Sassy Feet! blog

A Gift for You, From Me

I came across this quote the other day and it struck me as absolutely right. It also gave me the idea for this blog post. I am going to give you the gift of contagious creativity by showing you my favorite things I created this year.

Some of these have been in this blog before, others will be posted later along with how-to instructions. For now, just enjoy seeing the projects -- and maybe do the same thing for your friends: Share the cream of your creativity and spark theirs!

A mahjong minaudiere created for an art show outside Detroit.
I made the fabric by arranging vintage mahjong cards, scanning
them and printing them on to Inkjet fabric.

Zebra print booties that I embellished for Destiny

 

A shoulder bag made by felting an old Laura Ashley sweater and using part
of a felted flower scarf (reinforced with FireLine) as the strap

 

A bootie that's been partly painted and partly fabric-collaged. It has
a fabric-covered heel, hand-dyed silk ribbon laces, and
a button-stack embellishment

 

 
Another minaudiere, this one covered in ribbon-embroidered
velvet and red suede trim. It is embellished with old-fashioned
keys, a tassel and a square glass bead.

 

Comfy black slip-ons "unzipped" to show a triangle of startling blue.
The large-gauge zipper was cut and glued in place.

 

Resin donuts (55mm) from Natural Touch Beads dabbed with various colors of Lumiere using a cosmetic wedge. Fun -- and easy -- to do and they make great shoe and handbag embellishments!

 

Last of all, here are creative projects from some of my favorite people. These are by no means their most amazing creations of 2011, however. To see others, click on the links of the names.

Erin Perry created this tiny (5"x5") copper-clad and ephemera-
embellished shadow box to display a charming resin
reproduction of a vintage shoe.

This is my Sassy Feet co-consipirator Destiny Carter displaying:
1) her new blue-streaked hair -- an art project in itself, and
  2) a beautifully dimensional beaded necklace by Debra Jurey.

That's it for today. May the new year bring you LOTS of creative satisfaction and joy! And may you share it with us by emailing photos to me at margot@sassyfeet.com.

Last-Minute Gifts for Creative Friends

I'm sure you've been inundated with stores sending you emails about ****GREAT SAVINGS**** and so on -- my inbox has been jammed! Me, I'm doing ONE blog post for you to offer my suggestions for presents that will open a whole new world of creativity for your artisan friends. You could even invite them over and "do shoes" together!

The Sassy Feet Essentials Kit has everything for beginning DIY shoe designers: 

• A sample pack of NINE Lumiere paints -- each bottle will do a pair of shoes, even if they need three coats to cover the old color
• A set of the paint brushes we like best for painting shoes and bags, including the hard-to-find fan brush
• A bottle of sealer for adding a shine and a protective finish
• The NEW edition of our book, Sassy Feet! Paint, Embellish and LOVE Your Shoes (and Bags)! Signed by the authors
  

 $37.95 ($41.10 if purchased separately)

 

Our fabulous (if I do say so myself) new edition of Sassy Feet! Paint, Embellish and LOVE Your Shoes (and Bags)!, the popular guide to the joys of DIY shoe design and handbag upcycling! Completely revised and updated with more than 80 projects for painting and embellishing your shoes and bags. Fun and inspirational with lots and lots of ideas for creating one-of-a-kind accessories. Tells how to paint, sponge paint, color block, transfer designs, stencil on leather, and apply glitter glaze, PLUS all the different ways to attach embellishments. Creativity-provoking eye candy with a big helping of how-to!

"Teaches you how to move from Payless to beyond Neiman Marcus -- and does it with infectious enthusiasm!"  -- Program Director, Wearable Art Connection of Southern California

$19.95  Signed by the authors
 

How about Do-It-Yourself Ruby Slippers? Our Ruby Slippers Shoe Embellishment Kit contains everything needed to turn ordinary flat or heels magical! And it's suitable for beginners. Our kit includes:

• Detailed, step-by step instructions with photos
• A bottle Crimson Lumiere paint specially formulated for leather & manmade leather
• A bottle Ruby Slippers Glitter It! glaze
• Two red satin bows, already tied
• Five yards of Fireline beading thread
• One leather needle (size 3)

$29.95 ($33.95 if purchased separately)

Give the gift of GLITTER!  Encourage your favorite female (large or small) to glitter her shoes and bag for extra holiday pizzazz! Here are color combos of Lumiere leather paint and our Gitter It! glaze that will cover most any shoes or bags. Instructions included!Will cover a pair of shoes and a small-to-medium-sized handbag, OR a pair of knee-high boots. Many more color combos in our store.

• RED - Crimson Lumiere paint and Really Red Glitter It! glaze

• GOLD - Bright Gold Lumiere paint and Antique Gold Glitter It! glaze
• SILVER - Metallic Silver Lumiere paint and Sparkling Silver Glitter It! glaze
• GREEN - Pearlescent Emerald Lumiere paint and Shamrock Glitter It! glaze

$15.20 for a bottle of paint and a bottle of glitter glaze

• Or, just add some holographic silver sparkle to the black shoes you already have -- order Starlet Glitter It! glaze for just $9.99. Covers same area as noted above. (We do have black paint if you need it for $5.19 a bottle -- click here.)

Okay, those are my best suggestions for the women (and intrepid men) you love. Now I'm gonna go back to painting and embellishing an ugly old yellow leather tote into a wonderful Christmas gift for one of my favorite twentysomethings!