Penny Butterworth used to volunteer regularly at Lou’s Place until her ceramic jewellery business took off. She started designing jewellery only a year ago, and enjoyed quick and explosive success of her business. This resulted in Penny having to move quite a few pieces of her life around. But she retained a strong commitment to Lou’s, and last Christmas, designed a unique piece of jewellery which she named the Lifesaver. It’s a classically simple circle of white ceramic with a hole in the middle, tied with a black cord, and echoes the rescue rings used by water lifesavers. It also has resonance with the work of Lou’s Place, a special sort of lifesaver for the women who go there.

The piece was priced at $40, and Penny has donated all the proceeds to Lou’s Place. The response was overwhelming – she sold 100 pieces and raised (well, you can do the maths!) $4000. It has been a fantastic effort – and in any volunteer meeting at Lou’s you are likely to see most of the women wearing their lifesavers.

All Penny’s jewellery is black and white; she either etches black designs into the white ceramic, or uses a black piece of cord to contrast with the white. She makes every piece individually by hand : “My own hand,” she adds, “so every piece is a tiny bit different.” Penny’s approach blends design with her own belief in the therapeutic nature of creativity. She has a background in psychology and philosophy: “I have always regarded ‘creating’ as important therapy – nourishment for the soul.”

Her pieces have been bought by the Sydney Opera House and the MCA, the National Gallery of Victoria, and Melbourne’s prestigious design stores RGMadden. And as a nice extra, she says: “I also sell through a boutique in Canberra, the owner of whom pointed out to me that John Howard’s Chief Media Advisor was wearing one of my pieces as she led the outgoing PM to the podium on election night to give his big speech!” You can view her designs at http://www.pennybutterworth.com - but the lifesaver won’t be there. It was a one-off for Lou’s Place.