peanuts and crackerjack

Together with HB Photo Packaging, Paperie Boutique is excited to launch the “Panache Collective“!

Making its debut at WPPI 2012, the Panache Collective is a high-end custom photo packaging / portrait box décor product line. The Panache Collective was created with the boutique portrait artist in mind and includes collections specifically for senior, engagement / wedding, boudoir, maternity, baby, children / family, and sports photographers. The Panache Collective features bright colors, stylish designs and innovative function – including quick-release, easy open access.

At this time “Panache Collective” ordering is limited exclusively to WPPI 2012 attendees — pre-order registration is available at the HB Photo Packaging booth (# 1247). VIP mailing list registration is also available at the HB booth at WPPI. Mailing list members will be given early access to online purchasing before the ordering system goes public.

Following the soft-launch beta stage, public mailing list registration and ordering will begin in late spring / early summer 2012. Watch this space for more details!

The Panache Collective. “YOUR PRINTS. CHARMING.“

And now, one lucky Paperie reader will have a chance to win this Panache Collective baseball-themed set (perfect for child and sports photographers!) before the product line even goes into the pre-sale phase! Up for grabs are five 5½x7½ “spring training” decorated photo boxes (with matching tissue), and five 8½x10½ “three strikes” decorated photo boxes (with matching tissue). As shown in the photos below, these box designs feature our revolutionary new quick-release open and close system. The design stays snug around the box, but can easily be removed and set aside to pack the order – and then reattached to safely hand-deliver or ship – all without damaging your work of art.

View Paperie Boutique official rules for contests and giveaways here. Please note that Paperie Boutique hosted events are open to U.S. residents age 18 and over only.

All you have to do is post in the comments here and let us know one of the following:

• your favorite demo packaging set here
      — or —
• your business color palette
      — or —
• your photography specialty (weddings, boudoir, children / family, etc.)

That’s all there is to it!

You can have an additional – optional – “bonus” entry if you “like” both Paperie Boutique’s Facebook fan page and HB Photo Packaging’s Facebook fan page – just comment that you’ve done so, or that you’re already a fan.

And another additional – optional – “bonus” entry if you follow both @paperieboutique and @HBPhotoPkging on Twitter – just comment that you’ve followed or already follow them.

And another additional – optional – “bonus” entry if you post the following to Facebook or Twitter:
Win a custom baseball photography packaging set from the new Panache Collective by @paperieboutique & @HBPhotoPkging – http://is.gd/Z5YHEi

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

Comment with your favorite Panache Collective packaging set shown here, -or- your color palette, -or- your photography-speciality. And for bonus chances to win let us know you’ve liked Paperie Boutique on Facebook and HB Photo Packaging on Facebook. Or that you’ve followed @paperieboutique on Twitter and @HBPhotoPkging on Twitter. Or that you’ve posted about this giveaway to Facebook or Twitter. Do these in separate comments here to have multiple chances to win!

Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 23rd. You can enter up to FOUR times total. Post that you have met the individual requirements in four separate comments here to have multiple chances to win!

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

You have 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! 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.

Good luck everyone! And don’t forget to stop by booth # 1247 at WPPI!
-Robyn & Todd

P.S. You can also win our new “lipstick” and “tarte” boudoir packaging sets here.

here we go loopty-loop

Like me, many of you are packing client orders like crazy right now or are about to… In the past I’ve shared a demo on how to make a “flat bow” for shipping.

Now I’m sharing a demo on how to make a “loop bow” that will also survive the pack’n'ship process.

First, you need to have 1 – 1½” ribbon on hand and a hot glue gun. Wired ribbon is optional, but will hold a prettier shape. Cut four strips approximately 8½” long, and one shorter strip approximately 3½” long.

Take your hot glue gun and put a line of glue down the ribbon’s edge on one side – then press the other side down on top of the glue to create a loop.

You will end up with five ribbon loops – four large and one small.

Divide the four larger loops into two pairs. For each pair you will want to glue one loop on top of the other making an “X” shape as shown. All this takes is a dab of glue in the center of one loop, and then pressing the other loop on top of it to make an “X”.

Now take your two “X” loop pairs and keep one as an “X”, and turn the other to make a “+” sign as shown.

Put a dab of hot glue in the center of the “X” and place the “+” on top of it – gluing the two loop pairs together as shown.

Now take the small loop that remains and run a line of hot glue down the seam on the back side. Attach it to the center of the larger loops already glued together.

If you wish, take additional ribbon to wrap around the package length-wise and width-wise and hot glue into place. (I place a business card under the areas I’m gluing so that no glue accidentally gets on the box.)

Now glue the bow to the ribbon around the box, or the box itself. Puff up each of the loops with your fingers and voilà!

Here are a couple of other examples showing wired ribbon and grosgrain. You can also hot glue embellishments to the center of the bows.

And there you have it – a pretty loop bow in ten steps or less! Just in time for the upcoming annual packaging contest…

Have a great weekend!
-Robyn & Todd

P.S. We have two awesome giveaways right now, so don’t forget to scroll down and enter!

but you can do the job
     when you’re in town

I’ve been shooting non-stop for the last week and simply haven’t had time to update the site. And I need my assistant’s time elsewhere as well. The juggle all photographers face at the holidays, I suppose!

So until I catch a break, here’s a quick peek of some of the packaging submitted for the best business packaging / holiday packaging contest (running now through November 30th)…with more to follow soon, I swear!

I tossed in a couple of my holiday setups from last week / weekend, too. The small Santa bag is from Pottery Barn Kids. (You can see the large size in action here.) The rounded corner image collage is from The Album Cafe.

If you’d like to enter the contest – the awesome prizes are a $20 gift certificate to Paper Source and a $100 gift certificate to HB Photo Packaging – send in one (or more) photos of your business packaging. It can be your everyday packaging, something special for the holidays, or both!

Happy wrapping! Send photos to Robyn [robyn AT paperieboutique DOT com] thru Tuesday, November 30th.

And heads-up – Purple Daisy Kids is having a 99¢ shipping sale from now through December 26th. Enter the code ship99 at checkout.

39 days ’til Christmas!
-Robyn

P.S. If you’re waiting to hear from me right now, please be patient. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. I’ll get back to you soon! Promise!

< 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.

the hunt for green October

The digital edition of the October 2010 Professional Photographer Magazine was released today.

(P.S. Keep reading for a special discount from Sassy Designs, Inc. Plus a new packaging feature and the winner of the Paint the Moon contest!)

For this month’s article, I reviewed several press-printed “client gift idea” products by Moo.com, Miller’s, WHCC, CPQ and ProDPI.

Click each of the magazine pages above for a .pdf version. You can find the article on pages 54, 55, and 56 of the print-version when it hits mailboxes. And you can also download the digital edition now if you’re a PPA member or digital subscriber.

And to celebrate her templates being featured in the above article – Sassy Designs, Inc. is offering 50% off a purchase of $25 or more – today through 10/31. Just use the code PBPPMAG.




Today our guest post / green packaging feature is by Heather Armstrong Photography. If you’ve been wanting to go green with your business, this is an excellent resource!

I live on the west coast of Canada, the Gulf Islands, in a very green-conscious city. We have a fantastic recycling program, lots of eco initiatives, and government sponsored programs to help homes cut cost and live more environmentally friendly. As both a business owner and a parent it’s important to me to honour the Earth and do my part to keep as much garbage as possible off it.

Over time my packaging has evolved to become more Earth-friendly, producing less and less less waste as I find better companies to do business with. My brand is all about being organic: my style of portraiture is very natural and easy-going, and I want my packaging to reflect that…but not at the expense of the planet. I do not put in client “welcome packages”, medallions, advertisements or samples in the mail – packaging is about showcasing and protecting your print, and the more your client has to dig through to get to it, the worse it looks.

All invoicing, information and pricing communication is done electronically. If something does need to be printed, I print on renewable hemp paper and encourage my clients to recycle after they are done. I even use biodegradable pens and pencils for signing forms!

I work only with labs that will ship and package in the most environmentally friendly way possible. I understand that some products may require bubble wrap, but in the last year (thanks to some pushing and inquiring with the heads of various companies) I’ve only received four packages that included it…which was then reused. 99% of the time my labs ship to me in cardboard packaging with either shredded paper as a buffer, or corn-based packing peanuts (completely biodegradable with exposure to water). I recycle all boxes and bags that come to me; our local recycling depot will take plastic sheeting if you drop it off directly, and yours might too! Be sure to check with your city!

When my clients receive their prints, they’re packaged in unlaminated boxes with matching photo folios and CD sleeves. All are made with post-consumer recycled materials, and fully recyclable themselves.

Inside they’re wrapped in recycled tissue paper and sealed in a biodegradable corn-based bag (the PH level is not friendly to photos when kept inside for a long period of time, so tissue paper must be placed as a buffer between them). Instead of stickers, I use a custom rubber stamp with wooden handle and earth-friendly inks. Instead of cloth or plastic ribbons, I use biodegradable “crinkle paper” ribbon or wraphia. Instead of laminated thank you cards, I print my own messages on hand-crafted plantable paper and thank my client for choosing a green company. (Plus, it gives them the extra gift of wildflowers in a few weeks’ time!)

I even print my business cards with a company that uses only vegetable-based inks, post-consumer recycled materials and energy efficient printing techniques.

The completed packaging: 100% biodegradable and recyclable – nothing needs to be thrown away, and anything that accidentally does can break down easily in a landfill. And the waste I produce? Just one tiny piece!

In the last six months my business has produced less than one pound of non-renewable waste – both in my home, and my clients’. I keep a compost, have my recycle picked up twice a month, do research into the companies I purchase from, and keep tabs on my power meter to ensure that I’m using as energy efficient business practices.

It isn’t hard, nor that expensive, to be a green company. We can all do our part by caring about the environment and going the extra mile to find green products: every step counts. You don’t have to sacrifice style, brand or presence, and your clients will thank you for the effort you put into preserving our planet for their children to enjoy.

My products are purchased from:
1. http://www.greenprinteronline.com
2. http://www.ricestudiosupplies.com
3. http://www.goodplanet.com
4. http://clearbags.ca (look for their corn-based, biodegradable bags!)
5. …And local businesses committed to providing earth-friendly products




And the big winner in the Paint the Moon contest is…Kaley Lein!

Congrats to Kaley, thanks to everyone who entered, and thanks to Paint the Moon for yet another amazing giveaway here at Paperie!

Happy October everyone! Have a great weekend!
-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.

Heather, be thy name

I am so excited about this guest post—it has really inspired me to change things up a bit and add a few new items to my packaging arsenal. Sit back, take five, grab and drink, and prepare to be wow’ed by Heather of Heather Garland Photography!

“Wow, I feel like it’s Christmas and I just got handed the most beautiful present under the tree.” When a client told me this one day, I knew why I put so much work into my package. It wasn’t just because I loved packaging, it was because my clients loved it too and it made them feel special. Of course, I do love packaging too. It is so exciting to me and I am always working to improve my packaging. Most people think it is silly to put so much investment and work into handing clients who have already booked you their prints. I think that is quite wrong, our clients that have had sessions are photographers MOST important marketing tool. Every one of them has friends, family, and co-workers who get married, have babies, and want family portraits. Making my clients happy is my biggest goal, not just for referrals but because I genuinely consider them friends after our sessions. Because of this, when I hand them their prints, I want them to feel like I handed them something worth the hundreds of dollars they paid for it.

First off my amazing marketing products and logo are from Amy Grace at candyapplestudios.com. She is absolutely incredible. I already had my logo done before and just switched to her to give me a somewhat new look. She made me feel so professional and amazing. Every design she handed me I was in awe because they were so incredible.

Above is my packaging. I have 3 different sizes of bags (one for sizes up to 5×7, one for prints up to 8×10, and one for sizes up to 16×20), a few different sizes of boxes (wallets, 4×6, & 8×10), and multiple shipping boxes (4×6, 8×10, and DVD sized).

My bags, boxes, tissue paper, and shipping boxes are all from papermart.com.

My tags are from cpq.com, are tied with raffia from bagsandbows.com.

My 8×10 boxes (apparel boxes), which I place inside the bags, have ribbon from Hobby Lobby and are secured with a 2 inch sticker I made myself. (I am probably going to start an etsy store eventually, just because there aren’t a lot of places to get quality round stickers. I’ve tried tons of places like Zazzle and can’t stand the shift.) I also have a 2×3.5 inch sticker from whcc.com on the bottom of my boxes and in the middle of my bags.

Inside my boxes I put the prints, an envelope with a copy of the contract, a business card, a referral post card with referral cards, and usually a little post-it note with a note to the client.

Here is a close-up of the envelopes with the contract. They are from vistaprint.com.

I include referral cards that share my referral program, along with a baggie from clearbags.com with 5-10 referral cards. The large postcard is from whcc.com and the business cards are from gotprint.net.

These are the post-it notes from 123print.com.

My prints are secured with the appropriate bag from clearbags.com and have white backing board.

I also have little wallet boxes and 4×6 boxes (jewelry boxes) that are inside the bag (if applicable).

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They have small 1 inch stickers on them, which I use on a lot of my products. I also make these myself.

If clients order a gift card, I package them the same as prints but in a 4×6 box. Here is a close-up of my gift cards.

My shipping boxes are new for me, I figured if I was professional in my other packaging I should have the same look for my shipping too.

I get my shipping labels from 123print.net and use a 2 inch sticker to seal it.

I include a tag (unpunched), the pictures, and tissue paper. This a 4×6 sized box with 4×6 prints and wallets.

For my wedding clients, I have my contracts printed and put in a folder from Office Depot. My folders are the only thing I am changing soon. I am looking into brown folders from paperpresentation.com. I put a 1 inch sticker in the corner and a business card in the slot inside.

When they book I send them a copy of the contract, a thank you card, and a candle. The thank you is from whcc.com and the candle is from Bath & Body Works.

I also include a link to a personalized site. This site has dates their payments are due, a copy of the contract & model releases, a get-to-know-you email form, and special tips for the wedding. If you want to see an example you can check it out here: http://heathergarland.com/bridesite/

Here is a close up of the thank you cards, referral cards, and business cards again.

The only thing not shown is my DVD cases, they are from jewelboxing.com and designed by my amazing designer. They are personalized with pictures from the shoot, along with a print release, and a panel explaining cropping of the photos and recommending Mpix.com.

My marketing materials change all the time, but I feel like now finally my packaging is established and I will only be adding on new and more exciting pages in the future. I am so excited to be able to share my packaging and hope it can inspire someone. This blog has definitely inspired me in my packaging and I love Robyn’s packaging and every person featured on the blog. So I hope I can pay back in a way, what has inspired and helped me so much. Thanks!

Love, Heather

Did I tell you that you would be wow’ed or what? Please stop by Heather’s blog and / or leave a comment to tell her “thanks!” What a way to kick off the new week!

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).

(don’t) bend it like…

(Originally posted to Flickr forums in July 2007.)

This (FREE!) .doc file will print out Avery 1.5″ circle lables (product # 8293). I bought them at Staples – Office Depot, Amazon, etc., carries them as well.

The “photos do not bend” circle labels will print like this:

→ download link ←

This template is ©Robyn Pollman, 2007. All rights reserved. It may not be copied, resold, made available for download or given away elsewhere, or redistributed without my written permission.

You can find previous Paperie Boutique free downloads here.

here’s the mail-it never fails

Did you know that you can get free USPS Priority Mail shipping supplies online? They make it so easy you don’t even have to leave the house!

In addition to boxes, envelopes, labels, stickers, receipts and forms being FREE – the shipping is FREE as well.

The only thing you have to do is go online and pick the box sizes and supplies that are best for you.

Then once your supplies have arrived and your packages are sealed up nice and pretty, you can print your postage online, and even request a free pickup at your door.

It’s as simple as that.