Fire Mandala

"Fire Mandala" is my submission for this weeks Thursday Sweet Treat challenge, "The Warmth of the Fire Within".

The peyote ring forms that are the base of this pendant are a design element I've been using in many of my pieces in the last year or so; the sunburst worked in "hot"colors seemed appropriate for "The Fire Within".

But as is so typical for me, a simple ring seemed inadequate and I added the smaller center ring and realized I had created a mandala!

Here's some information on mandala's from the Mandala Project:

"The word "mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean "circle," a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds.
Describing both material and non-material realities, the mandala appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles we call earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community.

The "circle with a center" pattern is the basic structure of creation that is reflected from the micro to the macro in the world as we know it. It is a pattern found in nature and is seen in biology, geology, chemistry, physics and astronomy. "

The additional "arms" somewhat give the appearance of a compass - perhaps it's really a guide to find that fire of creativity within myself!

Spring Beauties

I finally finished another page for my beaded herbarium; the flowers are spring beauties, one of the first wildflowers to bloom here on the Island and they're not blooming yet, as it's still quite cold. They push themselves up through the leaf litter and gently sway in the breeze, in various shades of pale pink, purple and white.

I printed the inspiration photo onto silk and then bead embroidered over it. This was my first attempt to duplicate birch bark in beads; I'm relatively pleased with the results.

Here's the inspiration photo:

Small and Dainty

Near Grand's tennis courts, a drift of early spring bulbs are in bloom - a variety of blues and purples, all small and dainty bits of beauty.

Getting My Hands Dirty - The Results

Last night was the final night of pottery class; we met at the kiln for a grand unveiling of all the varies work produced:

Here's that strange fungal thing I've been working on:

And a few of my other projects.



Nothing turned out exactly as I envisioned, but overall I'm pleased - it was a great learning experience and an opportunity to work with different materials.

With any luck we'll have another class next winter and maybe get to try out the wheel and learn some new techniques... and everyone wonders why I look forward to winter!

Just a Little Sole - Part Three

Cork Sock-maker, a cutter of soles of cork for shoes.

The Dictionary of Trade Products, Manufacturing, and Technical Terms: With a Definition of the Moneys, Weights, and Measures of All Countries, Peter Lund Simmonds, G. Routledge, 1858

The coverings of cork soles are put on by women with sewing machines. A good hand, we were told, can make eight dozen pairs a day, and is paid eighteen cents a dozen. I suppose it requires at least a day to cut out and baste on the covering of that number; so the compensation is not as great as one might at first suppose. Some can baste five dozen a day, and could stitch from twelve to twenty dozen a day. Girls are paid 10 cents a dozen for basting, and 6 cents per dozen for stitching them on machines. A cork-sole manufacturer in the upper part of the city, pays for basting covers on, 10 cents a dozen. Some women baste five or six dozen a day. It requires care and a little skill. If not properly done, it is almost impossible to stitch them correctly. He pays 6 cents a dozen for stitching, and an operator can stitch from twelve to twenty dozen a day. He has often sold two hundred dozen in a year.

The Employments of Women: A Cyclopaedia of Woman's Work, Virginia Penny, Walker, Wise & Co., 1863

I prepare thick cork soles and heels, hooped or not, round the edge with leather or gutta percha coated with an adhesive surface, to attach to boots, shoes, or galoshes for wear during wet weather. Any of these descriptions of soles and heels I prefer to ornament by printing or stencilling various designs with adhesive cement upon the wearing face, and applying thereon either coloured flocks, powdered colours, metal powders, or leaf.

The Repertory of patent inventions [formerly The Repertory of arts, manufactures and agriculture]. Vol.1-enlarged ser., vol.40, 1854

A pair of men's cork soles offered on eBay.

No. 13,286.—William Johnston, of Brooklyn, (E. D.) N. Y.— Improvement in Cork Sole Stuff.—Patent dated September 29, 1857.— This improvement is described by the inventor as follows : I construct the cork cloth of cotton muslin, silk, leather, or other suitable material, which material is stretched on a solid frame ; on the surface of the material is laid a priming of boiled oil, over which I sift a quantity of fine pulverized cork, and press it in with rollers before the oil is dry, and allow it to remain some time to dry. I then apply another coat of oil and sift another quantity of fine cork over it, which is pressed in as before, repeating this process until I obtain the substance required. The pulverized cork is made by grinding solid cork in a burr stone mill, or any other that will reduce it fine.
The claim is thus stated : I claim the making of cork cloth by the aforesaid process for inside soles and lining of boots, shoes, and other articles for which solid sheet cork has hitherto been applied, using for that purpose the aforesaid materials, or others substantially the same, to produce the same results.

Senate Documents, Otherwise Publ. as Public Documents and Executive Documents: 14th Congress, 1st Session-48th Congress, 2nd Session and Special Session, 1858

No. 34,437.—Henry L.yon, of Brooklyn, N. Y.—Improved Cork Sole for Boots and Shoes.—Patent dated February 18, 1862.—Cork being ground or cut into small pieces, is mixed with gum-elastic dissolved in oil of turpentine or otherwise; this composition is spread upon cloth having a facing of soft gum-elastic; the sole being cut from the cloth is placed inside the boot or shoe, to which it firmly adheres.
Claim.—The improved water-proof cork sole made from fine or granulated cork, as set forth in this specification.

Report of the Commissioner of Patents, United States Patent Office, 1864

The following is an interesting reference, does she mean soles made as above? Or is the “cork meal” loose inside a sewn insole? In either case, they were not what she expected.

“I went into one shop, a shoemaker's, to buy a pair of cork soles for my boots. The man did not seem at first to know what was wanted, but afterwards he brought forward some which he said were lined with – “Cork made into meal,"—pounded, I suppose he meant. They were the only things I could find, so I was obliged to buy them.”

Journal Kept During a Summer Tour for the Children of a Village School, Elizabeth Missing Sewell, Appleton, 1852

And here is a reference listing some prices:

As the Hydromagen is becoming more known, its sale is increasing to an almost incredible extent. Last year, in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Glasgow, Leeds, Dublin, Paris, Antwerp, Hamburgh, and Berlin, our sales reached 1,732,450 pairs of cork soles. This year the number will far surpass that.
Ask the Faculty their opinion of their value as a preventive for coughs, colds, bronchitis, asthma and consumption.
The Hydromagen is offered, by retail, at the following prices: Mens’ size, per pair, 35 cents; Ladies' size, per pair, 30 cents; Boys' and Misses' sizes, 25 cents.
NoticE.—From the retail prices, we make a very liberal allowance to jobbers and wholesalers, so that any storekeeper may make a fine profit on their sale, while they are an article that may be kept in any store, among any class of goods.


The Southern Business Directory and General Commercial Advertiser: Vol. I., John Paul Campbell, Walker & James, 1854

The above references tell us that more than one type of cork sole existed:

1.) Soles cut from solid cork, then covered with fabric. Eliza Leslie refers to “cork soles covered with flannel”, flannel during the period usually referring to wool flannel. Wool flannel would aid in keeping the feet warm and dry, which appears to be the main use of cork soles.

2.) William Johnston claims an improved method, cork cloth, for which “solid sheet cork has hitherto been applied”. The cork cloth consisting of ground cork pressed with boiled oil and applied to fabric, etc. Other makers follow similar procedures, using a variety of substances. This type appears to have been used only as insoles, as there are mentions of “gum elastic” and an “adhesive surface” to keep them in place inside the boot or shoe.
Based on the dates of the references, both types one and two were being produced within the same time period.

3.) Maybe a third type (but I’m not totally convinced) consisting of loose cork inside a fabric sole. While these might conform to the foot, it seems there’s much potential of sore feet if the loose cork moves about.

We also can tell that cork sole manufacture was a viable industry, with improvements in production and equipment actively being pursued. If an advertisement can be believed, at least one producer sold over a million pairs in a single year!

Coming soon – Part Four: Modern resources to recreate mid-19th century cork soles.

The Boys are Back in Town

On Mackinac, the horse is an integral part of life, as cars were banned in 1895 and that ban continues today. During the height of the season there can be upwards of 800 commercial horses and also quite a number that are privately owned. Just like the majority of Island employees, most of the horses get the winter off and they spend the winter in the Upper Peninsula. They start to come back shortly after the boats start to run; the horses come over on the ferry just like the rest of us.

They don't much care for the trip and tend to be pretty skittish as they're assembled on the dock. After a winter spent primarily out to pasture, they're shaggy, dirty and smelly.

The team on the right is a reminder of what they have to look forward to - back to work!

And these are draft teams, not riding horses, they're big!

Off they go, to be cleaned up, assigned to a driver and another season on Mackinac!

Signs of Spring

I spotted my first crocus today, down near the boardwalk; it was backed by a brick wall, which must have held the heat and allowed it to bloom a bit early.

A less typical harbinger of Spring: businesses are beginning to replace the signs they removed last fall to protect them from the harsh winter weather.

One of my favorite's opened last night, Seabiscuit. It was packed with people, lots of hugs and greetings to people we've not seen for months. After six months of only three choices of restaurants, it's great to have something new!