double word score + freebie

Those of you on the Moo mailing list might have received this newsletter today:

You may remember that during our birthday celebration, Paperie readers get a special Moo discount. I have it straight from the cow’s mouth that not only are MiniCards, Postcards, Greeting Cards and Stickers on sale for 30% off during this 48-hour sale – but you can also use your Paperie birthday code for an ADDITIONAL 10% off these items through Thursday, July 15th at 11:59 p.m. EDT! (The Paperie code is good through Sunday, July 18th at midnight.)

And just because we love you, the first 15 people to comment (all gone! check back for more goodies soon!) will get the download link to these two Moo mini-card templates:

If you don’t make it in time to snag the above cards, never fear! You can dig around in the archives for free downloads – a special delivery “gift” mini card template, and two holiday mini card templates (1, 2).

What are you waiting for? Get the extra Paperie code and get Moooving before the sale expires!

pick a color – any color!

My recent aqua / aqua photo boxes from HB Packaging have caused quite the Internet stir. The company is actually considering offering that combo as an option now. Raise your hand if you’re interested in the comments!

HB Photo Packaging would also like to know, “Is there a color or packaging item you want for your business but can’t find?” If so, please post about it here in the comments – they are listening! If your branding is centered around colors like grey or orange that are impossible to find photo boxes to match, this is your chance to speak now or forever hold your peace.

HB does offer “print your own” packaging that you can design from scratch using blank templates—but these color suggestions on Paperie Boutique would be for their Standard, and Boutique, and Prestige packaging lines.

So dream it and post it! They’re waiting to hear from you…




And now the follow-up to yesterday’s guest post / photo teaser by Photoumbra Studios. Everyone loves the packaging posts here and this one will not disappoint!

Inspired by so many posts on the Paperie blog, I set out a few months ago to give my packaging, marketing, and price menus a good dose of consistency, simplicity, and of course some pretty! I didn’t venture far from what I had already been giving my clients, but I felt like I could vamp up my look and information a little better. I didn’t change my color scheme nor my logo, which I do think is important because as we all know, it is so crucial to be consistent and it was very important to me to incorporate my website and blog branding into my print and packaging.

Besides staying true to our current branding, it was also very important to me to be able to design tools that could help my clients make smarter and hopefully larger purchases by providing them with an easy to navigate price menu, a wall display design guide, and the ability to choose a portrait collection or build their own. As with any project, there are things I would do differently next time, but also things that I learned work great and I will continue to implement.

First lets start with the packaging. I’ve been using Kraft products to package with for some time, but what was new was some new little cards that I made up that I now include in every order. The cards include a blank “Thank You” card where I can hand write a message, a “Portrait Care Tips” card that is included with any enlargements, a “Spread the Love” card that talks about our referral program, and a “Copyright Info” card.

(If you are interested in purchasing the templates or a copy of our “Portrait Design Guide”) see the bottom of this post.

Our packaging includes:
• Boxes from Rice Studio Supply
• Stickers from WHCC (but I will soon be trying out
  Black River Imaging’s die cut stickers)
• Bags, Tissue and Ribbons from Nashville Wraps
• Little stickers from MOO
• Thank You, Copyright Info, Referral Info, and Portrait
  Care Tip Cards printed by Overnight Prints

Next up is our “Portrait Boutique Catalog”. The version that I give to each of my clients is 5.5×11 folded press printed card with a 5×5x8.5 insert. The Catalog outlines each of our print and product lines with brief descriptions of each and standard size pricing. The insert features our “Portrait Collection” on one side (5 to choose from) and a “Build Your Own Collection” option on the other side. The BYOC has been very popular and I have found that most of my clients are enjoying the freedom of it.

Our Catalog and insert cards were printed by Overnight Prints.

Finally, is our “Portrait Design Guide”. This guide is given to select clients who are interested in investing in wall portraits. It includes a cover, an introduction to the guide, 14 inspiring designs for wall displays, a card for them to record measurements throughout their home where they would like to create a wall display, and a card where they can jot down any notes, or draw ideas. The cards corners are rounded an they are bound by a single hinged silver ring. Also included along with the guide is a 60″ measuring tape that we had custom branded for our studio with the tag line “Design Away – Photoumbra Studios“, they also receive a pen branded with our studio name and website. Each of these items fit into a nice 5×7 box decorated with our studio logo and a ribbon.

The “Portrait Design Guide” vendors are:
• Cards printed by Overnight Prints
• Wall Display Design purchased from Gradybug Designs
  but altered to reflect our studio colors and I also included
  some other design elements and text into these
• Tape Measures from American Bridal
• Pens from Ink Spot

If you are interested in receiving a digital or hard copy of our “Portrait Design Guide” we are offering them for sale for Paperie Boutique readers.

** Please note that I will not include the actual wall display templates in the sale of the digital copy because I purchased those from another vendor. However, I will include the cover pages I designed myself along with a digital copy of our Thank You, Copyright Info, Referral Info, and Portrait Care Tip Cards. You can order yours HERE. If you say you are a Paperie reader you will get $20 off the digital download price ’til July 4th – making it just $29 instead of $49.**

Huge thanks to Monica Burby and Photoumbra Studios. I learned of new vendors myself with this post, and have a lot of fun ideas swirling around in my head now! Don’t forget to stop by Monica’s website and blog to say “thank you”, too.

P.S. If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain. If you are a photographer and are interested in having your packaging featured – or are a vendor and are interested in having your business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured – please contact robyn @ this domain to be added to the posting schedule.

she’s kraft-y

You might remember the recent “PAWS for CAWS” pet packaging guest post by Monica Burby of Photoumbra Studios. Now Photoumbra is back for a gorgeous quick-teaser of their new design guide along with a teaser-peek of the amazingly elegant Photoumbra Studios packaging.

More to follow soon. Stay tuned—you won’t want to miss it! Have a great week!
Robyn

publish or perish

I know what you’re thinking – TWO posts in one day? That’s just crazy talk! But it’s not every day a girl gets her own column in Professional Photographer Magazine! (June 2010 – “Profit Center: Roundup: Soup-to-nuts Marketing Kits“)

It features marketing kits by Design Aglow, GO{4}PRO, Photographer Cafe, Jamie Schultz Designs, Sarah Q Design, The Polished Photographer, and photoDUDS.

And don’t forget there’s a giveaway to win a cupcake-themed gift wrapping kit!

green is the new black

I love the packaging feature guest posts! And today we’re particularly lucky because Michelle Black is stopping by to show off her new gorgeous ‘green’ rebranding. Without further adieu…

This year I decided to re-brand. I kept the same logo but changed the overall feel of my packaging and marketing materials, to better reflect myself as a person. With nature in my blood and having practically grown up in the woods (okay not really, but I was a major tomboy and spent a LOT of time outside, haha) I thought the change was only fitting, and I wish I’d started out with it from the beginning! With all eco-friendly, recyclable, and biodegradable materials, the new packaging just feels good, it gives off a good vibe. Less is more in my book, and keeping the packaging / materials simple, clean, and quietly sophisticated is something that now has a lot of importance to me. My first set of proofs went out the door wrapped in Earth last week and I wanted to share some photographs. I’ll be getting the remainder of the products this month (print folders, mailers, CD cases). I’m also looking for a new portfolio for my prints, does anyone have suggestions? I’ve searched far and wide and haven’t really settled on anything yet.

*Ink on the bags and boxes is acid-free and non-toxic.*

*Borders / frames on the proof image shown above are available for purchase at The Photo Professional [ here ] .*

Order deadline cards were printed at home on natural, recycled paper.

Recycled tissue paper from Nashville Wraps.

Cards with rounded edges from GotPrint who is a green company!

Beautiful soft twine from Hobby Lobby.

Logo on boxes and bags is a stamp I had custom ordered. (Stamp info now included in the comments.) I purchased both brown and black inks – they both look beautiful!

Tags are made at home, printed on recycled paper.

Tags are made at home, printed on recycled paper. *BAGS AND BOXES ARE RECYCLED KRAFT PRODUCTS.*

Thank you so much for sharing Michelle! Make sure you stop by her blog and website “The Photo Professional” to say thanks in person!

P.S. If you’re waiting on an e-mail from me, please be patient. I’m extremely behind right now and doing my best to catch up as fast as I can!

Look around the sidebars and say “hi” to several of our new advertisers. If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain. If you are a photographer and are interested in having your packaging featured – or are a vendor and are interested in having your business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured – please contact robyn @ this domain to be added to the posting schedule.

but Friday, never hesitate…

An incredible end to an incredible week – today an amazing giveaway / guest post from Jamie Schultz Designs. I’ve been a fan of Jamie’s work forever and I’m beyond thrilled to have her here at Paperie!

Jamie Schultz Designs is so excited to be featured as a guest on the Paperie Boutique blog. Let me take a moment to introduce myself. I was raised in a very small town in Nebraska where my passion for all things creative developed. My grandmother owned a charming flower shop and I spent countless hours watching her design works of art right before my eyes. As a child, I dabbled in art but didn’t find my niche until I picked up a camera. At that point it was evident that photography would serve as my creative outlet.

A childhood dream was realized when I opened my studio loft in the quaint downtown area of Hudson, Wisconsin. Inspired by the charming details in my grandmother’s shop, my boutique style studio offers the capability for unique custom photography. With that came a client base who came to expect a wide array of products to preserve and showcase the images from their session. As my photography business grew so did the number of inquiries from other photographers interested in purchasing my designs for use in their own businesses. Thus, Jamie Schultz Designs was born.

Using my signature style, I create templates that are clean and simple with a splash of defining detail that will undoubtedly impress your clients. These timeless designs include collections of holiday cards, birth announcements, graduation announcements and coffee table books for engagements, high school seniors, families, and babies.

As a token of our appreciation to the loyal Paperie readers, Jamie Schultz Designs is offering a $10 gift code off $50 or more to you just for reading this blog! (Enter code: paperie10)

In addition, one lucky winner will receive a $50.00 gift code to www.jamieschultzdesigns.com

See below for details how to win!

First become a Facebook Fan of Jamie Schultz Designs.

Then post this in your status…
I’m loving http://paperieboutique.com -and- http://www.jamieschultzdesign.com

Next come back here and leave a comment here where you’ve done so … and you might just be the lucky winner. Good luck!

UPDATE-EDIT: Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 16th.

Thanks so much Jamie (and Natasha)! Don’t forget to stop by the site, the blog, and become a Facebook Fan to show your appreciation!

UPDATE: The winner has been announced here. Thanks again to Jamie Schultz Designs and everyone who entered!

Also don’t forget that the iPhone case template kit collection by Go{4}Pro is still up for grabs through 11:59 p.m. EDT on Saturday, May 15th – there’s still a chance to win!

Have a great weekend everyone!
-Robyn

P.S. Look around the sidebars and say “hi” to several of our new advertisers. If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain. If you are a photographer and are interested in having your packaging featured – or are a vendor and are interested in having your business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured – please contact robyn @ this domain to be added to the posting schedule.

sold!

I love being able to put up posts like this. It’s confirmation this site isn’t just random words floating out there into the ether. It really is helping people kick-start their businesses and launch their brand. Keep ‘em coming and pay it forward, I say! But first, enjoy a new guest post right-quick featuring a beautiful charity auction gift basket by Elizabeth Sethi Photography.

I started my photography business about a year ago, and have avidly read your blog for 6 months.

Through you I found Leah Remillet / GO{4}PRO who did my custom logo – and I have learned so, so much about creative packaging and marketing.

Last week was my very first charity auction, and my basket (thanks to all your blog posts and vendor ideas) was the hit of the auction! The ladies setting up the show spent at least 15 minutes “ooh-ing” and “aah-ing” over my packaging, my basket items, and my very own ‘Martha-esque’ bow. Without this blog I never could have created something so special, and set my photography business apart from the rest of the donors. I just had to share.

P.S. – I just got my Zazzle stickers in the mail…I’m in love!

ATTENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS: Show us your packaging! If the features here have helped you pull together your own look, please share with the class and pay it forward. Contact Robyn (e-mail link in the sidebar / robyn @ this domain) to be added to the posting schedule.

ATTENTION VENDORS: We tuck business cards, coupon inserts, and promo pieces inside of our prize packages. If you are interested in having yours included, please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment). Also contact me if you are interested in having your business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured on Paperie Boutique.

If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain.

cats and dogs. living together.

Recently Monica of Photoumbra Studios provided Paperie readers a recap of WPPI 2010 in Las Vegas. Today she’s back for another guest post that will leave you sitting up and begging for more!

This past fall I lost my dog to an unexpected illness and I was devastated since he wasn’t even 2 years old. As we began searching the local shelters for a new pet a couple of months later, I was struck by how much fuller the facilities were since the last time we had been searching. Each person we spoke to at the shelters expressed how very much in need they were for donations this year. With this in mind, I conjured up an idea to do a fundraiser for a local animal charity in honor of my lost pet. Inspired by others, such as V Gallery, I put together a very simple marketing plan for the idea. We chose CAWS (Community Animal Welfare Society) as our local charity and the founder was extremely grateful for the idea. We decided to incorporate the event and branding into a Valentines promotion and call it our PAWS for CAWS fundraiser.

My studio branding wasn’t lending itself too well to the Valentine’s/pet idea, so I quickly created a new branding set for the event which was a huge hit. To completely brand for the event I only had to purchase 1 pack of 50 stickers from WHCC ($12). The rest of the items I found on clearance at IKEA from their Christmas decor line with hearts. I just recreated the heart design in Photoshop, added text, my logo, and a damask background and voilà, we were on our way!

Of course most people had no idea that the matching hang tags, thank you cards, napkins, and wooden heart decorations that we hung all over the studio, were from IKEA. We got loads of compliments about how nice our branding looked from the bottles of water we passed out (whcc sticker on a bottle of water) to the pricing menu and ordering sheets to the goodie box they went home with. The trick here was keeping our costs LOW, because I wanted to donate as much money as possible to the organization and I knew this was a 1-day event.

For the goodie box, we contacted all the vendors who are partners with CAWS and asked them if they would like to donate anything to the fundraiser. We had 5 other companies donate items to put in the box which made it a pretty sweet deal for everyone. We had one of the volunteers for CAWS bake up some all natural doggie treats in the shape of bones, hearts, and cupids to keep with the Valentines theme.

Keep your eyes open for good deals at your favorite stores for unique products that you could use to help promote a mini-session or special events such as our PAWS for CAWS fundraiser. This isn’t something I would recommend for your regular studio branding as you may have difficulty finding the items in the future, but I think this can be a great way for you to put together something really impressive for a limited event. One last thing I should note is I did not change my logo for the event. I simply applied it to design of the event branding to keep things somewhat consistent with my studio branding.

This event was a blast to put on and I think I’ll do it every year. We raised a few hundred dollars for CAWS, met a lot of great people and pets and mostly just had fun!

Thank you so much for sharing this Monica! The packaging looks fantastic, and with the cause behind it, makes it just that much more special! Make sure to stop by Photoumbra Studios and the Photoumbra Studios Blog.

And don’t forget you have until 11:59 Monday night to win the Nate Berkus™ 26-piece Gift Wrap Kit! Check back often this week – more goodies on the way.

ATTENTION VENDORS: We tuck business cards, coupon inserts, and promo pieces inside of our prize packages. If you are interested in having yours included, please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment). Also contact me if you are interested in having your business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured on Paperie Boutique.

ATTENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS: Show us your packaging! If the features here have helped you pull together your own look, please share with the class and pay it forward. Contact Robyn (e-mail link in the sidebar / robyn @ this domain) to be added to the posting schedule.

If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain.

weekly wrap-up

When I saw the “Nate Berkus™ 26-piece Gift Wrap Kit” at Apartment Therapy recently, I knew it would make the perfect prize here at Paperie.

It’s minimalist and classic, so if you’re just starting out or haven’t quite settled on a look yet, youy’re not tied down by a color scheme or print – but can still present your clients with something expensive looking and stylish. The kit includes:

•  6 – gift bags 12½” x 10″ x 5″ (3 black stripe, 3 gold stripe, die-cut handles)
•  4 – 10′ x 30″ wrapping paper rolls – 25 square feet of each (4 designs)
•  12 – 3″ x 3″ gift cards with envelopes (4 designs)
•  2 – black raffia 20′ rolls
•  2 – natural raffia 20′ rolls
•  storage box

To win just go to your blog, Facebook account, Flickr account, or Twitter account and post the following:

Win a Nate Berkus™ 26-piece Gift Wrap Kit at Paperie Boutique / paperieboutique.com by @shutterblog and get a FREE Mother’s Day template!

Post the URL(s) to your link(s) in the comments for THIS ENTRY. Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 10th.

Please note: If you have won a prize within the last 30 days, please sit this one out and give someone else a chance to win please! The link you post must direct to a public account. We cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this item. If we have to subscribe to your feed or page or request permission to see it, you will automatically be disqualified.

You can enter up to four times total – one entry each per public, non-private blog URL / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter account.

You have four chances to win but only one chance PER LINK – please do not post the same link multiple times – duplicate links will be removed. And post your 1-4 separate links in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by Random.org, and the winner will be contacted within 24 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize. Good luck!

UPDATE: The winner has been announced! See the announcement here!

Recently I put up a download for a 10×5 inch “mom” storyboard. This morning, I put up a link to download the following 8×8 inch story-art on my Flickr account.

The editing instructions for the 8×8 are the same as for the 10×5.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend!
-Robyn

ATTENTION VENDORS: We tuck business cards, coupon inserts, and promo pieces inside of our prize packages. If you are interested in having yours included, please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment). Also contact me if you are interested in having your business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured on Paperie Boutique.

ATTENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS: Show us your packaging! If the features here have helped you pull together your own look, please share with the class and pay it forward. Contact Robyn (e-mail link in the sidebar / robyn @ this domain) to be added to the posting schedule.

If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain.

The 10×5″ and 8×8″ templates are ©Robyn Pollman, 2010. All rights reserved. They may not be copied, resold, made available for download or given away elsewhere, or redistributed without my written permission.

it’s a nice day for a white wedding

It’s been a great week at Paperie and I’m very excited to wrap things up on a high note with one of my favorite things — the packaging features. Not only is Gail Werner Photography’s work and presentation absolutely stunning, there’s a double-bonus because I learned about a couple of new vendors myself! So grab a Coke and a smile, kick your feet up because it’s almost the weekend, and enjoy today’s guest post!

(P.S. Don’t forget there’s a contest going on — there’s just over 12 hours left to win a slot in the “503 Photography Workshops for Kids & Teens“!)

Like everyone else here on this site, I’m a big believer in the power of a positive brand experience. But it wasn’t until I felt comfortable with the brand I’d developed for myself late last year that I began to want to invest in marketing materials that reflected it.

When I started researching online to find resources on where to go for those materials, ooh boy, was I confused! Then a photographer I follow, Heather Garland, blogged about being featured here on Paperie Boutique and I couldn’t believe how awesome both Heather’s marketing products were – but also what a resource there was to be found here on this site!

First I wanted to make sure that when my clients opened their package from me they had a second, more beautiful package waiting for them inside.

I ordered these boxes from The Container Store, with each ranging in cost from $4-$10, depending on size. They are heavy and glossy white.

The ribbon is from from Hobby Lobby. The stickers are from Zazzle.

[Note from Robyn: Paperie has a free template for Zazzle stickers available for download here.]

One of my latest inspirations for my business is sharing my clients’ stories in a new and unique way that reflects my past as a journalist, so with each order, I’m including a copy of their story with their digital files / prints, etc. Here is the story of Michele and Eric. (Theirs is the story you can see pictured here in a frame — also bought at Hobby Lobby.) These frames are $4 each, and perfect for this little personalized touch to their package (I wrap everything up in black tissue paper before it goes in one of my Container Store boxes).

My thank you cards feature a quote I found online about giving thanks. Simple and, in a way, a reflection of me, because I am a quote NUT. My copyright releases were printed up on 5×7 cards from WHCC. My letterpress business cards were made by a letterpress / design company called The Mandate Press. At Mandate, if you are making black and white letterpress cards only, it’s $95 for 250 cards. They are gorgeous! My DVD cases come from DNL Photo and my DVDs (which I love because they have such a great polished look to them that’s so professional) were printed by Discmakers. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Discmakers‘ customer service. Every time I emailed them with a question, I had a response within hours. SUPER company to work with!

My Post-It notes are from 123Print and I LOVE them. Who doesn’t want personalized Post-Its for their business, right?

[Note from Robyn: Paperie has a free template for Post-It notes from VistaPrint available for download here.]

I made my initial client packets using folders and envelopes from Paper Presentation. On the outside of the white folders, I adhered a custom-designed branded sticker, printed by WHCC. This was more cost-effective for me than getting something custom made but still a nice personalized touch! The black mailing envelopes have my branded mailing sticker on them as well. These stickers were also printed by WHCC and custom designed by me. Inside each of the presentation packets, I include my pricing information, sheets with tip information (varies for portrait or wedding client) and a copy of the contract / model release. I wanted to keep these packets as print-outs for now as I’m at a point in my business where my prices will continue to change in the months to come and I didn’t want to invest in printed pricing booklets for that reason.

I hope you all were able to take away a few ideas for your own marketing from this post. Once I finally decided on what I needed and what companies I’d order from, it was a pretty quick process (a few hours) to get all the items you see here ordered and taken care of. So if I can do this, I promise you anyone can!

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful packaging and resources Gail! Everything looks amazing! You can also catch Gail at her blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

You have until 11:59 p.m. EDT tonight Friday, April 30th to win a spot in the 503 Photography Workshops for kids and teens! Check out Wednesday’s post for more details!

ATTENTION VENDORS: We tuck business cards, coupon inserts, and promo pieces inside of our prize packages. If you are interested in having yours included, please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment). Also contact me if you are interested in having your business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured on Paperie Boutique.

ATTENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS: Show us your packaging! If the features here have helped you pull together your own look, please share with the class and pay it forward. Contact Robyn (e-mail link in the sidebar / robyn @ this domain) to be added to the posting schedule.

If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain.

I don’t care if Monday’s blue

Nothing will help cure a case of the Mondays like a great big giveaway!

Today we have Leah of LCH Photography & Design stopping by to offer just that in a new guest post…

So excited to do a guest post today! Thanks so much Robyn for inviting me — I truly appreciate it!

What is better than sitting down with a client and handing them pictures from a photo shoot that turned out perfectly? How about using those images in beautiful baby announcements, custom albums, wall collages and more?!

LCH Design offers templates, actions, and marketing tools for photographers.

Delight your clients with:
• Baby Announcements
• Holiday Cards
• Cutting Edge Senior Products
• Custom Album Templates—Family, Children, Seniors & Weddings
• iPod Skin Templates
• Marketing Tools
• Wedding Album Templates and Guest Albums
• …..and MORE!

LCH Design began 5 years ago as I anxiously awaited the news of the pending adoption of our daughter from Taiwan. Waiting on the process seemed like FOREVER! An outlet was needed as we finished the paperwork for the adoption and waited to receive the news that we were able to travel to meet our daughter for the first time.

So…I began creating art (with the help of Photoshop!) for photographers to have elegant products to offer their clients. I never dreamed that the business would grow the way it has over the past 5 years. I am so thankful to have the opportunity to combine my passion for photography and my passion for creating.

It is my hope that these templates will benefit your business as they have others. A new online store was just launched early this year with a new storefront, easy to find-navigation, PLUS instant downloads! There is a wide selection of items. So take your time, enjoy, and please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Below is a sampling of some of my designs. Please check out the store at lchdesignstore.com to see all the goodies!

A new popular line at LCH Design is the Pressley Senior Collection including CD templates, iPod skins, image boxes and album templates…..

So excited about the new iPod Skin templates now available in the store! Perfect for your Seniors, advertising your business and showing off your images!

Another iPod skin example:

Babies, Babies, Babies……templates for announcements and albums!

Expressions Frames v.1 have been a hot seller! They are perfect to add to albums, splash pages, blog posts and gallery mounts! These make great ‘thank you gifts’ to clients as well. Layer a frame on a Vintage Paper and order a mini gallery mount or a desk-sized standout from ProLab Express.

Now…for the giveaway… (Gotta love giveaways!) The winner will receive a $100.00 gift certificate to LCH Design!

¤ STEP ONE (REQUIRED) — To win the $100.00 gift certificate, first become a LCH Design Facebook fan! Join here!

¤ STEP TWO (REQUIRED) — Post the following to your Facebook wall, your Twitter stream, or your blog:

Win a $100.00 gift certificate to LCH Design / lchdesignstore.com — details how at Paperie Boutique / paperieboutique.com by @shutterblog

¤ STEP THREE (REQUIRED) — Post the URL to your link with the above text in the comments for THIS ENTRY. Comment must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 28th.

Please note: If you have won a prize within the last 30 days, please sit this one out and give someone else a chance to win please! The link you post must direct to a public account. We cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this item. If we have to subscribe to your feed or page or request permission to see it, you will automatically be disqualified.

You can enter once per person using a public, non-private blog URL, Facebook, or Twitter account. Please do not post the same link multiple times – duplicate links will be removed.

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by Random.org, and the winner will be contacted within 24 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize. Good luck everyone!

Also for all you Paperie Boutique fans — save 20% at the store using the code PAPERIE20. Valid for one week only. Use as many times as you would like during the week. Coupon valid until Monday, May 3, 2010.

Happy Shopping!
blessings,
Leah

Thank you so much, Leah! Definitely a prize I’d like to win myself. There’s going to be one very lucky winner this Wednesday! Don’t forget to stop by the LCH Photography & Design Blog and tell Leah thanks as well.

And if you missed Friday’s post, there’s still a few more hours left to win three prizes from LolliPockits!

ATTENTION VENDORS: We tuck business cards, coupon inserts, and promo pieces inside of our prize packages. If you are interested in having yours included, please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment). Also contact me if you are interested in having your business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured on Paperie Boutique.

ATTENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS: Show us your packaging! If the features here have helped you pull together your own look, please share with the class and pay it forward. Contact Robyn (e-mail link in the sidebar / robyn @ this domain) to be added to the posting schedule.

If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain.

you might be a winner!

Today we’re very lucky to have a guest post by Kim Drury of MadiLu Designs. Kim also designs for one of my favorite template sites Pink Ink Studios. Read to the end for a chance to win one of TWO fantastic prizes!

What’s best for you? Custom or premade design?

I was so excited to hear from Paperie Boutique! Packaging and presentation is something I’ve loved my entire life. Thanks for having me!

There are many design resources for photographers. While some can, and ENJOY doing it for themselves, there are many others who don’t have the time to devote to designing their own marketing materials. It’s great to have so much to choose from, but can be overwhelming!

Many sites will offer premade marketing templates. You basically download the files, pop in your info and you’re finished. Easy peasy! Premades are great for the photographer on a budget or when you need something right away. They are also nice to have when you aren’t sure about your look or style, yet you need something to present a professional image. You’ll find some of my premade sets at Pink Ink Studios. There are many talented designers over there who offer great marketing templates and they are ready to go!

Custom design is beautiful and by far my favorite thing to work on. I recommend going the custom route when you’ve got a good idea of what image you want to portray to your clients and if you’ve been looking at premade sets and can’t seem to find “the one”. Custom work does take longer and is typically more expensive. It requires focus and input on your part, but when you’re finished it’s very rewarding. It belongs only to you and can set you apart from your competition.

I’m sharing a custom logo and set I recently created for Jack and Jane Photography. It was so much fun to watch this come together.

But wait! That’s not all!

One lucky Paperie reader can win this Premade Set from MadiLu Designs! (Premade Set includes business card, gift certificate, thank you, 2” sticker, print care card, copyright card, referral card, #10 envelope, 5×7 card, letterhead and 5×5 digital negative holder. Colors can be customized.)

Another lucky Paperie winner will win a Custom Logo Design from MadiLu Designs! (Custom Logo Design includes logo and watermark.)

Since there are two great separate prizes (and not everyone needs a logo) we’re going to split the chances to win. So to enter one of the giveaways, or both, please make sure you follow the directions closely for each one – as the contests and your entries are separate.

To win the MadiLu Designs Premade Set:

Go to your Facebook account or Twitter account and post the following:

I want the MadiLu Designs Premade Set from @madilu_designs / madiludesigns.com – enter to win at Paperie Boutique / paperieboutique.com

Post the URL(s) to your link(s) in the comments for THIS ENTRY. Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 22nd.

Please note: The link you post must direct to a public account. We cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this item.

You can enter up to two times total for the MadiLu Designs Premade Set – one entry each per public, non-private blog Facebook or Twitter account.

You have two chances to win the MadiLu Designs Premade Set but only one chance PER LINK – please do not post the same link multiple times – duplicate links will be removed. And post your separate links in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

Post your comment in the following format (up to two separate entries per person for this prize):

I posted to win the MadiLu Designs Premade Set on Facebook: [insert your Facebook link here]

  — AND / OR —

I posted to win the MadiLu Designs Premade Set on Twitter: [insert your Twitter link here]

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by random drawing out of a hat, and the winner will be contacted within 24 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize. Bonne chance!

To win the MadiLu Designs Custom Logo Design:

Go to your Facebook account or Twitter account and post the following:

I need a MadiLu Designs Custom Logo Design from @madilu_designs / madiludesigns.com – enter to win at Paperie Boutique / paperieboutique.com

Post the URL(s) to your link(s) in the comments for THIS ENTRY. Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 22nd.

Please note: The link you post must direct to a public account. We cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this item.

You can enter up to two times total for the MadiLu Designs Custom Logo Design – one entry each per public, non-private Facebook or Twitter account.

You have two chances to win the MadiLu Designs Custom Logo Design but only one chance PER LINK – please do not post the same link multiple times – duplicate links will be removed. And post your separate links in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

Post your comment in the following format (up to two separate entries per person for this prize):

I posted to win the MadiLu Designs Custom Logo Design on Facebook: [insert your Facebook link here]

  — AND / OR —

I posted to win the MadiLu Designs Custom Logo Design on Twitter: [insert your Twitter link here]

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by random drawing out of a hat, and the winner will be contacted within 24 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize. Good luck everyone!

Thanks so much to Kim Drury and MadiLu Designs for this fantastic prize! Stop by the MadiLu Designs Blog and tell her thanks!

UPDATE: The winners have been announced here. Congrats to them and thanks to those who entered and once again to MadiLu Designs!

ATTENTION VENDORS: We tuck business cards, coupon inserts, and promo pieces inside of our prize packages. If you are interested in having yours included, please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment). Also contact me if you are interested in having your business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured on Paperie Boutique.

ATTENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS: Show us your packaging! If the features here have helped you pull together your own look, please share with the class and pay it forward. Contact Robyn (e-mail link in the sidebar / robyn @ this domain) to be added to the posting schedule.

If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain.