t with a pair of sharp scissors. Trim
the seams caused by the sections of the mold; then take a piece of
soft flannel cloth, dip it in the refined spirits of turpentine and
polish the vase with it, after which it is ready for bronzing.

Take copper bronze No. 4000, and with the tinting brush bronze the
vase evenly, and polish it with a soft piece of white silk. Now take
another brush and with copper bronze No. 6000 give it the last coat
The vase is now ready for draping. The most simple drapery is an ivy
vine. Take an embossed ivy leaf (or embossed muslin leaves, as they
are named), lay a fine wire along its midrib, leaving two or three
inches of wire for stem; cover the leaf with brown sheet wax, press
them together well with the finger and thumb to make the wax adhere to
the leaf, get the impression, and hold the wire firmly; then lay
another piece of wax on the under side, press the edges together and
cut away the superfluous wax, leaving the edge plain (the ivy leaf is
not serrated), cover the wire stem with wax and the leaf is ready for
bronzing. Rub both sides with turpentine, give one coat of bronze No.
4000, then the last coat of bronze No. 6000. When all the leaves are
finished, weave them into a spray, grading them from large to small
till the end of the vine is reached, then bronze and drape around the
vase in an easy, natural way.

The natural fall leaves, pressed, make pretty draperies for these
kinds of vases. Sprays of mixed leaves, oak leaves and acorns, small
maple leaves, the holly leaf and berry, mixed ivy and fern leaves, and
many other kinds of leaves and vines are equally pretty.

THE ART OF MAKING A MOTTO IN BRONZE.

Take a box frame of the ordinary motto-frame size (gilt face) and line
it with either crimson or royal purple velvet, and it is ready for any
design. The word "Welcome" is the simplest to begin with. Take a thick
blotting pad, lay it on a table, rub some arrowroot or rice power over
its upper surface, and lay a sheet of either calla or pond lily wax,
_extra thick_, on this powdered surface. Select the style of letter
preferred; German text is very appropriate for the motto "Welcome."
Cut the pattern letters out in pasteboard, or any kind of thick paper,
if tin letter-cutters are not convenient.

Begin with the letter W. Lay it on the sheet of wax and cut out the
waxen letter after the pattern with a penknife previously dipped in
water. Next cut the E, and so on