When I first saw these Easter Eggs I just grinned - I knew that at last I would have an egg I could decorate that would last more than one season. There are SO many different ways to decorate these eggs. I decided to share a pastel version of these eggs being most of the Easter candies are pastel in color.
To begin I decided to try two different methods of painting the eggs. The egg on the left was painted with Gesso first, whereas the egg on the right I decided to paint directly with the Studio paints. I wasn't certain if it would make any difference whatsoever in the application. As you can see the glossy finish on the egg made for a rather "splotchy" first layer.
It is amazing the difference when applying the first layer of color on the egg that has been gessoed! When applying the second coat of paint to the egg on the right it went on a whole lot smoother than the first though.
I proceeded to paint all three eggs in different colors - purple, pink and yellow, and allowed them to fully dry before proceeding.
Tip: Create any color glass glitter by simply adding a couple of drops of Various Ink to Diamond Dust. To create the color above I added a couple of drops of RV11 and a drop of RV34. Remember less is more! It is easier to add a drop than to continue to add more Diamond Dust.
To adhere the glitter to my egg I wrapped red liner tape around the egg band.
To create my whimsical butterflies I used two Butterfly punches. I love how the punch size graduates in three different sizes from large to small when combining the Classic Butterfly and the 3-in-1 Classic Butterfly punches. Punch the butterflies out of coffee filters and color using Copic markers. Coffee filter paper is extremely porous and soaks up a lot of alcohol ink, but it has an exquisite look when completed. For these butterflies I began with RV11. For the top butterflies I then edged them with V15 and BV04, ending with another layer of RV11 to saturate the edges and allow the colors to bleed. As you can see I worked on my craft sheet so that I would not ruin my work surface.
To create the pink butterflies I simply used RV11 and RV34.
I then used a slight amount of Icicle stickles on the wing edges and dipped it into my special Diamond Dust.
I removed the red liner from the tape and adhered the glitter to the egg band. Using a finer glitter I then sprinkled it between the spaces that the glass glitter leaves. Absolutely stunning is all I can say!
I adhered the pink butterflies to my egg first by using mini glue dots. Then I layered my glittered, purple edged butterflies on top and added pink Micro Twinkle Stickers
This is perhaps my favorite egg due to it's simplicity and sparkle.
For my next egg I wanted to share how you can decoupage patterned paper to your eggs. I cut out a flower and leaf from the Poppyfinch collection. It was this collection of paper that helped determine my color scheme. Being there wasn't quite as much purple in this flower as I would like I added just a hint of Studio paint to it before applying.
To decoupage simply place a layer of your adhesive down on the egg where you will be attaching your papers. Then apply adhesive to the back of your cut outs, placing them in the desired location. Next paint another layer of decoupage over the surface. I use my finger to help mold the paper to the shape of the egg. I then use my brush to smooth out the surface yet again. Once dry I add a second layer of decoupage to my image.
A little more Icicle Stickles combined with my custom colored Diamond Dust, another butterfly, and I have another beautiful egg awaiting some special gift for Easter morning.
I would like to advise you to proceed with this type of egg treatment with caution! It is imperative that you are ready to move quickly when working with gesso on large rubber stamp surfaces. If you allow the gesso to dry on the surface good luck getting your stamp surface clean.
I love how gesso acts as a resist when covered with a wash of paint, so I just had to give this a try. Begin by preparing all your materials. I have an old toothbrush that I place next to my sink in advance so that I am ready to brush my stamp clean as soon as I have finished applying the gesso to my project.
If you have Penscore I would suggest that you paint your gesso on the penscore and use it as an "ink pad" to apply the gesso to your stamp surface. It will be much quicker and I believe that you will get a more even application than what you see here. Unfortunately I didn't have any penscore here at work and so I just proceeded by quickly brushing the gesso directly to my Fiery Floral Scrapblock.
I then took my egg and rolled it around on the painted surface. The first application REALLY slipped and so I grabbed a paper towel and just quickly wiped my egg. I felt that the textured look would add apppeal to the overall look and so I just left it and reapplied the gesso to my stamp. This time I rotated my egg in a more uniform manner and voila I had a funky textured egg surface.
I must admit that this technique would be much simpler if the surface of my project were flat, but you know me - why try something easy first?!? LOL!
Allow the gesso to fully dry before proceeding.
Then mix equal parts of purple, pink and water. Apply this wash to the egg surface and allow to dry. As usual I forgot to take a picture at this point and so you will need to peek through the butterflies to see the finished egg surface.
To finish this egg I punched out oodles of different butterflies and layered them in a flight pattern across the egg surface. A few more pink twinkle stickers and my first Easter Egg Box project was complete.
There are SO many more things I would like to try! A vintage look with gorgeous trims, decoupaged napkins, stamped tissue paper images, airbrushing... these are just a few things that are running through my mind as I ponder the possibilities these eggs hold.
Remember Easter is just around the corner, so be certain to get started soon. Surprise a friend or family member this Easter with a gift presented in this funky little container!
