THE "WINNIP"EGGERS" !

Did you have a close look at the picture on my Blog header.? The beautiful egg with the crystal tree in it, was made by my Aunt Margaret.

Aunt Margaret started "making" eggs in the early 1970's, starting with simple designs drawn or decoupaged onto chicken eggs. Her inspiration was the gorgeous Faberge eggs, known the world over. 
 She brought a couple of her early eggs up to show my Mom, and our friend Dianne and I, and the "Winnip"Eggers" (as we called ourselves) were born!

We all started our hobby working with chicken eggs, but soon we were sourcing duck, and goose eggs to make larger egg creations.  Aunt Margaret went even further - working with Rhea and Ostrich eggs.

Here are some of her beautiful creations from her work over the years.  She had many display cabinets full of her eggs, I wish I had taken more pictures.

This shows a variety of chicken and goose eggs...

The teapot on the left, with the scene built inside of it is made from and Ostrich Egg.  The one on the far right is made from a double yolked goose egg.  Note that she has cut away( with a Dremel) both eggs at the front and built scenes inside each egg - the one on the right holds a miniature set of china tea cups.

My Wedding Cake top was an egg that Aunt Margaret made for us, with a Bride and Groom inside it.  It broke in transit when we moved back to Canada from the USA.   I haven't been able to find a picture of it yet, unfortunately.

Most of the eggs that Mom and I made were for the Christmas tree.  Eggs that she and I made together over 40 years ago, still decorate my Christmas tree every year.  

I did make a few novelty eggs however, and as you can see mine took a slightly different twist than My Aunt Margaret's.

Outhouse, Snowmobile and a 10 Commandments egg, made from a goose egg, with each opening segment decorated with a charm from my Childhood bracelet.

A wood stove, and coach and a ballerina  - all made from goose eggs.

An Iron Lung made from a goose egg 

( I was working as a RN in a post-polio ward at the time I made this)

My Mom and a few of her eggs...

Mom's egg "Wedgwood" set, and her hanging egg "Mugs"

Mom cleaning goose eggs with a hose at Aunt Margaret's

One thing I have noticed is the difference in the quality of photos.  All the pictures of my and my Mom's eggs were taken in the 1970's  - all with film cameras - no digital yet in those days.

Aunt Margaret's eggs were taken about 7 yrs ago, with a digital camera.  So much better.

Most of my Mom's eggs and mine are long gone, except the Christmas tree eggs.  I do have a few of her other eggs still in a cabinet, but I don't take them out much any more as with age they become more and more fragile.

Even the eggs I hang on my tree every year require some repair each year.  Every year that I hang them on the tree I tell myself it will be the last, because if they fall there will be nothing left to salvage - but then I think of my tree without them, and I just can't imagine how horrible that would be.

It was a hobby enjoyed by Dianne, Mom, Aunt Margaret and myself - we did it together, often times sitting long into the evening and sometimes into the wee hours of the morning.   Together -  cutting, painting, gluing, trimming, decorating and creating in the most wonderful environment of friendship, family, fun, and creativity. 

I miss those days - 

I miss those women....