Buttons 5

 

A big red nose shaped button was my inspiration for these Rudolph Brooches.

 

Ru

 

Ruby

Rudolphus

Buttons 4

Here I go with a difference method.  This time I have used a heat gun to glue the butons to the lamp shades.  I have also tied some thread through the buttons so they look a bit like they are sewn on.  Not meant as a trick, but I just felt that the buttons would look better that way.

I bought the lamps from a houseware store, so they are actually brand new.  Afew people have admired them so far.  I prefer the one where I sewed the buttons on, myself.

Buttons 3

Here she is again, all lit up...    #a ha ha#

Looks really nice with the light on and even better in a darkened room.

Buttons 2

So here we have my first project with buttons.  All individually stitched on.  What a nightmare!  Took me ages.  At least 10 hours over several days.

Despite the sore fingers I enjoyed doing this.  Not sure if I'd like to stitch again, but I am pleased with the finished item.  It looks very nice with the light on and agains a dark background.  Maybe I'll try to get a shot of that.

Buttons 1

I have always loved playing with buttons.  I have enjoyed playing with my Nana's buttons, Mum's buttons, Sister's and Aunties'.  All women you note.  Maybe its a gender thing, who knows, who cares.  I just love sorting them into colours, sizes and styles.  I have been sifting through my collection of buttons this last week, since I completed my art course.

Friends have given me buttons and friends of friends have given me buttons.  I have just collected them, I can't through them away.  Well I can if they are broken, chipped or really grotty.  I am going to look for some ideas now, on what to do with my buttons.  I fancy putting some on bags, and some in frames.  I may add some to collages.  Even plain boring buttons can look attractive, depending on the setting.  I'll let you know.

The Drugs Don't Work 2

The drugs don't work framed wall display.
I was so pleased with the printing of these and subsiquent photocopying that I framed them.  Three of them have sold and I am left with the square ones.  I am not sure if it was the pictures or the frames that were the selling choice, as I painted the frames too.  I finished them of in three different stippling styles with touches of gold and silver.  I feel they were well suited to the images.  The remaining two are hung up just outside my studio at Victoria Mill, Congleton.

The Drugs Don't Work 1

Part of my art course this year.  I inked up some empty pill packets and a loose capsule and this was one of the results, which has been turned to grey scale and colour inverted.  I love the way the capluse burst when it went through the printing rollers and the contents flew out.  The little powdery balls have been squashed into star shapes.  Very Pretty.  I will post some more of these sets.

Painted Backdrop

Here is my brick wall I painted onto an opened-out cardboard box.  This was used in my Lost and found exhibition, as a backdrop for my creations.  I have just answered a FreeCycle query about 'brick wall paper', where I gave them the fllowing instructions and thought it would be good to post it here also.  So thanks Fred.

"Hi Fred,  I do not have brick paper, but can tell you how I did my own brick wall......  I took a car sponge and ripped it in half length-wise.  This gave me a striated rough side, with which I used as a printing tool.  I painted a background in mortar colour onto some corrugated cardboard and let it dry.  I then mixed some paint into my preferred brick colour and started printing my brick wall.  I did bricks in a few shades.  I should have kept a more careful eye on the spacing, as my mortar became thicker the further up my wall I went. I put some depth to it by using just the edge of the sponge and dipping it in light paint and printing along the top and left edge of each brick.  I followed the same idea only with dark paint along the bottom and right edge."

 This was great fun.  Another funny thing was that when I had finished printing the bricks a gentleman customer from 'The Room at the Top' came by and told me, "Of course, you know you've got too much mortar there.'  He is a retired builder and knows a dodgy wall when he sees one.

New Studio 2012

In December 2012 I said, "I hope I never arrive, cause that'll mean I have to move on".  Well I have arrived and yes I've moved on, but only down stairs to the main studio area.  I have a bigger space and more windows, it's lovely.  I am doing my level 3 art course at the moment, so a  lot of other stuff is on hold.  I will get to it....... In time......