07/23/2025
What it takes:
I wanted to help my customers understand what it takes to take a nasty nitty gritty skull to a work of art... because let's face it, when first starting this, I had no idea either!
1. All bull skulls are from our local farmers here in Darke County! I get them in a variety of decomposition. All forms take a certain amount of cleaning; some weeks, worth and some, a few days.
2. Initial cleaning: this is done by the natural environment, dermestid beetles, water soak and/power washing.
3. Wash: I first will power wash and large debris from the skulls. I then will get any left over debris using a small brush. Now note that I do my absolute best to get everything out but these are real animals with sinus cavities and complex bone structures. I will continue this activity until all noticeable debris are gone.
4. Decreasing and sanitizing: all skulls are decreased by soaking them in high powered dawn dish soap. This pulls the natural oils out of the skulls for longevity of the design. This will also pull those oils that may cause some slight odor, again remember these are real animals.
5. Peroxide soak: I personally really enjoy the natural color of the skulls so I normally do not soak skulls in Peroxide for an extended time but they all will get soaked as an extra layer of sanitation.
6. Dry time: it is important to make sure the skulls are fully dried before we get to the fun part!
7. My favorite: designing and the artwork. So far I have experienced mediums such as modge podge, hand painting and glass. Glass by far is the most time consuming because I carefully hand glue every piece into its perfect spot.
I am so excited to try new things and provide beautiful artworks for you all to enjoy π₯°
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk and come see me at the Preble County fair starting this weekend! I will be set up with Indian Creek Beads VIP GroupCreek Beads VIP Group]