Merry Christmas 2018 - Evening Star Button Club

During the recent holidays, the Evening Star Button Club 
gathered at my home for our annual Christmas party.

Here we are opening our gifts

 

Each year we exchange our handmade button-related gifts.

Here are our 2018 creations

 

Made by Nora

Made by Pam

Made by Rachel
(succulent also from Rachel's greenhouse)

Made by Ruth Ann

Made by Lee

Made by Tami (me)

Made by Tara

Button gift by Venita

Made by Dana

Made by Lori

We enjoyed our potluck lunch and afterwards gather to create in my studio

 What a GREAT day!

What is a Button Club?

We are a club that meets monthly in the Kansas City Metro with the purpose
to study and preserve antique/vintage and studio clothing buttons.

Like so many collectibles, clothing buttons tell a timeline of...

History, Art, Theater, Wars, Politics, Manufacturing, Science and MORE.

Button Collecting is world-wide!  

If you are interested in button collecting and
want to visit a button club in your area, please email me privately.
 Or visit the National Button Society to find a club near you.

Button Room - Reclaimed Bedroom

For nearly 16 years one of our extra bedroom housed my "Button Room".

It was home to my computer, educational materials & reference books, display cabinets filled with my collections of buttons & buckles along with my competition trays and favorite buttons & buckles showcased as framed artwork.  

I am a collector of antique, vintage, modern & studio clothing buttons & buckles- fascinating, incredible works of art, history, science & culture.  I have been collecting since 1996.

I searched my photos and learned after all these years I have just one photo of my Button Room.

Sadly it only shows one small corner and just a few buttons. 

 I've spent many hours studying/researching buttons and button-related topics in my Button Room.

Many hours were also spent handling business as a former President, Vice President & Show Chairman for the Kansas State Button Society as well as Editor for the Missouri State Button Society.  

 As the years went by this room accumulated too much stuff and was long over-due to be rehabbed.

Last Autumn I decided it was time to reclaim my Button Room to its original purpose, a bedroom.

Little by little walls were repaired, walls & ceiling repainted and piece by piece furniture was acquired to create a bedroom

 (above in photo 2 you will see a new addition - French lighting wall sconce)

 Our reclaimed bedroom is serene and comfortable.

It was fun searching for the pieces that now furnish it.

Although I no longer have a dedicated Button Room, the contents of my Button Room were moved to other storage areas of our home and are just a fingertip away (smile).

 

 

Vintage Buttons, Lace & Textiles

Loot from my Springtime treasure hunting 

 

Set of Lois Calkins 1950s porcelain buttons, Jack-n-Jill nursery rhyme series.

Black glass, design under glass (DUG)

Leaves and faux pearls-design under/in plastic (DUP)

Glass set in glass, black glass base.

Various fabric buttons

Vintage lace & textiles...makes my heart happy!

 I did a happy dance when I found these unused rolls of vintage seam binding mixed in with

gift wrap ribbons...at gift wrap ribbon prices...score!

 Lace, beautiful lace!

Rolls of vintage seam binding now on my studio shelf...love the colors!

Have you been treasure hunting this Spring?

2014 Evening Star Button Club Christmas Party

Oh my, I am so behind on blog posting and getting things reorganized from the Christmas season!

Our local Evening Star Button Club was founded in June 2005.  

Which means this June we'll be in our 10th year!

Our first decade...a celebration is in-order!

 Today, I am sharing with you our 2014 Evening Star Button Club's Christmas party.

 This year we gathered at my home, spending the day together with a scrumptious potluck, our button-related handmade gift exchange, Button Bingo and time in my studio creating.

We began with lunch

For many years we've shared a gift exchange of button-related gifts that we handmake.

We make a gift for every member, so everyone gets one another's gift.

Here are Venita, Lee and Jennifer as we begin exchanging our gifts 

 Lisa posing with Pam's altered mini matchbox button ornament.

Some gifts were created identically, while others varied in color, buttons, etc.

Here our button-related handmade gifts 

 Pam Kenney's altered mini matchbox button (slides out) ornament.

Lee Wehner's pin cushion with button fabric and button-shaped pins.

Each pin cushion sported a different center button.

 Jennifer Finley's flower pin with Mother of Pearl button and bead center.

Lori Stites finger-crocheted button necklace.

Lisa Richter's bracelet made with freshwater pearl beads and vintage buttons.

Tara Boynton's tree ornament/mini wall hanging offering a patchwork of Christmas buttons

& Christmas themes she made with buttons.  

Venita Lieffring's hand-drawn and colored button images (fired-on) coffee mug 
and button fabric coaster.

My pencil & tool holder from a recycled tin can.

Next Lee led us in Christmas Bingo.

We donated buttons and other small gifts to the goodie box.  Each time someone was a winner they got to open the goodie box and choose their prize.  

While the game drug-on at times, it was a lot of fun and we all enjoyed winning some great prizes!

Some of our members had to leave early, but for those that stayed we spent a couple of hours in my studio creating Christmas canvas art

Lisa

Lisa's canvas

Lori

Lori's canvas

Venita

Venita's canvas

Lee

Lee's canvas

My unfinished canvas

Sadly not all our members could join us and some had to leave early.  We missed them!   

The Evening Star Button Club meets in the Kansas City metropolitan area.  If you're near this area and are interested in a nighttime button club, please email me.