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Patterns-Stylized Deer

10/23/2013

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Cleaning Soiled Farm Eggs and Stubborn Stains

10/22/2013

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  I advertise early in the spring, on craigslist or free-cycle and have been lucky to buy fresh goose eggs and turkey eggs(as you see here).  You can negotiate with the seller what price you will pay for a dozen eggs.  Once you have established the contact, it is easy to make arrangements year after year, for purchasing their eggs.  
 IMPORTANT: I ask the sellers to simply rinse and store the eggs in the fridge until I arrive.  One time a seller scrubbed the eggs clean with a Brillo pad!  This could damage the cuticle of the egg and scratch the surface, spoiling it.  So a gentle note to the seller is all that is needed. 
DISCLAIMER:  AS ALWAYS BE CAREFUL/CAUTIOUS WHEN BUYING OR TRADING ITEMS FROM CRAIGSLIST!  
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A light scrub cleaned these eggs.

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RECIPE FOR LIGHT STAINS 


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Rinsing the eggs using a soft  brush or soft toothbrush. 

RECIPE FOR LIGHT STAINS
I place eggs in a  clear sink of water a few at a time. Watch for air bubbles, this will lead you to a stress cracked shell.
  Using a soft toothbrush wash the egg with a paste of Baking Soda and Ivory Liquid. I mix this on the edge of the sink. 
 Rinse the egg under clear running water. 
 Finally give the egg a quick dip in  a bath of white vinegar and water and then dry it again. 
I dry the eggs on a board, or a dish cloth, as you see in the header photo.

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STUBBORN STAINS

RECIPE FOR STUBBORN STAINS
Make a paste of Baking Soda, Ivory Liquid and Bleach PEN-Tablespoon of each.
When I have a few eggs with stubborn stains.  I leave  this paste on the stain, and soak the eggs overnight in water.  Do not agitate the eggs, but let them sit.  In the morning, using the soft tooth brush, give it a good over-all scrub, rinse, vinegar wash and Voilà!  the stain is gone!  
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Supporting the Egg While Writing

10/22/2013

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My personal favorite, especially when I teach classes;  I place a microbead pillow at each station. The pillow supports the wrists and keeps the egg secure in the nest created by the microbeads.  It prevents the egg from rolling.  I find microbead pillows at yard sales and  second-hand shops.  Wash them in a cold water cycle and let them air-dry.  I clean them this way after each class use.  Students love the support that the pillow gives when writing on the egg with the kistka.

        “ I do think this idea of micro-bead pad is the greatest and I am going to try to find some and start hoarding them, so I can use them if and when I am able to teach this beautiful art.”        


Sheila the Egg Lady

Social Media Results: What Others Use
Stack of napkins in a paper plate- Old towel-Craft foam covered with plastic place mat-Pad made of blue towels-Comfort Memory Foam BathMat-CD storage box filled with beading foam-Stack of old Curity stretch gauze diapers-Folded pillow case-Stack of coffee filters...
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Paper towels layered-saving the Viva towels for blotting off the dye and reuse.


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NINA'S BEAN BAGS-This bag holds a goose egg, you can vary the size according to the eggs you most work on. 

PictureFran Beaupre's Egg Support
WORK ROOM at the PUSA Retreat  2013 

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Again, paper towels stacked with soft tissues on top; changing out the tissues as they get covered with pencil, dye or wax. 

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Teacher Tip: Symbol Charts

10/20/2013

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When teaching a Beginner Class, I distribute a packet of "Pysanky Symbols and Meanings" as a take-away.   I briefly discuss the idea of pysanky being a "talisman" with their traditional symbols.  
Along my pysanky travels on the internet, I came across charts that other teachers use.  I plan to create some of my own for classes this year.  I hope they inspire you too.
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CLASS CHART-PHOTO FOUND ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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CLASS CHART-PHOTO FOUND ON SOCIAL MEDIA- I LIKE THE SIZE OF THIS CHART
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CLASS CHART-OF DROP PULL PATTERNS
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TEACHER USES A TEMPORARY VISUAL AID-WHITE BOARD-Thanks to Tetyana Solotska for the photo and idea
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PUSA Pysanky for Beginners Class Info on Spring-Loaded Egg Holders

10/20/2013

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I use spring-loaded egg holders, that I purchased online at
Alcraft Egg Artistry, LLC.  
You need to scroll way down on the page link to find the item!  The website is not necessarily user-friendly. 
The 
spring-loaded egg holders keep the shell steady when you are spraying varnish.  To dry, stand the holder in styrofoam as seen below.  Drying time varies. 
Always, spray out-of-doors, and wear a mask/goggles.   

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PictureOnline purchase at: http://alcrafteggartistry.com/Tools.html












Click on Image for Link Online to purchase.

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Symbols-Church, Cross, Sieve

10/19/2013

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I USED THE PHOTO TO THE RIGHT, TO STYLIZE MY GRANDFATHER'S CHURCH FOR THE GOOSE EGGS THAT I WROTE.
PictureMY GRANDFATHER'S CHURCH (that survives) IN LABOWA, PL. HE WAS A LEMKO, BUT EMIGRATED IN 1893;AVOIDING THE 1947 "OPERATION VISTULA" WHERE LEMKOS WERE DEPORTED AND THEIR CHURCHES AND VILLAGES OFTEN DESTROYED.

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The one true Christian symbol, and not one adopted  from an earlier pagan one, is "the church". You can see that the symbol is stylized.  Church symbols can be found on pysanky from Western Ukraine, particularly those in the Hutsul regions and Bukovyna.  

Crosses are fairly common, many found on traditional pysanky are not Ukrainian Byzantine crosses. The crosses commonly depicted are the "cross-crosslet" type, with arms of equal lengths.  


Churches PDF
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Antique Crosses PDF
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A "sieve motif" inside the church images shown above, symbolizes the church’s ability to separate good from evil.  It is a most commonly used motif on pysanky.   


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“Driapanka by Rostyslav Kramar”
 an extraordinary Ukrainian artist, who often uses a photo of a church and then stylizes the image onto his "dryapanki".  
Dryapanki-eggs are dyed a dark color, traditionally with a natural dye, such as onion skins; then the patterns are scratched with a sharp object (eg, a needle or awl).  
I was inspired to write the goose egg of my Grandfather's Church from seeing the church Driapanki writtten by Пан Крамар-Mr. Kramar.
Here is the link to his brilliant Dryapanka Gallery.   http://www.dryapanka.com/eng/gallery.htm?id_category=1

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Teacher Tip-Aloe Vera,  First-Aid

10/19/2013

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A PAIR OF SCISSORS ARE INCLUDED IN THE BOX.
Once, while doing a demonstration on Lemko Drop-Pull style pysanky, I tipped over the small wax burner.  The molten wax spilled onto my fingers and stuck to the skin causing a nasty burn. 
 I realized then, that having a first-aid for burns would be a good idea. 
I put this kit together and have it at every class that I teach. 
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Teacher Tip-Class Table Set Up

10/18/2013

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A. FOLDER PACKET-each folder contains a laminated sheet that shows the Star Pattern, one of the oldest patterns.  This sheet also shows a dozen sample star pattern pysanky, for students to see the possibilities for elaborating on a pattern.  Also included is a sheet (to the right A) is suggested ways to elaborate on the Star Pattern.  
B. GLASS TRAY-includes a candle, rubber band, vinyl tape measure, non-photo blue pencil, white eraser, spaghetti wax and medium delrin kistka.  See photo below for detail. 
C. PAPER PLATE-with basic pencilled motifs.  This plate is used for writing/practicing  on, using the kistka before waxing onto the egg. See photo below for detail.  
D. EXAMPLE PATTERN SHEET-that shows the student ideas for elaborating on the basic Star Pattern. 
E.  GIANT LAMINATED EGG SHAPE WITH STAR PATTERN-
F.  PLASTIC EGG LATHE-used to show students how to gauge and measure basic divisions. 
G.  PRE-MEASURED DOZEN EGGS-premeasured with Star Pattern, only on one(1) side of the egg. 
 
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Removing Wax with a Hair Dryer

10/18/2013

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Picturephoto-Facebook group: Pysanky Japan
I found this clever idea on social media.  The teacher of this pysanky class in Japan is not allowed to use any candle power, no flames allowed, during  class.
 Instead she mounts a hair dryer and is able to have students remove wax safely. 

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    On occasion I share images that come from other sources and do my best to provided artist credit and a link to them whenever possible. Should you use an image I've re-posted from another source, then please follow the "Terms of Use" from that image's creator/owner and give credit to the image's  originator.

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    by Maggie 

    I am of Ukrainian and Polish ancestry, 2nd generation American, who grew up in an ethnic household and neighborhood in Passaic, NJ.   Keeping with tradition, I learned to write pysanky as a young girl and continue to work on my passion for pysanky.  I teach classes and demonstrate the art year-round.

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