The Green Machine

We love our Green Machine. Well my 8 year old guy "Who Really Knows How To Ride" loves it.
It was a very fortuitous curbside find that’s for sure. Charlie seems to garner a lot of comments about his Green Machine. Males aged from 2 to 82 seem to have a fascination with this beast!

When it comes to Green, I prefer Green Goodies, Green Politics and drooling over the places in Green (the magazine).
Some highlights from the latest issue: An article about cute tucked away stores in Melbourne including Pussycat Black ,
and a piece on Eco-friendly flooring that gives Marmoleum and Linoleum the thumbs up!

Oh So Crafty!

This week is shaping up to be Oh So Crafty! There is the opening of the Hottie Cover Challenge Exhibition on Friday night. I plan on picking up a new cover for my cold and lonely hottie!

I am keen to see the results of Beci Orpin's residency this week at Harvest Workroom.

In the mean time, this week I am working on the BIGGEST creation I have ever made from Lino. It is for an up and coming installation. Here is a sneak peek. Can you guess what it is going to be?If you fancy yourself as an expert at guessing some other mystery objects, and maybe win a prize, pop over to Find, Make, Do this week to enter the "What am I" Giveaway.

Here are the MYSTERIOUS Objects........mmm what could they be????

Lino Shout Out!

Hello out there in blog land. I'm just popping in to make a quick request.

Does anyone know of a house, shop, building or even a rundown dilapidated lean-to that still has some very vintage lino on the floor. If you do , please let me know as I'm keen to get some images.

If the place is in a reasonable travelling distance from Melbourne I will come with my trusty Canon and snap some pics myself!
Alternatively, have you come across some awesome modern lino? Like the fabulous Fat shop floor in Fitzroy?Or this multi coloured opshop lino.I'm planning a wee project about Linoleum next month and would like to feature the real McCoy . Cool lino actually still on the floor and not on it's way to oblivion at the Tip.

If you can spread the word that would be ace. Me and my NEW Melissa "Kissing"Boots will be eternally grateful!

A Bird on a Bird

There is a Half Price "Suzie Sparrow Special" happening at the moment in Betty Jo's Etsy shop.

Snaffle one now while the weather is chilly as Suzie likes nothing better than perching on your cardi, coat or be like me and clip one on your beanie!
Nothing wrong with a bird on a bird!
I am loving this new piece by Sandra Eterovick "Little handpainted wooden dancer wearing a bird skirt" .Sandra has interpreted the "Put a bird on it" mantra in her gorgeous, decorative way.

The Great Pumpkin!

Today I am bowing down before the Great Pumpkin. It's the wonder vegy at our place. Every member of the family likes it. Pumpkin Soup Rules!!
Yesterday I picked up one at our schools annual Harvest Festival ( I'll be attacking it soon to roast for dinner).

Today I was stringing up imitation Pumpkins, and getting Harvesty with the brooch making.Time to get those vegies roasted!

Colour Then and Now

Colour from my Childhood: I found this construction set from my childhood while clearing out my Dads Garage yesterday.

Colour from my Adulthood: I found this assortment of things for crafty construction while poking around a strangers Garage Sale today.
Yay for Garages!

Good n' Warm Things

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Exhibition Openings and Pop-Up shops ( need to whip up more of these brooches after last night!)

Winter Coats and Fashion Parades ("Sustainable Warmth" on tonight at Queen Clothing).

Cosy Hotties
Woolly and broochy (see some stunners here!)

Research.....

I had an afternoon free yesterday while Mr BJ took the tribe to the movies.
Did I do housework? No.
Did I do Betty Jo work? No.
Did I plonk down with a book for the whole time and do research. YES!!
I kind of miss finding out about stuff now my studying days are a distant memory. I loved the pre-internet era of my Uni days. Going to the library and getting a stack of books to peruse and queuing up at the photo copier!
There is no prizes for guessing the topic off my research. Yes, it was "Linoleum".
I recently purchased this excellent book by Jane Powell called "Linoleum" and I've concluded she is the go to person for all the info one needs on the topic. Jane Powell cannot stress enough...Vinyl is NOT Linoleum, or Congoleum, or Marmoleum ( all environmentally friendly products by the way!).

I am having a love affair with this atomic age print linoleum!

I am also busy working on some secret squirrel business that involves viewing some breath taking artwork by some contemporary Australian artists.
And the magic material that links these artists is..you guessed it. Linoleum!
Go Bert...you are so on my wavelength.

Before and After

Before: Pile of Lino After: Betty Jo Jewellery

and Cuckoo Clocks.

Time is Ticking Away......

April and May have been what you would call "non frantic" at Betty Jo headquarters. Cruisy, nothing majorly pressing, even a bit on the quiet side. But now it's June and my "swanning about" time is nearly up. As of next week the first of several *Crafty Happenings begins, so I am going to start focusing. As the old saying goes, time is ticking away.........
Here is a customised Petite "Time Will Tell " Cuckoo Clock commissioned for a little girls bedroom.

*Curly Pops, Finki and Betty Jo will be having a Pop-Up Shop at Tinniegirl's Exhibition Opening next Thursday night . If you are coming (and you should be if you're in Melbourne) bring your pocket money to pick up a little extra treat on the night.

My Hottie

My contribution to the Hottie Challenge hosted by Curly Pops. I have just read the latest very moving guest post on the Curly Pops blog, and hope in a small way I will help amazing families like Imogens!

My hottie cover was inspired by a defunct electric blanket .

It was cut up, dewired, washed, and adorned. At first I thought it would only be a display for the attached Hottie brooch ( electric cord is removable), but it actually works as a woolly hottie cover too. Sleep Warm!

Biking Discoveries

Charlie and I headed out for a big bike ride yesterday and made some interesting discoveries on the way.The first one was this guerrilla sculpture at the Merri Creek at the end of our street. If anyone knows the origin of this awesome offering I'd love to know about it!

The next discovery was a giant pompom hanging outside the crafty-cute pop up shop Pop Craft attached to Harvest Textiles. Made by Pop Craft's Pauline Tran-Cecil.

The shop is full of yarny goodies, creations from up-and-coming textile designers and textile installations by local artists. There are pom pom classes too!

And check out Pauline's beaded then knitted polystyrene ball window installation made from an exploded bean bag! She admits "Indeed, it has taken an excessive amount of time out of my life" Totally worth it though!

While we were there I picked up the latest Harvest Workroom workshop program . Did you know there are some Betty Jo workshops coming up? Well you do now! Go here and here for deets!

It's Curtains for You!

Here's a fantastic door curtain project that Julianne from Sister Outlaws shared with me from her Mum's old Golden Hands Encyclopedia of Crafts. I'm not sure I would have a) the patience and b) the freedom of cutting up so much vintage lino. Cool lino obviously wasn't so hard to come by in the 70's.

This is a bit of a crafty coincidence actually, as I had been cutting out lino disks to string up like a curtain for an up and coming window display.

Mine wont be so labour intensive (I hope), I will be using up lots of scraps (good) and it will be incorporating this basket of fruit!?! Stay tuned.

Speaking of Sister Outlaws, if you want to see a big bag of crafty cute, check out the new "Lollypop Guild"coin purses over on the Sister Outlaws blog!

Wink, Wink, say no more..........