I Luv Canada!

It's July, and Canada just turned 145!  I started celebrating birthdays last month by taking a trip to our beautiful capital city, Ottawa.  I had been there only once before as a child, and was promised it would afford a fabulous visit.  I wasn't disappointed. 

It was a whirlwind trip, and I managed to sightsee many capital highlights, drive a country tour, picnic in the park, go to the theatre, watch a fabulous light show against a backdrop of parliament hill, enjoy a river tour, and play a surprise game of bowling.  The highlight was a fabulous tribute concert to ABBA, the songs of which I can't get out of my head!  But the most exceptional thing for me was that I was accompanied by my 4 beautiful sisters, as we embarked on a once-in-a lifetime commemorative soiree in memory of our mother.  The Chateau Laurier was also celebrating a birthday (100 years) and had our mother still been with us, she would be celebrating her June birthday in style.  My holiday was rich with history—both personal and national!

(photo taken in 1957)

July 1^st is a grand celebration in Canadian communities from sea to sea to sea, and on Canada Day I joined thousands of people who attend the annual Steveston Salmon Festival.  Think sunny skies, red and white, and smiles all over, and you'll have a pretty good image of Canada Day 2012.

Whether I was returning home from Ottawa, or from a full day of teaching pysanky at the Steveston Salmon Festival, I returned home a happy, tired, and proud Canadian!

Our Tee Shirts Get Around

I can't get the Beach Boys song "I Get Around" out of my head as I blog this story.  Our tee shirt traffic at babasbeeswax.com is just as lively.  No sooner did we publish our tee shirt designs when one of our perennial customers in Toronto (what? no snow?) purchased our "logo" tee shirt.  Who says only people in Vancouver can wear tee shirts in the winter . . . . . . she luvs it and sent us a photo to show how pretty she is in it!  We luv it too!

Tee Shirt from http://www.babasbeeswax.com/

Most designs feature photos of pysanky with names like "Pysanky Symphony", "Beautiful Pysanky" and "I Heart Pysanky".  Can you figure out the whimsical design name "Ostrigooschick" conjured up by Tom?

Here is an audio story from the opposite coast of the country, Newfoundland.  Imagine the surprise when this passenger was approached by another bearing a big smile and hug to say Baba's Beeswax has great products!  Our tee shirts get around.

. . . . and beach weather is just around the corner!

Hot Off The Press

I enjoyed meeting journalist Michelle Hopkins when she visited my pysanka studio and gallery to do a newspaper article on egging. With both our busy schedules (hers: performing at a local charity event Dancing With The Stars; and mine: spring workshop mania) we agreed to a visit on the weekend.  We had a lovely chat—and there was soooooooo much to talk about.  Here is a link to her story on Page A17 of the March 14, 2012 edition of The Richmond News.

With the sureness that "you can't believe everything you read", I can point out only a couple of mis-quotes. The statement that I use a "hollow, cooked egg" conjures up a comical image!  But I was relieved that the distinction between pysanky and batik-style eggs was clearly made, as pysanky are so often misrepresented in the media and online, and it's so embarrassing and uncomfortable when that happens.  And despite a 9-digit phone number instead of a 10-digit one I'm still getting a ton of phone calls and comments.  Ditto for the website name which has a typo in it.  All in all I'm quite pleased with her story and am as busy as ever.  Have you read it? 

More later on the resulting workshops.



Distinction between pysanky eggs and batik-style eggs



Photo by Michelle Hopkins



The Biggest Pysanka Birthday Party Ever



Passersby with birthday wishes

One busy spring, just when Jacob was turning 12 years old, our family business was offering yet another hands-on pysanky workshop at a local shopping centre.  Jacob’s annual woeful lament about spring workshops interfering with and/or superseding every birthday party he ever had his whole life did not fall on deaf ears.  Tom and I planned a BIG birthday surprise.  At 12:00 noon we halted the workshop, announced the BIG 12th birthday, had a BIG birthday cake with 12 BIG candles (the size used for pysanky) and had a BIG birthday party in the mall.  Hundreds of shoppers and passersby joined in singing “Happy Birthday” and offered kind words and greetings in a BIG birthday card.  Jacob passed around birthday cake.  Strangers even bought presents!  One elderly gentleman was also having a birthday that day and appreciated the public display of affection.  That was the biggest birthday pysanka party ever!  


2 birthday boys



Kids of all ages celebrate birthdays with pysanky and I want to share my party secrets  That's why I just published Pysanka Power! Birthday Party Ideas & Planner [ISBN 1-897253-24-9].  Check it out here.

Your birthday is coming up again, Jacob, as are more workshops and parties.  Our birthday wish to you is that you have a happy one and celebrate it your way!

The World Needs More Pysanky

Spring Break Pysanky Workshops

The world needs more pysanky.  Ancient legend says that "as long as pysanky are made, evil shall not prevail over good in the world". Learn how to make traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs with beeswax and dyes.

Link to a whimsical video clip announcing my annual spring workshops

Pysanky 4 Kids – Ukrainian Egg Decorating

With a few simple tools and the proper instruction, anyone from 6 to 96 can learn to make a beautiful pysanka the traditional way. This is a great activity to do with your family and friends. What is so unique about my workshops?  I have been teaching pysanky since 1991 and over the years have amassed many, many teaching aids (samples, models, posters, etc.) handouts and best of all—empty eggshells—so that at the end of the workshop everyone takes home a pysanka that will last forever!

• includes inspiring video, folk history and culture, traditional legends, teaching aids, clear and concise instructions, one-on-one attention, unique hands-on technique
• March 12, 13, 19, 20 and 21, 2012 - 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
• all materials supplied
• gift bag and certificate also provided
• opportunity to see one of-a-kind Gallery and Library
• pre-registration required 604-275-8169
• all workshops at Baba's Beeswax Pysanka Studio, Richmond, BC

Pysanky Ukrainian Wax-Resist Egg Decorating

Cartons of eggs stand at the ready.  It's dyeing time at our annual pysanky Ukrainian Easter egg decorating workshops. Discover the magic of making pysanky the traditional way with beeswax and dyes.  With over 50 years of experience in making pysanky, I share not only the technique, but also the history and culture of this time-honoured activity.  I also share information, knowledge, hints and money-saving tips.

• includes inspiring video presentation, folk history and culture, traditional legends, and unique wax-resist technique
• workshops are from 7 pm to 9 pm on March 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21, 2012
• all materials supplied
• my workshops are very popular and fill up early
• opportunity to see one of-a-kind Gallery and Library
• pre-registration required 604-275-8169 
• all workshops at Baba's Beeswax Pysanka Studio, Richmond, BC

Link to my Calendar or download a Poster to share.

Making pysanky has never been so easy, fun or affordable!

Roses Are Red

Roses are red

Violets are blue

I decorated these

And so can you

. . . . share your own Valentine here . . . .

This design is a February Feature on t-shirts and other products from Baba's Beeswax.



Kung Hei Fat Choi—Year of the Dragon

According to a popular Chinese legend, the Universe was once an enormous egg.  One day the egg split open—its upper half became the sky, its lower half the earth, and from it emerged P’an Ku, primordial man. Every day he grew ten feet taller, the sky ten feet higher, the earth ten feet thicker. After eighteen thousand years P'an Ku died. His head split and became the sun and moon, while his blood filled the rivers and seas. His hair became the forests and meadows, his breath the wind, his voice the thunder.  Kung Hei Fat Choi.

Ukrainian Vancouver

My talented friend Myroslav Petriw (whom I have known and collaborated with for many years), author of Yaroslaw's Treasure, and my newly made friends, Vitaliy Kubatskyy and Valeriy Shevchuk (with whom I shared much merriment and exhuberance in celebrating the 120^th Anniversary of Ukrainian Settlement in Canada) have been very busy!  In addition to their many personal endeavours and pursuits, they have collectively succeeded in developing an independent online bilingual Ukrainian/English newspaper.  Congratulations to them and to everyone else involved in this exciting project.  I look forward to surfing their site and watching the progress as it grows and develops!  Don’t take my word for it—check it out yourself at http://www.ukrainianvancouver.com.  Congratulations!

More Than 25 Reasons Why You Should Write Pysanky!

It's the eve of a new year, and the impetus to reflect on 2011 is all around me.  Looking back not only on the past year, but also on the past 50 years, I consider all the things that pysanky have meant to me.  It makes me think about my grandmother and mother.  I remember my old friends for whom I made and gave pysanky as gifts.  I am grateful for my new friends who augment my collection.  I think about my grandparents who were Canadian pioneers and am thankful for my upbringing in a family that inspired me to be a pioneer on the world wide web.  I am rewarded with the reaction I get from people at my demonstrations and workshops.  My heart fills when children discover the magic they can do with eggs, beeswax and dyes.  My legacy is the writing and publishing of a children's activity book dedicated to my own child and I am proud of receiving a mark of distinction from the Library of Congress for my bibliography.  And, most recently, my foray into filming video clips has presented me with another experience.  I am astonished at the number of words that appear in my journal. These words describe why I love pysanky!

1. relaxing
2. therapeutic
3. intricate
4. creative
5. inspirational
6. energizing
7. fascinating
8. inheritance
9. heritage
10. custom
11. tradition
12. Easter
13. Spring
14. fun
15. affordable
16. artistic
17. sensory
18. unique
19. spiritual
20. talismanic
21. symbolic
22. colorful
23. rhythmic
24. calming
25. rewarding
26. pattern

I would love to hear what pysanky mean to you.  Comment with your own experience.

Happy New Year!

2012

Merry Christmas from the Brander's

About the Pysanka—It Is Written!

Responding to inquiries about my YouTube photo montage on the Pysanka Symposium, I have posted a video clip of the Book Launch and the resulting mark of distinction announced by the Library of Congress.  It's here for you to enjoy.

Post a comment to this blog, and I'll send you a Christmas present!

Better Late Than Never!

It's been over 3 years since I attended the 2008 Pysanka Symposium and launched my bibliography, "About the Pysanka--It Is Written!" in Washington, DC.  The event and the city had such an effect on me that I vowed to return.  And I'm happy that my dream was fulfilled (see my March 30, 2011 blog).

In the meantime, I've put together a photo montage of the event and have posted it here for all to enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZFc1-fg-HY

Back to School

September means back to school, not only for students but also for teachers!  Now is the time to plan your upcoming pysanky workshops.  This activity is fun for all grade levels K to 12 and integrates with multicultural and language arts, social studies, math and science.

If you're a teacher and haven't received your Newsletter from Baba's Beeswax, here it is.  All the best for the 2011-2012 school year!

2011 Fall Newsletter

Keeping the Spirit of Pysanky Alive

This year, 2011, marks the 20th anniversary of Baba's Beeswax http://www.babasbeeswax.com/ and the 120th anniversary of Ukrainian immigration to Canada, both of which are dear to my heart.  Our community celebrations started at the European Festival in May, continued throughout the summer at the Canada Day Festival followed by the Ukraine Pavilion at Fusion Festival in July, and this month at the Arts Alive Festival.  These outdoor venues with their traditional performances, activities, street vendors, music and food married with people of all ages and terrific weather to make for fun family celebrating.  We plan to party for a few more months this year and will keep posting our photos and comments to keep the spirit of pysanky alive in 2011.  While surfing, be sure to check out more photos on our website link "In The Community".

Have a great day!

A is for Arbutus and Awesome!

Had a great time at our 12^th annual event at Arbutus Village mall over the weekend.  Chatted with a fellow merchant who quoted me for his Slogan of the Day:  "It's nice to have a job that makes people happy".  That's exactly how I feel all the time that I'm promoting pysanky. 

It's so nice to see people returning year after year, and how the kids do grow!  Also met some very interesting new patrons, including 5 year old Jaclyn Chan of Vancouver who has already authored 2 books!  She has an amazing, vivid imagination.

Thanks to my friend Marcella, and my husband Tom for coming out to help with the throngs.  Somehow he managed to make a pysanka for the coffee kiosk owner who kindly supplied us with java throughout the weekend.  He, too, is an accomplished artist, and his art work fit in nicely with the exhibition of the Western Art Circle that displayed throughout the mall.  Last, but not least, my friend Marcia (http://marciasartblog.wordpress.com/), came by to take some photos. 

We ended the weekend by collapsing at The Flying Beaver Bar and Grill with a tray of appies and a few cool ones, while the Vancouver Canucks vs Calgary Flames hockey game played on-screen!

Washington Wonders

Celebrated some personal milestones in fantastic Washington, DC last week.  Just in time for their Cherry Blossom Festival.  Although the trip was too short, we were able to visit many of the major attractions.  Weather was beautiful and the sites from atop the double decker were breathtaking.  Unlike my previous visit which was for the book launch of About the Pysanka—It Is Written!  A Bibliography, when Library of Congress was closed for a movie shoot, we were able to actually get into this amazing place.  The librarian in the Thomas Jefferson reading room was pleasantly surprised that someone other than official readers, researchers or tourists were making inquiries.  Some pages of the bibliography were dog-earred, indicating a pattern of use. Glad the book is so popular! 

Maybe next trip we'll be in time for the White House Egg Roll!

Dye Happy

"My dyes have sat for some time between use and have grown mold on the surface.  Are they ruined?  If not, how can I save them?  How do I store them between use so this doesn't happen again?  HELP!
Beginner in the USA
Faith"

Have faith!  No, your dyes are not ruined.  Here are some tips on how you can save them and store them between use:

• dyes can last for many years
• their two enemies are evaporation and mold growth
• store dyes in airtight jars (glass or plastic)
• freeze dyes when you’re not using them to avoid bacteria growth
• if dyes turn cloudy (i.e. showing evidence of bacteria growth) simply strain them through  cheesecloth, bring to a boil, and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar
• during your busy season add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to dyes to rejuvenate their dyeing power
• do not throw away the instructions for preparing the dyes after you have made them--some dyes don’t require the adding of vinegar
• save the instructions and tape them to your dye jars—or indicate some other warning on your jar such as “do not add vinegar”

I hope this info helps.

Orange you glad you asked me?

Erica, you said you are not "having good results with the orange dye.  Even leaving the egg in the dye all day, the color is light".  I'd like to comment on that and help you figure out what's going on.

I had the most amazing results with orange dye today, so it's not the dye lot.  However, that's of little comfort to you, so let me go through a process of elimination to help you with your situation.

Assuming the dye is mixed according to the package directions, here are a few things that could be happening:

• it could be the eggs themselves, but unfortunately there's no way of knowing any adverse effects in advance
• are your hands clean and/or free of hand lotion?  grease and oil can prevent the dye from adhering to the egg
• are you using orange on a yellow egg?  a yellow foundation will help the orange
•  are you using orange on a green or blue egg?  orange makes an excellent "wash" and removes darker colors (such as light green, light blue or turquoise) to prepare your shell for the brighter colors of red, pink or brick; however by doing this, your orange may not be as bright as you expect
•  are your eggs fresh (I don't mean whole eggs versus empty eggshells; I mean freshly purchased)? over time an eggshell will dry out

Assuming you have taken care to prepare your eggs and dye, you could try a quick dip into colors such as red or scarlet, then back to the orange to see if you get more depth of color.

Let me know if any of these pysanky tips resolve your problem!

I'm a Ukrainian chick!

Going by my Ukrainian name today, Ivanna.  Make that IBAHA.