Throwback Thursday!

Today let's look back at 2011!! Roughly 6 years ago my family and I were preparing for the 97th consecutive Lithuanian Days! 


We had a blast getting ready for the huge event held in Frackville Pennsylvania.  

Here is the gang with Father Wassel, my parent's childhood priest.  

I had my eggs for sale.  It is certainly interesting to see how some designs stand the test of time and how others are simply forgotten.  I should remake a few that slipped through the cracks over the last 6 years.  

Tonight I should try to get a few more eggs done and then I will be spending some time on earrings and cards.  

Spring Egg Festival - PITTSBURGH

My mom and I had our first Spring 2017 craft show! We got our feet wet and had a blast in Pittsburgh, PA!
The Polish Group for the Nationality Rooms and the University of Pittsburgh Cathedral for Learning set up a wonderful Spring Egg event with craft tables and food from European Countries.  Lithuania, Poland, China, Ireland, Germany, Ukraine, and many other countries were represented!

The event also had an egg crafting station for people to learn some basic techniques with pysanky and the drop and pull egg art.  

People of all ages were having so much fun learning how to write with wax and adding the eggs to different color egg baths! I was hoping to work on an egg there myself since I do not work with wax traditionally.  Unfortunately I did not have the time, but here are some photos of one of the groups working diligently on their works of art. 

My mom and I had a blast setting up for the show! We were lucky enough to sit around other Lithuanian tables as well as some other countries.  

Even more awesome was the fact that we met face to face with some members of the Incredible Egg Group from Facebook!  There is a photo floating around out there of all 5 of us together for a picture!  I certainly enjoyed watching one woman work on her pysanky during the day.  Her work is impeccable! 

Throughout he day I worked on a few eggs and had fun talking with people as well as showing how I scratch designs onto the eggshell.  

I even sold my "Mistake" egg.  The egg was dyed pink.  When sitting on the drying rack, another egg dyed purple dripped some dyed on the the pink egg.  I could not wipe away the dye quick enough.  I huge purple dot ruined my pink egg.  I decided to dye it purple.  Later, when scratching the egg, I notice the purple would scratch away, but the pink would partially remain.  It made an amazing dual color look.  I loved it! The egg sold during the show, so I took a picture to try to duplicate it when I try dying an egg two colors again. 

Now I am preparing for another craft show this coming Saturday in Bethlehem.  Hopefully I will find time to work with my bud Jessica on some earrings and maybe soap.  I'm really having fun etching eggs right now. We shall see w

Egg Buying Bonanza

Now that I have a craft show this Sunday in Pittsburgh, I am working on eggs every spare minute I have.  As a result, there is little time for cleaning, cooking, organizing, or purging items for the infamous "Spring Cleaning." 

I have been dying the egg shells I collected over the past year.  I have over 600 eggs in the basement, cleaned and ready for an egg dye bath.  

In order to collect that many eggs, Rob and I tend to cook eggs for breakfast more than any other breakfast food staple.  We blow out the eggs as often as possible, though truth be told our favorite way to eat eggs is over easy.  What a bummer it is that I cannot empty an egg in a way that the yolk remains in tact.  Oh well.  

In addition, I love to bake cookies, cakes, and other yummy treats that require eggs.  Quiche will be the last ditch effort to use up eggs that have built up in the refrigerator. 

At this moment, I am trying to hold back from buying 4-6 dozen each time I visit the grocery store.  Sometimes I just forget about reality, and get lost in buying dozens and dozens of eggs.  My hope is always that I will have unlimited time to sit and etch 200 eggs this season, try countless new designs, and develop a new technique to improve my current artwork. 

Sometimes the conveyor belt at the store looks like this: 

Maybe today I will buy more eggs against my better judgment. 

Stay tuned for some photos of the completed egg collection I have ready for Sunday's show.  I am over 150 eggs at this point.  It took months for me to get this far, and who knows how many more eggs I can get done during this early Pre-Spring months. 

Reading Terminal Market

Sometimes I need to take continuing legal education for areas of law in which I practice or have an interest.   Some of these classes are held in larger cities like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.  Normally courses that far away have a video portal in other areas of Pennsylvania so attorneys from smaller areas, like me, have an easier time attending these classes.  However, sometimes, that is not an option. 

Yesterday I had a class in Philadelphia.  This is the first time I drove to Philadelphia by myself.  I was lucky enough to stay in a hotel extremely close to the class and right next to the Reading Terminal Market! 

I was extremely excited to see this market and buy fresh cheese, meat, pastry, and more!

I got to the market before it opened.  As a result, I walked around outside and took numerous pictures.  

I finally got in at 8:00 exactly.  The first thing I see is... DONUTS!

Not only were there countless kinds of donuts, but they were making the donuts right in front of you!  I bought a Dutch Crumb Donut.  It was amazing!!! I actually bought 2, but I didn't want to sound too indulgent... Okay, I bought three... 

As I walked around, I saw amazing cheeses and baked goods.  I bought enough cheese to kill a lactose intolerant man.  But he would have died with a huge smile on his face! 

By the way, these Almond Horns, were... TO DIE FOR! I have to find the recipe!

Finally, I found the EGG STAND! 

Fresh chicken eggs of all kinds, colors, and shapes from a poultry farm! 

Unfortunately, I was unable to carry eggs all day in my cooler, but I took a couple photos to remember the awesome stand.  

In the end, I cannot wait to go back to Philadelphia, just for the Reading Terminal Market!

What Do You Do With All Those Eggs???

I realized that most people who do egg art, especially Pysanky, empty the eggs AFTER they complete their creation.  That means, after potentially days of working with this chicken egg, the insides are expelled.  As a result you cannot use the egg for eating. 

This is luckily not the case with egg scratching, at least the way I do it. 

My first step is to select eggs from the farmer or grocery store that I think are the best for egg scratching.  I tend to make sure there are no bumps or grooves on the eggs. 

Once selected, I need to blow out the insides of the eggs.  This means something else as well... 

BAKING!

I will either make quiche, baked goods, scrambles, eggs, or other tasty meals with my eggs.  That way, not only do these wonderful eggs turn into art, they are used for their more common role of food. 

This past weekend, I bought some more eggs, mainly because I knew that my immediate stash of eggshells upstairs were being dyed yellow, pink, or green.  I always seem to think I need more eggshells when I really do not.  I decided to bake my famous Pound Cake. 

I gathered my ingredients, and got to work... 

I did not take a photo of the final product, but I plan on making it again in the near future.  Basically, I dug into it immediately! 



In the end, I am in full egg dying, etching, and baking swing!  More recipes to come.  Maybe I will try my cream cheese, ham, and dill quiche next.  You know, something healthier.  

All Set Up and Ready to Go!

Today I got my craft room ready for egg scratching this weekend. I have the eggs dyed, the table ready, and I'm completely ready!

I will dye purple and gold today!! I know I already have a ton of eggs here but I think more variety of colors is always best. 

Here is me work station. I kept adding towels to add extra padding. 

Once I get a few more designs, I'll show them off. 

Back in the Saddle

Back in the saddle again!

After years if inactivity I am reopening my egg blog!  I am working on my online presence and hopefully this is the start of some great fun.

For your viewing pleasure I took some photos of my most recent new design:

I am trying for more new age style designs. I started carrying around a little journal to doodle egg ideas.  So far about 4 new eggs resulted from this new habit.

Next I plan on taking ideas from some adult coloring books.

As Easter approaches, I hope to get more inspiration. 

I wonder where all these amazing pusanky artists get theit ideas from.

Okay up next.... egg dying: