The Button Show

Serious button collector's only...

   So this weekend was the big "button show."  For those of you that don't know, my grandmother is an antique button collector. She has been doing this for about 20 years now. She and my grandfather have been in the antique business for a long time and years ago she became fascinated with old buttons. To say the least I have learned a tremendous amount of information from all of my grandparents (my mother's parents were in the business as well).  I feel extremely lucky and blessed to have come from a family with so many influences in the world of antiques. 

Anyway, this weekend was the Missouri State Button Society's Spring Show. The button society sends out a rules and guidelines book with all of the competitive awards that it's members have written. My grandmother started preparing, constructing and designing her trays of buttons for the competitions back in January!!! This year she entered 12 trays and won 2 second place ribbons and 1 third place. She was a little disappointed, but I was very proud of her because I knew how hard she had worked and how tough the competition was. In addition to the competition there are vendors selling their beautiful button collections, a couple of programs and the awards breakfast. 

Grandma and I had such a fabulous time just the two of us. We drove up on Friday and had lunch at a tea house in Cole Camp, Missouri (which was a neat town, very small). Then we visited with all her button buddies, had dinner and a margarita, and shopped for buttons! On Saturday we attended the awards breakfast which was very interesting and then did some more visiting and shopping and drove home. 

This years trip was cut a little short for her, she would have stayed from Thursday through Sunday if she would have gone on her own.  It was quite the experience for me... my love for these amazing little pieces of art and history has grown tremendously over the last year or so.  I find it fascinating that these beautiful creations are merely a mechanical part of a garment, but hold so much beauty and history at the same time.

This years theme was "shoes" and the motto was "A Step in Time.' My grandmother's chapter was in charge of the decorations. I helped by cutting the shoe paper in circles so the centerpieces for the tables had something to sit on.

This was my big purchase... it is not a button but it is an antique Italian mosaic buckle. I plan to keep it for my collection unless the "right person" came a long and wanted to purchase it. I think I am going to string beads from the left side to the right side and use the buckle part as a clasp in the front of the necklace...

These are some of the cute buttons I purchased... Left to right, design under glass, enameled  & design under glass, glass (probably Czech).

This necklace

I made these three necklaces last week... they are the result of my "summer" look. I love all three of them but I sort of obsessed with the red one. I wore it last weekend at Live on the Plaza in Oklahoma City... then I wore it the next night when Matt and I went out on the town. It made me feel wealthy and sexy and maybe even a little bit powerful!

Red Coral, Brass, Quartz

Yellow Coral, Quartz,
Frida Kahlo Pendant, Brass

Green Coral, Silver Plate,
Coconut Shell Pendant
with Painted Design

Fayetteville, Arkansas

This weekend was my 3rd Jewelry Showing at Good Things Boutique in downtown Fayetteville. I cannot describe how perfect the day was! It was the first day of the wonderful Fayetteville Farmer's Market and the weather was more than cooperative. I started my day by popping in one of my favorite bakeries, The Little Bread Company, then I walked up Block St. to visit all the vendors at the market. I was also in search of some cookies for the show, which I purchased from a little bakery from Huntsville. I was so impressed with the amount of vendors at such an early market. Visiting the farmer's market has always been my "thing." Even on my Saturdays off I would rise at the break of day to be one of the first shoppers. Because everyone knows that "you have to get there early to get the good stuff." One time I even got in an argument with a man over a dozen fresh eggs (I was there first and there was only 1 dozen!).
After I finished up at the market I headed down to Good Things to set up the show. We had a great turn out and great sales too! I needed this to be a good first show, it reassured me that what I am doing might really work for me. It's hard to be an artist, financially and mentally, it is hard to not get discouraged at times. I try my hardest to stay positive and all the encouragement and compliments and praise that I got on Saturday really made me light up. So, thank you Jessy (owner of Good Things), thank you Bella Vita Fans, thank you to everyone that just wondered in and thank you to all my friends and family that take care of me when I travel! I couldn't do any of this with out any of you.

Jewelry set up in Good Things Boutique.


This is Emily Knight, she actually wont the necklace and earrings in the drawing... funny that I randomly took a picture of her! Congrats Emily!!!

Jeannette purchased a lovely Watermelon Tourmaline necklace.