Custom buttons with Ashli

Hi there! Ashli here to share with you how I put together my layout for this week's Button Challenge.

I have had a love/hate relationship with buttons. Yes, it's true. I am not sure why exactly. I just know that for some reason, they always seemed to be "floating" on my page. That is, until I started playing around with different mediums and altering my store-bought buttons.

So, let's take a look at that, shall we?

Here we have some Jenni Bowlin Vintage Buttons as well as some Favorite Findings Wood Buttons:

First up, if we just flip one of those plain wood buttons over, there is a perfectly smooth side...

 Perfect for stamping! A little Archival Ink and A Script Stamp does the trick:

 Ooooooh - pretty!

 And now for some embossing!

 With the buttons turned right side up, a little Wow Embossing Powder hits in all the right places:

 That looks lovely, but I want to play a little more. I should mention that I am not a precision embosser. Well, you have probably figured out that I just don't do precise. So, when I heat emboss, I love to sprinkle on different colors while the powders are hot and play with blending...

Love that gold! How about some more of that? Those Jenni Buttons are so pretty, but a little extra shine won't hurt...

 Alrighty! With all that embossing done, now it's time to break out some Color Shine:

A little spritzing and splashing with some various colors as well as some Distress Paint and we have this:

 Now, with my kraft matt all cleaned up, it's time to finish things off with some Washi:

After sticking that on and trimming, I simply punched the holes back in with my paper piercer and now for some distress around the edges...

 And there they are! Aren't they pretty?

OK, let's get those on a layout. I have a photo here with all my girlies enjoying our newly completed home library. I am thinking the vintage feel of buttons goes quite well with the vintage feel of a library. So... let's go with that!



With my photo all layered up with some Serendipity and Sundrifter papers, it's time to place around those buttons:

Once I had them all tacked in place with some Matte Medium, I just grabbed some basic thread and started stitching them on...

 Making sure to leave lots of extra hanging for some added texture...

And after some finishing touches of a Pocket for my Journaling Tag and some Pen Lines and such...



Here we have it!

 A layout full of vintage, altered, misted, washied, buttoney goodness!

I hope this has inspired you to change-up some of the buttons in your stash and to get your creative play on! Have fun and see you soon!