New Website!!!

Greetings Dear Sparkle Lovers!

I'm so excited to announce the launch of my new website!!

Blingforyoursole.com

I'm very excited to share it with you.  As much as I love blogger, I find the features to be incredibly limiting and enjoy a cleaner and more aesthetic look.  If for some reason the address redirects to this blog, you should clear your browser cache and either refresh the page, or restart your browser.

Fashion!

So if you're a big baseball fan, no doubt you saw Zoey Deschanel's awesome sparkly red shoes.

Well let me tell you about them.

Aldo shoes created a 40th anniversary special VIP shoe.  Only 100 were made, and were not really for sale (at least from what I understand only a few celebrities in the world received them), and they have about 5,000 Swarovski crystals covering the shoe.

The cost $1500.

For $1500, is that enough bling for you?  Honestly??!? 

My Volcano shoes have over 10K in crystals!  And my other shoes about 8K!  For this particular shoe fully encrusted with Swarovski crystals would cost you 40% less.  That's 2x the amount of crystals for less!!  Yes, Aldo is selling a pair of replication shoes for far far less, with FAKE PLASTIC rhinestones.

For this particular crystal placement, I could strass your shoe for the price of a ballet flat
(*with respect to your crystal effects choices*)

Find me on Facebook too!

Greetings my sparkly friends!

I can also be found on Facebook

I'm trying to update both this blog and Facebook at the same time, but sometimes videos look much much better over on Facebook!  I'm working on a youtube account, but need to learn how to watermark my videos too...

How sparkly are you going to be for halloween!!  I can't wait to show my sparkly costume!

Happy News!

I'll be transitioning this website to a new and better website! 

Thanks for being patient during the transition!  Once it starts it'll probably take about a week to get it where I want it.

Why choose me? It's all about the detail!

So why should you pick me as your shoe/accessory strassing expert?  

Because it's all about the detail!!  Sure, there are shoes on Etsy that you can buy for less, but I'll tell you the most important thing... most of the time those shoes have plastic or cheap crystals!  I ONLY use quality crystals.  As of now, I use Swarovski.  There is a dramatic difference between cheap crystals and quality crystals.  

The beauty of Swarovski crystals is the care that is taken with the cut.  They actually just changed their crystal cut to what they call Xilion rose which has improved faceting for maximum sparkle.  

Another aspect to the beauty of my shoes is the nature in which the crystals are placed on the shoe.  I prefer random placement to create a better sense of depth and (for lack of a better word) maturity.  

I really take care to get the details just right on a shoe.  I like to take care of the details first and then fill in later.  You can see on the above picture the detail and lines of the shoe.

Below you can see how I do what I do.  The edges are so important to get right!!  If it's not done right, it just looks cheap.  I often times find myself examining Christian Louboutin strassed shoes with some derision because there is an obvious focus on mass production and lack of attention to important finite details.

Again, an outline before I really begin strassing.  Though the heel depicted here is fully strassed, you can still see the outline I did first.  I learned the hard way to never ever strass to the very very bottom of a shoe, which is why the heel cap is still painted, but not strassed.  

And lastly and most importantly, you get a quality and custom shoe/purse/cellphone case/whatever that doesn't cost you an arm and a leg like these shoes that run about $6,500!!

Basic, Basic Refined, Refined

Here are better examples of the three types of pricing I am offering and a great example of the different types of crystals.

Left: Basic Refined, Jonquil AB crystal and Sunflower standard crystal
Middle: Refined, Volcano crystal effects
Right: Basic, Fern Green and Peridot both standard crystals

As you can see the Basic is ok, the Basic Refined is very nice, and the Refined is drop-dead gorgeous 

There is really so much that goes into the process for these, and the reason why I absolutely love the Basic Refined and Refined is the detail!!

Fern Green and Peridot

These are the shoes I made for a company holiday party.  I randomly placed Fern Green and Peridot crystals on the shoe to create a greater sense of depth.  Plus I didn't want the shoes to look like cheap glittered shoes.  Using two colors really sets these shoes apart.

You can see the black of the shoe coming through.  I elected to not paint these shoes because of the definition it creates between the two colors.

Volcano For Sale

Greetings dear friends!  It is with a heavy heart that I announce I am selling my own Volcano shoes. 

I purchased these shoes while under my personal deadline to have them ready in time for Valentine's Day.  In my haste I picked a shoe brand that I know is not always kind to my feet.  These are Madden Girl shoes, size 8.5.  They cause too much pain for me to wear in good conscious any longer.  Let this be a lesson to you to always pick a pair of shoes that are comfortable to have strassed!!!

I have worn these shoes at least 4 times since February so they have not seen heavy use at all.  I do take exceptional care for my shoes and all sparkly things I create either for myself or someone else.  Know that these shoes are loved and are in exceptional shape.

Since they are pre-worn strassed shoes, I am selling these at a fantastic discount for $960+$15 shipping.  This does not include the cost for the shoes which was $60 (original selling price would be $1160).  The crystals are also in great shape and I will always include a small packet of crystals for replacements just in case any are lost through general wear and tear.

If you are interested in owning a beautiful pair of strassed shoes, contact me at the email listed on my contact page.  

*Bethani

Graduation Shoes: Finished!

This is my first time uploading a video, so please bear with me if it's a bit buggy.  I'll have a youtube channel up soon :)

Graduation Shoes: In Progress

They could be finished here!

It's all in the details.  

HOWEVER! I don't recommend strassing the ankle strap, at least not past the buckle.  I learned that lesson so you don't have to.  Sure you'll say you can just squeeze your foot in there, but the stress on the elastic takes it's toll...

 More details.

Graduation Shoes: The Beginning

Here is the beginning of my Jonquil AB and Sunflower shoes!  This is where I refined my beautiful refined shoes on a budget.  I take my time painting a shoe to make sure that I don't make any nasty messes or smudges where it will look off and careless!

The beginning:

Prepping for paint

 

More paint prep

You can see why it takes more than one coat of paint!

Partial Price List is up!

Check out the updated price list!  I've been working very hard to figure out a way to make my prices fair and understandable while charging appropriately for my time. 

There are several styles of shoes listed, so you know that I can do them, but I'm still working on the pricing, so contact me if you have any questions.

I'm very excited to get this business up and running!

June

June was such an incredibly busy month!  I'm pleased to say that I'm done with my undergrad (finally) and am now the proud university graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.  Aren't I so artsy with my blingalicious shoes?

Anyway, now that I'm done with school I should have more time to focus on inspirations for bling and am ready and available to talk with any of you about any sparkle needs you may have!  I'm still working on a price list, but please don't be afraid to contact me :) 

I'm planning on having a breakdown of style based on prices for shoes.  To give you a brief introduction, they will most likely be as follows:

1. Refined: (Highest price)
Couture-like
Best dimensional quality using 5-8 sizes of crystals: small, medium, and large
Seamless look, little spacing between crystals
Volcano shoes are the best example

2. Refined on a budget: (Average price)
Professional-like
A careful attention to minimal spacing between
A greater sense of depth 
Larger crystals, but filled using 3-5 sizes with only small and big
Jonquil AB and Sunflower shoes are the best example

3. Basic: (Lower price)
Simple
Using 1-2 sizes
Green shoes are the best example (I'll post these soon!)

I can honestly tell you that I can work with you on pricing!  I want to spread the sparkle and share it with the world!  But I won't be a snob about it.  I do, however, recommend either the refined look or budget.  The shoes look a lot better, smoother and more professional/couture.  Basic is still nice; 1 or 2 sizes of crystals still offer a lot of sparkle, but I personally prefer the Refined or Budged Refined look.

Again I want to stress to you that I do only use swarovski crystals, so if you're looking to have a pair of close-toed pumps strassed in full for less than $100, that won't even cover half the cost of just the crystals!  BUT there are other options to make a shoe sparkle a little bit :)  I'll delve deeper into those options in a following post.

Graduation Shoes!

So I've been MIA these past few weeks because I've been finishing up schooling and will be graduating with my BFA on Saturday!  For this wondrous occasion, I have of course been working on a new pair of shoes.  Here they are, in progress!

I can't wait to wear them on Saturday! 

I can make shoes for any occasion, any style, just contact me and we'll talk!  :)

Purple Glitter Shoes

So my sweet and silly niece's favorite color is purple and she wanted a purple sparkly dress.  Naturally I wanted to give her some blinging shoes, but came across a dilemma...my niece is four and will grow out of crystal shoes quickly, so why bling shoes for her? 

Fortunately there are other ways to add sparkle...like glitter!  So my niece is getting awesome purple sparkle glitter shoes!  I'll save the crystal shoes for when she's older :)

Update

Hi everyone!  I haven't been blogging as much as I would like because I've been completely swamped these past few weeks!  It's my last term at school and I will be graduating and blissfully free in June!!  Maintaining 3 blogs has been impossible.  I'm in the process of getting my art blog up and running, but it's taking some time. 

If you're interested, keep checking www.frecklesofdestiny.com.  It'll be up and running hopefully by the end of the month.

And soon I'll give some more shoe candy to you guys!  And of course a seriously blinging pink phone cover I made for my sister.  It's is awesome!!!  You'll all want one, and I'll make it for you, just hit me up ;)

<3

Inspiration

I stumbled across these shoes the other day while searching for awesome shoes to bling.  Although I'm not a huge fan of the cage or gladiator sandals, I can see these being a beautiful and very awesome pair of shoes.  They are called Momento by Chinese Laundry. 

 At first glance I thought that doing these in a Jet or Jet Hematite crystal would be ideal, but also predictable.  I think these should would be fabulous with deep blue accents, specifically Cobalt. 

I wouldn't cover the whole shoe, I would cover the platform, the heel and do an accent outline on the straps.  That way the shoe can be more of a statement than a predictable black on black.

New Project March 2012

These shoes will be the perfect example of the Aurum Crystal (the expensive ones). 

I will confess that these shoes are my absolute favorite style and pair of shoes!  I currently own three, but one pair became my wedding shoes, the other always be black leather, just like these, and these will be blinged with Aurum crystals.

 The gold paint is more translucent than the bronze paint of the Volcano shoes.  Right now I'm waiting to start my third layer of the gold paint. 

Second layer

The one thing about the Volcano shoes that I regret not doing is taping the shoes to keep the paint from getting everywhere.  I want these shoes to be the perfect example of how beautiful the Aurum crystal is.

Volcano in Progress

Black Patent turns into bronze!  The great thing about the paint I used is that it didn't scratch or chip when I put it to the test on these shoes!  I was very impressed and can now match most of the crystal colors to paint so that the color of the crystals doesn't get muted by the underlying shoe color.

 

Here are the shoes after the final layer of paint.  It took two layers to cover the black.  It's such an amazing transformation!!

I think these look beautiful as is!  I almost stopped here, but I wanted maximum bling.  This picture I took with my phone, so it's a bit over exposed, but you can still see the color of the crystals and how well they work with the bronze.  

Better picture of detail and the richness of the crystal color.

 Another view of the edging detailing with the full heel.  It's very stunning, I love it!  This is a great picture to show the problems with cheap-o shoes!  You can see in the side of the shoe, right in the arch, is a bulky seam.  It was very hard to bling that to look seamless with the crystals.  It looks ok, but I wasn't pleased.  You can also see on the shoe showing the back of the heel that there is a weird ridge and bump with a dark hole.

The ridge is where the fake leather became unglued from the foundation of the shoe.  I tried inserting a needle to get glue between the layers to glue them back together, but it didn't work.  Don't settle for a pair of shoes!!  Wait for the right one.  I love them, but hate the flaws of the shoes!  Scratches and small dents can be covered with crystals, but weird bubbles and seams are more difficult to hide.

Edging detail on the toes. 

Beginning the long process of blinging!

Volcano Finished!

This pair is my pride and joy!  It represents the refinement I have developed since my first three pairs.  Felix was very helpful with the pictures I was taking.  I would like to note that I hate watermarking the photos, but it needs to be done to prevent people from stealing my photos and using them as their own.

Volcano is a crystal with a special effect that I like to call iridescent like mother of pearl or abalone.  These crystals are all one color but change depending on the angle they are viewed.  If they made a crystal like the back of a cd, I would be all over it!! 

These shoes took quite a bit of time to get them just right.  I experimented with a certain kind of paint from the art store I buy my art supplies from.   These shoes were originally a black fake patent leather.  You couldn't tell it by just looking at them!

 (Felix likes to help!)

 (He wants to know where his shoes are)

The First Pair

Back in 2002 I wanted to be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz for Halloween.  Naturally, I needed a pair of Ruby Slippers!  I scoured the internet and found an awesome website of fans who had re-created their own shoes.  These awesome people created amazing replicas using an actual blueprint for THE Ruby Slippers!  Using this blueprint and the strings of sequins you can buy from any craft store, I created this beautiful pair of shoes.  Keep in mind that this was a long time ago and I know SO much more now.

As you can see, the shoes are a bit ragged around the edges, but considering I didn't know what I was doing at the time, they turned out very nicely!  Since the sequins were in a string, the string edges did not cooperate at the edges.   

 If you check out the detailing of the bow on the shoe, you can see the glue smudges from the hot glue gun.  I didn't have any other adhesive at the time to glue the sequins to the shoe so I used what I had.  Knowing what I know now, I plan on remaking these someday with swarovski crystals with the awesome glue I use now. I also have a better way to place individual crystals in a straight line.

The Process:

First I found the supplies I needed and then began the hunt for the perfect pair of shoes.  I scoured eBay in the hopes of finding a perfect 1930s-40s pair but came across a big question: How would I know if these expensive shoes in perfect condition would actually fit?  I ended that nearly impossible search and scoured shoe stores for dyeable shoes and finally settled on a cheap-o pair from Payless.  

Since these shoes were dyeable and I had no idea how to dye them the right color, I bought red glitter spray paint and used that to color the shoes.  Then I spent hours and hours with a glue gun and cutting and gluing strips of sequins.  (I do not recommend, and will never use a glue gun for crystals!!!!)

(Cat photobomb!)

 They look pretty darn good if I say so myself :)

 It's safe to say that these shoes were the beginning of something beautiful.  10 years later and I've grown a lot and understand that quality goes a long way.  I love these shoes, but I can't wait to use crystals to make another, even better pair!!