3rd Thursday Tips & Techniques - Buttons Glorious Buttons ...

Alison Calcott...
Since I was a little girl I’ve had a fascination with buttons. My Grandmother used to have this very old tin full of buttons she had collected over the years. Today my Mum has beautiful, big jars full of buttons. I guess with four sons and one daughter she had a lot of reasons to have a lot of buttons! My Mum also used to be a dressmaker so you can imagine the unique, delicious buttons she has that I’d love to get my hands on! As sad as it may seem (LOL) I often find myself checking buttons on garments prior to purchasing them just to ensure I will be able to recycle the buttons at some point further down the track.

I don’t know about too many others but something I do a little differently (?) with my buttons is to store them individually by colour groups. Not for me one big jar full of mixed colour buttons. I have containers (albeit much smaller ones than the old tin my Grandmother had and the big jars my Mum has) for each colour. I do this for three reasons. One, I inherited my Grandmother’s and Mum’s button fetish genes. Two, I find it so much easier if I want a yellow button to just grab the yellow container as opposed to hunting through a gazillion other buttons for that ‘just perfect’ yellow button. Third, the containers look so pretty all in a row.

Regrettably (?) that’s not where my dreams of buttons end. A long time ago when I bought a Big Shot (remember when that was first released?!) and a few basic shaped dies, I started making my own buttons ‘to order’ with raw chipboard combined with double-sided adhesive JAC paper and then pretty much whatever I had in my stash that I could lay my hands on. Here are a few I have ‘whipped up’ to share.

The above round buttons were made by adhering patterned paper (I had some Basic Grey Blush Collection scraps) to chipboard with JAC paper and then die-cutting some circles with my favourite die … Big Shot Thick Cuts Circles. In the top row you can see that the first button is simply the patterned paper with some sanding. The second button has also had Inkssentials Glossy Accents applied. On the bottom row the first button had Kaiser Pearls added before the Glossy Accents was applied. I added Kindy Glitz to the third button before the Glossy Accents (once the Kindy Glitz was dry). The third button is a combination of the Kaiser Pearls with Kindy Glitz and Glossy Accents.

The above harlequin shaped buttons are a shape I haven’t made before. I think they’re kind of cute. The one with the eyelets I want to make into a stick figure!!! Anyway, when making these buttons I didn’t use any JAC paper. The first button is raw chipboard with two eyelets set in the holes. For the second button I lightly inked the raw chipboard with a Tim Holtz Distress Ink and then used a Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Visual Artistry stamp and (of course!) another Tim Holtz Distress Ink to stamp text onto the button. The third button was painted and once completely dry, distressed with a sanding tool, whilst the fourth button was painted and had Glossy Accents applied. These buttons were made with a Cuttlebug die … Harlequin.


Finally, the above funky shaped buttons were made with chipboard, JAC paper, and a variety of textural elements. I enjoyed making these ones the most. Once I had die-cut the shapes with my Big Shot Thick Cuts Boxes, Funky die it was simply a matter of removing the top layer of the JAC paper to reveal the adhesive layer beneath. Then all I had to do was to stick them sticky side down into a variety of products, well kind of. For the first button I used a Pinkerrific We R Memory Keepers Foil Sheet as a rub-on (foil side down on the adhesive JAC paper) and ended up with this terrific metallic effect which shows the lines from when I did the rubbing. Pretty cool. Next up I used glitter to cover my button. I used a German Glitter made from real glass so needed to handle this one with care. For the third small button I used a Magenta We R Memory Keepers Flock Sheet exactly the same way I used the Foil Sheet, as a rub-on. This time though I didn’t get the rubbing lines.

Moving onto the three larger buttons. The one on the left I put in a plastic bag in which I store my loose Hot Pink Flocking and then ‘squished’ away. By putting the button into the bag with the flocking I didn’t have to worry about cleaning up any loose flocking afterwards. Plus I was able to get a fabulous application. The middle button was even more fun to create! I used the Bright Pink Flower Soft. Now anyone who has used Flower Soft knows that once you release the filaments from their original packaging that you need to then store them in a larger zip lock bag. Yes?

Well setting aside the buttons for just a moment … up until now I have been storing the empty Flower Soft containers in the bag so I knew what colours I was using. I discovered whilst making these buttons that in fact the labeling on the Flower Soft containers is actually an easily removable disc on the inside of the lid. So I removed the disc to pop into the bag and as a result ended up being able to store my Flower Soft in a smaller space plus I ended up with a really cool container for later use. For any storage junkies you’ll love this tip! So where were we? Oh that’s right … buttons.

I applied the Flower Soft to the large, middle button exactly the same way as I applied the loose Flocking. I put my sticky chipboard button in the bag and ‘squished’ away. You can see the result for yourself … one very funky, textural button that looks fabulous. Finally, as the German Glass Glitter I used on the small button needs to be handled with care, I decided to see how one would look if I applied Glossy Accents over the top of the glitter. Whilst it certainly alters the colour of the glitter, the end result is an ever so very cool, textured, plastic-like tile. I was so thrilled with the result (don’t we all hate glitter spreading all over our projects) that I’ve decided to do the same with my Flower Soft button and am currently awaiting the result. I will be sure to let you know!

As you can see, if you’d rather custom make your own buttons, the possibilities are endless. They are quick and easy to make, a great way of using up any scraps you have left over from your latest project, they look fabulous, and most importantly, they were made by YOU.

Alz :)

PS: Here is a photo of the Flower Soft button once the Glossy Accents had dried. Oh boy LOL, I think I’ve died and gone to Button Heaven!!! :)

PPS: I think next time I'll paint the button pink for a more polished effect! :)
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Melinda Spinks... 
Buttons, Buttons, Buttons... come in all shapes, sizes and colours yet I will be the first to admit that I haven't really endeavoured to use them to their full potential. I have a tray of bits/bobs/buttons/bling beside me when I scrap and although it looks seriously amazing it is extremely underused and overstocked. So I took it upon myself to find new and interesting ways start using buttons in my work and I was amazed at how versatile a simple little button can be.

A button doesn't necessarily have to be for keeping your shirt from gaping or your pants from falling down, it can be used to embellish, enhance, add colour, add dimension... you are only limited by your imagination.
Try adding multiple buttons in the one colour scheme and overlapping them to create great dimension and an interesting statement on your project...

One of the latest trends seems to be that of adding just a simple bow to your button which looks really cute and is an alternative method in attaching a button to your layouts or cards...

Ever thought of grabbing a paint pen and adding some extra pizzaz to your button collection...

So I think it is time to have a little wander through your supplies and you may be pleasantly surprised at the collection you have built up over the years. Why not re-evaluate the way your buttons are stored, try separating them into individual colour schemes. I find buttons look so vibrant when they are individually sorted into their own colours and it makes life a whole lot easier to find a match for your project.
Next time you are looking for that perfect embellishment... try a button!
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Tanyah Payne...
 Buttons can be of all shapes and sizes, hand made as you can see above posts.
At scrap in craft with T. we stock....
Chellebean Buttons which are adorable... check more of them out HERE: 

We also stock packs of small buttons which are fantastic value...

 

We also have glittered buttons which look fantastic for placing in a garden pages and so much more.

Thankyou girls for your ideas with this one, i really apprecate it and I am sure our readers love your ideas...

thanks for reading
enjoy your day
luv tanXx

Some more Ribbon Techniques for our 3rd Thrusday tips and Technique day....

Ribbons, ribbons, ribbons. Sigh. The Australian Pocket Oxford Dictionary defines the word fetish as “… inanimate object worshipped …”. I have a ribbon fetish. LOL it’s not funny. This is serious business! I have boxes of the stuff. I can’t seem to stop buying it. Yes I do need grosgrain in every colour imaginable and in every width it’s manufactured. Ribbon is such a versatile product I say to myself as I run lengths of it dreamily through my fingers. I can make flowers with this I tell myself as I admire a spotted organza. OMG this twill is the perfect width for those rub-ons in my stash I exclaim! The textures of these velvets are as soft as a baby’s bottom … well of course I’ll use them on a baby’s page!! Wholy Cow these crochet trims are divine and I could even use them on that LO of my brother I’ve been waiting to do!!! Where are the baskets? Where is the checkout? Get out of my way … I need these ribbons!!!!

Okay so you get that I love ribbon LOL. It is a versatile product and comes in so many colours, widths, textures, styles and shapes. Whatever the project, whatever the subject matter, ribbons can be used; it’s just a matter of whether you want to use ribbon (and of course, come on now, why wouldn’t you?!). I’d like to share some of my favourite ribbon techniques with you …

Ribbons and cards go together like a horse and carriage! Below are three cards I have made using ribbons.

* The first card uses ribbons as a background (adhered with double-sided tape) together with a rub-on message applied to twill and secured to the card with brads.

* The second card features a handmade flower made with spotty organza, layered on top of a Green Tara flower and finished off with a button. To make the flower, wind the ribbon around your fingers several times – the number of fingers you use will determine the size of the flower and the number of times you wind the ribbon will determine the number of petals. The next step is to carefully ease your fingers out from the wound ribbon and at the same time to secure the middle of the wound ribbon with a needle, threaded and knotted. After pulling the thread up through the wound ribbon until the knot is secure, play with the wound ribbon, pulling it around and to the sides so that eventually you have the shape of a flower. Once you are happy with the shape, stitch through the centre of the flower a couple of times to secure. You will of course be left with an ‘incomplete petal’; this can either be cut off or trimmed neatly.

* The third shows how ribbon can be ‘pleated’ (in this case messily) by simply adhering double-sided tape to the back of the ribbon and then literally folding, and pleating the ribbon as you adhere it to the card. This can also be done very neatly and, if you have a steady hand, by sewing machine without the double-sided tape.

I also like to use ribbons on my LOs … they add lovely texture, can enhance the overall theme of your LO, add dimension and of course interest. Below are examples of some of the different techniques I have used with ribbons.

* Die-cutting ribbon. By attaching ribbon to a solid background, such as cardstock or thin chipboard, with a double-sided dry adhesive such as JAC paper, you can create a base from which shapes and alphas can be die-cut. If handled carefully the edges ought not fray.

* Ribbon flourishes. This is one of my favourite techniques. I have found that it works best with thin, pliable ribbons, such as ric rac – the skinnier the better! First, I lightly draw my flourish (or other) design on my LO with a pencil. Next, I run multiple lengths of the ric rac through a Xyron 150 and then carefully adhere the ric rac to the LO, removing it from the tacky paper as I go. From experience, to take the now adhesive ric rac off the Xyron sheet in one go would result in a big, gummy ball of ric rac. Alternatively if you have the Making Memories ribbon glue, working in small sections, apply the glue and then the ric rac along your flourish. With both of these adhesive options it is very important to work on your flourish in small steps, to use as few fingers as possible, to be aware that you could pick up adhesive/glue with other parts of your hands and fingers and transfer it to other sections of your LO, and (unless you are deft) to turn your LO as you go rather than trying to twist and turn your hand

* Ribbon clusters. Combining a number of ribbons (or in this instance crochet trims and twill) together with charms and buttons hanging amongst them look great hanging from one particular spot on your LO. I have used double-sided tape in small amounts here and there to specifically ‘place’ some of the trims to ensure that I don’t end up with one big mass of ribbons simply falling down the page flat.

* Ribbon backgrounds. The very simple process of adhering your ribbons in rows onto your background cardstock or patterned paper can create very effective backgrounds and can also be used to draw the viewer’s eye into the photo.

* Layering and tying off ribbons. I love to create ‘clusters’ of embellishments on my LOs. More is more! A great way to add texture, dimension and depth is to use ribbons in those clusters. These are just a few of my favourite ways of doing so: using ribbon to tie a knot in a button; folding a short length of ribbon in half and tucking it beneath another item in the cluster; if the ribbon is shaped, cutting it into pieces and randomly adhering those within the cluster; and finally if you are able, using pre-made ribbon embellishments.

* Ribbons as flower leaves. It doesn’t get much simpler than this. Fold or loop a length of ribbon to create the outline of a leaf and adhere beneath your blossom. For extra strength I like to adhere the ribbon ends together before sticking them beneath the blossom. This could be done with a quick stitch, double-sided tape, glue dots, or staples.

* Ribbon knots. By punching a hole (sized appropriately for the width of the ribbon you are using) in your LO, threading your ribbon from the front through to the back, and then tying a knot in the ribbon on the front of your LO, you will have created a ribbon knot. Although simple, these can look particularly effective when done in a pattern (for example around a scalloped circle), in amongst embellishment clusters, and make a great alternative to French knots when you want something a little larger.

I hope some of these techniques prove helpful when you next go to work with ribbon.

Alz
:)

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We have LOTS and LOTS of Ribbon in our shop of all sizes, shapes, prints and textures. Come and Check out our large range HERE 

What has become popular is hole ribbon or mesh ribbon , this you can cut to your required width if you want to, twist and staple it, place under your photos, create layers of different ribbons and so much more with a wonderful texture look.

We also have paper ribbon, paper string and Raffia for unreal affects and I have heard you can make paper jewlery out of these items, shape the paper, swirl it, tie knots and so much more!...

We also have Lace in black, white and cream at an unbelieveable price of 80c a meter. Being cotton lace your able to die it using several different inks eg daubers, ozie dies etc.

Thankyou to all the girls who helped put these amazing samples together and Hope you will want to use your ribbon more and create amazing projects with it.

have fun creating and thankyou for stopping by
luv Tan and my tallented Team Xx

Third Thursday Tips and Techniques: different ways of using ribbon on your layouts

I have looked through my albums to show you different ways on how to use ribbons. On the layout below you will see that I just used the ribbon to add a bit of bling; I used a buckle on the ribbon. There are many different ways and I will only show you a few ideas. Please feel free to share some of your ideas in our gallery!

I also wanted to repeat the green colour on my layout and the ribbon just matched perfectly!

On this layout I used ribbons in different sizes and colours as an important part of the design. I wanted to create a 'sun' and I used both ribbons and strips of paper to do so. The ribbons add a softer touch to the whole layout.

I made this layout for a challenge about 'What I love about Holland'. Well ... the thing I love most about Holland is the cheese. I wanted to create a 'Dutch feel' to the layout and used a striped ribbon in the colours of the flag to make a little 'flag on the right. I wanted to repeat the ribbon and made a sort of flower with it and added the date on the top. The blue and white ribbon with the windmills also added to the Dutch theme.

On this layout I wanted the ribbon not to be to dominant. I just added a bit in the top right corner and I also tied some around my chipboard swirl to make 'petals' for the flower.

On the layout below I used the ribbon to adhere the tag with the title to the layout.

On the layout below I used two different kind of ribbons to create the stem and the petals of my handmade flower.

On this layout I added the black and white ribbon to add to the 'car races' theme of the layout. I also wanted to show that ribbon doesn't have to be 'girly'; it can be used on layout for girls and boys.

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Stamping on your Ribbon - Nicky Amber

You can take your plain ribbon and give it a new look by using your stamping supplies.
I have used StazOn ink and various stamps from my stash to customise my ribbon.

Here are a couple of examples:

• Flourishes and swirls.

• Words or sentiments.

• Stamping a person's name on the ribbon.

In the card above I have also inked the edges of the ribbon to tie it in with the colours on the card.

This technique is only limited to your imagination...and your stamp stash. If you don't have any suitable stamps then you can always just use some inking or even paint to add some colour or texture.

Quick tip: to get the 'v-shape' even when you cut the ends of ribbon - fold the ribbon in half, cut the ribbon on an angle (make sure you cut slanting inwards to the fold) and you're done!

Happy creating!

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Stapling your ribbon - Sarah Rickard

I just love using ribbon on layouts! You can attach ribbons many different ways. On this layout below I have stapled the ribbon.

Here is a close up of the ribbon. I have folded the ribbon over itself and then stapled it for a great effect.

I would love to see the different ways you use ribbon on layouts - why not upload some layouts into our gallery ?

xoxo

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Third Thursday Techniques: Using Metal Embellishments ( like brads, charms, eyelets, clips and metal words)

Ingeborg Dijkstra
Tanyah asked us to show some layouts and ideas on how to use metal embellishments. A few years ago you saw them everywhere and most of us probably have a few (or a lot) in our stash somewhere. I don't use them a lot, so I was really challenged to create some layouts with different embellishments.

I made four picture collages to show your four different way of using metal embellishments:

1. charms
2. brads
3. a charm with words on it
4. eyelets

On the layout below (just click on it to see the picture better) I used three butterfly charms as a sort of border. I used different sizes of patterned brads (these are from KaiserCraft) on these pages. I also used some metal leaves for more decoration:
On this layout I used a metal charm with the words 'with love' at the bottom right of my layout. These sort of charms will also work really well on cards:


On this layout I used eyelets as a part of the design. I wanted to add a circle to my layout and instead of stitching or using paper, I chose to punch a lot of little holes and I added eyelets to it:

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Melinda Spinks

I can't say that I've ever played around with too many metal embellishments other than the standard 'eyelets' and brads. However, I have really fallen for embossing and etching of metal sheets as the possibilities are endless.
I recently made a card using gold and silver sheeting that I put through my little embosser and created some really funky patterns. The sheeting is also thin enough to pierce and sew and any old double sided tape works wonders for sticking it to your projects.

During last year's 'Embellish It' competition I made a little chipboard album that I covered in pieces of hand-etchd milo tin foil which was fun to do and really made a unique piece for my project. I've since learnt that Tanyah sells the metal sheeting so I don't need to drink so much milo.

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Nicky Amber

I haven't used a great deal of metal embellishments in my projects in the past, I think mainly because it hasn't matched the colours I have been using.  One suggestion I can make is that if you want to get more use out of your metal embellishments is......try using alcohol inks.

Here I have coloured some metal dragonflies with different shades of alcohol inks.

 Here I've used the coloured dragonflies in a card.  I think they tie in much better than they would if they were left as is.

 

 If you don't have any metal embellishments but like the look, you could try making your own faux metal embellishments.  To make this 'metal' heart, I used some jac paper and some kitchen aluminium foil then coloured with alcohol inks.

Firstly, I peeled off one side of the jac paper and attached it to alfoil (if you want the embellishment to be sturdier you can place the jac paper onto some cardstock).  Peel off the other side of the jac paper and place some more alfoil on top.  Trim excess foil away then cut out whatever shape or letter you desire.  You can then colour with alcohol inks or leave as is.

 Happy creating...xxxooo

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Alison Callcot

"I love metal embellishments, have a somewhat large stash of them, keep buying them (everything from brads and photo

anchors to old keys and handles), but find that I tend not to use them so much in my scrapping (layouts) these days. I think

(hope LOL!) its just a phase I'm going through. But when it comes to OTPs I simply cannot get enough of my various metal

embellishments. I recently altered an empty Forrero Rocher box of chocolates for a swap. Actually I was having so much fun

I altered two! The one I titled "Tim Holtz Junkie" I kept.

Loving my metal like I do how could I possibly let this go?? The Forrero Rocher chocolate box turned out to be quite

versatile for altering and handled being drilled very well. This enabled me to attach (for example) various metal items with

brads (more metal!!) and also screws (as in the 7Gypsies book knob). The only problem with the brads though was that they

lacked the strength (for the most part) to hold the heavier metal objects secure. To overcome this I adhered some plain

acetate to JAC paper and die-cut circles which I then used as 'bandaids' (LOL) to hold the brads secure on the inside of the

box. It worked a treat and is barely visible. Other metal was easily adhered with Glossy Accents Inkssentials which set very

quickly. I could have altered the look of the metals with paint, sanding, alcohol inks etc, but decided to leave it as is. Can

you guess what I'm going to use this altered box for? Yep you got it ... storing more metal!!!"

Here is the list of 'metals' I used on this project should you choose to use it:

- 7Gypsies Pewter Book Knob - Black Noir

- Making Memories alpha tiles

- CK OK brads

- Accentz dragonfly brad

- Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Jump Rings

- Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Mini Pins

- Tim Holtz Idea-ology -Trinket Pins

- Tim Holtz Idea-ology -Philosophy Tags

- Tim Holtz Idea-ology -Keyholes

- Tim Holtz Idea-ology -Swivel Clasps

- Tim Holtz Idea-ology -Sprocket Gears

- Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Long Fasteners

- Pewter altered art charms

Thanks alz for sharing this with us it is absolutley brillant xx

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Tanyah Payne

Metal embelishments can be from the 7 gypsys pins to brads/eyelets and so many different possiblities. Making false metal is tones above as nic has created above.

What i love about brads are you are able to create a shape with them  not only a bracket but create a swirl or place them in the centre of your flowers... The other cool thing about brads are you are able to change the colour of what you have using ALCOHOL INKS as in nics example above or using EMBOSSING POWDERS by weting the brad with versamark and than dabing into the powder. Holding your brad with safety tweezers and heating. The other way is the new product out now called SMOOCH

 We have in our store lots of different shaped metal brads for you to enjoy! to see more CLICK HERE!

  

Their are many differnt metal embelishments just for decoration.

 Their are many many more if you want to check out what else their is check out our shop today! CLICK HERE!

 Thanks heaps for reading and hope this info has helped you with metal embellishments and what your able to do with them...

enjoy

luv tanXx