Betty Pepper graduated with first class honors from the University of Central England School of Jewellery in Birmingham in 2004….and went on to win the British Jewellers Innovative Design Prize {2004}. Betty’s work is quite beautiful, and surprising in real life {found nestled inside an old book}….so small, delicate and beautifully made. I like that she works in textiles {on top of a metal framework}..and her work illustrates well how you can make precious jewellery with non-precious materials.

“my work questions what people expect from jewellery, using traditional designs but with unexpected materials. Some of my pieces live in ‘orphaned’ books inspired by the adage ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’….

The Necklace that smelled of Yesterday…

You can see some more of Betty’s jewellery on her online portfolio {this link is tempramental…so go to designers directory when the page jumps- password is ‘tree’ and you will find betty under ‘B’ on the designer list} and from a past showcase at Lesley Craze Gallery in London. I like that Betty’s jewellery is diverse in it’s appeal…ranging from very delicate vintage looking pieces, to more bold and kitsch work with embroidered cameos and portraits….showing a broad spectrum of life, of memory …“Betty’s pieces tell stories about the threads of human life, encapsulating these narratives in actual thread” …isn’t that lovely?

I think Betty’s work could give people lots of ideas as to how they could use pieces of textiles {maybe from their family’s past?} to make precious pieces they could wear as jewellery. By using techniques such as embroidery and thread wrapping to add structure and then even tea-staining newer fabrics to age them….the precious ‘jewel’ you make could be adding life to the threads, making them stretch even further into the future…!

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