Popular Pastimes for Field and Fireside, or Amusements for young and old

by Caroline L. Smith

ALUM BASKETS.

Success in these baskets depends somewhat upon chance; for the crystals will sometimes form irregularly, even when the utmost care is taken. Dissolve alum in a little more than twice as much water as will be necessary to cover the basket, handle and all. Put in as much alum as the water will dissolve. The water should be hot. When the water is entirely saturated, pour it into a sauce-pan or earthen jar, (by no means put it into an iron vessel), and slowly boil it, until it is nearly evaporated. The basket should then be suspended from a little stick, laid across the top of the jar, in such a manner that both basket and handle will be covered by the solution. It must be set away in a cool place, where not the slightest motion will disturb the formation of the crystals.

The frame may be made in any shape you fancy. It is usually made of small wire, woven in and out like basket-work; but a common willow basket may be used for a frame. Whether it be wire or willow, a rough surface must be produced by winding every part with thread or worsted. Bonnet-wire already covered can be used, and the trouble of winding the basket avoided. Bright yellow crystals may be produced by boiling gamboge, saffron or tumeric in the alum solution. Litmus boiled in will give bright red crystals; logwood will form purple. The colors will be more or less deep according to the quantity used. Splendid blue crystals may be obtained by preparing the sulphate of copper, commonly called blue vitriol, in the same manner as alum is prepared. Care must be taken not to drop it on your clothes.

PAINTING ON GLASS.

Some of the works which profess to teach the art of painting on glass contain directions for staining large windows in churches and halls; others merely give the process of producing the more common paintings, such as are carried about the streets for sale. These seem to have been much in vogue about a century since, as all the “Young Artist’s Assistants” of that day contain the mode of painting them. They direct us to fix a mezzotinto print upon the back of a sheet of glass, and to remove the paper by wetting and rubbing, leaving the impression of the print, which is afterwards to be painted in broad washes; the ink of the print giving the shadows. The picture being then turned over, the glazed side becomes the front, and the colors first laid on are, of course, nearest the eye. This mode of painting resembles the style of Grecian painting, that being painted from the back, and the shading is the ink of the engraving.

The methods by which glass is stained are scientific; they require some knowledge of chemistry, and such apparatus as must preclude the practice of this branch of art as an amusement. It may be interesting, however, to know something of the process. The glass being, at first, colorless, a drawing is made upon it, and the painting is laid on with mineral substances, the vehicle being a volatile oil, which soon evaporates. The sheets of glass are then exposed to a powerful heat, until they are so far melted that they receive the colors into their own substances. Enamel painting is done on the same principle. This is a time of great anxiety to the artist, as with all possible care, valuable paintings, both in glass and enamel, are frequently spoiled in the proving, or vitrification. The art seems to have been lost during several centuries, but it has of late been successfully revived; and large windows have been executed for churches and gothic halls, which almost vie with the fine old specimens in the cathedrals, in point of color, while they far excel them in other respects.

The branch of the art which may be treated as an accomplishment is the decoration of glass, flower-stands, lamp-shades, and similar articles, with light and elegant designs. Flowers, birds, butterflies and pleasing landscapes, afford an extensive range of subjects, which are suitable to this style of ornamental painting. The glasses may be procured ready ground. The outline may be sketched in with a black lead pencil; the lead can be washed off with a sponge when the colors are dry. The whole of the colors employed must be transparent, and ground in oil; opaque, or body colors, will not answer the purpose.

They may be purchased in small bladders, only requiring to be tempered with fine copal or mastic varnish, and a very little nut oil, to be ready for use. Blue is produced by Prussian blue; red, by scarlet or crimson lake; yellow, by yellow lake or gamboge; green, by verdigris, or mineral green, or a mixture of Prussian blue and gamboge; purple, by a mixture of lake and Prussian blue; reddish brown, by burnt sienna; and all the other tints may be obtained by combinations; for white, or such parts as are required to be transparent, without color, the varnish only should be employed. A very chaste and pleasing effect may be produced by painting the whole design in varnish, without color.