Pumped Up Kicks...

Hi all!

The ColourArte Design Team is having a blog hop and altering shoes!  When you are done here head back to the CoulourArte blog and check out the links to everyone else's projects!  Here is my Pumped Up Converse:

I started out by heading to the Thrift Shop here in town to see what I could find.  I was hoping for work boots but settled on a pair of bright purple Converse.

The fact that they were purple dictated my color scheme and made for a great base for my layers.  I began by giving the whole shoe a thin, rough coat of Gesso to knock the bright purple back a little.

Next I treated the shoe canvas just like an art canvas and began layering.  I glued bits if torn book page in a few spots then gave it a thin, random wash of cream acrylic paint - not on the entire shoe but here and there.

I continued layering - some acrylic paint in pale green and aqua blue, some stamping with waterproof Archival ink and then a full misting with shimmering mist made from Almond Beige Primary Elements Pigment Powder, water and Gum Arabic in a mister.  The rose trim for the back of my shoe was white and I wanted all my trim off-white so I soaked it with the same Almond Beige mist.  Next I misted Fern Radiant Rain through a diamond stencil and then sponged on Fern Silks (for a darker look) through some sequin waste.  I finished my layering up with Radiant Gel in African Jade through a honeycomb stencil - I love adding that bit of raised texture.

I wanted to take advantage of the cool texture on the front of the shoe so I patted it real well with VersaMark Ink and lightly rubbed several colors of Primary Elements powder over it catching only the raised portions.

I added some lace across the toe and did the same thing with the VersaMark and Primary Elements.  Finally I glued on all of my trims.  I found that extra thick Gel Medium works really well for heavier trims (Along with a little painter's tape until they dry!)

Now want to know how to win a $25 gift certificate to the ColourArte store?

1) Comment on each of the blogs

2)  Comment on the main ColourArte blog

A winner will be posted on each of the designer blogs on August 7th, so make sure you stop back by to see if you are one of them!

Head back to the main blog to see everyone else's shoes!

ColourArte Blog Hop