pick a card!

We’re excited to have MOO.com back for another guest / vendor post and giveaway! One lucky Paperie winner will win a $75 gift card to MOO! And read ’til the end because we also have FREE Mother’s Day and Father’s Day templates up for download!

As blogged about here on Paperie, I recently had the chance to try MOO Luxe Business Cards. “Printed on Mohawk Superfine paper, Luxe Business Cards are the cashmere sweater of Business Cards – they look as good as they feel…At triple the thickness and weight of most ordinary cards, Luxe boasts a rich seam of colour within the layers of paper, and a stunning, tactile quality that you won’t find anywhere else on the web.”

I’ve also used MOO standard, recycled and rounded-corner business cards for years. There’s just nothing like thickness and feel! And with MOO’s “Printfinity” you can print a different design or photograph on every single card in the pack! This is perfect for running seasonal promotions or if you shoot different styles of photography – you could print wedding, maternity, and newborn business cards in one pack.

And now Paperie readers in the U.S. have a chance to win $75 from Moo – all you have to do is visit Moo’s site and tell us what your favorite business card design is in the comments! You can find several examples to choose from here:

1. http://us.moo.com/design-templates/luxe/business-cards/
2. http://us.moo.com/design-templates/business-cards/

Entrants may also get one additional “bonus” entry by posting a photo of your own MOO business cards to your Facebook account (and link to @moo.com in your post) -  or  - post a photo of your own MOO business cards to your Twitter account (and link to @overheardatmoo). Then come back to the comments here and post the link to your Facebook -  or  - Twitter entry so everyone can see. (These must be on a public Facebook or Twitter account so we can verify it’s there – if we have to register to see your entry, it is not public, and the entry will be voided.) Don’t forget to come back here and post the link to your shared post. That’s all there is to it!

This contest is open from Monday, May 7th – Sunday, May 13th (11:59 p.m. EDT) to residents in the U.S. You can enter up to TWO times total. Post that you have met the individual requirements in two separate comments here to have multiple chances to win!

You can enter / post up to two times total – one entry each for each option listed above. (PLEASE NOTE: Comments are held for moderation and may not appear immediately. Please be patient! They will show up eventually.)

You have TWO chances to win, but only one chance PER OPTION – please do not post the same link multiple times. Duplicate links will be removed. Each entry requires its own separate comment to have multiple chances to win! See official rules for more details.

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 48-72 hours of the winner-announcement to claim their prize.

Thanks to MOO.com for such a great contest! Good luck everyone!




Mother’s Day is rapidly approaching. If you need a quick last-minute gift (for clients or your own mum), don’t miss the free downloads we posted last year! Here’s an example of one mini-storyboard:

And in plenty of time for Father’s Day, here are two templates up for download. Both look the same – but one is designed to print as a 5×7 photograph collage. The other is designed to print as MOO postcards. With MOO’s “Printfinity” you can insert different images in each postcard, and make a customized “Happy Father’s Day” card for each of your clients!

     5×7 photo collage template

     Moo postcard template

The images you insert should be 300 dpi – pixel dimensions needed are given in a layer you will hide.

→ download link for 5×7 ← (please note this file was designed in CS2 and you must have Photoshop or Elements and know how to edit a .psd layered file)

→ download link for postcard ← (please note this file was designed in CS2 and you must have Photoshop or Elements and know how to edit a .psd layered file)


PLEASE NOTE: We do not provide technical support for these downloads.




More great stuff on the way this week – stay tuned!
-Robyn & Todd

All templates are ©Robyn Pollman, 2010-2012. 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 better to give…

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! To show you how thankful we are for our Paperie readers, we’re offering up this free baby tee design for use at Zazzle – it would make the perfect client holiday gift! (And read on, because through 11.27.11 shirts are now 50% off at Zazzle!)

UPDATE: You can now see how the shirts look when you get them from Zazzle here. Try using code HOLIDAYSALE2 for 50% off Zazzle infant t-shirts / onesies!

You can either download the .psd file below and move things around to add your own logo — or if you prefer to just print the design as-is, use the Paperie Zazzle Store and choose between a baby onesie, an infant t-shirt, an infant organic creeper, or a baby long-sleeve tee in sizes 6, 12, 18, and 24 months.

  → download link ← (please note this file was designed in CS2 and you must have Photoshop or Elements and know how to edit a .psd layered file — I do not provide technical support for this download)

You can edit the background color in this .psd file and move layers around. However, you cannot edit the text as-shown or make changes to the graphic. If you choose to print the design with a vendor other than Zazzle please make sure to check the size and crop guidelines first! Paperie is not responsible for mis-prints.

If you prefer to print the shirt without a logo, or do not have the ability to edit .psd layers, you can order it directly from Zazzle here.

And through 11 p.m. EST tonight / Friday (8 p.m. PST on 11.25.11) take an extra $5 off t-shirts at Zazzle with the code “ZBLACKFRIDAY” (see UPDATE above).

Shown above is a similar onesie that Buttons and Bows Photography gifted to clients in 2008. They were a HUGE hit!

Template is ©Robyn Pollman, 2011. All rights reserved. Templates may not be copied, resold, made available for download or given away elsewhere, or redistributed without my written permission.




We also have a couple of winners to announce! First up, the winner of the Martha Stewart heat embossing tool is…Tatiana Fowler!

And the winner of the ONA Venice camera bag is…Jennifer Stuart Photography!

Congrats to both of our winners, thanks to everyone who entered, and a huge thank you to ONA Camera Bags for such a fantastic giveaway!

I’ll be e-mailing both winners this weekend so make sure to check your e-mail soon!




Check out our Facebook page if you haven’t seen it already – both Amazon and B&H have been running huge specials on Adobe’s Lightroom 3 today! It’s been as low as $89.99, and as of 2:45 p.m. EST on “Black” Friday, November 25th it’s still on sale for as low as $149.00!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!
-Robyn & Todd

P.S. The 2nd annual “Wrap Battle” kicks off a week from today on Friday, December 2nd – get ready!

I’ll have what she’s having

The digital edition of the November 2011 Professional Photographer Magazine is now online for digital subscribers.

For this month’s holiday-themed article I contacted everyone’s favorite photographers and asked, “What are YOU giving your clients this year?”

Those who answered the call include:
•  Michele Anderson (pinkletoes.com)
•  Lena Hyde and Design Aglow (designaglow.com)
•  Beth Jansen (bethjansenphotography.com)
•  Beth Forester (foresterphoto.com)
•  Alycia Alvarez (alyciaalvarezphotography.com)
•  Kelli France (francephotography.com)
•  Shannon Holden (shannonholden.com)
•  Lori Nordstrom (nordstromphoto.com)
•  Jamie Schultz (jamieschultzphotography.com)
•  The Boudoir Divas (theboudoirdivas.com)
•  Heather Lickliter (stylizedportraiture.com)
•  Sarah Petty (sarahpetty.com)
•  Kelley Ryden (kelleyryden.com)
•  Clark+Walker Studio (clarkwalkerstudio.com) -and-
•  Me / Robyn L. Pollman (buttonsandbowsphotography.com)

There’s also a bonus-supplement on holiday cards featuring designs and kits by Design Aglow, Jamie Schultz Designs, Simply Color Lab, The Album Cafe, Designs by Taz, and My Lil’ Creations.

Click the magazine pages above for a larger .pdf version. You can find the article on page 42, page 44, page 46, page 48, and pages 50-51 of the print-version when it hits mailboxes. And you can also download the digital edition now if you’re a PPA member or digital subscriber.




I just put together my own charging station / valet using a much less expensive desk organizer from Amazon.com – I saved half of the Pottery Barn counterpart.

You can read more plus pricing comparisons at Pinterest if you’re interested.




Don’t forget Wednesday is the last day to win an album box full of ECO CHIC goodies from Rice Studio Supply:

Happy November everyone! Check back this week for MORE fun giveaways!
-Robyn & Todd

circle gets the square

Today I’m excited to bring y’all a giveaway and vendor / guest post for a product I was lucky enough to “beta test” – the new metal photo ornaments from Black River Imaging!

You can see the ornaments I designed for Buttons and Bows Photography through Black River Imaging below:

New Metal Ornaments from Black River Imaging come in 12 different shapes and measure about 4” in diameter. They are made of 100% recycled aluminum and include white grosgrain ribbon for easy hanging.

All Paperie readers can now receive 25% off their orders by using the code “PBBRI” in the promotional code field. (Code may only be used once, is not redeemable for cash and does not carry a balance.)

And TWO lucky Paperie Readers will win $100 worth of ornaments from Black River Imaging -or- 6 different ornaments at $16 each.

How do you win? It’s easy!

1. Comment here and tell us what your favorite Black River Imaging product is.

2. Comment here and tell us how you would use these ornaments -or- what your favorite ornament shape is.

Each entry requires its own separate comment here. (In simple terms: If you want TWO chances to win, you have to do the two things listed above, and then make two separate comments here telling us how you did them.)

Comment – in separate comments here – to have multiple chances to win!

Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, October 4th. You can enter up to two times total. Post that you have met both requirements in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

You can enter / post up to two times total – one entry each for both the options listed above. (PLEASE NOTE: Comments are held for moderation and may not appear immediately. Please be patient! They will show up eventually.)

You have two chances to win, but only one chance PER OPTION – please do not post the same thing multiple times. Duplicate comments will be removed. Each entry requires its own separate comment 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 48-72 hours of the winner-announcement to claim their prize.

Good luck! And thanks to Black River Imaging for the fantastic prizes!




We have a winner in our Crowned Embellishments contest and it’s…Sarah Harrigan!

Congrats to Sarah (I’ll be in touch this weekend with your prize information), and thanks to Crowned Embellishments once more for such a fun giveaway!




And we can’t forget to mention the Paperie ad sale — WE WANT YOU!

Ad rates are now up to 50% off (and more!)…get it while the gettin’s good!

Happy fall everyone – have a great weekend!
-Robyn & Todd

bow-tique!

From One Kings Lane — videos on “How to Wrap the Perfect Gift” and “How to Create a Ribbon Rosette“… (And read on to win a One Kings Lane giftcard!)

One lucky Paperie winner will receive a $25.00 gift card to One Kings Lane!

1. Go to your Facebook and Twitter accounts and post the following on either or both (then tell us where you did):

Win giftcard to OneKingsLane.com and learn how to wrap the perfect gift – at PaperieBoutique.com / @PaperieBoutique – http://is.gd/7uBrmH

2. Friend / Like / Follow Paperie Boutique on Facebook and come back here and let us know (or tell us you’re already a fan)

3. Follow Paperie Boutique on Twitter and come back here and let us know (or tell us you’re already a follower)

4. Share your favorite giftwrap photo on Pinterest – post the link here in the comments. (Here’s my giftwrap board to get you started!)

Each entry requires its own separate comment here. (In simple terms: If you want FIVE chances to win, you have to do the FIVE separate things listed above, and then make five separate comments here telling us how you did them.)

Comment that you have posted to your Twitter and/or Facebook account(s), with a link to where you did it – or that you’ve liked the us on Facebook and/or Twitter – or your favorite Pinterest giftwrap photo – in separate comments here to have multiple chances to win!

ATTENTION: All links you post must direct to public-access accounts. 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, a website, or forum – or request permission to see them – your entry will automatically be disqualified.

Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Monday, September 12th. You can enter up to FIVE times total. Post that you have met the individual requirements in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

You can enter / post up to five times total – one entry each for all of the options listed above. (PLEASE NOTE: Comments are held for moderation and may not appear immediately. Please be patient! They will show up eventually.)

You have FIVE chances to win, but only one chance PER OPTION – please do not post the same link multiple times. Duplicate links will be removed. Each entry requires its own separate comment 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 48-72 hours of the winner-announcement to claim their prize.




Don’t forget we have one other contest going on right now – enter to win!

Have a great weekend!
-Robyn and Todd

it’s in the bag

Two posts in one day…I think it’s time to play the lottery, girls and boys!

I just realized (almost a month later!) that my “Web Exclusives” column about Loktah’s LifeStyle Bags had gone live. Read more here.




And before I head back to Photoshop, a bit of product envy from Kelli France:

Photo by pure7studios.com (via Facebook), product by The Organic Bloom.

It’s beginning to look a lot like…
-Robyn

“M” is for the many things…

Mother’s Day is rapidly approaching – so here’s a freebie gift you can have printed for your clients as a special ‘thank you‘. The template is 10×8″ and has an opening for a 7×5″ photo inside of the quote border. I recommend mounting the print to white styrene, using a fine-linen texture, and adding a UV lustre coating.

The inside image needs to be 7×5″ (2100×1500 pixels), 300 dpi.

You will see layers for the text border and quote (that cannot be changed), a texture layer, and another layer that you will hide after adding your image on top of it.

The pink background color can be changed with one click as shown in the Photoshop background color fill layer in the Layers Palette. (The light color of the texture layer cannot be changed but it can be hidden.)

→ download link ← (please note this file was designed in CS2 and you must have Photoshop or Elements and know how to edit a .psd layered file — I do not provide technical support for this download)




Last year I made two other Mother’s Day gifts available. You can find the downloads for those by clicking on the images below.

Happy printing!
-Robyn

All templates are ©Robyn Pollman, 2010-2011. All rights reserved. They may not be copied, resold, made available for download or given away elsewhere, or redistributed without my written permission.

I feel pretty…

I am so excited to announce today’s vendor / guest post and giveaway. It’s a prize I truly covet myself!

“Happy Girls are Pretty Girls” is our motto and what makes a girl happier than a little bit of extra something? Glitter, Shimmer, Personalized Gifts…our ideas are endless And because we’re small and nimble we can work with you to create the perfect invitations, announcements, cards or gifts!

My name is Darcy and I am the girl behind “pretty girl designs”. My husband and children can often be found covered in glitter. I love all things paper. Fonts make me happy. Photography makes me swoon. And I have a weakness for stickers!

Jamie Schultz from Jamie Schultz Photography and Design Studio recently asked me to create fun and unique packaging for her clients. I gave her these three options. Can you guess which one she chose?

I am excited to be giving away one of these sets to a lucky Paperie reader! You have three chances to win!

1. “Like” / follow pretty girl designs on Facebook:
    facebook.com/prettygirldesigns

2. Post the following about prettygirldesigns.com on Facebook
    or Twitter (and tell us where you did it):
I want to win a ‘pretty’ stationery set from prettygirldesigns.com at @paperieboutique / PaperieBoutique.com – http://is.gd/a9JXlY

3. Tell us which of the above three sets is your favorite – and why!

Each entry requires its own separate comment. (In simple terms: If you want THREE chances to win, you have to do all three things listed above, and then make three separate comments here telling us how you did them.)

Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, February 10th. You can enter up to three times total. Post that you have “liked” the Facebook fan page, posted to Twitter or Facebook (with link), and / or listed your favorite stationery set – in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

ATTENTION: All links you post must direct to public-access accounts. 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, a website, or forum – or request permission to see them – your entry will automatically be disqualified.

You can enter / post up to three total times – one entry each for the three options listed above.

You have three chances to win, but only one chance PER OPTION – please do not post the same link multiple times. Duplicate links will be removed. Each entry requires its own separate comment 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 24-72 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize.

I’m so jealous one of you gets to win this prize – good luck! Thanks to Darcy at pretty girl designs for giving you the chance! And don’t forget to visit her Etsy shop, too!




Last but not least…have you thought about advertising with Paperie lately? Kathy of the Boudoir Business Boutique writes:

“I just thought you’d like to know that I’ve received triple the amount of traffic from your site than any other site I’m advertising on! I’m so pleased with choosing to advertise with you!“

Stats don’t lie! Contact todd @ this domain if you are interested in joining our advertising family. And 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.

Secret Santa

Last night about 8 p.m. my husband confessed he’d forgotten something – today was his gift-exchange for work and he was supposed to bring a homemade gift to it. Nice.

I had some Starbucks regular and peppermint cocoa packets on hand – plus candy canes, mini marshmallows, and sprinkles (which I had to separate by hand from rainbow colors to red and green only). While I got started on that, I sent the Mr. out on a rush-job to Starbucks to get a mug, syrup, and biscotti. After that he grabbed a $3.99 basket from Michael’s and flew home. By some miracle the basket and mug he picked out matched my snowflake tissue paper. Voilà. (Click below image for larger pop-up.)

And by 10 p.m., I had saved his merry arse. I also reminded him more than once that he’s lucky to be married to a professional!

P.S. I’ll be posting more “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“ entries as I can individually. Please make sure you scroll to the previous entry each time you visit so you don’t miss anything!

(don’t) paint it black

It. Just. Got. Interesting! If you’ve been thinking of entering your packaging photos in our best business packaging / holiday packaging contest, now’s the time to start “doing“.

In addition to a $20 Paper Source gift certificate as a prize – now HB Photo Packaging has also kicked in an additional $100 gift certificate to their store!

Have no idea where to get started? Check this old Paperie entry for inspiration!

Get wrapping and send photos to Robyn [robyn AT paperieboutique DOT com]! Submissions last thru Tuesday, November 30th.

[ And a tip from Robyn: If you have a Michael's near you, go raid their $1 bin. You'll find dozens of holiday-themed goodies to stick, hot glue, or tie on your packaging - some in multi-packs making the cost of a little "spice" less than a gumball! ]




I’ve known Justyna Nielsen of Funky Monkey Photography for years now and I’m so excited to have her here for a guest post on Paperie!

Creating whimsical easels

If black isn’t a part of your branding, why use black easels? Spice things up with your favorite colors or even use special effect such as distressing or crackling. Match up colors to your branding or room décor.

Creative uses:
I used one as a menu holder for my leather-bound price list I keep in my studio. A few other ones hold colorful frames with product descriptions. I also used a few for gifts for my clients when they purchased storyboards. Here are some other creative uses:

1. Price list. Place a price list or brochures in one of these easels for a beautiful display in your studio or at an auction, expo or event. For best results, your price list can be in form of a fabric/leather bound menu or mounted on a sturdy backing. Choosing the correct easel size is important so items don’t fall out or cause the easel to tip over if too big.

2. Collages. Provide your clients the whole package. If you offer styrene or board mounted collages, offer easels for “display ready” option to your clients. Perfect for mantels, desks, shelves, tables. You can look into wholesale easel purchasing and make sure you add the cost to the item price. This is called “value adding” in pricing.

3. Smaller frames fit in easels too. Place a cute 5×7” birth announcement (or a photo) in a matching color frame and display it on an easel. We recommend using a different shade or a complimentary color for the easel. Can make a special product or a gift.

4. Album or press book display. Instead of laying your albums on a table, create a more visible display by placing albums in easels. Especially impressive if your albums open up flat and have seamless spreads. Open it to your favorite panoramic image and place in the easel. Your clients can create different displays each month by opening to a different page.

5. Holder for product shots. Colorful holder for product shots to make an appealing price list.

6. Sign holder. If you participate in any expos or auctions, you can have your logo printed and mounted on a styrene or foam board and then placed in a matching color easel. Ideal for the expo tables. Place any other display items that may fit in them to create more interest.

7. Holiday card display. Choose this standard easel or one of the photo/note holder trees, paint in your chosen color and attach holiday cards.

8. Props. Have a lot of paint left? Sand a kid chair or another wooden prop and use the spray paints to give them a new look. Spray paint an ordinary garden tub or a planting pot to transform it into a new prop. Spray paint cans or small buckets for pen holders.

9. Uniform frames. If you’re like me, you have a collection of empty mismatched frames. Pick 6-7 of your favorite and spray paint them the same color. Perhaps a distressed or crackled antique white for the shabby chic look. You can use 2 colors such as hot pink and black to split amount frames. Hang them up empty on your wall for a creative wall decoration if you feel you can’t fill them with photographs right now. You can also cut corkboard to fit a frame for a creative reminder board or frame a chalkboard for a funky message board.

You will need:
- Metal easel any color
- Spray cans of primer (optional)
- Paint spray cans in desired color
- Cardboard and gloves recommended to keep your area and hands clean

Time:
The paint in spray cans is pretty fast drying but you will need multiple coats for best coverage.

Process:
1. Prepare a metal easel. Easels can be purchased online or in most craft stores (mine are from Michael’s Craft Store). Wipe clean and dry. Place in a well-ventilated space on a cardboard or newspaper. The spray paints will have a big reach so avoid spillage by protecting the area. I sprayed mine outside but I had to watch out for wind blowing any leaves my way.

2. For best coverage, spray the easel with a primer. This step is optional. I made most of mine without the primer.

3. Find your favorite color in spray paint from a local hardware store. I found mine at Home Depot, Menard’s and Ace Hardware. I picked these colors because they fit my logo colors (orange, lime green and purple). The rest were fun shades I found for chairs and other props.

4. Shake the can vigorously before each use. Spray from about 1 foot away in thin coats. Let dry in between multiple coats. For best coverage, avoid getting too close or going over in the same spot multiple times without letting it dry. Once the paint gets pretty thin and starts running, remember to shake the can again. I tend to start with the bottom so I flip the easel upside down. Spray. Wait. Flip on the other side, repeat the process. Inspect from all sides when dry. If you mess up, wait until it dries, sand with fine sand paper and re-paint a larger area.

Versions:
- Use one color (such as turquoise) for under coat and a different
  one (such as green) for the final coat. Wipe off the outer coat
  in a few spots with a dry bristle brush to reveal the under coat.
- Use sand paper to rough up the edges for a distressed look.
- Try a crackle or other special effect paints.

Justyna Nielsen is the owner and photographer of Funky Monkey Photography with a tale. She specializes in baby and children photography in Madison, Wisconsin.

[ Note from Robyn: Easels can also be purchased inexpensively onllne from Display Collections and Easel Moments. ]

Thanks so much for stopping by Justyna! I think I have some painting to do now…

Happy, merry!
-Robyn

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.

let it snow! let it snow! let it snow!

Yesterday we announced a new contest for photos of your best business packaging / holiday packaging. We’ll pick out our favorite three from the photo submissions and put it up to the Paperie readers for a vote. The winner will receive a $20 Paper Source gift certificate.

UPDATE: HB Photo Packaging is also kicking in an additional $100 gift certificate to their store for the winner!

Our first submission is by Shalonda Chaddock of Chubby Cheek Photography. This is her mini-session holiday packaging.

Click the image above to see a larger version of Chubby Cheek Photography‘s adorable holiday sparkle.

Vendor list to achieve the above look:
1. boxes – NPD Box Company
2. ribbon – Hobby Lobby
3. snowflake ornaments – 50% off end of season last year (50¢ for bundle of 6)
4. last name initial ornament – Hobby Lobby

Inside gift bag:
1. CD in metal tin with 4 digi images
2. print release / printer rec bi-fold / handwritten thank you note
3. easel – Easel Moments
4. envelopes

Inside small box:
1. 50 holiday cards

Inside large box:
1. 8×8 woodmount beveled edge print

The bar has been set. Get wrapping and send photos to Robyn [robyn AT paperieboutique DOT com]! Submissions last thru Tuesday, November 30th.

If you’re waiting to hear from me right now, please be patient. Between shooting last week, having a sick kid at home this week, editing photos and filling orders during holiday crunch time, and very tight deadlines for my next column…..well there just aren’t enough hours in the day. I’ll get back to you soon! Promise!

Just over 51 days ’til Christmas! Aaack!
-Robyn

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.

joyeux juillet

One of the most popular features on the site is the combined guest post / packaging displays. With many retailers offering “Christmas in July” specials this week, the timing of this post could not be better! Jeanine McLeod of Cloud 9 Studios in Tampa Bay, Florida, is here to spread a little (pre) holiday cheer!

I look forward to our Christmas in July Open House every year. It gives us a chance to celebrate my favorite holiday twice! Each year in July we build miniature versions of our three Christmas sets and invite our clients to come choose which one(s) they would like to reserve in November. It is great for our clients because they can actually see what their different options are, and it is great for us because it solidifies our November calendar in July when clients pre-book and pay for their sessions. This is a great way to get some momentum in the middle of the Summer and to market to our clients for Christmas before anyone else does!

Since this is our 4th year doing the open house, I wanted to add a little something extra to the celebration. I wanted to create Swag Bags to give the first 25 people to book their Christmas Session. Our premiere limited set this year is “A Peppermint Forest”, so we went with a red/white theme for our bags. Many of the components of the Swag Bag came from different posts here at Paperie Boutique.

I used the free Holiday MOO Tag design … but changed it a bit to fit as a tag for our swag bag. (Purchase mini cards at Moo.com.)

The snowflakes came from Paper Source.

The bookmarks were printed at WHCC and have the 2nd half of the year calendar on them from the free calendar template post last week.

The wine glasses are full of cinnamon candy and we made red/white wine charms for the bottom. The wine glasses I ordered from threadartfl.com and the wine charms we made out of jewelry making materials purchased at Michaels.

The lip balm was custom ordered in a peppermint flavor to fit our theme from threadartfl.com. We ordered enough so that during Christmas we can keep them out on the front desk in a pretty bowl.

Extra items included were a Christmas ornament, tea light candles and a set of 3 blank note cards that preview a greeting card line we will be releasing this Fall.

I hope this helps to inspire you guys to put some “Paperie Boutique” ideas for good use in unique packaging for your next special event.

Thank you so much, Jeanine, for not only sharing your adorable packaging – but also how easy it is to put Paperie’s free product downloads to good use! Stop by the Cloud 9 Studios blog and tell her how much you appreciate it!

Have a great weekend!
-Robyn

P.S. Don’t forget the Photographer’s Wall Display Guide giveaway ends late tonight! Hurry up and enter to win!

gratitude. journal.

When word got out from a recent post, I can’t even begin to describe the response. My brain, and heart, are overflowing with joy and amazement. How do you truly say thank you for something like this? Or the forum posts full of concern? Or the vendor notes of support (like the one when Moo‘s Vice President alerted several colleagues on staff to make sure I was taken care of just because he could). Or surprise gifts in the mail. Or Tweet DMs to check in – one from Pixel2Canvas on vacation in the middle of the Grand Canyon. Or the dozens of e-mails we’ve received. Or a note from a photographer who had just lost her husband and the father of her 5 children, worried about MY FAMILY. (We are so ok by comparison.) Or the little surprises in our PayPal account just because. I mean, it’s more than the human mind can really wrap around.

You go through life trying to do good and just make it day to day. You stumble. Sometimes you stumble hard. Sometimes you even hurt people. You dust yourself off eventually, regroup, reprioritize, remember you’re not really all that (well maybe all that, but often minus the potato chips), and promise yourself that if you don’t learn from those past mistakes what’s the point of the future…so buckle down and get to it… That’s been my 2010. I’ve buckled down and got to it. I had another such gut-check / perspective experience on a CT-scan table just over a week ago to make me even more focused on what’s really important.

In my recent Rangefinder piece, I wrote about the photographer community and my close relationship with my vendors. While being interviewed about this website, the article opened and closed with the following:

I let ‘Fit to Print’ evolve into Paperie Boutique, a standalone blog, through which I’m paying it forward to those who helped me along the way…..What has this experience taught Robyn? “I’ve learned to never underestimate the generosity of people and their willingness to teach and share,” [Robyn] says. “Just when you think you couldn’t possibly be more proud of your professional community, something as simple as a ‘thank you’ or ‘I can help with that’ never ceases to amaze.”

I’m used to being on the organization and donation collection end of things. It’s been humbling to be on the receiving end to say the very least.

Then yesterday the latest ‘random act of kindness’ showed up on my door step.

It’s no secret that I love HB Photo Packaging, but this was just beyond unreal. This was a surprise just for me, just because. You can read more of the details over here at Flickr – please make sure to add to the comments and thank them on behalf of our professional community!

And shop their weekend sale—HB Packaging is having a 10% off summer sale!

And speaking of vendors, we have a winner in the recent Design Aglow contest! It’s Silvine Designs / Silvine Photography:

Congrats to Michelle and another huge round of THANKS to Design Aglow for being such big supporters of this site, and for donating such fantastic prizes! Thanks to everyone who participated as well, and have a great weekend!