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"P-O-O-K-A. Pooka. From old Celtic mythology, a fairy spirit in animal form, always very large. The pooka appears here and there, now and then, to this one and that one. A benign but mischievous creature. Very fond of rumpots, crackpots, and how are you, Mr. Wilson?"
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When I was just a kid, I received a gift: The goofiest looking plastic contraption I'd ever seen. It reminded me of a bulbous purple cactus with a tunnel cut through the middle. A weird conveyor belt made of hard plastic ran through that tunnel; it really was a bizarre little machine, but most of all it was fascinating.
I soon discovered, after the initial boggling wore off, that it was a kid-safe button pin maker! It came complete with noisy ratcheting plastic gears, bulky button parts, and safety pins to glue onto the back when the button was done. Of course, I had to provide my own graphics. I remember looking through some old magazines and selecting my first "designs", and then carefully cutting out circles and following the machine's instructions to make my first buttons.
The end product may have been beautiful in the eyes of a kid, but let's just say that I'm glad my tastes in pinback buttons have gotten more refined over the years. Still, it was a fun toy and it turns out that the silly machine sparked my love of collecting higher quality, professionally-pressed pinback buttons. I now have a big bin of one-inch wonders from all over the world to show for it.
As far as hobbies go, pinback buttons are incredibly collectible, highly wearable and best of all, usually inexpensive. You can collect as many or as few as you desire. Every maker has a different aesthetic too, and I love that.
Somewhere along the way, after years of collecting pinbacks from other people, I began to view those one-inch buttons as tiny canvases. They could be canvases for abstract art, snarky sayings, photography, nearly anything at all. I realized that making my own buttons could be a fantastic outlet for my own creativity. Not only could I make the buttons I'd always wanted (but could never seem to find), I could also share those designs with others, just as other button makers have done!
In my spare time, I began to do exhaustive research into the process of professional button making. I created an Etsy shop ahead of time and learned how Etsy worked as well. Finally, In early 2013 - and with the help of some very generous individuals - I purchased the needed professional-grade button making tools from Tecre. I wanted to ensure the buttons I make are always of excellent quality, so I insisted on getting the best tools for the job.
It's been a year since I officially launched Pooka Creations on Etsy. This is only the beginning for me, and I'm loving it. I've sent my buttons off to some really lovely people in various parts of the world, and it's great knowing others are enjoying my designs.
Though I started by offering only pinbacks, I've since branched into magnets and interchangeable necklaces - all while continuing to add more creative designs to my available selection. The versatility of a one-inch canvas continues to amaze me, and I've decided to embrace that flexibility!
Thank you for reading, and I hope you'll join me in looking forward to what the coming years have in store for Pooka Creations.
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(The opening quote is a memorable line from Harvey, a 1944 play that was adapted for the silver screen in 1950. Written by Mary Chase, directed by Henry Koster and starring Jimmy Stewart, I highly recommend it to all.)