Shambellie House Museum of Costume

My husband, Rob, and I went to the Shambellie House Museum of Costume a while back. It is near New Abbey in Dumfries & Galloway, and well worth a few hours exploration. There is a walled garden you can also visit nearby, plus Sweetheart Abbey and several other attractions in the area.

Here I am in the gardens, admiring a living willow sculpture.

As well as the permanent exhibition showing fashion through the ages in a series of dioramas, there was a special exhibition called 'Marriage In The Movies'. This shows a room full of beautiful period-style wedding dresses that have been used in films and tv series. My favourite one, above, was worn by Helena Bonham Carter in the film 'Frankenstein' from 1994.

Another beautiful dress was the one above, centre, worn by Nastassja Kinski as 'Tess' in Roman Polanski's production of that name from 1980.

This beaded hand bag is one of a number of delectable accessories, including fans, displayed in the Museum.

The wedding dresses will be on display until the end of October 2010.

After enjoying the exhibition, you can stop for tea and cakes in the Museum's tea room, and buy souvenirs in the gift shop. I managed to get another book about buttons to add to my collection ;o)

Post by Julia of Love Buttons HQ.

Vintage Buttons

Morning all!

Here are some of the latest finds from Love Buttons HQ. Enjoy!

First is the cutest little terrier dog button I have seen. It is a realistically-shaped button in dark brown opaque glass with moulded details such as fur, nose, tongue and eyes. The fur has been highlighted with a light grey/cream lacquer or paint and the eyes are very appealing. Even the little tongue shows a touch of red.
Definitely one for the collectors! This button costs £4.00.

Next, is a set of four unusual mother of pearl shell buttons, with a carved grid pattern. They are dyed blue and have four sew through holes. This set of four buttons costs £4.00.

Finally, some familiar faces! I managed to track down another small quantity of these gorgeous flower/fairy buttons. They are reproduction Art Nouveau (manufactured approximately 20 years ago). The central face is surrounded by petals to look like a pansy flower - quite charming! I have one set of three buttons on Love Buttons HQ for £6.75.

Thank you for dropping by, and if you feel like browsing even more buttons, why not visit my shops on Etsy, MISI, Folksy or Love Buttons HQ? Enjoy the rest of the weekend peeps! ;o)

Winter Coat and Cape Patterns at Wickedlady Collectables

It's time to start thinking about winter coats (really) if you are going to make one yourself this year.

All these lovelies are at Wickedlady Collectables already and there are more to come next week.

New Buttons In Stock!

Hallo Chums! Hope you are all enjoying the glorious Summer weather!

This week I have some lovely new buttons in stock at Love Buttons HQ.

The first type are wooden buttons decorated with a Japanese-style pattern of pink and white flowers, overlaid by a red fan. Very pretty! These buttons cost £0.65 each.

These eye-catching 'realistic' poppy flower buttons would make a real focal point on any handmade project. They measure about an inch (26mm) in diameter. They cost £1.00 each.

Who could resist these adorable puppy dog buttons? The background is pale blue. They would look very sweet on childrens' clothing or as a decorative accent on a cute handmade article. These buttons cost £0.90 each.

Don't forget to drop in on Love Buttons at Etsy, Folksy, and MISI, as well as at Love Buttons HQ. 100s of buttons to browse through! Cheerio for now.

Stylish Vintage Footwear

Several days ago i visited a Footwear museum  at Lamberts Mill, Rawtenstall, Lancashire, a small museum with an interesting collection of shoes, photos, advertisements and shoe making equipment.

Below a pair of circa 1900 wedding shoes, notice the shoe buttons.

This pair of vintage  black leather shoes have the shoe buttons but also are decorated with cut steel buckles.

Above 3 footwear advertisements

Below 2 pairs of vintage shoes you can purchase at http://www.specialistauctions.com/

Swan & Edgar shoes 1910 - 1920

1950's Bombshell heels

Vintage Buttons

Afternoon all! Hope you are enjoying your weekends :)

Here is the latest batch of vintage button finds to show you. First up, a lovely set of vintage plastic buttons with stylised flower/grass/plant life painted on them. The fronts are plastic, probably celluloid (although untested), the reverse is metal with japanning. They cost £7.00 for a set of seven.

Next is a set of second-hand metal buttons with an elegant raised pattern of scrolls and diamond shapes. They are for sale at just £2.00 for the set of seven buttons.

Finally a pair of buttons and a single button in a gorgeous shade of 'olive drab' green. The two larger ones have a rounded, glossy finish. The third button has a flatter profile and an incised border of inter-twined lines. This mixed set costs £3.00 for three.

If you are on the lookout for modern or vintage buttons to complete a project, why not have a browse round my three Love Buttons shops to be found on Etsy, Folksy, MISI and at Love Buttons HQ?

Cheerio!

Button Necklaces From Little Barb

Here are some gorgeous necklaces made using vintage buttons by talented jewellery maker Barbara, known as Little Barb on Folksy. also http://www.littlebarb.co.uk

Barbara's combinations of layers, textures and her subtle colour palette make for a beautiful end result. Prices are very reasonable too, with brooches starting at £5.00 and necklaces at £20.00, these would make the perfect gift. Visit Little Barb's shop here.

Latest Vintage Button Finds

Hello Folks!

Here are some assorted vintage glass buttons for your perusal:-

The first set are vintage Czechoslovakian, made from white glass with a transfer picture of some cute flowers on them. They are hexagonal in shape with a self-shank. They cost £4.00 for a set of six.

The second set are made from vintage black glass, with a moulded, stylised flower pattern with gold lustre highlights. These come as a set of three for £3.00.

The final button is a collectable Bimini glass button, dating to c.1940s. It has the Bimini markings on the brass plate on the reverse. This button costs £12.00. A beautiful addition to a glass or button collection!

Click on the links to browse through many other types and styles of buttons at Love Buttons HQ, Etsy, Folksy and MISI. Enjoy!