Still falling...

 I hope everyone who's celebrating has a fun-filled Halloween today!

Can you spot the little yellow scaredy cat button above?

This is the pile of goodies that went to Leila as the winner

in our 700 Followers Giveaway!

Among the Fall-themed goodies was something special...

this button which was made out of sea glass!

Don't forget: click here

to see many more (15 at last count!)

blogs with photos

of the buttons and tins

received in the

Fall in Love with Buttons swap!

Fall in Love with Buttons Linky Party

Button Box

A 'lil eye candy.

My Most Recent Button Finds

A couple of years ago, I found a treasure trove of buttons in a little town near our rental cottage. Last summer I made my way to the store only to find it gone. Because it's such a small town, I was able to ask around and find the ladies who had owned the shop. Luckily, they still had a stash of buttons and I was able to purchase some.

I love that large one with the cording around the edge. It looks as if it might be a hand made button and the material has the look and feel of very fine hair but it's hard to tell for sure and the person I bought it from couldn't identify the material either. I know that people used to save the hair of loved ones and use it in jewelry but I'm not sure if anyone made buttons from it.
In the top photograph, you can see that I got some lovely carved mother of pearl buttons which fascinate me because of the many variations in the designs of the carvings.
I was also able to by a few bakelite shank buttons which I hope to make into a bracelet.
Happy collecting to you all!

O' how do I love thee...

Yes, buttons!   It is these cool fall days and soon to be winter mornings that compels us to get out or fabric scraps, wool felt and stitching kits.  I love snuggling with a blanket and my button tins choosing just the right collection for my next art project.  This year I have several new estate button lots to go through and sort.  I can't wait to see what I find.  I am thrilled to be here to share with you my love of  'thee beloved button'.  Here are a few to spark your creative juices!

Pumpkin Pocket Giveaway

I am hosting a pumpkin themed giveaway on my home blog. I'd like to extend the invitation to you.

Along with a few other treasures, I am including several buttons. For details, click here. I will draw a name on Friday, October 28th.

And we have a WINNER in the 700 Followers Giveaway!

It has been so much fun getting to know everyone

since taking over as Admin of this Button Floozies blog!

Our first swap was such a big success (see the previous post

for our linky party with swap photos, filling up in the next few days!)

We have been having a contest to win this altered tin

full of fall-themed buttons, and a couple of surprises, too!

The lucky winner is:

Leila

Congratulations, Leila!  Please email us

buttonfloozies (at) gmail (dot) com

with your mailing address!

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Fall in Love with Buttons Swap Linky Party!

The Fall in Love with Buttons Swap deadline to mail swaps was Friday, October 21.  We have a couple of ways for everyone to see and enjoy the swaps: one way is to visit the Button Floozies Button Swap Flickr Group and see what photos have been uploaded there.  And another way is through this Linky Party!

For those of you who may be new to linky parties, it is a way to catalog blog posts by many authors on many blogs, all on the same subject.  If you click on the photo squares below, each link will take you to the blog of a Fall in Love with Buttons Swap participant who blogged about their swaps sent and received.  It's a great way to get to see many of the swaps, as well as "meet" some of your fellow Button Floozies!  So, click on the link, and when you want to see the next swap blog post, come back to this post and click on the next one.

Swappers, please link up here to your specific blog post about the Fall in Love with Buttons Swap, not your blog's home page.

I can't wait to see what everyone's sent and received!

Lovely vintage pink glass buttons

Do you like these pink glass buttons? 
If you do you can purchase them at ebid
http://uk.ebid.net/for-sale/set-of-vintage-moonglow-pink-glass-buttons-50759907.htm
I post worldwide and combine postage and packing 

Celluloid Beauty, and, Last Chance to Enter Giveaway!

Look at these beauties: this style of "carving" on a button

is why they're called buffed celluloid.

They are one of my favorite types!

All these buttons are different examples of buttons made from celluloid.

I could look at them all day long!

You have three more days to enter!

The 700 Followers Giveaway

ends at 11:59 MT on Friday, October 21, 2011

Click here to enter!

BEAUTIFUL BUTTON TREES

Found these beautiful button trees and thought they were great inspiration for the upcoming holidays! Hope you enjoy them!













Cheery wave

Hi Everyone,

It is a bright sunny day today and I want to show you a little exchange gift that I received a couple years ago. 

It is a pinkeep,  The specifications for the exchange were that we use a Quaker sampler motif and that its colors be suggestive of a specific season which I believe was spring. 

Now here is the reason I want to show it to you.  It is edged with white buttons.  I believe that they are all modern plastic buttons.  There is nothing exceptional about them except they are an exceptionally nice border on the pinkeep. 

A close-up to show how the buttons are attached. 

Another close-up to show the flower buttons.  

A view of the back to show you the backing fabric.  If you happen to have or know of a source for this fabric or a similar print, I desperately want a small scrap of it. 

Cute As A Button Bag

See more photos of this amazing bag here:

I can't make out the name of the maker but she is amazing! I wish I had the patience to sew that many buttons onto one item. I thought you would enjoy seeing this wonderful work of art!



Cheery wave from
Bev

Beautiful fabric buttons

Here are some beautiful buttons that have been inspiring me lately, all by Liz from her etsy shop LiDDesigns:

Delicate Rosebuds Buttons

Pink Chandelier Buttons

August and Everything After Peridot Buttons

People have been covering buttons to match or coordinate with the fabrics on their outfits since the beginning of the last century, often using a wooden or celluloid "blank" as the base.  Today, you can buy kits in the notions section of many fabric stores to make your own fabric-covered buttons.  Serious button collectors should be aware that thrifty seamstresses in the last century often re-used old buttons by covering them with fabric; therefore, before discarding that tattered wool button, try removing the wool to see what could be underneath!

As you can see, Liz takes fabric buttons to the next level with her lovely gathering, addition of rhinestones, and overall artistry!  Check out her shop for lots more button lovelies!

ALSO: don't forget to enter our 700 Followers Giveaway!

Buttons Used In Artwork

This morning I  opened my

account to find an artist

using buttons in

her Mixed Media

creations.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/julie_haymaker_thompson/3020344407/

(blogger will not let me post the photo, please click link)

                                     The following photo

is from Julie's etsy shop.

Deb

How to make an easy Raggedy Ann Christmas Ornament

I love painting faces on MOP buttons...  Here is Raggedy Ann with her MOP face and a button heart on my crazy quilt Christmas block.  You can use her by herself as an easy-to-make ornament...  I have a tutorial on my blog  These are also cute on tags for packages and on name tags for Christmas events...

In that same series here is a "sugar plump fairy" with a painted face on an MOP button.

crafter...oo magazine

My craft forum

http://www.crafteroo.co.uk/smf/index.php

has produced this fantastic magazine
it is quarterly and is a bargain at only £1.50
there are 17 projects
lots of advice and much more
a really good read


click the link below to find out how to buy a copy

http://www.crafteroo.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,8757.0.html


I hope you don't mind me promoting it here but i'm just so proud
to have been involved in making it!
I have a tutorial in it for this pendant

which i will be giving away to one lucky subscriber

thanks for reading

x vInTaGe VioLeT x

Buttons in the Victoria & Albert

When I wrote my last post for you, on Diana Epstein, I was searching for links to historical collections of buttons.  I found this one and thought it deserved a post of its very own.

So here it is.  Basically I have put in the word 'buttons' in the search of the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.   This is the result.

What lovely things appeared before my eyes.

I haven't added the photos here. One because I do not have permission, and two because I think it will be fun for you to follow the link.

So have you done an online search of a local or national museum? I think it would be good to try.

Alix. Bigbluebed.

Sewing Machine Makeover

blo
Just thought this would make you smile...from http://bonkersaboutbuttons1.blogspot.com. I'm not sure who did this because her blog entry doesn't say. Think whoever did this to her machine is actually using it? Fun!

Let's Have a Button Giveaway!

ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED!  GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Well, this little blog has grown in the last several weeks, and we now have more than 700 followers!  To celebrate, I thought it would be fun to have a Button Giveaway!

In honor of 700 followers, and in conjunction with our Fall in Love with Buttons Swap (now closed!), we are going to giveaway the sample Autumn Button Tin that I showed you when I announced the swap:

That way, even if you're not participating in the swap,

you can still get in on the fun!

It is a decorated Altoids tin, and it is full of buttons in the Autumn theme!

There are about 50 buttons in the tin!

And I'm adding these vintage cards of buttons...

and one more surprise for the lucky winner!

(Hint: it will be a special BUTTON!)

Since the Fall in Love with Buttons Swap (now closed!)

finishes up on October 21, 2011,

that is the deadline for entering this giveaway, too!

 Here's how to enter:

• Leave a comment on this post ONLY and that is your entry!
• If you are already a follower, or if you sign up to be a new follower, you can leave a second comment and that is your second entry.
• That's it!  Two possible entries per person!  The winner will be chosen via a random number generator on October 22, 2011!
• Please be sure that your comment links back to your email address, either on your Blogger profile or an email address that is easy to find on your blog.  If it doesn't, you must leave your email address in your comment so that I can contact you if you win!
• The winner will be announced on this blog on October 22, 2011 and I will also contact the winner via email; if I don't hear back within 72 hours of contacting the winner, I will choose an alternate winner!

 

Good luck everyone!