Page 32 - November-December1965

278 NATTONAL BIITTON BULI :TIN Nov.-Dec., 1965
HtrW Ttr EiET UP A WINNING TRAY,
AND HtrW Ttr JUDEiE trNE.
VTVIANE E5I,TET.I.
There is a great deal of pleasure in developing a prize winning tray, but you
must tre familiar with the rules and regulations, especially "General Entry Re-
quirements". Ileese rules are found in the March National Button Bulletin each
year:
No. 1. Size of cards-g" x 12".
No. 2. size groupings and numbers of buttons---small, mixed, medium,
various, medium-large, large, and our wee ones-listed as Dimi*u-
tives.
Ttlis sizing is strictly enforced, so to be doubly sure, always use the ofii-
cial button measure sold by our Society.
No. 3. No name to be visible anywhere, inside or outstide the frame. This
rule is stricUy enforced; observe it, otherwise an excellent tray may
be disqualifled.
No. 4. Be sure to study "Guides for Exhlbitors and Judges".
No. 5. Become familiar with the "Glossary" which includes definitions that
are helpful to all exhibitors.
The Classification list for the current year's competitive Show follows the
above outline, and in turn is followed by the list of Special Awards. After you
have chosen the class in which you wish to compete (whether for a Special
Award or in Open Competition), gather all the buttons you have in the class and
select the very best. Study these buttons, well, for you may pass over a simple,
unattractive one which would be a top counter. For example: a small, four-hole
pearl is harder to find than a two-hole, especially if oval or square; a baII
is a good choice for shape on a tray of assorted; two or more sew-thru holes are
very rare in some classes, therefore are excellent counters; shapes (other than
round, including old realistics) add merit to a card; certain eolors are hard to
flnd in opaque glass, such as pink, lavender, brick and green; amethyst and
vaseline are colors hard to flnd in charmstring glass; large vegetable ivory and 20-
size calicos are difiicult to flnd; certain back-marks are rare, s,s well as back treat-
ment such as pad-back, threadback, or rare shanks like the ones which require
a curved needle when sewed to a fabric. You may call attention to specific back
treatments, but judges should recognize why you have made the choices.
When backs are the prize condition, please use elastic thread to simplify the
work of the judges, and it will also protect your buttons, because they can be
seen without being removed from the card. A button may be placed in a
"spider" with the shank (or back) on top, showing registry mark or hall mark,
or type of back treatment. When a "spider" is used in this manner, the face design
loses its value----or merit. Always Iook for the feature which distinguishes one
button from another in beauty, rarity, workmanship or quality, shape, material
and so on-
Basic material is of prime importance if you have chosen a class in the
flrst eleven sections. If you have chosen a class where you are to use a,n assmt-
ment (always the first number under a Section) use something if possible from
each class, whether in materials or subject matter Sections. We have not only the
eleven Sections, but in Section ?-A there are nine more materials listed, and in
Section 7-B there are six backgrounds listed. Each Section contains an identify-
ing number for "unlisted". This gives great selectivity, and makes for good com-
petition. I would like to clear up some mistaken ldeas about Section 7-A, Materials
Assorted. The flrst Class number is 140, and in pa.rentheses is indicated "a.ll ma-
terials"; ttten w'ithin another parentheses it gives bhe Class number "141 through
150". Class 150 includes everything not mentioned in 141 to 150, with no exclu-