Mid-Challenge Inspiration for "Once Upon a Time"

We're still reading Fairy Tales on the Aurora Wings Challenge Blog with our lovely theme of 

I really went to town this time after deciding that I'd try and combine several of Mitzi's images to make a project inspired by "The Elves and the Shoemaker" by the Brothers Grimm.  Sorry that this will be one LOOOONG post but this project grew and grew, so grab a cuppa and relax (or just skip to the end and say nice things, please.)  LOL

Here's a closeup of the combined images.  The boot is from Puppy in a Boot, a Freebie offered exclusively in the Stamps by Aurora Wings FB Group.  Not a member?  Well, why the heck not?  There's more where this came from so come join us!  I've cropped out the puppy in my Printmaster Platinum Program and went on the lookout for some elves.

Little Tomte was easy, she's an exclusive on AuroraWings.com and converted her to a png file in LunaPic and cropped off the fuzzy part of the dandelion seed she carries to make it look like a needle for sewing the boot.

The other elf is from the Lost in the Woods Stamp set, another Aurora Wings.com exclusive.  This fabulous set comes with a full background with all the elements, two separate floral corners and the little elf and snail alone, without the background as well.  I closely hand cropped and flipped just the head and arms of the elf so I could pop her in the boot to look like she's a he (she's got a dress on in the original version) and was pointing out where to stitch.

I've colored it all with Copics, with a silver gel pen on the "needle" and I've cut the whole shebang out with my new Antique Frame set by Penny Black and pierced the eye of the needle so I could thread some of the twine I'd wound on the wooden spool through the holes. 

So yeah, what about the dimensional boot?  No, I didn't saw my shoe in half, it all started out with the dealie they stick in the toes of boots so they don't get crushed in the box and some scrap leather I'd purchased at Britex in SF eons ago.  Obviously I used the unprinted side.  Yikes!

I really had no plan as to how this was gonna go.  Here's the stuff I began to assemble.  I began cutting pieces of leather with stitched dies so it would give the appearance of actual sewn pieces.  I stretched and taped the pieces to the form with Sookwang tear tape.  That stuff is strong but still allowed me to re position my pieces if needed.  I punched holes and added eyelets for the shoe laces.  I had a pack of corrugated paper that I taped to two thicknesses of black foam for the sole and used seam binding stapled over fairly heavy wire to go between the sole and boot itself.  As you can see above, that form has quite a curve to it, the sole had to be somewhat flexible.

Here's a side view.  I'd cut a slit in the card board toe base so I could add the images and matting.  Since it's only the toe of the boot, the eyelet pieces were longer and allowed me to tape the end to the end of the base of my project.  I trimmed the corrugated pieces Starkist tuna in a pouch display packs use for reinforcement and added another mat underneath the boot.  I used another stitched tag die and strung it on the shoe lace which is actually a jewelry bag drawstring I pulled out and dyed with Copic re-inkers to look like those I'd colored the image. 

I thought the whole project had a masculine air about it and might be cute for a birthday or anniversary 'prise for my man which is why I turned that elf in the boot into a boy.  Since the back of the boot is actually open, you can stick a little gifty back there, and I got a kick out the the punny sentiment I used.  (It was late when I finished.  What can I say?)

Okay, then.  This post took me almost as long to write as it did to finish the project.  (JK!)  Hopefully you're not bored to tears. It's been awhile since I did anything this involved and it felt good.  Hope you like.

Be sure to check out the lovely projects by my Stella Sisters and please come play along. This challenge runs through Saturday July 14th.

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I'm entering this in the DL.Art July Linky Challenge, Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #85 AG, Simon Says Wednesday AG (5/5), the Outlawz Twisted Thursday AG, the Outlawz Festive Fridays AG, Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #240 AG (3/3), the July Classic Design Team Challenge #27 AG, Simply Papercraft #59 AG, 613 Avenue Create July #211 AG, the World Wide Open DT Challenge #6 (June 15-July 12) AG, A Perfect Time to Craft July #7 AG, TTRCD Week of June 26 AG, More Mixed Media June AG/optional purple, Altered Eclectics July AG, Crafts Galore Encore July AG, Creative Craft Cottage #108 Eileen's Challenge AG, Die Cut Divas July  Anything but a Card, Your Scrapbook Place July AG, Crafty Gals Corner #168 AG, Morgan's Art World Open Challenge, Love 2 Create #10 AG creative/mixed media,...