Simple Five Fridays #3 - Five Fun Things To Do With Buttons

Who doesn't love buttons?! You can get them just about anywhere, from the LSS, from thrift stores, or even from your own old clothes. I always stash those ones you get when you buy new clothes and they have a little envie or bag with extra buttons—love those ones!

There are a lot of things you can do with buttons (put them in rows, sew them on a layout, use them as centers of flowers) but I wanted to highlight FIVE of my favorite ways to use buttons.

1. Put brads through the holes. I first saw this idea on a layout Cindy Tobey had published in Memory Makers Magazine (on the cover) earlier this year. I’ve even seen other designers doing this same technique—just too much fun!

I made Mickey Heads on buttons with brads in the "Disney Magic" class I taught at The Scrappin' Table:

2. Create a trail. It can be a trail behind a star, from a cloud or rainbow…just make the buttons follow some kind of curve or line on the page.

On this layout I followed the rays coming out of the flowers on the paper on the right-hand side:

I created a handcut curve on the paper, followed that curve with my letters for the title, and naturally the buttons followed in a row too!

Here I used the buttons to form a trail from a star. This page is actually scraplift I did for a challenge to use a layout where they did a similar thing with buttons.

3. Scatter. Just spill the buttons over the page and see where they look the best. Then start glue dotting them where ever they fell!!

Anywhere that needed a little color, I just threw some buttons on on this page!

Here I spilled the buttons onto the page and then smooshed them really close together-I wanted it to look like an overcrowded pumpkin patch...

I dumped out these buttons to see if they matched the paper and they looked cool where they fell so I just stuck them down.

4. Decorate them. Stamp on them with stazon, ink the edges with stazon or alcohol inks or even use rubons on your buttons to give them more depth. I love SEI and American Crafts buttons best for this technique since they are flat on the front.

Here I stamped stars on some of the buttons so they would match the motif in the paper and on the epoxy stickers I used:

5. Line ‘em up. Don't just make the buttons in a row but make all the holes face the same direction as well.

On this layout I used the visual line created by the button holes to make sure they were straight:

Though the buttons are not in a row on this page, I made all the holes face the same direction to keep the look crisp and clean:

And here's a BONUS technique- Button Flowers!!

Auntie T at Scrapbook.com has these cool button flowers in her gallery and I spied them there the other day. She was so nice to allow me to post them here!! Thank you!! If you want to know how to make these, she has the instructions and I can post them--just say the word.

Hopefully I've shown you something "new" and you'll be inspired to break out the buttons and create!

SO Happy Together, Happy Birthday, Celebrate Summer, and Play Hard!!

If any of these phrases describe your summer then check out my upcoming classes! I am offering 4 classes before the end of the month so don't miss out - get your scrappin' in before school starts! Each class also comes with a bonus project for FREE, only if you come to the class!

"So Happy Together" 6x6 Mini Book w/ Surprise Bonus!
August 21, 2008 *TONIGHT* ONLY 2 Spots Left
7-9pm, $32
Ph: 951-372-8214
Scrapper's Cafe

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"Happy Birthday" Party Hat Book w/ Bonus Gift Bag Project!
August 23, 2008
1-4pm
$28
Ph: 714-961-8011
The Scrappin' Table

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"Celebrate Summer" Mini Book w/ Bonus Layout!
August 27, 2008 *ONLY 3 Spots Left!*
630-9pm
$35
Ph: 760-948-5700
Scrapbook Blvd

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"Play Hard" Sports License Plate Book w/ Bonus Sports Bag Tag!
August 31, 2008 *ONLY 1 Spot Left!*
10am-1pm
$35
Ph: 714-961-8011
The Scrappin' Table

Please note on the Sports License Plate Book Class I can make more kits so if you and a friend want to sign up, just call the store and sign up by tonight and I will make a new kit with some little bit different paper. Just FYI!

Oooh Scary!!!!

I just finished up my sample for the "Spooky" Halloween Banner I am teaching at Collective Journey, Scrapbook Boulevard, and The Scrappin' Table!! Each banner at each store is a little bit different -- you know I can't just make things all the same! They each have to be special in their own way... LOL Anyways, you'll get everything to make the banners the same if you want to so you'll be getting lots of extra goodies. I'm also including a layout as a bonus with this class!!! You'll have to take the class to see the layout though...hehe...

The Scrappin' Table
October 4, 2008
3-6pm, $30
Ph: 714-961-8011

Collective Journey
October 5, 2008
1-3pm, $30
Ph: 909-793-2200

Scrapbook Boulevard
October 12, 2008
1230-330pm, Fee: $30
Ph: 760-948-5700

Class Description: Be the talk of Halloween Town with this spook-a-licious garland hanging on your door or over the fireplace. It will be nothing but treats come Halloween night as we play with sugarcoated cardstock, luscious ribbons, and the newest Halloween themed papers to create this delightfully spooky banner.

Here are some of my fave parts of the banner:

Look at that little itty bitty cat on the little tag!! I love it!! It's a rhinestone too.

Oooh, scary spider!!

We'll be playing with so much fun stuff during this class too: Paint, Glimmer Mist, Glitter, Tulle, Tissue, Crepe Paper, Ribbon, Tissue Festooning, Beads, Gems, Staz-On White Ink Pad...and don't even get me started on techniques; the class is jam-packed with goodness!

Six pennants are included in the class so if you want to make the banner say "Happy Halloween" just buy extra kits to make up the letters. I will bring my Quickutz Silhouette to the classes at Scrapbook Boulevard and Collective Journey and we can cut your extra letters during the class. If you are taking the class at The Scrappin' Table, just email me the extra letters you want (available if you buy more than one kit) and I will bring them to the class for you.

Supplies to bring to class: Baby Wipes or Gloves, 3D Foam Squares (large & small), CRAFT Glue Dots, Mini Glue Dots, Zip Dry, Colorbox Chalk Ink in Dark Olive & Charcoal, Sharp Precision Tip Scissors, Paper Trimmer, Glue Lines, Stickles in Black Diamond.

Additional supplies to bring to class if you don't want to share (I'll have these on hand in class): Stapler, Crop A Dile, Elmer's White Glue or Ailene's Tacky Glue, Staz-on or other WHITE ink pad if you have one, Foam Paint Brushes (2).

To sign up, call the stores at the numbers listed above or drop by and sign up. As always, if you'd like a kit, please purchase the class through the store and I will leave the kit there for you to pick up or arrange to mail it to you. See you then!!!

Check This Out...

http://gypsyrosepaperie.com/?p=33

Um yeah!! That is MY stuff in that slide show--woohoo!!! That first book is the "Our Family Story" book that inspired the class that PJ and I taught last Fall. And the party hat is the class I am teaching Saturday at The Scrappin' Table (still a couple spots left if you want in...). How cool!!

A couple of my Pink Tiara Ladies friends have made the finals too--congrats Heidi and Danielle!!

So if you haven't yet heard of Gypsy Rose Paperie then you need to check it out--they have taken a really unique approach to kits and papercrafting, not just scrapping. How refreshing...

P.S. I am feeling better now and NO I am not prego--LOL. Cindy, Cindy, Cindy...

Under the Weather...

Sorry for being a bad bad blog updater!LOL I have been having these waves of nausea for the last few days and feeling really tired. Xaver has been too. I think we might have caught some kind of stomach bug. Or got heat exhaustion from all of our outdoor activities this weekend. Hope to be back up and running soon... off to chase the boy, he just ran off...