Button of the Week! - Winter is coming! November 09 2015

Celebrate the Cooler Temperatures This Week!

It's Monday and that means that it's time to unveil our button of the week! Every week we make a button available in the shop and this week we want to embrace the fact that winter is really coming. 

The temperature is dropping and the sun sets at 4:30, but we've decided that instead of shying away from the cold weather, we would just embrace it! After all, winter means more than just snow, it means hockey, skiing, long johns and hot chocolate too!

We know it's hard to get on board after our endless summer but we thought we would try to spread the love with these custom buttons. Hopefully we can hold on to these good feelings until spring! It's easy to love winter when its still above freezing but it's even easier to love our cold weather pins!

Come into the shop this week and pick up a couple to show your winter spirit!

Want to look at some of our past Buttons of the Week or have your own idea? Check us out on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

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Stay Safe This Halloween! Make Reflective Safety Buttons for Trick or Treaters October 30 2015

Safety First! Halloween Themed Reflective Buttons

Going out on Halloween night is something that kids (and adults) look forward to every year. Planning ahead means dressing up in costumes that fit and function, but are also visible! Safety may not be on the minds of little ghouls and goblins, but at People Power Press we want to help make sure everyone has a safe and spooky Halloween! So we've created Halloween-themed reflective buttons.

Staying visible is key when navigating our busy neighbourhood streets, so we are making highly reflective buttons to pin to costumes, jackets and all ghostly gear. These buttons reflect light much like bike reflectors or high visibility construction clothing. Trick-or-treaters can be seen, but the awesomeness of their Halloween costume stays just as visible. No need to hide under spools of reflector tape!

Come into our Toronto shop on Saturday, October 31st to either purchase a pre-made reflective button for your and your spooky crew or join us for an in-store event to make your own!

During the in-store button making event, you can choose what your reflective button will look like from a series of pre-made designs and we will show you how to make them into a button.

We also have non-reflective Halloween button designs ready to be coloured in along with treats to appease everyone’s sweet tooth! Hope you can make it.

Registration is not necessary for this event, but if you would like to reserve a specific time to come in, just contact us and we will save you a spot!

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I Love My Library and You Should Too! Custom Buttons for the Vancouver Island Regional Library October 23 2015

October is National Library Month across Canada and we were fortunate enough to work with the outstanding folks at the Vancouver Island Regional Library.

Most of us have taken advantage of our local library at some point, but we would like to take a minute and highlight the heart and soul behind all of our local libraries - the librarians and staff who work tirelessly to provide us with this invaluable public resource.

Libraries represent spaces of equal access. They are free to the public and provide services that are essential in the digital age such as access to the internet, computers, and educational workshops.

In order to reach their broad client base, this regional library launched on its own campaign in support of the Canadian Library Association and local branches.

The VIRL started the "I Love My Library" campaign as a way to reach out to returning visitors but also reach out to those who haven’t tapped their organizations infinite resources. Using the “I heart NY” theme, their team chose to add a little west coast flair with the long-time west coast icon, the red plaid shirt.

During October Library Month, Library branches also put on Customer Appreciation Days as an opportunity to “share the love”, because the sentiment is shared both ways. Making sure that the customers feel appreciated is important to the staff behind the campaign.

As National Library Month comes to a close we want to thank all the librarians from coast to coast who make community programs possible and a big thank you to the folks at Vancouver Island Regional Library for sharing their work with us.

We really appreciate the work you do!

Want to learn more about the "I Love My Library" campaign? Check out their website and Facebook page for more information!

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Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia - Preparing Nova Scotia Youth for the Future! October 21 2015

Earlier this month we made some buttons for the inspirational folks at Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia and we want to share the great work that they do with all of you!

JA Nova Scotia is a non-profit organization that works to motivate youth through educational programing, addressing the gaps in financial and business education in school curricula. We have all experienced the stress of the job hunt or been faced with making overwhelming post-graduate life choices. It is good to know that there are organizations out there helping prepare people for their next steps!

JA volunteers donate their time through a variety of programs that highlight their experience. We love that the community rallies behind youth education, youth programing and the success of young people in Nova Scotia and beyond!

Junior Achievement programs believe in arming young people with the knowledge and experience to succeed in the global economy. One program in particular, 'Company Program' inspires high school students to understand the role of business in our society by creating an enterprise of their own. Students collaborate with professional volunteer consultants to design, organize and operate a real business. These new entrepreneurs work within the structure of our Canadian economic system and realize the benefits it provides.

As we move through Small Business Week we want to thank JA Nova Scotia for preparing future entrepreneurs for the workplace! Learn more about Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia and to follow them on social media check out their Facebook and Twitter pages.

In Nova Scotia and want to volunteer? Learn more about joining this exceptional team!

Impressed by JA Nova Scotia? How could you not be! Nominate them for the People Power Award by emailing info@peoplepowerpress.org.

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It’s Election Time: A Guide to Campaign Buttons June 24 2015

Well Canada, this is an election year. While we don’t know what day we will be headed to the polls to vote in the next federal election, we do know that buttons will be part of the plan for many candidates.

Buttons actually have a long history of being used by politicians during election campaigns. Abraham Lincoln and his opponents used a precursor to the pinback button in their election campaigns as far back as 1860.

So if you are running for office or involved as part of an election team for anyone running in the upcoming federal elections, you might want to think about using custom election buttons during your campaign.

Here are some ways that buttons can be used for political campaigns:

1) Identifying volunteers canvassing on behalf of the electoral candidate or political party
2) Low cost promotional hand-outs for supporters to wear and share along the campaign trail
3) Branding! Buttons can carry your message/slogan, your name and your colours to help people know who you are and what you stand for. And, if they wear one, it helps them tell others who they are voting for and what they stand for.

Which type of button should you order?

2.25” to 3” round buttons are the most commonly ordered custom campaign buttons, but if you stand for change or simply want to capture peoples’ attention, you might want to consider a more unusual shape (like Oval, Rectangle or Diamond).

What should you include in your design?

That’s really up to you, but common things to be included on a custom campaign button are:
1) The name of the candidate
2) The party he/she represents
3) The riding he/she represents
4) The year of the election
5) The colours of his/her party
6) A declaration of endorsement (usually along the outside/back edge), which declares who has sponsored/paid for the promotional materials and that the person in question is authorized to be campaigning on behalf of that party

Colour matching your party’s colours

We have made buttons for all of Canada’s major political parties so we know that having your buttons match your party’s official colours is very important.

If you are submitting your own design files, but colour matching is crucial, please tell us when you place your order. While we cannot guarantee “colour matching” (due to the limitations of our printers), we do a very good job of getting very close. This does, however, take a bit longer than a regular button job, so give us extra notice and we’ll make sure you get exactly what you want by the date you need it. You may also want to consider getting a physical proof shipped to you. If that is the case, we’ll need at least an extra week of lead time to account for shipping time and any edits that may need to be done before going to production.

Ways to create the design files for your custom button order:

If you are familiar with graphic design and using design programs, you can check out our free design templates.

If you aren’t a designer, you should check out the easy-to-use and free online button design software Button Designer.

We also provide design services and can create top notch campaign button designs for you in house. Pricing runs from $15 - $60 per design.

Want to make your own campaign buttons?

Here are some button maker kits that will make traditional sized campaign buttons:

If you already have a button maker, make sure you are well stocked with all the button parts you need when an election is called.

Not sure what you need, but just know you want to be election-ready?

We have lots of experience producing quality buttons in high volumes, have fast turnaround times, and ship all over Canada and beyond! Give us a call today and we can help you get what you need.

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Buttons for USC Canada’s I Am A Seed Saver Campaign - Supporting the Seeds That Feed Us! April 01 2015

We have been making buttons for the fantastic folks at USC Canada and their I Am A Seed Saver Campaign for a while now and we love food, so we’re excited to tell you about the great work they are doing!

The I Am A Seed Saver Campaign is meant to #CelebrateSeeds, which are the foundation of our food system and are source of the rich and resilient biodiversity of what we eat.

USC Canada is working with family farmers in 11 countries around the world, including Canada, so they can continue saving good seeds and growing good food for their communities.

They have recruited some big name friends to support the campaign and be seed savers. Musicians Feist, Tim Baker of Hey Rosetta!, Jim Cuddy, Amy Millan of Stars, Ian Thornley of Big Wreck, Tim Kingsbury of Arcade Fire, Bruce Cockburn and Sam Roberts are all standing up for seeds. Go to iamaseedsaver.org to see what they have to say.

In addition to this great video, USC Canada’s awesome site is full of great information and resources. So take some time to look around and learn how you too can become a seed saver!

To keep up to date with USC Canada and the great work they are doing, you can also check them out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

If you would like to nominate the good folks at USC Canada for the 2015 People Power Award, you can fill out the form here.

If you would like us to make custom buttons to support the work you do, give us a shout and we will walk you through the process – we can use your artwork or design something for you from scratch.

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We Love Teaching Assistants March 27 2015

While the weather here in Toronto is still trying to make up its mind, we are thinking of all the Teaching Assistants from York University and the University of Toronto who have been outside on the picket lines daily for the past few weeks.

Education is so valuable! And we are pleased that buttons are helping these guys get that message out. :)

If you would like to show your support for TAs, you can find them online:

CUPE 3093 (York University) is on Facebook  and Twitter. Follow #BetterYork.

CUPE 3092 (University of Toronto) is on Facebook  and Twitter or follow #WeAreUofT.

Need custom buttons for your own union, protest, or demonstration? We can help! Contact us :)

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Farmers’ Markets Ontario – Support Farmers and Your Local Markets March 06 2015

Farmers’ Markets Ontario played host to the 2015 Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention where the theme was Connect for Success as horticultural specialists gathered from around the world to share stories, strategies and networking opportunities.

These buttons and cards were distributed at the convention that took place Feb. 18-19 in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

“We are hosting a market manager’s day and I’m quite certain the managers are going to love these buttons,” said Christine Scheer, a member of Farmers’ Markets Ontario and the farmers' market manager at London's Covent Garden Market. “What a great way to promote our markets.”

If you liked the Farmers’ Markets Ontario buttons and want some for your own market, you can order one of our market-friendly designs here!

Love farmers and the markets that support the great work they do,? You should seek out a market in your area.

Want to know more about Farmers’ Markets Ontario and the wonderful farmers and markets they support? Check out www.farmersmarketsontario.com or make friends with these fine folks on Facebook  and Twitter.

If you would like us to create some equally awesome buttons, with or without custom packaging, for your event or organization, please give our sales team a shout!

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Buttons to Celebrate the Year of the Sheep! February 14 2015

Chinese New Year is just around the corner, so we made these custom buttons to mark the occasion.

Stop by, say “Hi” and pick one up in store, if you’re in the neighbourhood :)

February 19th marks the beginning of the Year of the Goat or Ram or Sheep, depending on who you ask or where in the world you are celebrating.

Folks born in this year (1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003 and 2015) can expect the year to be very favourable. Read here to find out more about what’s in store for you!

This month-long celebration is full of superstitions so everyone, sheep or not, should be sure to abide by some certain rules during this time if you want the year ahead to be a good one.

If you are in Toronto, you should check out our friends from the great not-for-profit group Chinese Collective Arts Association. They will be holding a free event on Sunday, February 22nd that includes button making!

Are you holding an event and want to make buttons? It’s fun! And easier than you think! :)

We rent button makers in various shapes and sizes and have all the supplies you’ll need. We’ll even show you how the machine works before you leave the store : )

Not mechanically minded? Or maybe you need to focus your attention on other tasks? No problem! We also have an amazing events team who can run the button booth for you. Write them at events@peoplepowerpress.org to learn more.

Regardless of what you’re doing for Chinese New Year, we would love to see how you are celebrating!

Share your photos and links with us on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

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Workshop West Playwrights' Theatre presents Canoe 2015 January 30 2015

Workshop West Playwrights' Theatre produces a festival every year called CANOE2015. #CANOE2015 runs from Jan. 28 to Feb. 2 and will be presenting some of the most ground-breaking theatrical events by local, national and international artists.

“Every January, Workshop West turns its word-based mandate upside down to program non-traditional theatre that pushes boundaries and buttons” says newly appointed Artistic Director Vern Thiessen. “It’s our chance to show people what kinds of theatrical experiments people are cooking up from around the world.”

Workshop West Playwrights' Theatre is an Edmonton-based professional theatre company. The company is dedicated to the development, production, promotion, and presentation of new Canadian playwrights and their plays, and to the education of the public in playwriting skills.

If you want to learn more about the CANOE2015 Festival, check out their site: www.canoe2015.com.

To find out more about the folks at Workshop West and all of the other great stuff they are up to, you can check out their website, follow them on Twitter and make friends with them on Facebook

These awesome buttons were designed by Half Design and made by yours truly! ;) 

If you think buttons would make a great complement to your festival, play, concert or other event you have planned (we sure think they would!), then reach out to us today!

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Button of the Week – Haggis and Poetry Buttons for Robbie Burns Day! January 23 2015

Well, it’s that time of year again everyone! Haggis time!

January 25th is Robbie Burns Day. Burns was a Scottish poet and his birthday is a national holiday in Scotland and is celebrated by Scots and those with Scottish roots around the world. Traditions include reciting some of the bard’s beloved lines, raising a glass or two of whiskey, playing the bagpipes and eating the Scottish delicacy haggis. Haggis used to be made with sheep parts, but modern haggis usually is a variation of lamb, beef, oats, onion and seasonings. Vegan haggis is a thing too!

We might not be eating haggis here, but we did make a haggis button in honour of Burns. We made some with his poetry too. So come in to our Toronto shop, say “Hi”, and pick one up for free! : )

See, we really do make custom buttons for any occasion!

To learn more about haggis, check out these fun facts!

In Toronto and looking to celebrate?

Here are some picks for where to take part in the festivities in the city.

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Happy New Year - Start a New Hobby Making Buttons January 12 2015

2015 is here! A brand spanking New Year is before us!!

Did you make any resolutions? If you did, you might like some of the resolution buttons we made at the office. They are our Button of the Week so if you are near our store in Toronto’s west end, please make sure you pass through to pick one up!

Resolutions or not, the New Year is usually a time for new beginnings... like starting a new hobby! Or a small business! Making buttons is great for both : )

In this week’s blog post, we will focus on getting started making buttons as a hobby. Next week’s post will focus on resources and tips for starting your own button making business.

If you are already a crafty person, then you will probably (very likely!) love designing and making buttons. They are also great for organizations looking to promote events or causes, for schools to keep kids creative and busy, or for bands looking for inexpensive ways to support their music.

A Button Maker!

We sell a variety of button making machines. If you are going to start buttons as a hobby, making only a few buttons at a time and not for reselling, then we recommend one of our hobby button making kits. We sell two different types:

1. The T150 Hobby Maker – plastic body, with parts to make 250 parts. Only makes 2.25” buttons.

2. Multi-Size Hobby Maker – Make a variety of different sizes with the same all metal body hobby machine! Comes with your choice of a) just the 2-1/4” size or b) 3 different sizes (including 2-1/4”) to get you started.

If you have a bit more money to spend and think that you may end up making thousands of buttons, will be selling the buttons you make, or need to be able to make lots of them fast, then you should look at purchasing one of our heavy duty button making kits. These machines are built to last and consistently make great buttons!

Button Supplies

All of our button making kits come with parts to get you started making pin back buttons and include a sample pack of all the different products you can make with your machine. Once you’ve had a change to experiment and play around, you will definitely want to make more and can order parts for magnets, keychains, bottle openers, necklaces, bracelets, zipper pulls, and more (depending on what size of badge maker you have). Just scroll through the drop-down menu on the appropriate product page to see what other items your machine can make.

If you have a T150, order here:

If you have a Multi-Size Machine or Tecre Machine, order here for Standard 2.25” items:

Here for 1.75” items:

And here for 1.25” items:

Other sizes are also available for the Multi-Size Machine. Just ask! : )

Button Designs/Artwork

Once you’ve picked your item type, you can also get creative about what designs or materials you use to put on your buttons. You can print your own custom artwork or use fabric, photos, Dura-Lar and acetate to create unique and interesting buttons.

Here are some resources for getting your designs together:

For Newbies! Use our Free Online Design Software – A Great Starting Place :)

Not a graphic designer? Don’t have Photoshop or any other design programs? Don’t worry! Button Designer is a free and easy-to-use software available online. This is a basic program intended for making simple button designs that you can design, print and press at home. It is a good starting point for folks who are new to button design and the world of design in general.

www.button-designer.com

Do you know something about design and have access to design programs like Photoshop or Illustrator? Then you can use the free templates available for download on our site. Make sure you use the right template for the size of button you are making so that, when printed and cut, your designs will fit your machine.

VIDEO: How to use the T150

You can also check out our YouTube page for more videos and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to find out when new videos are available :)

Buttons are easy to make once you get the hang of it. If you have any questions after you’ve checked out these resources and links, give us a shout and we’ll be more than happy to help : )

We love making buttons and want to make sure you do too!

You can also sign up for our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss out on our regular updates with new product information, sales, and other helpful button making resources. We only send it out a few times a year, so keep your eyes peeled! :)

All the best in 2015!

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Button of the Week - Buttons to Make Your New Year Sparkle! December 21 2014

Celebrate the New Year with a little sparkle! A glittery button like these make the perfect complement to your New Year’s outfit. Make them as a pinback button or as a flat back button with a magnet attached to prevent pinholes in your festive frock.

You can make buttons like the ones made by our designers by printing directly on Dura-Lar film and putting some festive paper underneath to match your party mood. You can even make buttons with some of that leftover wrapping paper!

Do you like these buttons so much you want some for yourself and your party-going posse? Are you a hostess who is thinking that these custom buttons will make great gifts for your guests? Why not let us make some for you in any style or quantity you would like!

Other ideas for great New Year’s buttons include resolution buttons and other messages that you would like to carry into 2015. You can use our templates here or create simple designs on Button Designer, a free online design program for buttons!

However you choose to start the New Year, start it with a button!

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Button of the Week - Happy Holidays! December 14 2014

Looking for a fun way to make your holiday celebrations a bit more festive? We have a few button ideas to help you with that!

Custom holiday buttons can be used in so many ways.

You can pin them to your favourite holiday sweater, tie or hat. How about an ugly Christmas sweater button to wear with your ugly Christmas sweater?

You can create button ornaments with photos of family or special holiday messages. Use mirrors to create something extra shiny.

You can pin your buttons to gifts in place of gift tags.

There really are so many ways that buttons can be used to make your holiday season extra special. Have we missed something? We would love to see what you are creating this holiday season.

If you are in the Toronto area, you can also drop by the store to pick up your very own free holiday button of the week. So come by and let us share some button holiday cheer!

We are open Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. We will be closed December 24 to 26, 2014 as well as January 1st and 2nd, 2015.

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Buttons on the Fringe! August 19 2014

Chase Padgett (6 Guitars) and Stacey Hallal (Curious Comedy) are touring their musical sketch comedy show Chase and Stacey Present: Joyride. Joining them on the road are their custom fringetastic buttons, a perfect way to bring the comedy home with you and show your Fringe colours all year long!

Featuring sketches and songs about time travel, elderly crime sprees, and ribbon dancing, Joyride is a hilarious exploration of life, spontaneity, and the choices that define us!

Selected as Patron’s Pick, Orlando Fringe 2014 and Best of Fest, Ottawa Fringe 2014. CBC Manitoba gives it 4 stars!

If you're in Edmonton or Vancouver this summer, check them out. And pick up a button!

August 14-August 24 @ Edmonton Fringe
August 4-September 14 @ Vancouver Fringe

www.chaseandstacey.com

Want your own custom buttons for plays, improv, festivals, musical shows, fundraisers, or any other event?

Give us a call or Order online :)

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National Bike Day - and our new Button of the week May 21 2014

"I thought of that while riding my bicycle." ~ Albert Einstein on the Theory of Relativity

National Bike day is May 26th, 2014.    About 50% of our staff cycles to work daily, some all year round.  We're really into biking here so of course we wanted to celebrate Bike day, Bike month and ride your bike to work day with custom bike buttons as our button of the week.   In our online collection we have additional transportation buttons, or talk to us about making a custom bike button for your event.

Some awesome Toronto Cycling communities have more information on Bike Day 2014 and Cycling in Toronto:

CycleTO is kicking off Bike Month with a bike to work group commute and pancake breakfast at Nathan Philips Square, and other events throughout the GTA can be viewed at bike month.

Our friends at Community Bicycle Network are a registered non-profit organization founded in 1993 on the belief that bicycles are a powerful tool for positive change.  We agree! 

"The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart."

Iris Murdoch, writer (1919-1999) 

"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race."
H.G. Wells

"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope seems hardly worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a good spin down the road, without thought of anything but the ride you are taking."
Arthur Conan Doyle

HAPPY BIKING!!!

And for more awesome bike buttons, visit our Pinterest board!

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Victoria day buttons- May long weekend! May 15 2014

Happy Victoria Day!  Or May 2-4 :-) as it's affectionately known. 

We will be closed on the holiday Monday- May 19, 2014, so take the day off from button making, kick back, and celebrate with Queen Victoria and a beer and go see some fireworks!

 Our custom buttons of the week are Queen Victoria buttons and are available for free at the shop this week.

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Sakura in High Park - Cherry blossom buttons! May 12 2014

Cherry blossoms have begun to open!  My favorite time of year and just steps from our office.  You can track the progress of the blooms in High Park.   Also, according to the High Park site, the Toronto Islands also have 30 Cherry blossom trees on Centre Island! 

According to updates, they have started to bloom, with full bloom in the next few days.  But be sure to hurry before it rains!

To celebrate Sakura- we're giving away cherry blossom buttons as our button of the week!  Come in and get a free sakura button :-)

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Mother's day custom buttons and Rosettes! May 08 2014

Want to show your mom that she's the greatest?   You can make her a custom mother's day button!  Don't have a button maker?  All buttons are for sale in our store, come on by and pick one up!

Or really go fancy with a rosette.   To make a rosette you need a button maker and prong back button parts: a shell, mylar, a prong back and a plastic back pin-back.  We can also make custom buttons with rosettes in the shop.  

We also have a more gender neutral button that can be appropriate for alternative families.  

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Who's going out for New Year's eve? Throwing a party? Make 2014 buttons! December 20 2013

Add a festive touch to your celebration with these glittery New Year's buttons! 

The sparkly buttons are made by printing the text directly on a sheet of mylar, being see-through, you can use any shiny paper you'd like underneath.  Another great option to recycle wrapping paper. 

Don't want to pin on to your clothing?  Use a rare earth magnet back and a flat back on your button, and no holes in your fancy clothes! 

Let our New Year's resolution be this: we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word Goran Persson

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Community Bicycle Network celebrates 20 years! December 05 2013

Our friends at Community Bicycle Network are celebrating their 20th year!   Congratulations on your awesome, award winning service!!! 

Their vision is:

• bicycles are used to experience everyday life
• bicycles, parts & accessories can be purchased affordably without sales tax, encouraging sustainable mobility
• used bicycles can be repaired, resold and re-used or striped for parts and recycled in an environmentally-friendly manner

Come help them celebrate 20 years on Friday, December 6th at 8:00pm at 761 Queen Street West in Toronto!

Preview blog post

Here's to another 20 years!  And if you're at their anniversary party, you can get one these snazzy buttons! 

I want to ride my bicycle!

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Cauldron's Brazil's lost Tour 2013 November 29 2013

We have some friends in the band Cauldron who are currently finishing up a Brazilian tour.  Check out the custom band buttons that they made! 

These buttons are METAL!!! :-)

If you want to check out their music you can go to their Myspace.   And like them on Facebook!   While you're at it, you can follow there shenanigans on Twitter!

Their 6 city tour details are:

Nov. 26 - Belo Horizonte, Brazil - Matriz
Nov. 27 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Teatro Odisseia
Nov. 28 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Manifesto
Nov. 29 - Curitiba, Brazil - Hangar Music Hall
Nov. 30 - Porto Alegre, Brazil - Beco 203
Dec. 01 - Hortolandia, Brazil - Barka-Mada

So if you're in Hortolandia, get yourself to Barka-Mada to see the awesomeness in person!

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Congratulations to our very own designer Mariel! She made pretty custom wedding buttons! November 06 2013

Our super talented button designer Mariel was recently married to Patrick and she designed these fantastic custom buttons for her wedding. 

Mariel said that her personalized wedding buttons were a huge success with her guests and we can understand why, they look amazing! She's a skilled illustrator and the button design really captures the essence of the happy couple.   For more of Mariel's work check out her Love story comics

The wedding was in Ottawa, and the lovely wedding photos are courtesy of Mondays with Mac Photography. 

We wish her all the best and hope she is enjoying her honeymoon!

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Customized buttons online or renting a button maker and doing it yourself? September 05 2013

You're thinking of getting some customized buttons made.  These maybe photo buttons with a text or buttons with your own design.  If you are looking to get 100 custom buttons and pins or even 250 custom made buttons it's not really worthwhile to rent. You might as well let someone else make the buttons for you. You can easily order custom buttons online with us at People Power Press or with Button-Designer from The Button Guy. 

But if you are thinking of making customized buttons, custom photo buttons or any custom buttons and pins in a quantity of maybe 500 or 1000 then renting a button maker could be a serious, easy custom button alternative.  This could save you a lot of $$$$.  Basically you supply the labor and the customized button design and we supply the machine and the button parts.  If you have lots of time, volunteers or workers with not enough to do renting a button maker could just be the way to get your custom pins buttons at a much better price. Here are some links:

Renting a Button Maker        Checkout pricing and details about renting!

Customized Buttons              Checkout customized buttons from People Power Press - We can customize for you!

Custom Photo Buttons          Checkout larger customized photo buttons and add text to your photo

Customized buttons online   Try the free online button designer and customize your own buttons and pins!

The great thing about buttons is the low cost of the button parts if you make them yourself.  If you are doing an event regularly every year then buy a button maker and you will find all kinds of occasions to get the button maker out.  With standard button parts at somewhere between 6 cents and 12 cents each you can have a lot of fun with a button maker for a very small amount of money!

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Mike Gagnon: Freelance Comic Creator helped out at FanExpo August 29 2013

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Legends in Our Own Minds - Tales of a Dragon Boat Team August 28 2013

 

LEGENDS in Our Own Minds: Dragon Boat Team Custom Buttons and Bottle Openers

 

LEGENDS in Our Own Minds is a dragon boat team that entered Thunder Bay's very first dragon boat festival in 1999 and have been paddling ever since.  Their team consists of members who want to have fun, sing karaoke and paddle in stroke and they even have a member who for the past ten years has traveled from Ireland to paddle with them.  This year, the LEGENDS came in 2nd place at the Thunder Bay Dragon Boat Festival, which is their best placing to date and pretty impressive for a team that practices "more at the bar than it does on the water". Their next competition will be the Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival in Superior, Wisconsin, USA on August 23rd.

Sounds like a fun team and hilarious buttons.  Keep having fun guys - I'm sure your bottle openers will come in handy!

 

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Do you do the Zombie Walk? I Hate Todd is looking for you... August 21 2013

I Hate Todd Fundraising Buttons with Custom Packaging.

Local Toronto Band I Hate Todd is filming their first music video for their soon to be released single "Zombie Love" and they need Zombies (and crew).  For more information or to be a part of their video check them out on Facebook.  Plus a $5 donation gets you an exclusive, limited “zombie” edition I Hate Todd fundraising button with the proceeds helping toward funding the video.

Sounds like a great cause for getting your Zombie on!!

Website: www.ihatetodd.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IHateToddmusic

Want to be in the "Zombie Love" video? : http://allevents.in/events/ZOMBIES-I-Hate-Todd-needs-YOU-for-a-music-video/463856917044462

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Nature Canada engages youth to Naturehood with "Official Guardian of Nature" Buttons August 01 2013

Lac Deschênes - Ottawa River Important Bird Area Guardian of Nature Custom Buttons!

 Lac Deschênes Ottawa River Important Bird Area (IBA) is one of 600 sites across Canada recognized internationally for its importance to birds. However this IBA is particularly interesting because it is found along the Ottawa River right in the heart of the National Capital region. This site is a significant resting spot for migrating waterbirds and there is always something interesting to see along the Ottawa River.

Nature Canada calls this site Naturehood and they are working to connect Ottawa and Gatineau residents to the nature in their own backyard. These “Guardian of Nature” buttons will be a great way to engage youth in the Naturehood program by proclaiming them an “official Guardian of Nature.” 

For more information, please visit:

Lac Deschênes Ottawa River:

Website

Facebook

Nature Canada:

Website

Twitter

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Rosette Buttons July 29 2013

Rosettes are used for many purposes; they are great for events or as reward buttons, award buttons and as tokens of appreciation.  These rosettes are hand-made in Canada and have a soft, full, plush feel and are of excellent quality.  And now you can make your own!!

Rosettes:  A button related specialty

Horse Show Buttons with Rosette

Employee Award Buttons with Rosette

Reward Buttons with Rosette

We stock both 3" and 4" diameter rosettes.  The 3" rosettes have ribbons that hang bellow.  Both sizes can accommodate up to a 2-1/4" sized button.  To make a rosette you need a button maker and prong back button parts: a shell, mylar, a prong back and a plastic back pin-back. In smaller sizes (1", 1-1/4" and 1-1/2") you use a centre hole back and stick the brad prong pin.  Don't worry, when you order rosettes the parts come complete.

 Rosette with Prong Back Button Parts: For 1-3/4", 2" and 2-1/4" Buttons

 Rosette with Center Hole Prong Back Button Parts: For 1", 1-1/4" and 1-1/2" Buttons

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Buttons at the Toronto Vintage Bicycle Show July 26 2013

Come One Come All!

Get your exclusive Toronto Vintage Bicycle Show buttons this weekend at Trinity Bellwoods park in Toronto.

Just as Adrian for one!

Alternatively, you could also get a bike, bring yours in for repair, or just geek out with all us fun bike loving people.

The show, organized by the Community Bicycle Network was launched in 2012 and is the CBN’s featured event.

It runs from 12-5pm on July 28th, 2013 : )

See you there!

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Right Beside You: An Evening of Stories with David Delisca June 13 2013

Custom Event Buttons for #RightBesideYou

Check out Right Beside You - an evening of performance presented by poet David Delisca and IFreeCan on Sunday, June 16 at  The Drake Hotel (doors open at 7pm and show starts at 8pm) The evening will feature poetry and story-telling, humor, live music and much, much more including special guest performers.  For more details, please see below:

#RightBesideYou  Facebook Event

#RightBesideYou Twitter

David Delisca  Facebook

David Delisca website

IFreeCan website  

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Matte Buttons Or Glossy! May 24 2013

I wanted to post a photo that Illustrates the difference between a matte and glossy finish for button-making.  The matte button examples are pictured on the left, and the glossy buttons are on the right.  Notice how the gloss finish is reflective and allows the colors to "pop" or appear brighter and the matte finish produces a more subdued feel with very little sheen.  Which one you choose will depend on the effect you wish to achieve.

Gloss buttons are created by using standard transparent, high-gloss mylar over top of your artwork and matte buttons are created using laminated artwork (see below) and do not require mylar.  Button-making mylar is currently only available in high-gloss but we and button makers alike are hoping that soon that won't be the case.  Bring on the matte!

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Summer Fun Custom Mirrors May 22 2013

 

 

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New Online Button Designer Software just went live! Free online button designer! May 10 2013

New online button designer from The Button Guy. Easy button design and button artwork creation.

We just went live! Checkout this simple button design software: it’s free. A great tool for designing buttons and creating button artwork.  It even takes your button design and lays it out on the sheet for you.  With a 2-1/4″ button you make your design and then you go to print and it puts 9 up on the page in a pdf, ready to print.  In your profile you can collect and save all your designs and then print 9 different buttons on each sheet if you wish.  Simple and effective.

Online Button Designer

If you’re a graphic designer then no problem, stick to Photoshop, Illustrator, Gimp etc. But if you are not a graphics person then you can instantly make your button artwork and then the system lays your button artwork out on a page ready for printing. Sweet!

Remember your button design is key.  Once you have a good button maker, making buttons is inexpensive and pressing them is easy.  Coming up with great button artwork or a really good button design is not so easy.  Invest time in your designs.  It will pay off.  Remember a few tips:

• More is less!   Do not clutter your button.
• Bright but simple works well
• Button designs with white backgrounds work very well on buttons.
• One bright colour works well on buttons. eg. Black white then a splash of red.
• If you’re using multiple colours ensure they hang together well.

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Making Metallic Buttons May 03 2013

Add Some Shine to your Buttons!

We've also been experimenting with making silver buttons.  The process is very simple: Print your artwork on acetate transparency or use Dura-Lar Film for printing and button making  in reverse, cut it out and press - and let the silver shine through.  Press the button with your artwork shiny side up as the printed image will scratch off. 

You print your image in reverse and put it ink side down when making the button.  This stops any chance of the ink scratching off the button once it's made.  The ink is inside and protected.

Put the acetate print side down on a naked button to get the silver effect.Simple.  Want to make gold buttons?  Lay a metallic gold paper under the acetate.  Fluorescent?  Yes you can use fluorescent or glow in the dark papers!

You can buy acetate or clear dura-lar on our website.  Also bright gold sheets!

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Gold and Silver Pin-Back Buttons – Button Making Ideas! April 20 2013

The problem is quite simple.  How do I make buttons that are fluorescent?  My printer cannot print fluorescent colours.  How do I make gold or silver buttons? My printer cannot print gold or silver.  Well the fact is very few printers can print fluorescent colours or gold.  Even bright pink is difficult to reproduce so this article explains how to get around the limitations of printing and put really bright colors on a button. So if you want bright pink buttons just use this idea and substitute the gold paper for fluorescent pink or whatever color you choose.

I will use the example of gold because no printer can print shiny reflective gold.

What do you need to make really shiny gold buttons:

• Gold foil paper
• Printable acetate transparencies
• Circle cutter, printer and button maker (Just like you need for any button making job)

Make your artwork just like you would for any button and then reverse it. Then simply print the reverse image on a transparency.  Lay the transparency over a sheet of the gold foil paper and cut out the gold sheet and acetate together. If you have trouble with the gold foil you can always cut it separately with scissors and put it under the acetate.  It only need show through where there is no colour printed on the acetate.  You don’t even need to cut very accurately.  Now put acetate with gold backing into the button maker and press as normal. Voila!

Another tip is to print the image NOT reversed and lay the acetate over the gold foil print side down.  This way the print side is protected.  Depending on your printer and acetate combo the ink may scratch off.  This way your print is protected.

A printed transparency with the image showing through the clear acetate. The printer printed on the reverse of this transparency to protect the print surface.

The printed sheet is placed over a gold foil sheet with printed side down but image showing correctly through the acetate. Note the photo here cannot reproduce the shiny gold as per the actual gold leaf. You need to see this button. It shines!

Here we cut the acetate and the gold leaf die simultaneously using a cutting die. If you are using a graphic punch to make your buttons then cut the acetate with your punch and cut the gold leaf with scissors.

Finished buttons with shiny gold showing through the acetate. A great way to make visually striking buttons. This photo here cannot reproduce the eye catching gold.
Make one yourself and see what I mean.

Syndicated blog from TheButtonGuy.net This article is reprinted with permission. http://TheButtonGuy.net/

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Diamond Shaped Buttons March 28 2013

Put your own artwork on a Pin-back Button!  I chose to make a Diamond Pin-back Button based on a painting I'd done of diamond designs.  Diamond Pin-back Buttons are made using square pin-back button parts; the square pin-back (which is black plastic) comes with three holes which can be pinned straight across for square, or diagonally for diamond.  We carry four square sizes to suite your needs: 1", 1.5", 2" and 3" and have parts to make either pin-back buttons or magnets.  

We would be happy to make diamond or square buttons for you - click here for pricing or you can look at our selection of square button makers and make them yourself!  Happy Button Making!

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We Miss You "Stompin' Tom" Connors March 27 2013

The folks at Winnipeg's 103.1 Virgin Radio had these tribute buttons made to celebrate the life and music of Canada's country and folk singer-songwriter "Stompin' Tom" Connors.  Best known for his songs Sudbury Saturday Night, Bud the Spud and The Hockey Song,Tom Connors music will keep us Stompin' for years to come!!

Connect with 103.1 Virgin Radio:

Website 

Facebook

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Compulsion Games, Inc: Contrast Video Game Buttons March 20 2013

7/8" Custom Buttons for Compulsion Games, Inc Video Game: Contrast!

Compulsion Games, Inc, a Montreal based, small independent video game studio that is working on an upcoming game called Contrast!  Contrast is a story about a little girl, Didi, and her imaginary friend Dawn.  Normally, Didi and Dawn run around in a beautiful film noir, 1920s 3D world, but she also has the power to turn into her shadow at will, and run on a 2d landscape to help Didi out.

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Turn your Favourite Instagram Pics into Button or Magnet Art March 13 2013

Make Buttons or Magnets from your Instagram Photos 

Step 1: Take a picture using Instagram

You can either use Instagram to take a photo or bring in outside photos from your camera roll to Instagram. 

.

When you have decided on a photo you may choose to apply a filter, a blur, add a border or adjust brightness and contrast.

Once published, the app will save a full size, high resolution image to your camera roll.  That feature is turned off by default but can be changed in the iphone's settings app. If you get stuck, you can always save the photo by right clicking it on your Instragram feed while using your computer, but the quality might not be as high.

Step 2: Place Your Order

We have four square sizes for you to choose from: 1", 1.5", 2" and 3". 

Click on the following link to be taken to our Instagram Button and Magnet order page:

 Step 3: Upload Your Artwork

Upload your Instagram picture using the link that is sent with your order confirmation 

OR

Email it to us :)

Step 4: Get Excited About Receiving Your Buttons/Magnets! :)

We endeavour to make and ship your custom orders within 24-48 hours of payment and artwork being received and can often get your buttons in the mail same day!

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Button Sizes and Shapes March 08 2013

Check out this photo of all the shapes and sizes that we offer in button parts and custom buttons; round buttons, square and diamond buttons, rectangular buttons, oval buttons and oblong buttons.  We carry button parts to make pin-back buttons, magnets, mirrors, key chains, bottle openers, coasters and much more.

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Instagram Pet Magnets :) February 26 2013

Everybody loves Instagram Pet Magnets! 

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Fine Arts Buttons @ University of Lethbridge February 21 2013

Fine Arts is fabulous and fun! 

The Department of Fine Arts at University of Lethbridge designed custom buttons to be used as swag for prospective students.  They will be given away after presentations by their recruitment officer and during Experience Fine Arts Day at the University.  

They will be highly sought after - who doesn’t want a cool button for free!

Connect:

Website: http://www.uleth.ca/finearts/ 

Twitter

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#joyatUofT February 15 2013

Check out these awesome custom campaign buttons for University of Toronto. They are part of a February campaign called Joy at U of T that is primarily Twitter based.  The purpose of the campaign is to help combat the February blahs and spread some JOY on campus. Last year, they did the campaign online only, but this year the student staff expressed concern that they were forcing students to go online to find JOY and that it should be done also in person. So they had the idea of creating buttons that the staff could distribute on campus to make people happy and spread a little joy.  Great Idea and nice buttons!

 Connect:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/search/realtime?q=%23joyatUofT&src=savs

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Protest, Preserve, Protect - Animal Rights Buttons February 12 2013

Long live the Polar Bear!

Our Polar Bear Animal Rights Buttons have been a real hit in the past few months. For example, a batch of these Protest, Preserve, Protect buttons were recently made for our friends in Saskatchewan and a little while ago we customized our Extinct is Forever Polar Bear design for a local Polar Bear Swim event (which is also posted on our blog).

Both designs come from our online catalog of animals and animal rights button designs and are available to be edited to suit your needs.  We are always happy to see our buttons being put to the good use of raising animal rights awareness and supporting the preservation of their lives :)

Animal Rights Button Collection

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Olivia Chow January 31 2013 1 Comment

Olivia Chow for Mayor

All of us here at People Power Press are huge fans of Toronto MP Olivia Chow As such, we are super excited that she is in town tonight to discuss her thoughts on Canada's lack of a National Transit Strategy. So inspired we were, we made these great 'Olivia Chow for Mayor' buttons to show our support. Custom buttons are a great way to spread the word about political campaigns... or to start one! - as we've tried to do here. If there's something you want to see change in your community, try putting a call to action on a 2.25 inch campaign button and start spreading the word! 

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Riders Against Hunger - Foodraising Buttons January 30 2013

Yes, they will ride for food!

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Home Aga!n with The Mu$ic Biz ;) January 29 2013

Buttons to Bring Your "Home Again"

Look at these cool custom buttons we made for Hungry Eyes Film and Television Inc, an award winning production house based in Toronto, Ontario. Home Again is a contemporary feature film that they produced and had its World Premiere at The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), but they certainly don't stop at films! Their eyes are now hungry for the mobile world and the team has created a new gaming app called The Mu$ic Biz which allows gamers to create their own tracks and build their music empire.

Download it here for free!

Hungry Eyes will also soon be launching a contest - the winner will get paid to create a 20 second track to be used in the game alongside already created tracks by great hip hop producers such as Alchemist, Jake One, Marco "Polo" Bruno, and Frank Dukes -to name a few. Be sure to check it out!

Characters from the game are picture on the gaming buttons above (the cartoon people on solid black backgrounds).

The Mu$icBiz App and Blog 

The Mu$ic Biz on Facebook

Home Again on Facebook and Twitter 

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