Good Morning! Welcome to the Button Swap Blog Hop! Thanks Cindy for hosting! I have quite a journey to share, with interesting results – so refill your beverage and let me tell you the tale…
I got gorgeous buttons from my partner Sandi Volpe. I knew right away the button she cast was the star; organic shape, interesting design… I sort of see a female partial figure in there! I couldnt get to work until Thursday – yes, 2 days ago – but I knew exactly what I wanted to do…
The buttton was going to be “set” in Faux bone, creating a frame and a backing structure. Wires running through the shank in the back woud form prongs over the edges of the FB to secure the button.
(Do you see the female form? Are those breasts? They also look like owl eyes…)
Way too much color at first – I knew I would sand it back to a minimun, the antique look I desire.
There it is! Button set – front and back views. I inscribed the words “Bandia taobh istigh” on the back, Gaelic for ‘Goddess inside you’. I cant NOT see the female owl faced woman at this point in time. She is there every time I look.
The problem? I dont like it. The button is deep, and currently sits up too high. The copper prongs are too visually busy and distract from the button, and I want it to be all about the button…
Here is where the FB piece is going. This is another gorgeous antique button from Sandi. Framed and cushioned with leather, it is ‘glued’. (Shh dont tell. I almost NEVER use glue.) The plan here is a bracelet, triple strands – the leather, 2 strands seed beads and the clasp as shown. That is as far as the piece has gone for now…
Back to button #1. (Love the alcohol ink fingernails!) I have deep copper bezels from Nunn Designs, and I have been waiting for the right thing. This may be the right thing.
On the left: set into epoxy putty. On the right: collaging in a plastic lens for the back, *text and a feather.
Left: painted and distressed epoxy and tentative dangle choices. Right: Similar treatment to epoxy, lens in place.
*Caillech-oidhche is one Gaelic name for the owl. It literally translates as ” Crone of the Night” a reference to the Goddess the Cailleach – a crone, or aged wise woman; a Scottish goddess of winter, storms, stones. Since I was seeing a female form and an owl this dual reference sprang to mind. Owls are seen as symbols of wisdom and far-seeing/perception; both attributes we gain as we mature into wise women ourselves.
This is as far as I have traveled. I am sorry to not have a finished piece, but I am sure you can appreciate the trials and tribulations. I am very happy with where this is headed. If I had planned the lens from the beginning I could have set it into the epoxy earlier. Now I will have to set it in and camoflauge the adhesive as a separate step. I had thoughts of collage and resin directly into the back over the epoxy putty but wanted to be more finished for today…
Please take a look at my colleagues – who may have finished pieces for your viewing pleasure! (The list is alphabetical, names do appear twice. ) I loved this challenge – I had a secret stash of buttons I could share with a new freind, and it has definitely inspired me to stop hoarding and start integrating them! Especially my collection from my Grandmother. I think it would please her!
Thank for stopping by, happy travels!
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
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
Cynthia Machata and Julia Johnson
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
Holly Westfall and Sally Russick
Hope Smitherman and Brenda Salzano
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
Kay Thomerson and Shannon Chomanczuk
Kim Roberts and Partner unable to participate at this time.
Kristi Harrison and Jenna Meyers
Kylie Dickman and Kalaya Steede
Linda Djokic and Patty Gasparino
Line Labrecque and Teri Baskett
Lori Bowring Michaud and Cilla Watkins
Marianna Boylan and Tracy Statler
Mary Harding and Stacie Florer
Maureen Baranov and Tracy Bell
Melissa Martin and Theresa Fosdick
Michelle Hardy and Peggy Johnson
Nicole Valentine Rimmer and Niki Meiners
Niki Meiners and Nicole Valentine Rimmer
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
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)
Tania Hagen and Bonnie Coursolle
Teri Baskett and Line Labrecque
Theresa Fosdick and Melissa Martin
Tracy Bell and Maureen Baranov
Tracy Statler and Marianna Boylan
Veralynne Malone and Shirley Moore
Jenny Davies-Reazor 
this is going to be an awesome piece when it is completed. YOu are putting a lot of work into it!
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or go home, right? Its many steps, but I hope will be cohesive in the end…
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I’m so impressed. I loved seeing the process (and our sketches are beautiful). I’d love to take a class with you — this is so amazing what you did.
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Thanks Lori! Its creative problem solving at its best – what I tried to teach at HS in Ceramics, that elusive quality. I am always stuck at the idea of class proposals b/c I work so organically… I thank you for that compliment, though!As to sketching, I like it when I do it – and am trying to do more…
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Very cool that you shared your trials and tribulations with this piece. I always like seeing how others formulate their creations!
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What didnt work for me was still a decent post, yes? Like your brown bracelet…
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I’m so sorry you couldn’t complete it for the reveal, but I was just fascinated with the process you showed! I love the final result for the owl/female! Thank you for sharing your creativity!
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Thanks! I hope to finish it this week, but am not sure what I will hang it from. I tend to be very pendant-centric. I will post it later though!
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I think this is one of the most creative uses for the buttons that I have seen yet.
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Thanks Tracy! I look forward to doing more hopping and seeing yours and the rest!
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Hi Jenny
I truly enjoyed your post – I like how you took us behind the scenes in your design process. It’s so interesting to hear your thoughts on what to create and how you did that….right down to the purple finger tips! I like where you are going with the antique button and the leather – it’s a beautiful bracelet design. The focal in process in the Nunn Design bezel is going to be amazing…it looks fantastic already!
I think these challenges really give us that extra push to try new techniques or styles that we wouldn’t have tried otherwise. Looking forward to seeing your finished pieces!
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Thanks Cindy! It’s a style of blog post I like and I am glad you liked as well. I do have a tendency to alter things a bit…and this one got a little deep. I love making pieces with a back story, a message…Thanks for hosting such an inspiration, inspiring hop!
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Sorry for arriving so late, it has been wonderfully full day of soccer.
I love your process and can not wait to see it finished, the vintage button is very cool too. The cast buttton is from a vintage button and I promise to take a picture of it and send it to you. Thanks for being my partner, would love to be a visitor in your workshop:-) and I love, love, love the gaelic, I am half irish and that is such a fantastic way to add meaning to a piece. Hope you had a great day!!!
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Phew… Glad you liked the drastic measured I took, am taking! I would love to see the original button. I confess the Gaelic is all via online translations, I would love to learn to speak it or even Welsh someday…I will wear the finished piece to ArtBliss and we can meet for a glass of wine!
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Wow – this is so cool!! I love the meaning behind it all and how you tell of the owl, the goddess, crone, etc. – makes it even more special. You really put a lot of work into this and it shows. It’s beautiful and I can’t wait until you finish w/everything and post it all!
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Thanks Michelle – more and more these days the pieces I am doing are in depth explorations, with content and layers of meaning and symbolism. Its nice to have the blog to share that backstory with people. (Even nicer to have comments! ;-D)I find it pretty cool to step back and see my wearable art come in line with my mixed media sculpture…
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I enjoyed seeing all the techniques and mediums you used to make this fabulous piece. Thanks for sharing the process with us. I know whatever you make with this will be a great piece.
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Truly fascinating process. Thank you for sharing your process.
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Hey Miss Jenny! I like seeing the way your creative mind works, so I don’t mind at all a work in progress (WIP). I think you are a risk taker in your creative endeavors and it is important to know that artists go through revisions and trial and error. I see where you are going and I like what I am seeing! Enjoy the day. Erin
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Erin – I appreciate that. I got a creative boost when you called me a risk taker. I am willing to do whatever needs to be done for the piece, and I am glad it is being well recieved by my peers! Thank you!
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Jenny, finished or not, in this case the journey is the best part! I love seeing you walk through the process with these buttons, and will continue to check in, to see where they end up. The Goddess piece is just amazing…
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Thanks Holly – do you see it too. I cant not see the figure. Sandi said she would send me a pix of the original…Isnt the journey half the fun? Or more? Thanks for coming over…
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I completely understand getting pressed for time and the trials of getting just what you want out of a piece. Thank you so much for at least sharing with us the process you are going through and what point you have reached. I look forward to seeing your creations when you get the time to complete them!!
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I was so sure the plan would work! Then when I had to start over I had no time left. Perhaps procrastination is the mother of invention!
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Not many people have put their thoughts and process in the post, that was a very interesting read. Love the end results for sure!!
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Thanks – posting the process pix etc is my modus operandi for these hops. When we all have had a similar starting point, I am really intrigued as to the journey undertaken. Glad you enjoyed a glimpse into my head!
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I really love what you did with those buttons!! I have really loved seeing what all the participants have made!!
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Wow, love your creativity and the designs you came up with!! What great unique ways to use the buttons! I think you need to write a button book! 🙂 Beautiful!
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Kristi – you are too kind! I would love to do a book someday, but mixed media is so dependand on the materials, whatever you may find with no set parameters – I havent been able to figure out an approach yet. But thanks!
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Wow, love your creativity and the designs you came up with!! What great unique ways to use the buttons! I think you need to write a button book! 🙂 Beautiful!
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Love where you are headed..and I cant wait to see how you decide to finish it!!Cat
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You might not have finished everything, but I love what you have done so far! I had difficulty completing the challenge, myself– it wasn’t until I remembered that I had wanted to make a stitch marker for myself that I knew what I was going to do 🙂
Thanks for sharing your work and your process with all of us ❤
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I love the different frames you made for your buttons. You have some great ideas going.
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I think you’ve got some great ideas there. I love the ‘faux’ bone. What is it made of? I think it sets that piece off quite well. And I live the button with the bezel. Very nice.
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Thanks! Faux Bone is a pvc plastic product developed by Robert Dancik. It can be used like bone, but can also be heated and altered – without harmful fumes, etc. (Website is at Fauxbone.com) I love it, its very versatile! And he is a great artist/instructor to work with…
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The final creation that you came up with for that button is amazing. Such a creative way to use a button. Finishing the pendant by adding the additional collage elements to the back ensures that if the pendant rotates, there is still something pretty to be seen.
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I agree! And I like to have an element of interaction in my mixed media pieces. The collaged back is a secret to you, worn close to your skin. You choose whether to reveal that to others, letting them into your personal space.
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I really like the piece you created with the cast button! I also like how you showed your process in the design. I can’t wait to see more of the process!
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Thanks for sharing the design process. I always enjoy peeking at how other’s create. I’m sure it will turn into something beautiful some point down the line.
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