Button, Button... Who's Got The Button?

I do!   I had two reasons to get motivated to create buttons this past weekend.    

First, I joined Cindy Wimmer's new Button Swap after seeing my good friend Laurel Steven's post about it on her blog, but I didn't see it until after the deadline to sign up had already passed.  Cindy is the artist behind Sweet Bead Studio, and since I make polymer clay buttons, I really wanted to be in on the swap.  

Cindy graciously allowed me to throw my buttons in the pot; and I am very pleased to be paired with Kym Hunter as my partner.   After cruising through her blog and Flickr photostream, it seems our tastes are similar.  Kym is a nature lover, and so am I.  She loves Southwestern colors and so do I.  She is a jewelry designer, and so am I!   Yay!  I am so excited!   As soon as Cindy emailed me with my partner's name Saturday morning, I got to it, creating 60+ buttons and clasp components.

The second reason I am motivated to create more buttons is a new venture my mother and I are collaborating on together.   I will be reopening my second shop at Etsy soon, and she will be selling hand-crocheted hats, small bags, cell phone holders and e-reader covers; and repurposed fabric items and ornaments from vintage linens I have collected over the years.  

Anyone who has read this blog regularly knows that my Momma is one of those rare women who can do anything she puts her mind to doing.  She is 80 years old now, but it wasn't so long ago that you might find her on the roof fixing it if it needed it.

Momma has made it her pet project for the past two years to make a hat for any lady who needs it at the Senior Citizens Center where she plays Canasta once a week. 

Momma asked me to create some unique polymer clay buttons to adorn her creations, and I am so glad she did.  The majority of the buttons I created this weekend will be attached to her crocheted items, but I will be offereing some in the shop, and as soon as another shipment of clay arrives, I'll be making more for us both.   I am already thinking of new ways to use smaller buttons, so it will be  Buttonmania at my house for awhile to come. 

The small size holder, for cell phones or credit cards and money, is about 3"x5."   The medium bag, which is perfect for cosmetics, is about 4"x 8."   The large bag, which accomodates a Nook or Kindle perfectly, is about 6" x 8."   She uses 100% cotton thread, and she likes the varigated, but can create virtually any color.  

We are working on stocking the shop, but hopefully within the next week or so, we will be ready to open with the first of the bags adorned with polymer buttons.  I love this little bee stamp!  I used it quite a few times over the weekend.  I call these buttons "Bees in Flight." 

Several of my customers collect my buttons to add to their collections; and some are knitters or crotcheters (is that a word?) who want a handmade button to finish off one of their own works of wearable art. 

Other customers prefer to use the pieces as clasps in jewelry designs.  I am tinkering with "one hole" designs for that specific purpose, too. 

Most of the buttons/clasps are perfect focals for bracelets, like the oval Dragonfly beads.  I did most of the pieces in variations of Skinner Blends using my unorthodox smushing of clay that usually yields a good blend.  

With sincere apologies to Miss Judith, I am not disciplined enough to do it the right way. 

Here is a sneak peak at two of the bags.  The cream varigated one is perfect for e-readers (and this one is mine, all mine!)  and the lavender and sage green one is perfect for cosmetic bags.  Aren't they precious?