PUMPKIN PATCH Witch Shoe

Finished a witch shoe that's been in my work space for ages.  I've posted about it before, but finally got the details finished.  I just love how the long narrow shape of this shoe turned out.  (Daughter actually shaped the newspaper toe for me.)



With thirty-one Jack O'Lanterns all over it, I'm calling it "Pumpkin Patch".  Each JOL has a different expression.  Some are happy.  Some are sad, scared, surprised...a little of everything.  It reminds me of a pumpkin jewelry set I created for a craft swap a long while back.  They'd probably go well together.  :)  It's fun to come up with different faces for them.



One is in the center of the buckle in front.  Three in the inside sole.  Three are on the heel.  And, the rest are around the shoe along with various fence posts.



I used four copper wires that sort of sprout out the toe with flower beads on them.  And a black ruffle around the buckle to soften it up a bit.



This one is on it's way to New Zealand over the next week.  Should make it there by Halloween.  Hope it arrives safely.  **crossing fingers**

If you don't hear from me before then... HAVE A CRAFTY HALLOWEEN!!!

SKIPPY SCARECROW Witch BOO't

Finally finished a pair of paper mache witch boots for this Halloween. Whew...it's about time!



I've been working on this pair off and on for more than a year.  But, the illustrations are more elaborate then most of my work at this size.  (My hands and eyes just aren't what they used to be.)  There are four different scenes that tell the story of how Miss Witch meets Skippy, the Scarecrow.



"Miss Witch flew out on broom one day
Over rows of corn and bails of hay,
When she spied a scarecrow all alone
Perched high upon his wooden throne.

Up so high but looking low,
All dressed up, no where to go.
Crows caused him constant dismay,
Clawing and pecking him every day.

She asked him, 'How is it up there...
So far up there in the air?'.
Staring down at the ground
As crows cawed, he just frowned.

It did no good to try to balk,
For we all know scarecrows can't talk.
Oh, what poor Skippy Scarecrow would give
To sing and dance...just to live.

Miss Witch sympathized with his plight.
She pondered and conjured with all her might.
To cure him of his dreadful frown,
With a charm Miss Witch, she got him down.

Thanking her he tipped his hat,
Skipping away with a big black cat.
Skippy got his wish to be set free.
And, in the distance, Miss Witch heard... 'WHOOPIE!'"

"Miss Witch Meets Skippy Scarecrow" by mieljolie, © 2014

Here is the other side.  These are actually the first images in the series.



Here's a close up of Skippy just hangin' around.

You can own these boots, if you feel inclined to.  They're available in my Etsy store here.  Now to get a shoe finished!  Until then, keep on being Crafty!

New Witch BOO'ts for 2014 painted by J.Moore of Creepy Creations!

Not only is this pair the first witch BOO'ts finished this year, they are the first matching set of small boots, as well as the first collaboration with my sister, Jamie Moore of Creepy Creations.  My mom and I sculpted this small set for Jamie to paint for a commission.  I then helped put some finishing touches on them.

 

There are two scenes that mirror each other on each boot.  One side is of a witch holding a spider in front of a cat.

The other is a graveyard scene with an owl in a tree and a cat sitting on a tombstone.



For this set I added brass eyelets to the lace holes, which I don't normally do.  It's difficult to get them in those tight spots and tough on my hands.  (You probably won't see these eyelets on many of my pieces.)  I then tea stained some tiny lace for the lacing trying to match the antique white of the moons.  The ends of the laces were wrapped in masking tape and dipped in a metallic gold fabric paint to make them look like metal tips.  I couldn't find a gold to match the eyelets, so I mixed black with the bright gold.  It ended up a pleasantly close match.



Jamie is planning to paint some more witch BOO'ts in the future.  We've been talking of doing more collaborative work together.  So, keep an eye on her Etsy shop, Creepy Creations.  You may see a large boot, another small pair, or even an adorable ornament size we're working on.  Can't wait to see how they turn out.

I also hope to have a pair of small Witch BOO'ts and a shoe available in my own shop this week.  Just need to do some finishing touches.  Wish me luck!  I'll post here on my blog when I do.

Witch BOO't Update: Really Bad News

Do you ever feel that the more effort you put into something, the more hopeless it's outcome becomes?  I seem to have underestimated how busy I would be and how much time these would take to paint.  Even after starting in July, it's not looking like I will have any boots/shoes finished in time for Halloween.  And, I refuse to rush and sacrifice detail and quality.  I'm just not going to do that. However, I'm very disappointed.  I sincerely appreciate that some of you have been waiting so patiently.  And, I feel really bad letting you down.  I've been trying to fit them in between other projects.  But, I've just had very little time and too much distraction to sit down to enjoy painting.  I'm very close on a couple, but fear they won't be completely ready for sale until it is too close to Halloween.

That being said, here is where I'm at on a couple of them:



The 1st one I'v been working on is a high-heeled vampire shoe/boot.  Not sure if it's a shoe or boot?  But, it's been a fun one that has taken quite some time to create.  I've redone the toe a few times.

 

I still need to clean up some lines.  Also, I'd like to add some handles to the sides, but I might have to cut into the bottom to secure them.  I've got an idea for a poem about a vampire's shopping trip, but haven't started it.



This 2nd is a very long shoe with buckle.  I'm still working on the fence details and cleaning up some things.

 

I'd also like to play with the grass and pumpkin stem details a bit more.  I'm also halfway through a poem for it about a "Party in a Pumpkin Patch".

I have a few others in the works that are not as far along.  There are a pair of small boots with a scarecrow scene.  I may show some pics of them later, but I've got an event coming up that is going to keep me away from the blog for a bit.  With any luck, or a miracle, I may have at least one of these shoe available before the end of the month.  Again, I'm so sorry.  I'm going to be really busy this month with events.  On top of that, I'm starting to organize the daughter's 11th birthday for next month.  We're going all out on a small Harry Potter themed party.  After all, "It's not everyday your young man (daughter) turns eleven". I've got a ton of stuff to do for that I hope to post here.

New Halloween Painting Tutorial on Etsy.com

Ever wondered how I paint my Witch BOO'ts? Or, have you wanted to paint Halloween scenes on something, but too intimidated to try?  After many requests, I've put a tutorial together that is full to the brim with ideas and techniques to help you decorate your own projects.  And, these techniques can be used on a variety of projects and different surfaces.



This follows up on the Paper Mache Witch BOO't tutorial starts with the priming and preparation of the sculpted boot and continues through to sealing with varnish.  It includes tips at every step in the process, as well as 10 techniques for copying and transferring images with suggestions on which to use for different purposes.


Also included as a bonus are 4 complete Halloween scenes and some various elements to use in them.  I've included images of how they might work on one of my witch boots and recommendations for how to apply them.



Each scenes is separated out to make it easier to alter and apply to your project.  And, each are totally different, so you have a variety of inspiration to work with.

Plus, I've included 2 pages of elements including witches, cats, skeletons, tombstones, trees, JOL's, and much more.  These elements can be used with the scenes or on their own.

Hope you like the new tutorial.  You can find it here:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/159755866/halloween-painting-pdf-tutorial   We've moved to Patreon!  If you try it, I'd love to hear how it works for you!

Have you ever wondered?...

...Do you know?
Why a witch's' shoe has a curled up toe?

 

One day Miss Witch put on a shoe,
but there's one thing she failed to do.
She didn't peek inside that pump.
She didn't spy a creeping lump.

Instead she brushed upon her heel
a squishy feel that made her squeal.
For in her slipper, beneath her flipper,
she almost squashed a unseen nipper.

A spider with fangs and reflexes quick
and venom that makes one feel quite sick.
It's bite caused her a great surprise.
And, the toe it bit grew twice its size.

The toe, it turned five shades of blue,
and oozed with puss and smelly goo.
The spider faired no better, I'll say.
For two of its legs were sprained that day.

For weeks this pair of grumpy gimps,
Miss Witch and the spider, walked with limps.
But instead of arguing 'bout who's to blame,
Neither again would wind up lame.

Vowing her shoes would possess ample room
Miss Witch saved the future spiders from doom.
Because any witch will tell you clear,
it's not just your toes at stake, my dear.

And, now you, too, know why they chose
Those goofy shoes with the curled up toes.
But...What's up with those pointy hats?!
Think there's room in her belfry for bats?

by Mieljolie, ©2012




Finished painting a 2nd witch shoe from the batch I posted about way back here.  This spider themed one is for my sis.  I'm calling it "Spider Webs".  She had claimed it 2 years ago when I first posted about them.  But, even though the three shoes were almost finished then, I had set them aside for other projects.  It's taken a while, but I finally got around to putting the last touches on this one.  Well, maybe.  Just one last thing I'd like to do.  I want to find a spider to hang from the toe.  I will probably try to make one out of polymer clay.



This is one of my favorite shoe styles from what we've made so far.  I think I may make some more little loafers like this someday.



Just one more shoe from the set to finish.  It's the super tall one.  I probably won't have it finished for this Halloween, though.  But, the 9 year-old daughter also painted her first boot!  :) 



She helped us assemble a batch of the small boots, so I let her have one to paint however she wanted.  She was glad to shred paper strips and mix our paste, but I couldn't convince her to get her hands dirty sculpting.  Said she didn't like the feel of it.  Such a girly girl.  :)

 

And just so ya know, it says "Puka Ville", not "Puke Ville".  Tee hee.  She meant to write "pooka".  Those are little bunny-like pookas playing atop the heel.  The other side has some houses. I think it's going to be fun pulling this out when she's older. I should let her paint one each year. :)
 

These might be the last new witch shoes/boot you see for us this Halloween.  I may keep working on a larger boot, but I've got a lot on my plate right now.  Until next post, be craft-tastic!

Miss Witch's Ogrehide Witch BOO't available in time for Halloween

Miss Witch's Ogrehide Boots

Miss Witch met an ogre named Clyde,
who quite unexpectedly died.
He was useless in life.
Always caused others strife.
But, his hide made fine boots when dried.

Miss Witch then went for a ride
in her new boots of green ogrehide.
She blushed top to bottom
when asked where she got'em.
"Off an ogre named Clyde", she replied.

by mieljolie, ©2012



New Witch BOO't finished and available on Etsy!  This is a small sized one standing about 8" tall and 7.5" long and is painted to look like an ogre's hide all stitched up into a boot.  It has an eye peeking out on one side and a colorful spider on the other with a few flies landing everywhere on the sides and tongue. 


There are two more flies on the tongue in front.  I used a brown nylon cord for the lace. I had thought about using a color that would match the bright green stitches, but decided the brown would tie in the tree stump heel better.

Close up detail of the spider and a fly on the left side and of the eye on the right side. (Click images to see larger versions)  I think I've been inspired a lot by the many spiders we seem to be finding around our house these days.  We've seen orb weavers, wolf spiders, cob web or house spiders, and our family favorites the many colors of jumping spider, among others.  Jumping spiders are the only ones we allow to stay inside.  The are fairly harmless, secluded, and territorial.  So, they keep all the other creepy crawlies at bay. The rest get cupped up and sent back out to the "wild".

It was rather relaxing (and just a wee bit tedious) painting all the stitches.  I may revisit this theme again in the future.  But perhaps in a more deliberate symetrical fashion or just on portions of a boot. 

I'll be trying to finish up some larger BOO'ts next along with some costuming.  One boot may have a haunted house theme.  Hope to have at least one more completed by Halloween.  **Knocks on ogre-hide boot's faux wood heel**  ;)

BURN BABY BURN (A Boogie Bogie) - Paper Mache Pumpkin Pump available on Etsy

When the rays of the day were all gone,
Miss Witch let loose on the lawn.
In her new pumpkin pumps,
she jumped on a stump,
and boogied 'til the break of dawn.

But, her hell-raising romp was through,
when she had kicked off her left boogie shoe.
It flew to the east
hundreds of miles, at least.
Where it went, she never knew.

It was spotted on NASA's radar,
as it burned by the shining North star
An unexplained blip,
on a short little trip,
nearly causing a 3rd World War.

by mieljolie, © 2012



Getting jazzed up and into the Halloween spirit again!  Check out my new Witch Shoe on Etsy!  This one's kind a has a retro rockabilly meets disco flare to it.  It was a lot of fun.  I enjoyed the challenge of a new shape to work with.  I did something a bit different by opting not to put the moon on the toe this time.  Haven't abandoned the moons completely or anything, though.  Just trying new things.




So proud of myself for getting it done and listed in time for Halloween. It's only taken two years.  (Ack, so long!  Really sorry about how few I finished last year.)  But, honestly, I definitely find listing them to be the most stressful part. So many details to figure out. I hope I've done an adequate job, especially in displaying and describing it.  I'd rather play in the paper mache paste and paint.  :)

Anyhow, I'm working on a small boot with an unusual theme that will probably be done next.  Then, I hope to put some finishng touches on another shoe for my sis and then on to a medium or large boot that may or may not be up in time for Halloween 2012.  Wish me luck, inspiration...and a steady hand! 

And We Have Winners!

Time to announce the winners in the Star-crossed Lovebirds Witch BOO't giveaway!

I attempted to make videos of the drawing to show they are on the level. However, I'm no director, so they are what they are. :)

I'm going to share the tutorial drawing results first for suspense, even though we actually drew the boot winner first. My daughter did the honors of being our hand model. There were seven entries for the Witch BOO't Tutorial/pattern, of which 2 were for sharing links.

1. Hullabuoy
2. Creepy_Creations
3. Leah
4. MissingWillow
5. The Cardboard Crafter

bonus entries for shares:

6. Creepy_Creations
7. Leah

And the winners were...



...Creepy_Creations and Leah!! Congrats to you both! Must say sharing links paid off for our tutorial winners. :) I'll be sending your links over to you sometime tonight.

And now for the BOO't! We had four entries for the boot. They were:

1. Hullabuoy

The wind in your feathers, a skull at your back
Highlight your eyes so sexy and black
But alas my love,soon we must fly
For in full scope of these cats we certainly shall die
So beckon our wings to depart from this wall
For our fate shall be written in blood should we stall
And Raven and Ravenette will no longer be
But a pile of bent feathers of you and me.

2. Creepy_Creations

Two little birds kissing on a gate
Along came a cat and...ate!!!

3. Leah

Resigned to our fate We sit upon this gate.
While under the eyes of the moon I will sing a lover’s tune
As we wait for black to announce Their presence with a pounce.

4. MissingWillow

There once was a gal named Miel
Who made witch boots particularly well.
You best keep your money
She won't sell you one, honey
She's giving one (but don't anyone tell).

And...the winner of the drawing is...



...**drum roll here**...Hullabuoy!!! Yay! Congrats to Cathi! Please send me you shipping info and I'll get the boot out to you ASAP. I'll have the printable image ready hopefully tomorrow and will send instructions for retrieving it to each of you via email.

I sure hope these videos are viewable. This is my first attempt at posting my own from my camera. I had to clip it in half to get them to upload.

Witch BOO't Giveaway!! Enter now!

WIN THIS BOO'T!!
Or a copy of my Paper Mache Witch BOO't Tutorial!

So, you know how I like to write short poems for my paper mache witch boots? Well, I think it would be cool for all you loyal followers of this blog to take a stab at it this time. Come on, it'll be fun! Don't fret if you're not a wordsmith. It's not a competition. Just give it a try, and I promise you're hard work will be rewarded. You'll even be entered for a chance to win this very boot!



I'm going to have a two part drawing:

WITCH BOO'T DRAWING
One lucky winner chosen from a drawing of all who create verses will win my "Star-crossed Lovebirds" Witch BOO't. Just put a few words together in any poetry form of your choice. I have an additional prize for all who take the time to submit a verse. Not only will you be entered in the drawing for the boot and tutorials, but you can receive a printable digital copy of the "Star-crossed Lovebirds" boot image with a copy of the verses submitted as my personal "Thank You" for being such a good sport. Don't forget to include how you would like your name to be credited on your poem.

Example poem:

"The raven is black. The moon is white.
The birds on this boot better take flight tonight!"
- by mieljolie

TUTORIAL DRAWING
Every follower who comments on this post by either submitting a verse, or by simply letting us know you're "in" will be entered for a chance to win one of two PDF copies of my paper mache witch BOO't tutorial. Those who share a link on their blog or social networking site and comment with the location here, will get an extra entry in the drawing.

This GIVEAWAY will end in one week or Monday, Oct. 24th.

RECAP OF THE PRIZES:

• One lucky winner will win THIS BOOT for submitting a verse!
• Two different winners will receive one of two PDF copies of my paper mache witch boot tutorial just for commenting.
• All poets will receive a digital copy of the image depicted on the boot with a copy of all the verses just for playing.

Okay, so here is what you need to do:

1. Follow this blog (if you aren't already).
2. Comment on this post in any combination of the three ways below before the deadline (Monday, Oct. 24th 2011 midnight central time):


• 
  

A short verse/poem as long or short as you wish (include your name or your Blogger username will be used)

A link where you're sharing this giveaway on a blog or social network like FB, Google+, etc...(for the extra entry in the tutorial drawing) You may use images of the boot or the badge found below.


A note to let me know you are in for the tutorial drawing only.

All of the above

• 
  


3. Have your email address available in your comment or profile for me to contact you if you're a winner. If I can't find your contact info, and you don't contact me within 24 hours of the announcement of the winners, I will draw a new winner. Also, if I don't have an address to ship to within one week of the announcements, I will also choose a new winner.
   
4. By posting, you give me permission to display/distribute you creative writing (with credit given) for free in this post and in print for the other persons who participate.

Here is a badge you can use to share the GIVEAWAY:



Hope that covers everything. Sorry I'm so late getting this posted. Good luck to everyone!

Miss Witch's Annual Party - Witch BOO't

Miss Witch's Annual Party
created by Tiffany Hinnen (mieljolie)

On the top of a hill is the Mortal family's home,
where they're tucked in their beds, cuz they do not dare to roam.

They leave the lights on, even though they're fast asleep
to ward off those who haunt and things that like to creep.

For the spirits prowl tonight. From their coffins they arose,
for a night upon the town in their best Sunday clothes.

Mr. Bones has been waiting for this special night about.
He'll pass through the graveyard as he makes his way out.

He'll visit Miss Witch and her flighty fairy friends,
who host an annual party every decent spook attends.

There'll be black cats and spiders and a crazy bat or two.
Even the Devil may drop by when he's finished chasing YOU!



As you may have noticed above, I've been giving all my boots nicknames and occasionally write quick rhymes for them inspired by the scenes. It was a challenge to incorporate all the elements into the poem for this one. But, I think it's one of my fave poems.

This witch BOO't is a vintage-inspired commission for someone who has been waiting patiently since last year. This particular boot was interesting because she requested specific imagery. A lot of which couldn't be accomplished well with only silhouettes, which I normally use. So, it took me a lot longer to layout and paint. But, I aim to please. There is a witch and some fairy-like creatures on the left sides brewing a potion. A dapper skeleton, Mr Bones, is standing in an arch on the back with a friendly crow on his shoulder. On the right side is a cemetery scene with a spooky house on a hill in the distance.



In front there are eyes peeking out of the laces and "Wicked!" written on the tongue with tiny JOL pumpkins dotting the "I" and exclamation.



On my concept drawing, I had sketched little coffins with skeletons in them, but when she saw them she saw the reverse as corn shocks, which gave her the idea to include a devil chasing some veggie people like that which was popular imagery on vintage postcards.

Thought I'd never get this boot finished with all the detail and the chaos going on here. Sorry, I didn't get any listed for purchase this year. I know some of you have been asking. I had planned to, but you know how life works. It just didn't happen. But, if you can wait, I will have a few for next year.



Thought it might interest some people to see how I went about painting the various stages of this boot. After applying the primer and base coat, I started roughly drawing in the design with pencil. Then I painted all the yellow portions being careful to erase any pencil because it would show under the thinned yellow paint. Then I applied most of the big areas of black before going back and detailing with a small brush and marker. After that, I stepped back to look at the overall layout and color distribution. I added in some black areas to balance out and fill in things a little. Then I was able to apply the varnish to seal it and add the laces and dangling star. Since I had already painted the heel black before drawing out the concept, I went back at the end to paint it. That is why the black under coloring of the yellow is different than other yellow parts on top but matches the lettering on the tongue.



And for my loyal followers, I'm finally going to host a GIVEAWAY! Yes, that's right! I've been promising to post about it for ages. The prize will be the small witch boot in the image just above that I'm calling "Star-crossed Lovebirds". It's an experimental illusion piece, which is still in the process of being painted. I have a wee bit to finish up tonight including adding some stars in the sky and finishing up the birds on the tongue. So, if you're interested in owning this small boot or a copy of my witch BOO't tutorial look for the giveaway post sometime tonight or tomorrow for details!

Hope all of your own annual Halloween parties are as hair-raisingly fabulous as Miss Witch's!