm
....rolling the logs much thinner would work well for the longer sprinkles (colors, or chocolate)

granulated sugar...or sugar sprinkles .... snowcone ice, etc.
.....the simplest way to simulate a sugar topping would just be to pounce a dry brush with white acrylic paint on it onto the clay (pounce off most of the paint on a paper towel before pouncing on clay though)
........I once found a pearl white glitter that looks remarkably like sugar when you put it on fake candy and cookies.
.......for sprinkles I've used salt and apple cider mix. Jeanne
.......Alison used Varathane, then irridescent sprinkles, and another coat of the varathane to seal them on
http://www.michiesminis.com/clay/xmasswap/candybead7.html
.......for the sugar coating, you might try using white "scenic sand" (fine-grain silica sand) available at hobby shops. Diane B.
.......I've also used teeny tiny holeless beads (usually with a coating of sealer or liquid clay on top). Jeanne
...... KIT-CAT made snow cones of crushed/shaved ice (which could also be chunky colored sprinkles) by mixing teeny tiny bits of colored clay with mineral oil, then squishing till right consistency achieved... the baked result is lumpy
..........could also pre-bake the bits if want more definition for them
...... Sherrall's lessons on making sprinkles http://miniatures.about.com/library/clay/blrecipe100100a.htm (gone)

...powdered sugar
.....Nora Jean scraped bits from a white pastel pencil with an Xacto onto her jelly-filled donut...had rubbed liquid clay there to hold them on, then rebaked ........other sticky surfaces to hold the sugar could be white glue, a clear acrylic finish, glycerin, wet paint, etc, all of which would dry, not have to be cured)
http://www.norajean.com/Food/Donut/JellyFilled-008.htm
......or could try white chalk scrapings ...other white powders (drop from a seive to keep from clumping?).... or white embossing powder (heated)
......iampoison used scrapings from white charcoal stick for drawing
......or "spray" dots of white acrylic paint onto the top area with a toothbrush... could mask areas where don't want speckling

try using real spices...esp cinnamon and ginger powder for polymer clay gingerbread cookies. kishcrafts

CAKES

For most layer cakes, stack 2-5 thick disks of polymer clay on top of each other, separated by thinner disks for the frosting
...using a circle cutter of some kind with a sheet of clay will help keep the disks even-sized, or roll an even log of clay (or roll one by tightly rolling up a sheet of clay), or you can just make same-size balls then squash them
...to frost the cake, lay a disk of frosting-colored clay on the top of the cake, then wrap a sheet of clay around the outside of the cake (perhaps cooling the clay stack first)
...texture the frosting by swirling it, etc ...or make the frosting smooth
...embellish with mini flowers, icing shapes, etc, if desired
...you can cut the cake, if desired, (with a sharp blade) at this point though the edges will depress a bit, or you can cool it first then cut (texture the visible cake parts if desired)
.....for the sharpest edges, bake the cake first, then cut it while still warm with a sharp blade

minai's lesson on making several layer cakes
....mutiple round cutouts of different-colored clays, stacked together... then all covered with a layer of frosting
....then decorated with kiwi and other fruits slices, hand-formed whipped cream dollops, etc ... hand-formed chocolate onlays (leaves, coffee beans)
http://minagi.hybridi.net/minagi/crafts/tuts/polycakes/polycakes.html

lesson on making a multi-layer chocolate and white cake, with "shell" icing shape embellishments (indent teardrop shapes, then bend), around top and bottom, by hanaclayworks
... she puts top and side icing on with one clay disk, pressing it down around sides of cake from the top, then trimming
http://hanaclayworks.deviantart.com/art/Cake-Tutorial-59738049 (for larger view, click on magnifying glass icon in upper left, or download)

Katie's N's lesson on making a 3-layer cake (choc + vanilla) with frosting only on top....choc. stripes across top (small ropes of clay, flattened and dragged with a needle tool), top edge embellished with white and dark choc. balls
.... sides of "bare" cake are textured with the tip of a needle tool to look spongy/cakelike
http://tutorials.theclaystore.com/miniature-food/making-a-cake-out-of-polymer-clay

other lessons on making layer cakes, with frostings/etc
http://my.opera.com/rjfink/blog/how-to-make-a-miniature-polymer-clay-cake

if you're getting the middle layer of icing too thick in your slice of layer cake, making it look more like a sandwich:
...after forming your (whole) cake, cool it it in the freezer for about 30 min... then slice the cake while it's still raw and cold. Lysle

I use a (piece of) wooden dowel as a permanent armature that I cover, frost and decorate, esp. for cakes that are highly decorated
... I always got a lopsided cake when I tried to make one out of polyclay. Cynthia

crumbs and crumb-y or spongy texture
...generally the cut surfaces of a cake, etc., will have a rougher texture than the inside
A crumb-y or spongy texture can be given to clay in various ways:
(stamping and/or texturing:)
......use sandpaper (fine or rougher, or a combination) or a sanding sponge... or the rough side of a scrubbing sponge... or some kinds of fabric or mesh or wadded aluminum foil....or use various texture sheets you find or make (see Texturing and Stamping for more ideas)
......you can also stipple the cut surfaces with the ends of a very stiff brush (wire brush, toothbrush, etc.) to apply some texture to the insides of the cake. Lysle
......Sculpey's lesson gives a spongy texture by rolling repeatedly over the roughest side of a plastic grater (bunch of holes with tiny prongs)
http://sculpey.com/Projects/projects_EC%20CupcakeEraser.htm
.....using a combination of textures and stampings can give a less uniform, more realistic, appearance too
...another way (esp. for cut surfaces) might be to finely chop some baked (or raw?) clay of the same color as the cake perhaps in a food processor, then press some to the raw clay surfaces of a cake, etc.)
......Betsy textures the inside surfaces of cakes by scraping a pin into and around a clay surface in various ways... teasing up, swishing, pressing, pushing, circling, etc, whatever works..... re-cooling the clay may be necessary to continue, or if not working well enough
http://www.cdhm.org/tutorials/making-a-miniature-cake.html (click on photos 21-26)
...Garie's mini-lesson on creating a spongy effect by mixing baking soda into his "polymer paint" (...a solid clay piece with holes poked in it, soaked 3-6 hrs with paint thinner to dilute it, then also adds liquid clay)
....... when the mix is poured into a mold (like a mini bread tin made from alum. foil) to simulate a cake shape, the baking soda creates many tiny bubbles in the clay during baking, and also domes up like a loaf of bread or cake would
http://www.garieinternational.com.sg/clay/miniature_cake.htm
.......i used garie's technique (but I just added baking soda only to my TLS/clay mix) and didn't dissolve it in any solvents or add the Diluent ... give it a try, it's easy. Shiny Things
(for making visual texture more than dimensional texture, see above in Cupcakes, crust)

Betsy's (yellowish) vanilla cake is created with 2 parts white + 1 part yellow (set aside 1/3 of mix)... add the 1/3 mix to 8 parts translucent (better to have too little yellow than too much; can always add more later) .. see crumbs tutorial just above for photo

MORE EXAMPLES:
Flo's wonderful tiny wedding cakes with many small flowers on tiered cakes, etc.
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=298642&uid=155794
Philippa's beautiful many-tiered wedding cakes...and desserts & parfaits, including cakes (non-wedding)
http://www.bpcg.org.uk/images/philippatodd/cakes.jpg ......http://www.bpcg.org.uk/images/philippatodd/foodtable.jpg
olgasantos' many wonderful different kinds of cakes
http://flickr.com/photos/as-miniaturas-da-olga/tags/cake
Betsy's various cakes http://www.angelfire.com/art2/smallstuff/page3.html
lessons on making a cake (brushed with powdered pastels) with whipped cream on top (white clay + liquid clay) plus slices from a strawberry-slice cane, by Zuleykha
http://zuclay.blogspot.com/2009/03/making-polymer-clay-cakes.html

kitchcrafts fat slices of layer cake, often with translucent glazes or dripping glazes
http://blog.myspace.com/kishcrafts (April 22, 2007)

Raddegy D's lesson on making an orange bundt cake (with optional orange slices) which has a
transparent glaze made from tinted epoxy resin poured over the cake and onto the plate
....she used a tiny bundt mold to make the (golden yellow and translucent) cake
... then crushed soft pastel sticks (chalk ones) to brush over cake : yellow ochre (alll over), then burnt sienna (on upper surfaces), medium brown (upper surfaces)... bake
....placed cake on dish, or onto waxed paper if wanting to remain separate
....then poured an epoxy resin (tinted amber) over all, allowing to collect on plate, etc. (after curing can peel off waxed paper)
(... she had also add a few slices of an orange cane, I think to the bottom sides of the cake before covering all with resin)
http://raggedyds.com/howto2.htm
(more on epoxy resins in Other Materials)

Dorothy Greynolds made mini-cake "vessels" for a swap
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?&p=999&uid=2343137&gid=9316342&&imgid=131048308&offset=0

I made a speckled birthday cake with colored sand kneaded into (some Model Magic) .... later, I frosted it, then cut a slice out of it and put the slice on a plate It looked very realistic.

For breads and cakes I find that "Model Magic" (a marshamallowy, air-dry clay) gives a much more realistic result than polyclay. It air dries and you can slice it after it is dry. The resulting product has a "give" to it that is more like real breads and cakes. Cynthia

more cakes, tarts, and pies (Midlands Region of British Polymer Clay Guild)
http://www.bpcg.org.uk/membergallery/midlandsgallery.htm (2/3 down page)

petit fours
....decorating petit-fours is like doing them in real life. They are a waste of time for the amount of enjoyment a person would get seeing (eating) them, but they are cute and fancy, and look really pretty on a tray (she used a filigree finding as her "dish" under the petit fours and round bakery paper protector).
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4043334&a=30580927&p=62823943
olgasantos' petits-four
http://flickr.com/photos/as-miniaturas-da-olga/674587479

(see also above in Donuts & Cupcakes and in Icings/Frostings for much more that could apply)

PIES, TARTS

NoraJean's pies (various fillings, etc) made with pre-baked pie shell from polymer mold (could use a wide, domed button?)
http://www.norajean.com/New_Projects/PieCrust/Index.htm
Jane W. creates her pies in metal bottle caps (partly smashed, and painted silver) so fluted edges will stick out well...
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4043334&a=30580927&p=62823949
...could also use bottle cap as removable form or mold...perhaps using a mold release... or could make a mold from back side of bottle cap)
Betsy's various pies http://www.angelfire.com/art2/smallstuff/page3.html
.........(for more pies, see Houses-Structures > Candies, etc. )

to make tarts, I use metal "finish washers," upsidedown (... look like bundt molds but flatter, with much larger hole)
...I got them at the hardware store( a dollar for 25)... one type is designed to be smashed, the other isn't.
(I had tried using grommets first, but they're a little narrow and not as sturdy. ) Marie
...Jane W's tarts...also, where there is juice from berries, as well as the pies (apple and cherry), there is liquid clay mixed with a bit of the "berry" colored clay (on the blueberry tarts added some from the cherry pies, you know how the juice is redder and the berries bluer). I am having trouble getting the last little flecks of color to mix into the liquid clay (...so use artists oil paints or other colorants instead?)
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=4043334&a=30580927&f=0

for many more pies and tarts, do a Ctrl+f search on this page, or look in links on this page to photos of the mixed sweets and mixed foods
....also see Houses-Structures > Cookies, Pies, Cakes

MORE Sweets (mixed) ....+ Tips

for candies, chocolates & cookies (plus more on pies & cakes), see Houses-Structures > Candies & Sweets

Jane W's lessons for cakes ...donuts ...pies (including lemon meringue)... tarts ...petit fours
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=4043334&a=30580927&f=0
...the vanilla custard is white and yellow paint in TLS.
....the chocolate custard is brown and black and a dab of red mixed into TLS.
...lemon meringue pie... made the lemon part with a few drops of yellow paint mixed into the TLS. It rose some, but cured and dunked it was pretty translucent.
...the meringue... took a white/pearl mix, added a little at a time with much mooshing some TLS. Kept adding till I couldn't handle it any more and added a little more. This made peaks just like I wanted. Glopped it on the pies, peaked it with a toothpick, and cured. Took a dab of TLS mixed with a dab of brown ochre paint and touched the tips of the meringue. Re-cured for 15 minutes. Grabbed a paintbrush with Future floor wax and added the "weeping" look.
...crust edges on the lattice-topped pies, the braids, the regular-topped pies, and all the pies:
........same TLS with brown ochre paint on a make-up sponge-brush (like the eye shadow applicators), smeared on to the right thickness to look like the pies had browned. Cured. Most needed NO floor wax as it is shiny when cured.
...pumpkin pies ... about 50-50 brown ochre paint and TLS, which made it puff up a lot and get tiny bubbles. Looks just like pumpkin custard to me!
...pies created in bottle caps, partly smashed, so fluted edges will stick out
...tarts ....where there is juice from berries, as well as the pies (apple and cherry) there is TLS mixed with a bit of the "berry" colored clay (on the blueberry tarts added some from the cherry pies, you know how the juice is redder and the berries bluer). I am having trouble getting the last little flecks of color to mix into the TLS (use artist's oil paints instead?)
...chocolate is a trip, folks. Almost ate the clay, especially the devils' food color!
... MaryBear recommended I try some nuts on the chocolate covered donuts, and some colored sprinkles on the white-frosted ones, to get them to not look so like bagels. So I will try that.
.... (she used a filigree finding as her "dish" under petit fours and round bakery paper protector)
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4043334&a=30580927&p=62823943
...the bread in loaves - round or sandwich- have a skin of golden-brown plus translucent, rolled between sheets of parchment paper on the next-to-thinnest setting on the pasta machine, and carefully layered on to look like crust. ...A little (Future) when they came out of the cure made them look like they were butter-brushed.
...making the tiny mandarin oranges isn't too bad, except that they fly all over the house, cured or uncured. They came out so cute! But it was hard to dunk them and then retrieve them. Finally settled them down with a strainer for tea.

Lesley's lesson on making waffles or pancakes
...for waffles, could create the waffle's pattern by using a homemade clay stamp on a flattened clay ball (make stamp just smaller than ball to allow upraised frame around outside)...(could also just impress a pin or needle across the flattened clay vertically & horizontally to create a grid, or impress with a piece of plastic canvas or other gridded texture)... then impress a needle across the center (horiz & vert) to create the plus-mark impression created by a waffle iron
... then cut the impressed clay into a square or circle, etc (may need to add logs or top-rounded strip of clay around outside for outside framing)
... add a bit of color to upper areas of textured waffles with brown acrylic paint, artist’s pastels, etc. (for pancakes, don't darken outer areas )
http://miniatures.about.com/od/miniatureprojects/ss/miniwaffles.htm
http://miniatures.about.com/od/miniaturebasics/ht/pclaytools.htm

PineStudio's donuts ... waffles ...fruit tarts
......ALSO fruit inside formed gelatin--like Jello (actually a 2-pt resin--looks like an epoxy but could be a polyester-- but could use Varathane or Future, etc., or even a clear liquid clay like Fimo's or Kato's but would have to bake that and also use a silicone/etc mold).... she "casts" the resin in a "mold" which is one plastic dome of a multi-pill packaging sheet
.....ALSO "twisted cookies (clever "icing tip" made from tiny cylinder of serrated metal strip fr.plastic-wrap box + trans.tape as"icing bag"), with cherry in center
.....ALSO fabulous pastries
(to view English translation through AltaVista's Babel Fish: go to: http://babelfish.altavista.com
.....enter this url in the Translate Page window:
http://park2.wakwak.com/~pine/studio/howto/index.htm ...then select Japanese to English, and click on various links in left bar
pancakemeow's various realistic foods (desserts, bread... pb&j, etc... mostly scented --see Inclusions > Smelly)
http://www.pancakemeow.com
Jacey's foods and cakes, etc. (club sandwiches, etc.)
http://www.geocities.com/sopcg/MemberJacey.html
Sherrall Chapman's various foods and sweets
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=1958870&uid=462662
minagi's realistic foods --multi-layer cakes and pies, many with whipped cream and/or fruit on top.. (+ sush, other)
http://minagi.hybridi.net/showcase/Polyclay_food (click on each link, except sushi ones)

various foods as jewelry... http://www.inediblejewelry.com

TIPS from Janey:
....Kato's liquid clay (or Fimo's) is clearer when ice-dunked than Sculpey's TLS.
...The filigree stands for the pastries are jewelry findings.
...Print-out boxes for donuts are awful to assemble.
...I am getting better about not conditioning the clay to the point where it is just too sticky. . . .Kato is less sticky than the other brands, and with careful handling (i.e. gloves) cures with a sheen to it that is especially nice on those cakes, plus it requires no sanding!

DRINKS,. ICE CUBES, etc.

NoraJean's several lessons on making drinks, translucent-frosted glasses and pitchers, and ice cubes
....translucent clay is tinted, then shaped and baked to create a glass-vessel-with-a-drink-in-it
.....OR, the previous tinted translucent shape is made and baked, then plain translucent is added to create a higher lip as the "top of the glass"... plus a handle and foot in the case of a pitcher
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/Diner-IceNjuice.htm
(also see other places on this page dealing with tinted liquid clays or tinted transcluent clays)

frosted glass:
.....I painted the surface of the tiny glass bottle with Kato liquid clay which was tinted with Pearlex and artists' oil paint. Sarah
.....I ran a strip of white Premo at #5 on my pasta machine, the librally applied some mettallic acid free ink in a teal shade and spread it out evenly. I then rolled out some Premo translucent on #3 and laid on top with about a 1/16 overlap of the inked white. I ran this back thru the pasta machine on #3 to get rid of any air bubbles in between the two layers..... I cut this into strips and applied to some tube shapes with the white side against the tubes and baked. I'm not real good at getting rid of the seam lines and they sanded down pretty smooth with 220 grit. But they look like frosted glass..... I'm going to try and do cone shapes in purple and cube shapes in pink and rectangular shapes in green. Susan P.

lesson on making ice cubes by NoraJean
...she had an old way (plain translucent)
.....and now has a newer way that makes the the ice more opaque in areas so they show up better (layers of translucent, pearl and glow in the dark, stacked and reduced again and again)
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/Drinks/New-Ice.htm
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/Drinks/Juice-Grp.htm

MIXED. FOODS

Marcy's mini foods, for sale
http://www.marcysclaypen.com/miniatures/miniature.html
Christel's very realistic foods
http://home.online.no/~raje/Polymer/miniatures/index.html
Gail's many foods and kitchen containers, etc. (&Halloween, Valentines cakes, etc.)
http://home.att.net/~stuff22/foods.htm
Flo's many kinds of foods
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=298642&uid=155794
B.B.O.'s many foods (look under Seasonal too)
http://www.bbobx.homestead.com/index.html
many foods & drink in one place
http://smallstuff-digest.com/cgi-bin/archives.cgi?category=cat_fooddrink
iampoison's lesson on making simple ice cream scoops (balls, with ring added around bottom then indented)... bananas, sauce & bowl, for a banana split
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=157386.msg1573076#msg1573076
Katie N's lesson on making simple scoops of ice cream (balls flattened, then indented around bottom), then ladling over "chocolate" sauce (brown liquid clay) and various sprinkles, in bowl
http://tutorials.theclaystore.com/miniature-food/making-ice-cream-out-of-polymer-clay
Jane W's meats, cheeses, salad with bell pepper rings, olives, bread
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=4043334&a=30603422&pw=
Philippa's many foods (including peapods, fat and flat)... veggies, fruit, meats, cheeses, bread
http://www.bpcg.org.uk/membergallery/philippatodd.htm
*Allyson's mini site: food, & seasonal items, houses, dishes, etc.
also, for sale, a CD for lessons on candies and cookies
http://members.aol.com/alsminis/index.html
NoraJean's many foods, and some lessons (Asian, meats, drinks-juices, ice, breads, fruits, veg's)
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/Diner-MeatNbread.htm
*Angie Scarr's fruit, veg, plates, meat/fish, etc. (& lessons on oranges/peels, corn, leeks)
http://www.angiescarr.co.uk
olgasantos' foods and other miniatures
http://flickr.com/photos/as-miniaturas-da-olga/sets/72157600574261056
http://flickr.com/photos/as-miniaturas-da-olga/sets/72157600574820648
Barb Plevan's fruit, veggies, flowers, ....animals, shoes, fish, gone?
http://www.barbplevan.com/
Sherrall Chapman's various foods and sweets
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=1958870&uid=462662
Marcy's mini foods, for sale
http://marcysclaypen.com/mtable/pages/mingal.htm
man mini foods, etc., for sale
http://www.thaiminiatures.com/
Manuela Michieli’s miniatures & food too
http://www.minusqua.it/1_12/Galleria/Oggetti/Paste_Sintetiche/paste_sintetiche.html (click on each)
Teri's "Barbie's luncheon table" with two overlapped table cloths and dishes, food
http://hobbystage.net/art/media.cgi?site=teri&folder=*&group=1&page=*&id=1030192903-001352
Folkgal's miniature foods (mostly burgers & junk food) & chalkboard lessons
http://www.members.tripod.com/~Folkgal/ir00001a.htm
Karen's cookies, pies, cakes, olives, mushrooms and also make-up tray and make-up
http://community-2.webtv.net/GenieMagic7/KARENSCLAYCREATIONS/ (website gone)

.pizza... sushi (rice, seaweed wrap, cucumber, eel, egg)... fried shrimp (+cabbage,sliced tomato)
....spaghetti noodles & meat sauce.... beef noodle soup with veggies... beef stew with broccoli flowerets, potato & carrot hunks
(to view English translation through AltaVista's Babel Fish: go to: http://babelfish.altavista.com
.... enter this url in the Translate Page window:
http://park2.wakwak.com/~pine/studio/howto/index.htm ...then select Japanese to English

dried pasta (various shapes, colors) in bottles, by Philippa Todd http://www.bpcg.org.uk/images/agm2007/minipasta.jpg

OTHER FOODS and sites with lessons and examples of VARIOUS MINIATURES

video lessons on various foods and bake ware, etc., made with clay (or could be), or with resin, by GardenOf Imagination
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=GardenOfImagination&view=videos

April's miniature soups and stews using resin (probably polyester, but could be epoxy especially if done in several layers) surrounding bits of polymer clay food, poured into 1 1/2" wide glass bowls
...resin colored with oils, pigment powders, inks, et depending on final look desired
http://aprilsjunk.com/?p=97

Norajean's many lessons on many different foods (click in the "View Another Album" box for a listting of all foods)
http://www.norajean.com/Food/Index.htm
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1751108&a=30212726&f=0 (this first one is for bacon)

DISHWARE... COOKWARE, etc.

There are various ways of getting bowl, plate and glass shapes.
Sometimes it can also be helpful to bake in stages so that some shapes can be preserved (then add other parts, with liquid clay if necessary, etc.)

forms & armatures

TIPS: Many pieces of dishware, cookware, etc., can be made over various temporary armatures (forms)... or inside them
... just use the shape and size you'd need for the item you want to make.
....forms can removed before baking (esp. if using a non-oven safe surface), or removed after baking
.......however, if the angle of the form is too steep and the clay comes up too high on its sides, it may be difficult to remove the clay shape after baking (unless a release is used --like paper, aluminum foil, metallic powder, etc ...and in some cases cornstarch, Vaseline, etc.... see much more on releases to use with clay in Molds > Releases)
....can begin by cutting a clay disk (or other shape) of from a plain or patterned sheet of clay using a cutter of some kind
....if necessary, any rim-edges can be made smoother and more even by rubbing them on a sheet of sandpaper after baking

bowls made over convex surfaces:
...the size of the item used as a form will determine its amount of curvature the bowl has, so pick smaller items for smaller or more sharply-curved bowls, etc., and larger items for the shallow curves of plates, larger or more shallow bowls, etc.)
...possibilties for forms would be various sizes of:
....... spheres (glass marbles, glass ball ornaments, beads, ball bearings, and mostly spherical glass lightbulbs, etc. for putting clay onto)

bowls made inside concave surfaces:
........hemispheres and domes (paint tray wells, measuring spoons, cabachon molds, round caps/lids, etc )
(...also see Beads > Hollow & Lentils for lots more ideas and details since making mini bowls this way is similar to some of the ways used to create hollow and "lentil" beads )

Or make your own (baked) clay forms (and use a release)

bowls over marbles:
Elizabeth's lesson on an old-fashioned green "ceramic" mixing bowl
....disk of white clay pressed evenly a little more than halfway around a (large) glass marble
...edge (rim of bowl) cut straight around equator with a long blade (or can cut after baking while still warm)
...exterior impressed with rows of semicircular "dents" for embellishment... and line impression added just under rim on outside to create appearance of thicker rim
...sand rim of bowl and its edges on sandpaper after baking and cooling for smoothest results
...coat of green-tinted translucent liquid clay wash added everywhere but on the exterior of the rim-edge, baked... then 2 coats of clear finish
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=640954&uid=488109 (scroll down to green bowl, then click on "Grandma's bowl"...
.........or http://pic18.picturetrail.com/VOL901/488109/640954/7240943.jpg )
lesson on making simple unembellished bowl, over a regular-size marble, by chat-noir (iampoison)
http://chat-noir.deviantart.com/art/Polymer-Clay-Bowl-Tutorial-50569324

my tiny cups were made from tiny balls of clay, wrapped around the end of a (large?) ball stylus
... I trimmed around it to level up the lip of the cup.... handle applied with a tiny bit of TLS
... bottom flattened against the table
...semi-cured cup on the stylus with a heat gun (just enough to get the clay to firm up for handling)
....remove and and place it where you want it to go with a tiny drop of TLS (then bake). Elizabeth
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=640954&uid=488109
....cups on table 1/8" across... cookies on plates are 1/16" square
....teapot on stove is almost 3/16" tall... simple little ball of clay, manipulated only with ball stylus tools as I applied the hair-like handle and tiny ball on top.
....plates were made by cutting disks from a sheet of clay with a tiny Kemper cutter, then lifting the outside edges of the plates all around. Elizabeth
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=644965&uid=488109

I have found that the rounded bottoms of test tubes are great for making bowls and cups around. 

I also use small bottles to mould sauce pans etc around.  

dissolvable or softenable or shrinkable armatures could also be used, especially for for pots with narrow necks
....(e.g., paper-based materials /clays, cereals/grains, fruits/veggies--perhaps shaped or carved, cornstarch peanuts, polystyrene, etc.)

(...also see Vessels > Bowls for other ways to make larger bowls, which could also be used for mini bowls)

(...see more on all forms and armatures in: Vessels > Hollow Forms ...and Armatures-Temporary ...and Covering > #6 Polystyrene)

impressing & "drilling"

Many pieces of dishware/cookware can be made by stamping or pushing into a ball, disk, or other shape of clay with an item that's the shape of the opening desired; for example:
...circular flat "stamps" could be used to make plates with rims, skillets, sauce pans, etc.
........(e.g., a pencil eraser, or the end of a dowel or metal rod, an unsharpened pencil, colored-pencil, Xacto knife, etc ... or make your own baked clay stamp)
....round-ended "stamps" could be used to make bowls and pots (e.g., ends of some paintbrush handles, gel markers, etc.... or make a round-ended stamp by using something round like a bead or marble perhaps glued on the end of a toothpick if necessary, or by making a round-ended rod from clay, etc.)

 video lesson on making a tiny cup, by Christel Jensen, by pressing a flat-ended rod into a ball of clay, gently working it down to the bottom of the "cup" ball (first in hands, then on work surface)... baking... then adding two dots of liquid clay and pressing on a handle before baking again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OnJ_fhXbjY (second half of video)

video lesson on making "footed" and non-footed platters, by GardenOfImagination
....made by pressing various flat round tools into a cutout of clay (using a flower-shape mini cutter for the scalloped ones), then pressing a small round cutout disk on the back for the footed ones
...she bakes the platters, then also paints the fronts with acrylic paints, then clear-seals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dSxNoWkkwI

rolling with rods inside

Sue Heaser's lesson on making a pot or vase by sticking a needle into a ball of clay, then using the needle to roll the ball back and forth on a work surface to widen the hole and shape it
... gradually substituting other tools as hole enlarges (paintbrush handles/knitting needles/etc., dusted with cornstarch) until the walls are as thin as desired, and pressing the "bottom" area of pot" on work surface periodically to flatten it
...she also then embellishes the outside of the pot by impressing silverware handle patterns on the body, making a rim by indenting with small rod, etc, while supporting the wall from inside with a finger/etc. ...bakes...then antiques the impressions
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/orntrees1.html

lessons from Pine Studio ...for plate ... teacup ... bowl (painted with designs)
... initial shape formed by pressing ball of clay on end of rounded pen barrel or other rod, bottom rolled in palm... top cut with blade, filed)
(to view English translation through AltaVista's Babel Fish: go to: http://babelfish.altavista.com
.... enter this url in the Translate Page window:
http://park2.wakwak.com/~pine/studio/howto/index.htm ...then select Japanese to English
(non-polymer clays are used, but some great ideas and could be modified)
(see also Banu's mini-lesson on making a cup just below in More Websites)

pinch pot, then hollowing

...Elizabeth's lesson on making a tiny pitcher using the pinch pot technique
.....afterward insert a well-powdered brass rod or blunt end of pen into pinch pot and create a long neck by stretching clay up the rod and smoothing (remove and use more cornstarch if begins to stick)...(can embellish the body with texture by rolling over a powdered texture sheet, etc, if want)... then cut neck (on rod) to length desired, and add handle... remove from rod... slowly/gently flare the "front" area of the rim to creating pouring lip... bake
..... she also paints the pitcher bright silver with silver-colored real metal powder mixed into Diluent-Softener (letting settle, baking, + second coat)
http://polymerclayexpress.com/octo2003.html ( 6 photos of that lesson in middle of page... can click on each for enlargement )
...Banu's lesson on using same technique for pitcher, adding a lid
http://tutorials.theclaystore.com/techniques/how-to-make-a-grainy-green-crockery
(much more on making pinch pots and "balloon vessels" by blowing into pinch pots in Vessels > Pinch Pots
....some examples of more vaselike forms made this way:
http://thepolyparrot.com/bubble2.html )

"throwing" clay on a wheel

. . . . (Will Trucheon? --demonstrated it at the Arrowmont conference. (Use Sculpey III; make grog by rolling Sculpey III really thin, baking the sheets, grinding them up and screening them; and throw using KY Jelly, or generic equivalent, instead of water for moistening! Weird but true!)
......I've had my mini wheel 6 months.... my blunderings have been mostly in stoneware. You don't use fingers/hands for throwing, just paint brush handles, etc. ...there is little resistance and the smaller wheel head spins faster so well conditioned (plain? not ground) polyclay (Sculpey) stuck well to the wheel...The other brands may need the KY because of the extra firmness. SharronT1

misc

lesson on making a pitcher, or a drinking glass or jar (translucent-glass) ...by NoraJean
....translucent clay is tinted, then shaped and baked to create a glass-vessel-with-a-drink-in-it
.....OR, the previous tinted translucent shape is made and baked, then plain translucent is added to create a higher lip as the "top of the glass"... plus a handle and foot in the case of a pitcher
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/Drinks/Koolaid-Grape-Grp.htm
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/food/Diner-IceNjuice.htm
(also see other places on this page dealing with tinted liquid clays or tinted transcluent clays)

Elizabeth's (some lessons) cups, saucers, mixing bowl, cookie sheet, wooden spoon ...also dough, gingerbread people, cookies with icing and raisins
....I find it's easiest for many of these to cure in stages sometimes
...miniature cookie jars ...I found it a lot easier to make the base of the jar and cure it, then make a lid to fit it. ....You could use a pinch pot or create the base over a form.
....hot chocolate and mini marshmallows (the cups have little block of cornstarch peanuts in the bottom, then a thin layer of dark brown clay, then a layer of tinted liquid sculpey... brown, with a few touches of opaque white swirled in, to mimic the melting marshmallows. The marshmallows were cured in a tiny snake form, then cut after
..for the wooden rolling pin, I believe I made the little handles first, cured them, then made the roller part..Eliz.
http://thepolyparrot.com/cookies.html

Jane W. creates her clay pies inside metal bottle caps (partly smashed, and painted silver) so fluted edges will stick out well...
...could also use a metal bottle cap as removable form or a mold, perhaps using a mold release
...or could make a mold from the back side of bottle cap

Jane W. used a round filigree finding as her "dish" underneath petit fours and round bakery paper protector

You can get exactly the look of an old metal cookie sheet by baking Silver polymer clay a little too long, Jeanne

Christel Jensen's video lesson on making a miniature oval tray with tall sides and handle-holes (for her tea set) ...she uses a paper template for the side piece
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6ba2HnzyW8

websites... some with lessons

Delftware ...Alan uses one-to-one white + Pearl, and Ultramarine + translucent (these are pins, but could be bowls)
http://pcpolyzine.com/0210october/delft04a.jpg
.....could instead make the Delft canes round, then use each make plate or bowl, etc.
.....for more on simulating Delftware with canes, see Houses-Structures > Tiles (> Delft)
.....could also stamp with blue--or paint over of course, or use transfers or stamped/sanded mokume gane, etc
adorable Mexican bowls by Betsy ("painted" bright yellow, red, green, lime green, and/or blue patterns around their wide rims --top edge of rim painted red... insides and outsides of bowl solid bright color)
http://www.angelfire.com/art2/smallstuff/page18.html
Mr. X's Secret Zone (many foods, dishes, houses-landscape, "ceramics" all kinds of things!)
http://www.kh.rim.or.jp/~shou/index_e.html
Wenzel's miniatures (food, tables, etc.)
http://www.cernit.com/minifram.htm
various minis from PCC members picnic table and hutch with food, dishes, etc.
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/claypen_minis.html
Kathy's lessons on cookie trays and bread (french, farmer's, and regular)
http://post.queensu.ca/~readel/MEKA/Workshops/Bread.html http://post.queensu.ca/~readel/MEKA/Workshops/Cookies.html (gone)
Marie D's various dishes... vases... vessels
http://www.marieidraghi.it/minivasi.htm
Vesta's small pot vases heavily stamped and Pearl Ex'd... with small openings (could be created in several ways)
http://www.expressionartmagazine.com/JA03toc.html ("Practical Stamping")
Katie's lesson on sculpting a cast iron skillet (frying pan)... bacon + eggs to put in it
http://tutorials.theclaystore.com/miniature-food/making-a-frying-pan-with-bacon-and-eggs
Nora Jean's (cast iron) dark metal skillets, pots, plates, etc.
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/What'sTheDish/Pot-Therapy-01.htm
Marita's cups, teapots, and skillets in mini-shelving unit
http://bussola.supereva.it/italyclay/book/foto/marita1.jpg
Banu's lesson on a mini teapot, .teacup, saucer and tray (using crayon shavings mixed into FimoSoft's "Marble" color clay)
http://tutorials.theclaystore.com/techniques/how-to-make-a-grainy-green-crockery
video lesson on a solid-clay teapot, with handle, and indented lid with tiny ball on top, by Christel Jensen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OnJ_fhXbjY (first half of video)
Christel's video lesson on covering a black clay teapot with copper paint, then adding a "painted wood" handle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToT2S6Ob_2Q
Christel's video lesson on an old fashioned aluminum teapot by painting most of a black clay teapot shape with silver real-metal powder mixed into Fimo clear finish (2 coats) everywhere except the handle, knob on lid, and tip end of spout --or could use a silver or pewter acrylic paint
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZjLUrVluDg
Sarajane's dishes, teapots, cups, platter, etc.
http://www.polyclay.com/mini.htm
(see also Pine Studios just below)
Manuela's interesting teapots, some made as a vegetable
http://www.minusqua.it/1_12/Galleria/Oggetti/Paste_Sintetiche/Teiere/teiere.html
Alan V's gingham teapots
http://groups.msn.com/ALANpolymer/polyclaysculpture.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=28
Family Fun's lesson on making a tea pot and set by wrapping a wood bead with clay ropes (bees/etc.)
http://family.go.com/crafts/buildmodel/craft/beeteaset/
Christina's various mini's on top of table in small scene
http://www.geocities.com/chellstr/clay/sculptures.html
Michelle from Hong Kong's many minatures
http://www.okmic.com/michelle/my_index.htm
Cathi's miniature fluted bowl & teacups... pitcher in bowl (also fruits, foods, aquarium with fish, etc.)
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=6&uid=820896& (look all around) \dishes, bowls, etc (gone)

(for more photos of foods are also on covers, etc., of mini-food videos....see Videos above)

video lesson on making a table knife using a (fancy) metal finding as the hilt...blade made from clay then pressed onto it... by GardenOfImagtination
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UudfF-tuA3g

Garie's lesson on making an Asian spoon... by carving a spoon shape from polystyrene (packing) foam, covering the underside and partway up sides of it with aluminum foil (carving a beveled edge on exposed foam on sides)... then covering with a layer of clay... baking, then removing foam armature (which will have shrunk) and alum. foil (layer of liquid clay added and rebaked for gloss)
note: ... extruded polystyrene (pink or blue..for building insulation, Home Depot) is easier to carve and less crumbly than expanded ps (white)
http://www.garieinternational.com.sg/clay/polymer_spoon.htm

Katie N's lesson on making a toaster
... plus cartoon-type toast with melting butter and strawberry jam (both achieved with pieces of butter or strawberries on top of a "puddle" (flat amoeba shape of lighter or duller-colored) butter or jam
http://tutorials.theclaystore.com/miniature-food/how-to-make-a-toaster-with-toast

(more also below in More Websites)

 FIGURES + general HINTS ....+ MISC.

(for most animals --whimsical and realistic-- see Kids > Animals & Websites, and also in
...Sculpting> Other Items > Animals ...and also in Websites on that page)

Violette uses many miniature items --molded, sculpted, freeformed-- in her assemblages (shadowboxes), and in various other ways on this page:
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=3731886&uid=477851

slices from tiny canes or from logs can be used in many ways for miniatures.
.....my tiny items (& regular cane slices sewn or glued onto an appliqued tree on a quilt block (website gone)
...I've also bought tiny prebaked canes from Angie Scarr after getting some free on a magazine. Hers are fruit and veggy slices for mini food ...You can slice them fine at room temp as well as when warm. Great for on top of pizza etc.(I've found cutting tiny canes like this hard when unbaked without squishing them.) Esther
...Linc's pre-made, baked (silhouette-type, non-round) canes of tiny gingerbread people, stars, snowman, few animals, etc.(no background, just figure... cane lengths for sale; must be warmed before cutting )
http://lincsminiworld.bizland.com/USAGEpics.chtml (gallery 3-4 pages)
http://lincsminiworld.bizland.com/store/page1.html (order page)
http://lincsminiworld.bizland.com/store/page1.html
...Tamara's tiny prebaked canes (many themes) http://www.designcanes.com/products.htm
she uses drill bit # 65 (.035" dia)...for beads, she cuts them 3/16 " thick with single-edge razor blade (see Canes-gen > Slicing > Before Baking for lots more on baking or partly baking before slicing to avoid distorting cane)

molds... small molds can also be created from polymer clay or 2-part silicone or other materials, to help reproduce a number of the same miniature items ... e.g., see some molds for my candies here:
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/DianeBB/Christmas-winter/gingerbread_house.jpg
...and Angie's molds for grapes, etc.
http://www.angiescarr.co.uk/1001_28.JPG.UK_Craft_Items_Moulds.html

Premo is my clay of choice for jewellery but not necessarily for miniatures ...just because Premo's un-mixed colours (from the package) are not as "natural" (as FimoClassic's?) --they are really brilliant and wonderful for mixing, but for minis you need subtle leaf green and good browns
...you can, of course, mix subtle colours with Premo but a lot of people find it is easier to have a nice basic leaf green as a starting point, for example. Sue Heaser

liquid clay also makes a great glaze/protection for small parts that might get knocked off with wear and tear ....eg. Whiskers on my bunnies or cats or flower stems/leaves in my mini baskets. Victoria  

The best thing you can do when trying to duplicate food is to have it in front of you!!
....If not good sources of pictures for fruits and veggies are encyclopedias, plant catalogs, etc, Laura
..or online, use Google's Image Search to bring up a zillion photos of anything

SCENES, etc.

NOTE: most of the scenes and bases at GlassAttic (mini & small) are located in:
Kids-Beginners > Scenes & Dioramas
Houses-Structures > Whole structures & Scenes and in Background scenery, bases
Halloween > Scenes , Dioramas, Houses
Christmas > Sculpting and Websites
Sculpting > Bases

Tamara's lesson on making a tiny (gingerbread) Christmas house (2-storey) with decorations, plus tree etc, on a base mostly with slices from tiny canes
... she cuts two thick slices from "house-shaped" logs of clay (one smaller and cut thinner than the other)
... lays a sheet of white clay on roof of each ...puts the smaller one on top of the larger one as a 2nd floor
...adds cane slice decorations .......places house on disk of white clay and adds a tree, bushes, etc. in "yard"
http://www.designcanes.com/christmas.htm

tiny figures with 1-2 items)
http://www.clayvision.com/clay/retired.htm (most simple, Japanese)
http://www.clayvision.com/claypictures.htm ...http://clayvision.net/dog/dogfaqs.htm (dogs, etc.)...Cynthia's Clayvision
(...see more figures & much more on making figures in Sculpting and also in Heads-Masks)

rhinestic's tiny 3-D miniatures inset into the front of a greeting card (like a shadow box)
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh28/rhinestic/clayCardsXZZ.jpg

Jeanne R's mini woven reed round box and lid (for mini "sewing supplies").. made with twisted ropes spiralled like Balinese Filigree over a form....also her various sewing supplies (plus sewing tomatoes and strawberries) made from clay
http://www.heartofclay.com/eb/swapjeanne2.jpg and http://www.heartofclay.com/eb/swapjeanne21.jpg

fabric, rugs, upholstery, drapes, etc. ....(soft things)

Elizabeth's burrow house & heart house have lots of furnishings
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=640954&uid=488109 ...burrow house
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=644965&uid=488109 ..heart house
.....(many items below are in one of these 2 albums)....

rugs
(heart house, 1st floor)...thin clay sheets with a Florentine paper marbling pattern with fringe (see Sheets > Marbled Paper for technique)
.........rug is cured flat on the working tile, after the "fringe" is added by repeatedly stamping into a tiny snake of white clay with a needle tool.
........similar rug with fringe in burrows house, but only striped, not Florentine (dragged stripes)?
...round "braided"? rug (2nd floor) ... outer edge fluted
...round white rug (1st floor) made same way as doily just below

bedspread and draperies (and upholstery) (heart house, 2nd floor) made from slices from a kaleidoscope cane used as fabric --over scrap shapes

doily on table (heart, 2nd floor) ....stick a very thin sheet of white clay to a tile... use a Kemper cutter to cut a tiny disk shape
.....make a "crochet" design with a ball point stylus or a blunted toothpick... starting in the center of the circle and spiraling outwards to edges (can scallop the edges to make them fancier) .... bake on tile ...scrape up with tissue blade and apply with some (white) glue or with a dab of TLS (TLS will need another curing.)

lacey antimacassars (heart, 2nd floor) laid on arms and head areas of the overstuffed chair are "lace canes" made with white & translucent clays (see Canes-Instr. > Lacey)

Jeanne R's lesson on simulating a woven fabric using a mica clay sheet and ghost impression technique
... produces a coarse to fine (depending on texture sheet), even-weave, grid-like pattern
...for miniatures esp, may want to flatten gridded sheet in pasta machine thinner and thinner to create less definition
http://www.heartofclay.com/pc/fauxfabrics.htm

I'm hoping to use PhototEZ to print my own custom fabric for the wallcoverings, draperies and upholstery in my dollhouse :-)
... tiny little white-on-white prints would be so pretty - Elizabeth (see Transfers > PhotoEZ)

real fabric can be made into sealed, flexible clay-type "fabrics" with solid clays or white glue or liquid clays
(these substances are either adhered to the fabric or embedded in it)
...then the "fabrics" can be draped or formed in various ways to make things like:
.......bedspreads, lampshades, wallpaper, book covers, drapes, upholstery, rugs, clothing, ... and many other things

for more info on those fabrics, plus many more ways to create "fabric" with clay
....see Sculpting-body > Fabric & Clothing

FURNITURE & Lamps

couches, chairs, tables, beds, stoves, lamps, etc.

upholstered clay couches
(can be regular couches if have cushions..... or "business card couches" if not)
... I've been making fun clay "couches" out of scrap clay, then covering with  canes... (also great for using up all those odds and ends). Jen
......to make these as business card couches, the seat area needs to be a shallow rectangular well, with a square logs of "fabric" (faux cushion) at front edge to hold the cards in
...most of these have "camel backs" and rolled arms . . . but could be anything you want!
Jen's lesson.... also click on "click here for pattern" http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/cardcouch.html (may want to shorten length of couch a bit?)
Denise in Austin's couches http://community.webshots.com/album/28162438OaiQJRMelS
...here are some problems with the couch I made (see solutions below)
.......bubbles after baking... between the "fabric" lamination layer and the base layer
......the seat started sagging in the middle while I was assembling the back and the arms
......getting the arms rolled up so they look the same size and shape
......getting the arms to match up with the back part of the couch. Kellie
...(if they are solid clay) they use up a LOT of scrap clay ... and with each one I find a new kink I have to work out.
..... But they do get lots of notice! Carlita
...I found it difficult to assemble the parts (when raw); some parts slump, and it is too difficult to brace them
...... so instead, I create all the parts separately... (bake the parts)... and then glue them together with 2-part-epoxy.
.........I haven't had any problems with this method. ....be careful not to mix up too much at a time; it sets up in a few minutes. Michael

couch-like business card holder
I started by making a (seat) form out of some business cards, taped together, then coated them w/ (white glue)
.... I covered the form w/ clay, baked it, and then added the cane slice design
.......(and then? added a semi-circular slab of pattered clay around the cards for the back-and-arms? (no "legs")
....I also covered 4 marbles w/ PC to act as weights for my cards so they won't blow away on windy days, which I'm told look like pillows, and are probably the most handled item on my booth (see just below). Laurel
on http://www.ArtistCrafts.com (hold cursor over words "Custom Orders" )
....I used the cardboard from a Priority mailing box, and covered that with scrap clay...
........my couch going to have a pillow and an afghan on it ....and possibly a table behind it with a potted plant, and maybe a tv remote or a pencil and paper or a lamp or something else.... my head is spinning with ideas. Pam MI
.... Margaret D. created a strong, lightweight couch by gluing (or taping) together several layers of corrugated cardboard for each component... then wrapped each component in aluminum foil... wrapped each base with scrap clay ... baked ... then covered with pattern sheets ...assembled pieces then used silk pins to attach the pieces together (with difficulty!) ....placed lenths of tiny trim over all seams ...created square log in same color to place on leading edge of seat ...added ruffled skirts to bottoms of some ..baked 45-60 min.
(see more cardboard and cardstock furniture at bottom of this subcategory, and Maureen's chair)

regular couches...not for business cards
Elizabeth's couch and chair ..... blocks of scrap clay are covered with pattern sheets, then assembled ...and baked
.......Florentine paper marbling technique used on first floor ...(lesson in Sheets > Marbled Paper)
...... kaleidoscope canes on second floor ...(see Canes-Instr. > Kaleidoscope)
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=644965&uid=488109 (burrows)
Alexandra's many Victorian and other fancy couches & chairs --also some leather...some gilded wood
http://www.alexandrablythe.co.uk/early-work.htm
http://www.alexandrablythe.co.uk/photogallery/commissions/commissions-pics/stock1-100.jpg
http://tinyurl.com/aylks
Felicia's all polymer? couches ... or just patterned clay upholstery, on purchased carved-wood couches?
http://polymerisland.com/dolls.html
Oscelyn's purple couch with 2 puffy cushions, plus several puffy throw pillows
http://www.whimsicalclaycreations.com/OOAK.html
Alexandra's carved wood chairs, with upholstered seat & back, etc ....http://tinyurl.com/8t4at
...carved and gilded wood chairs (highlight-gilded & completely gilded)
http://www.alexandrablythe.co.uk/photogallery/commissions/commissions-pics/stock1-100.jpg
http://www.alexandrablythe.co.uk/photogallery/commissions/commissions-pics/Ten%20green%20bottles.jpg

Once you get the hang of making couches, you can change the shape or size of the back (or the sides or arms) of the couch. Carla
...they're terrific for gifts, too! Carla

...you can make a little quilt to use as a throw on the sofa or chair
...for "pillows" to put on the couches, see Covering > Glass > Flat glass pebbles
...... or make pillow beads (see Beads), or any pillow type you want

I'm going to try some kind of chaise next. Carlita

stuffed chairs... upholstered couches could also be chairs if the middle parts were just shorter
...Donna's teeny-tiny chairs http://www.worthart.com/Odds.html
...Marie S's overstuffed chintz fabric chair with "dimples" from buttons, and a skirt... and also an ottoman
http://www.clayfactory.net/marie/02-07-04/pages/chair1.htm

Maureen Carlson shows how to make an overstuffed chair in her book Family and Friends in Polymer Clay, (using a tri-panel of cardboard for the back/arms, and a box in-between...all taped together & covered with smooth foil (logs of foil added inside arms)... then covered with scrap clay ...and finally cane slices

Monica's lesson on making a (rounded) wood-back chair with a cushion by wrapping ropes of clay temporarily around a 3 cm diameter, pipe armature (glass or metal, or wrapped with aluminum foil?)
http://guide.supereva.com/hobby_femminili/interventi/2002/05/105737.shtml

Monica also shows a wooden park bench which appears to be "planks" of faux wood clay applied over a solid base form ... with tiny two tiny "rivets" near ends of each board. (same link as just above)

Amy's 7-9" miniature wrought iron "chair" purchased at Hobby Lobby?... with added polymer seat cushion, & often large cane slice glued onto inside of chair back
http://www.creationsinclay.com (click on Collectibles) ... she uses as candle holder

tables, 4-poster bed, chest, etc., for the figures in role-playing games (and other accessories)
polymer miniatures as accessories for the figures in for role-playing games (including some furtniture)
http://kimberlychapman.com/crafts/polymerclay.html

Beckah's tiny tables with drawers, and bead legs (top is several layers)
http://www.bearingbeads.com/Images/_iglass.jpg

Monica's round cafe style table with tablecloth... metal jar lid covered with clay ... block of clay added to center of concave side... two lengths of white covered wire (telephone wire? or thick white clothes hanger wire), each bent in half then curled into two legs (also curled at bottom), pressed into on onto clay block... round disk of clay with added scallops at rim formed with rope of white clay(embellishment) draped over flat side of lid
http://guide.supereva.com/hobby_femminili/interventi/2001/05/43200.shtml (in Italian, but photos sufficient)

Shirlyn's hollow miniature side table (...box open on one side) made by covering a rectangular block of polystyrene foam (packing foam, Styrofoam, etc.) with aluminum foil, then covering all but one side (bottom) with clay, adding feet to bottom... baking... removing foil and foam
... then made into a cabinet by adding a hinged door to open side after baking?
http://www.garieinternational.com.sg/clay/polymer_student.htm
...also, her small overstuffed chair

Donna W's lion- table (two lion heads, 2 upraised tails, 4 lion legs and feet, Egyptian)
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=932008&uid=448958
many Egyptian items and furniture
http://mariesmanor.hotusa.org/Egypt.html (do not click on Yes or OK in any of pop-up windows.... click on No or X... after several pop-ups, you'll get in)

simple mini furniture of various kinds, see "Create Anything With Clay" (Klutz Press book)

Elizabeth's simple mini wood chair... tables... stools (see both burrows and heart house links just below)

Jennifer's oven unit (range), sink over cabinets, and refrigerator, plus a sofa, using simple materials
http://www.letsbuildadollhouse.com/lbdhbuild%20a%20kitchen.htm
http://www.letsbuildadollhouse.com/lbdhbuild%20a%20sofa.htm

Elizabeth's burrows house & heart house
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=640954&uid=488109 (burrows)
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=644965&uid=488109 (heart house)
...pot-bellied stove (burrow ) ...made of pre-baked stovepipes, legs, and stovetops ...attached to raw balls of black clay
......round indentation was made in the front of the stove... then filled with yellow/red granules of clay...pressed flat.
......a grate was made over the front of the firebox with little threads of raw black clay.
......everything was "glued" together with TLS (liquid clay), and allowed to sit for a while before curing.
...Maude's taller pot bellied stove lesson http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/cezanne/4/minis/potbellyheater.html
rectangular wood stove (heart) is about 9/16" tall . All the faces of the stove were made and cured and then pushed onto the sides of a tiny block of raw clay. That way, I kept smooth surfaces on the cast iron during the assembly.

shelves (burrows)...are cured, then inserted into the raw walls
...add little cups, books, etc.... after baking (miniscule "folded" pieces of clay "fabric") can be placed on shelves (after shelves are cured)

bed with headboard and footboard (burrows & heart house)
....create the bed frames first
.......make flat headbord and footboard (can cut out a heart or other shape, if want)
.......make "turned" wood posts by rolling a needle or toothpick over each of 4 raw clay ropes to create grooves ...trim ends
.......make slats (will go between bedsteads and side boards)
......cure these pieces
......assemble the headboards & footboards.. cut sideboards ....glue everything together with superglue (trimming baked pieces, if needed)
.......bedspread...make a rectangular blob of scrap clay that fits between the headboard and footboard
........cover it with a sheet of clay "fabric" ....fold the clay at the head of the bed to resemble a pillow (& put a little piece of clay underneath)
........apply TLS to the inside of headboard, footboard and side boards... put the fabric-covered blob into place
........... sculpt the "fabric" so that it hangs down straight.... trim with scissors
............to texture the bedspread, "handle" the bed with chiffon covering your fingers
.......press a tiny little pre-baked throw-pillow into a drop of TLS placed on the big pillow
.......let sit awhile (removing any runs of TLS with a paintbrush) .... cure for 20 min.

Tonja's "bed" ... one of Tonja's "covered" Altoid boxes looks like a bed (just add pillows!)
... it's actually a painted tin... with a large cane slice (larger than the top of the box) laid across the top ...the large slice drapes over the edge, and forms a flare at each corner...she added "legs" under the box
http://www.tonjastreasures.com/vessels/tn18.htm
...my mom says it looks like a table with a tablecloth on it. Tonja ....(maybe with taller legs?)

Kristie's fancy bed at PCC challenge http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/chall_jan00.html

lesson on bed with headboard & footboard (multiple spindles) (made from wood, but parts or all could be clay)
http://www.cdhm.org/tutorials/making-a-miniature-bed.html

old-fashioned trunks ...or "treasure chests"
...Flo's various hinged, wood boxes with clasps (cheapies, from Michaels) covered or partly-covered with clay... some with fancy wood added to bottom and/or other embellishements
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=518167&uid=155794
...I covered an Altoid tin with "faux wood" ... then added (faux metal?) "corners" and a (tiny metal?) "latch" to it to make the box look like a little treasure chest.... It was pretty cute, and VERY simple.

Sarajane's fancy Victorian dressing table + framed mirror
... small freestanding "drawer" on each side of "marble" surface (also many polymer items on dresser)
http://www.beadbabe.com/img/uploads/ItemPicture/ImageFileName/21339_1141640355_f5File_vanity%20web.jpg

Lisa Pavelka's lesson on small "dressers" made from stacked matchboxes w/ sides and feet
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/crafting/article/0,1789,HGTV_3352_1399691,00.html
http://www.heartinhandstudio.com/Match_Box_Drawers.JPG
... more dressers... see Kids > "Covering"

I primarily used popscicle sticks to make much of the furniture for the 12" tall house I made for my daughter
.. for example, I built the couch out of popsicle sticks, then added some padding and sewed a cover for it out of an old flannel shirt
...I used toenail clippers to cut the ends off of the sticks. Budster2023

Shirlyn's lampshade for lamp, cone shaped (sheet of glow-in-the-dark clay formed over paper cone)
http://www.garieinternational.com.sg/clay/polymer_student.htm

Tiffany lampshade (upsidedown "stained glass" clay bowl) & miniature clay lamp
...lesson on both by Alan V. in Covering > Glass > Nightlights-Shields-Screens-Lamps (> Shades)
http://groups.msn.com/ALANpolymer/polymerclaycanework.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=95

adorable, fancy lamp made from metal filigree bead cap (as the shade) and other shiny beads, all strung on a head pin, with dangles of smaller beads hanging from perimeter of bead cap edges, by GardenOfImagination (could have some clay beads too)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8cOTIRk9XE
... see also SaraJane's fancy mini-perfume bottles:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarajanehelm/2770609219 (move forward & back in "photostream" to see all)

Sarajane H's miniature "planter" made from the bottom half of an Altoid box (she put a spider plant and one with large lobed green leaves into it)
http://flickr.com/photos/sarajanehelm/2771457382
(for more miniature planters and vases, etc., see Flowers & Leaves above)

or make your own "furniture" from twigs & nature materials --indoor and outdoor (not polymer, but cool..)
http://www.ladybug-fairies.com/furniture.htm
...twig bed http://anniesminis.com/bed.htm
...baby cradle (1 1/2 walnut shells on rockers) http://anniesminis.com/cradle.htm
...fairy chairs (lesson) ... made with twigs
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/12528.xml
http://anniesminis.com/mossy.htm
TIPS on making twig furniture from Anne
...make sure all twigs are thoroughly dry.. if not, heat in oven at 225
...can stiffen twigs with Minwax's" wood hardener" mixed 1:1 with acetone
...use tacky glue for adhering things and/or? a gap filling superglue (can also use a spray accelerant to speed up join if superglue)

or make your own furniture from cardstock or cardboard, then cover all or parts of each piece with polymer clay
http://www.babygadget.net/pics/cardboard_furniture.jpg
lessons on very cool open-roof "house" of rooms, with all kinds of furniture, bathtub, etc., for figures, or for diorama, dollhouse, etc.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Beanie_Baby_house

or use mini-printables that you cut out and fold ...templates (blank or precolored-patterned) which can be printed on paper or coardstock (or transferred onto polymer clay!!) as miniatures (or enlarge them) --e.g. paintings, rugs, etc.
...Jim Collin's mini printables ...loads of mini printables in all kinds of categories, and in various scales
......his page for 12:1 scale items, etc. (see other scales in sidebar)
http://www.printmini.com/printables/p1.shtml ..... http://www.printmini.com/printables/

"paintings" for walls
...put frames around tiny transfers of famous (or not famous) "paintings" (see Transfers)
......or just decoupage them onto clay in tiny frames
....could make frames gilded with metallic leaf or foil or powders, etc.
.........(see Frames > Very Small for some great ideas)
....or just faux wood, or any style
Susan's lesson on making simple, tiny framed paintings (with faux wood)
http://tutorials.theclaystore.com/dolls/doll-house-miniature-pictures

(see many more mini-printables and blank templates in Boxes-Gift)

(also see accessories , windows, roofs, etc., in Houses-Structures )

OTHER miniature ITEMS

books are made from a tiny rectangle of whitish clay ...3 of the sides are textured in parallel lineswith a blade to resemble pages ...the book is "wrapped" with very thin colored clay ....indentations are made on both sides of the "spine" with fine knitting needles... outside of the book is textured with chiffon to resemble cloth-bound books ...baked... excess fabric (covers) trimmed off leaving them just overlapping the pages slightly.

Tracy's accessories for her Amish figures
http://www.doveceramics.com/amish.html
Shane's accessories held in the arms of her angels ..Christmas and non-Christmas items
http://www.shanesangels.com (click on Products and Gallery)

bagpipes (with octopus <g>)
http://www.alexandrablythe.co.uk/photogallery/work/work-pics/leader.jpg
Garie's baby grand piano and double elec. guitar (played by ladybugs)
http://www.garieinternational.com.sg/clay/love_bug.htm

Fayette's trowel.... brush... hammer ...with her archaeologist figure
http://www.pbase.com/fayette/misc_sold_dolls

I have made great little rakes, knifes, etc. using the aluminum piece from a 3 1/4" floppy disk (very thin and strong)
...the metal pops right off and can be cut with scissors, just don't use your best ones!!! Kellie B.

Sarajane's fancy Victorian items on a dressing table
... tiny hand mirrors .... perfume bottles, etc....."large" framed mirror
http://www.beadbabe.com/img/uploads/ItemPicture/ImageFileName/21339_1141640355_f5File_vanity%20web.jpg
3 more sets of perfume bottles and trays (various beads, findings, clay, etc.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarajanehelm/2770609219 (move forward & back in "photostream" to see all)

(look in Kids for Crafty Owl's 10-Minute Teddy bear. . .could be tiny)

many polymer items can be made for "remembrance" altars of the Mexican celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead... which occurs around Halloween)
....such as foods, items the departed souls loved in life, tiny skeletons engaged in everyday activities, candies, etc.
... for photos and lessons for those, see Halloween > Dia de los Muertos

Shane's accessories held in the arms of her angels ...Christmas and non-Christmas items
http://www.shanesangels.com (click on Products and Gallery)

make your own tiny 3-D item (such as a birdhouse or box) from cardstock, etc, then cover with a veneer of clay.
....could make all kinds of boxy things like washers, dryers, stoves, etc.
http://www.bydonovan.com/templates.html (couple of birdhouse templates)
Jim Collin's *many* mini printables .... has patterns for computers, houses, computers, lamp shades , trunks, etc.
http://www.printmini.com/printables

little items hanging on a wall are just illusions ("sculpted" blobs of clay):
.......blue Granitex for the "jeans" ... cadmium yellow for "rain slicker" ... white for dishcloth
.......blobs are attached with liquid clay, and then sculpted with a rubber chisel tip into a roughly triangular shape with lots of folds

lesson on putting mini clay tadpoles (and greenery) in epoxy resin inside miniature bottle, in several layers (...layers are thicker than 1/8" ea though, which is okay even for epoxy resins since these are miniatures??--or could just use polyester "casting" resins)
http://miniatures.about.com/od/miniatureprojects/ss/tadpolejar.htm

lesson ...many kinds of hats to make by shrinking foam cups in the oven, then embellishing, see Sculpting-Bodies > Other Accessories, Not Necessarily All-Polymer

OFTEN USED AS JEWELRY, beads:
Debbie Anderson's cane slice purses, with telephone wire handles which function as connectors
http://www.geocities.com/thousand_canes/ (on various of her category pages)
various miniature purses, hats, accessories--- swap at PCC
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/pcc/tinyswap.html
Bead Ranch's many tiny purse "charms" ...many made in (rounded) triangular wedge shapes (reshaped round beads, or covered scrap clay shapes)
..... with "piping" ...many with beaded handles ... polymer or other doodads or other embellishments for clasp on top of purse (and clay all across)
http://www.store.yahoo.com/beadranch/pursecharms.html
Linda Hicks makes her (1 x 2") purse from the distorted ends of her canes ... also uses telephone & artistic wire, interfer. powders,rubber stamps, beads
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cda/article_print/1,1983,HGTV_3236_2740252_ARTICLE-DETAIL-PRINT,00.html (pins, on check-border cards)

many types of miniature shoes ( also purses, hats, accessories)-- swap at PCC
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/pcc/tinyswap.html
Debbie Anderson's mini Mary Jane-type shoes (look in various categories)
http://www.geocities.com/thousand_canes
.... her lesson on making larger Mary Janes (same technique as for smaller ones though)
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_jewelry/article/0,2025,DIY_13762_2623759,00.html
various Barbie shoes made from polymer clay (mostly heels, with mica powders, etc.)
http://www.dianepaone.com/pages/dpArtMiniShoes.html
Rivkah's lesson on making clay high heels, by making a sole template from heavyweight aluminum foil baking pan the size/shape of the figure's foot, on which she lays a sheet of clay of the same shape, then bakes... then adds heel & bakes...( then she adds a fabric strap on top)
http://www.dollstreetdreamers.com/back_alley_articles/rivkah_high_heel_shoe_tutorial.pdf
Lucy A's (larger, 2"-4") fancifully shaped shoes, painted with pearlescent and glittery paints and inks (but could be made small)
http://www.lucyarnold.com/miniature_shoes.htm (see detail on these in Sculpting-Body > Clothing > Accessories)

Pat S's lesson on making flip-flops (thongs, beach shoes)
... 2 shoe-shaped sheets of textured Skinner Blend for sole ...bale (sic) is 16 g copper wire looped twice around rod ( "legs" inserted between 2 shoelayers) ...cane slices of multi-wrapped bullseyes for thong
http://www.sculpey.com/Projects/projects_FlipFlops.htm
Kathy W's flip flop earrings with seed bead thongs
http://www.kathyweinberg.com/flip_flops.html
Naamaza's flip-flops with cane-slice sheet as top layer of shoe... solid color thong + doodad on top of thong, added
http://www.naamaza.com/site/detail/departAlbum/showPic.asp?depart_id=2431&category_id=13081&picture_id=139046
Debbie Anderson's flip-flops and slippers and other shoes
http://www.geocities.com/thousand_canes/full/shoegarden.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/thousand_canes/full/new07.jpg
Janet Scheetz's beach shoes (thongs/flipflops) as beads on a necklace, some with stripes or gingham-type checks for soles... 2nd color for under layer of shoes
http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/ppcg/guild6.html (gone)
Jan's flip flops (rubber sandals with toe thong) with flower(s) on top of thong, etc http://drumdiver.com/janmade/new_page_28.htm (gone)

cowboy hats and Western saddles, tack, boots... by justclayingaround
http://i539.photobucket.com/albums/ff355/justclayingaround/P1220001.jpg
http://i539.photobucket.com/albums/ff355/justclayingaround/P1220014.jpg

MORE shoes, esp. boots & special shoes like elf shoes (lessons & examples) are covered in Sculpting- Body > Clothes > Accessories
.....many of those techniques could also be miniaturized if they haven't been already)
MORE on hats and cowboy hats (also top hats and Smokey Bear hats), is also in that section

tiny shirts from cutouts, some Hawaiian?) (using a paper pattern) for... many of the other shirts in this swap were embellished with little summer miniatures like flip flops, sunglasses, cameras, etc. attached to them or dangling below
http://www.dragonsglass.com/tshirt.txt

Katie's very tiny polymer figures & items--used as earrings, jewelry inside acrylic-painted metal bottlecaps filled with epoxy resin
http://photobucket.com/albums/v187/TurdFerguson/?action=view¤t=bottlecaps.jpg
(...or look at http://www.effinfantastic.tripod.com)

more suggestions for DOLLHOUSE Items

food for the kitchen, and a cake with name iced on it.
a dusty pink teddy bear
stove ( the 'working' metal one by Karen Fuller)
nursery set bed  dressed  in colors of pink and blues
a tiny baby doll,  a blanket
bathroom set, Table cloth and napkins,
chocolate Easter eggs and bunny, Halloween cookies.
A bib for the baby, Perfume bottles, towel and wash cloth, X-Stitched picture and a rag rug
crocheting a  rug, a dollhouse doll's doll and some other toys including a 'stuffed' koala and kangaroo, a welcome mat for the front door and an upholstered chair.
upholstered pieces, a petit point picture of a ginger tom, a small rug with a picture of a  tabby cat on it
2 living room chairs, a coffee table and a chest/desk, a lacey bed for maybe a master or guest bedroom, a family of four, Christmas sleigh & various items, kitty w/bowl milk, kitty door stop, decorated mirror, and various other items (teapot, nutcracker, etc)
 little accessories for the kitchen, bunk beds
a single size bed with a lovely bedspread with a dust ruffle underneath
a butcher-block "kitchen" table, ladder back chair, teddy bear and a straw hat, pots and pans, and some food
mini books,magazines, paper plates and cups, toys
 a mini apron, rolling pin and fimo cake in a bakery box.
 a bunch of grapes, a bowl of potato chips, plate of buffalo wings with blue cheese dip, a cotton candy some flowers for the yard, a barrel and a baby book for the nursery.

some pictures for the wall and paintings...
...a coordinating mirror, trashcan, kleenex box and photo album
...rocking chair and (another) teddy bear; a braided rug, a mop and bucket, a waste basket with waste, and decorative tin signs. Chuck

I haven't heard anyone mention
... a frig, washer/dryer, dining room table, hutch, china cabinet, chopping block...just a few ideas.
....no dollhouse can ever have too many bookshelves, wall hangings, books, dishes...pets...magazines, toys for the nurserey
....a nursery set, a living room, a stove, a bed or two , a rocking chair, and people....bathroom
.... plants, windowboxes, flowers. Deena

VIDEOS & DVDS & Groups

videos & DVD's

*Angie Scarr's videos ($30):
Very Easy Fimo Miniatures (food, plates, containers, etc.)
Fill Your Doll's House Shop/Market Stall (Fruits & Veg's)
Advanced Miniature Modelling --Meat & Fish
http://www.polkadotcreations.com/books/authors/scarr.html
http://www.accounting-owl.co.uk/asm/asmini.htm#video
(or look up Angie Scarr at amazon.com ... see an example of Angie's wonderful rainbow trout by Donna Worth below in Foods)
(she has a book also)
Angie Scarr's DVD
. . . Angie Scarr Miniatures: Liquid Fimo ($25) http://www.polkadotcreations.com/books/detail_ssas06.html
miniature food making with liquid clay (in 1/12th and other scales) --projects for jams, stews, and other foods-- also stained glass windows.... 90 min

Mindstorm's many videos on miniature everything, including 2 of Sue Heaser's on mini kitchen and dining room items
http://www.mindstorm-inc.com/mm1.shtml
http://www.mindstorm-inc.com/mm2.shtml
(Sue has) got two Mindstorm videos (in addition to her book) that are really super, too... Making Kitchen Miniatures and Making Dining Room Miniatures. Top notch. . ! :-) Elizabeth

*Allyson's mini site: food, & seasonal items, houses, dishes, etc.
also, for sale, a CD for lessons on candies and cookies
http://members.aol.com/alsminis/index.html

books & newsletter

about.com's free weekly Miniatures newsletter
http://miniatures.about.com/library/weekly/topicsubclay.htm

Making Miniatures in Polymer Clay, by Mary Kaliski
.... http://www.weefolk.com/new.htm#home

Making Doll’s House Miniatures with Polymer Clay, by Sue Heaser
Making Miniature Dolls with Polymer Clay, by Sue Heaser
.....http://www.heaser.demon.co.uk/sue/suetemp.htm

~Making Miniature Villages in Polymer Clay, Gail Ritchey
.....http://www.cottagefever.com/

Meyer's Homemade Meals, by Barbara Meyer

Making Miniature Food & Market Stalls, by Angie Scarr (see her videos too)
http://www.polkadotcreations.com/books/authors/scarr.html
http://www.accounting-owl.co.uk/asm/asmini.htm#video
(or look up Angie Scarr at amazon.com ... see an example of Angie's wonderful rainbow trout by Donna Worth below in Foods)

Fimo Sweets, by Esther Olson (if you can still find a copy)

Making Miniature Flowers with Polymer Clay, by Barbara Quast ISBN 0 89134-821-2
She is "old school" miniature flower maker. She knows how to make flowers out of old bread! This is a good a step by step how to, albeit she is kind of main stream for my tastes.

Petite Eats & Mini Treats by Sydnie Wagner (salad, spaghetti, beverages, breads, etc)

Paper Clay II Miniatures by Linda Gale Wooley

The Art of Polymer Clay, by Donna Kato's ISBN 0-8230-0278-0, has a chapter on making flowers that are larger, life size.

book, written by a master modeler (Shep Paine), is geared towards the military miniature but its concepts apply equally to any miniature. Not much on polymers but a lot on technique useable to all of us. I highly recommend it. It goes through various techniques--lots of realistic painting techniques in a variety of mediums, but also converting and scratchbuilding figures (and horses), groundwork, display and transport. Tons of color shots and how-to diagrams. Kalmbach Books 800 533 6644

~my favorite... "1/12 Scale Character Figures for the Dolls' House" by James Carrington. My favorite thing is sculpting dolls and figures, so that's part of why this book ranks so "off the scale" with me. Very clear lessons for creating dollhouse scale figures with tremendous life and humor and vitality to them, all presented with clarity and thorough explanations.
New material, here, including how to make molds for your basic figures, so that you don't have to start from scratch every time you want to make a doll. How to wire the doll and pose it and wig it for the effect that you're wanting to acheive. How to make the facial expressions that you seek. And it's all written with so much of the personality of the author coming through that you really want to have him over for tea. (Very British.) Elizabeth

Create Anything With Clay (Sherri Haab & Laura Torres)--kids & adults, comes with 8 half-bars of Sculpey attached, and their older book, The Incredible Clay Book.—lots of things to make: furniture, flowers, etc., as well as creatures.

~I've got the videos on miniature doll sculpting by Evelyn Lenz Flook... ...- you would now have to change the color mix of the clay, because you can't get Friendly Clay, but other than that, the videos are very comprehensive and perfect for beginners. I don't do everything the way she does, because she's making dolls, and I think of dolls as being "posable." A few points don't translate to one-piece figures. And I also don't have exactly the same tools she has. But, it really helped me figure out the steps and how I could do the armature and bake in stages..... You learn how to make 1:12 scale dolls, and there is a chart for making half-scale dolls included, too. You just slide it into a page protector, and you can check your doll against the scale chart periodically to keep it in proportion...It really helps to see different ways use tools, different sequences in how faces are built, etc. Elizabeth

---Remember, the smaller the item that's being baked, the shorter the baking time . . . general polymer directions usually refer to something at least the size or thickness of a pendant or bead.

The only trick was to bake them many times, using diluent to soften the baked parts before adding raw clay. I did kind of a production line. Every one was probably baked 5 or 6 times. As I practiced, they got smaller and smaller. Karen

groups

There are many miniatures groups online and locally as "clubs." Most include polymer clay, but are not limited to clay.

Some good places to find lots of groups in one place, are mailing lists like yahoogroups.com, message boards like delphiforums.com, and newsgroups (available through google.com's without a newsreader).
At each of those main sites, just enter a few keywords then plow through all the groups that will bring up.

CITY-o-Clay ...polymer miniatures, sculpting and gen. polymer techniques .... used to be MSATClayArt (but left the MSAT List family in Jan 2005)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CITY-o-Clay (part of the "CITY" list family now... "Creative Indulgence Totally Yours" or "CITY" for short)
....polymer clay artists from beginners to skilled professionals... all polymer clay techniques are discussed: color mixes, raising cane, sculpting figures, replicating things from nature, for jewelry and household accessories, in flat designs or 3D.
....the moderator Nora-Jean Gatine takes a very active role in posting, teaching, etc ......she likes to encourage beginners (and others)
....Nora Jean also gives twice weekly, online, polymer clay webcam demos (free, accessible by Yahoo members with YahooMessenger), where miniature polymer clay techniques are reviewed and new techniques of all kinds are attempted as live experiments
........ instructions for how to access the demos and for downloading Yahoo Messenger are on one of Nora Jean's websites:
http://www.norajean.com/MSAT/ClayArt/WebCam/How-To.htm
...We also have hundreds of tutorials online, and when you're active on the list for three months (or Donate) you can access our Lending Libraries of Books and Videos, qualify for a Newbie Box, and get help with your supplies.
...We are chatty.
....(now over 1000 members, 26-100 messages per day)
...article in Polyzine about Nora Jean and the "MSATClayArt" (old name) group and her demos http://www.pcpolyzine.com/2004sept/msat.html
...also has a separate yahoogroup just for their pictures CITY-oClayPictures ...http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CITY-o-ClayPictures

many dollhouse mini's groups at yahoogroups
http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=dollhouse&submit=Search
Custom Doll House Miniatures Group http://www.cdhm.org
Tiny Talk, Dollhouse and Miniature ("newsgroup")
http://www.tinytalk.org/

MiniDolls (MSATMiniDolls) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MSATMiniDolls . . .not specifically polymer but many lessons! and photos which can be applied to polymer and to miniatures in many ways...
The MiniDolls List is a site where everyone from professional to beginner can share ideas, tips, sources and resources on making, dressing, wigging, accessorizing, displaying and selling miniature dolls, both porcelain and sculpted. We encourage sharing and provide a forum for questions, creativity, innovation and adaptation.. . . Projects, Suppliers, Contests, and Winners. Also included is an ongoing Archive of Tips from our members, including helpful books and other resources. ( 600+ members ...very active group

OTHER miniatures groups would be those involved in making model railroad setups, military mini's, etc.

SUPPLIES

loads of links to miniatures vendors: http://ares.redsword.com/dollhouse/vendors.htm

Elvenwork Modeling Mat (and Junior) http://elvenwork.com/workbook.html...Katherine Dewey's mat with all the landmarks of the human form listed and accurately illustrated at 1/12th scale on a precise grid, the scale used by most miniaturists... the other side is a multi-purpose work surface complete with a grid, clay measuring and cutting guides that will make it easy to convert the scale of your figures upward or downward.

miniature molds, for sale: http://www.houseonthehill.net/min1.html
....or make your own molds ... molds are great for duplicating many of the same item (from your own master, or from other objects)

Makin's Clay . . (it's composition? ... same as stone ground mineral clays like LaDoll and others?... for more info on those, see Sculpting > Clays > Stone Ground Mineral Clays)... buy at Hobby Lobby, and Michaels?
...this is a GREAT product esp. for children. ....within an hour it was set up enough to take home... Works really, really well. Smooth as silk and molds perfectly in Amaco molds, Alley Goop molds and Miracle Molds. Perfect consistency for working. . . of course this is a fairly new product and has not had any time to dry out on the store shelf . . . (does not have the feel at all of all the products like DAS Modeling material or the other similar non-polymer clays... works so much like polymer clay.... only thing I would need to watch now is whether it has cracking or shrinking upon curing/drying. I would think it would shrink a little since moisture has to go to set up. It starts to dry fairly quickly and if a spritz of water is added, it can work longer. But unless the water is worked into the clay very evenly, I think there could be some light crackling. I do see possibilities---esp. for miniaturists! Jeanne
http://www.Makin'sclay.com/mc/aboutus.asp

Sarajane's conversion chart for "miniature" scale sizes (1' - 1", and 1' - 2",3",4")
http://www.polyclay.com/mini.htm

lessons and info re all kinds of miniatures from Small Stuff Digest
http://smallstuffarchive.com/tips (new version) ...or http://www.miniature.net/smallstuff/tips.htm
lessons from the MiniDolls mailing list
http://msatminidolls.minilists.com/projects.html
about.com's lessons on making various miniatures
http://miniatures.about.com/od/creatingminiatures

Jaye's 1000+ links to everything mini (including groups)
http://www.jayesminilinks.com/links.htm
many links relating to miniatures, Imagination Mall
http://www.imaginationmall.com/

Flo and Don's many many wonderful completely decorated interiors in miniature, small,and large houses
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=6&uid=155794& (look al-ll around)
Petra's miniature page and links to miniature sites in Australia/New Zealand
http://www.zigzag.co.nz/minis.html
lots of miniatures sites
http://www.miniature.net/
about.com's miniatures links
http://miniatures.about.com/hobbies/miniatures/
Nora Jean's Polymer Clay Miniatures Webring
http://nav.webring.yahoo.com/hub?ring=polymerclayminia&id=1&hub
Mini Works miniatures lessons: basket, rocking chair, pot bellied stove, etc.; mixed media
http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/cezanne/4/minis/projects.html
Banu's lesson on making coil basket and carrying handle with rope of clay... adds flower to side
http://tutorials.theclaystore.com/1/coiled-basket
Maria's lesson on a making openwork basket (not-woven) with radiating (and ovelapping) loops of clay gun ropes pressed onto a central disk... twisted rope circle is added over the joins... then the whole (daisy looking) shape is turned upside down and draped over a form (small jelly glass?) and baked (see more in Vessels > Draped).. she also adds a twisted-rope handle and flower embellishment over join of handle
http://guide.supereva.it/hobby_femminili/interventi/2002/01/87224.shtml
...(baskets could also be woven, or could use a clay braid or be crocheted with clay... see Clay Gun)
Polymer Clay Shoppe (links page –doll house miniatures)
http://polymerclayshoppe.com/pcdoll.htm
*Northwest Naturals' mini's (some lessons & more mini links)
http://gerdesdesign.com/northwest.htm

my mini kitchen scene quilt block applique.... pan and cup (clay and Friendly Plastic), spice containers (tubing & balsa), lg. roach (fake fingernails, wire,beads), mini utensils (purchased), etc.
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/dianeatglassattic/album/576460762381653538/photo/294928804124819277/3
Sarajane's dishes, teapots, cups, platter, etc.
http://www.polyclay.com/mini.htm
Jane W?'s white plates made with cane slice in center (flange is white though)
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=4043334&a=30323380&f=0
Cathi's bowls & teacups... pitcher in bowl (also fruits, foods, aquarium with fish, adobe oven, etc.)
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=6&uid=820896& (look all around)
Norajean's miniature pinch pots..., made into teapot, etc (lesson to come?).
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/Going2Pot/001-Intro.htm
*Allyson's mini site: food, & seasonal items, houses, dishes, etc.
http://members.aol.com/alsminis/index.html
*Angie Scarr's fruit, veg, plates, meat/fish, etc.
http://www.angiescarr.co.uk
various minis from PCC members (sock monkey... castle... picnic table and hutch with food, dishes, etc.)
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/claypen_minis.html

Barb Plevan's fruit, veggies, flowers, animals, shoes, fish, etc.
http://www.barbplevan.com/
*Garie's many different miniatures (some mini-mini)--click on everything!
http://0607b.at.com.sg/clay/index.html
http://www.garieinternational.com.sg/clay/index.html
various miniatures to click on
http://bussola.supereva.it/italyclay/eng/home.html?p
Trace's fruit in bowls
http%3a//briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/clayr69/lst%3f%26.dir=/Poly%2bCreations%26.src=bc%26.view=l
Jennifer's polymer clay food, figures, market stalls, and other miniature items
http://www.jennifersprintables.com/MMMABOUTPAGE.html
Nora Jean’s many different mini’s
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/2708/mini.html
http://norajean.com/Tute-List.htm (have to look around new site!)
* Mr. X's Secret Zone (many foods, dishes, houses-landscape, "ceramics," all kinds of things!)
http://www.kh.rim.or.jp/~shou/index_e.html
Wenzel's miniatures (food, tables, etc.)
http://www.cernit.com/minifram.htm
Christina's various mini's on top of table in small scene
http://www.geocities.com/chellstr/clay/sculptures.html

Dawn's accessories for kid figures
http://www.thumbprintkids.com/pages/gallery.htm
YangYang’s small sculptures
http://www.myart.com/yayaju/FrameSet1.html .... http://www.myart.com/yayaju/
*Pat-nipntuck's tiny clothed figures (pigs, etc.) (website gone)
Dianne C's dog, bunny, cat, snow people, gingerbread men
http://www.pbase.com/artintheattic/christmas_year_round
http://www.pbase.com/artintheattic/miniatures
Vanessa's Pigmalion and Bearon figures and scenes (click on both in left column)
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/vlui255808/FimoInvasion.html
Pax's tiny animals & people (& mouse in walnut shell!)
http://www.ixpres.com/frodin/polymer/weecreatures.htm (gone?)
Feat of Clay's tiny figures (& scarecrow)
http://members.aol.com/ftofclay/minigal.html
Noah's many figures and animals
http://www.noahscountryark.com/miniatures.htm
*Ladybug's scenes http://www.ladybug-fairies.com/scenes.htm
*Pearl's many figures in scenes (website gone)
tiny shoes, purses, hats, accessories swap at PCC
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/pcc/tinyswap.html
*Byrd's diorama of Mrs. Claus' Parlor
http://www.3wave.com/chhome/cha/miniture.html
(......SEE more SCENES in Kids > Scenes and Dioramas)
Alex's miniature water pump & flowers, etc.
http://www.heaser.demon.co.uk/polyclay/guild/alex.htm
Helene's *tiny* chess set, and more minis
http://hgdesign.tripod.com/id18.htm ... http://hgdesign.tripod.com/ (click on all categories)

Sarah L's grid mosaic mini-tiles & design-your-own page
http://www.users.uswest.net/~lajoie/minitiles
Belara Beach Original's many mini's --not all clay
http://www.bbobx.homestead.com/index.html
"Bunka" cording (knitted rayon tassel-type) --can be unraveled and used also for hair, other things
http://kuoi.asui.uidaho.edu/~nyssa/bunka.html
Mini Gift Shop (many things for sale)
http://www.angelfire.com/ms/mini/
PCH's Claychik's Dollhouse (will have info & items on polymer miniatures)
http://www.polymerclayhaven.com/dollhouse.htm

More Websites

Topic - Dollhouses & Miniatures
http://www.suite101.com/topics/page.cfm/1020
Online Dollhouse and General Hobby supply links
http://www.printmini.com/links.shtml
Tiny Talk, Dollhouse and Miniature "newsgroup"
http://www.tinytalk.org/

Allyson's tips on making food and other items without polymer (but could use anyway)
http://members.aol.com/alsminis/tips.html
*Jim’s printable mini images and patterns!! (transfers, books, holidays, info about groups!!, etc.)
http://www.printmini.com/printables/ (this is the new address; DB change others)
Dept. 56 villages, buildings, people, landscape items, etc.
http://www.department56.com/frameset.asp?sel=7

Flower Swap --Delphi
http://www.delphi.com/polymerclay/pcc/swapflower.html
Candy Swap --Delphi
http://www.delphi.com/polymerclay/pcc/swapcandy.html
Clayspot: roses, turquoise, "stone"
http://www.jaedworks.com/clayspot/techniques/index.html

see Houses-structures for candies ... and more on pies, cakes & cookies

and see Sculpting for more on flowers & leaves

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