In 2006, I decided to make personalized pysanky for all of my nieces and nephews.  I found a very kid-friendly design of a hatching chick somewhere on line, and adapted it to small chicken eggs. I added branches to both sides, and the recipient’s name (and the year) to the obverse side.

These pysanky proved popular, even with the teens! But then, who doesn’t like a fuzzy little chick? 

Making these pysanky was also probably the only time I used the ribbon tipped electric stylus (Larry’s).  I had done a lot of calligraphy when younger, and was used to writing with D nibs and India ink, but the concept just doesn’t translate well into wax.  If I held the stylus in any position but absolutely straight, the molten wax would run out (something that does not happen in calligraphy).  I’ve since replaced that tip with an extra fine and am much happier.

The most important lesson learned, though, was NOT to write the children’s names on in wax, but to add them later to the varnished egg with a metallic sharpie. It is simpler, and, if an egg doesn’t work out for whatever reason (bad dye adhesion, mistakes), you can just give the child a different one.  And is is much easier to write the name with a sharpie than with a stylus.


 

“Chick Eggs”



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