Button Floozies

Yesterday I had a chance to attend the Worldwide Antique & Vintage Show , which takes place in Denver 3 times each year. It's a big antique show held in an expo center -- full of friendly vendors and TONS of beautiful things... like this "poke bowl" full of buttons!  Did you see the charm string sitting just to the left of it?  I HAD to take it home with me! Someone who loved her buttons put it together... and added some other little trinkets, too. The buttons are not particularly valuable but I thought it was so charming that, for $10, it was irresistible. I also grabbed these little "gems" from the poke bowl: a large rhinestone-metal button, missing a few stones but I love it anyway, a pink plastic flower with a sparkly paste center, a two-toned yellow plastic, diamond-shaped one, a velvet fabric button, and a "tight-top." Here's what they look like on the reverse. Buttons just make me happy!

Do you visit the Tag Tuesday blog ?  Every week we work on a hand made tag based on the same theme. This past week's theme was "Beads, Buttons and Bows" -- so you have to go see some of the great button-y tags!  (Scroll down for the ones titled, "Beads, Buttons and Bows".) Maggie's was my favorite this time, so far!   I'm still working (against the clock!) on mine!

It's funny how one thing can lead to another, isn't it? It happens a lot while perusing the Internet. I was roaming around, trying to find a button-worthy topic to write about here and was lead to a blog post about a (button) artist by the name of Augusto Esquivel.  I followed the link and was lead to his  website where his amazing installations/sculptures are shown.  Candy store Coke machine  Piano Fountain My favorite! Noticing the word "Koumpounophobia" under his name and wondering what it meant, I looked it up online and found that it means a fear of buttons . It may be a textural phobia (plastic buttons), fear of accidentally swallowing or inhaling small buttons, or a phobia of old buttons, as they may harbor germs. So, as one thing lead to another, a few things were learned today.

  I was going to make black organza flowers to use with my collection of beaded, sequined, and lace leaves on a suffrage crazy-quilt project.  After about the third organza rose  I was bored and found bits of trims to gather into a circle.  I used a vintage glass button for the center. How cool are these? Victorian black hats were my inspiration.     These are some of the trims! And these are the leaves to use with them.

I received permission from the Facebook administrator of the National Button Society's Facebook page to copy some of their photos for us to enjoy here on Button Floozies (thank you, Mary Anne!)  As you may know, the National Button Society holds a meeting annually, and it took place several weeks ago (August) in Wisconsin. A more seasoned member helps judge a Junior member's tray in the Junior Competition The show always begins with a competition, where members of the Society submit "trays" (buttons mounted on mat paper, sometimes framed) and a prize goes to the best for each category. Dedicated volunteers judging the button trays on opening day During the show, which runs about a week, they have classes for members to attend.  You can learn much, and some specialized and detailed button information; and, if you have more questions about anything button-related, just ask one of the other attendees.  So many are experts, and NBS members are very generous...

Just wanted to share a package of pretty vintage buttons I picked up from the Country Living Fair in Columbus this past weekend. I have a few plans for some projects. They looks so nice together, I haven't even opened the package yet to look at all of them ! You can read more about my day right here :)

Viola's blog has been a favorite of mine for years now.  Today she has the most wonderful free gift on her blog: this button card she designed -- and she gave me permission to share it with you! To download the file from her blog, click here .  Thank you Viola!