Using Buttons as Embellishments

Buttons are no longer just for keeping your shirts and jackets closed - they have become a popular item for adding dimension and interest to cards and scrapbook pages.  Here is a fun little card that uses buttons in an interesting way.




Tools Needed for this project:

• Circle Cutter
• Self-healing mat
• Simple card base
• Red layering Cardstock (5 1/4 x 4)
• Smaller white layering cardstock (5 x 3 3/4)
• Several small pieces of patterned paper
• Strip of green cardstock
• Adhesive
• Image Stamp
• Sentiment stamp
• Sun stamp
• Pigment ink pad
• Black ink pad
• Glue Dots
• Scissors
• Scallop scissors
• Buttons
• Ribbon - two pieces

Step 1: First we're going to make a few little hillsides out of patterned paper.  Set the circle cutter to around 2 3/4 inches diameter.  Set the blade of the cutter at the end of the cardstock - as close to a corner as you can get it.  Cut a semi-circle out of one piece of patterned paper.




Step 2: Decrease the diameter of the circle cutter by another 1/4 inch or so and cut another semi-circle.  Decrease the diameter one more time and cut a third semi-circle.  



You will end up with three different patterned semi-circles, ranging from 2 3/4 inches wide to  2 1/2 inches wide.  




Step 3: Using your scallop scissors, cut the strip of green cardstock down the middle.  Keep the strip of paper with the positive image (the one on top here).




Step 4: Adhere the strip of green cardstock to the white quarter-sheet of cardstock.  Leave enough room at the bottom for your sentiment.




Step 5: Adhere the first circle, leaving a little bit of a gap between the patterned paper and the strip of cardstock.  Don't worry - the third semicircle will cover up the gap!

Adhere the second semicircle right up against the green cardstock.




Step 6: Finally, adhere the third semicircle, covering up the gap made earlier.  Now you have your little cluster of hillsides.  Cute, huh?





Step 7: For a little artistic effect, I used two different ribbons on this card.  Tie the white ribbon around the red ribbon in a knot.  




Step 8: Wrap the ribbon around the card, right on top of the seam between the patterned paper and the green cardstock.  This is a handy little way of keeping those not-so-pretty seams from showing.

Using two-sided tape (not pictured here), adhere the ribbon to the back of the card.



Step 9: Ink up your sentiment image with black ink and stamp it on the bottom of the card.   If you're not using a clear image you can practice a few times on scratch paper to make sure the image lines up right.  




Step 10: Ink up the balloon image with black ink and stamp it over the hillsides - leaving enough room for the buttons.

Tip: This image and the sentiment are both from Papertrey Ink (which is also where I saw the idea of using semi-circles of patterned paper as hills - such a cute idea!)  I love this stamp set because it's made just for using buttons.  You can find any stamp image with a circle and pop a button over it for the same effect.




Get out your buttons and glue dots.  If you don't have glue dots you can use double-sided tape.




Step 11: Glue down one button - I started with the middle button because it's easier than waiting until the other ones are down and having to work around them.



Step 12: Here come the other two buttons.  So adorable!



Step 13: Adhere the white cardstock to the red cardstock.  Then adhere all of that to the card base.  Almost done...




Step 14: Grab your pigment ink and slide the yellow ink out of the holder.  

Tip: You can just as easily use regular ink, but I love the way the Prismacolor ink pads pull out for easy inking and I wanted to show you that little bit of coolness.



And here's Mr. Sun all nice and yellow...



Step 15: Stamp your sun image in the top left of the card, and then clean off the stamp before you get ink all over the place (like I normally do).  



Here is your finished card!  So cute and it will bring a smile to anyone's face!

 



 

 

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