Autumn inspiration & a tutorial on altering your buttons
Posted on: Thursday, August 20th, 2009
Well, I just realized that I broke my own rule today. What rule you ask? The rule of never showing projects featuring a stamp set that is not yet available for purchase. To me there’s nothing worse than falling in love with an image only to discover you can’t get it yet – since I personally hate waiting to buy something I like, I try to spare you all the agony too *lol*. So what happened? Well, my mini catalogue pre-order arrived yesterday and this stamp set was in it (it’s called Wandering Words) – it just so happens that this is one of my favorite new stamp sets in the mini and I got carried away in my excitement and couldn’t resist playing with it and the new Autumn Meadows DP. It was literally as I was uploading this card that it occured to me that I had broken my rule. Oh well – sometimes rules *need* to be broken right? *lol*
See the button on my card? Notice that it’s Really Rust color coordinates perfectly with the CS and DP? But Stampin’ Up! doesn’t carry Really Rust buttons – so where’d it come from?…….I altered it and I’m going to show you how. It’s so easy that it’s addictive. Since I didn’t need any more Really Rust buttons I decided to create a black button and show you how I did it (after all, Halloween is just around the corner!).
First off, you’re going to need buttons. Now buttons with a smooth finish (such as the So Saffron button shown in the picture) are easier to alter than buttons with little nooks and crannies like the circular cream-colored buttos in you can see in the picture above. You’re also going to need a craft ink pad or Stampin’ Spot in your desired color, some clear embossing powder, a heat tool and tweezers. The best tweezers to use are ones that have an angled tip and are spring-loaded (you have to squeeze them to open the tip). These tweezers were a part of the Stampin’ Up! tool kit which is no longer available, so if you don’t have any you can probably find them at your local craft store among other places.
You want to insert the tip of your tweezers through the holes of the button. Notice that the tips of the tweezers are just barely sticking out of the holes. Ideally you want to keep your tweezers in this position so that you can really press your button into your ink pad without tearing up the surface of your ink pad.
You’re now going to press your button onto the surface of your ink pad. Because this button had a little “dip” in the center of the button front, I actually found it easier to remove my tweezers and then use my finger to squish the button against the ink pad. I then inserted my tweezer tips and picked up my button again. Make sure you also ink up the sides of the button.
You can see from the picture above how well my button is covered in ink.
Now with all other colors (other than gold and silver) I would emboss with clear embossing powder, but because I wanted the black to be really intense, and because Stampin’ Up! carries black embossing powder, I decided to use that instead. So still holding my button with my tweezers, I dipped it into the embossing powder, making sure that the sides were covered as well. Don’t worry if embossing powder gets on the back of the button.
Once your button is covered with embossing powder, heat it with the heat tool until all the powder melts. The reason you need to emboss your buttons after coloring them is because on it’s own, the craft (also known as pigment) ink won’t dry – it’ll just smear off. Make sure you heat the back of the button too in order to melt any of the powder that ended up there (that way it won’t accidentally smear onto your project later).
Give your button a few minutes to cool thoroughly before removing it from the tweezers. Scrape off any ink/embossing powder from your tweezer tips and then clean with a damp sponge or paper towel before putting them away. If any of the embossing powder accumulated in the center holes of the button you can CAREFULLY clean it with a paper-piercing tool or needle – just be careful you don’t scratch the surface of your button or you will scratch off the color.
That’s all there is to it! Now I’m really sorry, but I just have no more energy to keep typing right now, so at some point tomorrow I’ll update this post with directions on how I made the card and a full supply list. I was up until 1 am last night because I just couldn’t sleep (I had too many ideas and thoughts floating around my head *lol*).
Andrea Walford 
59 Comments
August 20th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Stunning card! Neither the paper nor the set was on my thinking about list until now! Thanks for the great tutorial on coloring buttons! How fun to have all 48+ colors!
August 20th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Andrea thanks for sharing the button tutorial…I have used the same technique with brads..so now I will be able use up all those retired buttons laying around…
August 20th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Great card and button tutorial – thanks for sharing!
August 20th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
August 20th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
What a great idea! It’s a great way to use up retired buttons. I can’t wait to try it.
August 20th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Awesome tutorial. Works great for brads, eyelets and hardware!
August 20th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Awesome. Now I can have every color of SU button I want. Thanks for sharing!!
August 20th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
that is so cool what you did with that button. amazing! thanks for that little hint for a detail!!
and this card just sets the mood for Fall! can’t wait.
August 20th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
your card is gorgeous!! thanks for the awesome tutorial i love it!! now to get busy with my buttons. thanks for sharing.
hugs,
Rachel
August 20th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Lovely Autumn card — I can almost feel the wind!! Thanks for sharing how to alter a button — I often get frustrated by not having the “right” colors — no more!
August 20th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Great card for the fall season! Thanks for showing us how to customize the colour of our buttons!
August 20th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
I love the button tutorial how easy is that to have any color you want!
August 20th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
I was up also until 1 am! I kept fighting for sleep and didn’t accomplish anything like you did! Wow! I love the card! I wish I had pre-ordered more stamp sets. That one is really nice. Thanks for the button tip too!
August 20th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
THanks for the button tip!!!!!! I didn’t know you could do that!
See, you learn something new everyday:)
August 20th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
I saw that stamp in the mini, but didn’t think much about it till I saw your card. It’s very attractive! And thanks for posting the tutorial on how to do the button. I do that on brads all the time, don’t know why I didn’t think about doing a button.
August 20th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
What a delightful idea! So often we look for buttons just the right color and now we can customize them VERY easily! I’m going to use this tip at my next class for sure! Thanks
August 20th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Wonderful tutorial for the buttons! Great idea.
August 20th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
I love this stamp set as well, but haven’t ordered yet! Love your card TFS.
August 20th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Oh my gosh I can’t wait to give this a shot! I have a lot of pigment ink and could not figure out what the difference btw that and craft thank you for answering that too!
August 21st, 2009 at 2:47 am
Thanks for sharing this great idea.
August 21st, 2009 at 4:03 am
Fabulous card cans ee why you couldn’t wait to show it off…. and wow with the buttons thanks for sharing, brilliant!
August 21st, 2009 at 4:25 am
I know what I’m going to be doing today. What a great tutorial. Super way to embellish with a button that now matches the paper color. Thank you so much for sharing.
August 21st, 2009 at 5:56 am
Thank you so much for the idea of embossing the button to match your project. You are all too creative. I just love knowing I can get a matching button if I need it! The card is great also. Thanks again for your time and talent and sharing with all of us.
August 21st, 2009 at 5:58 am
I’ve done this with brads but never thought to try buttons, thanks for the great tip!
August 21st, 2009 at 6:42 am
What a great caard and thanks for sharing the idea for colouring the buttons. I will definitely be trying it out with many colours
August 21st, 2009 at 6:45 am
Great tutorial! I never would have thought about altering buttons. Thanks!
August 21st, 2009 at 7:11 am
Yes all those yummies from the mini would keep anyone up love! lol… Love that card and don’t you just LOVE that new DP.. OH that one had me squealing for days
Hope you got some rest darling!
August 21st, 2009 at 7:29 am
Gorgeous card! Awesome tutorial! You ROCK!!
August 21st, 2009 at 7:45 am
Thank you for the great tutorial on altering buttons. I’m going to try this out for sure. I love how the words and leaves are wind swept across the cs. It adds a lot to the card.
August 21st, 2009 at 7:53 am
This is a nice a earthy card. Thanks! Thanks for the button thing also.
August 21st, 2009 at 8:06 am
Hi Andrea, thanks for sharing, love your card. I am going to go emboss some buttons now.
Lisa
August 21st, 2009 at 8:07 am
Great card. Love the button and the button FYI! Time to get those ugly buttons out and use them up!
August 21st, 2009 at 8:15 am
I love your card. I too can’t wait to order something I really like. I like your altered button. For those of us who don’t have craft ink, there is a great tutorial in the conversations section on how to make your own buttons. I used it and it is very simple and fun. Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!
August 21st, 2009 at 8:19 am
Thanks for breaking your rule–like the preview! Also thanks for the tutorial on buttons.
August 21st, 2009 at 8:46 am
love the card and the buttons idea so this means I can use clear buttons and color them whatever color I need. Way to go Andrea, thanks always for sharing
Eileen
August 21st, 2009 at 9:27 am
I’m so glad you broke your rule. Beautiful color combo on this card. And who doesn’t love a sneak peek at what’s coming up? I sure do! Thanks for the tutorial on buttons. Sometimes I just don’t have the right color and this will make it possible.
August 21st, 2009 at 9:33 am
This card is lovely! I am very inspired now to try to alter buttons. I was reluctant in the past to purchase SU buttons because I was afraid I would use all of one color and then not have what I needed for a particular project. This tutorial has taken that worry out of the equation. Now I can buy with confidence that every single button will be used! Thank you!
Kathy
August 21st, 2009 at 9:47 am
Andrea- another lovely card!
August 21st, 2009 at 10:31 am
What a wonderful tip. Love, love the card. This set is at the top of my mini-wish list.
August 21st, 2009 at 10:35 am
I, for one, am so happy that you broke the rules. The Autumn card is fabulous! Can’t wait for the mini to arrive & begin my holiday shopping.
August 21st, 2009 at 10:38 am
i love the card and once again thanks for sharing yet another great idea.
August 21st, 2009 at 10:59 am
Lovely card!!! That is such a great button technique! I do that all the time when I need a certain button in a color I don’t have. Another idea is to actually stamp a design on the button and then emboss it.
August 21st, 2009 at 11:56 am
Fun! I will definitely use this awesome button altering technique soon:)
August 21st, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Wow! great tutorial! Thanks for sharing.
August 21st, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Great information. Thanks! I may have to do this in one of my workshops. Just gives them another reason they need the embossing stuff, right?
August 21st, 2009 at 1:17 pm
That RUST button was the first thing I noticed! Cool beans, love that technique!
Pretty card, i can’t wait to see the recipe.
Dreena
August 21st, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Cool! I’ve tried that on hodgepodge hardware, but not on buttons. And I love the card that you made! Beautiful colors!
August 21st, 2009 at 2:38 pm
This is a great idea! I had never thought of such a thing, and now I will be stocking up on plain color buttons.
August 21st, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Great card…and thanks for the idea on buttons…I like this idea much more than having them plain.
August 21st, 2009 at 3:09 pm
I contemplated this set and then chose to wait, now I’m wishing I hadn’t!!! Your card is lovely!
August 21st, 2009 at 4:02 pm
This is a darling card. I didn’t get the stamp set but of course after seeing your idea I have to get it. The tutorial for the buttons is great. I know about this idea but tend to forget about using it. It is so super simple and does so much. Now we can brag SU has buttons to match all their ink colors.
August 21st, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Thanks Andrea for this simple, and very easy way to alter buttons.
I just wanted to ask…..Would you say that it is wise to have all of the SU Colour families in Craft Ink? Or, are there certain colours of Craft Ink you use more than others?
August 21st, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Great idea on the buttons!!! You are awesome!! Love your card, just another stamp set to put on my “wish list”.
August 21st, 2009 at 7:39 pm
What a wonderful autumn card. I love it!
Sandy
August 21st, 2009 at 11:42 pm
I wish I saw this a day sooner. i was doing a swap for 36 & wanted to do something with buttons but I didn’t have enough that were similar enough to us so they would look right… UGH! Thanks for sharing the tutorial so I will be able to match in the future.
Thank You Thank You Thank You
TFS
Candyce
August 22nd, 2009 at 10:27 am
Thank you soo much for this tutorial! I’ve done brads/eyelets before, but have never thought to do buttons!! What a great idea!
August 22nd, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Love this tutorial! I wonder if Heat n Stick will be good and glitter will stick to the buttons???? I might have to try that!
This is a great card, and I bought this set also….
August 27th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Wow I never thought to emboss a button to change the colour before. I have embossed brads so I tried it (a button) tonight and love it. While I was experimenting I dipped a button in versamark, heat and stick and then gold glitter – wow – did it ever make a statement. It would look fantastic on a snowflake or christmas card. Thank you for all your great ideas – your blog is the first one I visit everyday.
PS-have you tried punching from brushed gold or silver (or cardstock) with the word window and then again with the new modern label punch to create a faux label holder. Some of the Teeny tiny words fit nicely inside as well.
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:58 am
Beautiful! I love your ideas!
Kathy
http://www.sassystamper.blogspot.com
Pay It forward Giveaway: http://sassystamper.blogspot.com/2009/08/pix-attchdpay-it-forward-givewaway.html