housekeeping – winners – finale

We’re back for the final round of winners in the birthday celebration, a chance for you to win from Paper Source, and my latest column in Professional Photographer Magazine!

The winner of the *emera Green Messenger camera bag is…Dana Laymon!

The winner of the HB Photo Packaging, Sassy Designs, Inc., and Chasing Dreams Photography Store prize pack is…EmilyRae!

The winner of the Pixel2Canvas, Album Cafe, M4H Photography, and My Funky Camera prize pack is…Photos by May!

And the grand prize winner of the Sassy Designs, Inc. “win the shop” $5000 prize pack is…Jayna Balcer!

Winners, congratulations! You will hear from me in the next 24-48 hours with information on how to claim your prizes! Thanks to everyone who entered!

Didn’t win? Read on for a chance to win a gift card from Paper-Source.com!




The digital edition of the August 2012 Professional Photographer Magazine is now online for digital subscribers.

In this issue Robyn reviewed baby portraiture products by Dish and Spoon Productions, Artsy Couture, Jamie Rae Hats, Simply Color, WHCC, Design Aglow, and Miller’s Professional Imaging.

Click the magazine pages above to read a larger .pdf version of the article. You can also find the article on page 54 and page 55 of the print-version when it hits mailboxes. Plus you can download the digital edition now if you’re a PPA member or digital subscriber.

Don’t get Professional Photographer Magazine yet? Subscribe here!

U.S. Residents: Simply go to the comments here and tell us what vendor(s) / seller(s) you would like to see featured here on Paperie Boutique. It can be your favorite merchant, a vendor you’d like to know more about, or just suggesting your own company – we just want to know what YOU want! (You can list more than one vendor in your comment, but you will only receive one entry for it.)

You can get up to two extra BONUS entries by following @paperieboutique on Twitter, and then commenting here to tell us you’ve done so (or already do) — and / or by following Paperie Boutique on Facebook (or telling us you already do) in the comments.

That’s all there is to it!

HEADS UP! You cannot “like” the Paperie Facebook page or tag it from Facebook because it is a personal page set up long ago with the vanity URL. Please simply follow the account linked here and your entry will still count as long as you post in the comments. Thanks!

Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, August 7th. U.S. residents can enter up to THREE times total. Post that you have met the individual requirements in three separate comments here to have multiple chances to win!

You can enter / post up to three 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 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! 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.




And don’t forget MOO.com and Paperie Boutique are giving out 100 FREE MOO.com MiniCards!

To take advantage of this offer, click here. FREE MiniCard offer is open to new MOO.com customers only. Offer expires August 31, 2012. One pack per person. Excludes S&H.




Our thoughts and prayers are with the MOO Crew following the loss of their MOO.com Community Manager Dan Harris!

-Robyn & Todd

P.S. Miss the other birthday winner announcements?

http://paperieboutique.com/2012/07/21/birthday_winners_one/

http://paperieboutique.com/2012/07/23/birthday_winners_two/

http://paperieboutique.com/2012/07/23/birthday_winners_three/

http://paperieboutique.com/2012/07/23/housekeeping-winners-four/

http://paperieboutique.com/2012/07/26/birthday_winners_five/

http://paperieboutique.com/2012/08/01/housekeeping-winners-six/

http://paperieboutique.com/2012/08/02/birthday_winners_seven/

http://paperieboutique.com/2012/07/24/20000_comments/

birthday – Millers and EW

We have another great prize up for grabs this afternoon – a Miller’s Professional Imaging / EW Couture prize pack valued at $325 (prize has no cash value).

Included in this prize pack are:

•   $100 in press cards from Miller’s Lab

•   3 EW Couture Collection Christmas/Holiday card template bundles 
    (12 cards – psd files & printed samples of each of the card templates
    on Miller’s Premium papers) – a $225 value

    1.  EW Couture Christmas Favorites Folded Luxe Collection
    2.  It’s Christmas All Around
    3. Vintage Watercolors

The printed samples always come in handy and are really helpful to your clients when they are ready to decide on the Christmas card design they want.

We’re going to do this contest the fun way and give you a chance to get creative!

Take a photo that incorporates a birthday and/or “three” theme for Paperie’s 3rd birthday and post a link to it it in the comments. One photo / submission per person, please!

UPDATED TO ADD: This needs to be a NEW photo taken by you for this contest!

We’ll use Random.org to select the winner of this prize pack. And we will also pick our favorite, “most creative” entry and they will win a $25 gift card to Amazon.com.

Because this is a “game of skill”, our Canadian readers can play along as well! (Canadian winners may be responsible for any additional shipping and / or surcharges.)

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 Wednesday, July 25th. You can enter once per person / business.

(PLEASE NOTE: Comments are held for moderation and may not appear immediately. Please be patient! They will show up eventually.) Please do not post the same comment / link multiple times. Duplicate comments / links will be removed.

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by Random.org, and the winner will be contacted within 48-72 hours of the winner-announcement to claim their prize. See official rules for more details.

And a huge thanks to Miller’s Professional Imaging and EW Couture for such an amazing prize package – visit Miller’son Facebook and EW Couture on Facebook! Good luck!

The birthday party runs for a full week from Wednesday, July 17th – Tuesday, July 24th!

We’re almost to the finale – check in often today for more great giveaways!
-Robyn & Todd

birthday – savvy nations kraft

We’re starting the weekend off right here at Paperie with a huge prize pack from The Savvy Photographer Store, Nations Photo Lab, and Kraft and Jute!

First up is the entire Savvy Digital Collection from The Savvy Photographer – These items shown are $315 combined (prize does not have cash value)!

Also included is a $100 gift card to Nations Photo Lab! Make great use of your Savvy Digital Collection prize by having your creations printed up at Nations!

And rounding out this prize pack is a $100 shopping spree to Kraft and Jute! You have your templates. You have your photo lab. Now complete your custom look with gorgeous “green” packaging / presentation from Kraft and Jute!

How do you win this prize pack? Simple!

U.S. Residents: Just leave a comment on this entry telling us what your favorite Savvy Store or Nations Photo Lab or Kraft and Jute product is.

For BONUS chances to win: Go to your Facebook and / or Twitter accounts and post the following (then tell us where you did):

I want a template/print/packaging prize pack from @thesavvyphoto & @natphotolab & @kraftandjute at @PaperieBoutique / PaperieBirthday.com!

You can also follow The Savvy Photographer on Facebook, and Nations Photo Lab on Facebook, and Kraft and Jute on Facebook (or state that you follow each of these already in up to three separate comments here).

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

Comment that you have posted to your Twitter or Facebook account(s) – with a link to where you did it – 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 Sunday, July 22nd. You can enter up to six times total. Post that you have met each of the requirements in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

You can enter / post up to six 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 six 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. See official rules for more details.

BIG thanks to The Savvy Photographer Store, Nations Photo Lab, and Kraft and Jute for such a wonderful prize pack! Good luck!

We’re just getting started — the birthday party runs for a full week from Wednesday, July 17th – Tuesday, July 24th!

Vendors, if you’re interested in participating with discount codes and / or prize giveaways, please check our newsletter for more details!

We’ll be posting throughout the day / evening – check back soon!
-Robyn & Todd

birthday – WHCC and HB

Good morning! We’re kicking off day two of our birthday celebration with a bang! First up today is a prize pack giveaway from White House Custom Color (WHCC) and HB Photo Packaging.

One lucky Paperie reader will win a free 12×12 Image Block by WHCC – winner’s choice of configuration and paper type.

Also included in this prize pack is a $150.00 online gift certificate to HB Photo Packaging.

How do you win? Simple!

U.S. Residents: Just leave a comment on this entry telling us what your favorite WHCC product or HB Photo Packaging product is.

For BONUS chances to win: Go to your Facebook and / or Twitter accounts and post the following (then tell us where you did):

Win @WHCCpro / WHCC.com and @HBPhotoPkging / h-bphoto.com prize pack at @PaperieBoutique – http://PaperieBirthday.com

You can also follow WHCC on Facebook and / or HB Photo Packaging on Facebook (or state that you follow one – or both already, in separate comments here).

Each entry requires its own separate comment here. (In simple terms: If you want FIVE chances to win, you have to do all 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 or Facebook account(s) – with a link to where you did it – 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 Saturday, July 21st. You can enter up to five times total. Post that you have met each of the 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. See official rules for more details.

A round of applause for WHCC and HB Photo Packaging for the great prize pack! Good luck!

And check here at 12:30 p.m. EDT today – we’ll have a special time-sensitive, first-post / first-win giveaway from MOO.com!

We’re just getting started — the birthday party runs for a full week from Wednesday, July 17th – Tuesday, July 24th!

Vendors, if you’re interested in participating with discount codes and / or prize giveaways, please check our newsletter for more details!

Again, make sure you’re here at 12:30 p.m. EDT today for a special MOO.com giveaway – it’s first-come, first-win!

Thanks for three amazing years!
-Robyn & Todd

it’s better to give

We’re excited to have Poppy Tree Frames back for another guest / vendor post and giveaway!

ABOUT POPPY TREE FRAMES: At Poppy Tree Frames we fully understand that the best memories are ones that are captured, and our delight is framing those treasured snapshots in frames that are bold enough to make a real statement yet remain elegant so as to not distract from the subject.

Poppy Tree Frames are a small crew of artisans, wood-smiths and lovers of the brilliance of the old world and the pervasive whimsical and artistic aesthetic of today. Offering 18 customizable frames styles in 42 colors and 49 prints we are excited about what we are pouring ourselves and like a father proud of his son, indeed we are proud of what we have begotten and want to share our craft.

Want to win a $25 gift card to Poppy Tree Frames? Here’s how!

1. Follow Poppy Tree Frames on Facebook – then share one of their
    posts on your timeline. Link your post in the comments here.

This must be on a public Facebook page so we can verify it’s there – if we have to register to see your Facebook page, it is not public, and the entry will be voided. Don’t forget to come back here and post the link to your timeline!

And you can get up to two extra BONUS entries by doing the following:

2. Follow @PoppyTreeFrames on Twitter, and then comment here to
     tell us you’ve done so (or already do).
3. Follow Poppy Tree Frames on Pinterest, and then comment here
     to tell us you’ve done so (or already do).

That’s all there is to it!

Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 15th.

U.S. residents can enter up to THREE times total. Post that you have met the individual requirements in three separate comments here to have multiple chances to win!

You can enter / post up to three 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 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! 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.

Be sure to check out the Poppy Tree Frames website here and their Facebook page here! And thanks to Poppy Tree Frames for giving our readers another fantastic giveaway!




Did you hear the news? Paperie turns THREE YEARS OLD this month!

Last year we gave away over $8200 in prizes and this year promises to be just as exciting! The following vendors are just some of the ones already confirmed in the prize pool thus far:

1. HB Photo Packaging
2. WHCC
3. *emera Camera Bags
4. Simply Color Lab
5. Chic Critique Forum

And there are many more vendors waiting in the wings…so stay tuned and DON’T miss the party! It kicks off 7/18!

(If you are a vendor who would like to donate a prize, please contact Todd:
todd AT paperieboutique DOT com)

See you there –
-Robyn & Todd

you’re being framed!

We’re excited to have Poppy Tree Frames back for another giveaway and vendor / guest post!

Poppy Tree Frames specializes in custom frames – and now they are excited to launch their Ready-Made Frames! Just go to their site, have a look at the frames, and a few clicks later the goods will be mailed out to you!

ABOUT POPPY TREE FRAMES: At Poppy Tree Frames we fully understand that the best memories are ones that are captured, and our delight is framing those treasured snapshots in frames that are bold enough to make a real statement yet remain elegant so as to not distract from the subject.

Poppy Tree Frames are a small crew of artisans, wood-smiths and lovers of the brilliance of the old world and the pervasive whimsical and artistic aesthetic of today. Offering 18 customizable frames styles in 42 colors and 49 prints we are excited about what we are pouring ourselves and like a father proud of his son, indeed we are proud of what we have begotten and want to share our craft.

Want to win a $30 gift card to Poppy Tree Frames? All you have to do is go to Poppy Tree Frames on Pinterest and repin your favorite image – then share that pin on Facebook with your Facebook readers. (This must be on a public Facebook page so we can verify it’s there – if we have to register to see your Facebook page, it is not public, and the entry will be voided.) Don’t forget to come back here and post where you shared your pin!

You can get up to two extra BONUS entries by following @PoppyTreeFrames on Twitter, and then commenting here to tell us you’ve done so (or already do) — and / or by listing your favorite Poppy Tree Frame over here in the comments.

That’s all there is to it!

Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 29th. U.S. residents can enter up to THREE times total. Post that you have met the individual requirements in three separate comments here to have multiple chances to win!

You can enter / post up to three 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 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! 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.

Be sure to check out the Poppy Tree Frames website here and their Facebook page here! And thanks to Poppy Tree Frames for giving our readers another amazing giveaway!

Online Photoshop Mentoring -with- Brenna Gentry:

— — — — —
An Online Photoshop Class that is not a ‘Here’s how to use Photoshop‘ class, but a ‘Here’s how I use Photoshop & my thought process behind every step I make while creating beautiful edits‘ class. I share with you MY personal workflow that I use on every single image I edit & more importantly I share the questions you need to ask yourself while editing to get the results you desire.

I remember the feeling of staring at my screen not knowing where to start, what to do, how to do it & the frustration of not being able to get my images to look like I wanted. This class will push you past all of that & take your images to the next level. Upon completion of the class you will feel confident, motivated, excited & inspired. Why wouldn’t you want to give that to yourself?

Need some quick & specific mentoring? Check out the Online 1-Hour Mentoring Consult!

I would also like to offer a limited discount code for Paperie readers – use paperie35 to save $35!

Green Apple Ideas:

— — — — —
Green Apple Ideas is a new kind of marketing company. We offer affordable DIY business and marketing help for photographers.

Two sisters, Tricia and April, got together create a small business with the mission of offering choices to women by teaching business and marketing skills. The Green Apple girls wanted to be able to help moms have the choice to work from home if that is what they desired!

Check them out at photographer.greenappleideas.com!

And don’t forget we currently have a $100 gift card giveaway running through Friday with Artsy Couture!

Check back soon for more goodies!
-Robyn & Todd

art-see!

New week – new winners – and a new $100 gift card giveaway!

We want to thank all of our readers and vendors for two very successful recent promotions! First up, the winner of the MOO.com $75.00 gift card…

…is CPMarketing! Congratulations to Chris, and thanks to MOO.com for the fun giveaway!




Next we have the winner of the Artsy Couture “prize pack”…it’s Carrie Hanna!

Thanks to Carrie, and also to Artsy Couture for such a great prize!




But as they say…that’s…not all! Artsy Couture is having an amazing sale through the end of May! ALL Artsy products are 22% off + free shipping! For more details see image below and visit artsycouture.com!

And one lucky Paperie reader will win a $100 Artsy gift certificate this week! How do you win?

Easy! Just tell us your favorite Artsy Couture product in the comments here.

You can have up to two additional BONUS entries by following Artsy Couture on Facebook and / or Paperie Boutique on Facebook (or stating that you follow one – or both, in separate comments – already).

Comments must be posted here by 5:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 27th. (Deadline extended due to site maintenance.) U.S. residents can enter up to THREE times total. Post that you have met the individual requirements in three separate comments here to have multiple chances to win!

You can enter / post up to three 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 THREE chances to win, but only one chance PER OPTION – please do not post the same entry method multiple times. Duplicate entries 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 once again to our sponsor Artsy Couture for being so good to our readers!




P.S. Don’t miss our FREE Father’s Day template downloads.

Check back soon!
-Robyn & Todd

the one thing

Guess what? Today we have one of our favorite sponsors back for another giveaway and guest / vendor post! Please welcome Artsy Couture!

What’s up for grabs? An Artsy Couture “prize pack” that includes two Sweet Frames (up to 11×14) and a $50 gift certificate good on any Artsy products!

WHAT ARE SWEET FRAMES?
Sweet Frames are a collection of distressed and aged looking frames hand crafted from high quality wood. Every frame is meant to inspire whimsy and wonderment, like being presented with a life sized piece of candy. Join in on spreading the sweetness.

How do you win? Go to Facebook and / or Twitter and answer the following question:

“If there is one photography mistake you’ve made along the way and could take back, what would it be?“

When posting to Facebook, make sure to tag @Artsy Couture in your answer – and when posting to Twitter make sure to tag @ArtsyCouture in your answer. Then don’t forget to come back and link your Facebook and / or Twitter post(s) in the comments here 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.) That’s all there is to it!

You can have an optional, BONUS entry by telling us your favorite Artsy Couture product in the comments here.

Comment(s) must be posted here by 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 11th. U.S. residents can enter up to THREE times total. Post that you have met the individual requirements in three separate comments here to have multiple chances to win!

You can enter / post up to three 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 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! 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 Artsy Couture for having such an amazing prize pack for our readers!




And heads up that we currently have a $75 gift card giveaway to MOO.com:

Find more details on how to enter here! And don’t miss our FREE Mother’s Day and Father’s Day template downloads.

More on the way – see you here soon!
-Robyn & Todd

fun. fresh. different.

We’re excited to present one of our favorite features on the site – photography packaging photos & descriptions by Erica Clark Photography!

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had a love affair with all things stationary. Even as a teenager, I was always looking for the most unique and personalized gift packaging. I would wrap CDs in sheet music and unravel and scrunch up the inside of cassette tapes for the bow. Now, I totally allow my photography business to feed my love for boutique packaging.

I specialize in family photography and weddings. So, I decided to include my packaging for family clients as well as my wedding welcome packets which I send to brides who book with me. (Vendor information provided after photos.)

All teal colored boxes were purchased at H-B Photo. I ALWAYS buy my boxes from there. The quality is great, the prices are good, and the shipping is lightning fast.

The brown paper bags shown in the first image were purchased at my local dollar store where they are 2 for a $1. The little white bags are bought at a variety of places. Basically, wherever I see a good sale.

I bought the tiny brown paper sacks from a vendor on Etsy, I tuck a business card inside and clip it with a miniature clothespin I found for $2.00 a box on clearance at Walmart. I think about 20 came in a box. Needless to say, I bout about 10 boxes.

The twine, I bought it from our local farm store when they were marked down and out in a clearance bin.

All ribbon/lace was purchased at our local Hobby Lobby. They frequently have 50% ribbon/bows sales. When they do, I stock up…big time.

The burlap, which is cut into strips, was also purchased at Hobby Lobby. I’m an economical girl because the way I see it, if I save money, so do my clients. So when I bought the burlap, I bought TONS of it because I printed off a 40% off coupon from Hobby Lobby’s website.

The red and white baker’s twine was purchased at JoAnn’s Fabric. The tissue paper was purchased at Target. The little back chalkboard ‘thank you’ tag is actually just black card stock with a hole punched in it. I bought a chalkboard pen online (eBay, I think) and I hand write ‘thank you’ on the card stock. I trim the edges so it looks like a little ticket. The white button is just from my stock pile of random buttons. The clear plastic bags are from Rice Studio.

My business cards and mini cards are from Moo…of course. One of my favorite things about Moo, besides the ultra high quality, is their infinity print. If I buy 100 cards, I can have 100 different images on the backs. That’s pretty awesome in my book. As a photographer, it’s like having a mini-portfolio in my wallet. I always hand out cards with images on the back that might correspond to the type of photography a potential client may want. Some of my stickers come from Moo as well. The business cards and mini cards serve as hang tags as well.

The stickers I use to seal the tissue paper are from WHCC. The 5×5 press printed square is also from WHCC and I use the other side to hand write a thank you note.

The petal enclosure is what I use for discs of digital files and the 5×5 card fits right on top of it. I buy those from The Paper Source. I seal the enclosure with one of the Moo stickers.

The 3×3 accordions are from WHCC and are sometimes one of the little gifts I give my clients.

The following is what goes into my bridal packets, along with a few business cards from local hair/make-up, DJ, & cake vendors.

All of the press printed products are purchased from WHCC. ALL of the images used were taken by me, but the templates were purchased from Design Aglow. I LOVE Design Aglow! LOVE!

---

Included in my bridal packets are:

A little accordion pocket planner. That way, as they complete each step of the planning process, brides can check it off in their planner. It’s the perfect size for their purse.

The 5×5 trifold includes info regarding save-the-dates, first looks, formals, and even a little note just for grooms.

Also included is a 4×5 accordion card all about make-up and ways for brides to look their best.

Finally, a 5×7 press printed card that talks about engagement sessions. On the reverse side is ‘what-to-wear’ advice.

---

The last thing I include is an Erica Clark Photography tote bag wrapped with the baker’s twine. The 3×3 hang tag is from WHCC and the totes are from The Wedding Chicks.

When my clients receive their prints or when my brides receive their welcome packets, I want them to feel like they are receiving a special little gift that was meant just for them.

I always say that hiring a custom photographer should be a luxurious experience and I want my packaging to represent just that.

A side note on budgeting, I always wait for sales. Always. Hobby Lobby always has sales/printable coupons on their website, Design Aglow offers a discount when the item is just released, WHCC has press printed cards sales every spring and winter, Target and JoAnn’s have clearance items, Moo offers free shipping sometimes, and so on.

When I decided on my branding colors, I thought about holidays. Yes, holidays. There are 2 major holidays that use red as the main color: Christmas and Valentine’s Day. The week following those two holidays are when I clean up!

My point is, luxury doesn’t have to have a hefty price tag. Just be smart about what, where, and when you buy.

A very special thanks to Robyn for allowing me to share my packaging addiction. I’m grateful to have Paperie Boutique as a source for inspiration.

And a huge thanks to Erica Clark Photography for taking the time to share her packaging photos / resources / hints & tips! If you just can’t get enough of Erica’s packaging and presentation, make sure to visit this blog post and tell her thanks for sharing with the class!




Excited to announce the winner of the 3-month subscription to Chic Critique Forum is Tara Nichols!

And the winner of our Poppy Tree Frames giveaway is…Olivia Price Photography!

Thanks to everyone who entered both contests, and to Poppy Tree Frames for the fun prize! I’ll be in touch with the winners by Monday!




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

Check in all week – great things are scheduled!
-Robyn & Todd

P.S. The Savvy Photographer is running a photo contest through May 15th, 2012. Categories include Baby, Child, Family, Seniors , Wedding, and Pets. The prizes are amazing, so visit the site to check them out – and enter!

the giving tree

We’re baaaaack! Did you miss us? We recently shared that it’s been a pretty dark spring around our house and April has been equally unkind with illness and ER trips. Thanks to everyone for your patience and for continually checking in!

We’re happy to report that not only are we posting again, but we also have a great vendor / guest post and giveaway by Poppy Tree Frames. And read ’til the end for a cool (FREE!) Pinterest app for Facebook!




Poppy Tree Frames sells custom, handmade picture frames. They offer 18 frame styles in 42 colors and 49 prints. And now the good people at Poppy Tree Frames are partnering with Paperie Boutique to offer our readers a $30 Poppy Tree Frames gift card!

To enter and win the $30 gift card all you have to do is go to the comments here and tell us your favorite frame style.

You can get an extra BONUS entry by following Poppy Tree Frames on Facebook – and then commenting here to tell us you’ve done so.

You can have one more BONUS entry by sharing this post on Paperie’s Facebook page with your Facebook readers. (This must be on a public Facebook page so we can verify it’s there – if we have to register to see your Facebook page, 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!

Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 1st. You can enter up to THREE times total. Post that you have met the individual requirements in three separate comments here to have multiple chances to win!

You can enter / post up to three 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 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! 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.

Be sure to check out the Poppy Tree Frames website here and their Facebook page here! And thanks to Poppy Tree Frames for giving our readers such an amazing giveaway!




In case you haven’t heard, Woobox has an awesome FREE Pinterest app for your Facebook pages. It will show your Pinterest boards and pins as a tab on your Facebook page.

1. You can require users to like your Facebook page before
     viewing your Pinterest tab.
2. Show all of your boards and pins styled just like they are on
     Pinterest.
3. Users can view your boards and pins directly on your
     Facebook page or click to visit Pinterest to repin, like,
     comment, and follow your pins.
4. Show all your boards or just the pins from a specific board.
5. You get complete stats for page views, visits, and likes,
     segmented by fans and non-fans who view your tab.

You can see this in action on Sephora’s Pinterest tab. Visit Woobox to download the “Pinterest Tab for Facebook Pages” for free!




Don’t forget the Chic Critique Forum contest runs through April 30th — more details here. You can win a 3-month membership from Paperie!

Tune in next week — more goodies are on the way!
Have a great weekend -
Robyn & Todd

society pages

We’re excited to have a new vendor / guest post from one of our favorite advertisers at Paperie – The Wedding Photographic Society.

Welcome to The Wedding Photographic Society (WPS)

Welcome to The Wedding Photographic Society (WPS)! We’re a network of professional wedding & portrait photographers who come together to collaborate on photographic ideas, thoughts, and information in an attempt to elevate the artistic, technical, and business standards of the wedding photographic community. Membership in the WPS offers many professional & personal growth opportunities via bi-monthly educational meetings, networking, critiques, and general camaraderie during such gatherings. WPS meetings, forums, blog submissions, & web pages are open to any and all professional wedding photographers throughout the world.

The WPS’s origins date back to 2005, when Raleigh, NC wedding photographer Christobal Perez organized quarterly photography meetings in an effort to help build relationships, share knowledge amongst peers, and help create a competitive, yet supportive photographic community. The spirit of Christobal’s movement has grown exponentially since that time and has since evolved into the WPS (which became official in 2009) with the further support of other local photographers, Martha Manning, Stacy Borelli, & Brian Mullins. Leaders & members of the WPS donate their time to organize topic discussions with guest speakers, collaborate on ideas and offer guidance, all without compensation.

Membership
To join the WPS, you need to meet the following minimum criteria:

- Actively pursuing business as a professional wedding and/or portrait photographer (or aspiring to be a professional wedding and/or portrait photographer).

- A professional photography website showing your current work.

- Willingness to share your knowledge with others (we don’t ask for state secrets but a general willingness to be open and help others when possible).

There are two levels of membership in the WPS; aspiring and professional.

Aspiring
An aspiring member is someone who is not yet a professional photographer but looking to gain knowledge in photography, learn about proper business practice and grow as a photographer. Typically these are newer photographers in the field of weddings & portraits. Membership grants permissions to attend the monthly meetings and have limited access to the forums. This insures an open environment to ask questions in without fear of hostility.

Professional
A professional member has all the rights of the aspiring member, but has full access to the forums. A professional member will be actively pursuing business and working in the field of professional wedding or portrait photography.

The review process
Each application is personally reviewed by a WPS board member to determine which classification the applicant will be granted. Any photographer granted “aspiring” status can petition, at any time, for “full” or “professional” standing at which time their application will be reviewed again.

Application
To officially become a member of the WPS please first read the FAQ then register here.

Meetings
So as you enter into the WPS, you will undoubtedly see and hear about local meetings with some really cool topics and opportunities to network with other photographers in your area. These meetings are the true essence of the WPS and we HIGHLY encourage your attendance. If you don’t have local meetings in your area, then contact us at admin@weddingphotographicsociety.com to aid in assisting in starting a group local to you.

Forums
The WPS forums are our home away from home. As we started our organization based on face to face meetings, we quickly realized we needed a place to compile information such as emergency shooter lists, buying and selling gear, meeting announcements, etc. You can use them to get help with a sticky situation, help resolving a client issue, to vent or just to network. In the WPS, you definitely get out of it what you put into it so contribute whenever possible.

Thank you for your interest in becoming a member of the WPS and we look forward to your future contributions to the society.

Stacy Borelli
WPS Executive Board Member
www.TheWPS.com
919.602.1050

Last but not least, in honor of “springing forward”, all new Paperie advertisers will receive a huge discount off the published rates. By request / popular demand, we’ve extended our “spring forward” ad sale through April 15th. What the tax man giveth, you can taketh to boost your site traffic and SEO with Paperie Boutique!

2012 is already off to a great start – on the heels of our 2011 Wrap Battle in December, we logged 453,452 unique page views in January and 8.34 million hits as the winners were announced!

“Anybody wanting to advertise really should. I love browsing your ads to find new vendors and resources.” -Kim, momtriedit.net

“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!” -Kathy, boudoirbusinessboutique.com

Sound good? Here’s all you need to do to sign up. Just select your ad-purchase in the pull-down menu ↓ below ↓ , send your payment via PayPal, and voilà!

Miss the sale? Go here to advertise with us!

Once payment has been made, write todd AT paperieboutique DOT com and include a copy of your receipt and attach an image for the ad-size purchased.

If you are interested in being a sponsor + advertiser, please e-mail todd AT paperieboutique DOT com for the additional discounted rate. And if you are a current vendor who would like to renew, please contact Todd for that as well – we are currently offering 15% off renewals!

We look forward to having you join the Paperie family!

I’d like to share a group I recently “faved” on Facebook – the Professional Photographers for Baby Safety:

“We (as a concerned creative collective) have started watermarking/stamping composite images with a ‘seal’ of sorts as a ‘best practice’.

This seal lets everyone know that the image is two different photos edited together to create magic.

Both photographers and parents alike will see it and instantly know when an image is a composite without reading (nobody reads the fine print anyway). And will be educated that these are composites and photographers who offer/attempt the poses without compositing are working outside the generally accepted safety norms.”

Congrats to Dana and thanks to everyone who entered! Stay tuned this week for more fun!

-Robyn & Todd

P.S. Check out just-completed Panache Collective packaging sets on Facebook!

spring forward

It’s no big secret my family has had a rough couple of years, but we were all left unprepared and reeling from the events that took place two weeks ago. My little sister Jennifer, age 30, passed away on February 27th. She was married and they have a 14-month old son.

Hopefully that helps explain why the site has been left without updates and and e-mails have gone unreturned. I tried to update the Paperie Facebook page as I was able, but there’s just only so much you can do from an iPad on I-40 travelling to and from a funeral…

Slowly but surely I’m catching up with my life again and we have a few contest winners to announce!




First up are the winners of the three packaging contests here on Paperie: The “cameo / timeless” boutique packaging winner is Dawn Corwin. The “three strikes / spring training” custom packaging winner is Lynette Weber. And the “lipstick / tarte” boudoir packaging winner is WhirlieGirl Photography!

And the winner of “the savvy set” giveaway by Panache Collective over at The Savvy Photographer was…Sugar Bug Photography!

Thanks to everyone who entered, congrats to our winners, and thanks again to The Savvy Photographer for hosting one of these great giveaways!

For all our winners – you should hear from Robyn in the next 24-48 hours. Your packaging will need to be assembled and should ship within 3-4 business days of contact. Thanks for your patience!




Thanks for everyone’s support and prayers for our family!
-Robyn & Todd

P.S. “Like” the new Panache Collective Facebook page!