Little Red Hen Press Order Packaging

Wrapping gifts and packages are one of my favorite things to do, especially at Christmas. You should see what I do! I wish I had pictures to show of them, but I don't. Doh! You'll just have to trust me that they are pretty.

So when orders started rolling in for the cards and bags, I started experimenting with different ways to package and ship the items. I decided on boxes, even though they cost a little more to ship, because I knew the cards stood a better chance of arriving undamaged, and who doesn't like to open a box? ;) I originally wanted white boxes, but I couldn't find the perfect size for an affordable price. I didn't want to have to charge an extra dollar to my customers for a custom box. So, I decided to go with brown paper ones with mostly recycled content. The liner is 20-30% and the flute is 100% recycled (flute is the wavy part). I also found white tissue paper that is 100% recycled. Unfortunately the red isn't completely recycled, but it's just so nice, I had to include at least one sheet in each box. Red is in the business name after all! The two most recent orders have been shipped in a decorated box:

I have had a lot of fun coming up with this, and I hope I can continue to create a fun package for my customers to open! Of course each package will be slightly different, but always pretty.

This is the housewarming present I gave to me sister last Saturday and the gift contained within. She just graduated from the University of Florida, hence the orange and blue Gator theme, and loves cupcakes. She is very creative so I put together a cupcake decorating kit for her to use in her new kitchen, along with handmade Go Gator cupcake picks (I will be selling them on Etsy soon, so keep an eye out!). Also included in the package, but not shown, were 2 boxes of cake mix, and 2 containers of white icing. I made her promise to take pictures of the cupcakes she makes, and send them to me so I can post them on this blog. The cupcake liners came from Fort & Field, and you can purchase them here. The icing bags and tips, sprinkles, and pan were purchased at a local baking supply store. 

Her base color scheme in her new home is black and white, so coordinated the wrap for that. The bow is upcycled from an Anthropologie package, and the tag is made from my black Birds on a Wire print. She LOVED it all!

I hope I have inspired you!

What Exactly Is "Paper Weight"?!?

Boy, I have had a hard time figuring out exactly what paper weight means. The labels can be so confusing! I print my designs on card stock, and have recently switched over to 100% recycled vs. the 10% I was using before.  The web site I ordered the new 100% from said it was 80lb weight. I was looking around Etsy and realized most people were printing on 110lb, and thought well this can't be good. I can't have wimpy thin cards! No one will buy from me! Jeez those sellers must have a brick of a card! Imagine my surprise when the new 100% paper arrived and it was quite a bit more thick than the 10% I was using before, even though it claimed to weigh less. So I was totally confused, and I'm sure I have confused you too. What in the heck is this paper weight thing anyway? Well I found a website that explains it all:

PAPER WEIGHT DEMYSTIFIED

Thank you paper-paper.com!

So out of all of this, I realized card stock is called "index" paper when measured, and my new 100% recycled paper is somewhere around 119lb weight. Hooray for nice thick paper! I do notice a big difference between the two. I am also glad that it is fully recycled. It helps me sleep better at night... hehe!

Oh, The Combinations!

I love looking at tubes of paint and imagining all of the yummy combinations that can be put together. My favorite section in the craft store is the paint aisle.


I'm ready to start printing and I'm feeling nautical, ha!

Going Green

100% recycled card stock and envelopes arrived today. I can't wait to print the new designs on them!