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.
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 always 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.
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.
First and foremost, I look at other women's throws for creative mojo. No surprises there...it's the Krewe of Muses 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.
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:
1) Shoe Stories - I bought Shoe Stories Two 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 dream craft room I keep redecorating in my head now includes some of those prints...
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. Image search Irregular Choice and enjoy racking up great shoe ideas.
Hard to pick favs when there are so many mind-blowing designs, but their Star Wars Collection and new Disney Alice in Wonderland Collection are amazing.
3) Botanical Shoes - I bought and have very much enjoyed Shoe Fleur, and have been perusing this artist's work as well: Brown Lee Art Studio. 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.
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 Robert Tabor Shoe Sculptures. 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 (Sole Sensations) and please join me in coveting that spectacular high heel chandeleir he made.
All for now - happy glittering!!
