Archive | November, 2010

>Don your Gluttony Pants and unleash your inner pig…

22 Nov

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I howled with laughter when I saw these trousers today! I am sure I am not the first to have unleashed my inner pig at a dinner table and then had to surreptitiously undo a button or zip and then damn well hope to remember to do them up before I stood up!

Well, there are a new pair of trousers on the block that are here to save us all the embarrassment of busting our buttons.
Chris Cosentino
Chef Chris Cosentino, executive chef of Incanto restaurant in San Francisco, Calif, has the answer to all our overeating problems – ‘The Gluttony Pants’. These brilliantly inspired trousers have three buttons, made from bone, and are labeled “Piglet,” “Sow” and “Boar” and can be adjusted depending on how much you have eaten.
Consentino is an offal specialist and says being labeled a pig shouldn’t be offensive, as pork was his loving inspiration for designing the trousers. “Everybody has that Uncle Tony who eats too much and has to unbutton his pants at the table,” said Cosentino, who helped designed the pants with Betabrand. He also came up with the idea of the graphics printed on the fabric that lines the pockets and waistband, as well as a napkin printed with cartoons depicting ‘the life cycle of a glutton.’
here
“There have been some misconceptions about the Gluttony Pants – I’m not trying to promote obesity or overeating, it’s more about fun,” he added. “It’s not always a bad thing to overindulge – I’m not saying sit down and eat a 100-ounce T-bone, but it’s OK to overdo it once in a while.”
In honor of Thanksgiving, the pants’ fabric, a deep caramel color, is an homage to turkey, with the pockets lined in the burgundy color of cranberry sauce.
I love humour in design but sadly wont be dashing out to order myself a pair in advance of overeating at Christmas as currently the trousers are only available for men, with Betabrand having no plans to make them for women.

>Quench your thirst…

19 Nov

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If you’re feeling thirsty for buttons – then the stunning work by Jen at Quench Metal Works will definitely quench that thirst. Jen creates the most beautiful jewellery using sterling silver and vintage mother-of-pearl buttons.

Jen has said of her work: “This collection reflects a renewed interest in my family’s needlecraft traditions. Incorporated into some pieces are vintage and antique mother-of-pearl or shell buttons. I consider each button as a lovely gem worth pairing with sterling silver and gold. These buttons come from a stock pile amassed by several generations of Maine seamstresses in my family. I like to think that each button has a story to tell of its own. “

I love how the modern settings, which have been oxidised and hand rubbed, work with the antique buttons – they sit so comfortably together to achieve a lasting heirloom piece.

>Liberty – Best of British Design Open Call 2011

18 Nov

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Calling all designers and creatives – Liberty needs you!

Are you a budding new designer? Would you like to have your products sold at Liberty?

Now in its 3rd year, the Open Call is continuing to recognise and support new and emerging British design talent and Liberty are again calling for all prospective designers and creative talents to come forward with their ideas.

Liberty trawled the world and created an emporium where the finest could meet the rarest. In keeping with this heritage Ed Burstell is keen to champion the best new British design and craft. A panel of experts comprising of Liberty’s Managing Director, Ed Burstell, his esteemed buying team and industry experts including top names from press and fashion retail will pick the best designs to be sold in store. Ed Burstell and his team will offer support and direction needed to get your items selling on Liberty’s world renowned shelves.

From fashion to furniture, hats to handbags, craft to cushions, Liberty is encouraging anyone with a creative passion to bring in their designs for the panel to judge.

Some of their best selling products come from designers discovered at the Open Call, some of which include…

Amanda Fatherazi

Geannine Pollazzon

Genuine Article

Lost Property

Thomas Hopkins Gibson

On the day…

All products must be of a finished state and be ready to sell in store before coming to the open call.

Designers will not be able to access the panel room via any of Liberty’s public entrances and may only enter via the designated entrance on Little Marlborough Street, located behind the store.

Designers are not permitted to bring large items of furniture or more than 4 garments and should only bring what they are comfortable to carry.

No storage facility will be available and the queue time is unknown. All designs and product will remain on the person(s) until it is time to meet with the panel.

Designers will have 3 minutes to pitch their products to the panel.

Designers will be informed upon meeting the panel as to whether they were successful.

Successful designers will be invited back to the store at a later date for a formal meeting with the buying team to discuss becoming a supplier (This does not guarantee designers will have their items eventually stocked in store).

>Button Lovin’ Metal Lover

17 Nov

>Lynn Bowes is a metal lover, who has recently been working on some beautiful boxed button pendants – I love their understated subtlety and how the button just peeps out.

 

>Beach Stone Buttons

17 Nov

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How lovely are these natural beach stone buttons? Like playing on the beach without getting sandy!

>Silk Screen Printing Course – 3rd Week

17 Nov

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Last night at my course, we got to see our screens for the first time – it was so exciting! I was very pleased with the results as I was a little concerned that some of the fine detail would not show – but it did!
We then mixed our first colour using the emulsion fixer and pigments. We had to mix our colours from red, yellow and blue  – and it was alot trickier than I thought – it took ages to get the right colour, which I felt needed a little black to it, but the black pigment was locked in a cupboard and no-one could find the key!
I then marked the registration on the screen and did the same to the fabric using thread, did a quick colour test on paper, and was then ready!
I only managed to do one print but I am so far really pleased with the results. I do still need to finalise the colours I am going to use and am not quite sure what I am going to do as the whole design is in the base colour – but I’m sure I’ll get there in the end!
Here are some photo’s taken in the class – my friend Stef & I were in awe of Sue, who was steaming ahead with her printing, without using any registration! She does work in the textile department of the school that is holding the course, so does have an advantage!
handmade projects

>Animal Button Art

17 Nov

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I still want to give them a stroke on the head – don’t you?
here
here    
here
here

>Karl Lagerfeld, Vivienne Westwood & Manola Blahnik ‘get buttoned’!

17 Nov

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I love these posters from Viru Shopping Centre in Estonia. They are incredibly well done and manage to capture these über cool designers so well.
Karl Lagerfeld
Vivienne Westwood
Manola Blahnik

via

>Paperchase Buttons Christmas Cards

15 Nov

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Paperchase have some button embellished Christmas cards in at the moment,
they are a bit too ‘cutesy’ for me to be honest, but I am sure they will sell well.

>Stairway to Button Heaven

15 Nov

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There’s a lady who’s sure
All that glitters is gold
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven

When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for…

(lyrics from Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin)

button art, originally uploaded by shooting first.

>Flickr Friday

12 Nov

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>Back to school

11 Nov

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One of my subjects at art college, many many moons ago, was silk screen printing which I always loved. I have had a real yearning to do some hand printing again for a few years now, so when I heard about a local visual arts high school running a 6-week evening course for silk screening on fabric, I jumped at the chance and signed up! 
early abandoned pattern drawings
In the first week, we were shown some of the work the students are producing, from composite images to some amazingly detailed tessellated patterns. I chose to go down the tessellated route and chose a hexagon to make the repeating pattern. I decided that I wanted to ‘do’ buttons, a decision I may well live to regret, as I am still not completely happy with any of the designs I came up with, but time is of the essence and I have completed one that will have to do for now!
a fine example of when the pattern doesn’t work!
In order to make the tessellated pattern work, the hexagon has 3 ‘faces’ (2 sidesof the hexagon) and these need to match up – the above example shows how I got the ‘faces’ wrong – so I had to start again! I also decided that I wanted to buttons to be crisper and not hand drawn and I also wanted the centre points of the buttons to line up, so got on the computer and drew the buttons using Adobe Illustrator.
1st stage of pattern
This is the design I am going with and at this stage, the pattern is all black in order to make the screen for the first base colour. I have filled in some of the holes, as I plan on overprinting these later on. I decided the pattern needed something other than buttons, so used a pin wheel to break it up a bit.
the tessellated pattern
I am really quite pleased with how it tessellates. Those centre buttons do look very big and black at the moment, but should hopefully not stand out to much as I am planning on using muted colours. I do still need to decide on final colourways and texture before the next class in 4 days time as, the screens should be ready then to print our first colour – I can’t wait!

>We will always remember them

11 Nov

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It’s Armistice/Remembrance Day today; a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries to remember the sacrifices of members of the armed forces & civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War.  People traditionally wear a red poppy which has now become the emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem, “In Flanders Fields”.  These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their brilliant red colour, an appropriate symbol for the blood spilt in war.
In remembrance today, I created my own red poppy using buttons.
here

>Diwali Flickr Friday

5 Nov

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>Christmas Button Baubles

4 Nov

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Sam Gillespie from Incy Wincy Stitches not only has a lovely blog, but she also has some great little tutorials. From embroidered buttons to potato-print covered buttons, there is also a cute & easy tutorial for creating Christmas Button Baubles.
Button Baubles 
This is such a fun project to do with kids… 
just make sure you hide your ‘best’ buttons before you let them loose on your stash!
You will need:
Polystyrene Balls
A selection of new/vintage buttons (depending on what you have in your stash!)
Eye hooks/or screws & Ribbon (to hang)
Double sided tape & Scissors
Optional:
PVA glue or Diamond Glaze
Glitter & Paintbrushes
Step 1: Prepare the ball
Cover your polystyrene ball with double-sided tape, working from top to bottom around the ball to keep it as flat as possible. (It’s probably best to prepare this beforehand, as it could get very fiddly and sticky!)
Step 2: Prepare the hanger
Cover your eye hook with yarn to hide the metal (or if you don’t have an eye hook simply use a screw to attach the ribbon to) and screw into the polystyrene ball.
Step 3: Get busy with buttons! 
Select your buttons depending on your tree colour choice, or just go multicoloured like my little helpers did! Now have fun sticking your buttons to the ball. Note: Work round the ball keeping the buttons close together (best to have some tiny buttons to hand to fill any gaps at the end!)

Step 4: Optional … get out the glitter and glue!
Yep, the kids love it! To give your bauble a bit more sparkle, mix some glue & glitter and start painting! Fill any gaps between buttons with glue then sprinkle over some glitter. Then use your mixed glue & glitter to lightly cover the buttons. Note: Diamond Glaze works well as it gives a lovely high gloss finish, but a mix of pva glue with glitter will give a similar effect.

Step 5: Attach the ribbon and hang! 
(Now sit back and admire all those lovely buttons sparkling in the tree!)

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>Her rich attire creeps rustling to her knees

4 Nov

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Founded in 2002 by artists, Melanie Probert and Lisa Z Morgan; Strumpet & Pink was an idea that started out on the back of a tube ticket.
Creating beautiful statement knickers (some of which, may well need a health warning attached!) these limited edition, made to order couture knickers are handmade from pure silk, satin, chiffon and crepe and are adorned with buttons, flowers & ribbon. I love how all the knickers are individually named; with titles like ‘Garden of Delights’, ‘Hunting Through the Ruffles’ and ‘Midsummer Maiden’. The button detailing is sublime and with plenty of frou-frou, you can kick your heels up and have some fun!

Suddenly, my drawer full of M&S multi-packs look decidedly dull…
Garden of Delights
 
Maidens Belt
Fifi
Garden of Delights (vintage)
Ming’s Vase
Hunting through the Ruffles
Midsummer Maiden
Willow
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