Thursday 26 April 2012

All Buttoned Up! Part 1

I have been intending to write a blog post about buttons for some time, but I never seem to get around to photographing my stash of buttons!  However, I have made a determined effort and here you have them!  The photos show only a small (tiny, miniscule,) selection of my collection.  I have chosen just the vintage buttons, but I also collect new ones because they are fun and there is so much variety and lovely colours to be found.
I love buttons!  I never knew this, until a few years ago when I started crafting with them. This coincided with me building up a HUGE collection!  Early this year a friend’s mother gave me a very heavy tin full of vintage buttons.  WOW!  I found some glorious ones inside the tin and I thought I would share some of them with you. In my opinion buttons are the best embellishment you can use, and if you visit my Folksy shop you will see that I frequently use them on the bags, purses and also on my notebooks and journals.

My favourite buttons are the Art Deco ones.  I was so thrilled when I found these in the tin.  They are gorgeous.  I don’t know if I will use them for a project, as they seem too special, so it would have to be a very, very special project!  The blue buttons are very pretty.  Sadly some of the paint has worn off – but if you look closely they were once very pretty buttons.  It is such a shame that time and age has deteriorated their appearance.
The Mother of Pearl buttons are another favourite and in the photo I only show you some big ones, but I have lots and lots of small ones that I have already started to use in my projects, particularly on my A6 notebooks and A5 journals.  The ladybird buttons are fabulous and what a find – when I was looking in the tin it started with one, then another, and it gets so exciting when you keep finding more!  They are definitely vintage, but I know you can probably buy new ladybird buttons today, so again I doubt I shall use these ones.

I have discovered that crafters use buttons in a myriad ways too which is very exciting. So let’s celebrate the humble button! Here are some lovely craft items from Folksy that include buttons in one way or another. Don’t forget to click on the image and view it in the sellers shop! Enjoy!













From top to bottom: 1. Dees Design, 2. Quilting Demon, 3. Dottery Pottery, 4. made to make, 5. Kozmic Dreams, 6. beady daze, 7. Buttercup Boutique, 8. Dab and a dash.


Part 2 of my blog will be coming soon with what I love most about buttons and some interesting facts too.  Plus some more gorgeous craft items from the Folksy Sellers.
BFN

Edwina
















10 comments:

  1. oooh, im quite jealous of your stash! there are some lovelies in there :o)

    and what a super selection of button goodies from other sellers...prrof you can never have enough buttons!

    but this is now official, edwina, you ARE a button fiend! ;oP

    x

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  2. What great buttons you have.

    I love the way different crafters have found such varied uses for their buttons.

    I have a stash of various buttons, inherited from my granmother, stepgrandmother and mother-in-law. I will have start using them!

    Shirleyx

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  3. I do love buttons. My mum used to have several old SMA tins full of lovely buttons, mine are all sorted by colour in various jam jars (it gives the kids something to do!)
    Thanks for including my Summer Flowers picture in your collection x

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  4. Lovely blog Edwina- thanks for including my bracelet. I too have a stash (altough quite small) of vintage buttons. Some were given to me by my grandma when I was 10- my grandad made me a wooden sewing box and my grandma filled it with goodies. I still have it all and recently used some of the buttons to make Christmas decorations for my tree as I wanted to use them for something special. I have some of the ladybird buttons you show- they were from my dressing gown as a child in the 70's!
    Louisa x

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  5. I love buttons so much - I love swirling my hand around inside the button tin and pulling out a random button! I have my Nan's button tin and there are some lovely vintage ones in there too. Your collection looks great.
    Thanks so much for including my flower buttons in your blog too :)
    Sarah x

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  6. I love buttons too - I bought a big box of them at an auction a while ago and spent hours sorting them all out. It's exciting finding the special ones amongst all the plainer buttons!
    Really interesting to see how other people use them too :)

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  7. Thank you so much for including my owl! I try to collect buttons at charity shops because they're usually cheaper (and nicer!)

    I've also got my nan's button tin! We've a lot to thank our grandmother's for (mine taught me to knit) I miss mine every day

    Laura

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  8. Thank you all for your lovely comments. It is so great that you all love buttons too!
    Edwina

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  9. Hi Edwina

    What an interesting and inspiring post! It is so nice to see part of your button collection and also lovely the variety of handmade items featuring buttons. :)

    Best Wishes

    Julia x

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  10. Wow! Those are beautiful buttons. I collect buttons too but I definitely don't have such a beautiful collection as yours (although I do have some beautiful Nichols buttons that I bought years ago and keep meaning to use on something amazing but nothing is ever amazing enough for them!).

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