Memento Mori Skull Rings

These kick ass skull rings are brought to us today from Yukee Chen of Amsterdam, Netherlands. Currently he is expressing his art in the form of making custom jewelry. These memento mori skull rings are forged from various metals including brass, sterling silver, and oxidized sterling silver.  I love the way the bottom jaw is detachable.  It might even look like it's talking when you're moving your fingers.  Thanks for the sharing these, Yukee!

 We want to share your skull art! Be a part of the Skull-A-Day project. Details are HERE

Sugary Skull Jewelry

Miranda Ross an 8th grade Spanish teacher. When she's not teaching, she is crafting. She works with polymer clay and paints, creating original designs. She loves making little skull earrings and upcycling any old piece of furniture she can find with the skull motif. The photos she shared with us are of skulls with mustache earrings and a sugar skull necklace with real candy sprinkle eyes. You can find more of Miranda's work on her website Sugar Skull Vintage, Facebook, and Instagram.

Sugar Skull Earrings

Pink Sugar Skull Necklace

Skeleton Earrings

J L Tunnell made this "pair of earrings I made a few years ago. The head/skull of each was a natural gold nugget and the skeletons were made with 14K gold wire. Each earring is about 1-1/2 inches tall."

I rarely get to see great skeleton jewelry. I'm particularly fond of skeletons that have movable joints. The skeletons dance around when someone wears them. These have a creative use of materials and great proportion. Perhaps I'll have to make my own dancing skeleton jewelry.

[CONTEST] Win a Metal Skull with Brain Pendant from Anatomical Element

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thanks for participating!

Rachel Stork Stoltz, of Anatomical Element, is a medical illustrator and obsessed with anatomy. She started metalworking as a way to rip herself away from the computer and get her hands dirty. Her very first piece was an anatomical heart and the anatomical skull with brain soon followed (and is one of her favorites!). Rachel made a skull pendant from old roofing copper that she found in her grandfather's barn. She is giving away this skull pendant to one lucky Skull-A-Day fan!

 Close up, so you can see the details.

A perspective view to show the layers of metal

Hanging on a neck, to give you a better idea of size

PRIZE INFO: One anatomical skull with brain pendant from Anatomical Element. The pendant is about 1 3/4 inches wide and 2 1/4 inches tall. It's hand cut and hammered, layered with steel rivets. Bottom layer is copper, skull layer is aluminum, and the brain is copper with a fire scale patina.

HOW TO ENTER: A fancy skull like this deserves to be worn somewhere special. To enter this contest, comment below telling me what special place you would wear this pendant to, if you won it. For example, I'd likely wear it to the International Museum of Surgical Sciences in Chicago, IL, on May 31st, for our Skull Appreciation Day show opening.

CONTACT INFO: The winner, chosen at random, will be contacted via email by one of the Skull-A-Day editors within 7 days of the end of the contest. If that winner doesn't respond, another winner will be chosen. With your comment, please INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!!! Entries are only valid with this information.

WHERE TO ENTER: All entries must be made on this blog post, on Skull-A-Day.com. You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.

CONTEST CLOSES: 11:59:59 PM Eastern USA Time Friday, May 17, 2013.

NUMBER OF WINNERS: One

PRIZE SHIPS: This contest is open to all skull lovers around the world.

IF YOU DON'T WIN: Don't fret, her jewelry is available in her Etsy shop, Anatomical Element. Rachel is offering a 10% discount on your entire purchase, if you enter the promo code skulladay13 at checkout. The discount is good from Monday, May 13, 2013 until Saturday, May 25, 2013. You can find out what Rachel is making on her Facebook page.

[CONTEST] Win a Dia de los Muertos Pendant from Azurafae

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thank you for participating.

I started doing watercolors a couple years back, when I painted this Watercolor Skull. Ever since then, I've been hooked. I've been making jewelry since I was a child. I combined my love of watercolor and jewelry making to create this double sided Skull and Heart Necklace. I enjoyed making that necklace so much, that I made a new one of a kind pendant featuring my Dia de los Muertos artwork. I'm giving the new one away to one lucky Skull-A-Day fan! This is a rare occurrence, so don't miss out on entering below!

To give you an idea of scale, I'm holding it in my hand.

PRIZE INFO: A one of a kind double sided Dia de los Muertos pendant featuring two original watercolor and ink paintings created by Azurafae. Both paintings are inserted in a special locket style pendant. Each painting is signed with my real name and dated on the back. The pendant measures about 1" by 2". Though the paintings are secured in the pendant and won't fall out, do not get the pendant wet, or the paintings will be ruined. I'm not including a chain or ribbon, since many people already own a necklace they could slip the pendant on.

HOW TO ENTER: Leave a comment below telling us where you would wear this double skull pendant. For example, to a Dia de los Muertos festival, or perhaps a romantic picnic in a cemetery.

CONTACT INFO: If you win, we need to contact you. With your comment, please INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!!! Entries are only valid with this information.

WHERE TO ENTER: All entries must be made on this blog post, on Skull-A-Day.com. You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.

CONTEST CLOSES: 11:59:59 PM Eastern USA Time Friday, February 8, 2012.

NUMBER OF WINNERS: One

PRIZE SHIPS: This contest is open to all skull lovers around the world.

IF YOU DON'T WIN: Unfortunately, since this is a one of a kind piece, there won't be a duplicate. However, I will be adding similar pendants to my Etsy shop, Azurafae, in the future. Also, custom requests are welcome. You can email me at azurafae@gmail.com for inquiries.

Skull Coin Necklace

Kristin Jacobs created this skull necklace. She said, "I used a coin from Mexico, which I cut, drilled, and antiqued. The coin and chain are vintage and re-purposed."

Art created from recycling is always intriguing. I like how Kristin used the curves of the coin design to compliment the curves of a skull. This is a great example of re-purposing old things into a beautiful piece of wearable artwork.

Paisley Skull Pendant

Artist Kimberley Grasing of LexieJewel in New York designed and created this “Poison Paisley Pendent” using sterling silver and black onyx.

C-shell Selling C says:

Some cultures will use talisman to ward off a number of things, I can not help but think of this as a sort of talisman to protect you.  In jumping around I found that Onyx is sometime associated with assisting you in changing bad habits.  That thought gives this pendent a whole new meaning as the skull could be representative of those bad habits being released from the stone.  Thank you for sharing this work with us and much luck to you in your quest to change any bad habits you may have.

Skull and Bones Jewelry

Janice Byrne is obsessed with skulls. She owns a jewelry company, Jlb Jewellery, where she occasionally makes some skull and bones pieces.

I'm always attracted to highly detailed and delicate unusual jewelry, so when I saw these two lovely pieces, I was drawn to them. These, like many of Janice's pieces, are shiny and the inner magpie in me, loves shiny! These piece are very wearable from a day at the office, to a night out, or a weekend trip. For more of Janice's jewelry work, check out her website and Facebook.

Skull Rings

Herbert Hoover of New York, NY created these skull rings for his amazing Ring-A-Day project.

Bad Dream Ring

Secret Memento Mori

I've been steadily following Herbert's Ring-A-Day project since he started. Each of his creations are amazing! These eerie rings are no exception. The mix of this metal with the white skulls gives the skulls a warmth. The construction is elegant and makes the skulls an unexpected element. Should you want to purchase one of Herbert's creations, visit his Facebook page or Copious shop.

Metal Art Skull Swag

Metal Maestros at THE RAVE 'N' IRON Giselle & Tim from British Columbia, Canada used reclaimed scrap sheet metal to create these skull treasures.

“Freckles are Fun!” Acid-etched and naturally heat tempered to ginger-goodness!

“I vant to suck your blud.” Just a creepy little Vampire pendant for all those fans.

The Iron C says:

I adore your work because it contains one of my favorite components-recycled! I do not think I would have ever thought to use a ferrous material in designing accessories, you on the other hand, do an amazing job with working the material. Thank you for sharing this small example of all the wonderful work you create.

Sunday Simulacra - Version 5.47

Today's skulls were found in jewelry.

Madame Curatrix in the US, "bought this vintage rhinestone necklace in a local antique shop. My first thought upon seeing it was that it resembled a cartoonish, bug-eyed skull. I wonder if the original manufacturers noticed that when they made it!"

Pat Upton of Durham NC, "Saw this package of girls' jewelry at Ross Dress for Less."

We need help from our skull hunters. If you see a simulacra skull, photograph it and send those pictures in to our submissions address.

Dia de la Abby #72: Cut Paper Skull Pendant

One of my favorite pieces I made for Skull-A-Day, is my first piece, my Cut Paper Sugar Skull. I decided I loved it so much, I wanted to make a mini version as a pendant.

Unframed

Framed

This pendant style might also look familiar. I bought a set of them when I made #42: Skull and Heart Necklace. Unlike my first piece, this one took a lot less time. I used the same type of black paper, left over tissue paper, and techniques to create this pendant. To give you an idea of scale, the pendant frame is 1.5" x 1.5". This means the cut paper piece is about 1" x 1". The pendant, like #42, is reversible. The reverse is a square of the paper I used as the background for this photograph. It's a flocked piece of paper. On the reverse of that is a print I used to create the skull for #51: Collage Skull. Today's creation pulls from three of my favorite Dia de la Abby projects.


Every other Thursday in the 5.0 year, I will post my own Dia de la Abby creations   Every Thursday in the 4.0 year, I posted my Dia de la Abby creations and occasionally tutorials with instructions on how I made my pieces. Hopefully you feel inspired by my posts just as I was by Noah's Skull-A-Day 1.0 daily project. Need more of me than just a weekly dose, follow me on  Facebook, Google+ and/or Twitter.

Skull Bracelet and Ring

Today, we have a silver skull bracelet, and a silver and brass skull ring made by Thomas Andrews Jewellery

Bracelet

Ring

I'm a true girly girl, which means I own a lot of jewelry. Of all the pieces I own, the delicate skull ones. When these two lovely pieces came through our submission box, I was immediately drawn to their delicate construction and details. The skulls have stylized sunken cheeks and no nose cavities. These are definitely not human, which always leads my mind to wander what type of fantasy skull they could be. Either human or otherwise, they are beautiful pieces of jewelry.

Beaded Skull Bracelet

Carolyn Oord, from Canada, made this beaded skull bracelet on a bead loom. She even included the pattern for it, in case any of you want to make your own.

Hopefully you are familiar enough with using a bead loom to follow Carolyn's instructions. "It's about ½" an inch wide and the skull & crossbones measure approx. 1¼", depending on the size of the beads you are using. Start by measuring your wrist to determine how long the bracelet should be and then decide how you would like the skulls to repeat."

I love crafts that include instructions. Thanks for including the instructions and pattern Carolyn. Though I have no clue where my bead loom is, this pattern would also work with beaded single crochet. Though, that would require you slip on all of your beads, in their correct pattern before starting. Both are options though...just to give you some ideas. If nether of those seem plausible for yourself, you could sew beads onto fabric or leather in this pattern. The effect is the same with all of those ways of making a beaded bracelet.

CONTEST: Win a 'Good Art Hlywd' Sterling Silver Skull Pendant

This contest has ended.  Thanks to everyone for all of the great comments and supporting Good Art Hlywd's killer work.

The road to success contains many intersections. Imagine yourself at the intersection of hard work and dedication. On that corner is a jewelry shop that houses it's own foundry and the capability to make magnificent works of metallic ornaments to adorn your body with. On the outside of that building is a sign that reads "Good Art Hlywd". The time for you to own a piece of 'Grade A' L.A. style is here, and the time to enter is now.












Josh Warner is the most gracious owner of Good Art Hlywd and he is here to dazzle us with the most illustrious of giveaways. Each of the pendants above (including a second one of the first image), along with the some  of the goodies shown in the bottom image, will go to a different lucky reader drawn at random! That's right! There will be 5 winners! The five winners will each receive one of the items, but no guarantee will be made as to which one.

Josh's crew of amazing metal smiths cast these creations in sterling silver and they're as solid as they look. Luxury is the name of the game when it comes to owning quality like this. The hard working, American made spirit that goes into making each piece is accentuated by Josh's own outlook on the art and aesthetic.

"The necessity of a two thousand dollar lighter is an absurd question; the pure joy of its luxury is however an experience to relish. The degree to which an object can communicate or evoke a state of mind is a mark of its magnitude. I believe art is communication, and art has the ability to effect how you feel. As a work of art can uplift the spirit, so too can an everyday object bring joy well beyond its function. And if it does, it may well be art." -taken from the GAH website

Take advantage of this opportunity to feel the same way for the mere cost of a moment's time. To be entered in this contest leave a comment stating your skull's idea of luxury. Mine would love to own a motorcycle so expensive I'd be afraid to ride it, but what the heck, you only live once. (If you also don't want to crash your bike then simply say what you would buy your skull if you could give it anything.)


[NOTE: If you're reading this on Facebook or Google+ then be sure to leave your comment on the original Skull-A-Day.com post if you want to be officially entered in the contest.]


IMPORTANT: Don't forget to include a way of contacting you(either an email in the post OR be sure your blogger profile has a working email link for you). Entries are only valid with this information.


You have until Midnight Eastern time Friday, February 24th to enter so don't wait... do it now.

Note: Due to international shipping costs this contest is limited to winners in the US and Canada only.  Apologies go out to everyone else.

Of course you don't have to wait until the end of the contest to get your own pendant, ring, or chain. The Good Art Hlywd website is always open to bring you a chance to spoil yourself with "Genuine American Luxury". Thanks, Josh & Rachel!

CONTEST: Win a Sugar Skull Necklace

CONTEST IS CLOSED! THANKS FOR PARTICPATING!

Sabrina Minnon is an illustrator and graphic designer, but jewelry is her passion. She would like to share her passion for jewelry by giving away a sugar skull pendant with beaded necklace to one lucky Skull-A-Day fan!

Sabrina explains about her creations and businesses, "In 2011, launched my own line of accessories, called MinnonMade. My collections are a mix of brass, crystals, and hand-molded, clay pendants. Each piece is handmade and one-of-a-kind.  Inspired by sugar skulls of Mexico and African skull idols, I began molding and painting skulls to use in my jewelry. I combine these pieces with braided thread, or beads. I also combine cast, brass skulls with druzy crystals in a variety of configurations. You can see those on my blog, Minnonmade. I am Indonesian, originally from Jakarta. I am now based in Bali, where I live and create with boyfriend. Together, we own a men's clothing label called Victor Banks, which sells in Indonesia, Singapore and Vancouver, Canada. My jewelry is available for sale through my blog, or in shops in Bali."

Since Sabrina's skulls are wearable, to be entered into the contest just leave a comment saying how would wear a real skull.

[NOTE: If you're reading this on Facebook be sure to leave your comment on the original Skull-A-Day.com post if you want to be actually entered in the contest]


IMPORTANT: Don't forget to include a way to contact you (either an e-mail in the post OR make sure your Blogger profile has a working e-mail link for you on it). Entries are only valid with this information.



You have until just Midnight Eastern Time Wednesday, January 11th  to enter so don't delay!

NOTE: Sabrina will pay for shipping to the winner.


Of course, you don't have to wait till the end of the contest to get your own Minnonmade necklace, visit her blog to purchase one of her handmade sugar skull pendants with beaded necklace.

Sabrina's Skulls

Sabrina is an illustrator and jewelry maker.

"For the metal skulls, I design it all my self and I have someone to make all the cast and everything."

"For the clay skulls, i molded and painted my self. The size are pretty tiny,around 1cm x 1.5cm."

"The paintings mostly I used pen and ink or graphite."

The variety of Sabrina's work is intriguing. Though she might not have cast the jewelry, you can clearly see by the last drawing, that the designs are hers. The small skulls with the snake share the same grim smile as the skulls in the jewelry. The clay skulls have a different hand made feel. The bright colors are very festive and evocative of Dia de los Muertos. The three drawings use animals in a beautiful way. The dog is interesting by it's self, but if you look closely, there is another faint skull image on the paper. The ghosting is probably from an image on the next page, but I like the eerie quality in addition to the happy skull dog.

Sabrina will be giving away one of her skull necklaces, in a contest here on Skull-A-Day. More information on how to win one, will come sometime this month.

Super "Good Art Hlywd" Skull Saturday

If you haven't had the pleasure of seeing the wonderful skull works of Josh Warner and his Good Art Hlywd skulls that we featured here in the past then let me give you a drop kick into a refresher course. Josh and his crew forge each one of these badass pieces by hand to create magnificent skull jewelry(and other products).

First up, what do you get for the person who has everything? This giant sterling silver desk skull will provide you with a heavy duty answer.



For those of us who never wanna grow up we can be Good Art kids with this set of skullriffic Army Men modeled after the original troop.



These Jack Moto rings would leave a nice forehead impression on anyone who doesn't see how killer these mofos are.



And the perfect compliment to the Jack Moto ring would, of course, be a Jack Skull bracelet.



This skully silver & leather key tab will make you stop saying, "Where are my keys?", and make you start saying, "Where is my Good Art skull key tab?".



You may have seen the original Jack Skull pendant post, but I'm betting you didn't know that that come in so many sizes. No matter your stature, there's a Jack Skull pendant made just for you.



And for all of the avid bikers out there, like Josh and myself, you'll never have better luck than with this Triple Skull Road Bell watching all around you.



These are all of the finest American hand made quality, and Josh loves to make sure his clasps and designs are built for those who know how to wear them. Now don't be fooled by the amazing array of skull works from Josh and his crew. They make tons of other glorious works including Spanish crosses, lighter cases, wallet chains, leather goods, and much more. They do have a new store that recently opened up here so go check it out. You won't get anything in time for this holiday season, but luckily these pieces impress the masses all year round. Thanks for this super skull Saturday, Josh!

Skull Watch

Fiona Kruger submitted this beautiful and intricate skull watch to us. She explains why she made it. "I just graduated from ECAL/University of Arts and Design Lausanne from the Master in Luxury Industry and Design (MAS LUXE) and was hoping to get my watch published on Skulladay. This was my personal project for my Masters, which, after a couple of unsuccessful attempts at finding a company to help me make it, I decided to make on my own. I designed the watch by myself working directly with several suppliers and a watchmaker in order to get it made and managed to get it done in 6 weeks (thanks to the bank of 'mum and dad'!)."

"The piece is one I am very passionate about. My enthusiasm for it was shared by the diploma jury which included Maximilian Büsser from MB&F, London designer Michael Anastassiades, Hugo Macdonald from Monocle and Simon Andrews, 20th century design specialist from Christies London. They enjoyed the fact that it is a vey different looking piece, and also a project where I had to take a great deal of risk to get it done."

"I have attached images of the watch as well as the pages from my diploma catalogue relating to the work (this is a mixture of inspiration images and scans from my sketchbooks). Below is some text on the piece:"

"Memento Mori reinterprets the theme of mortality in horlogery, drawing inspiration from the 17th century skull watch of Mary Queen of Scotts, Mexican Dia de Los Muertos decoration and beautifully decorated skeleton movements found in today’s luxury watches.
The pieces of the skeletonised dial are layered to make up the form of a skull, echoing the layers which make up a mechanical watch movement. Each piece is decorated and assembled by hand resulting in a unique timepiece rich in tradition, know how and symbolism."

"Technical specifications:
Case: Solid silver, hand engravedCrown: Silver
Movement: ETA 2824 Mechanical movement
Dial: Gold and rhodium plated brass, laser cut and engraved
Hands: Blued steel
Glass: mineral hand cut glass
Bracelet: Blued Calf leather
Buckle: Silver
The photographs of the watch were taken by ECAL/Damien Ropero."

This is a truly a work of art and a beautiful piece of jewelry. I love the intricate open details of the skull that allow viewing of the clock work gears. Doing this in 6 weeks is an impressive feat. I find the sketches and photos from the design process as interesting as the final product. They give us insight to the layers and thought process in the creation of the watch. I love seeing this high level of artistry come into our mail box. It's a pleasure to share and view.