Faberge Eggs by Heidi Clark

Ranking among the most famous and costly decorated eggs in history are the world renowned creations of the Russian jeweler Peter Carl Faberge. Commissioned beginning in 1885 by Alexander III, the first one was presented to his wife on Easter day and from that time until the year 1917, 69 eggs were made altogether. And while history would remember these eggs as priceless works of art, not every player in Russia's egg story would prove to be equally enamored by Faberge's creations.

Faberge eggs are often referred to as "memontos of a doomed dynasty" since they mark the end of Czarist rule in Russia. By the time the last Czar, Nicholas II, came to power, poverty, starvation, and poor work conditions had become so rampant in Russia that the time was already ripe for a revolution. Coupling that with the fact that Nicholas II was such a poor leader and so completely out of touch with the needs of the people that in the end there was little hope for the ruler and his family.

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Ukrainian Easter Eggs by Heidi Clark

The first time I saw Ukrainian Easter eggs it was one of my first visits to my future mother in laws house. A highly crafty lady with loads of creativity to spare, I did not want to make a poor impression by seeming naive about the beautiful eggs. Surely being the verbose person that I am, I would think of something smart to say at the precise moment of the presentation. But when the beautiful treasures were brought in to the room to add additional charm and elegance to an already perfect Easter holiday, I was actually speechless---probably for the first time in my life. And as the years went by I continued to find in myself a profound appreciation, not only for the Ukrainian eggs that I first encountered at Easter time, but also for the beautiful, intricate work of the artists as well. Take a look at an example from another talented lady, Georgia Sawhook, and discover if mere words don't escape you as well:

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Georgia Sawhook is a pastor's wife by profession and you can see more of her eggs and other ideas at www.geocites.com/Heartland/Pointe/5892/Pysanky.html You can also e-mail her at: pastorswife1@fuse.net .

Easter egg design ideas know no bounds. They are as timeless as history itslef and challenge us to explore and create at sprintime, Easter time, and always.

Thanks for joining us.

Heidi Clark

Holiday Horizons

Kid's Section:

Our Easter celebration for kids includes three fun ideas----one is the exploration of a mysterious Island, named after the holiday it was discovered on in 1722. Second, we will look at a fun and easy way to decorate Easter eggs using pastel colored tissue paper. And third, we will pay a visit to the National Wildlife Federation where we learn about endangered hares, a relative of the Easter bunny and all rabbits.

So, let's get started!

Easter Island:

If ever there was a place in the middle of nowhere, it would probably be Easter Island. A small, Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific, it is over 2,000 miles from the country it actually belongs to----Chile. Some say that Easter Island is the most isolated place on earth. It is only about 70 square miles altogether. But what's really compelling about Easter Island is it's statues---about 800 of them altogether and they are centuries old.

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Known as monoliths, these multi-toned creations were carved out of volcanic ash. But how they were made so long ago without the use of modern tools remains a mystery.

Would you like to know more about these statues and other curious places to visit? Click here and you will be transported to Learning Horizon's to find out more. (clicky thing here).

National Wildlife Federation---The Snowshoe Hare

The National Wildlife Federation is a very important non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of endangered. Here is an excerpt from their web site about how you can help save the Easter bunny's cousin----the snowshoe hare.

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As global warming heats up the northern latitudes, the hare's habitat, with deep winter snow, is likely to retreat northward, constricting the animal's range. Warming also may cause the snow to melt, then freeze, crusting the surface and allowing some predators to hunt for the hares more efficiently.

If you are interested in helping the survival of the snowshoe hare, The National Wildlife Federation's symbolic adoption program costs just $30--less than a dime a day. And with your donation you will receive an adoption kit that includes a cuddly stuffed snowshoe hare animal, a personalized certificate of adoption to frame and display, a snowshoe hare screen saver for your computer, and best of all the satisfaction of knowing you're helping to protect these animals and other imperiled wildlife throughout America.

For more information please visit www.nwf.org


Tissue Paper Easter eggs----for crafty kids like you!

Here's a really simple but colorful way to decorate your Easter eggs using pastel tissue paper that you can find at a craft or dollar store. First you color your hard boiled eggs using a simple store-bought egg coloring kit. (We used a standard Paas coloring kit). Be sure to follow the directions on the box when coloring the eggs. Next take one of the eggs that you colored and while it is still wet from the colored water, begin wrapping it with small pieces of the tissue paper. The wetness from the egg will help make the tissue paper stick. Continue covering the egg with small pieces tissue paper, overlapping different colored pieces if you wish, until the entire egg is covered. You egg will begin to look like a blend of colors and textures. Use small dabs of glue if needed to help make the tissue paper stick. Continue the same process with the rest of your eggs. Once they are all decorated and dry you may display them as you wish.

Enjoy!

Do not eat these eggs once they are decorated. They will be for decoration only.

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Artist of the Month -- April 2009

To say that Dore Douty enjoys designing eggs is kind of like saying that Walt Disney made a couple of movies. And while her work is curiously listed in Google’s search engine under “Easter”, her designs clearly go way beyond bunny and egg celebrations. Dore’s work, inspired by the ancient arts of pysanky and batik, started for her twenty seven years ago. She explains that pysanky is “the plural form of the word pysanka, a Ukrainian decorated egg. The word pysanka comes from the Ukrainian verb “to write.” The egg is “written” on rather than painted. Beeswax is applied to the egg with a pen-like tool known as a kistka. The egg is then dipped in dye, the color resisting all areas where the wax was applied. The process is repeated in a series of colors and the wax is melted away at the end.”

Dore’s interest in designing her eggs began when a friend gave her a beginner pysanky kit as a gift. Dore admits that she wishes she could say that her great grandmother taught her the ancient art of pysanky, but that she is, in fact, self taught. (I had to chuckle to myself as she said this to me, though, as my immediate thought was, “Don’t we all wish we could say that our talents and skills date back generations!”) And yet her work clearly brings to life an art form that is about ancestry and passing on a beautiful, celebratory tradition, regardless of how it is learned. Dore’s love for her creations is evident and her respect for the history of the work profound.

She is also willing to commission specially designed eggs through her web site where the customer can work with Dore directly to custom design the egg that they want. And Dore’s web site truly showcases her work beautifully, revealing every exquisite detail of color and design. From sunbursts and colorful flowers, to raising awareness about autism, Dore’s eggs truly capture the very essence of an ancient art form, not soon to be forgotten. And that’s something I’m sure Dore’s great grandmother would have been very proud of.

For more information about Dore Douty’s work visit her on the web at http://www.doreseggs.com/. You can also e-mail her at dore@doreseggs.com

Welcome!

Welcome to our Easter 2009 celebration of Holiday Horizon's. We are very excited about this edition and it's focus on the decorated egg. From the ancient art of Ukrainian pysanky to the modern tie-dyed Easter egg, here we explore a wide array of decorating styles. So whether it's the simple enjoyment of children coloring boiled eggs or the highly skilled craftsmanship of professional egg artists such as Dore Douty, you'll delight in all of the reasons to celebrate the rebirth of spring, brought by the decorated Easter egg.