Taxes

Whew. I just finished scanning and printing out our Sweet Bean's taxes. Let me tell you, the Partnership Tax Form (1065) is no picnic. In the instructions, the IRS says it will take at least 100 hours to complete the necessary forms...I kid you not. Fortunately, my father-in-law is an accountant, and he helped us out (after I tried to do it like 10 times). If you are a partnership...get help!!!!

Happy Monday!

I'll be back with more yummy recipes/cookbooks, Sweet Bean's news, and random facts about me (thanks for the tag, Tizz!).

Great Blog

Check out Femputer's blog: According to Femputer. It's full of gorgeous tutorials, and has a really fresh, clean look that I love!

Click, Click

Check out some of my current favorites!

Tutorial Time!

Well, we've been working like crazy on a new project. It's a tutorial on how to make one of our origami scrapbooks. We just launched it last night, and I am super excited! Find it here.

It was really challenging: photographing, editing, photographing some more, editing some more, writing comprehensive and clear instructions, etc. I wanted it to be appealing visually, so I studied lots of old Living magazines, to see how they presented DIY projects. I think it looks fantastic! Hooray.

As a special celebration, anyone who mentions "BLOG" in the "message to seller" box at checkout will receive $3.00 off the price of the tutorial. Just wait for a revised invoice from me. Thank you!

Top Secret!

The secret is almost out! We've been working REALLY hard, and it looks pretty amazing. It'll be ready to go by the end of this week...I can't wait!

Custom Order!

Hooray! We got our first custom order! OK, it was from my mom. She saw our "I see an airplane" book and wanted one for herself! Anyway, I designed this simple little guy for listing custom orders:

Cute!

Moo

I just received my Moo cards yesterday, and couldn't be more pleased.

I downloaded the card template from Moo, and doctored up my photos with GIMP. You can also just have Moo upload your photos from your Flickr, or from your Etsy shop, but you can't get quite as much control that way.

P.S. Sandy and I are working on a top secret project, and should have something to show for it late next week!

Indiepublic

Come join me on Indiepublic! It's a new social networking site (like MySpace) for indie artisans and shoppers. From their website:

"Indiepublic is an independent art and design community. If you're an artist, designer, retailer, blogger, or just someone who gets giddy when they buy indie, we've saved a seat for you!"

Anyway, please join, and add me as your friend.




Visit Indiepublic

Poster!

Check out this poster I made using Etsy's poster sketch tool! I first saw this idea at Littleput's blog. Thanks, Ryan! I plan to post these around town along with my new Moo cards!

Check it out!

Sara of Sara's Texture Crafts has created a new blog featuring the Profiles of different Etsy sellers. We're being featured today! You can see it here.

Also take a peek at her other amazing blog about her own craft. It's beautiful!

Thank you, Sara!

Buy Local. There's still time!

I just realized that my last post's title was "But Handmade." Oops.

For all of you last-minute Minnesota shoppers: check out the EtsyMN street team's blog here. There you will find links to all kinds of Minnesota-based Etsy shops that can still get gifts to you on time for Christmas! Some of my favorites are:

• Jenna Lou Designs
  
• Mrs. Kwitty's Cottage
• XO Handworks

Another handy tool is Etsy's new Shop Local gadget. Enter a city, and search for Etsy sellers in your area. It's pretty slick! Look for Sweet Bean's under "St. Paul."

Buy Handmade (The Last One!): June None Designs

Heather of Junie None Designs doesn't know it, but she is my cyber BFF. First of all, she tagged me, which made me feel loved. Second, she has a 2-year-old son, too. Third, she lives with her family in a cottage on her parents' farm in California, and I'm pretty jealous of that (I'm quite the outdoors enthusiast). BFFs can be jealous of one another.

She is also my BFF because she makes such beautiful things! Look:

This is her Wasabi Ultra Plush Mini Security Blanket. To me her work is fantastic because:

• Her designs are simple AND elegant. What a great idea to add those contrasting patch pockets!
  
• She uses the most beautiful fabrics: Amy Butler, Alexander Henry, Kaffee Fasset, etc.

Mamas and Daddies, do yourself a favor and get thee to Heather's shop. Do so quickly...the last order date for US orders to arrive by Christmas is Dec. 19!!!! Yikes.

Thank you for Buying Handmade this Christmas, and thank you, BFF!

Just Listed: Miss Glitterati

2007_12150071
Originally uploaded by sweetbeansshop

How sweet is this little missy? This is the "girly" version of our new origami style scrapbooks. We will soon be offering custom orders as well...you choose the color scheme and the occasion. We're really excited about these...they are BEAUTIFUL!

More to come this week: my review/report of the Met Opera broadcast, spotlight on Junie None Designs, more young adult lit., "Krafting" with Karen!

Just Listed: Origami Style Scrapbook

2007_12110004
Originally uploaded by sweetbeansshop

I just listed this little guy. I call him: Mr. Ladybug. We'll introduce a girly one this coming Monday! P.S. I blogged this from Flickr! How cool.

Sneak Peek

Look for this cute little origami-style scrapbook to be available next week at Sweet Bean's! This unique design holds up to 28 different images and was painstakingly handcrafted using gorgeous papers from the new Martha Stewart Crafts line at Michaels.

Buy Handmade: Wrapsberry

By now, you may have figured out my e-vil plot to feature items that I myself would like to receive. Heh, heh. Think of it as my Christmas wish-list.

Luxury, thy name is Wrapsberry. Flo, founder of Wrapsberry and a fellow EtsyMom, makes these amazing "blankets." One side is constructed from a super-plush minky, the center is dense fleece, and the opposite side features an equally luxurious ultra suede, or satin, etc. They all have this ingenious pocket. When snuggling, you tuck your feet in it. When not in use, the throw folds into the pocket, and creates a fluffy pillow. How cool is that?

From her blog: "What is Wrapsberry? It's unusual and memorable, like Kodak or Xerox, and has versatility as a noun for branding purposes. It describes the product- wraps. But most significantly, its twist on "raspberry" draws parallels to the decadence and simplicity found in that small perfect package, the richness and substance you taste in a fruit at its peak."

I couldn't have said it better myself. Thank you, Flo. Remember to buy handmade this Christmas.

P.S. Thanks to Dottyral for the Etsy Mini idea from her Storque article.

Buy Handmade: Ubiki

images via Etsy

OK, I must admit, I'm a lover of all things cute. It should come as no surprise that I adore these images from Ubiki, but there's something about the scale of the work that hits me on a different level. The oversized "monsters" and animals seem so out of place in their stark and minimal surroundings, like they're just doing the best they can to fit in; it really tugs at my heartstrings. Sion Lee, creator of Ubiki (and graphic designer AND beloved blogger of Cuteable), describes her work as "simply modern" with "clean lines, fresh colors and basic forms." I call it sweet, nostalgic, and just plain human. Find more of Sion's work here.

Big Announcement

It's finally here! We're being featured in the Design Mom Marketplace for the next 30 days!

Design Mom is a prominent blogger, the co-founder of Sk*rt, and a taste/style guru for her many, many followers. She recently started her Marketplace, as a place to display ads for products and companies of interest to her readers.

I know this will be a great way to introduce more people to Sweet Bean's!

More news: we recently adopted the domain name: http://www.sweetbeansshop.com/. Take a click, and it will connect you directly with our Etsy site. Pretty slick!

Please stop by on Monday, when I feature Flo from Wrapsberry.

Thank You!

A big thank you to Renita of Vintage Mom Creations for featuring Sweet Bean's in her blog! Check it out here.

Buy Handmade: Jenna Lou Designs

In many respects, I am fuss-free. When I leave the house, I don't like to carry anything I don't desperately need. Going to Trader Joe's, I bring: Hal (in a really cute sling from Zolowear), keys, one credit card, and my ID. No, I don't wear a jacket. Yes, I live in Minnesota. Sometimes I wear a scarf.

Now, I have never met Jenna of Jenna Lou Designs, but I can tell she is a gal after my own heart. She's also very talented. Check this out:







This is her own design the "Girl's Best Friend Wallet," which I kind of love. All of her work features gorgeous, colorful and fun fabric like the pink coriander pictured above. You can view all of her fabric choices for custom work here.

Most recently, Jenna has written a pattern for her lovely Fiona handbag.








From her blog: "It was a quite interesting process. As a designer you only have to think for yourself. You know your limits and you know what you are good at, but as a pattern writer you really begin to look at how other people sew. At how your techniques will be received by beginner, intermediate, and advanced sewers. It has really opened up my eyes. And not only to sewing, but also to photography and graphic design and dealing with printers and ordering all the little things that will bring it together and on and on and on (I've learned SO much). It has been a truly amazing experience and if all goes well with this first pattern I will be planning many many more to share with you in the future."

Like I said, she's talented. In the near future, Jenna will be writing more patterns, beginning with her wildly popular "Girl's Best Friend Wallet."

Thank you, Jenna Lou, for sharing your work with us today!

Remember to Buy Handmade...especially remember to buy me one of Jenna's "Pocket Pal Wallets."