In 1988, I rented a studio in downtown Victoria next door to a potter,I was just looking for a
space to be creative. I didn't know what I was going to do. I bought a bag of clay from the potter, Dave Gobin, and the
fever began. I started making little pins for kids that I painted with florescent colors and called them, "Hot Heads."
Soon I progressed to a much larger scale. I now grew a passion for life sized masks. Somewhere in the middle of this frenzy,
I rolled out about a 1000 or so little Terra Cotta buttons. They were just moved around and around in the shop and never really
found a home. Several years passed and I saw some ceramic buttons in a major craft supply house.I now remembered my little
Terra Cotta buttons that were looking for a home. I pulled them out and developed the idea a bit.
I had inherited
a set of 9 antique aspic cutters from my Grandmother, Annie Kelly, from Milton, Nova Scotia. I used them for my original buttons
which I call my "Heritage Collection." The first time I took my buttons into a fabric store, Buttons-N-Bows, on
Foul Bay Road in Victoria, I had them in a little basket. The shop owner, Lisa Burrowes, said, "If you can make hearts
and stars, I'll buy them from you." I now have over 1700 different cataloged buttons with new ones being inspired daily.
In
1995 I moved to Pender Island. It's one of the Gulf Islands off of the coast of British Columbia, a short ferry ride from
Victoria. It's a very unique community. I refer to it as a step back in time ~ it's the real world here. I have a little shop
called, "The Buttonladys Gallery"....drop by some time for a visit!
My button inventory includes everything
from life sized ladybugs to skulls and flames. The Christmas buttons are popular year round for stockings and advent calendars.
I have a wonderful collection of sweater buttons that I call, "Bubble Gum" buttons. They come in 6 sizes and range
in color from snow white to fun chartreuse, real orange, & turquoise, to luster gold and chocolate.
I have
a philosophy about my buttons. If you can dream it up, I will do my best to make it for you. I do a lot of custom work and
that's why I now have so many different buttons.I have a long list of ideas which I'm sure will never run out. If you have
an idea for something, just email me a picture with your required size and color and we'll go from there. If you need an exact
color match, I find it best that you mail me a color swatch of fiber or fabric.
My love for buttons has grown
to a whole new dimension. It's exciting to check the kiln each morning to see rows of little pieces of wearable art. A plain
outfit gets a face lift with the addition of a few special buttons. A single button can give a hat or a scarf that touch of
pizazz. Not to mention one of my "Jumbo Bubble Gum" buttons as an embellishment at the center your favorite pillow
or cushion.
I have recently introduced ceramic Shawl Pins to my creative line up. They come in 2 sizes and a multitude
of colors. Some are embellished with little frogs,lady bugs or butterflies perched on the edge of a ceramic ring in a bunch
of flowers. Birch sticks and silver hat pins keep them snugly in place on fanciful shawls and scarves.
