> One thing I know will work for sure is the thin adhesive backed copper
    > foil that is sold for wiring in dollhouses.

      Can you run that one past us again?

Ahh.  Non-traditional sources of materials!

If you go into a better "arts & crafts" stores, you will find adhesive
backed copper foil.  It has a couple of uses:

1) Flat dollhouse wiring.  You run this along the walls and ceilings of
   more elaborate dollhouses, to provide electricity for the overhead
   lights and such.  (even elaborate doll houses lack engineering nicities
   like hollow walls and ceilings!)  You can paint or wallpaper over it and
   it won't show as much a normal copper wire of equivilent current
   handling capability.

2) Edging for "stained glass" work.  After you have your cut glass pieces,
   you put copper tape over the edges, and then run soldor over the copper
   to create the "framing" for the finished stained glass piece.

Neither of these is designed for electronics repair - they probably won't
result in a conducting link to existing traces just by applying the tape,
for instance.  I'll bet you can find some "samples" of assorted conductive
tapes designed for RF shielding and such that IS made with explicitly
conductive adhesive...

BillW