Button, Button, Whose Got the Button?

Luckily, my friend Maryam has a good eye and while at the Antique show spotted a flyer for a "Button Show" in San Diego and she was good enough to pass that info on to me.

Of course, there would be button collectors but who knew their obsession is as great as us that love scrapbooking and altering and always on the hunt for vintage items :}

Apparently, there are National Societys of Button Collectors and lots of states and cities have their own club for sharing knowledge and buying, selling and trading their buttons.

This small but mighty group set up their booths in a small room and outside in the patio, maybe only 8 to 10 vendors but TONS of buttons. Buttons from the turn of the century, buttons made of cloth, made of bakelite, made of plastic. Buttons themed such as pets, metal, victorian, wooden, sparkly, etc.










Seems these collectors take cardboard and poke holes in rows and attach their buttons so you can thumb thru there boxes of cardboard sheets looking for just the perfect button.

I bought this card of buttons (see it underneath my other finds) for only $3. I thought I could maybe add some clipart where some buttons are missing and frame it...very cute. I went for for just a quick look and stayed quite awhile.



This club is so generous as they had coffee and cookies and rolls and even put out lunch for everyone.

Here are some of my other "finds". Can't wait to add them to my button box!

CHA

Today Bonnie and I went up to Anaheim to check out the wholesale CHA show. It did seem kinda empty or slower than other years but then I guess that is a reflection of the economy.

Although it was NOT reflected in the booths and the embellishments we saw. Lots of color and beautiful scrapbooking and art materials.

Of course, we gravitated to the vintage type vendors but you know what? As the years have past scrapbooking and altering have melded and made some AWESOME supplies and beautiful art for our scrapbooks and our mixed media creations.

There was alot of dress forms, shoes of paper or shoes glittered or gemmed, burlap, jewels, flowers made of paper, cloth, crepe paper and banners small for scrapbook layouts and made big for on the walls. They were made of canvas, paper, burlap.

It must be so hard for retailers to pick out the trends and know what to purchase. Glad we just had to be inspired and WE WERE. Here's the pics I took on my iphone, clear or fuzzy I know you'll find something to inspire you.






































Whew! and that's only a little bit of the great stuff we saw :}

Thrift Store Finds

I've been laid up for over a week being sick. I guess, in a way, if you have to be sick this was the week to be sick. It has been pouring and gusting so I wasn't missing out on much. I did have a "play date" set up with my friend Georgia but she was kind not wanting me to drive to her house in our "Hurricane weather". Since I was still a little sick...probably a good choice.

Soon Georgia, soon :}

I had gone thrift store shopping about 10 days ago and thought I would share my finds. I am a sucker for good old junk :}

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I found this cool retro birthday candle from 1974. From Birth to College. It has been burned down to 3 years old but the box is really the find. So retro with it's images.

I think I will use the candle in my studio, light it while I work and enjoy it. The box well I'll be scanning and using the images and probably just display the box for awhile.



Look at this beautiful Saint I found! It's kinda inlaid on this heavy
piece of wood and has a gorgeous look. Had to have it.

For some reason I have become attracted to Saints and Regilious metals. I want to use them in my art but don't want to insult someone. Obviously, they do have a message and isn't that what art is about? Conveying a message. What do you think?

This beautiful block of wood is going to hang in my studio. It does have one scratch that is more visible so I want to somehow "blend" it in but not sure how to do that yet. Ideas?

I also got some corn on the cob picks. Some will be used for CORN ha ha The rest maybe "pokers" for paper piecing or something like that. I like to use common items for art projects.

Hmmmmmm, I thought I bought more but I guess it wasn't that much....hey! I'm getting better at shopping and only buying things "I need". ha ha

Have a great weekend.