Creative Button Swap 2011

Tami Hacker at Vintage Connections recently hosted a Creative Button swap. I was partnered with Marsha Cassada, a fellow Oklahoman!  My previous swap partners have all been from other states, so it was nice to swap with and get to know someone nearby. 

Our assignment was to make anything we wanted using at least five buttons and using no-harm methods (no glue, etc.)  Marsha shared photos of some things she had made for other swaps and as gifts for friends, so I knew I would be getting something special.  Plus, before I had even seen the list of partners, I had an e-mail from a friend who also joined the swap letting me know that I was lucky to be paired with Marsha.

She made me the prettiest little lamp with an old Kerr Mason jar, and topped it with ruffled crepe paper and a piece of lace from an old hankie (two more of my favorite things.)  She filled the bottom with some beautiful blue (my favorite color) and mother of pearl buttons, plus a few little buckles - yet another of my favorite things.  A friend contributed a card of Bluebird buttons.  The lamp would have been enough, but she also sent a beautiful pearl bracelet made by her sister and a sweet vintage place card with a little button face. Love it all! I've already warned her that the buttons may be too pretty to leave in the jar.

Marsha prefers tortoise, brown and amber buttons.  I didn't have a lot in these colors, but was able to pick up a few nice ones while traveling.  She also mentioned that she likes the primitive look, and feed sack fabrics.  I had a few quilt pieces made with feedsack fabrics that were given to me by friends, as well as some pieces from my grandmother, and had been wanting to make a fabric book for a while so decided that would be the perfect project for this swap. 

Before I show you the book pages, here is a photo Marsha sent me.  She opened her package from me while she was with her Wednesday Girls group.  Here are some of the members with Marsha (second from left) showing the book, buttons and Trick or Treat bag I sent. Thanks, ladies, for sharing the moment. Wish I lived closer so I could join your group!

The photo was taken in the home of the woman in the center.  Love her quilt, vintage tins, and that darling Halloween tree.  She's holding a little button doll made for their weekly project.

Here are the extra buttons I sent.

Now, the book I made.  I honestly think it was my favorite thing to make ever, and it could be a little bit habit forming! I'm itching to do another one and already have a lot of the fabric and lace laid out.

I know this is a long post, but just one more kind of funny note - in the next to the last photo you'll notice what looks like a pink chair.  That piece of pink fabric was the only piece I had that coordinated with the opposite page, which was made first.  The pink was a scrap from my grandmother and was already that shape.  As I was about to cut it, I looked at it again and decided that if it wanted to be a chair, I'd let it be a chair.  I told Marsha about it in the note I sent with her package, so as they looked through the book they were looking for that chair, and you can see that it's the page she's holding up in the photo above.

A great swap and and wonderful new friend - love this creative community!