Karen Walker's bright, appealing buttons make a fun, stylish addition to your accessories. Ranging from classic round buttons to quirky ladybirds, toadstools and Russian dolls, you are sure to find something to bring a little fun to your hat, scarf, or handbag. Try them out as charms or attach them to greetings cards or scrapbook pages.
July 13
With sewing, knitting and crochet so popular, handmade buttons are top trend favourites to add 'zing' to clothes and accessories. Karen's bright buttons make a stylish addition to accessories and range from classic round buttons to quirky ladybirds, toadstools and Russian dolls. There are quick and easy projects for beginners with lots of inspiration for more advanced crafters.
* Machine Knitting Monthly *July 13
Part of the Twenty to Make series, this book looks at making polymer clay buttons in all shapes, sizes and colours. Great projects to make with the children, as long as you supervise baking. The only advice about baking is 'follow the instructions on the packet' since this is a generic book for all makes of polymer clay, so please note a separate oven should be used for baking polymer clay. The designs include hearts, fruit, animals as well as round buttons. Written instructions are clear, there are no how-to photos but a good photo of the finished project.
* Karen Platt Yarnsandfabrics.co.uk/crafts *Jul/Aug 13
You will never again need to search for just the right button as, whatever your project, this book will inspire you to make exactly what you need. From classic to contemporary, from quirky to cute - you will want to add your own unique buttons to everything including bags, clothing and art-work. They could even be adapted for earrings and other jewellery! Great fun for all ages.
* East Kent Embroiderer's Guild *Autumn 13
Finding 'just the right button' to compliment a handmade creation can be very difficult. Many commercially available buttons are simply too shiny and rarely available in the required colour. Polymer Clay Buttons, the new addition to the Search Press Twenty to Make range shows the reader how to make their own washable (up to 30 DegreesC) buttons. After a general introduction to the subject and a concise section covering tools and techniques this colourful booklet contains instructions for making a variety of buttons. Although many of the button projects fall into the novelty category there are plenty of other button types that would suit 'grown-up' projects. The Vintage, Psychedelic, Rainbow and Chunky buttons could be easily personalised and adapted once the basic techniques have been learnt. Two pages are devoted to each button and information is grouped under the headings Materials, Tools and Instructions. The numbered step-by-step instructions are clear and easily followed. To guide and inspire you, close-up and larger-than-life photos accompany each set of instructions; it doesn't take long before your head is buzzing with ideas.
Dawn Willey, New Forest & Online Guilds
* Journal for Weavers, Spinners & Dyers *Karen Walker has worked with various crafts for the last fifteen years; growing up in Stoke on Trent, the heart of the English pottery industry. Recently she has worked extensively with polymer clays, running studios and regular workshops. She has made several appearances on television demonstrating techniques using a variety of polymer clays, and is a frequent exhibitor at various exhibitions across Britain. She is currently the UK Creative Consultant for a company based in Europe.
* Use up all those leftovers and add 'zing' to clothes and accessories
* Quick and easy projects for beginners, lots of inspiration for more advanced crafters
* With sewing/knitting/crochet so popular now, handmade buttons are top trend favourites