Micro Greens

Before there were fairy gardens there were even smaller, more precious, button gardens.

Agnes, our button collector friend,  made this one.

This book from our button club library is available for check out.

We see bits of moss greening up on the shady side of the yard. They would be prefect for a project like this.

Perhaps today is the day to get out our tiny trowel and do a (very) little gardening while we wait for Spring to (truly) arrive.

S'Amore

The program for the February button club meeting was on Cherub, Cupid, and Putto buttons.

Yes, we learned, they are different creatures. Cherubs typically have wings and attend God. Cupids have wings and weapons and have to do with love. Putti can be either or neither, sometimes they are just cherubic little children, and are often found in Baroque art. 

Or something like that. If we ever really need to understand the fine distinctions we will make a chart and sort it out.

Back to our story. The presenter had several buttons for our inspection. 

This one found its way into our collection because of its reasonable price and intriguing image.

It shows two little cherubs, one breaking sticks to feed a campfire and the other warming his little hands by the flames. Is there more to this story?

A closer look led us to believe that the kindling being used is not just sticks from the nearby trees, but may actually be cupids' bows and arrows. 

What? Cupids giving up on love? Or have they just found out that there is a dot com that has borrowed their name and will likely put them out of business anyway? Or are they so cold without any earthly raiment that the bows had to be put to more practical use? So many possible scenarios!

Well, if they were hanging up the profession we would understand. We have felt the sting of matchmaking gone wrong and have vowed not to dabble in it ever again. Our career as cupid ends with one great success on our record (and several small failures hardly worth mentioning). 

What we do know about the button is that it is pressed brass, made by studio button artist Kevin Kinne of Tennessee, and it is signed and dated '94. Even though it has an antique look to it we are talking 1994, not 1794 or 1894 and the artist's mark is made with a Sharpie.

Just as we always say...every button tells a story. 

Even though we don't often know exactly what that story really is, it is always fun to speculate.

Two Favs in One

Dishes and buttons. 

A very fun find.

And a small victory.

We left the store with a single plate rather than an entire service for eight.

Therapy is obviously paying off.

One Button at a Time

Our clever friend Jerisew(s) taught us to make leather wrap bracelets. 

You may have seen a similar jewelry design around.   Robert Redford's Sundance catalog features some by artist Chan Luu. They are lovely. 

But one thing ours have over hers which use a trademark, tasteful, little silver button as a clasp on each and every one 

is a unique, antique button on each and every one. 

We are happy to add this to our list of the many ways to beautify the world, one button at a time.

Squirrel Season

This little glass button needed a scene.

Seasons, published originally in France and titled Saisons provided one.

Blexbolex is the illustrator.

The book is full of his strong, graphic depictions of signs of the four seasons.

Voila!

Button Backstories

More buttons. More books. 

At the National Button Society Convention booth of the famous NYC button shop Tender Buttons 

we found sweet little buttons painted by Edith and Alan Brooks of England.

In the 1940s and '50s the Brooks hand painted designs on 1/2" to 3/4" plastic and glass button blanks. The designs were protected by a clear lacquer coating. The subjects of the tiny paintings included many types of colorful flowers, birds, butterflies, dragonflies, and other whimsically portrayed creatures and plant life. 

Reader's Digest covers of the '50s and '60s with their very Vera-like cover art provide the background for these two examples of the Brooks' floral motif buttons.

In 1948 and 1950 sets of buttons created by the Brooks were presented to Queen Elizabeth II upon the births of Princess Anne and Prince Charles. 

The set for the Princess depicted a different flower on each button, painted in tones of blue, on white. 

One of them featured a morning glory much like this one. Similar sets were sold to the public.

It was a very interesting design era. Do you love this or hate it or love/hate it?

We're not sure, but leaning toward love. 

No indecision on the Brooks' buttons however. They are solidly on the love list.

The Condensed Version

Buttons love books and books love buttons.

That's it really. It's a short story.

This charming, china, morning glory button recently acquired at the National Button Society convention rests on a backdrop of a Reader's Digest Condensed Book cover. They were made for each other.

These covers are from the '70s and '80s.

Because these books are easily found at very cheap prices in thrift stores and at rummage sales they have become an affordable art supply for the creative set.

Just Something I Made has several ideas for crafting with books.

As does The Smith Nest.

Ashbee Design shares some book art inspiration then shows us how to fold some art  

and then fold some more.

Other uses we have seen include, but are not limited to: covers reused as journal covers 

and mini clipboards, hollowed out books as secret treasure boxes, stacks of books as lamp bases, 

folded page photo holders, sewing kit boxes, colorful bookshelf filler, backdrop for photographing buttons, and heck- even as reading material.

The sky's the limit.

Family Pearls

A good find by a fellow button collector.

Freewheeling

Found while searching the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs online catalog for "buttons".

"Sew on your own buttons, I'm going for a ride."

You go girl!

Great F. Scott!

Along with this set of vintage coat buttons came a revelation -
Horn buttons don't have to be horn colored.  They are dyeable!

While from the correct era, and in a lovely shade of blue, 

these seem a bit plain for Jay, Zelda, and friends.

When The Great Gatsby comes out on May 10 

let's keep our eyes open for roaring '20s buttons and other fancy fashion details. 

Based on the spectacular number of sequins and jewels in the trailer alone, 

an Oscar nomination for the costume designers seems to be in the (little beaded) bag.

Here's a Fun Fact: buttons made of antler are not considered horn. They are classified as bone buttons. Although buttons made of deer hooves would be in the bone category.

By the Light of the Moon

Moonglow buttons have a layer of clear glass over an opaque glass base.

They come in many shapes and colors, and in several sizes. All of these are small 3/8 to 3/4".

Most of them came from West Germany in the 1950s and 60s.

This little beauty has an iridescent finish referred to as aurora borealis.

Lustrous

Iridescent luster black glass. One of our very favorite button types.

You can check here to make sure we have made the correct identification. 

The Party's Over

The sticky glass rings are wiped up, the aspirin bottle is a little lighter, and the recycle bins are overflowing with evidence of a very good time. 

But wait! Before you do the schlep of shame out to the curb take back some of that fodder-for-tongue-wagging and re-purpose it for more straight-laced pursuits.

 

Pin your hair back up. 

Find the free printable graphics from Just Something I Made that you cleverly bookmarked 

or filed away for just such an occasion.

Print, cut, and paste. 

Fill with your favorite buttons.

Admire while re-hydrating or caffeinating, or whatever it takes to return to the land of the living.

And remember: Button collecting, while habit forming and potentially damaging to your pocketbook, 

seldom leads to a hangover.

Fox and Crow

The Fox and the Crow (Aesop)

A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree. 

“That’s for me, as I am a Fox,” said Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the tree.

 “Good-day, Mistress Crow,” he cried. “How well you are looking to-day: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds.” 

The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox. “That will do,” said he.

 “That was all I wanted. In exchange for your cheese I will give you a piece of advice for the future.

“Do not trust flatterers.”

In remembrance of  a recently departed, dear button club member whose name is a variant of Crow. 

The fox and crow picture button of brass and riveted cut steel, which is just 1/2 inch across,
is from her collection.

She was a very clever woman who never would have fallen for M. Reynaud's transparent trickery.

These Are Not Buttons

But they are typical of the alien items found in most button boxes.

See anything here you need? Let us know.

Washing MOP

If you need to clean your mother of  pearl buttons...don't use soap, it will make them cloudy.

If you decide to try to photograph buttons underwater because they look so lovely down there...

it would be good to have a better camera and/or photography skills than we do.

If you need a Plan B, try the wet look.

Pinettes

Finally! People are seeing the light. 

Button appreciation is catching on and collecting them is not just the eccentric hobby 

of the odd lady next door anymore.

Recently we were asked to speak to a group of women about button collecting. They were an engaged bunch and had many questions about the cards of buttons being passed around 

as we gave brief descriptions (and tried to avoid fanatical evangelizing about the virtues) 

of the many varieties in our collection.

These bright and cheery "housedress buttons" usually made in Germany or Western Germany from the 1940s to 60s, while not so old or rare, are among our favorites .

The women in the group, being of an age that they might actually have worn some of this kind of  buttons, could possibly answer a question that had occurred to us. In an era of wringer washing machines how did one launder clothes adorned with these fragile beauties without breaking some every time?  The ladies confirmed our hunch that those garments were either hand wrung after gentle washing or the buttons were removed before washing and then sewn on again. What a lot of work!

Shortly after that very successful talk, while sorting through a box of assorted vintage sewing items picked up at an estate sale, we discovered Pinettes. The ladies hadn't mentioned this clever button saving-device, but probably would have remembered with a little jog to their collective memories. 

We'll add this little prop to our next button gig (oh yes, at least three Lutheran women's circles and homemaker clubs have inquired about dates) and see if that leads to other button stories that add to our knowledge of the wonderful world of buttons past and present.