Small World Buttons has been changed to Portland Button Works. It is now as brick amd morter shop in North portland as well as a zine distro. I'll be closing this site and moving over to the new one soon! Please check out the new site at WWW.PORTLANDBUTTONWORKS.COM
Hi, My name is Alex Wrekk. I have been involved with zines for over 15 years. I got into zines when I was living in Salt Lake City, Utah. I have been creating the zine Brainscan since 1997, it is up to 25 issues. I also wrote a book about zines called Stolen Sharpie Revolution I am involved with lots of things that are zine related. I am an organizer for The Portland Zine Symposium and an open hours shift volunteer at the Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC) I have taught workshops on zines at Rock N' Roll Camp For Girls and various schools and zine events across the US, Canada, France and the United Kingdom. I have done several zine readings and even a few zine tours.... zines are sort of my life.
I moved to Portland in 1999 and started making custom buttons in 2000 while I was working for Microcosm Publishing. I left Microcosm in 2006 due to personal reasons and started making my own designs as well as custom buttons under the name Small World Buttons. I also sell my designs at my Brainscan Etsy Shop as well as my Small World Buttons site
I started roasting my own coffee in 2006 because a friend of mine explained how good it was. Once I started roasting I could see what he meant! There is nothing quite like making coffee fresh from the roaster. I roasted coffee for friends and family and created my own blends and people started telling me that I should sell it. Well, I have upgraded through 3 different coffee roasters to the one I have now and things keep growing. I always use Organic and Fair Trade beans.
I live with the love of my life, Paul, and some awesome housemates in a century old home in North Portland (The 5th quadrant!) Paul and I enjoy drinking and brewing craft beer and riding bikes as well as playing Scrabble and solving crossword puzzles together. Paul makes noise in the basement that are under Various names including The Downers and Cathy and I. And more recently in Portland I am my kat and Molly Bang.
Um, My favorite band is Discount, my favorite color is purple, my favorite movie is Heathers and I have been watching a lot of Doctor Who lately due to Paul. I have a my space account for me and one for my zine Brainscan and a Facebook account .I enjoy playing D&D and have amassed quite a collection of dice. I'm vegan and I'm sort of obsessed with plants and herbs right now and spend a lot of time in my garden when I'm not in front of this stupid computer or making buttons and listening to FunEmplyment Radio and watching various TV shows on the internet.
I also have a new post box! So send me a letter:
Alex Wrekk
P.O. Box 17230
Portland, OR 97217
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