Ten on Tuesday: Polymer Clay Eggs

It's nearly Easter again, already! When I was growing up, my sisters and I always looked forward our annual Easter egg hunt at home (and then two more with cousins from each side of the family!). Most of the eggs we hunted were made of colorful plastic, but there was always one "prize egg" for each child, holding a little extra gift instead of the usual candy. In early years, the prize eggs were a shiny silver (still plastic)-- later they were tiny egg-shaped tins.

Those eggs came out of storage just once a year, but decorated eggs needn't be restricted to Easter celebrations. You may have heard about (or even seen in museums) the beautiful Fabergé eggs made of precious materials, for instance. While you may not be able to afford an egg covered in gold or rubies, if you're handy with polymer clay, you can create your own decorative eggs.

Practically any technique can be applied to clay-covered eggs, from mokume gane and thinly sliced canes to mosaic and mica shift. It's mostly a matter of inspiration. Here are some photos to give you an idea of what is possible:

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Photos of Polymer Clay Eggs
You can find more eggs in many of these photo streams. :o)

1. Eggs (set), by polymer_woman
   
2. Polymer Clay Covered Eggs (set), byChicki2008
   
3. Faux Chocolate Egg, by hambacreations (Amy)
4. Polymer Clay Egg, by wabi-sabi creations (Pamela Franceschetto)
5. Birds Nesting Eggs, by divadea (Alissa Plant)
6. Feathered Egg, by Jael of jaelsjewels
7. Egg, by Ruth Tarragano
8. Floral Egg, by polymerclaycreations (Angela Hickey)
9. Egg Ornament, by made in lowell (Liz)
10. Sheep Knoll Red House, by Folk Art from the Heart

Ok, I found more than ten, and this time, since it's so easy to add a few more links, I decided to add a bonus of five more Flickr finds. Aren't you EGGstatic? ;o) (Sorry, I can't resist puns.)

1. Cat Egg, by Muselover (Ann)
   
2. littlegod1, by Leslie Levings
3. GRAMPS, by Gourd Girl
4. Polymer Clay Egg, by WigglebuttClay
   
5. Crimson Fire Egg, by ssneed
   

Feeling inspired by all those egg-cellent examples? (Again, sorry. (g)) If (like me) you've never made a clay-covered egg before, you may need a few pointers. You can find some helpful information on this page of GlassAttic. Here are a handful of other related links:

• Filigree Polymer Clay Egg tutorial, by Joanna Stein
• How to Make a Clay Egg, by Byrd Tetzlaff
• Embellished Eggs, by Sarajane Helm
• Satin Swirl Egg, by Kellie Robinson
• Millefiori Eggs, by Katrhyn Sheehan (scroll down past the felted eggs)

Happy claying! :o)