Mugs create a stir for Movember

IT WAS a teacup belonging to a family member that gave ceramicist Elizabeth Bell and her husband Jordan a brilliant idea for a Movember fundraiser.

Jordan’s grandmother owned an antique teacup designed with a built-in protector to stop the wax on a gentleman’s moustache from melting when they enjoyed a cup a tea.

“They are a really old thing, I had never seen them before, it’s a beautiful old floral china teacup with a moustache protector on it,” Elizabeth explained.

“It’s pre World War I, when men used to wax their moustaches to keep them in place and a hot cup of tea would melt the wax so this was to protect their drink and their moustache.

“It’s this beautiful old thing and we thought ‘that’s so cool, we’ve got to think of a modern take on this’.”

The idea for Mo Mugs followed and the Geelong West couple is donating 25 per cent of all proceeds from each $49 mug sold to the men’s health charity.

Elizabeth and Jordan have tragically lost two male friends to suicide so Movember is a cause close to their hearts.

“I think Movember do amazing stuff and men’s health is such an important, huge thing – especially at the moment with everything we have all been going through.

“I just really wanted to get behind it this year and obviously I can’t grow a mo,” she added, with a laugh.

Elizabeth said the uptake of the mugs – which are made in her garden studio – had been huge with the first batch selling out within a week and more on the way.

The former hairdresser took up pottery seven years ago after taking a lesson while on honeymoon in Japan.

She fell in love with the proccess and is now an accomplished ceramicist who also teaches others the art of pottery.

“I love making items that people will love and use for a long time. I’m not really a sculpturalist or anything like that, everything I make has a purpose,” Elizabeth said.

“What I love about the Mo Mugs is they are a modern take on a beautiful old idea and the team at Movember have just been so supportive of our idea.”

Movember is the leading global charity which funds ground-breaking medical research, innovative cancer tests and treatments, and game-changing mental health intervention projects.

Since 2003, more than 22.6 million people have donated to Movember resulting in the funding of more than 1,250 men’s health programs.

Elizabeth plans to continue making Mo Mugs as an annual fundraiser and the talented creative is already working on an idea for a Mother’s Day fundraiser to throw her support behind breast cancer research.

To purchase a Mo Mug visit the ‘elizabethbellceramics’ website and you can also follow Elizabeth’s journey @elizabethbellceramics on Instagram.

If you need help, phone Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14, headspace on 1800 650 890 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.