What I'm Working On- the littlest bean

as you may know, most of my work is focused around color and felt, two of my favorite things. this year, i wanted to create pops of color that would be perfect to wear in the warmer months. i actually came up with the concept for these necklaces last year, but just finally had the time to make them. i love how they turned out! each little composition is nestled in a metal bezel setting, so it won't feel the least bit warm on your skin, and will look perfect with all of your spring dresses!

dendro necklace, inspired by tree rings


strata necklace, like layers of earth


lollipop necklace (you can see why)


pom necklace

look for some in my shop, and coming soon to shows!

Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead Coloring Book by clowndollcurio.

The Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico can be traced back to the indigenous Olmec, Zapotec, Mixtec, Mexican or Aztec, Maya, P'urhépecha, and Totonac. Rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors have been observed by these civilizations perhaps for as long as 2500–3000 years. In the pre-Hispanic era, it was common to keep skulls as trophies and display them during the rituals to symbolize death and rebirth.*


A traditional sugar skull designed and hand-embroidered by Jen Menkaus.
In keeping with the tradition, but, eliminating the the gore, I thought it would be appropriate to feature work celebrating this holiday.

* Info courtesy of Wikipedia!

It Happened Kinda Like This...

I'm one of those saps who believes that everything happens for a reason. I know it's not the intellectual thing to think, but it's something I have to do if I'm gonna get through this life. The choices I've made along the way have helped, too. I know. But some people are meant to be your friends and some things are just meant to be.


BEST was a glimmer that none of us could put our fingers on. The organization it would take to form a street team was daunting and the timing was bad. I'm not quite sure if any of us were prepared to work even harder, to have our families wonder if our marbles hadn't gotten stuck in the floorboards somewhere. But we were drawn to each other. We had to do it.

I wrote this in my blog just before Christmas of last year, before any of us had met or imagined what we would work together to achieve...

I love fabric of different prints and textures layered and stitched together. This petite brooch from The Littlest Bean is so feminine without being frilly. It would look VERY sweet affixed to a baby girl's soft knit cap. Hmmmm. Maybe one day it will be! Find this brooch and a ton more at jenmenkhaus.etsy.com

A set of note cards from JennyJen 42 is the perfect gift for ANYONE. Really, we use up our coolest stationary fast in this house. Besides, it's just nice to get something in the mail that's not a bill or a forest's worth of junk. Hey, when you think about it, a gift of cards sends cheer all over the place! jennyjen42.etsy.com

And then came Leah. The tenacious CuriousZoo. Leah was not going to give up. Bad timing, be damned! This street team is forming! And we did. JenMenkhaus got us all in line. Her management and organizational skills were essential in our creation, and she still keeps us going strong. And growing. We have all worked so hard. And now, again, it's time to work even harder so we can live up to our Best of Baltimore title.


Oh, and just in case you were wondering, the collaboration between The Littlest Bean and Sweet Pepita turned out great! It's like these hats were meant to be.

Hmmmm.... What to do this weekend...

Join BEST members JenyGwen, JenMenkhaus, Miscelena and SweetPepita at the EcoFestival in Druid Hill Park! We'll be celebrating Baltimore Green Week and selling eco-friendly goodies for you and your family. Prepare yourself to fall in love with our park on a guided hiking or biking tour, discover how delicious and extraordinary vegan meals can be with fare from Yabba Pot, and just relax! Listen to music, enjoy art displayed in green space and maybe even learn a little something about how to take better care of your world.


And if that's not enough, this Sunday, April 27th, Bowerbox Press will be at the Day of the Book Festival in Kensington, MD. The fair is from 12 to 5, rain or shine. There will be authors, publishers, book artists, craftspeople, musicians and more!

Information is available at dayofthebook.com

think you've seen it all?

There's lots of amazing work on Etsy, for sure, but if you get a chance, head down to the American Craft Council's wonderful show this weekend at the Baltimore Convention Center. Check out hundreds of fine American craft artists, such as Jen Violette, Jenny Mendes, Jennifer Bauser, and Tomas Savrda (above, clockwise, from upper left) and demos from our own Allison Fomich.

I'm lucky enough to own work from 3 of the four talented artists shown above, and I'll tell you, each time I look at my collection, I smile. It's so worth it... take some time, and surround yourself with craft.

littlest bean - jen menkhaus

hi! i’m jen! i’ve been around craft and baltimore most of my life. i did my first craft show with my mom at about eight years old, but it wasn’t until i was 18 that i got my first real experience with CRAFT. i took a job working at a small but very well stocked craft store, which sold mostly hand-crafted jewelry, and i was completely amazed by the fact that someone made all of those things. i mean, most of us have grown up in a world where everything is either made by a machine, or made by several people, who only touch it for a minute. anyway, that’s where it started.

the last year of school, i worked for what was then a teeny tiny company called anthropologie, and when i graduated and discovered there were no jobs in the paper for english majors or artists, i decided to continue at anthro, having been offered the coveted display job there. i learned so much from that job, and it was such a creative and free atmosphere. i stayed there until i moved back to baltimore and took a job as a merchandiser / decorator for an independently owned lifestyle store here. i ended up doing buying, bookkeeping, and inventory analysis there as well, and learned tons about running a small business.

after that, i took a job with the Buyers Market of American Craft, and it was funny, because all of these retail jobs finally meant something to someone else but me! i worked there as the Exhibitor Services Director, and aside from organizing a huge trade show hosting close to 1600 wholesale craft exhibitors, i was able to use my experience to help artists. i advised them on things like product line development, pricing structures, business basics, working with galleries, displays and other things nobody learns in art school. i loved that job, but a year after my daughter was born, i gave it up to stay home more with her. i now work part time for Maryland Citizens for the Arts, an agency that advocates for money for the arts, doing development work.

i’m still a major craft addict, and even when we travel i scope out the galleries beforehand. when we used to travel abroad, i always learned the words for “art,” “craft,” and “jewelry.” (beer, too, but that’s another story.)

whew. and i didn’t think i’d be able to write enough. well, aside from being a mom, and working part time, i’ve been selling on etsy for about four months, as well as developing another business with a friend… my etsy shop, littlest bean, is mostly the work that i am able to do now. i used to like to make pieces that would require a large pot of coffee and half a night, but now i make more portable work. i chose felt because it’s beautiful, versatile, and safe to be around. (when i think of how many hours of my life i spent holding turpentine-soaked rags in my hands, or in my MOUTH!) now my work mingles peacefully in our home, where i live with my husband, daughter, two cats, and one really weird little weiner dog. i’m really proud that my 2 ½ year old now asks “who made that?” instead of “where did you buy that?”

i’m really happy to be a part of b.e.s.t., and looking forward to the good things to come!