New Changes Coming Up

Around the time of the new year, there will be several updates made to B.Link. All will be great! The changes will mostly involve new layouts to this blog, b-linkdesign.com, and blinkdesign.etsy.com

Stay tuned for the new updates!

Lazy... Never!

I can't believe I haven't blogged in nearly a month. It has also been a while since I've added anything new to my Etsy page. Despite how it may seem, I haven't taken a break of any kind. I've still been creating, and I plan on finally adding all of my new items over the next few days, so be on the lookout for lots of great new finds. Here is an idea of what I've been working on...

As a little added bonus, I am offering $2 shipping on all orders worldwide on my Etsy page. Visit www.blinkdesign.etsy.com for more details! Holiday shipping will only be available till December 15, when my site will me on vacation mode.

Goodbye Flu, Hello Work

So, I've been out of commission the past few days. I was pretty scared that I might have gotten H1N1. So not the case! Due to lots of rest, liquids, and Day/NyQuil, my temperature has stabilized, and I'm felling pretty good again. Now that I'm better, I've got quite a few orders to fill out.

With cooler weather...

... comes warmer clothes. Knit items will be making a return to B.Link. While most of the country is feeling Autumn or even Winter like weather, It is sunny and 74 degrees outside my store window. Not exactly the right kind of motivation for making thick cozy knits. Nevertheless, you will be seeing more and more of them in store and especially on my Etsy store very soon.

Full Steam Ahead!

Things are looking pretty rosy for B.Link. Online sales have increased dramatically, as well as online traffic. Sales continue to be steady in store in Southtown too! Not really sure how to explain this unexpected upturn given the current state of the economy. My only explanation is that given the financial states of many, I think they want more for their money, and are looking for more meaningful ways of spending it, especially if it is for non-essential items, such as mine.

Continue to look for new items daily, and more great holiday gift ideas here!

A new batch of business cards just came in, and I plan on doing a bit of gorilla marketing, so don't be surprised to if you see something from me randomly pop up.

My Inner Band Nerd

State marching band competitions are held today here in San Antonio. Oh, how I remember those fun times!

This has really nothing to do with making anything other than marching band music :)

Happy Dia De Los Muertos!

Today is the last of a very eventful weekend. A procession celebrating the dead will take place this evening downtown, and will make a stop at B.Link. Hope everyone had as much fun in the last 3 days as I did!

Treasuries Gallore!

I'm currently featured in three Etsy treasuries right now. Two of them feature the Alamo City Etsy Team, and the other just likes my hair clip.

Find one list HERE.

Another list HERE.

And the last list HERE.

The life of a soon to be wife

Right now I am in the dead heat of wedding planning. The big day is less than two months away, and there are still quite a few details that need to be dealt with. Ultimately, if it were up to me, none of this would be going on, but never the less, I'm doing it for the love of my family who would love nothing more than to see this day happen. sigh.

Being the DIY person that I am, this wedding at least gives me the opportunity to be creative with all of those little details. Over the next few nights, I will be converting my strapless dress into a floral one shoulder gown.

Another thing I did was this past weekend for my bridal shower (which was a lot of fun). I needed something cute and comfortable, so I ended up making my dress. Here is what the dress looked like:

On the Front Page again!

My DIA DE LOS MUERTOS ring was featured on the front page of Etsy.com this past weekend.

One Woman Sweat Shop

This is what I'm gearing up for people!!! I'm trying to create lots of cool spooky/Dia de los Muertos themed items as well as great fall accessories. Don't miss this event! It's on Halloween. Visit BLinkDesign online to get a sneak peek of what's available.

Lots of great giveaways from local artisans, trick or treating, live music, live art, fortune telling, face painting, and more!

Support local, and support hand made!

Fabric and Feathers

I've been working with a lot of fabrics lately. I primarily fancied myself as a jewelry designer, but in a flooded market, you must diversify, right? While I still love to make pretty rings and necklaces, it just seems that creating in fabric is much more eye catching. Here is a bit of what I've come up with lately.

Both are available for purchase. Go to to my online store for more items.

Front Page!!!

My "Burgundy Poppy Hair Pins" were featured on the front page of Etsy.com about 2 hours ago. I just found out about it :) As a result, traffic to www.blinkdesign.etsy.com SKYROCKETED! Take a look at the other items that were featured on the front page with me.

Scarves, Scarves, Scarves

Right now I'm working with a lot of fabrics. I love Winter accessories, however I live in Texas, and down here, we're lucky if it dips below 60 during the fall. I've designed several of these great ruffled scarves that are incredibly soft, lightweight, and cozy. Click on the photo to see larger/more images and/or to purchase online, or come by my store. I've got several of each color in stock.

Here Is Where I Will Be On Halloween

Almost There!

It's been a long time coming, but I am about 99% done with finally organizing my store. Better late than never I guess.

Popular

These flowers are my absolute favorite right now ( I know, I say that at least once a week). Nevertheless, they are, and I'm glad a few others think so too! Ive sold several of these pieces in just the past two weeks, and now they are featured in two different treasuries on Etsy.

Here...

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=82167

And here...

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=68395

All of the other items in the treasury look great along side these. Take a look, maybe leave a comment :)

Dia De Los Craftos @ El Sol Studios

Dias de los Craftos is a festival to celebrate the Day of the Dead and Halloween the handmade way. We invite all local artisans to share their crafts at this family friendly event located in the historic King William neighborhood in Southtown, home of Blue Star Arts Complex and First Friday. The event will take place on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2009.

We are offering two different sized spaces: 10’x10’ @ $25 and 6’x6’ @ $15. Space is limited, so space is available on a first come first served basis. Applications due Oct. 10th

Advantages

• Live music and art, free face painting, costume contest and prize giveaways
• Connect and network with other local artisans
• Advertising provided by our team via AlamoCityEtsy.com and Print Ads
• Opportunity to showcase your high quality art and crafts at an affordable price

Criteria

• All items must be high quality hand made or vintage
• Vendors must provide their own tables, canopy, tablecloth, displays, baggies, chairs, signs, fixtures, lighting, extension cords, self promotion materials, etc.
• Items must be priced in whole $1 increments so that the tickets system can be used
• All vendors must be on time to set up between 4:30pm – 5:00pm
• Booths must be kept open until 10:30pm
• All vendors must bring packaged candy or similar goodies to pass out for trick or treating
• Vendors need to include 30 sample items for gift “swag” bags

All sales at the event will be made via a ticketing system which will be directed and administered by El Sol Studios. Each vendor will be responsible for managing their tickets and redeeming them at full cash value after their space is broken down and cleared out at the end of the event. This is the inaugural year of our festival and we expect it to only get bigger and more successful in the years to come.

I'm a beliver

I know that I am a bit late on the bandwagon, but Twitter is pretty dang cool. I'm amazed a the instant response that comes with it. Again, I know I'm a bit late. Just thought I would share.

Dear Diary...

In a writing mood you say? Check out these cool list of items. Click Here.

Right Now

I can't get enough of paper. Lately I've been doing many papercrafts, following the designs of my sister, who does some amazing things in paper arts. So far: bookmarks, envelopes, tags, and cards. I like to embelish them with cute details like metal eyelets, gromets, and ties. take a look...

More Handmade goodness in SA

I stopped by a new boutique in San Antonio today called Luminaria. If you are in the area (Alamo Heights across from UIW), please go check it out, or visit their website. Michelle the owner is super nice, and makes all of her great smelling candles from scratch!

Win my LOVE

Spearmintbaby.com has chosen my "LOVE" pendant for this week's Etsy Giveaway. To find out how to win this necklace, click here.

So far, there are about 40 entries, but the contest has another week to go. The contest will end on August 18. Good luck and visit B.Link online for more designs.

Fun With Wire

Since I have started soldering, I've rediscovered the fun of working with wire. This is what I've come up with in the past few days. They will be available for purchase online on Etsy very soon.

What's Old is New - Results!

As I mentioned before, I am currently upcycling several pieces of discarded vintage jewelry. Here is an idea of what I've been working on.

These are some veggie bobby pins that I thought were super cute, and in excellent condition!

A friend said I should title this one "Chinese new year" so I did. The pendant is a locket style (though it doesn't open) enameled disk that features a dragon. The gold tone chain came from another multi-layered necklace, and matched perfectly with the dragon pendant. And because the chain is so long, no clasp was necessary!

And this is my favorite so far. It was originally a broach. I cut off all of the pin connectors in the back, filed, and sanded them so that they would be smooth. Then I soldered on two loops to each end, and added a 21 inch sterling silver chain.

All of these items will be available in my Etsy store very soon!

Weekend Giveaway

From August 7th thru August 9th, you will receive a free pair of freshwater pearl earrings with every purchase from my online store. The earrings are made with sterling silver findings, and here is what they look like...

They are super cute for everyday use, and are a necessity in every woman's jewelry collection. To browse around my online store, click here.

Another late night... another Etsy treasury.

Check it out!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=73762

An homage to the bounty of trees.

Featured:

What's Old Is New

I have recently acquired a large amount of vintage/costume jewelry pieces. Now I'm not really one for either of these types of jewelry items, however I am TOTALLY for recycling and upcycling. So I started experimenting with a few of the items. The first experiment didn't turn out so well while the second experiment came out fantastic! The first was an attempt to make a large double pendant out of a pair of extra large fuchsia clip on earrings, while the second was an attempt to create a pendant out of an old broach.

I must admit, the second experiment is my new favorite item. I'm going to keep on experimenting and will end up posting the results as a mini collection of vintage upcycled jewelry. Be on the lookout!

Alphabet Stackable Rings

Fellow Etsy member, BadCatJewelry makes the best treasury lists!!! In her latest one, she features a lovely blend of lime and peach. My stackable alphabet rings were featured in her latest treasury list. Take a look at the list through the link below.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=72940

Here is a picture of the rings featured. Remember, these rings are available in all letters and all sizes from 1-14. They are made of fine silver and are only $20 each!

Etsy Treasury

So once again I am up in the middle of the night on the computer, scanning Etsy.com (where you can get my items online) and to my surprise, the Treasury West opened up. I've kinda been a little obsessed with creating these treasury lists. They are basically just a list of random items found on Etsy that you fancy and select in order to showcase for others to see. A few days ago, I created a list featuring items from the Alamo City Etsy Team. Today's list features my favorite color - Turquoise, but with a punk rock twist. I gave it the title of one of my favorite THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS songs, Punk Rock Girl. It's great! Any how, take a look, click around, and leave a comment if you've got an Etsy account.

Here is the link to the Treasury list:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=62224

A change of space

As of Tomorrow, B.Link will be in a new location. Its only 5 doors down from my last location, which is great, but the hard part is trying to reorganize all of my materials and supplies. It looks like I will be up in the wee hours of the morning setting up. Oh, how I love my sleep but by tomorrow, it will all look GREAT! Pictures of the new place will follow soon.

Front Page!

I've been selling my items on Etsy.com since January, and I've always wondered how items get featured on the homepage of the website. Now that I've been on Etsy for a few months, I now know it's a combination of ways. Anyhow, much to my surprise and merriment (yeah, I said merriment), I come to find that one of my items made it to the front page for the first time!!! I noticed this as I was looking at my online store and saw that I got an unusually high amount of views and hearts today.

Here is a look at the item that was featured.

A few nods that brightened my day

So early this morning I created my first Treasury on Etsy.com. I love the 60's mod style, so I titled it "Jackie O." I was super excited to finally be able to curate a list, beacause it takes so much paitence to wait for slots to open up. You can check it out here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=69758

Then as I'm at lunch today, I notice a copy of SAN ANTONIO MAGAZINE in the resuraunt, and I pick it up to check something and sure enough it's there! July is their "Newcomer Issue" and in the magazine, they featured a bunch of new places and people in San Antonio, and B.Link was mentioned in the Boutique's section. They even featured my "ocean spray" earrings that I posted on my first blog from July4. I went to both Borders and Whole Foods, and neither had the new issue. They only had the one from last month. I can't wait to get my hands on it!

And finally, as I'm scouring the bookstore for SAMag, I get an e-mail from another Etsyian, letting me know that my "mini farmers market bag - avocado" was featured in her treasury! I thought this was so awsome, especially since I just posted that item last night. It is a cool bag I must say. Here is what it looks like:

And here is a link to the treasury:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=70085

Please click on both of these treasuries, click around, and leave coments if you can!

Origins Pt.1

I often get allot of questions as to how I, this, B.Link got started, and it's a bit of a funny story. I was never really considered the creative type. Analytical, logical, mathematical, or clever even, but never creative. I love to solve puzzles, and figure out patterns, and I suppose it was this fancy for the logical that helped me become susceptible to the creative process.

It started about 10 years ago, the summer after I graduated from high school. As a graduation gift, I got a trip out west. We drove from San Antonio to Phoenix to Las Vegas then to LA, and I loved it. I spent about two weeks away, and while I was in LA, of course I spent some time at the beach. Santa Monica to be exact. While I was there, I was strolling along the pier, and I noticed a guy on the side making and selling hemp jewelry. Back then, I was really into the whole summer-west coast-surfer look, so his jewelry really intrigued me, and I thought, "I want to do that". I bought an anklet from him and wore for several months straight, but when I got back home to San Antonio, I started to inspect it to see how it was made and from then on I was hooked on the process of creating. Since then, the majority of my technique has come from trial and error based on going off what I see, whether it be visual imagery or text. I've never taken a class, or been formally taught on any specific process.

That August, I entered as a freshman at UT-Austin, and in my ID, I'm actually wearing one of the first hemp necklaces I made that summer. I couldn't put the stuff down, and I worked with hemp almost exclusively for two years. Knotting and working in this medium really laid the groundwork for how and what I create today.

While I don't really work with hemp too much these days, I have made an occasional bracelet here and there. I did come up with these earrings though, and in my store, they've been a bit of a hit. In the past month, I've sold about 1/2 dozen. These earrings are made with hemp, knotted on wire, then attached to a Tahitian coin pearl at the end. They hang from sterling silver ear wires.

In the begining...

Ok, so I'm trying to figure out more and more ways to get exposure without having to pay for it. Cheap I know, but afterall, I am a new business with a limited budget. In case you are not aware, B.Link is a boutique I opened a few months ago located in Southtown, San Antonio. I strive in creating handmade one of a kind items that are unique, chic, and affordable.

My jewelry, which I believe is my strong point, consist of the best materials I can find. No plastic here, only glass, vintage glass, and semi-precious stones. I only use sterling silver or gold filled items in my pieces about 90% of all the metalwork I do my self. I love making unique silver pendants and rings, and you would not believe how many custom orders I do.

Many of my designs and pieces are very much reflective of the seasons. I love to knit, but like I mentioned, I live in San Antonio... where there's like 300 days of sunshine and 150 days of +90 degree weather. My knits are only applicable for like a week, but they are sooooo cozy. Anyhow this is just the begining, stay tuned for more info on my process, my creations, and creative influences.

Here are one of my favorite earrings I have for sale in my store, and online at blinkdesign.etsy.com: