Packaging

Like advertising, what kind of packaging to use for my finished products has been something I’ve put a lot of thought into. On one hand, the artistic side of me wants to use something creative, beautiful and totally unique. On the other, the realistic side of me wanted to find something practical and—most importantly—inexpensive enough that it wouldn’t require me to pass on a high cost to my clients. So, after lots of research and trying out several different prototypes, I found what I think is a pretty perfect balance:

Simple, kraft paper envelopes stamped with a custom rubber stamp of my logo bee. I love how organic they look! While I do have kraft boxes, too, for albums and for shipping, the envelopes are sufficiently sturdy for hand-delivering prints and discs (which I make every attempt to do, as long as it is possible).

The stamp was hand-carved by the lovely Kristin (who originally designed and illustrated my logo). I asked her if she wouldn’t mind sharing a photo, and a few words, about her stamp-making process:

(photo by Kristin)

“I became interested in stamp carving in 2008 when I was researching ways to design invitations for the wedding of my friends Jenny and Jeremy- I wanted something that could be both beautiful and economical. I realized that there’s something special about rubber stamps: you can easily print them on anything without incurring printing costs, they look beautiful, and because of their softness they’re easier and quicker to print with than other types of relief printing, such as linoleum or woodblock. For small-scale object graphics, they are a great medium, as effortless as butter to cut. Of course, detail is limited, but their blocky and rather rough-hewn look has its own aesthetic. They’re the most fun way to personalize your own stationary, gifts, or any stamp-able object (and you will find limitless surfaces that you’ll want to stamp all over, I guarantee it).”

Kristin is both ridiculously talented and a complete dream to work with–if you need any design/illustration work, or a custom stamp of your own, I couldn’t recommend her more highly!