Mostly Bakelite and Polka Dots (and one more buckle necklace)

My aunt's collection included little mother of pearl buckles in several shapes, just crying out to be combined with little mother of pearl buttons of various shapes:

Necklace #211, mother of pearl buckles and buttons on Japanese chirimen polyester bias tape.  

But then, time to play with the black-on-white polka dot bias tape and the bakelite and celluoid button stash:

Necklace #212.  Bakelite buttons on cotton bias tape.

Necklace #213, Sheet Bakelite scotties with Bakelite balls.  

Necklace #214.  Bakelite rod buttons (and two little tablet-shapes) on cotton bias tape.

Necklace #215.  Back and white various buttons - Bakelite, celluloid and likely other vintage plastics - on cotton bias tape.

Maybe time to switch to white polka dots on black for the next few....

Most current photo album is at  https://goo.gl/photos/uJFB3VUDePMFPEbk9

Back to Work. Celebrating a Buckle Bonanza

My favorite aunt died on Valentine's Day this year, and my cousin generously shared some of Aunt Emma's trove of buttons but also sent two cigar-box-sized treasure chests of astounding vintage buckles.  Time to get to work (just scratching the surface)!

Necklace #208.  Rhinestone buttons with a central rhinestone buckle piece (augmented with a button).

Necklace #209.  All buckles!  The sticks on the three large ones are interesting in themselves.

Necklace #210.  Cut-steel shoe buckle in center, with vintage glass and metal buttons.  

The all-rhinestone pieces have already left me - a wonderful art-trade with a mixed media artist.

The album of more recent and yet-available necklaces is at https://goo.gl/photos/uJFB3VUDePMFPEbk9,  The ever-exanding archive of neclaces - almost from the beginning - is at https://goo.gl/photos/GpN6kRMTVzpzjiQAA

The Annual Salon des Artistes is coming right up

This year we are doing something a little different and joining forces with more artists at the Bazaar Lizard, in a landmark house, The Lizard House, in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque in Albuquerque's North Valley.  The house has a sculptural relief of a very large lizard on its front wall.  We're excited about getting to go inside!  So, it's December 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at 8671 Rio Grande Boulevard NE, official invitation by artist Bea Lombard below:

Some inside-the-gate parking available; more along Rio Grande Blvd.  Please bring cash or checks for shopping, and come and see us and the Lizard House!

Moving slightly away from the Bakelite stash

Celluloid is as luscious as Bakelite.  It's hard not to rub these buttons like talismans.

Necklace #196.  Vintage celluloid and metal buttons on Japanese chirimen polyester bias tape. Little Bakelite ball buttons at the ends.

Extruded celluloid is pretty weird stuff and maybe not for everyone, but I think it has a wacky charm.

 Necklace #201.  Vintage extruded celluloid buttons on satin bias tape.

But leaving plastics behind, these intricate mother of pearl buttons are likely Victorian.

Necklace #198.  Antique mother of pearl buttons on Japanese cotton bias tape.

Stone is nice, too.

Necklace #197.  Stone buttons on Japanese chirimen polyester bias tape.

But on to something softer, buttons covered with vintage Japanese kimono fabric.

Necklace #200.  Buttons covered in vintage Japanese bias tape, with Bakelite accent buttons, on satin bias tape.  

Check out the most recent necklace collection at https://goo.gl/photos/uJFB3VUDePMFPEbk9

And Still More Bakelite (and some other vintage plastic)

More show-and-tell from the work table:

Necklace #190, Very very tactile Bakelite cylinders from the 1930s on polka dot cotton tape.

Necklace #191.  A little break from Bakelite.  Vintage plastic roses with mother of pearl leaves and vintage glass twinkling in between (satin bias tape).

Necklace #193.  Two-tone 1930s Bakelite tapdancing away on Japanese chirimen polyester bias tape.

Necklace #192.  Another break from Bakelite.  Vintage plastic and mother of pearl with rhinestone centers (satin bias tape.

Necklace #194.  Vintage celluloid and metal center button surrounded by spinach-green Bakelite round buttons (on Japanese chirimen polyester bias tape).

For more photos from the stash and the archive, check out https://goo.gl/photos/uJFB3VUDePMFPEbk9

1930s Bakelite (and a little metal)

Slowly having fun with the hoard of buttons from a dear friend.  1930s buttons, mostly Bakelite, have been calling:

  Necklace #187 features these almost-op metal buttons with little Bakelite accents in between.

Necklace #188 is various seductively-shaped Bakelite buttons

Necklace #189 features large two-tone Bakelite buttons that are very pleasing to the touch, with little Bakelite accents in between.

Click https://goo.gl/photos/uJFB3VUDePMFPEbk9 for the albums of more current work and https://goo.gl/photos/GpN6kRMTVzpzjiQAA for the earlier archive. 

Having fun with a wonderful button-box gift

A dear friend gave me a treasure-trove of buttons, and so I am off and running!

Necklace #184.  Vintage celluloid and metal buttons on a black satin bias tape.

I love a rythmic asymmetry and I always drift to black and red.

Necklace #185.  Bakelite buttons with mother-of-pearl insets, on Japanese chirimen bias tape.

Hard not to keep rubbing these pleasingly smooth buttons or watching the mother-of-pearl catch the light.

Necklace #186.  Bakelite buttons on satin bias tape.

These 1920s butterflies are one of the great treasures in the gift box, and the little Bakelite buttons give them a little dimension.  

So yes, off and running, with more designs lined up on the work table.