Button Swap Reveal and Blog Hop Today and Giveaway

Well, today is the day of the long awaited Button Swap Blog Hop.  Back in March I signed up and  within a few weeks I was in possession of the beautiful handmade metal beads you see below.  These were made especially for me, I am told, by the very talented Stacie Florerr.  I have since learned that she is a metal expert and is sharing her skills with students at ArtBliss in September, 2012.

These are the 4 buttons I received.  Aren't they to die for!!

In the course of thinking about what I would make with these buttons, I thought that I would like to use one of them as a button but have it also function as a design element in the jewelry piece.  With this in mind I made a flat peyote stitch double wrap bracelet.  I used size 8 Japanese seed beads in shades of green and for contrast I used a dark bronze Czech seed bead, also a size 8.   The pattern for the darker beads was made up as I went along. Nothing planned.  For the edging and the button hole loop I used size 11 Czech beads, also in a dark bronze.  And here is how it came out.

The button is the clasp but it is also a decorative design element.

Here you can see the whole bracelet and see how the button sets if off.  I think the colors of the seed beads go so well with Stacie's button.

The second idea I had was to use the button only as a bead and not as a button at all.  For this idea I made a wire wrapped bracelet and turned the button into a bead with two wrapped loops.  I learned how to do this from the Wirework emag that came out some months ago.  

In this bracelet I used my handmade ceramic beads.  I wire wrapped them and included some golden mustard colored chain from Miss Ficklemedia and some commercial copper chain from Ornamentea..  The toggle clasp is made from a copper washer that I hammered and drilled holes in.  The toggle bar owes its inspiration to Deryn Mentock's online ecourse The Art lof Closure.  I wire wrapped the bar with 2 of my beads and in the center I strung on a size 8 glass seed bead.  Stacie's button is part of the bead crowd here and is looking quite at home I think.

My Third idea was to use one of the button as a button and only that.  I have not quite completed the bracelet I began as of this writing.  But here is a pic of part of 

 the bracelet and you can see how beautifully the button is with this color combo and texture.

And for the 4th Button,  I decided that I would like to keep it just as it is.  It is so pretty and I am sure in time I will find just the right use for it.

Thank you Stacie for the wonderful buttons.   Thank you  Cindy for hosting this fun swap and exchange.  I have begun making more buttons since all this started.  I thank you for that too.

The GIVEAWAY

Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered in the giveaway to receive 2 of my handmade buttons.  One will be ceramic, kind of like the ones I gave Stacie and the other will be made by me from copper.  Stamped and already wire wrapped and ready to use.

I am giving away these two buttons to a lucky winner.  To enter just leave a comment.  Giveaway closes on May 19 at Midnight.  I will announce the winner on Sunday May 20.  Thanks so much for stopping by.

These are my  andmade ceramic buttons that I  gave to Stacie.  I hope you will hop over there and see what she made and then visit all the other wonderful, creative participants.  The list is below.

Alice Peterson  and Kim Bender

Angie Blasingame and Billi R.S. Rothove

 Billi R.S. Rothove and Angie Blasingame

 Birgitta Lejonklou and Pam Farren

 Bonnie Coursolle and Tania Hagen

 Brenda Salzano and Hope Smitherman

 Cat Kerr and Heather Powers

 Cece Cornier and Jeannie Dukic

 Celeste Thurston and Christine Damm

 Christine Damm and Celeste Thurston

 Christine Stonefield and Dana James

 Cilla Watkins and Lori Bowring Michaud

 Cindy Wimmer and Mimi Gardner

 Cynthia Machata and Julia Johnson

 Cynthia Riggs and Lori Finney

 Dana James and Christine Stonefield

Diana Ptaszynski and Erin Prais-Hintz

 Emma Thomas and Rebecca Anderson

 Erin Prais-Hintz and Diana Ptaszynski

 Erin Siegel and Sharon Borsavage

 Heather Powers and Cat Kerr

 Holly Westfall and Sally Russick

 Hope Smitherman and Brenda Salzano

 Janet  McDonald and Kim Roberts

 Jayne Capps and Kim Dworak

 Jeannie Dukic and Cece Cornier

 Jenna Meyers and Kristi Harrison

 Jenna Tomalka and Karen McKillip

 Jenny Davies Reazor and Sandi Volpe

 Julia Johnson and Cynthia Machata

 Kalaya Steede and Kylie Dickman

 Karen McKillip and Jenna Tomalka

 Karen Mitchell and Renetha Stanziano

 Karla Morgen and Mary Govaars

Kay Thomerson and Shannon Chomanczuk

 Kim Ballor and Laurel Steven

 Kim Bender and Alice Peterson

 Kim Dworak and Jayne Capps

 Kim Roberts and Janet  McDonald

 Kristi Harrison and Jenna Meyers

 Kylie Dickman and Kalaya Steede

 Kym Hunter and Lynda Moseley

 Laurel Steven and Kim Ballor

 Linda Djokic and Patty Gasparino

 Line Labrecque and Teri Baskett

 Liz DeLuca and Lorelei Eurto

 Lorelei Eurto and Liz DeLuca

 Lori Anderson and Niky Sayers

 Lori Bowring Michaud and Cilla Watkins

 Lori Finney and Cynthia Riggs

 Lynda Moseley and Kym Hunter

 Marianna Boylan and Tracy Statler

 Mary Govaars and Karla Morgen

 Mary Harding and Stacie Florer    you are here

 Maureen Baranov and Tracy Bell

 Melissa Martin and Theresa Fosdick

 Michelle Hardy and Peggy Johnson

 Mimi Gardner and Cindy Wimmer

 Nicole Valentine Rimmer and Niki Meiners

 Niki Meiners and Nicole Valentine Rimmer

 Niky Sayers and Lori Anderson

 Pam Farren and Birgitta Lejonklou

* Pam Ferarri and Stefanie Teufel (will share their reveal on a later date)

 Patty Gasparino and Linda Djokic

 Peggy Johnson and Michelle Hardy

 Rebecca Anderson and Emma Thomas

 Rebekah Payne and Sue Kennedy

 Renetha Stanziano and Karen Mitchell

 Rose Binoya and Shanti Johnson

 Sally Russick and Holly Westfall

 Sandi Volpe and Jenny Davies Reazor

 Shannon Chomanczuk and Kay Thomerson

 Shanti Johnson and Rose Binoya

 Sharon Borsavage and Erin Siegel

 Shirley Moore and Veralynne Malone

 Stacie Florer and Mary Harding

* Stefanie Teufel and Pam Ferarri (will share their reveal on a later date)

 Sue Hamel and Terry Carter

 Sue Kennedy and Rebekah Payne

 Tania Hagen and Bonnie Coursolle

 Tania Spivey and Teresa Gagne

 Teresa Gagne and Tania Spivey

 Teri Baskett and Line Labrecque

 Terry Carter and Sue Hamel

 Theresa Fosdick and Melissa Martin

 Tracy Bell and Maureen Baranov

 Tracy Statler and Marianna Boylan

 Veralynne Malone and Shirley Moore

Ornamentea