Easter Egg Time

Welcome!!

It's Easter Egg time again!

www.librarythings.com

For the last 5 days I have been trying to 'grow' crystals inside egg shells for a 

faux geode look.

Hah.

Apparently I am a miserable crystal grower!!

http://www.marthastewart.com/343344/crystal-egg-geodes

No, those are NOT mine.

Mine have NO CRYSTALS. Boo Hoo.

I am getting ready to start 

Geode Crystal Attempt #3

grrrrr........

So, while I am waiting for crystals to grow...

or not to grow...

let's look at some other ideas for Easter Egg Decorating!

www.TheCraftersMerchant.etsy.com

I found these pretty sequin wrapped eggs on etsy.

If you don't have the time or inclination to try these yourselves,

check out the web address above to purchase.

If you want to try some on your own, I would do this:

* Styrofoam egg shape

*sequins on a string, purchased by the foot or yard.

*Craft glue

* scrap of ribbon

Apply glue to egg, press string of sequins into glue. Set aside to dry. Add bow and ornament hanger to top with a straight pin.

You can easily cover up the top with a little rosette of ribbon or a circle scrap of pretty fabric to finish it off.

printable book mark

courtesy Jan Brett

This next Easter Egg decoration is so simple -

great for kids

and no messy dyes!

shemakesahome.com

Confetti eggs

Using a hole punch, get out those scraps of leftover scrapbooking paper, and let the kids have fun!

Or, well, of course, you too!!

Use up that scrap of sparkle glitter paper!

After you have a pile of 'holes', get out the glue.

I love to use Scotch Brand Quick-Dry Tacky Adhesive.

It comes with a nice narrow tip for small work like gluing little dots of paper onto eggs.

This will also dress up nicely those dyed eggs that didn't quite 'make the grade' and need a little help.


http://teachingmama.org/10-ways-to-decorate-easter-eggs/

part of a mural

courtesy Jan Brett

glitter Easter Eggs

found on www.coldwellbanker.com

Glitter Easter Eggs

You can do this on those old plastic eggs,

or cover up Egg dying disasters.

Other options can be wood eggs,

papier mache eggs,

or blown eggs.

Find a bowl with a curved bottom, like a cereal bowl.

Generously pour in glitter.

Coat your preferred egg with an old brush and some craft glue.

Place in glitter bowl. Using a spoon, cover egg on all sides.

Using the metal egg dipper thingy that comes with egg dying kits, remove egg and place on a wire rack to dry.

Bald spots? Just go back with some glue and carefully dab the glue onto the bald spot. Spoon glitter over it. Press lightly with fingers. Wait for it to dry.

Great idea that I read somewhere:

Using the plastic eggs, open and put a fishing line across it, to come out on either side. Clamp shut. Use the fishing line as 'handles' to put in bowl, and remove from glitter bowl. This way you don't have to mess with glue-y fingers removing glitter!!

www.craftberrybush.com

Thread Wrapped Easter Eggs

Be sure and check out the web sites I have listed beneath the Easter Egg photos. You will most likely find more complete directions there!!

These are thread-wrapped Styrofoam eggs.

Cool!!

www.craftberrybush.com

needle felted duckling in 'pond'

www.BondurantMountainArt.etsy.com

Sharpie Easter Eggs

sorry, I don't have a 'where to do it' for these.

Do you?

There was some concern about the Sharpies and food safe to eat....

Rhinestone Easter Eggs

ala Martha Stewart

Moss covered Easter Eggs

www.cherishedbliss.com

These Easter eggs involve sheet moss,

craft glue and the base egg. I wouldn't use real eggs for these, as they would be inedible anyway.

I think the twine wrap with the button accent is way cute!!

Using the tiny twig nests/wreaths is also 

a super display idea.

www.DIMDO.etsy.com

Pressed Flower eggs

www.coldwellbanker.com/easter-eggs

Use a dry, blown out real egg for these. Apply pressed florals using a decoupage technique. I would use Mod Podge, it is just a great, non-fancy decoupage glue. Check it out in the 'new' sparkle glitter formula!!

Decoupage Eggs

Use the same idea as above, only instead of dried florals, use napkins. You can find my Napkin Decoupage tutorial in a different blog. (Just type in tutorial in the search engine!)

Vinyl Sticker Eggs

You can find the tutorial/directions here:

www.Lil'Luna.com

Sprinkles Easter Eggs

www.studiodiy.com

I think these are soooo pretty!

I found the sprinkles at Jo-Ann Fabrics at 40% off,

I bet you can find them on sale too.

www.studiodiy.com

There's a tutorial at the above addy.

Here's a cute way to display your fancy eggs:

1989 ceramic planter

www.RetrofitGallery.etsy.com

Rubber Cement resist Eggs

http://teachingmama.org/10-ways-to-decorate-easter-eggs/

Rubber Cement is a natural for resist!
Drizzle on plain eggs, or use a light colored egg.
Dip eggs in dye bath.
Remove, let dry, or pat with a paper towel to dry.
Rub off the rubber cement and reveal the color underneath.


Shaving Cream eggs


http://teachingmama.org/10-ways-to-decorate-easter-eggs/

Teaching mama has the tutorial on her website for these.
Since I don't like getting my fingers/hands messy I would never do these! But if you don't mind glopping around in shaving cream and food coloring - go for it!

Angela also gives her way to boil the perfect egg.
Since I live in a high altitude place, we have to boil our eggs a tad longer to get them to come out 'perfect'.

Well, I hope you have found a couple of new ways to dye your Easter eggs,

and to make this time of year

extra-special!!!

No kids?

Ask a neighbor child (with parents' permission of course), check with your church Sunday School/child ministry leader for kids with inactive parents,

or be a Big Brother or Big Sister.

There are lots of kids out there that would LOVE

to help you make some eggs Easter-worthy!

Why not visit a shelter that helps families with children, and invite them all over for a fun Easter get together.

There are always ways to include others...

vintage illustration

'til next time,

inkspired

www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com

www.inkspired.etsy.com

www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com

and on pinterest:  K.Kloberdans

"Nantucket with rabbit"

original Collage Art Doll by inkspired

www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com

Easter Egg Fun, paper dolls and safety pin pins

Mir

'Peace' in the Bulgarian language

photo credit: Steven Miric

Easter is a very popular and holy holiday in Bulgaria.

Traditional Bulgarian Easter Eggs are colored red, and many have traditional Orthodox symbols painted on them.

These red dyed eggs may be baked into a cake,

or two people may crack them together to see who is the 'most fortunate'.

Did yesterday's blog get you interested in safety pin pins?

Here are two more patterns for you:

Again, thanks to Sherri Osborn at www.familycrafts.about.com

for her generous sharing.

You can find the safety pin tutorial in my January blogs.

The small blocks are so easy to make up your own designs too!

Share your photos with me and I will post in future blogs!

Remember, you can always reach me at

dominoes@myinkspired.com

artist unknown

Here is a fun paper doll, by Karen Prince.

These are copyrighted, so please, just for your personal use only!

Now, I know she doesn't have an Easter Basket, but she is holding a bunny!

and

since folks are so silly around Easter and somehow think

bunnies color Easter eggs,

(and don't forget that big ol' fuzzy - The Easter Bunny)

I figure a bunny or a decorated egg is good for today!

sorry, I don't know any details on this photo,

but it sure is fun!

Looking at the above photo makes me think.

This is a GREAT idea for those areas with critters,

like squirrels or foxes or other wild things.

While eggs 'hidden' on the ground might get snatched by the non-human variety, hanging them up with ribbons and string should prevent that!

I would have an Easter Egg Hunt, only each child has directions:

Mary, you can only find eggs that are yellow.

Joe, you can only find eggs that are green, etc.

Any multicolored eggs are for anyone to find.

What do you think?

I have seen some Easter Egg Hunts where perhaps one little girl finds a TON of eggs, while another one only finds two.

Could be disappointing?

The color find hunt would solve that.

vintage clip

A charming paper doll set titled: "Sunday School"

by John Axe.

Again, these are for private enjoyment only.

I think the outfits would be perfect on any Easter holiday!

Well, the internet has not been cooperating, and the link to blogspot keeps getting interrupted, so I can't add any graphics of any kind. The above set of paper dolls have taken me 45minutes to try and post,

so,

all the other goodies I wanted to add for today will just have to wait.

I'm coloring Easter eggs with a friend this afternoon-

YEAH!!

:0)

I want to try some rubberband dying,

and some white vinegar/food coloring dying.

For the vinegar dying recipe,

you place hard cooked eggs in a colander

(a bowl with holes that you use to drain things in, like noodles)

and splash them with around 1/2 cup white vinegar.

Then take your FOOD SAFE FOOD DYES and drop one color on each of the eggs.

Start with your lightest color first.

You can swirl the colander around so the eggs get more dye on them.

Then, you can run cold water over them and dry them,

or

you can rinse out your colander, splash a bit more white vinegar on the eggs,

and drop on a different color food dye.

You can use perhaps up to 3 different dyes,

but no more or things get looking pretty muddy.

Rinse with cold water, pat dry.

cool!

I got this idea from www.familyfun.go.com

Great place for tons of ideas!

Using basic colors of FOOD safe dyes are also a great way

for the kids to learn their color wheel basic colors and secondary colors.

Red + Blue = Purple

Yellow + Red = Orange

Blue + Yellow = Green

etc.

Warning!

I remember this from last time that because they are DYES

your fingers turn all pretty colors too, unless you use plastic gloves.

Now go get some eggs!

How to boil:

Place raw eggs gently into pan and cover with cool water.

Heat the pan until just before it starts boiling -

you know, when the surface is all broken up with bubbles and things are moving around in a Big Bubbly sort of way.

You DON'T want that.

So when you start seeing lots of little bubbles coming from the pan and from the eggs, and little bubbles breaking the surface, you want to turn the heat down

so it DOES NOT come to a rolling boil.

Keep water at that almost but not quite boiling point for 15 minutes.

Remove pan from heat.

Place in sink and pour cold water into pan until eggs are cool.

(This stops the heating process quickly).

Let cool, and dry.

Ready for some color!!!

Why no boiling?

Because when eggs boil, the whites turn rubbery!

Why do the cold water bath?

Because this prevents that 'green' outer color of the yolk.

While there's nothing wrong with the green, doing the cold water bath will simply make them look more attractive for eating!

see ya' later!

inkspired

www.inkspired.etsy.com

www.myinkspired.com

www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com

www.collagepaperpainting.com

dominoes@myinkspired.com

More Easter Egg Fun

Howdy!
Today we will go into more ways to decorate those wonderful Easter eggs!

Don't have any kids? So? Decorate some eggs for you!  Then put some in a little basket and give it away to a neighbor, or an elderly relative.
This would be a BIG hit at a nursing home. Check with them first!

What about a local shelter for abused women? Many have children.
Better yet, take all the supplies to the shelter and dye the eggs with the kids!
A maternity shelter would also be perfect for this.

The following eggs have been dyed/hard boiled.

Then place a dab of glue on the egg and press a small felt flower into the glue.

Place a dot of glue in the center of each flower and press a pearl bead into it, or use a dot of pearly dimensional paint.

Some flowers already come with the pearly center!

Why not adapt this to materials you already have, such as silk flowers.

Use the small flower petals for your embellishments.

Or get out your die cut machine and make a few dozen small flowers.

Here is another idea:

These are the fanciest rubber band dyed eggs I have ever seen!

The process is simple.
You need many different cups of dye solution.
Hard boil your eggs.
Place egg in very lightest dye (let's say pale pink) for just a touch of color.
Dry. Wrap several rubber bands around the egg, but leave plenty of pale pink spaces in between.
Dye in medium color dye (such as hot pink, or magenta).
Dry. Remove rubberbands. Dry again.
Wrap several rubber bands around egg, but not where the magenta is. Again, leave some pale pink stripes.
Place in darker dye, like red or purple.
Dry. Remove rubberbands, and you should have a beautiful tri-colored egg!

Answers to some questions/comments:

Yes, you are right. I think instead of rubber bands, at least on the very ends of the hard boiled egg, thin painter's tape was used. Be sure to rub the edges down well after placing, so the dye doesn't get under it.
Wait 20 mins. after dying, and then remove the tape (at least that is what I have been told to do!)

As for colors, try doing some science/art experiments and really get those colors saturated. What if you added 2 dye tablets to 1 dipping cup?
Also, the longer you leave an egg in the dye, the darker it will get.
I have seen some different dying methods/colors in the last couple of years. Try looking around at some different stores and see if you can't come up with a few different methods to try!
Remember however.....ALWAYS ALWAYS dye the lightest colors FIRST!!!
- thanks for your comments and questions!
     inkspired   March, 2012

This egg kind of explains itself -

use GLITTER, and spangles.

Then more GLITTER!

Press in a few stick-on rhinestones.

Plain ones can be the prettiest of all sometimes:



Some Minnie Mouse polka-dot eggs:

Again, so simple!

Simply stick on office supply circle stickers. Press edges with your fingernails.

Dye with pink dye.

Dry, and remove stickers, leaving the original white egg color!



By Janet Herman, found on Pinterest 

Unknown, found on Pinterest

As a final project for today:

What do you do with all those egg cartons?

This crafter has come up with a pretty recycled egg carton wreath!

 Yep, those are cardboard type egg cartons!

 Have a color-filled day!

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com