shoe bliss

 

Wow, what an amazing collection of altered shoes my ladies created for the witch shoe challenge! I loved every single one. You absolutely put me to shame which is a good thing. I'm so inspired by your creativity that I'm going to challenge myself to kick it up a notch.

 

I have slowly been making my way back into creating after putting my muse on hold for a while. I filled up my autumn calendar with several events to give myself a push so I hope it's starting to work. It helps to know there are things I need to get done whether I'm feeling creative or not.

Now that it's officially Fall I look forward to familiar rituals to foster that autumnal atmosphere regardless of the very summer like weather we still have this time of the year.

 

 

Do you have a favorite mug? It's finally time to bring my favorite fall mug out of the cupboard. This is part of a set of four I've had for oh 16 years or so. Hot chocolate always tastes better in a witchy mug. Can you see my Luna sitting back there by my work table? She's had an upset tummy the last few days but she's better now after I changed her kibbles.

 

 

Thank you so much again to all the awesome shoe makers. I know we're a small group right now but there is definitely no shortage of talent and creativity in our little shoe coven. So I thought perhaps I might try to make this a seasonal gathering. Anyone up for doing an altered winter shoe in December?

 

Have a great week. Don't forget to come back on Saturday for my Moonlight Party Under the Big Top post for Bliss Angels.

 

 



autumn altered witch shoe challenge

 

Happy first day of Fall!

 

What better way to kick off the season than to show off our altered witches shoes.
 

I decided to alter an old boot. My original plan was to alter the pair.

 

 

I had the right boot buried in my closet forever then finally found the left one in the garage. I think the right boot fell into one of those closet black holes because I just could not find it. So here is the long lost left one. It's a dark brown leather.

 

 

 

I made a pointy toe then added glitter embellishments and trim. I decided not to paint or alter it permanently in case I find the other one and want to use them for the next Ren Faire.

 

 

 

 

I imagined a Victorian potion maker from the Old West. Perhaps she lost a shoe after a bit of enthusiastic merry making at the Autumn Equinox!

 

 

 

Until I find the other boot I think I'll use this to hold a few brushes!

 

 

I can't wait to see every one's altered witch shoes. The linky is below. If you have any problems please let me know.

 

Thank you so much for playing along!

 

 

 

autumn altered witch shoe challenge

Did anyone save the other shoe after my Midsummer Fairy Shoe Challenge? Here is something to do if you still have it or you can use a different one all together. This one is on the first day of fall, a great way to kick off the season and all the upcoming autumn festivities.

 

 

 

The rules are the same as last time.

 

 

- I invite you to alter an actual shoe or slipper. It can be a pump, wedge, flats, canvas, ballet shoe or any shoe you no longer use. You can also pick a pair up at the thrift shop for super cheap if you like. One of your kid's old shoes would work very well and baby shoes or wee little doll shoes would also be perfect.

- You can alter one shoe or a pair and it can be purely decorative or something you or someone might really wear.

- Use any material or medium you like to embellish and alter your shoe/s. Paper, paint, clay, metal, lace, glitter.....whatever inspires you to unleash your inner witch!

 

- You can create a shoe for a witch, create a shrine or vignette. You can tell a story to go along with your shoe/s or simply share photos.

 

- There is a button on the right sidebar so you can get the word out to all your witchy kin.

 

- Be ready to post and share your altered witch shoe on Saturday, Sept 22. I will have a linky up with my post the night before.

 

 

*  *  *  *

 

Again I'm doing this as one of those spur of the moment things so we have about two and a half weeks to get it done. Sometimes the time crunch works for me and I tend to create best at the last minute.

 

You can view all the altered fairy shoes HERE for inspiration.

Visit the Midsummer Altered Fairy Shoe Challenge page HERE.

 

The Blue Moon Giveaway is still open. You can enter by leaving a comment on the previous post. Thank you to everyone who shared their great costume and Halloween ideas. I really enjoyed reading all of them.

 

Here is the button for the shoe challenge.

Or grab the one with the code on the sidebar.

 

 

Looking forward to seeing all your fabulous witchy shoes!

 

 

 



a midsummer fairy shoe

Happy Midsummer and Fairy Day!

I'm so glad you can join me today for my Altered Fairy Shoe challenge. I know some of you needed to jump start your creative muse again like I do and this was a great way for me to get moving.

The challenge was to take an actual shoe and alter it into a fabulous piece of art with a fairy theme. I found a pair of old shoes sitting in my garage recently. I think I wore them to a friend's wedding many, many years ago. I decided to challenge myself to only use materials I had on hand so I wouldn't have to buy anything new.

But I came across this roll of ribbon moss and I knew it was exactly what I needed for my shoe so I allowed myself one new item. Everything else is from my stash of this and that.

After making friends with my glue gun once again my fairy shoe started to come together.

I used ribbon moss, spanish moss, velvet pansies, sculpted paper flowers, vintage millinery pearls, twigs, vintage sheet music, paint and of course lots and lots of glitter and frost.

I imagined a midsummer wedding in the woods for a fairy queen. I see her walking on a carpet of moss with shoes such as these, embellished with bits and bobs gathered from the forest floor.

Creating my shoe was so much fun. I had truly forgotten how much I love to just let my imagination go. The hardest part is always knowing when to stop adding to it.

There's always room for one more flower or a bit more glitter.

Finally I was quite  happy with the way my first

altered art shoe turned out.

 

I searched for a magical spot until I found the perfect fairy bower.

 

And there I left a gift for the fairy queen, hoping she might enjoy a token of my appreciation for dusting me with a pinch of midsummer magic.

Thank you for letting me share a little fairy whimsy with you!

I decided to just alter one shoe but you are very welcome to do a pair. Since I only used one I started thinking about what to do with the other shoe.

Visions of pumpkins and Halloween started dancing in my head.  I thought perhaps you might join me again in a few months for another altered shoe challenge. So start gathering your spookiest and witchiest embellishments and join me in September for The Autumn Altered Witchy Shoe Challenge!

Thank you everyone for sharing your amazing pieces of art. I can't wait to see all the fairy magic you created. Below is a linky so you can link up your post. Make sure to visit everyone's post and have a fabulous summer fairy weekend.

Ooops!

If you're trying to link up and the linky won't work please let me know in your comment and I'll add your link to this list. Sorry guys, I'm not sure why it's doing that but let me know so we don't miss your fabulous shoes!

I'm going to leave this post up for a few days so if you want to jump in and add a last minute project you're more than welcome to do so.

Incipient Wings-Fairy Shoe Challenge

fairy magic

Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,
For I would ride with you upon the wind,
Run on the top of the dishevelled tide,
And dance upon the mountains like a flame.
~William Butler Yeats, "The Land of Heart's Desire," 1894

And as the seasons come and go, here's something you might like to know. There are fairies everywhere: under bushes, in the air, playing games just like you play, singing through their busy day. So listen, touch, and look around - in the air and on the ground. And if you watch all nature's things, you might just see a fairy's wing. ~Author Unknown

The fairies were gathering in the woods today. Perhaps a midsummer dance or a fairy wedding is close at hand. I caught a glimpse of glitter and color just under this mossy bower.

Just a little bit of fairy magic to share with you this first day of Summer!

 I hope your fairy shoes are nearly done. I really can't wait to see them. I had lots of fun making mine thanks to a shot of inspiration from a fairy friend!

Please join me this Saturday for more fairy delights!

dad's day and old shoes

Hurray for dad! I hope you're enjoying a beautiful weekend with your loved ones. We are hiding from the heat this weekend, 104 here yesterday but a cooler 96 today.

Would love to be cooling off at a beautiful beach like this one but a lovely lunch and indoor air conditioning works for us too.

My dad has been gone for nearly eight years. Hard to believe and although I didn't enjoy the close father daughter relationship with him many of you might have with your dads I truly appreciate the sacrifices he made for our family and will always love him with all my heart.

A quick reminder too about my upcoming Altered Fairy Shoe Challenge next weekend. You can still join in the fun if you have a pair of old shoes you don't mind turning into a piece of art.

I was cleaning out my garage a few days ago and found this old pair from ages ago. I might have worn them once for a wedding I was in. I thought they would be perfect for the challenge.

In case you're still looking for inspiration here's a link to an artist who created some really cool altered shoe art. I can't wait to see your shoes!