Part 11

Cut from pale yellow shaded paper, petals Nos. 1 (the outside petal) and 2, and from shaded paper of a lighter shade, but having pink in the middle of the stripe, so placing the pattern on the paper as to bring the pointed end of it to the darkest part of the paper, and so fold it as to allow of eight petals being cut at once. Sixteen of each size will be required. Cut off a proper length of the medium cotton wire, bend over the top of it several times, so as to make a head to it about the size of a pea, on this tie a few of the proper stamens, and around it roll a small quantity of pale green wax. All the petals should be treated as follows, as a preparation for other moulding. Take eight petals of a size, place them on the palm of the left hand, so that they can be held in their place by one of the fingers of the same hand, holding in the right hand pin No. 1, so that it may revolve easily round the edge of the petals, held as described in the other hand. The object of this rolling of the edge is to overcome the hard or unnatural look of the paper, and is _essential_ as a preparatory step to all other modeling. This done, turn the bunch of petals, press them in the center with the finger, after which roll over all parts of it excepting the edge, with the head of pin No. 2, this will leave the edge of the petals turned backwards, and this moulding must be continued until sufficient roundness has been obtained.

Separate the petals. This is best done from the points, so as not to disarrange the form already given to them. Take five of the smallest petals, place each on the hand as before described separately, and with the head of pin No. 2, indent it deeply down its center, _beginning at the top_, so as to curve the petal, that when placed on the foundation already prepared they will curl over and nearly conceal it.

These must be tied on with silk. To form the groups of petals, take two of the smallest, and three of the next size; the smallest place in front, the larger behind, and so arrange that each petal should be slightly elevated above the one in front of it; hold them together by the points, and then open the petals from the top, so as to be able to insert the end of a fine gum brush; a mere spot of gum is all that is required, as much as possible in the center of the petal, so as to leave the edges perfectly free.

Place this bunch of petals on the hand, as before directed, and round it in the same manner, only not to the same extent. Five or more of the bunches or nests of petals are required. Each should be placed in its proper position, and tied with floss silk. The two next sizes of petals must be treated in a similar manner, and placed on behind the bunches already fixed, so as, in fact, to give to the center of the flower the appearance of being divided into five or more divisions.

Petals No. 3, require the same rounding as applied to the preceding, two or three being placed together, giving them a more open form; fix these round the petals already on. Elevate them, so as to produce the cup shape observable in nearly all good roses. As the petals become larger, the thumb is found more convenient than the finger, it more quickly produces the roundness on which the beauty of a rose so much depends. The larger petals must be treated in a similar manner, only the edges require to turn back with more freedom and boldness, and the petals gradually receding, so that those placed on last will stand nearly at right angles with the stem, in some cases being even more bent backwards. Two or three of the last may be slightly shaded with green at the base, and carmine and burnt sienna at the edge, so as to give the faded appearance of the outer petals. Frequent reference should be made to the illustration of the flower or its parts as the work proceeds; the calyx should then be passed up the stem, so as to fit close to the back of the flower, and the stem covered with pale green stem paper.

Add a bud or two. These should appear close under the outer petals of the flower. The leaves start from the junction of these stems, being set round, each a little lower than the preceding. They should be colored and polished as directed in “general observations,” to give them the bold and waxy appearance seen in this deservedly popular and beautiful rose.

PINK FUCHSIA.

(_Duchess of Lancaster._)

Place a sheet of pale yellow waxed muslin between two sheets of pale pink shaded paper. So arrange the pattern as to bring the points to the white, and the darker shade of color to come to about the center. Cut the four petals from deep cherry paper, made thick as before described. The sepals, to be placed on the hand, and with the head of pin No. 2, gently roll from the points, so as to produce a number of faint lines, and also to unite the paper and wax firmly together, giving at the same time the proper transparency and gloss. The petals require considerable working with the large pin, to give them the roundness necessary after they are formed. They will require shading with a mixture of carmine and “magenta,” put on with a large tinting brush, the color being almost dry. The pistil made of a large white seed, which must be attached to a piece of fine cotton wire. About two inches from the edge of pistil roll round some wax or cotton wool, then add eight stamens. These will not be as long as the pistil; they must be shaded with pink; top of pistil of a pale green color. Stamens may have a small quantity of white pollen on them; and this being finished, fasten on with a small quantity of wax the four petals, and then tie them with silk. The neck of the flower can be made either of wax or wool, the former being the best. The four sepals having been properly bent, are now placed on, great care being taken in forming them perfectly on the neck before mentioned, which, if it is made of wax, can be done by rolling over each petal as it is placed on with stem of ivory pin; but should wool be used, the petals must be fastened on with gum.

ARRANGEMENT OR GROUPING OF FLOWERS.

The lighter flowers, both of form and color, should be so placed as to be at the top, excepting such flowers as passion flower, fuchsia, etc., which are drooping or climbing plants.

Aim at simplicity in coloring rather than too great a mixture, which gives a confused look.

The foliage is used as a background; there should be no stint of this. The great fault observable in the arrangement of bouquets, whether natural or artificial, is that they rarely have the leaves brought as prominently forward as they should be, consequently the bouquet loses both character and elegance.

Ferns, of which there is now so large and beautiful a collection, add very much to the elegance of the bouquet.

EXAMPLES IN GROUPING. _No. 1, Roses._ Gloire de Dijon, apricot; Geant de Bataille, scarlet and purple; Aimee Vibert, small white; pink cabbage; forget-me-not; maiden hair fern.

_No. 2._ Rhododendron, crimson; red spotted do.; deep pink do.; pale do.; white do. Some large ferns and orange azaleas of various shades.

_No. 3._ White camellias; red camellias; pale yellow azalea; pink fuchsia; deep blue cineraria; ribbon grass.

_No. 4._ Passion flower (various); fuchsias; thunbergia; hop; ivy leaves.

LIST OF MATERIALS, TOOLS, &c.

Moulding pins, moulders, pincers, tinting brushes, scissors, three sizes of cotton wire, silk for tying, fine wire for tying, gum water.

COLORS IN POWDER. Carmine, burnt sienna, Prussian blue, ultramarine, chrome 1, 2 and 3, white, magenta, violet.

MOIST COLORS. Carmine, lake, violet.

The papers most used are: White tissue, carmine, pinks (various), shaded for roses (various), stem paper (green and brown), violet, 3 shades, yellows, scarlet for poppies, etc.

THE FRENCH ART.

A BEAUTIFUL AND PRACTICAL PROCESS FOR DECORATING WOOD, LEATHER, SILK AND OTHER FABRICS.

It is simple to perform, durable, and very effective. The designs are printed in colors, upon paper so prepared that after they are cemented to the surface of the article intended to be decorated, by simply dampening the back of the paper, it may be at once and entirely removed, and the finished work exactly resemble painting; nothing but the colored designs remaining upon the work.

Suppose that a white earthenware or porcelain plate is the object to decorate: Take the design, and after having cut off the larger portion of the margin of the paper, pass over the colored design, fine brush, a slight coat of _Fastening Varnish_, being careful to cover the whole of the design and not go beyond the outlines. When the varnish has partially dried, or has become “tacky,” which will happen in five or ten minutes, place the varnished surface in the position you wish it to occupy upon the plate, and then press it well down with the roller; then take a damp piece of cloth or sponge and press well the back of the picture, (if you were decorating a curved surface, such as a vase, the ivory knife may be used for the purpose), and allow it to remain for a minute or two, then thoroughly wet the back of the design and raise the paper with the hand evenly and carefully. Now wash the picture, which is transferred as gently as possible with the water brush, to remove any soil; this done, carefully press the work with a piece of fine linen slightly wetted, so as to absorb the water and nearly dry the design, this prevents it from blistering and causes the work to dry flat and evenly. Then after having left it at least one day, apply a coat of retouching varnish, and the work is complete.

=To Decorate Silk and other Delicate Fabrics.= Apply a coating of fastening varnish, and allow it to dry, then with the water brush, wash the paper surrounding the design carefully; this removes from the paper the preparation which would otherwise soil the silk; now apply a second coat of the same varnish, and when this has slightly dried, place the design upon the silk or other fabric to be decorated, and with the roller press it well down. With the water brush wet the back of the paper covering the design and the paper may be at once lifted off.

=Another Method.= Cut out the design carefully and cover it with a thin coating of fastening varnish, and allow it to dry, then lay it upon the silk or other fabric, and roll thoroughly; dampen the back of the paper with the water brush, and lift it off as previously directed.

=To Decorate Articles of a Dark Color.= In decorating Japanned goods, or any dark material, it is necessary to take the prepared pictures covered with white lead or gold back, and follow the directions as before. Should there be any design you wish to remove, or any spots of varnish accidentally dropped upon the article decorated, you can easily remove it by applying the clarified spirits.

* * * * *

A few of the many articles which can be easily and advantageously decorated. Vases, trinket stands, and other ornaments in white china, with or without a border of gold; tea or coffee services in china, earthenware, or Bohemian glass; dessert services, flower pots and boxes, candlesticks, urn and jug stands, carriages, sleighs, wagons, furniture, tinware, and many other china articles which have been made expressly for decoration by this art; white wood articles, straw dinner mats, silk or cloth sofa cushions, scent bags, slippers, hand screens, fans, ribbons, articles in ivory, book covers; indeed it is difficult to say what ornamental article may not be thus decorated, from the panels of a room to the tiny articles of the dressing table.

To the house decorator this art offers a complete substitute for the costly process of hand painting for panels of rooms, and other portions of his work which require artistic embellishment.

As to the choice of subjects, of course that must be left to individual taste. The variety is large, comprising flowers, birds, figures and landscapes, of all dimensions and in every style, the beautiful products of Sevres, the works of modern artists, and inlaid woods.

The brushes may be easily cleaned with a little of the clarified spirits, as well as any accidental spots of the varnishes upon the dress.

As all designs are covered with gold, or plain, the latter will show on a white ground only, and are mostly used for ladies’ work. The covered designs will show on any ground, dark or light, and are principally used for manufacturing purposes, such as tin, woodenware, etc.

WAX ART. Flowers and Fruit

WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING THE WAX AND MOLDS, MATERIALS USED, ETC.

Wax Art was supposed to have reached the height of perfection many years ago, but since the invention of the various machines for cutting and molding designs into form from wax, the rapidity with which the work is executed, and the endless variety of artistic productions in wax art, it is evident perfection has not yet been reached, and we are led to believe it susceptible of attaining a still higher degree of excellence. The reason of its being taught so little during the past few years is owing principally to the fact of its simplicity since the use of molds and cutters, so artistically arranged that the form of any desired leaf or flower may be chiseled out at will, from the varieties of colored wax before you.

Nothing in fancy work excels the art of making Wax Flowers for interest, amusement and fascination. Only a few tools are required. A good eye for colors and a little taste in arranging them. There are two distinct methods. First,

=By Molding Them.= All tubular flowers must be made by molds, viz: Calla lily, lily of the valley, iris, morning glory, scarlet cypress vine, stephanotis, and all other flowers tubular or labiated. A good set of _wooden molds_, carved carefully, is the best, but any lady can prepare her own molds in the following manner. Get your flower fresh as possible, and stand it in water to give it perfect strength. Fix a little pasteboard box, or any small cup shaped box; prepare these yourself with strips of pasteboard, some larger or smaller, just according to the size of leaf or flower you intend to mold from; mix the finest dentists’ plaster of paris, (practice alone can perfect one in the proper consistency), and pour it into the flower, having enough mixed to fill it and cover every little part of the flower, let it remain until hard, tear off the flower, and you have a _perfect_ mold, every little vein and impression perfectly taken. With a sharp knife trim off all ragged edges and superabundant plaster, leaving your mold small as possible, and lighter to handle. These _leaf_ molds are much better for all uses, even for _sheeted_ wax flowers, than those _metal_ molds that _cut_ the wax, and never give the fibrous look needed for a _natural_ looking leaf. The lily of the valley needs a _wooden_ mold, the flower is so delicate a plaster mold cannot be made.

=Preparation of the Wax for Molded Flowers.= These recipes are of the times of our great grandmothers, who kept a few bees in their gardens, making honey from the fields of sweet clover, the apple and other fruit blossoms in the spring of the year, and buckwheat patches in the summer. The wax was brown, and they bleached it by melting it, clarifying it by selecting the whitest, running it off in thin sheets, and laying it in the hot sun to bleach. All bleacheries do this on a larger or smaller scale. After bleaching the wax white as muslin, you can make your parlor mantel ornaments of it.

Keep a set of tin cups for your different tints of wax, your white cup being the largest.

=To Mold a Calla Lily.= Have ready a basin of hot soap suds, strong as possible of soap, and hot, so that your lily will be smooth, not lumpy or bubbly. Melt your wax by setting the tin cup in _boiling water_, as glue is melted. To every pound of white wax add a tube of Winsor & Newton’s flake white paint, dissolved and thoroughly mixed with one tablespoonful balsam fir, or Venetian turpentine, and half table spoonful of dissolved gum mastic, the _whitest_ possible. This is a _good_ recipe for _sheeting wax_ for your own use, and will be given below in preparations for sheeted wax flowers.

Your liquid being thoroughly mixed in two cups, your white and yellow chrome cup, the yellow prepared exactly like the white, only _yellow chrome_ paint substituted for the white tube paint; your molds all prepared by standing soaked in the hot soap suds, you commence with the yellow cup, dipping your spadix mold, or the center of the lily, in the yellow cup, making as many spadix as you wish to make lilies. After finishing dipping spadix, you take your white cup and large mold, dipping once and letting it cool a moment, and then immersing the second time, to give a double thickness to the heavy portions of the flower.

A hundred lilies can be molded in an hour.

The stems of wire can be prepared next. Fasten the spadix to the stem, and slip the stem through the hole at the bottom of the molded flower, then with a brush dipped in the hot _green_ cup solder the whole together, spadix, stem and flower.

All molded flowers are made exactly alike. All tools dipped first in hot suds for every flower, after in the hot wax. It is well, as a rule, to make all _white_ flowers first—afterward, the colored flowers.

All variegated flowers are _painted_ with a brush, using Winsor & Newton’s moist _water colors_. All yellow flowers, like Thunbergia, spadix of lilies, etc., by dipping in the _yellow_ cup. A scarlet cup for scarlet flowers, blue for blue flowers, rose colored for roses, Naples yellow for sofrano and tea rose tints.

All roses and double flowers are made of separate petals molded and joined together afterward.

All large leaves should be molded, and all small leaves, all dipped in the green cup.

Your green cup is made of all your refuse colors melted together, and the tube green tint added. Never use any darker tubes than No. 1 chrome green. Your olive and other tints are made by the refuse tints thrown in from the drippings of red, yellow, purple, and odd tints.

=Directions for Sheeting Wax.= To every pound of bleached wax, after dissolving thoroughly in an outer crucible of hot water, add 1 oz. balsam of fir, or Venetian turpentine, in which dissolve a little resin, white or mastic. If white wax is desired, one and one-half tube Winsor & Newton’s flake white paint should be added—yellow, orange or rose, and just what other tints are required. All sheeted wax by machine is first molded into square blocks or bricks, and the machine slices off the sheets. But these machines are expensive, and no lady cares to have one who only makes wax flowers for pleasure.

_Green_ wax is made from the drippings of all the other tints, and from the yellow unbleached wax, with green tube paint added.

After preparing your cup of melted wax, have ready a plaster mold made on a tea saucer or tea plate. Dip your mold in hot soap suds, for flower molding, and with a small ladle pour over its wet surface the melted wax, trimming off the sides and making even sheets, remelting the clippings and resheeting it.

A wooden spaddle size of ordinary sheet wax is sometimes made, and used instead of the plaster mold, called _paddle wax_, and a great many teachers use a bottle, dipping the bottle, and forming wax thin at one end, thicker at the other. Either plaster, wood or glass must be dipped in the hot suds between every dipping in hot melted wax.

=Wax Fruit= is made in molds, and is always used with the paints in preparing the crude wax, and painted afterwards with dry powder paint.

Almost all molds for Wax Fruit should be made in halves—pears in three pieces—and some fruits require the mold in several pieces. Unless the molds are perfect the fruit will be defective, and nothing can make it beautiful when it is once molded wrong.

Your fruit should be perfect, and in making your molds care should be taken that there are no open places or leaks in the molds. Grease your lemon, apple, orange, or whatever is to be molded, well first in every part. Have ready your pasteboard cup, made a trifle larger than your fruit, nearly filling your cup with the plaster, mixed with cold water to the consistency of pound cake unbaked. Your fruit being oiled, _be very careful_ to sink it down _just half_ in the dissolved plaster. If you do not get in half, or if you sink it in more than half, you will have an imperfect mold, and your fruit will be defective. A little care makes it perfect.

As soon as the plaster is a little hardened, with a pen knife make four holes in the outer plaster rim, not touching the fruit. These holes, half an inch deep, are to hold the top of your mold; lock it into the lower half, blow off all loose pieces of plaster, and when completely hardened, oil the top of the fruit and the new half plaster mold, and the holes for the locks; then prepare the second half. Be sure and have your plaster fresh and strong, when thoroughly mixed to the same consistency as the first, pour over the fruit into the pasteboard cup, and even it all over. Leave it standing a good half hour, then remove the pasteboard cup, and if the mold seems hardened, carefully open it, being careful not to break off the locks, for upon the perfection of these consists the perfection of the fruit.

In a basket of fruit, lady apples are beautiful, crab apples, Seckle pears, Bartlett pears, a lemon, an orange or two, California plums, two peaches, and grapes are desirable. Two pounds of wax will make this elegant variety. None of the fruit should be large—all small, high colors, and _perfect_ in painting.

After preparing your set of molds, prepare your wax, as before directed, and there should be twelve gill, or half-pint cups kept ready for this work, with the different tints. A small sharp pouring spout on each cup is a great help. The half-pint cups being generally used for apples, peaches, pears, oranges and lemons; the plums, cherries, and little fruits are made with the gill cups.

All fruit makers, _masters_, will tell you to be very careful and not get too deep tints; for a lemon use common lemon chrome paint, dry; orange, orange chrome, dry, and after making those two fruits, you make from the same cups your apples, peaches and pears, because the solid, clear color is needed first, and after, you can paint them to their natural tint. 1st, Lemon. Match the color of the wax to the lemon you imitate. Dry patent powdered yellow, gives a splendid lemon tint.

After melting and tinting your wax, two cakes for one lemon, have ready your mold—remember that every mold must be soaked in hot, strong soap suds—have the upper half ready to put on as soon as your lower half is filled with the hot wax. Pour in the even half of the mold with the melted wax first. Never allow any to slop over the edge. Place on the upper half immediately and lock closely together, holding them clasped and turning them gently over and over, keeping every part in a slow, steady motion until the liquid sound has all ceased. About ten minutes is needed to every piece of fruit the size of a lemon or an orange.

Let them stand inside the mold for some time, opening very carefully. If your mold is perfect, very little trimming will be required. With a sharp penknife remove every trace of the rim where the fruit mold joined together, and wash off with benzine, rubbing a little dry powder over the lemon to give it a fresh picked appearance, and painting the stem end with water colors.

=Orange= is made precisely like the lemon, only orange chrome is used instead of lemon.

=Apples= are made from the lemon cup or the orange cup, with a little green chrome added to vary the foundation tint, and after molding, trimming and washing off with benzine, paint red with dry carmine, producing a splendid effect.