Fun with Wire and Buttons

My own work has been all about adornment lately....

Several factors work together here...  an abundance of vintage buttons, newly acquired rolls of C-Lon thread in yummy colors, an allergic sensitivity to common metals worn in my ears or around my neck, a fascination with crocheting beads and buttons into necklaces and bracelets (so fast and so fun!), and an obsession with annealed black steel wire... coiled and pounded into mysteriously compelling shapes.

This crocheted button creation is one of two lariat-style pieces I made recently. I wanted to use some of the sort of otherwise "boring" brown, black and metallic buttons that I have vast quantities of.... but which are somewhat masculine and plain. I love deep blue and brown together, and I think the combination of the midnight blue C-Lon cord with brown buttons works well. I've been wearing the heck out of the one I kept (the other was a birthday gift to my son's fiancé)... both as a necklace and wrapped around my wrist.

There are several great old buttons in this piece, including some from an old Boy Scout uniform. My favorite is the large shank button I used at the very end, which acts as both focal point and loop anchor.

I started using black steel wire last fall, when I was making my vintage bird pendants, and discovered I'm in love with the look of it. I've been experimenting with coiling, wrapping... and most exciting of all, pounding the coiled wire on a bench block. This piece is a quicky-quick, vaguely Celtic-inspired pendant I made to wear to the Scottish Highland Games.

I love hanging pendants from plain leather cord or silky ribbon yarn that I can tie to whatever length suits me at the moment.

Stay tuned for super-exciting developments in the earring category... since I've recently discovered pure titanium and niobium ear wires which my body tolerates beautifully. This will enable me to make all kinds of interesting dangly bits with which to adorn my earlobes... after ten years of boring nakedness!