Make your own doodled buttons!

doodled buttons!

So, if you’ve been seeing my little headbands, you will notice that I had some cute little striped buttons on there. I wish I could find buttons that cute, but in actuality, I had to make my own.

I would offer you a really great tutorial, but there’s nothing to it! You simply doodle on buttons with permanent markers. Easy.as.pie.

Now I don’t recommend you buying expensive buttons (and if you do, draw at your own risk). I’ve messed several buttons up doing this…but if you find yourself doodling anyway, it may be something fun and new to try to add a little extra spice to a scrapbook page, shirt, or embellishment for shoes, earrings, button bouquets, etc.

doodled buttons 2

Go crazy with it. I did a checkerboard design, stripes, polka dots, plaid, circles and more. Also experiment making hearts, peace signs, clovers, or other shapes. If you are getting a head start on your holiday crafting, make some Halloween buttons with bats or pumpkins on them or make some swirls and create lollipops or candy cane stripes for Christmas embellishments.

Of course, the smaller tip you will use will yield finer detail. As you prob. can see, they aren’t perfect, but that can add handmade charm and a nice personalized touch!

Make sure to let them dry fully and you will prob. want to keep them from water (just in case). Also, I just started making these, so I can’t guarantee that they will hold up over the test of time. The more wear and tear you do on the button, the more likely it will rub off over time. So keep this in mind!

Hope you enjoyed this fun and easy project!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

Living the colorful life

papier mache boxes

I love color. I really do. I wanted to share a few things in my life that inspire me with popping color! First off, the photo above is a detail of some stacking boxes I bought at Ikea. They break down to fit into one small round box; however, I like to display them stacked. Actually, they are like 2 feet tall if you stacked them from top to bottom, but realistically, that’s just not going to work. It falls over in an instant. I use these little boxes to store small trinkets and embellishments for crafting.

button colander
Love this little colander I picked up at Michaels for only $2 in the value section. Thought I would spice it up with some multi-colored buttons.

colorful trays
Love these trays I bought for 68¢ a couple years back. I actually use the pink one for a paint palette, but I actually own more than this. I have an idea in the back of my head that I want to do down the road with these fun little trays!

drink umbrellas
These little umbrellas were a major steal at the local antique store. I got them for a $1! I want to make something with them…the inspiration just hasn’t hit yet.

button bokeh
Oh, yeah, I’m totally pimping myself out above. These are my colorful button rings. Buttons are just so much fun to photograph! I never get tired of looking through a boxful or bowlful of bottons, don’t you. A couple of rings are posted on my Etsy shop. Check them out here.

Well, going to head off to bed. Hope you have a great Wednesday!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

I love the 80’s

You can’t tell, can you?

in it's element

Yeah, I’m a fan. I took this today. Thought I would share.

I had a craft show last weekend. Made a lot o’ stuff, but sold very little.

Woe is me.

I just have to find my right market/niche. It is frustrating. Gotta get in gear, focused and organized. Last I looked, buttons were haphazardly strewn all over my living room. Ahhhhh. Attack of the buttons. i guess that wouldn’t be the worst thing, though.

So much to do, so little time, but for those who actually read my blog, this is the story of my life. I need to get a new one, don’t I? It’s like a broken record.

Speaking of records, my brother used to play all kinds of good tunes back in the 80’s…lotsa Duran Duran,. Tears for Fears, and Thompson Twins. I actually still have the first record I ever bought….Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All”. She was my idol back in the day. Love the look she had going on here with a passion (as seen in her “I wanna dance with somebody video”. There was a dress in particular that intriqued me…it was red with one sleeve long and one sleeve sleeveless. So cool.

Ornament Thursday Week 3

So, I’m posting tonight an ornament I did…actually one that I had done for a step by step photo at work. I have to shoot step by steps of my hands (oftentimes I’m shooting the photo and painting at the same time – multitask isn’t my middle name, but I sometimes have to do it). Anyway, I enjoyed the initial look for this ornament so much that I decided to finish it. It actually turned out really cute…kinda retro…and kinda festive. I dig it. It is made using Gold Craft Twinkle Writer from DecoArt and various colored small-sized rhinestones

fanciful starburst ornament

I also made some fun button ornaments out of vintage and new buttons I’ve bought recently or had from grade school. I decided to put them on a fun mini tree and show them off…you know you have some buttons that just need to be displayed that you’ve got stored away. Now’s your chance to show them off!

Button Ornament Tree

Oh, and check out these super cute ornament that our designer, Jane, did at my work.

zebraornament350x480

I just lurve the zebra stripe! I can just see it now with a fabulous hot pink bow. So easy using just a plain white pearl ornament and Black Craft Twinkle Writer! Click here for full instructions and supplies.

Please check out some of the other artists that are featuring ornament designs on their web site this Thursday:

Sara Naumann
http://blog.paperwishes.com/sara/

Lynn Kvigne http://beading.consumerhelpweb.com/blog/

Candie Cooper
http://candiecooper.typepad.com/savvycrafter/

Katie Hacker http://www.katiehacker.com/index.htm

Margot Potter
http://margotpotter.blogspot.com/

Linda Augsburg http://cs.makeitminemag.com/mimcs/blogs/makeitmine/

Melanie Brooks Lukacs http://earthenwood-beads.blogspot.com/

Art Bead Scene
http://www.artbeadscene.blogspot.com/

Cindy Gimbrone
http://lampworkdiva.blogspot.com

Suzanne http://suzanne-catching-up.blogspot.com/

Humblebeads http://www.humblebeads.blogspot.com/

Polymer Clay Craft Gossip http://polymerclay.craftgossip.com/

Elaine Luther http://www.CreativeTextureTools.com/news

Melissa Lee http://www.strandsofbeads.blogspot.com

Rebecca Peck http://vintagegirlmodernworld.wordpress.com/

Jean Yates http://prettykittydogmoonjewelry.blogspot.com

Michelle McGee http://fromichelle.blogspot.com/

Jenny Harada http://pomly.livejournal.com/

Jennifer Heynen http://jenniferjangles.blogspot.com/

Hali Chambers www.labyrinthgal.blogspot.com

Kriss Kramer www.art-interrupted.blogspot.com

Brandy Lung Gill http://accesstoexcess.blogspot.com/

OK, out of here for now. I had a long day…capped off by a nice evening of photo taking with my flick friends and Starbucks (yum). My bed awaits!