Button Glutton.

After putting away all the lovely buttons featured in my last post and a general tidy-up of my workspace, I had decided on a self-imposed moratorium on further button purchases. I have to fess up that it didn't last long. I had super fantastic intentions but then ... well, I am sure those of you who are fellow button hunters have found that there are fewer buttons in the thrift stores and that they have become a bit pricier than they used to be- so what was I to do when confronted by this ...

Great big, stuffed -to- the- max bags of buttons for two bucks? Unheard of these days and enough to make my greedy little button collecting heart skip a beat! Admittedly these are mostly not vintage buttons and there are rather a lot of white ones but still - two freakin' dollars? I had to bring some home didn't I? You understand the urge right?  I mean just look at them ...

Okay so I fell off the wagon but these were exceptional circumstances and I felt sure I could control myself in the future. Of course I hadn't counted on walking into The Most Organised Oppie In The World. Situated in the southern Flinders Ranges, this thrift store had been sorted and labeled with awe inspiring precision, making perusal of all the goodies very straightforward. Check out their button arrangement ...

Sorted into colour ranges on revolving stands - at eye-level! Oh my!  Those op-shop ladies might appear to be innocent volunteers but they know a thing or two about temptation! Though they look like little old ladies, they are in fact Sirens, singing their 'come hither and buy buttons' songs to lure weak and buttonlustful people just like me. Strumpets!

Resistance was of course useless - no handy ship masts to strap myself to - and I left the shop clutching a handful of those cards close to my chest - lightheaded and dizzy with delight. When I returned home I had to face an endless refrain of "what happened to the moratorium?" from the family , accompanied by knowing looks and shaking heads. Although I hung my own head in shame and slunk off to my studio I didn't really suffer any buyers remorse. Instead,  I gleefully got all those buttons out and immersed myself in the euphoria that is button gluttony! My name is Sue and I am a Button Glutton. Confession over.

A brief history of the button ...

According to Jill Gorski ( Warman's Buttons Field Guide.), the humble button has occupied a special place in history and was originally made in sets that were attached and removed from a garment each time it was worn. Such buttons were crafted by artisans who belonged to a Guild of Buttonmakers - these craft guilds were established in the mid 13th Century - and buttons really were tiny works of art. They were marked and records of each craftsmans work were kept. These artisans were commissioned by the aristocracy to create magnificent buttons to adorn their clothes and show off their wealth. Of course the poor old commoner had to make do with far less glam buttons made of wood, cloth and bone. This was in part because of the cost factor but also because a royal decree dictated what the 'lower classes' could or could not wear. Leap forward to the 17th and 18th Centuries and buttons were being made form all sorts of materials and England and France were the leaders of the button making industry. Artisans of all kinds began to make buttons in their chosen mediums so you would find a potter who made ceramic buttons or a weaver who made woven buttons. This was apparently quite a lucrative sideline! The Industrial Revolution saw buttons being created in larger quantities and at far less cost than ever before and in a sense led to the demise of the artisan crafted button. Now there is a plethora of buttons on the market but I reckon the best ones are the vintage ones you find in op shops. I love the way they are presented ...

Sometimes they come on cards ...

or in little bags ...

or in jars ...

 and if you are lucky, big bundles ...

There are big buttons ..

and shiny buttons ...

buttons of glass ...

and craftily covered buttons ...

or lovely piles of colourful buttons ...

Best of all, there are RED buttons ...

and most bestest of all, there are red BIRDIE buttons!

Squeal! I love buttons!

The Cardi lives on!

A while back, I purchased three cardigans from the 50 cent rack at a local oppie. None of them were appropriate sizes/colours or styles that would suit any of my mob but they did have rather delicious buttons. Once home, I did indeed pluck off said buttons but I was feeling a tad guilty about returning them to the oppie sans closures - it was a dilemma indeed! "So", I hear you ask, "how did you solve that dilemma and keep the guilt demon at bay Sue?" . Well, in a moment of remarkable clarity and channeling my inner Ikea-ness, I decided to whip up some Wintery cushion covers. Of course I hadn't reckoned with the truculent attitude of the knitwear and their apparent reluctance to be cut up. Slippery, stretchy and generally uncooperative, it was a bit more effort than a simple "whip up". However, I did persist and here are the rewards of my efforts.

I need to add some decorative stitching to a couple of them but overall I am sure you get the idea!

The light green is rather more green than the photo shows, and the olive is - well - more olivey. They are super snuggly and cosy. As for the buttons - I used them up too ...

I manage to squeeze out a necklace and a bracelet from 2 sets and made a brooch from the lovely big red one - that is for me!

 

I made pewter discs and stamped them to create a kinda pod-like effect.

I also used up one of my lovely metal buttons as a closure on the bracelet. All in all, I think it was  $1.50 and a couple of hours well spent - don't you?

Flea Market Finds

Time to join in the fun over at Sophie's. I had a lovely forage around a local antique store on Saturday morning - it was a reward I gave myself for writing an Art History essay! Looksee what I got - all tucked up in neat little bags that the store owner folds out of odd bits of paper - not a drop of glue is used!

Loads of deliciousness inside ...

These little beauties are old boot buttons - I think they will make adorable clasps for vintage jewellery.

I can see this button becoming a model for a mold that I can cast pewter into.

A few more "ancestors" - they look like a lively bunch!

Who could resist this sweet face?

The quality of the picture is not great but the spirit of friendship is clear in this image so I just had to bring it on home. These gals look like they know how to have a good time.

And what would a visit to the antique store be without finding some little keys? Disappointing is what it would be! I am delighted that I found these ones 'cos they are just the right size to include in all sorts of jewellery.

I feel my essay writing efforts were well rewarded and I headed home with a renewed sense of purpose. Ok, so that lasted as long as it took to make a cuppa and settle in front of a dvd but hey, I am still feeling righteous!

Latest foray to the op shop.

On a recent op shop trawl I found a few little treasures. I was actually dropping stuff off but it is impossible to go into an oppie and not have a "quick look"!

What could be better - a jar of buttons, a willow pattern saucer, a brass buckle, rhinestone ear bobs, vintage black beads and some old pearls! Oh and the little bakelite dolly with articulated limbs!

She has rally blue eyes and is a bit sad looking but I thought she was pretty cute! The pearls washed up ok although plenty of them lost their coating and are now lovely milky white glass beads in my collection! Ah the joys of treasure hunting!