Been so long, so long, so loooooong…

..since I’ve done a blog post.

Been busy.  Skull rings.  Class rings.  Guru beads.  Etc.

A book about skull rings.

Another book about Hong Kong.

A short film.

And besides, I actually haven’t had a lot of custom work recently.  Sold a lot of classic models.  A few Jupiters, a few Kings, a mess of Voodoo.  Don’t get me wrong, I dig making classic models too, but how many pics of a classic skull ring can I put on the blog?  I was waiting for something different and man did I get it.

This is my faceless Big Voodoo for artist Marx Myth.  I think I mentioned it before, but Marx is a goddamned genius and he needed something special.  He gave me absolute creative freedom on this so I was able to just GO and do something I really, really dig.

The front faceplate has a brushed metal finish, but the nose, teeth, and carved sides are still high-polish.  Marx has been in the loop during the entire process and highly approves.

In fact, he approves so much he got one for his wife.  A cool dimensional Little Voodoo with a sun motif and AWESOME turquoise eyes.

Quite a pair.  I’m delivering these in person (gives me an excuse to visit Lilly’s Pizza in Raleigh for that fuckin’ goat cheese and sausage pizza of theirs.)

I also got to make a full-custom skull ring for Desmond.  Some of the coolest stones I’ve ever been able to work with.  Desmond picked them out himself and I worked them into the design, which we also collaborated on.

I didn’t blacken this one either.  Desmond wanted it in bright high polish, so that’s what he got.  The stones catch the light and glow at ya like a cat’s eye.

Speaking of cat’s eyes, I’m also still chipping away at my special client’s sugar cat ring.  I’m using citrine stones for the eyes and I’m in the process right now of setting them.  Still a few days away from finishing this one.  That’s a Mystery Cave frame, if you don’t recognize it.

Not done.  I’ve also just finished a full-custom pendant for Benny.  This is a gift for his lady, so I put my back into it and ended up carving one of the better realistic skulls I’ve done.

I’ve talked about this before, but I really, really like this slider pendant style.  If you hang a pendant like this BELOW, the chain, you look like freakin’ Frankie Valli.  If you put the chain THROUGH the pendant like the image above, it’s a very modern look.  Looks sleek on a dude and sexy on a chick.

Oh yeah, and I also finished a big order of guru skull beads for my pal over at the Custom Mala Shop.  I’d feel great about this, but he just ordered 5 more.  Hey, I can’t complain.  Jason’s work is amazing.

Check him out at http://www.custommalashop.com.  The work is superb.  He’s on Facebook too.  You can see some of his work below using my skulls.

I don’t do beads and one of the reasons is that guys like Jason do them freakin’ PERFECTLY.

He’s on Facebook, like me.  Speaking of which…

With all the visits I get on this blog every day, how in the hell do I have so few FACEBOOK likes at https://www.facebook.com/MtMaloneyCustomJewelry

I guess skull-ring clients aren’t social media people….. Still, I have a ton of custom images up there and it’s a great way to get informed on specials and sales, so check it out if you’re into….facebooking and stuff.

I’m still working on some waxes as well.  Below is a floral design I’m working over on a Heidi frame.

Also you can see that I’ve got a zillion little silver skulls ready to be made into a Days of the Dead bracelet.

Same client.  Knows how to treat herself, right?  Hell yeah.

Not done.  Also working on a great new Chinese style Little Voodoo for Kat.  With Jade eyes.

More on this one later as it comes together.

For now, I’m having an old-fashioned and watching Beyond the Black Rainbow again.  More work soon(ish).  Stay tuned.

More waxing.

Another waxy post…..

More progress on Desmond’s sugar skull.   We’ve got our design rocking on the forehead now – the sunbursts around the eyes finished as well.  Next up is some floral carving around the shank.  Onward we go…

 

I’ve also got a finished Sugar Cat.

 

LAST but certainly not least, I’m getting closer to finishing up Marx’s custom skulls.

His skull is nearly done, except for the teeth and the question of the jaw.

 

Marx is thinking NO BOTTOM JAW – leave it like it is.  He’s probably right…but I’ve gotta at least block out where the jaw WOULD be so Marx can check it out before putting his final stamp of approval on this sucker.

 

 

That’s about how much more mass we’d be adding if we go for the jaw.  Ignore where the teeth are blocked out.  This might make the ring just too big for this order.  I’m torn.

What I’m not conflicted about the ring for Marx’s wife.

 

 

 

That’s a Little Voodoo with a custom sunburst theme.  This bad boy is finished pending notes from Marx.

More to come soon.  Stay tuned!

Skull on a string, Skull without eyes, Skull with stripes…

I’ve finished an awesome collaborative piece with Jason over at the Custom Mala Shop.  I carved up a sugar skull guru bead for a client and designed a dark wood and turquoise bracelet which Jason has expertly fabricated on thick Chinese knotting chord.

It’s always a pleasure to work with Jason.  I do custom beads like this for him on a regular basis, so if your’e into it, order from his website at http://www.custommalashop.com

I had a shit-ton of work waiting for me state-side as you can see.  In addition to all of my standard orders, I have a slew of custom stuff that I’m hacking up.  Yeah, I’m covered in wax. My snot is blue.

I’m still working on that special client’s sugar cat.  Wrapping the ornamentation around the shank of this Mystery Cave frame.  I should be done with her by the weekend.

No rest for the weary.  Part of it’s my own fault.  See, I made a custom ring a while back featuring a Taotie demon (Eater of Men) from ancient Chinese mythology.  It’s a one-of-a-kind piece, but I had to make myself a slightly different version of it.

It’s proportioned differently than the original, but like the original it wraps all the way around the finger, mirroring the mask on both sides.  See below.

There’s a lot of detail on this bad boy and it’s tough to make, but I can do this new version for 500 bucks if anyone else wants one.

Back to waxes.

So this is an eye-less version of the Big Voodoo with a bottom jaw added.  I’m creating this piece for artist Marx Myth along with a custom sugar-skull mini voodoo for his wife.  Making work like this for an artist like Marx is always intimidating so I’m really focusing on pushing the envelope here.

I actually got the idea for this from artist Jim Woodring and his book “Seeing Things.”  When I was given the opportunity to make something for Marx, this kind of style is exactly what I wanted to explore.

The eyes are taken out and I’ve cut a line from the nose up through the head.

Now I”m going to set one of the following stones in the forehead before adding the bottom jaw.  We’re going with one of the following:

   

Circular or an oval?  Right now, Marx and I are thinking “oval” but we need to make sure that’s the way to go before I set it.

I’m also working on a Stars and Stripes King Skull for Chuck.

I have stripes coming off of one side of the forehead, stars on the other.  They meet in the back.

Call it a concept piece, but I think it’s cool.  Chuck will have to weigh in on this and let me know how we’re doing.

I’m also inking out a new sugar skull for Desmond.  More on this later……