New Pretties

Getting ready for the DC Craft Mafia's Holiday Heist on November 21st and I've had the opportunity to play a bit with some new ideas and techniques so I just wanted to do a little show and tell post.

Hope to see you at the Holiday Heist show and don't forget to leave your "thanks" on the last post for your chance to win some Luchador Thank you notes!

Enameled Silhouettes and new hand pierced silver designs-

Custom Silhouettes- Remember those framed profile portraits? Have one? Get one made to wear. Just send me the photo of your old (or new) profile portrait and I'll custom make you a pendant to wear.
I can even stamp a name and/or date.

Give Away - FREE THANK YOU'S

So... I've been trying to come up with ideas for a contest or give away... and I've GOT IT!

In the spirit of the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays I want to offer THREE lucky winners a set of Luchador Thank you cards.

Each set comes with 6 cards hand detailed with a bit of *sparkle* and 6 envelopes sealed in a celophane envelope.

What you need to do to win:
1) Sign up for my "Updates" by entering your email at the top right hand "sign up" box. If you're already signed up Great! GO to #2
2) Leave a comment on what you're thankful for this season by November 15th. Click on the blue text that says "Comments" or "Post Comments" at the end of this post.
That's it! I'll post the winners on November 16th!

GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU!

New Swag

Just wanted to share some new items now available on my website.
ENJOY!

Quick! Hampdenfest 2010 is here!

Yikes! Hampdenfest 2010 is this Saturday from 11am-7pm on the Avenue!

I'll be there and I've been playing catch up with new designs so I'm a LITTLE behind on letting everyone in on all the news. Sorry!

Come to Baltimore! Hampden is one of Baltimore's most darling neighborhoods full of great food, little vintage and hip shops, and to top it off there will be a festival with parade and EVERYTHING! ;)

ABOUT Hampdenfest
Directions and Parking

SNEAK PEAK!

Customer Inspired

The August shows are over and ready to start over for September. Thanks to everyone that made it out to Arts on N and to the Ballston Arts Market!

Just wanted to do a quick post about how so many of my customers inspire new designs. I get a lot of custom orders and ideas from customers such as the Little Prince's "tamed fox", and earrings with the Cheshire cat.

Other times just a simple suggestion for new products -like cufflinks with dogs- will inspire me...Hence the new "Mooshface" pendant and ring... soon to be cufflinks too! ;)

So to all my customers : THANK YOU!!! Keep all the great ideas and custom orders coming!

Hello Again.

Image: Ottaqueche River in Woodstock, VT
It's been a little while since I last posted with bLuGrn updates... I've been enjoying my summer near sunny beaches and cool water... and am looking forward to continuing this lucky habit. ;)

I've also had a chance this week to play with some new material- Leather.

Check out my new leather necklaces, cuffs and braille wrist wraps... hope you like. ;)

Simple beauty

I admire simple beauty and wanted to share these lovely designs by otchipotchi.
porcelain wall vases and crochet stones

Have a great weekend!

Father's Day- June 20th

Along with free shipping the month of JUNE... don't forget about Father's day!
check out these fun ideas available on my website.


Custom Money Clip $27:
Put man's best friend on there. Name your dog's silhouette and even personalize it by having a name stamped on there for FREE!

OR.....Custom Key Chains $12: Also with man's best friend (your pick of dog silhouette) and free name stamping.

Cufflinks:$18-$32

Don't forget the fun Card:$6-$12

HAPPY SUMMER! FREE SHIPPING- JUNE

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and is enjoying their summer!

I just got back from a beautiful and relaxing vacation in Tulum, Mexico...and wanted to keep up the happy momentum by adding my little bit of sunshine to the pot- FREE SHIPPING
THE MONTH OF JUNE!

That includes worldwide shipping ;)

The only catch is that it has to be purchased from my website: bLuGrndesign.com/shop

That said I just want to share some new designs with you. ENJOY!

Last Show this Spring

Last week was Ballston Arts and Crafts Market in Arlington. Winds were mighty at 45 mph so everyone had to make due without their canopies... but it was a beautiful sunny cool day with plenty of visitors.
All in all a successful and fun day!

This Sunday's show is Taste of Arlington!

This fun street festival will have local entertainment, lively sponsors, children's activities, and over 40 restaurants participate in this spectacular community event.

The Ballston Arts & Crafts Market will be one street down from the festival. I'll be setting up shop in the regular spot, Welburn Square, joining the festive spirit. So come join in on the food and fun!

I'm taking requests...so let me know if there's anything you'd like to see this Sunday. ;)

Hope to see you soon!
~lucia

SPRING BADA BING!

April 18, 11am - 4pm Plant Zero Richmond, VA

Come visit me this weekend in Richmond, VA in what's sure to be a fun and treasure filled event- Spring Bada- Bing. ( Be sure to check out the Vendor list!)

The event will be held at Plant Zero - in South Richmond's Manchester Art District
0 E. 4th Street, Richmond, VA 23224.

Make-Gyver

Welcome to my second edition of tutorial tuesdays. But since I couldn't wait 'til Tuesday to share I'm renaming it Make-Gyver (MacGyver) Monday ;) HA!

ENJOY!

DIY Boot Liners

Make Sidewalk Chalk (via Artmind)
using plaster and carboard tubes.

Pennant Rubber Stamp Roller
using steam roller and rubber-band.

SPRING Shows

With the beginning of Spring we also start to see the beginning of show season. So far I have a couple that are locked in and a couple I'm waiting to hear if i've been accepted.

To start with Sheny Boutique in Houston will be hosting an Earth day event on April 17th! I will have some of my Alice in Wonderland pieces such as the Door Mouse and Teapot, Looking Glass Necklaces, Cheshire-cat earrings, Alice and W.Rabbit earrings, and my favorite the "Advice from a Caterpillar" necklace.

I will also have some one of a kind rehab pieces I've designed from vintage pieces I've discovered in my "treasure hunts". Will post some pictures soon. I'm going on a little hunt this weekend to see what I can find! ;)

WHAT: Recycle Reuse Rewear:
Bring your old jewelry and "recycle" it by making a new one!

WHEN: April 17 12-4pm

WHERE: SHENY Designs Boutique
713.480.8824
1740 Sunset Blvd.
Houston, Texas 77005

The second show is in Richmond, VA. I found out today that was accepted into the Spring Bada-Bing Show which is presented by the Richmond Craft mafia. I've never done this show before but I hear great things about it so i can't wait! Hope to see you there!

WHEN: April 18th, 11-4pm

WHERE: Plant Zero- 0 E. 4th Street, Richmond, VA 23224

Little Bit of Braille

As you know one of my signature collections is the braille pendants and necklaces as well as braille keychains and now also rings. The other day I received a really great gift from a fellow jewelry designer, Leslie Ligon of braillestone.com who found me through Etsy and we talked about our designs and common interest in braille.

Leslie lives in Dallas and promotes Braille literacy within the sighted and blind communities through her braille jewelry like the bracelet she sent me. (to the left) It consists of the whole alphabet in braille with the letters on the inside.

A portion of her sales proceeds are donated to Braille Without Borders and BrailleInk.

On that note... A little bit about this type of writing. Braille can be found in almost every public space and often goes unnoticed by the sighted...but take a closer look next time you're in a public elevator or office. You'll find those clever embossed dots next to numbers and buttons and next to offices and restrooms.

Named after its inventor, Louis Braille, the braille system uses a basic “braille cell” which consists of six dots grouped in two vertical columns of three dots each. The dots in the first column are numbered one through three and the second, four through six. Organized groups of dots in the cells represent letters and numbers. For example, the letter “D” (in the chart below) can be expressed as “dots 1, 4, 5.”

The story of Louis Braille is actually quite interesting as well--
Louis as an 11 year old blind student revised secret military code and used it the basis for written communication for blind individuals. The original military code was called night writing and was used by soldiers to communicate after dark. The code used a twelve-dot cell two dots wide by six dots high.The problem with the military code was that the human fingertip could not feel all the dots with one touch.

Louis Braille's revised reading method is based on a cell of six dots. This improvement enabled the fingertip to encompass the entire cell unit with one impression and hence quickly move across cells.

Another interesting tidbit is that His published code,Procédé pour Ecrire les Paroles, la Musique et la Plain-Chant au Moyen de Points, also contained a braille music code based on the same six-dot cell. Cool, right?!

Tutorial Tuesday

I've been "starring" all these DIY tutorials on my blog reader. There are so many really cool ones and I thought I would share a couple. I'm hoping if people like this then perhaps I can share a couple more every other Tuesday?
ENJOY!

Convert mirror frame to magnetic chalkboard.
(via design sponge)
I've actually made this one but I used magenetic paint under the chalk paint on plain ol'plywood. This made it a lot lighter. The drawback would be that the magnets are not super strong.

This was my version:
Jonathan Adler-Inspired Pottery (via Renest)

This looks pretty amazing. I can't wait to try this.

SHELVING UNIT (via the brick house)
Lastly... I rarely see great DIY shelves... that don't look...well DIY.
(Thinking about college dorms with plywood and furniture ;)

Definitely requires some commitment ;)

* New Designs *

Quick little sneak peak on some things i've been working on.
Onyx teared necklace, 14k GF braille necklace, Heart Hoops, Mini luchador valentines, XOXO pearl necklace, xoxo linked braille necklace