Page:The Art of Modeling Flowers in Wax.djvu/27

 round with the head of the curling-pin; these petals are placed on, some much on one side and one or two of them falling backward.

Take dark green wax and very pale green wax for the calyx; join together, press the point of the pin at the sides, and curl the base of them with the head of the pin. Place these round the outside of the bud, add the seed cup, which is made by rolling dark green round the wire in the shape of a cup; place the strip of green wax on the wire to make the stem, tint the calyx and stem with a little reddish brown, which will impart a natural effect, as the Tea Rose calyx is seldom green.

Take a mold of the natural leaf with plaster of Paris, by procuring a real leaf, rubbing it with sweet oil, placing it on a piece of paper on a table, mixing the plaster of Paris in water till it acquires moderate thickness; pouring the plaster on the surface of the oiled leaf, then add some thicker plaster to give it strength. In about twenty minutes take the mold from the table and then remove the natural leaf from the plaster, this will readily fall off and leave the exact impression of the leaf.

Make a stem of the fine wire, cover with wax very neatly, take a dark shade of green wax and press on to the surface of the mold, after having damped it with a little water; press the stem on to the centre, then place another sheet of lighter green,