DIY STD - Love my button maker!

[PaperBagPrincess]

I'm not quite finished, but was too excited not to post. Loved the ideas of magnets for our STD, but my finance and I wanted them to be a little more discreet when placed on someone's fridge. His parents already have a 100 pictures of us up, they really didn't need another one So after some searching I found this and used it my inspiration...

Dot Girl Blog: Save the Date!

 

Here is how mine turned out... colors look better in person, camera was giving me a hard time...

 

I have a lite version of photoshop so I searched through istock.com until I found a pattern in our colors (blue and orange) and that I thought was "us", it took ages. When i finally found it I was thrilled, I decided the pattern was best for the magnet designs. Then I got some help from my brother and we designed the actual card (he's video editor and btter at photoshop than me). To make things easy, we sized it to fit on half a sheet of paper. For the flower design on the side, my brother taught me a neat trick, turns out you can download brushes for photoshop that make a pattern with a quick dot of the brush, works like a stamp. So we found a flower set of brushes and two minutes later we stamped two we liked in and added the text.

 

To make the magnets I invested in a button maker. It was pricey but I knew I would use it for tons of things! I love crafts! I picked up a few contract hours to cut down on the guilt and made it feel more like a treat. So far I made a magnetboard for a friend's baby shower with little letter magnets and buttons for another friend's band. Plus all the save teh date magnets. With al my projects I am 600 button/magnets down and continue to make more! Future projects are napkin ring holders and personal name tags for towels and beach bags in our OOT bags.

 

Then I attached the magnets to the Save the Date with tacky blue stuff teachers use to put up posters. I tried rubber cement and a few other things, but the tacky stuff was by far the best.

 

Now I need to work on the letter for the back and envelopes..... oh, and continue to dream of a job where I make butons all day! It's really a lot of fun.

 

If you want to see how the button machine works here is a youtube video...

YouTube - Button Maker Machine Combo

[Shoesiesluvr]

i love your save the dates!! theyre so cute and unique! good job on an awesome job!

[mlabbe]

What a great idea, I love it!

[sunkisseddreams]

Very original... you did a great job:)

[AishaB]

They look great! Beautifully done

[cynlaf]

Wow! Nice Where did you buy the machine? I made "Friend of the Bride" and "Friend of the Groom" buttons as our families don't know each other and I would have loved to have this machine. Let me know!

[PaperBagPrincess]

Thanks ladies!

 

Cynlaf I got my machine from Six Cent Press in Vancouver BC. Custom Buttons, Make Buttons, Pinback Buttons, Campaign Buttons, Promotional Buttons, Do It Yourself Buttons, Canada Button Makers - Six Cent Press

They had the best price and shipping wasn't too bad. In fact I just ordered 1000 more button pieces and shipping was only $17, I thought that was pretty good. I also found them very helpful when I was researching and trying to decide what size to buy. I bought my circle cutter on ebay, they are pricey but you have to have one ($80-$160). I tried a few different scrapbook ones and they just didn't "cut" it Overall I would say you are looking at a $400 investment.

Being in Toronto you can also rent one for a day, includes circle cutter ($45, plus buying the parts) from here...

Button Makers, Complete Button Parts

I debated buying from this person, but they wanted a US exchange rate of 30%, I nearly lost my mind. Sometimes he has used ones as well.

I've also heard that the Workroom on Queen St (the workroom - toronto's first sew & craft by the hour space) has a 1 inch and a 1.5 inch button maker and you can go in and use it if you pay the workroom fee. I haven't personally checked it out yet, think I saw it on a blog somewhere? But plan to find out more when I go in and take a sewing class at the end of the month.

 

Magnets I have been buying at Staples as I found they are the best quality for the price, $7 for 50.

 

Good luck! If you have anymore questions let me know.

[sunstarsmoon]

What a great idea!

[Donie Jordan]

Those are so cute! Great job!

[Miss Lighting Bug]

Those are darling