I often incorporate thrift store items in my art. I am an enthusiast of reusing items instead of throwing them away.
​I buy most of my clothes second-hand. That is what inspired me to create these three drawings.

The first one is of a fashionable young lady who likely bought her pretty skirt new. The fabric is of excellent quality.
The second one is of a young lady who either works or is going to school. She bought the skirt second-hand.
The third one depicts a young mother who bought the skirt third-hand. The excellent fabric is still pretty on her little girl.

I found the rattan fish outline at a thrift store a few years ago. I thought at the time, it would be fun to incorporate the simple shape into button art. I started by spray painting it silver. The silver worked well with the silver metal buttons I chose to use on the fish body. I cut out a duplicate of the fish shape from a matt board. More recently, I made a trip to a thrift store to find a shirt to use as a background under the fish, as well as the "canvas" area. I covered  the board shape with the sleeve of the shirt I bought. I put the covered board behind the fish and began mounting buttons in the fish's scale areas. The board was thin enough for me to punch holes into it to pull the coated wire I use for button mounting. I sewed the buttons on the face area and hot-glued the silver buttons to the tail area. I stretched the back of the thrift shop shirt around a piece of corrugated cardboard. Then I punch holes in it to mount the finished fish shape on to it. The black frame works, but I will probably look for an alternative. The entire piece is about 19" x 24".

For more information on the show & sale, click here: Florida State Button Society Show