Glint Gear™ ... on the edge of the fashionverse™

Check out my friend's new book, "Salvation"

2011-09-24T09:14:00.000-05:00

I am graced to know so many extremely talented people and have BIG news to share about one of them. Dear friend Chip Transue aka Charles Kent, has published his first novel!!! I gotta say, I'm excited and can't wait to read it because knowing Chip's talent, it's gonna rock. Also pretty excited that Ocean illustrated Chip's cover concept art. ;)

Chip is another beautiful example of following your dreams until they materialize. So proud of you, Charles Kent!

Below is Chip's official announcement. Please take a look and buy the book!
...
"I’m announcing that, after two years, my first novel, “Salvation”, has been published and is now available for sale through the publisher’s website, www.virtualbookworm.com, in hardback for $21.95, trade paperback for $16.95 or e-book for $6.99. The publisher has my personal author’s website (www.charleskentbooks.com) in the works, and will soon send out a press release to announce it to the world of book retailers and reviewers, after which it will be available for sale through other retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. To see a synopsis and order the book now, go to www.virtualbookworm.com. Click on “Shop”, then “Search” and enter my pen name, “Charles Kent”. Clicking on either ordering link (hard copy or e-book) will give you a synopsis and my author’s bio.

Please order and read my book, and feel free to email me directly with your evaluation."

Here is the direct link to his book on virtualbookworm:

http://www.virtualbookworm.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=bookstore&Product_Code=Salvation&Category_Code

The finished bag...

2011-08-08T14:54:00.001-05:00

I had posted a green wedge bag in progress... Thought you'd like to see the finished bag. I call it "Warp Drive." Groovy, huh? More photos can be found on my Etsy shop.

Never Say Never

2011-05-29T09:19:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! I am back! I know it's been a while since I've posted. I took a hiatus from Glint Gear after working every spare minute on making product for the trunk show back in February at Gallery Black Lagoon. But I am back at the cutting table and ready to rock Glint Gear again! Can't stay away too long from something that you love, right?

I wanted to share a recent discovery about Glint Gear... and that is, "never say never." I said I didn't want to varnish the painted sections because I didn't want to lose the texture differences that occur in the painting process. But I've been using one of my new bag styles with all the Glint pieces varnished. I am a good test subject for Glint Gear because I am VERY hard on my bags. I throw them around and generally treat them rough. And the varnished pieces look great. Not getting dirty, and the cracks that I varnished over are frozen in the varnish and not moving. OK.... I am going to start doing what I said I wouldn't do... varnishing all the painted swatches before I sew them on. This not only helps with wear, but it also actually does make the colors pop even more. And those benefits outweigh my adamant stance about not flattening out the textures. Experience really is the best teacher!

The bag in this picture was a test model I made for the trunk show back in February. My mom had sent me these wonderful vintage bag rods she found. I had been dying to find a way to use them other than the traditional way. I LOVE the way this bag turned out and get compliments on it regularly. I made another one similar with an interesting hardware treatment that used a clip, a metal ring and wooden handle. Yea, odd experiment! I'll have to dig out a photo of it. That odd bag, which I named WTF?, was the hit of the show and sold. This one I carry would have sold, but in my frenzied experimentation, I made the two bar straps too wide and made the opening to fit my small hands. LOL. The next iterations will have smaller bar straps to create a wider hand opening. I have 3 more of the rob/knob sets, so am cutting out more of these. I need to either find these vintage rod/knob sets on Etsy or Ebay or find dowels and knobs to make them myself.

Look for posts of new creations coming soon. And feel free to drop me a line at glintgear@gmail.com or on my fan page to let me know what's up in your creative world.

xoxooxo

On the design table now...

2011-02-05T14:14:00.002-06:00

On the design table now..., originally uploaded by Glint Gear.

Happy New Year! Been a while since I blogged! Hope you all great hoidays and a great start to 2011!

I have been busy designing cool new stuff for the Austin Fashion Trunk show at the Gallery Black Lagoon on February 26th!

For more info, go to www.galleryblacklagoon.com

or check out the Facebook event invitation :
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=191246254234501

Hope to see you there. Feel free to stop by just to browse all the great designer's stuff (including Ocean's Squid Inkwear T-shirts!) and say hello to us both. If you do want to invest in some Glint Gear or Squid Inwear, we will be set up to take credit and debit cards along with cash!

Grape & Blueberry Candy Striper Giveaway Pouches

2010-07-23T13:41:00.003-05:00

Grape Candy Striper Giveaway Pouch, originally uploaded by Glint Gear.

The pouches won in my recent Facebook giveaway are in the works! Go to Flickr at the link above to see them both!

Candy Stripers Taught Me a Lesson in Self Awareness

2010-07-13T11:55:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we just trudge along and do what's in front of us to do but it feels as if we are trying to run through molasses. I've been experiencing that lately with Glint Gear, particularly when it comes to finishing labor-intensive projects that I'm excited about.

Now, I've had a lot of other circumstantial things come up that required my attention outside of the fun of Glint Gear that contributed to the "molasses." But outside of that, I had a light bulb go off this weekend when I was resisting working on a gorgeous special order piece. It's turning out amazing. But this particular type of bag requires a ton of production and many hours in the making, and I just didn't have the oomph to sit down to focus and give all the time it requires to complete.

For about a week, I had been toying with a way to bring more consistency, ease and fun to the rounded-top cosmetic pouches I make using Glint Gear painted canvas scraps and remnants versus reinventing the wheel with the applique design each time I make one. My focus for Glint Gear these past 6 months has been to narrow down the bag types that I make to a handful and begin to bring more cohesiveness. The idea hit me this week to take painted canvas scraps and just do simple wonky striped appliques in a common color scheme on the front of each one. On the back I would sew simple vertical lines in the matching thread color and top it off with a complimentary zipper color.

I've been working on that special order bag way too long and knew I needed to buckle down and work on it. But what I really wanted to do was play with the new idea for cosmetic pouches. So... I decided to just do one and get it out of my system and then work on the special project. Well, the one turned out SO cute and was so much fun to make that I had to bust out 4 more. And then I was able to sit down and get a nice chuck of the labor-intensive special order done!

What I realized this weekend is pivotal as I move forward with Glint Gear - when I have a lot of production time ahead of me on one bag and it seems like there's no end in sight to it, I MUST halt production on it and whip out something easy and pure fun like the cosmetic pouches. This way I can feel a sense of accomplishment and get instant gratification. This in turn gives me a second wind for the labor-intensive project.

So, all that being said, here is the overhaul of the applique design for the cosmetic pouches. They are so fun and cute and are now cohesive. I don't obsess over cutting out the stripes perfectly or try to line them up straight. I cut them out by hand with scissors and arrange them in a pleasing & fun way and whip it together.

These pouches remind me of yummy pieces of candy, so I'm calling them Candy Stripers. They are here to nurse your spirits and brighten your day just like they do mine when I'm creating them. Which flavor do you like?

iLove!!!!

2010-07-12T18:07:00.002-05:00

Check out the coolness from yummypocket on Etsy! This one is for an iPad, but they also have them for iPhones. I don't have an iPhone or iPad, but if I did I'd so coze 'em with one of these!

Share the Love Contest Winner!

2010-07-01T11:52:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Angela of Austin, Texas, for winning the prototype mini-messenger bag named Sunrise. She did an amazing job with the qualifiers. She was the only person to enter the contest and instantly wins this beautiful bag.

I realize how hard it is to acknowledge yourself. We never do that for ourselves, which is why I made it part of the contest qualifiers. Below is her beautiful statement of something she loves about herself:

"This is a hard one since I never want to give myself props. I think one of the most positive things about myself is my willingness to always be there for my friends and family. I actually can't event separate the two because once you are one of my friends you are part of my family. I always make it a point to tell the people closest to me how much they mean to me. You never know what tomorrow holds and I never want anyone to doubt how important they are in my life. "

Share the Love Contest!!!

2010-06-13T17:36:00.001-05:00

Love this bag? Want a chance to win it?

Since times are crazy for a lot of people who are either laid off or having to cut back on extraneous spending, I want to do a little to give back and share the love in thanks for all the support I've been receiving.

This bag is a prototype I made to work out size and construction for a new simple mini-messenger crossbody bag to replace the time-consuming rounded crossbody bag. There are a few things I will tweak for the final that I don’t like in this one, but those things are nothing anyone but me would notice since they are purely cosmetic.

Bag Info (More photos of bag on Flickr):

Made out of soft beige upholstery fabric and accented with Glint Gear painted appliqués.

Flap accent, inner lining and pockets are made of bright orange cotton canvas fabric.

The bag is approximately 9x9 with a 3” boxed bottom. Very roomy! The 2” wide strap is about 50 inches long.

So… now you are wondering, how do I enter to win this groovy piece of Glint Gear!? Below are the qualifying steps to enter you into a random drawing… yep, I’m gonna make you work for it!!! All qualifying entries will be entered into a random drawing to be held on July 1st. The winner will be chosen via http://www.random.org/integers/. (Must be 13 or older to enter contest.)

1) Spread the Glint Love!

Email a minimum of 3 friends to tell them about Glint Gear. In the email give them the url to my Etsy Shop, Facebook page, Twitter & Blog. CC me at glintgear@gmail.com as proof that you did this. Please let them know that their email will NOT be saved by me for any kind of promotional usage (they won’t be added to any list or getting any emails from me), and their info will not be shared with anyone.

Etsy Shop: www.glintgear.etsy.com

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/glintspace

Twitter: www.twitter.com/glintgear

Blog: www.glintgear.blogspot.com

2) Show Glint the Love!

Become a fan of Glint Gear on Facebook AND mark Glint Gear’s shop on Etsy as a favorite if you have not already. If you don’t have an Etsy account, it is very quick and free to register. Email glintgear@gmail.com to let me know that you are fans of Glint Gear on both places. Be sure to include your user name on both sites so I can verify.

For Etsy, go here to register: https://www.etsy.com/register.php

Once registered, go to my shop at http://www.glintgear.etsy.com. Scroll down and you’ll see on the bottom right a section called “favorites.” Click “add seller to favorites.”

For Facebook, you can “like” Glint Gear’s business page at http://www.facebook.com/glintspace

3) Show YOURSELF the Love and Share It!

In a minimum of 20 words (or more!), describe your favorite thing about yourself and why you love that about you. That’s right… you have to show yourself some love! Although humor is always appreciated, I have to be convinced that you are truly acknowledging something you love about YOURSELF and not just giving yourself a backhanded compliment. It has to be a sincere appreciation about something about YOU. Ok, all you parents out there… I don’t want to hear that your favorite thing about yourself is your child. This has to be something purely about YOU. It can be something about your personality, your looks, your skills or talents, etc. It must be totally about YOU and no one else. Email this to me. I reserve the right to reject your acknowledgement if I don’t get that you are really appreciating something about you. If I get it, I’ll email back and say “BRAVO!”

Please note: By sending in your self-love acknowledgment as part of your contest entry, you are giving myself, Celena Diamond, and Glint Gear permission to share you’re self-love acknowledgement by posting it on either Glint Gear’s business page or Glint Gear’s public blog during and/or after contest completion. If you do not want this publicly posted, then please do not enter the contest. This contest is all about “Sharing the Love!”

Qualifying entrants will be entered onto a numbered spreadsheet in the order in which they are qualified. Once I have proof that you have fulfilled all 3 qualifiers, I’ll email back and let you know that your contest entry has qualified and will give you your entry number.

Deadline for contest entry qualification completion is June 30th at 11:59pm. Email timestamps will be the final determination of receipt of all qualifiers. Be sure to write a great acknowledgment and get it in early, because if you send it right at midnight on June 30 and tell you do over, you missed the deadline! I am to be the final judge of completion of qualifying entries. :)

Random drawing to select the winning number from all qualifying entries will be held July 1, 2010. The winning number will be posted on Glint Gear’s FB page and blog. The winner will be notified via email no later than July 2, 2010. The messenger bag will be shipped out (shipping cost is on the house!) the second week of July. Or, if you live in the Austin area, we can arrange to meet up for coffee and I’ll hand deliver it to you. Prize to be shipped to winner only. If you know of a friend who wants this bag, then they must enter the contest themselves! Or, if you live in the Austin area, we can arrange to meet up for coffee and I’ll hand deliver it to you. Feel free to forward this contest to anyone 13 and above that you think might be interested.

BONUS Drawings for those who don’t win the messenger bag!!! All other non-winning entries will be entered to win one of a maximum of 5 prize drawings for their choice of any one of the unsold sale/clearance product left on my Etsy shop after June 30th! (If by chance there are less than 5 items left in the clearance section, then the number of bonus drawings will equal the number of items left.) Prizes will be picked by the winners in the order in which the winners are selected.

If you have any questions, email me and let me know…. and good luck!

Last Chance Clearance Sale on Older Items!

2010-06-08T19:33:00.000-05:00

See some old Glint Gear favs you've been wanting!? Well, now's your chance.... your LAST chance! I'll be removing older items, which were made at the beginning of my Glint Gear journey, at the end of June. Take advantage of 40% off your entire total order of already reduced clearance items purchased by June 30th! I'll credit back to your PayPal account the discount of 40% after you pay. What a deal!!!!

(Discount applies to items in the Sale/Clearance section ONLY and does not include applicable tax or shipping. No other discounts apply to these items.)

Click here to View SALE / CLEARANCE on Etsy

Lots of texture!

2010-06-05T18:10:00.001-05:00

In the works 6/10, originally uploaded by Glint Gear.

Working on the design of a new shoulder wedge bag and loving all the yummy visual and tactile texture.

Say "tactile texture" five times fast! :)

Summer Backyard Fun!

2010-06-04T16:25:00.000-05:00

WANT! Play & Freeze ice cream maker looks like so much fun for backyard BBQ's this summer, especially in the scorching Texas heat!

Fangtasia - For True Blood Fans

2010-05-31T10:27:00.001-05:00

Fangtasia - For True Blood Fans, originally uploaded by Glint Gear.

Tah-dah! It turned out SOOOOO cute!

Groovy shoulder bag in the works

2010-05-30T11:18:00.001-05:00

Groovy shoulder bag in the works, originally uploaded by Glint Gear.

This one is in the same style of the one I made for my Mom for Mother's Day. Soooo groovalicious! For more pics, click on the photo and go to Flickr.

"Alien Seaweed" Glint Home Illustration Featured on Etsy's Home Page!

2010-05-29T11:54:00.001-05:00

Those who are familiar with the Etsy world know what an honor it is to have one of your items featured on the front page. There are literally hundreds of thousands of talented artisans on Etsy. I logged onto my Facebook this morning to a great surprise! I had my Facebook Etsy tab options set to automatically post on my wall if one of Glint Gear's items should be featured on the Etsy front page, an lo and behold, my Alien Seaweed illustration was featured!

In case you don't know how you get to the front page, Etsy sellers and staff can curate and share Treasuries, which are lists of their favorite items. I've only done one, but there are quite a few people who have a great eye for designing beautiful lists. Etsy staff troll the lists and pick lists they deem "front page" worthy.

I am very grateful that Glint Gear has been featured on the front page 3 times and on the Etsy blog once. Thanks to everyone who gives Glint Gear this fabulous support.

Pretty Snazzy

2010-05-21T13:35:00.001-05:00

"Pretty Snazzy" Special Bag for Katie, originally uploaded by Glint Gear.

It's done! My friend Kate was coveting my bag with these colors and Glint Gear painted canvas, so out of fear of having mine Glint-napped, I made her one similar. It turned out pretty snazzy, so that's her name!

Honestly, when I made the first one for myself, I thought I'd be the only person in the world to go for this extremely loud, bold color palette, But I've been amazed at how many women compliment it and are drawn to it. But how many of you would DARE to wear this bold color choice besides me and Kate????? :)

Fashion: What's it to YOU?

2010-05-17T12:21:00.004-05:00

Original T-shirt by Sarah's Reef on Etsy

In my profile, it says I never follow fashion fads. Does that mean I'm against any fashion that's hot in the moment? Not at all! If something's "in" and I find it expresses a part of my personal style, I'll go for it. Personal style - those are the key words. What is my personal style? Well, it does change, just like fashion, depending on my inner landscape. But the underlying core of my style is based on what makes ME feel good in the moment and reflects personal themes I want to express now. And if something is in fashion that reflects that, awesome! If a fashion fad calls for something that I have no connection with and find personally distasteful, I'm secure enough in who I am to say, "No thanks!" and pass on it.

Was I always this confident in my personal tastes and style? Nuh-uh! In my teen years I was insecure and wanting to fit in just like everyone else. I would have died to have the latest name brand of whatever everyone else was wearing. But looking back, I am very grateful that our family didn't have the means to help enslave me to fickle fads. My mother is a brilliant seamstress and worked with us to create clothes that were different. I didn't always appreciate it in some moments. There are times when I would have given my left thumb in trade for the hottest new brand of jeans so I would, at the very least, not be scorned by glares of the popular girls.

But life has a way of preparing us for things in the future we can't see. Out of that time in my life came learning to distinguish my tastes outside of the manipulation of what's "in" at the moment. I'm ever grateful because it was out of that searching that Glint Gear was born. Rarely do I look "out there" to see what's in style and couldn't tell you one single thing that's "hot" right now. If I stumble upon a fad and it fits with personal themes I'm feeling in the moment, cool. If it's not "me" and "they're" all wearing it, I say good for them! They look fabulous, but no thanks. And I'm still learning what I like with each new day.

These quotes express a few underlying themes behind Glint Gear:

"Fashion is what you adopt when you don't know who you are.” - Quentin Crisp

“Fashion is an imposition, a reign on freedom.” - Golda Meir

“... one of the goals of life is to try and be in touch with one's most personal themes - the values, ideas, styles, colors that are the touchstones of one's own individual life, its real texture and substance.” - Gloria Vanderbilt

Please don't misinterpret what I'm saying here! Am I saying following fashion fads is beneath me or that those who do are "weak" in some way? No, I'm not saying that at all. What I'm getting at is a challenge for you to begin a personal inquiry to see if you are truly expressing who YOU are instead of letting others dictate that for you. I challenge you to ask yourself these questions below and give yourself honest answers. Really and truly take a look. Explore. Get real with yourself. (And these questions can apply to men as well as women.)

"What type of fashions and accessories truly express who I am in the domain of personal style?

"What colors, shapes, textures, lines and themes am I drawn to that express a bit of who I am?"

"What inspires me to walk a little taller and gives me that extra bit of healthy attitude in my step?"

You may not have immediate answers to all of these questions, but great job on starting the inquiry! The more you continually look inward, the more you'll distinguish.

I now challenge you to the next step. Go take a peak in your closet or dresser. Let yourself find that one item you still wear that takes your energy down a notch every time you put it on. Yea, THAT baby blue cotton blouse. In the dressing room, you had your doubts about how the ruffles made you feel. But you bought it anyway because it was on sale and was a "safe" selection because ruffles are in right now. [This is just an example... I have no idea if ruffles are in right now! LOL] But every time you wear it, you just don't feel quite right. Take a good long look at those blue ruffles. Outside of your excitement over what a great bargain it was and how hip you felt when buying it, how do you really feel when you wear it? Put it on and then take a quick inventory of your energy. Be honest. Do you feel a spike of excitement and twinge of joy, or did your vibes fall down a bit?

I just bet there was another blouse on that same rack in your size that was calling to you, but it was out of your box. Yep, that's it... the hot pink satin one. You never wear that color or fabric and were afraid you would have been too flashy in it. Imagine you brought it home. Close your eyes and visualize putting it on and looking in the mirror. Now, just between you, yourself and you, take a check-in of your energy. How do you feel now? YES! That's it... that tingle of joy and excitement. What was that? It was your individuality informing that you've hit on something that's in integrity with your sense of style.

Are you ready for the next steps? If not, it's ok. But if you are, here's what I want you to do. Take that baby blue blouse with the ruffles, look at it squarely in the buttons and thank it for trying to keep you safe. Tell it you are no longer in need of its services and put it in a bag of clothes to give away. And don't look back at it! The next step is to be on the lookout for a hot pink blouse in a fabric you love. Low on funds? That's ok! I'm not saying you need a ton of money to express your own style. There are a lot of ways to acquire clothes that make you feel good. Have a clothing swap with friends or check out your local thrift shops and store clearance racks. Have a sewing machine? Make it yourself. Attract it with your positive intentions. Close your eyes and visualize yourself draped in hot pink satin and how great that feels. You never know what might show up when you are being true to yourself. You might win a contest for a gift card. Your best friend may come home with a blouse she felt compelled to buy but really thinks it was made for you.

GREAT WORK! And if you need a little help or coaching to take that next step, I'm just an email away. The point of this post is what Shakespeare's Polonius said in Hamlet... "This above all: To thine own self be true."

In the Bag: Messenger bag

2010-05-14T07:28:00.001-05:00

Most of you probably have your own reusable bags that you take with you, you ask for paper if available or you recycle the plastic bags in the provided bins at the store.

But if you are looking for something constructive to do with those plastic shopping bags, check out this DIY project from Readymade.com.

(Click on the link below.)

In the Bag: Messenger bag

Take a Creative Break!

2010-05-10T09:02:00.001-05:00

Who doesn't love Etch A Sketch? Ohio Art Company has their famous beloved toy online! Go on.... take a quick break, loosen up and give it a try. Everyone needs a little creative diversion now and then. Click on the photo below to begin! It's easy... use your keyboard arrows to sketch. And you can even print out your creations. Feel free to post your art on Glint Gear's page on Facebook!

Commit to Begin

2010-05-08T16:36:00.009-05:00

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” - Ambrose Redmoon

A friend sent this to me on Facebook today, "I can't tell you how impressed I am with you. To have the talent, the umph to make it happen and the guts to put yourself into each piece and put it out there. Any of that would be amazing but doing it all, is beyond!"

A lot of people, especially those who worked with me when I was "Fun and Games Engineer," will be surprised to hear me say what I said to her:

"I didn't always have the guts or the umph! I've had to do a lot of inner searching, discovering, and healing. I'm actually petrified of being "seen" and have to continually work on overcoming a pattern of being a master at hiding. My hands were literally shaking as I was trying to sew new bags a week before we brought the stuff to Moxie because I was so scared to put myself out there. It's easier on the internet because you can't see people react. No one sees me quaking in my shoes. But I'm learning to feel the fear and do it anyway. And yes, there will always be critics. I'll deal with that one step at a time! LOL!"

I've learned over years that what works for me when I'm really committed to something is take it one step at a time. Begin with a commitment to keep going no matter what. When I was a graphic designer, there were times when I felt a project was above my talent and I was afraid to fail or to make a mess of it so I would decline and wouldn't even try it for fear of looking bad. But when I knew Glint Gear was something I was committed to creating and saw a possibility of self expression beyond myself, I promised myself I'd take it one step at a time and learn as I go instead of waiting until I had mastered it. I'm so glad I didn't wait, because I've learned so much in this process! I didn't even know how to sew on the painted canvas at first. No one has seen the countless "flops" that I've created as I learned to work within this new space! I'm also learning to rely on a support network of friends and family who believe in me no matter what and help me to keep putting myself out there.

What are you inspired to do but are holding yourself back by patterns of perfectionism, fear of failure or not wanting to look bad? Commit to yourself to just begin, with whatever steps you have the courage to make right now. You want to sing? Make a call to inquire about the cost of singing lessons. Then take another step, then another.

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets: Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."
-W.H. Murray

Absolem

2010-05-06T08:29:00.002-05:00

Absolem, originally uploaded by Glint Gear.

These beautiful leftover pieces of Glint painted canvas and fuzzy blue chenille upholstery fabric were recently transformed into this fun and "quirk-inspiring" clutch/wristlet named Absolem.

When someone said it reminded them of a caterpillar, I knew it must be named after the blue caterpillar from Alice In Wonderland. I didn't know his name, but Google did the trick! I also found out that Absolem means "father of peace." I like that. Absolem is at Moxie now, waiting for adoption. Stop on by to pet him and tell him hi. He's so soft to the touch and will surely bring a smile to your face!

Handmade Mother's Day Gift for My Mom

2010-05-04T17:22:00.002-05:00

Handmade Mother's Day Gift for My Mom, originally uploaded by Glint Gear.

Don't forget to honor your mother this Sunday! My mom saw this bag I had in progress and asked me to make her one like it for Mother's Day. Mom deserves first choice and doesn't deserve to wait, so I finished it for her.

What are you doing for YOUR mom?

Handmade is everywhere!

2010-05-02T10:47:00.002-05:00

Handmade is everywhere!, originally uploaded by Glint Gear.

I snapped this on the drive to the Moxie Grand Opening event yesterday. The knitted pieces placed over the blue metal were a cheerful reminder that I'm on the right path following my love of creating beautiful handmade stuff.

The grand opening event was awesome and Moxie is off to a great start. Check out my Flickr Moxie set for more pics. The owner Kayci has done a fantastic job getting it up and running in a short amount of time.

This is the perfect little shop to stop in and buy a unique gift for a birthday, graduation or other special occasion or as a treat for yourself.

Shoulder Bag in progress

2010-05-01T07:40:00.001-05:00

Shoulder Bag in progress, originally uploaded by Glint Gear.

I'm trying out a new shoulder bag pattern that I designed. Let's hope my pattern works! I stitched up a test and it worked fine. It's going to have a 4" bottom tapering up to 2" on the top. the shape should turn out so cute. It will have a zipper across the top and a short shoulder strap of around 22".

I had some trouble with the lining fitting on this "live" version. I may need to tweak the bottom/side piece a little. But I think this is going to be an adorable pattern once the kinks are worked out. Ocean designed the layout of the leaf shapes. Cool, huh?

Give a hoot

2010-04-29T11:06:00.001-05:00

I like owls. There is just so much visual yum to be had from creative expression with owls. Here are some I found in my web trolling that tickle my fancy. I hope you find them fun too!

Limited Edition Owl Jumper Dress by New York Couture

"Halcyon" Futuristic Electric Car Inspired by Owls by auto designer Ralph Tayler-Webb

Red Owl Purse by Patina

DC Direct - Watchman Movie: Owl Ship Scale Replica

Owl Pillow by Snaggs (via Flickr)

Another Owl Pillow by Snaggs (via Flickr)

Owl Clocks by Betty Jo Designs (via Flickr)

Vintage Owl Bank - Photo by Laura Bee Seattle via Flickr

Hoot Owl Cake & Cupcakes by somaamos via Flickr

Owl Hat by Adriana McNeely

Moxie Grand Opening Event!!!!

2010-04-27T23:18:00.001-05:00

10% of all Glint Gear this Saturday for the Grand Opening event!

I love lamp.

2010-04-26T17:30:00.001-05:00

Tall Chick by Daniel Loves Objects

Light Drop by Rafael Morgan

Glitter by Axolight

The Alien Abduction Lamp

Muse by Axolight

MYBrain Table Lamp by Alexander Lervik

Blum by Axolight

Cloned Eyeball Lamp by 5.5 Designers

Sfera by Lampnet

Moonwalk by Thomas de Lussac

Ocean Inks Across the Globe

2010-04-24T12:27:00.008-05:00

I never cease to be amazed by technology and how it can connect us with those we would never reach in our lifetime without it. My talented husband, Anthony Ocean, has an amazing story of how his talent spanned the globe and made a permanent mark, literally, on the life of a stranger.

My husband Anthony, who goes by Ocean, has an amazing talent for illustration. It comes so naturally to him, that he just doesn’t get what a truly gifted artist he is. Take a look at his web site (which I am in dire need of updating with his new work), and you’ll see what I mean. anthonyocean.com

Last year, he received an email from a stranger named Serban who said he was searching the web for an artist to illustrate a tattoo idea he wanted to have inked on his entire upper back. When he found Ocean's web site he knew he was the one to do it. The cool part is, Serban lives in Romania! Serban came to Ocean with a specific vision of what he wanted – an angel on one side and demon on the other, but gave Ocean room to put his spin on the concept. After email conversations about specifics and price, they committed to the project and Ocean got to work. The result is pretty amazing!

This was not the first time Ocean created tattoo art for clients. But after delivering final art, he had never seen photos of anyone who had it done…. until now! Serban absolutely loved the illustration and how Ocean brought his vision to life. He was totally serious about having a tattoo made of it immediately and already had his tattoo artist chosen and waiting in the wings for the art. Ocean had to “dumb down” his illustration style to accommodate it being inked as a tattoo, but the artist kept the art pretty faithful to Ocean’s illustration. It's fascinating to see Ocean's illustration versus the final ink. (I need to put this on his site.) And I’m amazed that my awesome husband’s art is living and breathing in the life of someone so far away. Way to go, honey. I’m so proud of you!

Glint Gear can now be found locally!

2010-04-23T17:13:00.001-05:00

Kayci Wheatley has done it again! She's the founder of former Moxie & the Compound and got the bug to open up another handmade/vintage retail shop, this time in the up-and-coming East Side on E. 11th. She's calling it Moxie. She's handpicked local Austin artists and vintage sellers, and Glint Gear is proud to be one of them!

This is Glint Gear's first time in a brick and mortar location, and we are very excited about it! My talented hubby Ocean is putting all of his former time in retail management to good use, and is my merchandiser. Look at what an amazing job he did with our shelf!

It's due to open May 1st. Swing on by and support local handmade and vintage!

Ocean made it to Etsy Front Page Again!

2010-04-09T13:13:00.003-05:00

My husband, Anthony Ocean, is an amazing artist and Etsy artisan. He creates awe-inspiring and very detailed illustratrations and also makes one-of-a-kind hand pressed t-shirts, which he often freehand embellishes. They are all truly unique and special, just like him.

I was trolling craftcult.com to check in to see if either has made it to Etsy's front page recently and discovered that he actually did at 10am on Friday, March 12th, and we both missed it. Yay Ocean! Making the front page of Etsy is no small feat, especially considering all of the amazing talent on the site. Spiral shapes are my fav, and I just love the beauty of this front page. Congratulations, honey!

His shirt is on the 4th row in the middle.

[click on photo to be taken to live version of the feature on Craftcult.com]

What's New...

2010-04-01T10:08:00.001-05:00

(

[Click Images to Enlarge]

Here is a sneak peak of what's in the works and what is freshly done. The above photo is the front flap of a new cross body bag in the works. I'm going with my favorite space/orbit theme for the appliques. I absolutely love the colors and textures of this one and can't wait to see it finished!

Below is a peak at a new cosmetic pouch I just listed on Etsy.

In other news, I'm very excited to be invited as a participating artisan in the new handmade shop being opened up by the founder of former Moxie & the Compound! She's opening up a new shop in East Austin in early May, and is calling it Moxie. I'm very thrilled because this is Glint Gear's very first brick and mortar assignment! I need to get busy making new stuff so I can stock whatever shelves I end up renting at Moxie and can still have enough for Etsy. More details to come as I learn more!

Tribute to my favorite fashion designer

2010-03-28T13:34:00.004-05:00

[click on images for enlarged view]

H A P P Y S P R I N G!

As promised, here are photos of the art deco cross body bag, which turned out incredible. I mader her as a tribute to my favorite designer of the Art Deco era, Erte. She makes a great new addition to any spring/summer wardrobe. The detail is stunning, and this bag was many, many hours in the making from start to finish. Including applique pattern design, cutting out and sewing, my time guesstimate is around 30-40 hours. Since this layered applique is so labor-intensive, I don't think I'll be making very many in this design!

I initially made the strap out of the gold upholstery fabric but was not happy with the results. The brown fauxe suede works best and gives a nice visual frame work for the front flap. I interfaced the strap with heavy sew-in craft stabilizer to give it a nice weight.

This is the first bag to adorn the new garment label! I ordered these from fellow Etsy seller Jennifer's Jewels. I had her make them square and cut them out in the oval shape myself. I'm quite happy with how they turned out!

With all Glint Gear bags, they are all a labor of love.... I design them all to be my next personal favorite and as something I would be proud to wear daily. This one is truly one of a kind and one I'd be proud to rock! Erte Tribute is now posted on my Etsy shop and ready for adoption.

Super Fun

2010-03-20T08:23:00.012-05:00

Rainy Saturday in Austin... The rain is comforting and refreshing. I want to share with you a fun project I did in my free time around the job hunt. Ocean, my sweet and amazingly talented husband, asked me to make a TV dust cover using some Glint.

As I've probably mentioned before, we use our space non-traditionally. We made the living/formal dining our art studio, Liquid Star Base, and made the master bedroom the TV room. I let Ocean have full creative reign on the color/theme for this room, and he chose something totally cool - Iron Man colors! We have only just begun painting one wall in the golden yellow. But when this room is finally done, it will be HOT!

The TV cover had to fit the color scheme, of course! I chose a Glint painted "fabric" in gold and black that Ocean painted himself over a year ago. I was going to just put a simple Glint stripe on black, but had a light bulb "duh" moment that the TV cover should have a superhero theme too. I asked Ocean what symbol he wanted, and he chose one of his favorites. Can you guess who this stands for? ;)

Visual Richness

2010-03-13T13:37:00.016-06:00

[click photos to enlarge]

I've always loved the simple beauty and graceful aesthetic of Art Deco. My latest cross body bag is a beautiful tribute to this love. This one has taken quite some time in the making with the incredible detail of the appliques. I'll post pictures of the finished piece, but wanted to share the front flap with you.

In the past, the vision I saw for Glint Gear was comprised of the main aspect of each piece being the painted canvas portions. I was fearful of having anything take away from the "cool factor" of the painted canvas. In my earlier view, the less of other trims or fabric the better.

My vision is evolving as I allow Glint Gear to breathe life into itself. Lately I have been venturing out to explore more textures in fabric choices. I am finding that exploring more visual and tactile layers takes nothing away from the beautiful painted canvas... it actually enhances it and becomes a rich canvas and framework for the painted pieces.

My current exploration is to play with using upholstery and drapery fabrics to capitalize on their tactile and visual richness. This upholstery (or is it drapery?) remnant I happened upon is the perfect backdrop for the vibrant painted canvas and reminiscent art deco style. The faux distressed brown suede adds yet another level of depth.

Hubba Bubba!

2010-02-10T12:25:00.002-06:00

New item in my Etsy shop! This new cosmetic pouch has lots of POP! (I'm a fan of bad puns....) It reminds me of pink bubblegum, hence the name Hubba Bubba.

I'm having a lot of fun with these pouches and cut out several more in a range of colors. Look for them sometime soon.

Make a great week!!!!

-Celena

New Logo is finally done!

2010-02-08T13:43:00.009-06:00

Hello all! It's a rainy day in Austin. I'm working on my job search as I do each day. Feeling a little lonely and out of touch today, but always positive and focusing forward as usual! Tomorrow is Anthony's birthday and he gets the day off with pay, so we are both taking the day off to celebrate, which will be fun. Being at home so much really reminds me how much I love being in the working world and around people every day. I guess that why I was so good at what I did on the sales floor at Hoover's. I know my perfect job is out there and will be found. But being the high-energy person that I am, I can't just sit around when I'm not doing job search activities! I've been taking advantage of the free time while I have it and have been working on Glint Gear.

I started revising the logo last year and got stuck on how I wanted the type treatment to look. But I finally sat with it and got it done! I LOVE the new identity. It says everything I wanted it to say - quirky, playful, unique, alien, lots of personality, funky and kind of odd. I have a love of round and curved shapes because of my fascination with anything having to do with space, planets, etc. I had a ton of fun morphing the alien "G" character with the purse for a bottom. I think this logo really expresses me and my vision for Glint Gear.

I've also come up with a tag line that eludes to the unique alien quirk of Glint Gear: on the edge of the fashionverse™

Below is the new business card. I'm having them printed at overnightprints.com. I like them over Vista Print because they use a heavier card stock and they don't put their logo on it nor charge you to leave it off. I splurged on the $2 fee to have rounded corners! Now, I don't normally go for rounded corner business cards, but it works perfectly with my theme of circles/curves.

Well, gotta get back to the job hunt. Thanks for reading!

New Year, New Gear!

2010-01-29T18:01:00.003-06:00

Hi, all! I know it's been quite some time since I've filled you in on happenings. A LOT has been going on! Since last May, we were working on buying our first home! We really dreamed of having more space for our art studio and a place that we could morph into our own. And it happened! We closed on November 20th and moved in December. We LOVE it! Now, we are not totally unpacked and settled in yet, so you'll have to wait for a bit for the unveiling via photos. But the most exciting part is that we now have our dream art studio, which we call Liquid Star Base. We ripped up the carpet in the entire living/dining area and made it into our studio.

In other news, I was laid off at the end of December, so I'm looking for an exciting full time opportunity in sales support in Austin. If you hear of anything, let me know! While I'm job hunting, the new studio has inspired new Glint Gear! I've redesigned the cosmetic zipper pouch. I've increased the size to 5"x8" and made the bottom a roomy 2", so it now can hold more stuff! Also, these will be mostly made of scrap pieces of Glint Gear painted canvas and fabric remnants. I'm calling them Odds 'N Ends pouches. Get it? Double meaning... gotta love that! Let me know what you think. The one in the photo above is named Redvolution. I haven't posted it to my Etsy shop yet, but look for the new pouches and other new Glint Gear creations on my Etsy shop soon! I'll be giving you more bang for your buck with the new larger pouches and will be offering them at the same $20 price, so I've put all of the other smaller zipper pouches on my shop on sale for $15.

Any-who... hope your 2010 is off to a great start!

This is really something to think about...

2009-07-18T09:46:00.009-05:00

The following was sent to me in an email by a friend, Charles Transue. This really had an impact on me. I'm not sure if he wrote it (probably, since he's a very gifted writer) or if he copied it from somewhere else. He and I took a course many years ago called Wisdom. One of the basic concepts of the course is that part of ancient Wisdom says that we are each moved by mainly one of three things: Beauty, Truth or Goodness. In order for us to be joyful and fully alive, we must follow it. I discovered that I am definitely moved by Beauty and must follow Her to be whole, but I also know how oblivious I can become to hearing Her Voice. I wonder how many who did stop to listen, or tried to such as the children, were followers of beauty as well?

Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule. 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:
A3 year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.

45 minutes:
The musician played. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32.

1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments .....

How many other things are we missing?

Another Etsy Front Page Feature

2009-07-17T07:20:00.004-05:00

Wow... Glint Gear is very grateful for the exposure we've gotten this month! I discovered after seeing a huge jump in Etsy Hearts that Glint Gear was on the front page again! Twice in one month. We are gushing and thank everyone for your support! I know I haven't updated much, and I have some cool stuff to share. I promise more soon!

Glint Gear made the Etsy Front Page this morning!!

2009-07-03T08:18:00.003-05:00

Woo hoo! I noticed it at 8am CST. This has been a goal and dream of mine! In Etsy-land, it's a big fricken deal!!!

Memorial Weekend Sale!!!

2009-05-22T07:34:00.004-05:00

Today through Monday, 5/25, save 20% on all regularly priced (non-sale) items of $25 or more! Item discount will be refunded after you pay with PayPal. (Discount does not apply to shipping.)

Also... I'm having a CLEARANCE SALE!

My product line has developed considerably since my early work, so I'm clearing out my earlier inventory! Check out the SALE section for great price reductions! I have 14 items reduced to around 30% off!

To check out the sale, go to http://www.glintgear.etsy.com

It's the little things...

2009-05-17T22:31:00.005-05:00

Sometimes it's the little things that make all the difference! I got my labels in from Jennifer's Jewels this Saturday, and they are great quality and just perfect! She can do full color labels, but I preferred to keep mine simple and let the color of the Glint Gear do all the squawkin'. But the excitement of getting the labels in the mail inspired me to get back to the sewing machine! I was SO thrilled to sew on my very first one on this adorable pink clutch named Pink Sunrise. It's funny how something so small can really take your stuff to a new level of professionalism. I can't believe I waited so long!

I was very sick Wednesday through Friday of last week and stayed home from work. I slept all Wednesday and Thursday. Friday I was up, but still feeling bad, so I layed low and rested. Saturday I was feeling good enough to do a little bit of sewing and even go out to run a couple of low-key errands with Ocean. But I didn't have the capacity to work much on the special order bag I've been working on for a while. I did a little, but it got to a complicated part and I decided I'd better wait to continue when I was back to 100% since it took some calculations and precision. So... I came up with the new clutch design. They are really a whole lot of fun to make and don't take a lot of mental brainbusting. And I can have fun with the appliques and design. I made two of them this weekend and cut out/designed 3 more. Cutting out and designing the clutches didn't take a lot of physical exertion. I really do need to finish that special order bag. I know she's not in a hurry, but I've been working on it a while. I finally busted through my sewing block, so I think the progress will be much better. She's a friend and co-worker, so I've been able to share my blocks with her and she gets it.

Other little details that will make a big difference... I found a postage scale on EBay for under $20 and ordered it. That way I can box up each bag as a weight sample and finally calculate international shipping for my Etsy shop! Another little thing, I found the 2" metal tri-glide buckles I had been hunting for messenger bags also on EBay and ordered a batch of 100! LOL! The D rings were working fine, but the tri-glides will add another level of "finish" to the messengers.

For Ocean, we got his mannekin ordered and I believe it's waiting for me when I go back to work tomorrow along with the natural colored organic tees we ordered for him! That will take his SquidInwear t-shirts to a new level as well.

Once I get the international shipping profiles done, my next big project will be to design a press release to send locally and to on-line blogs.

Onward and upward!

Live Long & Prosper!

2009-05-10T22:07:00.006-05:00

We went to see Star Trek today.... WOW! It was perfect - perfect cast, story, effects - it had it all! It was amazing and we recommend seeing it on the big screen. Don't wait for DVD!

In other news, we finally got all of the photos on my Etsy shop updated! I think it looks amazing! Let me know what you think. I'm sure it will get even better as time goes on. Yay Ocean!!!! I think it is making a difference for sure. I've been have more page/items views and had 2 sales at the end of last week.

I worked on that special order bag a little. Didn't get as much sewing done as I wanted this weekend, but doing the rest of the photos took quite some time.

We also got Ocean's mannequin ordered! We found it on Ebay. He has a black female mannequin but needed a male. We ordered some natural colored organic t-shirts for SquidInkwear too! And, I finally got my garment labels ordered from Jennifer's Jewels on Etsy. She came highly recommended by team members of Etsy's Carried Away Bag Team. So, writing all this out made me realize that we got more done than I thought!

Working on writing catchy product intros on my Etsy product pages had me pull out of my old poetry journals. I used to write a lot and would write in my own rhyming style and not following any formal for or contemporary trends. I think it's giving me the writing bug. The last poem I've written was 2004! I thought I'd share a couple of them with you.

This one below was written March 1997. It's expressing the quest for individuality, navigating the challenges of societal and social pressures and influences and the need for self expression.

Am I, Am.

A warm trickle fighting the flood
cooling the coals within my blood.

A flutter twirling in the gale
blowing the comfort of my veil.

A dim ray sparking ebony
hiding answers eluding me.

A sole whisper above white noise
reaching for hearing life destroys.

The following, written March 1999 portrays finding my voice...

Windswept

I breath a picture with my words,
An ever-changing memory.
Capture my essence, then it blurs.
My voice is spirit flying free.

Eternal voyage through your mind,
Once I am heard your soul must move.
My origin you'll never find,
For who has dared the Wind's source prove?

Make a great week!

Checking In

2009-05-07T12:48:00.003-05:00

Hello, everyone! I know I haven't posted much lately. I'm still working with Ocean on retaking and uploading new photos. I have about 10 or 12 left to go, he's doing an awesome job! I think it's taking my Etsy shop to the next level!

My next project will be to buy a postage scale and boxes for some of the larger bags and take the time to set up international shipping options on Etsy! The Etsy admin said that 1 in every 4 buyers on Etsy is international, so I've been withholding Glint Gear goodness from a lot of people by not getting those international shipping profiles up.

And I must say, the bags are jittering with excitement at the thought of getting to leave the continental US and travel all over the world!!!

What else is new... I hadn't felt like sewing much, so I finished a couple of coin pouches, the Orbit bag, and started a special order bag. I think I needed a breather from sewing and am ready to get back at it!

We will be ordering a mannequin for Ocean to use for SquidInkwear t-shirt photos soon.

In other news... the new Star Trek film premiers this weekend!!! Can't wait!!!!

Not much else to report. More later!

Monday Update - Photo Area in full Swing

2009-04-27T07:41:00.003-05:00

Hi, everyone! It's been a while since I've posted. What have I been up to... well, the biggest focus has been updating the photos on my Etsy shop. Ocean got the photography area up and running, and I think the new lighting is taking the pics to the HNL! It's a crude set-up to look at, but it totally works! He used small-sized plastic plumbing pipe to set up 2 make-shift softbox screens. he taped on white sheets with Guerrilla tape. We bought 2 square card tables at Wal-mart and put them together side-by-side. The screens sit on either side. He stapled the rest of the sheet to the top of the wall near the ceiling and draped it down over the tables. It's was less expensive to buy a simple white flat sheet at Wal-mart than a role of photography background paper.

We had to play around with what lights to use. We tried to bright halogen spotlights, but the light was still yellow. So we got 2 of those metal clip-on shop lights and 100 watt bright white bulbs... voila! I know nothing about photography, but am amazed at how the light translates in the little digital camera into that beautful light! I have to do very little color/light correction in Photoshop. Usually I have to use a blue photo filter to brigten up the whites just a little more, although it would work great without it. I'm just a fan of very crisp white light.

I still have bout 2 dozen more photos to update on Etsy, but it's coming along! I really feel that this it taking my shop to the next level. I also changed my avatar based on a critique I got from an Etsy Admin. Ocean took one of me with a bag. It's cute!

I didn't get much sewing done at all. I kind of had a meltdown this weekend and really think I was burned out a little. But the burn-out I think came from having too much pressure on myself and too much attachment that Glint Gear take off and start selling like hotcakes now. I need to just chill, take it one day at a time, do whatever I can each day, and let the Universe take care of things.

I still haven't started those bags people at work wanted to see, but I did finish an awesome new design I call the Orbit Bag. It's an OVAL shaped bag! The oval isn't perfect, but I LOVE it. It's quirky and has a Jetson's space-age kind of feel. Ocean took some great photos, but I haven't gotten them ready to post yet.

My focus for this week will be to begin the fisherman style that a lady at work wantd to see and to continue and hopefully complete re-taking and posting new pictures for all of my current products on Etsy. I feel that once I get that done, I'll feel better about the shop and can focus on new stuff and forge forward with new products.

I hope everyone is doing well. Make a great week!

-Celena

Handmade Dolls_and_miniatures on Etsy - Mini Sock Monkey Tea Party Set by SpiritMama

2009-04-22T07:49:00.001-05:00

Who doesn't love Sock Monkeys! I know I do! This will surely put a smile on anyone's face as a gift for themselves or for some lucky person.

Spiritmama is an Etsy Austin team member, and I highly respect and love her craftsmanship and creative spirit. Check it out now!

I've been stalked!!!!

2009-04-16T10:03:00.002-05:00

Glint Gear has been stalked by Etsy Stalker! My Alien Pizza tote has been featured on www.etsystalker.com! Check it out!!!

I can just be an artist this week...

2009-04-13T11:18:00.003-05:00

Today I start my week-long work vacation. It really hit me this morning that I don't "have" to do anything this week. I can truly just be artist. That's utopia. Paradise. Nirvana. Whatever word you choose... it's my heaven!

So, my day so far has been productive. I got up with Ocean at 6am, made coffee and his lunch and got him off to work. Did I go back to sleep? NO WAY! I intend to make the most of my time this week! I checked emails, looked at my Etsy shop, caught up on FaceBook... all the computer-type stuff. Then I had to dig out some documents for an 11am call this morning. Someone's writing a book about career change, and I'm one of the case studies since I've changed careers several times in my life. After that, I checked on the Glint Gear fabric that Ocean and I played with yesterday. We did two in gray, yellow, brown and some black.

After that, I put on a load of laundry then start hand painting a piece of Glint fabric I had started weeks ago. Then it's back to the computer to prepare for the call. She's late in calling, so I'm doing this blog post while I wait. After the call, I'll have lunch and then go back to work on painting that swatch. When that's done, I'll continue working on the messenger back I started over the weekend.

Aaaah..... paradise. I might post photos of the projects in progress later. That's all for now!

Glint Gear Vacation Next Week

2009-04-09T07:18:00.016-05:00

... No, I'm not taking a vacation AWAY from Glint Gear... I'm taking a vacation to GLINT for a week! In my day job, we are required to take all of our PTO (Paid Time Off) this year and can't carry anything forward into next year. I know, I know... life is rough, huh? I think it's wonderful because it forces us to get some R&R, even if we don't leave for an away vacation, so I was very happy about this! In these weird economic times, I'm grateful, and that news was a good thing for me. I know there are some of my co-workers who weren't happy about that, but I know that my company did this to keep from laying people off. So, since Ocean and I don't have any away vacations planned for this year and my job has asked us not to wait until the end of the year to try to take it all, I figured I'd take my own "Spring Break" to Glint!

This week I've been focusing on cutting out some new bags to sew next week. It's harder to get as much done when I get home at 6 or 6:30pm in the evenings after a long day. But I usually really do spend some time on Glint Gear each night. Whether it's tweaking my Etsy shop, reading up tips on the Etsy blog/Forums, cutting out something to sew, re-listing an item... it all makes a difference and builds upon itself. There was a time in my past when I was very hard on myself, and if I didn't have all my ducks in a row all the time with massive to-do lists and a perfect action plan, then I felt that I failed before I even left the starting gate!

So... back to Glint Gear... I have cut out so far a fisherman-styled kind of mini-messenger for a co-worker who wants a Glint Gear bag. She's seen the cut out pieces and the general design idea and likes it so far. I told her that if it's not her perfect Glint piece when I'm done, not to worry! I want my Glint Girls(TM) to be in LOVE with their Glint, not lukewarm! I'm sure she'll love it, but if not, I'll make something else that's perfect her and will sell the other. I also have another co-worker who wants a messenger bag she can wear with her laptop while she bikes to work. She like "Amber Storm," but we decided this was more of a city bag for walking and she needed a wider strap to wear while biking. I've cut out 2 different messenger bags so far. She didn't have a preference as to color or style and was open to any fun colors. I also have a shoulder back in chocolate brown and earth-toned Glint Fabric that's been cut out a while to sew.

And last night, I was feeling that I needed to do something to award and nuture myself, so I cut out my own Glint Gear bag! I have 3 that I wear from my early works that I like, but they actually aren't Glint-y enough for me! I have to rock the Glint in the world, you know? So I cut out a round wrislet in the style and size of "She's a Pinball Wizard," in a purple vinyl base with Glint Fabric I used for "Wonkylicious." I cut out a curved stripe pattern similar to a pinwheel like the shape to the right, but with only 6 Glint "stripes." I also made the circle off-center.... of course! I wanted something that reminds me of the circus. I can't wait to make it and rock it! I also have about 4 or 5 other Glint Gear swatches I've been saving for myself. We'll see what I do with those!

So, I'm sure I'll cut out more to sew next week. I want to do more coin pouches in 3x4 and 4x5 plus some more messenger bags. Plus I'm going to experiment with a laptop sleeve in hot pinks for my Mom for Mother's Day. We'll see how much I get done next week. Ocean warned me not to be hard on myself for whatever progress I make and to actually ENJOY my time of Glint-ing!

I'll keep you posted on my progress!

Spring Special - Free U.S. Shipping Today!

2009-04-05T11:19:00.008-05:00

Hi, everyone! I hope you are enjoying the awesome spring weather! Ocean and I have been busy worker bees this weekend inside Liquid Star studio and haven't been outside much, but we so love what we do and love sharing with you or creations, that we can't help ourselves! We are art geeks!

Ocean is creating some awesome new tees, and is playing around with WHITE screen printing ink ... bad-a!!! He has posted some new designs recently and is working diligently to get his shop stocked. But the t-shirt process does take some time, so be patient!

I made SEVEN new pyramid pouches. I've posted a few and will post the rest throughout this week. Pyramid pouches are so much fun to make and to give or keep for yourself. One of my customers bought a small one to use as a little gift pouch for a bracelet being given as a birthday gift. And most recently, someone bought one to use as a grab-n-go pouch to throw her keys and cell phone inside to walk her boys to school. The one to the right is one of my new ones!

Today I have 2 Etsy showcases running today, (4/5) a Gift Guides showcase and a Spring Showcase. So I'm giving FREE domestic U.S. shipping today! woo hoo!

Rainy Day Check-in

2009-04-02T07:13:00.013-05:00

It's 7:15 am. I'm at work early after dropping off Ocean, but I don't officially "clock in" until 8am. We have one car and he has to be at work by 7:15am. I've been getting up at 5:30am instead of 6, and really enjoying that quiet time to check and answer email, go to Etsy and check for new hearts and item views.... shop!

Yes, I'm an Etsy addict, and now I've turned Ocean into one. He found some of the coolest shops in products that he loves - knives, masks, jewelry. I'm daily amazed at how much talent is on ETSY! Ocean just bought me the most amazing leather mask on an Etsy shop called Tom Banwell Leather! It's cut out in stars. Check it out here! I can't wait to get it!!! I am astounded with creativity and detail that Tom can create. This is a truly talented artist! If you check it out, let him know you saw him on my blog. As a seller, it's always good to know how people find you. The mask above is the style I'm getting. He has this for sale on his shop. You can click the photo or the links above to go directly there.

I love the quiet time at home and at work when no one is around and I can start the day with ease and peacefully. Today it's raining. A rainstorm woke me up at 5am. I love the rain, but not driving in it. My sweet Ocean drives an amored truck, so he has to be out in it. Let's send him loving light thougts now for safe journies today and every day...

So... what have we been up to in the past week? Well, I finally finished my first messenger bag!!!! Well, I have a couple of finishing touches which I'll complete tonight. It's so fly!!! And I've been working on a special order pyramid pouch. I had to stop production on the pouch last weekend because the paint was not quite dry. It takes a while sometimes for it to fully cure. I posted a few new items, and I've been thinking about what new things I want to make for my Gift Guides Showcase and Spring Showcase this upcoming Sunday. I sold that adorable Green Banjo Bag last night. She's going to Ohio and left today.

Oh... and I'll be offering FREE SHIPPING this Sunday only during the showcases. (But also, if you sign up to follow my blog or subscribe, you get free shipping on your first Glint Gear order! Just email me and let me know in case I miss it. And then put "Blog Follower" in notes to seller upon checkout.

The biggest news of the week is that Ocean has posted his first batch of AMAZING SquidInkwear(TM) t-shirts on Etsy this week!!! I will be featuring him in blog post in the near future once he gives me thumbs up. (He says he doesn't quite have enough product up yet and wants me to wait, but I couldn't help spilling the beans early to give him some more hearts and pageviews!

There are so many products I want to work on! I find myself a little scattered lately thinking, which one should I work on now? It's hard sometimes when you work 40 hours a week and have limited time to do everything you want to do each night! So many ideas! So I have to stop and just choose a couple of items to work on at a time. Last night I started two adorable new cosmetic pouches with Glint Gear appliques. I also have a cute fisherman's-style bag cut out in a beige with a Glint Gear panel on the front flap. It's kind of like a mini-messenger bag. And I have another shoulder bag cut out in chocolate brown vinyl with Glint Gear fabric panels on front and back.

Well, I guess I've rambled enough... I'll be back soon! Enjoy the rest of your week!

Resistance is futile...

2009-03-26T07:17:00.007-05:00

Hi! It's been almost a week since I've posted, and my last post about wonderful Paytonology was something I reprinted from a Facebook post. So what's been going on this week?

Well, over the weekend I got a lot done for Glint Gear. I made some coin pouches, finished an awesome round bag that the hubster and I named together (Pinball Wizard... look for it soon. We haven't taken pics yet), starting making a messenger bag,and painted some canvas in purples and yellows for a special order pyramid bag. Not too bad for me, I suppose!

Side Note: Chip asked me in a comment if I'd be willing to share my process for painting the Glint Gear fabric - absolutely! I need to work on a post for that. On my Facebook I posted a note that talked about it a little with some pictures.

One major theme has popped up this week, and that is of creative resistance. I was even resisting writing a new blog post! I'm curious as to how many of you experience it as well. Is it something we all experience, and if so, how do you deal with it?

What I noticed for myself this past week, is that it's more than just "creative" resistance for me... it's "joy" resistance. I can think about different domains of my life - family, friends, work, art, marriage - and the resistance is pervasive. I can think about something I truly enjoy doing, and this feeling of "yuck" and "I don't wanna" and "why bother" comes over me. It happens every time I think of going on a social event with friends, planning and managing a really fun event at work, having a romantic date with Ocean, and sewing a groovy new Glint Gear piece. These are all things that give me joy and pleasure while I'm in the midst of it. But before I engage, it's almost like I'm about to have my toenails pulled out with pliers one-by-one.

Once I've chosen to proceed, there's a moment of what I can only describe as an odd "emotional pain" right before I commit to that first action. And then I take one small step, then another, and slowly begin. The "crossing over" from resistance to joy can sometimes be intense, depending on how much joy is waiting on the other side. Sometimes it's subtle. It used to take me weeks to work through the resistance to get started. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it only takes days. Sometimes hours. The past week I've noticed that if I focus on what a brilliant singer/songwriter friend of mine, Terry Allan Smith, calls "beginning mind," then it only takes minutes to get through the cross-over. Beginning mind is emptying your thoughts of how it will go and all those fears of disappointment, being stuck or whatever, and just take action. I focus on each step of what I'm doing and just give in to it.

For example, when I'm working on a Glint Gear piece that I know will be time-consuming and have resisted sitting down to sew, I commit to just doing it, empty my mind of all those negative thoughts, put fabric under the presser foot and just start stitching. One stitch at a time... whirrr... whirr.... whirrrrrr. It's a meditation. I give up how I'll do this part or that, and take it one moment at a time. One stitch a time. Giving in to the process fully. And before I know it, I'm so into it that time stands still and my joy is bubbling over. And I always think, "Now why was i resisting this??? I LOVE this!!!"

So that's my theme as of late. Breaking through resistance to feel joy.

What are your thoughts on creative resistance?

I Heart Paytonology

2009-03-20T23:42:00.010-05:00

I'm an artist. I LOVE all things creative. I had one wacky "spiritualist" tell me she saw my aura and that I am the physical embodiment of "Art" and that's why I have this Alien Silver Hair and color-shifting eyes. Well, I don't know about all that. Sounds to me like she had sniffed too much patchouli oil and ate too many funny 'shrooms. But I DO know this - I know true ART and pure creative talent when I experience it, and Mary Payton Daniels, an amazing fellow artisan and Etsy seller, is the embodiment of pure creative talent and a beautiful spirit!

I had the true joy of stumbling across Mare's showcase on Etsy, and knew from the moment I saw her work that she is something special. Those who know me know I am addicted to handcrafted artisan glass jewelery. I'm addicted to the yummy colors, and it truly expresses me. I literally have a little over 7 dozen glass pieces not counting earrings or bracelets! I bought 3 pieces from Mare, and we became fast friends. (And she became a Glint Girl and bought several of my bags!)

Anthony's birthday was coming up. Anthony said he had always wanted a custom leather bracelet made with a huge glass piece that would reflect his love of the ocean and water. I had no idea if Mare does anything with leather, but thought it couldn't hurt to ask since Anthony fell in love with her work too. Mare jumped on the project, embraced it and totally blew us away. She "tapped in" to who Anthony was and somehow created THE perfect glass piece that embodies Anthony. I won't say any more... I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

But I highly encourage you to check out Mare's work. Send her an email to say hello. She's a doll and I know you'll love her. She's BIG on customer service and making sure you fall in love with Paytonology. Anthony and I have, and it's now a lifetime of love with Paytonology.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
glintgear.etsy.com

Thanks for Glint-ing!

2009-03-18T21:47:00.008-05:00

And my-oh-my how you glint and don't even know it!

Welcome to my blog! This is my first blog (notes on Facebook don't really count...) and my first blog post! People "in the know" say blogging is where it's at, especially when you have a business, so I'm a-doin' it!

As we get to know each other, you'll learn more about me and my creative side, and hopefully you'll let me learn more about YOU and yours! I will also feature other fabulous creatives on here as well.

You'll hear LOTS about my amazing artist husband, Anthony Ocean, who will from this point on be referred to as Ocean. We live in beautiful South Austin. We turned 90% of our house into a studio! The living room with the lovely wooden floors is our main studio, which we have dubbed Liquid Star Studio. (The first person to ping me with why we call it that gets 10% off their next Glint Gear purchase!) Our master bedroom is the media room with the TV, Ocean's massive (and growing) DVD collection, computer and random art stuff. The smaller bedroom is currently being transformed into the "finishing room" for photos of finished pieces, product storage and packing/shipping area. The garage is where we often have fun making Glint Gear fabric and working on large paintings. I even use part of the kitchen counter while making bags!

I will coax Ocean into writing some movie reviews and including those as well for fun. We never ever watch network TV (although we've gotten hooked on some favs we've heard about and watch on DVD such as Smallville, Heroes, Battlestar Galactica & Lost). But we are HUGE movie fans!

As for Glint Gear... about five years ago, I decided that I love making handmade stuff and also wanted to use paintings in a way that were wearable. It took me until about a year ago to create a process where I can create large sheets of painted "fabric" in a way that's faster than just brush strokes and is unique and groovy. I decided on bags and purses because I never cared for the look of "high fashion" bags such as Coach or Dooney & Bourke, (I'm probably saying that wrong), and would have a hard time finding fun unique bags. I actually told my husband in Macy's one day that if he ever bought me a Coach bag, I'd file for divorce! No offense to anyone, but I think they are not attractive. And an expensive price tag, does not a swan make...

As for my sewing ability, it's in my blood! My grandmother was a seamstress and worked in a garment factory in a tiny Louisiana town. My mother is a master seamstress as well and gave me the wonderful legacy of sewing talent and creativity. And I'm SO happy that she did! I LOVE to sew! And I LOVE to paint. (I got her started on drawing and painting, so I'm returning the favor!)

It's been a fun challenge learning to sew with the unique qualities of artist canvas painted with traditional artists acrylic. I am constantly working on developing new designs that work well with the Glint fabric. I take a lot of time to carefully construct each piece up to my high standards. If it doesn't pass my scrutiny, it doesn't make it to out into the world!

That's enough for now! I'm not sure how often I'll post, but I'm really excited about this blog and about sharing all the fun Liquid Star happenings.

Oh, and be sure to check out the Carried Away Bag Team's Bag of Luck Giveaway for a chance to win!

Keep Glint-ing!