There's No Place Like Home

While watching The Wizard of Oz on TV last week with my son, I was inspired to create this fused glass piece.





LOVE the Dorothy shoes - so sparkly - every girl should have a pair! And here are some fun facts about these famous ruby slippers:

* In L. Frank Baum's original story, Dorothy's slippers are silver-not ruby as they are in the 1939 MGM film. This is one big difference between the books and MGM's movie. In the movie the slippers are ruby red. In the book they are silver.

* As with all films, major characters have stand-ins, and so did Dorothy's shoes. As many as seven pairs were manufactured, with at least four surviving the 1934 classic film's wardrobe department.

*The most expensive "ruby slippers" however, were not actually slippers but stiletto high heels, designed by Stuart Weitzman as a tribute to the Wizard of Oz. The pair of high stepping shoes were made from spun platinum thread, and used nearly 700 round and oval rubies on the network of elegant straps. The total weight of the gems was 100 carats, hiking the shoes estimated value to $1.6 million dollars. It took over 700 hours to produce the shoe. In 2003, the shoes went on display briefly at Harrod's Department store in London, England, before being whisked off to a vault with round the clock guards, as they awaited a buyer.

*In anticipation of the 70th anniversary DVD release of "The Wizard of Oz" on Sept. 29, Warner Bros. Consumer Products in partnership with Crystallized-Swarovski Elements, have invited the world's top shoe designers to reinterpret Dorothy's iconic ruby slippers for modern times. Contemporary works of art from the likes of fashion masterminds A. Testoni, Abaete, Alberta Ferretti Betsey Johnson, Botkier, Christian Louboutin, Diane von Furstenberg, Giuseppe Zanotti, Jimmy Choo, L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani, Lisa Pliner, Manolo Blahnik, Moschino, Oscar de la Renta, Roger Vivier, Sergio Rossi, Stuart Weitzman, Tibi, and Tuleh will compose The Wizard of Oz Ruby Slipper Collection.




For more info on my fused glass piece, it is listed in my etsy shop - click here.