Polymer Clay Buttons

I love vintage buttons and I have so many pretty ones in my collection :)  I only have one or two of some designs, so thought I would have a go at making polymer clay versions to use on cards etc.  Not that I need any more buttons but it also meant I could try them in different colours too!

Most of the clay buttons shown in the photos were made by making a mold from the vintage button, then making a clay button from the mold.  The two on the far left were made from cutting a shape from rolled clay then using a fancy vintage button to press a pattern into the surface then adding two holes.

Bright As A Button...

I love buttons, it's amazing how many different types of buttons there are!  Amongst all the pretty buttons in my collection there are a lot of plain dark ones though.  But they don't need to stay that way...

I've tried using a variety of different paints to brighten up the buttons.  The ones above were painted with acrylic artist paints and the metallic blue/green is a tester pot from the diy shop.  I also tried a rub on transfer for the star - don't suppose it would last on clothes in the wash but should be ok on something like a card/ scrapbook etc.

The buttons below were painted with nail varnish (which comes out really nicely - especially the glittery ones!), acrylics, and tester paints for things like household wall paint.  You could experiment with allsorts of paints/ pens etc!

I thought I would have a look at some of the things other people have used buttons for, so created this treasury on Etsy featuring British sellers and items they have made using buttons from jewellery to purses...

You can see the treasury in full here.

Buttons...

As promised here's an update on my vintage buttons. Finally the lounge floor is clear of buttons and I have sorted enough to photograph some and start to list them in my Etsy shop! :D

Thank you to everyone who commented on my last buttons post, it seems that the most important thing is good photos when selling buttons and knowing what they are made of doesn't matter so much. After reading the comments on the Etsy thread I started, and doing some further research, I think I can work out what some of the buttons are made of though.

I've tested some of the plastic buttons with hot water to see if they have a smell. - If it smells of formaldehyde it's bakelite and if it smells like vick vapour (camphor) it's celluloid. - I have some buttons that definately smell(!) but I'm not that sure of what!

These purple buttons had a strong smell, but I'm not sure if they are bakelite/ celluloid?

Some more purple buttons, these are light weight and have a metal back. From seeing others similar to this I think they are celluloid tight top buttons.

These butterscotch ones didn't have a smell and the colour on the ones with shanks is worn so you can see a lighter colour underneath, so they aren't bakelite.

I'm not sure what these black buttons are made of, but it's like pvc - they have a shiny but almost rubbery type texture.

If you think I'm wrong about any of these or have any other suggestions please let me know! :)

I was pleased with how the photos came out - the sunlight was definately better than artificial light. The only problem is that it's winter and we aren't getting many sunny or even half bright days so I don't know when I'll be able to photograph the next lot.

If you're interested in buying any of my vintage buttons I will be adding them regularly, so check my Etsy shop often for updates! :)

Buttons (lots of them!!)

Yesterday I bought 2 boxes of old buttons from Reeman Dansie auctions in Colchester, there's a great selection of colours, fancy and plainer buttons in them but they are all muddled up in the boxes so there's lots of sorting to be done!

I'm planning to keep some of my favourites for my button collection but will be selling the others in my Etsy shop. Some of the buttons will find their way into my Bags of Ideas and Mini Bags of Ideas crafting kits but the sets on cards and some of the other fancier buttons I am planning on selling separately.

I posted some questions in the Etsy forums, but thought I would ask them here too - so if you can help it would be great to hear from you! When I list the buttons to sell I would like to be able to describe them as best as I can but I don't know anything about where they came from. They are mostly (if not all) vintage - does anyone know how I can date them more accurately or is this not very important to people buying buttons? I can guess at ones that look art deco or from around the 60s say but could be completely wrong!

Also I would like to be able to say what the buttons are made of - what should I look for to tell if they are bakelite/ celluloid/ newer plastic/ glass etc?

Here are some pictures of some of the buttons I've sorted so far which might be useful if you think you can help me!

A Tale of Two Watches

I used to wear a watch every day, even when I wasn't going out anywhere, but one day I looked and saw that my watch had stopped. Even after replacing the battery it still did not work :( I thought at least I had an old watch I could wear though. Although the little bit that held the end of the strap down was broken I thought it would be ok. But then when I put the watch on the strap broke (it ended up in about 4 pieces)!

After the initial disappointment of having 2 broken watches I decided it was an opportunity to put my creative skills into practise and make a new strap for the second watch. Weeks later I've finally had time to make something for myself (not just to sell) and the watch had a happy ending :)