Project Minima:

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Shoe Be Do Be Do...

what were the chances...I'd be re-do-ing shoes...before the night was through?...ah, yes.  I have had a serious case of shoe lust lately.

shoes designed and created by Lloraine Neithardt


So to keep myself in line, I've dived into the depths of my closet to reclaim some lost soles.  Surely no one needs sooo many pairs of black and/or brown shoes!  Where are all the beautiful colors I crave?!

Just check out these gems after the break, my dears...








These used to be dark brown suede oxfords that were badly stained, with brown laces - very boring...

my iridescent green & pewter oxfords with lilac grosgrain ribbon ties

 

and these used to be dark brown leather mary janes - yeah, pretty boring too.

and my interference violet mary janes trimmed with glossy gold


They're both painted with acrylic paints I had on hand and literally rubbed on with my hand, fingers really.  The lilac ribbon was a bit from my bin o' trims (also arranged by color!)

The shoes are posing for ya in more close up shots on the Clothes for Fall page under "Shoe Be Do Be Do..." Check 'em out!

These and all the shoe redos have been posted on Refashion Co-op!

24 comments:

  1. Mmm, colours and ribbons - nicely done! I have two shoe projects and the materials ready, just hurting for the time. You inspire.

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    1. ooo, can't wait to see them. What do you have planned?

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    2. I've got cowboy boots to paint pale yellow and suede pumps to stain a deeper red - loving everything else about both pairs. I've got outfits I want to wear with them before it gets too chilly, too!

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    3. mmmm, sounds good - especially like the sound of pale yellow cowboy boots. yum.

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    4. Holy moly, I am so honoured to have a place on your sidebar - thank you!!!

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    5. But of course, all my reads are there.

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  2. Ahh...you breathed new life and vitality into the old...well done my dear!

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    1. Now if I could only do that with myself, Tamera.

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  3. That's impressive what you did with those brown mary janes.
    You've got the gears in my head spinning...

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  4. Oh wow! I just noticed that icon of my blog in the sidebar. Thanks so much for the support!

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    1. My pleasure and thanks for your comments too!

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  5. I can't believe what you did with a little acrylic! These shoes are much more fun than anything seen in retail. The ribbon ties are such a special touch!

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    1. They were more fun to make than they would've been to buy too. Choosing the right laces took the longest - I had to sleep on it!

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  6. Those are awesome!! There's a blog called Joyatri. She also paints shoes and posts them on her blog sometimes. What a great way to break up all the non colors.

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    1. Is that the person who recently posted a pic of herself wearing a "newspaper" dress from the 70's on Patti's site? I think I popped by there...I'll have to revisit and see. Thanks Joni - hope you're feeling better too.

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  7. You are so brave to re-imagine your shoes! Please do share if the acrylic paint stays or if they need touch-ups or something later! I'm so interested!

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    1. Oh I'm not being brave - it's too much fun!

      They should be fine with acrylic paint. If you get it one your clothes - it never comes off. Plus I didn't paint it on thick or do lots of layers which could cause cracking on a flexible surface. I actually rubbed the paint on with my finger so it's a thin coat that's massaged into the surface. Some I topped with a thin coat of acrylic gloss medium (also using the finger method) because I wanted more of a shine.

      The cool thing is, I can always paint them again if I want!

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  8. Hi Pao,
    Thanks for following the Not Dead Yet link and visiting and commenting on my blog. I've spent the past hour or so catching up on your blog. Impressive project! I'm in awe of your re-fashioning skills and am feeling very inspired. Of course, I am particularly interested in what you've been doing with shoes. What a surprise to click on this post to leave a comment and seeing Joni's reference to my blog. My shoe painting projects posted here: http://www.joyatri.com/joyatri-home-page/tag/shoe-dye. I look forward to reading more of your posts.

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    1. Wow, how cool is that? Seeing yourself in the comment section, and spending an hour perusing my blog...awesome. Okay I've got a date with your shoe painting projects coming up. It seems like it was destined to be, huh. I just finished 2 more shoe redos last night, soon to be posted.

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  9. I am going shoe thrifting! I already have the paint. Must get some beautiful ribbon though. Thanks for the inspiration.

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    1. I love being an inspirer...You can paint your own beat up shoes too, or the ones that you have too many of in the same color (like black in my case)! And the ribbon was just a bit of scrap trim I had. I don't think I would've ever been able to decide on the color if I had all the choices in the world!

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