Instant Art Work

I fell in love with this piece of sheet music from 1917, but didn't know what to really do with it. It's too old and fragile to just sit on my piano, but I didn't want to hide it away in a drawer either. I came up with the idea to frame it and put it in my studio because the colors perfectly match the barkcloth curtains I already have.

After putting it in a mat and frame I found at a framing store, I must say I was impressed with the results. It was a project that was fast, cheap and easy to do, and I'm proud to hang it on my wall!

I'm Beginning to See the (Bake)light

Along with the right barkcloth, great buttons are a vital element in my bag designs. Some of my favorites are made of bakelite.

Bakelite was developed in 1907 by Belgian scientist Leo Baekeland. It was the first plastic made from synthetic compounds and was originally developed for use in industry.

It became clear however,that bakelite was perfect for many other things including buttons because it was available in an array of colors and could be carved, molded, and laminated into many shapes.

The buttons pictures here are coat buttons from the 1930's. During the Great Depression people had to make do with what they had, but for a few cents they could update the look of a garment such as a coat with new buttons. Their biggest challenge was just having to decide which of these beauties to choose!