Sugar Skull!

Oh, hello there!

Every day is kind of Halloween in my house, however… with the weather turning just a bit cooler and pumpkin galore releasing all around me I’m definitely feeling a little bit spookier than normal. That’s why I was filled with glee when I found this large chipboard wall hanging at Michael’s over the weekend!

Admittedly, I’ve been really sugar skull obsessed lately too. It’s perfect!

I started by brushing on Americana Gel Stain in “Maple” all over the chipboard. Once I brushed on, I would then wipe it away with a paper towel. Brush on, wipe off… you get the idea.

The foam brush couldn’t get into every little area, so I used a smaller brush for the fine details.

Next up, I grabbed some DecoArt Media Mister in “Black” and sprayed throughout — but not covering it up completely. I can’t sing enough praises for this mist… it dries permanently! < – That is likely praise enough, right? So often with misters they're reactive with other mediums and if that's not the look you're going for, you're going to end up a little disappointed.

True to my nature, I let the black mister drip throughout the skull. It’s looking spooky….

Next, I used some Metallic Lustre in “Brilliant Turquoise” all around the raised chipboard pieces. To disperse it, I just used my hands… so be prepared to get a bit messy.

Since I applied the metallic lustre pretty thick it dried very texture-y — almost like frosting! I love how it gives the entire skull a pop of color in a super shiny and fun way. Plus I think everyone loves turquoise!

I finished off with a coat of DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics in Carbon Black around the edge, and highlights with Americana Multi-Surface Satin paint in “Cotton Ball”. I set aside the normal cap and screwed on a DecoArt Ultra-Fine Writer tip so that I could easily achieve some white highlights! The tip allows you to use your bottle of paint like a pen.