May 20 2007
Using Buttons Without Bulk
I love buttons. I love the idea of using them on my cards, but I’m always put off by the big lump they create on the card front, making my tenderly crafted works of heart less tolerant of the ravages of the mail. I always place a sheet of cardstock over the card front before slipping it into the envelope and this works fine if the button isn’t too thick. Some of the more decorative buttons, however, are too much for that single sheet to handle. So I set out to find a way to make my buttons more usable.
It’s not always so much the thickness of the button that causes the problem, but the lumpiness of it. I’m not familiar with the exact process of mechanical mail handling, but I know it’s squished through some kind of machine and the smoother the envelope, the better it comes out on the other end. With that in mind, I decided to set the button into the card rather than on top of it. This big button is one of several I picked up at Wal Mart. Wasn’t it nice that the manufacturer patterned it to match this new SU! Palette o’ Prints paper? It also fits perfectly into the hole created by the 1 3/8″ circle punch!
The base of this card is Certainly Celery with a layer of Pale Plum stamped with Craft White Canvas. I made the top layer in two parts and punched half of the hole in the top part and the other half in the bottom part, then fit the two pieces together, creating a full circle, and taped them on the back to secure them. The main image is from the SU! hostess set, The World Over. It’s stamped on Shimmery White with Jet Black Stazon. I gave it a blue sky and green grass watercolor wash first, then colored the flowers with markers. I matted this on Barely Banana, then used my Exacto knife to cut the hole in the Banana cardstock. I added the little scalloped border which I trimmed at the edges of the hole, then adhered the assembled panels to the card front with dimensional tape. Next, I tied a nice little non-bulky linen thread bow on the button, smeared some Alene’s Tacky Glue on the back and tucked it into the hole. It sits pretty much flush with the front panel of the card and is a very cool accent. I love the inlay look of it!
For this card, in order to match the blue of the button, I dug into my stash of CTMH paper and pulled out this Summer Cloud Blue. I don’t know if they even make this color any more, but it’s really a nice, soft blue which looks better still when it’s been lightly sanded so the white core of the paper shows through. I wanted this card soft as a summer breeze so I kept to the blue and white with just a smidgen of pink. I used my cloud stencil and the Summer Cloud Blue ink on ordinary white cardstock for the upper part of the card and added a plain white slit punch scalloped border, edged with a blush of blue, added the ribbon and adhered these panels to the white card front. I just love using these matching inks and papers–SU!, CTMH, whatever–I love them all!
To make the frame I punched a 1 3/8″ square in white cardstock and trimmed the edges to 1/2″. It’s stamped with Linen in Summer Cloud Blue, but it doesn’t show in the photo. You can see it IRL, however. I punched a 1 1/4″ circle in Summer Cloud Blue cardstock, glued the frame on it and trimmed around it, allowing a narrow blue border. All the words are from SU!’s set, Love Ya Bunches. — Just a side note here because it’s interesting how a card comes together sometimes: I started with the button just because it’s cute and I wanted to use it; the button led me to Summer Cloud Blue; the name “Summer Cloud Blue” made me think to use the cloud stencil; the clouds made me use the scallops because I thought they looked cloud-like; the sanding of the cardstock and its rough linen look led me to stamp Linen on the frame; and, finally, the look of the button brought me around to Love Ya Bunches because the image looks very similar to the flower box image in this stamp set, which is why I bought the button in the first place.
Okay, back to business — Once the frame was finished and the ribbon tied on, I mounted it on dimensional tape to the card front, creating a little “well” to protect the button and, therefore, the card. Once this card is in the envelope with a panel of cardstock over the front you can barely tell the button is there.
Buttons without bulk! I’m so happy now! I have lots more ideas for my buttons, but this is all I have time for today. I hope you’ll find this idea useful. It’s not nearly as time consuming as it sounds in the retelling. Have a happy week!
BOTH of these cards are absolutely DARLING!!! Love the layout’s, clouds, so sweet!!!
You are AMAZING!!!! I love using buttons, too, but fear their demise at the post office as well. I must try this. Both of these cards are wonderful. The “Love Ya Bunches” is so adorable - really love the colors.
Fabulous idea for the buttons, Leslie, and I love your cards! Thanks for sharing your thought process on how the blue card came about — too funny!
You are just stinkin brilliant! I’ll be using a lot more buttons on my cards now.
I also love your thought process on the cloud card. It’s neat to see the way the mind works of one of my card idols!
Both cards are just beautiful BTW!
Linda
GREAT idea with the inset buttons. It looks so cool, and it’s functional too. Your cards are both beautiful.
Beautiful cards and way cool idea! You rock
What a great idea!! Delicious cards!!!!! Thanks for sharing!
Vicki
Leslie,
These are absolutely gorgeous and original too! I think that’s what I like best about your cards. They are very different from each other. Thanks for posting another great set of cards.
grace
OMGosh, Leslie, these are lovely! And how clever to set the button in the card! Yes, you ARE amazing!
These are both so pretty and I love the colors of the 2nd one and the image on the button. TFS!
what a great idea! Thanks for sharing!!
Both VERY nice, love the button techniques! Beautiful garden as well, i like how your feline friend just had to follow you around while you were taking photos. My son’s name is Marvin and he was happy there are more of them.
OMG Leslie, your inset button cards are absolutely stunning. The gorgeous colors and details are scrumptious! I so enjoy your very detailed descriptions and can not tell you how much I feel inspired. Thank you, thank you for sharing.
awesome idea, you’re the best for sharing that tip! I hardly ever use buttons for the bulk issue so now I will have to give them another try:)I love the love ya bunches card, the colors and clouds are wonderful!!
See you in the morning with my coffee:)
absolutley adorable idea for the button! Love the great big size too!
Neat ideas! TFS!
LOVE them Leslie!! You are a creative little bomb baby!!! I can’t wait to see these IRL, so you better not send them off yet!! SO cool!!
What a good idea - it’s a must try!
Both of your cards are beautiful, Leslie!! Thanks for the button tips as well. I can’t believe how closely that button on your first card matches the new paper. I love the pretty color of the second.
Wow! Your “Buttons Without Bulk” seminar is fantastic! So many great ideas that you’ve shared here with both of these pretty cards, and that side note about the evolution of a card was lots of fun to read. And the precision of your handiwork on both of these cards is very much appreciated by persnickety me! Now I can think more about using some of those cute buttons I bought at Walmart many moons ago. I admit, their bulk has stumped me as to how to use them. No excuses now! :o) Linda
Beautiful cards Leslie!
Beautiful cards, makes me want to go and stamp…I have that hostes set, and If you can believe it, I haven’t touched it yet.
These are so pretty, Leslie! I love them both!
LOVE the faux buttons! and I love your coloring on that top card. The blue shading is perfection!
What fabulous ideas! Love these cards!
~Angie
You are just too smart! Love the button ideas, but even more loved reading your thought process for creating the Love Ya Bunches card - how fun!
My goodness - I am soooooo behind on my blog reading and you have so much FABULOUS stuff to look at!!! Love your button ideas and your garden is incredible - wow!
These cards are absolutely darling and your idea to inset the buttons….so clever & creative! I’ve got so much to learn, THANK for sharing = )
These cards are absolutely darling and your idea to inset the buttons….so clever & creative! I’ve got so much to learn, THANKS for sharing = )
this is sooo gorgeous.