hot one

A few days ago I made a post about one of my finds at Imaging USA – Barbour Backdrops and Props…

Well as luck would have it, they just won three PPA “Hot Ones” Awards (winners announced in the new March issue of Professional Photographer Magazine) and they’re celebrating by giving a big discount on each of those items!

To see more photo examples of the Jillian backdrop, Stately Baseboards, and Lattice Box go visit their Facebook page.

PLEASE NOTE: Even though the ad mentions using the code on their website, you will need to use it when placing a phone order (877-318-4777) instead.

Happy shopping!

wrap it up

I’m a little under the weather this weekend and had to postpone a session, which gives me a chance to sit down and share a few of my favorite things from Imaging USA 2011… Keep in mind that Todd and I were there a grand total of about 2 hours, so we took in all we could as fast as we could!

First up is Barbour Backdrops. They have amazing faux flooring and baseboards on their website. And even more exciting things in their catalog:

WHCC was debuting all of their new card shapes.

For a limited time, you can get a free download of the template above.




Another vendor that caught my eye was Artsy Couture. They have floating gallery block canvas arrangements, and well, just see for yourself!

(For the more traditionalists, they offer single gallery blocks as well.)




Of course it was awesome running into Terry Cutlip of Sassy Designs and Kristen Caldwell (both at the Simply Canvas / Simply Color booth), and my former web roommate Christine Tremoulet out in the wild!




Last but not least, first person to need / use / comment for this gets it… I have a 50% – 20% gift card from Color Inc. You receive 50% off your first order, and 20% off your next 10 orders – plus 99¢ 8x10s, 17¢ 4x6s, and free shipping.

UPDATE: That card is gone, but remember Paperie readers always get a great discount from Color Inc.!

Don’t forget we have TWO SEPARATE contests going on from LOKTAH now!

Imaging USA roll call

Are you going to Imaging USA in San Antonio this month? Would like to volunteer to be a roving reporter for Paperie Boutique? (You can see Heather Lickliter‘s post from IUSA 2010 in Nashville here as an example.)

We’ll happily take as many volunteers who are willing to shoot pics and write-up their experiences – no two people will see it the same!

Comment here, or e-mail me directly: robyn @ this domain

wild are aces

Been a crazy week here so today’s post is jam-packed to make up for it!

Read all the way through for a great freebie download, and a fun vendor guest post / giveaway at the end!

But first up is the 2011 PPA Hot One Awards. They’re now taking nominations for products that offer services to pro photographers, so read up…and then head on over to participate… Deadline is November 1st!

There’s an awesome new free template giveaway from Photo Card Boutique – Miller’s Luxe Template Sample Frames.

I have created a set of Millers Luxe frames for you to show your clients the final “look” of the card. Simply copy and paste your flattened sample onto the template and resize to fit! This download includes all 6 of the die cut card frames from Millers.

UPDATE: “Thank you Robyn for featuring my free Miller’s Luxe template samples. Any of your readers can use coupon code paperie-boutique for 25% off other items until October 17th!”

And Wild Hearts Photography is back with a new product and a contest to win it!

The newly released Print & Blog Templates {Rounded Basics} are fun, hip and modern! Just the {Basics} set, they include 10 high-resolution storyboard layouts for printing and 10 web-sized replicas for blogging. Just clip your images into the layers, flatten and save-easy as pie! For web use, I always add my logo and sharpen for web. These templates are flexible and can be rotated, resized and backgrounds changed to maximize your options.

These are priced at the special introductory rate of $15.00 for this week only! And, if you head over to my Facebook page you can pick up a coupon code for an additional discount! I would love to have you become a fan while you are there!

Another template set is currently in the works-watch for {Funky Basics} to be released soon!

How do you win? It’s easy and you have four chances!

1. “Like” wildheartsphotography on Facebook (or let us know you have already)

2. Follow @WildHeartsPhoto on Twitter (or let us know you have already)

3. Post the following on Twitter (and tell us where you did it):
Win Print & Blog Templates {Rounded Basics} set from WildHeartsPhotography.com/ @WildHeartsPhoto at PaperieBoutique.com / @paperieboutique

4. Post about Print & Blog Templates {Rounded Basics} on Facebook (and tell us where you did it)

Then come back and comment here that you’ve done so – each entry requires its own separate comment. (In simple terms: If you want FOUR chances to win, you have to do all four things listed above, and then make four separate comments telling us how you did them.)

Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Friday, October 15th. You can enter up to four times total. Post that you have “liked” the Facebook fan page, followed on Twitter, posted to Twitter (with link), and / or posted to Facebook (with link) – 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 four total times – one entry each for the four options listed above.

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 24-48 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize.

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

Good luck, and thanks to Wild Hearts Photography for another great template set giveaway!

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.

< insert witty title here >

Rare weekend post for something very special! You know that awesome magazine I write for – Profesional Photographer Magazine? Well they’ve announced on Twitter that they’re doing a special for their Facebook fans and it’s the lowest subscription rate they’ve ever offered.

Hurry – this offer expires on Monday, October 11th at midnight EDT!

Big plans just got ironed out for 2011 – I’ll be sharing those soon. And I’d love to have you reading along with me there next year! So go subscribe today!




We have the winners in our Beyond Red and Green contest and our Wild Hearts Photography contest, and they are…..Kristen Schueler Photography, Rene Pfahler and Dana Rogers Photography!

Congrats to Kristen, Rene, and Dana, thanks to everyone who entered, and thanks to Beyond Red and Green and Wild Hearts Photography for more amazing giveaways here at Paperie!




And now a tip as we all gear up for holiday season…did you know that you could order FREE Priority and Express Mail shipping supplies (including Flat Rate) from the U.S. Postal Service? And not only that – they’ll also deliver them straight to your door for FREE!

You can get a variety of box sizes, address labels, stickers and envelopes, and there’s no charge to order or have them delivered. You can also print “Click-N-Ship” postage at home (some rates are discounted), and request FREE front-door pickup online for Priority and Express packages.

So make your life a little easier this year and let your mouse do all the work!




If you missed it earlier, we have a great advertiser special going on right now – and it includes a gift certificate to Paper Source! Check it out…

P.S. 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 here at Paperie – please contact robyn @ this domain to be added to the posting schedule.

image is everything

Today we have a gorgeous packaging / guest / vendor post feature by Farrah Braniff Photographs. From the PPA Website, “Farrah Braniff is a Houston, Texas-based photographer, specializing in contemporary portraits of babies, children and families. Recognized for her unique design approach, she has earned numerous awards, including winning PPA’s AN-NE Marketing Awards for the last three consecutive years.”

And you’re in luck! At 2 p.m. EDT today (Thursday, February 23rd) you can participate in a PPA Webinar with Farrah Braniff:

“Become an Image Marketing Dynamo”
Creating a unique and cohesive image marketing campaign is vital in today’s world. But our clients are being bombarded by marketing messages every day…so how do you make yours stand out? It’s not “magic,” as you’ll see. In this webinar, Farrah will explain how she creates her own award-winning marketing materials and websites, walking you through the steps needed to create your own dynamic campaign (including how to keep your designs unified and cohesive). Open your eyes to find your visual inspiration, and get ready to wield that inspiration with true effectiveness.

This is my newest piece- a folder that will house my welcome pack of info. I am designing that now. This folder is about 8×8 and printed on pearl paper.

I am big on thank you notes and these are a few of the ones I send out. The second one is a personalized thank you note. I take an image from the client’s session, pop it into this template that I have made and send it off to White House to print. I make a pack of 25 cards for them. They go crazy and love it! The best part is that they send these out to their friends, which is a little bit of extra marketing for you!

I also love making fine art cards. I use images from my travels and personal photography. I include these as freebie gifts in people’s bags when they pick up. I think it is a great way to elevate your work and show your clients another side of you.

These are my print boxes and the laminated tags that I make for them. My clients LOVE the tags!

I also make great use of the White House Custom Color stickers. They can be used for everything!

Every year I have a batch of cute onesies and kid T’s made. I give them away at sessions. Clients love them! I get pictures emailed back to me of my client’s kids in the T’s. It’s fun and different and helps you stand out!

This is how we package up our gift certificates. I use 5×7 boxes, my logo ribbon and 5×7 flat printed cards from White House Custom Color.

These are my referrals cards. Almost all of my business is from word of mouth so rewarding my clients for this is really important. Each client gets a set of 50 cards. They give them to friends and, when friends book, both of them get a $100 studio credit. I firmly believe that, if you want to get clients talking and spreading the word, you have to make it worth their while!

I have a set of digital elements that I created and sell. You can see more about that at thedesignersmix.com. The yellow and blue backgrounds on these are from “Volume 1″ of the set.

Stay tuned for a very special giveaway from thedesignersmix.com! Don’t forget to drop by Farrah’s website and blog – and her webinar at 2 p.m. Eastern today!




I’m excited to announce the three winners of the $50.00 gift cards to Photo Card Boutique – Julie Wagner Photography, DeAnna Newsome, and Denise R. Contreras:

Congrats to the winners! Thanks so much to Photo Card Boutique and everyone who entered!

Heads-up there’s still a giveaway from Design Aglow that’s being extended through midnight tonight – so enter fast!

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.

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!

let’s be Petty

Paperie Boutique has hit the marketing jackpot! Today’s guest post is by none other than Erin Verbeck for Sarah Petty’s Café Joy from the Joy of Marketing.

Café Joy was named a PPA 2009 “Hot One Award” winner in the educational resources category!

Here’s a little background info… Café Joy is going up to $59 for the mailed version (will stay $35 for a downloadable version) on February 1st. So this is the last chance for Paperie Boutique readers to join Café Joy to lock in the $35 / month rate for the mailed version of Café Joy.

Here’s the additional info.

Some of you may have heard of Sarah Petty’s The Joy of Marketing from the FREE Websummit and Telesummit events we recently had for photographers. That’s right, we put those on. At the Joy of Marketing, we teach marketing! But not just any kind of marketing. BOUTIQUE marketing. What¹s boutique marketing? It¹s a philosophy that teaches you to grow your business by focusing on building your brand and strong relationships instead of relying on price discounts to create sales. At the Joy of Marketing, we draw from our 30+ years of marketing experience, successful photography studio ownership, ad agency backgrounds and MBA’s to teach you how to grow the business you want without having to work so hard!

One of the ways we teach photographers is through our monthly subscription program, Café Joy, which we¹re giving a free sample of to all of your readers! Yay! Unique in the industry, Cafe Joy is a hands-on subscription program that takes much of the guesswork out of planning your marketing. Follow us, month by month, as we guide you to success. Cafe Joy provides you with gentle reminders and consistent deadlines to achieve amazing goals for your business throughout the year. Café Joy is what I wish I had access to 10 years ago when I started my photography business. It¹s filled with the marketing inspiration, ideas and secrets I¹ve learned over the years in growing my multi-million dollar boutique photography studio. And the best part is it¹s not overwhelming. Each month as a Café Joy member, you receive a proven, actionable, practical marketing lesson from an expert, a promotional idea, or professionally designed piece. Café Joy will save you valuable time spinning your wheels trying to figure out what works for your boutique business.

Subscribe today for a monthly subscription fee of $35*, and you’ll receive a BONUS recipe tin, starter recipes for success and marketing samples. Each month, for a minimal $35* investment, you will receive more recipes, an audio cd or dvd of marketing ideas and strategies, printed samples, design templates plus so much more. This monthly program was created by demand for niche photography business owners who desire more specialized marketing support. The emphasis is on building your brand by focusing on beautiful promotional pieces that encourage client interaction while also paying attention to the important details in your business. For less than the price of a skinny, triple grande latte, your marketing will benefit from this monthly shot of caffeine… without the jitters.

*International rates apply.

To get your FREE Café Joy sample, an hour-long Promotional Planning movie that our Café Joy members received in January, chock full of ideas to get you started on the right foot in 2010, go to:

https://app.e2ma.net/app/view:Join/signupId:67167/acctId:11781

To sign up for Café Joy just go to:

thejoyofmarketing.com/product/cafe-joy-monthly-jolt-marketing-caffeine

It’s your last chance to lock in the $35 rate for the mailed version of Café Joy. On February 1 the price goes up to $59 / month*

So hurry – there’s not much time to take advantage of this amazing offer! And big thanks to Erin and Sarah for hooking up the Paperie readership!

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).

I want it all and I want it now

Last week the Professional Photographers of America / PPA (ppa.com) held their annual Imaging USA convention and expo in Nashville. Well over 10,000 people were in attendance, shattering the previous record. Hundreds of vendors were also showing off their wares at the expo / trade show. Heather Lickliter of Stylized Portraiture in Athens, GA, was kind enough to take photos and post a few quick reviews of her favorite items and just-released products in this guest post. Read on (and click each image for a larger version)…

MpixPro‘s cd cases and boxes were not only nice to touch and well made, but they had a lot of different sizes and they had magnet closures.

H&H Color Lab‘s jewelry is the best ever. It’s printed on metallic paper inside so the photos really pop, and each of them come with a little ‘made with love‘ dangle on it. SO cute!

Clearbags now offers square baggies.

ProlabExpress had circle prints, although I was not a fan of the finish they used.

White House Custom Color / WHCC has float wraps up to size 20×30, but the canvas ones left little to be desired. The metallic float wraps with laminate finish felt like Moo cards but looked like a metallic print without the gloss. VERY awesome.

Miller’s Professional Imaging had and awesome 12×12 float wrap display and they offer matte laminate finish as well, but the largest size they currently offer is 12×12.

The Gary Fong flipcase was sweet. It comes with the white panels for macro photography or product photography.

Denny Manufacturing‘s “Freedom Cloth™ Backdrops” are fantastic. Shove one in a bag and leave it for months, then whip it out—never needs an iron!

Thank you so much for taking the time to share with the class, Heather! New year. New toys. Oh boy!

And now for something completely different… There’s a new group on Flickr titled “Charity Print Auctions” and the goal is to raise money for Haiti Earthquake Relief through photography. (Rules / details here.) I currently have three of my photographs up for bid through Sunday night. Please check them out, bid, and submit your own!

More new guest post features are currently in the works! 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).