PRETTY HANDICRAFTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 240, 30 December 1927, Page 4

PRETTY HANDICRAFTS

OTHER PEOPLE’S HOBBIES By MOLLIE LITTLE There are a number of interesting handicrafts available to women nowadays, most of them quite new to the majority of people, though a great many of them are merely modernised revivals of old-fashioned, or even ancient, processes. The old silhouette pictures were evidently the great-grandparents of some very interesting specimens obtainable to-day. Some of these appear to be brilliantly coloured flowers pressed upon glass and outlined in black. Actually, the outline is first cut out by hand from black paper—no easy matter, this; it is then fixed to the back of the glass, and each outline is filled in with scraps of brightly-hued silk. Charming teapot stands are made in this manner; so also are small trays and wall-decora-tions. PAINTING ON GLASS Painting upon*glass is another interesting handicraft. I have seen tall candlesticks mounted upon square bases made entirely of plain glass anti decorated with a delicate floral design painted in green, orange and black. Even 'table glass is adorned in this manner, though a single painted glass is probably more effective than several on the table. One’s early morning glass of lemon-water, or the popular “eleven o’clock,” would surely be deli-

cious taken in a glass tumbler embraced by a delicate trail of painted scarlet pimpernels. I have lately seen various types of lacquer work done by ex-service men. There were all sorts of articles, such as hand-mirrors, cigarette boxes, and tiny pyramid-shaped boxes, each holding a wee secret bottle, for the handbag. The most unusual of these were and brown, on a cream lacquer backand brown, on a clieam lacquer background. Lacquer-red, brown and dark green on gold was also very effective. QUAINT POTTERY Then there are all sorts of charmingly unconventional pottery designs. A yellow pot covered with stiff painted leaves of a dark blue-green colour, ornamented around the top \vith a ring of mauve flower beads is very quaint. Lovely, too, is a large rough-surfaced pitcher modelled in terracotta, shading from blue to green, or from red to yellow. Large candlesticks are modelled to match. There are smooth pottery beads, too, each one a different colour —red, mulberry, mauve, purple, green, bluegreen, ochre and yellow. These are all used in the same necklace, and may be bought separately for a few pence.