I'm so excited to have Zie on today to introduce you to her monthly box called It's Paper Dear. It's like other subscription services, but filled with my favorite thing - paper!
Please introduce yourself, and your shop and blog.
Hello there! I'm Zie of Darling Dear & It's Paper Dear and I am so excited to have been invited to play with you today! I run Zie Darling, a little lifestyle blog dedicated to illustration, crafting, productivity & organization, fashion nonsense and all of my little adventures. I also run a two-part business: Darling Dear, which is the main business, dedicated to custom illustrations, my own personal stationery line, digital goodies, and all the other little things I make. Then we have "It's Paper, Dear." which is the monthly subscription box for pretty things, paper things, and pretty, paper things.
How would you describe your style - your personal style and the style of your products?
I always see these wonderfully inspiring ladies who seem to be these perfect, delicate flowers. Everything is pastel and satin and lace and just always perfectly in place. And while I'd love to be one such darling, well... let's be honest. I'm entirely too sassy for that to work out, hehe.
And I think that reflects in both my personal and professional styles. With my work, you'll see delicate lines, with sassy, bold characters who have sharp eyebrows and fierce smirks. With my wardrobe, you'll see a pastel, lace blouse with a bright, floral dress. It's fun for me and it shows off my personality. Because I think that's the most important thing: showing off who you are.
I love the idea behind your "It's Paper Dear" subscription service - a collection of pretty papers delivered to your mailbox each month! Customers can sign up for one / three / six month subscriptions, and it comes in at an affordable $17 per month. What inspired you to start offering these paper boxes?
This is probably my favorite part about my business, honestly. Last summer my mother and I were gabbing about some of the make-up/fashion subscription boxes we had received. And while we loved the idea of a box of goodies coming to us each month, it wasn't exactly our thing. But paper on the other hand, now that is our thing. There's nothing more exciting to me then the "back to school" explosion of getting supplies, papers, pens, journals, etc. And so I thought, how amazing would it be for that to come not once or twice a year, but once a month?
And then once it started taking off, there were a few bumps here and there, but I stayed inspired by the amazing customers of It's Paper, Dear. For instance, there's a little girl who sadly is allergic to the sun, so she doesn't really get out much and is quite limited in the people she sees and the things she can do. But her wonderful mother buys her a box every month and then every month they send me an email or message explaining how she squealed in delight and how it's the highlight of her month. And without fail, I cry every time I get an email from them. My little box makes people smile and I can think of nothing more inspiring.
The contents of each box are a surprise, but pictures of past boxes are available on your blog. Each box is filled with a good mix of new and old papers, pens, tape, and other craft goodies. How do you pick what goes into each month's box?
As each box has mostly the same kinds of goodies, I try and keep each box part of the Darling Dear aesthetic but different from the last. Some months have obvious themes, some have relative color or pattern themes, etc. But each box starts one of two ways: either I pick a theme I want to achieve (based on the season, hinting at holidays, etc.) or I find an item (sometimes being something teeny tiny) that I'm inspired by and want to build an entire box around. And then I start collecting things that fit it. Often I have boxes planned months in advance, but sometimes I completely change them at the last minute, hah. So it's always a surprise, even to me.
What are you top three paper favorites right now - particular products, favorites shops or lines, trends, colors / patterns, projects, creative people...
Oh my, my! This is a really hard question, heh. I think this might change every single time I see a new paper product, new line, or new shop. But I think some of my consistent loves end up being a beautiful luxe paper (from somewhere like PaperSource), with its gorgeous texture that just absorbs ink in the sexiest way possible (if ink absorption can be sexy, that is).
My second would be the vintage paper section of The Little Pink Studio, which I know she's my mom and this is a shameless plug for her, but honestly, like everyone else, I try and gobble up as much of her vintage paper goodies that I can.
And third: I suppose that'd be October Afternoon. Pretty much every line they've ever made. I love the modern-update for their vintage look, so sweet but with amazing colors.
[Paper Source, The Little Pink Studio, October Afternoon]
Doesn't a box full of paper arriving in your mailbox every month sound nice? What would be inside your dream paper box? Share here, and then visit Zie:
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