Ptichka and I, since we are (almost) always willing to expand the amount of raw art material in our house, embarked on a button expedition (after I had met my morning writing quota, of course). We started someplace where buttons could not be purchased: The Paper Place. Now, not to sound churlish or ungrateful, but it's just not what it used to be. I need to stop going there. On a good day, it depresses me. On a bad day, it thwarts me. We went in with a very specific goal which we knew could only be achieved at The PP and...we were thwarted. As the number of cute little tchotchkes (or as I like to call them, useless junk) has grown, the amount of stuff I'd like to buy in there has shrunk. I go in hoping for inspiration and I'm depressed. I go in looking for a specific item and I'm thwarted. I need to start walking on by.
After lunch and koláče at the Prague Deli, we finally got down to business. First, we stopped at Mokuba because ribbon always makes me happy. After gawking at the stuff we would buy if it weren't so expensive, we decided on some embroidery ribbon. I'd like to do some embroidery on ATCs with it and Ptichka would simply like to do something with it. She's undecided.
At this point, I'm sure that you're wondering about the buttons, since I began this post stating that the plan was to buy buttons. Well, it took us a couple of hours to reach the part of Queen with the button store, which also sells some zippers. There we focussed exclusively in the mother-of-pearl buttons. Ptichka picked out these:
I picked out these:
We then stopped at several bead stores where we sadly did not buy anything. I did knock Ptichka out of the way, when I spied these hand-dyed silk ribbons and threads at the ritzy bead shop on the north side of Queen. I couldn't help myself.
After the unsuccessful bead hunt, we went up to Courage My Love to see if they had any vintage buttons. They did! They also had some more mother-of-pearl, which was a good thing. I firmly believe that one cannot have too many mother-of-pearl buttons.
All in all, we did well in the button department. Below is a shot of everything. Some vintage mother-of-pearl buttons, sweet flower buttons, and the other vintage buttons.
Yesterday I wrapped up my consumerism for the next long while with a couple of raffle tickets and a donation to this because I don't understand health insurance in the US. The US government spends more per capita on health care than universal-health-care-lovin' Australia and Congress can't cobble together universal health care? Losers. And then I picked up this because it's gorgeous and these because they're beautiful and the shipping was free.
And now I feel kind of bloated with all my acquisitions. I suppose it's a good thing I went running this morning.
2 comments:
1) Oh. Prague Deli. I used to love that place. The smell of klobasa makes me swoon.
2) Those are rad buttons you guys bought. Are you going to use them on something? Me: I have a tendency to buy stuff that is way out of my league (in terms of ,y own craft-ability) i.e. vintage apron patterns, quilting fabric, broken purses. I always tell myself: someday
*sigh*
1. It's gone all sleek and snazzy with sit-down service and menus and stuff.
2. Eventually, when the right project comes along, one of us will use the buttons on something. They match the ribbon really well so maybe something will happen soon. My only real out-of-league vice is fabric. I desparately want some Denyse Schmidt quilting fabric even though I can't really sew.
Someday.
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