FORGET ME NOT.
Forget me not.
"The very name is Love's own poetry,
Born of the heart, and of the eye begot,
Nursed amid sighs and smiles of constancy,
And ever breathing—'Love! forget me not.'"
Miller.
This little flower is cut in one piece from thick white wax. A hole is pierced in the centre with the curling pin. The finest white wire is used: affix a small piece of wax to the end, and fold it down with the wire; it must be very minute. Pass it through the front of the flower, and fasten it at the back by moulding it gently with the point of the pin. It is painted after it is made: the centre is touched with a sable brush—the colour, second yellow. The edges of the flower are coloured a brilliant blue, for which use the light blue, with minute portions of white and crimson. The buds and opening flowers are more pink than the full-blown flowers.
PINK GERANIUM.
(Pelargonium.) Preference.
Cut the petals in thick white wax; there are three narrow and two broad. Mix a little white powder with some crimson, and paint all the petals half way down lightly with this colour. The brush must contain but a very small portion of colour, or it would dry rough. The broad petals are afterwards coloured as follows:—first vein the lower ends with cake smalt and crimson, using for the purpose a fine sable brush. Then take a large brush, containing crimson alone, and form a large round spot, gradually shading it off towards each edge. When thoroughly dry, apply in the same manner the colour first used for veining, leaving a light margin of the rose colour previously laid on. With a sable brush paint some very faint pink veins, extending from the spot towards (but not quite touching) the ends of the petals. Some dark veins are laid on the spot also with crimson powder and cake sepia. The middle size wire is necessary to support the flower. Commence its construction by affixing a strip of white wax about an inch down the same; this is to represent the pistillum. Five very fine points extend beyond the end of the wire, these are previously snipped with the scissors; they are termed in botany the stigma. At the base of the pistillum pass a strip of green wax; this is the foundation to which the stamina and petals are to be attached. The pistillum and stigma are painted entirely over with the same colour previously used for veining. Cut five fine stamina in white wax, to the points of each attach an anther, cut in deep orange wax. They are placed across the end, and united by pressing them together with the head of the curling pin. Curl the broad petals by laying the painted side next the hand and pressing the thumb into its centre. Upon the opposite side at the lower end of the petal indent and round it with the point of the pin. The small petals are similarly curled, although it is necessary to vary them a little according to taste; for upon observing nature it will be found that there is no formality, in fact scarcely two petals or two flowers are precisely the same upon a tree or stem. Attach the stamina to the foundation, and then the two broad petals; finally, the three narrowest are placed immediately under the stamina. The calyx is cut from light green wax. The head of the pin is to curl each previous to its being placed behind the petals. It is shaded rather dark green towards the stem. Wash the calyx over with a weak solution of gum water, and sprinkle it with down. In laying on the latter do not touch it with the fingers, but throw it on from the bottle, and shake off all that does not adhere.