Models’ Search – Femme PinUps!!!

The Blac Gurlz Ink Babes are excited to announce our next Models’ Search for our upcoming series…

Femme PinUps!

Submission Period: March 5, 2010 thru April 24, 2010

We are looking for members of the LGBT community who express the feminine aspect of the spectrum and want to share it with the WORLD!!!

How do YOU express “femme”?!

Sexy? Geeky? Large & in Charge? Quiet Church-mouse? How about Naughty School Gurl or BabyGurl? Better yet, Grown & Sexy or Bombshell? You get the idea – the list is endless!

Whatever it is…Bring It!

This Model Search is open the ENTIRE LGBT COMMUNITY!!!

Blac Gurlz Ink is proud to feature REAL members from our community and we won’t ever use “professional models” to act the part. With this premise in mind, we’re sending out a call for YOU to come and REPRESENT – show us, and the world, what you’re working with!! Haha!

Here’s what we need from you:

*Name
*Phone#
*Email
*Birthdate
*2 Photos – showing us your “best” side
*1 paragraph telling us why you’d like to be a Blac Gurlz Ink Femme PinUp!

All components are required to be considered for the photo shoot.

Again, the Submission Period is: March 5, 2010 thru April 24, 2010.

Send your submissions to: bgicasting@hotmail.com or hit our website: www.blacgurlzink.com – click on the “Community” tab and complete the online form. Easy!!

We look forward to receiving your submissions and Thank You!

The Babes!!

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

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

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!

The “Hello Europe!” FundRaiser Special!

Blac Gurlz Ink is Heading to Europe!

Supreme Challenger of the Status Quo!

Awhile back the Supreme One (aka Spring) entered Blac Gurlz Ink into StartUpNation’s “Face of Opportunity” contest, co-sponsored by British Airways.

Contestants had to write an essay stating why it would be beneficial for their businesses to have access to overseas markets. There were 45 businesses chosen, from 1000’s, to win the *Grand Prize…and well…the Supreme One is off to Europe to promote Blac Gurlz Ink!

We WON!

To assist Spring in covering her lodging expenses, for her time there, the Blac Gurlz Ink Babes decided to have a fundraiser.

“Hello Europe!”
Fundraiser Special

From now until Oct. 10, 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!

Premium Greeting Card

Please join us in sending positive energy out to the Universe that Blac Gurlz Ink is successful and that Spring has a safe trip!

Always in Gratitude…The Babes!

To view our Current Line of Greeting Cards: http://www.blacgurlzink.com

Premium Greeting Cards retail for $4.99/ea.

Premium Greeting Card

Handcrafted Couture Greeting Cards retail for $14.99/ea.  Custom orders available.

Handcrafted Couture Same-Sex Wedding Card

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*Grand Prize: 1 r/t ticket to Europe (with a 30 day “open” return) and 1 night hotel stay. Any additional travel/stay is at contestant’s expense.

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!

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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.

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Winners of the Email Give-Away

The Winners of the Butch Voices Email Give Away are:

Lisa Everly and Niko Summers!

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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

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“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!

My Women’s Initiative Speech

Got my Mind on My Honey & My Money

We all began our wonderful journeys in March of this year.  From the conversations with my colleagues, because they are more than classmates to me, I discovered that though we had come to the Women’s Initiative for different reasons, we all shared the same purpose – to start, to grow and to maintain our businesses, the correct way.

Many, including myself, commented that we knew the “pieces” of a business and some even had an idea about the “process”, but we all agreed that what we wanted was a clear and concise road-map of how to proceed.

We got right to work on the elements of our business plans and the process to success slowly revealed itself to us and the proverbial “bulbs” began to light up in our heads…pop, pop, pop…as we got it!

Clarity around elements such as business terminology, financial statements, and how our vision statements should reflect us “making money” was a revelation for many of us.  Oh and our infamous Sound-bytes – well by the end of the course, we were probably repeating them in our sleep…haha!  Through various exercises and homework, we learned to dispel many of our personal myths, acquired knowledge and realized that not only could we succeed as business women, it was our Divine Right to do because we are all so worthy of receiving the fruit of our hard work  — oh yes, we are worthy! As Aracelly stated.

Beginning with step 1, “what do we do first” in developing our businesses, we moved swiftly to step infinity, “our increased confidence in what we’re doing”.  We developed an understanding that it was okay to be more than someone’s employee – we could actually be the boss!  A shift from our lofty visions of saving the world and “maybe” make money shifted to we can save the world AND “definitely” make money in the process!  We learned that it was paramount that this, particular shift, take place in our minds, if we were to effect the change we wanted to see in ourselves, in our businesses and in our communities.

Though all of our businesses are quite unique, the one element of the process which I feel is an underpinning and vital component, is that we developed a sense of “community” – of “sisterhood” with one another.  We had created our first business-level network – our foundation.

When stress, family responsibilities, self-doubt and societal expectations reared their heads, we grouped together in support and encouragement.

We assured one another that our causes were noble, viable, and obtainable and that we had faith in each other’s success.  I think it is safe to say that as each of us achieve our individual business goals, the group as a whole achieves and feels the good vibes.  We are rejuvenated in the successes of our sisters.

I feel this sense of sisterhood is one of the best things I leave with.  It is priceless!

We are women.  We are strong and dedicated to our visions of success.  We are the Change-makers and we proudly go where some may fear to go…towards our Greatness!

Thank you.

http://www.womensinitiative.org/starting_expanding/starting-main.htm

This Is Dedicated to the One I Love!

Tonight’s blog is dedicated to my cat, who’s really a dog, being a cat! hahaha! He is a great fellow, dubbed Penoit Gregreio, Esquire the First…hahaha! He like my youngest son are both Taureans born on the same day and I declare if their personalities are not similar. Both have great hearts and would give you the “fur” in this case off their backs. More lovers than fighters, they prefer to avoid confrontation but somehow it finds them.

Well, my PG is a little over a year and he is an indoor/outdoor cat. We live in an apt where he has to be let out and in and if I tell you he has me and the neighbors trained, its not joke. We two other cats in the building who are two big bullies and they attacked him one day. He fought them, being a trooper and all and still proceeds to roam the outside and sometimes in the hallways, occasionally hissing as he pass their door to go outside. My baby is so fiercely independent and does not use his litter box in the house, but prefers to go outside to do his business and has learned the “right” meow/cry to get his way out the door and fast. Ive taught him how to give paw to get rubbed and he can always tell when Im down and has now begun to bring me “gifts”.

Which brings me to tonight’s blog. The other day Im out by the recycle bin breaking down boxes. It was hot in our apartment so PG went outside with me. He’s lying in the shade in the driveway all sprawled out on the cool ground belly up and just being a cat. The next thing I know he’s trotting up to me with a huge rat in his mouth with that “Mami look at the “gift” I have for you!” Now I did good in that I didnt scream and run up the drive-way in terror, mice arent my thing, let alone a huge rat! I look at my kitty and stated in my best Mami voice, “PG Mami doesnt like those types of gift baby, get Mami something else”. If I tell you that my cat rolled back his ears and went back the direction he came and finished the thing in the back of the apartment. Because being a good Mami I shouted out to him that I should not find any leftover parts…by the front door like he had left this other one.

I count my blessing and when I think Im not loved, Mother/Father God sends me a demonstration to the contrary! Which all that has been going on in my Life…I recognize an expression of love when I see it…hahaha! He truly loves me, unconditionally…there were no leftovers by the front door…Thank you Papa (his nickname) Mami loves you mucho!

Hahahahaha!

Fading out from laughter…Supreme One out…

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