A new sort of mindless activity to find my Zen in: Sorting Buttons.
Collecting, some would argue hoarding, raw materials for mixed media projects is something of a passion. Saving up things, scraps, for better days when I'll find time to make something of them...
From work, corks. Thousands. Over a hundred pounds already, and try collecting a hundred pounds of corks. Osso Buco bones from the restaurant, Bottle caps from the nearby pub, cigarette duty stamps, atlases & bibles, these are the beginnings...
And buttons. Don't ask how I got started, only that I did, and a few bags grew into a few hundred and I have this idea that before I go to Alaska I'll do something with them. Something grand. And I've begun to sort them.
First - into colors. I'm still on the various shades of white - Mother of Pearl, White, other. I could get anal and sort according to size and shape, patterns, textures as well, but, well, this is just the beginning.
Snipping threads, sorting, snipping threads, sorting. The downstairs cat considers this our quality time. Me, it's just dull repetition, freedom from obvious thought, time for the subconscious to work it's magic...
There are no ideas for the buttons as of yet. I've seen what other people are doing, I have other ideas, just nothing that calls to me. The Osso Buco bones, I need more but that project is already done in my head. Sorry, dishwasher, it wasn't the immunity necklace I promised. The corks, well, they're versatile, I can use them for almost anything. Atlas's & Bibles, I need more, but I know what I'm doing there as well.
But the buttons, sorting, color, hue, maybe later on shape and size, I haven't a clue, only that they're terrific raw materials.