Sunday, April 14, 2013

Enchanted by Button Stories


Welcome to Day 14 of Drawing Into Poems, my daily drawing/seeing/writing study into poetry.  You can read more about this month-long project here on my April 1 post.  Feel free to read the books with me, and pull out your own sketchbook and jewelry box full of metaphor too...

Day 14 - My New Old Buttons
Click the drawing to enlarge it.

Students - Well, even though I said that this week I'll be writing out in the world, here I am drawing from home.  It's rainy and cold 'round where I live, and yesterday was a cozy stay-in-to-draw kind of evening.  

I have been enchanted by buttons for some time.  I love anything (fossils, clothing from Goodwill, shells, stamps, coins...) that has been touched and seen by many different people or lived through many different lives.  Buttons are stories, and I just got this new jar of stories on Friday.  I like to listen to my new button jar when I shake it, and I like to just look at the buttons one by one too. 

New Old Button Jar
Photo by Amy LV

Our daughter Georgia and I sorted buttons for a while on Friday, and it was very soothing and interesting.  It made us talk about THE GRIMM LEGACY. Some of the characters in this book sort buttons too.

Georgia's Button Sort
Photo by Amy LV

Is there an object that just intrigues you, something you wonder about often or just want to be near and hold and think about?  If so, this may be a good writing idea for you.  It need not be a fancy object; in fact, with writing, humble is often best.  Which small objects enchant you?

In happy large creature news, yesterday I had the chance to sign books with Llama Llama...and a couple of weeks ago I got to meet the Large Celery who runs in Bisons games.  What a fun month it has been!

Llama Llama and Amy Trade Books
Photo by Shop Employee

Large Celery and Amy 
Photo by Kind Bystander

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6 comments:

  1. Amy, I have several jars of buttons, but an old button basket from my husband's grandmother. I've had students choose buttons & then trace it to its 'possible' piece of clothing, then owner, then imagine the why this clothing, & create a story, just as you are writing about! A while ago I read an article about the vast number of button collector clubs in Canada. It's true-there are many, & some are collections passed down from generation to generation! Here is a link, but I imagine if you contact any they might help with the age of your buttons. http://www.nationalbuttonsociety.org/NBS_Websites.html
    You may not want to go further, but thought it was fun to tell you! I love your little sketches, & Georgia's button sort!

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  2. Amy-I love buttons! I have a rubbermaid tub full of buttons. Someone bought them for me once at an auction and my students love them. I also have tins and tins of them at home for crafting. Every time I make a pair of mittens from an old sweater, I cut the buttons off and add them to the collection. Here's a great poetry idea using bottons:
    http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/poetry-class/downloadable-poetry-lessons/
    Scroll down to Roz Goddard the Button Jar. I can't wait to try this!
    I'm loving all your amazing drawings this month.

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  3. I love, love, love buttons! what a cool idea, to draw them....My goal this month has been to go outside and draw things. But with this rain I've been thinking the local antique store might be a good place to take my sketchbook. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  4. Hi, Amy! (I knew this would happen - went off to Hattiesburg last week and now I'm way behind on my Poetry Month blog-hopping!)
    ;0)

    Another button-lover here. Love how you describe them as stories. Years ago as a freelance feature writer, I got to do a story on "The Button Man" in South Carolina. Kind of a folk-artist/local icon kind of older fellow, with an entire car covered in buttons, among other things!

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  5. Me, too!!! I am still upset that I did not keep my grandmother's collection. It was 1970 and I was too young to know it was an important thing to do. UGH. You are so creative! Love your sorting fun.

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  6. I already told you in another post about my love of buttons and for sorting them. I have a pretty nice collection of them -- I love your new jar full!

    I also love BEADS. A few years ago, I found a bead box among my things when I was cleaning out the garage. I have NO RECOLLECTION of where this box came from, but there it was, rectangular and pink and 1960s-ish and full of thousands of beads all jumbled together. I took this treasure home and stayed up until 5am sorting all the different kinds of beads into their own sections in the box. Still a mystery where it came from!

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