Part 10
Decalcomanie has now been successfully before the public for a number of years. The above is still a later invention, and never before brought to the market. It has long been a question whether the durability of a transferred article, particularly on glass, porcelain, china, etc., could not be improved upon. This has at last been accomplished, and the choicest designs are now likewise printed with mineral or china colors, thus meeting a demand often made. Articles ornamented in this manner, and after going through the regular process of burning in, will be found as durable and impossible to deface as those painted by hand from the celebrated potteries of Europe. By this, the art of Decalcomanie is brought to perfection.
DIRECTIONS.
1. Place the mineral subject which you wish to transfer (about ten to fifteen minutes before being used), between some blotting paper slightly moistened. The object of this is to give flexibility to the paper, which thus moistened will give itself easy to the object, either concave or convex, on which you desire to transfer.
2. Cover the object to be decorated with a coat of Vitrifiable Varnish, about the size of the design, with a flat camel’s-hair brush; leave it to dry a few minutes, that is, until the varnish is nearly dry, and be careful to lay on the varnish as thin and even as possible, nor leave any spots bare. The varnish may be applied to the picture instead of the ware.
3. Press the picture on in a uniform manner, and rub at first with a clean piece of linen, then, with the handle of a tooth brush, or ivory handle of an infant’s brush, or any smooth article suitable in shape, rub constantly for several minutes, until the entire paper assumes a polished appearance.
4. Place the transferred object in a pail of water, until the paper detaches itself, or can be removed without any difficulty.
5. Pass gently a soft brush, dipped in water, over the transferred picture, in order to remove the preparation off the paper. Press down the blisters of the picture with a soft pad made of silk or linen, instead of the above manner, if preferred.
6. Now lay aside the decorated article for twenty-four hours, to get thoroughly dry, and be careful in keeping it out of the dust.
This being all done according to directions, your work is now ready for being _burnt in_ by the furnace. The _burning in_ process for which the work is now waiting, is only to be accomplished in a _china burning establishment_.
=Materials Required.= 1. One flat camel’s hair brush. 2. Vial of vitrifiable varnish. 3. Vial of clarified spirits.
Designs go by numbers, as follows:
301. Upright Flower Bouquets, 3×4, 30 on sheet $2.10
330. Scenes, Landscapes, 2×2¼, 35 on sheet 1.50
351. Roman Heads, 2×2¾, 36 on sheet 3.60
355. Celebrated Painters’ and Female Heads, 2½×2¾, 20 on sh. 3.00
557. Ladies’ Heads, small, 1×½, 144 on sheet 2.40
401. Children scenes, Watteau style, 2×2¾, 42 on sheet 2.40
417. Ladies’ Heads, oval, 2¾×3½, 20 on sheet 2.40
502. Flower Bouquets, assorted, 64 on sheet 2.40
505. Children’s Heads. 1×1¼, 168 on sheet 2.40
507. Roman Heads, 3×2, 36 on sheet 2.40
508. Females, 4×3, 16 on sheet 2.40
509. Female Heads, 2×2½, 42 on sheet 2.40
510. Monkeys, 3×3½, 20 on sheet 1.80
511. Roman Heads, one color, 48 on sheet .75
512. Round Fruit Pieces, 5×5, 16 on sheet 2.10
513. Classical Statuary Figures in groups, 6×9¼, 6 on sheet 1.80
515. Deers, full size, 15 on sheet 1.80
521. Oval Fruit Pieces, 3×3½, 36 on sheet 2.10
521. Bis. Oblong Fruit Pieces, 3×3½ and 1×3½, 30 on sheet 2.10
522. Bis. Children’s Pieces, 3×3½, 18 on sheet 2.40
522. Children in squares, 3×4¾, 12 on sheet 2.40
523. Chinese in groups, 6×4, 10 on sheet 1.20
524. Birds in squares, 2×2½, 24 on sheet 2.10
525. Oval Flowers and Fruit Pieces, 5×2½, 22 on sheet .65
527. Garland of Mosses, Roses, etc., assorted, 28 on sheet 2.10
530. Etruscan Figures, Emblems, etc., 31 on sheet 3.00
531. Female Busts, 4×5, 10 on sheet 2.40
532. Oval Landscapes, 5¼×4, 9 on sheet 2.40
533. Children’s Heads, 2½×3¾, 21 on sheet 2.40
534. Fantastic Warriors and Females, assorted, 14 on sheet 2.40
539. Female Busts, 3×3½, 21 on sheet 2.40
543. Figures in Groups, ass’t’d, 8 on sheet 2.40
The above designs are all to be burnt in on crystal, porcelain, etc., and cannot be used any other way.
PRESERVATION OF NATURAL FLOWERS.
WRITTEN ESPECIALLY FOR THIS WORK BY THE FIRST PREMIUM PRESERVER OF FLOWERS.
“’Twas a lovely thought to mark the hours, As they floated in light away, By the opening and the folding flowers, That laugh in the summer’s day.”—_Hemans._
There are five distinct methods for preserving natural flowers, and no one method can be given proper for all varieties, and all families of the floral kingdom. Annuals, flowers of quick growth, of a succulent nature, cannot be preserved in their natural state. Balsams require the elaborate chemical method, and all flowers resembling the balsam require the same specific treatment. To preserve flowers as they should be preserved, a thorough acquaintance with all five methods is desired. These, in combination, form one perfect system, which requires lessons and experimental practice.
There was a process patented, and practiced for some years, which was found, after a year’s time, that the flowers grew dark, spotted, and were a distressing souvenir. This was the
=Hot Water System.= All flowers of a fibrous, woody nature, are susceptible of preservation. The fibrous nature of the wood enters into the composition of the flower.
Roses, camelias, japonicas, tube roses, and azaleas, also carnation pinks, (white), were preserved in boiling water, as below:
Take a few crystals of oxalic acid, pour on them boiling water, perhaps a pint to a half dozen crystals, thoroughly dissolving the crystals; after separating carefully with the sharp point of a fine moulding pin the flower petals, drop them into the boiling water, each flower separately—replace it over the fire and let it boil a few seconds, watching and removing each petal as soon as the waxy substance of the flower is gone, and the transparent fibre of the petals remain. Coat the back of the petal with sheet wax, pressing it down until incorporated with the fibre, and put back the flower precisely as it was taken apart, using a wax bud for the foundation of the flower, and using cotton covered wire for the stems.
At the Centennial Exposition held at Philadelphia in 1876, a white transparent camelia attracted my attention. Being possessed of every receipt in the known world, and some of my formulas being combinations resulting from experiments under the instructions of the celebrated chemical professors at Leipzig, I requested permission to examine this flower closely, and to do so, was obliged to get special permission. This camelia was transparent, clear, pure, without flaw, and close examination showed it to be a composite of several different flowers, all of the same variety, done by the hot water system, and instead of wax on the back, varnished with a fine transparent white spirit varnish. These flowers look well for a while, but I do not commend its general use. It will do where the flowers are to be worn in the hair, or on the breast, for a few times only, but after a year they grow discolored, spotted, and are unpleasant souvenirs.
=The Sandwich Island Process.= In the Sandwich Islands the ferns are preserved green and fresh for months by those who sell collections to visitors of the Islands. These are prepared carefully, and picked in a dry atmosphere, (remember, _that_ is indispensable to good preservation), the fronds selected perfect in shape, brilliant in tint, and fully seeded. The fern fully spored is in its prime. The paper used for pressing should be an absorbent, not letter paper, or any satin surfaced or calendered papers. The collector should carry the book to the ground, and not depend on bringing them home in a botanist’s case, or heated by hand bringing. You must pick them dry, and place them directly in the book, bringing them home only in that manner. Arrived home, roll a small bit of cotton batting around the cut end of the stem, and seal the end over with red sealing wax, leaving as small a wad of cotton and wax as possible. Then transfer the ferns into another fresh book of papers, changing them every morning and evening until dry. The warmer the books are kept the greener and fresher the ferns after drying. Then ferns can be used ten years after pressing, cutting off the waxed end and setting the ferns into water, they will in twenty-four hours, fill out again and look like freshly picked ferns.
A preserver of flowers said once to me that ferns could not be kept green by any known process. This Sandwich Island process is splendid, and a complete success.
By dissolving benzoic acid in alcohol one oz. to a pint, coloring with aniline green, shaded up by mixing brown or black and yellow, all anilines, and dipping _old_ ferns, browned by time, the ferns can be used for decoration, in hanging baskets, or on the window curtains, but they do not bear close examination. The coloring matter is perfectly perceptible on close inspection.
=The Sand Drying Method= in preserving small flowers is good, and no process is complete without the addition of this important part of the instruction. It is within reach of every lady, and the flowers so dried will retain their colors a long time. To every 25 lbs. of fine glass blower’s sand add 1 oz. of spermaceti and 1 oz. of calcined borax, thoroughly mixed and incorporated with the sand. The sand must be kept perfectly dry, the flowers must be dry, and from all flowers where the honey gathers at the bottom of the cup, it must be removed before the sand bath is attempted. This is a delicate operation, and effected by the use of a crotchet hook, with a little cotton batting twisted around the point. Introduce it delicately in the flower, remove the honey, dew-drop or water drop, and your flower will preserve dry, in shape.
Sweet alyssum, daisies, candytuft, can be beautifully preserved and keep their freshness for a long time, under the sand drying process. Some flowers need a varnish before the sand bath, some need to be varnished after removal from the bath. All labiate corollas, all flowers cup shaped, should be first stuffed delicately and carefully with cotton batting before putting them into the sand. This knowledge is obtained only by a regular course of instruction, as the family of flowers, or the floral kingdom is so extended. After preparing the flowers, (all flowers should stand after being plucked a short time, their stems immersed in cold water, so as to give full life and strength to the flower, and if it is to be varnished it should be done while standing in the water), have ready your sand in a box with a draw bottom. This bottom is drawn out after the process is completed, leaving the dried flowers intact in the box.
Fill your box partly, with sand perfectly dry, without mixture, clip off the stems to within an inch of the flower cluster, and dip it into hot sealing wax, sealing up the end of the stem carefully and thoroughly, then immerse the stem in the sand up to the flower cluster, taking care to space between the flowers—no two touching. After filling your flowers in the box, commence by pouring in softly and gradually the sand prepared for them. Cover them perfectly, and set the box in a dry place, where no dampness can get into the sand. A single drop of water, or a particle of sap, will ruin the whole of the box of flowers.
In some white flowers a little chloride of lime mixed with the sand can be used once, but as soon as the lime slacks it must be removed. Flowers require from two weeks to thirty days in an even heat of 80 degrees, not more. As soon as the process is complete, pour off carefully the sand from the flowers, and if found to be brittle, expose them a few hours to a dry atmosphere. The ordinary atmosphere of the room will be all that is required.
For the five methods combined, regular lessons are required, but it is not necessary for any excepting those who desire to make floral preservation a business. The sand drying can be followed by any lady for winter bouquets, and the usual flowers of the garden, beautifully preserved in this method, for winter decorations, hanging baskets, etc. Jardinieres are a lovely winter ornament, with green ferns floating, one could not tell but what these flowers had just been plucked from the garden.
=The Last Process is=: Clip from the bush, without injuring the stem, the buds just as they are opening, allowing two or three inches of stem with each bud, and immediately cover the ends with hot sealing wax. When cold, wrap them up in cotton batting, separately, and lay them away in a cool place in a box, where nothing can rest upon or injure them.
At any time you wish to make use of them, bring them forth from the place of concealment, cut off the end containing the wax, and place the stems in a vase of cool water, containing a little salt. Allow them to remain in a moderately warm room for a few hours, and you will perceive the buds commencing to expand and open, and soon after you can have the opportunity of beholding a full-blown rose, representing all those beautiful colors with which nature has so wisely endowed it, and sending forth, in all the sweetness and purity of its nature, the most loving and fascinating odors, which is so much desired and sought after by lovers of flowers.
These flowers in winter command exceedingly high prices, so much so that some are making it a business of preparing them, and are making money by the operation.
PAPER-FLOWER MAKING.
THE ARRANGEMENT OF BOUQUETS, MATERIALS USED, ETC.
Much of the success in making paper flowers depends on the quality of the material, and the _form_ of the pins, moulders, pincers, etc.
The paper should be carefully selected, reference being had principally to its color and texture. As a rule, it cannot be too thin, and must be soft and strong. Avoid highly glazed papers, excepting when such a flower as the peony is to be copied. In passion-flower and fuchsia there is a thickness of texture only to be imitated by placing a sheet of thin waxed muslin between two sheets of paper. For many flowers, especially roses, a shaded paper is used, so colored as to allow of its being doubled, that a number of petals may be cut from it, leaving the dark shade in the part required. Many flowers will need painting, and for this purpose powder color is employed, using it with a tinting brush, a separate one being kept for each tint. Many flowers, such as tulip, geranium, picotee, etc., require a second or third shade of color; for these, moist or transparent colors are to be used, violet, lake, carmine and sepia being most useful, but for a complete list of colors the reader is referred to page 142. The moist colors must be applied with a sable brush. They should all be mixed with water, in some cases adding a little gum, for the purpose of more completely fixing the color on the paper.
Avoid using the powdered color too wet; it should resemble a thick paste on the palette. Sometimes use the color dry, rubbing it on with the finger, but this only on rare occasions.
Several kinds of wire will be wanted, some flowers having soft and some stiff stems. In some—not many—a very light springing stem is necessary, as for poppy; fine soft wire for the stems of fuchsias, etc. I am led to insist on particular attention being paid to the stems being imitated carefully, as so many otherwise good specimens have been spoiled by having stems hard looking and unlike the natural flower.
Wire covered with cotton is generally used, also fine steel wire for the tendrils of passion-flower, or for the light and graceful stem of the common field poppy.
Floss silk is useful; this must be fine, strong, and soft. It is used as a fastening to many of the petals, to nearly all the leaves, and when a joint of many stems is to be formed.
Black tying wire, for greater strength and larger work, is sometimes necessary.
Gum water is used for fastening the work together; this must not be too thin.
The proper tools will be found at an art store, both as regards size and form, numbering from 1 to 8, but practice alone will enable the learner to judge which is best suited, some finding a large, some a small tool the more effective.
The pincers are required to arrange the petals of a flower, as for a rose, clove, etc.
Scissors adapted to cutting the paper, having a nipper-like contrivance at the bottom of the blades for cutting the wire.
As nearly all the leaves will require some painting, to give them a _warmer_ or more natural tint than is to be found in those usually purchased, mix a small quantity of the proper color, use it with a tinting brush, and having carefully painted over the surface of the leaf, leave it to dry, then hold it to the fire; or should a glossy appearance be required, as in a camellia leaf, the polishing brush must be used.
To obtain the pattern of a natural flower, proceed thus: Select one or more petals, as the case may require. Take a geranium, for example; this has two sizes, so that one of the large, or painted petals, and one of the smaller, will be required. Place these on a sheet of thin cardboard, trace round the edge with a pencil, then cut out to drawing, allowing a little additional length for fixing them. Mark on each the number necessary for the flower. In some cases petals are cut in a circle or star, as in clove, rhododendron, or passion-flower. This is done by getting one petal traced on paper, as above directed, then cutting the required number for it, and so arranging them on the cardboard as to represent, as in the passion-flower, a star of five. Take for example a
CRIMSON RHODODENDRON.
This most effective flower should be made thus: Select about twelve petals, gum the edge, draw over edge, let them dry, then gum the small bulb at base of pistil and stamens (called the “heart,”) pass the stem of this through the opening of petals, draw down tightly, and let remain for a few minutes to dry, cover the stem with pale green paper, slightly bend the pistil and stamens that they may incline towards the central petal of the flower. A piece of strong wire about nine inches long is required on which to mount the flowers and leaves; arrange three flowers on the top of this with their backs to each other, leaving the flower stalk about two inches in length, tie this with silk, roll a little stem paper round and then place on three scales, cut from palest brown stem paper; other three flowers should be placed between those already fixed a little lower down. This order of arranging the flowers to be observed until the truss of flowers is complete. Cover the stem with brown stem paper and arrange the leaves, beginning with the small ones in the same manner as directed for the flowers, only that each leaf should be a little lower down than the last; they will require coloring, and for this use burnt sienna and Prussian blue, applied with a tinting brush, afterwards using the polishing brush; this will give them the gloss observable in the natural leaf. Many of the rhododendrons are made of plain colored petals, but their beauty is much enhanced by spotting them; the process is simple, and the direction for one will do for all, only varying the color used. Select the crimson with dark spots. Take in the hand a stamped flower, and having mixed some carmine, take a tinting brush and apply to the three uppermost petals, taking care that the color becomes lighter towards the edge and deepening towards the center. Now mix a little violet (moist) with carmine, and mark the spots as desired; this must be done with a small sable brush. White rhododendrons spotted with yellow and brown, or lilac with green spots, make very striking varieties.
WHITE CAMELLIA.
For this flower use white tissue paper of medium thickness; no other paper will so nicely imitate the texture of this well known flower.
Cut from a pattern, to be obtained as before directed, (which may be purchased when the flower is out of season), the proper numbers of petals; place each set or size separately on the hand, deeply curl the edge with the same pin used for the rose, and then press down the center with the steel stem, so as to give the deeply indented vein seen in the center of each. The larger petal will require turning on the fingers previous to using the stem of the pin, so as to cause the edges to turn backwards. ’Tis well here to remark that while you use the head of the pin on the edge or other part of a petal placed on the palm of the hand, always place the petal on the fingers when the stem of the instrument is to be used.
The stem of cotton wire No. 2. On this roll some pale-yellow wax; make it about the size of a small plum stone, the three smallest petals so placed that the edge turns inward and the points meet, leaving the base of each petal just touching the wire stem; three of the next size must now be placed on between the preceding, slightly raised. It is found that the most expeditious method of fixing the petals of this flower is to take a small piece of white wax, as large as the head of pin No. 2, used as a wafer, only without being wet. Place this at the bottom of each petal, it will then only require carrying to its place and firmly pressing with the finger or point of the ivory pin to make it adhere; this is both quicker and more easily performed than with gum water. The three following sizes may be arranged in the same order, and each set standing higher up and spreading open as the petals increase in size; all the remaining petals placed on in rows, gradually getting them to bend over, so that the last stand at right angles with the stalk; the calyx cut from pale green stem paper, thickened by the use of wax, this requires the edges to be curled, so as to give a rounded appearance. The edges should be shaded with brown, which may be applied with a small sable brush; a bud placed close to the flower, and some good dark leaves being added, we have one of the most perfect representations of nature to be obtained in paper.
ROSE.
(_Gloire de Dijon._)