Do I raise the birds myself? I live in-town, so unfortunately I am unable to raise my own Emus. Where do I get my eggs? I get my eggs from an emu farmer who raises the birds for the meat, oil and other by-products they provide. How strong are the eggs? Emu eggs have a very hard, dark outer layer and are quite thick. How fragile they become depends on how much shell is removed. Can the eggs be shipped? Even the most fragile eggs can be safely shipped if packaged properly. How long does it take to carve an egg? This depends on the complexity of the design, whether or not it covers the whole egg, how much shell is removed and if the last layer of white inside is used. The simplest designs can be done in as little as half an hour, while the more complex designs can take as long as two days. How many eggs do I break? I break very few eggs. If eggs are broken it is usually due to mishandling, not carving. When trying to expose the white layer it is easy to go too far and make a hole, but eggs are never a total loss. The broken area can be completely cut out or the egg can be broken into pieces and used in other art pieces. How did I get started carving eggs? About six years ago, a friend gave me some glass etching cream as a Christmas gift. I soon bought other etching tools, including an electric drill. The following Easter, there was an article in the local paper about a couple who were doing filigree carving on eggs with an air drill. I went to the local library and found some books on egg decoration and tried it myself. I found that filigree work couldn’t be done with a Dremel tool due to the vibrations given off by the low speed of the drill. I had also read that if you scratch a brown chicken egg, you will see white underneath. For the first year, chicken eggs were the only eggs I worked with. I went from chicken eggs until I discovered Emu, Rhea, and Ostrich eggs. It’s been six years now, I finally got an air drill and I carve everything from eggs, glass, wood, antlers to stone. Emu eggs remain my favorite material to work with. What tools do I use? I use both an air drill and a Dremel tool and have recently begun using vinegar to etch the eggs. Are the designs yours, where do you get them? A lot of the designs you see were found in copyright free material. I often use the basic idea, and change the design to make it my own. The best source for me has been the public library. What kind of stands do you use for the eggs? The egg stands are usually optional. If a brass bell cap is glued to the top of an egg, it can be hung from a brass hanger. The eggs can also be glued onto anything that works such as candleholders, napkin rings etc. I usually put my eggs on stands I make myself, that consist of a painted wooden platform and dowel. I like these because they would be hard to knock over or have the eggs fall off without gluing the egg onto them. Do I teach classes? I do not teach classes formally at this time, but am always wiling to answer questions, share ideas and help whenever I can. I welcome people to visit my shop to see my tools and watch me at work. Anyone interested is welcome to e-mail me or write. How do you etch with vinegar? I would suggest you do as I did when asking this question. Get on the internet for information on this topic for instructions on how to get started and what tools you will need.