Cut a piece of the thickest wire for the stalk of the camellia. Cover it with a strip of white wax for about three-fourths of an inch, and bend it back. Then roll more wax round this doubled wire, softening it, by holding it at a little distance from the fire, till a solid bud like a rosebud is formed. This is to be covered by the first three petals, and the other small ones are to stand up round them; each petal being placed behind and between the two inner ones. A little pressure will cause the points of the petals to adhere to the foundation-bud and to each other; but, to secure them more firmly, narrow strips of wax must be laid on round each row of petals, about a fourth of an inch wide, and moulded into them with one of the wooden moulding-tools. The rows of five petals are to be affixed in the same manner, taking care that one is always placed behind and between the two inner ones, and also that it is placed sufficiently high to be visible a little above them, so that the flower may increase in width regularly. The three outer petals will not, of course, be visible in front of the flower; but it must be nicely finished at the back with these and the sepals of the calyx, put on in the same manner with strips of green wax. The wire stalk must be covered also with strips of pale-green wax, cut so as just to enclose the wire, and covered with other strips, moulded smoothly with the moulding tool. The stalk should be slightly bent, so as to place the blossom in a natural position, and two leaves bound on, at proper distances from it, on opposite sides of the stalk.

Fig 116.

There are two or three methods of making leaves; but for the generality of flowers the following is the best: take two sheets of green wax (to match the upper and under sides of the leaf in color); place a stalk of middle-sized or fine wire, covered with the narrowest strip possible of wax, between them, long enough to be firmly attached to the flower-stalk. The camellia, being a thick-leaved flower, will require middle-sized wire; and, if the wax be very thin, a third sheet of wax may be laid underneath the others. The real leaf which is to be copied must be laid upon these; and the wax must be cut out exactly of the right size, with the wire, of course, in the centre of the leaf. Press the wax leaf against the real one firmly, and hold them at a little distance from the fire, so as to soften the wax sufficiently to receive the perfect impression of the real leaf laid upon it, on its upper side. When this is obtained exactly, and the wax leaf is embedded in the other, they should be dipped into cold water, and the real leaf may then be easily removed from the wax impression, the edges of which are to be cut into the right notches, and rolled into fineness with the knob of the smallest curling-pin. The wire leaf-stalk must now be covered with a narrow strip of wax, and fastened to the flower-stalk in its proper position; the front or upper part of the leaf being always placed against the side of this, and bent into the right shape afterwards. The leaves may require a little more binding to secure them to the stalk, and this may need other strips of wax to make it thick enough. Then it must be brushed over with a little liquid brown paint, made by rubbing down a little of the brown powder, and mixing it with very thin gum-water, with the palette-knife, to represent the brown wood of the stalk, and the flower is completed, unless a bud is needed; in which case, three or six of the smaller petals must be cut out in lemon or pale-green wax, according to the size and color of the bud desired to be copied, bloomed and tinted in the same manner as the flower-petals, moulded, and affixed to a small bud made on a stalk of middle-sized wire, like the foundation of the flower, and pressed closely round it, so as to form a solid bud. This must be fastened to the flower-stalk in the same manner as the leaves, and will probably have to be put on first, as the buds are generally close to the blossoms of the camellia.

Variegated and red camellias are done in the same way; the former having stripes of pink powder and carmine upon the white petals, rubbed on (or, if slight, laid on with a small sable brush), and the latter colored throughout with madder, pink, and carmine, and shaded according to the colors of each petal. Bloom will not be required for this camellia.

The white jasmine is very easy of execution; but its blossoms are so small, that they require very delicate handling. The five petals may be bloomed and tinted at once on both sides by mixing a very slight portion of the lightest yellow powder with the bloom with the palette-knife. Then they must be moulded with the curling-pin, and placed round the pistil. The stamens are not visible. The back of the flower must be finished nicely, and a strip of white wax rolled round the upper part to make a smooth tube, which is to be painted pink with a liquid paint and a poonah brush. The calyx is cut out in one piece (Fig. 2), and tinted at the top of the sepals with brown paint.

The leaves are in threes and fives on a stalk. They must be modelled from the real leaves, in the manner described for the camellia-leaves, putting the finest wire between the sheets of wax for the stalk, and, of course, putting the leaves composing one sprig together, before the stalk is attached to the flower-stalk. The edges of the leaves and the stalk should be tinged with brown paint, put on with the poonah brush; or a slight tinge of carmine over the green will give the same effect.