Vintage Button Cards & Books

Buttons, button, buttons!!! Dig out your old button tin and use some some pretty, vintage buttons to inspire these gorgeous little cards. We will be using beautiful old haberdashery emphemera to inspire this week's project and, if you are a regular you'll know, as always, there are so many possibilities! You could add real buttons to these 'cut-out-and-keep' cards or illustrate and stitch on paper buttons. During the session, I'll even show you how to add these illustrations to a tiny button book. 

You could create these little cards in a sketchbook to make a beautiful full page spread or create small exquisite artworks to add to greetings cards and artist books. The choice is yours! 

All abilities welcome! 

• Book onto this session and you will receive a zoom link to the live session.
• You will be sent all printable references, templates and instructions a few days before the live workshop.
• You don't have to attend live. After the event, you will receive a video link of the recording so you don't need to be there in person if you prefer to watch and work at a time of your choosing.

What do I need?

• Fine liners (waterproof, nib size 0.5mm and 0.1mm) in brown or black
• Pencil 2B/HB, eraser, sharpener
• An A3 or A4 sheet of watercolour paper OR heavyweight cartridge paper and/or a sketchbook with good quality mixed media paper. Approx 140-50lb/220gsm
• Scraps of card/cartridge paper to make the buttons. You can also use decorated papers, vintage paper, magazines, book pages etc.
• Watercolour paints and/or Gouache paints. I will be showing you how to use both.
• Mixing Palette
• Paintbrushes (round, pointed, approx size 6, 4, 2)
• Coloured pencils (Good Quality) and/or coloured fine liners
• Water pot
• Kitchen Roll
• Printable References
• Real Buttons (not essential..only if you have a collection of pretty ones that you would like to use as a reference. Please don't buy any especially)
• Needle and thread
• Scissors
• Glue stick or double sided tape
• Tracing paper (or use the image transfer technique demo in video*)

*Additional materials for image transfer (Optional):

You will need : a small amount of white acrylic paint with water added so that it is the consistency of single cream, an old flat brush, an ink jet print of the 'button backing card REVERSED' downloadable reference, a pair of scissors.

Please note: You can only use this technique with an ink jet print, a laser copy will not work.

For more information about sketchbooks and materials go to my workshops page and scroll down. Click on the 'Sketchbook Materials and Information' button and you can download and print a materials list.

This session will be recorded and available to purchase after the event which is a great way to catch up on previous sessions. To view previous classes go to the Workshops page > On-Demand Workshops.