Warm Fuzzy Valentine

Here's a quick little Valentine's decoration with a twist: It holds chocolate!

Materials

1. Felt
2. Fabric glue
3. Needle and thread
4. Embroidery floss
5. Pins
6. Scissors
7. Ribbon
8. Chocolate!

Steps

Cut heart shapes out of felt. I cut two sizes, one for the front sides of the pockets that will hold the chocolate, to decorate the pockets with. Glue (or sew, if you prefer) the smaller decorative hearts to the larger (pocket) hearts (you can also do this second step later; I just happened to do it at this point).

Pin large hearts onto another piece of felt and cut around it to create the back sides of the pockets.

Set front sides of pockets aside and lay the back sides out in a line. 

Measure out a piece of ribbon and position lay it on top of your row of pocket-backs. Pin in place

Sew (or glue, if you prefer) the ribbon to the pocket-backs.

Pin the front sides of the pockets to their corresponding backs. Using embroidery floss, sew most of the way around, leaving the top open (pic below is out of sequence).

Fill the pockets with chocolate and hang (use push-pins, magnets, or sew a ring to the top of the ribbon -- I used magnets to attach my chocolate-pocket heart garland to a lamp).

Happy Valentine's Day!

Linda
Purty Bird

Are You Ready For Some "Eco-Friendly" Football?

I have to admit, I'm not a football fan. Never have been. In high school, I only went to football games because it was "cool" to freeze off our butts and sit in the bleachers with friends and listen to the awesome band perform those hit hip-hop tunes that were popular in the 90s. In college, I went to Super Bowl parties to be around cute boys. I know, I sound shallow on a craft blog, but there is a point to this, I promise.

1099s are Due to Contractors Today!

The big day has come! No, it’s not suddenly Tax Day (April 17^th this year) or your birthday. Today’s the day the 1099s are due to all the freelancers and contractors out there!

Now, if after reading that sentence you sat up in your chair and gasped, then you probably forgot all about this. Man, how in trouble are you? There’s probably nothing you can do to get everything out in time today right?

Not so! If you did almost have a heart attack after realizing what today is, there’s still a spot of luck for you so you don’t get hit with any fines.

1099s

First, let’s take a look at the 1099. You may not have been shocked into action because you didn’t realize you had to send them out.

So who gets a 1099? Typically, people who get 1099s are folks who you’ve paid for work but who aren’t on your regular payroll. Did a freelancer write blog posts for you over the year? Or how about an interior decorator that came in a few times to keep up your office? All these people were paid outside of your regular business, so they potentially need a 1099.

I only said “potentially” because there is another stipulation. For instance, did you know that you may not have to send a 1099 form to them if you owe less than $600? If over the course of 2011 you paid them $599 or below for their services, don’t even sweat it.

What’s on the 1099? Despite all the pressure to get these tax forms out on time, it’s a relatively simple piece of paper. The 1099 has basic information like name, address, and Social Security Number or Tax ID number, to identify the contractor/freelancer. To obtain this information, send your contractors an IRS form W-9. To make tax time easier, it’s beneficial to get into the habit of sending W-9’s to all contractors as soon as you hire them. Then, besides that information, the only other info you need is how much you paid to them in 2011.

Also keep in mind you must send your 1099 information to the IRS by March 31st. Many small business owners simply send 1099's to contractors and to the IRS at the same time to fulfill the obligation all at once. And a great solution for this is...

FileTaxes.com

Now, we mentioned there was something you could still do even in this super late hour. Our friends over at FileTaxes.com know all too well how tough it is keeping all the proper forms in line. Remember, you just have to SEND the 1099s out today; they don’t necessarily have to be in your contractor/freelancers hands.

To take the stress and mess out of filling out your 1099s, head over to FileTaxes and let them do the dirty work for you. All you have to do is create an account, enter your information, and print everything you need. FileTaxes.com will also e-file with the IRS for you. Now, your obligations are fulfilled and you can stop worrying!

Well, that is until April…but that’s why we’ve got the Small Business Tax Resource Center! We’ve got all the answer you need when it comes to taxes, and if we don’t, just ask away at Outright.com!

About the Author:
Laura Messerschmitt is the Vice President of Marketing at Outright, a free online accounting software for small businesses. She loves helping the self-employed and small businesses to be more successful and grow their businesses.

Rain, Rain Go Away

I Love To Walk In The Rain by My Zoetrope

It's pouring today in New York City, but rather than curl up and hide from the weather, I thought I'd let it inspire me. Here are some rain themed items that may cheer you up a bit. How about a cute onesie by Big Bridge Studios in a rainy winter day blue and gray?

Gotham Bird Baby Onesie

I wouldn't mind a shower of these beauties designed by Fernando Jewelry:

Spring Rain Citrine Earrings

Stay dry with this cloche by Ellis Designs:

Women's Water Resistant Striped Cloche

Spend the day catching up on some correspondence with Tamara Garvey's Rainy Day Elephants:

Rainy Day Elephant Note Cards

And here is Gene Kelly, wishing you a happy rainy Friday:

Simone
groundsel.etsy.com

Beat Those Winter Doldrums!

Oh, winter. Business is SLOW and I, for one, am having a hard time fighting the tendency for that to turn me into a big lazy slug. There are so many things to enhance my business that I never have time to do during the rest of the year that I could be using this time to do but I just don't feel like it. This may be because it won't be clear whether doing them is having the desired effect without the regular contact with customers that heavier selling activity brings. Maybe. But that's no excuse. No! Spring will be here before we know it (it really will; I should know this by now)

Send a Valentine: Share Your Love 2012

Today, Etsy announced the return of their Special Delivery campaign - Share Your Love 2012. Etsy will once again partner with Citymeals-on-Wheels to bring nutritious meals & companionship to elderly New Yorkers with a little surprise...a Valentines' Day card from you.

Check out details on how to get involved, where to send your cards & any dos or don't here. Since K. Batty Design & Stationery is my name & cards are my game, I'm super excited to participate in this & pledge to send 20 cards. Maybe more! I love the opportunity to bring up the spirits of a fellow New Yorker.

I hope you'll join me in bringing some cheer with Etsy & Citymeals-on-Wheels!

PS If you're still gazing at your holiday cards & wondering what to do with them, check out Sara's post from the other day on how they can be upcycled for charity.

Kerry

Happy Friday the 13th!

Clouds from the No. 7 Train Platform by Astrodub

Friday the 13th. Does this date make you shudder with dread, or anticipation, or does it merely elicit a shoulder shrug from you? Since 2012 provides us with an unusually large number of Friday the 13th dates, I was interested to find out what other craft/artisan related superstitions we at the {NewNew} may harbor.

Numbers

Table Numbers Pretty Stationery Shop

Numbers seem to be in-/auspicious for many of us including myself: When I knit or crochet I never end on a 13th row. I just don't. Beth always tries to cast on a number of stitches that is a multiple of 6 or if that fails, a number of stitches that add up to a year that is personally meaningful to her. May has a thing for the number 8 and will set her kiln temperature to one that includes that digit.

Crochet Popcorn Pillow by bshorr

Habits

Angel always does the following after she finishes setting up at a market:

I go and get a coffee from a vendor within the market (or a cookie, or something to drink, etc). The way I see it, by feeding the monster so to speak, it gives me something back. Works every time ;-D

Lauren tries her best not to have any superstitions/ahem habits in anything relating to her business in order not to to feel like her success might be based on doing some habit or act. (Now, is not having a habit a habit?)

Leather Smart Phone Sleeve by LolaFalk Designs

Offerings

This to me was the most interesting "habit" and one I can totally relate to. Our technological tools often seem to have "minds" of their own that must be appeased. For example, whenever Lisa's printer wakes from sleep mode she has to "feed" it an offering. The first print after it wakes up is always gibberish. Also, the number of copies she prints at a time is important. She never prints more than 25 copies in one batch. Printing any more than that in one sitting courts disaster resulting in odd symbols being printed rather than the congratulatory message originally intended.

So, on this lucky or cursed day would you share your "habits" with us?

Happy Friday the 13th
Simone
groundsel.etsy.com

Giving Your Holiday Cards A New Life

Happy New Year, Readers! I hope your Holidays were spectacular and that you've entered 2012 with feelings of excitement, determination, and peace.

The first week of January, I attempt to do some spring cleaning. I clean out my closets, shred old papers I no longer need, go through old magazines from 2011, and do an inventory of my business stock. I also file all of my receipts and get my books in order as I prepare for orders in the new year and tax season. In other words, I purge, breathe, and usher in something like order before the chaos begins.

I set goals...now what?

{Rosie! The Biz Ladies cheerleader on Design Sponge}

The beginning of a new year means one thing. No, not hangovers! Ok, maybe those, but also everyone is talking about goal setting & I swear no one does it more than those of us in the handmade/small business category. All year long we are evaluating, changing, adjusting. This time of the year is prime for doing those things big picture style.

Got Goals?

Yes! But, now what? That's what I have struggled with in the past. How will I work toward these ideas every day? Last year my goals were to:

1. Produce more work

2. Focus. 

Kind of a do-more-by-doing-less approach there on number 2. Did I accomplish them? Yes...loosely. Mostly by sitting down & sketching out ideas. Many of them made it to the computer. Not many of them made it onto my shop, but design development takes time & I can't say it was easy to focus on one design at a time. So, can I do it differently? Well, yes...I'm glad you asked. Here's how...

NewNew New Year's Resolutions

Happy 2012!

So, it's a new year. Time to turn the page and look ahead. What do you want to start, finish, do, get, or be more of or less of in the coming 12 months?

A few brave NewNewers shared their resolutions with the rest of us. Here's what they said.