The blog about custom buttons
Often I’ve mentioned how buttons and badges can aid communication and recently I came across another great example of this when I stumbled upon an article about Narita airport. According to the article, language badges are now being worn by approximately 400 employees at Narita Airport, Japan, to allow foreign visitors to easily identify people who speak their language.
Posted by in Custom Buttons
Today, the 18th of July, is Nelson Mandela‘s 94th birthday. In November 2009, the UN General Assembly declared this date “Nelson Mandela International Day” in recognition of the former South African President’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom. This year, to celebrate, the Nelson Mandela foundation is calling everyone to make a personal pledge to help someone for 67 minutes on this day.
Nelson Mandela (Image by Maureen Didde)
But why 67 minutes specifically? Well Nelson Mandela has spent no less than 67 years of his life devoting all his efforts to humanitarian work. In this time he has been a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker and the first democratically elected president of a free South Africa.
So what can you do in 67 minutes? Continue reading
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So as predicted Spain won the Euros. It was no great surprise and they even broke a record in doing so- winning with the biggest victory margin in a World Cup or Euro final!
Celebrating victory (Image by Ben Sutherland)
However, if you are not Spanish and you still want to enjoy some sport this Summer- don’t worry the Olympics are still to come. Kicking off in London, in just over 17 days time, there’s plenty of time to prepare your custom buttons and wardrobe to support for team.
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Music festivals in Northern Europe have a certain appeal though at times they can seem like a duration test! How long can you stick it out? There’s often rain, despite the season; your tents gets washed away, you’re knee high in mud and heaven knows what else; and you’re paying way over the top for a warm beer in a plastic cup! But hey it’s all part of the fun of it and not to mention the tradition, so we don our wellies, our favourite festival buttons and happily head off to brave the elements.
The pluses to these festivals are, that for those of us from these colder climes, there’s often one in your own country- so no expensive flights, right? Also, all the above potentially negative points, often make for great mishaps but even better stories! But what’s the alternative?
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I recently stumbbled across more examples of jewellery made from buttons and thought it´d be nice to share some ideas!
For example this broach is so easy to make, just add the buttons to a big safety pin and carefully fasten it from the inside of your clothing- not only does it give a nice effect, it can be changed quickly and easily to suit any outfit!
(Image by vintage_queen)
Or if you´ve already made a necklace or bracelet from another type of material, espcially if its woven, why not use a button as fastener- I´ve done this often and it´s very secure and complements the overall look instead of taking from it! (Image by Mary-Lynn)
Here are some more cute ideas I came across:
(Image by Annie Pilon)Posted by in Custom Buttons
Euro 2012 starts this week and for a lot of us this means a summer filled with excitement and anticipation. But only one side can win so there’ll probably be some heartbreak too. In the countries of the qualifying teams, the tatty merchandise associated with such competitions has already flooded the shops. You can get everything from a silly hat to even fake eyelashes in the colours of your national strip. But there’s many ways to show your support, one way is to design a custom button to show your loyalty to your team.
(image by Jorge Andrade)
Or even if your team didn’t qualify, it’s fun to choose aside to follow throughout- it definitely livens up the tournament when you have a preference! Thanks to their World Cup glory Spain are definitely the favorites, but some teams have a different appeal. For instance if my team get knocked out I’d like to see the Ukraine or Poland do well, because how great would it be to win in your own country- what a party!!
The first match, Poland v. Greece, kicks off on the 8th so only A couple of days to go! Get your colours on!!!
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Buttons are often used as retro, cool, punk and alternative fashion accessories but what about the more effeminate touches they can add to an outfit? A necklace or bracelet made entirely out of buttons offers multiple possibilities especially as they are so easy to make yourself! To create custom buttons with your design go to the Camaloon website!
(Image by Melissa Ingram)
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OKay, so my friend is getting married next March but already the panic has started. It seems that there are so many options for every possible decision that it adds to an already stressful situation. Many films have documented the buildup to the “Big Day”, to name just the most famous recent one, Bridesmaids was a portrayal of the the comical effects that just one day can provoke. Watching it on the big screen is one thing though but in reality you can actually see that it does really affect relationships!
Posted by in Art in Popular Culture
In Spain there´s as great tradition of collecting caps of bottles. This past-time owes it´s popularity to a very old and well respected children’s game called “Chapas“.
Chapas (Image by J. Meredith)
Chapas, meaning bottle top or cap, is a childhood classic thanks to it´s wonderful simplicity. To play you literally only need bottle caps, something that represents a ball and some imagination. The bottle caps can represent competitors from any sport but most popular is to use then as footballers in a make-believe match or even a tournament. And as you can see from above, the range of colours and designs available mean you can distinguish between players and teams easily also. Alternatively you can decorate the inside of the bottle cap with pictures of players, another fun past-time for kids.
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Today the world of fashion is better travelled- people nowadays will venture forth to legendary lands of consumerism such as Milan, New York and Paris, to name just some of the more classic destinations, with the sole purpose of shopping. This is nothing new you might say, and you’d be right, but what has changed in these last 10 years is the that these fashion hotspots are now more accessible to everyone and the fashion to be found in these chic cities is of a more fun inclusive variety than before.
Why leave your photos to rot in an album or to get forgotten on your iPhone, there are now better, more fashionable ways to preserve memories. One way is to become inventive with your photography and design your own badges, fridge magnets or even a mug. You’ ll at least never be short of inspiration!
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