pysanky

I dangled this e-mail as bait last week, and it must have been convincing: pysanky night was full last night (2 of the resulting eggs--the one on the left mine, the other a friend's--are pictured above), and three more friends will show up tonight for a little beeswax, flame, egg, and dye joy. The basic technique is wax resist with layered dyes.

Hello, friends. I've spoken to most of you about this bit of Easter goodness planned at my house next week, but did add a couple of people I thought might be interested whom I haven't seen to chat since I decided...

this: a Nashville friend introduced me to the idea that pysanky, though super-fancy, can be attempted by amateurs. A group of us tried it and found that pysanky technique can also be applied in less fancy ways (a favorite here: http://www.marthastewart.com/article/bewitching-halloween-eggs ). I bought kistkas and dyes and have made it an Easter tradition. Except haven't quite pulled it together to do in Shippensburg....UNTIL NOW.

I've purchased all of the supplies and am happy to share you don't have to spend your month's allowance at Yevshan (but do click the link to see some pysanky examples).

Bring yourself on Tuesday, March 24th, or Wednesday, March 25th, and go home with a beautiful, fancy-schmancy egg you dyed yourself using melted beeswax resist and cute tiny funnels and layers of intense dyes. That you had a lot of fun doing. Not a crafternoon, because it isn't kid friendly: open flames & such. Not that that has stopped a couple of friends from (very briefly) lighting tissues. Quickly stamped out!

I have 6 kistkas & 6 places at my table. Since I'm dying to dye myself, that means I can have 5 visitors each night. 7 pm until ? (so late arrivals are fine). If you're able to make it, reply all so we can all keep track of what's available.

It's the crafting opportunity of the Shippensburg spring. Don't miss it.

best,
Valerie

The kistkas, 3 traditional & 3 machined
More supplies, following my "child of a child of a child of the depression" life rule. Rubber bands are perfect line guides; my favorites are broccoli bands (save everything! recognize the juice lid?).Practicing...
(see Marian's spelling sentences? I raided the recycling.)Dyes. 17 good colors in recycled jars.I made a drying rack from styrofoam (Marian gets one of her medications mail-order, so cardboard coolers make their way to our home monthly) and finish nails...Martha recommended straight pins, but they weren't strong enough.Hooray for crafty friends!Two traditional eggs I did for the girls a few years ago. The traditional colors and figures all are symbolic, and I especially chose the designs for my sweetuns.