"Lilies of the City" Faberge Egg

The Lilies of the Valley Egg was my favorite of the Nine Imperial Eggs and I loved how Tsarina Alexandra's love of this flower was taken to a whole new level. I am favoring this flower but only after seeing the work of Michael Perchin, who mastered this egg in 1896. I was unable to make the craziness happen on top, with the portraits and the crown...

So I bought a dowel cap at the store because it resembled a vase. I decided this to be the "finial" of my egg and from that, I thought of the name "Lilies of the City". I say "City" because my lilies are in a "vase" instead of growing wild around the original egg, as they would in a "Valley". :) Another way that the name fits is because I am hoping that "The City" of New York, along with Forbes will be able to hold my "Lilies of the City".

*WOW it sparkles in the sun!* (sorry, bad video. my digital camera is really old)

Step 1: Materials

*egg, mine was wooden
*leaves
*head pins
*spacers (i think thats what they are called)
*old jewelry
*varnish
*clear spray paint
*glitter
*spray adhesive
*plastic baggie
*pearls
*glue gun
*E6000 glue
*dowel cap
*fancy stand

Comments

[kathynv]

Your egg is beautiful, and I find it hard to imagine that I would have the patience to make one, even with your excellent directions. However, I make a lot of jewelry, and some of it is decorated with lilies of the valley. (Those are what enticed me to read your instructable so long after the contest ended) There is a lot easier way to make those lilies than with glue, and the result is almost identical to yours (without the blob of glue on top). The directions sound long, but I it sometimes takes a lot of words to describe a two second action. The pins that you bought are eye pins (with a loop) instead of head pins (with a flat or decorated end) I use the flat end type, which looks like a nail head. Instead of the heavy pewter spacers you used, take a look for a small, lacy bead cap (probably right next to the spacers on the wall of the craft store). The ones I use are Sterling, but that is likely overkill for an egg. You can also find very tiny crystals in the bead aisle if you want a bit of glimmer in place of your glued dot on the end of the pearl. Simply thread the bead cap onto the head pin backwards, so it resembles the frilled end of the flower. Then, thread the pearl on the head pin, and the crystal last. I make a tiny, almost invisible bend in the wire so the assembly stays in place, but a bit of glue would hold as well or better. Look for G-S Hypo Cement in the red box, right near the E-6000 glue you used. It has a very fine needle point tip, which enables you to glue without leaving any trace of glue behind. Once again, your egg is beautiful, and you can be incredibly proud of it. If I had made it, I know I'd be insufferable. :-) Thanks for sharing.

[DIYMommy]

Wow, that's really beautiful!

[rookie1]

This is really good. Very imaginative.