Ordinary to Extraordinary

I have this favorite pair of shoes.

They're comfy, easy, and go with everything and because of that I have WORN them OUT.

Especially since coming to Slovakia!

And so they've started to show their miles in a major way.  And the other day I was having a craft craving (aka, I really wanted to do something artsy).

So I went and found my Sharpies, grabbed the shoes, and little by little over time, have been working on bringing the drab to fab.

The drab, worn, and dirty BEFORE...

And the colorfully glorious AFTER...

They may be a little over the top, possibly even kid-ish, but hey, I am a huge color creativity fan...so there ya go :)

And yes, they're still dirty (all I did was cover it up!), BUT the favorite shoes are back in action...yes!!

Photography and Light...

I occasionally search the web (ok, a lot!) for creative ideas/inspiration.  It's kind of a creative outlet and feeds my creativity.  There are so many creative ideas and creative people in this big world.

With that said, I stumbled upon these two images that I adore.  Here comes the art minor in me...

These are both still lives.  But look at the light!  And the touches of red.  And the paint chipping on the walls.  The vintage-y feel of these photos.  I just wish I could take photos like these!  

I guess that's why they call it inspiration, huh? :)

Oh, and I found these images here. 

Marvelous Mosaic

Today's Creative Blog is hosting a "get your CRAFT on!" for bloggers to see other crafted items out there in the blogosphere.  So I thought it'd be fun to join in :)

I actually made this a little while back, but have been thinking about making another mosaic again (as soon as time allows!). 

I took an old window from my cousin's house and painted it, then distressed it.

I then had a blast smashing lots of 25 cent or less mugs, plates, dishes (from Goodwill) to glue onto the panes of the window.  I also bought some square tiles and rounded stones from Michael's to add a little bit of charm and iridescence to the window. 

After that, I used grought to fill it all in...then I wiped off the excess and let it dry.

Jason and his dad helped wire a piece to the back so that it could hang (it's heavy!).  And now it resides at the end of our hall.  I just love all the colors!  Isn't color great?

Mosaic is intimidating sounding, but so fun to do.  I've also done a table and now I want to do a picture frame and/or mirror.  I'll let you know how it goes ;)

Happy mug-crushing!