Review by Dentarthurdent -- Eggstravagant Easter Eggs

[Dentarthurdent]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Eggstravagant Easter Eggs" by Maya Elston.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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I cannot count myself among the experts of Easter egg decoration and its related books. I'm barely a novice, for that matter, yet I feel I have found the epitome of such literature. Eggstravagant Easter Eggs veritably stands head and shoulders above all other such books I've read. The festive among us who take Easter very seriously would agree that most store-bought ornamental eggs are quite generic, and would opt instead to decorate their own, which is part of the fun, besides. If you count yourself among these enthusiastic individuals, Maya Elston has you covered with this attractive, concise and creative collection of egg ideas and how to execute them.

This guide is sectioned in a very comprehensive way; first, according to the design’s primary element, like eggs decorated using polka dots, lace, decoupage, et cetera. The second section directs the reader on how to go about creating a collection of thematically related Easter eggs, like poultry and fish-themed egg figurines, or even eggs in black and white. The last section is about eggs decorated after specific artistic or cultural styles, like ancient Greek vases, ethnic embroidery and Spanish tiles, among others.

There was a lot that I enjoyed about the book, starting with the clear, colourful photographs included, which draw the reader in, and the detailed description of the materials used. Furthermore, it is a deliberately budget-friendly manual, and that is a sure way to my heart. Most of all, however, I loved that Elston chose to include a brief, yet nostalgic family backstory about decorating eggs in her childhood, which seemed quite personal and precious to her. It made me feel honoured to be reading about art that means so much to the author. Additionally, it was quite helpful of her to specify that the guide was a bit too complex for unsupervised children to use.

There was barely anything to dislike about the work, and most of what I could contribute here would be more of recommendations than criticism. The book only disappointed me in one minor way; I had expected the book to be rather whimsical, due to the punny title, but unfortunately, the writing was quite formal, and bodered on stiff at times. As for the recommendations, the first would be that the author include more images showcasing the steps; the work in progress. I felt like there were too few of these, especially compared to the images of the materials and finished eggs. Lastly, there was a section that explained how to create an egg collection that resembles the Fabergé Imperial Egg Collection, and while Elston's were beautifully made, I wish she had included images of the actual Fabergé eggs for comparison.

As you may have guessed, this book was a 4 out of 4 for me. It was impeccably edited, attractively formatted, utterly effective, and the eggs themselves were works of art. Honestly, the chick figurines on their own were cute enough to earn the book full points! Eggstravagant Easter Eggs suits festive DIY-ers perfectly, and would be awesome for fun family projects with kids. On the other hand, it probably wouldn’t appeal to non-artistic readers, or people who do not like DIY projects, but it’s the sort of book that you can judge by the cover; if looking at it, you don’t think it’s your cup of tea, you're probably right.

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Eggstravagant Easter Eggs
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[Jlblawrence]

I would not have expected to see a book about decorating Easter eggs pop up on this site! How exciting! And you say it has pictures? That makes it so much better! It's amazing the beautiful and involved designs that can be made on an Easter egg. Thanks for the review and the crafting ideas!

[unamilagra]

What a beautiful, crafty book! I've never thought of making super fancy Easter eggs, but I might have to look into this next spring. Great review!

[Ellylion]

The resemblance of the Fabergé Imperial Egg Collection, how interesting! I believe it's a very handy and useful book, but I agree that there should be more pictures with work in progress, it's quite important. Thank you for this insightful review!

[summerday307]

The name of this book caught my attention because I not only love to read but I love to craft! This books sounds like one I could learn a lot from especially since it includes pictures.

[Dentarthurdent]

I would not have expected to see a book about decorating Easter eggs pop up on this site! How exciting! And you say it has pictures? That makes it so much better! It's amazing the beautiful and involved designs that can be made on an Easter egg. Thanks for the review and the crafting ideas!

It is quite a unique and informative book. With awesome pictures too! Thanks for commenting!

[Dentarthurdent]

What a beautiful, crafty book! I've never thought of making super fancy Easter eggs, but I might have to look into this next spring. Great review!

It does have amazing ideas! If you do decide to try some of them out next year, I wish you the best. Thanks for stopping by!

[Dentarthurdent]

The resemblance of the Fabergé Imperial Egg Collection, how interesting! I believe it's a very handy and useful book, but I agree that there should be more pictures with work in progress, it's quite important. Thank you for this insightful review!

Thanks for commenting! I'm glad you found my review helpful.

[Dentarthurdent]

The name of this book caught my attention because I not only love to read but I love to craft! This books sounds like one I could learn a lot from especially since it includes pictures.

This is definitely the book for you if you love both books and crafts. Thanks for your time!

[Adanna Inya]

This sounds like an interesting read, especially for those who are hyped up about easter. My sister would love this. Lol. Great review.

[Dentarthurdent]

This sounds like an interesting read, especially for those who are hyped up about easter. My sister would love this. Lol. Great review.

If she loves DIY projects and Easter, then it's definitely the right book for her! Thanks so much for commenting!!

[Jackie Holycross]

I never thought of a whole book on Easter eggs. Still, this sounds like it elevates them to an art form.

[kandscreeley]

I'm not artistic enough to imagine that I could actually do any of what's in the book. However, I would still enjoy seeing the images. Thanks!

[moowshiri]

The book's cover stole my heart from the word go. The book also sounds very informative and fun to read. I'm definitely going to give it a try. Thanks for the excellent review.

[Dentarthurdent]

I never thought of a whole book on Easter eggs. Still, this sounds like it elevates them to an art form.

It does! With all the design elements involved in making these eggs pretty, I feel like they do deserve to be treated as their own art form.
Thanks for stopping by!