Skip to main content

Sugar Skulls Get A Face-lift


Sugar skulls just got a makeover.  I cannot seem to get away with making these.  My favorite color is the white sugar enamel.

I use the torch because it gives me more control over the sugar stage of the enamel.  Sometimes I use a mantra while firing and it goes something like this (after pulling the torch away).  Stop...stop...stop...STOP!!!

A lot of people seem to think they are just for Halloween but I wear my sugar skulls year round.  It is like a momento mori.
me·men·to mo·ri
məˈmenˌtō ˈmôrē/Submit
noun
noun: memento mori; plural noun: memento mori
an object serving as a warning or reminder of death, such as a skull.

I am constantly thinking about my own mortality.  I guess this is why I make skulls.  
What about you?  
Are you afraid of skulls?
Just today my mom requested a necklace to accompany her earrings.  I am totally on it mom!

Oh just so you can compare.  These are how the earlier style looked.
The new style can be found in my shop.

Have a great Wednesday!

Namaste
Kalaya

Comments

  1. Liking them! I've never tried enamelling just to sugar stage but it would need more control so I'd no doubt need to practise {a lot} :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Tracy! I love the sugar phase. It does take some practice but I'm sure you'll get it down in three tries tops! :)

      Delete

Post a Comment

I would love to hear from you!

Popular posts from this blog

The Risk to Bloom

It all started with an acorn button and grew from there. In an earlier post I mentioned this button swap blog hop, that I am participating in, and how I was immediately drawn to the acorn button.  Every day I would hold it in my hand, feel its essence, exam it, and then put it down.  This lasted for about 2 weeks. Then I remembered I had etched an oak tree on to brass when making buttons for my partner Kylie of Lotus Out Loud .  And... so begins the journey of creating something with this wonderful acorn button, which only started yesterday. Haha!  Etched brass was copper riveted to a piece of oak.  Merci beaucoup Papi for finding some oak!   I am using what Jesse taught me in his workshop .  It was the first time trying his technique.  It worked beautifully! The riveted brass was then captured with a piece of pierced copper. Voila! And then the day came  when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk to bloom.

South of the border in Oaxaca, Mexico

I've been idle for too long but I have lots to share with you! Oh where to begin?   Let me first say that Oaxaca is a place full of beautiful people.  The city was VERY safe and the place we stayed in was absolutely wonderful.  And the very best thing about it all...the plane ride was only 3.5 hours from New Orleans!  Gotta love that. I don't want to bore you with all the details so I think I will stick to the art side of things.  Oaxaca is known for their textiles but I didn't take any pictures of any textiles.  :(  Lo siento. There was this place that we stumbled upon called La Mano Magica  #26 Macedonio Alcala 203, Centro .  This place had a variety of high end pieces for the taking and a price.  Off to the side we noticed a show going on and I immediately knew the work.  It was the work of ceramicist Alfonso Castillo.  One of the the great folk artist of Mexico.   Eeeee!!! How exciting! FAMILIA CASTILLO Candelabro Ofrenda a mi papa Alfonso died i

The Arrowmont Experience Pt. 1

I know from previous experience that I had to ask the driver to stop at a grocery store before dropping us off at Arrowmont.  I was feeling so good about having all my ducks in order and then this happened! I'm sure I screamed WTH because everyone was looking at me but I wasn't the only one in shock. I was thinking...great!  Now I will have to walk to get my wine.  LOL!!! Arrowmont for 2 entire weeks!  Yeah....Bring it on.  I can do this...roommate annd all. I was in Anne Havel's  All Fired Up: Who Knew a Torch Could Do All This? My notebook for ALLLllllll the notes I'm going to take. OMG!  I don't know where to begin.  I have so much to share.  Let's see... I fell in love with a cup. Annnd...then I bought a cup made by Jason B. Burnett.  He had me at the hexagons. Just an aside here.  I couldn't buy the cup I fell in love with.  Arrowmont has an assortment of ceramic cups in the mess hall to use.  I could post a cup a day on I