happy 4th

Got big plans for the 4th of July? I remember spending several 4ths at a Victorian themed teddy bears picnic years and years ago. It was held on the grounds of a beautiful Victorian estate near San Francisco and many guests would dress up in period garb. I also attended one of their Gatsby picnics which was featured in Victoria Magazine one year.

 

Photo from one of the Gatsby picnics at Dunsmuir

Everyone brought their favorite bear/s and spread out fancy picnic ware. And of course there was a great parade for the kids. This was way before I got married and had my son so I didn't have a child to join the parade but oh how I wished I could have.

I always brought Beartrand, the big guy in the back and it was that picnic that inspired me to do my own 2 years ago. Maybe it's time for me to do another one.

Are you looking for red, white and blue party ideas?

 

Head on over to The Tomkat Studio for some yummy inspiration. She has lots of great pics and recipes too.

 

Whatever you have planned this weekend and on the 4th please remember to keep your furry kids safe. So many pets go missing on this holiday because they're left outside and the fireworks terrify them. Indoors is the best place for them to be which is where Luna loves to make fireworks of her own.

 

Thank you to everyone who participated in my Midsummer Altered Fairy Shoe Challenge. I loved all your beautiful shoes!

Have a fun and safe 4th of July weekend.

 

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!