The Letter "O"

I said I would blog weekly. It’s been more like 2 weeks.

It’s not that I haven’t made anything. In fact, I was gonna blog about how I’ve made my studio. And you will still get to read and see this fabulous room, but yesterday someone was desperately in need of something being made.

My friend’s last name is Oliver. She was lamenting the fact that “O” items were hard to find.

I’m a “G”, we’re everywhere. We inherited some awesome silver pieces because of the “G”. Goodin is my mother’s family name. I married a Goodman… anyway; we get the cool “G” stuff. I’ve never really shopped for “O” stuff. I do know that Cameron and Edward are hard names to find on those huge displays, so there is evidently market research being done here.

She posted a pic of what she wanted to facebook. She wants to do a family photo grouping with the letter “O” tying it all together. I love stuff like that.

Me, being ever the person who has to make whatever someone needs, thought this looked like a great little project.

I save all kinds of things. We recently got new blinds for our family room, and when they cut them in the Home Depot, I saved the roll ends. They are a woven vinyl. Thus began my materials list:

1. The woven vinyl blind roll
2. A printed out “O” that I chose. This probably took me the longest time… searching the fonts… I have to look at every one before I can make a decision. This is true in many of my design decisions in my personal life. I must look at every option, then think on them, then make a decision…That’s how I roll.
3. Scissors and a black sharpie
4. Spray adhesive

I was happy with black for my letter color, but it could be any color that you could print. I filled the page, and it ended up being a font called Adorable at 750 points. You could also print it right onto some special paper and not glue at all. It’s pretty endless how many options there could be.

I printed the letter and cut it out. Black also proved to be a good choice because it was easy to use my sharpie to clean up any edges that were not cut perfectly straight.

I cut my piece of blind to 8 ½ x 11. Used a whiff of spray adhesive and carefully placed the letter on the background.

I have put it in a frame that I have to show a final pic, but when Betty gets it hung in her home with her family all around I hope she’ll send me a pic to add to this post.

That chick is rockin' Rolling Stones clogs!

Most recently I’ve made Rolling Stones Clogs. Actually, I’ve made them twice. The first time I didn’t sand the leather or cut the pictures and they only lasted about 3 wears. In fact, Keith Richards was coming unglued after the first wear. They weren’t working out at all.

This time I did a better job.

So, I started with my red Sanita clogs. They were so… red. I also have 2 other pair like them, one black and one cow hide so I wanted to do something to the shoes to make them special.

I am a Rolling Stones fan from way back. My ring tone is Honky Tonk Woman.

I first thought I would cut up album sleeves and a RS book that I had, but I soon realized that it would take more pics than I could find. I decided to get my own.

I printed my pics on some brochure paper that I had. I just went online and lifted images of album covers and concert pictures. I used MS Publisher to layout different sizes of the images.

The first time I had not covered every inch of the shoe either. This time I used album covers as backgrounds when needed and covered the shoes completely.

Step One: Clean and sand your shoes. I can’t emphasis the sanding part. The slick finish on the shoes will not accept the Modge Podge.

Step 2: Cut out your pictures.  You can see that I used graphics more than once and made them in several sizes.

Step 3: Lay out your design. I worked on both shoes at the same time, doing the tops of each, then each side and then the backs. I laid out an area, making sure I had background and the overlapping the way I wanted it. Then I did the other very important thing. I cut the pictures. I sliced into them from side to side and along the edges. It’s important for the picture to stick firmly and solidly to the shoe. You can see a sketch of how much I cut into them (the more the picture had to conform to a shape, the more it needed cutting. And you can see upclose in the photo how the pieces were cut.

 

Step 4: Glue. Apply Modge Podge (I used matte the first time I made them & glossy the second and glossy is better) to the shoe area and then the picture. I used a small paintbrush. Then carefully flatten the image out. Make sure to line up anything you had planned on lining up and get any bubbles out. Be careful as you work. You will have to clean your hands often and you don’t want to rub on the pic too much, Images can smear… I just pressed with my palm.

Edges are important. Clip into the edge pictures really well. Because shoes are flexy the edges have to be really glued down well.

Step 5: When everything is glued down, let the shoes dry. Then use your brush to apply another coat of Modge Podge over the whole collage.

Step 6: Clear Finish.  I used Kryon XX. It is a spray specifically for flexible items. Read the can carefully and make sure your spray is for flexible thing. I masked the wood heels and put newspaper inside the shoes before spraying the finish coat. Let dry 24 hours

Step 7: Step Out.