New at Paper Mango:::It’s Christmastime!

Well, at least it's Christmastime here in Paper Mango land. Keeping in line with my Modish Biz Tip blog goals for this month I've been slaving away thinking cold thoughts and creating some fun holiday card designs. And I'm happy to announce the first of my Holiday Collections is up in the Etsy Store. (Hey, did you happen to notice that handy dandy "SHOP" link at the top of the page? That will take you straight to my newest items on Etsy. Just sayin'.) I kind of have a thing for watercolors and brush strokes right now (and as always crisp, clean lines) and this collection is where those things intersect with a little holiday cheer. Available in the collection are a 5x7 card set (nice and big for including the annual family picture or letter), an A-2 note card set (short, sweet and to the point), and gift tags (self-explanatory). As always, everything is printed on post-consumer recycled paper.

If you have lots of friends, make sure to take advantage of the free shipping for orders of 3 or more sets, and if you happen to own a brick & mortar and if you happen to want to carry Paper Mango's holiday cards give me a shout at melanie{at}papermangodesign.com and let's get together!

New in the Paper Mango store!

It's been a while since I've had something new to introduce, and to be honest, I think this one might be cheating a bit. Oh well!

Presenting the Paper Mango "Pick-a-Mix" available here in the Paper Mango Etsy store! We've all been caught off guard by those birthdays, weddings, or other events that sneak up on us. Instead of stopping by the grocery store on your way to the party, plan ahead with the Pick-a-Mix. Choose any five cards from the Paper Mango line up, and you'll be all set the next time you "misremember" when your boss' birthday is.

Happy Shopping!

Spring Collection Inspiration

I realize most of the country is in a deep freeze but the beautiful 70+ degree weather here in Phoenix just makes me want to create pretty spring things. So I'm starting to work on the 2009 Spring collection. Creativity starts with inspiration and a major source of inspiration for me recently has come from Kuler, a website in the Adobe family where creatives can find, design and share color themes. Amazing! I'll definitely be using it for my next home painting project. Aside from it's practical implications it's just a really fun place to browse around. The theme above is titled "Lake Stones in Fog" and just gets me really excited to design new cards and invites for a new season. Check out Kuler and check back here in a few weeks for new designs!

The Office Project Update

If you need a quick recap of what the Office Project is all about, you can get up to speed here.

A couple weeks ago I tragically (joyfully) said good bye (and good riddance) to my lap top "Old Faithful". The name suited her well. When I bought her she already had a hard 3+ years under her belt and that was almost 3 years ago. It's amazing she lasted as long as she did and I'll be forever grateful for her help in getting Paper Mango off the ground. But when one computer dies, a new one is brought to life! And being the techo-geek that I am, I love new toys! It was like Christmas with out the tree or icky egg nog. My husband caught a few pictures of me in the midst of my excited/crazed state taking the new computer for it's first test drive. I thought it was a significant enough part of the office make over to share them with you with disregard for my own dignity. In the pictures do note:

* Yes, the computer is on a side table and I am on the ground. Going from a lap top to desk top means we need to actually get a desk.
*Oooo, pretty new carpet!
*Diet Coke is a life saver

The Office Project - Part 2

So, here's the new office. In it's infant stage. I like to refer to it as "a blank canvas". And actually, a few things have already been improved since these shots. The ceiling has been textured and painted (wasn't so excited about the exposed dry wall "look"), the nasty carpet is gone and in it's place is a brand spankin' new one, the "crimped" mini-blinds are in the dumpster, and the 1989 faux wood fan is waiting to be posted on craigslist. I'm excited about the great natural lighting, the ample built in storage, and all of the style possibilities. I'm taking suggestions for paint colors, window treatments, and as you can see, pretty much everything. Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!

The Paper Mango Moving Sale! - Only One Week Left!

Just a quick reminder that there's just a little over one week left in the Paper Mango Buy One Get One FREE sale! Head over to our store and make sure to mention the sale in your order details.

The Office Project - Part 1

As you probably deduced from the Moving Sale going on at the Etsy Store, my husband and I are moving. Not only am I excited to be a home owner and go paint crazy on the walls, I'm very excited that I will have an official home office. When I started Paper Mango over the summer, I had the same romantic visions of working from home, that most people that have never worked from home, have. Staying in your pajamas all day, working on the couch with HGTV in the background, and all that gas money I'd save by not driving anywhere. I quickly learned that 1) This gets boring very quickly, 2) The couch is a good way to turn a 2 hour project into a 5 hour project and 3) I enjoy human interaction and driving to coffee shops to see other people doesn't save that much gas. Even though I plan to continue to work from home, and will probably still have to get out to a coffee shop every once and a while I'm excited to have an actual office space where I can go and work. As I was thinking about all the ideas I have for making my space functional, creative, efficient and intentional I thought it would be fun to bring all my friends along with me on the journey! So here starts The Office Project! I'm starting with a couple pictures of my current "office". I'd love any thoughts or suggetions you have a long the way, so feel free to share! And don't forget, time is running out on the Moving Sale.

{My supply & paper storage/Printing nook}

{My "desk"}

The Paper Mango Moving Sale!

There is quite a bit of excitement in our house these days as my husband and I have just taken the plunge into home ownership! As the packing commences, I am trying to get rid of all the ballast I can. Which includes my reams of paper and card creating supplies. Why pack them up, when I can just get rid of them! And what better way to get rid of card supplies then by throwing a big Moving Sale! So here it is, the Paper Mango Buy-One-Get-One FREE Moving Sale! Just mention this post in your order and we'll send you one item of equal or lesser value for free! And yes, this does include all Holiday items! This sale doesn't last long, so head over to the store now and make sure to place your order by November 15th. Happy shopping!

Buy for Life Project Update

In just a month and a half's time the contribution has more than doubled for the Buy 4 Life project! A quick refresher for those of you who may be new here, Buy 4 Life is our effort to financially support and create awareness about organizations that are doing huge things to make our world a sweeter place. To that end, 10% of all of our sales are automatically set aside for B4L. Since the last update we have raised almost $80.00 for our current B4L organization Buy Shoes::Save Lives!! I couldn't have imagined that in just this short time we'd be able to contribute this much to this great cause. Thanks so much for buying for life!

ps - I realize these updates have been random. From now on I'm going to be updating at the end of the month for consitency's sake.

Custom Order - Wish Salon Brochure

Last week I had the chance to work on one of the most fun and challenging projects I've done in a long time. Taryn from Wish Salon in Scottsdale, AZ called and needed some new advertising material for the wedding portion of her business. She gave me the content and trusted me to the point of just letting me run with the project. I knew I had to do something special to give her the edge she needs in the competitive wedding industry. On top of all of that, she needed at least one brochure done in a rush for a big meeting she was having with a wedding coordinator. A few brainstorming sessions and two trips to M & Co Papery later, these creations were born. I'm really happy with how they turned out and am excited to begin working on the rest of the order! Thanks, Taryn!

ITB Local Artists Market Recap

Well, the first-of-the-season Inside the Bungalow Local Artists Market has come and gone. I had such a great time hanging out with all of the EVA girls and meeting all the great people that came out to support their local artists. I should have known that my predictions about the weather cooling off were a bit premature since September is still the dog days here in Mesa-Phoenix. But aside from the heat and a few gale force gusts of wind, everything was fantastic!

Thanks again to everyone who came out to support Paper Mango and all of the local artists. I really look forward to getting more involved in these Downtown Mesa events and being a part of breathing some life into that area!

Since Fall is (sorta kinda) approaching, there are a lot of craft fairs and artists markets re-opening for the season. Stay tuned for more event dates to come check out Paper Mango live!

I managed to snap a few photos of the Paper Mango table before people started arriving. Check them out below.

Ready to Rock!

The "Custom Order" Display

The "Original Designs" Display - Ready to take home

The Whole Spread!

Local Artists Market Tomorrow at Inside the Bungalow

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow from 11.00am to 2.00pm we will be at the Local Artists Market at Inside the Bungalow. The weather is {finally} cooling off so come on out and support local businesses and artists. For more details read my initial post here.

See you there!

Local Artists Market featuring Paper Mango

Inside the Bungalow is a great yoga studio/coffee shop/all around cool hang out place in historic Downtown Mesa. Being a local small business, they have dedicated themselves to supporting other local small businesses and artists through their monthly Local Artists Market starting Sunday September 21st. Paper Mango will be there with all of the latest creations along side other members of the EVA Etsy Team. The Market will be from 11:00am to 2:00pm so come by, grab a latte and support local business and local art!

Inside the Bungalow is located on Robson (Between Country Club & Center) just north of Main Street in Mesa. For more info on the Market and their shop check out their website here.

Bring a friend and see you there!

A HUGE Celebration x2!

I couldn't have planned this if I wanted to. In addition to the release of the new fall collection today (!), Paper Mango is being featured on the weekly Phoenix Picks blog in their "Chick Picks" section! The excitement is almost too much to handle. Phoenix Picks is a blog dedicated to bringing attention to local small businesses and events in the greater Phoenix area and I'm so honored that Paper Mango's been "picked"!

To see the blog in it's entirety click here or see below for an excerpt including our feature.

As previously mentioned this is a celebration x2! Today we are also introducing our new fall collection of cards, invites and other tasty bits over at our Etsy store! Check out the thumbnail gallery below and then head over to the store to see the designs in all their glory.

Etsy Buy Handmade PaperMango

And don't forget about our special on 100 calling cards. If you can't take advantage of this great offer, tell a friend! They'll thank you for it.

Paper Mango business cards have arrived!

Well, the title pretty much says it all. Paper Mango business cards are here! The cards were printed by some friends of mine that do a great job with large quantities and items that lend themselves to UV coating. These are the guys I use for any of our custom business/calling card orders that upgrade to UV coating. The cards are going to be hitting the street spreading the word about Paper Mango and all the tasty things we offer. If you own or frequent a business that likes to promote local small businesses let me know and I'll send you some cards to spread around in your neighborhood.

To celebrate their arrival, the next order received at the Etsy Store for business/calling cards will get a custom designed card, a free upgrade to UV coating, and 100 cards for only $50.00! the only catch is, you must mention this blog post in your order. Good luck!