Happy New Year!

Believe it or not, this is the final entry in the “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“! Please make sure you scroll through the previous entries to make sure you haven’t missed anything!

Here is Kristina Stredwick of Just One Photography…

My name is Kristina Stredwick from Just One Photography. Here are pictures of my regular packaging and my special Holiday packaging. My regular packaging is simple and classic with the kraft colors (since different products bear different tones) and silver. I have many Senior Sessions and they love the tin boxes that come with the zip drive and then again when they order wallet size pictures. The accordion albums come in a bag which is usually matching their school colors. For the newborn sessions they get baby blue or pink. Brown bags and boxes are adorned with silver ribbon and logo oval stickers.

This is my first Holiday Season with my business and I am so excited. I only offered the watermarked proofs on CD’s for the holidays (instead of my regular option of CD or zip drive) and people loved the snowflakes! I wrapped up each holiday card set with ribbon and special tags or buttons as shown, then I tucked them into a snowflake adorned bag.

All I had left to deliver were my own cards – so that is my family peaking out from the ribbons! Enjoy and have a happy holiday season!

Absolutely stunning Kristina – and the perfect close to a long string of amazing submissions!

I have no idea how I’m narrowing the entries down to three, but check back next Monday and you can help select one of those as the big winner in the first-annual Paperie Boutique “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“! The voting will run from noon EST Monday, January 3, 2011 – 11 p.m. EST on Friday, January 7, 2011.

The lucky winner will receive a $20 Paper Source gift card and an additional $100 gift certificate to HB Photo Packaging!

Don’t forget – you can still get the entire “Fit to Print” store on sale (for $40.00) through January 1st, 2011! Get over $300.00 in products (including the binder template) for $40.00 – an 87% savings and some designs retire in 2011!

The $9 Zazzle gift code off custom binders (template included in this sale here) expires at 11:59 p.m. PST on 12.31.10

Have an amazing 2011 everyone!
-Robyn

finding your bliss

The next post is an “honorable mention” in our “business packaging / holiday packaging contest” by Elizabeth Bailey of Studio Bliss. Elizabeth is just starting out and doesn’t have a website yet, but hopes to be up and running with her business by this time next year. I’d say with packaging like this – she’s off to a great start!

Bravo, Elizabeth! Job well done!

Don’t forget – you can still get the entire “Fit to Print” store on sale (for $40.00) through January 1st, 2011! Get over $300.00 in products (including the binder template) for $40.00 – an 87% savings and some designs retire in 2011!

And I’ll be posting more “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“ entries soon so stay tuned!

7 levels of the Candy Cane Forest

It’s completely unlike me, but this year I just didn’t have time to do a lot of product and packaging shots for the holidays. 2010 has been anything but normal. Between being sick and juggling three jobs, I still haven’t caught up on Paperie mail and “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“ entries from November. I’m getting there. Just not there yet.

But cheating the clock…I’ll share what few pics I did take. This isn’t my standard Christmas card packaging. (This year I used 5x7x1″ red boxes from H-B Packaging, decorated with white groisgrain ribbon with red stitching and holiday-colored buttons, then adding on either mini candy cane or peppermint twist faux candies.) The box shown below is by Jolie Wraps for a particularly large card order:

The white chipboard is from CK Resale, the candy decoration is from Michael’s, the grosgrain-stitch ribbon is from eBay, the aqua tissue is from Paper Source, the snowflake and satin ribbon are from Michael’s, the bag is from H-B, the snowflake on the bag is from the Michael’s $1 bin, I switched out the regular white bag handles for Christmas fabric ribbon from Michael’s, the red and cream snowflake tissue is from Target, and the Moo minicard bag-tag is available for free download here at Paperie.

Don’t forget – you can still get the entire “Fit to Print” store on sale (for $40.00) through January 1st, 2011! Get over $300.00 in products (including the binder template) for $40.00 – an 87% savings and some designs retire in 2011!

And I’ll be posting more “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“ entries soon so stay tuned!

blush and bashful

Still wading through the final entries in the “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“! I’ll be posting these as I can individually. Please make sure you scroll to the previous entry each time you visit so you don’t miss anything!

Up next is Courtney of Courtney Jade Photography…

I got everything from Target, except for the boxes. Those are from HB-Photo in Titanium!

Thank you Courtney for showing it can be done on a budget and still look high-end and lovely!

Don’t forget – you can still get the entire “Fit to Print” store on sale (for $40.00) through January 1st, 2011! Get over $300.00 in products (including the binder template) for $40.00 – an 87% savings and some designs retire in 2011!

And I’ll be posting more “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“ entries soon so stay tuned!

twinkle, twinkle little star

Still wading through the final entries in the “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“! I’ll be posting these as I can individually. Please make sure you scroll to the previous entry each time you visit so you don’t miss anything!

Up next is Susan Peck of Susan Peck Photography…

How to achieve this look:

• The white bag is from Target

• The thin ribbon is from the dollar bin at Jo-Ann’s

• The sheer, sparkly ribbon (large bow on bag) is from Costco

• The stars are made from German glass glitter and although it
   would be super easy to do them yourself, I purchased them
   here to save time

• Although I would love to have custom imprinted bags, it’s not
   cost effective for me right now. The custom logo stickers
   do the trick nicely for the moment and are from here

• The keychain acts not only as a surprise gift for my client, but
   as a way to quickly identify orders during the busy holiday
   season – I got mine at MPixPro at the same time I was
   ordering custom printed DVD’s

• I should be receiving my titanium boxes from H-B this week
   and I can’t wait to start using those in my packaging

Those glitter stars rock – thanks for the great inspiration, Susan!

Don’t forget – you can still get the entire “Fit to Print” store on sale (for $40.00) through January 1st, 2011! Get over $300.00 in products (including the binder template) for $40.00 – an 87% savings and some designs retire in 2011!

And I’ll be posting more “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“ entries soon so stay tuned!

these boots are made for walkin’

Still wading through the final entries in the “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“! I’ll be posting these as I can individually. Please make sure you scroll to the previous entry each time you visit so you don’t miss anything!

Up next is Jill Renton of Scuffed Boots Photography…

How to achieve this look:

1. Boxes: HB PHoto
2. Holiday Ribbon, Glitter Snowflake, Rhinestones, Bags: Michael’s
3. Tissue Paper: Dollar Store
4. Clear Acrylic Stamp: Village Impressions (great Canadian
    company for the canucks looking for custom stamps)

Thank you so much Jill! Love the attention to detail and your colors!

Don’t forget – you can still get the entire “Fit to Print” store on sale (for $40.00) through January 1st, 2011! Get over $300.00 in products (including the binder template) for $40.00 – an 87% savings and some designs retire in 2011!

And I’ll be posting more “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“ entries soon so stay tuned!

a dash of curry

Still wading through the final entries in the “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“! I’ll be posting these as I can individually. Please make sure you scroll to the previous entry each time you visit so you don’t miss anything!

Up next is Amanda of Amanda E. Photography…

Just a little bit about my packaging: I very recently re-branded my business. I wanted something fresh, very modern and clean…with a little bit of whimsy. My 4 year old daughter inspired my new little birdie logo design. I drew it while we were doodling one day. I’m a Graphic Designer, so I designed everything myself. I chose the colors (“curry” yellow and gray) simply because they’re two of my favorites. I launched the new look just about 2 months ago and I’m loving everything. But especially my packaging. It’s still a work in progress, but I like the direction it’s headed.

Now, I’ll try to break down everything pictured:

Grouping no. 1
• 8×10 white box (h-b photo)
• 5×7 kraft box (NPD Box)
• round stickers (Zazzle)
• ribbons (Hobby Lobby, Michael’s)
• yellow tissue (Target)
• prints in sleeves (Clearbags)
• mini accordion album in handmade drawstring bag (locally made)
• press printed gift tag (local lab)

Grouping no. 2
• 4×6 image box wrapped in “curry dot” wrapping paper (Paper Source)
• Recycled kraft CD case (Re-Binder)
• Kraft label printed at home (Re-Binder)
• ribbons (Hobby Lobby, Michael’s)
• CD printed at home
• press printed mini-accordian “wall design guide” (ProDPI)

Grouping no. 3
• press printed square business cards (ProDPI)
• floral printed hand-written thank you note (Target)
• 5×7 white pocket folder to hold them (Paper Source)
• white paper gift bag (local craft store)
• white label printed at home (custom rubber stamp on order)
• white/silver polkadot tissue (Hobby Lobby)
• snowflake ornament (Hobby Lobby)
• kraft wrapping paper (Target)
• yellow raffia (Michael’s)

Thank you so much Amanda! This seriously makes me want to do a color-change with my own branding!

Don’t forget – you can still get the entire “Fit to Print” store on sale (for $40.00) through January 1st, 2011! Get over $300.00 in products (including the binder template) for $40.00 – an 87% savings and some designs retire in 2011!

And I’ll be posting more “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“ entries soon so stay tuned!

save the date

Last summer I posted a FREE download for the inside of a folded business card that doubles as a 6-month calendar for your clients. (Perfect for tucking in their checkbooks!) The months included on the calendar were July – December, so it’s time to update things again for 2011.

You’ll have to come up with the front and back design. (I used a regular business card front/back design for mine – see an updated photo of the finished product here.)

This FREE download is only for the inside-spread that includes the calendar. I have included the crop-guide layer. You’ll have to add your logo and contact info if desired. 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). However, the background color and bar-stripe colors 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)

Hope this helps you start off 2011 with a bang!
-Robyn

P.S. Don’t forget – you can still get the entire “Fit to Print” store on sale (for $40.00) through January 1st, 2011! Get over $300.00 in products (including the binder template) for $40.00 – an 87% savings and some designs retire in 2011!

And I’ll be posting more “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“ entries tomorrow so stay tuned!

Template is ©Robyn Pollman, 2010. All rights reserved. Template may not be copied, resold, made available for download or given away elsewhere, or redistributed without my written permission.

catch a falling star – and put it in
      your pocket

Sorry for the LONG gap in posting and returning Paperie-related e-mails! My last client cards and packages have finally been shipped and hand-delivered, so now I can get back to the fun stuff. Like the final entries in the “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“!

I’ll be posting these as I can individually. Please make sure you scroll to the previous entry each time you visit so you don’t miss anything!

Up next is Erin Durband of Dirty Laundry Photography…

I made these cute little mini-card holders for my spring and summer clients and included them with a thank you card. All supplies were purchased at Michael’s craft store: stiff felt, embroidery thread, whimsical buttons, and ribbon. I just measured out a piece of felt a little wider than the cards as well as a piece a little shorter and whip stitched them together forming a pocket, then I did the same stitch to a smaller piece to form a flap. I then sewed on a couple of fun buttons and attached a piece of ribbon to one of them. After the cards are placed inside, I closed the flap and wound the ribbon between both buttons securing the contents. My clients loved having these little packets to carry around in their purses containing various images that they could show off and share.

I adore these Erin – thank you for sharing them!

Don’t forget – you can still get the entire “Fit to Print” store on sale (for $40.00) through January 1st, 2011! Get over $300.00 in products (including the binder template) for $40.00! It’s a savings of 87% off and some designs retire in 2011!

blue Christmas

Sorry for the LONG gap in posting and returning Paperie-related e-mails! My last client cards and packages have finally been shipped and hand-delivered, so now I can get back to the fun stuff. Like the final entries in the “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“!

I’ll be posting these as I can individually. Please make sure you scroll to the previous entry each time you visit so you don’t miss anything!

Up next is Jennifer Alderman of Alderman Photography…

I’m a stay-at-home mom to 3 kids under 6 and a photographer. I keep a pretty small client base so that I can provide a lot of individual attention, and also so I can handle it all without hitting the Chardonnay at 11 am!

My marketing colors are red and aqua, and I maintain the same packaging theme all year long. Cards go in the big aqua boxes, mini books go in 8×10 white boxes. Prints are in clear bags then in properly sized white boxes. CDs are printed on my home printer and then packaged in silver tins. Jewelry & small items go in the mini aqua & kraft polka dot bags. Everything then goes in red or aqua bags and tied up with a toy camera and tag.

You can also see a peak of the 5×5 2011 planner I designed as a thank you to clients (middle photo, bottom row). I just delivered an order to a client yesterday, and she squealed when she saw everything, “Wow! I feel like Christmas is here already!“.

How to achieve this look:

1. large aqua boxes & ribbons = Michael’s
2. white photo boxes = npdbox.com
3. fabric flowers on boxes = handmade by me
4. round thanks stickers and tags = printed on home printer
5. business cards used as stickers = nextdayflyers.com
6. CD tins = sks-bottle.com
7. toy cameras = kipptoys.com
8. 5×5 planners = cpq.com
9. bags & tissue = clearance aisle at Target (I cleared out every store
    in a 20 mile radius when the aqua bags went on sale last year)

Everything looks so high-end yet whimsical Jennifer – love it!

Don’t forget – you can still get the entire “Fit to Print” store on sale (for $40.00) through January 1st, 2011! Get over $300.00 in products (including the binder template) for $40.00! It’s a savings of 87% off and some designs retire in 2011!

biggest things – small packages

Sorry for the LONG gap in posting and returning Paperie-related e-mails! My last client cards and packages have finally been shipped and hand-delivered, so now I can get back to the fun stuff. Like the final entries in the “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“!

I’ll be posting these as I can individually. Please make sure you scroll to the previous entry each time you visit so you don’t miss anything!

Up next is Carrie Novak of Carrie Novak Photography…

This summer I was packing up an order for a client and ended up only having a beat up old box to put it in and crossed out all the old info on it with a big black marker and put some extra tape on it and hand scribbled the address on it and sent it off to my client. Not long after, I came across Paperie Boutique. I was horrified. I wanted to crawl into a hole and die after looking at your packaging. All I could think of was my poor client who spent several hundred dollars receiving her beat up from the street up package I sent her.

From that day forward I vowed to NEVER AGAIN do something like that!

Even though I am not rolling in dough, I decided I can still go to JoAnn’s and buy some clearance ribbon, I can wrap my my old boxes with brown paper and print my shipping labels. For customers I hand delivered to, instead of using my old Wal-Mart bags, I bought some fun bags at the dollar store that sort of matched my logo and colors. ANYTHING had to be better than what I was doing!

So after business started getting a little better I was able to place an order with HB Photo Packaging, bought their basic kraft boxes pre-filled with tissue and some ribbon. I was so excited!!!! Along with my Moo mini business cards and some snowflakey extras I got at JoAnn’s I am now able to be proud of my packaging! I enclose a handwritten thank you written on my WHCC greeting cards I had printed up with my new logo (which was created by Terry Cutlip from Sassy Designs, Inc.). I am now getting clients commenting on my packaging telling me what a nice touch it is and I owe it all to Paperie Boutique!

This post is truly what this site is all about Carrie! You don’t have to spend big to ‘look’ big. Congratulations on beautiful branding and packaging!

Don’t forget – you can still get the entire “Fit to Print” store on sale (for $40.00) through January 1st, 2011! Get over $300.00 in products (including the binder template) for $40.00! It’s a savings of 87% off and some designs retire in 2011!

Z’s the Day!

Sorry for the LONG gap in posting and returning Paperie-related e-mails! My last client cards and packages have finally been shipped and hand-delivered, so now I can get back to the fun stuff. Like the final entries in the “business packaging / holiday packaging contest“!

I’ll be posting these as I can individually. Please make sure you scroll to the previous entry each time you visit so you don’t miss anything!

Up next is Jennifer Foster of Z’s the Day Photography and Design…

Just beautiful, Jennifer – thank you for your submission!

Don’t forget – you can still get the entire “Fit to Print” store on sale (for $40.00) through January 1st, 2011! Get over $300.00 in products (including the binder template) for $40.00! It’s a savings of 87% off and some designs retire in 2011!