Button Studio

There are places you find yourself in from time to time, and you quickly realise how lucky we are to have them

Over the past few years, Ben and I have spent some time in the children’s ward in Ballinasloe. Gratefully nothing dramatic, just in and out for tests… but always met with such kindness, patience and genuine care.

Today Ben and I were delighted to bring in some pieces for the ward . As a token of our thanks for their amazing care .
Just something to add a little colour and light to a space that quietly does so much.

A heartfelt thank you to the incredible team , bringing fun, warmth and professionalism in equal measure, understanding children inside out, and doing an incredibly hard job with such ease and care.
You really are a special kind of magic

Hidden in plain sight…
but never accidental.
Every piece I make carries one of these little branded buttons…
not loud, not obvious… just quietly sitting there doing its job.

Because that’s my thing.
I’m not a big logo, shout-it-from-the-rooftops kind of brand.
I’m more…
“you’ll notice if you know”

It’s the extra detail.
The finishing touch.
The little signature that says this piece was made with care, time, and intention.

And I’ll be honest…
I once had a dream ,
That years from now, someone rocks up to the Antiques Roadshow with one of my button bunnies or dog…

and some expert goes:

“Well now… you see this little button here…
that means it’s a Jane Walsh original…
you’ll want that insured.”

And I mean… I wouldn’t argue with them 😉

Some people buy one piece… and then a collection begins.

Who is my work for?

It’s for the person who sees the difference.

The person who understands that something handmade carries time, skill and a piece of the maker with it.
Someone who doesn’t buy a gift just to tick a box, but chooses something with intention and respect.

It’s for the people who want something unique on their walls and in their homes.
Something that sparks conversation. Something that holds meaning.

Over the years I’ve been lucky to watch many customers build little collections of my work. A piece gifted, a piece received, and then another one found later for themselves.

I don’t do the hard sell.
I simply make the work.

And somehow the pieces travel from one person to another, creating a quiet circle of appreciation, loyalty and shared joy.

Sixteen years later, that circle still amazes me.

WHY I MAKE

I make because it is simply who I am.

You could try stop me fiddling with things.
Try stop me taking something broken, ordinary, or overlooked and seeing what it could be instead.
Try stop me solving problems with my hands.

But making is how I think.
How I understand the world.
How I leave a little mark behind me.

I don’t make to be rich.
I don’t make for attention.
And praise still makes me slightly uncomfortable.

I make because something inside me needs to.

And if, along the way, something I create makes someone pause, smile, remember something, or feel a connection…
then the piece has done its job.

That is the real reason I make.

Day 3 – Trial & Error

This is my mistake jar.

It looks small in the photo.
In reality… it’s huge. And I’ve filled it many times.

Every failed pour.
Every colour that didn’t work.
Every piece that had to be scrapped and started again.

But here’s the thing about mistakes…
they quietly become knowledge.

Skill grows.
Instinct sharpens.
Confidence builds.

When I look at this jar now, I don’t see failures.

I see the foundation of everything I can make today.

It has taken years of trial, error and persistence to get here…
and I’m finally learning to respect my craft, value my time,
and not apologise for what my work is worth.

The mistakes built the maker.

Day 2 – Behind the Scenes

Behind the scenes of a craft business
is one long balancing act.

What I want to make.
What I need to make.
What feeds the soul.
What pays the bills.

Creative freedom
balanced against real life.

Ideas stacked on top of deadlines.
Passion balanced against practicality.

Some days it feels like
a delicate house of cards.

One wrong move
and the whole thing could shift.

But somehow it holds.

And in the middle of the chaos,
the colour, the risk, the madness…

that’s where the magic happens.

And honestly?
I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Day 1 – Meet the Maker
Hi, I’m Jane.
I collect buttons like other people collect baggage.
I’m powered by colour, fueled by ideas, and mildly allergic to beige.

I believe “different” is a superpower.
Dyslexia? Not a flaw. A frequency.
Everyone has a special power. I will find it.

I have an unhealthy obsession with fairness.
Justice for all.
Except tuna. Tuna can leave.

I overthink.
Under-cook.
And cannot say the word moist without physical recoil.

I see potential where others see “fine”.
I evolve things.
People. Products. Possibilities.

I’m deeply personal.
Slightly chaotic.
Wildly driven.

Normal is boring.
Buttons are life.
Colour is therapy.

Welcome to my brain.

If you want to see more of my mentoring, creative projects and the evolving version of me, you’ll find it over at .ie