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| Don't hold your feelings in. |
While I have created many things and been satisfied with 99% of them (the Mod Podge on my side table is STILL sticky 10 years later), this week marks the anniversary of one of the art endeavors I am most proud of.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/boyfriendbadges
Two years ago I was discussing relationships with my (then new) boyfriend, Mark. More specifically, we were discussing other peoples' shitty relationships, and how glad I was that I never had to bribe or trick him into doing nice things. The conversation turned to awards for good behavior; something good boyfriends could earn and collect. An avid gamer, Mark likened the concept to achievements in video games. A lifelong collector of all things colorful, coveted, and tiny, I craved something tangible like a merit badge from Boy Scouts. A few sketches and glasses of wine later, Boyfriend Badges were born. Thanks to a great little blurb on Geekologie in 2012, they have since brought delight to sick and twisted couples all across the globe.
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| Shown from left: Drunk Makeouts, You've Accepted My Fetish, Breaking the Fart Barrier, My Pet Likes You, Met the Parents, and Moral Support While Puking. |
Having never been a traditional girl in any sense of the word, I wanted the milestones reflected by my badges to be unexpected; smart, funny, and potentially embarrassing for one or more parties. There are a few "normal" ones like Met the Parents and "Key Swap" to commemorate the exchange of house/ apt. keys.
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| No, no. Not like the key swap your parents did in the 70's. I'm being literal and wholesome for a change. |
The best selling badges by far are actually the "gross" ones: Breaking the Fart Barrier, Moral Support While Puking, and Menstrual Management, which comes from the companion Girlfriend Badges set.
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| Surf's Up. |
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Shown from left: Bro Approved, Menstrual Management, Erectile Dysfunction Amnesty, Boobs!, Fast Food Friendly, and Video Game Tolerance.
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Honestly, the one that makes me laugh the most might be Open Door Policy (peeing with the door open). I think it's the casualness of the exchange that gets me.
It's been very rewarding to have strangers tell you that your designs made them laugh out loud, and to have played a small role in the bond between two people in love. Especially if that bond allows for copious body hair and the occasional fist fight.
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| That said, a little man-scaling is never a bad thing. |
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| Neither is asking for directions. |
This year, I'm pleased to announce an important (and much overdue) addition to the Boyfriend Badges line. I had been reflecting on my circle of friends, and it dawned on me just how many of them are gay, lesbian, and even transgendered. I would be the first to stand up and say they should receive equal treatment in all matters, then realized I had failed to provide that very thing within my badge designs. It was then that I decided to offer Boy+Boy and Girl+Girl versions of my series 1 badge set, which I had been providing as custom orders in the past, as regular features in the shop. I wanted ALL my friends to be able to enjoy my buttons and feel that the art speaks to their relationships. Love is love, and anybody who can fart in front of their partner deserves a damn button!
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| Boy+Boy versions of series 1 |
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| The tiny flying briefs make this pretty much my favorite button ever. |
You can find the complete line of Boyfriend Badges here in my store:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/boyfriendbadges
