In Awe of AVAoriginal's Floral Art Accessories

I recently came across the amazing work of AVAoriginal.  She handcrafts the most stunning floral accents I've ever seen.  Based in Berlin, this artist works with felt textiles to produce gorgeous necklaces, scarves, hair clips and home accessories.

I am truly in awe of this artist's work.  The remarkable realism of her flowers entices you to stroke the velvety soft texture of their petals.  These pieces are large enough for visual effect without appearing over-the-top; the designs are decidedly softer and more delicate than the oversized flowers of 2009 (à la Sex and the City).  More than a fashion fad, these necklaces are handcrafted works of wearable art.

AVAoriginal's florals have me intrigued by their artistic talent and amazed by their beauty.  I think I'm in love!  Visit AVAoriginal's Etsy Shop here.

Wooden Button Love 2!

Although short on time, I finished a few buttons yesterday.  I used a branch that had fallen from a neighborhood tree during a winter storm.

As mentioned in the Esprit Cabine tutorial, I highly recommend the use of a miter box when sawing the branch - it really helped to keep my cuts straight and clean!  Next time around, I might even try cutting on a 45 degree angle.

Although I love the bark edging on whippoorwheel's wonderful persimmon buttons, my branch was very dry and the bark chipped off during the sawing process (which is okay, too!).

My button pieces didn't look very impressive after I'd first cut them, but a little hand sanding revealed the natural beauty of the wood.  I varied from the tutorial and sanded the front, back and side surfaces.  Here are my sanded pieces on a dew-dressed collard leaf:

Lastly, I brought them indoors, clamped each piece to a bench pin and used my Dremel to drill the button holes.  As you can see in this final photograph, I can use a lot more practice here!  I could also use a tinier drill bit for the small buttons.

I've definitely been inspired to try more of these buttons.  My husband suggested carving a few into heart shapes, which could be really cute!


I'd also like to finish these buttons with oil or wood stain, or even experiment with my wood-burner tool for more intricate designs.  I'm already envisioning little wood beads, too.  Oh, the possibilities!

Wooden Button Love!

I adore wooden buttons!  I love the idea of adding a sweet, rustic touch to a beloved cardigan or clutch purse.

If you have a penchant for wooden embellishments too, check out this wonderfully simple tutorial from Esprit Cabane*.  What a great way to salvage a few fallen branches!

I've been thinking about making branch buttons for a while, but this Esprit Cabane tute sounds so do-able that I can't wait to try it out.  My long weekend will mostly revolve around reluctant spring cleaning, but I'm determined to try out a few of these later today.  Some long, fallen branches that I've been storing for a different project should be perfect for this.

Be sure to use dead or already fallen wood for your button-making to keep your crafting eco-friendly.

For either inspiration or purchase, you must see these gorgeous handmade buttons available on Etsy:

whippoorwheel made these bloom-shaped beauties from fallen Persimmon branches.  The natural shape of the Persimmon bark produces the lovely flower-shaped outlines.  I think I`m in love!

*BTW, if you haven`t checked out Esprit Cabane, you should!  It`s a virtual Eden of eco-crafting goodness!  It`s the English translation of a French web magazine.  Highly recommended!