Button Floozies

Yep, that's me, 'Jaynie come-lately'... Hi everyone!  My name is Jayne, and I'm a new(er) Button Floozie.  I can't believe it's been over two months since I've contacted Laurie about writing for this wonderful blog, and I'm just getting around to my first post.  Yikes! Can I blame it on perimenopausal forgetfulness? Buttons are relatively new on the list of things I like.  I've always been drawn to smaller objects, and buttons ~ in their tiny cute way ~ have beaconed me to snatch them up whenever I come across them at estate sales, yard sales, thrift stores etc. As a geeky, Librarian (well former) ~ I'm always and forever digging through shelves and piles of used books.  Here are some secondhand books about buttons that I've picked up along the way: I realize that newer additions of these books have been published, but for a newbie like me these are just fine.  At this point, I'm more interested in the history of buttons

We've run a couple of articles on the fantastic ceramic/porcelain buttons of English ceramicist Karen Turner, so I wanted to show you her latest collections as seen on her facebook page.  Here is the link KAREN TURNER - HODGEPODGE ARTS - FACEBOOK PAGE Best wishes Lynn Holland www.doodlybird.co.uk  

A friend recently shared this article and photo, and I thought you would like to see it as well. The article is about England's Royal Barge, and this photo shows a banner that will be on it. That looks like intricate embroidery, but the design is actually made from over half a million gold-colored buttons sewn on with over 31 miles of thread. Isn't that gorgeous?

I saw this tree downtown yesterday: You will notice it has been "bombed", i.e., given a hand knitted or crochet little jacket, just for fun, by some ambitious needleworkers. But, these illustrious people stole my heart when they added -- you guessed it -- BUTTONS!

Jacqueline has a very nice entry in her blog, Needleprint. She has given me permission to post this picture from her blog to help entice you to the blog. 

I have a large collection of antique MOP buttons and do miniature paintings on them to sell on my Esty Shop...  Ruth recently bought this bluebird button and beaded it into a pendant for her mother... This photo is a beautiful pendent featuring a vintage button and it is listed on her site.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/acottagehearth  I love how she chose beads that really showcased both button.  Boy would I love to wear some of the buttons in my collection... Gerry Krueger http://olderrose.blogspot.com www.etsy.com/shop/olderrose

As previously mentioned , I attended Birdsong Two at Karla Nathan's house a couple of weeks ago, and got to visit with fellow Button Floozies Tami , and Beth , who was also a teacher at the event! Beth and I at Birdsong Two This blog was also one of the sponsors for the event, too; each of the participants received a bag of buttons and an invitation to join us over here! Birdsong Two took place in Kansas -- and Kansas has some great antique shopping!  Here are a few of the pretty buttons I brought home: Look at those mother of pearl cufflinks in the upper left of the photo!  The tiny, boat shaped buttons are dark green and red; they are a very old synthetic polymer -- maybe even Bakelite (that's what the antique dealer said, but I haven't tested them.) I couldn't leave behind these two cards of blue buttons -- musty and dilapidated though they were!  Such pretty blues!  And these beauties were a gift to me from Beth!  It's so great to have frien

KAREN TURNER is a  designer/maker based in South Northamptonshire.   She completed a BA (hons) Design Craft in 2010 and has shown work at  New Designers and Mint Gallery in London.  Karen specialises in unusual decorative ceramics and handmade ceramic buttons . BIG BEN PORCELAIN BUTTON I thought you might like to see more of Karen Turners lovely handmade buttons.  For more information go to http://www.hodgepodgearts.co.uk This is one I ordered to use on my Tag Tuesday Jubilee Challenge. Looks like Karen's done the work for me I could submit it as it is. It's a great button in ceramic and is 2" in diameter and how nice of her to attach the other two as well.    Hope you have enjoyed my piece. Lynn Holland One I Made Earlier Today

I make Dorset buttons.  My sister recently asked me to make her some to go with a dress she was making for a fancy dress party.  The theme was film so she had decided to go as a character from Pride and Prejudice, or any of the filmed Jane Austen  books. So here is my lovely sister in her beautiful costume with my little buttons on the back. Now, you and I know that a Regency lady would not have had a lizard tattoo (at least not that sort of lady) but I think it looks pretty good.  A mixture of modern and traditional that sort of sums up my buttons really. Alix, Bigbluebed

I found this cute vintage pincushion doll on Etsy and decorated her with buttons!

If you haven't been by lately, check out the Button Floozies Swaps flickr page ! Now showing: photos of the needlebooks sent and received in our Button Floozies Spring Needlebook Swap !

I saw this at an antique store in Kansas City last week, and it made me think of all my Floozie friends! Happy Friday!

Let me introduce you to the rather special embroidered buttons of  freelance embroiderer   KAREN RUANE  of Blackburn, Lancashire in the UK. I am not going to spoil the pleasure of looking at Karen's work  by saying a lot about it because I think the work speaks for itself. So have a look at the photographs she sent me, then link across to her website and learn more about her wonderful  Freelance Embroidery, courses she runs, exhibitions  and then pop into Karen's shop.   www.karenruane.blogspot.com     http://www.etsy.com/shop/contemporarystitches I hope you are enjoying reading my articles Best wishes Lynn Holland ONE I MADE EARLIER TODAY