the new adventures of betty turbo

the origins of Betty Turbo

2012-02-02T14:15:00.007-06:00

Are you ready to go... Inside the Agnes Studio?

Feel free to pretend James Lipton is asking all your questions. Let's begin! The number one question on the minds of Betty Turbo fans today is... What Inspired the Name?

Well. Let us travel back in time. Betty Turbo came into existence in my final year of college at RIT, when most of the work I was creating shifted from photographs to illustrations directly based on photographs. I felt like this change in style made my own vision more clear and deliberate - I could create these "documents" which still somewhat resembled a snapshot aesthetic, but they could be anywhere, and with anyone I wanted. With that in mind, the illustrated "me" needed to be the most awesome, badass, ballsy version of myself possible.

Choosing "Betty" was the easy part. My middle name is Elizabeth after my grandmother, who was called Betty. She is but one of many amazing historical antecedents in my artsy bloodlines. Betty Sabo was a superb baker and also a master of crafting with plastic canvas! This is her:

"Kitchen Warrior" 2010

So my "Betty"character needed a surname to indicate her total radness, and at first I considered "Shred" because it sounded terribly rock & roll, which, as anyone who knew me then will tell you, was all I talked about. But upon further research, I realized "shred betty" is a thing snowboarders say and that would just confuse my meaning. Which brings us to "Turbo." It was a nickname of sorts. It was some goofy inside joke amongst my close friends at the time, I hardly remember the details...

It had to do with that Judas Priest song, didn't it?

Okay. Yes. So, I had already collected several random items with the word "turbo" on them. It was high-engery and extreme sounding! And it also had five letters like Betty, which was promising for pleasing design options. BETTY TURBO was born! And she went around doin' stuff. Like this:

"Reading rebels" 2004

Are you sure you don't have multiple personality disorder?

Betty Turbo has a specific focus, which is achieved partly by sharing parts of myself (Agnes), and partly by adding fiction to reach a level of myth and storytelling, which, while not directly mirrored in "reality," feels more truthful to me in some ways. I can choose when I need to be Betty Turbo. You know, like Batman. Betty Turbo is made up of ideas I solidly believe in, but without the unnecessary accoutrements of anxiety and self-doubt.

Do you want to be greeted in public as Agnes Barton-Sabo or as Betty Turbo? Do people ever confuse the two?

I will answer to either. Sometimes people confuse the two, if they haven't snooped around enough to realize it's an alter ego. Some interviewers specifically request to speak with Betty Turbo (knowing the difference), so those are the ones who get the biography in which I was raised by wolves or grizzly bears. Betty Turbo is me. I just don't always have to be her.

So there ya have it. Next question?? Email me, or chime in on my Facebook fan page! Or follow me on Twitter and ask questions all day long. Scope out my Etsy shop, or Flickr photos and tell me what you're curious about. Also, if James Lipton is busy, who else should pretend interview me?

i'm exploding with enthusiasm

2012-01-18T21:13:00.003-06:00

a college friend (who once made a self-portrait out of fruit loops, btw), requested this special drawing to commemorate a real life exploding jar of salsa. i love that my friends think "how can i a preserve this wacky food incident for all time?" and then they come to me... i'll draw your kitchen drama too! it's very therapeutic. for you. trust me. tell Betty Turbo what happened.

so many ways to say I LOVE YOU....

2012-01-16T15:41:00.003-06:00

i still love you!

2012-01-13T17:51:00.005-06:00

trying to keep up that awesome holiday momentum and keep making heaps of new stuff! here are a few new valentines (or anytime cards) to get 2012 going in style! keep your eyeballs on my Etsy shop for more!

lucha linen!

2011-12-16T11:16:00.003-06:00

got some lovely luchadores in my shop for ya! phew! what a crazy couple of weeks it's been! i had a massively awesome time at the Crafty Wonderland Super Colossal Holiday Sale. thank you SO MUCH to everyone who came out! i want to share a more in-depth recap and gush shamelessly about all my art crushes, but i have some last minute holiday elfery to perpetrate first. hope everyone is having a superb holiday season so far!!

ron swanson knows all

2011-11-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

that's the way the cookie crumbles

2011-11-08T09:15:00.003-06:00

the cookies. where are they. give them to me.

fresh holiday messages

2011-10-29T11:54:00.001-05:00

they're alive!

2011-10-28T17:21:00.008-05:00

well, not alive, but hopping off the paper and taking up three-dimensional space at least! pillow versions of all the Motivational Speakers, and a fresh can of Bullshit Be Gone, just in time for the holidays!

pour one out for your dead Whedonverse homies

2011-10-20T16:21:00.003-05:00

we miss them all. if you miss them too, this print is now available in my Etsy shop! i'll have all the individual original paintings up for sale too, shortly.

someone had to say it

2011-10-19T09:40:00.002-05:00

amp of affirmation

2011-10-14T08:48:00.003-05:00

the latest motivational speakers!

taco time!

2011-09-30T15:03:00.007-05:00

it has come to my attention that one of my twitter pals shares a birthday with National Taco Day, so i drew a quick sketch of how to make a super easy taco cake. these are really basic instructions, assuming some general decorating knowledge... if anyone has specific questions about the details, i'm happy to help. if Blogger makes this impossibly tiny, click over to flickr to see the full-sized version.

paper nerds wanted

2011-09-23T14:34:00.010-05:00

now that it's been published in the newspaper that i obsessively hoard paper goods, i feel somewhat more pressure to distribute them and make sure you know i was saving them all for YOU. i have always loved writing letters, and i've collected all kinds of weird cards and stationery over the years knowing there would be a perfect occasion some day for me to send them to you. in the mail. pieces of paper with writing on them. is this such a crazy idea?

know what else i like? making custom paper goods for people. but the people i know well enough to craft something special for are not necessarily the people who share my interest in ye olde written correspondence. (with a few very choice exceptions. hi BreAnn.)

so here's what i propose: send me a letter. (a real one on paper, delivered to my home by someone in blue shorts.) tell me something real. don't send me a 4th grade penpal "about me" letter repeating everything i could read in your online profile. tell me about something that's important to you. tell me a story. i don't know! write whatever you want. in exchange, i will create some type of custom stationery for you. and i will send it to you. it may be a direct response to the content of your letter, it may just be inspired by whatever random things i know about you. i will send you this specimen. i will also write you back, using up my ample stash of supplies which may or may not feature Humphrey Bogart or kittens. and after that? who knows...

i will be sharing my creations and maybe some glimpses of the mail i receive. i will not make your full name or the actual contents of your letter public without specifically getting your permission. i reserve the right to sell additional copies of whatever i create inspired by you. if you want to participate, you can email me via agnesbartonsabo at gmail dot com to obtain my mailing address. let's make beautiful paper goods together.

your friend,
Betty Turbo

MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKERS

2011-09-15T14:15:00.005-05:00

YOU CAN DO THIS.
your friend,
Betty Turbo

i made you a present!

2011-09-14T10:26:00.007-05:00

as promised, my friends, i've got some party favors to give away in (slightly belated) celebration of my 1,000th Etsy sale! i made some stuffed silliness - a flying popsicle (like my tattoo), a bedazzled donut, a piece of pizza, and a skull with donut eyeballs. the skull and pizza have pinbacks attached. i'm also giving away a set of Gocco printed Jammy Toast notecards, which were the very first things i sold on Etsy. and since i have a surplus, each winner will also get a 1" button of my friend the face-melting donut. UPDATE: it has been suggested that my prize offerings were not "manly" enough for my general audience... so ya know what? i've got wrestling prints to give away too. limited to a pre-printed selection i have on hand. take THAT!

here's the deal: leave a comment here letting me know what your favorite item is from my Etsy shop! (if anyone wants to suggest the next additions to my wrestling series while you're at it, i welcome your input!) --ALSO! if you head over to Betty Turbo's Facebook Page and "like" it, leave a comment here noting that and it'll count as a separate entry. starting next Monday (9/19) i'll randomly draw one winner each day till these goodies all have homes! that's five days in a row. check back here for the winners or leave a valid email address in your comment to be notified if you win. if you're a member of my family, don't be silly, you know i would make you this stuff if you asked me.

thank you again to all my Etsy friends and fans for your support!
xoxo
Betty Turbo

extry, extry!

2011-09-06T16:16:00.006-05:00

it's been an exciting week here at Betty Turbo HQ! i finally reached 1,000 sales in my Etsy shop. i started on Etsy in the summer of 2007 selling linocut block prints and Gocco printed notecards. several months later i got my own archival inkjet printer, and that's when things really started cooking. well... kind of. i added things to my shop, learned a few new tricks, got a little portrait video featured on Etsy's blog. pretty rad for what i could crank out in my spare time.

last fall i hit 500 sales somewhere around the time i moved to Oregon. at the beginning of 2011 i was fortunate to find myself in a position where going full turbo throttle with Art Stuff actually seemed like a viable option. and here we are 8 months later! every month has been an improvement over the last, even in the summer when i expected things to slump. it's hard, and it's crazy, but it just keeps getting better so i'm taking that as a sign to keep at it. i have added a handful of really cool wholesale & consignment accounts to spread my paper goods across the country. and now i'm gearing up hoping for some sweet holiday craft show action!

i want to give away some goodies in celebration of the 1,000 sales milestone -- stay tuned for details or get updates on Betty Turbo's Facebook Page!

in a few weeks i'm going to give a little presentation at the PixelCraft show (part of Corvallis Fall Festival). since the focus of this event is the use of computers & technology in creating and selling art, i'm going to chat about selling on Etsy, self-promotion via social networking, and fun sites like Spoonflower that can be part of the crafting process, as well as some notes on my own artmaking practices. if anyone has questions about any of the things i just mentioned... please comment below! if you were attending a talk on such subjects, what would you like to hear? i welcome all suggestions. also, i hope plenty of our local Corvallis Etsy Team can come out to spread the enthusiasm and offer input.

thank you EVERYONE for your support of my shop and my art adventures! it is totally rad to get to draw things and send art all over the world, and meet crazy nerds who love the same silly things as me. i really appreciate every dang one of you. i am a very lucky girl.

true story

2011-08-28T21:51:00.003-05:00

came across this sight the other morning when i was out for a run, right as the sun was coming up. haven't decided whether or not to make it a print for sale but i just had to draw it. can't help but think i'd be SUPER motivated to run more often if i saw some critter munching a fresh tasty donut every time. maybe a series of portraits of local wildlife is in order?

gettin sassy with Spoonflower!

2011-08-22T15:32:00.005-05:00

i've finally sent my illustrations off to Spoonflower and had custom fabric magically printed! these two stuffed ice cream dudes are now available in my Etsy shop! i've been meaning to use Spoonflower forever, and it was really satisfying to finally get this stuff made. anyone with questions about getting their own fabric, i'm happy to share my experiences so far. fabric crafters who just want some really original, unique prints to work with can also cruise Spoonflower just to shop!

by VERY POPULAR demand

2011-08-20T13:26:00.001-05:00

this is the first time i've drawn a current wrestler! so many people asked for it, how could i resist...

more wrestlers in the kitchen...

2011-07-26T13:34:00.002-05:00

here's some baking help i know we could all use...

hot dog time!

2011-07-24T16:20:00.002-05:00

i learned the appropriate accoutrements for a Chicago style hot dog when i had to make a cake in the likeness of one and got VERY very specific instructions. truth be told... i'm more of a sauerkraut on my tofu dog kind of girl, but it IS tomato season. how do you take your hot dog? any requirements so specific you'd need some laboriously hand-lettered typography detailing them?

SugarSlam showdown!!

2011-07-18T13:58:00.004-05:00

perhaps you've noticed that little icon on my sidebar over yonder, with my tiny drawing of Rowdy Roddy Piper? if you're not hip to the SugarSlam yet, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! the great news is, if you're looking for more like-minded admirers of baking AND wrestling, you have just hit the motherlode. the submission deadline for this year's contest has come and gone, but you still have till the end of this week to head over to flickr and check out the amazing entries, and comment on your favorites! the People's Choice winner gets a heap of rad prizes in addition to the champion chosen by the celebrity judges. wrestling art from my Etsy shop is part of BOTH prize packages!

this amazingness has been organized by Bake & Destroy. just another fun chapter in the story of rad people i've met through the internet!

show some Facebook love (okay, just "like") for Bake & Destroy, SugarSlam201 1, and Betty Turbo and you'll have the scoop on all the funnest fun times ever.

endlessly quotable

2011-07-14T15:24:00.004-05:00

i have about 87 zillion ideas of things to draw from Twin Peaks. no shortage of food-related inspiration. here's my latest typography "sampler." i've never actually experienced this taste sensation, as i don't eat ham, but i hope all you ham fans adore it.

frozen treats + nerdy shows = Betty Turbo

2011-07-12T12:46:00.001-05:00

she's just big boned.

2011-06-29T10:36:00.005-05:00

i've had several people ask if i'd print my kitchen calavera greeting cards as larger art prints, but i didn't feel that those little drawings merited enlarging, so... i made more! here are some large and in charge art prints of new skeletons in the kitchen. there are actually three of them but Blogger doesn't want to cooperate with the third one. i'm sure this collection will continue to expand. what activities would YOU like to see skeletons doing? thanks to everyone who's given great suggestions so far!

speaking of suggestions and collecting your feedback, i wanted to let you know i've also made Betty Turbo her own facebook page. please "like" if you want to engage in more idea-generating chit chat and participate in some secret deals and projects! click here to join the party!

summertime is for popsicles

2011-06-24T11:39:00.004-05:00

a couple of new cards added this week: a tasty bikesicle, and a Dr. Who-inspired birthday card to round out my already nerdy birthday card offerings featuring characters from Buffy and Firefly...

Twin Peaks donut dreams

2011-06-17T14:47:00.001-05:00

my log has something to tell you. it says BRING ME SOME DONUTS.

Bret Hart - master of tarts!

2011-06-16T19:12:00.003-05:00

the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be!

Macho Man tribute. part two.

2011-06-09T18:28:00.004-05:00

up there, all the ice cream trucks still sell Superstars Ice Cream Bars...

(click here for Part One of my tribute if you missed it)

couple of lovebirds

2011-06-09T09:20:00.004-05:00

i drew this as a gift for some friends of mine who are getting married. i love giving personal, handmade presents. sorry, wedding registry business. i also really love drawing portraits but underestimated how tricky it was to produce them stealthily as a surprise, using only their facebook photos as reference images! worth it in the end, though. best wishes bb and skim!

of all the dads in the world...

2011-06-08T09:44:00.003-05:00

if my dad ever asks where i got my smartass sense of humor i say... I LEARNED IT FROM WATCHING YOU!! i have several father's day additions to my Etsy shop, check em out!

they go together like...

2011-06-03T18:29:00.004-05:00

cereal and milk! did this for a wedding invite for some friends, who sent me a GOLDMINE of vintage paper ephemera for inspiration. i love goofy fun people. hit me up if you want to see YOUR face on a cereal box!

MACHO RADNESS. a tribute. part one.

2011-05-21T17:43:00.005-05:00

i'd like to pay tribute to Macho Man Randy Savage the best way i know how: in cake. to make Macho Radness, combine 5 boxes of funfetti cake mix with a case of Slim Jims and 2 dozen dismembered Hulk Hogan action figures. OOOHHH YEAAHH!! blend in the food processor and bake according to instructions on box. garnish with more Slim Jims and take your decorating cues from Macho Man Randy Savage's keen and amazing wardrobe. DIG IT!

rest in peace, Macho Man. sincere condolences to Leapin' Lanny and the rest of the Poffo family.

and perhaps a little Turbo home decor?

2011-05-17T15:06:00.004-05:00

these are my other recent creations from my screenprintstravaganza. i didn't realize how hard it would be to creatively photograph a pillow. almost all the pillows on Etsy are photographed sitting on a chair, or on a plain white background. that just ain't gonna cut it in Turboland. this may be overkill in the crazy department, i don't know. what do you think? any crazier than the pillows themselves? would two-headed grizzly bears ride bikes better in a clean, modern setting?

pulchritudinous pinnipeds!

2011-05-17T14:11:00.004-05:00

i finally have shirts listed in my Etsy shop! it's fun to have some things that require making a mess again, after so many hours with only a pen and the computer to make my mischief. so what's your flavor, popsicles or ice cream? did you think i would actually make any shirts without dessert on them?

crafty recovery

2011-05-11T18:06:00.000-05:00

well, it's been four days since the Crafty Wonderland Colossal Spring Sale and i think i've finally tamed the chaos of my studio back into its semi-normal (albeit frenzied) production mode. this was my first craft show since moving to Oregon. didn't do insanely awesome, but not terrible either. still a remarkable turnout compared to any such event i've participated in before. i'm glad the panicked preparations are over and i can get on with the next adventures!

pictured above along with my art prints & cards are some pillows, my first experience with screen printing! so much fun. really really glad to have a trained professional overseeing that project. you know how cranky i get when i'm not an expert at something. the pillows will appear soon in my Etsy shop, along with the two t-shirts i designed as a "guest artist" for Mixed Species!

my favorite part of the show by far was talking to wrestling fans! oh man, people would just come up and FREAK OUT, it was the best. one guy said "i'm totally overloaded with awesome right now." someone recognized Mick Foley, did NOT know he was a wrestler, but told a story of being his neighbor in Florida and remembered he was really nice and donated weight equipment to their church. another customer told me a story about his friend who got in trouble at work for talking to Rowdy Roddy Piper (who i didn't realize is a local!).

other highlights included meeting Shana of cookoorikoo and her husband Shawn of pixelparty. oh, aren't Etsy couples just adorable? yes they are. yay for crafty people in love. and speaking of superb Portland Etsy folks, i am finally the proud owner of a wacky 3-D painting of ice cream craziness by the amazing Tripper Dungan! it is a fabulous addition to my ongoing collection of ice cream art. i have it hanging on the wall next to my robot cone from My Zoetrope.

keep your eyes peeled for WAY more zany art happening over the summer, and by the time the Crafty Wonderland Holiday Sale rolls around, i'll have perfected my new finishing move, which will either be the "Prints on Paper Piledriver" or "Betty Turbo's Bionic Beater." i mean, since "Awesome Bomb" is already taken.

cross the streams!

2011-04-17T22:58:00.004-05:00

YOU ARE INVITED to publicly witness what critics are already calling "The Most Legendary Partnership The World Has Ever Seen" when superstars Betty Turbo of The New Adventures of Betty Turbo and Hairy McSpecies of Mixed Species join forces to construct a booth of ultimate awesomeness at the CRAFTY WONDERLAND SUPER COLOSSAL SPRING SALE. this radness will be dumped on you from 11am to 6pm on Saturday, the 7th of May at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. shake their hands, get their autographs, purchase amazingly amazing goods from their respective Etsy shops of origin, and you just might catch a glimpse of their never-before-seen Super Ultra Badass Collaborative Projects. if you're peeing your pants in anticipation you can see some art by Betty Turbo and Hairy McSpecies up at Cloud 9 in Corvallis through the end of April.

everyone makes cream puffs in my mind

2011-04-15T17:56:00.003-05:00

i recently watched Kings of Pastry, and they are REALLY touchy about that collar, if you wear one in France without actually achieving M.O.F. it is totally a crime! hope this drawing doesn't send anyone after me with a barbed wire baguette. i've got it up in my Etsy shop now and i'm halfway through laughing my ass off at Mick Foley's latest book. love that dude.

back in the ring!

2011-04-11T11:34:00.005-05:00

i've had many requests for wrestlers to continue my series, but hadn't devoted many hours to it until this weekend, when i had to take lots of allergy medicine and went on a drawing rampage. the results = these two monstrosities! now available in my Etsy shop, which is getting pleasantly plump with the bulge of wrestling artwork. might have to reorganize a whole new "section" just for wrestlers!

you melt my face!

2011-04-09T13:01:00.002-05:00

it's getting to be springtime! get ready for lots more art about popsicles and ice cream. tasty frozen treats, with and without faces. the only things i like drawing as much as wrestlers.

more wrasslin radness

2011-04-03T16:52:00.003-05:00

when you gotta tell your bro how much you appreciate him, this card will help you say it in a manly way.

the genius

2011-03-30T19:41:00.003-05:00

you know i love drawing wrestlers, and i'm always looking for suggestions of who else you would like to see. Lanny Poffo was nominated by a twitter follower. who do YOU think i should draw? this card featuring The Genius is available in my Etsy shop.

spring cleaning sale!

2011-03-30T13:48:00.004-05:00

i'm cleaning out my studio inventory to make room for the ridiculous amount of things i plan to bring to Crafty Wonderland in just a few short weeks, so i've put final quantities of some older prints on sale super cheap to clear them out. (like the very last copies of the ice cream hairdo you see above!) please check out the spring clearance sale section in my Etsy shop in case there's anything you want to nab before it's gone forever! thanks for spreading the word.

return of PLAID!

2011-03-30T13:21:00.005-05:00

guys, i said i wasn't going to draw plaid anymore after the Blecha Brothers illustration i did, but... i couldn't resist! you know i love hand-lettered typography, and i really went to town (Stumptown!) on this one. now i'm tempted to draw a whole neckbeard alphabet, in case i need it again in the future! hope you like this little postcard. and if you're not a Portlander sending your greetings elsewhere, well i will write a message all over one for you and mail it from just down the road, in my equally bike-friendly and timbertastic (though lacking in good doughnuts) town of Corvallis. available as single cards or 4-packs in my Etsy shop.

rain rain rainy rain.

2011-03-28T17:35:00.002-05:00

just a little ditty i wrote for this pacific northwest weather i'm wallowing in.

doot doot.

2011-03-17T15:23:00.002-05:00

i intercepted a message from space. i think it's for you.

prizefighter's diet

2011-03-16T17:00:00.002-05:00

my favorite quote from Rocky.

words to live by

2011-03-09T13:30:00.002-06:00

the very first job every printed at Hatch Show Print in 1879 was for a lecture by Henry Ward Beecher! take his advice and get a little insane in the membrane. cheers.

what's with TODAY today?

2011-03-08T19:40:00.002-06:00

raise your hand if you watched Empire Records a zillion times in high school...

happy birthday from Giles...

2011-03-05T10:27:00.004-06:00

i don't care what you heard on Portlandia, MY recipe for success seems to be "put a NERD on it!" so here's another nerdy card for all you Buffy buffs. available in my shop, alongside such favorites as the Jayne Cobb birthday card. what other geekery would you like to grace your greeting cards? now taking nominations!

western wildlife

2011-03-02T19:58:00.001-06:00

this print, now available in my Etsy shop, documents a rare species of wild boombox i discovered in the woods while i was out for a run.

my freewheelin' neon life

2011-03-02T14:36:00.001-06:00

this is how i feel lately...

take it from the milkshake

2011-02-10T14:08:00.002-06:00

commission of my dreams!

2011-02-09T14:50:00.006-06:00

few special requests could fill me with joy more than pirate cupcakes, but how about custom signs for pie and rootbeer floats?! this was so very mega ultra enjoyable.

sweet treasures

2011-01-24T13:57:00.003-06:00

i had a SUPER fun time making some drawings for the lovely ladies of Sweet Treasures Cupcakery. cupcakes and pirates, what's not to love?!

PIE DAY

2011-01-23T10:35:00.001-06:00

happy pie day! i hope it's burned into your brain after the pie-juggling bears of my 2010 calendar. i've just put the first pie of the day in the oven and there are many more to come... cheers!

illustration friday - chicken

2011-01-19T20:13:00.004-06:00

i'm sure these folks are easier to recognize than my illustration from last week... but if you haven't watched Arrested Development, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! if anyone wants to ring in with a vote for their favorite Bluth chicken impersonation, i think it would be a hearty debate. talk amongst yourselves.

my dream date

2011-01-18T19:18:00.002-06:00

roses are rad

2011-01-18T15:01:00.003-06:00

hungry heart

2011-01-16T22:59:00.001-06:00

first valentine additions of the season

2011-01-16T22:55:00.002-06:00

a special cake for that special someone!

illustration friday - déjà vu

2011-01-13T22:33:00.005-06:00

i'm getting back on board with illustration friday to keep my brain cogs turning with some Betty Turbo interpretations of each week's topic. here's my contribution for "déjà vu." can you tell who it's supposed to be? (hint: the answer is NOT "every guy in Portland.") i'll send you a prize if you're the first to guess correctly...

update: well. nobody guessed. in all fairness, they look more like generic plaid shirt models (or every guy in Portland) than... the Blecha brothers. you know, the adorable carpenters from the Cupcake Wars? they come from a handsome carpenter factory in L.A., i think. you have to buy two at a time.

ready to kick 2011's ass?

2011-01-03T19:47:00.002-06:00

pick up this pep talk from my Etsy shop!

move on out, 2010

2010-12-26T14:11:00.001-06:00

recent commissions

2010-12-26T13:47:00.004-06:00

here are a few custom pet portraits i did for holiday gifts that are no longer hush hush... drawing animals is hard! and so funny. i sat looking at these lovable faces and laughing for hours. finally made friends with my graphics tablet, as there is simply no way to accurately draw doggies and kitties without it.

happy challahdays...

2010-11-22T23:37:00.003-06:00

let's rock!

a message made of cake

2010-11-22T23:35:00.002-06:00

i don't know how i went so long without making a birthday card for my shop!

sweet daydreams

2010-11-21T22:20:00.001-06:00

this is what my daydreams look like... how about you?

ok yeah, i live in Oregon

2010-11-13T23:41:00.002-06:00

every lane's a bike lane in the sky.

Nom, nom, nom

2010-11-13T19:17:00.003-06:00

i asked my little brother for a holiday card theme and he requested "colorful owls." this one's for you, Peter! (it's for YOU too, now available in my Etsy shop.)

more holiday greetings

2010-11-12T15:31:00.002-06:00

TAKE THE PLUM PUDDING, IDIOT HUMAN.
now available :)

2011 calendar is here!

2010-11-12T14:32:00.006-06:00

your favorite DJ has her mixer and turntables ready to make 2011 the sweetest dance party of your life! pick one up from my Etsy shop, stat! if you're live on the internets RIGHT NOW, i'm giving away free copies to the first 11 people who repost this link for me on Facebook, Twitter, or a blog! cheers!

logjammin!

2010-11-04T16:49:00.002-05:00

hello turbofriends. since we last spoke, i've moved to Oregon and it is AWESOME! to give you a little taste of this Northwest splendor, i've just added a new print to my shop! stay tuned for more!

betty turbo's identity crisis

2010-07-06T11:00:00.005-05:00

i have been working (for an embarrassingly long time) on putting together a new website and i am struggling with how exactly to present myself this time around. there are MANY things i enjoy doing, which i feel i am skilled enough at to include in my professional activities. some fit easily into the current image you might draw of me from my Etsy shop, others are a little further out there. i want to maintain a consistent identity/style/brand, throughout my various works, but i vacillate between wanting to make sure you know EVERYTHING i can do, and worrying you'll think i don't excel at anything in particular.

i often summarize what i do as "design & illustration" but i feel that ultimately, that is too narrow a definition. "artist" is such a broad term, without some catchy slogan or subtitle to give more clues. while i spend the most time on drawings, prints, and paper goods right now, in the long run, i don't feel like i have to give up my other pursuits to get ahead with just a few things.

how much information is too much? can you suggest any examples of online portfolios that cover a wide range of media or skills without just looking like a hot mess? besides, say, Oprah or Martha Stewart, whose far-reaching empires get your attention through multiple outlets? you out there, doer of many things, how do you brand yourself? if you work in the arts but have other talents, do you have multiple business personalities known to different groups? do you separate the fine art from the craft bits? how do you showcase all your talents to an audience who might have only heard of you from one type of your work? is there a limited range to your professional/commercial work and the other things are relegated to fun or hobby?

please, discuss. talk amongst yourselves.

please help Nashville!

2010-05-08T14:47:00.002-05:00

i'll be donating 50% of the profits from my Etsy shop this month to the flood relief efforts in the Nashville area. they got a whole buncha lemons up in here that need to be made into something magical. special new Nashville-inspired art prints on the way.

tis the season for... tattoos

2009-11-21T21:49:00.004-06:00

i've got a hankering for more tattoos... thinking of getting some new ink for my birthday next week. in the meantime, i got some fun custom holiday card requests...

gotta dance

2009-11-21T21:47:00.001-06:00

more wrestlers

2009-11-15T23:27:00.001-06:00

to add to the Ric Flair and Jake the Snake prints i made a year ago, these two have just been added by special request! if you have any favorite wrestlers you'd like to see in a baking adventure, please drop me a line.

holiday cards!

2009-11-15T23:22:00.003-06:00

i've added these holiday cards to my etsy shop, and there are more on the way. i'm also taking custom requests for a few more weeks, so if you'd like some unique holiday cards designed and printed by yours truly, let me know!

kitchen calavera cards

2009-10-25T13:19:00.004-05:00

the perfect addition to your dia de los muertos shrines, but let's face it, baking skeletons are good for fun times year round. now available in my Etsy shop individually, or as a set!

the sacred order of the Upper Crust

2009-10-13T21:33:00.001-05:00

if you like moustaches, and pie, i'm your lady! now showing at bettyturbo.etsy.com... the sacred order of the Upper Crust: a gentlemen's society for the preservation of ancient pie recipes and fine moustaches. collect them all!

twins!

2009-10-13T21:32:00.003-05:00

woodland, revisited

2009-10-13T21:30:00.001-05:00

upon discussion with my top consultant, i have reverted to my original version of the woodland cake design. if you preferred the other, please pipe in and i will consider listing both.

a celebration in the woods

2009-10-12T14:47:00.002-05:00

do you speak cupcake?

2009-10-09T19:06:00.002-05:00

hot out of the oven and into my Etsy shop!

magical desserts in recent history

2009-10-07T21:53:00.003-05:00

new prints added to the shop today. many more coming soon!

more tasty treats!

2009-09-16T16:47:00.002-05:00

now appearing... greatest hits from the carnival midway!

black betty

2009-09-15T22:00:00.002-05:00

fancy ladies with cake on their hats

2009-09-15T21:56:00.006-05:00

just added these to my shop. they're sisters, can you tell?

holiday correspondence

2009-09-12T09:53:00.006-05:00

now accepting suggestions for underappreciated occasions you need greeting cards for! i've started with some obvious ones. it only gets weirder from here. xoxo.

wooo, get me off this gravitron

2009-09-05T18:16:00.003-05:00

hey you!

2009-09-01T10:03:00.002-05:00

so much popsicle love, now available... in my Etsy shop!

LOST card - back by popular demand!

2009-09-01T10:01:00.003-05:00

available in my Etsy shop once again!

no time for crappy thoughts!

2009-04-27T16:38:00.004-05:00

instead, may i suggest...

step right up!

2009-04-19T05:54:00.002-05:00

hey out there, blogland. if anyone is listening... i will be at the Walden Artisan Market next weekend, selling my arts & craftsy bits. all the prints currently available in my shop, the debut of a few new goodies, and some spring cleaning of creations of seasons past. stop by if you're in the 'hood! the Walden building is on Eastland, across the street from the Rosepepper Cantina. lots of other cool folks will be there too.

i love my mom

2009-04-09T14:37:00.003-05:00

mother's day is comin up so gitcherself to my Etsy shop and pick up one of these cards.

in loving memory of a good mug

2009-03-06T07:13:00.004-06:00

i'm sorry to report that yesterday afternoon, whilst coming in to the kitchen with my hands full, i tripped over the @#$%* cat and my favorite coffee mug hit the floor. it make a loud noise and broke into a few pieces. i picked up the pieces and i cried, and then i tried to superglue it all back together, but a few shards came up missing. i sat in my studio breathing glue fumes and listening to the cat chase a lone ceramic fragment around the kitchen floor.

we've had some good times together, this mug and i. if you've never felt what The Perfect Mug feels like, you may not understand, but everything about this one was Just Right. it was handmade by my dad, and was the perfect weight and pleasing shape and color. every day, despite a cabinet full of other vessels, i drank my coffee out of this mug. and most days, since i couldn't empty the coffeepot before leaving to work, i took the mug in the car, finished my coffee, and tucked the mug lovingly into my sneaker as i changed into my kitchen clogs and headed off to work. a few times the mug came to work with me. he was admired by everyone, and i think i pre-sold at least half a dozen mugs for my dad whenever he sends more. but i was always afraid that my mug would meet his doom among all that stainless steel, and it was just too risky. little did i know the true end would be a harmless-looking linoleum floor.

my broken friend will now have a place of honor on my desk, where i will try not to cut my finger on the pokey triangular gap as i use it to hold writing implements. i'll miss you, old friend. you were a good mug.

so much depends upon

2009-03-06T07:03:00.003-06:00

a red wheelbarrow
glazed with buttercream icing
beside the white chickens

i originally drew this as a birthday invitation for my stepdad's 60th, but it is now available as a mini-print in my Etsy shop. cheers!

if you're happy and you know it, say a swear

2009-03-03T17:22:00.002-06:00

bloody hell, i AM british! no, not me... it's one of my favorite episodes of Buffy...