Kalaya Steede

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 ...

Oh it's that time of year again.  Where I get all excited because dia de Los Muertos is around the corner.  It's that time when the spirits of the dead come for a visit and I make sugar skulls to remember. I usually do my traditional white sugar skulls but this year decided to add some color to my life.  After all, dia de los muertos is about celebrating life, remembering the dead, and nothing expresses life more then color! Getting ready to be fired.  It's like making cookies.  I just want to eat those skulls! The colors were all inspired by those skull beads you see EVERYWHERE! Howlite Skull beads If you look closely at the picture below you can see the enamel in sugar form. Calaveras or Sugar Skulls These are available now in my store .  I've been updating the site on a weekly basis.  So come on in and see what's new.  Have a great Friday and remember to have fun and breathe! Namaste Kalaya

They are coming and they are going and you see them passing by. They are walking over here, they are walking over there...these are the dead.   How happy they are! Hola everyone!   It has been so long since my last post and I have been busy like a little bee.  I have been pounding in the studio, showing at art markets, reading some books, learning Spanish, and hanging out with friends and family. Did I mention that it is my favorite time of year so I just HAD to make these pretties... Both were at Coq Rouge Gallery here on Magazine and both SOLD!   Yay!  Muchas Gracias!!! I posted most of my new stuff on my Facebook page so I am not going to be a photo whore and repost them here.  Well...I did post that above picture already on FB.  hahahaha!!! Last week was my first Palmer Park Holiday Arts Market and it was a blast! This week I have been busy trying to catch up on making some metal stuff and teaching a friend...

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...

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

DOD (Day of the Dead) time! I have been wanting to post about Mexico but... But, but, but...that word is always sneaking around.  I want to play in the studio...BUT.  Oh, I would love to meet you for coffee...BUT...and so on.  But enough of that! I just had to get back into the studio and make something.  I really felt that I had forgotten everything I have learned over the past 6 months!  Deadlines are looming and I needed to get on the ball because NOLA's  Art for Arts' Sake , which is October 6, 2012, will be here soon and I need inventory. I had this idea to make a series of skull necklaces for DOD.  This required me to make a sample and here is what I came up with... DODS by Kalaya Steede I put a chain on it just for the picture.  I do not like shinny...at least not copper.  I will patina that and buff it up.  The skull measures about 1" in diameter and the metal is tin (I think).  I used...

Saturday started off at The Bead Shop first thing in the morning.  It was nice to have the beads all to myself!  But they were all sitting there with their sparkly selves saying, "buy me, NO buy me, we can make your piece ROCK!".  I had to shut them all out and focus on my task at hand and set up for class.  It wasn't easy. Allow me to make the introductions...below are Carolina and Hatty.  Don't you just LOVE that water bottle picture? Look at them stringing away.   Carolina made a lovely jade bracelet using natural color leather with brown thread.  Hatty made a bracelet using lemon chrysoprase.  Lemon chrysoprase reminds me of mint chocolate.  I just want to eat them all!  Anyhoo we all passed a good time.   Carolina and Hatty were a blast to be with in the morning.    Merci Buttercup, Hatty, for that big wonderful carved bead. XO Now about those Tiaras... I was so lucky to take a tiara maki...

'Dia De Los Muertos' by KalayaSteede Dia de los muertos is my favorite celebration of the year. Since the day is fast approaching I wanted to share a few things I found on Etsy. There are so many talented people out there. Enjoy! Dia de los Muertos Day of th... noellehunt $1000.00 ...

Oh Goody!  My favorite time of the year is fast approaching and I need (of all things) a tiara.  Every girl should have at least one and at the moment I have none. My theme is Dia de los Muertos.  A tiara for the Day of the Dead celebration.  It's going to be so shabby chic! Whatever that means. Do I know how to make one?  No.  Can someone teach me?  Yes. So, I'm taking a class here in New Orleans at The Bead Shop on how to make this lovely head piece.  You know what this means...right?  I need to start shopping for supplies!  Yay!  I absolutely LOVE shopping for supplies.   So far this is what I've got. These bones and howlite skulls came from Shipwreck Beads .  It was the cheapest place to get these babies but there is a minimum order of $25.  I don't think that would be too hard to hit. Then I bought these beauties on Etsy from Troxies .    The big flowers up front are enameled wi...