A Picture Paints a Thousand Words.

Here's a little quiz.....
a. Can you bear having your photo taken (even though I'm sure you look super in all your photos)?
b. Do you mind if a photo of you or a loved one looking super is published on the internet ( my blog, and /or Facebook page)?
c. Do you or a loved one own a piece by Betty Jo Designs (old, new, jewellery, wall adornment)?
d. Do you want to go into the draw to win a $50.00 Gift Voucher from Betty Jo Designs (to get a piece of jewellery or to put towards a clock) ?

If you answered yes to the above, here's what you can do.
Send me a photo of yourself or your Mum/Sister/ Gran/Buddy/Bloke wearing or posing with a Betty Jo Designs jewellery or clock. Please lets see who you are (no lapel shots or chopped off heads or macro zoom type pics.) Either email them to me (bettyjodesigns@gmail.com) or upload them onto to Betty Jo's Facebook page.
I hoping to make a customer gallery and need some submissions to kick start it!
I will leave this open for a while so (hopefully) I have a few entrants from which to choose who will win the voucher ( it will be a random choice I might add).
*Thanks to Michelle from Loving the Vintage, my Miss Lily and Lilli from Frocks and Frou Frou for being gorgeous models.

Green and Lush.

Theres a beautiful glow around here this morning. Can it be the sun's out? After all this wet and miserable wintery weather, some morning sunshine is uplifting for both humans and yawny beasts.

At least the plants have been happy with all the rain and are looking green and lush

In case it gets dim and dull again, here's a new Betty Jo "Flick the Switch " Lamp Clock to light up your day.

A little while ago I was commisioned to make a Flying Finch clock by Michelle from Nook for a surprise gift for her friends.

I sent it flying up North and today I found out exactly where it now lives.......

This amazing house in the green and lush hinterlands of the NSW North Coast. If only I could have fit in the package!

Fox Crazy

I just read a somewhat disturbing story -there's a new kind of pet gaining popularity in Russia – the domesticated fox. The animals are being bred at a research institute in Siberia.
Although these foxes are human-friendly, they've still got many wild habits.
Martyn is a Russian Silver Fox who has never lived in the wild and whose home is a three-bedroom Moscow flat.

He's domesticasted but still has some wild habits, like hiding and digging holes.
That's enough of a reason to stop this stupid craze right now!
I know the world has gone a little crazy for Foxes right now, but lets just keep them crafty ...these handmade foxy friends will never suffer cooped up in a cage or an apartment or worse still, be culled for their fur all in the name of fashion.
Here's some recently uploaded crafty foxes from my Flickr group "Crafty Fox". Viva Le Crafty Fox!

1. Colorful fox, 2. May 25: Remington Fauxwood, 3. Three Foxes, 4. It seems that I Iike pretty things...

Catrinas* for Sale

Betty Jo "Day of the Dead" Skull brooches are for sale on Etsy! As with all Betty Jo Designs, each brooch will be different from the last! Yours will be totally and utterly unique.Thanks to Lucy from the Design Files for featuring them in her Need/Want column.
Even though the official Day of the Dead holiday in Latin America is not held till November 2nd, don't let that stop you acquiring one now!
*Catrina is the feminine form of the word catrín, which means "elegant". A Catrina is the skeleton of an upper class woman and is one of the most popular figures of the Day of the Dead celebrations.
Wow! I have already sold a couple of skulls.......off I go to make some more.

In other news, Cathy from TinnieGirl has been working hard preparing for an exhibition of her paintings now on at Chair 14 cafe.Tonight is the opening so if you're in Melbourne come on over to Thornbury for drinks and celebrations.

Action Stations!

It's Action Stations this week for me. No, I'm not under attack by hostile forces, but this week I'll be..... Attacking my new studio walls with a can of paint then bumping in over 5 years of accumulated "stuff", hunkering down and finishing off preparations for the Craft Cubed exhibition, manning the stations at the Eco-Innovators Showcase on Wednesday, and kick starting my new venture....details soon!

I have had time to make some new brooches with the "Lovely Lino"

And a "Nesting Mama Bird" for a special order.

Hadagoodweegend!

Even though it was cold and wet and the north wind was chilly as all get go (there's snow on them mountains brrr), I "hadagoodweegend". Firstly, I was warm and cosy in my new up-cycled jumper scarf from Minnie Arabella. From my great local craft market Made'n' Thornbury last Friday night,. Look, theres a little Chester doggy on it. (there's a fox waiting for you Anna!)

Charlie and I were lucky enough to participate in the "Makedo " making party at Design:Made:Trade on Saturday. There were boxes and industrial off cuts and kids galore and lots of making and doing. Charlie crafted this little mutt we called Toblerone, and this funky DJ and mixing desk.

Today I was summonsed over to Tinniegirl's house for lemon pud and a surprise package from Curlypops. Somehow Cam had organised with the lovely Tracy from thrift nest sew to send over some of the fantastic lino salvaged from Tracys great nana's house. As a present for me. I was so moved by this generous gesture, I got all goosebumpy.
Thanks so much Tracy and Cam for thinking of me . But I guess now when you think of Lino you can't help thinking of Betty Jo. I'll be having fun tommorrow designing some goodies.

Here's some of the same lino that Tracy framed..doesn't it look amazing.

Busy Betty lives here.

It's been a busy few months at chez Betty Jo. This morning I rounded off all those days and nights spent writing up Business Plans and Financial Projections in one quick hand over of a bulky file full of my ideas for the future. So now I wait.
Luckily I had a fantastic day at Design Made Trade, chatting and discovering and being inspired. Just what the doctor ordered. There's some Find, Make, Do posts itchin to be written about my discoveries, so stay tuned.
Next week it's all systems go for the move into my new studio, creating more Tea Party goodies for the Craft Cubed exhibition at Curious Oyster (more info to come), and working at the Eco Innovators Showcase in the old news stand on the corner of Little Collins and Swanston St. City.
I'll be there on Wednesday from 11 am to 3ish, so if you're in the city come and say hello....and help support Melbourne designers who are engaging in sustainability in the design and production of their products.

My new Day of the Dead Skull brooches will be there too.
Tonight I am relaxing wearing my new fancy Nana crocheted slippers. They arrived in a package from the lovely Michelle this morning.Sooooo Cozy.

More Green....

Flying Finch Clock ordered for a surprise gift.Green Cat Clock now has some ears (forgot them last time). Thanks to Lynsey from Cuteable for featuring the clock yesterday.
Lovely green T-lace necklace made from recycled T-shirt scraps by MüCKE bought at the Melbourne Design Market on the weekend. Green Owlie brooch wanted in on the action!
I finally got myself a copy of Cool Hunting Green on the weekend. With the amazing Stuart Haygarth Recycled beach Litter "Tide Chandelier" on the front cover.
And cool Aussie designers like Liana Kabel inside!

It's Easy Being Green.....

......if you're a cat.

Green Cat Clock.

Cat on our recently purchased Retro 70's Green Velvet Lounge suite.
Thanks to Mr. Nice man at the Brunswick Brotherhood Oppy for the bargain. Bella has given it her stamp 0f approval.
Green Cats Kitchen Set (from the same era as my lounge I'm guessing)
If you like retro, cats, kitsch kitchenware and the colour green, these tick all the boxes!

At Home

In this months totally eco-fantastico Peppermint magazine.
Thanks to Miss Tess for the interview. If you want to read it you'll have to buy the magazine. It's such a nice publication it will be worth it

Nesting

Thanks to my boy Charlie for the nests idea. This guy is always thinking up new ideas for Betty Jo brooches and clocks. Expect to see more of Master Charlie's inspiration coming soon........

Dont Throw Anything Away!

It was far too miserable to venture out today. I had two seven year old boys at my place, and after exhausting all manner of indoor activities they were almost climbing the walls. But alas, every time we ventured outside down came the rain.
When we finally hit the road, I noticed a bulging skip outside a Northcote house in the midst of renovation. Never one for passing by an opportunity, I had a quick look and hurrah, there was a few nice pieces of vintage lino sitting on top of the rubble.
If any one can pick where they may have seen my floor and shoes recently they get a gold star!
After I got back from my skip fossicking I checked out the Makedo blog and was very taken with this cool and relevant message in poster form designed for World Industrial Design Day. It summed up my feelings perfectly as I was contemplating how much more of the lino had already been sent to the tip. The story behind it's design can be found here.
I think it appeals because it's sorta, kinda in the same bric-a-brac type formation as my Stuff Collages.If you want to get the lowdown on another Melbourne repurposer of recycled materials , pop over to Find, Make, Do and meet Morgan Wills and her splendid Winter Woollies and Mumma Bushkas.