Kalaya Steede

Trying to come up with ideas is sometimes daunting.  But yesterday was so much fun!  I cannot even start to explain how fun it is to take something that has been used and breathe new life into them.  I had these .38 SPL casings (that have been fired) sitting around for at least a year.  I was supposed to make this belt buckle with them but I was lazy so they just sat there on my shelf.  Anyway yesterday I decided I needed to make some jewelry for men.  Not for ANY man either...but for those badass men out there.   Like my friends husband which I shall not name!  hahaha!!! Some guys really look good in necklaces and bracelets.  The guy that comes to my mind is Johnny Depp.  He can Rock just about anything!!!   Need I say more? I sawed, cut, filed, and wire wrapped yesterday for about 3 hours.  Did you know that the .38 caliber casing shell is different thickness throughout? And here is what I came ...

It is that time of year and things have been pretty busy. I just placed some things in my Etsy store and wanted to run a Black Friday special but starting on Monday! If you have a burning desire to own a Winter Calavera or a TinSkull this code:  BlackFriday will get you 20% off until this Friday.  Just type in BLACKFRIDAY when checking out and voilà! Have a great week! Namaste Kalaya

Have you ever wondered how to set a cabachon?  Well your wondering is over because Staci Louise wrote up this wonderful tutorial how!!! Just mozy on to Love My Art Jewelry site.  Her pictures and instructions are very clear.  Just click on the picture/link below and it will take you to the tutorial.   Necklace and picture  by Staci Louise Try the technique out this weekend and post some pictures on my facbook  page.   You never know what magic will happen! Merci beaucoup Staci for the wonderful tutorial!  It is waaaaay cool of you to share your techniques with the universe!   Namaste Kalaya

It first started with TinSkulls.  I then had this idea to make torch fired enameled calaveras (skulls).  It was an easy transition to make because Dia de los muertos was heavy on my mind.   And so the process begins... 1.  Design 2.  Modify design 3.  Saw out the skulls 3.  File 4.  Decide on the bail 5.  Execute My first go at it was using two colors with some steel.  I veered away from my original plan and did not like the results.  I cannot tell you exactly why but it just did not "feel" right. I fell back to my original plan and that was to design what I like to call my "Winter Calaveras".  My inspiration came from a book that I am currently reading ( The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern).  Well...a book that I have been reading for the last year!  Hahaha!!!  I am a slow reader!  Anyway, I wanted to make my calaveras black and white but for some reason I used red abo...

"While death burns the lips of other cultures,  Mexicans are familiar with death,  joke about it, caress it, sleep with it,  celebrate it;  it is one of their favorite toys and their most steadfast love." ~Octavio Paz I have made a lot of designs in jewelry but am always happiest when making skulls.  A friend of mine last night actually told me that she thought my best work was with the skulls and why not concentrate on that alone?  Oh...would not that be business suicide?  Hahaha!!! Who knows but I think I need to do what I love. Currently I am having mucho fun at making these skulls and am in the process of designing more skulls of a scary kind.  These skulls are made from recycled Louisiana license plates, found objects, and tin collected from several places, Mexico being one of them.  Although a friend of mine brought the ones from Mexico on over. Words are stamped on the back side of everyone of the TinSkulls....

Another year has come and gone and Dia de los Muertos is here once again! I spent last Saturday with San Antonio's local artist Lorena Angulo. Hear all about my fun journey at Love My Art Jewelry where I am a guest post!   Here is to a wonderful November 1st and celebrating the angelitos for Day of the Dead! Namaste Kalaya