Baby It's Cold Outside 2019

Baby it's cold outside in the State of Minnesota and the best time to be indoors to challenge yourself with new crafting ideas. I took that very challenge and created personalized vintage button creations for my family and friends for Christmas.
I really wanted to get back into painting on canvas and was very pleased with the outcome of the combination of canvas and buttons.

Ardyn's Owl

Ardyn is the daughter of a friend. She was born with Bosch Boonstra Schaaf Syndrome a long name for NR2F1 gene mutation. Ardyn loves the sounds of animals and the owl is one of her favorites. This was my first animal creation, it was very challenging and took many hours to create. I thought the scrabble tiles really added the personal touch.

Baby Alice

Alice, was born premature and spent 1 month in the NIC Unit. Alice pulled through and is a true gift from God. In honor of Alice's first Valentines Day, I created this piece for her to enjoy for many years to come.

Creating the "Winter Chicken" was the largest canvas of my button career to date. Gail Steindorf loved her gift as she is the creator and artist  of "Fricken Chickens".

Gail Steindorf

Winter Chicken in Minnesota

My recent creation for my sister's cat Annie that passed away, moved me the most. Annie had been with Pam for 17 years and had to be put to sleep. Feeling my twin sisters pain, I wanted to create a lasting memory of Annie for Pam. I tested my painting skills on canvas and used a side profile of Annie and made sure that all of her colors matched. I am pleased with the outcome of my new personalized button adventure. 

RIP Annie

Minnesota Button Nice

Vicki Slagle

Meet Vicki Slagle, she saw my button creations in Afton, MN at the school house for Strawberry Festival in June. Vicki emailed me and said; " I have my great grandma's buttons and she died in 1963, I want you to have them".  What a wonderful lady and so thoughtful of her to take time out of her day to come back to meet with me. Vicki is a shining example of "Minnesota Nice".She loved a bracelet I made from bone buttons from the 1920's and it looked awesome on her wrist. She wants to meet Kate Sullivan at the Old School Art Studio in Afton and come back for art classes with a friend. What an awesome day.
Her great grandmother's tins were full of beautiful old buttons. After washing them all in Dawn dish soap and gently drying, they were absolutely beautiful.
These are a couple of button projects i created with some of the buttons.
Thank you Vicki, I am forever grateful.

Button Bucket

A gift for my sisters grandson

Button, button

What Can I Do With My Shank Buttons

What is a Shank button? Shank buttons have a hollow loop on the back and are used to provide extra space to sit between the button and garment.
Awhile back I was at Michael's Art & Craft Store. I came across metal lace letters that were 50% off clearance. The ideas starting running through my head  as I ran my fingers over the letter and then I blurted out SHANK buttons. I have so many shank buttons that I did not know what I was going to do with.
Each lace letter creation takes approximately 100 shank buttons. I used the E600 crafting glue to ensure they will never fall off.
I truly enjoyed making these personalized letters as a gift for my family members.
Now that  you have seen my creative DYI gift idea, give it a try yourself.

Shank Button

Metal  Lace Letters by Ashland

Do You Have An Old Picture Frame Laying Around The House

Look close, they are all manufacture clothing brands

Most people are downsizing in their homes today and I find that if I keep my framed creations 5x7 or smaller they sell very well at our shows.

Older Gold metal buttons

Vintage Glass

Here is a fun idea you can do to price up an old and tired picture frame. I found these picture frames at garage sales and the second hand stores and added some very old buttons that needed some loving.

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Who has the prettiest buttons of all

Before

After

Notice the sratches

Hopefully some on my picture frame creations will inspire you to create a cool frame with buttons for your home or a gift to give. Enjoy!

Two layers to brighten up this little frame and cover up the scratches

You Had Me At Garage Sale

Hello to all of my "Button Peeps." I hope your summer has been a very creative one. I wanted to share with you my most recent button finds. It is rare for me to find vintage buttons at garage sales. Most ladies keep there button tin hidden in a vault, behind a secret wall, with security camera's. I must say, the"Button God's" were in my corner on two sales I stopped at on a whim.

After removing the cloth and string attached to the buttons. I use Dawn dish soap and warm water and hand wash in a colander and dry with paper towels. Although the old musty smells are gone, the end result is beautiful. Sometimes I can hear a faint button voice say;" Thank you for making me pretty again."

My button ideas continue to flow. I have accumulated so many smaller buttons I needed

to come up with a new way to display and sell them. I have been finding little jars and salt and pepper shakers at garage sales. Also, I found little cute mason jar replicas at Michael's Craft Store.
Next thought, add lace and rip rap to complete the vintage look. My color options are endless and by laying three colors to each jar. I can also use up tons of white buttons.
So now that you have seen what I have been up to, try creating a few jars for yourself or for gifts.

MOP sea shells

Cobweb Antique Store in Ely Minnesota

Have you ever visited Ely Minnesota? If not, and you love being up in  northern Minnesota, add it to your bucket list. My Aunt Bernice and Uncle Jerry Bibeau lived in Ely . Uncle Jerry was the Mayor of Ely for several terms and owned the Ely Barber Shop before he died. Last Fall my husband and I went to Ely for fall colors and to visit my cousin Rich and his wife Anne.She told me about a cute antique shop in town called Cobweb Antiques. Joann Biebl was the original owner of the Cobweb for 41 years. When Joann passed away in 2012, her daughter Glenda Harbough continued to keep the store open in the summer and Fall only. I spent a great deal of time getting to know Glenda. She told me the entire history of the Cobweb and even took me out back to show me more.

 Cobweb Antiques

Button Heaven

 When I first walked in to the Cobweb is was a definite feeling of going back in time. The place was packed from ceiling to floor and my mission were buttons.
I asked Glenda if she had any buttons for sale. She said just a minute as she opened an old closet door and came back with two tins of buttons.
OMG, my eyes got as big as saucers. They used to be her mom's buttons, she collected then over the years. But Glenda really had no use for them. They were the most beautiful, old buttons I had ever seen.

Welcome to Ely Minnesota

 Not only did I purchase them for a reasonable price, but I met a wonder women who shared her families story with me.

Places I would recommend to eat for breakfast is Britton's Cafe and for supper, The Ely Steakhouse.

Best Breakfast Ever

Cousin Richard and me

Time Flies When Your Button Fun

Ely, MN from Cousin Anne

Plain City, OH

You never know what you will find

Yarmouth,, MA

Yikes, my last post was from August last year. Naughty me, once again my love for crafting  and getting ready for shows superseded my blogging. I will have to get back up to speed by showing you what has kept me busy. My gosh, I could write a book on my projects, but will give you the short version by posting pictures. People have asked me, "How many buttons do you have?" I make sure my husband is not in earshot when I reply, as I have thousands. I have been fortunate to have family and friends keep their eyes out for buttons. The older and dirtier the better as I feel when I clean them I am giving them a new purpose on life.

Joan from Stoughton, MA

My friend Rita