Sunday, May 13, 2012

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.

 Mary Harding and Stacie Florer    you are here
Pam Ferarri and Stefanie Teufel (will share their reveal on a later date)
Stefanie Teufel and Pam Ferarri (will share their reveal on a later date)
Ornamentea

31 comments:

  1. Oh my Mary, you really received some gorgeous metalwork buttons from Stacie!! I absolutely love her work. I'll admit when I opened this post, I was hoping you had worked in your beadwork with your swap reveal and I was happy to see that you did! Your flat peyote stitch double wrap bracelet is incredible - WOW. And on a totally different note, your chain and ceramic bracelet is equally stunning and what a completely different look.
    Thank you for offering such a generous give away - the two handmade buttons will be really fantastic to incorporate in to a future design!

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    1. Thank you Cindy for such a wonderful chance to swap buttons and blog hop too. I so appreciate your enthusiasm for my beaded bracelet and the wire wrapped one too.
      I certainly loved working with Stacie's buttons.

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  2. Mary, your designs are wonderful! I love your bead work and the second bracelet is gorgeous!

    Enjoy your day!

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  3. Lucky you, beautiful metal buttons to work with. Love that seed bead bracelet.

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  4. What an inspiring job you did with Staci's copper button and your bead weaving. So funny, I just bought a vial of those matte blue-green beads on Friday! Hmmm, dare I say we have similar color preferences? LOL!
    Nancy

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  5. Thank you for not requiring us to copy that wavy "Graffiti"!!!

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  6. wow-za! Everything you made is stunning! I love the beads you received and the ones you sent. What a great pair!

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  7. Everything is gorgeous, but that double wrap bracelet... wow!

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  8. beautiful buttons and bracelet.

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  9. The buttons you received are gorgeous! And you did such a fantastic job! So creative, so beautiful!

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  10. Absolutely beautiful! I love that you mixed her buttons with yours!

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  11. You truly received some unique buttons, and your designs showed them off to perfection. I love that double wrap idea. I have not seen that before. Your buttons are just beautiful, I'd love to win them and make more button jewelry. :) Thank you for such a sweet giveaway!

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  12. the buttons you received are to die for!!! and so are the ones you are giving away!! i love what you did with the metal buttons....perfect showcase for them!

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  13. Your bead-work is gorgeous with the buttons and the metal bracelet looks great with all the colors.

    Beautiful work!

    Would love a chance at your giveaway your buttons are beautiful :)

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  14. Mary, that peyote bracelet reminds me of a perfect little snake, with its shimmering scales-- what a fabulous foil for Stacie's metal button! The one combining your gorgeous buttons is so wearable, something that I'd have on my wrist everyday!

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  15. Very very very cool! I love all three of your bracelets and the buttons you were given are awesome! I am addicted to the peyote stitch so I just love the first bracelet. I also love color so the second bracelet is great too! Thanks for sharing, I have had so much fun with this blog hop, it was my first one and now I just want to do more and more of them!

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  16. Those are beautiful. I love the first wrap around seed bead bracelet. The second one looks like it would be so much fun to wear.

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  17. Anonymous14/5/12 11:55

    Wow - All three beacelets are so cool. Esp. the double wrap one. I'd love to win the buttons! Really like the buttons you sent to your partner.

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  18. I really admire you artists who can make such elegance with just some seed beads! Both of your seed bead bracelets are lovely, but that copper bracelet is the one that really catches my eye! You really did a fabulous job incorporating the buttons into each of these pieces!!

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  19. Oh my! Her buttons are fabulous and so are your designs! I love your buttons too! Woo Hoo- enter me, I'd love to win them!

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  20. Mary, oh my goodness, what beautiful buttons you received! They're just gorgeous. And both bracelets really are perfect with them too! I love the peyote bracelet, but that second one really speaks to me. It's all the metal, I think ;)

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  21. Wow Mary! I did not know you seed beaded too! You are so multi-talented. The second bracelet is a knock out. I just love all the colors and how you incorporated your beads and made the buttons into a wire wrapped bead. Clasp to die for. Wonderful job and your giveaway buttons are really neat!

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  22. Oh my goodness, what beautiful buttons, such treasures. I LOVE the peyote stitch double wrap bracelet. My favorite colors, my favorite little seed beads and the design incorporated the metal button perfectly.... yummy. Wasn't this swap fun :0)

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  23. WOW did Cindy know what she was doing pairing the two of you together! between Stacie's metal work, your beadwork ... oh yes and then there is your own handmade pieces ... holy cow ... just gorgeous!

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  24. How lucky were you?!? Your buttons are fabulous! And you really made them into fabulous bracelets. (and a bracelet-to-be)

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  25. Would love to win these beeutiful buttons! beetique@gmail.com

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  26. What fantastic buttons you received! I love every piece you made with these. The beadwoven bracelet is lovely with all the lucious colors, and I love that you incorporated your own lovely buttons in that second piece.

    Thanks for the chance to win those buttons!! Crossing my fingers!

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  27. Those are beautiful buttons and I love what you did with them. Wonderful pieces. And I would love to win the beautiful buttons you are putting up for the giveaway.

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  28. Wow... what lovely buttons you received! I love what you did with them-- the first bracelet is so beautifully simple and classy, and the second one is so much fun, I can't decide which one I like better! :)

    Please count me in for your generous giveaway. Thank you for sharing your work and for sharing your creative gifts <3

    *~* Julia *~* http://beautifullywhimsical.blogspot.com *~*

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  29. Love what you did with Stacie's button, especially the peyote one. Well, all of them! And the buttons that you gave her are so beautiful. I would love to throw my hat into the ring for your giveaway. Thanks so much for the opportunity.

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  30. I love what you did with all the buttons. I've started buying buttons at garage sales just to make jewelry out of them. You do such beeutiful work!

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