Happy Weekend!

Happy Friday everyone! Sending you wishes for a warm and wonderful weekend! But in the meantime…

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Hellebores (one of my favorites!) by Floret Flower via Instagram

…a few links for your weekend!

This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

Have a wonderful weekend! I’ll see you back here on Monday! xoxo

Brick + Mortar Q + A: Will anyone find me at NSS?

I love writing this Brick + Mortar column. Your responses are a highlight each month. Often the best conversations emerge in the comments section or via email after a post. Though I love talking through your questions one-on-on, I dreamed up this spin-off Q + A column because many of you had similar questions and I thought it would be fun and helpful to answer them in this format. (For those of you who have more extensive questions about your own line, I’ve also devoted a bit of time each month to one-on-one consulting.) Please submit any questions you have to me at [email protected]. Thank you so much for trusting me to be a part of your businesses. I can’t wait to hear from you and I hope you love this column as it evolves! –Emily of Clementine

Hello Brick + Mortar by Emily McDowell Illustration for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Illustration by Emily McDowell for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Hi Emily!

I finally took the bullet and applied for National Stationery Show. But when I got my booth number, I freaked out that it was really far back and that no one would go to that section. I was curious if you could let me know if you walked that far back (near the supply side), or perhaps I could try to apply for the ‘fresh’ section? 

I attached the NSS floor plan with my booth circled in pink so you can see my spot. Thank you SO MUCH for your help!

I hope you have a gloriously lovely day!

– Jenipher 

***

Dear Glorious Jenipher,

Congratulations! Applying to NSS is a huge, exciting step for a new line.

The great thing about trade shows is that there are literally endless things to freak out about. I truly wouldn’t worry about your location, especially for your first show. Location does matter, but most spots have pros and cons. NSS is a manageable size for retailers to walk. So rather than get into the potential pros/cons of your spotwhich I think is pretty decent, by the way – it’s in the 2200s and not too far out (Ed Note: You do have the option of requesting a new booth number from your NSS rep if you’re really really concerned, but yeah, the 2200 aisle is a great location. You’ll be in great company. –Nole), let’s focus on what you can do to make it a great spot for you.

  1. Target your retailers in advance. Make yourself a destination for them at NSS. Make a list of your existing and ideal retailers. Make sure you personalize your mailers to them and consider a show special or incentive to encourage them to visit. This is also a great year to create a memorable mailer – a little buzz can go a long way to get retailers to visit (more on that in a later post!)
  2. Design an eye-catching booth. Dream big, sketch, brainstorm, look through old OSBP posts about NSS. Do it now! As you get closer, you’ll be knee deep in the nitty-gritty work of actually building your booth. If you don’t plan your design in advance, you may be too tired to give it the energy and it needs. I walk up and down almost all of the rows, but sometimes it’s just a quick sweep (an internal no, no, no, yes!) waiting for a booth to pull me in. So you could be right in the heart of the action, but if you don’t stand out, retailers will pass you by.
  3. Build your social media community. Start focusing on other stationery makers and retailers now. Check in with the NSS2015 hashtag to see how others are preparing. Give sneak peeks. Talk to retailers and your colleagues. Find them on Instagram now and start conversations. One of the best parts of NSS is the community you build that carries you through from one show to another. I think it will help ease some of the fears to go in feeling like you’re part of it.

A note about the Fresh section. I do think it’s a great thing to apply for in your first show, because:

  1. There are retailers who will check out that section just because they are interested; and
  2. You meet your peers, many of whom are sharing many of the same experiences. It’s exciting to grow together and maintain those friendships.

However, wherever you are, especially in your first year, your job is to draw retailers in and look fabulous when they get to you. You can focus on that no matter your location. See you in three months!

x + o! Emily

National Stationery Show 2014, Part 7

We’re moving full speed ahead with recaps from this year’s National Stationery Show with another set of talented exhibitors! First up for today, a bright and happy (neon!) booth packed with modern screen printed stationery from The Paper Cub Co.

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The Paper Cub Co.

The team at 9th Letter Press never misses a single detail, with a booth filled with beautiful letterpress stationery and homey hospitality-inspired details (all those pineapples!). I’m loving their new letterpress coupon cards (particularly the babysitting card) and gorgeous gold foil greeting cards!

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9th Letter Press

The Thimblepress booth was packed full of color – from letterpress greeting cards to confetti packs to illustrated notepads!

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Thimblepress

Is it possible to love every single thing in a booth? Because that’s pretty much what happened at Sugar Paper. Those new gold foil binders and notebooks!!

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Sugar Paper

I’ve been a fan of Little Low Studio for a couple of years, but this year they made their trade show debut with an adorable booth packed full of illustrated greeting cards, art prints, calendars, and heirloom wood boxes!

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Little Low Studio

Janet and Stu from Three Potato Four might actually be the coolest people on the planet. I’m constantly amazed by their ability to reinvent everyday objects, from keychains to chalkboards!

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Genius art prints reproduced from original antique portraits and sweet banners printed on linen!

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My husband would love these wood keepsake boxes!

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Three Potato Four

The ladies of The Social Type produced one of my new favorite combinations at this year’s show: marbleized paper and gold foil! I’m also loving their new matchboxes and notebooks!

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The Social Type

Lots of modern letterpress greeting cards and prints from Kiss & Punch Designs!

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Kiss and Punch Designs

It was so great to finally meet Jen from Starshaped Press at this year’s show! All of the stationery – from cards to art prints – from Starshaped Press is produced using antique metal and wood type!

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Starshaped Press

Fawn Paper Co. was another new exhibitor at this year’s show, with a collection of illustrated and hand lettered stationery!

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Fawn Paper Co.

Finally (for today), Dear Hancock! I’m such a huge fan of their illustrated greeting cards and calendars – the new 2015 desk calendar featuring the (imagined) desks of historical women is pure genius. I love the way they created Amelia Earhart’s (imagined) desk for this year’s booth design!

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Dear Hancock

I’ll be back with more from the 2014 National Stationery Show tomorrow – but first, photos from Paper Party 2014 coming up in just a bit!

Photo Credits: Oh So Beautiful Paper

NSS 2014 Sneak Peek: Paper Lovely

Our next NSS sneak peek comes to us from Kim at Paper Lovely – and she’s been having a lot of fun experimenting with new techniques and mediums this past year! Kim’s newest collection includes watercolor illustrations, die cutting, and dip dyeing. The Botanical Watercolor 2015 calendar is both digitally and letterpress printed and new notepad designs are created from original watercolor illustrations. Paper Lovely (Booth 2065) will also debut a new Luxe Stationery line letterpress printed on extra thick cotton paper with rounded corners, along with a bunch of new letterpress greeting cards!

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Thanks Kim!

Photo Credits: Paper Lovely