If you are in or near Wapello, Iowa - - take a moment to wander into the State Bank of Wapello.

I have a display of eggs in the lobby's display cases. There you can see several different designs ranging from jeweled necklaces, jewelry boxes, diorama, filigree, reverse relief carvings, night lights, heritage photo frames, decopauge and hand painted eggs. The sizes range from finch eggs all the way up to ostrich eggs.

The eggs will be on display for the month of April, 2009

Happy Easter Everyone!
Today was an instructional day for me. I provided a presentation of egg design to the wonderful kiddos of Wapello Elementary 3rd Grade. They were an intentive audience and asked lots of great questions.
I brought in several eggs of different sizes and let them pass them around. A short synopsis of different types of egg decoration was provided. Gearing a presentation to this age group is fun, as I was able to include the things they like to do into the conversation. Now they know that you don't have to have years and years of practice with egg decorating or a lot of money invested into the craft. They can take up the art with stickers, nail polish, paint, glues, magazine pictures, items from nature.........anything they would like to add to an egg.
I passed around a few egg decorating books and several publications from the IEAG for them to review as well.
Afterwards, Mrs. Kuntz took pictures, which I will share with you at a later date.

Thanks to the 3rd Grade of Wapello Elementary, Mrs. Bev Kuntz, and the other teachers that welcomed me into their classroom today!!!

Carving Lace Designs into an Egg Complete Tutorial

Carving a lace pattern can be a challenge, but if you take each step at a time, you will notice that in no time, a lovely egg will emerge.

With a bit of experimenting, I have found that the burs that will most commonly be used are

• 33 1/2
• Small Round Carbide
• Diamond Football
• Green and White Stones
• 699
• Flame
  

After outlining your design, keep your PSI low.

Choosing your Design, Placement on the Egg

You can place your design on the egg by drawing it on the egg, or by gluing it on.

If you find areas that your design does not cover, draw in the connecting lines.

Carving the Outline of your Design

Use your 33 1/2 bur to carve the outline of your design. Once done, if you have glued your design to the egg, you can soak it off with water.

We will be carving the highest areas first, then the lowest, then switch to the medium height areas.

Carving the Highest Areas First

Start out with the Highest Areas first. Lower the PSI on your carver to maintain control. Use a Diamond Football and take advantage of the shape of the bur to shape any curved areas.

Review of Highest Area Carving

After completing the highest carving areas, you can smooth them with a green and white stone.

Lace Cutouts

Be careful so that you don't carve all the way through the shell. Keep the indents spaced openly. If they are too close, you won't be able to create the loops.

Creating the Cutout Loops in the Lace

Slowly does it!

Carving the Lowest Areas

Working on the Lowest Areas next, be sure to use a lower PSI so you can control the bur.

Smoothing out the Carving Marks/Lines

Be sure to keep your PSI low so you can control the bur.

15-20 PSI is a pretty good level to keep.

Egg with Back Light

Be sure to keep a light behind or inside your egg while carving the lowest areas, so that you will see how deep you are going.

It is sometimes helpful to not use an overhead light while using a back light.

Deepening Outlines and Opening Holed Areas

Opening up X'd out Areas

Time to Stipple

Take your small round carbide ball and gently dot up and down in areas you wish to stipple (make bumpy)

Deepen Grooves

Now, taking the same small round carbide ball, deepen the grooves next to your cutout work, and anywhere else you want more definition. If you look at the flower, you will see where I have done stippling.

Stippling and Deeper Grooves Done

Here is a shot of the completed stippling and the grooves deepened.

Line Work

If you wish to add line work (stitching detail), use the flame bur. Lie it on its side to draw lines. If you don't like the flame bur, you can make lines with your small carbide ball.

Linework Done

This is a picture of the line work that has been completed.

Completed Egg

Here is the completed egg!

A New Design

Here, I've drawn out a new design.

Finished!

New Design Finished.