This is a great thread. We all love what we collect and isn't it wonderful that most of us collect something different? I collect blue and white Staffordshire Transferware from England, early to mid 1800's. I have over 100 Cup Plates, a little more or less than 4" diameter. They were used as a coaster with the handless cups with bowl shape saucer of 6" from the 1820-1850 period. Often confused with a child's plate from a toy tea set. I also have many patterns of dinner ware pieces of a specific potter E. & G Phillips, Longport England. American butter stamps, butter churns and English cream pots with dairy names stamped or transfered on the pot and numerous other things too many to list. I am just addicted to antiques and collectibles. I also clean and repair and resale and upgrade my English china. So my life is a constant buy, clean, repair, resale, collect more upgrade..etc. I tell my husband I am recycling and being green! I love,love, love what I do. I cannot imagine not ever being able to buy and also resale to share my knowlegde. I also have an extensive library of reference books and love researching everything.

I visited Germany and fell in love with the Reutter miniatures. I bought a bakery room box and a few individual pieces (gardening), thinking I would make my own potting shed roombox one day. Then, last week I found a sewing shop diy kit online and purchased it. I will have to build all of it from the supplies in the box. I think I will enjoy making this because it is sewing related, besides the store front (its mostly precut wooden pieces) I'll be making ribbon spools, and bolts of fabric. Looks like a lot of fun. Anyone who has done this, could you tell me what kind (s) of glues I should be using? I was hoping to use something simple like (Aleens ?) Tacky glue. Thanks, tish

Maybe dumb question but are the fixtures on top of the cake edible? Are they dollhouse miniatures? My mother would have loved this cake being that she was a dollhouse enthusiast who built 6 dollhouses and made miniature furniture and linens. Isn't it amazing how talented people can be!

I have my soapstone as my backsplash but we went with stainless steel behind the range. I wanted the same material up the whole wall (under the hood and above it). I had planned on oiling my soapstone and did not want to worry about a section under the hood being darker than the section going up to the ceiling. I am trying to attach a picture but it's not letting me....have the rules changed? It's here if you want to see it http://s1057.photobucket.com/user/TexasPenny/media/oven%20backsplash.jpg.html