Button Floozies

I just found these beautiful button dioramas on the Yankee Magazine site.  Wouldn't these be sweet with a sewing pattern tissue background?  Just in time for Mother's Day!

Hello friends!  I am still swooning over my weekend at Karla Nathan's Birdsong Two -- a creative weekend in Kansas where I met up with friends and made some new ones. This is a photo of a few of us in front of an antique store in Kansas City -- I'm second from the left and next to me on the right is fellow Floozie Tami H. !  I've posted photos of some of my Birdsong gifts and BUTTONS on my blog for you: click here !

I went to Todmorden secondhand market  near Halifax, Burnley and Rochdale in the UK with friends today .   As we wondered round the market in the rain I spotted a box under a stall that was full of these goodies ..... When the story unfolded about where they had come from we were all hooked. They had been found in the basement of what once was a high class tailors on Regent Street, Ardwick Green, Salford named Lieberman's. Joanne the lovely owner of the market stall told us how the buttons date from the early 1900's and others that were found may have been featured, along with a shop bag from Lieberman's, in the Manchester Museum. Joanne gave me these buttons which had been left open to the elements in the basement and eroded into these fantastic textured pieces.  They are a great find for me to add to some of my art work and I will be sharing them with my friend Gemma Thorpe who works with coastal themes.  I had a lovely time sorting throug...

I thought you might like to see  these wonderful porcelain buttons by KAREN TURNER of HODGEPODGE ARTS I think they are stunning     Artist Statement My smaller ceramic pieces once again reflect my fascination with the past, memories and a trace of what came before.  I have a collection of vintage lace, buttons and other objects that I press into the wet clay to create interesting textures which also give the pieces a sense of history.  

My buddy Kathy, who writes at her wonderful blog kluless is having a Reader Appreciation Giveaway as she has just reached 100 followers! Visit her blog post and see what you need to do to enter!  And tell her Button Floozies sent you!  You'll be happy you did!

I bought some pretty vintage buttons at a flea market yesterday~~~     amethyst colored...   blue ... teeny blue mother of pearl(?) come see more photos on my blog :)

Here's something that might inspire you. I am always being asked if I have sewn these buttons on my bedding.  Well actually no I did'nt I bought  it like that. It washes okay as well, I just turn everything inside out.   What made me show you today was when i was looking at   HEATHER LAWSON OF HELLISH DESIGNS blog I remembered the buttons on the lampshades she made me to match my bedding.  So knowing the Button Floozies like something a bit different .... here you go. Hope you like this little tale. LYNN HOLLAND One I Made Earlier Today

"No, don't do it " was what I shouted to myself this morning when I came across a draw full of buttons I did'nt realise was there. Knowing full well if I got them out I would be lost and nothing would get done.   I had already been distracted from my shelf building when I decided to make this little fella on one of the miniature canvasses I bought the other day. Well the next thing I knew half the morning had gone with me messing about sorting the buttons into colours and putting them into these great Lakeland jam jars I got of the flea market last week. Eventually the shelves got built, after I forced myself not to run to the computer and start blogging about my button find. POP OVER TO  ONE I MADE EARLIER TODAY   FOR A LOOK AT MY LOVELY NEW DISPLAY SHELVING. BEST WISHES FLAT PACK WOMAN LYNN

Did anyone else happen to see this one page feature in the May 2012 issue of Real Simple ? Entitled 5 New Uses for Buttons , the little list, filed under "Solutions", suggests using buttons as: an earring holder, drawer accent, necklace pendant, apron hook, and...uh...appetizer stand. (Insert cricket noises here.) I think that the next time they're looking for button ideas, they should probably check with us Floozies!

The Button Floozies Spring Needlebook Swaps are turning up in mailboxes across the world this week -- take a peek at the one I received which is posted on my blog, here .

I picked up these pretty vintage buttons yesterday. Does anyone know when the 'navy' buttons might be from? Unless 'Styled Dress Buttons' is a brand name, I don't see any.   You can see more pictures of them on my flickr page or, on the button floozies flickr page : )

 Crikey I am here again.   I  can't seem to get away from buttons this week.   If  you are lucky enough to be around the Rochdale/Halifax/Burnley areas then pop over to Todmorden near Hebden Bridge and check out this great indoor market stall. It belongs to Christine Priestley who kindly let us photograph some of her great range of buttons and pretty ribbons.  It was like being let loose in a sweetie shop.  Todmorden has a great indoor/outdoor market. Thursdays has a secondhand market outdoors and is brilliant. I picked up 12 glass jars with gingham lids to store my buttons in. Best wishes Lynn Holland ONE I MADE EARLIER TODAY  

Hello, I hope you don't mind me popping up twice in one day but the latest edition of   MOLLIE MAKES MAGAZINE has  just popped  through the letterbox  with six lovely pink vintage buttons free of charge.   There is also some great button pictures  and links to buttonie people.  Did'nt want anyone to miss out on this treat. Time for a cuppa now and a read. Best wishes Lynn Holland One I Made Earlier Today

A friend of mine gave me these buttons or are they tags ?    Technically I think they are tags  but I think you could use them as buttons. EXCEPT they are made of plastic and are double sided  and split in two leaving the middle adhesive. SO  are they tags or buttons ?  WHAT DO YOU THINK Best Wishes Lynn Holland One I Made Earlier Today  

I hope everyone is having a lovely Easter time celebration today! The winner of the Old Buttons book is Ima Weed !  Please send me your mailing address via email, Ima, and I'll put your book in the mail to you!  Thank you again to Sylvia Llewelyn for hosting this marvelous giveaway!

~*~*~ This post will stay on top of the blog through April 7, 2012; please scroll down for other, newer posts, too! ~*~*~ Earlier this year we posted about Sylvia Llewelyn and the beautiful little book of buttons she has written, called Old Buttons . Sylvia is a Button Floozie for sure, and her book celebrates buttons of all kinds!  I was so impressed with the book and how, in a palm-sized package, she has given the best of the history, wonder, and delight of buttons! I also appreciate the care she took to make sure that the photos are actual-sized to help you to identify and compare your buttons to her examples. And there are oodles of photos that make up this book -- at least one on every page!  This little book would make a wonderful gift to any button lover in your life (or, treat yourself!) Sylvia has generously sent me a copy of her book -- plus one to give away to one of you !  Please comment (just once) on this post (only), and make sure your email is...

Got my Cath Kidston buttons in the mail and I had to share! Her button cards look old and are a very sweet addition to any collection! Here's where you can find them: Cath Kidston Be sure to click on the American Flag so that you see prices in dollars and not euros.

I was rather excited when my sister told me about a book she had just read, as it mentioned the making of Dorset buttons. As some of you may now, I love making Dorset Buttons.  So I happily borrowed the book and read it all. I can tell you it is a great read, and even the bits that don't mention buttons are good! So if you want something to read, then may I recommend ' Burning Bright ' by Tracy Chevalier. If you don't want to read the bits about buttons (are you mad? and why are you reading this blog, mad person?) then there is lots about the late eighteenth century in London and particularly William Blake and Astley's Circus. Enjoy. Alix, Bigbluebed

Sadly, I've been under the weather for some time now.  My husband took pity on my being cooped up ill for so long, so he drove me to Denver so I could see a bit of the Colorado State Button Society's annual show on Saturday! It was a long drive for such a little bit of looking and shopping, but I really did enjoy going! I had the chance to take a look at some of the winning "trays" of mounted buttons that had been judged the day before in their annual competition. I took a few close-up photos of buttons I liked on the trays, but I have to apologize for the poor photo quality as it was very dark in the showroom, and I was using the camera on my phone. These embellished mother of pearl buttons make me swoon!  I really think they are my very favorite type of buttons!  (Today, anyway!) I was still pretty shaky on the day we went and tired easily.  But luckily, the button dealers always have a chair or two set up so people can sit and poke through boxes...