Easy Peasy Polymer Clay Button Tutorial

While staying with Jenny,

I am not able to fire up my torch and make beads.

Although very disappointing for me,

this has forced me to explore other media to express my creativity.

One of the other media that I have been working with is polymer clay.

This media is fun and challenging.

I'm not an artist when using this media,

but I am learning.

I have a long way to go,

but, then, glass is the same way.

Anyway, while working with polymer clay,

I thought it would be fun to make a button.

I know that there are other ways to do this, but this is what I did.

Here's what I used.

a small ball of well conditioned polymer clay,

an acrylic roller,

a small circle cookie cutter,

and a needle tool.

Easy peasy!

You can make your buttons any size you like.  I decided that I would make this one a bit thicker than the other ones I made.  I broke off about half of the polymer clay that I conditioned and rolled it into a ball that was about as high as my cookie cutter and a little bit wider.

I flattened the ball with my hands, then to get rid of the fingerprints,

I used the my rolling pin to smooth the clay out, keeping the clay round.

After smoothing out the clay, I turned my cookie cutter to the dull side and used it to make an impression on the clay.

I turned the clay over and repeated the process.

This is what it looked like when I was finished.

See what I mean, easy peasy!

Using my needle tool, I poked to holes in the button, then turned it over to make sure that the holes went all the way through.

You will notice in the final product that I do need to clean up my holes.  I'll do this with my dremel later.

They didn't turn out as I expected they would.

Here's what my button looked like before I put it in the oven to cure.

I checked the manufacturer's directions and cured the button in my little oven dedicated only to clay at the temperature recommended for about 15 minutes.

(This is where you really need to follow directions so that the clay will cure correctly.)

This is what the button looked like after curing.  I really need to work on those holes.  

However, making a button this way is easy peasy!!!

Look What I found When I was Cleaning Out my Drawer!!

If the truth be told, I really wasn't cleaning out my drawer.

I was actually looking for something in my old sewing cabinet when I found them!
I didn't remember them being there, but
when I pushed the papers aside,
I saw them.
What did I see--
these beautiful vintage buttons!

They've been hidden in this drawer for years.
When I quit sewing, aka, quilting,
I closed the drawer like a part of my life.
Seldom did I open the drawer, and if I did, it was only to put papers in there.
See them off to the side?
When I pushed aside the wad of papers,
I saw those amazing buttons!
I think you deserve to take a better look at them.

I don't think these photos do them justice. They are more beautiful than this.
Look at the large, beige flower.
It is so beautiful!
I'm beginning to think: Possibilities!

See those little pink flowers with gold trim? I wish you could hold them in your hand.
They are amazing!
See the blue, frosted buttons next to them?
I'm thinking: earrings.

See that set of blue buttons? Their color is closer to denim than periwinkle blue.
See those frosted blue buttons next to the denim buttons?
I want them!

The translucent green buttons are my favorite in this batch of buttons!
There are so many possibilities!
I think I need to start cleaning out drawers.
The feeling is beginning to grow on me.
I wonder what else I'll find?

Shopping Etsy: Key Word: Buttons

I'm shopping Etsy, again!

This time,
the keyword I used was,
Buttons!
What a cornucopia of buttons, I found!

Would you believe that these wonderful buttons are soap?
I found these in Love Lee Soap on Etsy.
I would never have imagined buttons could be soap!

Look at this beautiful button used as a focal!
Wow!
The Go2Girl took this ceramic button
and made it a focal for a beautiful
necklace!
Love it!

How about these fun and funky buttons!
Wow!
I found these in Ally Beans Shop on Etsy.
She takes the old and turns it into new.
The stones are over drilled and they are fun!

Look at these gorgeous wooden buttons on Etsy.
They are made from Juniper.
I found them in the store
Wooden Buttons.

Now, how fun is that!
Just keep shopping.
More will come later!

I Can't Help It! This Is Another Great Store on Etsy!

Dorset Hill Beads! Wow! and Double Wow!

I've "known" Eileen as an online friend for several years now. She's been an Etsy vendor and has an amazing blog.

She's made a switch now in the direction of her Etsy store. There are so many new and exciting items in her store, and two of these items are on their way to me! I am so excited!

This brooch is a new item in her Etsy store. You can actually wear it as a brooch or a pendant. It's all up to you! Don't you just love it? It's all handmade. Eileen is a multi talented woman!










These bottle cap necklaces are a new addition to Dorset Hill Beads. This is another one of my favorites! Remember the 60's? Well, if you don't, this is a good way to see what happened! Just kidding! I love this bottle cap jewelry, and there is more to see of this in the shop.












Now, we mustn't forget the glass. This is one of my favorite glass pieces in Eileen's shop. Isn't this button beautiful? There's more glass like this in Eileen's shop. Be prepared to spend some time looking.




This was only a quick preview, so take a good look and remember, Christmas is coming faster than you think. What a great way to get your shopping finished early and not have to fight the crowds at the mall. Eileen's store is the place to go.

Now, tomorrow, we are going to visit Dorset Hill's "brother" store: Dave's Homemade Serenity Candles. Stay Tuned!!!!!

Shameless Self Promotion TuesDay!

Free Shipping in my Etsy store until Mother's Day or around that time. It all depends on when I remember to change it back. The only items where I can't offer free shipping, and I wish I could, are on mandrels!




This-------------------------------->
is a new item in my store. It's a flower button. It's glass. It's lampwork, and it's beautiful! I can see this used on a felted purse! Wouldn't that be beautiful? In the winter, you could move the button to a scarf! I think that would be wonderful!











How about a skull-------------->
with a red hat? Remember the red hatters of a couple of years ago? Could this be a red hatter who wanted to be buried with her hat? I think she'd be fun being worn as a pendant or added to a red hat!












Need some bright and colorful headpins? Here's a dozen brightly colored headpins. I made them using 20 gauge copper wire. The wires are about 4 inches long. They'd be great for earrings or small pendants. I have to make some with 18 gauge wire. Those would be ideal for your larger pendants.








I added this murrini recently. It's made with Magic glass by Reichenbach. It's their equivalent of raku glass in coe 104. Someone just convo'd me on Etsy suggesting that she would be interested in purchasing some murrini, if she could see some photos of the murrini being used! Yikes! I'm not good at applying and using murrini, but you can bet your buttons, I am going to do that now!







Well, enough for now! Enjoy your Tuesday. Free shipping ends after Mother's Day or as soon as I remember to change it!

Yesterday was a House Cleaning Day!

Yesterday was a lot like today--unseasonably cool and rainy. Days like that propel me into the cleaning mode. I attacked a closet with vigor and vim! Well, maybe not so much vigor and vim, but enough to pull everything out and start again. I took some items to the thrift store right away. I didn't even want to be tempted to keep them. I sorted through boxes full of memories. I laughed. I cried. I remembered. Then, in the back, way back, of the closet, I pulled out one small shoe box. Here's what I found! Some wonderful little treasures!







It's not finished yet, but it's a miniature quilt I was piecing together a long time ago when I used to quilt. This quilt is called Grandmother's Flower Garden. I only have two blocks left to piece, so I might get back to this during the winter time.






















These are the last two blocks I have to piece. I had the foresight to cut many, many little white hexagons, so I won't have to worry about matching fabric. If my memory serves me right, I started this quilt almost 20 years ago when we still lived in Chicago. I have no idea, now, why I quit working on this small quilt, but I did.























Wrapped up next to that little unfinished quilt were these treasures. I'm fairly sure they belonged to my grandmother. It looks like the lace is tatted and/or crocheted. The spools are wooden. Look at those buttons! They are truly vintage!























These buttons are my favorites! I might take them down with me when I torch. I think they'd make great beads!

Now, it's still raining and cool. I feel the urge to clean. I wonder what I'll find today!

Sometimes it Happens, but no one deserves it.

I knew I'd get your attention. This is my new button. I just listed it on etsy. It's called Flamed. I think that's appropriate.

More tomorrow. My computer should be back.

Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?

I do! These are fun to make. I have this one in my 1000Markets store. I love the colors, and the brightness of the button!














These buttons are in my Etsy store.


















I call them Bahama Mama's Buttons because they remind me of an island in the tropics.


















I don't have a home for this button yet, but I am thinking, maybe my 1000Markets store?




















I love the colors in this button. It's the opposite of the first button. We'll see where I list this.



















I call this button, "Grape Sherbert." I'm getting hungry. Later there will be more buttons, and then, maybe we can play the game.
Button, button, who's got the button.