and that’s the way it is…

Paperie Boutique is officially in the “terrible 2s”!
Visit PaperieBirthday.com for all events!

All winner announcements are located here…

All the party supplies have been packed away, the punchbowl is drained, and the cake-plate has nothing left but stale crumbs… However Todd and I wanted to put up one more post to thank YOU – our readers – and all the vendors who made such an amazing event possible!

If you’re like me, one of your greatest joys in life was the school supplies aisle for “back to school”. Well think of See Jane Work as a school supplies aisle for grown-ups. Two lucky Paperie readers will win a $25 gift card compliments of us!

How do you win? Simple!

1. Go to your Facebook and Twitter accounts and post the following on either or both (then tell us where you did):
Win a “See Jane Work” / @SeeJaneWorkBuzz giftcard from PaperieBoutique.com / @PaperieBoutique – visit PaperieBirthday.com for more!

2. Follow Paperie Boutique on Twitter.

3. Friend / Like Paperie Boutique on Facebook.

Each entry requires its own separate comment here. (In simple terms: If you want FOUR chances to win, you have to do the four things listed above, and then make four 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 one or both vendors on Facebook – 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 Thursday, August 11th. You can enter up to four times total. Post that you have met both requirements in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

You can enter / post up to four 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 four 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.

Good luck! And thank you!
-Robyn and Todd




Last, but certainly not least…we’d like to thank each and every vendor who participated in our 2nd birthday celebration!

1.  Nichole Van’s flourish – an emporium for photographers
2.  HB Photo Packaging
3.  One Willow Presets
4.  Kelly Moore Bags
5.  The Album Cafe
6.  Photopantz
7.  Life Art Design Shop
8.  A Yummy Life Design
9.  Rice Studio Supply
10. Fiber Arts by Boondock Studios
11. Photo Card Boutique
12. BrandSushi
13. Photographer Cafe
14. Color Inc. Pro Lab
15. DNL Photo Packaging
16. Collages.net
17. ProDPI
18. Handmade Paper Album Boxes by Leah Gibbons Photography
19. The Savvy Photographer / The Savvy Store
20. TAoPaN: The Art of Pregnancy and Newborn Store
21. TAoPaN: The Art of Pregnancy and Newborn Store Workshops
22. MOO
23. Boudoir Business Boutique
24. Marketing and Props for Photographers
25. MPixPro
26. ClickinMoms
27. Holly McCaig’s Store at Pink Ink Studios
28. WHCC
29. Pixel2Canvas
30. Sarah Petty’s The Joy of Marketing
31. Artsy Couture
32. Miller’s Professional Imaging
33. EW Couture Collection
34. The Organic Bloom
35. Epiphanie Bags
36. Sassy Designs
37. Bad Sass Backdrops
38. The Boudoir Divas
39. Canvas Rox
40. Go{4}Pro Photography
41. Francy Pants Designs
42. Noel’s Paperie
43. Memorable Epiphanies
44. Design Aglow
45. DeVoe Creative Photography & Design
46. Melissa Davis Designs
47. Kaleidoscope

Show them some love and click on their links!

Closing things out the same way this year as we did last — not only would this birthday event have been anything but completely amazing without your participation, neither would the last two years! Thanks again!

…and one to grow on!
-Robyn and Todd

tag you're it: 2 • 2nd • anniversary • birthday • birthday winners • celebration • contest • gift card • giftcard • giveaway • office • office supplies • office supply • party • prize • See Jane Work • supplies • supply • two • winner • winners

deux années – giveaway 25

Happy 2nd birthday to Paperie Boutique!
Visit PaperieBirthday.com for all events!

Winner announcements start on Monday, July 25th…

If there’s such a thing a a super-duper triple-360° mega giveaway, well then #25 would be it! Up for grabs for one lucky Paperie reader are three amazing prizes from Francypants Boutique, One Willow Presets, and The Album Cafe.

The BonjOrganization .pdf guide ($99 value) has over 50 pages teaching the art of balancing work and family along with client and time management. Bonus items include “Worst First” charts for the family, Kelli’s Mom-preneur schedule, client checklists, filing systems, and more. Also features Kelli’s extreme office make-over and the strategic setup of her office. It will change the way you work and play!

“I wish I could leap through email and just hug your neck. I read your BonjOrganization e-book last night and had so many light bulb moments. Really, I love organization. It makes me happy. But I can’t keep up with a system that I love yet. Now, I printed off your Worst-First Chart and your Schedule, and I’m tweaking them to our family’s needs. And already, I feel so much better!! I can do this! I had a very productive day today, kept up with housework, clients, Parker’s school program, and even ate dinner out with the family after the play. This morning? Both of my kids made their beds and Parker even finished his handwriting homework before we left the house. And I even had the strength (and sense) to say an emphatic NO to a client who is asking for yet another exception, and I haven’t even shot her session yet. (I’m not going to take the session at all, in fact.)

Thank you, Kelli. You’re such a gem. And I will be shouting the praises of your BonjOrganization e-book from the rooftops, darling.”
~Stacey Woods, Stacey Woods Photography

The One Willow Presets “Triple Collection, plus Timeless” collection ($139.00 value) includes 82 presets, 55 posts, and 5 tones.

And The Album Cafe “Complete ‘Pure’ Marketing Set” ($89 value) is designed for printing with WHCC and Vistaprint – it literally includes everything you need to set up your new business (or add much-needed sparkle to an existing one).

So how do you win these great prizes? It’s simple!

1. Go to your Facebook and Twitter accounts and post the following on either or both (then tell us where you did):
Win @kellifrance onewillowpresets.com @thealbumcafe “mega-prize kit” at @PaperieBoutique / PaperieBoutique.com – http://PaperieBirthday.com

2. Like Francypants Designs on Facebook.

3. Like One Willow Presets on Facebook.

4. Like The Album Cafe on Facebook.

Each entry requires its own separate comment here. (In simple terms: If you want FIVE chances to win, you have to do the five 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 one or both vendors on Facebook – 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, July 25th. You can enter up to five times total. Post that you have met both requirements in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

You can enter / post up to five 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 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.

Good luck!

Big thanks to Francypants Boutique, One Willow Presets, and The Album Cafe for this great prize pack. Don’t forget to check for their Paperie birthday celebration coupon codes. You can find those codes, and several others from our vendors, continually updated this week here!




It’s the weekend and I still have several more giveaways left!
We’ll keep going ’til all of them have winners – see ya’ soon!
-Robyn

P.S. Vendors, if you are interested in being a part of the birthday celebration, e-mail me at “robyn AT paperieboutique DOT com” ASAP!

tag you're it: 2 • 2nd • ACR • Adobe Camera Raw • Album Cafe • anniversary • appointment card • birthday • Blog Header • BonjOrganization • brochure • business card • card • cards • CD • celebration • checklist • contest • Display Card • e-book • ebook • envelope • filing • gift certificate • giveaway • guide • jpg • kit • label • letterhead • Lightroom • office • One Willow Presets • packaging • party • pdf • postcard • presets • prize • Product Pricing • RAW • referral card • schedule • set • sticker • thank you card • The Album Cafe • time management • trifold • two

drop it like it’s hot

First up before the big giveaway (yes I said “big giveaway” so read ’til the end), I have a freebie download. To celebrate surviving the year being half-over I recently made mini-calendars for my clients. I had them printed as folded bookmarks from ProDPI, and they look fantastic if I do say so myself.

You’ll have to come up with the front and back design (I used a business card front/back for mine), but I’ve attached a download for the inside-spread that includes the calendar. I have included the crop-guide layer. You’ll have to add your logo if desired and the month names, calendar dates, and month box background colors are not customizable (unless you delete the layers and add your own in their places) – but the background color and bar-stripe are easily changed with the click of the mouse.

The white background color can be changed with one click as shown in the Photoshop background color fill layer in the Layers Palette. The text for the month names, the date text, and the box backgrounds for each month cannot be changed. However, the top stripe CAN be changed and your logo can be added using the included lab crop-guide for ProDPI.

→ 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)

And now as promised…the big giveaway by Heather Green of The Drop Shoppe! Heather has stopped by for today’s guest post…

The Drop Shoppe (thedropshoppe.com) sells thick, matte, high quality vinyl backdrops in large sizes that are affordable for photographers. You can use these with studio lighting or natural light. Each image is created in Photoshop or Illustrator to be the absolute sharpest possible when it’s printed in large format. Currently we sell two sizes; 5 feet by 8 feet and 10 feet by 8 feet. The 5′x8′ drops are $90.00 and the 10′x8′ drops are $150.00 All prices include free shipping to the continental United States. If you are out of the country you do have to pay shipping, but we work hard to find you the fastest and most affordable shipping solution. Each backdrop has an extra 1/2″ white border around the outside, which is perfect for you to clamp to your backdrop stand. This way you’re not clamping directly onto the backdrop image.

Here we have a simple set up of hooks screwed into the wall, a metal pole and three large clamps holding the backdrop.

There’s a variety of ways to hang these backdrops. You can just clamp them to your horizontal pole on your backdrop stand (with large clamps you can purchase at a hardware store), or you can hang hooks on your wall with a pole and clamp to that. We used the hooks/wall method in our small office since we couldn’t fit my larger backdrop stand in there. A quick Google search will also turn up quite a few do it yourself backdrop stands that you’re able to make at home for very little cash.

We have all sorts of patterns and styles for you to choose from. There’s plenty of grunge, messy paint, realistic background photos, wallpaper, doors, floors and much more. The possibilities for these backdrops are endless. Use them in your studio, use one for the popular ‘photo booth’ set ups at weddings, even hang them outside for big parties or family get togethers. The backdrops arrive in a shipping tube, which we ask you to keep so that you can store your backdrop in it when not in use. The best ways to store these are either rolled up, hanging or laying flat. If you should wrinkle them, usually laying them flat in a hot room or outside in the shade will remove the wrinkles. These also wipe clean with mild soap and water. No worries about that baby or toddler making a mess, just wipe it up!

I’ve also included a size chart for the 5′x8′ drops, showing the size of an adult woman and the size of our backdrops – a good way to show how big these drops really are:

Here’s an example of our backdrops in use! The following photo was taken by Holly McCaig with our Aged Red Doors backdrop.

Another backdrop photo by Chrissy Avila.

The backdrop I want to give away here on Paperie Boutique today is our Aged Copper Wall, sized 5′x8′. It’s one of my favorites and works well when shooting just about any subject…from kids to women to men.

Here’s a few sample photos taken with that Aged Copper Wall backdrop – first by Chrissy Avila Photography:

And one by me using more of a cross processed/vintage technique:

Winner will receive one Aged Copper Wall size 5 feet by 8 feet backdrop with additional 1/2″ white border around it. Backdrops do not come with any kind of rods, clamps or pockets to hang them – you must supply your own way to hang it up. Backdrop will be shipped to the winner 3-7 days after the contest ends.

There are three different ways to enter between now and 11:59 p.m. on Friday, July 9th – each entry requires its own separate comment:

1. ‘like’ The Drop Shoppe on Facebook, come back and post here that you did so

2. post on Twitter (then leave the link here):
I entered to win an Aged Copper Wall backdrop at paperieboutique.com by @shutterblog from The Drop Shoppe/ thedropshoppe.com/store

3. leave a comment here on the blog about what your favorite backdrop is from the shop (thedropshoppe.com/store)

UPDATE The winner has now been posted here – check it out!

And last but not least…everyone gets $5 off their purchase from The Drop Shoppe by using the code paperie at checkout!

Huge thanks to Heather and The Drop Shoppe for such a fantastic prize giveaway! Head to Facebook and tell them thanks ‘in person’!

And to wrap things up for today, I’ve been posting photos of my new office setup over at Flickr as things progress (including info on how to create the wrap station yourself, and the Photojojo poster). Here are a couple of teasers for now.

Stay tuned this week. More fun ahead!
-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.

tag you're it: back drop • backdrop • boxes • branding • business • business cards • calendar • clamp • contest • copper • custom • designs • fabric • Fit to Print • giveaway • guest post • hook • IKEA • marketing • materials • metal • office • packaging • photography • Photojojo • pocket calendar • pole • poster • prize • ProDPI • referral cards • supplies • templates • The Drop Shoppe • tutorials • vinyl • wall • wrapping • wrapping station

mesmerized.

Jen Gentry of Mesmerizing Moments Photography recently shared how she set up a booth for a community event.

Now we’re lucky enough to have her back for another guest post, which proves without a doubt that like Mary Poppins she is practically perfect in every way.

I am a member of PT4P, and Michelle made us these great wall gallery layouts, so I made mine into a handout that I give to every client!

I print most of my marketing material through Miller’s – a little trick for all of you, is when you are ordering in quantities of 25, always add 1 more (ex.26) and it will push your pricing into the next category, and make it cheaper!

My gift cards, they are 4×5 cards – double sided, and I put them in the envelope shown, and then into a really pretty envelope from Paper-Source and top them off with ribbon (not shown)

My baby’s first year handout – it’s a 5×5 tri-fold

My pricing guide including all my boutique items, printed on a 5×5 tri-fold

My date reminder card – printed on folded business cards – I just circle the date and fill in a time, my clients tell me it’s perfect for their fridge!

I really love Miller’s, their turn around time & quality is top of the line, I couldn’t ask for more! To keep everything a little nicer I print it all on their pearl paper, which is to die for!

My brown envelopes from Paper-Source, and all my clients’ forms & handouts go inside

I put all my client forms and handouts into a large brown shimmer envelope from Paper-Source with a logo sticker on the front.

My photo packaging boxes

I get my photo boxes from DNL – I love them, great quality, a variety of sizes, and they match my colors perfectly. ☺ I use the 11×14 brown box, and the 8×10 green box, and just decorate them all a little differently with ribbon (from Michaels & Paper-Source), logo stickers (from WHCC), and bands (from Envelopper Inc.) For my prints, inside the boxes, and everything larger than 11×14, I use clear bags from clearbags.com and just make them pretty with a variety of ribbon. ☺

My photo packaging bag, with a common gift for my clients – the accordion wallet album from Millers

I put all my orders in a large chocolate tote that I also get from DNL, and I finish them off with prettyness, including my bag tags from Jessica.

My office -

The view from in front of the garage door – into my office and the front door to my house

We bought a townhouse about a year and a half ago, and it works perfectly for my office! The entry level only has a half bath, our entryway, the garage, a closet, and my office, then all our living space is on the second and third floor, so my clients come right inside my door, but never into my home, and I love it!

View from the office entryway – most of those gallery wraps from the back wall are now at a local OB/GYN office ☺

I have clients come in for an optional consult (a lot of clients do this over the phone or via email though) and a mandatory in person ordering session. This really helps clients see what they are getting, get a better feel for it, see their photos on a large calibrated monitor, get my help and opinion, and helps sales too! Once they see it, they want it!

View from the window

View from my chair – my custom framing area

View from the back corner

Well – thanks so much for inviting me over Robyn – Hope that helps some of you readers!

Thank you so much for the inspiration, Jen! Once again, don’t forget to stop by her website and blog and tell her how amazing it is she put all of this together for everyone to see and learn from!

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).

tag you're it: announcements • birth announcements • book • bow • bows • boxes • business • cards • designs • discussion • display • forms • gift cards • guest post • marketing • materials • office • packages • packaging • photographer • photography • pricing guide • ribbon • stickers • supplies • wall gallery • workspace • wrapping

I’ll pencil you in…

I pretty much book packages exclusively now. It’s become a part of my business model. I’m constantly getting asked how I keep it straight, how I remember to book the remaining sessions…and do I forget upcoming sessions and overbook sometimes?

It wouldn’t be kidding to say I have an elaborate system of graphs and flowcharts to keep me on track. (In an addition to constant iCal pop-up reminders.) The photo above is an example of the first half of my monthly schedule print outs for 2009-2010, and also one my package booking sheets by client for 2009-2010.

The sheet on the bottom is one of my monthly schedule lists. If you look really closely you can see the names checked off for each session completed in the early part of 2009. The sheet on the top is one of my package bookings lists.

Each client has every session in their package broken down by “completed”, “scheduled”, or “schedule”. Dates already on the calendar are in Tiffany blue. Each of the package types I offer is jewel-coded, and a client doesn’t get a jewel by their name until their contracts and model releases have been sent back.

Both systems remind me, by month, that it’s time to schedule upcoming sessions. As does iCal. The monthly breakdown also allows me to see when any given month is full and lets me know to close it off for future bookings.

If you’ll look to the left of my monitor in this old office photo from 2008, you’ll see one of these multi-schedules poking out. I keep copies posted to the wall in my office right behind my desk, and also in the kitchen near the phone. That way all I have to do is cross-check a given month (right now through November 2010 as I already have holiday sessions on the schedule for next year) when a potential client inquires about my availability.

I always remember to pad a weekend off in the schedule every few weeks, not only because time with my children and husband comes first and foremost to me (and my boys are not getting any younger – one starts kindergarten this month). But also because when dealing with births, babies never fail to surprise you and all arrive at once, be it early or late. I had six newborns in May 2008 because two from April went late, two from May were born on time, and two from June went early. It was like the perfect storm. Without that extra padding, I would have been doomed. It also allows me to catch up on my processing / orders and guarantee some much-needed “downtime”.

I took most of July 2009 off as a mini-summer vacation with my boys. Of course, it took me until the last week of the month to finish proofing sessions and fulfill print, product, and canvas orders. But now it’s August and I’m mentally ready (especially now that I’m “caught up”) to dive head first into the holiday season, which for me begins in September on my shooting calendar.

If you’d like to see more of my office, I have a group of photos tagged on Flickr. And don’t miss this photo by Pinkletoes—she single-handedly defines office organization.

I should have another guest-post up on the site this week so stay tuned! It’s in the final tweaking stages!

As mentioned previously…I’m working with a handful of photographers to add more guest posts to this site so it’s not filled with my ideas and photos/demos only. If you’re interested in having your packaging, marketing ideas, or products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment). It’s always fun to share and “pay it forward“! Not to mention improve your SEO in the process… Win / win!

tag you're it: business • materials • office • organization • packages • photographer • photography • scheduling • tutorials