Day of the Dead & Halloween Blog hop reveal!

Instead of door to door, today you travel blog to blog. I am sure there will be many treats in store… 

Thanks to Diana P. of Suburban Girl Studio for hosting!

Halloween porch

Every season I make polymer sugar skulls for the Dia de los Muertos. This year I was happy to take a batch to ArtBLISS for sale – and I even posted a tutorial on my methods over at the Art Jewelry Elements blog. So it was a natural that I would work with one of my sugar skulls for this hop! The “trick” however? I am using a cabochon and doing bead embroidery… 

Calavera pendant

This is actually one of last year’s earthenware skulls. I felt bad for him – left over and unwanted. There were three holes in the forehead that I filled with pressed glass flower beads on head pins. Since he wasnt decorated with flowers… it was my chance. 

top view

Lots of flowers… 

Back detail

As I am new to bead embroidery – I wanted to learn the right way to finish things. And I have to give a shout out to Sally Russick at The Studio Sublime;  her seed bead blog hop/challenge started me on this path! And she has great tutorials for this finishing/beaded/edging stitch. I decided to insert the pin back to double as the bail – I am definitely going to wear this at the upcoming FaerieCon weekend!!! (but I wanted options. )

On deck

I have two other sugar skull cabs on deck – waiting beads and embellishments. Seen here with a few other pieces destined to debut at FaerieCon.. 

Sorry to be so brief – a lot on the plate today! I would love to hear what you think, especially since this is a new meduim for me!

Please check out the other blogs! I know you wont be sorry!

Kathleen Breeding  http://99bobotw.blogspot.com

Sue Kennedy  http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com

Dianne Miller  http://www.artbydianne.blogspot.com 

Lisa Liddy  http://www.lisaliddy.wordpress.com 

Toltec Jewels  http://www.JewelSchoolFriends.co

Linda Landig  http://www.LindasBeadBlog.com

Laura Medeiros  http://Www.zoeowyn.blogspot.com

Veralynne Malone  http://www.veradesigns.blogspot.com

Lynn Jobber  http://thecreativeklutz.blogspot.co.uk

Michelle McCarthy  http://www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com

Karen Totten  http://www.starryroadstudio.blogspot.com

Jayne Capps  https://mamasgottodoodle.blogspot.com

Jenny Davies-Reazor  https://jdaviesreazor.com/blog

Joan Miller  http://metalmudandsand.blogspot.com/

Melissa Meman  http://melissameman.blogspot.com

Melissa Trudinger  http://www.beadrecipes.wordpress.com

Kari Asbury  http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com

Inge von Roos  http://www.ingetraud.wordpress.com

Andrea Glick  http://zenithjade.blogspot.com 

Stephanie LaRosa  http://Www.stringaholic.blogspot.com

Lola Surwillo  http://www.beadlolabead.com

Jennifer Cameron  http://glassaddictions.com/blog

Diane Hawkey  http://dianehawkey.blogspot.com

Kristi Harrison  http://kristibasket-itsanewday.blogspot.com

Nicole Valentine Rimmer  http://www.nvalentine.blogspot.com

Tanya Goodwin  http://www.Pixiloo.blogspot.com

Shai Williams  http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com 

Sandra McGriff  http://skyescreativechaos.blogspot.com

Sarajo Wentling  http://www.sjdesignsjewelry.blogspot.com

Marie Covert  http://thistledown-and-swaddlings.blogspot.com

Lisa Stukel  http://www.carefreejewelrybylisa.blogspot.co

Laurie Vyselaar  http://www.Lefthandjewelry.wordpress.com

Sherri Stokey  http://www.knotjustmacrame.com

Pam Traub  http://www.klassyjoolz.blogspot.com

Lori Dorrington  http://lorisglassworks.blogspot.com

Kristen Stevens  http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com

Eleanor Burian-Mohr  http://cornerstoregoddessjewelry.blogspot.com

Sally Russick  http://thestudiosublime.com

Dawn M. Gallop  http://www.flipflopsandpoptarts.com

Christine Damm   http://storiestheytell.blogspot.com

31 thoughts on “Day of the Dead & Halloween Blog hop reveal!

  1. Christine Damm says:

    Man, you really knocked that skull design out of the park! You are awesome with that bead technique. Can’t wait to see what you do next. The sugar skull I got from you is sitting in my window, keeping me company every day as I work.

    Like

    • jenny says:

      Thank you Christine! Means a lot to me… seed beads are another tool I am learning to integrate into my  work. I am glad your calavera is a creative companion! It makes my Muse happy to know that my creation is enjoyed by one who inspired me so! Happy Samhain! 

      Like

  2. Lori says:

    Hi Jenny,
    Love the pin you created for this blog hop, the bead work is wonderful. I love your polymer clay skulls so much that I used one of your creations for my entry in today’s blog hop. I will be wearing it to a big Day of the Dead celebration later in the week. I Love your work…Cheers!
    Lori in Atlanta

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    • jenny says:

      Agreed – and so many variations. I know that the way you and I approach bead embroidery is rather different! Love this hop. Wouldnt miss it! 

      Like

    • jenny says:

      Yup – he was alone. all left over from last year. And this years batch was all polymer so he (earthenware) felt especially odd-man-out. No, I dont anthropomorphise. Why do you ask? LOL

      Like

  3. Joan Miller says:

    This just proves my theory that beads( or cabs for that matter) do not go bad. It just sometimes takes them a while to find their place. I love that you added bead flowers to your plain skull.

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    • jenny says:

      Well – I was ready to share the results good or bad. Honestly – I planned the flowers, stitched them on… then filled in the spaces between with tiny drop shaped beads. Great filler volume. I am ready to start a new one!

      Like

  4. Dawn M. Gallop says:

    Oh Jenny as always YOU ROCK!!!! LOVE love the skulls…the display of pics and how amazing….the seed beads and the beading embroidery…yikes scares me. I once was in a class where all I saw was seed beads and I said “what is this” thinking oh no we are using those….lol! I had a blast and now have used them many times over. Gorgeous work my friend! Have an most excellent time at Faeriecon…Thanks for sharing! Happy Halloween!!!
    Dawn

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    • jenny says:

      Thanks Dawn! My ace in the hole – Mom taught my sisters and I to do embroidery stitches when we were little. Pillowcases, tea towels that stuff. SO the sewing aspect doesnt seem so intimidating.. 

      Like

  5. LeAnn says:

    All those pretty czech glass flowers work so very well in this piece. I’m surprised you are new to seed beads because this looks awesome to me.

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    • jenny says:

      I stab my fingers a lot. And am a pro at threading the needle since I often have to pick out a stitch or two. But its really pretty forgiving. Unless you cut a thread you can keep adding and fixing… 

      Like

    • jenny says:

      Thanks Jen! I am more of a necklace person – and plan to wear it to FaerieCon, with my witch attire. After that – who knows. I would love to sell it off my neck, to be honest!

      Like

  6. Sarajo Wentling says:

    I never would have known that you are new to bead embroidery…it looks fabulous! I love what you did and that you can wear it as a necklace or a pin.

    Like

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