September Denver Made Interview: becky's buttons & things

September's Denver Made features the work of the lovely and talented Becky Wareing.  Working in multiple mediums, Becky's new collection is fun and playful, touching on everything from her popular anchor inspired accessories to refurbished pocket habitat compacts. Appropriately renamed, "beckys buttons & things", this new collection will showcase a broader creative focus, introducing hand embroidered vintage slips and unique dioramas.  Becky took a moment to answer some telling questions about her creative process and the future of her line.

FT: How did you come up with the name for your line?

bb: Pretty easily; I’ve always appreciated alliterations so I went with becky’s buttons. Since starting my business I have branched out from simply making pin-back buttons to exploring various different mediums. I am currently going through a period of re-branding my line to encompass all these mediums and leave room for growth, so it had now expanded into becky’s buttons & things.

FT: How did you get your start?

bb: I started becky’s buttons & things over seven years ago because of my fascination with the pin-back button. I always enjoyed collecting them and soon after starting college purchased my first button maker and started making one-of-a-kind buttons for friends of mine. After that I found people encouraging me to sell my work in local shops so I approached Kansas City Kitty in Fort Collins and with their support and guidance got my start selling my work as a consignor.

FT: Where do you find your best inspiration for your work?

bb: Everywhere, I always carry around a notebook that I am constantly writing down ideas in and doing quick sketches for possible future projects. I have always found inspiration in vintage style and can’t pass up a trip to the thrift store, but it is really important to stay connected with the local design community as well and the Denver Handmade Alliance has provided that outlet for me.

FT: What music do you listen to when you work on your product?

bb: I mainly listen to podcasts, my favorites being This American Life, Radio Lab and The Moth. I’ve also been listening to more alternative, folk music like Woods and Joanna Newsom as inspiration for this new line.

FT: What would you like people to know about your work/process that isn’t evident when looking at it?

bb: Everything starts with a pin-back button. Usually when I am brainstorming a new idea for a series I will start with making a button that serves as my inspiration for the line, whether or not the button is reproduced for sale. The new line that I will be debuting at the upcoming Denver Made event started with a button design I created a few years ago the Diorama-rama Series which served as my first mixed-media buttons fusing hand drawn backgrounds with flocking and model train figures. This was the stepping-stone that got me into dioramas. I also re-visit mediums from my childhood, I remember my dad working on his model train sets as a child or my mom’s embroidery or cross-stitch work. I’ve always been interested in incorporating craft-based mediums into my work that I can remember seeing at a young age.

Make sure to stop by Friday September 3rd from 7-10pm and enjoy great beverages from Great Divide Brewery, light snacks and excellent company while enjoying the work of becky's buttons & things. 

xoxo

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