Grandmother's Buttons

Can’t share this post about our bank building’s real estate listing on our feed, but we encourage you to go to to see it! We went viral—44,290 likes and 356 comments!! We were especially gratified to read the raves our beautiful little town got. Here’s a sampling:

“Wow the photos SO do not capture how magical this building is. And the town is one of the most beautiful in America tbh.”

“Honestly- just want to say, a lot of houses here are in places that have a dying community and no industry. This is not true for St. Francisville. It has a thriving community and industry in the town and nearby cities- and the city has a steady amount of tourism + good schools.”

“St. Francisville is a charming little town. Great schools, nature, and a cool little downtown area. Owners could live above and have their store below.”

“Kind of sad to see that store ending- loved it for years. And St. Francisville is swoonworthy. Really stunning mossdraped town.”

“This is a truly beautiful building! The vault is magnificent and the neighborhood is a delight. There is beautiful hiking nearby and an old motor inn. We got married in St Francisville. Truly beautiful. And this building comes with a ghost absolutely free!!”

“St Francisville is one of the prettiest and nicest towns in Louisiana. This was a button, fabric, and gift shop for a long time. Its about 45 min north of Baton Rouge, and you are surrounded by beautiful historic homes.”

Wow—I think the real estate listing for our building may be going viral!

We have loved growing Grandmother's Buttons in our historic bank building for almost 30 years! But with our retirement, the time has come to pass it along to new owners to work their own magic on it. It just went on sale yesterday--take a look!
https://mlsbox.paragonrels.com/CollabLink/?id=f6dbf848-d860-4ea5-b59e-e14fe3839dad&forMlsId=MLSBOX&sid=LuuWo6 #

View Property Details Beautiful Old Bank Building in the Highly Desirable Saint Francisville Historic District! Erected over 100 years ago on the corner of Royal & Prosperity Streets, this circa 1905 masonry constructed, 2-story building is a time capsule of craftsmanship from a bygone era. As you approach, you will be g...

We hope your Christmas and holiday season have been joyful and filled with the warmth of family and friends. We say goodbye to you our dear customers with a wreath of our favorite Santa buttons. And remember, though our jewelry company and website are closing Dec. 31, our retail store in St. Francisville will be open throughout January, offering some fabulous bargains. We could never thank you enough for your love of our jewelry and support of our business! 😘😘

The 1300+ orders we have received since last Friday has made us faint with gratitude!! The love you have shown us by way of orders since we announced our retirement has been touching, overwhelming, and exponentially greater than we expected! To be able to ship the orders we have received in time for Christmas, we have had to mark most of the pieces on our website sold out. Thank you, thank you for helping us go out with a bang!!

The 1300+ orders we have received since last Friday have made us faint with gratitude!! The love you have shown us by way of orders since we announced our retirement has been touching, overwhelming, and exponentially greater than we expected! To be able to ship the orders we have received in time for Christmas, we have had to mark most of the pieces on our website sold out. Thank you, thank you for helping us go out with a bang!!

We are have our best-ever Shop Small weekend this year! Nov. 24-26 we’ll be offering 30% off jewelry & 25% off clothing & holiday. Our jewelry making business, wholesale business and website will close Dec. 31, but we are hoping our store will live on under new management!!

Today, with a heavy heart, we announce our LAST Black Friday sale will be starting soon. We’re going out with a bang with 30% EVERYTHING ONLINE, even our limited editions, starting this Friday, November 25th at 6:00 am CST. Don’t forget! The code is: GOODBYE

Don't miss our last Limited Edition release for 2022 - Celluloid, When Plastic Was Fantastic!

Celluloid was produced in paper-thin sheets, sometimes pigmented to imitate rare natural materials such as tortoiseshell, marble, agate, glass, jade, coral, ivory, jet, and pearl.

Victorian-era button manufacturers commonly sandwiched the thin celluloid sheets between ornate pierced-brass tops and rimmed brass bottoms.

These buttons are some of the rarest, most valuable and most beautiful. http://ow.ly/35Gw50LITHb

Today we are making an announcement that is equal parts joyful and melancholy. 

My husband Donny and I are retiring after thirty-seven years of handcrafting jewelry from vintage glass and antique buttons. We've decided to close our jewelry manufacturing business and website for good. This wasn't an easy decision, but after much heartfelt contemplation, it's the best option for our family.

Undoubtedly the hardest part is saying goodbye to you, our loyal customers! There is good news, though--we will be holding our last-ever Black Friday/Cyber Weekend sale November 25-28, and there will be significant savings!

And then, if you place any other orders by December 14, you’ll still be able to receive them in time for Christmas.

If you’d like to read more about the past 37 years, read Susan’s Goodbye Blog on our website. Link in bio.

Today we are making an announcement that is equal parts joyful and melancholy.

My husband Donny and I are retiring after thirty-seven years of handcrafting jewelry from vintage glass and antique buttons. We've decided to close our jewelry manufacturing business and website for good. This wasn't an easy decision, but after much heartfelt contemplation, it's the best option for our family.

Undoubtedly the hardest part is saying goodbye to you, our loyal customers! There is good news, though--we will be holding our last-ever Black Friday/Cyber Weekend sale November 25-28, and there will be significant savings!

And then, if you place any other orders by December 14, you’ll still be able to receive them in time for Christmas.

If you’d like to read more about the past 37 years, click through to Susan’s Goodbye Blog on our website.

https://grandmothersbuttons.com/blogs/buttonology-blog/goodbye-gb

Don't miss our last Limited Edition release for 2022.

In 1869, John Wesley Hyatt of New Jersey patented the first semi-synthetic plastic while attempting to invent a replacement material for ivory billiard balls. His invention, called celluloid, proved unsuitable for pool tables. However, its innately moldable properties made it a popular choice for other everyday items, including toys, knitting needles, cutlery handles, collars and cuffs, jewelry, and BUTTONS!

Celluloid was produced in paper-thin sheets, sometimes pigmented to imitate rare natural materials such as tortoiseshell, marble, agate, glass, jade, coral, ivory, jet, and pearl.

Today Celluloid buttons are some of our collection's most valuable and beautiful. http://ow.ly/75e450LITBV

We save the rarest, most collectible and most valuable buttons for our Limited Edition designs. This week, you'll find some exceptional pieces featuring antique Victorian-era celluloid buttons.

Celluloid’s popularity arose from their innate versatility. It could be prepared as a transparent sheet or pigmented to imitate almost any material, including tortoiseshell, marble, agate, glass, jade, choral, ivory, jet, or even pearl.

The most beautiful Victorian-era celluloid buttons were printed on paper-thin sheets in patterns that imitated these beautiful natural materials. The celluloid in these buttons was often sandwiched between an ornate pierced-brass top and a rimmed brass bottom. http://ow.ly/tRo950LITp6

To the modern eye, these valuable and collectible celluloid buttons in this new Limited Edition release. have a subtle beauty not seen for 100 years.

In 1869, John Wesley Hyatt patented the world's first semi-synthetic plastic called Celluloid. His invention imitated rare materials such as ivory, tortoiseshell, marble, and mother-of-pearl, transforming the button manufacturing industry by greatly expanding button design possibilities. http://ow.ly/TQ2950LITkm

The iridescent finish of the Czech glass rhinestones featured in these earrings will add a little shimmer to any little black dress for the upcoming party season.

The intentionally simple setting allows these dazzling rhinestones to be the primary focus, letting them sparkle and shine as you dance the night away.

The story of Japanese Cherry Brand glass cabochons, including these rare glass beads and stones, have a fascinating biography that includes cataclysmic historic events highly disproportionate in scale to their diminutive size.

In 1945, the world celebrated the end of WWII and started to rebuild. General Douglas MacArthur was sent to Japan to govern and rebuild their economy. Japan desperately needed foreign currency, so MacArthur encouraged Japanese manufacturers to produce consumer items for export to the United States.

American jewelry makers asked small artisan glassmakers in Osaka to produce glass beads for export. Most glassmakers were rice farmers by day and bead producers by night. The Osakan glassmakers were independent artisans, unaffiliated with any particular company. However, they did informally band together, sold their products under the name Cherry Brand, and created a unique orange sakura blossom label to identify their work.

Finding Cherry Brand glass is becoming more difficult with every passing year. Although produced in large quantities, it was only made during the seven years Americans occupied Japan.

We’re thrilled to include Cherry Brand glass in our jewelry lines. On our button-hunting trips, we always keep an eye out for dusty cardboard boxes that are sealed with the distinctive orange sakura blossom label affiliated with Cherry Brand cabochons.

Read more about The Story Of Japanese Cherry Brand Glass in our Buttonlogy Blog
http://ow.ly/3Q0950LrA1y

We are over the moon about our new release, the Clair de Lune set.

The alluring Clair de Lune earrings feature tiny mid-century, West German amethyst glass drops with an ombre Sabrina finish adding ethereal beauty to these man-in-the-moon earrings.

Complete the look and get $15 off when you buy the necklace & earring set with code LUNE.
http://ow.ly/jO5350LrB4H

We are over the moon about our new release Clair de Lune necklace.

This stunning necklace glows with ethereal beauty. The star of the show is a luminous Czech glass moon button. It was hand-pressed in antique iron molds by one of the few remaining Czech glass button artists still working today using centuries-old manufacturing processes.

An amethyst-colored Sabrina mid-century German glass teardrop and a smiling man on the moon crescent brass stamping are suspended under the moon button.

Complete the look and get $15 off when you buy the necklace & earring set with code LUNE.
http://ow.ly/a0zU50LrgOe

Victorians enjoyed nothing more than holding a Halloween party, and pumpkins were a Halloween tradition used as a “save the date” type of announcement.

To be invited to a Halloween party was a social coup, and the prospective event guest would receive a carved jack-o-lantern left on their doorstep. A handmade card might accompany the offering with a verse. A famous ode of the day was:

“ Come at the witching hour of eight,
And let the faeries read your fate.
Reveal to none this secret plot
Or woe – not luck – will be your lot.”

Once the invitations were out, the atmosphere had to be set for the party. The house was always dark, except for jack-o-lanterns and fireplaces. Hostesses decorated with faux snakes made of tin were placed near a heat source, so they would appear to be moving.

When guests were greeted, the hostess would extend her hand or possibly one made of a glove stuffed with sawdust. Many partiers arrived wearing black cloaks, and the parties were often themed.

Since Victorians were fascinated with anything Egyptian, a mummy unwrapping theme was sure to impress your guests. Of course, the hostess or host first had to procure a mummy, but this was not too difficult. Egyptian exporters were eager to supply mummies, and since the unwrapping might prove to be a rather smelly affair, heavy drinking before the main event was practically necessary!

Another form of entertainment involved sitting around a fire while holding a burning twig. The holder had until the twig burned out to tell a spooky story. It was then the next storyteller’s turn.

Well our twig has burned out and now it is your turn to entertain your Halloween guests this very scary eve with a spooky story of your own.

We handcrafted these shimmering earrings with brilliant mid-century amber and topaz Czech crystals. Anchoring the earrings are vintage keystone glass crystals in dark topaz, and suspended below are dazzling vintage two-tone glass crystal navettes.

Bohemian glassmakers were the first to develop methods for press-molding glass buttons in the early 19th century. They began with solid colored glass and then, as their skills grew, started producing multi-colored stones mimicking gems like opals and tortoiseshells.

These bewitching beauties look equally good with your best black cocktail dress or your favorite jeans and tee.

We have a unique approach to jewelry design. Most jewelers start with an idea and then procure the elements needed to execute their vision, like gems or stones. We do the opposite--we begin with the hunt.

We scour the forgotten corners of this earth for antique buttons and vintage glass. We climb into grimy New York City lofts and bargain with flea market dealers. We spend hours in dusty warehouses, sorting through long-forgotten attics and rummaging through thrift store shelves.

Once procured, the finds are brought home and stockpiled in our design studio in St. Francisville, Louisiana. Over the years, we've amassed a massive archive of vintage glass, antique buttons, and other bits and pieces. When you climb the stairs to our second-floor studio, you'll find our collection exploding from every surface, nook, crevice, and corner. It's a bonanza or a torment depending on your tolerance for clutter.

Then slowly, inspiration strikes, and we incorporate the bits and pieces into our jewelry designs. Or when ideas evade us, we'll comb through our collections until a vision dawns.

Many of our favorite designs include pieces that have rested in a cabinet or drawer for decades before being lovingly handcrafted into a unique wearable piece of history. We hope you will give your piece a new life and a new history to be passed down to future generations.

These earrings brazenly flaunt their Art Deco style and elegance, like their namesake, the mid-20th-century movie start Katherine Hepburn.

The stylish jet glass buttons with gold luster in these earrings were hand-pressed by a mid-century Czech glass artisan working at the pinnacle of his craft.

The first pressed glass buttons were produced around 1760 after the invention of the button mold. By the end of the 1820s, glass button production was booming, with dozens of pressing plants springing up all over the hills and valleys of the Jizera mountains. Gorgeous buttons were created by pressing heated glass rods into molds with metal tongs, a process that remains essentially the same today.

To learn more about these gorgeous buttons check out our Buttonology Blog, A Passion for Czech Glass.

http://ow.ly/gBqM50LihaX

This necklace boasts a sublime lampworked green silver agate cabochon manufactured in mid-century Czechoslavakia. It is set in a trellis-like brass stamping made today in a die cut at least 80 years ago.

Lampworking is a type of glasswork in which a torch or lamp is used to melt the glass. Once in a molten state, the glass is formed by blowing and shaping with tools and hand movements. Early lampworking was done in the flame of an oil lamp, with the artist blowing air into the flame through a pipe or using foot-powered bellows.

Czech glass artisans honed their skills for centuries, and in the early 18th century, they were the first to start pressing hot glass in molds to create exquisitely detailed buttons now coveted worldwide.

Looking for that statement piece to complete your fall and winter wardrobe, this bewitching necklace is sure to please.

“Charm strings” or “memory strings” became a popular pastime around the middle of the 19th century and went out of vogue around 1900. A group of young women would get together and swap buttons and stories about the buttons they were adding to their charm strings. It was a fashionable way to spend an afternoon.

Charm strings were often left out in plain view to encourage visitors to inquire about the buttons or to contribute their own, as the buttons were supposed to be given, not purchased.

The term memory string comes from the idea that each button should have a story behind it, where it was collected from and how it related to the owner. Perhaps a button from mother’s favorite dress that had worn out, or some from papa’s war uniform.

One of the lores surrounding the charm strings stated that the girls were to collect 999 buttons, and if they obtained the 1,000th one, they would remain a spinster for life. Another version said that if a girl had 999 buttons on her string, the 1,000th given to her would come from her true love and become her future husband.

Many of these charm strings were never finished, whichever story you wish to believe. The partial charm strings were wrapped away in tissue paper and forgotten. They are often found among the momentos of bygone days.

This delicate and feminine bracelet showcases a stunning mid-century Czech iridescent glass button in an unusual shade of pistachio green. This distinctive button rests between two intricate brass stampings with small acanthus leaves at their point, manufactured today with an antique mold.

The acanthus is a vegetal motif rich in symbolism and has long been associated with the notion of rebirth and is a symbol of immortality and resurrection. As a decorative motif, it has been used as early as 500 BCE in Grecian art and has inspired countless artists, sculptors, architects and even poets over the ages.

Bohemian glassmakers were the first to develop methods for press-molding glass buttons in the early 19th century. They began with solid colored glass and then, as their skills grew, started producing multi-colored stones mimicking gems like opals and tortoiseshells.

Our just released Hepburn bracelet brazenly flaunts its pretty Art Deco style and elegance.

This handcrafted bracelet is infused with stunning details, including the intricate antiqued brass chain to the jet glass button and handmade cotton pearl centering this bracelet.

Use code HEPBURN for 15% off two or more pieces from the Hepburn Set.

This classic bracelet features a sizable collection of vintage Czech and German glass buttons. Northern European glass buttons are the most appealing and collectible 20th-century buttons.

All the buttons featured in this charming bracelet were hand-pressed in antique molds and manufactured using centuries-old processes. And they all testify to the enduring talents of German and Czech glass artisans.

Doesn't this necklace radiate Hollywood glamour? We think so, and who radiates Hollywood glamour more than Katherine Hepburn.

Say hello to our new Hepburn necklace. This elegant necklace features three alluring charms hanging from a vintage brass ring. The charms are offset by a mid-century hand-pressed Czech jet glass button with hand-painted gold luster.

Invest in a bit of glamour for your special nights out.

As a unique introduction to this new collection, use code HEPBURN for 15% off when you order two or more pieces from the Hepburn Set.

The Grandmother’s Buttons headquarters are located in a restored historic bank building in St. Francisville, Louisiana. A retail store and button museum, located in the old bank vault, occupy the first floor.

Susan Davis opened her tiny museum in 1995, shortly after she and her husband Donny bought St. Francisville’s most prominent historic building. They’d just finished renovating the main floor into a gift shop and installing their offices and production studio upstairs thus creating a unique space that receives thousands of out-of-town visitors every year and has been featured in magazines like Country Living, Country Home, and Southern Living.

As you stroll through the museum, there are many personal and sentimental items on display, including this vintage Singer sewing machine. As Susan tells the story, "It belonged to my mother Miriam when she was a little girl in the 1920s. When she became a mother and was sewing clothes for my three sisters & me on her "grown up" Singer machine, my mother would entertain me (the youngest) with her button tin."

To read more about the Button Museum [SEE LINK IN BIO]