buttons, BuTtONs, BUTTONS!!!

I love buttons!  Old, new, glass, rhinestone, metal, pearl, plastic...I love them all.  I think its because my mother was an avid seamstress my whole life, until she got Alzheimers and could not remember how to sew anymore.  And she used to keep extras in a round cookie tin.

I also had the fortune of sharing button gathering with my Mother-in-law who had jars and jars of old buttons that her mother kept.  I use the term "gathering" because I don't know enough about them all to be a collector.  I have jars and jars full of old buttons from her and my mother in storage.  And becuase I can't get to them at this time without a great amount of effort and searching (LOL), I started "gathering" buttons again!

I find myself using buttons in almost everything I create.  I think they add such a special vintage touch to aprons, pillows, mixed media, doll making and even tucking them into swap items and stash boxes.






My button love was reignited when I started following the Button Floozies blog and did a swap with them.  I hope to be able to learn about collecting as I go. 

I find myself at antique shops digging through boxes and trays of buttons looking for those unusual or special buttons to add to my collection.




I found all these carded buttons in a wonderful shop up near Elk Grove, Ca.  I just love the pale pink ones above and the Marie Antoinette shaped one also.

The aqua buttons in the middle to the left are glass with an awesome dotted pattern on the backs.

Here are some photos.  If anyone knows about any of these, please share.  I would love to hear about them.  I have ordered a button collectors book but it has not come in yet.  I thought the metal ones were also very cool.

 I'll be posting again with another group of buttons I found recently in Cambria, Ca.  at an Antique Mall. 

This one is cone shaped and looks like "bakelite", although I don't know much about it.  I love the unusual shape and the stripes are fun. 

 This group is a bronze color and they are also glass.  Very pretty. 

And finally, a great set of clear glass buttons and some pretty pearls.