Crafts market and button stories

I have been making brooches out of recycled textiles and buttons for a while now and I've decided to try and sell these at markets, along with a range of other accessories. Photos from the market can be seen here.

Most of the fabric and buttons comes from donations from grandmothers, mums, vintage and charity shops and markets. I try to use as little new stuff as I can, although as I want high quality and long-lasting findings I make sure these are new and silver-plated where possible. Using recycled products in my work is a statement as I want to move away from the high street, mass produced goods we're all obsessed with today and which we buy and throw away with such carefree ease.

I never want to go to a party again where someone asks me where my jewellery is from and I say the high street - I want to say it's handmade, it's original and it's unique. Since many of the buttons I use are ones which have been given to me by friends and relatives, many of them have a personal meaning for me - the buttons in my button tin are ones I remember being on a cardigan or shirt belonging to a relative and sometimes I spot them while I look through old photo albums. This means I sometimes find it hard to let go of my pieces, not only because of the work that has gone into them but for the personal memories they hold. There are many buttons I will never let go of for this reason.

I like to think that everything I use that is recycled or vintage must have its own personal history and might be remembered by another grand-daughter - who knows, maybe one day she will spot that very button on one of my pieces at a market.