There are various ways of arranging sea-weed. You may gum the
specimens in a scrap-book, or insert them in by cutting four slits in the
page at each corner. They look well arranged gracefully around pho-
tographs, especially if small shells are added. This should be encircled
by a gilt frame and a glass placed over the picture to preserve it. An
album of views of seaside resorts is very pretty when each picture is
set in a frame of sea-weeds. Paper lamp shades look pretty orna-
mented with sea-weeds gummed in the divisions.
To preserve the sea-weed, especially the coarser kinds, after they are
cleaned and pressed, brush them over with spirits of turpentine, in
which two or three lumps of gum mastic have been dissolved by shaking
in a warm place ; two-thirds of a small phial is the proper proportion.
FOR ALBUMS, LYRES AND CROSSES.
Materials : Two scallop shells, half a yard of ribbon, No. 4, eight tiny
colored pictures, moss and white note paper. Drill small holes in the
shells to fasten them together. Cut the paper in leaves, the size of the
shells ; notch the edges. Put a picture on one upper corner of each leaf.
Paste a different kind on each leaf. To fasten the leaves in the shells,
put the ribbon across the center and tie in a bow at the back of the shells.
A lyre fashioned of sea-moss makes a lovely ornament for a bracket
or the wall, and is made in this way : Take a piece of white silk and
cover a square of pasteboard as large as you wish the ornament to be.
Break a knitting needle in two pieces : with a file smooth the broken
end of one piece, and place it horizontally across the board, a little
above the center. Now take five short knitting needles, place them
perpendicularly across the board, about one-eighth of an inch apart,
allowing the upper parts to extend one inch above the horizontal
needle, and fasten to the board with a stitch at the top and bottom of
each needle or with a little mucilage. This forms the cross-bar and
strings of the lyre. For the frame, arrange the moss around the
strings in form of a lyre. Put the darkest mosses at the bottom, close
together, and shade off to the lightest colors as you near the top. Set
this in a deep frame, such as are used for wax flowers, cover with glass,
and you will have an ornament rare and beautiful. In forming the lyre
it is not necessary to float the weed in water, as it would not be handled
as the album would. A little mucilage fastening it to the board here
and there will do as well. Gold-colored silk is sometimes used instead
of the needles. It is not so much trouble, and is very pretty. Crosses,
wreaths' and many other fancy knickknacks may be made on these
same principles, according to the taste of the person.
Sea-weed and mosses can be made into pictures for albums or for
framing, by drawing a cross, and covering it with white glue ; then
sprinkling on it fine pieces of pearl and grouping mosses at the bottom
for a base.
SHELLS. 335
SHELLS.
COLORING AND ETCHING.
Shells may be cleaned by pouring over them strong lye, made by
boiling ashes and allowing it to settle. Pour the lye over the shells
and boil them six or seven hours, or longer, if they are large ; then soak
and wash often in fresh water.
Page 296
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
There are various ways of arranging sea-weed. You may gum the specimens in a scrap-book, or insert them in by cutting four slits in the page at each corner. They look well arranged gracefully around photographs, especially if small shells are added. This should be encircled by a gilt frame and a glass placed over the picture to preserve it. An album of views of seaside resorts is very pretty when each picture is set in a frame of sea-weeds. Paper lamp shades look pretty ornamented with sea-weeds gummed in the divisions.
To preserve the sea-weed, especially the coarser kinds, after they are cleaned and pressed, brush them over with spirits of turpentine, in which two or three lumps of gum mastic have been dissolved by shaking in a warm place ; two-thirds of a small phial is the proper proportion.
FOR ALBUMS, LYRES AND CROSSES.
Materials : Two scallop shells, half a yard of ribbon, No. 4, eight tiny colored pictures, moss and white note paper. Drill small holes in the shells to fasten them together. Cut the paper in leaves, the size of the shells ; notch the edges. Put a picture on one upper corner of each leaf. Paste a different kind on each leaf. To fasten the leaves in the shells, put the ribbon across the center and tie in a bow at the back of the shells.
A lyre fashioned of sea-moss makes a lovely ornament for a bracket or the wall, and is made in this way : Take a piece of white silk and cover a square of pasteboard as large as you wish the ornament to be. Break a knitting needle in two pieces : with a file smooth the broken end of one piece, and place it horizontally across the board, a little above the center. Now take five short knitting needles, place them perpendicularly across the board, about one-eighth of an inch apart, allowing the upper parts to extend one inch above the horizontal needle, and fasten to the board with a stitch at the top and bottom of each needle or with a little mucilage. This forms the cross-bar and strings of the lyre. For the frame, arrange the moss around the strings in form of a lyre. Put the darkest mosses at the bottom, close together, and shade off to the lightest colors as you near the top. Set this in a deep frame, such as are used for wax flowers, cover with glass, and you will have an ornament rare and beautiful. In forming the lyre it is not necessary to float the weed in water, as it would not be handled as the album would. A little mucilage fastening it to the board here and there will do as well. Gold-colored silk is sometimes used instead of the needles. It is not so much trouble, and is very pretty. Crosses, wreaths and many other fancy knickknacks may be made on these same principles, according to the taste of the person.
Sea-weed and mosses can be made into pictures for albums or for framing, by drawing a cross, and covering it with white glue ; then sprinkling on it fine pieces of pearl and grouping mosses at the bottom for a base.
SHELLS. 335
SHELLS.
COLORING AND ETCHING.
Shells may be cleaned by pouring over them strong lye, made by boiling ashes and allowing it to settle. Pour the lye over the shells and boil them six or seven hours, or longer, if they are large ; then soak and wash often in fresh water.