Amuse the Muse - Buttons - with Tari of ClayButtons.com

We are inching closer and closer to Halloween. I see more people decorating for Halloween than ever before. The only items I make that would qualify for this holiday are my Oz pendants, which are buttons also and my Wicked Earrings.
Leave links to your favorite buttons in the comments!

These are the single sided Oz pendants that come hung on a simple cord with a pewter charm.

These are double sided Oz Pendants on a swivel bail (not shown) with pewter charms. 

Wicked Earrings!

Great shank back buttons from Lisa Peters Art.

Gaea Skull Beads/Buttons. Most ceramic artists can make any bead a button.

Round Rabbit Earrings in fall colors. Go to her Facebook page so you can see shop updates

Be sure to add the link to your favorite buttons in the comments!!

And now for the BeadBlogger Links. See you on next Monday!

A Bead A Day

Think it's okay to go crazy with sparkle? Lisa does too! Stop by A Bead A Day to see her latest find!

Carmi's Art/Life World

Fun saying in resin filled bottle caps will make you smile today.

Homemade Halloween Cupcake Topper
Make these darling Halloween cupcake toppers to delight the kids. Just grab the free printable and have fun.

Art Bead Scene 

Art Bead Scene Editors take the October Monthly Challenge using Milton Avery's painting Autumn as inspiration. 

Focus, Focus, Focus! 

Can there be too many works in progress for any crafter?

Beading Arts 

Learn how to make the very popular wrap-style bracelets that you see everywhere these days!

Taking a Fall Drive

Cherie uses the colors of fall as inspiration for some new pictures.

Tari makes Handmade Ceramic Buttons...Fun, Funky&Functional!
Uniquely different, every piece of art is an original.
Visit Tari's website ClayButtons.com, browse more than 20 Collections of Buttons.
Remember every button can be a Pendant or Jewelry Component!

Amuse the Muse - Buttons - Tari of ClayButtons.com

I love fall! Cooler temperatures, beautiful colors and comfort food. Knitting, crocheting and other textile and jewelry arts. Start thinking holiday gifts.
Rebecca left you with my favorite musing BUTTONS!
Let me show you some of my favorite buttons that I make.

These are my Freeform Picasso-esque buttons. I love to make these. I take a piece of clay flatten it out and draw my design onto the clay with a blunt pencil. No molds, no restrictions just drawing whatever I feel like.

Seriously, who doesn't like Tie Dye? I can say lived through the 60s but I was a small child. 

I LOVE these buttons. They take a long time to create but are worth it!

I created these designs when I was Vintaj's Art Bead Partner. I love bright colors!

"Life is way too short not to use every color available"-Tari Sasser

I've been saying this for years.

Here are the links you left for the great Button Adventure!

From Mary Harding my fellow editor!

Nice earthy colors from BH Claysmith

Deep Burnt Umber colors from Vika.

Be sure to add the link to your favorite buttons in the comments!!

And now for the BeadBlogger Links. See you on next Monday!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Up-cycle that 50's Purse with Epoxy Clay!

Halloween Craft Ideas 
Halloween is fast approaching. Here are some crafty ideas sure to delight trick-or-treaters of all ages.

Art Bead Scene 

Take a peek at some of Tari Sasser of Clay Buttons' beautiful handmade buttons. 

Another Scarf? 

Watch episode 6 of the Crafty Princess Diaries Podcast. 

Embracing Hope 

Cherie paints pictures centered on the theme of hope.

Tari makes Handmade Ceramic Buttons...Fun, Funky&Functional!
Uniquely different, every piece of art is an original.
Visit Tari's website ClayButtons.com, browse more than 20 Collections of Buttons.
Remember every button can be a Pendant or Jewelry Component!

Inside the Studio with Creative Impressions In Clay

Welcome to Inside the Studio!

Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

Congratulations bairozan! 

You have won a $25 Gift Certificate from Humblebeads. 

Please send Heather an e-mail with your information.

________________________________________________________________________________

I decided it was time to ease myself back into making jewelry. I usually do the basic pendant on a cord. Since I make the buttons and components I don't concentrate on creating wearables. I haven't been making jewelry often enough so I felt a bit uneasy. Working by myself, my darling husband gets to be the one who I ask for opinion on designs. 

 I started out with a 48" crepe cord I gotten from Ornamentea years ago. I looked on their website and couldn't find them any longer. I found this source, Fundamentals, online.
I threaded the cord through a shank back Coil Button.

Tied an overhand knot so the button would stay put in the center of the cord length.

For my clasp/closure I decided I didn't want to shorten the cord by tying knots and adding bulk. I decided to tightly wrap 24 gauge copper wire around the cord to create the loop for the button to slip through.

I used an anodized aluminum jump ring to attach the pendant to the cord. The loop was fired into to the clay pendant. I was waffling as to whether I should simply leave the necklace plain or adorn it with an assortment of charms and clapperless bells. From the final product above you can see I jumped in and attached groupings of the bells and charm with more copper wire. Some I just used small jump rings to attach them.

I love how the colors of the Pendant and cord go together so well!

Of course I ask my husband what he thought. His response "don't you think it would have been fine with just the pendant?" Oh well, it's a start.

 *Remember any button can be a pendant or jewelry component.*

My Question is: 

Have you started anything new or a re-new/redo?

Leave your answer to the question in the comments 

and you could win a $15 Gift Certificate.

Have a great day!!

Feeling Sassy as usual!

Tari Sasser

Creative Impressions In Clay

Amuse the Muse - Buttons - with Rebecca of Songbead

Happy October everyone! You're not going to be seeing a lot of me this month....because next weekend, I am off to Florida, USA - where (looking at Art Bead Scene's stats!) most of you good folk are from. It's my third trip to America, something which I can't quite believe - my first to Chicago was a decade ago with the National Youth Choir of Scotland, the second was to California for my partner's work, and this time around it's for my brother-in-law's wedding in Florida (although we are sneaking in a wee trip back to California to see our good friend Patina Queen!). I'm excited! And have no doubt that the California leg at least will contain at least one bead shop...

Anyway, due to all this travelling I'm not sure of when I will be touching base with the internet, so the wonderful Tari will be taking over my Muse posts for the next few weeks. I thought I'd leave her with a topic which I think is right up her street - buttons! Who doesn't love a button? I know I do. 

And seeing as Tari is taking over from me, I thought I would share some of her very awesome buttons with you today.

Perusing Tari's site, over at Clay Buttons, these super-cool jigsaw buttons immediately jumped out at me. My favourite shape is the top one - they look like someone just took a bite out of them!

I adore Tari's branch buttons, and this is one of my favourite of her branch button styles. Wouldn't this look awesome as a clasp in a Autumnal-styled bracelet? 

You can't beat spots at any time of year, and even though the saying goes that 'blue and green should never be seen', I am a great believer in these two colours together.

These textural toggle buttons would look awesome in jewellery for these chillier months - or for those of you who work with fibres too, they would look fab on a knitted clutch or purse.

Feeling spicy, anyone? This chilli pepper button would definitely add a touch of whimsy as a clasp or layered focal.

Take a stroll round Tari's comprehensive website - there are so many more handmade art bead and button treats there for you to see.

And now for the BeadBlogger Links. See you on my return!

Carmi's Art/Life World
There is a brand new and inspired book which Carmi used to "Craft Her Stash."

Quick Craft Projects Sure to Impress 
Anne asked for quick craft projects that look like they took a lot of effort. We can all use a few quick craft projects like that, can’t we?

Art Bead Scene
Check out September's challenge entries!

Beading Arts
It's hard to believe that this year's "Bead Journal Project" is already three-quarters over! Cyndi shares her piece for September, finished just in the nick of time!

Felted Ornaments
This quick video tutorial shows how to make some simple hand-sewn felt ornaments. 

Cute Paris Curtains
Cherie makes curtains for her kitchen.

Rebecca is a Scottish jewellery designer, based in her country's capital, Edinburgh. You can read more about her and her work at her blog, songbeads.blogspot.com and see more of her jewellery at songbead.etsy.com. She also has a supplies shop at thecuriousbeadshop.etsy.com.

Inside the Studio with Creative Impressions In Clay

Welcome to Inside the Studio!

Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

Congratulations Marlene Brady/ItsAllAboutCreating! 

You have won a Tube Riveted Polymer Clay Bead from Mary Harding. 

Please send Mary an e-mail with your information.

________________________________________________________________________________

Happy Friday!

My last Inside the Studio I shared my process of how I make buttons. This time I thought I would share the glazing process. 

The design above is from my Goddess Collection of buttons. This is my best selling collection but also the most labor intensive. You could say a labor of love. Hours of labor. 

I received an order for 200 buttons to go on a fall line of clothing. I have been making buttons for several years for this client and she is one of my favorite to work with. She herself is an artist and understands the time involved.

You get excited, YAY an order! Then it settles in that you you have to produce that order. I had to remake molds for 2 of the designs to make them smaller for her 1.25" max button hole size. The one above had already been done for one of her previous orders. That itself is interesting to shrink a design and I was bored with the flat designs so I went dimensional. Yes, as artists we get bored easily. 

The order consisted 4 designs from the Goddess Collection and 1 design from the Graphic Collection.

 First color applied which is a wipe on wipe off technique used so you get an outline of the design. You then glaze inside the line. One instance you don't color outside the lines.

Underglaze in progress. There will be three different background colors for this particular order. She gave me the color palette to be used for her fall line of clothing.

 The magnifying glass my husband bought for me at an auction. Having one this large is definitely worth it. You can stick your whole face in it! Late at night I have caught myself doing that from being so tired. No more squinting as I glaze!

 Underglaze is complete! Time for the clear coat.

 Clear overglaze is applied. Button holes are cleaned out and the backs are wiped clean of any glaze. The buttons with stick to the kiln shelf is there is any glaze on the backside.

 My baby kiln (Aim 88) is loaded and ready to be fired. Slowly take the temperature up. Bubbles and pitting in your glaze is not something you want to see.

 Opening the kiln is like Christmas! A surprize every time.

The original  1.5" design Morpheus button on the left. The 1.25" redesign. Colors were changed to go with the customers color palette.

Some of the other buttons that were with the order. There were 5 designs total.

If you would like to order any that look different from the website just mention you saw it here. I need a total redesign on my website. I just haven't taught myself InDesign yet. 

*Remember any button can be a pendant or jewelry component.*

My Question is: 

What is your labor of love?

Leave your answer to the question in the comments 

and you could win a $10 Gift Certificate.

Have a great day!!

Feeling Sassy as usual!

Tari Sasser

Creative Impressions In Clay

Inside the Studio with Creative Impressions In Clay

Welcome to Inside the Studio!

Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

Congratulations Karen Wise! You have won a $25 gift cetificate to Humblebeads. Please send Heather an e-mail with your information.

________________________________________________________________________________

Hurray it's 2014!!
2013 felt like my life was a Push Me Pull You. We would push forward then get pulled backwards. I am so happy to be in a New Year!
2014 will be far superior to 2013.
I lost my job the last day of December and am now going through the stress of finding another job. In my head I'm screaming I don't want to work for anyone but myself again!! I need to be the only Looney Toon I'm dealing with and who appreciates what I have to offer. It's OK, if I take advantage of myself but I will give no one else the privilege to do that to me again.

I'm adjusting to being at home again. I started sketching ideas of new art to start on. Something I haven't had much time to do. The above sketch would be fish on a larger scale that could hang like a mobile and spin. I have another idea that hasn't made it to paper. Trying to think ahead and possibly sign up for more shows this year.
I will offer Free Shipping till the end of January so we can help each other out in this economy. Enter code SHIP4FREE in the shopping cart.

My Question is: 

Are you happy to be in a New Year?
I know I am!!

Leave your answer to the question in the comments 

and you could win Leaf Buttons!

Have a great day!!

Feeling Sassy as usual!

Tari Sasser

Creative Impressions In Clay

Best of Inside the Studio-Creative Impressions In Clay

Welcome to Inside the Studio!

Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

Congratulations Kristina/Maneki! You have won a $20 Gift Certificate to Humblebeads. Please send Heather an e-mail with your information.

_________________________________________________________________________

Welcome to Creative Impressions In Clay Studio.

This was originally posted in December 2009

As we get closer to the holidays it's time to start thinking about gifts. I always make ornaments every year. I can't seem to get out of it and everyone expects one every year. Here is a decorative hook that can be used to hang many things. Using copper looks great and it's inexpensive.

Start with 4" piece of 18 gauge copper wire. I picked a spool up at Ace Hardware. Don't try to straighten the wire too you will put kinks in the wire that you can't get out.

With the curve of the wire facing away from you, use your round nose pliers to make a small loop at the end of the wire. Always roll your wire away from your body.

Using the handle of a large paintbrush, about 1/2" up the loop end of the wire bend the wire over handle. Do this by smoothing the wire as you bend it. Bring the wire slightly under the handle and begin curving the other end to form an "S".

Begin making the coil on the end by using the large end of your round nose pliers to create an open loop.

Complete the coil by rolling it upwards towards the top of the hook with your fingers.

I like my hooks hammered. Use a hammer and a striking plate to hammer the small loop and coil.

Completed Hook.

Combining your hook and ornament.

Cut 10" of sheer ribbon. I get mine at Michaels. To give the ornament and ribbon a nice finished look and to keep the ribbon from doing the annoying split, I slide a 10mm glass donut over the ribbon. Fire Mountain Gems has a great selection. The clear glass donuts go best with all ornaments.

Don't forget to add your artist tag so everyone knows they have a hand crafted item by you. This one is 1" x 1"

Tie the ribbon onto the bottom of the hook using an overhand knot. This keeps your ornament and hook together and secure.

You have a beautiful finished product hanging from a handmade copper hook. Colored wire works wonderful also. Just don't hammer it. 18 gauge wire will hold most ornaments. The heftier the ornament the thicker your wire needs to be.

My Question is: 

What Beady/Buttony/Artsy things are you working on for the Holidays?

Leave your answer to the question in the comments 

and you could win a Dragonfly Button!

Have a great day!!

Feeling Sassy as usual!

Tari Sasser

Creative Impressions In Clay