Absolutely amazing what you are doing. You're a smart little cookie, and are taking us on another journey that's a great trip. Can't wait to see your design. Congrats on a very successful project so far. You're REALLY creative, girlie.

"The following images are graphic and may not be suitable for small children or those with an affinity for well-made leather boots"

LMAO, Oh Ronnie...you are too funny!!!! I love your episodes/tutorials. Keep em coming!!!!

Barb

BAMA: Yep, I really am pleased at this point how the "mold" turned out, though that wasn't my original plan. I do have a design in mind, and funny thing is, the "royal blue and navy" boot on your link is very similar to what I have in mind. I am planning to give this as a gift, for friends who are from Texas, have a brand-new bedroom with a remodel, overall blue theme.

NT: I want to maintain SOME of the texture, but AM thinking I will fill in some first. I think I am going to use pretty small pieces of glass (SG), but don't want to have to contour as much as would currently be necessary!

SLOW: Thanks so much for the kudos. They are high praise coming from you! As I have said, I am making this up as I go along, just sharing the ride!

BARB: Glad you're enjoying it! You guys keep me going!

Today I used gorilla glue to glue the sole onto the concrete boot. Hope that holds! ("Toughest glue on the planet," or whatever they say in their ads, it should hold, right?) I didn't take a pic, just imagine the last picture with about eight rubber bands in various vertical positions and you got it. I have used regular thinset to flatten out a bunch of the ripples that were in it, anywhere it looked like it would be awfully hard, and not necessary, to follow the contour with tessarae. Tonight I went to HD and got WHITE thinset to stick my glass on with. Onward!

(So are you lovin' the play by play? :)

This is a great tutorial of boot skinnin'!! Er, I mean mold makin'!! Had to go back and find the boots you were mentioning to imagine the colors!

I'm lovin it!

You should teach this stuff. When you gonna start classes in your area?

you've got a real sh$t kickin' project going on and teaching us a lot of the steps to either do, or avoid doing..

I'm really enjoying this foot stompin' pictorial!

Becky .(*_*).

I am following this avidly. My neighbor's elderly aunt died in a tragic house a few months ago and neighbor salvaged, among other things, two pairs of cowgirl boots. I will be mosaicing them for family members. I was stumped on how to fill the top of the boot where the V-shape is. Thank you thank you thank you for figuring that out and sharing (and showing). Also I now can anticipate skinning it, but had thought a few layers of plaster gauze might work over the outside. Like most of my mosaic projects, it will be a figure-it-out-when-I-get-there experience.

jan

I AM working on this, just no new pics yet. I have decided on my design, and have begun cutting glass. The bottom is going to be a dark cobalt blue, then a medium blue on the upper, then a light blue at the top. It will have little mirror squares around the top, and defining the "seam" between the upper and lower part. My friends' last name starts with K, so there will be a sideways K on the top of the foot. Their first names start with W and V, so I am combining those letters into a design on the front of the upper. Betcha wish I'd just glue it on and show ya, huh??

Patience, patience!

Tomorrow is very busy: market 7 am -noon; church function 1:00-4:00; then to my parents for dinner at 5:30 'cause my brother and his family are in town. I'm thinking of taking my boot, glass, and thinset with me to Mom and Dad's! Maybe I'll have some pics by Sunday evening. I am hoping to wrap this up (figuratively then literally!) this next week.

OHGOODGRIEF! You've really whet my appetite to see pics. The description I can visualize and it sounds fabulous. This is gonna be wonderful. Are you thinking of a hat to match??? And a belt w/a real blingy buckle? Oh, sorry - got my mind on the Electric Cowboy and how I'd like to be there dancing tonight instead of out in the country at my Bro's.

Ronnie YOU TEASE! omg I'm gone for a week and a 1/2 BOOO HOOOOOO HOOOO I won't get to see the wip pics... till you're all done

pass some cheese around to pair with my whine!

I can't wait to see it Sounds delectable! the boot, not cheese

NT: LOL "the boot, not the cheese" just reminds me, we used to live in upstate NY a half mile from a cheese factory (sure miss THAT!) We used to buy the best cheese there, don't remember right this minute what kind it was, but we always called it "stinky boot cheese"! Hadn't thought of that in quite a while. Thanks for making me smile :)

I got most of the glass on tonight, will hope to finish that tomorrow ? grout Tuesday or Wednesday! It's looking pretty good, though not as much contrast between my blues as I'd like. But I think they'll like it.

Coming along great! Really like how there seems to be contours in the concrete, just like when the boot was intact. Have you decided on the grout color?

HELEN: There ARE contours in it! I used thinset to take out the really deep contours, but did leave them where I felt I could use smaller pieces of glass and follow the contours without leaving major edges exposed. Gotta run!

It's coming along great Ronnie!

Barb

I was thinking I'd like to have a pair of those "peewees" from Sorrell Boots. NOT--$3500! I'll take a pair of yours any day Ronnie! Can't wait to see it grouted and planted.

Thanks, BARB and ROSIE. I think it looks a little rough right now, but I think it'll improve with grouting. I had thought I would use white grout, but now am thinking of going with gray, because I don't want the individual pieces to stand out so much.

Great thread, I got to read it all at once from the beginning. Looking forward to the end result!!

You do great play-by-plays Ronnie!!

Maria

Ronnie, I'm following this one because I'd like to do a pair of go-go boots and a pair of beatle boots and put some plants in them! It is looking fab.

You cheese story is similar to ours. I grew up in Northern Ontario and my dad used to call it "stinky socks cheese" - limburger - it came in silver foil with three XXX on the front. We used to make up our own cheese stink rating with x's (and label other cheeses).

girlgroupgirl

Lovin' this boot, LADY. You're doing GREAT! Are you doing two? Didja leave enough room in the top to put a plant inside? Boy, am I anxious to see this grouted.

Hey, SLOW, glad you're back! Yes, scroll up through the other pics in this thread and you can see how I left a hole for a plant or a candle. I'm stalled at the moment, maybe I'll get back to it tonight?

I really like how you let us follow along step-by-step. Love the colours you chose and how the sole of the boot makes it look so realistic.

Cindy

BTW...Funny thing...my friends for whom I am making this (as a SURPRISE) were here a couple of nights ago. The boot was sitting on the end of the table next to the wall. The table had several buckets of produce on it for market the next morning, but the boot was in plain sight. They stood there and talked about the produce, but never noticed the boot! (Or if they did they both hated it so bad they didn't want to bring it up...???? Naaaahhhh!)

ALMOST got all the glass done tonight. I have a couple mirror pieces to complete the top edge, maybe a little filler here and there, tiny pieces. I did pop off the "bootstrap" and used a single piece of very nice bumpy irridized blue instead, and I REALLY like the effect. You can now see the initials K and WV. I plan to use gray grout. Here 'tis thus far:

Totally awesome.......I really like it better with the solid boot straps....good job!!! Your so very creative!!!

Your boot is beautiful, Lady!!! Oh my gosh.. it's going to absolutely DAZZLE! I like that single blue piece.. and the mirrors really set it all off! Wonderful job!
My DH is from Texas... we have many TX stars.. boot and hat salt and pepper.. and even a longhorn steer skull in our living room! Adding mosaic boot to the list of tbm items!

That is awesome!

GOODGRIEF!! MommaMIA, that's so bodaciously purdy! Wish I had a pair like that to wear! You did a super job, girlie. You KNOW what you're doing, for sure. The solid piece for the strap is perfect. Hot diggedydawg, you're a mosaicing machine. What a gift! Don't know how you can part w/this one. I hope they're more appreciative of it than my sis was of "Five O'Clock Somewhere". I was sorry I gave it to her after her comments. Your boot is terrific.

Looking good lady!

Looks great! Love the way you did the boot strap!!

Your friends will love it!!

Maria

Looks beautiful. The solid boot straps was a great call!

That is just GREAT! Love how it turned out. Love how you jump into something new, figure it out along the way, and give us blow by blow descriptions along the way! Very cool. Good call on the boot straps - so the other tesserae came off pretty easily? What a great gift - lucky friends.

Love how you incorporated the initials.

Holy Dawg Snot!!

It's beautiful and I love the solid bootstraps. I'm sure your friends will be thrilled to receive this.

Cindy

OK, so WHEN will you grout it? W-a-i-t-i-n-g ..........

Hey everyone, thanks SO MUCH for your encouragement. I am pleased with how it's turning out. Hope my friends like it.

RMT: I'm a little hesitant to grout it just yet. The other day when I was putting on glass, I had a piece that got crooked with me handling the boot, and when I pulled it off to fix it, the concrete underneath was dampened and scraped right off also. Makes me think I need to let it set a while, maybe??? Someone told me in another thread they let concrete cure for 28 days before mosaicing, and I let this sit for, oh, 4-5 days?? Pray it's ok!

I'm so new at this there is a lot of stuff that I am uneducated about...but I really can't figure why you can pour a whole driveway or sidewalk in concrete and drive on it within a few days... but you would have to wait to mosaic for so long... ?
Love that boot though!
Katie

I was waaaaay to impatient to wait that long before mosaicing my front column - 'twas five days and I pulled the cardboard off and mosaiced away.

That is sooo great!! I would be proud to accept and display that!

It's looking fabulous!!! Lady, You are creating a one of a kind with this!!! I'd freak out if I recieved it!!!

Looking good Ronnie...can't wait to see it grouted!

Barb

Ronnie your boot is wonderful Lucky friends!!! Great tutorial!! Thanks!!!

Chris

MAMA I'M HOME!!!!

LOL... sorry

Ronnie! what can I say . DOUBLE HOLY HOT DAWG SNOT!!! lol

Grouted tonight, final pics tomorrow...Hooraaaay! :)

What??? Already?? Ohhh, I feel the shakes comin' on...

You are too funny :)

Love your tutorial! And your boot is bodacious!!!! I have got to make one of these. Add to my to do list.