A peak at her business cards:
And her fun new WordPress based website and blog:
Want to get to know Rachel and what Sugarpaper is all about? We asked her a few questions…
How long have you been in business? My family has been in the printing business for over 30 years and I decided to branch off with my own boutique style printing and specialties this past March 2012.
What do you do? Wedding invitations and suites, including place cards, programs, menus, welcome kits, table numbers, favor tags, signs, stickers and labels along with any other paper or printed item associated with a wedding! We also specialize in other avenues of the printing business including custom die cut, foiling, spot UV and more. We also work with marketing collateral, custom business cards and anything you can dream that you need printed!
Why did you start your business? I worked in the corporate world for over 15 years and decided it was time to work for myself. Being self-employed is a pride I can’t describe. I learned from years of experience that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, so being in business allows me to run things perfectly and make sure that my clients are satisfied throughout every step of their experience with Sugarpaper Press & Papery.
What is unique about your business? Sugarpaper Press & Papery differentiates itself through a unique customer experience. From the first conversation, throughout the design consultation, until the client has the printed items in hand, we want each couple to feel like they are our only clients at the time!
We offer custom graphic design, specialty papers, unique styling and themes. We also do almost all of our printing onsite; which is rare these days in the invitation industry. Most companies send off their invitations through a company and mark them up before getting them to the customer; but we are a part of each step in the process and handle it all for the client ourselves.
What is the process like to work with you? We begin by communicating through email and talk via phone to be sure we are a good fit, and then we schedule our initial design consultation in person at our East Austin Studio. Once we have agreed to move forward, we lay out the terms and timeframes surrounding the scope of work. There are weekly updates, check in’s and discussions that will keep the customer informed. We pride ourselves on establishing great relationships with our customers so they feel they can call us day or night to talk about a new idea, a change or edit to their order. By the end of the process, we are usually great friends!
Why did you decide to work with Doodle Dog? Doodle Dog has amazing experience in the industry and is well respected. Not only did Doodle Dog help us with our revamped website and logo, but they host for us as well. It is nice to have a one-stop shop to make things less complicated. I never feel like I am asking for too much when I call Nikki. Because I loved the design so much and was so impressed with all her work, Doodle Dog is our exclusive designer if we need to outsource work. They have always come through on time with amazing ideas and never fail to impress each bride!
Tell us about your family. I am happily married for four years now, and am very close with my parents and sisters. I have 3 gorgeous nieces and spend time with them any chance I get.
Do you have any pets? What are their names? Yes! These are our babies! Sophie is my Pom and Molly is our rescue. They are both so special and spoiled!
Where do you like to shop? Well, this is a loaded question, I think the better question, is where don’t I shop? I can spend hours in a specialty paper store or even Central Market. Other than that, I am obsessed with Anthropologie and Neiman Marcus!
Describe yourself and your style. I like classic style with a modern twist. There is something timeless about finding clothing pieces or paper goods that are traditional, but using bold colors or metallic to bring it up to date. I like to keep things interesting, but not follow trends to a fault.
Where do you find inspiration? I am inspired by art and follow fashion a lot. I find that a lot of the fashion trends transcend into the interior design and paper design world. If there is a specific print like ikat or chevron that is big on wallpaper, you can bet that you will start seeing it on invitation suites the next season as well. So I like to keep up to do date with fashion forward blogs and magazines to draw inspiration from.
A Day in the life of you consist of:
I usually wake up early mornings to check emails and take notes. I find in the early morning quiet hours, I am most productive and have a clear head. Then I either head to appointments with clients or the print shop to work on typesetting and production. In between meetings I call people back and try to set up next week’s calendar. Each evening I get to come home and decompress by cooking dinner and hanging out with the pups! Somewhere in here I like to go to the occasional happy hour with friends!
Sugarpaperpress.com
http://sugarpaperpress.com/blog/
512.623.9338
