About Us: Oso, Bean and Mo!

Oso+Bean was founded in 2014, and is the loving brainchild of award-winning designer, Maureen Smullen. With a background in Consumer Products and Branding and her extensie collection of antique books, postcards, magazines and more, the brand was inevitable.

Oso+Bean’s first product were pillows made from custom fabrics. The inspiration started as crazy experiments running fabrics trough her cheap, desktop printer (a blog post about this to follow). Maureen started selling pillows from her custom-designed fabrics at maker shows around Southern California. Breaking down booths at the end of shows inspired, “I could use a drink.” It was a logical progression. Having a flask at a show, was like giving yourself a pat on the back for a job well done, a hug in a convenient metal container.

The overall look of the brand is based on Maureen’s extensive collection of antique books, postcards, Civil War-era magazines, cabinet cards, and more gathered from all over the world. The result is the creation of products that allows her to share her rare, and collectible imagery with a wide, appreciative audience.

“Having a flask at a show, was like giving yourself a pat on the back for a job well done, a hug in a convenient metal container.”

Oso+Bean products products can be found in hundreds of shops, museum stores, bookstores and boutiques around the USA carry Oso+Bean, and more are added often. Check out our Where to Buy link to see if we are near you. We add to this list often.

And! Be sure to let us know if you would like to see your favorite local shop carry us. There could be a little something in it for you!

And those cute kids you see on all the Oso+Bean packaging? That is Maureen’s Grandma’s 1920 kindergarten class photo, Glendale, CA.

Our Founders:

Oso:

Founder Oso Cat

Oso was born in Mexico in 2010. At the age of two months, he adopted a nice gringa lady. Oso is tri-ligual and can ignore you in English and Spanish. In 2014, Oso immigrated to California with his American family. As a naughty black cat, Oso typically only works on Fridays that fall on the 13th of a month.

Bean:

Bean Cat

Bean, a Taurus, was born in April 2000. He is well-traveled and has lived in the US and several years in Mexico. Though born a cat, he was raised by a Golden Retriever, and has always preferred the company of dogs and humans to “obnoxious, bratty, black cats”.
Bean C. Smullen, April, 2000 – Aprol, 2016

Maureen:

Maureen is Oso and Bean’s executive assistant, though she claims to be the designer and a company founder. O and B try to encourage her self-esteem and never correct her when she calls herself the boss (she declines to say when she was born).