Weekend Wedding

I will be heading to Houston this weekend for a good friend's wedding. On that note, I leave you with these lovely images...

And don't forget that many bridal items can be found on my website! www.blinkwedding.etsy.com!

B.Link On Sale

I'm currently working on some new items for the Fall, so I am clearing out several items on my website. Several of these items will be on sale for the following week or so, so if you see something you like, get it while you can because they will be gone soon!

I'm hoping to clear out many of these spring/summer items in order to make way for the new stuff that will be popping up on BLinkDesign during the first week of August. CLICK HERE to check out the full assortment of sale items, or just continue to scroll below to get a peek of what's available. Be sure to check back often, as more and more items will be put on sale every day.

"XO" ID Bracelet. Was $20, now $15!

Jade Bracelet. Was $25, now $20.

Violet Spectrum Bracelet. Was $35, now $25.

Upcycle Vintage Zipper Earrings. Was $12, now $8.

Lemon Drop Hair Pins. Was $6, now $4.

New Layout

Following in the footsteps of Etsy, I too have decided to go with a wider page for my blog. Similar color scheme, but with the wider layout, I am able to have larger pictures shown on each post and the I'm able to add more sample pics from My Etsy Page along the right hand column.

I've also added buttons at the bottom of each post that make the blog easier to share to sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Enjoy!

Front Page!

After a night drinking and meeting up with some old friends this past Saturday night, I was curious to see as to how I would feel the next morning. I'm not the younger version of myself that was able to stay out all hours drinking and then feel fine the next morning. I'm getting older!

I was surprised to wake up felling fine and refreshed, so I headed straight for the computer. Checking my online stats first thing in the morning has become somewhat of routine for me. In fact, I've become a bit addicted to checking my Etsy traffic, blog traffic, etc, ever chance I get. Sometimes it's a waste of time, sometimes it isn't... the morning after going out for instance.

Sunday morning I noticed a HUGE spike in views on my Etsy Page. Turns out, I was Feautred on the Front Page! This is my 5th front page appearance in the past year. The great collection was created by Etsy seller, Glistenbyerin, and my Ode to Geekery - Lightning Bolt Necklace is featured at the bottom.

Her collection was inspired by stormy skies, which is a wonderfully sublime natural phenomenon, so I figured I would continue with that theme today.

Treasuries...

A few weeks ago, Etsy rolled out with a new way of presenting their member curated treasuries. There are definitely pros and cons to this new method, and I'm still on the fence about it, nevertheless, I'm featured in a large handful of them across etsyland. Take a look at these delightful treasuries!

This headband is actually featured in three different collections! Definitely a fan favorite out there. All feature a beautiful mixture of dark teals and turquoise. Check out Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night, Teal Summer Ocean, and Dusk is a Beautifully Mysterious Time.

My lightning bold necklace was actually featured in two different treasuries... Geeks are Hot and A Storm is brewing.

This treasury just loves everything :)

This treasury really goes Above and Beyond!

This Zip It treasury is super cute!

This treasury features plenty of fellow San Antonio Artists; a few of which are Alamo City Handmade members.

Getting Ready for Fall

I've written about knitting here several times before, simply because I love to knit. It can be illogical at times given the fact that I live in San Antonio, and the seasons here can be described as hot, hotter, warm and cool. Sometimes I wonder if I belong in a place where seasons are distinct and snow is more than a few flurries gracing the sky once every 4 years. But, I digress...

I've been knitting for about the past 10 years, and I love everything about it. I love buying different yarns (especially chunky ones!), mixing up yarns, using outrageously large needles, and using bold colors. Just recently I finally learned how to crochet. Now that I can do both, I plan on doing much more than what I've shown in the past.

I've got several shows lined up this fall and winter and in large metros that see much colder weather, so in order for me to keep my sanity for the autumn months, I've started knitting and crocheting now. A few of my yarn items have started to creep up into my online store.

Here are a few themes that I'm going to be sticking to for the fall...

Vintage style and lines.

Feminine fit.

Rich Autumn Tones...

...mixed with ultra chunky neutrals.

Casual cardigans.

As Featured in the Storque

In addition to keeping up with posting to this blog, I am also one of the contributors to the Alamo City Handmade Team's blog. Well, recently we've seen quite the influx of views over at the ACH blog, but I was baffled as to why? Well now I found out...

Etsy's blog, aka the Storque, featured about 20 different Craft Parties in this particular edition. The featured photo for us was a photo that I took (yeah, their blog featured a photo that I personally took!!!) of Tara (aka StellaSola) silkscreening directly onto Carrie's backside (aka Geminita).

How cool is that!!!

Productive Meeting

Normally we hold our Alamo City Handmade meetings on the first Sunday of the month, however that particular day for July landed on the 4th. With all of the backyard BBQs and fireworks on the brain, we decided to delay the meeting for another week. We had our July meeting at the fabulous Sew Deluxe this afternoon and had a great time discussing upcoming events and plans for the ACH Team.

White wine sangria was enjoyed by all and after the meeting, we helped ourselves to some snacks and crafts.

Tara of StellaSola brought a wonderful collection of fabric swatches to swap.

Don of CBTsCloset brought over a bunch of his awesome laser cut destash. I horded quite a bit of his stuff.

And Amy of AmyJosCreations brought some of her knitting projects to trade.

As always, the Alamo City Handmade meetings and events are open to all in the San Antonio area who love to socialize and have a love for crafting. Our next meeting will be on Sunday, August 1st at Sew Deluxe. Hope to see you guys there!

Goodbye, Friend

Loss is never easy, regardless of whether you see it coming or if it happens within a blink of an eye. A dear friend was lost today, and he will greatly be missed.

Working two jobs is tough, and as funny as it may sound, the thing that keeps me going are the wonderful people I have the privilege to work with. While I may not be rich or wealthy, I am extremely lucky to have so many amazing people in my life. It is very rare that the people you are paid to be around are seen more as family and less as co-workers. The people I've encountered over the past 6 years have become my second family.

Today, my second family is grieving the loss of a loved one.

I will always remember your smile, your jolly outlook on things, how you loved to have a good time, how you never judged, how you rolled with the punches, your strong work ethic, how you were well liked and loved, your diverse and awesome taste in music, and how you always made people laugh.

You were so well liked, and as a friend put it best, we all had a "Greg Moment." Remember the time we worked Jennifer's Body? When the lady in the theater made a loud "eyyyyeeeeee!" in a quiet theater because she thought something scary was going to happen, but nothing did. Oh, we couldn't stop laughing! For weeks, every time we saw each all we could say was "eyyyyyeeeeee!" Remember the stories we kept making up? "eyyyyeeeeee!"like an old lady walking barefoot on gravel, or "eyyyyyyeeeee!" like an old lady being pinched, or "eyyyyyeeeeee!" like your grandma getting splashed by cold water.

You had a good heart, Greg. All of us here will miss you so much. Rest in peace.

The Crafty Chica, Herself...

Author Kathy Cano Murillo was at a book signing at locally owned studio/boutique Tres Rebeccas. The author was super sweet and kind enough to pose for a few pics with me!

Being a bit of a crafty chica myself, I was very excited to meet her, and naturally I already had my own copy of one of her books, Art de la Soul. I'm above holding my newly autographed copy while Kathy is holding up her new novel, Waking Up in the Land of Glitter. Her second novel is set for release later next year. Please excuse my shiny face, and frizzy hair... it was very humid.

Kathy is the author of about a dozen books relating to the Chicana-Crafting culture. My favorite of her books is the one I got signed and shown above. In, Art de la Soul, Murillo mixes colorful (and most importantly, GLITTERY) how-to's with humorous first hand accounts throughout the crafting world. Embedded between every tutorial is an excerpt from DIARY OF A CRAFTY CHICA in which she recalls crafty inspirations, revelations, and even nay sayers.

While Murillo's inspiration is clearly drawn from the Chicana Culture, I truly appreciate how she encourages crafters to think outside the crafting box. It's so easy to strictly mind the packaging and labeling of crafts, but you may be pleasantly surprised at what you can create by going to a hobby store you've never been to, or even the hardware store. This notion is wonderfully articulated in her DIARY entry, No Crafts!

While this book is a few years old, it's one I highly recommend to bring out your inner "crafty chica!"

Clothing from B.Link

Over the past few weeks, I've been sewing quite a bit. I've mostly been working on dresses. One of my favorite styles comes from converting vintage men's shirt into strapless summer dresses. Below are two examples of what I've been working on.

The one featured above is an XS, while the blue one below is a M/L. Both are very comfy and feature an elastic gathering in the back.

I've also been making other dresses from scratch too, and not just relying on the lines of old. Below are two items I've made especially for me. the first is a simple grey sheath dress that looks great on me, especially when paired with a cardigan. I just made the dress last night, and didn't have a chance to iron it.

This last one I think is my favorite simply because it's the most versatile. I personally use this one as a cute nightie, however it can also be worn as a casual dress or as a cover all for summer attire. Better yet, it's one size fits most. The model shown below is a size small, but I have one just like it for myself, and I'm an XL.

So far all of these are mere prototypes and the patterns still need a bit of perfecting. As items are completed, I will be having them on display and for sale in store. As items are finally perfected, I will be adding them to my Etsy page.