_Unpretending excellence._
"In eastern lands they talk of flowers,
And they tell in a garland their loves and cares;
Each blossom that blooms in their garden bowers,
On its leaves a mystic language bears."
J. G. PERCIVAL.
As the limits of this little work will not admit of my giving
instruction in more than one of these favourite flowers, I select the
variegated one, considering it the most difficult.
The petals require to be cut in thick wax; colour them upon both sides
with bright crimson, leaving white circular spots indiscriminately in
various parts of two petals out of every five. The largest petals are
formed by pressing the thumb very firmly upon the shining side, taking
care that the edge inclines back without any wrinkled appearance. A
crease is made up the centre upon the opposite side. Each set of petals
are painted and curled the same, but the smallest are folded together.
The stamina must be prepared from pale lemon wax, (cut double,) and the
anthers at the end tipped with orange powder to represent the farina;
they are cut into small clusters of seven or eight. Use the large
wire,--pass a piece of double wax, the width of a sheet, and half an
inch in depth, round the wire,--about half an inch deep; bend the wire
down, and mould the whole into a cone shape. Affix a small cluster of
stamina to the point, and in various directions the five smallest
petals; insert among these two or three clusters of the stamina. Place
in rows of five each succeeding set of petals, taking care in each row
to introduce about two of the variegated or spotted petals, allowing
such to be principally upon one side of the flower (and this may be
observed in nearly all flowers that are variegated.)
The calyx is cut from lemon wax, shaded green and also brown. The head
of the pin is rolled upon each to cup it: they are placed immediately
behind the flower in rows of three, each succeeding set in the
intervening spaces.
The stem is covered with a strip of light green wax, moulded smooth with
the thumb and finger, tinged brown with the brush.