Bling Those Shoes - Part 2

In April I shared with you about the darling Anne Michelle shoes I scored for only $5.00, while I was on vacation in Pismo Beach, which I planned to cover with crystal gems (inspired by the blog New Dress A Day).  I worked on them right away but did not get very far, it takes a really, really long time to hand glue each stone on one by one, what was I thinking?!  After several attempts I put them aside frustrated because it was taking forever just to get a couple of rows done at a time.  I finally got tired of constantly dusting the shoes and moving them all around the studio to keep from damaging them so I picked them up, put the shoes on my work counter and started gluing on the stones.  The hardest part was trying to decide what pattern I was going to make, I originally wanted to cover the whole heel but got discouraged part way though so I switched it up and only covered the hefty part of the heel then I ran stones down the center with spaces between them. Once that was done I placed three of the smallest gems down the center of the bow on the front of the shoe giving it some bling, why should the heels get all the attention, very cute.  Here is my progress from start to finish.

I turned the shoe upside down so I would not get glue all over the outside as I handled it. I used Krazy Glue because I did not want the stones to fall off if the shoes ever got worn.  The smallest stones were hard to handle so I used bent nosed tweezers to pick them up and dip them into the glue then placed the gems onto the shoes.

I kept getting glue and finger prints all over the shoes so I pulled an old soft sock over the shoes which kept them clean and from moving around all over my work counter.

This photo shows my first finished shoes with tiny spaces between the gems running down the high heel of the shoe.  I was not completely happy with the look of the heels, I let them sit for a while trying to decide what to do next.  I love the three stones on the little bows, I could have gone crazy with the crystals and covered the whole thing which is what I intended to do originally, but I thought I should just keep it simple, at least for now.

After looking at the shoes for awhile the spaces kept bugging me, I finally decided to add the smallest crystal gems in the package to see if I would like that look any better.  It is somewhat more pleasing to the eye but I cannot say I am in love with the final product.  I think these shoes will remain a work in progress; I will probably end up covering the entire heel and bow with crystals on each shoe, which was my original plan for over the top bling, just like the designers are showing this season.

Thanks for letting me share my newest bling project with you; I hope to get back to a few more bling projects throughout the summer months, I miss all that sparkle.

See you soon.

Laurette

If you enjoyed reading this post you might also like:

Bling Those Shoes - Part 1

Black and White Bling - 2011

A Bit of Bling - 2011

Buttons Bows & Bling - 2011

Black & White Bling

I have been asked how I chose the name of my blog and business, what was my inspiration? It was obvious from what I do, I use buttons and bows in my sewing, decorating and crafting so it was a natural choice. But where did the bling come from? My answer to that question is an easy one, it came from all the pretty things in my studio.

When I started the re-design for my very first studio I decided on a black and white theme with green and pink accents. I wanted something to reflect the various icons of the fashion industry; like purses, shoes, pictures of couture garments and lots of shiny things. That studio was such a fun and inspiring space to work, everything had a place; it was organized and beautiful to look at. I worked in the updated version of my studio for about two years until we sold it and bought a new home. My studios since then followed along the same themes featuring black and white fabrics, fashion icons and accessories which have a bit of bling.

For my pop of color, this time, I used two tones of an icy blue on the walls and touches of hot pink as minor accessories throughout the room, very feminine and elegant. My newest studio is still a work in progress as I fine tune the furniture and cabinet layouts. Many of the accessories from the last two studios don’t work well in my new space, not enough walls and two extra windows, giving me less space for all my pretty pieces which give it the bling. I am working on new ways to bring it in without making the space seem small and cluttered.

Here is some of the pretty bling I did manage to bring into my studio so far.

This beautiful little piece was a birthday gift from my daughter; it hangs in the center of my studio surrounded by a black ceiling medallion, which I painted and hung.

These trios of candles are decorated with a black velvet flocked print on the glass; the insides of the candles have pretty sparkles embedded in the wax. Very elegant and just the right amount of bling.

These three little dress forms sit on a black floating shelf above my sewing counter, very fun to look at.

Just a few of the couture dress forms and miniature designer shoes I collect. Aren’t they pretty.

I have several of these black and white lamps around my studio both in the floor lamp and desk styles. I added a big black bow around the barrel shade, which my new daughter-in-law made for me. The bow was originally wrapped around a pretty box decorated with couture dresses and shoes. A great way to re-purpose your special ribbons.

This is a photograph of my Mom who is modeling a beautiful 1950’s black velvet dress with white satin ruffles at the neckline. She is also draped in white fur (Fur was not an issue then) and wearing black velvet shoes. Truly an elegant ensemble. She did a lot of modeling in the 50’s and 60’s, but this is my favorite picture of her, it sits above my long sewing counter so I can see her as I sew.

These original sewing patterns belonged to my Grandmother, they were given to me when she passed away along with a big box of fabrics. I mounted them on black and white print papers and placed them in black frames. The original pattern pieces and instructions are still inside the pattern covers and can be accessed at any time for future use. A handy way to preserve the patterns but still be able to see and use them.

Just a few of the pretty little things in my studio which inspire the bling in my work and my blog. I hope you enjoyed this little peak into my creative life. Someday soon when I get my studio just right I will post those pictures for you to see.

On a side note; for those of you tracking the adventures of the computer crash, I am still working on my little notebook computer while trying to learn Windows 7 and getting my new laptop set up. Such a process for someone who was stuck in the dark ages just a few months ago.


Just got the call….my IT people were able to retrieve all my data and photos, I will get a disk with all of it back tomorrow, I saved and shut it down in time, Yeah!!!! Woohoo!!! I am a very happy gal.

Thanks for following along with me today, look for my next post, hopefully on my new laptop, see you soon.

Where I bought it:

Lamps & Picture frames - Target

Studio Helper

In the spirit of getting to know each other, I want to introduce you to someone very important, my studio helper.  She is always there with me everyday, never late for work, very enthusiastic, upbeat, warm and loving.  She always inspects my work and tools to make sure they are of the best quality and sometimes she is just there for company.  Here is her picture so you will know who she is when you see her in my posts.

                                                

Her name is Honey Bunny, her nickname is Bunny, usually when I don’t have time to call out her full name, and she also gets called Bun, Bun and a variety of other cute little names.  She is a small orange and black calico kitty who I rescued before she was to go to animal control. Honey turned three just this past May but seems more like a kitten with all her crazy antics.  She is my fury little girlfriend who keeps me company in the studio, office and the rest of the house.  The very best part about her is she hardly ever talks back or argues with me, what a great studio helper.

                        

Inspection day, Honey making sure my machine is threaded correctly and my scissors are sharp and ready to cut with.  I believe I did pass inspection and I was cleared to sew. She didn’t want the sewing police to shut down work for the day, always looking out for me.

                       

Honey is deep in her duties as my helper trying to get the correct measurements for the bias tape cuts.  She wanted to know if it was 1” or 2” and were we using the correct fabrics for this bias tape color. 

Oops! Almost forgot my outdoor studio helpers, they aren’t as fun as Honey Bunny but they are loyal and loving as well.  These three older helpers are Fur Ball, the orange kitty who is the oldest at eleven years old, and Toby who is cuddled up with him. Then there is Tyler who takes up a bed all by himself, he was the runt of the litter who almost died, but ended up at about 15 pounds of pure muscle (a big boy).  There is one more helper who was very camera shy; we will get her next time so you can meet her, Sweetie is her name.

All of my little helpers were rescued from people who abused them horribly.  I was happy to take them in, since no one else wanted them, due to all of them having medical problems.  They now have each other for company and a warm and loving home.

 For those of you who need a cute little studio helper of your own, please adopt one from your local animal shelter or take in a stray who needs a loving home.  OK enough for the public service announcement, just thought I would do my part for the employment of future studio helpers.

In case you are wondering if I have a human studio assistant I do, her name is Jolene and she is fantastic, you will meet her in future posts.  Between Jolene and Honey I am a very productive and a happy camper.

Hope you enjoyed today’s post, look for me tomorrow I have a fun post you won’t want to miss.  See you then.

Buttons, Bows & Bling #1

Buttons, Bows & Bling, what more could a girl want you ask?  Not much I say, which led me to the name of my blog and my business.  I love all things girly, lovely, and warm and inviting so I try to bring all of those things to my everyday life both in fashion, in my home and to others.  I do all this through the creative ventures in my studio as a seamstress and artist.  My passion is sewing but I’m an all around creative gal;  I am a pattern designer, jewelry designer, quilter, textile artist, I paint and re-purpose old furniture, garden, decorate my home and others, create paper crafts, mixed media and so much more. 

You probably wonder how I can do all of that, I began sewing and crafting as a little girl, taught by my Mother who was a master seamstress and crafter. Then as a young stay at home Mom I became a sewing instructor, made everything from dolls to wedding gowns, then moved into professional craft and gift shows and had a wholesale gift business showcasing my handcrafted items, which I pursued until both my children left for College.  

With the passing of the years and no longer a career woman; I have the time to explore and perfect anything creative which catches my eye.  Since I said that you probably think I must be a very mature (old) lady but I assure you I am neither old in age or in spirit, but I must confess to being a very young grandmother of two.  I love to sew and create beautiful, colorful outfits, toys and room decor for both of my lovely little granddaughters.  Sewing and crafting for them led me to starting a new business for children’s clothing, toys, and decor and a blog so I could share my projects and my adventures as I set up my first on line business.

This blog isn’t just about the things I make for children, you will see all kinds of projects I am working on including; baking, gardening, book reviews, decorating, travel, painting projects, crafts of all kinds, holiday decorating and party planning, favorite fabric and craft stores, project tutorials and so much more.  I can’t wait to get started sharing my creative ventures with you. See you soon.

This is the bulletin board I re-purposed and put in the toy room my granddaughters play in.

This picture is a fabric panel mounted on canvas framed in printed ribbon also a decoration in the toy room.

The toy room closet doors were just big and white, boring for a kids play room so they got decorated with removable vinyl stickers and two dimensional decals.

I hope you enjoyed my first post and the kind of fun projects I like to create.  If you like what you saw be sure to follow me as a member or through e-mail alerts, I look forward to seeing you soon.


Where I found my favorite bling used to create my projects:
Fabrics for pictures & bulletin boards:  Homespun Harbor a Quilt Shop -     http://www.homespunharbor.com/
Canvas, ribbons, jewels:  Michael's crafts  -  http://www.michaels.com/
Vinyl stickers:  Home Goods.
Two dimensional butterfly stickers:  Target