Thanks again Chester!

Working from home has its perks to be sure. But often I can get distracted by various pressing needs that whisper to me from the rest of the house. Yesterday it was Chester looking at me with his doggy eyes insisting that a walk was highly over due.
Now, as you may or may not know, for my latest range I'm working with pieces of Laminex as well as lino. I felt that for variation I needed some more sample cards and had been on the phone to Laminex that morning . Yes, they have a sample book available to buy. FOR HOW MUCH?!
Ok. I'll think about that option.
I didn't feel I could go back and take any more from the kitchen showroom near me with out some stern words being spoken, so I was debating plan C while heading out with Chester in the weak winter sun.
And what should I find discarded from the same place I found these treasures?
A box of old Formica sample cards. In great retro colours. The red Formica is a perfect match with the original 50's kitchen table that Mr. BJ and I bought for our first flat in East St.Kilda way back when. It's seen better days, but we still have it.So there you go. Chester the lino sniffer outer comes up trumps again!

Buttony Bunnies

These are two things I have a soft spot for...you know about the first, and wabbits are pretty wonderful too. Look at these gorgeous buttons, and the cute fabric in flickettysplits softie "Earnest the Wabbit"(click on images for the source).
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Yesterday I was pleased to get my hot little hands on a copy of "Handmade in Melbourne". And look, there's my Running Bunnies on a page about Betty Jo . (Filed under L for Liz)

Crafty Happenings

Life in Style starts this Thursday at the Royal Exhibition Buildings. Ambiguous Horse will be there with goodies from "Lost in the Woods", "Chinnychinchin, "Mucke"and "Betty Jo" to name a few.
The Perspective Exhibition opens this Friday at Craft Victoria. Displaying works from Craft Victoria members with the theme City/Country.

And in Crafty cyber space, Georgie Love is giving tweeters free shipping till 3rd August if you type "tweettweet" on checkout! Just look at all the lovely handcrafted items and swear to me you won't be tempted!

I'm very much liking this new one of a kind skirt from Pearl and Elspeth.....tweet,tweet.
*And don't forget to enter the Lino Forest GiveAway. Now THAT'S Crafty!

Buttony Brooch

Start with the biggest brown button in your stash and go from there. This buttony brooch could be yours if you enter the Bag O'Buttons Giveaway here!

Who Likes Buttons?

I know I do. Quite a lot. More than a lot. So much in fact , that I scurried quick smart over to Windsor when a little bird told me there was vintage buttons aplenty at Fat Helens.
And I didn't need to sit and pick out the ones I wanted because THEY WERE ALL GOOD!Last night Lily did some sorting, but still has more to go.So, as there is a serious lack of room in my studio, and I'm in a sharing mood, I'm going to have a
GIVE AWAY.
A lovely bag of lollies....I mean buttons, and some other crafty goodies will be yours (think buckles, trims and other haby goodies) There might even be a Betty Jo buttony brooch included as well.
Just leave a a comment this week telling me how you might use the buttons. If you want to add a link to some pics. of your past buttony projects I'll post some of them for a show and tell.
The random winner will be announced next Sunday 2nd August.

Clock Adoption Agency

Owlie clock was adopted today by Ms. Crafty Girl with Ruffle. I know owlie will be going to a good crafty home. Actually it's the home of the famous "Map 29" Street Directory purses.
You can order a customized purse by telling Ann Marie your street or map no. and she will turn it into a fabulous fashion accessory using Melways, Brisways or Sydways Maps!After living in Sydney for six years on Map 74 , when planning where we'd live when we moved back to Melbourne, I decided it had to be on Map 30. Ten years later we're still here.
Oh and if you want to give a Betty Jo clock a good home, just let me know. They are happy to travel to any map in the Atlas!!!

Visual Intoxication!

I ventured out to Brunswick Spotlight this morning for some supplies.
Yeh, well let's just say I'll be needing to go to the BIGGER stores in future if I want to find anything I need. But schlepping out to D.F.O. in Essendon somehow doesn't appeal unfortunately.
I did remember to pick up a copy of "Get Creative" and was happy to see an article about Craft blogging. They certainly covered both bases. The colourful and busy Betty Jo blog and the simple, clean style of Aunty Cookie.
And if you flick through the magazine there is an article about making buying and giving handmade gifts featuring Anna Laura. So all in all not a bad read!
So after Spotlight I hit the "oppy strip" in Sydney Rd. and in keeping with the "drunk with colour" notion of Lino Forest, here are some cheerful items I picked up to brighten my kitchen and workbench, and help me get cracking with some more brooches!Buttons from Savers...that's a first. Sitting on a very gorgeous "Acapulco" dinner plate.Looks like a good match with my "Gaytime" cannister.

Table Tops!

Last year I was on a mission to find a 50's kitchen table in good condition. Well Mr. BJ did, and it has been the background for quite a few pics on this blog (goodies for "Mabu" in Subiaco above)
I was admiring some of Painter Girl's flickr uploads from 50's Home Beautiful magazines and recognized the Laminex on my table, "Basketweave".... with the South Pacific charm!
You probably know I love recycling cool vintage laminex as much as lino.
It was fortunate I generously agreed to drive my daughter to the tram stop on Friday because on the way I found an old kitchen table on the nature strip with this laminex on the top. It's the beige cousin of this turquoise Australiana laminex I scavenged from a house reno down the road almost two years ago. Can't wait to use it!

Craft : Art : Design

The lines were blurred between Craft, Art and Design at the Design:Made:Trade Show currently on at the Exhibition Buildings in Carlton. Of course there was a large smattering of inspiring objects from the Design purists, but a lot of the products on display had a real crafty flavour, and could sit happily in either camp. This is pleasing to me. Some favorites were..........
*Great totes made from recycled billboards, and sari's by Let's.I left with one of these and it's already carried home the wet towels from the pool and the milk and paper from the corner shop!

*Cards by Able and Game (and a great stall design by Anna Laura) Love the sentiment of this card.

*Victoria Mason Jewellery.

One day I want this pendant, but I'll settle for some earrings for now.

*Special jewellery by Layla Starr. Their hand blown glass bubble necklaces are amazingly delicate, but very strong according to sisters Kate and Jessica (they accidentally dropped a box of them on the kitchen floor and they just bounced!)

Slow and Steady

As usual, now school is back things are gradually cranking up at the Betty Jo Ranch (actually I reckon the cogs would be spinning faster if my computer would decide to behave).
But slow and steady wins the race as they say.....................S-L-O-W being the operative word!This Snow Globe brooch is heading off to Craft Victoria next week for the Perspective exhibition.
I needed to raid my nursery rhyme coat hanger collection for the coloured rabbits. Luckily the hangers seem to multiply like, um, rabbits at most of my friendly neighbourhood op shops!

Winter Blossom

This Owl clock is braving a windy winters day to get amongst the pretty blossoms. Next week it will be winging it's way North to warmer climes. Thank heavens for plants that flower in Winter to brighten up the garden.Now this beautiful wattle tree with is vivid yellow pompoms is posing a dilemma. For the six or so weeks it flowers (right outside my studio window) I suffer the worst hay fever, especially when the southerlies blow the pollen right in the window. But I can't get rid of it.
Lily raised it from a seed, it survived me accidentally lawn mowing it down as a wee seedling, and it's just so pretty...... I will suffer for beauty.

I'm liking.....

More time to mooch around while it's holidays. And getting a few extra zzzz in the morning.
The anticipation of some brisk business from Life InStyle (fingers crossed).
This book . Soon to be launched. With lots of Handmakers from Melbourne like Betty Jo and Fat Mumma's! And more of course, but I won't know who till I get me a copy.
Resin jewellery by Princess C, Lady J and the Upper Crust.
"This is Snouty, and yes, he is a cranky pants. He doesn't like much, and only enjoys eating Spam with a spork. Steer clear of him on Mondays and Tuesdays as he feels this is too early in the week to be reasonable."

Snow and Peppermint

A little bunch of snow themed brooches have gone to live at the Mt. Buller Chalet. Artist Wendy Jagger runs a small exhibition space in the foyer and, as it's currently 3 degrees in the city, I'm sure it's snowing on the mountain this very minute! Snow= lots of visitors.Hurrah, the postie finally delivered my copy of Peppermint magazine. It's a lovely publication and Tess Curran has written a terrific article called "Made with Love"about the wave of DIY craft, featuring over 15 crafty women.You'll have to buy the magazine to see who's included!

Bendigo

Just back from a wee trip up to Bendigo. We viewed the Archibald Prize at the Bendigo Art Gallery (my people's choice selection "Nell" by Abbey McCulloch above).
Visited bob boutique and met the lovely Sonia in person. This cute shop is worth a trip in itself and stocks Betty Jo amongst other lovely things (like these Lark badges).We couldn't pass up the "I heart op shops" one!
And clever me came prepared with a list of all the op shops in the region. Just download and print! (Thanks to Bendigo Tourism website). I can safely say after at least a dozen we were starting to have slight op shop fatigue!

So we did a few touristy things, some of which involved posing in front of various monuments!