I’ve decided to merge this Sweetbeets blog with ModEcoKids.com which is my children’s design blog. I’ll occasionally post about Sweetbeets news and inspiration on ModEcoKids.com but also I feature handmade and eco-friendly finds for babies and children as well as resources for retailers. I hope you’ll check it out and update your RSS feed if necessary. Thank you!!
New Sweetbeets designs in stock
You’ll find some new cards in the online wholesale catalogue! My youngest son was the inspiration for this cute cowboy. He doesn’t have a fringe vest or a cowboy hat but he does love rocking on his wooden horse.
The new designs are letterpress printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with a subtle texture that really shows off the impression created by the vintage press. Is it time to reorder for your shop? I’d love to hear from you!
Technorati Tags: handmade cards, eco-friendly cards, letterpress, letterpress stationery, greeting cards, kids, birthday, new baby, made in Canada, recycled paper
Stationery Trends trade magazine
My yellow eyelet-inspired letterpress note card was featured in the Fall 2008 issue of Stationery Trends! I’m really impressed with this trade magazine and not just because of the press mention.
The first issue launched at the National Stationery Show in May 2008. I noticed that it’s definitely targeting the types of retailers I’d love to carry Sweetbeets. The content is fresh, the design is clean and appealing and there’s lots of support for independent stationery designers including tons of letterpress. Retailers can also easily request product information here.
The editor requested an image of one of my designs for the Winter issue, so I’ll be anxiously awaiting my copy to arrive in the mail!
Technorati Tags: stationery trends, trade magazine, letterpress stationery
Last night I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning editing the new images of Sweetbeets cards and uploading most of them to the online wholesale catalogue. I’m so pleased with the new images. Photography has been a lot of trial and error and I’m sure I’ve put at least a thousand images into the “trash”, but I’ve learned that my cards really need a vibrant background for product shots.
I use a sheet of paper as my background. As I was browsing the selection at the local art shop, this lovely shade of blue caught my eye. I must have been subconsciously influenced by this necklace by Formfire Glassworks that is on my wish list or perhaps these baby booties by Elefent. I doubt that blue will replace green as my favorite color, but my camera seems to love it much more than a green or white background.
Last weekend I finally finished a few new Sweetbeets designs….a bit behind schedule, but I hope you’ll agree it is worth the wait! If you browse the online wholesale catalogue sometime next week, you’ll find cards featuring a baby playing with blocks, a baby girl ballerina and a baby boy cowboy riding on a rocking horse. Very cute if I do say so myself!
Technorati Tags: Sweetbeets, letterpress stationery, letterpress cards
I’m so excited that Sweetbeets boxed note cards are now carried at Pistachio! The location on Yonge Street in Toronto opened yesterday and you can read more about the new chain of eco-chic gift boutiques here. Can you tell that I love the vibrant green of Pistachio’s storefront? It looks like the same shade of ink I’ve chosen for one of my boxed notes designs!
(image of Pistachio storefront via financialpost.com)
Technorati Tags: letterpress stationery, thank you notes, eco-chic boutique, gift shop
Pantone color report for Spring 2009
You can expect these colors to be popular next year according to this Pantone color report for Spring 2009. My favorites are Lucite Green, Dark Citron and Super Lemon.
Technorati Tags: color trends, Pantone color report, Spring 2009 trends
To all of these bloggers, I am so grateful that you’ve featured Sweetbeets on your blogs!
The Boss of You
Black Eiffel
Blooming in Nihon Japan
Momentary Bliss
Domestic Reflections
Gifts I Cannot Wait To Give
Amala
Oh, Hello Friend
Tiny Decor
MarieBee
Fawn&Forest Notes
My workspace is featured on the shop blog for GoodEGG, a Canadian online boutique that carries my letterpress notecards. You’ll recognize the photos but I thought you might be interested in reading the Q&A where I share more about how I work. A big thank you to Jen and Laural of GoodEGG!
I stumbled upon this blog post about Sweetbeets and I have to quote it here because I love it so much:
this is exactly the type of card that i don’t use as a card at all. i will frame it in a simple white frame with a white matte and give it to the most scrumptious two year-old on my list. even better? frame the entire 5 card-series to be lined up neatly on a playroom wall.
Framing my cards as letterpress prints had been on my to-do list, but seeing this post made me get moving on it. Here are the results so far.
The cards are framed in IKEA RIBBA frames (9×11 inches). I had a custom matte made at a local framing shop because the one that came with the frame had an opening that was a bit too big.
I’m pretty happy with how they turned out, although I need to figure out how to prevent the horizontal and vertical lines in the image from appearing a bit distorted. I know there’s a fancy photography term for this lens distortion but I cannot remember it right now! I also bought a RIBBA frame that fits three cards that I thought would be perfect for the Sweetbeets number series, but that will have to wait for my next photo shoot.
Technorati Tags: affordable artwork, letterpress print, made in Canada, letterpress, framing cards, nursery decor, children’s spaces
