My father told me a story about manufacturing this week. He said that the nuns from the local convent used to take cask-wine containers, cut them in half and cover them with wall paper to sell at the local market as document holders. The simple art of re-cycling driven not by fashion or morality but depression-era necessity. The Mother of invention. Sixty years later, recycling is so hot right now - and we are pleased to announce that Betty Jo Designs have been picked up by global uber-brand Paul Smith. So the lino ripped out of a floor in Thornbury to make way for more modern floor coverings will now be on sale as a designed item in Paris, London and New York. Ain’t the world a funny place? When old is new and new is old, it pays to know where you stand. (Maybe we’ll see you on the platform - thanks to Dad for the image).

Memory is a funny thing. Each year we forget just how cold and miserable winter is, thinking only of soup, red wine and the chance to coordinate multiple accessories. Then July rolls around and bites you where it hurts. Some things our minds choose to forget; like how busy the Melbourne Design Market is , or the promise you made yourself not to watch ANY Big Brother this year. Ah well, at least now we can chat about it on our myspace page. That’s right, the horse has entered my space. We recruited some ‘young’ people to help set it up. One of them is my little sister. This is her picture. Isn’t she cute? She’s going to kill me….