Come Over to My House

But maybe not today.
There are two sickies home from school, and there maybe a third home from work tomorrow.
I am working on the Kitchen table as my little home studio/veranda is as cold as the arctic circle and I need to be around to administer honey & lemon drinks, nurofen, tissues and vicks!
Yesterday I fell into one of those motivational slumps and felt the future of Betty Jo Designs looked hazy and foggy. This isn't normal for me..I love what I do and usually I am full of inspiration and have heaps of incentive.

Luckily Lily was around today and gave me the idea for these...

"Come Over to my House" brooches.
And because there is a quarantine zone happening here I'll just post some pictures so you can have a virtual visit!

I found our letter box in the hard rubbish around Kew. It had been painted the same colours as our house!

Superstition.....

I'm not in the slightest bit superstitious. I love Black cats! Do you?

Thanks to Pussycat Black for the inspiration.

Fresh Cuckoo Clocks

Yellow Rose Cuckoo Clock in original design. Gone to live at Love And Clutter in Hobart.I don't need to worry about the clocks not making the Bass Straight crossing safely as I just noticed this tweet from Love and Clutter: "Gorgeous cuckoo clocks have just arrived from @MissBettyJo. What better way to show the passing of time than designing with vintage lino." PHEW, thats a relief!

And now there are new Betty Jo Cuckoo Clock's available. A bit smaller and cuter. They have a little balcony too!

The Pink Rosy one is now available at Pussycat Black's city store (sorry about the blurry iphone pics.) The one on the right may be hanging out with me for a while as I'm in love with the new bits of lino I used to make it (except if someone makes me an offer!!!) Big thanks to Peter from my favorite opshop for finding the lino for me. Isn't it spesh!

P.S. If the new clocks take your fancy, just contact me for a quote!

Collecting.....

Do you collect things? I do. Read a bit about it on Obsessionistas.

What do you collect?????

Who's a Pretty Budgie?

I love Budgies, but these days I prefer them flying free in the wild or on crafty goodies.

I had two budgies as a girl, but now I know they would have always been pining for freedom, and their quality of life was pretty much zero.

Here's a sneek peak at my budgie inspired project. This too.

And my favorite new budgie plate.

Hellooo Roy G. Biv

This morning I had the needles and thread out...and the Machine! Yes I was SEWING.
I'm not going to show you the results just yet, but here is what you get when you mix Roy G. Biv and my box of cottons.

And if you don't know who Roy G. Biv is watch this.....

Nature Stripping!

The event that this crafty scavenger has been waiting for the whole year has been happening this week! The City of Moreland Hard Rubbish Collection. It is the time I go cruising off the beaten track to my studio and find *Stuff* on nature strips, curb sides and back alleys.I always make sure I have a purpose in mind for the junk I pick up, so as not to go overboard.
I was fairly restrained this year, but I did find some very vintage lino that is being worked into a few clocks,

a turquoise chair for visitors to my studio,

some cutlery drawers for an installation I am doing (sneak peek),

a cute painted stool and some woolly blankets ( all clean and dry in plastic ) for another project (or maybe for my four legged friends to snuggle in).

I think most of the junk in Moreland has been picked up by now. Which can only be a good thing for traffic flow through Brunswick as the stop /start cruisers like me now just keep moving!!!

Just Browsing.

After a forced blogger hiatus, I didn't feel like rushing back to the computer to get my fix of bloggy satisfaction. Instead I browsed and had a quick sticky beak at Pinterest. I found this beautiful staircase fancied up with the vintage lino offcuts pulled up in the house reno.

Oh for a staircase.........my vintage lino stairway to heaven.
Lately there has been a lot of oohing and ahhing over my Beach plastic series on Flickr. It's nice to be able to generate some attention to the rubbish polluting our seas.

Have a looksie at the super gorgeous Beach Beauties series by German artist Sabine Timm aka Virgin Honey. She brings life to piles of beach debris in her sweet naive style.

Now the weather is so freezing, afternoon catnaps are the go. My big girl Lily did this illustration yesterday to explain how our cats morph into hot water bottles with out prompting. Here we have the cat under and cat on top of the blanket nap she had yesterday! COSY or what!

Speaking of Hotties, Curly Pops is hosting a very special project . Craft a hottie cover for the Hottie Challenge and help a very worthy cause. Details here.

Cross Hatch

Beach Cross Hatch

Lino Cross Hatch

Plate Cross Hatch

Rainbow Connection

I'm having a wee Facebook sale. All Rainbow Orb Broochess are 25% off and shipping is free!!!

Pop over to Betty Jo's Facebook page and click on "Shop Now". Too easy! Just nominate the colour you'd like and Bob's your Uncle.

There's a bit of Rubbish Rainbow action happening on the internet at the moment.Thanks to one of my fave blogs Junk Culture for featuring them. And in the weird and wonderful way the web interconnects, they have popped up all over the place including Craft Magazine and Boing Boing.

I hope they have brightened up peoples day and sent a little message about the problems with our disposable culture.

Let's Huddle

Have you seen the Melbourne forecast for the rest of the week? Brrr.
That's why these Owl Clocks are huddling together....to keep warm!
They will be available later this week at Craft Victoria and Pussy Cat Black's city store.
And for a special treat to warm your cockles, There's a GIVEAWAY happening on "You Will Always Find Me".

A authentic Nana-riffic Owlie Tea cosy (the Blue Stripey one) and this mint condish Vintage Tea Towel circa 1973. And stay tuned, as there will be more kitchenalia goodies added to the prizes.

(Don't) Surprise Me!

I'm not a big fan of surprises. I like knowing about stuff before it happens eg. sex of babies, movie endings, presents ( I was a champion snooper as a little girl).
I think it's a small way in this crazy universe that I can avoid being caught off guard, because good lord it already occurs with much regularity in my life and the less it happens the better.
I know there are many of you in the other camp that relish life's unknowns and would never for a minute find themselves reading the last page of a novel or happily encouraging the nurse at the 18 week ultrasound to reveal the gender of the bubba.
I shudder at the thought of a surprise party, although a few nice surprises here and there are fine. Finding some money in a coat pocket, getting home and discovering the floors are vacuumed. You know, little things. What "Surprise"camp are you in?So for this Mother's day, I know what I'm getting.
1.P.J .Harvey's new album "Let England Shake" 2. Sister Outlaw's cool Queen's head brooch (I know this because I just bought a red one for myself!)
3.Rob Ryan mugs from Lark 4. Hopefully some peace (this may not be a given). Loving this beach debris Peace Sign from Gooseflesh.
And, if there is a surprise for me too, I won't mind a bit!

Cuckoo Clock Action.

There's been some Cuckoo Clock action in Betty Jo's studio.
Now to package up these babies and send them to their new homes. This is always the nerve wracking bit as you are placing your blood, sweat and tears in the hands of Australia Post.
Lets just say my "trusting nature" is always tested when I say goodbye to these packages.
I much prefer to hand deliver if possible. Preferably to somewhere right round the corner.Like Curious Oyster Shoppe. Yay to Annaliese for a great article in the Leader newspapers this week. I spy Annalise wearing a Betty Jo fox brooch and there's a Betty Jo Coat clock in the background. Noice One!

High Five

Thanks Eleanor for alerting me to this bit of editorial in the Sydney Magazine. Yay for Georgie Love!And there's a WINNER of the Colour Kitten Brooch...congratulations Melissa from Mogs Design.
Your brooch is waiting !

Sunday Updates!

A selection of Betty Jo goodies are now available on Bluecaravan.
Bluecaravan is a venue for buyers and sellers of all things independently designed and ethically made. It’s about lovely, interesting and edgy products - beautifully finished,made with heart, and bought directly from the designer/maker.
A just to let you know, there is heaps happening at The Harvest Workroom in the coming months.Betty Jo will be popping in to run some colourful workshops.
Go and have a peruse of all the exciting opportunities to get your creative juices flowing.Can you imagine the amazing fun you would have in a Beci Orpin Workshop?
And on the shopping front, I have been spoiling myself op shopping over the last few days.
I had a date with the lovely Vona at my favorite oppy Careworks on Friday. Vona (otherwise known as The Button Lady) bought in some buttons, doilies and haby goodies especially for me . Vona has been co-ordinating buttons at several northern suburbs op shops over the years and I have followed her as she moved on as each oppy closed. I think she is happy at her new location . I know I am happy she is near by!
And yesterday I discovered Mill Park Savers...Oh My!!!!!!!

P.S. I'm drawing the Brooch Giveaway on Monday night. There's still time to enter.