Finally the Lights are Sorted

I have finally sorted out how to make the lights for my models.

When it comes to lights I have struggled to get them the way I would like but finally I have them sorted.
The main problem is that when I started over 25 to 30 years ago adding lights to my models I was using 12v (mains power using a transformer) and rice bulbs. These rice bulbs were soo hot that at one show one of my grape plants started to smolder. Terrifying!
So the next thing I did was change things to LED's but again still running them on 12v using mains power. (This proved to be very expensive.) Then a friend suggested I use batteries to allow me more freedom in placing the models at shows and schools. This led to doing 9v battery power.
Then came micro lights - well they changed everything!

They run on 4.5v and they are soo bright. Then I found strip lights (because I want to make lit mushrooms) and because they to run on 4.5v (when separated from the strip of 12v) and they are just soo bright which means I do not need as many lights to do the job. If you would like to read more please click on the read more button.

My World Sign for Shows

I was wondering through my blog and was surprised to find that I had not told you about how I made the My World sign I made to take to shows. So here it is.

The base of this sign is a large piece of core flute - the stuff that is used in real estate signs. Now because this stuff is plastic it doesn't actually like glue so you need to go a bit nuts with a sharp blade and slash it so that the glue will stick it self to the rough edges. I spread glue all over the base and waited until it was a bit sticky (hopefully preventing from to much of the glue from coming through the fabric to the front. I then placed the fabric on it and using my hands made sure that there were no air bubbles as I pressed it together.

Once you have done that I used material for the background.


As can be see in the photo there is a chain that I have attached around the whole sign. I have done this on both ends. This will be covered by the tree trunks made of hessian and will allow me to hang the sign. If you would like to read more please click here.