Just Another Button Company

What is a Make-Do?

2012-01-20T11:10:00.000-08:00

Make-do with

Just another button company™

What is a Make-Do?

Fans of folk art will recognize the name given to useful items created by our ancestors from things they had at hand. Pincushions were often make-do projects. Pins were a precious commodity, and saved carefully for reuse. Thrifty homemakers crafted pincushions for the purpose from a bit of fabric, stuffing and whatever container or pedestal was ready for repurposing—a cup with a crack, an empty spool, or a broken candlestick.

Make your pincushion and pop it into a container you already have on hand—you have a make-do! Use a JABC kit to get started, or even better, use fabric you already have on hand. The instructions given produce a flat–bottomed pincushion that can stand on its own. Or you can drop the pincushion into a mug, pop it into an old jar lid, or glue to the top of a spool. The pincushion becomes a make-do when you add the creative finish using something you already own.

Snowball...a make-do pincushion kit from JABC

The Snowball kit includes Weeks Dye Works felted wool, roving, Just Pins and JABC buttons to make the stand-alone pincushion shown, plus the three Pin-It wool ornaments.

Snowball is the first in a series intended to inspire creative stitchers to hunt through their cupboards and visit flea markets to find interesting containers to elevate a sweet pincushion into a personal creation. Make the Snowball pincushion from your own fabric using the smaller size pattern included in the kit or the instruction pack (includes Just Pins and JABC buttons only). Sprinkle some tiny buttons and snow glitter into a short jar. Stick Just Pins S-is-for-Snow into the pincushion, and push it upside down into the jar opening. Add the lid.

A make-do Snowglobe Pincushion!

We are having so much fun with the make-do concept. Here are a few of the ideas we've come up with so far. We'd love to see your creations too. Send us photos!

All made from one pattern--Snowball...a make-do pincushion!
Additional Just Pins and Pin-It kits sold separately.

So nice to meet you!

2011-09-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

Stitchers and button fans, thanks for stopping in to see our display at the Celebration of Needlework show in St. Charles. We had a great time meeting you and loved hearing about your favorite shops. Keep in mind that we continue to sell wholesale, and encourage you to visit your local shop or find a shop using the shop locator on our website. Many shops now sell online as well.

We participated in the show to help generate enthusiasm in the industry and hope you are inspired to look for our buttons and projects through a favorite retailer.

Celebrate Something!

2011-09-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

It's time for another day of celebrating! Can you believe it...this is our 11th pincushion in the 15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions series!

This month's pincushion is very special to us, so it comes with an added bonus: a story. "Who designs these pincushions?" That's one of the most popular questions we get from our button friends. Well it's time you got a peak into the truth about where our pincushions come from.

Some of our pincushions are designed completely by one person but most of them are a collaboration. A collaboration of whom? Everyone! My mother (Cecile), my aunt (Heidi), my husband, my brother, the lovely buttoneers who work at JABC headquarters, heck even the UPS guy sometimes!

Here's one of our best collaboration stories.
When my mom and I decided that we should include a cupcake into our 15 and Fabulous Celebration series I was thrilled. Cupcakes have always been a favorite of mine. But this couldn't be just an ordinary cupcake. We knew we had to create something that was completely over-the-top delicious! But what would make our cupcake look special? Stumped, we each went home that night and completely forgot about the cupcake. A few weeks passed. One morning I was out shopping and found the perfect container to build a cupcake in. Excited, I ran home and made a chocolate cupcake and even learned to ruche to make a pink icing swirl on top. I loved it, but it was only halfway there. I remember going to the studio later that day, I couldn't wait to show my mom what I'd come up with so far! She took one look at it, smiled, and showed me the whipped cream and strawberry cupcake topper she had come up with the night before. So we added them together and sure enough we found what we both had been picturing! The perfect over-the-top cupcake!

Let me introduce #11 of 15, the Celebration Cupcake!

So that's what we're celebrating this month: sharing creativity! Because when it comes right down to it, life is so much sweeter when you have people to share it with.

Lots of button love,
Rachel

A Project Waiting to Happen

2011-09-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

At Just Another Button Company ™ we love finding unique products to use in our button-y creations. Cecile remembers walking down a Quilt Market aisle and spotting the Handbehg Felts display—she was stopped in her tracks! A rainbow of felted wool balls in every color and size combined to create an enchanting display of creative projects. Handbehg used wire and beads and buttons to make garlands, brooches and pincushions. Yes, pincushions! Cecile was hooked and bought a color card on the spot.

It’s no secret that our handmade button and Just Pin projects favor wool for ease of sewing, even for novice crafters, but felting little wool balls from roving takes a lot of time and patience—a completely different sport. And that’s where Handbehg comes in. A variety of the wool balls were added to our library of creative treasures. There was no plan yet, but all we needed was the right moment.

Just Another Button Company ™ is marking a big anniversary this year with the 15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions. There is a lot of brainstorming that goes on at JABC to come up with the form and embellishments for each pincushion. When we came out with the Carrot Patch pincushion, our buttoneer, Rachel Martin proposed a companion piece. She thought Handbehg’s wool felt balls would make fabulous peas, and pictured a pincushion that would combine several creative elements.

And so, the next month, JABC presented the Sweet Pea pincushion, putting a momentary dent in the world’s supply of 3 cm olive felt balls—our apologies to other crafters who were trying to buy them at that time.

The Sweet Pea kit contains everything you need to complete the pincushion, except for a needle, thread, and a bit of glue. Stitchers can find the kits at independent quilt and needlework shops. Many of those shops also sell online. See the Just Another Button Company ™ website for a list to locate a local shop. Wholesale buyers, please use the contact page on our website.

Rachel Martin also sells the kits in her online shop, although in support of the needlework industry, she encourages stitchers to shop their local stores first. You can find Rachel’s website at http://www.2martinsinanest.com/. She also stitches models for wholesale buyers and sells completed pincushions to collectors.

Thank you for all the great comments we have received from stitchers who’ve said, “I made this pincushion, even though I thought I couldn’t sew!” We also appreciate the continued support of all our vendors and wholesale customers who have made the 15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions a tremendous success. Special thanks go to Handbehg Felts for featuring us on their project idea sheet!

Cecile & Heidi

Rachel & all the buttoneers—
Dean, Darla, Candy, Laurie, Donna, Hollie, Kay, Clarice, Dawn, Josh, Karen, Heather

It's here! It's here!

2011-04-26T08:32:00.000-07:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, well not really. But the new Christmas book from Art to Heart is finally here! We've been waiting to see Jingle All The Way, since, well...last year! You are in for a treat--the book is full of inspiring artwork and projects for you to fill your home at Christmastime.

We got our copy of the book in the mail yesterday!

Doesn't the book look like it's just waiting to burst open and spread Christmas cheer in your life?

Jingle All The Way features three brand new Art to Heart licensed JABC buttons. A sleigh, a reindeer and an elf! Check out the button pack for the entire book below.

Note: Button pack includes a total of three retro teal ornaments.

Wait until you see what designer Nancy Halvorsen has done with these large impressions buttons!!

Peppermint swirls anyone? YUM!

We hope you enjoy Jingle All The Way just as much as we do! Happy Christmas in April!

Giveaway winners!

2011-04-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

We've got six lucky winners for our latest giveaway!!! Congratulations to Melody, Gail Huber, xsgail, Babs, Tiffany and Dede! You've all won one of these adorable egg cup pincushions! Please e-mail rachel@justanotherbuttoncompany.com to claim your prize.

Thanks to all who entered! It's always lovely to hear from you! Make sure to look for our next giveaway on May 15th!

No. 6 of 15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions and Lazy Girl Giveaway Winner Announcement

2011-04-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

Today is one VERY special day! Not only are we going to announce the winner of the Lazy Girl Giveaway but we're also going to introduce the 6th pincushion in the 15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions! AND because it's the 15th of the month, we're holding ANOTHER giveaway to celebrate our 15th year in business!

Without further ado, I give you No. 6 of the Fifteen and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions! The Sweet Pea Pincushion! This pincushion is extra special! In addition to the beautiful hand dyed felted wool from Weeks Dye Works that we use in our pincushion kits, this pincushion also includes Handbehg felted wool balls and green Beadalon craft wire! You are going to have a blast making this one!

Want to know where you can find one of these kits? Check out our newly updated locator which now includes some online shops as well!

And a brand new Just Threader to help you make your Sweet Pea! Item no. thrlc1032.

And now it's time to announce the winner of our Lazy Girl Giveaway! Thank you to everyone who entered! We loved reading your comments and we hope you stop by our blog again! Congratulations to Carol who commented, "My favorite LG purse is the Towne purse. It's just the right size; not too big, not too small. Pockets to organize everything and still just the right size for my Kindle!!" Carol has won a pincushion kit of her choice from our 15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions series! Send an e-mail to rachel@justanotherbuttoncompany.com to claim your prize!

Didn't win? Don't fret! We're having another giveaway now! And this time we're picking 6 winners! Look below to see what the lucky winners will get!

It's a bunny-rabbit, egg cup pincushion with Just Pins! Hoping to get one of these in your easter basket? Then be sure to enter below!

Enter before 9pm Central Time on Monday, April 18th. Leave us a comment on our blog or Facebook page telling us your favorite spring vegetable! We'll announce the winner on Tuesday, April 19th!

What's in a name?

2011-04-11T04:56:00.000-07:00

Special post today on "The Daily Button:" Cecile McPeak (the woman who started it all) talks about the beginnings of JABC and how she met Joan Hawley of Lazy Girl. This post is a companion post to today's Lazy Girl blog post, guest authored by Cecile.

What's in a Name?

Hello. Have we met? Let me introduce myself, Cecile McPeak, founder and creative director of Just Another Button Company™. A number of years ago at wholesale quilt market, I met Joan Hawley. I remember most her friendly smile and contagious laugh. Joan's booth displayed her Lazy Girl pattern line and she offered a pattern to play with button embellishment. While there have been occasional collaborations between Lazy Girl purse and JABC button, Joan has also become a friend and mentor. I consider being asked to be a guest blogger for her blog to be quite an honor.

At Just Another Button Company we like to say we are Fifteen and Fabulous to answer the phone--celebrating our fifteenth year in business. There is usually a pause at the other end of the line, just for a moment, then a chuckle, and quite often a remark like, "Yes, you certainly are."

In 1996, when we produced our first button embellishments, we were known as Just My Imagination. Within a year, we knew we had a good product needing a more memorable name. It was the peak time of button embellishment on wearable art. Every trade show had a multitude of button companies showing really handsome, often handmade, buttons. I should know. I bought lots of them for my personal stash.

There was a niche for our polymer clay buttons though. They were machine washable, thin and very lightweight, ideal for both wearables and decorative quilts, and for framed stitcheries. Yet there was a challenge; we heard again and again from wholesale buyers, "I can't buy from another button company."

The name was born. We became Just Another Button Company™. Business experts call it Crowdsource Branding--we called it making lemonade from lemons. Whatever it's called, it worked. Buyers took one look at the name, grinned, and asked to see the buttons.

A couple of years ago, we met a tough economic event with a new vision for buttons. What if we turned a button on its edge and drilled a hole there, rather than the two holes we normally placed on the flat surface? Drilled on the edge, then glued to a stainless steel sewing pin, the Just Pin was born.

Now we are exploring drilling all the way through to create beads.

Brooch by Charland Designs

Photo by Megan Chriswisser of Needlework Retailer

Fifteen years is long enough for a business to become established, and a very good time to make sure it is still fresh. To celebrate our fifteenth year, we are releasing 15 original pincushions as kits in 2011. Each kit is complete with JABC buttons, Just Pins, Weeks Dye Works wool and roving--everything but the needle and thread. The kits are easy to sell for any of our shops, no matter which needleart the shop features. We call them the 15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions.

As our business has grown, I've watched Joan create her website, blog, Facebook page, and Yahoo group. I've sewn her Lazy Girl purses and watched her demonstrate zippers and rulers. She is fearless--TV even! I was inspired to explore all (well, most) of these marketing opportunities. With my sister, Heidi Carver, JABC Business Manager, and my daughter, Rachel Martin, JABC Buttoneer and blogger, plus all the other JABC Buttoneers, we are pleased invite you to see more of our buttons, Just Pins, and pincushions on our website, and follow our button adventures on Facebook and our blog.

Many, many buttons and fifteen years later we still regularly get comments from satisfied customers who say, "You are NOT just another button company." We just say, "Thanks."

And now, an extra-special giveaway: one lucky reader will win the pincushion kit of her choice from our "15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions" series!

To enter, leave a comment below telling us the name of your favorite Lazy Girl pattern. If you haven't used one yet, tell us which one you want to try!

Leave your comment by Thursday, April 14th at 10:00pm central time and check back the next day to see if you've won!

#5 of 15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions!

2011-04-03T19:34:00.000-07:00

Have you heard? We've got spring fever here at JABC! Want proof? Check out our newest pincushion, "Ewe Look Fabulous! For Spring"

This ewe seems to be envious of the Easter Bunny!

But don't be fooled. She's not just for springtime. She's re-dressable! Keep your eyes open for accessory packs to make new outfits for your ewe. Keep her dressed to the nines all year round! Or make one ewe for every season!

And now with each new pincushion in our 15 and Fabulous series, we will release a coordinating Just Threader! What a perfect gift for a stitching friend! Here's the newest Just Threader, made to coordinate with the Ewe Look Fabulous! For Spring.

item # thrcb1017

Here's wishing that you catch spring fever too! See you back here on the 15th of April for #6 of the 15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions!!!

It's time to announce the winners!

2011-03-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

It's time to announce the winners of the 4th giveaway in JABC's 15 and Fabulous Celebration! And the winners are.....(drum roll please).....Pat and Cindy! Pat commented that she would enjoy having a beehive pincushion with little bee pins to stick in the top. Cindy is hoping for something tropical, like a pineapple or a crab. Thanks for the lovely suggestions! And Congratulations to you two! You have each won a Lucky Day button pack donated by 2 Martins In A Nest. Please e-mail your address to rachel@justanotherbuttoncompany.com to claim your prize!

Thank you to everyone who left us comments. We really enjoyed reading all of your lovely ideas! And be sure to check back, for a very exciting giveaway on April 1st when we announce the 5th pincushion in the 15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions Series!

#4 of 15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions!

2011-03-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

It's here! Can you believe it's the 17th of March already? I can't! Sorry this month's post is a bit late! Here to help us celebrate our 3rd month of being 15 and Fabulous is the newest pincushion...Carrot Patch! This adorable carrot, shown above, is made of Weeks Dye Works hand-dyed wool and embellished with JABC buttons and Just Pins! After a tough winter, I think we're all ready for a bit of spring! This bright carrot is certain to add some cheer to your day as it reminds you of the joys of springtime!

This month we have an extra-special giveaway! 2 Martins In A Nest, an online shop selling buttons, finished pincushions and Just Pins to the crafting world is sponsoring this giveaway! Two lucky winners will receive a St. Patrick's Day themed button collection. (pictured below)

Simply leave us a comment below telling us what you'd like to see next in our pincushion series! The giveaway will end on Saturday, March 19th at 5pm Central Time.

News from Nashville

2011-02-24T15:00:00.000-08:00

As promised here's the scoop on what's new at JABC. I am thrilled to introduce the two new product lines that just made their debut at the TNNA show in Nashville! Just Threaders and Just Magnets!!!

Our Just Threaders combine the practical with the pretty. Needle threaders have got to be the best tool for needlework, but they're so easy to lose. Our Just Threaders make it much easier to keep track of this awesome tool! They're built from two buttons and a small circle of wool. The back button, a hand dyed Hillcreek button makes the threader strong and easy to hold on to. On top of the Hillcreek button is a circle of beautiful Weeks Dye Works wool. And of course on top of the wool circle is an undrilled JABC button!

The Just Threaders are debuting in four different styles.

Black Sampler Bird

K.P. Kolors - Black

Cupcake

Ewe

Our other new product line is Just Magnets! These little cuties are meant to add a little fun to your life. Arrange them on your refrigerator or use them to hold your needle to your stitching piece with the addition of a rare earth magnet to the back. The Just Magnets are debuting in two different collections: Buds and Wings!

Buds

Wings

Winners!!!

2011-02-22T09:02:00.000-08:00

Apologies for the delay in announcing the winners for our latest giveaway! We've just returned from a wonderful trip to Nashville Tennessee where we exhibited our newest treasures at the spring TNNA show. Look for a post tomorrow about all the wonderful things we sent home with the shop owners!

Congratulations to Michelle and Peggy H., our giveaway winners!!! Michelle won the extra large impressions button and Peggy won the Sample Stitches Just Pins! Michelle and Peggy, please e-mail rachel@justanotherbuttoncompany.com with your addresses so we can send you your prizes!

I'm off to pack more Stuck On You kits! See you tomorrow!

#3 of the 15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions!!!

2011-02-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

Look who flew over to say, "hello!" It's Pin Feathers -- JABC's newest pincushion!!!

This cute little guy is topped with a brand new set of Just Pins "Sampler Stitches." The kit is complete with everything you need to make one of these feathered friends for yourself, wool, JABC buttons, Just Pins and instructions! This is the perfect project to help get you through those post-valentines blues! Fly on over to your local shop and ask them to order one for you!!!

And of course it wouldn't be a celebration without presents!!! This month we will be giving away, to one lucky person, a set of our BRAND NEW "Sampler Stitches" Just Pins.

Another lucky winner will receive one of the newest buttons from JABC! This vintage inspired button is the mother of all buttons. It has been pressed with a collection of vintage buttons and then over-dyed to give it a beautiful antiqued look. It's name? Extra Large Impressions - Old Linen! A BIG name for a BIG button. It measures 2 inches and I promise you'll want to stare at it in all of its' glory for hours on end!

To enter to win one of these awesome presents, leave us a comment below or on our Facebook page and tell us where you like to buy JABC buttons! Help us say thank you to all the wonderful shop owners who are carrying our buttons! We'd love to hear about your favorite shops! All comments must be submitted by Thursday, Feb. 17 at 5pm CST. We will draw two winners, at random who will each receive one of the prizes from above. Can't wait to hear from you!!!

Another Winner!

2011-02-02T16:49:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all of your lovely valentine sentiments! We had so much fun reading all of the cheesy and heart warming lines! It was so hard for us to choose a favorite but we decided that the sentiment that best fit our giveaway was from Marilyn, who said, "A Heart Felt Treat Just for You!" Thank you Marilyn! How clever!

We hope you all have a Happy Valentine's Day! Remember what comes the day after Valentine's Day, the second day of our Fifteen and Fabulous Birthday Celebration! And you know what that means....ANOTHER new pincushion kit! Be sure to check in with us to be the first to see No. 3 of our 15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions series!

Marilyn, please e-mail me at rachel@justanotherbuttoncompany.com.

Debuting #2 of JABC's 15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions Series: And A Giveaway!

2011-01-30T09:41:00.000-08:00

Do you remember me telling you that I was working on a project using my favorite button, the cupcake? Well it's time to share now! I give you, the second in our 15 and Fabulous Celebration of Pincushions series! These adorable felted wool bonbons are nestled into the traditional Valentine's heart-shaped box and topped with our brand new set of Just Pins! In the spirit of Valentine's we named the pincushion kit with our favorite cheesy valentines line, "Stuck On You."

Get a "Stuck On You!" kit from your favorite shop so you can make this festive pincushion at home! The kit includes a heart shaped box (no lid), Weeks Dye Works felted wool and embroidery floss, three fluted paper candy cups, the JABC buttons and the JABC "Be Mine" Just Pins pack.

Now, the giveaway! To enter this giveaway, where one lucky person will win a Stuck On You! pincushion kit, leave a comment below with your favorite cheesy Valentine's Day sentiment.

This giveaway will close at 5pm CST on Wednesday, Feb. 2nd. A winner will be announced Wednesday evening. If you experience difficulties leaving a comment here then please leave one on our Facebook page.

A Day in the Life of a Button: Part One

2011-01-27T18:27:00.000-08:00

That's right! It's time for you to learn where buttons come from! What better way to learn than to watch first hand as a Frank's Cardinal hatches?

The very first step in the JABC button process begins with Hollie, one of our expert clay conditioners. Hollie, who also home schools her three young children, can spend up to four hours a day just mixing clay for JABC! She admits that she often has to mix clay, while the rest of her family sleeps, just to keep up!

The above picture shows Hollie in her workspace (its alternate personality is her kitchen).

Okay, let's watch as Hollie mixes and conditions the clay for the red section of Frank's Cardinal. She starts with several bars of red clay, which have to be unwrapped and sliced into small sections so the pieces can be easily blended. Mixing clay is not all about combining colors to achieve the desired tone, it's also about working the clay into an consistency that is easily shaped. As with the Frank's Cardinal red, Hollie has to concentrate on softening the clay so that someone can build it into the shape of a Cardinal. That sometimes even means adding a small amount of oil to keep the clay from being too brittle.

After the clay is in sections, she chops them up into fine pieces, in a food processor, so they will be easier to handle and easier to smash together. Here she adds a couple drops of oil.

And after it's chopped, here's what it looks like! Cool, isn't it? When it's white clay with a little yellow, I think it looks like miniture popcorn!

Now she mashes the bits together and begins rolling small sections to get an even consistency.

Once she's rolled it out, she bends the large piece to see if the clay is workable. In the photo below, Hollie is showing us that the clay needs a bit more oil before it's ready to be shaped into a button.

After the clay reaches the desired consistency she rolls it in waxed paper so it can be sent on to be built into a Frank's Cardinal.

You may have noticed that Hollie works with a pair of latex gloves on, check out why in the photo below! She says that the red clay is the worst for staining hands!

Thanks to Hollie for letting us photograph her while she works.

I hope you've enjoyed Part One of "A Day in the Life of a Button," be sure to stay tuned for Part Two!

Here's an interesting tidbit about Frank's Cardinal. He's named after Frank Bielec of Mosey 'n Me, who, along with his wife, drew the image that the button is based on. Can you guess which button is named after his wife?

A Winner!!!!

2011-01-17T15:28:00.000-08:00

Before I announce the lucky winner of Jabco the Snowman kit, I would like to thank you all for participating! I can't tell you how fun it was to read your lovely comments. I feel it's only right that I share my favorite button with you, as you have all shared with me. My favorite is the cupcake button! I was so excited when this button came out; it looks good enough to eat! You can expect that cupcake to appear in a very special (and very secret) upcoming project! Can't wait to share with you!

Ok, back to the giveaway! The winner of the Jabco the Snowman kit is Debora Gherity who said that she loves the hearts because they are all a bit different. Congratulations to Debora!

Thanks to everyone who entered! Jabco the Snowman is now available for wholesale purchase, so contact your favorite shop to get your kit! And start counting down the days until the 15th of next month!

Button Wishes!

Just In Case

2011-01-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

Oh no! If you were having troubles leaving a comment on yesterday's giveaway, please leave a comment on our Facebook page instead. As long as your comment mentions your favorite button then we'll know you'd like to be entered in the giveaway! Please only one entry per person.

Because many people had difficulties leaving a comment yesterday, we will extend the giveaway entry period. The giveaway will close at 5:00 pm CST tomorrow, January 17th. I will announce the winner here, and on Facebook, tomorrow evening.

Sorry for the difficulties!

I've loved reading about your favorite buttons! Keep the comments coming!

Happy 15!

2011-01-15T10:58:00.000-08:00

We're 15 & Fabulous!!! Today is the first part of the year-long celebration of our 15th birthday! And that means good things for you!

Throughout the year, as we celebrate our birthday, we will be introducing 15 new pincushion kits to you! And here on our blog, every month, I'll be holding a giveaway to give one of you the chance to win one of these new pincushion kits!

This month, inspired by the thick blanket of snow covering most of the United States, we would like to introduce...Jabco the Snowman! He's a cute little guy with a beautiful NEW set of Just Pins stuck in his hat! The kit for Jabco the Snowman includes all of the buttons, Weeks Dye Works wool, and wool roving that you need to make this happy little guy, plus the new Snowbird Just Pins to stick in his hat!

Everyone is eligible to enter this giveaway. All you need to do is leave a comment below telling us which JABC button is your all time favorite! A winner will be chosen at random, tomorrow, Sunday January 16th at 11:00pm CST. Good luck to you all!

If you don't win, don't fret. You can still get a Jabco the Snowman pincushion kit and the new Snowbird Just Pins through your local JABC-carrying shop!

Don't Forget!

2011-01-14T08:58:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the first day of our year-long, "15 and Fabulous" celebration!

Don't forget to stop by "The Daily Button," or you might miss out!

See you tomorrow!

Find Your Inspiration

2011-01-11T11:54:00.000-08:00

This morning I received a lovely e-mail from Marianne Goarin, friend of JABC. Marianne (from France) is owner and designer for The Cinnamon Patch. She designs magical felted wool folk art. You must go to her website to see her designs. Or go to her Facebook page, which is usually in English. Oh how I love the colors she uses; her work is so inspiring and cheerful! Mom and I had the pleasure of meeting her last year at the International Quilt Market. She was there, all the way from France, to represent her beautiful designs. We were lucky enough to be in the booth across from her and enjoyed spending the time, between surges of traffic, conversing and sharing inspiration.

So back to the point. I had a lovely e-mail from Marianne in my inbox this morning! She tipped me off to an amazing website called Pinterest! It's an online inspiration board where users can "pin" photos of things that they love and build collections of inspiring images. What a neat idea! It's similar to the Treasuries of Etsy, but these are not necessarily items for sale. Also, if you find an inspiring image that someone else has posted you may "repin" it to your own inspiration board. It then has the original poster's name on it but it can appear in your collection. I found an image (below) that I thought you would enjoy as much as I did!

via on Pinterest

I can't wait to create my own username on Pinterest! I hope to see you all there too!

New Studio

2011-01-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

As part of our Fifteen and Fabulous celebration (that's what we're calling the year-long celebration of our 15th birthday) we are designing a new studio where Cecile can make buttons! She's been working in the same teeny weeny room, without windows, in her basement for the last 15 years.

I'm sure she's been dreaming of a real studio for years but in 2011 it will become a reality. Of course the timing might have something to do with the fact that she's got me to do all the painting and moving for her now. Okay, I admit it, I do enjoy painting and arranging furniture isn't too bad either.

The space is actually in the other half of the building that houses our JABC office and headquarters. The space has been sitting almost empty (aside from a few things that live there between trade shows) for years. So this January it's getting a makeover!

Here are some photos I took while we were painting.


He wanted to help with the painting

I can't wait to show you more photos as we move along in the process!

How Do Your Buttons Grow?

2011-01-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered where your JABC buttons come from? I mean besides 116 W. Market St. - Troy, IL like it says on the return address. Who makes each button? Who mixes the clay? How does each button get its holes? If you've ever wondered any of those things then you're in for a treat! I'm going to give you a behind the scenes look at Just Another Button Company to answer all those questions you've been pondering about JABC buttons.

Today's question to answer is this: "How do you organize the buttons while they're waiting to be shipped?"

Imagine a room, an average sized room, maybe 14x17 ft. Now imagine that lining that room are waist-level counter tops, and above those counter tops are three levels of shelves, and those shelves are lined with trays and each of those trays has 16 cubbies and in each of those cubbies.....

Okay, okay. This question is definitely worthy of a visual aid.

On an average day we have between 800,000 and 900,000 buttons on our hands! That's a lot of buttons! We like to keep a good supply of each button so that orders can be shipped as soon as we receive them. Though sometimes it's hard to keep the most popular buttons in stock! Cecile jokingly refers to JABC as The All Night Button Company because the button makers don't get much sleep when a button reaches its most popular point. They make them round the clock just to keep up!

And that doesn't even begin to cover the packs and Just Pins!

I hope you've enjoyed today's little peak into our button haven! If you've got a JABC button question that you want answered leave it below and it might appear in the next post!

And So It Begins,

2011-01-01T12:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to button lovers everywhere! The New Year seems the perfect time to start new projects and for Just Another Button Company, that project is our new blog, "The Daily Button."

Introductions are in order. I am Rachel Martin, daughter of Just Another Button Company's owner, Cecile McPeak. I too have a deep love for buttons and jumped at the opportunity to build a blog for JABC. Though my employment with JABC is recent, I have always been involved in the company in my own special way. As a seven year-old child it was my duty to make my mother feel guilty when she left for a trade show. I kicked, screamed and cried as she told me good bye and left me with my two stinky brothers and my dad. Things have definitely changed though. Now I kick, scream and cry as she drags me along to trade shows!

I am most excited to have this opportunity to communicate with you! The Daily Button will give you a behind the scenes look at the daily workings at JABC. It will give you a chance to give us feedback, ideas, and inspiration. We will share our button filled world and hope to have a glimpse of yours in return. The debut of The Daily Button is timed to celebrate a very important birthday for JABC. Just Another Button Company is celebrating its 15th birthday, and we plan to celebrate all year! What does that mean for you? One very exciting year! You can look forward to a celebratory post on the 15th of every month with something special for you to enjoy! The official plans are top secret, but lucky for you, there are only 14 days before January's birthday plans are revealed!

For now, I leave you with this bit of JABC trivia.
Did you know that Just Another Button Company used to be known as Just My Imagination? The name was changed to Just Another Button Company in 2001.