By Vesta Abel
Editor’s Note: When Vesta created these baby mocassins as her part of our product swap, it started me thinking about the wonderful art forms of the first peoples of our country. Not only were their creations beautiful, they were also items of purpose - spiritual talismans, bowls and baskets for eating, cooking, and storing, clothing and shoes, items to transport other items, etc.

I am often chagrined when I read about when “art” first came to America - from Europe, of course. Art was alive and well here long before we arrived, and we think that fact should be more widely discussed and celebrated. So, in this and future issues, we will be doing some of that. Check out our brand new Native American Art Stamps too.
The mocassin, originating with the Algonquins in Virginia, might be the most perfect and comfortable shoe design yet - protecting the feet while allowing them to rest upon their own sole structure. No stiletto heels for these folks! These are decorative, of course, but try wearing some real ones - they’re great!
What You Will Need: (Items are linked if we know where to get them.)
Sheer Heaven (letter size sheet) (Cre8it)
Inkredible Inks: Harvest Gold, Ancient Earth
(or other brands of heat set pigment inks)
Stazon Black Permanent Ink (or Memories)
Domino Stamp Set Six (Cre8it)
Prismacolor Pencils: Terra Cotta, Light Aqua, Brite Violet
Penscore Block
Heat Tool		 Rock Salt or Sugar
Make-up Sponges
Black Waxed Irish Linen (Cre8it)
Large Darning Needle
1/16" Hole Punch
Scissors
Small Turquoise Oval Cabochons
Duco Cement (or other jewelry cement)
Template (click here to print it out)
These adorable little shoes could hold cotton swabs, safety pins or maybe just sit there and look cute in a baby's room! Made from Sheer Heaven, they would also make great party favors filled with candy.
INSTRUCTIONS:
©2004, Vesta Abel

Step One:
Click on the Template link and print out a copy of the template (you may later resize the template to make other sizes of mocassins, but use it as is to make the pair as shown).

Lay Sheer Heaven (“good” side up) over the template and, using a fine tipped pen, trace the template pieces. Trace two of each shape. Make a small dot where each punched hole will go.

Step Two:
Cut out the template pieces, and punch the holes with the 1/16-inch hole punch.

(You might need to cut off the punched holes if they don’t fall off by themselves. Indestructible Sheer Heaven does not take so kindly to being punctured!)

Turn Page