In the 1970s, painting china was a popular hobby for my mother, Christine Ray, and her friends.  For years they gathered every Tuesday evening at the home of the friend who owned a kiln. They always enjoyed convivial conversation while embellishing white china with flowers, acorns, mushrooms, or a seasonal design. The first steps were to sketch the design with a special pencil, then mix ground colored glass with oil, paint the background to create the illusion of depth, then fire it in a kiln heated to over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit to melt and fuse the ground glass to the china.  The next week, the second coat with the design detail was painted and fired again. Sometimes they edged the glass with a “gold” rim, but my mother didn’t like to do it.  Getting the rim just right required a lot of patience and skill.  Each of her three daughters have a complete set of china and many cherished items.  She always had a lovely little box painted for all of my friends. Over fifty years later, they still enjoy them.