Surprisingly Strange Inspirations: The Serendipitous Slipper Challenge

Finding Creative Inspiration in Unexpected Places

The Challenge – Unexpected Item

My friend and fellow artist, Tina Walker, challenged a few friends to create a work of art using an inexpensive pair of spa slippers. Other than using these slippers, we had no restrictions. I don’t know about you, but I have not created art with slippers before, so the thinking cap came out for this challenge.

The Deconstruction

I found a whole package of spa slippers on Amazon cheaper than I could buy one good pair. I decided to deconstruct a few pairs so I armed my niece with a seam ripper and put her to work! (She’s my summer studio assistant) Her bonus reward was her own pair of slippers to tie-dye! How stinkin’ cute are these?

After the deconstruction, I had many pieces of fabric, some foam liners, and great texture plates from the slipper soles!

The Gathering

I decided to rummage through my stash for further supplies to work with and found a paper mache dress form as my main inspiration. Here is a link for one similar.

Other supplies used:

• some paper flowers
• Studio 490 Art Parts
• scraps of fabric selvage
• The Crafter’s Workshop Platinum Silver Modeling Paste
• Powertex Universal Medium in Blue and Lead

The Reconstruction

The circular base pieces were Art Parts covered with TCW platinum modeling paste (which also acted as adhesive). I used the bottom of the slipper to stamp a little pattern into the modeling paste. I’ll keep a few of these slipper bottoms for texture stamps for future projects! (these would be great on the Gel Press plate too)

I mixed Blue and Lead Powertex Universal medium to get the blue-grey color I used throughout the project. After that first layer dried, I used transparent Powertex to adhere the tissue paper to the top of the dress form and fabric selvage ribbon around the neckline.

I then dipped the fabric from the deconstructed slippers into the Powertex mixture and draped on as a skirt on the dress form along with a few flowers. Note: Powertex is a perfect adhesive also so no extra glue needed.

After the entire piece was dried, I highlighted the folds in the fabric and petals of the flowers with silver pigment.

I love how this combined to achieve a denim and pewter look overall. This has definitely inspired me to work with these colors again with my Powertex art!

You too can find Creative Inspiration in Unexpected Places

It was a great challenge to create a piece of art from something unexpected and I found it inspirational on many levels. It definitely sparked my creative muse.

If you want more inspiration, don’t miss these great Serendipitous Slipper Challenge projects as well.

• https://adogslife-thirteen.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-serendipitious-slipper-challenge.html
• https://tracykrueger-nine.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-serendipitous-slipper-challenge.html
• https://myscrapbookevolution.com/serendipitous-slipper…/
• https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx-Jrgggaa3/

Let’s talk about it more

Leave me a comment below with something unexpected you have used in your art or something you’d like to see used. I’d also love it if you’d share this project – I’ve made it easy with little share buttons just below. 🙂

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