New Button Book

  Just finished Shell Games and want to give a heads up to all button lovers. If you especially love Shell buttons and enjoy learning about the making of them, you will enjoy this book. I am doing a review for the National Button Society's July bulletin so will not say more about it for now.

          (Please ignore the "Click to Look inside". I used the image from Amazon.)

New Blogger Shout Out to Dianne

My dear kindred Spirit friend, Dianne, has recently created her first blog, Heirloom Aprons and Buttons.
She has amassed a beautiful and unique collection of both and will be presenting them with a view toward both their historical value as well as their beauty.

Dianne is a remarkable researcher and strives to always learn the utmost of whatever topic she chooses.  Please visit and bookmark and continue to watch for her posts !

In Diannes' honor,  I am showing  a vintage Christmas apron given to me by my Grandma Blunt. It has a matching dishtowel.  I just adore the winter scene and each year when I pull it out at this season it takes me back to Christmas times with her and Granddaddy.

HandSewing, Button Swap and Gluebook Pages Swap

Starting with a piece of cream wool from my stash, I hand sewed a bunch of bits and pieces of needlework in whites and creams, adding black stitching and black seam binding. Of course, I had to add some pearl buttons at the top and some very old black glass ones in a row. After all, what is a project without buttons? Unless it is a gluebook? :)  I sewed the piece onto a piece of heavy felt, adding a pocket at the top for a dowel, which I finished off with more seam binding in bows and for a hanger.

Above is my Button project made for Tami's Creative Button Swap. My swap partner was Laurie at Indulge My Shelf. I used an old book cover as the bas, added the reproduction note card behind an old photo card then used lots and lots of very old china buttons, dating from the 1880's or so. Finished it off with some great needlework edging.



I am SO EXCITED waiting on my Vintage GlueBook Swap from Mary to arrive hopefully this week! Here are my 7 pages for the swap.   (I realized after I uploaded them that they are not cropped)

OH, MY STARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

STARS on buttons are a fave of mine and here are some of my sweetest ones,although there are a few that would not be thought of as stars in the strictest sense.  I tend to be a purist, so,  for me,  that means 5 Point Stars, but in the World of Buttons, there are Stars with points numbering into the 20s.

Here you can find Glass, Steel, Brass, Tin,  plastic, Bakelite, Celluloid, Fabric, Composition, Pearl, Glass Set into Metal, Enamel and Wood.

Hope you shine like a STAR today!

BUTTONY Cigar Box Makeover !

I had fun this week taking this from just a cigar box to SWEET BUTTON BOX with the help of an image I snagged long ago at Just Something I Made

 

Cathe Holden is so generous in making great images and other stuff available for the taking. THANKS CATHE! I enlarged her Buttons Image, then messed around with it in Paint with the spray can thingie to make it look sorta beat up and smudged with time.

 

The little blue strips come with the Button logo and I used them to cover other printing on the box.
Inside I used a smaller image but did not re-do it.

 

 

 

The box currently holds a black glass charmstring that I recently started. It has over 300 buttons, mostly 80-100 years old.

Creative Mounting

Here is a favorite card of mine in the area of Creative Mounting. Criteria for the award was to use at least 1 button or more, mount on a 9 X 12 card and use your creativity. Ribbons are usually awarded by popular vote and not by judging. I received a Blue Ribbon for this one. Enjoy~~~~

August Collage Challange at GreenPaper and BUTTONS!

Fun with Mary Green today with her 3 image Collage August for this first week of AUGUST! I cropped the French page and copied it on card stock. I then cropped the pretty lady and gave her a soft border in a shade of brown. Ran the French page back through to print off the lady. Cropped the blank label, inserted the words and ran it off on another page. Cut and pasted and voila!, a Frenchy piece called "Expectantly Waiting".

Actually I am not waiting, but sitting home missing the National Button Society Show in Grand Rapids this week! I had planned on going, but LIFE got in the way. If you are reading this, love buttons and can make it there, GO, if at all possible. Details are here: National Button Society

Gotta See This!

Oh, how I would dearly LOVE to go here and see this!
Such a fascinating family of creative people........ And, so many buttons to love!

SHAMELESS Marketing of BUTTONSSSSSS!!!!!

Who in the world does NOT like Buttons? Lots of people have fond memories of buttons as a child from their grandmothers or mothers. They not only provide a useful purpose, but many are so incredibly gorgeous or ingenious in their design and materials used.

I have studied and collected buttons for about 15 years and they are by far my largest collection of all the things I love.

I hope you will peruse my Picasa Folder of buttons I have for sale. Look at the wonder of them, even if you are not into buying. Doesn't cost to look!

http://picasaweb.google.com/grammylkk/WildWedsJune9#

Write me at lkk@kc.rr.com if something wants to come live at your house!

Fresh Breath of Green for Spring

Revamped the hutch with St. Patricks' Day post cards and lots of green bits of
china, buttons and books. It is so fun to have this area to change out for whatever holiday or season rolls 'round.

Backmarked Buttons

One of my obsessions in button collecting has been the search for ones with the backmark of "Gesetelich" or "Geschutzt", which means patented or trademarked in German. This first pic has metal buttons, some that also contain glass, fabric or plastic. The pink one is all glass.

If you like drop dead gorgeous, this tray is for you! These all have the Gesch backmark and are all large in size with many colors and shapes of glass. The purple ones are my favorites.~~~~~~~~ENJOY!

Charmstring Buttons

I have a new article online today for Bead and Button magazine, called A Charming Tale.

I have always loved buttons and have been a member of the National Button Society for 13 years. Check out their website here The society holds conventions each year where hundreds of obsessed people come to display their own buttons and to also buy and sell. This is where you will see buttons like no where else. The convention this August is in Manchester New Hampshire.

~~~Honoring Mr. Lincoln~~~~~~~~~

Each year at this time, I create a display of Lincoln memorabilia-----books, post cards, buttons and much more. The mantel cannot hold all of it as I have been blessed to have been given many items from friends. I have always been an avid reader about him and his family.


(Click on any picture to make it larger for viewing)


A few years ago I stitched the head of Lincoln in black and white.
















Buttons are at the heart of my collection. One of my faves is the largest one near the top. It has a silver back mark and was made in 1951, my birth year.To the left of it is a real Lincoln penny set in metal. The bottom two blue ones are what button collectors call "jasperware", a type of ceramic.

Stringing Wooley, Buttoney Garlands

While keeping warm and watching old movies and basketball this past weekend, I strung several garlands for Christmas gifts, made from scraps of wool and old buttons.

Here's' my method. Cut out a multitude of wool or felted wool scraps into squares. Just guesstimate the size as you do not want them to all be perfectly the same. I made one about 2 inches and another about 1 inch. Using carpet thread and a large needle, begin the garland with an old button. Make a loop at the end too for hanging. String about 25-30 squares, then add 7-10 old sew thru buttons. Continue until desired. I made mine about a yard long. Finish with another button and loop.

If you do not have carpet thread, string or a double length of strong thread would work too. Also, regular felt or fleece would work instead of the wool. Although fabrics that do not ravel are best, I think chenille with pearl and white buttons would be good too. I have some scraps of pink and white from a bedspread and Grammy may just have to do one of those too!

These are fun to make and a sweet little heart-warming gift.

Bridge Tallies with Buttons for SALE

Please look here for Picasa pics of these adorable Bridge Tallies.

Some have sold, but there are still 8 of them left. They are priced at $2.50 each or 3 for $7.00. Write me for more info.

Big Trip to Land 'a Goshen (Indiana that is!)

I am busily scurrying around to make ready for a big trip. I have not been anywhere for 3 years! Well, I mean, any big trips like this. Plus, my friend Dianne and I have SO MANY plans that I am already exhausted. We are decorating a room for her grandchildren (7 and still counting!), having a tea party for a bunch of her friends, watching Anne of Green Gables together (she has NEVER seen it!), making gluebooks, and going to the fall show of the Michigan Button Society. If you live anywhere Near Big Rapids, Michigan and you LOVE buttons, you HAVE to try to come to this either Saturday or Sunday. You will see buttons like you have NEVER seen before and meet the nicest people anywhere! And, I get to see my dearest friend Sue and stay overnight at the show (can anyone say Baileys' Irish Creme?)plus a lot of other great button friends too!
So, have to get busy...........Less than two days now! (Can't you tell? I REALLY need to get away!!!)

Sewin' and Plannin' and Dreamin' and Restin"

I am busy getting ready for a long awaited trip to see friends. Been a long time since I have been anywhere. Today I made this apron to take to someone special. It is from a free pattern HERE

It did not call for buttons, but a day without buttons is like..............well, YOU KNOW..............so, anyway, I just had to add some.









I know it is miles of days before Valentines, but this little image is my favorite button post card. I have been making so many of these little collages lately. In case you are wondering............no, I do not use the actual card, but I scan and print on cardstock.



In between the doing and thinking and creating, I have to take little naps. Guess Grammy is feeling her age a bit.

New Etsy Listings

I need buyers! I have listed new items on Etsy this week AND, I am offering FREE SHIPPING ON 2nd ITEM OR FREE TOTAL SHIPPING if buying 3 ITEMS!!! Please look at listings on the right sidebar.

A Box Of Eye Candy

Here is a yummy treat for all of you who cannot keep your hands out of the candy box!
Yeah, that includes me! But, this one will not add calories or pounds. I created this for a button show award in 2003. It is a Creative Mounting award. Only rule is to use at least one button or more and mount on a 9 X 12 card. Then, let your imagination soar. ENJOY!
http://www.iwantbuttons.com/trays/creat/image12.htm

Buttons on Great Graphic Cards

Aren't these buttons just even more wonderful mounted on these super cards with graphics by Cathe at

Just Something I Made?
Cathe offers so many generous goodies to share with all of blogland!

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ENJOY THIS DAY!