Button Swap Reveal!

Not long ago I signed up for Cindy Wimmer's Button Swap.  My sweet husband would like to personally thank Cindy for getting me hooked on vintage buttons, and dragging requesting his presence as  I went on my search through many antique stores looking for treasures!  I did happen upon a LARGE bag of buttons, and then as if guided by The Good Lord Himself, found a bag of antique mother of pearl buttons in his grandmother's sewing box...little sneaky compartment!!

We're off to Natural Bridge today to celebrate my birthday/Mother's Day, so I won't get a chance to hop til later this evening...

My partner is Teresa Gagne of Going to Pot! Teresa had a visit from good ol' Mr. Murphy and his laws...and received more than a headache when someone ran their car through her yard...causing ALOT of damage.  Hence, Teresa's buttons got delayed, but I received them this afternoon!!

So, unfortunately I haven't had a chance to create anything with these beauties yet!  I adore the colors though, and ideas are already coursing through my wee little brain!  There will definitely be a funky fabric cuff made with at least one of these!!

And being the scatterbrain that I am, I didn't photograph the buttons I sent Teresa...so typically me!  I made some resin buttons from antique photographs, some of the vintage mother of pearl buttons from Granny's hidden treasures, and a few buttons left over from a stash that Tari Sasser sent me during Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party! 

Please visit the participants....and I will post my reveal some time in the upcoming week!

Alice Peterson  and Kim Bender

Angie Blasingame and Billi R.S. Rothove

 Billi R.S. Rothove and Angie Blasingame

 Birgitta Lejonklou and Pam Farren

 Bonnie Coursolle and Tania Hagen

 Brenda Salzano and Hope Smitherman

 Cat Kerr and Heather Powers

 Cece Cornier and Jeannie Dukic

 Celeste Thurston and Christine Damm

 Christine Damm and Celeste Thurston

 Christine Stonefield and Dana James

 Cilla Watkins and Lori Bowring Michaud

 Cindy Wimmer and Mimi Gardner

 Cynthia Machata and Julia Johnson

 Cynthia Riggs and Lori Finney

 Dana James and Christine Stonefield

Diana Ptaszynski and Erin Prais-Hintz

 Emma Thomas and Rebecca Anderson

 Erin Prais-Hintz and Diana Ptaszynski

 Erin Siegel and Sharon Borsavage

 Heather Powers and Cat Kerr

 Holly Westfall and Sally Russick

 Hope Smitherman and Brenda Salzano

 Jayne Capps and Kim Dworak

 Jeannie Dukic and Cece Cornier

 Jenna Meyers and Kristi Harrison

 Jenna Tomalka and Karen McKillip

 Jenny Davies Reazor and Sandi Volpe

 Julia Johnson and Cynthia Machata

 Kalaya Steede and Kylie Dickman

 Karen McKillip and Jenna Tomalka

 Karen Mitchell and Renetha Stanziano

 Karla Morgen and Mary Govaars

Kay Thomerson and Shannon Chomanczuk

 Kim Ballor and Laurel Steven

 Kim Bender and Alice Peterson

 Kim Dworak and Jayne Capps

 Kim Roberts and Partner unable to participate at this time.

 Kristi Harrison and Jenna Meyers

 Kylie Dickman and Kalaya Steede

 Kym Hunter and Lynda Moseley

 Laurel Steven and Kim Ballor

 Linda Djokic and Patty Gasparino

 Line Labrecque and Teri Baskett

 Liz DeLuca and Lorelei Eurto

 Lorelei Eurto and Liz DeLuca

 Lori Anderson and Niky Sayers

 Lori Bowring Michaud and Cilla Watkins

 Lori Finney and Cynthia Riggs

 Lynda Moseley and Kym Hunter

 Marianna Boylan and Tracy Statler

 Mary Govaars and Karla Morgen

 Mary Harding and Stacie Florer 

 Maureen Baranov and Tracy Bell

 Melissa Martin and Theresa Fosdick

 Michelle Hardy and Peggy Johnson

 Mimi Gardner and Cindy Wimmer

 Nicole Valentine Rimmer and Niki Meiners

 Niki Meiners and Nicole Valentine Rimmer

 Niky Sayers and Lori Anderson

 Pam Farren and Birgitta Lejonklou

* Pam Ferarri and Stefanie Teufel (will share their reveal on a later date)

 Patty Gasparino and Linda Djokic

 Peggy Johnson and Michelle Hardy

 Rebecca Anderson and Emma Thomas

 Rebekah Payne and Sue Kennedy

 Renetha Stanziano and Karen Mitchell

 Rose Binoya and Shanti Johnson

 Sally Russick and Holly Westfall

 Sandi Volpe and Jenny Davies Reazor

 Shannon Chomanczuk and Kay Thomerson

 Shanti Johnson and Rose Binoya

 Sharon Borsavage and Erin Siegel

 Shirley Moore and Veralynne Malone

 Stacie Florer and Mary Harding

* Stefanie Teufel and Pam Ferarri (will share their reveal on a later date)

 Sue Hamel and Terry Carter

 Sue Kennedy and Rebekah Payne

 Tania Hagen and Bonnie Coursolle

 Tania Spivey and Teresa Gagne

 Teresa Gagne and Tania Spivey

 Teri Baskett and Line Labrecque

 Terry Carter and Sue Hamel

 Theresa Fosdick and Melissa Martin

 Tracy Bell and Maureen Baranov

 Tracy Statler and Marianna Boylan

 Veralynne Malone and Shirley Moore

Hidden Treasures

I've always been mesmerized with assemblage jewelry.  Using vintage/found treasures peaks my interest.  Who owned it, what did they use it for, etc?

Although I've never really created anything I'd consider as assemblage, I have a few odds and ends laying around:  vintage costume jewelry from my mom,  a few skeleton keys, frozen Charlottes, old foreign coins, beads, buckles, buttons (since I ordered a few for Cindy Wimmer's Button Swap, and A LOT of old tiaras from my girls' pageant days...maybe enough to make a few pieces?  I just might give it a whirl.

From the examples below, what's not to love?

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lilyofthevally

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JealousCat

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheFrenchCircus

http://www.etsy.com/shop/shipwreckdandy

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HappyMoonDesigns

http://www.etsy.com/shop/fancifuldevices

And no assemblage post would be complete without a few from the queen of assembled jewelry...Deryn Mentock!  Her work mystifies me...no matter how many times I drool over it!

Spindrift

Love Life

Anima

So, while I stink at assembly line production work, maybe I'll take to assemblage a with a little more tenacity!

Sweet Bead Studio - Button Swap

I signed up for Cindy Wimmer's Button Swap Blog Hop just a few days ago.  Talk about putting the cart before the horse!  I don't collect buttons, nor do I have any except the generic "sewing" type button...and those just don't grab my attention...but I signed up anyway, because I needed an excuse to head to our local antique consignment shop!

After thinking about it for a while, I decided I could make my own buttons to swap.  Not my typical florals either.  I had an idea a while back, but never got around to it...until today!  I wish I could show them to you, but you'll have to wait just a little longer ((sorry)))!!!  I can't wait to be notified who I've been paired up with, and exchange our buttons!  Did I mention I've never made jewelry with buttons before either...maybe I'll find another creative spark and dream up another useful way to use my buttons?

May 13th is the reveal day...Mother's Day...but it's also my birthday!  I'll be 22 AGAIN! :)

If you'd like to join us, head on over to Cindy's blog and sign up...there's just a few days left to sign up to join in the fun!!

Here's just a little more info:

Button Swap * Blog Hop

• Sign ups are open from March 20 to March 25th. Anyone with a blog is welcome to join!  The Button Swap is open to international participants.  If you prefer not to ship internationally, please indicate this when signing up.  Simply leave a comment on thispost to sign up.  Please be sure to provide your email in the sign-up form.

• I will match up partners by March 30th.  Once you receive your partner, please feel free to contact them.  You can share preferences about buttons types if you wish.

• Select four buttons for your blog partner and mail them by April 20th. What kind of buttons should you send?  Please choose four quality buttons – they do not need to be expensive.  It would be great if at least one was a “special” button in some way – maybe handmade, vintage, or one with a special meaning.  The buttons do not need to be a set.  I’ve posted a few examples in this post.  Once you receive your buttons, blogging about them is optional.

• Create something with your buttons – you can use all of the buttons or just one.  Your finished piece should include at least one button from the swap.   You can think outside the box and make anything – it does not have to be jewelry!  I made an altered clipboard in the last button swap – you can see the reveal post here.

• The Blog Hop will start on Sunday, May 13th, 2012.  *(This happens to be Mother’s Day…but it was just so hard to find the “perfect” date).   Please share your button swap creation, and the Swap participant link list on this date.   This date may seem far off, but there are many hops coming up and I also have a few personal deadlines between now and then.  This should give everyone plenty of time to participate.

  Any questions?  Please send me an email!