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Maria Serafin with some of the handmade eggs that she makes. Photo by Gregory Shaver

by LEE B. ROBERTS

Even in winter's deep freeze, a breath of spring can be found inside Maria Serafin's curio cabinet. It comes from a rainbow of beautifully adorned eggs of various sizes, each of which have been decorated with great care and skill by Serafin.

Her intricately designed eggs may bring thoughts of Easter, but Serafin's dedication to her art is not confined to one season. Egg decorating is a year-round hobby that the 87-year-old has enjoyed for many years.

Starting with a hollowed-out egg - either from a chicken, an ostrich or an emu - she plans her design and then chooses the materials to best express it. Some eggs are painted, while others feature cut-outs and a variety of added materials. And whether she is arranging tiny, colorful beads or measuring and cutting silk fabric and velvet ribbons to fit the curves of an egg, decorating the smooth and surprisingly strong shells is a task Serafin finds very relaxing.

"It is my hobby, that's all," she said humbly. "I like to make eggs.".....

Read more at  -   http://www.journaltimes.com/lifestyles/senior_news/article_554072c8-3c4e-11df-9dad-001cc4c002e0.html