Dia de los Muertos Masks

Amber Allison of Bling Out Your Dead in Los Angeles, CA, creates one of a kind Dia de los Muertos inspired masks. These masks are highly detailed and truly works of art. I love that the 3D elements are incorporated into the mask, vs. just along the top like many Dia de los Muertos masks. With Fall quickly arriving, it's that time of year to start thinking about Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. You can see more of her work on the website, Facebook page, and Etsy shop.

Bob the Deceased Builder Bag

Dawn "had fun giving new life to an old bag and Bob the Builder got a cool skull makeover." "Bob the Builder" has been airing for over 10 years, and perhaps it's time for a new look. I wonder what Bob the Deceased Builder would be using his equipment for? Perhaps up-keeping cemeteries, constructing mausoleums, and visiting ship graveyards, hoping to get a pirate ship up and sailing again. I think we need a new spooky kids show like this. Go to Dawn's blog, Potionsmith, to see the before photo and what supplies she used for the makeover.

Dia de los Muertos Portraits Calendar

The lovely and talented Rachael Rossman is at it again. She wants to make a calendar by painting Dia de los Muertos portraits. You all can help by supporting her Kickstarter. She has a variety of options available, from getting a copy of the 2014 calendar, to a personal portrait in various sizes, to her coming to you for a private portrait session. Rachael's last 3 Kickstarters have been fully funded, so lets help her get this one funded, while getting some amazing artwork. Below are a few of the many Dia de los Muertos style portraits that Rachael has painted. You can see more of Rachael's amazing work on her Facebook and website.

Crocheted Skulls

Laurie Kahn shared with us some of the Day of the Dead Skull themed crochet pieces she's made.

Crochet lends its self to being very delicate and having intricate designs. When it's done with crochet thread, the lacy effect really shows well. These crocheted skulls by Laurie are beautiful. A skull is a hard shape to create with crochet, but Laurie seems to have mastered it. These are 3 of the crocheted skulls she's made. Head over to her Etsy shop, Spider Mambo, to see more great skull pieces.

Painted Wedding Skeletons

Kristina Chavez said "My father, Henry Chavez, of Brownsville Texas, painted this picture for my husband and I for our wedding in October of 2012. He knows how much I love skeletons. He took a wedding photo and turned us into our own Dios de Los Muertos."

I love personalized handmade gifts. This one was truly made with love. Kristina is a lucky lady to have such a talented father, that turned the couple into calaveras. Weddings are full of memories, and this is a great way to memorialize that day.

Skull Makeup Trio

Crystal Overland of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a makeup artist. She created these skull makeup looks.

We get a variety of skull makeup submissions from various talented artists, but rarely from an artist that specializes in makeup. I like seeing the different skulls that Crystal created. The soft shading of the two anatomical skulls add to their eeriness. The last one is modeled after a Dia de los Muertos sugar skull. It still has some soft shading, but the opaque paints help define the influence. You can see more of Crystal's work on her website and Facebook page.

Stained Glass Sugar Skull Candle Holders

Faith Spicer-Jenkins of Kent, England creates stained glass sugar skull candle holders.

I'm fond of stained glass when it's back lit, especially with candles. The colors radiate onto the surrounding surfaces. I'm sure the skull casts and eerie beautiful glow. I bet this would be more gorgeous in a dark room. You can see more of Faith's work on her FB Page and blog.

Roller Derby Skull Makeup

Elizabeth Anderson aka Bazooka Betty, plays roller derby with the Festival City Roller Girls in Stratford, Ontario. She said, "I painted my face up for a roller derby tournament and thought you would enjoy."

I definitely do like it. I have a thing for skull makeup, as someone that's done that 4 times now and shared it here. I love the placement of the design and colors on this skull. This Dia de los Muertos inspired makeup is a bit intimidating (which is great for roller derby), and also very beautiful. I don't see a lot of skull makeups that use pastel soft colors. I love the contrast of the soft colors with the striking black defined lines. I might have to try something like this the next time I decide I need to look like a skull.

Sugar Skull Art

Shayna Butler of  Weaver, AL told us: "I love the Skull-A-Day site I just read your submission page and had no idea you started it in 2007.  It is awesome that you stuck with it, and that now you include art and images from others.  This image is a painting I did for a friend."

 Flashy C says:

What I love most about this piece are the sparrows.  They remind me of of an ancient crown in the way that they sparrows seem to supporting the sunlight disk on the head.  Thank you for your kind words about the site, we are glad that you found us and that you jumped right in submitting a piece of your work.

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

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thank you for participating.

Don't forget you have until 11:59pm Eastern USA Time TONIGHT to make an entry comment to win a Dia de los Muertos Pendant from Azurafae. You can find the original contest post by clicking the side bar ad, or this link.

[NOTE: If you are reading this on Facebook or Google+, you must go to THE ACTUAL BLOG POST HERE to enter this contest! You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+]

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

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thank you for participating.

Don't forget you have until 11:59pm Eastern USA Time Friday, February 8, 2013 to make an entry comment to win a Dia de los Muertos Pendant from Azurafae. You can find the original contest post by clicking the side bar ad, or this link.

[NOTE: If you are reading this on Facebook or Google+, you must go to THE ACTUAL BLOG POST HERE to enter this contest! You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+]

[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.

Dia de la Abby: #81 Skull Baby Quilt

This quilt, like the Skull Baby Toy that my daughter made, is for Noah and his wife's soon to be born baby.

Ever since I made this Free-form Embroidery Skull, I've been enjoying playing with this technique whenever it fits the project. This is the largest baby quilt that I've made. If you are familiar with my artwork, you might recognize this type of image...a skull with many flowers. It's Dia de los Muertos inspired. Since the gender of the baby won't be revealed until it's born, I tried to tone down the design. Though this quilt is for the blanket, Noah immediately said he might use it more. For scale of the quilt, Noah is holding it up in the photo. It's about a yard of fabric. It's backed with this Dia de los Muertos printed fabric by Alexander Henry. This quilt took about 12 hrs to make. Well worth the time. I'm looking forward to meet the little baby the quilt is for.

On Thursdays in the 6.0 year, I will post my own Dia de la Abby creations. On Thursdays in the 4.0 and 5.0 years, 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. Want to find me elsewhere, follow me on Facebook, my Blog, Google+ and/or Twitter.

Jingle Bells Skull

Nadia Gunwaldsen created this artwork, titled "Jingle Bells". According to her Etsy shop, her pieces are created by carving into wet joint compound that is applied to a board. Then, she paints the images and glazes them.

I come across a lot of Dia de los Muertos inspired artwork. It's rare that there is one that I love and even more rare for it to be textured like Nadia's is. I love her unusual use of materials mixed with a favorite motif. The texture reminds me of plaster paintings and embossed metal. This piece has a nice balance of beauty in both touch and sight. If you like this piece, check out Nadia's Etsy shop  for more original and printed pieces.

[CONTEST REMINDER] Win a Set of Skull Ornaments

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thanks to everyone who participated!

Don't forget that you have until 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time Wednesday, December 26th to enter our latest giveaway contest for a set of 2 Skull Ornaments from Laura Bartholomew. You can find the original contest posts here or by clicking the side bar ad.

[NOTE: If you are reading this on Facebook or Google+, you must go to THE ACTUAL BLOG POST HERE to enter this contest! You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+]

Of course, Laura's beautiful Dia de los Muertos wood and porcelain glass ornaments are available for purchase in her Etsy shop ARTholomew. Also, she's offering a 10% discount on all purchases if you enter SKULL10 at check out!

[CONTEST REMINDER] Win a Set of Skull Ornaments

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thanks to everyone who participated!

Don't forget that you have until 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time Wednesday, December 26th to enter our latest giveaway contest for a set of 2 Skull Ornaments from Laura Bartholomew. You can find the original contest posts here or by clicking the side bar ad.

[NOTE: If you are reading this on Facebook or Google+, you must go to THE ACTUAL BLOG POST HERE to enter this contest! You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+]

Of course, Laura's beautiful Dia de los Muertos wood and porcelain glass ornaments are available for purchase in her Etsy shop ARTholomew. Also, she's offering a 10% discount on all purchases if you enter SKULL10 at check out!

Illustrated Skull

Denver, CO artist P78 of Thicket & Brush shared one of the pieces of his recent semi-daily work with us. 

He wrote: "I been plunking away at art for many years now and recently started working on sugar-type skulls (and, in fact, started out trying to draw one a day but... too much detail! Can only finish one every day or two). And then I found you!  I gotta say your site is flush with inspiration -
glad you folks are doing what you do."

Strung C says:

Thank you for finding us, you have an interesting style to your work and I really enjoy the range of colors and shapes you work with in creating your skulls.  Keep up the pace with your regular (daily) work, it is always nice to know that we have the power to inspire, and now you  have the pleasure of sharing your power with the next artist out there that finds the site.

[CONTEST] Win a Set of Skull Ornaments

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thanks to everyone who participated!

Laura Bartholomew is an artist and designer specializing in Day of the Dead inspired artwork. She works primarily in pyrography (wood burning) and acrylic paint. Laura's work can be seen on her website, Facebook page, and in her Etsy shop ARTholomew. Since it is the Winter holidays season, Laura is giving away a set of two ornaments, one wood burned star and one porcelain glass painted ball, to one lucky Skull-A-Day fan!

PRIZE INFO: One set of two ornaments...one painted porcelain glass ball, and one wood burned and stained star.

HOW TO ENTER: Leave a comment below telling us how you decorate for any Winter holiday. For example, I decorate my front porch with many decorative Winter things, but the inside of my home just gets stockings and small ornaments on the mantle.

CONTACT INFO: If you win, we need to contact you. With your comment, please include your email, or make sure your Blogger profile has a working email link for you on it. 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 Time Wednesday, December 26th.

NUMBER OF WINNERS: One

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

IF YOU DON'T WIN: Head on over to Laura's Etsy Shop, ARTholomew. She has many ornaments and other pieces of artwork in there. Also, she's offering a 10% discount on all purchases if you enter SKULL10 at check out!

Skull Makeup Couple

Jason Gogerty and his partner painted their faces for this year's, Dia de los Muertos celebration at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The makeup application took about 1.5 hours.

I love seeing Jason and his partner return with more amazing makeup. We don't get many submissions from guys with skull makeup, so I always enjoy this sort of surprise. I especially enjoy seeing that these two guys are still painting their faces for a Dia de los Muertos celebration! Fantastic work that I hope to see again!

Tchelo's Skulls

Artist Tchelo from Brazil send us a sample of the colorful work he creates.  He said: "I love skulls since I was kid when I played pirate! My style of work is very colorful, I think one of the influences is the tropical country I was born in Brazil and colorful Mexican culture that is very similar and I like a lot. I have develop my artistic work on canvas, ceramic, resin and wood."

Rainforest C says:

Of this sample of your work, I truly enjoy the spay paint can the most, besides having a fez, I find it fascinating to use the empty vessel of something used to create art to actually become art itself.  It seems as if you are completing a magical journey with it.  Thank you for sharing your art with us.