Two sparkles and a shiny one

A friend gave me some Chinese brocade:

Necklace #116.  Buttons covered in Chinese brocade, with some old glass buttons from La Mode (so they say on the back), on Japanese chirimen polyester bias tape.

And here are some old rhinestone buttons with a pewter-y patina on the settings

Necklace #117.  The buttons on either side of the central one are actually elements from an old belt.  The accents are vintage palettes, all on Japanese chirimen polyester bias tape.

I only got a little hank of this red and black striped rayon bias tape to try (extra expensive).  It has a  hand so different from the polyester, cotton, or linen tapes.  It seemed the right thing for this great buckle and some accompanying old buttons:

Necklace #118.  The buttons at the top, with the silver band, were from the stash of a generous friend in the neighborhood.  The buckle is likely Bakelite; the funny little button within it is some old-timey plastic.  And they are on the experimental rayon bias tape.

The Salon des Artistes, our annual show with, this year, six artists,  is less than two weeks away - December 7th, 10-4, 4000 Aspen Avenue NE, Albuquerque, near the intersection of Carlisle and Constitution!

And once again, the link to the Google+ album of current work is https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/105148425797657603947/albums/5669744508708774721

Back to Playing with Textiles, and More Shiny Natural Materials

Textiles, especially the vintage Japanese ones, call to me for a round of covered-button making.

Necklace #114 was a fun color-wheel game.  That deep violet vintage Japanese silk is a complementary color with the chirimen polyester bias tape, and the little Bakelite accent buttons are a split complementary with the deep violet.  It looked nice with an indigo-blue shirt.

Almost time for the annual Salon des Artistes!  It will be December 7th from 10-4 here at 4000 Aspen NE, Albuquerque.  Six of us will exhibit and sell (paperie, jewelry, bags and pillows, surprise balls, vintage clothes..... ).   May it not snow until December 8th!

My photo album of current necklaces (some are at Mariposa Gallery here in Albuquerque) is athttps://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/105148425797657603947/albums/5669744508708774721.

Time for things that Glitter and Shine

Here are various kinds of twinkle and glow:

Necklace #109.   Vintage and contemporary glass buttons on Japanese chirimen polyester bias tape. 

And nature's own gleam,  abalone buttons, on the chirimen polyester bias tape for Necklace #110.

 Necklace #111 is with vintage rhinestone buttons (imagine those original dresses!) with an accent of rhinestone pallettes on chirimen polyester tape.

With necklace #112, the central button is by glass artist Robin Pascal, www.PerfectButtons.com, and the rest are old Le Chic plastic buttons made in "western Germany", so reflective that you do indeed see the photographer's reflection in them.  They are again on the chirimen polyester bias tape, this time deep purple, which doesn't show up well in my pictures.

Recent Time at the Work Table

Sometimes a re-style is in order, and here are two necklaces, originally made in the past year, that I decided to re-do:

Necklace #103 (as it is currently known).  I kept the contemporary plastic triangle and the silver plastic buttons (and the chirimen polyester bias tape) but changed out the former accents (small blue triangles and round red balls) for these contemporary plastic chile-like buttons and flatter red accents at the top.

Necklace #106 now.  I moved the vintage rayon-covered buttons to a pink background - they had been on black before - and gave them vintage plastic floral accompaniment.  Previously I'd had them with some great, very dimensional contemporary white plastic buttons, which are now busy accenting other things. 

And then there are some completely new necklaces, as I gear up for the Salon des Artistes event on December 7th: 

Necklace #104.  Antique silvered glass buttons with vintage red glass accents, on chirimen polyester bias tape.  

Necklace #105.  The central button is a contemporary Italian-made polyester one; the other two large buttons are covered in hand-painted cotton/silk by Sandra Holzman (www.sandrasilk.com)  and the accents are vintage mother of pearl.  They are on a woven cotton Japanese bias tape.

Necklace #108 uses the wild painted-wood buttons my cousin sent me, with a vintage metal central button and dowdy little old covered  buttons as the end-off.  They are on woven cotton Japanese bias tape.  

See the gang of new necklaces (as they multiply - I know they will multiply!) at my Google+ album at  https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/105148425797657603947/albums/5669744508708774721.  If you are new to the Google+ album format (they give few clues), the album opens as a montage of the photos.  Click on any one photo to get the enlargement, the caption at upper right, and the arrows to guide you through the album.

Long Time Betwen Posts Here!

Time to get back with the program!  Our annual Salon des Artistes will be December 7th this year, and I am spending time making new necklaces.  I also recently reloaded the showcase at Mariposa Gallery here in Albuquerque.

And here's one I wound up keeping for myself:

Necklace #96.  Vintage celluloid and other vintage plastic buttons on linen/cotton bias tape.

And one sold at Planned Parenthood's recent gala silent auction:

Necklace #97.  Buttons covered in vintage Japanese kimono silk with vintage mother of pearl accent buttons, on Japanese chirimen polyester bias tape which is purple, even though it looks, well, dark in this photo.

And here's one recently sold, chosen especially to accessorize denim: 

 

Necklace #98.  Celluloid and other vintage plastic buttons on Japanese chirimen polyester bias tape in that ochre color that has proven to be a favorite.

Please scroll down to the next most recent post below for the links to the necklace photo albums.  Remember to click on an individual photo in order to see it enlarged and read the caption.

Vintage Buttons - some favorite genres

Some may remember the sheer nylon blouses of the 1950s - they were often a neutral cream-color or pastel, although my grandmother had a stunning crimson one and black, too.  The buttons were usually little clear knobs set with rhinestones, like the little rhinestone-set ones on this new necklace.

Necklace #93.  Vintage plastic buttons with rhinestones on Japanese chirimen polyester bias tape.

And there is nothing so seductive as vintage Bakelite, with its happy patina and slight phenolic scent.

Necklace #94.  Vintage Bakelite buttons and buckle on Japanese chirimen polyester bias tape.  

See the currently available necklaces, including the ones at Albuquerque's Mariposa Gallery, at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/105148425797657603947/albums/5669744508708774721.  Check out the archive at  https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/105148425797657603947/albums/5710594652452863473.  Click on a photo for captions. 

Buttonwork in Early March...

At first I didn't think I'd want this ochre-colored chirimen polyester bias tape, but now I love it.  It makes so many colors, shapes and patinas pop.

Necklace #89, with vintage and contemporary plastic buttons in butterfly-wing blues, on the ochre bias tape.

 The black chirimen does a nice job of offsetting:

Necklace #91.  Buttons covered in vintage Japanese fabric (cotton or rayon) accented by contemporary plastic buttons with interesting pink shading.

Necklace #92, fresh from the work table.  Buttons are covered in rayon with a complex Chinese print mixing text (in characters), florals, a few babies, one lucky bat, and other things to deconstruct.  This fabric is from two tie-ends my friend Diane took off a thrifted blouse.  Once all the stitching was out there was just enough space for circles needed to cover #30 button forms.

I still have necklaces at Albuquerque's lovely Mariposa Gallery (see post below), although a couple are gone now.  Also see post below for the link to the photo album of current necklaces.

Happy 2014! ... And announcing some representation at Albuquerque's Mariposa Gallery

Time has flown, it is 2014, and the annual Salon des Artistes is well past.  It was a lovely, successful with constant visitors despite falling snow.  Many thanks from all seven of us vendor hosts to our wonderful customers.

My album of necklaces currently available, at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/105148425797657603947/albums/5669744508708774721, has been updated so that none of the necklaces sold at the Salon are shown on it.  To see the big album of necklaces no longer available, check out https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/105148425797657603947/albums/5710594652452863473.

However, I am delighted to report that some of those currently available necklaces are now  at Mariposa Gallery, Albuquerque's premier gallery for what we might still safely call fine craft, as well as painting, works on paper, and small sculpture pieces.  Please check out the gallery at http://mariposa-gallery.com . If you are in Albuquerque, visit Mariposa at 3500 Central Avenue SE, corner of Amherst Street in our hip Nob Hill neighborhood.  And if you catch gallerist-owner Liz Dineen behind the counter, her eye-dazzling outfit will knock your socks off.  You might see

 

or

 

and a few more.  (Check the currently-available album link for necklace details).  

The Google+ album format is still new to some people, and I don't think it is especially intuitive.   If this format is new to you, click on an individual picture in the big montage they show you when you open the link.  This will give you a larger view of the necklace you've clicked on, and, up at the top right, a caption with description and my identifying necklace number.  It will also, below the picture, give you some arrows, so you can page through the necklaces, going backwards or forwards.  There should be a slide show option as well.

Time to make some new 2014 stuff!