You know I love me some glass etching. It's so fun to have an image etched permanently onto such a slippery surface! When I got my kit, I knew exactly what I wanted. A "You are Special Today" plate for birthdays. Several months ago, Gabrielle had me letter a few versions of the phrase for a story about celebrating birthdays. I love how she approaches each holiday with such simple, yet impactful flair. You can download the plate artwork here (and use the tutorial for a drawn or etched plate!). From now on (I'm sure I'll forget, but I'm going to try) I am going to pull out this plate for the birthday girl or boy for each meal. The craft was incredibly easy since I didn't have to sketch or cut out the design. Since using my cutter, the project went from an idea to done in a matter of minutes. Since the etched plate would serve food (likely sticky breakfast foods), I opted to etch the underside of the plate. In reverse. Sometimes you won't need to reverse it. It just depends upon where you need to put it. You'll want to reverse the graphic if you're going to etch pans (because you want to etch the outside of the pan and see the design from the inside). No need to reverse it if you're putting the graphic on the outside of a jar and viewing the design from the outside of the jar. It's so hard to take crisp, high-contrast photos of etched glass. These lines are a lot more crisp than they photograph. The masking material's impressive adhesion got me really excited about doing some more intricate abstract patterns on plates. Ideas are coming in droves! The Silhouette promotion for this month includes a starter kit with all the materials needed for creating an etched craft. Use code MELISSA at checkout for the discount.

I am a Silhouette affiliate. I wouldn’t blog about their products unless I really loved them. And I do. I receive a portion of sales made with the promotional code MELISSA, so thank you for your support!!

 

If you ever go to a conference and stay with roommates, you have to bring roommate gifts. By "have to" I mean you really don't, but you feel like a dork being the only one without a gift to give when settling in. When I say you, I mean me. Because it's happened to me a few times in the past. I vow to never let that happen again. Coming up with just the right roommate gift was really hard for me. It didn't happen until late the night before the conference. I rediscovered this unicorn print by Heather Ross I scored from Sunni at a fabric swap and the light sparked immediately. Little gauze bags with treats, notions and earrings. Sewing the gauze bags was a snap. Fold over the top with the string inside. Sew. Sew right sides together for sides and bottom of the bag, sewing just shy of the top of the bag (leaving room for the string). Flip right side out. Iron. The little earrings were a happy discovery. I had stamps laying out from a prior craft with Penelope's friends. Intrigued by the textures of the stamps I made these. Quick. Easy. Unique. Let me show you how to make them.

Supplies

• Polymer clay
• Earring backs
• Xacto knife
• Stamp
• Glass pan

Roll a small piece of clay into a ball. Press into the grooves of your stamp and roll out to desired thickness (about 1/4 of an inch thick). Carefully remove clay from the stamp and cut out your desired shapes. Cook according to your clay's instructions. Glue earring backs to cooled polymer clay. It's really that easy. You could take it a step further and brush a little gold onto the raised bumps for a sweet distressed look, too. The two stamps used are pictured above. If you're having a hard time picking the clay from the stamp cleanly, simply stick the clay in the fridge for a few minutes. It should come off nicely after that. Easy peasy. Any chances you'll make something like this? You should. They're fun.

I had a fabulous time at Sewing Summit this year. Can we all just geek out together right now? I met Heather Bailey (like the Heather Bailey)! She's just as beautiful, inspirational and genuine as she is creative. I love her even more after spending time with her. Of all of the keynote speakers of all of the conferences I've been to, she's the first to actually participate in the conference. It shows how invested she is in the sewing community. I love that. I had a great time gleaning a few tips on sewing with leather, finding that balance lives where the unicorns live and learning to adopt centimeters in pattern drafting (and sewing). My presentation went well. I had slides with notes, but of course I misplaced my notes right before the class so there were a few key tips that I forgot to touch on (always happens). Here's a re-cap of the slide portion of my 2-hour presentation at Sewing Summit. I may be many things, but there's one hat I don't wear. I'm not a professional photographer. When asked if I'm a photographer, I correct and say, "I'm a photography enthusiast." That said, I do know how to use my camera in manual mode. It never leaves manual mode unless someone else is shooting my camera for me. I'm going to share with you some things that I've learned about photography that I picked up in my college photography class and with nearly 7 years of blogging. A ridiculously expensive camera will still give you crappy results if you don't read the manual. READ IT. It's not fun, I know. But you'll save yourself from embarrassment and crappy photos. Nikon and Canon are the most pronounced of the DSLR brands, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't look into other brands like Sony, Pentax and Sigma. Do your research and see what camera fits you best. For me, I have a Nikon D7000 with a Nikon 35mm prime lens that never comes off. If you really want to take care of that lens you've got, put a UV filter on it. You'd much rather your curious toddler scratch a $50 filter than a $200-1500 lens, amiright? There are new cameras out there, digital four-thirds cameras which are basically like the body of a point-and-shoot with a lens-mount capable of holding all of your expensive glass. It's a smaller, light-weight version of a DSLR since the body has no mirror and only a digital sensor. Canon's SL1 is $500 for the body. Panasonic and Sony have models of this category as well. I'm not a dedicated photography review site, so check those out before buying. Ken Rockwell will help you figure out what works best for you.

For more resources click here.

 

No matter what camera you have, you'll want to get a tripod and remote. I have the Manfrotto 190. It kicks trash. It has the capability to shoot parallel to the ground. Perfect for tutorial videos and shots.

Since my nikon is compatible with a range of remotes, I have 3 amazon remotes floating around the house in case I misplace one (it happens a lot). Using the remote and tripod for taking my style shots has saved my marriage. More on that later.

I don't have lighting, but I may invest in lighting down the road if I have to switch my studio from upstairs to downstairs. I've jimmy-rigged some supplemental lights that help a lot. I'll share my DIY for that later. If you do have to use overhead lighting, get yourself some daylight bulbs. Heck, while you're at it, replace all of your lights in your house with daylight bulbs. It's amazing the difference white light makes.

Where are you shooting your pictures, indoors or outdoors?

Indoors has limitations of space, coloring and light. Indoor light will bounce off your walls and give you a color cast, depending upon the color of your walls (one of the many reasons to despise bandaid tan!). If you can use a room with white or grey-scale walls, you'll get a better white in your images.

Outdoors is limited by convenience, weather, light types (direct, cloudy, etc) and temperature. It's easy to find a nice shady spot for even lighting, but unless you have your white balance programmed to compensate, you'll get a blue cast over your images. If you're like me, you'll get amazing light in the winter, but 10 feet of snow would be pretty miserable for shooting a handmade teeshirt. Shooting outside with work schedules and/or small kids is also hard!

Then, no matter where you shoot, you'll still have to answer the question: Who will shoot those outdoor photos of you? A friend or a tripod? You can do both, but they require some planning and setting up.

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There are several of these cheat sheets out there (here & here), but the above manual mode cheat sheet (made by yours truly) goes from light to dark, how each setting will effect the exposure of your image. Everything on the left-hand side will make your exposure lighter. Everything on the right-hand side will make your exposure darker.

I tend to keep my exposure at 1/125 while inside because it allows me to shoot wiggly subjects without blur or camera shake. Outdoors I'll go up as needed. I want my ISO to be as low as possible. Having a lower ISO means more sensitivity on the sensor and more details are preserved. Even though those photos are dumbed down for web, I like my shots to come out crisp and detailed. Most newer cameras do alright under 2000 ISO.

I typically have my aperture at 1.8 to allow for the brightest exposure possible. If I need details at multiple distances, I'll reduce the opening to f3.5-4. I rarely go past that unless I'm shooting outdoors and I want a long depth of field.

Metering is meant to show you how far above or below middle-grey your photo will be captured. If your subject is middle grey, you'll keep the metering at 0. If you have mostly whites in your image (like I do in my images), you'll want to over-expose by a third of an f-stop (the little dots) or two. Same goes for dark subjects and images. If you want your object to read out as true black, you'll need to underexpose by a bit.

For me, I'll set it up where I think it needs to be (over exposed by 1/3 f-stop, 1/125 shutter, 1.8 aperture, 800 ISO), then take a test shot. Since I'm digital, I can walk it in to the correct exposure by taking a series of test shots. Feel free to save and print the above graphic to refer back to as you shoot in manual mode.

You can go pretty low-tech if you're shooting still subjects. Heck, you can shoot in the middle of the night if you're shooting still subjects! You just need a tripod. Above is my dungeon basement bedroom makeover. To the left it's my hand-held camera with a little bit of filler-flash (pop-up flash, NO NO!), but that's what my camera automatically shot. It was completely different from the brightness that my own eyes perceived. I ended up using a tripod to steady the camera so I could get an accurate depiction of the light I perceived in that room. I don't think the image on the left would have been featured on Design*Sponge or Apartment Therapy, but the image on the right was! Sometimes, it doesn't matter how awesome your ISO or aperture is, you need more light in order to make a decent photo great. Flash may be the easiest option, but unless you've read the manual and actually know how to use it and how it works, you're not going to get the kids of results you like. Reflectors are great for bouncing just a little more light around. Depending upon the size of your subject, they can get really expensive. To go super cheap before you invest in an expensive reflector, try going to an auto parts store and picking up a super shiny windshield cover. They're anywhere from $6-12. Get a flower frog or two at the craft store to hold it up if you're shooting solo. Professional lighting systems may be too expensive or too big for your space. Popping some daylight bulbs in a lamp or two is an inexpensive way to fix that problem! These lighting tips are according to the book of Melissa. So just keep that in mind. If you're not sure what to do about the direction of your light, head over to your favorite fashion/home-dec site and pay attention to the direction the light is coming from. That should give you a heads up on what kind of light would read best with your style. You don't always want to have the sun at your back, but if you're going for a bohemian blown-out look you should give it a try and have the sun hiding directly behind the subject's head. A little lens flare can be fun. Also, if you can't find your own shade, make your own by having your back to the sun! This slide really explains everything. And really, even if you have a small corner of your house that's decorated/clean/well-lit, use it!! It will be come your signature. If you're going to go simple, a straight on shot is good, but try to add some kind of context. The photo on the left is quite minimalistic, but who knows what it is beyond the context of the original post? The image on the right is still minimal, but tells a story better. I tend to prefer the minimally styled shots like the one in the white background above, but if you get time to style something, tell a story. The above purse shot tells more about what the clutch does than the previous product shots do. Having a mixture of lifestyle and product shots is a-okay! I can't recall where I've seen these specifically, but it's such a shame when quilts are lumped over a couch or set of chairs and shot with yellow iridescent lighting. What am I seeing? Everyone has their limitations with timing and scheduling. It's really hard to plan an elaborate shoot for a quilt that's going to be given away at a baby shower the next day. But that doesn't mean you can't get creative. Perhaps ask the giftee if you can shoot the product in her new nursery? Think outside the box! As you style those shots for large-scale things, shoot them with context. This is my excuse for cleaning the house. And basically the only time I ever clean the house. I stole the above phrase from Jenny's Alt Summit presentation we did together back in January. If you're going to the trouble of making a tutorial, make each shot count. Try to avoid shooting at the sewing machine, if possible. At the very least, TURN OFF THE DARN SEWING MACHINE LAMP! I have two examples, the image on the left was taking with my fancy-pants camera about 5 years ago for a tutorial. I've never taken a sewing machine shot since. The details are blown out and the white balance is incredibly yellow. My hands are BFFs with Snooky's self tanner here. Simply turn of the lamp (even if you use a humble camera phone) and your shots will turn out better. Zoom out as far as you can and use a hand for creating context for the fabric at the needle. Additional tips for shooting sewing tutorials: Create 2-dimensional illustrations with your images. Maybe you don't have a Wacom Tablet or illustrating skills, but you can flatten your object for a clear statement. If you want to illustrate (sometimes that's easier), draw it out on a piece of paper and style it with pins, ribbon, fabric, etc and take a photo. Make it look purposeful. I have a few tips for styling yourself. I'm not the end-all expert on these matters, but if you've never shot a good photo of yourself I have some ideas that may help. Check out your favorite fashion-based sites for inspiration. Here are a few of mine: The Sartorialist • The Haute Pursuit • Thread Ethic • Hel-Looks • Cotton & Curls • Merrick's Art • Elle Apparel It's not inclusive, but should give you some ideas for posing, styling and lighting. It's taken me a few years to perfect this set up. It works well for me, but not for everyone. I like having a corner in my house that's almost always ready at a moment's notice. Before I had Chris take my photos. I was always nagging him about getting the focus right and getting lower! He's so darn tall! By using a tripod and remote I believe we've saved our marriage. I'm no longer nagging him about photos! As you set up (or have someone shoot for you), have them shoot between waist and chest high. You'll be able to tell a difference. Don't say cheese. Say something ending in "uh". Like yoga or grandma. Watch the video. Most importantly, you are beautiful!!! Unless you're erasing camel-toe, there's no reason to use photoshop's liquify tool. Magazines do enough of that, show the world what real beauty looks like. And that's you. Speaking of beautiful, I loved this article about Jade Beall's Beautiful Body Project. Read it and pass it along to a new mother. I wish I had read this after I delivered Penelope. It's really admiring how she portrays what media portrays as flaws in such a beautiful way. You may find that you get in the same ruts over and over again. I do. Toes in. . .  hands on hips. . .  Try to switch it up from time to time. Sometimes the only purpose switching it up will serve is for a laugh or two. Sometimes you'll find a pose you really like. Cropping the feet will make your ankles look fat. Cropping your head will hide the fact that you didn't do make-up that day. But seriously, do your hair and make-up. Like you're going on a hot date! If I knew how to put on the fake eyelashes I bought, I'd totally do it for a shoot. You need to make your features pop. Pencil in those eyebrows, darken those eyelashes, add some blush and paint those nails. Use this as an opportunity for a little pampering. I've not perfected shooting with kids, but these are the things that work for me. During my presentation, Danielle brought up an interesting point: make sure you have everything ready before you round-up the kids. You'll also want to shoot when they're at their best. For my kids, they're adorable at about 9-10 am. They turn into ornery monsters (that I still love!!) in the afternoon. If you have a funny little doll, get an elastic band and attach him to the end of the lens for little babies. They'll love it! I bribe Penelope with hi-chews, Felix with toy cars. Make sure you have an overview shot and a variety of detail shots. One or two of those shots should be key images for social media. I tend to save images in 1 of three aspect ratios: vertical (great for pinterest), square and horizontal. I shoot mostly vertical. It's easier to make a vertical picture square or horizontal, but not the other way around. Even if you have the perfect exposure, you may want to boost contrast and brightness to make your image pop. It's all about your personal style, though. No matter what you do with the filters or exposure afterwards, sharpen those images just a hair when saving for web! I'll use the smart sharpen tool in photoshop. Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen. I'll sharpen the images about 50% with a .5px radius and reduce noise by 5%. You may like something entirely different, but there are some settings to get you started.

If I didn't go to such great lengths to make business cards, I'm not sure I would know what to do with all that extra time. Sleep perhaps? I'm pretty excited about this year's sewing summit card. It's simple, but (in my opinion) thoughtful and geared specifically towards my sewing peeps. The card itself is exactly the same as my previous cards (see here), but I've included two iron-on transfers for tagless reminders of which side is which for hand-sewn clothes. These little transfers may not look like much, but I poured a lot of thought over what to include here. I wanted a nod to my site and branding, but not so much that I'm branding other people's handmade creations for them. I also needed a small tag-like design that would cut and weed easily. The heart took very little time to weed (when you remove the negative space from the transfer material), but the ISLY took a little more time since I had 4 loops that needed to be cleared 150 times. I originally planned to make a decal that said "handmade", but it was too long. "By hand" was still a little too long and ornate to cut and weed 150 times. ISLY /iz•lee/ is short for "I Still Love You". We use the term around our house to express love. It has also become my declaration to my creative passions. It's hard to find a balance between real life and creative pursuits, but that mantra is a reminder that I'll always make time for them, even if it's not as much as I'd like. I'm a firm believer that it's human nature to create. Since I'll be hanging with like-minded women, I thought it fitting to include my little mantra on a tag. I designed the ISLY decal to have nods to my current branding, but different. I don't want recipients to think they are applying a brand to the insides of their handmade creations. I want it to be a mantra or a mindset that can speak to other's creativity as well.

I love a good before and after. This one is a doozy.

(click to enlarge)

I met Becky back in August at a round-table where I taught about the DOs and DON'Ts of web design/layout for bloggers. We had a little time at the end so I did a few open critiques. Becky said I was the only who didn't say, "Well, It's not that bad."

Not only were aspects of the site completely broken, but there was nothing about the design that expressed her personality.

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Chris and I partnered up with Becky of Utah Sweet Savings to give her a site that both functioned and reflected her own personality. I did the logo and bee graphics, Chris did all the rest. I'm pretty proud of his burgeoning design skills.

I would much rather spend $10 at a big-box store for a basic tee than spend an hour making one. But sewing something this easy is a nice way to turn off the brain and and just make.

This fabric, a structured not-so-stretchy jersey 100% organic cotton knit, needed to be a simple tee. It's a forgiving knit to sew with, like the quilting cotton of knit fabric. So easy, I didn't use a single pin while sewing this top!

I made this shirt  fitted to pair nicely under voluminous skirts or with skinny jeans. Because the fabric is so structured, the tighter fit is still flattering. The top ended up being shorter than I would have liked, but it works. It falls just below the button on my new favorite denim. It's not ideal for all of my pants, but perfect for my higher-waisted skirts! I cut the sleeves a little long for my taste, so I've just rolled them up. I like the contrast of white that it gives. I can also roll the sleeves down if at some point I decide I want a longer sleeve. Can I tell you how much I'm loving my new denim? I scored these at a blogger event a couple weeks ago at DownEast. They're worlds better than any of the denim I own and I didn't have to put darts in them to keep the back from gaping. Outfit Details:

• glasses: Target
• earrings: vintage
• bracelets: vintage/gifts
• scarf: soel boutique
• tee: handmade
• denim: c/o DownEast
• shoes: thrifted

Fabric provided by Organic Cotton Plus.

 

I'm having a fun with making calligraphy videos. I still need to work on exposure, intro and sound; but I'm excited about an opportunity to learn something new. I'll be posting a lot more calligraphy videos on my youtube channel and instagram in the future. Learn more about how to write calligraphy at istilllovecalligraphy.com. Also, have you taken my calligraphy workshop? I'm working on a face-lift and I would love to feature your projects on the front page! Email me (melissaATmelissaesplinDOTcom) with the subject ISLC FACELIFT SUBMISSION. Please include photos taken in natural daylight (no flash, please), at 700px resolution or higher, your name and website.

I made a shirt a couple weeks ago. I haven't showcased it here because it's borderline "old". The idea for a box pleat at the neckline seemed cool in my head, but as soon as I tried on the finished piece, I felt like it came straight off the racks at Coldwater Creek. It's comfortable and I love, love the fabric! The style and the fit together are, in the words of Michael Korrs, dowdy. It's not the kind of tee I can throw on and feel put together. It requires a little bit of styling to get past go. Not the worst thing in the world, but I thought I would share  two tips for taking something "old" and making it contemporary. Certainly I'm no fashion expert. After seeing bits and pieces of NYFW, I'm second guessing all of my style notions. But no matter. I'm on the slopes of Utah, where Guy Fieri hair is considered a thing among some. So here we go: Front Tuck (see above image), where the front is tucked in and the back is loose and untucked. Chris doesn't get it but fashion bloggers do it all the time. So it makes perfect style sense, right? 80s Knot (see below image), where I grab all excess material at the waist and twist it into a little knot, 80s style. It gives me a waist and the shirt some purpose. Next time I'd like to try a trendier print. And maybe do this in dress form. Belting an untucked shirt isn't cool anymore, but I could belt a dress and be on my way. Or I could go sans belt if I had a cool leather jacket, blazer or slouchy cardigan. I can't get Sophie's blazer out of my mind. I might need one with leather piecing on the sleeves. I do wear this tee without styling it. Usually it's without make-up, bra or heels. It's incredibly comfortable, but I'm not leaving the house like that. Again, I'm certainly no fashion expert, but I feel more put together when I wear something with structure and a pair of heels. How about you? Outfit Details:

• earrings: thrifted
• necklace: thrifted
• top: handmade (fabric here)
• skirt: handmade (tutorial here)
• bracelet: DownEast Basics
• shoes: ALDO

On a sewing-related note, I did my first blind hem by serger. This is a great option for hemming clothes to allow for lots of stretch, without a coverstitch machine. I've knotted the heck out of this shirt and no hem threads have busted yet. Major win! I'm going to be showcasing a LOT more sewing projects on the blog from now until the end of September. I'm prepping for Sewing Summit, so I'll be spending any spare time on calligraphy, sewing and my photography presentation for the conference.

Fabric provided by Michael Levine Fabrics.

 

Confidence is key when wearing anything beyond just jeans and a tee. That confidence has waxed and waned in the last few years. But mostly waned. I also have ridiculous fit and texture sensitivities which makes branching out into atypical silhouettes really hard for me. But I really want to give harem pants a try. And I did this week. I'm still deciding if I love or hate them. I guess they're growing on me. I've worn them mostly all day. At least the fabric is awesome. Like super awesome. I wish I had made these in the thick of summer when it was super hot. I got this fabric in LA's fabric district. There's a black/pink colorway version available here. I nearly asked Chris, "Do these pants make my butt look fat?" before realizing it's a question that should never be asked. By anyone. Ever. There's a disconnect between how I feel they look and what I see in the mirror (and these photos). And I want to get over that disconnect and feel confident in them all the time. Do you have any pieces in your closet like that? Outfit details:

• earrings: Forever 21
• top: c/o Home T (vote for them!)
• bracelets: vintage, handmade (tutorial), handmade (tutorial), handmade by my dad
• pants: handmade
• shoes: Lulus

Click to read more about the sewing process (warts and all. I mean all warts). I used Simplicity 1887, I'd seen it around the web a couple times (Beth and Erika) so it seemed like a safe bet. Hardly. Please excuse the negativity and midnight photos, but you need to see how ridiculous these pants were before I brought in the seams by about 4 inches on each side. I went with the recommended size for my dimensions. Size 12. Since it has an elasticized waistband, I should've gone with a size 8 and lengthened the hem by 2 inches. One leg had enough ease for both of my legs and then some. The front rise was too long and the crotch seam was too far back. I don't need space for junk in the front. More leg room. I'm pulling back on the legs here, this is what I thought they would fit like. Not even close. The construction was easy enough, but the fit was waaaay off base. Had I known I would run into these issues, I would've adjusted the front rise and the legs in the pattern pieces beforehand. So, you've been warned. I won't be making these again, but I'm glad I gave them a try. They're my first pair of real pants (leggings sort of count, not really). Have you had to save sewing projects gone wrong? Do you turn sour to the final product afterward?

You know I'm obsessed with making custom stamps. I've made countless business card stamps, return address stamps for others (and finally myself). They're fun and satisfying to reprint the same thing over and over with just a small gesture. Silhouette just came out with a stamp material you can cut with their machines (or X-acto knives – low-tech is okay, too!). Unfortunately the material isn't optimized for the small details needed in return address stamps (narrowest recommended line is 1/16th inch), but that's no matter. It's still incredibly fun to play with. Think of it as your own lineocut material you don't have to cut by hand. I cut out about 15 miniature hearts and arranged them as a repeat on the stamp block for a fun detail for a thank you note. It took me under 5 minutes to design cut and stamp. Love the instant gratification here! Miriam made a little tag for her daughter's outerwear. Can we all collectively Oooh! and Aaah! over the amazing blazer and name tag she just made? Come on Miriam. You've out-done yourself. Penelope needs her name on the inside of her outerwear, too. So in true Melissa fashion, I'm copying. I would hate for this 12 hour sewing project to get lost! Penelope was over the moon about her new stamp. She's been chomping at the bit to use it. Finally I affixed it semi-permanently to a block. What did she do? She stamped up business cards for herself. She's been handing them out all morning. Like mother, like daughter. I know I'll be using this material a lot in the future, so look out. Silhouette is showcasing this material for the month's promotion. Get it for 20% off or with a cutter at a steeper discount. Use code MELISSA at checkout to redeem the offer. I've had a few people ask about my candid thoughts about the product, so here's more information:

• It didn't cut all the way through the material at first. But I forgot to ratchet up the blade to the correct depth (duh moment for me), but customer service was incredibly helpful.
• There's no need to reverse designs. The material is reversible.
• The ink pad that comes with the kit is really tacky. Not my favorite, but it seems to print alright. I was pleased with the results with my dye ink pads.
• The blocks don't curve up on the corners so it's pretty easy to mis-print. Simply wipe excess ink from the corners before stamping.
• Overall: I'm a huge fan.

I am a Silhouette affiliate. I wouldn’t blog about their products unless I really loved them. And I do. I receive a portion of sales made with the promotional code MELISSA, so thank you for your support!!

 

Polymer clay buttons are so much fun to make. I'm thinking a three-buttoned henley is in order for these little buttons. Wait, wait, wait. . . Or what about using them as the detail on some shoulder epaulets? I better have coordinating fabric in my stash, it's ridiculous how much fabric I've accumulated in the last 6 months! What would you do with three hot pink buttons?