I’m going to go totally in a different direction today…

JEWELRY!

Well, Cowboy jewelry, kinda.

Fun, handmade by a local artist, easy to wear, hip (American Idol people have wore them this year…) and my favorite descriptor, AFFORDABLE!  (cost between $28 – $38 plus shipping)

HOW DID I FIND THEM?

As you all know, I dragged Hubby to the Western States Horse Expo this year because it was right around my birthday.

He told me that he would “pick up something” for me at the Expo for my birthday.  Well… everything I wanted was going to put him in a very bad mood.  So, I decided to get a few smaller things to make the pinch less ouchy.

As we walked around, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the kind of booth that just grabs me.  Wood, Old Cowboy stuff, leather and shiny parts.

I ran over there.

As I approached, I heard the angels singing.

My nose was bombarded with scent de leather and copper.  Yum!

BOMBSHELL BETTY

OK, well, her name is really Jodi but she calls herself “Bombshell Betty” and she dresses like a woman straight out of a Rosie the Riveter poster.  She isn’t cowboy at all – she just works in cowboy materials.

She created laptop bags and purses and rings and necklaces… and leather cuffs.  OMG.  People were swarming all around the leather cuffs.

I wish I had taken a photo of her booth.  She was like honey and we were like swarming, buzzing, pissy bees.

“Ohh, I like that one.  Gimme!”

“Hey, I saw that first… that looks bad on you, it is more my color… dibs!”

You know the drill…

I sat around for a while, waiting for the hive to clear, but it didn’t.  So, I walked away.

COULDN’T GET THEM OUT OF MY MIND

I just couldn’t get those cuffs out of my mind.  So, I went back.  And, to my surprise, there was no one there!   I grabbed the opportunity and started a conversation with BettyJodi.

She told me that the cuffs were selling like hotcakes.  (duh)   I asked her how she made them and she told me that she gets old leather belts from swap shops and flea markets.  She cuts them down and embellishes them with unique finds from antique stores like railroad locker numbers and opera chair seat numbers and old medical file drawer numbers – whatever metal piece she can find.

Or, she will pound letters into copper to say whatever she wants.

I was smitten.

Another lady showed up, a nice lady, and we pawed through the pile of cuffs together – both ahhhing and ooohhhing over the other’s choices.  (This probably worked because we had totally different coloring and tastes…).

I ended up with 2 cuffs.  One black and one brown.  I cannot remember the origin of the very special metal piece on the black one.   Bettyjodi told me, and I forgot.  I have an email into her to ask again.

Anyway, I was happy…

UNTIL….

Until I dropped my new iPhone about 20 times while I was searching through the cuffs.

Out of instinct, I grabbed one of the holster shaped purses she had there and put my phone inside of it.

It fit.

Uh oh.  I had to have one.

Bettyjodi was surprised at my application but thrilled to design a new pouch/holster for my phone.

She unrolled several pieces of scrapish leather and let me choose.  I was tittering with excitement!  I chose a distressed pattern and turned it on the wrong side.

Me:  (pointing to my new pouch material) “I’ll take this!”

Bettyjodi:  “Uh, Dawn, that is inside out…”

Me:  “Yes!  I am the master of my own destiny and I choose inside-out!”

Bettyjodi:  (trying not to sour the sale…)  “Awwlrighty!”

She asked what decorations I wanted and I told her to just do what she does best and surprise me.  She said she would add a long strap so I could wear it like a bolero.  Or, hands free.

Yippeee!  I left to wander about while the master created!

MY PHONE HOLSTER – LITERALLY!

I came back and my holster was ready!  I loved it!

Hubby thought the material was inside-out but also thought better about saying anything.

I was thrilled!  She has used another very rare silver piece (which I forgot the genesis – again!) as well as a stirrup keeper!  (She knew I rode horses…)

I wore my phone holster with pride.

And, I continue to wear it.  I wore it throughout my helljob and that phonekeeper was just about the only thing around me that made me smile.

I love my little holster.  I especially like the quick-draw feature.  ;)  (Hubby paid for this… I don’t know the cost but he wasn’t upset so it must have been a deal!)

ONE OF A KIND

As I was pulling myself away from the booth, I realized that Betty could inscribe anything onto one of those little, blank copper plates she keeps behind her booth.

Hmmmm.  The idea was brewing…

“Ummmm, Bettyjodi?”

Uh huh.

“Could you make a ‘made to order’ cuff for me?”

Sure!

She said to just pick out a piece of belt and she would make whatever I wanted.

So, I did.  (Big smile)

 

 CONTACT BETTYJODI AND SEE WHAT SHE HAS – OR MAKE YOUR OWN!

If you want to contact Bombshell Betty (jodi@bombshellbettyshop.com), she will send you pics of the cuffs she has.  Or, she will send you pics of the belt pieces she has and you can design your own.

They come in a cute little milk carton, wrapped in a popcorn bag.  The woman is a genius…  There IS a re-use for everything!

 

 

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