Button Swap and blog hop

Cindy Wimmer organized this button swap and blog hop - what a great idea. Who knew there were so many "button lovers" out there!

I am posting this a bit early, because:
1) I find the scheduled posting by blogger to be a bit unreliable, and
2) posting over the weekend will not be possible for me. Everyone else will post on Sunday May 13th.

Cindy partnered me with Lori Finney. Lori lives near Toronto and makes the most fabulous beaded beads!! We emailed a few times, and checked out each other's blog, to get to know one another.
I did not take pictures of the buttons I sent to Lori, but I will tell you that I made or altered some of the buttons. One button is an old Buffalo Indian Head U.S. nickle, domed and made into a button (since she lives near Buffalo, NY). One button is a small pants button that says "Toronto" on it - I couldn't believe my eyes when I found it in my stash! I embossed a couple brass button blanks on my Vintaj Big Kick to send her. I then, after "talking" to Lori, got the idea to put enamel on old buttons. So, I grabbed a magnet and started looking through my button bins. I have about 3 or 4 large fruitcake tins full of buttons. Surprisingly, there were fewer metal buttons than I thought. But I found a good handful, and enameled them! I was very happy with my new buttons, and sent Lori one of the best of the bunch! And, since she liked my enameled flowers, I sent her one, even though it's not a "button".

Lori sent me 4 buttons and also a non-button. I opened my package to discover this fabulous beaded bead, which I plan on hoarding for a little while.It's just too fabulous!!

Thank you Lori, for everything you sent to me! I hope you like everything I did with them. I can't wait to see what you did with the buttons I sent you.

The first button I used was the one I really thought I'd have trouble with when I first saw it. It's a ceramic parrot! So cute, but what to do? What to do? I decided I'd use it as a toggle, and use a ring or something to create my own clasp. But then, going through my recent Beadfest Spring bags, I saw the dyed Howlite flower beads, and knew I could do something with them. I had the yellow leather already, which was so soft and supple. It was so easy to work with. I decided to forget about using a ring, and just tied a knot to slip the parrot through the end of the bracelet. Here's the result!

Not my usual style - no Vintaj brass in sight - but that is the point of a "challenge", no?

Next up, I set my sights on the sweet ceramic heart button. It is a pinky lavender color. Quite by coincidence, I just bought some new sari silk that had the same color in it. Throw in an enameled bead made by "moi", and it's a simple necklace. At first I tied a knot at the back. But, I don't like wearing long necklaces. I know some people do, but I don't. I remembered a tutorial I found somewhere about making a wire coil to use as a sliding clasp. I was all set to start coiling some wire when I found the small enameled tubes I'd made. They are some sort of copper doo-dads from the electrical dept at Lowes that I discovered one day!! So, I slipped both ends of the silk through one bead for the slide, and tied one to each end as stoppers. Now, the necklace can be worn any length you want!

I also wire wrapped a little piece of silk in between the button and the bead....

The third button is a beautiful (reproduction?) (Czech?) glass button. I have seen (and bought) similar ones at various bead shows. My photography fails to capture the true color. It's blue, but has pink iridescence, and gold highlights. OMG - so pretty! In preparation for the button swap, I recently bought a book, all about button jewelry. And in the book, the author shows a button centered on a doughnut, like stone or glass. I'm not sure how the necklaces she made work in real life, but mine kept flipping around to the back! So, I ended up gluing this button to a square Howlite "doughnut", with a Vintaj filigree ring. Then once the glue dried, I made different stations, in various blues. I use some Howlite beads that match the square, and more of my enameled beads (and some of Barbara Lewis' enameled beads). Let's have a look!

 And, of course, we need earrings to match!!! (I made the little beads at the top of the earrings different colors on purpose, in case someone noticed that!) I used both colors in the necklace, along with the little cloisonne beads.

And last, but certainly not least, there was a tiny little wooden birdhouse (button). And while I love this button, it took me a couple days to develop a plan.... Jade beads (that are probably older than me!) and some Chinese lampwork (again, from Beadfest Spring). I glued the birdhouse to a Vintaj ring, then attached it to a Vintaj branch. Made a little wire nest with jade "eggs". And hung a bird from the bottom.
After the sun went down, I noticed I just threw the earrings in the middle - sorry about that. I was racing to snap these last photos, and I did not "arrange" the earrings! And I'm too lazy to clone them out of the picture.

Great idea Cindy!! I had fun, and I was challenged!! And Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there!
Enjoy hopping everyone! I can't wait to see what everyone made with their buttons!
Here's the list of the other participants:

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

 Janet  McDonald and Kim Roberts

 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 Janet  McDonald

 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