In Full Bloom

I met Michelle at the Folk Festival. Isn't she lovely? She is also as sweet and genuine as she is pretty. We chatted amicably for a few minutes as she explained her wares which she mostly makes from re-used materials. (mouse over Michelle's picture)

She had pins, barrettes, necklaces, fridge magnets and earrings made from scrap material, poker chips and/or buttons.


She also had jigsaw puzzle piece earrings made from one puzzle. The pieces had been divided up and were being sold around the world. Michelle hopes that it will make people feel "part of the big picture".

I was amused by one of her little boxes of magnetic poetry for creating naughty poems - she cut out all of the words from National Geographic magazines.

"Can you believe that I found the word boobies in National Geographic?" she chirped proudly and then quickly added, "You know that it is actually the name of a bird, right?"

My favourite item at her table were her button frames.

For many years I have held on to a tin of my grandmaman's black buttons which she collected from her discarded dresses, my grandpapa's worn out suits, and her eight children's outgrown clothes.


Michelle's black button frame has inspired me to make my own frame with my grandmaman's buttons. Inside the frame I will place a sweet picture of my grandmaman when she was a little girl.