WESTMERE-BRUNSWICK NOTES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 186, 7 August 1937, Page 13

WESTMERE-BRUNSWICK NOTES.

The C.G.C. have had many very interesting afternoons at the Westmere Hall this winter but the next meeting —August 14—promises to be better than ever. The ladies of the Women’s Institute who are interested in gardening and the arrangement of flowers are joining us and we extend to them a very hearty welcome. We hope they will enjoy the demonstrations that have been arranged and that they will enter the adult class for comnetitions as wholeheartedly as do the children. You will help us, too, ladies, if you remember our bring-and-buy table. These are the final notes to remind you of the competitions for August 14, so please take note. Classes for shoulder sprays for everybody, inch’ling adults. The childrent must do theirs under supervision at the hall. Specially for boys only—a collection of native leaves (named). The demonstration is to be a wired boauet and the demonstrator, Mrs. Shanks. Mrs. Shanks is a very capable demonstrator of boquets and this should prove very instructive. We are also hoping to have Mrs. Smith and her wonderful little cork ornaments for miniature gardens. There will be a completed miniature garden, too. Beside all this there is a lovely new arrangement of flowers on a saucer which will specially interest the little ones. It is a new idea which Mrs. Garner has introduced and is proving very popular. Mrs. Garner will not be able to fit in a demonstration before the show, but is sending out some saucers already arranged for us. A full muster is requested lor this meeting as the show time is drawing near and Westmere-ites certainly can’t afford to miss anything. Bring paper and pencils for notes on the staging of daffodils. Just another nice little surprise for you is that "Carnatio” is coming out especially to give you these notes. He is immensely pleased with our note-book idea and would like to have the best ones on display at the show. The little bunches of sweet spring flowers brought for the hospital last meeting were very much appreciated and, needless to say, we would.,like to see them arrive again. MRS. ANDERSON, Hon. Secretary, W.V. C.G.C.

CORK WORK. FOR MINIATURE GARDENS. Dear Children,— This week we will make a sundial. First of all cut a round off a small, good cork for the base, then a smaller round to stick on top of it—it should look like r eps then. Now cut a small stem or stand and file it smooth and circular, but a little bigger at base, but not so big as to cover the round it is to go on. Now seccotine it to the bottom part, then push a pin through* from the bottom pieces and right up the middle of the stand and leave the point of the pin sticking up so that you can stick on another round, but smaller than the smaller one of the two bottom ones, and yet larger than the top part of your stand so that it will overlap and look like a table top. Now before you do any more you had better paint it all. If your sundial is to stand on a shell rock or pumice path, don’t paint it a light colour—it would look well in a green or brown — but if it is to be put on a green lawn, then you could paint it cream or white or a grey to represent stone or concrete. Now take notice of what I am going to tell you: The top, flat surface of the top round piece should not be painted white—l think brown would look well—as I want you all to put a white centre on it when the first colour is dry; make this centre quite round and have ready a very smajj triangular piece, already painted with gold or aluminium paint, and dry, and about half the diameter of the white centre; now place this small piece on the white paint before it is quite dry and it will stick nicely, as wp don’t want to have a daub of seccotine showing, do we? I have seen some with the seccotine so thick you couldn’t see the triangular piece at all. There are one or two things I would like you to remember. I gave you some measurements for the first cork articles we made; it is not easy to give measurements always, because some of you will have made your things slightly different, but all of you must make the sundial and all articles to follow in proportion to the things you have already made. Always smooth your pieces of cork on a file or sandpaper before sticking together. Cut your pins the length you require, and use pins wherever you can as they are good stiffeners. Use seccotine sparingly, and above all, paint everything after you have given the seccotine time to dry; if you paint first and seccotine after your articles are apt to come apart in your garden when th?v get wet, but the paint over the seccotine keeps the cork dry, especially if you use "Fasinae,” though I like "Dynamel” very much it takes longer to dry, and little fingers are terribly inquisitive things—they always like to "see if the paint is dry yet,” and when it isn’t your articles generally get spoilt. When using two colours on the one article it is advisable to paint all over first with the colour you are going to use most, then when that is dry, paint over it where you want the other colour, and only dip the tip of your brush in the paint. I have seer children’s cloths and fingers, as well as half the handle of the brush, covered with paint. Now, for tho«e who find cork work a weeny bit hard, always remember you can get the help of two of your greatest friend?.— "Patience and Perseverance.” Cheerio, hope you all had a happy time at the C.G.C. fancy dress aanc* C. M. SMITH.