Fountain, or combed stone

This pattern is certanly one of the more unusual of the marbled patterns. It is somwehat between a nonpareil and a stone, except with one vital difference- the pattern is not stylused first.

 1- make a stone pattern- red, blue, green, and yellow are the perennial favrouites
 2- draw a comb directly through the spots. This will cause the spots to drag slightly, and develop jagged edges ( see pic above)
 3- For the best effect, curl the pattern as per french curl, but a variant known as "oak leaf" is occasionaly done- see
 4- sprinkle the whole with a fine shower of white

~Notes~

The pattern here is sometimes printed without the curling , or the white spots. However, In my opinion the pattern tends to be less beautiful.

Another version of this pattern uses a rake instead of a comb. The rake is usually given a small wave as it is drawn through the comb.

A third version, somewhat similar, is known as the oak- leaf.  This pattern will be described in a seperate post.

Curl marbled paper

We now commence to the "drawn " patterns. These patterns are stone patterns which have been manupulated by drawing a stylus or comb through them. The smplest of them is the Curl

1- Make a stone pattern. The colours traditionally used were red, yellow, blue, and a fine sprinkle of white

2- Using the stylus, ( a paintbrush handle works) draws spiral shapes through the pattern.

~ Notes ~

A very ingenious method of making these papers quickily is to use a device called the "curl frame" . Basically, is consiists of a series of nails spaced some distance apart , attached to a board or lattice. When you wished to draw the pattern, you placed the frame in the size, and moved it in a spiral. Voilá! Perfect curls every time!

The pattern has been in use for an extremely long time. It was certantly made by the 18thc., and it was made up till the 19thc. Probably one reason why this pattern was invented was as a means of covering up imperfections in a "stone" pattern.  I like to imagine an early marbler, seeing a brush-hair in the bath, and picked it out, and creating a small disturbance in the pattern. To disguise it, he made a series of swirls along the affeacted area, and over the rest of the size to balance it out. And so , my children, that was how the curl pattern came about.... [ NOTE : the above is just a fanciful tale, a just-so story. I have good reason to belive that it contains not agrain of truth in it ]