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ONLY ΑΝ
EGG- SHELL.
with wax, the small end of the egg-shell would } drawing it off in the form of a cork- screw. Fig. rest on the head of the stick, whilst the button 2 is a sort of urn-shaped vessel, made from the would rest on the ground in the center of the large end of a goose-egg, with both the foot and foot, D, forming, so to speak, a foundation on cover fashioned from pieces of egg-shell. The which all the mouldings and ornamental pat- foot, E, has a small hole made in its upper surterns have to be made. A narrow-bladed pen- face, in which the end of the upper shell, or knife, one or two crochet-needles, with the barbs { body of the urn, rests. A round collar of wax, removed, and some narrow pointed slips of hard either plain or ornamental, surrounds the joint, wood, will be found very useful and efficient as at F, and affords a hold for the gum. The instruments for the purpose, warming the knife flowers are of rice-paper, as in Fig. 1, and the point or needles, as occasion may require, in a little ram's-heads and the pine on the cover are cup of hot water. The handles of the vase are made from moulded wax. Vessels thus confirst made of twisted bonnet-wire with its cover- structed are admirably adapted for holding ing of thread on, as at C. These, when properly violets or other small flowers. A crocus-root, put with damp moss in one of them, shoots up and flowers charmingly. When the violets or other cut flowers are placed in them, the ends of the stems should be thrust in the orifices of a bit of fine sponge ; this, when deposited in the bottom of the vase, and saturated with water, keeps the flowers fresh for some time, doing away with the fear of the water being upset, or the ornamental work of the vase injured. Some ladies may wish to draw or paint figures or flowers on the shells. For pencil drawing no preparation is needed, but when paintings in water-colors are about being made on them the colors take better if the shells are previously washed in a little soda or potashwater, in order to remove the oily matter 膠 usually covering the surface, when, after being thoroughly cleansed in clean, cold water, and then dried, the coloring process may be proceeded with as on ordinary paper. Fig. 3 represents the position in which the egg-shell is attached to an ornamental or embossed card, after having a rustic cottage or Swiss chalet E placed in it. These so-called " fairy cot-shells," when tastefully turned out of hand, are perfect little gems, and would command eager purchase at bazaars or fancy fairs. To make these the shells, after being bound with gold paper like the vases, should have a little nicely selected NO. 2.-URN-SHAPED VESSEL MADE FROM GOOSE-EGG. fashioned, are suspended from threads, and dip- { " fern-leaf moss," (so called from the shape of ped in molten wax, allowed to cool, redipped , its fronds, ) which is to be found about the roots and so on until stout enough to cut and mould of fir-trees and in old shrubberies, placed in with the tools. When finished, small, flat sur- the extreme end of the shell, so that the fernfaces of attachment must be cut with the knife, like fibres may lay nicely ; then paint in waterand the handles secured to the vase with thick, colors, on a bit of thin Bristol board, a miniastrong gum. The main stem of the wreath, sur- ture cot or Swiss chalet, in proportion to the rounding the vase, is made of white silk, and size of the interior of the egg-shell, and, when the leaves and flowers of neatly-cut rice-paper, finished , cut it out on a board with a sharp which are readily fastened on with gum, ap- penknife, and with one of your needles place plied on the point of one of the needles. Such it, with a little gum, well back in the small end little tendrils as may be required are easily of the shell, arranging the moss on each side made by twisting a very slender strip of wax so as to droop forward like larch-trees. A round a moistened needle, and then carefully liliputian bridge and rustic hand rail may be
