Friday 27 April 2012

Artist In Residence

Last weekend, following our family trip to the Bosworth Battlefield, we decided to take a trip into nearby Market Bosworth to do some window-shopping. I rarely purchase anything in MB, as all the shops are rather over-priced – but at least the parking is free!

But the heavens opened and instead of a leisurely stroll, we dived out of the rain into a couple of gift shops before hastening home.

union buttons

In one of the shops they had some cute enamel buttons with Union Flags on them. These were £1.50 each.

It occurred to me that one of these would look good on the cardi I’ve been knitting.

After all, in Jubilee Year why not have such a patriotic fastening? It will help me remember when I knitted the garment too. But £1.50?

DSCF3634A quick consultation in the shop with Bob and Steph, and when we got home, out came Bob’s tin of enamel paints [bought for Airfix Models] I’d forgotten the French word for enamel was email!DSCF3631 

Steph sat at the kitchen table with an encyclopaedia and a selection of buttons.

She painted four buttons, in differing sizes – three with holes, one with a shank on the back.

Then the next day, after she’d returned to London, I gave three of them a coat of clear varnish.

I stopped after three, because I realised that

DSCF3630

the ‘clear’ varnish was actually slightly tinted.

My buttons are now ‘antiqued’! But they still looked extremely good.

Now to get the jumper finished!

Thanks Steph- you are much neater with a paintbrush than I am!

9 comments:

  1. I love the buttons! how cute and lovely of Steph to paint them for you. I read your post on living below the poverty line with interest and I too share the same concerns with you over such schemes, non-free range, dodgy meat, low veg etc. But I wonder if this because the suggested menus are for meat based diets whereas many living on that amount do not include very much animal product and so I'm challenging myself to come up with a better 5 day £5 menu and I'll let you know if I manage it.

    Blessings

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Let us know how you get on. I will be posting again next week about Living Below the Line

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  2. What a great idea, would love a close up of your buttons.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Will try and take some pictures at the weekend. With YOUR artistic skills I am sure you could copy the idea too!

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  3. That is a great idea. I love the idea of custom buttons on handknits. May have to pinch this idea of you :)
    x x x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Feel free - btw, cocktail sticks stuck into corks make a useful tool for supporting the buttons while they are drying!

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  4. Great idea, and good work by Steph!

    ReplyDelete

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