Buttons and Baubles and Artists, Oh YES!

Before too much time has passed, I must say a word or two about one of my favorite events of the year, Artistry in Fashion.   Fiber Artists!  Jewelers!  Felters!  Clothing Designers & Makers! Speakers!  Fashion Shows!  Being Surrounded by Inspiration!

The event is held at Cañada College at the end of September each year as a fundraiser for the Fashion Department.  It's a wonderful day of visiting juried artist booths, watching fashion shows (one using goodies from the vendors, one with pieces shown by the featured speaker), and catching up with friends from all over.

The trouble with documenting everything with photos is that it takes away from the direct experience of all the eye candy!   So I rarely get many pics from the event...maybe next year!

Here are Dorothy, Ann, and Barbara V wearing outfits pulled together from various vendors, right after the fashion show.   This is a great way to showcase some of the pieces being sold by the artists - in fact, Ann bought the top and the felt necklaces she was wearing!   Doesn't she look great in them?  Don't miss the fun fascinator that Barbara V is wearing!

Dorothy Kaplan, Ann Smith, and Barbara V.  
Sadly, none of them are being active bloggers these days!

It's always a treat to see Margy, who drove up for the event (people do come from far and wide to attend AIF - it really is worth it!)

Margy, looking as elegant as ever, Me, trying to avoid the sun,
and Shams (note the fabulous necklace!)

As much as I would love to support ALL of the artists there by coming home with their amazing goodies, I was pretty frugal.   I love love love these earrings, by Eccentric Designs!  In fact, they were such a perfect match for what I was wearing that my ears donned them on the spot!

The artist, Winnie, creates most of her pieces from what she called "garbage" - discarded and found objects, married together with such a beautifully creative eye that her work has an appeal to many different tastes!  Shams, Margy, and I all bought pieces from her!

My other purchase was buttons.   Every year I simply MUST browse the Button Booth - I'm an admitted button addict, especially if it's vintage!   I bought this string of buttons (already assembled), with the immediate image of making a necklace from them.    Somehow.

There was so much inspiration from the vendors and visitors at AIF, including shams and the necklace she wore in the above pic, that I wanted to get started on my vision before it faded.

I really had no idea how to pull it off, but had to start somewhere...

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I added a few other vintage buttons from my stash, laid them on some fleece & sewed them on (utilizing the orange wire that they were strung on), fused that on to a piece of leather, then wound some leather cord around & through the piece.

It took several days of liking what was happening, then not liking it, sleeping on it to wait for some new inspiration about how to fix what wasn't working....

In the end, I'm happy with my fun new necklace!

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And it works with quite a few of my clothes!   I seem to be getting back in to an orange/gold phase again...

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Do you make your own jewelry?   Silversmithing & related activities are beyond me, and beading (although I've done a lot of it) can end looking more crafty than arty in the hands of someone like me, but there really are a lot of options out there to make some unique and not-that-hard pieces!   I've done some paper weaving beads, which were lots of fun!  They're not that hard, but a bit too complex to try describing on paper - I think that learning this technique is really an in-person thing)

This is two necklaces worn together.

This was a ridiculously time-consuming piece, made years ago,
and honestly, I can't remember the last time I wore it!   It may be time to pass it on...

Your Basic Beading.   I actually do still wear these at times.   I think I've given away everything else I ever beaded.   (Except my pendulums!   But those are still used...)  My beading days, I think, are probably pretty much over.
So why can't I re-home my boxes of beads and tools???   

Yes.   Why, indeed?   Do all of you creative and crafty type people hang on to your tools and treasures from projects you were obsessed with at one time or another?    I can get rid of so many other no-longer-used bits and baubles of my life, but not my creative tools!   Do I need an intervention?   How about you?  Do you hang on to those odd crafty bits because you're sure you'll get involved with them again...someday?   Or do you move on?    (I even help other people with their clutter - but don't you dare touch my 4-strand yarn winder or my paper-making screens!!!!)