How To Get a 2012 IFJM Button

"Details Matter."—That's this year's button. You can see it at the top of this post and at the top of the right hand column of this blog. A one-eyed chihuahua. It is a 2.25 inch round button.

In past years buttons have not been available until the end of IFJM when they were sent to participants.

This year I've had to make changes. I can't afford the growing mailing costs (over $200 for postage and packaging last year).

Buttons are still free, but they are available now to anyone who wants to pay postage and packaging. You can send me a check (Roz Stendahl) for $3 along with your address. Every Friday I'll go to the post office and mail out buttons. Send your request to Roz Stendahl, P.O. Box 141434, Minneapolis, MN 55414

If you and a nearby friend are interested in a button ask for two buttons. I can mail two buttons for the same cost in the same padded envelope, according to the Postal Clerk who weighed them. You can then just hand your friend the button.

If you are a Twin Cities Resident you can skip the postage and packaging cost and pick up your button at one of these two events I'll be attending: the April 5 Sketch Night at the Bell, or the April 16 MCBA Visual Journal Collective meeting. I will bring buttons for people who remind me by emailing me (rozjournalrat@gmail.com) that they will be there. Please email one day in advance—I don't always get to my computer on meeting days and I don't bring extra stuff to carry when going to these meetings.

I'm working on a way to set up purchasing the buttons using Pay-Pal, but it looks like I'll have to do something on eBay. If that works out the cost will be about $3.25 (to cover the administrative charges of eBay and Pay-Pal). I wasn't able to set something up before IFJM started, so if that's an option you want, please stand by as I work that out.

I can absorb the cost of having the buttons made, but I can no longer absorb the postage and packaging costs for this event.

Can you order a button even if you aren't participating? In past years only participants could get buttons. This year, because of the new system there isn't any quick way for me to police whether or not someone ordering a button is also participating. (Remember the changes are also to bring down my administration time.) So the answer is yes, you can. We'll assume you'll wear the button proudly and support the event, even though you aren't participating.

While Supplies Last—You're familiar with that concept—I'll keep sending buttons until I run out. I ordered more buttons than participants and blog supporters last year (all of whom, received a button). I realize some people won't want to write in for a button and pay postage and packaging, so I'm comfortable that I'll have enough buttons for anyone who wants one, BUT in the event I run out of buttons, I run out. You'll be notified and your check destroyed (or if we get the Pay-Pal thing going, your order will be canceled that way). I'll also post when I run out of buttons on this blog to prevent future orders.

Two more ways to get a button—
1. I've put a medium resolution file of the button at the top of this post. You have my permission to make one button for your personal use from that file. Simply drag that image of the "Details Matters" button to your desktop and print it out on your own color printer. You should be able to reduce it to the 2.5 inch size and have good resolution. Glue the image to mat board, cut it out, stick a pin back on it and bingo bango, you have a free button. (Get really creative and cut it out and put it in a bottle cap and fill it with resin and make a pendant or pin out of it for that matter.) (Permission is given for personal use only, you may not make copies in any way and offer them for sale—I'm not even making buttons for sale. You may make just one printed copy for yourself, that's the deal.)

2. If you go to the information page on IFJM on Roz Wound Up you will find, in that post, a file for a text only, rectangular button which you can also print and make into a button, for your personal use (again, not for resale). The text only button is towards the end of the post, after the explanation of the event. Instructions are right next to it. (The dachshund button at the top of the post is NOT what I'm talking about.)

I'm grateful that IFJM has grown to such proportions that I have to worry about escalating postage costs. However, I am sorry that I can't simply send buttons out as before. The buttons are so cheap to have printed it's an easy cost to absorb (and I love buttons), but the other costs are beyond my control. Thank you for understanding the change.

Now go have some fun working in your fake journal!!