Fall in Love with the Blac Gurlz Ink 2010 Butches of the Bay

The Blac Gurlz Ink Babes would like to take February – the month of Love, as an opportunity to introduce a new product into our greeting card and gift line – Postcards!

AND to also introduce our selection for the 2010 Butches of the Bay!

In keeping with our mission statement to be “authentic” in our presentation of images specifically designed for the LGBT community, by using LGBT members as our models and to showcase the “diversity” of our community, we feel that the handsome women chosen, represent a cross section of the submissions we received, as well as our community.  They come from various walks of life, ethnic representation and gender expression within the dynamics of being “butch women.”  The Blac Gurlz Ink Babes feel that based on the models’ energy, personal expression of their “butch-ness,” in addition to being simply handsome…well, we’re happy with our picks!

We asked our models to give us a brief bio (see bios below) so that you would be able to get to know them as we have and come to “love the Butches of the Bay” as much as we do.  They are an amazing group of women; they were easy to work with and though they had only met one another during the photo shoot (it was an open casting call), their energy was so warm and welcoming that well…you can feel it emanating from their photos!

Who better to launch our POSTCARD series then gorgeous women who also endow such wonderful masculine energy! 

A set of 6 Postcards for $9.99 (assorted)

And there’s more!

We have also reduced pricing on our hand-crafted, couture greeting cards – in time for Valentine’s Day as well!

Now you can have one of these gorgeously crafted greeting cards for $12.99 – they’re great for expressing that “special” sentiment to the ones you love!  Our hand-crafted, couture greeting cards are great for weddings, baby showers, birthday, anniversary or any special occasion giving.

Valentine's Day You & Me Handcrafted Couture Greeting Card

We here at Blac Gurlz Ink strive to enhance your shopping experience when you visit us at www.blacgurlzink.com and hope that you enjoy your purchases from our greeting cards, gifts and NOW our NEW POSTCARD line!

Our products are also being carried in the following retail locations, so please show support for local and independent businesses:

Laurel Bookstore
4100 MacArthur Blvd.
Oakland, CA  94619
510/531-2073

Crumps Clothing
7416 N. Fresno Street
Fresno, CA 93702
559/449-8437

Rainbow Grocery
1745 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
415/863-0620

VoluptuArt
http://www.voluptuart.com.

www.blacgurlzink.com

Please keep us ALL  in mind when making future purchases and Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Model Bios

2010 Butches of the Bay Model: C. Svendsen

Christine Svendsen is a college instructor who is always busy.  She is the president of her local pride organization, president of a local Dyke on Bikes Chapter and president of an advocacy council, all of this while working on her PhD.  She loves to write and is finishing edits on her first book, which she hopes to see in print soon.  She recently married the first, an only, woman in her life Schileen.  She feels one of her greatest accomplishments has been raising three great sons.

Loretta Cannon is surgical assistant who likes to volunteer in countries who little to no access to health care.  She is a firm believer in promoting good health and well being for all women and their families.

Loretta enjoys making gourmet meals for friends and families and team members.  If she had one wish, she would want all lesbian couples to see and feel the safest and warmest memories within each other.

2010 Butches of the Bay Model: L. Cannon

Loretta is embarking on a new business endeavor where she will assist you in “wooing” your sweetie – so watch out for it!

Ericka Schneider enjoys spending her days dreaming of a future as a porn star, but when she is not dreaming, she is spending her time running her own company – ELS Plumbing, “where their specialty is snaking your pipes”.

She also enjoys donating her skills to various organizations that help better the community, such as – Rebuilding Together Oakland (RTO), First Christian Church of Concord (FCC) and the First Christian Church of Fremont, volunteer programs.

When she is not working or dreaming she can be found out on the softball field or at a pool table.  Ericka really enjoys meeting new people and learning new skills.

2010 Butches of the Bay Model: E. Scheider

2010 Butches of the Bay Photo Shoot!

Blac Gurlz Ink 2010 Butches of the Bay Selectees!

The Blac Gurlz Ink’s 2010 Butches of the Bay photo shoot took place this weekend and I must personally say that the wonderful energy of the models, the organic approach I take to photo shoots and Jennipur Jane’s (Ephemeral Studios) phenomenal eye, led to an amazing time and some great photos to work with for our 4th series release!

Our open casting call, which ran from April thru July of 2009 and which we posted to our website; Myspace page; circulated via our newsletter and flyers and spread by word of mouth, yielded quite a few submissions but due to location, date, time etc. — some were not able to be selected, however ALL submissions were placed into our Model’s Database for consideration for future photo shoots!

These handsome women represent a cross section of the submissions we received and the Blac Gurlz Ink Babes feel that based on the models’ energy, personal expression of their “butch-ness,” in addition to being simply handsome…well, we’re happy with our picks!

Now, if you’re thinking, “I dont see this or that represented?”  Well, that means YOU need to model for us!  In keeping with being “authentic” in our designs for the LGBT community, we will not use professional models and thus we wont ever “get” someone to “represent” you.  And well…if you didn’t submit your info during the casting call period…well? Im just saying…

The Blac Gurlz Ink staff would love to get as many of you onto our quality premium greeting cards and

Thanking the Models - Outtake 2

gift items as we can!  We believe “visibility” is important and we have tons of ideas for which we will be putting out calls for submissions — but why wait!

You can submit your information to model for us by completing our Model’s Submission Form on our website:  www.blacgurlzink.com

Also, if you haven’t already joined our email newsletter list, in which we announce all of our casting calls, contests and fun information, what are you waiting for? *Click on the Join the BGI Network at the top of any page on our website.

So look for the release of the Butches of the Bay series — coming soon!!

Happy New Year,

Spring E. Opara
Owner
Blac Gurlz Ink

Making Our Mark in 2010!

Happy New Year Everyone!

I hope you all have BIG plans for 2010 and that you tackle them with vim and vigor!

I took the last few weeks of ’09 off to reflect on the accomplishments of the passing year and to set realistic goals for Blac Gurlz Ink for 2010!

It is my intent to leave a most memorable and positive mark via Blac Gurlz Ink on the World and I trust that all is in order to continue to make that happen as 2010 unfolds!

In 2009 I was fortunate to have developed some amazing partnerships, create many inspirational networks and to muster up the gumption to bring Blac Gurlz Ink into fruition.

I had so much support and I want to send a shout out to Lahle Wolfe, of About.com – Women in Business for doing a story on us.  I met Lahle via Help A Reporter Out (HARO) and she “tracked” us pretty much at our inception.

Our story: Women in Business Success Story – Blac Gurlz Ink: How an Idea for Greeting Cards Became a Successful Business, was one of the best gifts I received in 2009 — and there were a few!

I look forward to my continued relationship with many of you and to walk…if not but for a short while, with some of you, as we make our way to the lives we wish to lead.

I will be 50 in 2010 and I think that it is going to be another amazing year and so onward I go…to leave my mark — “traveling Light to travel faster” as my Granddaddy would say — haha!

Wishing you all positive abundance and wonder-filled adventure in 2010!

Making it a Great Life!

Supreme Challenger of the Status Quo!

Spring Opara
Owner
Blac Gurlz Ink
www.blacgurlzink.com
admin@blacgurlzink.com

Blac Gurlz Ink – 2009 A Year in Reveiw

Well its December 27, 2009 and as I sit in the quietness of my space I began reflecting on the year and all the amazing adventures that Ive gone on in my endeavor to achieve the goals I set for Blac Gurlz Ink.

Spring Opara, Owner Blac Gurlz Ink Greeting Cards & Gifts

From day one the support has been simply amazing as family, friends and strangers came on board to assist in propelling Blac Gurlz Ink through…again…an amazing year! And to them I offer up my most heart felt “THANK YOU”. Without their support, the achievements made would not have been possible and for this I know that I am blessed.

One of my dearest friends mentioned to me that considering the year, being grateful/thankful is all that I can be and with that said I wanted to blog about Blac Gurlz Ink’s 2009 Achievements so that all involved can see what they contributed to in the course of helping to bring this dream to fruition.

So without further ado…

Blac Gurlz Ink’s Year in Review

*Starting and operating our first year during one of the most challenging economic meltdowns since the Great Depression

*Participation in the Make Mine a Million $ Business Race (M3Race)

*Second series greeting cards, Graffiti Queers completed

The Blac Gurlz Ink Babes - Graffiti Queers Photo Shoot!

*Enrollment and completion in the Women’s Initiative Simple Steps to Success Business Intensive (Mar-Jun)

*Enrollment with the BBB

*Free Trip to New York to attend the M3Race, The First 100 Day – a symposium for the Women Business Owners

*San Francisco Pride 2009

*Monterey Pride 2009

*San Francisco Intl Gift Fair

*Butch Voices Conference – Oakland

*Sistahs Steppin Pride – East Bay Dyke March & Festival

*Castro Street Fair 2009.

Paddington Station - London

*Free trip to London to promote Blac Gurlz Ink to overseas markets via winning a contest sponsored by StartUpNation and British Airways.

*Eclipse Holiday Event

That is quite a bit of work for any business in its first year.  I am so happy in this moment and in the safety of my quietness I plan our continue…

TAKE OVER OF THE WORLD…haha! One greeting card at a time.

To all of you I send peace, prosperity and love in the coming year and I hope that you are all as excited about 2010 as I am.  Cant wait to see what the Universe has in store for me…woohoo! Im so ready for it…see you all next year!!

Spring Opara
General Partner
Blac Gurlz Ink

It’s Raining In London Today

The View from My Window

The weather during this journey has been simply marvelous but this morning I woke to rain which is so appropriate right now…a cleansing rain.

This has been an amazing  journey for me — the first in my 49 years on this planet where I have taken something on solely FOR ME and the energy around that has been amazing, revealing, surprising and well…all I can do is count my blessings.

Blac Gurlz Ink(BGI) turned 1 yr on Oct. 10th and to already be at a point where we are actually going into overseas markets to promote our greeting cards…well, that usually takes place in years 3 thru 5 of a business!  So for us to be at this point now…I KNOW I am blessed.

It has been hard work, long hours, sleepless nights and tons of prayer to get BGI here and as the Supreme One, I have to thank all of the Angels who have “stepped up to the plate” to actively help me make this dream possible.

Total strangers have been supportive of me and that has been my biggest blessings.  I truly had to surrender to Spirit and to allow those who “needed” to get to me…to get to me…as someone who I consider a good friend said to me…”let us help you…we ARE and CHOOSE to be YOUR Angels.”

So as I sit in my quaint little room (space is premium in these here parts…haha!) I reflect on what I

My Room

asked Mother/Father God for…to be successful as defined by Me — which has way more to do with the “quality” of My Life than it does the money I make.  I asked for support, to be surrounded by those who are positive and loving influences, to have doors just fly open — haha! and of course to make tons of money so that I can provide for me, those I consider to be My Tribe and to be a good ambassador for my community.

Im off to Paris in a few days and in this moment of reflection…I am utterly content and absolutely grateful for each and every moment that has passed and the exciting ones yet to come…and so it is…

“its not the rain that makes you sad…its raining because you are sad” MIB2

Introducing Our Couture Line of Greeting Cards!

Lesbian Christmas Couture Greeting Card

The holidays are fast approaching and the Blac Gurlz Ink line of greeting cards is expanding just as fast!  We know that the holidays can present a unique opportunity for same-sex loving members and their allies to exchange holiday greeting cards that reflect and express their sentiments.

So we decided to help out a bit!

Introducing the Blac Gurlz Ink’s “Couture” line of quality greeting cards!

We are introducing the line during the holiday season so that not another day goes by where you’re wondering…”isn’t there something more…something more representative of my community?”  Well, now there is!

And the beauty of the Couture line is that you can place a “custom” order!

These limited edition and signed greeting cards are lovingly handcrafted from the finest materials we have found thus far and can we just add that anyone giving or receiving one of our Couture cards will know that they are SPECIAL to someone!

Once the holiday season has passed they will make wonderful keepsakes AND we didnt just create cards for the Holidays!

Please go to our website to view our complete line:
http://www.blacgurlzink.com/

Holiday Special!

From now until Dec. 20, 2009, when you purchase 4 premium greeting cards or 2 handcrafted couture greeting cards, we will send you a FREE card as our way of saying thank you!

Below are some ideas taken from Gallery Collection of great ways to enhance your greeting cards to fit your home decorating motif.

Lesbian Christmas Couture Greeting Card

Greeting Card Crafts
(excerpt taken from http://www.gallerycollection.com. All photos are of Blac Gurlz Ink Couture greeting cards)

Puzzles
Choose a theme, such “Winter Wonderland” or “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” Cut out the pictures and arrange them on a piece of cardboard (a cereal box is ideal)Glue (Modge Podge works well for this craft) the pictures to the cardboard and then brush Modge Podge on the top of the pictures for a strong glossy finish. After it dries, cut in puzzle size pieces with an Xacto knife.

Christmas Gift Tags
This is so easy. Cut the front of an old Christmas card or just the picture from any greeting card. Punch a hole and place ribbon through it.

Gay Christmas Couture Greeting Card

Wall Plaques
Your local craft store sells wooden plaques in all different shapes and sizes. Paint or stain the wood. After it dries, use Modge Podge to glue the picture to the plaque. Put another coat of Modge Podge over the picture for a glossy finish. This can be great in place of a holiday card or Christmas card.

Place Mats
Glue your pictures to cardboard. (You may want to paint the bottom of the cardboard first.) Laminate or use clear Con-tac paper.

Framed Art
Your favorites designs can be framed and hung on the wall. Or artfully arrange a few personalized greeting cards in one frame.

Lesbian Wedding Couture Card

Gay Wedding Couture Greeting Card

Shine A Light Contest!

I am always looking for ways to expand Blac Gurlz Ink, so I belong to a few business social networks to gather knowledge and information about what’s going on in the business world. And like any emerging business — continued funding is key to growth. So when the CEO of the M3 Race, Nell Merlino posted about an opportunity for a business to win $100K, I answered the call.

Blac Gurlz Ink needs 50 “spotlight” nominations by September 13, 2009 in order to make the 2nd phase of the contest and I know we can do it with your help! We have tons of “views” and I wish those counted, but for $100K they are making sure the “bots” keep their paws off and ask that if you vote for a business you “register” first.

To endorse us, please go directly to “Register” on the Home page of Shine A Light and then once you’ve registered, click on the “banner” on the right that says “Nominate a Business”. Our contact information is public but I will place it here as well to assist you.

Blac Gurlz Ink, PO Box 16182, Oakland, CA 94610. Email: blacgurlzinc@gmail.com. Telephone#: 510/943-8578.

I would like to personally thank you for continuing to support Blac Gurlz Ink as we learn to walk in the business tides and dont forget we have a fundraiser going on where we are giving YOU a “GIFT” for your support in sending us to Europe…another amazing contest that we were honored to win!

Shine A Light!

Babes Babel – Sept. 2009

Now that we’ve had an opportunity to rest up, we wanted to drop you a note to say that it was nice to meet all of our new friends from the Butch Voices Conference and Sistahs Steppin Pride! Your email addresses have been added to our newsletter database & now you’ll be in the loop about events we will be attending or supporting, get first-hand information about our wonderful new greeting card releases and gift additions, casting calls, contests and discounts!

We hope that you had as much fun as we did and please remember Blac Gurlz Ink for your greeting cards and gift needs! We know our paths will cross again as we venture around the Bay…the Nation…hell, the World…because we’re going Global baby!

The Blac Gurlz Ink Babes!

**************************************************************

New Product!

NOW AVAILABLE!

We are excited to announce a new addition to the Blac Gurlz Ink Gifts Line.

The Blac Gurlz Ink $50 Gift Set!

1) 1 Custom T-shirt – $35 (you pick the design)

2) 3 of our Premiere Cards or 1 Couture Card – $15

3) 1 poster – $10

*That’s a $60 value…if purchased separately.

**************************************************************

********************************************************************

Winners of the Email Give-Away

The Winners of the Butch Voices Email Give Away are:

Lisa Everly and Niko Summers!

**************************************************************

Future Babe Sightings!

September 2009

Sep. 5 – Butches of the Bay photo shoot

October 2009

Oct. 4 – Castro Street Fair
Oct. 13 – Supreme One off to Europe

**************************************************************

“Hello Europe!” Fundraiser Ends October 10, 2009
Buy 4 premium greeting cards & get 1 FREE!

Hello There! Now that we’ve had an opportunity to rest up, we wanted to drop you a note to say that it was nice to meet all of our new friends from the Butch Voices Conference and Sistahs Steppin Pride! Your email addresses have been added to our newsletter database & now you’ll be in the loop about events we will be attending or supporting, get first-hand information about our wonderful new greeting card releases and gift additions, casting calls, contests and discounts! We hope that you had as much fun as we did and please remember Blac Gurlz Ink for your greeting cards and gift needs! We know our paths will cross again as we venture around the Bay…the Nation…hell, the World…because we’re going Global baby! The Blac Gurlz Ink Babes!

The SF Intl Gift Fair

One of My BFF's

Well, let me start by saying thank you to my best friend E, for getting me there, setting up, working 2 days of the event with me, left to do her own gigs and THEN came back to pack me up and haul me back home!  Ya’ll it was no easy feat and for that I am eternally grateful to her.

The SF Intl Gift Fair (SFIGF) is an amazingly huge and exciting event.  When we entered the main hall, two thoughts came quickly.  First, I must have been transported to Santa’s workshop.  Second thought…these exhibitors have some magnificent booths and damn…Im outta my league…I quickly dispelled both and found our booth in the Haight area of trade show.

Our group was very grounded and oh so helpful.  We were busy setting stuff up and Lori and her husband Chad of Miss Ruby Sue, http://www.missrubysue.com immediately came over and asked if we needed any help.  A few minutes later Barbe St. John and her husband Rob came over and introduced themselves…Barbe and I became really good friends and Im looking forward to hanging out with her real soon.  Talk about manifesting…this sistah has that down to a tee and well, I just might sit at her knee just to have it rub off…check out her wonderful one-of-a-kind jewelry at: http://www.barbesaintjohn.com.

Barbe Saint John - Saints & Sinners

One of the most amazing moments that happened within an hour of our arrival was bestowed upon me when Jimbob, of “Jenny & Jimbob,” http://www.jennyandjimbob.com (they make some amazing jewelry too), walked over to me, introduced himself and gave me the biggest hug ever.  He looked at me and said…”I can tell you’re full of Love…never forget that.  Good people can feel it Spring.”  If only he knew how much that meant to me.

The trade show was the first for some of us and we all pitched in to help and motivate each other to just “release, enjoy the fun and make some $.”  Our biggest cheerleader was Barbe.  Her good energy just kept our little crew motivated and optimistic in knowing that all was good.  She’d come into everyone’s booth before and during the show to encourage us to do the “money dance” hahaha!  I think she and Jamie, of Jamie Lau Designs, http://www.jamielaudesigns.etsy.com did the dance the best.  Barbe is my girl though…kindred spirits and Im so glad I met her.

Jamie Lau - Jamie Lau Designs

Jamie is Taurus like me and designs reversible totes and fabric colored notebooks.  I so loved seeing her bounce from place to place like a child exploring the world…made me remember where I was last year on my Spiritual path and Im so glad she and Cindy Yep, the “Hamburlger” as Jamie has affectionately nicknamed her friend, are cool sistahs too and Im looking forward to connecting with them in the near future.  Cindy is the owner of Hamburgerpanda and she has some wonderful T-shirt designs: http://www.hamburgerpanda.com.

I learned so much at this event that I have already begun to incorporate and I can’t wait until my next event.  I tell you with each one I become more and more confident in what I’m doing and that I’m on the right track and as I release and allow Mother/Father God to guide my steps and remove drama and obstacles from my path, I realize and acknowledge how truly blessed I am.

The crowd was really conservative and though the event was held in SF they walked passed us with those “middle America” smiles of “oh you all must be from California” haha!  (Umm, no, “you’re” from somewhere…haha!).  The pleasant nods and polite smiles as they tried to look without making eye contact…see we were the “hippies” of the show, but many buyers lamented that our products were unique and unlike the “bulk” items many came to buy. We were the hidden “gems” of the show!

The Haight Area at SF Intl Gift Fair

I got some wonderful leads and sold some of our product which felt really good, considering that many walked by, pointed at the “lesbian” portion of our banner and said “wow” I’ve never seen such a thing but its a wonderful idea. That’s exactly the reason I began the company…”yes America we LGBT folks would like cards that are “reflective” of our relationships too”…it was if a light went on. haha!

Another interesting phenomenon that happened which I understand, but have mixed feelings about is how the “older” women who stopped by the both thought I was like 25…haha!  Though truly a compliment, because I’m not…I really thought at least two of them were going to pinch my cheeks…hahaha!  Now what would I have done…haha!  Too damn funny, especially with all of my gray hair peeking out from under my cap.

The Blac Gurlz Ink Booth & Me!

The camaraderie was what I thrived on.  Though I started my days before 6am and finished well after midnight…I looked forward to hanging out with my new friends and I am a bit sad its all over.  I know that I will see them all again as we have exchanged info and have let one another know what upcoming events we are all attending for the remainder of the year.

The trade show was nothing like I thought, yet everything that I thought — a learning opportunity.  By day two many of us had reconfigured our spaces and “stepped our game up” as Cindy put it!  I put out the “love” Jimbob felt…he’s an enlightened soul and the Universe sent me demonstrations that Mother/Father God has my back and will ensure that I have folks around me who will lend me the support I need when I need it and that’s comforting!

I truly loved how supportive, not only Jimbob and Rob were of their wives, but of how all the spouses “showed” up for their partners.  It was a beautiful thing because ya’ll four days of a trade show will wear you out by the end of day two.  Cement floors, blizzard inducing A/C systems and crowds that come in waves can be daunting.

I realized that though I was not in the company of my immediate Tribe/partner, I had found more members of  it — my business Tribe, who cheered me on and gave me emotional, physical and Spiritual support and I them…it was good to find them early in the process…without them I would have just well…faded away amongst the candy, toys, baby items and gaudy baubles that were on display.

Thank you my extended Tribe…thank you!

Tim of Tim Synder Urban Photography

Barbe Spreading the Love!

My Tribe

On any given day I can be surrounded by my Tribe. My Tribe consists of people who we’ve agreed that we are family and are not necessarily related by blood. This group has really supported me through a lot and today I spent some time helping one clean an art studio we share and just chillaxin with my wife and our best friend (also a member of our Tribe).

It made me think tonight about how I can’t wait until we have enough cash to buy the compound we all want and envision in various ways. How we will bring some, cuz not all may be feasible, of the ideas to fruition is a wonderful journey. The collective manifesting of my Tribe has drawn people from all walks of life…entrepreneurs, crafts people, artists, 9-5’er’s, farmers and students…its an amazing collective and what makes it so amazing to me is that we’re all WOMEN!

We currently all live in separate abodes and that’s why we want a compound — separate houses, but on the same land. Grow our own food, run e-businesses, community meals and projects, travel and just thriving is the DREAM! The “static” of the world can be overbearing and I think the reason we’ve all come together is to create that quiet space where we can all breathe.

A residual effect of all of this is — as a collective we are stronger in so many ways that individually would be more of a challenge.

Everyday we get closer and closer to bringing it HOME! As their fearless leader…staying positive and focused is imperative…Lead by Example…yes, Lead by Example.

Supreme One out…fade to black