tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13223167968980320522024-03-25T19:29:58.923-07:00Confessions of a glitter addictNorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.comBlogger235125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-45602463121767845652017-01-25T07:04:00.001-08:002017-01-25T07:04:06.618-08:00Glittered foam ball purse handle addendumI added this update to the foam ball purse handle tutorial in case anyone else is running into this issue:<br />
<br />
UPDATE 1/25/2017: I've noticed that if you use the second method (where you hot glue the strap onto the purse rather than threading the pipe cleaner through the actual purse on either side), the hot glue can lose it's hold. What's likely happening is that there's enough loose glitter that the whole shebang can peel off. If this happens, I would recommend using a nice generous dollop of E6000 between the purse and the hot glue blob. This is a pretty good strategy in general when you encounter hot glue appearing to "peel up" off one surface - the cooled hot glue blob will have conformed nicely to the surface to give you a good contact area and the E6000 is a little stronger but too runny to hold something big in place. I'll try to add some pictures of that process if I get a chance.<br />
<br />
Happy Glittering!Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-34904606021138714022017-01-03T13:31:00.000-08:002017-01-03T13:31:01.693-08:00Resin tips & links<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Hey y'all!<br />
<br />
A few days ago I posted a few pictures of some resin embellishments I've been working on over on my Instagram account, and have been getting a few requests for info on how I make them.<br />
<br />
I hadn't posted about resin previously because there are so many excellent YouTube videos from much more experienced resin crafters. I've been playing with resin for a smidge over a year and would say 50% I what I know comes from watching videos and 50% just comes from experimenting and playing around.<br />
<br />
Here's a round-up of some good Intro/How-to videos:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-vCMHY33Oc&app=desktop">Resin Tutorials for Beginners</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbVPE97W-wc">Ten Important Resin Hacks</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usVTo7aiHuY">Word Resin Pieces</a> (this is really close to how I do my hearts)<br />
<br />
And here's a list of YouTube channels I watch for tips, tricks and inspiration:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/mistypixelyt?app=desktop">MistyPixel</a> (her video of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyUMZ3eHyq4&index=1&list=PLc7Fri5KPhAsWvwQCW8Nhnh7MHqMVf5Uz">Resin Fails</a> is especially helpful)<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/DranimeArt/videos">Tofu Puffs</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgtBufRyeqqVCwbNLx-bPhQ">NerdECrafter</a><br />
<br />
There's also a ton of info over at Resin Obsession, check them out (especially the <a href="https://www.resinobsession.com/category/resin-frequently-asked-questions">FAQ</a> posts): <a href="https://www.resinobsession.com/">https://www.resinobsession.com/</a><br />
<br />
There are a lot of options for kits, I use Easy Cast. I am led to believe that there are better/higher-end kits, but for what I'm doing I'm happy with Easy Cast. You can buy Easy Cast at Michael's, but I usually buy from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GBT8V0/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687642&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00114OTXI&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0GXF5P3WB7M8BNXCZQQD">Amazon</a>.<br />
<br />
You have to remember that most of the YouTube resin crafters are making pieces to sell (sidebar - Etsy is full of <a href="https://www.etsy.com/search/accessories?q=resin&order=most_relevant&view_type=gallery&ship_to=US&explicit=1">cool resin stuff</a>, and therefore great to comb for inspiration). For throws and Muses shoe embellishments, I'm totally ok with Easy Cast for my resin pieces (and I don't stress out over bubbles, flecks of stray glitter, etc. in my pieces). There are a lot of tips and tricks that I don't personally stress over (like warming the resin before mixing to minimize bubbles and using a lighter to take out bubbles), but if you're a perfectionist study lots of YouTube (after you've made it through some How To videos and are comfortable with the basics, try some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=watch+me+resin">Watch Me Resin</a> videos). It's a rabbit hole - prepare to fall down...<br />
<br />
<br />
A few tips:<br />
- I use <a href="https://www.amazon.com/DYND80000H-Medline-MEDICINE-GRADUATED-PLASTIC/dp/B000TVF1RW/ref=pd_sim_328_14?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000TVF1RW&pd_rd_r=RQCKQP4H2DD5MQRJGS2R&pd_rd_w=TOHFQ&pd_rd_wg=3AeGl&psc=1&refRID=RQCKQP4H2DD5MQRJGS2R">disposable medicine cups</a> for measuring the resin and hardener. Look for the term "graduated" when buying your cups - it's important that you use precise amounts - eyeballing is not exact enough!<br />
- Don't store or prepare your resin in a cold spot - keep it room temperature.<br />
- Thorough mixing is important, set a timer and force yourself to mix a full 3 min if you're impatient like me. Try not to beat bubbles in - mix slowly but thoroughly</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br />
In terms of molds, I occasionally use plastic molds (like <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Environmental-Technology-EasyCast-Jewelry-Popular/dp/B00114OTXI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1483219953&sr=8-2&keywords=resin+mold">this one</a>), but mostly I use silicone. I love that they come in such crazy (and <a href="http://www.forevergeek.com/2011/08/28-geeky-ice-cubes/">geeky</a>) shapes. I use a lot of novelty ice cube and chocolate molds. Just remember once you use a mold for resin you can never go back to using them for food (though you can use for both resin and polymer clay). If you're new to resin, I'd recommend <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Environmental-Technology-EasyCast-Jewelry-Popular/dp/B00114OTXI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1483219953&sr=8-2&keywords=resin+mold">this plastic mold</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-2105-4909-Heart-24-Cavity-Silicone/dp/B0086XHB1Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1483220036&sr=8-3&keywords=heart%2Bsilicone%2Bmold&th=1">this heart silicone mold</a> as a starting point. If you fall in love with it, you can start building your collection. (I may share some pictures of my collection and details on where I buy molds in a later post). If you're really bananas (like moi) you can <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Smooth--Silicone-Making-Rubber-OOMOO/dp/B004BNF3TK/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1451076557&sr=1-1&keywords=silicone+mold+kit">make your own silicone molds</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1322316796898032052" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1322316796898032052" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1322316796898032052" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1322316796898032052" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1322316796898032052" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1322316796898032052" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1322316796898032052" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>The #1 tip I have for working with silicone molds is that glazing makes a <u>huge</u> difference. When you pop your pieces out of plastic molds designed for resin, they'll be nice and shiny and glassy. Typically, the silicon mold gives you a "matte" surface (I was disappointed by this the first couple of times until I learned to glaze). You'll sometimes hear the YouTube resin crafters refer to this as "doming." The next time I have a batch of resin mixed up, I take a small paintbrush and paint a thin layer of wet resin over the surface and let that cure. It takes a teeny amount to glaze, so I don't usually mix up a batch just for glazing.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Protect your surfaces really really well for this - it's very hard to clean up spilled resin (if you try, I'd recommend using baby wipes or rubbing alcohol - not water!) and darn near impossible to get rid of cured resin. Be extra careful!!!</div>
<div>
<br />
I get my <a href="http://www.michaels.com/crafting-beads/alphabet-beads/809188199">alphabet beads</a> from Michael's. I don't use them much for shoes, but chunky glitters work really well for resin. Confetti (the shiny plastic kind, not the paper) is great too and I'm finding a little goes a very long way. For confetti I'm all about <a href="http://www.chicoparty.com/">Chico Party</a> - their selection is fabulous. Every time I visit that site, I find another dozen I have to talk myself out of ordering (why <a href="http://www.chicoparty.com/New-Star-Wars-Confetti.aspx">hellloooo there</a>). I've also gotten foil confetti from Party City and Oriental Trading.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here are a few pictures of some resin embellishments I've made:<br />
<br />
Last year, for the "Sweet 16" theme I made a ton of fake candy for my shoes, including Gummy Bear letters. I used <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cavity-Silicone-Bear-Chocolate-Mold/dp/B00W4N1OHY/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1451076619&sr=1-2&keywords=gummy+bear+mold">this mold</a> (or something like it). I also made some resin hearts with real sprinkles in them. I got this idea from seeing sprinkle resin jewelry on Etsy - a little virtual window shopping of resin jewelry on Etsy is always a great source of inspiration<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4jxNv5niUpinM6yPnyL40udcUARAF2XcVShlmtsx1lcYAEsrMOrzbBxKfLo0HPWHAvQq2gQm77YJeGCGoPVjU-y4DgH5N5656naymjyb6xmpg6L7KI4Ho6eRq8MoOxzYqETQBgdTnrHD/s1600/IMG_2054_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4jxNv5niUpinM6yPnyL40udcUARAF2XcVShlmtsx1lcYAEsrMOrzbBxKfLo0HPWHAvQq2gQm77YJeGCGoPVjU-y4DgH5N5656naymjyb6xmpg6L7KI4Ho6eRq8MoOxzYqETQBgdTnrHD/s320/IMG_2054_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgb_6m01mqG7k4W4QERD7eJCnZv9bVlV9aIo6Wul5mRTH83uXe_pvYo4V6ieV4mRYX_chD58ebgmcjporAP5MC8VnolDpQ-vJBo3nPPlTWOMMuB3yKx9OT3AG4SDJlJcCsr3K2d_u9Bnt/s1600/IMG_7065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgb_6m01mqG7k4W4QERD7eJCnZv9bVlV9aIo6Wul5mRTH83uXe_pvYo4V6ieV4mRYX_chD58ebgmcjporAP5MC8VnolDpQ-vJBo3nPPlTWOMMuB3yKx9OT3AG4SDJlJcCsr3K2d_u9Bnt/s320/IMG_7065.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I've continued to make these (even though they aren't as thematically appropriate) because they're so cute and I love having alternatives to glettering on hand when I have a shoe that doesn't have a good spot for traditional glettering.<br />
<br />
This year, I've been playing with different "fillers" (chunky glitter, confetti, tinsel) and having a lot of fun with that. Here are some rainbow tie dye hearts made using WOW brand chunky iridescent glitter:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTADfK6jD8f9AKKrYQQl5EV4BTAmE37ncb7HA-qN2UMqWLr3Qmkjc-JGeRuudF8oqme02Tl05G2MwH8aZGlD8fcIwFU7jqcqjF2zUcROqL20-KHjJ7kEvviKh8olukNgxWc85dIgLuZkI/s1600/IMG_1604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTADfK6jD8f9AKKrYQQl5EV4BTAmE37ncb7HA-qN2UMqWLr3Qmkjc-JGeRuudF8oqme02Tl05G2MwH8aZGlD8fcIwFU7jqcqjF2zUcROqL20-KHjJ7kEvviKh8olukNgxWc85dIgLuZkI/s320/IMG_1604.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Here's some of my latest batch of hearts and dachshunds:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQcWhqhQzvRzGQlE6Yw9ZaejPLR65th7rW1BsI3RhbCC6QeubnGBqdnzgkffgZ-82obPGjJqByWnlpiIVXH2hVP9qJGTINfl90aa_byuvgvYAhLz-dZsBkI29YlsSBVmaUPIULbIqR6Ux/s1600/IMG_4329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQcWhqhQzvRzGQlE6Yw9ZaejPLR65th7rW1BsI3RhbCC6QeubnGBqdnzgkffgZ-82obPGjJqByWnlpiIVXH2hVP9qJGTINfl90aa_byuvgvYAhLz-dZsBkI29YlsSBVmaUPIULbIqR6Ux/s400/IMG_4329.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
So there you have it - play around and let me know how it goes!! Happy glittering!</div>
Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-78522897408674082192016-10-19T15:23:00.005-07:002017-01-25T07:03:10.241-08:00Glitter Ball Purse Straps TutorialWhen I was working on purses for my glitter workshops I kept running into the problem of big floppy straps that are great for keeping an actual purse on your shoulder but don't look as cute/pretty when you're dealing with something intended for artistic display. Not only did I not like the aesthetics of the straps...glittering big floppy straps was like trying to get an even coating of glitter on a snake. I hate to take them off entirely, because a handle makes for such a pretty purse silhouette. I tried cutting them shorter, and that was a little better, but then I opted to try just cutting them off and totally replacing them. I needed something light for the straps so they'd stay up on their own and hold a pretty silhouette (no sagging allowed), so I tried these little glitter foam balls I had in my stash threaded onto pipe cleaner and LOVED the result! I did a little fine-tuning and experimenting and researching sources, but I am finally at long last ready to share details that I hope will be useful. I have two methods for doing foam ball straps, I will discuss both (and where to get the materials) below.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvO0TOWhyphenhyphen0IFSYuHwGTTFvCO39gd5z8epKHtnTu-Qy0H2nsdsMqg7u2qnhD9wry_V11MVuWewpN5k4a3Np6hZZ4mjOqbx7oPCwRfLWasjYcKtxbCqGCqzBY8mdkZtQ8g2IyJtX7b51-lRl/s1600/IMG_2695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvO0TOWhyphenhyphen0IFSYuHwGTTFvCO39gd5z8epKHtnTu-Qy0H2nsdsMqg7u2qnhD9wry_V11MVuWewpN5k4a3Np6hZZ4mjOqbx7oPCwRfLWasjYcKtxbCqGCqzBY8mdkZtQ8g2IyJtX7b51-lRl/s400/IMG_2695.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b><u>STEP 1 - Get some balls!</u></b><br />
(Yeah, sorry...this post is going to be full of unfortunate phrasing/wording...rather than try in vain to avoid the dozens of inevitable double entendre, I'm just going to totally give in. You've been warned)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The toughest part of making these straps is getting the glittered foam balls because they seem to be a seasonal item. I paid closer attention last year and if that's any indication, Michael's will carry them as Halloween decor/vase filler and Christmas decor/vase filler and then they might be gone for the rest of the year. So the next time you're at Michael's check for clearance Halloween vase filler and start keeping an eye out for the Christmas stuff. The last time I was at Michael's I got these half-off, but didn't see any Christmas ones out yet:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3kLIpUb-rvBVsKxQs0eH_h3s4tmiNwXSjiWtgo2FqZDUGqaw4ya1fV9dOwt7I5w7gYzeo6HZiDdQOJ7gkfYUAy9tXDPIO1l-pKkxugNfUrz_CZptRRWlrI96oFIvOa4rSlURgpxXbKoS/s1600/IMG_2325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3kLIpUb-rvBVsKxQs0eH_h3s4tmiNwXSjiWtgo2FqZDUGqaw4ya1fV9dOwt7I5w7gYzeo6HZiDdQOJ7gkfYUAy9tXDPIO1l-pKkxugNfUrz_CZptRRWlrI96oFIvOa4rSlURgpxXbKoS/s320/IMG_2325.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This is some of my stash of Christmas/Halloween vase filler from Michael's from last year's clearance sales (with a FDC garland at the top...more on that below). That may give you an idea of what kinds of colors you might be able to find, though seasonal items are always honestly a bit of a crap shoot:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9RswY9AKXgNQGBchoBpEAFqzkuxZpQcF8fiNNm68F5_GC_qnCI3Zy-saTGJJFBpbYQucaDnMK3sL_ArNNVFAKQ284bHcElq5XhkT88z_HR0RDrQgimbaQX42O7LdDN8KQRdtqQFWCZ2cf/s1600/IMG_1782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9RswY9AKXgNQGBchoBpEAFqzkuxZpQcF8fiNNm68F5_GC_qnCI3Zy-saTGJJFBpbYQucaDnMK3sL_ArNNVFAKQ284bHcElq5XhkT88z_HR0RDrQgimbaQX42O7LdDN8KQRdtqQFWCZ2cf/s400/IMG_1782.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I don't do much craft supply shopping online because I prefer to actually see and feel them in person. However, since these are tough to find even when they're "in season" and damn near impossible to find after Christmas, going online may be your best option. You'll also get a broader range of color and size options. Bear in mind that if you don't like the color you can change it (I'll post on that another day), but it's easier to buy a color you like in the first place. Here are some online options:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Factory Direct Craft</b><br />
Factory Direct Craft has some pretty excellent options for glittered foam balls, specifically <a href="http://factorydirectcraft.com/catalog/products/2149_2043_2049-23581-platinum_glitter_ball_string_garland.html">garlands</a> and the <a href="http://factorydirectcraft.com/catalog/products/1302_2113_2070-48550-white_iridescent_glittered_ball_sprays.html">somewhat unfortunately named "ball sprays."</a><br />
<br />
The garlands are awesome because they're a good price and already have holes in them, but only come in two colors: platinum and red. The platinum is really pretty - the mix of silver and gold reminds me of vintage mercury glass.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-P_Z8qt2YM-GV61s1ExsNmKQCcmJayJznv4YpwkSrWJPNsFkTxhp_3unnqbIvFIx5m0n7-ezu2j6gdW5WANevaV3P9ExbkWOUhZnjZ15J5xQPQB59EeXuSnS4_J2ps0DICUkycCKS0ByV/s1600/IMG_2378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-P_Z8qt2YM-GV61s1ExsNmKQCcmJayJznv4YpwkSrWJPNsFkTxhp_3unnqbIvFIx5m0n7-ezu2j6gdW5WANevaV3P9ExbkWOUhZnjZ15J5xQPQB59EeXuSnS4_J2ps0DICUkycCKS0ByV/s320/IMG_2378.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The ball sprays come in more colors (including white which is a great base color if you're planning to layer an iridescent sheer/pastel glitter over it), but at 6 for $1, this is one of the pricier options included here.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0VaiiFw_QKMrdXZKFKpiucrhAhpNkrUfw6nxaTKFqjy7avAV8026xXBg_icVwivcR7UJerQ6YFLFDgM6qVWaszGct8aiU-8LcGNqYFM3chWBFnxaRX5PlN2t9iPbjefPBCnlovU7Fv8X/s1600/IMG_2375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0VaiiFw_QKMrdXZKFKpiucrhAhpNkrUfw6nxaTKFqjy7avAV8026xXBg_icVwivcR7UJerQ6YFLFDgM6qVWaszGct8aiU-8LcGNqYFM3chWBFnxaRX5PlN2t9iPbjefPBCnlovU7Fv8X/s320/IMG_2375.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Walmart:</b><br />
<br />
I bought a few shades of <a href="https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=christmas%20central%20glitter%20christmas%20ball%20decorations">Christmas Central decoration glitter balls</a> via Walmart,com. These are pretty similar size (diameters range 0.8-1.25") and price-wise (about $6 for a bag of ~60) as the bags from Michael's. I found the quality a little uneven: the <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/72ct-Iridescent-White-Sequin-and-Glitter-Christmas-Ball-Decorations-0.8-1.25/31587823">white ones</a> had hardly any glitter on them, but were fine for layering over. Everything else I tried was beautiful and there are a lot of cool color options (I especially love the <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/72ct-Lake-Green-Sequin-and-Glitter-Christmas-Ball-Decorations-0.8-1.25/31587593">lake green</a>, <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/72ct-Slate-Gray-Sequin-and-Glitter-Christmas-Ball-Decorations-0.8-1.25/31587737">gunmetal silver</a> and <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/72ct-Yellow-Sequin-and-Glitter-Christmas-Ball-Decorations-0.8-1.25/31587616">bright yellow</a> shown here).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_l_pgdWbUzNmW5lOU-vHx-gDWnqwFIe4n_lB42z7HL9oEXKDRPBfGIsFWrKqF1zN1Ss6S4hndYGuo60m601liuRQuhbxeIlCD8-hofWH6DuV8XEEltiyI_cawzDNn6QJcJrcQ9wJqRMA/s1600/IMG_2373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_l_pgdWbUzNmW5lOU-vHx-gDWnqwFIe4n_lB42z7HL9oEXKDRPBfGIsFWrKqF1zN1Ss6S4hndYGuo60m601liuRQuhbxeIlCD8-hofWH6DuV8XEEltiyI_cawzDNn6QJcJrcQ9wJqRMA/s320/IMG_2373.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Blushing Iris on Etsy</b><br />
I had a good experience shopping with <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBlushingIris?section_id=19741970">The Blushing Iris Etsy Shop</a>. The bags include are a wider range of sizes than the other options I've listed (about 100 little ~0.5" balls and 100 larger ~0.8" balls).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmVXzoWhyqc7lOGrnxRZcHwumL7LInpvtrB2A3DvR1xhN_OG54IaZYtyvg6ht_f-Mllqur1FaDAGTL8AN2rF4AEThu8oFUjpJvKRjO3cPvuG3vBK0mrwRDJFPzhJLXAgs-1lp8MzS70DT/s1600/IMG_2369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmVXzoWhyqc7lOGrnxRZcHwumL7LInpvtrB2A3DvR1xhN_OG54IaZYtyvg6ht_f-Mllqur1FaDAGTL8AN2rF4AEThu8oFUjpJvKRjO3cPvuG3vBK0mrwRDJFPzhJLXAgs-1lp8MzS70DT/s320/IMG_2369.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuaaScEw3wA-1AlL34zv1WnAWnnEfAKPlZxlGy9VbJGP7-TjZLideAlwCU5EVlSUhMN7C6wMGD90xE0DZteIFay9VEd6ABd0yI0rr_Ugm5mTLXVz3lQZtsGtqzHYjVIJ1LDvLO4tinT_U/s1600/IMG_2509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuaaScEw3wA-1AlL34zv1WnAWnnEfAKPlZxlGy9VbJGP7-TjZLideAlwCU5EVlSUhMN7C6wMGD90xE0DZteIFay9VEd6ABd0yI0rr_Ugm5mTLXVz3lQZtsGtqzHYjVIJ1LDvLO4tinT_U/s320/IMG_2509.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Hobby Lobby (?)</b><br />
I don't really shop at Hobby Lobby, but they do have glitter ball vase filler and "foam glitter ball confetti" on their website (for example, this Red, White and Blue mix <a href="http://www.hobbylobby.com/Party-Baking/Themed-Party-Collections/Patriotic/Red-White-Blue-Foam-Glitter-Ball-Confetti/p/155243">here</a>). Not sure if it's in stores and/or how long it'll be stocked (might be seasonal like Michael's)<br />
<br />
The other thing you need is pipe cleaner. You can buy them in packs from craft stores, but I also like to use the <a href="http://factorydirectcraft.com/catalog/products/2149_2043_2049-30847-purple_pipe_cleaner_tinsel_garland.html">garland spools from Factory Direct Craft</a> because I don't have to twist two together to make a longer handle, I can just cut whatever length I need. I would get the metallic ones and try to generally match the color of the balls you're using so if a little peeks out of your handle it's camouflaged.<br />
<br />
BALL PREP:<br />
<br />
To string them on to purse handles, the ball will need punched through them to thread the pipe cleaner through. Balls that are strung on garland are ready to go (unless you want the hole bigger). If your balls are on wires (like floral picks), you'll need to pull those off first:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8CZBpiYfywqbdyLacFvP3Fxm-QPEK-bbB_vA2zO3YkgGRB-0EmP2rAWywNu4GUQwL9fzY7wtkhX9dGVV05V8npCJk5uOqyBE9XMyS1d-KmbM7c9ZaxxclCBKbaQC8xdmAVkv7ZR3MsDE/s1600/method1_pickprep.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8CZBpiYfywqbdyLacFvP3Fxm-QPEK-bbB_vA2zO3YkgGRB-0EmP2rAWywNu4GUQwL9fzY7wtkhX9dGVV05V8npCJk5uOqyBE9XMyS1d-KmbM7c9ZaxxclCBKbaQC8xdmAVkv7ZR3MsDE/s320/method1_pickprep.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
If your balls aren't garland (i.e. vase filler or picks removed from their wires), you make a hole through the middle with a tooth pick. The foam balls are soft, so it should be easy to poke through. Tip: if you're using ball that have been removed from wires, try to line the toothpick up with the spot where the wire was attached, otherwise you'll have a wee ball spot where there's no glitter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9T3JI1JWn8Z1h216-Hot6R6UjLLVfypabNsu-4QatHfrn0YDHhKeC8RJpz-wOsv1PmQlh84JydymXSBwJlbR65sj5NaILBjijUu4J_Z_Q9NTEXI044G9HCBrn6rgVggOxc47WPTQZbhGJ/s1600/method1_step2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9T3JI1JWn8Z1h216-Hot6R6UjLLVfypabNsu-4QatHfrn0YDHhKeC8RJpz-wOsv1PmQlh84JydymXSBwJlbR65sj5NaILBjijUu4J_Z_Q9NTEXI044G9HCBrn6rgVggOxc47WPTQZbhGJ/s320/method1_step2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
MAKING HANDLES:<br />
<br />
Once you've got your balls prepared, there are two methods for attaching new handles to the purse. The first method is more structurally sound because you actually thread the pipe cleaner through the purse, while the second is a little easier. As usual, there's no "right way" - both methods have pros and cons, try both out and see what works for you (or invent something new that works even better!!)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
METHOD 1<br />
<br />
Step 1. Punch holes in the purse where you'd like your handles to go. If it's like a bucket-shape purse sometimes you only need one hole, but on purses where it's a flap that comes over the top you may need two. I have a tool I inherited for putting wee holes in fabric for setting grommets (<a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y007NG/ref=smi_se_mit_rcol_smi_2628204422?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000Y007NG&linkCode=as2&linkId=KVT3JX72F2KU5CFA&pldnCmp=rcol&pldnCrt=my-impact&tag=lizmckjoh-20">grommet pliers</a>, that I would assume were purchased at Joann's) but you probably don't want to buy one just for this....you can also poke holes with little scissors or cut very small incisions with an Exacto knife.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZOx99GO1b_mspDb0ojknfDnTkHwArUaF8Lck-aSRBtrqCR-Lm52AZUOouySjRvz_AXHLTsX_0WlI9qggy1bVqAuEyuk-b_-81EV7JsbyK1sm_SV2H3Patz2rNsCPneYjc0hcFX6JnL37y/s1600/method1_step1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZOx99GO1b_mspDb0ojknfDnTkHwArUaF8Lck-aSRBtrqCR-Lm52AZUOouySjRvz_AXHLTsX_0WlI9qggy1bVqAuEyuk-b_-81EV7JsbyK1sm_SV2H3Patz2rNsCPneYjc0hcFX6JnL37y/s400/method1_step1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Step 2. Thread the foam ball with the hole in it onto the pipe cleaner, all the way to the end covered the twisted together end. Covering the twisted ends will prevent any untwisting/unraveling and will cover the pipe cleaner.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmwlbpf9as1tTmKDKiPJXRa6N1jEk1vFy-HqjcEpxY46kyK4tiVc6gUWyDdRtEFrzOQhj7w5Nbj9DP1cAilHIhBpQE2avVdJbiZboSeuqllhPlH7IgN2cAOLCjNuG4yBeBmHaRxQK6mYb/s1600/method1_step3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmwlbpf9as1tTmKDKiPJXRa6N1jEk1vFy-HqjcEpxY46kyK4tiVc6gUWyDdRtEFrzOQhj7w5Nbj9DP1cAilHIhBpQE2avVdJbiZboSeuqllhPlH7IgN2cAOLCjNuG4yBeBmHaRxQK6mYb/s400/method1_step3.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Step 3. Keep threading on the foam balls in any pattern you like:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6kFgY-mxlGoobr3Q-o3fh4ztu7lYNVNgSsUzmcgFNvunivluWvOGPAZTvNEMM9CK5OUoQwMupAPsysNhLGNbg00kZnsZDNuxYqcVNqzM6tlhO83RBsXlCa2JSsSj1nqgeoEN0hdJ0dBVu/s1600/IMG_2466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6kFgY-mxlGoobr3Q-o3fh4ztu7lYNVNgSsUzmcgFNvunivluWvOGPAZTvNEMM9CK5OUoQwMupAPsysNhLGNbg00kZnsZDNuxYqcVNqzM6tlhO83RBsXlCa2JSsSj1nqgeoEN0hdJ0dBVu/s320/IMG_2466.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Step 4. If you reach the end of the pipe cleaner, but you'd like your purse handle to be longer, twist on another pipe cleaner. When you're close to the end of the first pipe cleaner, twist another one on there and then continue threading balls, pushing them over the spot where you've joined the two pipe cleaners. As with the first ball, covering the twisted join up prevents unraveling<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh47RFK7qjye8ZwFZnF4jvLXDgeCdIG5FdQ-hvOVFkHlCmnJyaYMxXsWo3DFmHqy8M6kTPmL8OmTxgvBFsQ49kwtioWCdxJd7mu91qUu3adzvhaUraBOF-oA-TP5TX-Curd8g-qGuXumGt/s1600/readyfornewpipecleaner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh47RFK7qjye8ZwFZnF4jvLXDgeCdIG5FdQ-hvOVFkHlCmnJyaYMxXsWo3DFmHqy8M6kTPmL8OmTxgvBFsQ49kwtioWCdxJd7mu91qUu3adzvhaUraBOF-oA-TP5TX-Curd8g-qGuXumGt/s320/readyfornewpipecleaner.png" width="307" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngbcNW1X9Y3DExkPBL0VYErQSZ-nzOCiT1cVqwAFlUueEozgryBnNMBbbS-v0cf-rClht6reYCIfZUAJrLFlb4UeucblpKfXE4GnumYasY-SeZUEf3zZoJab2h9H3MwLktfMZV-SSWDSh/s1600/twistingtogether.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngbcNW1X9Y3DExkPBL0VYErQSZ-nzOCiT1cVqwAFlUueEozgryBnNMBbbS-v0cf-rClht6reYCIfZUAJrLFlb4UeucblpKfXE4GnumYasY-SeZUEf3zZoJab2h9H3MwLktfMZV-SSWDSh/s640/twistingtogether.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Step 5. Once your purse handle reaches the desired length, it's time to attach the other side of the strap to the other side of the purse.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdIRS21mJGrBOjJGhi26ZpxD9s3OHVMc89yJAHcBTWn854LNyLgNqWvHnk9Y0JyvGP0boOU6Uj0SVvVL2lTrZtOOmTS0MPHvdhhAjx6BMBx7zKRv9MQHhzaWJqxcvbPi6Frkt6LwuRf4A/s1600/readytofinish.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdIRS21mJGrBOjJGhi26ZpxD9s3OHVMc89yJAHcBTWn854LNyLgNqWvHnk9Y0JyvGP0boOU6Uj0SVvVL2lTrZtOOmTS0MPHvdhhAjx6BMBx7zKRv9MQHhzaWJqxcvbPi6Frkt6LwuRf4A/s320/readytofinish.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Feed the pipe cleaner into one hole and out the other, then pull it so the last ball in the handle is flush against the purse (don't pull it too tight yet because you're going to need a little wiggle room in a minute)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWisFRCmKzrI_oJma2s1VrWw20cUmpIhG8fh4bTdTMlg0869SO1Xp6DyD3Kjt4WPfa5cGWIsUVtQeW9mB4jum-MgT2CaVM6OW2uWgTc5gTCeNmo14_SjqgO9UsU_CRXwPU2LcR6ONyOn7k/s1600/finishingpt1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWisFRCmKzrI_oJma2s1VrWw20cUmpIhG8fh4bTdTMlg0869SO1Xp6DyD3Kjt4WPfa5cGWIsUVtQeW9mB4jum-MgT2CaVM6OW2uWgTc5gTCeNmo14_SjqgO9UsU_CRXwPU2LcR6ONyOn7k/s400/finishingpt1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Wrap the pipe cleaner around the bottom of other pipe cleaner (between the last ball and the purse). Wrap it a few times to secure it, then cut so only a short piece (maybe a half-inch) remains and then tuck that piece up into the last ball of the handle and (if needed) slide the ball down a little so it's totally covered:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVqhUpyrxP0kf4hwYT2Xe7WtJ4ad6amvs16ESHuIDKmXn2-0GsK4XVJ4uPLsNNzUaEIkaMIGMp-VGPy3SJxs7rFIBTrgRF_1BkUOvb3Mgft5gGrnul7PFR-5I7v5i2nmCO20a5FRDlH2l/s1600/finishingpt2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVqhUpyrxP0kf4hwYT2Xe7WtJ4ad6amvs16ESHuIDKmXn2-0GsK4XVJ4uPLsNNzUaEIkaMIGMp-VGPy3SJxs7rFIBTrgRF_1BkUOvb3Mgft5gGrnul7PFR-5I7v5i2nmCO20a5FRDlH2l/s400/finishingpt2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Voila! Super cute new handle on your purse!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoatOzP8gbNsuZUlBJkyt8OozuOQGvl-OV3Zu1XGNpj3VE6N3maWKjMCwKn2GpB3SfWxFaAgbXoFZJs5QjBB5RQNr95Urd5SQ6nNA76-TK6o9RVcn6xRfIgJIRLlnQ1w7NR5MrOfZMuwe/s1600/IMG_2487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoatOzP8gbNsuZUlBJkyt8OozuOQGvl-OV3Zu1XGNpj3VE6N3maWKjMCwKn2GpB3SfWxFaAgbXoFZJs5QjBB5RQNr95Urd5SQ6nNA76-TK6o9RVcn6xRfIgJIRLlnQ1w7NR5MrOfZMuwe/s320/IMG_2487.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
METHOD 2<br />
<br />
The other way to add a foam ball handle is a little easier, and if you have a purse that doesn't have a good spot for punching holes you can still use this approach.<br />
<br />
Step 1. String balls onto a pipe cleaner in your desired pattern<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSm7a9fIqQNtkwFpdkhhsjKFjwhKlbRYYEmKMrzFbHJn4H8RHHmr-IPG3R5DHw2rAjIPzVy_C36bf9tZVk8vpyczXS38juFgrXtFhWy9FHFMhTF0Ypf2cDQTAJ2iNIGreN_8zbwrdvrsT/s1600/IMG_2488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSm7a9fIqQNtkwFpdkhhsjKFjwhKlbRYYEmKMrzFbHJn4H8RHHmr-IPG3R5DHw2rAjIPzVy_C36bf9tZVk8vpyczXS38juFgrXtFhWy9FHFMhTF0Ypf2cDQTAJ2iNIGreN_8zbwrdvrsT/s320/IMG_2488.JPG" width="313" /></a></div>
<br />
Step 2. When the strap is the desired length, pull off the last ball on either end and trim the pipe cleaner ends so they're just long enough to reach almost all the way through those last balls (I do this by cutting the pipe cleaner just below the last balls, then pulling them off, then snipping off a teeny bit more)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyORgsWSvUvZNhEv5UWZMhmEJQpYNSbb4DBSdLLkHlrT014lvgeZmPBeakJ1VRB13ErL2imNyn_UkTyA5-AtDoVC-ymOQoQvTrUNVL05zl61yvv69jFqeacaE3FBgFL3_Qu19PWRL_EY_T/s1600/IMG_2490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyORgsWSvUvZNhEv5UWZMhmEJQpYNSbb4DBSdLLkHlrT014lvgeZmPBeakJ1VRB13ErL2imNyn_UkTyA5-AtDoVC-ymOQoQvTrUNVL05zl61yvv69jFqeacaE3FBgFL3_Qu19PWRL_EY_T/s320/IMG_2490.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Step 3. Add a little bit of hot glue inside the end balls and slide them back onto the ends of the pipe cleaner. The hot glue should get a really nice grip on the foam and the bristles of the pipe cleaner. Be careful - the hot glue might melt the foam a little, and I wouldn't want anyone to get burned!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1na8Uk2O5wgAcJOKf8p5SuomoANogTFF2LoA3bBxp-3fAc6IGUyGl1WCy0l0rDYRRh-JIddtA-1DRQLAOHyDrivnx-hobliVXMB1hl1XyvJbS8kdtYqeH-gJf2YPwmBHNyKYbwU1oPjJ/s1600/IMG_2492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1na8Uk2O5wgAcJOKf8p5SuomoANogTFF2LoA3bBxp-3fAc6IGUyGl1WCy0l0rDYRRh-JIddtA-1DRQLAOHyDrivnx-hobliVXMB1hl1XyvJbS8kdtYqeH-gJf2YPwmBHNyKYbwU1oPjJ/s320/IMG_2492.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Step 4. Hot glue the strap onto the purse. When the hot glue is dry, if there's a lot of it visible where you stuck the handles on, you can cover it with glue and glitter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTZZQfnhyphenhyphenIJCQ3YJqYTc3Nd6H1hk6dmLxMnU_deHaAZ8c7mWbMZfVZHnoY_teEmE6TXX0CRcI3MNe18vwJ_kkGKVjNHvRiDOFvG4s6UqpKIFd9KHUba2a51ZvNKp0WzPT4J4Rnkx0eYBb/s1600/hotgluedhandle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTZZQfnhyphenhyphenIJCQ3YJqYTc3Nd6H1hk6dmLxMnU_deHaAZ8c7mWbMZfVZHnoY_teEmE6TXX0CRcI3MNe18vwJ_kkGKVjNHvRiDOFvG4s6UqpKIFd9KHUba2a51ZvNKp0WzPT4J4Rnkx0eYBb/s320/hotgluedhandle.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
So there you have it! Two ways of making new purse straps with glitter foam balls and pipe cleaner! I'm going to do an addendum to this post talking about some other ways you can play with this technique, but for now I wanted to mention just a few more things.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(1) A teeny little bit of marabou trim wrapped around the base of the purse handle looks really cute and can cover up the spots where the handle attached in case you aren't thrilled with how it came out. </div>
<div>
(2) Foam balls also make great "feet" for purses that won't stand up on their own. I like to make sure a purse can stand up for display purposes, so I like to add either foam balls or glass stones for feet.</div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0AbFVN8deMuSlOJvHXq8DjVzot99MD43Arc7X59v1fSlxRXvNIGJXoLlTS0BJFrx6jEEsktTrRMqxIaYDgIGiH79iuheNNfBLxoYEftwY1Msq2zatkx1wqxK8AzAvAmD4arWnSGBh1bEe/s1600/IMG_2502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0AbFVN8deMuSlOJvHXq8DjVzot99MD43Arc7X59v1fSlxRXvNIGJXoLlTS0BJFrx6jEEsktTrRMqxIaYDgIGiH79iuheNNfBLxoYEftwY1Msq2zatkx1wqxK8AzAvAmD4arWnSGBh1bEe/s400/IMG_2502.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
3. You can mix in other foam embellishments besides balls for cute effects. They need to be that same light kind-of styrofoam density so the strap doesn't sag, but keep an eye out for cute stuff to repurpose. I originally got these stars from Papermart.com, but they don't seem to be in stock right now. However, I know Michael's will have a ton of cool Christmas picks including some foam embellishments soon (if they don't already), so check that aisle out when it goes on clearance. I've seen wee little foam skulls for Halloween at Michael's and there are usually great little glittered foam eggs around Easter (won't help you this year, but if you work year-round like I do you'll be ready to grab them)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8KbeZ4hrhTLydsxhpdxex5t8K6-hIbN6HOd2oxu-_y_qHV2Fzklclrbmm5UEqocCEcLrYyuaixBLI4v-21PI5exlP7s8MKi0cedioKnwjdyDOL9_9xcZiA4cV13fRyY1i9hNATGVIUUv9/s1600/IMG_2498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8KbeZ4hrhTLydsxhpdxex5t8K6-hIbN6HOd2oxu-_y_qHV2Fzklclrbmm5UEqocCEcLrYyuaixBLI4v-21PI5exlP7s8MKi0cedioKnwjdyDOL9_9xcZiA4cV13fRyY1i9hNATGVIUUv9/s400/IMG_2498.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you have questions/ideas, let me know if the comments!! Happy glittering!!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiz3T-07EtLovN1uSMRjf_0dq3xyl10hGNvMEV_AGLakEoGS3-xxUDq2wbHuhkuNSHKbvz-9n5qmOlpNO9_jFWtg5vTJ5o7YJPJScbbyDg9iYlmJPBAej2ZoYR6f8Jfcyx6qew7BUGT9KP/s1600/IMG_2698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiz3T-07EtLovN1uSMRjf_0dq3xyl10hGNvMEV_AGLakEoGS3-xxUDq2wbHuhkuNSHKbvz-9n5qmOlpNO9_jFWtg5vTJ5o7YJPJScbbyDg9iYlmJPBAej2ZoYR6f8Jfcyx6qew7BUGT9KP/s400/IMG_2698.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
UPDATE 1/25/2017: I've noticed that if you use the second method (where you hot glue the strap onto the purse rather than threading the pipe cleaner through the actual purse on either side), the hot glue can lose it's hold. What's likely happening is that there's enough loose glitter that the whole shebang can peel off. If this happens, I would recommend using a nice generous dollop of E6000 between the purse and the hot glue blob. This is a pretty good strategy in general when you encounter hot glue appearing to "peel up" off one surface - the cooled hot glue blob will have conformed nicely to the surface to give you a good contact area and the E6000 is a little stronger but too runny to hold something big in place. I'll try to add some pictures of that process if I get a chance.</div>
</div>
Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-46608768263675551192016-08-29T11:37:00.002-07:002016-08-29T11:37:46.950-07:00Work in Progress - Popeyes Fried Chicken ShoeLove that chicken from Popeyes!!<br />
<br />
Last year a friend pointed out that there hadn't ever been a Popeyes Fried Chicken shoe and I had to agree that was a shame - what Carnival season is complete without a box? It was too close to the parade last year for me to do anything with it for 2016, but I threw it in my big, groaning folder of ideas to revisit. I recently got the awesome news that I'd be riding as a sub again in 2017 (WOOHOO!) and we're approx. halfway to Carnival 2017, so no time like the present to get cracking.<br />
<br />
As luck would have it, my little one caught this sweet light up plastic bone from Krewe D'Etat in 2016. He enjoyed it tremendously until the light wore out, then graciously let mama have it. That's what I've used for the bone:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuGqrLrPTo2MXFtrXfqhbDYlvqHZXRbzbZgo__9yuKmyCKKBPnPr0xTwqM4AauEghZ7eDURUrz5AEIZw90Ho8meXfyn5S47z15A-ccumw9nB2Tf7np6X6a7-L2ayH36ecPGwusdd94LVt/s1600/croppedbone.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuGqrLrPTo2MXFtrXfqhbDYlvqHZXRbzbZgo__9yuKmyCKKBPnPr0xTwqM4AauEghZ7eDURUrz5AEIZw90Ho8meXfyn5S47z15A-ccumw9nB2Tf7np6X6a7-L2ayH36ecPGwusdd94LVt/s320/croppedbone.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
If you don't have a d'Etat bone in your Carnival haul, I don't think it would be too hard to paper mache one (Google "paper mache bone," there are a ton of tutorials online). If you'd rather use a plastic one, you could keep an eye out once Halloween costumes hit the shelves - I sometimes see them being sold as props for cavemen costume (like <a href="https://www.wholesalehalloweencostumes.com/products/bone?gclid=CjwKEAjwuo--BRDDws3x65LL7h8SJABEDuFRR3EPFY4vtc_FnVWEMJ3UileXrAEUny00G26f9XGbmhoCADXw_wcB&code=googlepla&CAWELAID=907692528&s_kwcid=AL!4259!3!103983190882!!!g!196791693925!&ef_id=V4P4PwAABe7p0Mf2:20160829175600:s">this one here</a>). Or if you're already placing an order with an online costume supplier for Halloween or something else (i.e. if you're already paying for shipping), maybe check and see if they have one.<br />
<br />
After I hot glued the bone on the heel, I took some scrunched up tissue paper and lightly hot glued that all over the shoe to give it that crinkly chicken skin effect. A coat of mod podge over the whole surface helped sort of decoupage this tissue it onto the shoe wherever the hot glue wasn't holding it down.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcMRdXaunbKdWozHmGckoIadU3a6gxztmHdIpcKUdb1dVrhc8-KwjkStai3KICOOQ8hcs5Mf6i-fvh_7BEqrcJx22e-DYP7nIfO6uvsTeMO1iZoy7WUBp7orExsLnj4-avq7vC-wFdqWw/s1600/croppedshoe.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcMRdXaunbKdWozHmGckoIadU3a6gxztmHdIpcKUdb1dVrhc8-KwjkStai3KICOOQ8hcs5Mf6i-fvh_7BEqrcJx22e-DYP7nIfO6uvsTeMO1iZoy7WUBp7orExsLnj4-avq7vC-wFdqWw/s320/croppedshoe.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoe post-tissue, pre-glittering</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I mixed up a blend of glitter similar to what I used for the <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2014/07/2015-fried-shrimp-poboy-shoe.html">Fried Shrimp Poboy Flip Flop</a>: mostly chunky copper glitter and fine copper glitter, with a little very fine dark red glitter, fine gold glitter, chunky red glitter and just a teeny bit of fine black glitter. If you use any chunky glitter or chunky glitter blends, remember to really aggressively brush off loose glitter after each layer dries because it doesn't adhere as well to the glue and shedding is the enemy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39NKR3_LypiusLRFWLMDPATdBUC8hrlUO5z6wgQryOrc4s5_EXjq3RzJ8KOwqexrUiMWO55Jqv89m9HqAHkWw8dxxgEEeS6mFIoOhEWxQMEWr_LNn3N8DSq7m753zASRYBMeMC_YQrDPG/s1600/IMG_1564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39NKR3_LypiusLRFWLMDPATdBUC8hrlUO5z6wgQryOrc4s5_EXjq3RzJ8KOwqexrUiMWO55Jqv89m9HqAHkWw8dxxgEEeS6mFIoOhEWxQMEWr_LNn3N8DSq7m753zASRYBMeMC_YQrDPG/s320/IMG_1564.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Here are some pictures of the glittered shoe up close so you can see the effect of blending multiple glitters and layering the blend over scrunched up tissue paper:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyk0jb67jAFp4PsNlfFF_tQmNWmPGD-TxsBolqe4USOL00bRIwdKqHLmvlS0oKO2iQuPyzdi8ZnJcPKLaLdDICk81VHbPcGZm06HrrUtuP0WgRqghRzI26YOWbHjtZA-3zVOBxhdLhyphenhyphenBdv/s1600/IMG_1566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyk0jb67jAFp4PsNlfFF_tQmNWmPGD-TxsBolqe4USOL00bRIwdKqHLmvlS0oKO2iQuPyzdi8ZnJcPKLaLdDICk81VHbPcGZm06HrrUtuP0WgRqghRzI26YOWbHjtZA-3zVOBxhdLhyphenhyphenBdv/s320/IMG_1566.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4LZ0XgBO6sAf87ci8uXbq0e0gag4phC0jnF3kr62pbtrIR169b3zaV1O5Ri3qErl0s1nyqtRZCAG4vcE3k6Zahlnc_vwTMf26IhQc_gDaOiqJRUFQdaeZiNwf3JU7XQ7E4dckyET_b15/s1600/IMG_1565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4LZ0XgBO6sAf87ci8uXbq0e0gag4phC0jnF3kr62pbtrIR169b3zaV1O5Ri3qErl0s1nyqtRZCAG4vcE3k6Zahlnc_vwTMf26IhQc_gDaOiqJRUFQdaeZiNwf3JU7XQ7E4dckyET_b15/s320/IMG_1565.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I usually do two coats of glitter, but in this case I may either do a third coat or a lot of touch ups because the surface is so craggy, but I'm really happy with the effect. Here it is so far:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHT_C3uh2TnsNapbBdKtDLdoEVONcqTklE5_g9jwRTUFw154fKKTsKJJP_RTRcG5GraczNX-StyF7Dg_dVGBAbcpWQsnS6qqjHhxE9YG3H5P0I3_2wGRx-nO5BxsS43Z7IqOO1xEhs1tNf/s1600/IMG_1519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHT_C3uh2TnsNapbBdKtDLdoEVONcqTklE5_g9jwRTUFw154fKKTsKJJP_RTRcG5GraczNX-StyF7Dg_dVGBAbcpWQsnS6qqjHhxE9YG3H5P0I3_2wGRx-nO5BxsS43Z7IqOO1xEhs1tNf/s320/IMG_1519.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Next up: a Popeyes logo and "Muses 2017." Happy glittering everyone!!Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-38742366302135739012016-08-18T09:24:00.004-07:002016-08-18T09:28:34.056-07:00Glittering 101 Workshop - Saturday September 24, 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJBIG18QM-5dXNhJANSgcc1R0Ug55eXoj3rEsOIaeIEKxNDwGy6pCNLrAAOso3u5tTsG3VobAN2C0-NTmzQs7ymrka8d4ERK1xuMyzrOjoZxeJ4J2fC8pGPCCB2FRNzzYK6JWWKYcPJHU/s1600/glitter101a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJBIG18QM-5dXNhJANSgcc1R0Ug55eXoj3rEsOIaeIEKxNDwGy6pCNLrAAOso3u5tTsG3VobAN2C0-NTmzQs7ymrka8d4ERK1xuMyzrOjoZxeJ4J2fC8pGPCCB2FRNzzYK6JWWKYcPJHU/s400/glitter101a.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1074496160893742892" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 578px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date set for the September Glittering 101 Workshop! I CAN'T WAIT!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The workshop will be 2.5 hrs long (2-4:30 pm) on Saturday Sept. 12th. We're going to cover the basics of glittering shoes, including covering shoes with glitter, using <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2014/10/faq-how-do-you-do-lettering-on-your.html">the transfer technique for "glettering" (glittered lettering)</a> and various types of embellishment. We'll cover the whole process start to finish, but I'll provide shoes at staggered stages of completeness so we don't have to wait for glue to dry between steps. At the end of the workshop, you'll leave with some partially completed shoes, at least one completely finished ready-to-throw shoe, and some extra materials for finishing up your partial shoes at your leisure. The workshop fee also includes a 23 page packet of useful write-ups (including a detailed step-by-step guide to glittering shoes with photos at each step, all the tips and tricks I've picked up in 5 years of shoe glittering, a guide of useful resources, etc.). Everything you need will be provided - you only need to sign up, pay up and show up!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I originally assumed it would only be useful for beginners, but we've had a range of experience levels attend and enjoy themselves (from total newbies to experts). My primary area of expertise is of course glittering shoes, but I can provide customized workshop materials for ladies who ride in other krewes. Just let me know who you roll with/what your preferred throw is when you email me. If you're not a krewe member but would like to beef up your glittering skills, you are also welcome to join us!</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1074496160893742892" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 578px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Feedback and pictures from past workshops to give you a little taste of what's in store can be found </span><a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2015/07/glittering-101-workshop-september-12.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">HERE</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;"> and </span><a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2015/09/pictures-from-september-workshop.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">HERE</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1074496160893742892" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 578px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you're interested or have any questions, drop me an email at drnoripants at gmail dot com and I can give you more info (including pricing)!</span></div>
Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-85234277723810767152016-07-09T06:35:00.000-07:002016-07-09T06:35:00.105-07:00A little more Muses shoe inspirationThe weekend has arrived, and I'm hoping that means a little time to set up my new glitterage here and get to creating! Before my little one wakes up and seizes the day with both hands toddler-style, I thought I'd update here right quick.<br />
<br />
So, I don't actually like the Monster High dolls themselves (as <a href="http://deadspin.com/my-kids-insane-christmas-wish-list-annotated-1476311653">this Dad</a> put it: "it's like someone at Mattel held up a market research study and screamed 'our Barbie dolls aren't causing as much body dysmorphia in children as they used to!' and then made Monster High dolls to "fix" that problem). Anyways, while the execution is a little problematic, I do love the concept (a glamorous high-fashion take on Goth/classic Horror tropes), and <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/crime-against-fashion-these-monster-high-heels-aren?sub=2530656_1520330&utm_term=.byaYOvE0Mm#.xq5XnW8zNA">this Buzzfeed list</a> turned me onto how unbelievably fabulous and creative the shoe design for the dolls is. I've started a Pinterest board of Monster High (and Ever after High) Shoes <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/shoeglitternola/monster-high-shoes/">HERE</a>, so if you're ever looking for wild shoe designs to get your creative juices flowing, have a peak (if you missed it, I shared some designers/artists whose work is great inspiration in <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2016/04/inspiration.html">this post</a>). <br />
<br />
Have a great weekend!!Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-35866420309276443232016-07-07T15:17:00.001-07:002016-07-07T15:17:16.394-07:00Moved to NOLA!We are finally at long last moved to NOLA and I am very very excited, though also very very tired of unpacking boxes.<br />
<br />
I am desperate to get back to glittering. Alas setting up my new workspace is somewhat low priority at the moment, but I have a ton of ideas swirling around in my brain and I can't wait to get them into actual 3D shoe form!! I have high hopes for a smidge of sparkle time this weekend. And of course I need to start planning more workshops in the fall when it cools off a bit. <br />
<br />
Until I get back up and running, here are a few shots of shoes I was working on before the move that are in varying stages of completeness. If you follow me on Instagram, you've already seen these, but I know different people prefer different platforms (I met one fellow glitter addict at a workshop who only follows me on Pinterest and she must think I was hit by a bus or something...)<br />
<br />
First up - my first "official" 2017 shoe - Rhinestone Cowgirl! A friend of a friend gifted me a bunch of awesome Cowgirl boots to glitterify, and I've been loving working with a slightly different shoe shape. I did a vintage Mardi Grad color scheme on this first one. The boot had elaborate stitching that I didn't want to lose, so first step I covered the boot with translucent white sheer glitter (Gary's glitter by the pound, HOLLA). Then I did the other areas of the boots (heel, trim, sole, toe, etc.) in solid opaque glitter (all Martha Stewart, but I'd have to double check the exact colors). Then I traced the stitched in design with crystal puff paint and added a gradient of gold to green to purple. The gradient is essentially five colors of glitter: gold, then 50-50 gold and green, then green, then 50-50 green and purple and finally purple. I just shook stripes over the wet puff paint and voila - Carnival fabulousness!! I added some white feathers with gold tinsel up top, and some aurora borealis rhinestones which were added post-pictures.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzmt9LZWwJ0GwC8buKQZOK8_uLjLyrPTmvJruwZ50zVaBXDu29-mlzXgJiEQMyoz33gYGTT_q9AkwNQuV-79pRiblvte-qZkWiMM3e_GFy_yIWeHu3lXzVXqun-eKvTpSqDhC-mj7WOdm/s1600/IMG_3827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzmt9LZWwJ0GwC8buKQZOK8_uLjLyrPTmvJruwZ50zVaBXDu29-mlzXgJiEQMyoz33gYGTT_q9AkwNQuV-79pRiblvte-qZkWiMM3e_GFy_yIWeHu3lXzVXqun-eKvTpSqDhC-mj7WOdm/s320/IMG_3827.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheL0VCV8TJHEsRaRQAQM1OMKULKZWUqfIkfXWOIB2lsJPP-pLKvV2jSLJQy5hJrg2FJm8Mi1sXvdeh6bRB63DTalG6ACn7vKTe8op7YsfFvAMmn4bVCTbWAFYJ5v3xb3o71uVUjNfWv67v/s1600/IMG_3829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheL0VCV8TJHEsRaRQAQM1OMKULKZWUqfIkfXWOIB2lsJPP-pLKvV2jSLJQy5hJrg2FJm8Mi1sXvdeh6bRB63DTalG6ACn7vKTe8op7YsfFvAMmn4bVCTbWAFYJ5v3xb3o71uVUjNfWv67v/s320/IMG_3829.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXO2C_kOE4r0iplnhnlw09ugkrWSUX7tjZw-ZNXrfYr4SdlzFqWR7JWVcFg62lExARpRJ3G6lZqE1hCUkKrHgTq1aGdoQADyFapckxjwmveDJvFnNwAoiN7QNZsn5H8uovWJ7-LBUKHoQL/s1600/IMG_3830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXO2C_kOE4r0iplnhnlw09ugkrWSUX7tjZw-ZNXrfYr4SdlzFqWR7JWVcFg62lExARpRJ3G6lZqE1hCUkKrHgTq1aGdoQADyFapckxjwmveDJvFnNwAoiN7QNZsn5H8uovWJ7-LBUKHoQL/s320/IMG_3830.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqmUIuLXfX-HMeHJoGvq6i2EI_RnA8Tlc0decJExS9PpZD8TJ4fShFxjSj0FZRZ0htmI4yIMNNelduBxDYso56ai4j2Uottvttywd3YY_S-m7pepfa-EDd_uq0XJVXk7NYUlvC_g_lNTQ/s1600/IMG_3831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqmUIuLXfX-HMeHJoGvq6i2EI_RnA8Tlc0decJExS9PpZD8TJ4fShFxjSj0FZRZ0htmI4yIMNNelduBxDYso56ai4j2Uottvttywd3YY_S-m7pepfa-EDd_uq0XJVXk7NYUlvC_g_lNTQ/s320/IMG_3831.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Y'all know I love a shoe with a Snoball heel (after all, I've made four so far). After drooling over images of the <a href="http://www.nola.com/dining/index.ssf/2014/06/hansens_bananas_foster_snowbal.html">bananas foster topping</a> available as a special Wednesday-only at Hansen's I just had to exorcise my food-lust demons with another shoe. Here she is so far:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamhWeASVANKxlq_GW735TfQWZPiX2Ej22aKWlGI-vpZA1Bx3qDhAXG_gBQ1d4PoC0e9NXUEXp6_wx84siyDrCBz8WJW8Hrsgpu9lZAlL0-6XZLSfLiOB7ZANpEFgv5FiJr0_YCe2W8DUy/s1600/IMG_4282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamhWeASVANKxlq_GW735TfQWZPiX2Ej22aKWlGI-vpZA1Bx3qDhAXG_gBQ1d4PoC0e9NXUEXp6_wx84siyDrCBz8WJW8Hrsgpu9lZAlL0-6XZLSfLiOB7ZANpEFgv5FiJr0_YCe2W8DUy/s320/IMG_4282.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhog0H-SnWg9e5yV5_n0xePk-5G0PBkELsA6LWdeItZmJGrbGXSRW-lBmyM_9uBQwAhilSGcjP7AS81WWs19TXIJp2ACxXTj65vHDV0MUfxdrgwU9UMiEqxVeVDL0nrmQ5Ztfhf9J4rbzEs/s1600/IMG_4285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhog0H-SnWg9e5yV5_n0xePk-5G0PBkELsA6LWdeItZmJGrbGXSRW-lBmyM_9uBQwAhilSGcjP7AS81WWs19TXIJp2ACxXTj65vHDV0MUfxdrgwU9UMiEqxVeVDL0nrmQ5Ztfhf9J4rbzEs/s320/IMG_4285.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrPeUxs6l6lMz6tfXp5bCFvf_dbQXnaErHPuNThsxwwCNTT1H5IM8GTdKvg9Cv6qgr5rRG65v0sPRQlQZK1akNEwW_cIc9XIpp8RK_DOIA-a1H1T37z8yMtKP-FnDM-RudAc47uubbI0a/s1600/IMG_4290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrPeUxs6l6lMz6tfXp5bCFvf_dbQXnaErHPuNThsxwwCNTT1H5IM8GTdKvg9Cv6qgr5rRG65v0sPRQlQZK1akNEwW_cIc9XIpp8RK_DOIA-a1H1T37z8yMtKP-FnDM-RudAc47uubbI0a/s320/IMG_4290.JPG" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ooooh sexy Instagram filter on this shot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The bananas are baked and painted polymer clay and the snoball itself is a foam ball glittered with Martha Stewart "lemondrop." The gooey caramel loveliness is represented by tons of drippy gold glitter paint (Tulips 3D Scribbles, my go-to for glettering transfers). The cup is a plastic Mardi Gras cup covered first with a layer of opaque teal (I want to say Gary's glitter by the pound), then followed up with a layer of iridescent sheer (Martha Stewart "blueberry slush"). Sidebar: I picked up a bunch of sale Martha Stewart glitter at Michael's a while back and now it seems it's been discontinued there...anyone know what's up? Are they no-longer carrying it, or revamping the line or what? I love the effect of layering iridescent over opaque like this - such a rich depth of color! The interior is the same effect: opaque magenta with iridescent sheer hot pink over it, this time Recollections. Gold trim from Joann's around the edges and criss-crossed "straps" made from faux little white spoons (actually craft foam stiffened with plastic sheets, then glittered with sheer white glitter from Gary's). I will have to blog about using plastic in combination with craft foam another time, but it has been a game changer for me in terms of allowing my to just build whatever I want from scratch.<br />
<br />
As usual, there are things I'd do differently on it if I had a time machine, but overall I love how this shoe is turning out. The cup needs a lot of embellishment since I love that color blue but it's pretty plain at the moment - I'm leaning towards a riff on the 75th Anniversary cup design, but replacing the numbers with 17th or 18th because it'll be thrown in 2017 or 2018, Muses 17th or 18th year of rolling. <br />
<br />
What else? Experimenting with some fish shoes:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU81aes-_mhblcPkPsSxhP4oAs1AIY-_shwYHs4qUZOLfV7SgXP826INBZwnIW1ECCf5MEskxj9JwH3dsgTOmjdqMqGWtfp2u5LcB-8KsDL-Q34RN2fxPStpb1YCYuiqyCHP_zH8DpkKPK/s1600/IMG_4107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU81aes-_mhblcPkPsSxhP4oAs1AIY-_shwYHs4qUZOLfV7SgXP826INBZwnIW1ECCf5MEskxj9JwH3dsgTOmjdqMqGWtfp2u5LcB-8KsDL-Q34RN2fxPStpb1YCYuiqyCHP_zH8DpkKPK/s320/IMG_4107.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOU5VqoyswfRYhLdhKjCEYwix9S4YekHBCGsIUhO3vnCj57FrlHdeDxLIl4DkTjSzxvsSli2fd7D93cVK_ti1nS0-m9CNhIFvet0reGqdvx7UTHZrV_DmICETFSGz3dFFZQqFuMuCygHE6/s1600/IMG_4102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOU5VqoyswfRYhLdhKjCEYwix9S4YekHBCGsIUhO3vnCj57FrlHdeDxLIl4DkTjSzxvsSli2fd7D93cVK_ti1nS0-m9CNhIFvet0reGqdvx7UTHZrV_DmICETFSGz3dFFZQqFuMuCygHE6/s320/IMG_4102.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipG15eXkWq7rW55H7B7FR0KNvzvfSL_OWnu2Q1P9Y0E8frnX5r_9eXFCnE9F1_p9QpnHnItms4Hpv0yctXmcllHlrxTLCAYs86YdogZ-j9bR7Ep8q9I70EaGuF5-UKFtBaX5_cHyorucYH/s1600/IMG_4113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipG15eXkWq7rW55H7B7FR0KNvzvfSL_OWnu2Q1P9Y0E8frnX5r_9eXFCnE9F1_p9QpnHnItms4Hpv0yctXmcllHlrxTLCAYs86YdogZ-j9bR7Ep8q9I70EaGuF5-UKFtBaX5_cHyorucYH/s320/IMG_4113.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Lots more to come on those, including detailed instructions for making them yourself (it's super easy, you just need the right supplies).<br />
<br />
Lastly (for now), I made a Jefferson City Buzzards themed shoe as a gift for the Flamingos (who my sister and I ride with as subs) to present them:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AuQNTwTQxFN-8ap3zD1Of2E9VAgDY7EEM4FVgCJbX8v7o4aWMNW53MjlsuzZugddR47oumZQakd_V4159SYF09CGMuvASJAjPdr9EW038zn0iIcmF8ksUgx0nSZZwdANqZE66YiiWsO6/s1600/IMG_4497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AuQNTwTQxFN-8ap3zD1Of2E9VAgDY7EEM4FVgCJbX8v7o4aWMNW53MjlsuzZugddR47oumZQakd_V4159SYF09CGMuvASJAjPdr9EW038zn0iIcmF8ksUgx0nSZZwdANqZE66YiiWsO6/s320/IMG_4497.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
More soon - Happy Glittering!Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-46449233409651293652016-05-03T11:02:00.002-07:002016-05-03T11:02:08.999-07:00Morse Code and my Michael Jackson Muses Shoe (I swear, there's a connection)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqhJjFmG1r4RI_I90rmD4fMdXa8s92pyRu6NF9wh2QlePYZbGkQcOvNi5gwg1QLkYM9UdMbSG3r0-GiJl8kwdyMpUTM5Qty0B791Zy2XJOyES7Pls_wFPzP5_izibPcRqCc8fW3R1BES7/s1600/IMG_4379.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqhJjFmG1r4RI_I90rmD4fMdXa8s92pyRu6NF9wh2QlePYZbGkQcOvNi5gwg1QLkYM9UdMbSG3r0-GiJl8kwdyMpUTM5Qty0B791Zy2XJOyES7Pls_wFPzP5_izibPcRqCc8fW3R1BES7/s320/IMG_4379.PNG" width="320" /></a>In Malcolm Gladwell's book <u>Blink</u> he describes the phenomenon of "fist" in the context of telegraph operators and code-breakers during WWII. I'm no Malcolm Gladwell, but I'll sum up for those who haven't read it: the British women listening in on the German's messages eventually noticed that the way each operator tapped out their dots and dashes was distinctive, like a voice. The unique individualized way of sending a message in Morse code was termed "fist." Eventually, they could tell which operator was sending the coded messages, which gave them information indirectly even if they didn't know what the messages were saying (who was moving where, etc.).<br />
<br />
Now, I know I'm pretty obsessed (one might even say *addicted*) when it comes to glittered throws, but more and more I notice that individual glitter artists have their own distinctive styles, their own glue-and-sparkle-covered "fist," if you will. A certain type of trim or color palette, and I immediately have at least a guess whose shoe or purse I'm looking at (though all the marvelous cross-pollination we have going these days makes it a little tougher to trace). There's something to be said for identifying what elements characterize your style, both so you can push outside your comfort zone and, at the other end of the spectrum, so you can embrace your unique take on the throw.<br />
<br />
In weak moments I may believe I'm an exception because I'm so <i>super</i> versatile with such eclectic tastes in inspiration that this couldn't <i>possibly </i>be the case for me shoes, but who am I kidding with that? I think my signature style (certainly the shoes of mine that people are most responsive to) is what I tend to term the "structural shoe" which I define as a shoe where something has been built out or replaced, especially the heel/back of the shoe. For example, if the back of the shoe is a popcorn box, or a snoball or a trumpet...that's more likely to be one of my babies (though not always - plenty of other people rock this approach out). I am also most inspired by shoes in this style, like <a href="http://www.roberttabor.com/shoes.htm">Robert Tabor's Shoe Sculptures</a> and <a href="http://www.claudialynch.com/shoestories.html">Claudia Lynch's Shoe Stories Prints</a>.<br />
<br />
Last year a friend asked if I'd make her a Michael Jackson shoe last year, but Glitter Buzz Nola had recently absolutely crushed it on <a href="http://www.glitterbuzznola.com/2015/06/25/whos-bad-the-king-of-pop/">this fabulous pair of MJ shoes</a>. So I had to really think about it: "What are the unique elements of my shoe style? What can I bring to this concept? What would make it not only an MJ shoe but undeniably one of my shoes?" This was one of the shoes of 2016 that people most gushed over (in person and online), so I feel like that approach paid off in a really satisfying way. I'm also embracing my crazy a little more, so I felt like it was ok to lean into over-the-top construction details - hand placing hundreds of rhinestones is nuts, sure, but the end result was so worth it and that makes me happy.<br />
<br />
On to construction details and pics!<br />
<br />
Glitter Buzz Nola nailed the color palette, so I didn't deviate much from that: silver, black, red and plenty of clear rhinestones. I used Gary's glitter by the pound for the black and silver, and Martha Stewart "garnet" for the red.<br />
<br />
I knew I wanted the rhinestone glove on there, and considered attaching it like it was holding the shoe, very much like what you see here on <a href="http://www.virtualshoemuseum.com/fam-irvoll/hands">this weird pair</a> . But no matter how I configured that, it always looked a little creepy, like a disembodied zombie hand reaching out and grabbing onto your shoe. My overactive imagination aside, I needed something to bridge the gap. I decided to go with what I'm best at shoe-wise and put some structural element in place of the heel/back of the shoe. I made the heel into a stylized microphone, then wrapped the glove around that, then bedazzled like a mad women (which I am). Success! I loved the way this looked.<br />
<br />
The microphone is a foam ball covered with some netting I spray-painted silver on a cylinder of black craft foam with some silver trim. I stuffed the white glove (my late mother was a costumer, so her stash includes many many pairs of cheap white cotton gloves) with cotton and hot glued it to the microphone, then did several coats of white glitter to stiffen the fabric and add some shimmer between the rhinestone cracks.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJuv9M9emGpDrkXkBq45RQKGptR_sgdOHzDC2KfQ7HJfQ4Y-Wz75taufR0dIhrdUb39F8molzvbdlrAXPANwxWpXLAGZ6YMAPzvDN3AMfJ4U_Db27_v-Twn54KRkYaHLTYFEk3XytTwJA/s1600/IMG_4369.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJuv9M9emGpDrkXkBq45RQKGptR_sgdOHzDC2KfQ7HJfQ4Y-Wz75taufR0dIhrdUb39F8molzvbdlrAXPANwxWpXLAGZ6YMAPzvDN3AMfJ4U_Db27_v-Twn54KRkYaHLTYFEk3XytTwJA/s320/IMG_4369.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the shoe after the microphone and glove were added, before any beddazling. You can also see I used a little black craft foam to add some loafer detail to the shape.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once the glove was in place, I started adding the rhinestones one at a time. I used Jewel-It (devoted readers will remember that E6000, though near and dear to my heart, is no beuno for rhinestones and Elmer's wasn't really working out - not thick enough). This was my first foray into serious rhinestone coverage and I learned a lot. I used a wooden dowel and a plain chapstick to dip in glue and transfer rhinestones onto the glove, then buffed off the chapstick from the dried surface. That worked pretty well, but I have since invested in some of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beadaholique-Positioner-Swarovski-Flatbacks-Rhinestones/dp/B0096M2510/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462297699&sr=8-1&keywords=rhinestone+tool">these</a>, and they're even better (though I'm hoping Santa brings me a rhinestone katana). I've also started using GemTac instead of Jewel-It, and I might maybe like it a tiny bit better (though both are good).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAnkMafWS1HVxdQjmwl5yN0h59P-6WlyP74ll0fUs-V9PJFszhHLQD3Wo4vFUAhpFfLIRf2u3yO-XwQPAmvv9r6mu4PpxptSZFeTts4PpoOp4cGiJ9xXe_SJVuE1XsDqdjkUjMKUv98SR/s1600/IMG_4373.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAnkMafWS1HVxdQjmwl5yN0h59P-6WlyP74ll0fUs-V9PJFszhHLQD3Wo4vFUAhpFfLIRf2u3yO-XwQPAmvv9r6mu4PpxptSZFeTts4PpoOp4cGiJ9xXe_SJVuE1XsDqdjkUjMKUv98SR/s320/IMG_4373.PNG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhinestone coverage in process! Please don't judge the mess - it was nuts trying to get shoes done this year</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
One of the other elements of my style (though just about everyone else who uses this technique does it better than me, including former workshop attendees, which seriously bruises my poor frail ego) are transfers. If you haven't tried transfers yet, check out my write-up <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2014/10/faq-how-do-you-do-lettering-on-your.html">here</a> and Glitter Buzz NOLA's excellent blog post here <a href="http://www.glitterbuzznola.com/2016/03/13/draw-write-glittered-shoes/">here</a> (including video!!) It's an awesome way to add great detail to your shoes/purses/etc.<br />
<br />
I did a couple of black glitter silhouettes of MJ. I tried them on the red, but they popped most over the silver so I stuck them inside the shoe as a little hidden Easter egg type detail.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CJOst6zJE90JBUB1cZ0EBadhtOpp-OwuJIZWUlRILuhbsFQlO-1Rnockrs6l8yc2IAFx2VCS0Jg3XWHBDdoKRbOWVXm4WHZcPWVf-ltFhOXqy8UeInFxVt6WB_DyabA-M4om6ARTdrT7/s1600/IMG_4372.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CJOst6zJE90JBUB1cZ0EBadhtOpp-OwuJIZWUlRILuhbsFQlO-1Rnockrs6l8yc2IAFx2VCS0Jg3XWHBDdoKRbOWVXm4WHZcPWVf-ltFhOXqy8UeInFxVt6WB_DyabA-M4om6ARTdrT7/s320/IMG_4372.PNG" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The one of the far left didn't look as clean once transferred, so I just used the middle and right and made a graffiti lettering red "WHO'S BAD?" transfer to fill the space</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After glittering, adding the glove and hand placing hundreds of rhinestones, working out some additional glove embellishment and gluing on transfers (including the silhouettes, an "I <3 MJ" with the heart outlined in rhinestones, and Muses 2016), the shoe was ready to go be loved in it's new home:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqdJ_ufwCYjdcDD9xsYeLHlay0q-CC9TCcWgzyL2ejq62DQCzs8D5R4q-PyKjUwzprHn_XL9DI9o1pduvKvRFlh_U_7ml3UmgkjD7O7EUi7n8qi0Q1DPqGpmuOjgkfL7lLC_zoMXCup2Q/s1600/IMG_4374.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqdJ_ufwCYjdcDD9xsYeLHlay0q-CC9TCcWgzyL2ejq62DQCzs8D5R4q-PyKjUwzprHn_XL9DI9o1pduvKvRFlh_U_7ml3UmgkjD7O7EUi7n8qi0Q1DPqGpmuOjgkfL7lLC_zoMXCup2Q/s320/IMG_4374.PNG" width="312" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRI6gk5ovOI3eI2EmwSUHZG59QiidUNlJQcNlzS2q5Qnh3aJ2xr-GbK_8_Ri8NZPWOAgZKTr-lkX-6ZnL2YAnoJsvZpc-IfAYWGgHEErG0M8ySQcxb_G7VqJ6miOboNA0-iFh9V0PMHi3B/s1600/IMG_4375.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRI6gk5ovOI3eI2EmwSUHZG59QiidUNlJQcNlzS2q5Qnh3aJ2xr-GbK_8_Ri8NZPWOAgZKTr-lkX-6ZnL2YAnoJsvZpc-IfAYWGgHEErG0M8ySQcxb_G7VqJ6miOboNA0-iFh9V0PMHi3B/s320/IMG_4375.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfUMWzhCCmIh65wWaNFr1KhCAx42tWRQRax-PwSJHUB0MBnCdffPOwF-9Ji8fJ_TtWCrfZkbhjp5ASQly6XKcH40rGuUiexb39Krwo4gmKPE0rGyvaiOuIB-wYv8tc82-cLiesWA87yYY/s1600/IMG_4376.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfUMWzhCCmIh65wWaNFr1KhCAx42tWRQRax-PwSJHUB0MBnCdffPOwF-9Ji8fJ_TtWCrfZkbhjp5ASQly6XKcH40rGuUiexb39Krwo4gmKPE0rGyvaiOuIB-wYv8tc82-cLiesWA87yYY/s320/IMG_4376.PNG" width="285" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYKpPP-C58g_9aDmVyjUmLjftoA-0iTUJ_A0W6dMDZzsNEmmgzKHfWUuJPDTyf4IaopCKHjticYDw6FpdidiNHqbeg3hAzividOfQfurASPZD1y_fDntvTQ_MUAZRZu39vs3YzurVctKa/s1600/IMG_4377.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYKpPP-C58g_9aDmVyjUmLjftoA-0iTUJ_A0W6dMDZzsNEmmgzKHfWUuJPDTyf4IaopCKHjticYDw6FpdidiNHqbeg3hAzividOfQfurASPZD1y_fDntvTQ_MUAZRZu39vs3YzurVctKa/s320/IMG_4377.PNG" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxLpdEAWREtLPgbsMbDZIkWY-I_OBwIEQn6lzbfy0Jfneof-iBaeuiVixXazBZjJwpFuish5qNAyZzEBhG4q36bbRERHST4ODbyOHCXmzk2JDnLtUlDlhQFfLjKx-7HCTuRgfQkQR22CZ/s1600/IMG_4378.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxLpdEAWREtLPgbsMbDZIkWY-I_OBwIEQn6lzbfy0Jfneof-iBaeuiVixXazBZjJwpFuish5qNAyZzEBhG4q36bbRERHST4ODbyOHCXmzk2JDnLtUlDlhQFfLjKx-7HCTuRgfQkQR22CZ/s320/IMG_4378.PNG" width="277" /></a></div>
<br />
Next post I'll share what I'm working on right now for 2017 - pralines, fish shoes, snoballs...Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-46494535189669667312016-04-02T06:33:00.006-07:002016-04-02T06:33:53.300-07:00Inspiration!Lent is over and I'm officially back to glittering shoes (I may have slipped up a little at the end there...I'm only human). Anyways, time off glittering gave me a chance to organize, restock and plan out my shoes for 2017 and beyond. Since I'm feeling so very motivated, I thought I'd share some of what's inspired me in the past and is inspiring me right now.<br />
<br />
I'm often asked how I feel about people "copying" my shoes (not the word I'd chose...I much prefer "homage," especially when I'm the one doing the stealing). And I <u>always</u> say go for it - that's exactly what this is here for! The great thing about Mardi Gras throws is nobody's in it for money: my top priority is everyone making and receiving the best handmade throws. Anything I can do to help with that, I'm all about - techniques, ideas, heck I've even put supplies in the mail when I get email requests for them (rainbow sponges, gummy bears, mini snoballs...) So please "homage"/steal/recycle my ideas with 0% guilt - we're all in this together.<br />
<br />
Another reason why I can talk so big and pretend like I'm sooo high-minded and generous is this: if I were to be irritated by other people using my ideas, I would be a huge hypocrite because I am pretty much a footwear Jesse James over here.<br />
<br />
First and foremost, I look at other women's throws for creative mojo. No surprises there...it's the Krewe of <i>Muses</i> after all, divine inspiration is kinda their thing. When I started shoe glittering there wasn't as much of an online community, but now there are more and more opportunities to see handmade throws being shared online both by the makers and the lucky recipients.<br />
<br />
I do also get ideas from non-Muse-related sources. Even if you don't get any shoe ideas for your own personal stash (or, more likely, aren't even thinking about shoes yet because duh Mardi Gras is still like a year away), there's some really fun/clever/gorgeous eye candy in here to enjoy:<br />
<br />
1) <a href="http://www.claudialynch.com/shoestories.html">Shoe Stories </a>- I bought <u>Shoe Stories Two</u> at the Garden District Book Shop (a signed copy with the inscription "I wish shoe all the best" no less - this artist just gets me). As I flipped through I had a serious "oh my goodness, where has this been all my (shoe glittering) life?" moment. Clever and beautiful and very much up any Muses fangirl's alley - I'm definitely going to be drawing inspiration from here and the <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/shoeglitternola/dreaming-of-a-craft-room/">dream craft room</a> I keep redecorating in my head now includes some of those prints...<br />
<br />
2) Irregular Choice - Some designers are definitely secretly Muses, but are just making wearable versions. Irregular Choice, if you've never checked them out, are definitely in the shoes-as-art/conversation-piece camp. <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=irregular+choice&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS493US496&espv=2&biw=1517&bih=665&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiz2MGFgPDLAhXlgYMKHXU1CfQQ_AUIBygC&dpr=0.9">Image search Irregular Choice </a>and enjoy racking up great shoe ideas.<br />
Hard to pick favs when there are so many mind-blowing designs, but their <a href="http://www.irregularchoice.com/blog/2015/10/30/the-phenomenal-star-wars-irregular-choice-collection-is-here/">Star Wars Collection</a> and new <a href="http://www.dailydot.com/geek/irregular-choice-disney-alice-in-wonderland-shoes/">Disney Alice in Wonderland Collection</a> are amazing.<br />
<br />
3) Botanical Shoes - I bought and have very much enjoyed <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Fleur-A-Footwear-Fantasy/dp/1599620367">Shoe Fleur</a>, and have been perusing this artist's work as well: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/brownleeartstudio?ref=l2-shop-info-name">Brown Lee Art Studio</a>. They tend to be a little more abstract/harder to directly copy structural elements from, but for me they make up for it in aesthetics. Since New Orleans is basically a tropical paradise, you can work a lot of thematic botanical stuff into your shoes. The artichoke shoe in Shoe Fleur inspired my artichoke shoe long before I even owned the book.<br />
<br />
4) Robert Tabor - You may not know him by name, but if you're in the crazy-shoe-game, I bet you recognize at least a few <a href="http://www.roberttabor.com/shoes.htm">Robert Tabor Shoe Sculptures</a>. His brilliant sandwich flip-flop gave me the idea for the shrimp poboy flip flop, his auto-mo-heels series deserves some of the credit for getting me to try wheels on shoes... there are too many other credits to possibly identify. Also be sure to check out his etsy shop (<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/SoleSensations?ref=l2-shopheader-name">Sole Sensations</a>) and please join me in coveting <a href="http://www.roberttabor.com/displays.htm">that spectacular high heel chandeleir</a> he made.<br />
<br />
All for now - happy glittering!!Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-39001910230887182012016-02-18T16:33:00.001-08:002016-02-18T16:34:51.817-08:00Tiffany Blue Glitter Shoes - Updated for 2016!Giving up glittering for lent will *fingers crossed* hopefully mean catching up on blogging. So here goes!<br />
<br />
In 2014, I did a <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2013/11/tiffany-box-shoe.html">Tiffany Box Shoe</a> and shared my thoughts/research/insanity on how best to match that iconic shade (at the time, I went with Recollections "frost" blended with Martha Stewart "wintermint") and a recent chat with a fellow shoe-glitter-enthusiast reminded me I've been meaning to write an updated post!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/shoeglitternola/tiffany-shoe-research/">Tiffany Box</a> is a fairly common theme for Muses shoe glitterers - like ruby slippers and Cinderella shoes, it's just one of those themes we all love to put our own unique spin on (full disclosure: I was not the first). Tiffany blue and black are also the official krewe colors of the newest arrival on the Carnival scene, <a href="http://www.kreweofpandora.org/">the Krewe of Pandora</a> (their signature throw is a hand decorated glittered box). So maybe some Pandora ladies will find their way here and find this info useful! Maybe you have no idea what I'm talking about with all this "krewe" and "signature throw" talk, but want to DIY some Tiffany blue shoes for your wedding day - I got your back.<br />
<br />
My glitter collection has grown a lot since 2014, including a new shade introduced by Martha Stewart called "crystal mint," which is pretty damned near perfectly matched to Tiffany blue (probably not a coincidence based on the sheer volume of Tiffany blue that appears in wedding boards on Pinterest). So while I stand by my blending on Tiffany Box Shoe version 1.0, it was time to revisit the concept. I pulled some "top contenders" for the closest mix-free match to Tiffany blue (including the two I'd mixed previously and a Tiffany & Co. bag for comparison) and put it up to a vote over on my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/glitter_addict_nola/">Instagram account</a>:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0y-l-Eqjd7q2e9WFjaZRrgblXCI4ql0w8pOiYA-JcI0LH1UMDIg4TWWeZFr1b6lr4gfuBeM1ZxPDmJFE5gE40kjBW2-uLbyb04RmgN7SdDJat1s9UXKEzyz1goNLywiTIaud069cmX7pA/s1600/tiffanyblue.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0y-l-Eqjd7q2e9WFjaZRrgblXCI4ql0w8pOiYA-JcI0LH1UMDIg4TWWeZFr1b6lr4gfuBeM1ZxPDmJFE5gE40kjBW2-uLbyb04RmgN7SdDJat1s9UXKEzyz1goNLywiTIaud069cmX7pA/s320/tiffanyblue.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#1 is Martha Stewart "wintermint," #2 is Recollections "frost," #3 is Martha Stewart "crystal mint" and #4 is ultra fine glitter from Joann's in "Caribbean blue"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Popular opinion (and I happen to agree) was that #3 was the closest match to Tiffany blue. So there you have it - just make sure (as always with an iridescent sheer glitter) you're layering over a similar pale blue or white so the underlying shoe color doesn't bleed through (I would prime with white spray paint first, personally or start with a white shoe or purse). I should also note that Martha Stewart "crystal mint" is what GlitterBuzzNola used for her Tiffany shoe, and <a href="http://www.glitterbuzznola.com/2015/08/10/tiffany-blue-i-love-you/">you can see for yourself how lovely it turned out</a>. I buy Martha Stewart glitter at Michael's (usually using a 40% off coupon), you can buy it online <a href="https://www.createforless.com/Martha-Stewart-Glitter-Iridescent-Crystal-Mint/pid246939.aspx">here</a>. Note that there isn't any "crystal mint" in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Y6HFBK/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=1944687722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00O8TCKAW&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0T5JNC4A02JTCAHP947F">12-pack</a>, so you're looking at getting one of the 1.5 oz bottles (which is about the right amount for covering one average sized shoe).<br />
<br />
I can't just leave it at that though, as Martha Stewart iridescent glitter is on the higher end of the price per ounce scale. Martha Stewart iridescent glitter is $5.99 for a 1.5 ounce bottle at Michael's, so $4/ounce if you're buying full price, a somewhat more reasonable $2.40/ounce if you use a 40% off coupon.<br />
<br />
The #4 option shown, <a href="http://www.joann.com/extra-fine-glitter-2-ounces/zprd_11609260a.html">Extra Fine Glitter</a> from Joann's is a bit cheaper: $4.49 for 2 ounces, so $2.25/ounce regular price and $1.35/ounce with a 40% off coupon (though honestly I tend to use my coupons at Joann's on trim, as I think that gives me more bang for my buck, so I'd probably be getting this on a 20% off entire purchase coupon day instead)<br />
<br />
If all that math isn't really your thing and you just want to make a decision based on color/prettiness, here are some pictures to help with that:<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNoc87ae7PA0Z_Rg66jEnuhcj2_KgZsphFPR3i0zy28t5i2kkMtE7SwwpG4QDsn6X8xOprtPeY0HApKt3pXY7j5TLevCO5rqFXeg9WErBB9wvonHRGTDBFtEZ_Qt3WdsyGfNo7ZkXGQt5/s1600/IMG_0479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNoc87ae7PA0Z_Rg66jEnuhcj2_KgZsphFPR3i0zy28t5i2kkMtE7SwwpG4QDsn6X8xOprtPeY0HApKt3pXY7j5TLevCO5rqFXeg9WErBB9wvonHRGTDBFtEZ_Qt3WdsyGfNo7ZkXGQt5/s320/IMG_0479.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiffnay bag for comparison plus glitter samples (essentially what I posted on IG but no filter)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uzDsBVrDCNPcAVyTKINkIyRYRJFGcfBXGRB5p4LcE7sAVbdRufzA2GlPJ1maDQKiWW2GaOpk9ifnSC8Nk1WCM0_zs7-GYY8GgEunX8_-YVk58E4ya3_iyZDNo12chIpZHj3lt4YLZUND/s1600/IMG_0486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uzDsBVrDCNPcAVyTKINkIyRYRJFGcfBXGRB5p4LcE7sAVbdRufzA2GlPJ1maDQKiWW2GaOpk9ifnSC8Nk1WCM0_zs7-GYY8GgEunX8_-YVk58E4ya3_iyZDNo12chIpZHj3lt4YLZUND/s320/IMG_0486.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Samples of (left to right) MS "wintermint," Recollections "frost," MS "crystal mint" and Joann's fine glitter "Caribbean blue" with flash</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICUwAB7fpRPy7XsShXdKpXGrdb3m76W6_n81-IgD7ItipyajsIdaKDxf6PNe2V5z7QFSM3q1YdOEIB5GBi5rPa2mHdn29_DuC9ireFfGXUMqqYyLipiT2zG_ZY5s9hcNxxfsmwsIBrCtB/s1600/IMG_0492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICUwAB7fpRPy7XsShXdKpXGrdb3m76W6_n81-IgD7ItipyajsIdaKDxf6PNe2V5z7QFSM3q1YdOEIB5GBi5rPa2mHdn29_DuC9ireFfGXUMqqYyLipiT2zG_ZY5s9hcNxxfsmwsIBrCtB/s320/IMG_0492.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Tiffany bag on the far left for comparison, and full bottles of glitter with samples of each. The big jar on the far right and the sample below the others is Gary's glitter by the pound which wasn't in the original voting block.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMU5duvEeIeMoYjZjRAHX_rdDK9jXQ0aPDH9Uw5SgdmWmrsYipeyc-AHA5pObyUe06DkxhpfegfHnH8RBlDYrypDxz4HxD0oibTEhNta8moF6NWB824z4O3v-pg-7AOy3Wmuu1_20zP9WT/s1600/IMG_0495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMU5duvEeIeMoYjZjRAHX_rdDK9jXQ0aPDH9Uw5SgdmWmrsYipeyc-AHA5pObyUe06DkxhpfegfHnH8RBlDYrypDxz4HxD0oibTEhNta8moF6NWB824z4O3v-pg-7AOy3Wmuu1_20zP9WT/s320/IMG_0495.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same, but with flash</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So, what I'm doing on my Tiffany Box 2.0 (I'm doing some riffs on the box wedge approach I did for my Chocolate Box shoe, including a Tiffany box filled with jewels), is two coats of the cheaper Joann's and a third exterior coat of "crystal mint" so I can use the pricier stuff in moderation and save it for another shoe (maybe another Tiffany shoe or two or three, who knows?) I'm planning a Disney themed challenge for myself this year, and I imagine it'll come in handy there.<br />
<br />
Here's my Tiffany Box after the first two coats of Joann's "Caribbean blue," I will update when the shoe is finished:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOwwt1EPXGe7E1v0FCSFLZWO15YotZ0lRy1xcMNRUi5MpqIqWSUOJ64N2l-ZzjeOeqsXq5aIB0OYOtKJodYMaM16ieQoYSNWA4xHn_hclGWWjM56f9KgsaZAqOkOC0krjdk4wsldVJSlP/s1600/IMG_0548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOwwt1EPXGe7E1v0FCSFLZWO15YotZ0lRy1xcMNRUi5MpqIqWSUOJ64N2l-ZzjeOeqsXq5aIB0OYOtKJodYMaM16ieQoYSNWA4xHn_hclGWWjM56f9KgsaZAqOkOC0krjdk4wsldVJSlP/s320/IMG_0548.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I also must add that Gary's makes a powdery blue that I straight up fell in love with this year. Gary's is one of the best prices around ($8.50 <b>per pound </b>the last time I was in there) and who doesn't love to buy local? It's just a hair too pale to be a 100% perfect match for Tiffany blue, but it's pretty close and so so much cheaper than Martha Stewart. When I posted this shoe I was fiddling with over on Instagram, I actually got comments that it looked I was doing a Tiffany shoe!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gAemofOhX7pWYmsNShf397PfNUd8ZLY2DvKtY0GG9P3yPom6qNi1wKuoY2ICYmAODhKE_fPEqGGjQYBul0P9ql2RXU-IuRfTnBs-tDbS0cmA5HnUIRNpJI98uxojF9293mTNCRkiMYox/s1600/cinderella.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gAemofOhX7pWYmsNShf397PfNUd8ZLY2DvKtY0GG9P3yPom6qNi1wKuoY2ICYmAODhKE_fPEqGGjQYBul0P9ql2RXU-IuRfTnBs-tDbS0cmA5HnUIRNpJI98uxojF9293mTNCRkiMYox/s320/cinderella.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
So, I would definitely recommend a trip to Gary's, especially if you had a ton of boxes to glitter...at the very least you could give yourself a break by doing 1-2 coats of that, then following up with a coat of one of the pricier glitters if your heart was really set on one of them.<br />
<br />
Ribbon-wise, I used an actual Tiffany box ribbon on the first shoe, but for this one I'm using papermart.com double-faced white satin ribbon. I buy a ton of stuff from papermart.com (including the plastic gift bags I use for my shoes and sequin trim), and I've liked everything I've bought from them. And no I don't get anything for saying that (don't I wish!) Their <a href="http://www.papermart.com/real-satin-ribbons/id=9913">double faced real satin ribbon</a> is luxury on a spool. Sidebar: they also sell glitter by the pound and in little 1 ounce bottles...it's a little less fine/chunkier than Martha Stewart, Recolllections or Gary's, but still workable (what it lacks in fineness it makes up for in brightness). Explore the site a little, and if you're ordering anything get yourself a few of the 1 ounce tubes to check out/play with if you're curious and get a spool or two of sequin trim from them (you have to pay for shipping, but the cheapness of the sequin trim is worth it).<br />
<br />
Sooooo that's everything I've got on Tiffany Box glittering...anyone got any other tips? Leave 'em in the comments pretty please!Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-74325868702270336992016-02-13T08:45:00.001-08:002016-02-13T08:45:57.357-08:00Carnival 2016 RecapHello hello! I've been away for quite a while, due to a combination of business with shoes (this year my sister and I both rode and I started having workshops, but more on that later), business with my son (growing like a weed, and getting extremely mobile and exploratory) and attempts to guard the secrecy of the theme (I did a ton of "Sweet Sixteen" shoes and couldn't trust myself to walk the line).<br />
<br />
On the bright side, if you've missed me I'll be back more the next few months - I am giving up glitter for lent so I can catch up on blogging and organize my space (it got way out of hand). So, while I'm sorry I wasn't here for you when you, you know, actually wanted to read about glittering shoes, I do have lots of tips and tricks and eye candy to share for the people crazy enough to start thinking about Carnival 2017 early.<br />
<br />
But with the 2016 Mardi Gras season past (sad face), I am reflecting on the past year and ready to post my "Top 10" highlights of the past year's shoe making (my 2015 recap can be found <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2015/02/happy-mardi-gras.html">here</a> and my 2014 recap can be found <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2014/03/2014-shoes-lessons-learned.html">here</a>).<br />
<br />
<b>1) RIDING RIDING RIDING OMG RIDING</b><br />
<br />
People are often surprised by the fact that I don't ride and am not even a member of Muses, which makes sense because honestly, what kind of nut jar would be so obsessed with a group they aren't even a member of?<br />
<br />
For those who don't know, I started making shoes in 2012 (this was my 5th year of making shoes) when some good family friends started riding and we all stumbled through the process together. Not to sound all "in my day we walked 5 miles uphill both ways in the snow" but there wasn't nearly as much guidance available back then, so we did a lot of trial and error that first year. It was chaotic and more experiments failed than succeeded, but I remember it really fondly - we made a total mess of my mom's dining room, but we had fun and spent time together and that's what it's really about, right? Anyways, we're now all glitter addicted, and I starting blogging to keep track of tips and ideas, but I had never ridden. UNTIL THIS YEAR.<br />
<br />
Our friends let my sister and I sub in for them (a gift the magnitude of which is difficult to even wrap one's head around) and it was indescribably amazing. Words can't do it justice. I cannot wait to ride again.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHek_1q4De2y_FnpqjpJKgtpBVd4DcgAnq4MUB-DhDbo3kJ__KDEwiHHvyXyvdlUh_6PvW3A6nFYg5C2PN5FeSrUbLQZRJ4uRW7Fi9Xs5yGTiaaGIWCffysKJh8jAHHoGizDjJoRKtX5yF/s1600/loadin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHek_1q4De2y_FnpqjpJKgtpBVd4DcgAnq4MUB-DhDbo3kJ__KDEwiHHvyXyvdlUh_6PvW3A6nFYg5C2PN5FeSrUbLQZRJ4uRW7Fi9Xs5yGTiaaGIWCffysKJh8jAHHoGizDjJoRKtX5yF/s320/loadin.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do I look excited, or what? I started making this face when we loaded in (it was "really real" at that point) and pretty much didn't stop making it until I passed out from exhaustion post-ride. I was so, so psyched.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrJyjtjxhAr0HhcOrlc8VHiJwn1X1ldJpaawymxDEWPwWplBpOd6Qq4fpReH6is0irGyG5ElX6-NwOTEMPp_bmSuhUSiMlZxyU8yFvUnGd8ETgY7ViDBi4-C9G6cTezEwIuaEK7c6aiPd/s1600/muses2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrJyjtjxhAr0HhcOrlc8VHiJwn1X1ldJpaawymxDEWPwWplBpOd6Qq4fpReH6is0irGyG5ElX6-NwOTEMPp_bmSuhUSiMlZxyU8yFvUnGd8ETgY7ViDBi4-C9G6cTezEwIuaEK7c6aiPd/s320/muses2016.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See what I mean about the excited expression being permanently pasted to my face throughout the process? Sister friend was a more seasoned professional when it came to riding, and thus more chillaxed than newbie me. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfEdkjk_FITfRRSRr63_32k9hkVUFNaeqHKLSrDxDWUtF4EE98076pFZZJVt26e4wcqd8pZ8HpgM8fQLL-AIL4Su-R7opFBYPhT3kvaVUVJSJGt5RKY3qbYyNtxaHiy9zCrnp8fTHMKre/s1600/sweetcharity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfEdkjk_FITfRRSRr63_32k9hkVUFNaeqHKLSrDxDWUtF4EE98076pFZZJVt26e4wcqd8pZ8HpgM8fQLL-AIL4Su-R7opFBYPhT3kvaVUVJSJGt5RKY3qbYyNtxaHiy9zCrnp8fTHMKre/s320/sweetcharity.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing at the pre-pre-party, getting psyched for the ride.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RkYx-cu-Laup7fmZiSLme7crNWkQGxygHxzG627-96R517bvYzCXW0MYvJJ_1zKME0y7xr1j_s2AA4PB_qlTbjLJNQxiNAD4JVSjuhzT8rUEB1r7p_8L7vEac-v8_3kamedY2Wo0L2yn/s1600/float.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RkYx-cu-Laup7fmZiSLme7crNWkQGxygHxzG627-96R517bvYzCXW0MYvJJ_1zKME0y7xr1j_s2AA4PB_qlTbjLJNQxiNAD4JVSjuhzT8rUEB1r7p_8L7vEac-v8_3kamedY2Wo0L2yn/s320/float.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loved the color of this wig, I seriously no joke want to dye my hair this color.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Riding did give me some new insights....I learned a lot about shoe strategy that I couldn't possibly have picked up any other way but first hand (I will share my thoughts on that here in greater length in the near future....)<br />
<br />
<b>2) WORKSHOPS</b><br />
The other huge "development" in my glitter shoeing this year was that I started holding workshops to hang out with like-minded glitter addicts, share tips in person and generally offer more comprehensive hands-on training than I can provide in blog format. I'm definitely still optimizing, but every single one I held was really fun and I absolutely fell in love with glittering socially. Feedback has been positive, everyone seems to be glad they took the workshops and, regardless of experience level, picked up something new. Pictures of the one workshop that luckily happened to correspond with a professional photographer ringer being in town are <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2015/09/pictures-from-september-workshop.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Demand has been crazy, so there will definitely be more workshops in the Spring and onward (maybe even the summer if I can find an indoor space). If you aren't following me on Instagram (glitter_addict_nola), just a heads-up that I post over there more often than I post here (it's just easier now that I have a little one), but I will try to announce workshops in both spots.<br />
<br />
<b>3) Meet ups!</b><br />
Partly due to workshops, partly due to riding, and partly due to really wanting to meet some of the amazing artists I'd been stalking online, I started having digital-glitter-penpals and, better still, meeting other glitterers in person. I've generally been super awkward at pretty much every turn (Me: *spaz spaz spaz* ILOVEYOURSHOES *spaz spaz*), but my embarrassment has been totally worth finding my Sole Sisters. So I definitely look at 2016 as the year I made some glitter friends IRL (as the kids say). This is probably also motivated by the fact that we're moving home this summer, so being part of a community of glitterers is finally a realistic goal (I love Memphis, but nobody does glitter like New Orleaneans).<br />
<br />
<b>4) Sweet 16 Themed Shoes</b><br />
I was so excited about this year's theme I wound up doing a bunch of "sweet" shoes, including the Cake Shoes. It was fun to do something a little different than I usually do, and I learned a lot of new techniques and tricks in the process, all of which I can't wait to share here (just because the "Sweet 16" is passed doesn't mean gummy bears and snowballs won't continue to look adorable on shoes). I was delighted to see a few other Muses took a swing at some cake shoes. I think it's great fun to try something new, because once you push out of your comfort zone you get to add all those new tricks to your crafter's toolkit. I got much more comfortable with craft foam, resin, fake frosting, and polymer clay this year, and I'm confident those are materials that will show up again and again in my throws. Mad scientist experimentation for the win!<br />
<br />
Sneak peak of upcoming "sweet" techniques I'll be talking about here in the coming month:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMXbm13LpWFy_u7v8Yj2_gJH3Xw8CiQzKLvnEt0aVisLZPsaI4ZpxIzz4iSF4h5aLRxSImheRbducXPbGhubzq1XS11pmG3UIrXWHKHi2W3gFtvVqAJuKGAW7_uzMF88Bf8nWdlM9Xge4/s1600/resin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMXbm13LpWFy_u7v8Yj2_gJH3Xw8CiQzKLvnEt0aVisLZPsaI4ZpxIzz4iSF4h5aLRxSImheRbducXPbGhubzq1XS11pmG3UIrXWHKHi2W3gFtvVqAJuKGAW7_uzMF88Bf8nWdlM9Xge4/s400/resin.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resin embellishments! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOY8pwd_u5bjnQWAs3PRjtDoIgAtUX2-9Muk1ivo4Ud7wvrRgwAOoikAdyU-aQwLrqxv7mGAWIX3atk6urSDFru81hoQiCQCNcZpTgB4IABXMIZpGv7iZr1BtgpiRIj7leICv9FWD_svUs/s1600/polymerclay.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOY8pwd_u5bjnQWAs3PRjtDoIgAtUX2-9Muk1ivo4Ud7wvrRgwAOoikAdyU-aQwLrqxv7mGAWIX3atk6urSDFru81hoQiCQCNcZpTgB4IABXMIZpGv7iZr1BtgpiRIj7leICv9FWD_svUs/s400/polymerclay.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polymer clay treats!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3_tAmm-O5-X-9SC9_f5nZdwvl3670X40Dee_UWez-2Fr3pLPXcYkTAPR6u-KrjqKdp6V-r7q29d9HHsIr0-iD3YhaOpNm0ArFhkEvdhWMNRGUL8YUjS4G3w5TOALS86ruGqSvkLcoPar/s1600/babysnoballs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3_tAmm-O5-X-9SC9_f5nZdwvl3670X40Dee_UWez-2Fr3pLPXcYkTAPR6u-KrjqKdp6V-r7q29d9HHsIr0-iD3YhaOpNm0ArFhkEvdhWMNRGUL8YUjS4G3w5TOALS86ruGqSvkLcoPar/s320/babysnoballs.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby snoballs!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I will say that while I really loved doing theme shoes (apart from the candy craving that took hold of me and never let up...), for 2017 I'm looking forward to getting back to my "roots," i.e. shoes that embody my love of New Orleans culture. I think that's what people get most excited for (both blog readers looking for inspiration and parade goers hoping to catch shoes), and as an added bonus doing non-thematic shoes means I don't have to worry about what to share and what to keep secret.</div>
<br />
<b>5) Constraint leads to creativity</b><br />
I've always felt this was true on a vague/abstract level, but this year really brought that message home for me. Challenging myself to find ways to translate cakes, cookies, candy, etc. into shoes forced me to teach myself a bunch of new techniques and experiment with new materials. I also had a month where I didn't let myself start any new shoes, which made me finish up a bunch of halfway done ones that were languishing on my glitterage shelves and I felt super productive at the end of the month (I sometimes have focus problems - a new idea pops into my head and I want to make it RIGHT NOW, even though I have other unfinished works in progress). I've been brainstorming some mini-challenges, I think that's going to be great fun.<br />
<br />
<b>6) First ever video blog!</b><br />
After putting together the written tutorial for cake shoes, I felt like a lot of the steps were way easier to show rather than tell. My husband's pretty tech-savvy when it comes to video editing, so we strapped the new baby to his chest and went for it. I'm really happy with it - usually I'm so picky about projects like that, but with the baby we kind of had to just slap it together and not be too hard on ourselves, and I think that was good for me. More videos are in the works/planning phase - next up is hopefully a video on the Transfer Technique!<br />
<br />
<b>7) The Flamingos</b><br />
I must've done something great in a past life, because not only did I get to ride this year, I got to ride with the hands-down funnest chicks in all of Carnival - the Muses Flamingos. There was <a href="http://www.nola.com/mardigras/index.ssf/2016/02/muses_irvin_mayfield_parade.html">an article in nola.com about the Flamingos pre-pre-party</a> that gives you an idea of how fun they are, and you can check out their Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MusesFlamingos/">here</a>. These ladies were lovely, clever, creative, fabulous and so warm and welcoming to my sister and I - everything you'd think of when you'd think of the Krewe of Muses! In December I also did a Flamingos-only workshop (for 18 women!!), and had a great time creating shoes with the "flock." I'm obviously biased, but the fact that they organized a special glitter workshop for the float is just one example of how awesome the Flamingo LTs are. I couldn't ask for a better group to ride with, but now I'm spoiled!!<br />
<br />
<b>8) Glitter Addict Shoes in the Newses</b><br />
It's always thrilling to see one of my shoes somewhere other than my blog or Pinterest (don't get me wrong though, I love Pinterest), and this year I had a few shoes find their way into the media. <a href="http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/multimedia/photos/14494243-32/photos-carnival-cranks-up">My Lucky Dog shoe was in the Advocate</a> and the shoe I did based on our float theme (Sweet Charity, skewering Irvin Mayfield) was up on Nola.com in <a href="http://www.nola.com/mardigras/index.ssf/2016/02/muses_irvin_mayfield_parade.html">an article about the Flamingo pre-pre-party</a>. <a href="https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10153272161936231&id=211970276230">Camellia Red Beans shared my red beans & rice wedge</a>. <br />
<br />
Muses Shoes in general got a lot of love this year, most notably <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BetteMidler/photos/a.116098101783000.15816.115099421882868/1021099137949554/?type=3&theater">Bette Middler sharing Cari R.'s peacock shoe from the Treo exhibit</a>. Glitterers, the eyes of the world are upon us! Local businesses started really showcasing the customized handmade shoes Muses Goddesses granted them like the treasures they are - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BBX9HgftvCt/?taken-by=sucreneworleans">Sucre shared a really beautiful Sucre-themed shoe they received</a>, and Dirty Coast shared <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BAsJpE2Hh5P/?taken-by=dirtycoast">their "Throw Like a Girl" Gator Slipper</a> (not to name drop, but I totally know that shoe glitterer). Happy were they whom the Muses loved this year!<br />
<br />
<b>9) The Treo Show</b><br />
People are always commenting "that's really a work of art!" on Facebook/IG/Pinterest posts of fabulous Muses shoes or Nyx purses. This year (in what will surely go down as one of the greatest ideas of all time), the cocktail/small plates-art gallery combo Treo hosted a show of handmade glittered throws, <a href="http://treonola.com/treo-events/mardi-gras-haute-couture-a-joint-nyx-and-muses-art-show/">Mardi Gras Haute Couture: A Joint Nyx and Muses Art Show</a>. Shoes and purses can be purchased, with the proceeds benefiting the respective organizations' charities. It runs until the end of February (02/27), so if check it out!<br />
<br />
I have a shoe in the show, <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2014/12/mr-okra-shoe.html">the Mr. Okra Shoe</a> (you can see a much better picture in this <a href="http://www.neworleans.me/journal/detail/1154/The-Journey-of-the-Muses-Shoe">neworleans.me</a> article, "The Journey of the Muses Shoe"). I also have some shoes headed to an exhibit in Canada, so I'm definitely going to be walking around calling myself an "artiste" for quite some time.<br />
<br />
<b>10) Holy crap, glitterers of Carnival, y'all are more amazing than ever (yeah, I don't have an articulate heading for this one)</b><br />
Every year I remark on how the online glittering community has grown and gotten more impressive, creative and fabulous. This year was no exception. This year's everyone's shoes managed to jump an energy level, surpassing anything I've seen previously. I will share links here soon so y'all can be similarly inspired, I promise. 2017 is going to be the best year yet for glitter.<br />
<br />
Only 376 DAYS until MUSES 2017!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-67392189991292097182015-10-22T09:33:00.003-07:002015-10-22T09:33:42.277-07:00Cake Shoes Tutorial VIDEO!!Very excited to share my first "vlog" post.<br />
<br />
Watch me make a cake shoe start to finish here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWHsMEVM3sY">Making Glittered Cake Shoes Video on YouTube</a><br />
<br />
This covers the same material in the written Cake Shoes tutorial (which can be found <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2015/06/cake-shoes-great-big-enormous-tutorial.html">here</a>), but in video form (some steps are easier to understand if you watch them, and some people just pick things up more readily if they can see things in action vs. reading directions).<br />
<br />
Would love to hear what y'all think!!Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-35724167112331921222015-09-16T16:33:00.001-07:002015-09-16T16:33:12.938-07:00Pictures from the September Workshop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Had an amazing time doing the Glittering 101 Workshops this past Saturday: we laughed, we glittered, everyone regardless of their experience level made gorgeous throws, and I put a pretty decent dent in the champagne-sherbet cocktails...Can't wait for the next one!! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For now, I will enjoy the memories by perusing some pictures (credit: <a href="http://www.nicolemunchelphoto.com/">Nicole Munchel Photography</a>)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjy_GOLC3qDOGRvMj1O-oTN_4VVlGvYG0TgdjuT54PwtMIBXrSnnOhL3FE3rfoSjAxzFRrCKJ6GfvnF9oMdqjK-BkamikF02SiAfu-Bz8tvc2t-rlyampazZPKQ8Xkuq1b219UjTaTpZx2/s1600/glitter_workshop-8085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjy_GOLC3qDOGRvMj1O-oTN_4VVlGvYG0TgdjuT54PwtMIBXrSnnOhL3FE3rfoSjAxzFRrCKJ6GfvnF9oMdqjK-BkamikF02SiAfu-Bz8tvc2t-rlyampazZPKQ8Xkuq1b219UjTaTpZx2/s400/glitter_workshop-8085.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtQaf522BmPyAeo-NmpiASdprOG_GXYzJzWf9maW_b0yJWuIY8q08WwBJqDGalhYk9ivfQ0XhibL4THvWbDgT5Sk41Dq_r-WrFO4PSuRaF9WvEyVmagT8rOqq6j928yvnJcIxXAP_WzoD/s1600/glitter_workshop-8093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtQaf522BmPyAeo-NmpiASdprOG_GXYzJzWf9maW_b0yJWuIY8q08WwBJqDGalhYk9ivfQ0XhibL4THvWbDgT5Sk41Dq_r-WrFO4PSuRaF9WvEyVmagT8rOqq6j928yvnJcIxXAP_WzoD/s400/glitter_workshop-8093.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gzldrEfh9f_N_u9l9EpOuSfhKFBfWzVgWJXvuOkJnIL8Db97RMTeicDKqAVyglWGKjci5gIK7Cjturv4ShV9kCdxlRGB0l6xsjsX3BvoP5PlwFW9Tx73WMKtz449UDaqjkmqLtuVcWpr/s1600/glitter_workshop-8098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gzldrEfh9f_N_u9l9EpOuSfhKFBfWzVgWJXvuOkJnIL8Db97RMTeicDKqAVyglWGKjci5gIK7Cjturv4ShV9kCdxlRGB0l6xsjsX3BvoP5PlwFW9Tx73WMKtz449UDaqjkmqLtuVcWpr/s400/glitter_workshop-8098.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5Hm0tEDpda-kP0FIeAueBG3Lbi9Cmha3HmuMNy6XBmADv6_kUfyt91AznWsV3D2EH2RB2u3HOVF2JSvGXLzoddoI7ZFwpWtN1YgLXMpyE6iOzZYXYX1yFomt8ZvP0EWpYmpuyzrW4s3s/s1600/glitter_workshop-8099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5Hm0tEDpda-kP0FIeAueBG3Lbi9Cmha3HmuMNy6XBmADv6_kUfyt91AznWsV3D2EH2RB2u3HOVF2JSvGXLzoddoI7ZFwpWtN1YgLXMpyE6iOzZYXYX1yFomt8ZvP0EWpYmpuyzrW4s3s/s320/glitter_workshop-8099.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcJq_GS8UNjpKUiEeZkDNOrGdB41A_3Bby3GfdXP_RPdcPw0G1aQ_M2xTWfTKhjB0Nkz_OiIquTz2ClUuZQc33xzC_D5Caxg3A_0z7RdWKvhxiGhh6cEymRmBV-UMSu-LT3sSS2WpVjbi/s1600/glitter_workshop-8108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcJq_GS8UNjpKUiEeZkDNOrGdB41A_3Bby3GfdXP_RPdcPw0G1aQ_M2xTWfTKhjB0Nkz_OiIquTz2ClUuZQc33xzC_D5Caxg3A_0z7RdWKvhxiGhh6cEymRmBV-UMSu-LT3sSS2WpVjbi/s400/glitter_workshop-8108.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxPXNJHMRAl4dxuOkl2fAsUeVQPdpGXv8j-B5L7kTbt4b6o_hRpDmUPJPbOkc0lOKBN4RhneyVgoB9aY2WG0s0etPGDdu_V1pmfUuvkillmrhknRFlq7tnTl97_YW4Vwb8wzNCckhiyZy/s1600/glitter_workshop-8123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxPXNJHMRAl4dxuOkl2fAsUeVQPdpGXv8j-B5L7kTbt4b6o_hRpDmUPJPbOkc0lOKBN4RhneyVgoB9aY2WG0s0etPGDdu_V1pmfUuvkillmrhknRFlq7tnTl97_YW4Vwb8wzNCckhiyZy/s400/glitter_workshop-8123.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_l5OkP85_-e7B4f6nTxe1o75_uTMNx9ocxqyaU-1GmQmCDC0nsa4Jz3R-Q2awBttPxyU2Nij-NSZZmZQqA447i_kXgkCx0fsy_9Qsaz75LlyMv05K5VPdJxKtvZHhqQF_11tfwHA7b3dS/s1600/glitter_workshop-8131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_l5OkP85_-e7B4f6nTxe1o75_uTMNx9ocxqyaU-1GmQmCDC0nsa4Jz3R-Q2awBttPxyU2Nij-NSZZmZQqA447i_kXgkCx0fsy_9Qsaz75LlyMv05K5VPdJxKtvZHhqQF_11tfwHA7b3dS/s400/glitter_workshop-8131.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YTx_HykeQRVRk5dUD9-ChJkMwNmO6YeM3Mrf2jM-DvpfAxE8ClSBWiz6P3vWkOBVRxoeaxEAJdrMguhBGjOp-Dm8_ELNgdEfVaiGeqAhSrhBx90QkZJCyKdX-2abB5T4YG7gOdjuQwdZ/s1600/glitter_workshop-8137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YTx_HykeQRVRk5dUD9-ChJkMwNmO6YeM3Mrf2jM-DvpfAxE8ClSBWiz6P3vWkOBVRxoeaxEAJdrMguhBGjOp-Dm8_ELNgdEfVaiGeqAhSrhBx90QkZJCyKdX-2abB5T4YG7gOdjuQwdZ/s400/glitter_workshop-8137.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMFGSy61GixRb4mwbBzH468km6LuepUFM1n3cdi09evZl95DOue35w4fg3GaWXOSmOempgn_-Hj0SU_Q7i9NQHoTIdExrN02hcnVrtNjsOPuGwmmYb-Ioj77FLpySyx5FChV5bwSIajhp/s1600/glitter_workshop-8138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMFGSy61GixRb4mwbBzH468km6LuepUFM1n3cdi09evZl95DOue35w4fg3GaWXOSmOempgn_-Hj0SU_Q7i9NQHoTIdExrN02hcnVrtNjsOPuGwmmYb-Ioj77FLpySyx5FChV5bwSIajhp/s400/glitter_workshop-8138.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qfPkyOt0qyKxaZjYSOnYs0o7T9hIBG5UElc6OaA1FoBKYRAX0ixSqsZo0gjQEM6iz5h2J18QqTBK5JVjSkDy2TXfwOJj7DB13N5NGdDB5Nk3HXjDlNPakTuPuOi6-Q7GEx6oVObOHkrC/s1600/glitter_workshop-8143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qfPkyOt0qyKxaZjYSOnYs0o7T9hIBG5UElc6OaA1FoBKYRAX0ixSqsZo0gjQEM6iz5h2J18QqTBK5JVjSkDy2TXfwOJj7DB13N5NGdDB5Nk3HXjDlNPakTuPuOi6-Q7GEx6oVObOHkrC/s400/glitter_workshop-8143.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pHhNi4_yTNExVAFrTBy57mvfqEp71mADSXIPZKnpAEpi_jZ_tmK83ClDybrCxULwXlkTHQ0j5wnIM42ac0KdtkljZLwXLTLMgPYs9JOnqsBsUCupHuyaBjI1_hOEs7gJGHI6HlVVVyUd/s1600/glitter_workshop-8149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pHhNi4_yTNExVAFrTBy57mvfqEp71mADSXIPZKnpAEpi_jZ_tmK83ClDybrCxULwXlkTHQ0j5wnIM42ac0KdtkljZLwXLTLMgPYs9JOnqsBsUCupHuyaBjI1_hOEs7gJGHI6HlVVVyUd/s400/glitter_workshop-8149.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzLq4RYX_UV_L8GpJtN3ZgeK_FXAPKCUdi8EdzzBW0O5Cg6n_IigSQZzaTQXHPQ8G8xjgpwGUIV5OTBCqR1UrmT8K4XY15TwDO9qfoiJfCuaF2y2fqB5nrjrEFUkZWrUHTcWNnx26_oIZ/s1600/glitter_workshop-8153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzLq4RYX_UV_L8GpJtN3ZgeK_FXAPKCUdi8EdzzBW0O5Cg6n_IigSQZzaTQXHPQ8G8xjgpwGUIV5OTBCqR1UrmT8K4XY15TwDO9qfoiJfCuaF2y2fqB5nrjrEFUkZWrUHTcWNnx26_oIZ/s400/glitter_workshop-8153.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
We all look super serious because we're focused on our throws...rest assured we were also having fun (at least I sure was; see above re: champagne-sherbet cocktails)!Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-29019431930348468782015-09-10T06:39:00.001-07:002015-09-10T06:39:06.555-07:00GIVEAWAY WINNER!OK, hubby just ran the random number generator (using an R program that's apparently called "Frisbee Sailing"):<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMncvyuvqDCDvkmePLQRm8_kFeW9QeLZhNUehIVJLDsCEUgjaaItlDFdl54xl_nY7ZHcAXEikF9fxjSO5PXcskgbmOOoK50TCgCmsgTSdfrG9LkKw4XAJDGAh5K1EOoM9y-OeIowsHFrws/s1600/IMG_8115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMncvyuvqDCDvkmePLQRm8_kFeW9QeLZhNUehIVJLDsCEUgjaaItlDFdl54xl_nY7ZHcAXEikF9fxjSO5PXcskgbmOOoK50TCgCmsgTSdfrG9LkKw4XAJDGAh5K1EOoM9y-OeIowsHFrws/s320/IMG_8115.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
In case you don't speak computer, let me translate: the winner is <b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>TARA</u></span></b>!!<br />
<br />
Tara, since you're coming to the workshop (INJUSTTWODAYSOMGIMSOEXCITED), pick up will be easy - just make sure you've got plenty of trunk space and don't let me let you leave without your extra box of goodies!!<br />
<br />
Thank you all so much for entering - it was awesome to hear from fellow shoe glitterers and I loved looking through your submissions for favorite Muses shoes. There's some spectacular stuff out there, very inspiring. I'm hoping to post a compilation here of pictures of everyone's favorites to refer back to when I'm looking for inspiration.<br />
<br />
The next time I post here I will have run back-to-back workshops, so wish me luck! If you didn't get pulled off the wait list for September, I promise I'm doing my best to schedule something in December. Y'all are seriously pulling my heart strings with your emails :)Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-62195467448376609872015-08-30T15:32:00.002-07:002015-08-30T15:32:40.447-07:00GIVEAWAY - Shoe Pictures!I'm so behind on posting, but wanted to update on the Giveaway. I may still do a few substitutions (I have a big bag of zebra striped shoes somewhere that I can't find, and I'm thinking one of those may make an appearance if I can put my hands on them before Sept. 12), but I've picked out all THIRTY shoes for the GIVEAWAY!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYsqo4-jcKYFi5eK51c86Y8UplG_aWJiHvcuMrhtJgWlTyrLeKYxjwC_V5m8PmL6wNo2q6w8R_5OxvOob0q-spBAQNCATWMsRHMYQxl8iROUN1sFuibM1kCVUUsKcBxn7zcyt27vPQSCo/s1600/IMG_7960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYsqo4-jcKYFi5eK51c86Y8UplG_aWJiHvcuMrhtJgWlTyrLeKYxjwC_V5m8PmL6wNo2q6w8R_5OxvOob0q-spBAQNCATWMsRHMYQxl8iROUN1sFuibM1kCVUUsKcBxn7zcyt27vPQSCo/s320/IMG_7960.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Funky silhouetted shoes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdp-QNz27yfMjySLRQyfxiVLbMFSLcO6-KtJJ2I4UOTGZvgmysZ5gCTWgxfH46LMEul5HmPVutejHGjcGCWRRZHaWBcmTHiU5hf_tjivZWAg4qcHGFGTLcfpZG1hXfNSkvhbM8Brx_8RM/s1600/IMG_7923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdp-QNz27yfMjySLRQyfxiVLbMFSLcO6-KtJJ2I4UOTGZvgmysZ5gCTWgxfH46LMEul5HmPVutejHGjcGCWRRZHaWBcmTHiU5hf_tjivZWAg4qcHGFGTLcfpZG1hXfNSkvhbM8Brx_8RM/s320/IMG_7923.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super cool heeled shoes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_S67Q-QuTkfsJzDBV-dhZ59OfK3kO3jQhXwUdr5r_GOMKfk4asqU9o32LR6L1ORQiy0xWbX8XuXhtQ52Q4IFLpsqNgjH9AGsqYqEVYJ-ajysshcjSffQnYuLZzfrGe_EpZj4W9mvj0p2/s1600/IMG_7930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_S67Q-QuTkfsJzDBV-dhZ59OfK3kO3jQhXwUdr5r_GOMKfk4asqU9o32LR6L1ORQiy0xWbX8XuXhtQ52Q4IFLpsqNgjH9AGsqYqEVYJ-ajysshcjSffQnYuLZzfrGe_EpZj4W9mvj0p2/s320/IMG_7930.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boot-like shoes (the bottom one is what I used on the <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2015/08/2016-aztec-goddess-muses-shoe.html">Aztec Goddess</a> and looks great once it's all glittered, especially if you then trace and glitter all the cut outs)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvReiNEPE5fd7fAp5815JgE1eXQegE28SRJG2kGPacyqG_4YcgNoCNI0p41UE1AvMzfxP23-bUDt-WRP_bJsnKzcUyXRXYTgT0cjMAhWQJETiD0QM8ukcNb-H2L1LHIQR7YrbDcw2o4RG/s1600/IMG_7931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvReiNEPE5fd7fAp5815JgE1eXQegE28SRJG2kGPacyqG_4YcgNoCNI0p41UE1AvMzfxP23-bUDt-WRP_bJsnKzcUyXRXYTgT0cjMAhWQJETiD0QM8ukcNb-H2L1LHIQR7YrbDcw2o4RG/s320/IMG_7931.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect boots for getting (or maintaining) your boot balls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoM_u_L52snJsc7U8WyTmMc8SgSnNBOKr3tdeImIQo1cYB4JGc2rABypniP3tOBfB8Nrb3e0525aAFBDgpVwkEMSh2ydKcpbijfkwhuIeUt7qtgUvsCVmKFu5efd-7gwLWxJr65TITlLB/s1600/IMG_7932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoM_u_L52snJsc7U8WyTmMc8SgSnNBOKr3tdeImIQo1cYB4JGc2rABypniP3tOBfB8Nrb3e0525aAFBDgpVwkEMSh2ydKcpbijfkwhuIeUt7qtgUvsCVmKFu5efd-7gwLWxJr65TITlLB/s320/IMG_7932.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excellent wedges - these were living in my "turn these into more <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2015/06/cake-shoes-great-big-enormous-tutorial.html">cake shoes</a>" bin until I pulled them for the giveaway. The red one has lots of surface area for plenty of fake cake layers if you're feeling like taking a swing at a doberge or rainbow cake or something along those lines...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdEWJ4CpoWp-yX3cIDbQqwqTG5CP273s0Aw3-GTSfwxCNyw_7PHTMTUxMNjm9CIrSOM6RKSHEy091TOo6Wb49vjUfje5nPxEC7-SuLnGCKRiSjYIV7bK365JcaJAeH03-uHT9a3Fu73G9/s1600/IMG_7933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdEWJ4CpoWp-yX3cIDbQqwqTG5CP273s0Aw3-GTSfwxCNyw_7PHTMTUxMNjm9CIrSOM6RKSHEy091TOo6Wb49vjUfje5nPxEC7-SuLnGCKRiSjYIV7bK365JcaJAeH03-uHT9a3Fu73G9/s320/IMG_7933.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stripper-licious selections from my Ami Club Wear doorbusters order. We all know the more street-walker-y the better for Muses shoes - both have sky high heels and wicked platforms.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLC1NWmQkfYJLr4__BfU8KjwivnjtU6ZPrIa4KOJsofm4mCpyeIX_rrAvz96GK4NcdMMzDeCJcfLr1s4nBa97cElIHQ3xB6shyphenhyphenGFGXSDTX2qeKv8-W8MdCP95XVAl3gcbla4_EeR1HcKSB/s1600/IMG_7934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLC1NWmQkfYJLr4__BfU8KjwivnjtU6ZPrIa4KOJsofm4mCpyeIX_rrAvz96GK4NcdMMzDeCJcfLr1s4nBa97cElIHQ3xB6shyphenhyphenGFGXSDTX2qeKv8-W8MdCP95XVAl3gcbla4_EeR1HcKSB/s320/IMG_7934.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby shoes (I'm counting these each as one-half)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwER0GivfPwVnotMvsu4-F2Rc5Hs2auG06s9hhLtHcPbb0OWrNWUTF01ItOi5TCC_jgkZx5RApNZPPJ_pLh8LWI7u2EQL2PJrZMk2xaT0KmI8RJP8WiWToYXi9GxNP7kL58lguE5QnEfB/s1600/IMG_7936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwER0GivfPwVnotMvsu4-F2Rc5Hs2auG06s9hhLtHcPbb0OWrNWUTF01ItOi5TCC_jgkZx5RApNZPPJ_pLh8LWI7u2EQL2PJrZMk2xaT0KmI8RJP8WiWToYXi9GxNP7kL58lguE5QnEfB/s320/IMG_7936.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some classic pointy toe high heels</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWh9skwNkC-n3U_O9SFXpy-F-JAt2LVFgKxQHQ4LtHwp7vPDcybmACBnoxmB_m_JMrLhNb2Yi_ReJen868V_XJsrCSgAa8H3RcU2S7yeZ4lynbnTapmtcIdWh-wCMb3a-psRmKpco1y-ZA/s1600/IMG_7937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWh9skwNkC-n3U_O9SFXpy-F-JAt2LVFgKxQHQ4LtHwp7vPDcybmACBnoxmB_m_JMrLhNb2Yi_ReJen868V_XJsrCSgAa8H3RcU2S7yeZ4lynbnTapmtcIdWh-wCMb3a-psRmKpco1y-ZA/s320/IMG_7937.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are paired because they both have cool geometric heels - the top shoe has a really cone-like shoe (perfect for something <a href="http://hollywoodlife.com/2013/07/30/kelly-osbourne-ice-cream-cone-heels-buy-picture-melissa-karl-lagerfeld/">like this</a>) and the bottom shoe has a kind of faceted geology thing going. If you're someone who lets the shoes speak to you, I'm sure these would have plenty to say.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBkSj5PrDaKGSgTTsuRHw22MDLXh-7-JCNP-9uPNwCHJexmI4t3baLhq3-J_DM2OqRnGjf-zDA0F_aQGIsrAQ3bABoY0d8p9J5_kid5AOODx6W2QaxKLdKxvX6qVvimp-4FmjgdozMSAe/s1600/IMG_7938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBkSj5PrDaKGSgTTsuRHw22MDLXh-7-JCNP-9uPNwCHJexmI4t3baLhq3-J_DM2OqRnGjf-zDA0F_aQGIsrAQ3bABoY0d8p9J5_kid5AOODx6W2QaxKLdKxvX6qVvimp-4FmjgdozMSAe/s320/IMG_7938.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice basic heels for classic Muses shoes. The bottom one is particularly nice because it's cream colored so you could layer iridescent sheers (or maybe get <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2015/07/finished-lisa-frank-shoe-plus-tips-and.html">some sweet ombre going</a>) without priming.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd75-oyfANjOeJuBklHFfdTsHZlETkXGUIDUgNNF5nAJaBXUhcBp2h3925NfPFZY3wUv2Fxk1-WdzMBBWygsEau2-QaU5CzAXA_BZAoIC3xCal5pMuU9_xE7Ug0lUokldXvQiLwqjxBCvq/s1600/IMG_7939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd75-oyfANjOeJuBklHFfdTsHZlETkXGUIDUgNNF5nAJaBXUhcBp2h3925NfPFZY3wUv2Fxk1-WdzMBBWygsEau2-QaU5CzAXA_BZAoIC3xCal5pMuU9_xE7Ug0lUokldXvQiLwqjxBCvq/s320/IMG_7939.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I always grab shoes like this because I like to add stuff to the heels (<a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2014/09/great-big-snoball-shoes-post-lots-of.html">snoballs</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/535013630703417704/">sno-blizes</a>, <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2014/07/pjs-coffee-shoe.html">coffee cups</a>, gumball machines, cotton candy, etc.) and it's always easiest for sandal type heels. This one has pretty rhinestone trim along the front for extra fanciness. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWuFE86wT30vI1RrovpuviRLrABic6hTD8YkES6gPsJpE6yUlSx-4WGO8noSsgIlrHqH-W4adO5A-kHxyMpj_v85EpJh9O3aWU0ijdQIU0PeCjJgRCeEaqNlCum8p91kmJICcjj88J_wG/s1600/IMG_7940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWuFE86wT30vI1RrovpuviRLrABic6hTD8YkES6gPsJpE6yUlSx-4WGO8noSsgIlrHqH-W4adO5A-kHxyMpj_v85EpJh9O3aWU0ijdQIU0PeCjJgRCeEaqNlCum8p91kmJICcjj88J_wG/s320/IMG_7940.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Ami Club Wear gorgeousness - I'm including a rainbow pump and TWO pairs of the sequin heeled platforms (one pair of pale blue, one pair of yellow). I haven't glittered these yet, but I love how a bunch of the work is already done for you - those platforms are going to look sensational when they're glittered in coordinated colors to match the sequin patchwork on the heels. For the rainbow shoe, I might not glitter the exterior at all, which is a big deal for me...rarely do I see a shoe that wouldn't be majorly improved with glitter, but I'm thinking this is one of them. I might do a coat of plain white iridescent sheer glitter so the rainbow still shows through, trying to decide (can't wait to see what the Giveaway winner does with hers!!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXrlrNMDMI8tS_FRHZ-LRsFz3c-JgDuPf84-oSXjwpFWOHvvFwgqxYttV93SUSWvi9X447teGC2iJku8qMyfb-17AbIKeEHY4rSiJLHND_21QxYNBsMY2oHjRPIY554ShOM1WPkBnXn3z/s1600/IMG_7942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXrlrNMDMI8tS_FRHZ-LRsFz3c-JgDuPf84-oSXjwpFWOHvvFwgqxYttV93SUSWvi9X447teGC2iJku8qMyfb-17AbIKeEHY4rSiJLHND_21QxYNBsMY2oHjRPIY554ShOM1WPkBnXn3z/s320/IMG_7942.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heels with a little something extra going one</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqCtu7_cKfYvDuA6LB6x9qVf0BLyDX6Cz24-pTVqKNUoIVxK-R_ZJKaPxJS-GZsKWrTZfvZhdod8TwrpZyKwBfigoVy-9akR90JKd3s0g_CTPySHtj12q0kOC-sSx_vZa1kSfF5Ucvroh/s1600/IMG_7943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqCtu7_cKfYvDuA6LB6x9qVf0BLyDX6Cz24-pTVqKNUoIVxK-R_ZJKaPxJS-GZsKWrTZfvZhdod8TwrpZyKwBfigoVy-9akR90JKd3s0g_CTPySHtj12q0kOC-sSx_vZa1kSfF5Ucvroh/s320/IMG_7943.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top shoe is one of those heeled sandals I like for "sculptural shoes" where the heel is a cup/cone/etc. The bottom has all these cool holes that look really neat once the whole shoe is glittered (it was the mate for my <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2014/01/tabasco-shoe_19.html">Tabasco shoe</a>) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObNkZeVnOsAuMKg4d2c49dUJpWzJIYoEPEpthJi7OCDDBW4790Axcg8iVPmHx2i_L1hyr43t58FBI7XUHfNUIZfwV9x_c84wdpepSMUa53CTayaPAVcMSswpTgm_tK4XFyQKaKx8k3Ye4/s1600/IMG_7941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObNkZeVnOsAuMKg4d2c49dUJpWzJIYoEPEpthJi7OCDDBW4790Axcg8iVPmHx2i_L1hyr43t58FBI7XUHfNUIZfwV9x_c84wdpepSMUa53CTayaPAVcMSswpTgm_tK4XFyQKaKx8k3Ye4/s320/IMG_7941.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This kinda retro shoe - I don't usually like a strappy shoe because of the floppiness factor, but this one holds it's shape nicely and I love the chunky heel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That's all of them! As a reminder, go and enter <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2015/08/i-love-you-guys-giveaway.html">HERE</a> by telling me about your favorite Muses Shoe by Sept. 9th and they might be yours to glitter!!<br />
<br />
PS - You don't need to be a Muse to win, so tell your friends and they could potentially score more chances for you to get them...Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-43749092562714212772015-08-14T17:23:00.001-07:002015-08-14T17:23:15.103-07:00I love you guys - GIVEAWAYNot to get all gushy, but while I am always pretty psyched to have this blog, at times like this I'm double super especially grateful to have a space to swap tips and tricks with like-minded glitter enthusiasts!<br />
<br />
First of all, I posted about the Ami Club Wear doorbusters sale and how the "catch" was expensive shipping, and a reader commented with this amazing hack: you can add a regular priced item to bring the total up to $50+ and still get free shipping and I tried it today and it WORKED. AMAZING!!! Thank you, Sarah Williamson: you are my favorite person. Let's ride a bicycle made out of dreams into friendship.<br />
<br />
Secondly, I am absolutely over-the-moon excited about the September workshops. Yes, plural. So many people responded that I shifted the schedule around so I could offer two classes that day instead of one and fit twice as many ladies (yeah, I'm going to be dead by the end of the day, but what of it?) I cannot wait to meet all of you and glitter with you and its just going to be so amazing I can't wait!!! Lots of work to prep ahead of me, but I can tell it's going to so be worth it.<br />
<br />
I'm feeling so full of love that I'm going to have a <b>GIVEAWAY</b>!!<br />
<br />
Here's how it's going to work: between now and midnight of Wednesday September 9 comment here telling me about your favorite Muses shoe (a link/picture is helpful, but not essential) and why it was your favorite. Note that it does not have to be one of mine, I promise to be objective!! I'm going to pick my top 10 favorite entries and my husband (MIT degree in computer science) will use a random number generator to pick a winner.<br />
<br />
The prize will be THIRTY SHOES - an entire year's ride's worth of shoes. Unglittered, but ready for you to unleash their Muse-y fantasticness. When my Ami Club Wear order arrives, I will post a picture of my 30 selections, but I will try to go as stripper-tastic as possible.<br />
<br />
If you win, you (or some proxy you appoint) must be able to come pick the 30 shoes up during the September workshop hours, so some time between 12 and 6 pm on Saturday<br />
<br />
So, start commenting here, share with Muses you know, and I'll update with a picture of the shoes in question as soon as possible.<br />
<br />
Love and glitter, y'all.Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-25159161059748967612015-08-12T11:26:00.001-07:002015-08-12T11:26:12.059-07:00Doorbusters Shoe SaleThis sale has been making the rounds (I've had three people send it to me so far - not complaining, please always send a shoe sale my way) and I just placed my order so I thought I'd share my thoughts: <a href="http://www.amiclubwear.com/door-busters.html">http://www.amiclubwear.com/door-busters.html</a><br />
<br />
When you first see this your thoughts are going to be "OMG! $2 shoes!!" so before you get too excited, let me give you the good news and the bad news. The bad news: there's a catch and you aren't actually getting shoes for $2 a pair. The good news, they are still very cheap (cheapest I've ever seen for unused shoes) and some of them are positively stripper-licious.<br />
<br />
The shipping is pretty pricey, that's the "catch." Yes, there's free shipping on orders $50 or more, but it doesn't apply for doorbusters.<br />
<br />
As best I can tell, shipping for the first two pairs of shoes is about $12, then goes up about $2 for every pair of shoes you add. I'm not sure if this holds up, but works for a back of the envelope calculation:<br />
<br />
For shoe price = $2 per shoe, number of shoes purchased = n<br />
Total = (12 + 2n) + 2n = 12 + 4n<br />
<br />
So, if the $2 extra shipping per shoe holds up you'd expect the price to asymptotically approach $4/pair.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaI4QKhNQehho9GX4lzIWXmSyM4JGPl_eCXKL84_HV8wAxrIRX1canhb80PXtDRH41D7t9nJKwKnx31geg-szn3SphMgTdthMEBJ0l_8l8HaJgtJvHf6lJHNhuEFaNnnRrSJoY5Wl49r7j/s1600/shoemath.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaI4QKhNQehho9GX4lzIWXmSyM4JGPl_eCXKL84_HV8wAxrIRX1canhb80PXtDRH41D7t9nJKwKnx31geg-szn3SphMgTdthMEBJ0l_8l8HaJgtJvHf6lJHNhuEFaNnnRrSJoY5Wl49r7j/s320/shoemath.tif" width="190" /></a></div>
<br />
So not actually $2/pair when all is said and done, BUT assuming you get more than 3 pairs, you're still looking at about $7/pair which is great for new shoes. My advice in terms of getting the most bang for your buck would just be to pick out really fabulous, unique pairs (I can get plain high heels at thrift stores for $2, so that's not what I'm hunting for here). Also, as always, if you have some float mates to pool orders with, you'll probably get a slight advantage there in total cost per shoe.<br />
<br />
If you're curious, I ordered some of these <a href="http://www.amiclubwear.com/shoes-heels-ri-anne-26yellowpu-1128958.html">yellow sequin platform heels</a>:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3fv6wsMu51oTeB4QRVpX85yEGFxZj94DJf68dxgbLQMGyRsZGlinN8iYI386_nTlMHuBef8AuMzIs3wObOvTL4NXXV5CrwCJJwz9W9EZrpew6IKq-8SWZYDqaGF75yUyOYJVuHnI3JGS/s1600/sequinheels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3fv6wsMu51oTeB4QRVpX85yEGFxZj94DJf68dxgbLQMGyRsZGlinN8iYI386_nTlMHuBef8AuMzIs3wObOvTL4NXXV5CrwCJJwz9W9EZrpew6IKq-8SWZYDqaGF75yUyOYJVuHnI3JGS/s320/sequinheels.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from www.amiclubwear.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And these <a href="http://www.amiclubwear.com/shoes-heels-bf-elle134rainbowmpu.html">fabulous rainbow gradient heels</a> (which are $6.99 rather than $1.99, but still):<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdJXjY8jEQodmuFK3fjwDdP3Sq4Yy0ADp2IErbaxBhSY9DJxbth8K1Z7MS9q3BLnlWuJQ1fydmpf3_EDtNFHF9FBt-3ngXyeExdQPRTvrHTCr9jNCQQ0oB7fgT1e2w8G6KaldmClpmr6M/s1600/rainbowheels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdJXjY8jEQodmuFK3fjwDdP3Sq4Yy0ADp2IErbaxBhSY9DJxbth8K1Z7MS9q3BLnlWuJQ1fydmpf3_EDtNFHF9FBt-3ngXyeExdQPRTvrHTCr9jNCQQ0oB7fgT1e2w8G6KaldmClpmr6M/s320/rainbowheels.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Image from www.amiclubwear.com</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'll post pictures when they arrive!<br />
<br />
Also, while we're on the subject of shoe buying, I was visiting with a friend this past weekend who very generously let me pick through her finds and she had a trunk full of really great heels from Bloomin' Deals on Freret ($2.50/pair). This supports my theory that if you plan ahead and start buying shoes now you're probably going to have a much better selection than if you wait.Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-50076107915360818612015-08-05T10:46:00.001-07:002015-08-05T10:46:21.252-07:00September Workshop FULL!!We are all full up for the September 12 workshop! I'm very excited - a great mix of experience levels and no less than three krewes represented! I can't wait for all the sparkly fun we're going to have :)<br />
<br />
If you'd like to get on the wait list in case of a cancellation, email me at drnoripants at gmail dot comNorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-83752116900497146922015-08-04T06:31:00.003-07:002015-08-04T06:31:56.408-07:00One last thing, and I'll let everyone get back to their regularly programmed Tuesday....If you like my blog, and aren't reading <a href="http://www.glitterbuzznola.com/">Glitter Buzz NOLA</a> yet, you should be - it's so, so good. Exquisite shoes, great ideas and lots of technical detail.Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-4091861866045450942015-08-04T06:28:00.001-07:002015-08-04T06:28:53.009-07:002016 Aztec Goddess Muses Shoe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Finished this one quite a while ago, but I'm way behind on my blogging. I bought a pair of these kinda weird high heeled booties with a cut out pattern and zipper down the front, and while I usually prefer a classic high heel, I grabbed 'em. Variety is the spice of life, am I right?<br />
<br />
The shoe was a soft suede and super floppy, so I used it as a visual aid in my workshop for how to stiffen up or reshape a smushed shoe (which, FYI, I do by stuffing with plastic bags until the desired shape is obtained then coating with glue and letting it dry and only removing the plastic bags when the exterior is all glittered). I brought the unglittered shoe from the pair and this finished shoe so workshop participants could feel and see the difference. I will probably still throw this one (it says 2016), so I'll have to find another pair for the visual aid for future workshops.<br />
<br />
I used Jefferson Variety glitter (blue on the exterior, green on the interior, holographic gold on the sole and zipper) and Gary's gold for tracing the cut outs and doing the glettering (JV is just a smidge coarser than all the other glitters I use and I thought the finer glitter would be better for detail work). I lined the edges with <a href="http://www.papermart.com/holographic-faceted-sequins/id=33217#33217">gold holographic faceted sequin trim</a> from Papermart.com (my favorite source for sequin trim).<br />
<br />
I finished it off with a big fan of dark green and peacock feathers and a little puff of green marabou. With the feathers and the color scheme, the final shoe has kind of an Aztec vibe, hence her name.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfXkrbT4nK4IRtzggo8uZMGRQphPalfqqOhj6RvPg5b-ly6yqXsV-BICZu4JHqlfTYr5DtmNPTJjG_-uJAbvj9EYe_PZgoZ6IIspwgzkPQv9xBAkbdKyH7K0PyJ262AxT-Tn4TdkPerrN/s1600/IMG_5631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfXkrbT4nK4IRtzggo8uZMGRQphPalfqqOhj6RvPg5b-ly6yqXsV-BICZu4JHqlfTYr5DtmNPTJjG_-uJAbvj9EYe_PZgoZ6IIspwgzkPQv9xBAkbdKyH7K0PyJ262AxT-Tn4TdkPerrN/s320/IMG_5631.JPG" width="211" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69MIZfDIZsH7rP4jOyVSGA0_U7JXPf2lSu4-1JsyExc4TSDdtfN7DdhHe-WIu5CWev474Ek9zKhnbfwCwKK6Fv6i1yeaxppmk2_TvalkXBtMM0qlcXZT3c2PBebOPQadfq8kwN_8tBsYi/s1600/IMG_5633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69MIZfDIZsH7rP4jOyVSGA0_U7JXPf2lSu4-1JsyExc4TSDdtfN7DdhHe-WIu5CWev474Ek9zKhnbfwCwKK6Fv6i1yeaxppmk2_TvalkXBtMM0qlcXZT3c2PBebOPQadfq8kwN_8tBsYi/s320/IMG_5633.JPG" width="259" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpBsLL1kBv7qO1fBglyZ8O2dAaNH9k6oyAwkPz7C52BcSS7Yg4C57sBfzo3yyGXgxFfn8KeCHKZLyfQqPeW3m7Z0WW7St-OxAaz3-0v1jAAxFiHhI0HDbAwbdQg_3q25_ZMkxdvFx6cm5/s1600/IMG_5635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpBsLL1kBv7qO1fBglyZ8O2dAaNH9k6oyAwkPz7C52BcSS7Yg4C57sBfzo3yyGXgxFfn8KeCHKZLyfQqPeW3m7Z0WW7St-OxAaz3-0v1jAAxFiHhI0HDbAwbdQg_3q25_ZMkxdvFx6cm5/s320/IMG_5635.JPG" width="238" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xajyJ3eS-gkTe1nJvTkfy582NaAVgsLVXk2FvkSrLIYr7Re_ZcuevQAbHWxavJE1G9_cZiH5ZjablbM42sNGTDGwm9jSYp1O1Gj5Kui8Dd4JYrvTi1kwglUJqNRyX4OfhUvkRUcHTZbu/s1600/IMG_5639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xajyJ3eS-gkTe1nJvTkfy582NaAVgsLVXk2FvkSrLIYr7Re_ZcuevQAbHWxavJE1G9_cZiH5ZjablbM42sNGTDGwm9jSYp1O1Gj5Kui8Dd4JYrvTi1kwglUJqNRyX4OfhUvkRUcHTZbu/s320/IMG_5639.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbABnk81s7VqTBZWf-gTPvkfgTFigkfTyHXf9hJnRPTa_mfAnQ1Wg2q-qEMYxyT28uv8xfxUx9LckbyJm4BaCCKpLoJ34i0iSYCYFPApDyPA8pf8gH2s321MwK9o6rPjcSAHMFxTLqjSc/s1600/IMG_5642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbABnk81s7VqTBZWf-gTPvkfgTFigkfTyHXf9hJnRPTa_mfAnQ1Wg2q-qEMYxyT28uv8xfxUx9LckbyJm4BaCCKpLoJ34i0iSYCYFPApDyPA8pf8gH2s321MwK9o6rPjcSAHMFxTLqjSc/s320/IMG_5642.JPG" width="236" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoXDONqNG0F_7HXAdT45Q-VBCo4tYeC_8BFue_4qXYvAMjFByR-_RuFeV8WzdEk0PWZoQFS-Uu0t11Kxso0mBzVGCbcD5EEs_MBLO_y0pdUzyDNQZFIQCnXg1kI7i04Nx8R9f6kiKJzw3/s1600/IMG_5680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoXDONqNG0F_7HXAdT45Q-VBCo4tYeC_8BFue_4qXYvAMjFByR-_RuFeV8WzdEk0PWZoQFS-Uu0t11Kxso0mBzVGCbcD5EEs_MBLO_y0pdUzyDNQZFIQCnXg1kI7i04Nx8R9f6kiKJzw3/s400/IMG_5680.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-71761952093228794352015-08-04T06:06:00.000-07:002015-08-04T06:06:30.688-07:00NOLA in 2 days + workshop updateSo excited to be flying down to NOLA for a long weekend in 2 days! Normally my husband and I drive down and it's not a bad drive, but <a href="http://www.iflysouthern.com/">Southern Airways</a> has added their Memphis - NOLA flights so we're seeing if the baby prefers a 2 hr flight on mama's lap to the 6 hrs in that torture device we call the car seat (spoiler alert: probably). If y'all don't know about Southern Airways, check them out - it's a tiny little 10-seat puddle jumper type plane that does a handful of flights to Southern cities and I love them. Obviously this and anything else I might mention here aren't pair endorsements...rest assured, my blog's too little to sell out.<br />
<br />
Of course, I'll now totally contradict myself by plugging my September workshop! WE ARE HALF FULL FOR SEPTEMBER!! There may be another workshop before the 2016 ride (maybe December/early Jan), but I can't promise anything. Right now I'm considering having another 101, or I might have an "Advanced Embellishment" curriculum organized by then, or I might get blindsided by the holiday season/finishing shoes for my sister and I and just not get around to another workshop until after the 2016 Carnival season. Also, even if I have another in December, it's a super early Carnival this year and you'd be left with much less time to get your throws done for 2016 than if you sign up for September. So, I don't want to twist anyone's arm, but I'll just say if you're thinking you'd like to take my workshop, I wouldn't wait too much longer to drop me a line at drnoripants at gmail dot com. Spaces are, as the informercials would say, limited and going fast.<br />
<br />
Anyways, can't wait for the weekend: Greenie Gals Preseason Tea, visit to Gary's to check out the new colors I've heard have been added, maybe even get crazy and pop into Jefferson Variety...<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-10744961608937428922015-07-31T16:21:00.001-07:002015-08-01T15:18:31.101-07:00Glittering 101 Workshop - September 12, 2015<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exciting news!!! I have set a date for the next Glittering 101 Workshop!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZy-1vdmWaVXCbO815kTIOsyHg78pmVSrgjohvlIIX9ku9iO8gnciaAlPeiVtHbcdkALnP3dHoI0ozEvj-tYM4WVVEyqyO61heI4rRQ9J5Dmphgf7eZo16nDqXy_-u6NPknpMtD-vEcKt/s1600/IMG_6910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZy-1vdmWaVXCbO815kTIOsyHg78pmVSrgjohvlIIX9ku9iO8gnciaAlPeiVtHbcdkALnP3dHoI0ozEvj-tYM4WVVEyqyO61heI4rRQ9J5Dmphgf7eZo16nDqXy_-u6NPknpMtD-vEcKt/s320/IMG_6910.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had so much fun at the last one, I absolutely cannot wait to spend time glittering with more of the creative ladies of Carnival!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The workshop will be 2.5 hrs long (2-4:30pm) on Saturday Sept. 12th. We're going to cover the basics of glittering shoes, including covering shoes with glitter, using <a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2014/10/faq-how-do-you-do-lettering-on-your.html">the transfer technique for "glettering" (glittered lettering)</a> and various types of embellishment. We'll cover the whole process start to finish, but I'll provide shoes at staggered stages of completeness so we don't have to wait for glue to dry between steps. At the end of the workshop, you'll leave with some partially completed shoes, at least one completely finished ready-to-throw shoe, and some extra materials for finishing up your partial shoes at your leisure. The workshop fee also includes a 23 page packet of useful write-ups (including a detailed step-by-step guide to glittering shoes with photos at each step, all the tips and tricks I've picked up in 5 years of shoe glittering, a guide of useful resources, etc.). Everything you need will be provided - you only need to sign up, pay up and show up!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I originally assumed it would only be useful for beginners, but we had an even split last time (half total newbies, half really experienced glitterers) and everyone seemed to enjoy it. It's mostly geared towards shoes (which is where most of my experience is), but I did have a Nyx Goddess with us last time and a lot of the info transfers well to other handcrafted throws, so if you're in another krewe that rocks out hand made throws, you could certainly consider attending to. Basically, I don't want to give anyone the hard sell, I'm just saying I promise I won't chase anyone away...if you're interested, you're welcome regardless of your experience level, affiliation, skill set, etc.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photos from the last workshop:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1Jd9GmHy3TcMR6nKRtiX-jRF2Q0VvEasfKx_D7wwOKzob55jy3PdjtCaPZ12RtrOO2EY1JQMNDn5dk4ht-AWL64bsfiSAdWCR__Z_7PwmjG7t2XvSUcaX-KahXb3qy5-A77IUbCOGnjj/s1600/glitter1+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1Jd9GmHy3TcMR6nKRtiX-jRF2Q0VvEasfKx_D7wwOKzob55jy3PdjtCaPZ12RtrOO2EY1JQMNDn5dk4ht-AWL64bsfiSAdWCR__Z_7PwmjG7t2XvSUcaX-KahXb3qy5-A77IUbCOGnjj/s320/glitter1+%25281%2529.jpg" width="306" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boy, were they ever!! </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqDBnpNl7xWSmHiuD4QEDGc2NFIPTa8Zv2aDytPTYN5EwwKiz3Bt0Q5zMuYw8hiX_THrCyA7rc6XAP3iZr6aAP87GJdRwT_nIZRqDWPhGmgeWkoImb6iiPduVBLxURyWI2eN2brbdI0E1/s1600/glitter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqDBnpNl7xWSmHiuD4QEDGc2NFIPTa8Zv2aDytPTYN5EwwKiz3Bt0Q5zMuYw8hiX_THrCyA7rc6XAP3iZr6aAP87GJdRwT_nIZRqDWPhGmgeWkoImb6iiPduVBLxURyWI2eN2brbdI0E1/s320/glitter2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shoes at different stages of completion let us work through the entire process start to finish</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiz-mfMdKTSUVOUPnb_32dP8MZOr83BURGBy-eYvtUoHL_BF24PlY0JAtB42h2jB7ilp6vgY9cHkK_ZG1vjaDpYjr_6GJMltdAadgtKXLH0t6Ipg_k1O2-l-PKoaOK9LuHhzWXEmxDJL66/s1600/glitter4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiz-mfMdKTSUVOUPnb_32dP8MZOr83BURGBy-eYvtUoHL_BF24PlY0JAtB42h2jB7ilp6vgY9cHkK_ZG1vjaDpYjr_6GJMltdAadgtKXLH0t6Ipg_k1O2-l-PKoaOK9LuHhzWXEmxDJL66/s320/glitter4.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How I pretty much like to be whenever possible- wearing my black glittering gloves and holding a Mardi Gras cup full of wine in one hand while I glitter shoes with the other. Does it get better?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cEZS48LY5wEv0Zbld0O0KQ-arfX2TmUD1Q1d7s2jqyuXcU4fIzHGrYkJ1ZZyhPHBBwX3dp37DeSgmXm6SQiqpFVjMtW-drAjJiBX-XXwvHOPNweBJhUsq_QHi_QhhpIDp29Lw1JVR60s/s1600/IMG_5724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cEZS48LY5wEv0Zbld0O0KQ-arfX2TmUD1Q1d7s2jqyuXcU4fIzHGrYkJ1ZZyhPHBBwX3dp37DeSgmXm6SQiqpFVjMtW-drAjJiBX-XXwvHOPNweBJhUsq_QHi_QhhpIDp29Lw1JVR60s/s320/IMG_5724.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everything I know about shoe glittering organized in one handy folder</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPImhmn7u_2hP9IrprObuZbF9BPsUbwhOB9NqD_4wheF061MECQlyajgV_mZmUpFlV30cULpdQtwN_t8ioHd100nWTWQVgjodVjzXpTjSEnDEtKO5cSJApLIQJQZWD3rOBRnjThn6cwvd/s1600/image1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPImhmn7u_2hP9IrprObuZbF9BPsUbwhOB9NqD_4wheF061MECQlyajgV_mZmUpFlV30cULpdQtwN_t8ioHd100nWTWQVgjodVjzXpTjSEnDEtKO5cSJApLIQJQZWD3rOBRnjThn6cwvd/s320/image1.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A participant's finished shoe at the end of the workshop - her first shoe ever!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Feedback from the last workshop:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">"The workshop was fantastic. I took away such great information and so appreciated the resource guides."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">"We really enjoyed the workshop, it was fantastic...the write up was very helpful and has great detail."</span><br />
<br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">"I think another awesome technique that you have is the transfer. I am not a good artist, but I feel like I can trace anything, so thank you :)" (PS- I saw her very first finished shoe, she most certainly is a good artist!!)</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I LOVED the workshop! As a first time rider, I was at a loss as to where to begin to make beautiful shoes, and it is very important to me to create shoes worthy of the krewe. From the pictures I saw online of your gorgeous and creative shoes, I knew you had put in the sweat and tears of figuring out the best processes. So instead of reinventing the wheel, I thought why not ask you to teach us? Your guidance and mad skills have given me the foundation I was looking for. I can't wait to get started on my own originals to hand out in 2016!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're interested or have any questions, drop me an email at drnoripants at gmail dot com and I can give you more info (including pricing)!! YAY GLITTER!!</span>Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-30455955848067825502015-07-25T07:20:00.002-07:002015-07-25T07:28:10.365-07:00Finished Lisa Frank Shoe (plus tips and tricks for ombre, leopard spots and decorating with confetti)After seeing all the 90s-tastic graphic design for the <a href="http://www.neworleansmomsblog.com/category/moms-night-out/">Nola Mom's Blog 90s Prom Mom's Night Out</a>, I was inspired to do a Lisa Frank flavored shoe. I was a pretty typical 90s girl in my coveting Lisa Frank school supplies: cute animals, psychedelic night skies and everything RAINBOW all the time always.<br />
<br />
This was also a good opportunity for me to play with some new decorating techniques: ombre (which has been rattling around in my head for a while) and free handing animal print (I've traced cheetah print before, but wanted more practice flying without a safety net).<br />
<br />
The "trick" to an ombre (besides having an absurd variety of glitter in your stash #sorrynotsorry) is understanding that only iridescent/sheer glitters blend...opaque glitters will of course mix (they won't separate or anything) and you can get some really dazzling effects by combining them (stay tuned - more on that in a later post), but the color isn't going to look like a blend between the two starting hues. For that, you need to be using iridescent/sheer glitter. After doing a couple of custom blends, I also advise that you work with reasonably close colors for a blend: green + blue will give you a nice teal (<a href="http://glitteringshoes.blogspot.com/2013/11/tiffany-box-shoe.html">see the Tiffany Box shoe</a>), or a pale pastel iridescent + white will give you an even paler pastel (which is what I've been using for Birthday Cake shoes), but if you mix white with a really bright or dark color, even another iridescent sheer, it just isn't going to blend as nicely.<br />
<br />
So, first up I picked out my base "rainbow," which for me was Recollections "fairy dust," Gary's glitter by the pound sheer pink, then Gary's orange, then Gary's yellow, then Martha Stewart "limeade," then ArtMinds stackable sheer teal, then finally Martha Stewart "blueberry slush." All the Martha Stewart glitters in there are found in the <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Martha-Stewart-Crafts-Iridescent-Glitter/dp/B002Y6HFBK/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_g2147660622?_encoding=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0&ie=UTF8">iridescent 12 pack</a> and you could make a very nice rainbow just from those colors, but whenever I had anything else that would work I used it instead as MS iridescent is pretty pricey (I find Gary's yellow iridescent glitter to be indistinguishable from Martha Stewart "lemon drop" and it's an eight of the price by the ounce). There are a lot of other sheers that would work in a rainbow (I have some nice neons from ArtMinds that I think will make a really nice retina-scorcher of an ombre), so I'd encourage you to use what you have in your stash. Also bear in mind you don't have to do a full rainbow (though for Lisa Frank, it's nice).<br />
<br />
So after I picked out my colors, I transferred a bit to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OFX5DSM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s01">lidded 2 oz Jello Shot cups</a> (not strictly speaking necessary, but I was running low on a few and didn't want to accidentally use it all up in blends and not have enough left of the original for my rainbow). For each color transition (i.e., purple to pink, pink to orange, orange to yellow, etc.), I shook out approx. half of each color into a 2 oz cup and shook to mix. Now I had a bunch of little cups spanning a reasonably smoothly transitioning rainbow. If you're working with fewer colors and some of the transitions are a little jarring, you may want to consider having some additional transition blends besides half and half (for example: purple, then 2/3rd purple + 1/3rd pink, then 1/2 purple + 1/2 pink, then 1/3 purple + 2/3 pink, then pink).<br />
<br />
Because your glitter is sheer, your shoe needs to be white for this to work. I used a primed a basic pump with white spray paint. I have some white shoes in my stash, but not enough so I do a fair amount of priming. I added Mod Podge to my primed white shoe and carefully shook the colors on in stripes one at a time. Be careful when you pour off the excess glitter that you don't pour onto wet glue (pay attention to the direction of your pouring basically). If you're nervous, you could do it a few colors at a time, it's not a one shot deal like some other techniques. I would say two layers are recommended for opaque glitters, and essential for iridescents: I just don't get the same depth and intensity of color out of an iridescent sheer unless you do two (and maybe even three) coats, even if you've primed in white. You might get away with it if you've primed in a really similar colored spray paint, or if you've used the trick of putting a similarly-hued opaque layer down before your iridescent, but I generally do at least two layers. So after the first layer of glitter dried, I did another pass of glue and rainbow stripes to intensify the colors. The added bonus effect of this second layer is, because you don't exactly perfectly trace the stripes you laid down the first time (even if you wanted to you couldn't), another layer helps make the blend from color to color more...blendy, so to speak. When the glue dries, the first layer will show through a bit, so you don't want to stray too too much from your initial stripes, but a little blurring of the edges is great for the final effect.<br />
<br />
Here's my shoe after the base of sheer iridescent rainbow ombre was done:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidf8A62P5TXr86sZRhH5Vm_8rGcsBxxImybc5_4D0AxSUqPbb9BZg_oJuaXqWYDAwN782Klk2sFCvYzJX6ABfcxIJAvaAv2DuhCMbgmW1Yz8OqT8OB_tDEjmFt3lXU-66GOP_Kjm2S1Emo/s1600/IMG_6127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidf8A62P5TXr86sZRhH5Vm_8rGcsBxxImybc5_4D0AxSUqPbb9BZg_oJuaXqWYDAwN782Klk2sFCvYzJX6ABfcxIJAvaAv2DuhCMbgmW1Yz8OqT8OB_tDEjmFt3lXU-66GOP_Kjm2S1Emo/s320/IMG_6127.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little blurry, sorry about that.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You can see not all the transitions are perfectly seamless (the yellow is a little more abrupt than I'd like), and if this was all the shoe was going to be I might think about adding a third layer to try and smooth them out a little. But it doesn't need to be perfect because the cheetah print that's going over it will obfuscate imperfections.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Step 2 - leopard print time! My "formula" for leopard print is: pale background color + black spot outlines + darker shade of the background color inside the spot outlines. This works for doing both natural and the, shall we say, not-exactly-found-in-nature leopard prints:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQkoaOkUphgRnEyAv3C7LdBLvG8upPIIBSv9ywNnOE-jrPSZi86RRe8UVKEBQ4AnDnccuk7z6hIUmdeTTJFM9f_GYfl_ojZy25CnsxXZM5uRzTpAKhQ4ucJiyvu29Y85-WFfjZs_P5Zfn/s1600/leopard.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQkoaOkUphgRnEyAv3C7LdBLvG8upPIIBSv9ywNnOE-jrPSZi86RRe8UVKEBQ4AnDnccuk7z6hIUmdeTTJFM9f_GYfl_ojZy25CnsxXZM5uRzTpAKhQ4ucJiyvu29Y85-WFfjZs_P5Zfn/s400/leopard.tif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few examples of different leopard prints (for a "naturalistic" leopard I would recommend Recollections champagne or Martha Stewart "smoky topaz" for the background and a copper glitter for inside the spots)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
And, as you can see in this reference image, it's also the Lisa Frank approach to rainbow leopards:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzXxPLV-Py-mZ1UbGD8pr8XdrTDHBXyQd0gu6fyfeHSx9newofCC46y-5-LQcferEmbn4-1Qp4hvlgXhv28Oayu8aNumhFKC_6ugoZc7TQ-MZHj3E7KhufLdAHrl4n8p8GA7A4KheiM8f/s1600/il_570xN.386722650_dw8q.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzXxPLV-Py-mZ1UbGD8pr8XdrTDHBXyQd0gu6fyfeHSx9newofCC46y-5-LQcferEmbn4-1Qp4hvlgXhv28Oayu8aNumhFKC_6ugoZc7TQ-MZHj3E7KhufLdAHrl4n8p8GA7A4KheiM8f/s320/il_570xN.386722650_dw8q.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/112653905/lisa-frank-hunter-the-leopard-cub">Lisa Frank Hunter the Leopard Cub notecard</a>. That etsy seller has a ton of Lisa Frank if you're feeling nostalgic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br />
The reference images also give you an idea how the black spot borders should look: roughly circular blobs forming a vaguely oval ring that's open in a few spots. I free handed these with Tulip Scribbles and Martha Stewart onyx. Here are a some shots of the finished spot outlines:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihI8B7zZHJ0Ss1ixWZBRX7MOx7KigQqQAPN3Iahi1pJ1kS2TWj6FHKgpJOj6Z8CEKmtG-rTJYVj9BXJlNX2-CQO1ePWVX1XokBeWqvnKmnHPG1aD4rtkAsfEVk7keK1K0DQbG4RwXVfTv9/s1600/IMG_6129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihI8B7zZHJ0Ss1ixWZBRX7MOx7KigQqQAPN3Iahi1pJ1kS2TWj6FHKgpJOj6Z8CEKmtG-rTJYVj9BXJlNX2-CQO1ePWVX1XokBeWqvnKmnHPG1aD4rtkAsfEVk7keK1K0DQbG4RwXVfTv9/s320/IMG_6129.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBJSkqHDPgbR1sZ0hMPvwGje_qIEcTtG1GESJNHaxvEzilbc5-8d3n7NnBs8eliqA4wLy5O_9yQnBgNHEr9lvWgUSo4HndhRYpoOXI6FTbrprz1y11m2I3SeVtX2p_aGHpV6VvUicRi9_/s1600/IMG_6131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBJSkqHDPgbR1sZ0hMPvwGje_qIEcTtG1GESJNHaxvEzilbc5-8d3n7NnBs8eliqA4wLy5O_9yQnBgNHEr9lvWgUSo4HndhRYpoOXI6FTbrprz1y11m2I3SeVtX2p_aGHpV6VvUicRi9_/s320/IMG_6131.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
After the spot outlines were done, the last step (other than glettering and glittering the rest of the shoe of course) was to fill in the spots. Using the "fill the spots in a shade slightly darker than the background" rule I picked out a corresponding rainbow of Martha Stewart opaque jewel tones:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlwHPWuL8zb-9TpokNeh986PKy29yJO8aix-QAxg7DWIa_9bNMwIIEswM147G1p6Mc7DmzPJ8niCBsCntXT2gVkQCKMJemB72fQorVl7qAaFpYfwujnPoZpH9WCs_vdymangoQVfEoQJn/s1600/IMG_6190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlwHPWuL8zb-9TpokNeh986PKy29yJO8aix-QAxg7DWIa_9bNMwIIEswM147G1p6Mc7DmzPJ8niCBsCntXT2gVkQCKMJemB72fQorVl7qAaFpYfwujnPoZpH9WCs_vdymangoQVfEoQJn/s320/IMG_6190.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Jewel tone rainbow: purple spinel, tourmaline, carnelian, orange topaz, fire opal, yellow barite, </span><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">golden beryl, verdelite, amazonite, lapis lazuli</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
These are a combo of selections from the "Essential Glitter Set" and "Rich Essential Glitter Set" 24 packs (see <a href="http://www.damasklove.com/ultimate-glitter-guide/">here</a>), but I'm sure you could make do with one or the other, especially if you had other opaque glitters in your stash.<br />
<br />
If you're curious, here are the exact details of how the jewel tone rainbow for the spot centers aligned with the background iridescent glitters (including blends) from toe to heel:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nWN4VcXcxuIpMEWYcmdEASVi1hOsQNn95c2gMXhkSpjE9P8HPLVryieLuC0B44CaK_2ihFOGmSd2mEErZlpDbMAhapVECQEiIK3whO4Hsng_Dn0zP0Hvyy_LvRp1dZYxei-wqBGi7tx6/s1600/IMG_6194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nWN4VcXcxuIpMEWYcmdEASVi1hOsQNn95c2gMXhkSpjE9P8HPLVryieLuC0B44CaK_2ihFOGmSd2mEErZlpDbMAhapVECQEiIK3whO4Hsng_Dn0zP0Hvyy_LvRp1dZYxei-wqBGi7tx6/s320/IMG_6194.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recollections "fairy dust" paired with "purple spinel." The pink + purple transition blend paired with "<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">tourmaline." Gary's pink paired with "carnelian." The pink + orange blend paired with "orange topaz"</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QWiWP0LU24SFLR16OZ9PD5cwmzyg3bhQcI_t_PybcYaP_IW_VQ-GHDMICN4oGnzqwpcpV2g_FH4XSluDNaqhEOqeYr0TnPqyCmOc2lwYquRF2mWfaiKo01RHusxAz2rxkl_eywzVTrrf/s1600/IMG_6197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QWiWP0LU24SFLR16OZ9PD5cwmzyg3bhQcI_t_PybcYaP_IW_VQ-GHDMICN4oGnzqwpcpV2g_FH4XSluDNaqhEOqeYr0TnPqyCmOc2lwYquRF2mWfaiKo01RHusxAz2rxkl_eywzVTrrf/s320/IMG_6197.JPG" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gary's orange glitter also paired with "orange topaz." Orange + yellow blend paired with "fire opal." Gary's yellow glitter paired with "yellow barite." Yellow + green blend paired with "golden beryl"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQuFrvqb6BKTs4hdRwafycdU0biKVsBod5Eem4bMgAr9z29UPmQI-KILxLgjYR7NQfrjrvo2QVi8JJlrP4pkZupocXQlAe1w1xOFH3UK0I5QTeQ6PfIhqQTMmCEOSqsiBHLpMTo6B0dZK/s1600/IMG_6199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQuFrvqb6BKTs4hdRwafycdU0biKVsBod5Eem4bMgAr9z29UPmQI-KILxLgjYR7NQfrjrvo2QVi8JJlrP4pkZupocXQlAe1w1xOFH3UK0I5QTeQ6PfIhqQTMmCEOSqsiBHLpMTo6B0dZK/s320/IMG_6199.JPG" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha "limeade" also paired with "golden beryl." ArtMinds teal paired with "verdelite." Teal + blue blend paired with "a<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">mazonite." Martha Stewart "blueberry slush" paired with lapis lazuli</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Using a crystal Tulip Scribbles, I carefully filled in the spots and added the corresponding opaque jewel tone glitters:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioAOZCaYLrr3tDhIZ6AWsnffJQCi0YdM-owV0fQ1u-4XY32mipaGA1ObqayQA_RkK26jUMY9JXI9BOBnATBeQKVhyBXcvPNQZp-1wTXaofuB8L_YBLGxnFsAueScATj1DUwOKWwT73gVk/s1600/IMG_6160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioAOZCaYLrr3tDhIZ6AWsnffJQCi0YdM-owV0fQ1u-4XY32mipaGA1ObqayQA_RkK26jUMY9JXI9BOBnATBeQKVhyBXcvPNQZp-1wTXaofuB8L_YBLGxnFsAueScATj1DUwOKWwT73gVk/s320/IMG_6160.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And here's the finished exterior with all the spots filled in:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsbPkVx-Am17dBqEDYcmPE-u5hHDI2hQygR0JrSCXnpoyvxSHrF0c6Y4Q9rDI2-kIHWFYrp_uRWO5gsILk1FFcQBNs8NC8QFj07QZnwBqt6qSTPVEh0iAR5Q1fgQ1V-9MY9Q5Cg9qFEdE/s1600/IMG_6181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsbPkVx-Am17dBqEDYcmPE-u5hHDI2hQygR0JrSCXnpoyvxSHrF0c6Y4Q9rDI2-kIHWFYrp_uRWO5gsILk1FFcQBNs8NC8QFj07QZnwBqt6qSTPVEh0iAR5Q1fgQ1V-9MY9Q5Cg9qFEdE/s320/IMG_6181.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4GeD7QNxgT3ZG_QZfQSJEV787FrhrL0PLKtd1B1lGPGSrZhO4EtH2hWfdC1gDnyppyeF2gwZcyIqdK7mvFRfbUd0dsGS1QqJICP2JMvmhLk8f2UXSeLx5fF8cJnEfN0WouM736tJ3GOq/s1600/IMG_6184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4GeD7QNxgT3ZG_QZfQSJEV787FrhrL0PLKtd1B1lGPGSrZhO4EtH2hWfdC1gDnyppyeF2gwZcyIqdK7mvFRfbUd0dsGS1QqJICP2JMvmhLk8f2UXSeLx5fF8cJnEfN0WouM736tJ3GOq/s320/IMG_6184.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGew9GvqRS2-ooAy8BG7pdXiwfACjc547M8H-6ylvTk14MMazukeyA5aQB-jlNsWUv2smwevfpW4dDtyYB0sfJ6ms0WJjXuh5flLFxGDe3EYJi5Q6BPPeDAu1mkerfauUIV7QLeELeIVz/s1600/IMG_6187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGew9GvqRS2-ooAy8BG7pdXiwfACjc547M8H-6ylvTk14MMazukeyA5aQB-jlNsWUv2smwevfpW4dDtyYB0sfJ6ms0WJjXuh5flLFxGDe3EYJi5Q6BPPeDAu1mkerfauUIV7QLeELeIVz/s320/IMG_6187.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
Phew!! A grand total of 23 different shades of glitter in, and you haven't even tackled the interior, sole, heel, platform or glettering! But you're starting to get that awesome 90s vibe, right?<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbggIDyYY-7VvLv5M_XKQ4ZtkslrZZg6r8tf8H3-G2ig6ujEmdsCuBCSUccrV2kwz4P6BqeMs-VT4lEO5OTwze32feiALF7EHmWeQWKP2WOsmZkAQYNmJszh35GA-ApgDuKNM-XQf32ip/s1600/IMG_6206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbggIDyYY-7VvLv5M_XKQ4ZtkslrZZg6r8tf8H3-G2ig6ujEmdsCuBCSUccrV2kwz4P6BqeMs-VT4lEO5OTwze32feiALF7EHmWeQWKP2WOsmZkAQYNmJszh35GA-ApgDuKNM-XQf32ip/s320/IMG_6206.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
For the rest of the shoe, I was picturing a Lisa Frank style night sky. I blended some dark blue Jefferson Variety glitter with Martha Stewart iridescent "licorice" glitter and glittered all the other surfaces of the shoe. I used silver trim to pick up on the metallic star and moon sequins I added to may the night sky background.<br />
<br />
For the glettering, I used the jewel tone opaque glitter rainbow to make ombre lettering (I didn't try to do the colors one at a time, I just shook out a teeny bit of each and lost a smidge).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOpvIN-WOiAZo5vLaZgAP5o6qkYUmzDl709ywk_CfwZpuJWBppjJSYzYeA2XVXgdXSJ-Z7Oq6ZgvUVGc_cWs5QMWc6yMQ5nrHTLDjPbR5rB-V-IO1D1bBi75xyn56tcteJl8KEL00bGIG/s1600/IMG_6467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOpvIN-WOiAZo5vLaZgAP5o6qkYUmzDl709ywk_CfwZpuJWBppjJSYzYeA2XVXgdXSJ-Z7Oq6ZgvUVGc_cWs5QMWc6yMQ5nrHTLDjPbR5rB-V-IO1D1bBi75xyn56tcteJl8KEL00bGIG/s320/IMG_6467.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
A word to the wise: skip whichever color is too close to your background colors (I should've started with pink and ended on green) because it won't show up as clearly once you transfer<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GaUMxMVvSDYS59QAF61GNLmbqpi-jLe7NBi_mObDD1kjkPx9LCcvjuve43sbpCVfZ9Aw1BAotzQUFIhuiKJRsYQXk1pOcgN2m4ZLV6ONSZ0ka2KhMlH1CrRaSQSC8xdRHSboEGmhfd1q/s1600/IMG_6487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GaUMxMVvSDYS59QAF61GNLmbqpi-jLe7NBi_mObDD1kjkPx9LCcvjuve43sbpCVfZ9Aw1BAotzQUFIhuiKJRsYQXk1pOcgN2m4ZLV6ONSZ0ka2KhMlH1CrRaSQSC8xdRHSboEGmhfd1q/s320/IMG_6487.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glettering transferred</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Finally, I added silver moons and golden stars all over the dark blue background, including the bottom of the shoe (no, it's not practical...what are you, new here?)<br />
<br />
Side bar - note that you can use metallic confetti just like you'd use sequins (i.e. as a cool little accent on your shoe) and they come in better shapes (sequins are pretty much mostly just round). I have bought many many little packets of metallic awesomeness from <a href="http://www.chicoparty.com/Confetti-Party.aspx">Chico Party</a>, including the night sky sequins I used here. They have a huge selection - prepare to get lost in that website imagining all the cool shoes/purses you could do. Just now, when I looked up the URL to link to, I saw <a href="http://www.chicoparty.com/deluxedinosaurconfetti3pack.aspx">these guys</a> and my mind started to wander to a Jurassic Park shoe we were just talking about on Facebook....and ooh, <a href="http://www.chicoparty.com/fuchsia-dolphin-confetti.aspx">these dolphins </a>would be awesome on another Lisa Frank shoe and...wait...what were we talking about? *Cough.* Anyway, I use E6000 to attach them to the shoe, using a toothpick to both put a teeny dollop and pick up individual sequins and move them to the shoe.<br />
<br />
Here are lots of pics of the finished shoe:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzldl54OYVqCDW9DOl7QIAIY13o8NFfLaCP7dnVD7ebxDO3mDudC9unjbjIWk7pbDd2ruTja3S3Vj_pEDfcIlbx4YDycHtggwb-D-bcODPHzU58F3xu8YYoufcyKBhsAv2BSa3rBJ0I9CH/s1600/IMG_6507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzldl54OYVqCDW9DOl7QIAIY13o8NFfLaCP7dnVD7ebxDO3mDudC9unjbjIWk7pbDd2ruTja3S3Vj_pEDfcIlbx4YDycHtggwb-D-bcODPHzU58F3xu8YYoufcyKBhsAv2BSa3rBJ0I9CH/s320/IMG_6507.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6dTmJ9FKCfJGQij_uUslwlK2iZuGdEfondrzjed89Z8pNTYoSWw-SRbIbYyp3VmQHtqVazLKhWdMYzmxAqBULW4Sijm22NerWTqvbYuXdR4Y_rKtgg-f17kiXc0CuWDXDh7E-e07tHHx/s1600/IMG_6509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6dTmJ9FKCfJGQij_uUslwlK2iZuGdEfondrzjed89Z8pNTYoSWw-SRbIbYyp3VmQHtqVazLKhWdMYzmxAqBULW4Sijm22NerWTqvbYuXdR4Y_rKtgg-f17kiXc0CuWDXDh7E-e07tHHx/s320/IMG_6509.JPG" width="291" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0G5yKt4-wwHoM1oKDf_jwRmaQRyK8MpcEfCG05QyYETv-kJ5n3gG8BbKtjxxhKw_7OitiXoRr8MIBEhHtSIR10-kKPtAGAQnB7Fgh__-ODI2E2HZBNw-5oOMyi08J4eIxohB5Jii_EjGw/s1600/IMG_6510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0G5yKt4-wwHoM1oKDf_jwRmaQRyK8MpcEfCG05QyYETv-kJ5n3gG8BbKtjxxhKw_7OitiXoRr8MIBEhHtSIR10-kKPtAGAQnB7Fgh__-ODI2E2HZBNw-5oOMyi08J4eIxohB5Jii_EjGw/s320/IMG_6510.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdonrjtDK7qOPMdNSdtsAVVb4akB_au6tXk5FRw88W0FQ5j7KuzF-E_kYfZa1EFbsH9rHhjYQM69q-IQoz4GiQu4f6TT2csV9fXI8pN-_waAAyLnCgNOWD4kBlLlJjepKiGgDXTf_rCl9/s1600/IMG_6511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdonrjtDK7qOPMdNSdtsAVVb4akB_au6tXk5FRw88W0FQ5j7KuzF-E_kYfZa1EFbsH9rHhjYQM69q-IQoz4GiQu4f6TT2csV9fXI8pN-_waAAyLnCgNOWD4kBlLlJjepKiGgDXTf_rCl9/s320/IMG_6511.JPG" width="259" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfj6UVPX0YI7Ty7n1wimGPvYmyaWd5Zdqh3oU-lLoH4H4HvGvLuxirUT4OIwskIU_3iyHqjoQZqLe4rZ7kygyx5Hkw9u2drx5oi37Mb3lpchyOWyD_i3lzmTgfgY3WGj520YwJvtb-y-lg/s1600/IMG_6514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfj6UVPX0YI7Ty7n1wimGPvYmyaWd5Zdqh3oU-lLoH4H4HvGvLuxirUT4OIwskIU_3iyHqjoQZqLe4rZ7kygyx5Hkw9u2drx5oi37Mb3lpchyOWyD_i3lzmTgfgY3WGj520YwJvtb-y-lg/s320/IMG_6514.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Ready to go to its new home in just a little under 200 days!!! I'm going to try a few more ombres and will, as always, share any and everything about it here in excruciating detail. Have a great weekend!!</div>
Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-1531254040669171362015-07-21T13:38:00.001-07:002015-07-21T13:38:37.528-07:00Too Funny!!I'm dying<br />
<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RZi6NCuLbQ&app=desktopNorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1322316796898032052.post-46144676688889741892015-07-07T13:15:00.001-07:002015-07-07T13:15:38.848-07:00Sale Round UpI was starting to think that the President had opened our strategic glitter reserves or something (we totally have those, right?) because I was seeing a lot of sale prices on glitter, but maybe it's just that people aren't doing glitter crafting as much in July, compared to Christmas (but remember: glitter is for life, not just for Christmas!)<br />
<br />
Here's a round-up of deals going on at the moment that I know of:<br />
<br />
- From what I've heard, Gary's is going to try to keep the glitter by the pound price down around $8.50. I also hear they've added some new colors! I will be checking it out again in August, so I will update at that time. Don't forget to like/follow Gary's on Facebook for coupons!<br />
<br />
- Papermart.com (one of my favorite sources for buying craft supplies in bulk) used to sell glitter in these little 1 ounce tubes, and now has started also offering <a href="http://www.papermart.com/glitter-powder-in-jars/id=44608#44608">glitter by the pound</a>. It's even a wee bit cheaper than Gary's ($7.70/lb plus shipping vs $8.50/lb). I still prefer Gary's (buy local!!), but wanted to share the news. I've bought the little tubes before and, assuming it's the same stuff, the color and fineness are excellent.<br />
<br />
- If you're so hard core you're looking to buy 5 lbs of glitter instead of merely purchasing by the pound like us mere mortals (or, more likely you have some glitterers to split up a big order with you) <a href="http://kitkraft.biz/Glitter/">Kit Kraft</a> is offering free shipping (on orders over $99) and 10% off glitter until the end of July (promo code GLITTER10). They've also reduced the prices on some of their higher end glitters. It's pricier than I'd usually recommend (~$3/ounce if you get the 5 lb size), but again...I like y'all to know your options. It's also really nice quality (<a href="http://kitkraft.biz/Ultra-Fine_Opalescent_Gold_Glitter/">this stuff</a> haunts my dreams...so pretty) and comes in a way wider range of colors than any other vendor I know of.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRMKzRlA7-fT4Xt5dOwaMVZ3A0j6sfeMftsVjPNKJkubwPIU3q1u1FGNjyp0QRmoDxggB6KvRlQoHibvsYrXV9vGgHgiHICI4vmlpUHnYUmrwikjWNFsKRjhU82vQ4YPlt-g8m1Kmt76f/s1600/kitkraft.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRMKzRlA7-fT4Xt5dOwaMVZ3A0j6sfeMftsVjPNKJkubwPIU3q1u1FGNjyp0QRmoDxggB6KvRlQoHibvsYrXV9vGgHgiHICI4vmlpUHnYUmrwikjWNFsKRjhU82vQ4YPlt-g8m1Kmt76f/s320/kitkraft.tif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
- I'm a fan of the Oriental Trading <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/halloween-glitter-assortment-a2-48_9071.fltr?Nrpp=10000&plaId=553400">fine glitter Halloween four pack</a>, and it's currently on sale ($5.78 instead of $8.50 for four 2.5 oz bottles). If you're on their email list you get their coupons (right now the coupon is $10 off and free shipping on orders of $69 or more).<br />
<br />
- Today and tomorrow (7/8/15), Michael's has a special on flip flops (3 for the price of 1, so right around $1/pair). Even if you miss that sale, they'll start to have flip flops that (not coincidentally) ramp up as flip-flop season ramps down. If you want to do any flip flop shoes, I would start checking on them whenever you're at Michael's for the rest of the summer. When I see them for $1 or $0.50 a pair, I pick a pair or two up. Personally, I'd recommend white (since you can layer any color over it) and extra-smalls (they're cutest). I'm obviously really devoted to the classic high heel, but alternative shapes can be a lot of fun. I did a Shrimp Poboy shoe for 2015, and I've been playing with a Muffaletta shoe and S'mores shoe in the same style.<br />
<br />
My "research" (i.e. fooling around on Pinterest) has also informed me that the Old Navy $1 Flip Flop Sale is evidently a thing. It looks like it's passed this year (appears to be annually end of June), but now that I know about it I'm going to try and catch it next year. Judging by <a href="http://www.oldnavy.com/products/womens-flip-flops.jsp">the website</a>, even when they're not on sale the plain flip flops are pretty cheap at $2-$2.50/pair.<br />
<br />
I've started compiling ideas for flip flops <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/shoeglitternola/flip-flop-ideas/">here</a> and will continue to add to that board.Norihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422445393117983189noreply@blogger.com0