“We need to talk about your flair”.

Don’t worry this isn’t going to be a conversation about your button number. Whether you want to wear the “bare minimum 15″ or if you want to wear 100 buttons (that would be incredible to see so if you do please send a picture) or if you want to wear 1, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you express yourself.

Look, we’re not trying to be “Stan the man” here, and over emphasis the fact that flair is a form of personal expression. We know that you already know how to express yourself. It isn’t about how many buttons you wear (although a 100 is not shy of expression) its about how you wear it, where you where it, and what design you choose to wear that is 100% uniquely you, and being you is the best way to maximize your flair.

Check out this flair! How do you like to show off your button attire?

One Inch Round creates and packages Badge Bomb flair in Portland, OR.

The birth of a button is a joyous occasion.

Badge Bomb buttons are the love children of One Inch Round’s dedication to using the best button technology, and the highest quality recycled materials, plus the fun innovative inspiration that comes from the many artists, designers, and illustrators that get cozy with us. All Badge Bomb buttons are created in Portland, Oregon, but what happens after a Badge Bomb button is all grown up, packaged, and ready to leave its Portland nest?

It’s out in the world like a Cat Steven’s song, that’s right, Baby, It’s a Wild World, and like the people who wear them, Badge Bomb buttons gotta be free and expressive.

Amanda is showing off her tokidoki badge bomb button love bag.

Mary and Craig really know about enthusiasm when it comes to wearing their buttons.

Where can you find Badge Bomb next?

They can be anywhere! They were spotted at San Francisco’s Treasure Island Music Fest. It’s up too you wear they go.

If you want to see more Badge Bomb in the Wild get your camera, pen, or paint ready for the next contest coming your way so stay tuned for the details!

All Badge Bomb buttons, magnets, and packaging are made in Portland, Or by One Inch Round.

Happy Earth Day from the One Inch Round headquarters! Thanks to everyone in Portland and beyond for doing their part in taking care of the planet.  And special thanks to our button makers for making everyday about sustainability. How can a button making company limit their carbon footprint you ask? Check out today’s PDX Green in the Oregonian.

Biking is the preferred mode of transit at One Inch Round.

One Inch Round is the proud maker of Badge Bomb.

We were in LA to visit friends and to check out the sites. We were grateful and lucky to hang out with OG Badge Bomb button masters Park La Fun’s Paul Frank and Susan Wang, who graciously showed us around, and took us to one of the most eclectic stores in Los Angeles, Soap Plant/Wacko.

How is the best way to describe Wacko? Well, if you took an old junk shop, the kind that is magical and filled with the craziest hidden treasures, and has the legend of a wild man owner that used to be a pirate, add it to a side of the road folk art shop filled with Day of the Dead and Voodoo dolls, blend that with pop art straight from the wave of 80’s New York punk, sprinkle on some kitsch, swirl in a dolop of collectible toys, and top it off with some soap, and that would just be the beginning of what makes up Soap Plant/ Wacko.

It truly is a special place that brings the word eclectic into being. Starting back in the 1970’s as a soap and basket store, Soap Plant rapidly evolved or melded into the counter culture store, showcase, and gallery that it is today. It isn’t just a novelty store, it is a place that has made the unaccessible accessible by introducing new artists and designers to the public by offering them a place to show and share their work.

You can find anything there from toys, to Larvets, to trinkets, beaded curtains, to clothing, to Badge Bomb buttons.

Susan and Lauren are playing with peace hand potato peelers…

While Scott and Paul have found entertainment with big mouthed bottle openers.

If you find yourself in LA be sure to make it over to Hollywood Blvd to experience it for yourself. While there be sure to check out La Luz de Jesus gallery. We are excited to note that Soap Plant/ Wacko has remained true to its roots; you can still pick up some soap.

The hair salon next door is pretty amazing too. People really used to pay seventy-five cents for an electric scalp massage? Wow.

Badge Bomb buttons, magnets, and packaging are created by One Inch Round in Portland, OR.

Badge Bomb recently kicked it with Tesha Beaudry, creator of “Cute Institute,” for a quick interview about her artistic inspirations and, of course, her love of buttons.

-What does it take for Badge Bombers to enroll in The Cute Institute?
Not more than 2 dollars; the price of a badge!

-What classes would I need to pass to attain a Master of Cute Arts?

For my students to get that far, they need to be hard working and loyal pupils for many many years. Having a sweet tooth always helps!

-Most of your designs seem inspired by a Japanese design aesthetic.  Can you pinpoint any specific moments of your life that inspired you to embrace this style?

One night, after a cupcake too many, I dozed off and I had vision of this cute pirate girl dressed in a bear costume that came to me with an important message: bring kawaii, cupcakes and joy to the world! That was my calling…

-Your mushroom buttons seem very Zen. Are you influenced by Eastern culture beyond the pen and paper?

I don’t consider myself a zen person, but I do seem to have been influenced a lot by eastern culture; I do martial arts, collect kung-fu flicks, have japanese tattoos and love japanese art and fashion….

-Who would win in a fight- a tough Samurai warrior or a brigade of smiley faced cupcakes?

I think the samurai would overdose on the cupcakes- the smiley ones are usually poisonous, so beware!

-Have you ever run across anyone wearing Cute Institute buttons?

Do my friends and parents count?! if so, yes and it makes me very very happy!

-Do you wear buttons yourself? If so, what was the first button you loved to death?

I wear them all the time! My favorite button I made has a closeup of my cat’s face. It was adorable! I put him with the rest of my badges during one of my craft sales for just for fun.  Believe it or not, someone bought it!

-How/where do you wear your buttons?

I tend to lose em’ often if I put them on my purse or hoody…  I’ve decorated some cute ballerina shoes, used them to attach my tops and dresses to my bra (yes, very classy, but practical!), and they work perfectly to replace that missing button on your pants. When I feel sweet, I’ll put on a cupcake badge, if I feel badass, I’ll put on a skull!

-Have you had any problems with fans trying to sneak off with handfuls of your dessert themed buttons?

I caught a bunch of ninjas one night trying to steal my new stash of pins. That didn’t end well!

-Have you had to expel anybody from the Cute Institute? I need to know what heinous acts to avoid- I pride myself on being a model student.

I rarely expel my pupils, so no need to worry!… But, I do not tolerate art theft. Just be original AND be yourself!!! cheers! +____+

Visit Tesha at The Cute Institute!

While participating in this years infamous SXSW Indie Rock extravaganza in Austin, TX, I had my eyes peeled for any festival goers with particularly interesting button stylez.  I figured someone would be thinking outside of the button box at a week-long festival showcasing the newest of new and hippest of hip in the music-verse.  It wasn’t until the final day of the festival that I spotted this beauty at the roller rink show on Cesar Chavez Blvd.

Matt, of Toronto based band dd/mm/yyyy (spoken aloud as day-month-year), doesn’t seem to think one button is enough, or even that the front of a button is what’s important.  To me, Matt’s DIY masterpiece is a “meta-button,” or a button about buttons; by velcro-ing smaller, building block buttons together to form one mega, franken-button, Matt forces us to focus on the buttons themselves rather than the images they display.  Thanks Matt for being so rad!  Check out dd/mm/yyyy’s myspace here. I recommend the “Imagine” video.

We wish we could check this out…  Badge Bomb button designer Noah Lyon’s work will be featured in an upcoming event showcasing works that prove pens are much mightier than swords:

“An exhibition of pen and/or marker drawings including photographs of the pens used to make them.  The over one hundred drawings in this exhibition cover a broad range of pens from the generic ball point to the traditional rapid-o-graph and feather quill to the modern array of jell and artists’ pens.”

Peep these links for more info and radness: 

Retard Riot , Lump Gallery , Lump Gallery Blog , PENNED flickr

And don’t forget about Badge Bomb’s “Retard Riot” button series, straight from the brain of Noah Lyon!

Retard Riot buttons on sale through Badge Bomb and manufactured in the USA by One Inch Round Buttons.

Hey Badge Bombers! Streets of Jeremyville button sets have arrived and they look sweet! We’re going crazy over this fresh Badge Bomb loot.  Behold!

Streets of Jeremyville goodies will be available for pre-sale at Badge Bomb’s booth at the POOLTRADESHOW and soon here at Badge Bomb.

All Streets of Jeremyville eventually lead here.

Manufactured in the USA by One Inch Round.

Look, these came out awesome! Thanks Bro Prints, Clean die cut!

Even though stickers are an inferior enemy combatant of buttons, we’re giving them away for free with every order in an effort to embrace product diversity and dominate more than your garments.

Actually - we’re lying, we just hope you put them all over things you own, for sport, just like we did the second we opened the box!