Button-Fest

I admit it...I have an addiction...an addiction to...BUTTONS!

I have sought no help for this condition until now when i found myself buying lots (both auction and plural) of buttons on eBay and charity shops! I love a good old traditional button, 2 -4 holes round and brightly coloured, but i also love the funny little buttons like animal shapes and funny printed ones too. Nothing beats an over-sized button to be honest. I used to work in New Poo Look back in the days when it still smelt a little like wee, and when an opportunity arose to nab a few free buttons from clothes for sale, I was there. One day I was caught in the act with a particularly massive shiny red button. This was when I met a fellow button lover, and now good friend who, still to this day, remains in my phone contact list as "Button Twin". She didn't judge, she simply asked for one too and I love her for this.

I love when you have an odd habit or fascination and you find someone of equal oddness to share it with. It's like finding a long lost relative or realising there's much more to a person than you first thought because they have a curious obsession with some oddity. Come to think of it I share at least one quirk with each of my friends, perhaps this is a good thing, it makes me more selective!

My latest horde includes a number of new favourites; a pink lace heart with tea party written inside complete with tea cup and sugar jar buttons to accompany, some glittery flowers and lipstick pouts, a few beautiful nautical numbers in shiny gold and blue, some retro roller boots in a few different colours, a few different animals ones, but i adore the Meow button with the fancy lettering and the texture is almost a matt pearl, i don't know how to describe it exactly! Almost like a really smooth, wave battered pebble you find on the beach, lovely! What could be better than combining buttons and cats?!

It's a silly addiction to have seeing as I hardly ever use them to adorn clothes for fear of losing them, which again is a bit of an irrational fear seeing as i can count with the fingers on one hand how many buttons i have lost in a lifetime! However i was at a vintage fair just before Christmas selling cupcakes and came across a wonderful jewellery and accessory maker, Peggy Button. I have searched the internet and can only find a facebook page for her, but i think she only does it as a hobby so no website as yet! She made the cutest earrings, necklaces, hair bands, hair clips and brooches from old buttons and ribbons and i pretty much spent all the money i had made that day on her offerings! I got my dad some cuff-links she'd made from old 20p pieces too which were awesome. He loves things that he can tell a story about, like the pencil he bought that was made from recycled northern bank notes from the time millions were robbed from it and they had to change all the bank notes. I have inherited this quality among many others from him and this makes me happy.

So back to buttons then. I love the look, feel and usefulness of them, now to get cracking on making something out of them...