Latest project - Louboutin Altadama

One of my biggest Louboutin loves right now Is Lady Peep, so what better close second to be working on than the altadama! Similar to Louboutins lady peep peach strass I too have opted for peach Swarovski strass. These are looking totally amazing & I have around another 10 to 12 hours ahead of me before completion. The transformation from the start is mind blowing & I can't wait to upload the before & after pics. Once completed they will be added to my for sale section. Sad face for me!... I have fallen head over heels with everything about these shoes but unfortunately they're one whole size to small for me. They're a size 37 & if anyone has any questions or interest in them please feel free to drop me an email.

Ive just been referencing this on my google profile after stumbling upon the issue in a Louboutin feed. Whilst watching TV this morning I over heard a debate that is apparently in todays newspapers. I only caught the back end of it so I wasn't 100% sure what they were discussing, however I could figure it was with regards to people doing a DIY Louboutin style paint job on their everyday heels. The one section I need to complete on my blog is with regards to general information. One of the things I will be highlighting is that under no circumstances will I work on counterfeit items... People may think they're getting a bargain but for what they are the shoes certainly aren't worth the money. I have been fooled in the past and absolutely every last thing about counterfeit is just wrong! If you ever consider buying from my 'For sale' section you can rest assured that all items featured are guaranteed authentic. I'm also an active member of TPF so I aim to keep up to date with spotting these fraudsters new tricks! Anyway it may sound like I diverted slightly however my point is that I strongly disagree even with the painting of soles... After all Mr Louboutin managed to sue YSL regarding coloured soles so why should the general public feel its ok!? If people want the look save up for the real thing... Granted not everyone can afford it but imagine how you'd feel if you were the genius behind the legendary red soles. A lot of love, money & dedication has gone into building the empire into what it is today & there's already enough counterfeit companies out there damaging the industry, now theres going to be bodged paint jobs.. In my opinion it takes away from the luxury brand. I own a vast range of shoe brands & don't go running round painting all the soles red.. Those that do are blatantly trying to create a Louboutin style! This may be a little contoversial to post as my primary reason for my blog is my work, however Louboutin's are a massive part of what I do, not to mention one of my passions. Yes I work on a wide range of shoes but no one can take away my love for the 'official' red bottoms ;)

Well today's post has absolutely nothing to do with my work!... well at least my initial post wont! To cut a long story short, in essence I'm a total newbie to blogging & all this Google+ etc so please bare with me whilst I learn the ropes! If I'm not following back please don't be offended I will once I get my head around the ins and outs so don't give up on me just yet! Once Ive established myself with all this networking etc I aim to blog on a daily basis, where I'll be chatting about work & my latest projects & more than likely life in general! All work & no play makes for boring reading! ;)

Louboutin Yoyo Sling

These Yoyo sling's are another example of an unbelievable transformation & a great example of how you can save a fortune without compromising on luxury or style... particularly effective when planning your wedding budget! These were worn once only for someones wedding day. Some people may question how you could 'ruin' a pair of shoes in just one day & of all days on your wedding day! I can confirm from personal experience that this is possible! After spending around £500 on my first pair of designer shoes for my big day, I was mortified to say the least when I discovered all the scuffs. These were finished in silver leather so I dread to think what they would have looked like if they were satin or suede. Its also worth pointing out that the leather used in designer shoes is much better quality & tends to be much softer, meaning unfortunately it will scuff & mark easier. Back to the Yoyo's!... You can see from the picture that despite being worn only once these Louboutins took a big hit & consequently became soiled mainly with general dirt from walking outdoors during photo shoots & lots of trampling across the dance floor! The original owner was unable to clean the satin... & another point to make is you should never really try to tackle stains to satin yourself unless you truly know what you are doing as satin can easily become stained with water marks. I professionally cleaned both the interior & exterior of the shoes & part of the inner heel required a slight red touch up from where it had acquired a slight scuff. I'm sure you'll agree from the photo that after the deep clean these shoes were once again 'Wedding Perfect'! Despite this I took it one stage further & strassed them in clear crystal... taking them to a whole new level. To buy a style like this new direct from the designer would cost you around the 2k mark, to buy from myself at refurbished costs would set you back around £400!!!! So you can see the massive saving! If you had your own shoes to begin with costs would be less again!!! *Based upon the style listed.

Louboutin Night Cage Zeppa

These rare Night Cage Zeppa's were used for someones big day! To start with they were professionally cleaned & re-soled.

The platform & heels were then painted.

Finally they were finished with a light Siam strass. By painting & strassing just the platforms & heels it has transformed these shoes from a quite casual style into a very formal yet vibrant & fun pair of heels, fit for anyones big day... with a red theme of course!

Louboutin Ariella boots

These stunning Louboutin Ariella boots were a massive hit with everyone including the celebs. These were resoled then spruced up with a jet strass just to the heels.

Swarovski Strass Louboutin Decolette





To date these have been my favourite commission. They started out as cream decolette's & though they were new unfortunately they'd picked up some colour transfer from being in storage. They were painted in a one off special mix effect paint & then finally strassed in clear swarovski. These were used in one of my advertising campaigns & have since been used for someones 'big day'. They make ideal wedding shoes & they can easily be worn after the big day all year round for any event or special occasion!



Swarovski Louboutin Strass



Me posing with my favourite creation to date! xx

Non swarovski work ~ Rhinestone Crystal Shoes

Here's are a few examples of pieces of work that I have carried out that are non swarovski... I would always recommend you to match your embellishment budget to the price tag of your shoes. For example you wouldn't spend £100+ on Swarovski or Preciosa strass on shoes that are worth £30 & on the other hand you wouldn't want cheap rhinestones worth around £20 adding to shoes that are worth hundreds!... Its also worth bearing in mind that its not just the crystals you're paying for its also the labour & when you're already paying for the service it makes sense to go for the real deal! 



Rhinestone Clear Crystal AB upon black satin

Rhinestone Clear Crystal AB upon glitter

Rhinestone Clear Crystal

Jimmy Choos

 These Jimmy Choo's provide a fantastic example of how shoes can be renovated. They were in fact brand new, however as they had been in storage & mainly due to the fact they are patent, they picked up some colour damage... as you can see upon the burgandy patent leather. Under no circumstances do I strass direct to patent leather as its non-porous surface means crystals do not adhere well, meaning crystal loss is highly likely. For this reason the colour damage wasnt an issue as the shoes required painting for strass regardless.

After several layers of black paint, lots of hours labour & thousands of crystals later..... You can see the end result is divine & a total transformation of the initial product.

Customised Swarovski Crystal Champagne

 

 Many designs can add further luxury to any champagne or wine of your choice. Perfect for special occasions, functions or everyday luxury.

  



Customised Swarovski Wedding Shoes ~ 'I Do'

 

 

Struggling for your 'something blue'??? Add 'I Do' in blue swarovski crystals to the under soles of your shoes... give everyone a cheeky glimpse as you walk or whilst kneeling at the altar! Wording can also be added to another part of the shoes or to an alternative accessory. You may also wish to simply add a random scatter of blue crystals to your shoes or accessories! This is very cost effective & an ideal answer to your 'something blue'.

Swarovski Uggs & Swarovski Hunter Wellies

 Stand out from the crowd by adding sparkle to your favourite Uggs!... Other designs also available.

Clear Swarovski crystals look fantastic against these black Hunters & ribbon can be added at no extra charge. The glue I use is totally waterproof so you'll have no worries at muddy festivals! To clean simply use soap water & delicately wipe over the crystals.

Customised Gina Shoes

 

These Gina shoes took next to no time to strass as there was very little work involved... a job like this with just a thin strap & heel can be turned around in the same day. That being said this particular pair did in fact require a few days overall as the satin was also dyed from a light beige to black. It would not have worked to strass the strap that fastens around the ankle due to the high possibility of crystal loss... yes the glue is extremely strong, however with constant friction upon the strap, particularly where the straps cross would have increased the risk of crystal loss.

Signature Jimmy Choos with Jet strass

 

These Jimmy Choo signature heels were strassed upon the black suede. In my opinion this was just enough to help the shoes really stand out, plus it helped to give the dull suede a makeover! By strassing the gold I think it would have been too much & would have taken away from the shoes elegance.  These shoes are an example of how old or damaged heels can be renovated & bought back to life by the beauty of strass. When I first received these the metal work was dull & marked & the black suede had gone dull & picked up the odd scuff. With a professional deep clean & some TLC strass these shoes have regained there beauty... if not maybe a little more than they started with!

As with any suede I painted the areas prior to strassing in order to create a suitable surface for the crystals to adhere to without a dulling background.

Swarovski Baby Shoes

These were commissioned for a Christening but they would be stunning for any occasion & by adding the crystals it makes them fit for any Princess... & very cost effective too!

Swarovski crystal Umbrella & phone cases

As well as shoes I also crystallise a range of accessories... I'm particularly excited to be strassing a clutch bag that I have lined up over the next month or so... details of that project shall follow! I have crystallised many phone cases, in particular for iphones. Ive done everything from initials, to just the apple or sides and also full crystallisation. As well as phones I have also done umbrellas in various styles.

I have also strassed many other accessories, including picture frames, makeup, hair accessories, tax discs, caps etc etc... you name it I'm likely to be able to strass it!

Again apologies for the fact I'm merely listing aspects of my work, however I'm trying to backtrack so as I can showcase my work & bring you all up to speed with where I'm at :0) One thing I will point out is that I shall not be using watermarks to protect my work as I feel this ruins the overall appearance of my site. I would like to warn anyone that downloads my images & uses them on their own sites & distributes them as their own material; I WILL take legal action... You have been warned!

Swarovski Havaianas

Heres an example of my Swarovski Crystal Havaianas, I've recently also made myself a pair ready for my holiday later this year.

All Star! ~ Swarovski Converse

So heres the adult All Stars... these happen to be from my personal collection. x

Baby Converse ~ Swarovski Converse

Ok so high end designers to one side & here is another aspect of the work I am able to offer. After crystallising these Baby Converse I completed the look by replacing the laces with ribbon... Too cute & fit for any Princess! ♥ (or Prince)!

My 1st blog!... Better late than never!

So I've finally got around to setting up my blog!... Only a few months later than scheduled! Due to this my first few posts may be spent playing catch up to help give you an insight into my work! For now here's a pic of me posing with one of my favourite pieces of work to date... however that will soon be changing with the exciting projects I have in the pipeline!