What a Hoot!

I made another ‘hoot’ owl because I saw a friend recently and, as I hadn’t seen her over Christmas, gave her the original one for a belated pressie.  I used some fantastic buttons for his eyes and I got them locally in a really dated haberdashery shop.  The sort of shop you haven’t seen for years anywhere else but in this (almost) forgotten corner of France, they still lurk.  There were boxes and boxes of buttons stacked from floor to ceiling and I could have spent hours in there sifting through them all.  Unfortunately, I  noticed the other day that she has whitewashed the windows and moved out all the stock.  I am hoping it’s only a refurbishment  and not a closure – I must stop the car and read the notices in the window.  If she does open again I’m going in for a massive button shopping spree.

Hoot

Big Buttons!!

I like covering buttons – I find it therapeutic.  Call me strange.  I have been amusing myself today by covering some  huge buttons with gorgeous fabric and then thinking of ways to use them. 

Cheer up a Handbag!

New Shoes?

When I went to Toulouse last week, I went into La Droguerie which is a fantastic little shop hidden away in one of the many back streets of Toulouse and which I only ever find again by accident.  This was the first time I have ever been into the shop and actually managed to get served.  The problem is that they sell all different little, teeny things like buttons, ribbons, embellishments, beads, charm, jewellery findings and yarn that they have to make into skeins while you wait so each person takes an age to be served and those that are waiting (usually me) lose the will to live and leave with nothing but bitter memories.  Not last week though!  We got in very late as we were going to have dinner there and so only caught the last 40 minutes or so of the shops.  I went in and there were sales staff to spare.  I sent my husband off to the nearest bar as, unaccountably, he doesn’t seem to be interested in beads and buttons, and went all unnecessary as I tried to grasp the fact that I was actually going to be served and desperately tried to think of all the things I could possibly need and want which, of course, is not the same thing at all.  I knew I wanted some maribu feathers to make angel wings – don’t ask! – but what else?  Anyway, I spotted these huge buttons and they’d covered them in some gorgeous Libertys of London fabric.  Had to have them – well, actually, they were charging a fortune so had to make them.  They didn’t sell the blank buttons but I fell in love with the fabric with teeny, tiny cars on it and paid a fortune for a small piece  and, I’m ashamed to admit,  I lied to my husband about the price.   He wouldn’t understand.

How Gorgeous is This Fabric?

Now, I must stop playing and get on with something more serious – not as serious as ironing or housework of course, but I’ve only got 10 blank buttons and I don’t want to use up all the fun at once.