72 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
GLASS DECORATIONS 
O decorate glass for table ware one needs in the 
first place, Bohemian or Baccarat glass, the 
first mentioned being safest for the amateur to 
fire. For raised gold used Hancock's paste 
for china. The ordinary fluxed gold for china 
will do for the paste work but a specially fluxed 
gold is prepared for flat use. The enamels also are specially 
prepared for glass. The jewels are of Bohemian glass and 
average ten cents a dozen, round or cut. The enamels also 
are very inexpensive, usually about fifteen cents per vial- 
When it is desired to stain the glass, specially prepared colors 
are required, some being inexpensive, and some, like the ruby 
stain, cannot be bought in small quantities unless procured 
through some decorator who uses it. The brushes and oils 
used for china decorations can be used for glass work. 
To prepare paste for raised gold, you will use a small 
piece of ground glass, a horn palette knife, fat oil of Turpen- 
tine, oil of lavender, Hancock's paste. Mix powder with 
just enough fat oil to hold it together without looking oily, 
breathe on it three or four times, then rub in with palette 
knife— repeat this three or four times. Do not think this is 
" hocus pocus," it is a most essential part of the process, as 
the warm breath cuts the oil and helps keep the mixture open. 
Now put in enough oil of lavender to make about the consis- 
tency of mustard, and breathe on it again several times, mixing 
between, until the paste "stays put," without being too stiff 
to work. If it gets too stiff, it needs a little more lavender, if 
too oily, it needs more paste. Mixed this way on a clear cool 
day the paste will stay in working condition without further 
manipulation about three hours or until used up. If you have 
trouble with your paste for china, try this method of mixing. 
There is nothing to compare with it, if you wish to do much 
modeling. 
After the paste design is finished, put a dot of the paste 
on center of circle of dots for jewels, then place the jewel on 
it and press down to glass. This will raise a little rim around 
it which will hold it firm. The jewel being of the same con- 
sistency as the glass upon which it is placed, there will be not 
the slightest difficulty in firing as the jewel and glass fuse at 
the same degree of heat. If you wish to stain your glass as 
in the illustration, this must be done before the paste is 
put on. 
Directions for Hock Glass Decoration. Draw a circle on 
paper, divide into 12, marking the lines right across the circle. 
Place the glass on this circle, being sure that it stands on the 
center — mark the divisions in India ink on the edge and rim 
of glass, being careful that the marks on rims are directly 
above those on base. Put a white piece of cloth inside of 
glass and draw design in India ink on one section then trace it 
off on a zvhite piece of paper, cutting it the size and shape of 
one section, place this against the window and trace the design 
on the other side also, thus you have the design in reverse, 
now wet your tracing with water and stick it inside of your 
glass, fitting it to the first section, trace on the glass in India 
ink. In this way the entire design is put on, wetting the 
paper when it drys and continually reversing as you finish a 
section. 
Now cover the spaces to be stained ruby, with English 
Grounding oil and pad till even and tacky, then dust on the 
ruby powder. Clean out the design for paste and dry in oven. 
Then put on paste and jewels as directed. If you wish to 
make the setting, as in the illustration, the little claws are 
built up on to the jewel after it is fixed and the paste dry. In 
putting the claws on, take a dot of paste on the end of your 
brush, touch it to the ring of paste and part way up the side 
of jewel, then draw away the brush with a side movement 
which brings the paste out in a point giving the effect of a 
real jewel setting. Fire— then gild and refire. For table 
ware a simpler design is in better taste. This glass was an 
exhibition piece and took 60 hours to execute. 
HOCK GLASS— ADELAIDE ALSOP-ROBINEAU. 
I Photo, by Scherer.) 
"A Guide to the Wild Flowers," published by Frederick 
A. Stokes Co., 5 and 7 East Sixteenth Street, New York, con- 
tains 64 beautiful full-page colored plates, 100 black and white- 
plates, and descriptions of over 500 plants. The illustrations 
are by Mrs. Rowan, who refused $75,000 from the German 
government for her collection of botanical studies. 
