the lines true. While this is drying prepare your stencils. If you prefer, your border can be a vine or a purely conventional pattern, and the designs for the square may correspond. When the paint is quite dry you can stencil in your designs with the lamp-black. Let it get thoroughly dry, and then paint all over again, repeating the process until the painting is of a dense black. When the last coat is perfectly dry, rub thoroughly with pumice stone; wash off with clear water, varnish again. Let this dry, then rub with a soft flannel, repeating the process until a perfect polish is obtained.
Any other design could be substituted, as, for instance, leaves, flowers, and butterflies scattered carelessly over the surface. The varnish gives a beautiful yellow tinge to the wood.
In a box which I own, the process described above has been reversed, the background being black, and the pattern left white. When this is done, the design must be carefully shaded with India ink, and although the effect is prettier, much more work and more knowledge of drawing is required than in the first process. If preferred, the design can be transferred to the wood and then painted in with black.
This work is very appropriate for ornamenting handkerchief, glove, or work boxes, and for panels in cabinet doors. The effect is very much that of inlaid work. Monograms and appropriate mottoes can be used with good effect.
A very good imitation of ground glass can be made as follows:—
Take a piece of stencil paper just fitting the pane of glass, and draw a suitable design, cutting out the parts which are to be opaque. This pattern may be the same for all the panes, or the centre panes can be merely decorated with trefoils or stars, while a border is carried round the outer panes.
