weekly giveaway - paper pastries:

This week we have a fabulous giveaway from the lovely Margaret who runs paper pastries. You have a chance to win your very own hand lettered custom address stamp! Margaret's line of paper goods is so sweet and charming, I love her concept of 'paper pastries'. We've done many craft shows together, she has the most fabulous booth set up (see some pics at her flickr!) Be sure to stop by her blog and twitter and become a fan on facebook!

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Quick Note! The weekly giveaway's are taking a break until October-November! In the meantime, please take this quick poll if you'd still like the weekly giveaways to continue this fall! Thanks :)

Hello! Please tell us a little about yourself and how you got started with Paper Pastries: My name is Margaret and I'm 25 years old. I live with my boyfriend Tony, in Korea town, which is west of downtown la. I currently work from home, but soon I am going to be able to set up a studio completely dedicated to my crafts. I am really excited to organize and decorate. I am going to document each step of the studio coming together on my blog. A usual work week consists of compiling posts (for my blog), filling online orders, thinking of new products, and building up inventory. I run the Photo Club and Pen Pal club at ReForm School in Silverlake. In my free time I write letters, take photographs and travel. My favorite place to visit is New York because that's where my best friend lives.

Ever since I was little I wanted to have a stationery line. In school, I studied printmaking, photography and letterpress. Once I graduated, I had a string of jobs that weren't right for me. After months of unsuccessfully looking for a career working for someone else, I decided to put everything I had into starting my own business.

I spent 3 solid months coming up with products and designs. It was really a 24 hour a day process. I would wake up at night with an idea for a stationery set, or thank you card. The week before my first craft fair, Renegade LA July 2009, I stamped every single product. It's been a little over a year since I started Paper Pastries and I couldn't be happier. I have a lot of new things planned in the upcoming months and exciting news I plan to debut soon. People ask where the name of the line came from; they are my two favorite things. My business runs with the help of my team. Even though they all have full time careers, my boyfriend, sister, and brother-in-law help me whenever they can. They package, decide on colors + styles and give up weekends to be at a craft fair with me. I've been so lucky to have their constant encouragement and advice. I doubt Paper Pastries would be where it is today without their love and support.

Where do you gather inspiration from? Classic cars, vintage toys, furniture, and other various antiques were abundant where I grew up. School vacations were spent taking road trips to visit family, antique shopping and touring museums. Objects that have a history have always had an influence on me. While traveling I come across elements that I love, that I carry with me even if I didn't get a photo of it. A menu in Costa Rica, a wooden sign in London, a building in Brooklyn; objects and places we see everyday inspire us even if we don't know it. My goal was to have a line that inspires people to correspond with postcards, notes, and letters. I also wish to make products and designs that are timeless; that you can't place what year it was made.

Any advice for aspiring small business owners? Starting a business from nothing is one of the scariest things I've ever done but whenever I am stuck or discouraged I think about how lucky I am that I am able to work for myself. There are days that you want to give up, but think about how far you've come. It is hard work but nothing has ever been more rewarding. If you have family or friends that can help, never take that for granted. Don't let anyone's vision deter your own; you'll have no one to blame but yourself when you are not satisfied with the end result. Blogging and Etsy are two of the biggest online tools that have given me an online presence and I absolutely recommend starting those to anyone who has a small business.

3 chances to win!

( COMMENT TO WIN )

simply visit paper pastries and leave a comment

with your favorite item from the shop.

( +1 EXTRA ENTRY )

twitter, facebook, or blog about this giveaway.

come back & comment with the link! if you twitter, please

tag it with @ohhellofriend so i can track your tweet!

( +1 MORE EXTRA ENTRY )

become a twitter / blogger follower or a facebook fan,

leave a comment letting me know which site you follow for an extra entry!

(note: please only comment once for what site you are a follower of)

giveaway ends on monday, september 13th at 8am, pst

please check back next week to see if you are the lucky winner!

ps: the winner from last's weeks giveaway from sumiko shop is:
# 171 - heleen db! congrats! please contact me to claim your prize :)