How many dots?

 Polka Dots!

Jill St John

Dots.
They’ve been with us for a very long time!

One might even say from the very beginning, as we find polka dots all throughout creation.

Fly Agaric, or Fairy Toadstool

Trapezia rufopuretata photo credit: I_van

I believe this is a type of coral crab

Indian Pass Fern

Panther Grouper. Photo cred: Steve_Coney1973

As early as 756 China, and then Japan,

used a Shibori fabric dying technique similar to tie dying. It was a pattern of white dots on an indigo background.

Corrigan Studios, Wayfair; shibori fabric swatch

In 12th century Africa we see mud cloth with graphic, bold dot patterns.

Ancient Indonesia had a dye technique of Batik that frequently had lines of dots.

Australian Aboriginal art has used dot patterns for centuries. They have created a very distinctive style called 

“Dot Painting”.

Downloaded to Pinterest by christina raftopol

So why ‘Polka’ Dots?

“La Polka” artist:  Serge Ivanoff, 1937

A couple things happened about the same time.

Arm C&ndy

Around 1840 there was a dance craze called ‘Polka Dance’.

Everyone was doing the Polka!

In fact, lots of things got named with polka, like polka pudding, and polka suspenders.

The term Polka Dot stuck.

Vintage Avon

At the same time the Industrial Revolution was in full swing.

Machinery became more complex, and capable of making round polka dotted fabric.

No more tedious hand stitching!

1885 polka dot dress

Since then polka dots have been up and down in popularity, but never completely disappearing from fashion and interior design.

Pinterest, Umbrellas and Parasols

Marilyn Monroe in iconic polka dotted swimsuit

In the 1950’s polka dots were ‘The’ thing. Because of film and movie we still associate that era with polka dots.

Movie Actress Vera Ellen, 1951; welovecycling

Barbie in classic 1950’s couture 

The 60’s enjoyed large, bold polka dots.

Yves Saint Laurent 1967; photo cred: Tom Kublin

From Godey’s Lady’s Book of 1857

to China’s Empress Dowager, 1905

to Frank Sinatra’s “Polka Dots & Moonbeams” of the 1940’s,

to the subtler, softer dots of the 1980’s

And

hitting the fashion runways of 2010

I can safely say

Polka Dots are here to stay!

Photo credit Julia Barn

Wayfair 4 piece set

Vintage sunglasses, Liquid Rainbow Arts

Tulle fashion socks

I hope you have enjoyed this little walk through history about polka dots.

Feel free to get your flamenco dress out and do a little Polka Dance

while eating sprinkle doughnuts!

Manuela Vargas, rehearsal ‘Tigress of the Flamenco’, Getty Images

‘Til next time,

inkspired

A few of the sites I gathered information from:

Pinterest

Cosmopolitan.com (Lauren Adher)

Shutterstock.com (Kiera Coffee)

Clothandstitch.com

Clairejustineoxox.com

Wikipedia.com

Polkadotit.com

Silly Saturday Sirens of the Sea

WELCOME!

Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2008

www.newyork.wikia.com

I have been having fun checking out Coney Island's historical (as in it's been going on since 1983) Annual Mermaid Parade. It is the largest Art Parade held in the USA.

Coney Island Mermaid Parade

assets.nydailynews.com

It is held every year, but this year it might not happen.
That would be sad.
Hurricane Sandy has wiped out/damaged the entire area. Just like most of the Island's businesses, the Mermaid parade admin building was severely damaged.

Hurricane Sandy 2012, Coney Island, NY

www.washingtonpost.com

yep, that's a roller coaster there in the ocean...

Coney Island, NY after Hurricane Sandy 2012

www.boston.com

after Hurricane Sandy 2012

www.brownstoner.com

This year's Mermaid Parade Budget is $100,000 short.
Zowie.

flooding after Hurricane Sandy 2012, Coney Island

www.news.ebru.tv

I think we can all see why!!

clean up after Hurricane Sandy,

Coney Island, New York, USA

www.amusingthezillion.com

photo cred: Tricia Vita

HOWEVER....

the not-for-profit corporation has existed since 1980, and they're not giving up now!! They are continuing with their purpose - "to defend the honor of American popular culture through innovative exhibitions and performances."

Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2012

www.flickr.com

a seahorse participant, Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2012

www.kellynealphoto.com

(LOVE the red shoes!!)

The Mermaid Parade of 2012

www.pigmentsky.com

I think they have the 'innovative' part down pretty good!!

Open registration starts in just a few days, and they are hoping it will be a success, with some much-needed additional corporate sponsorships.

Coney Island Mermaid Parade Dogs

(would these be called 'sea-dogs'?)

You can access their information, registration and fun facts here:

http://www.coneyisland.com/mermaid.shtml

I will say I had to sift and sort through tons of photos (google) that had nudity in them to find some for this blog. I think it's a shame that people think nudity is an accepted form of 'street art'.  There were some fantastical creative costumes, only the bare breasts were part of them and so I didn't want to use them in a family-friendly blog.

Too bad.

There were also some real WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? costume photos....

I thought this one was such a creative idea, and was PG enough to share. 

Hoo-rah for pasties.

unknown credit

note the legs!!

(I'm on my soap box now - So much of the fun and creativity has been spoiled in Halloween also as people seem to think 'costume' means bloody and/or gory and/or gross and/or as-close-to-X rated-as-you-can-get. You know, a fun & creative 'nurse' costume can be really cool without the blood to make her a 'zombie nurse'. A pair of sweat pants and a sweatshirt hoodie with a mask is not my idea of 'creativity'.  Pouring on some fake blood to make it a 'zombie' or whatever does not count as individuality either. 

Okay, off the soap box...)

Check these past parade participants out!

(say past-parade-participants 10 times in a row!!)

www.baginskicreative.com

www.nydailynews.com

Mermaid Parade, Coney Island NY 2011
mermaidsandmartinis.blogspot.com

There are many other fun things at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade.

Think 1950's kitsch and you have a pretty good idea about the food, activities, etc. The corporation also houses a Coney Island Museum that has lectures and walking tours, a Coney Island Circus sideshow and sideshow school, tourist information, community bulletin board and gift shop. They hold many different kinds of parades and activities.

Coney Island Mermaid Parade photo from web site:

www.coneyisland.com

Mermaid Parade Coney Island, NY

www.thewalrusspeaks.blogspot.com

Kind of gets me in the mood for a Mermaid Block Party....

:0)

mermaids on the beach

www.costumegirlscloset.blogspot.com

Hope you've had fun with these silly sirens of the sea...

see you next time!

inkspired

www.inkspired.etsy.com

www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com

www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com

and on pinterest: kkloberdans

Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2012

A Honey Kitten Paperdoll kind of day

Good Day!
Well, I have dentist hangover today.
I'm not in any specific pain, just overall kinda' dull, maybe a headache but not quite, maybe a little jaw pain...
just kinda' dull.
So....
You get a complete set of paper dolls. These are vintage, but I honestly don't know if they are copyright free. Let's just assume these are for your own personal use, unless they compose less than 70% of the original in a collage.
:0)

There you go!
Even if you aren't into paper dolls, I hope you have had a few nostalgic memories!

Budget hint:
You can print these out on thin paper, and use it as wrapping paper for a special someone.

inkspired
http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/
remember how easy it is to leave a comment now!