ButtonMad

ButtonMad
Teeny Tiny Bird Buttons

Thursday 27 October 2011

Grandma's Jam Jar Lids


We bought 12 clear glass jam jars to use as vases for pretty posies for my dad's 60th last year.

They've been gathering dust stored away since then waiting for a new lease on life, hence these old fashioned decorative fabric lid covers.

The one below is made with our Incomparable apple fabric which is ideal for kitchen projects - aprons, tea towels, pot holders, oven mitts...all tied up with a peach ribbon and stitched together with a teeny green apple button - adorable.


This plain peach fabric looks sweet edged in peach & white striped bias binding with a hand-stitched flower centred with an Incomparable flower button...


This one has our cute 'little birds all in a row' fabric, edged in blue ricrac and tied together with a cotton ribbon and Incomparable bird buttons hopping along the edge:


It's definitely time for them to be put back on display.

Monday 24 October 2011

Recycled magazine page bags and...it's not your usual pincushion


These recycled bags look ultra chic and are super easy to make.


Simply take 2 pages with striking pictures out of your old magazines, fold the tops down to reinforce the page and sew them wrong sides together with a bold zigzag stitch - mine are all stitched in a hot pink thread which pops with the pictures I've selected.


Then punch through 2 holes on the top and thread & knot various twines and ribbons for the handles.

Of course I could not resist adding some of our Incomparable heart pendants as the perfect finishing touch...


We picked these pincushions on the farm yesterday...they are part of the unique fynbos that grows exclusively in this region of the world. We have been planting all year to try and reintroduce this exquisite natural flora to the area. So far our efforts have been well rewarded and the plants are thriving! Guess I'm not the only one who loves it here!

We're off to dinner with some friends in the area and I think I'll be taking a bouquet bag of pincushions as a gift for the hostess.

Wednesday 19 October 2011

Spooky Spiders


A quick and easy Halloween project to make with the kids is this spooky spider on a web.

Cut a circle out of cardboard and make 12 or so 1cm incisions at intervals around the perimeter. Thread some twine through and then create a second layer knotted around to resemble a spider's web.

And the coup de resistance, an Incomparable spider button to watch over his domain.

Other crafty uses for our Halloween buttons this spooky season:
tie a thread through them and use them as serviette rings,
glue them onto candles,
create greeting cards, place settings and party favour bags,
place them in clear soap to give your guests a ghoulish surprise...
Happy Haunting...


Tuesday 18 October 2011

A Gift for Jonah


My oldest friend - the one who has been in my life the longest (she's younger than me at 33, so by oldest, I don't mean old) who I have known since I was nine has just had her first baby - a little boy named Jonah.

I'm so excited to be able to meet him this week and have made him a personalised onesie with an appliqued 'J' cut out of our space theme fabric. I added 2 sweet little star buttons to the sleeves - these are so new they're not on the ButtonMad catalogue and in fact they may not even get voted into the catalogue so they're unique at this stage! Do you think we should add them?


And how could I resist - a 'J' that looks like a whale out of our Incomparable sea-theme fabric...as in Jonah and the whale! I know, you got it without prompting.
And an Incomparable whale button purely as decoration because the closure on this bib is velcro.


Cannot wait to meet this very special little boy...



Monday 17 October 2011

Bird on a Branch


There are a lot of very sweet little painted and stitched blocks like this one around the house at the moment...
I think they are destined to be joined together into one big quilt.

This bird on a branch has been joined in his warbling by a little button friend...

Don't forget there is still one day left for Barb's button giveaway where 20 people stand the chance to win a set of our ladybird buttons.


Tuesday 11 October 2011

Ladybird Give Away Hosted by Bejeweledquilts by Barb


Barb of Bejeweledquilts by Barb designed this stunning wallhanging to showcase our 5 multi-coloured ladybird buttons.

Barb is very kindly hosting a give away of 20 sets of our ladybird buttons to 20 lucky winners.

Take a look at her blog post to see how you can be a winner.

This give away will be open for a week, good luck everyone.



Thursday 6 October 2011

Spring Top

Summer is fast approaching (back home in South Africa where I am currently visiting in between the end of studies and beginning of a new job for my husband - I know, even I get confused trying to keep up with us at the moment!)

I decided to try my hand at this lovely spring top from Made by Rae.


I added a tie which ties in a bow at the back to add some structure to the top as it is quite floaty.


Here is a close up of the 2 little buttons I added in the middle of the back panel.
We are not offering them on the catalogue and they are one of a kind - I rather like that idea.
But we are offering very similar ones - slightly larger and in gorgeous bright colours, lilac, green, yellow and blue...keep an eye open for them on our catalogue www.buttonmad.com


Not too sure how often this top will be worn this year as the new job is based out of London - back to the dark and the cold...sigh! But on the bright side - back to the theatre and beautiful old buildings, walks in Hyde Park, indulgent clotted cream teas, and of course, Europe on our doorstep.

Just have to share this view over the Franschoek Valley taken today...


Tuesday 4 October 2011

One Jersey, Seven Looks

With all the focus having been on our new teeny tiny buttons lately, we tend to forget about our lovely 2-inch buttons and all the potential projects they can be used in.

Here we take one knit-jersey and give it a different look for each day of the week...







An easy way to change your wardrobe as often as you like...

Monday 3 October 2011

Go International Giveaway Hop


We are sponsoring 20 sets of these black and white buttons for the Go International Giveaway Hop at gustosa giveaways.
These teeny oval black and white buttons are popular and versatile.
Hop on over and take a look.

Hope you're having a wonderful start to the week...

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