Button Workshop in a Bedroom Stage II

Thanks to a wonderful friend for his carpentry skills, again, and free used plywood, I now have shelves over the other side of my desk. A shelf attached to the shelves on either side makes more shelf space above my window.

This is a work in progress to make a small space in a small bedroom work efficiently to make buttons to sell on my Etsy shop.

The second photo shows how small this bedroom really is. I had to back myself into the far corner of my bed to get a photo of the wall where my studio lives. Large plastic tubs are stacked at the foot of the bed holding large quantities of button parts.

My bulletin board had to be moved to fit the shelves against the wall. I took everything off of it and put up just the cool stuff, like my ACEO collection all purchased from Etsy Artists, some of the business cards and decorated envelopes, bookmarks and other items Etsy sellers enclose when you buy cool stuff from them. Some of the buttons I have bought from my fellow button makers on Etsy also live on the bulletin board. I love trading buttons with other button makers.

Let It Rock! Treasury

Traveling through the Etsy Treasuries tonight I ran across one of my buttons in this Treasury, called Let It Rock by In The Raw.

I sold another one of the vintage "I'm with the Band" buttons the other day. Not very many left.

Portable Graffiti Buttons in San Francisco, California "Summer of Love" Reunion

My cousins Mickey and Maria are seen in this photo, barely, helping out Portable Graffiti at a show we did in San Franciso.

It was the first music festival in the park since the "Summer of Love" in 1967.

We did several shows that year. One was in Haight Ashbury in the town, and it was a killer show. I had planned to get breakfast and coffee to bring to the booth after we got set up. Before we even finished setting up the booth, we were bombarded with customers. When there was a finally a lull from the endless line of people getting custom buttons made, it was the end of the show.

We never got coffee or breakfast. But the arts and crafts show flew by in a blur.

You can now get the very same buttons from the comfort of your home without the crowds. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and sit back and enjoy Portable Graffiti by going to ZIBBET: http://www.zibbet.com/PortableGraffiti

You'll find many new buttons as well.

Enjoy! Peace out!

Portable Graffiti in New Hampshire

Portable Graffiti selling buttons in Center Harbor, New Hampshire. I rented a store during Bike Week in Laconia, NH.

Those little rug rats are now 18 years old.

Gosh time flies when you're having fun.

1980-something New York State Fair

Notice the signs. My buttons were $1.50 each back then and I still sell the hand made buttons for $1.50. You can get them here at Portable Graffiti.

Photos taken with a Kodak Instamatic camera.

University Of Arizona, Tucson : Saguaro You Today?

Off we went, Jess and I, to sell buttons beyond New York State. Here we are in Tucson, Arizona. There weren't any shows going on at the university, so we found a club willing to sponsor Portable Graffiti for donating a portion of the proceeds to their club. We set up our 20 foot tent on the main commons and sold there for about a week. It was lots of fun but not very profitable.

This was back when I used black and white film in my 35mm camera.

One button we designed then and copyrighted was Saguaro You Today?

Portable Graffiti, making buttons since 1979 and you can still buy the buttons on Zibbet.

Selling the few Saguaro You Today bumper stickers that are left. Get one HERE.

Selling on the Boardwalk

Um, what boardwalk? I can't remember. But I know that's my mother in the photo. I know the beach is behind us. And I know the booth didn't blow down. I don't remember what year either, but we do know it was when people used Polaroid cameras.

Portable Graffiti, making buttons since 1979 and you can still buy the buttons at Etsy.com.

1979 Creating a Display Booth for the Buttons

Scanned some old photos to show what Portable Graffiti was doing back in 1979 and the eighties. After I bought the button machine and made lots of buttons I had to have a display. First I set up the display out in front of my barn. Then the wind came along and knocked it down. Hey trial and error. So I brought it all across the road to the Town Hall and set it up inside the town hall. (A nice thing about a small town.) I had to do this to take slides of the booth in order to get into juried art shows.

Every single button in the display is hand drawn. The final photo got me into The Cornhill Arts Festival, and many other art shows in New York State.

Portable Graffiti, making buttons since 1979 and you can still buy the buttons at Zibbet..

The Ugliest Treasury Ever

I was just perusing Treasury West and discovered I was in the "Ugliest Treasury Ever, " chosen by Kay Sommers.

To buy the button in the treasury click here.

To see all 665 of my buttons, currently posted (Many MORE to come.) click here.

Custom Orders are catching on

I make custom made personalized buttons. However, with over 1,500 buttons in the shop that are already made and ready to be chosen, I think some people don't see the custom made choices.

Last night I got an order for 3 custom made buttons and had fun making them. Since I am just learning to use Photoshop, it takes me so much time to make one button, that I figure I earn about a nickel an hour.

The hand drawn, and hand lettered custom orders, as in the "Baby Button" are easier and faster for me to do.

I made these buttons for a customer, took photos of them, sent the photos to the customer to "proof" them before they bought them.

The customer was happy, I was happy, it was a fun experience.

More of the custom made buttons I can make for you are in this section of my shop.

Sign Language Button featured in Signature Treasury on Etsy

I've been selling this I ♥ You Sign Language button since the early 1980s.

Hildas Elements selected this button to use in her Etsy Treasury titled: Signature.

My Obama Button was featured in an Etsy Treasury

Big thanks to Nifty Knits for using my Obama Button: I'm Voting for "That one."

Nifty Knits made a Treasury titled: Democracy Rules!

Portable Graffiti's Plumber Button was featured in an Etsy Treasury

Thank you to A Keepers Jackpot for using my plumber button in your Etsy Treasury called "Joe the Plumber."

Ready for a WIN!!!

Portable Graffiti is ready for a win. But some folks are already buying the new Obama Button.

Yes We Can, becomes Yes We Did!! Get yours here at Portable Graffiti.