The Only Thing Missing Was The Paparazzi/ My Trip With Brian French

It's okay to be a little envious of me.

I recently made calls with Brian French in beautiful Traverse City.

Not only did I get to walk around downtown T.C., but I was with Brian French.

He's famous. People ask for his autograph. They really do. (They did the day I was with him).

For those of you not aware of who he is, Brian is 6th generation French. Son of Jerry, Grandson of Ed, of the French Paper Company fame.

Who doesn't love French Paper? Especially around here. After all they are located in Niles, Michigan. That makes them family owned, "local", Michigan based, and American made.

I experienced the "Brian phenomenon" with my own eyes.

Everyone wants to see him. It just so happens he is the fresh face of a 140 year old super cool company. An instant "in" around these parts. Funny thing is, he's just a regular guy. Brian's been known to answer the phone at French Paper Company when the receptionist is busy, he periodically has to clean out the basement at the mill, and when traveling for work he even sleeps on the floor at a friend's cottage to save money on hotel fees.

Told you he was just a regular guy.

Adding to his coolness factor, is the fact that he brought along French Swag on our trip, including the new French envelope promotion.

Have you seen it yet?

The New French Paper Envelope Promotion.

Although the info is not yet on their website:

French is now stocking  9 x 12 catalog

 envelopes in 8 different colors!

Yiiiiiiiiiiippppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeee. Bring on the color choices, no more white only.

The 9 x 12's come in Kraft Speckletone and 7 PopTone colors, including (Berrylicious, Black Licorice, Gumdrop Green, Hot Fudge, Orange Fizz, Razzleberry, Sour Apple).

And, it gets even better!

They are also stocking 6 x 6 Square envelopes in all colors of Construction, Poptone and Speckletone.

Yes, you heard me right.

You can get envelopes in super small quantities off the French website or, in boxes of 500 (for the catalogs) and 250 (for the squares) from CMP. Keep in mind they are not on our warehouse floor so there may be a  1-2 day wait for them.

Since I hadn't quite grasped another little tidbit, until my trip wth Brian, I thought I'd pass it along in case you missed it, too.

French stocks 4-Bars (aka A-1's) /3.62 x 5.12 in all colors. That is the smallest size envelope mailable without extra postage required, and it fits quite nicely into an A-6 as a reply card.

Ask for your French Envelope Promo today! Because French is not able to sample their envelopes, it gives you a great working tool with examples of the real thing.

FUN FACT:  Brian calls legendary designer Charles Spencer Anderson, Uncle Chuck.

P.S. If I would have been on my game, I'd have taken a picture of him myself.

I'm A Paper Lover, Are you?

   Terri's thoughts on paper.

          

Photos were taken at a Play With Paper event at Gilda's Club earlier this year.

As a kid I spent many hours "practicing" my handwriting and making thank you notes for my mom and dad's friends. We had a cabin up north, on a river, in the woods. We spent almost every weekend of my growing up years there. It was remote and a bit isolated.  There were no "neighbors" to hang out with, most of the time I had my little sisters and my own creative mind to play with.

Crafting was a natural thing to do there. Playing with paper, especially the really special paper that came in a "pad" of colors, was part of the weekend entertainment. I made thank you notes for every cocktail party, dinner get together, or day at the beach my family was invited to.

The paper I used was so special to me that I kept it in the linen closet, tucked away under the sheets so no one else could find it. I was afraid that if I left it out, my little sisters would get their hands on it and "waste" it.

Imagine my excitement  nearly 15 years later when I got my first job in paper and walked into the sample department.

All that paper. All those colors and textures. I was definitely in paper heaven.

And truthfully, I still am.

I continue to love paper. I love the way it feels and the "thunk" it makes, the sound of scissors attacking it, the smell of markers decorating it. I love playing with paper and getting my hands on it. Typing on a keyboard, drawing on a monitor, reading on a screen just don't do it for me.

I have been lucky to have seen so many cool pieces designed on my papers over the years, to have been a part of the process of creating with paper.

As a kid I used to be afraid to put my pen to paper, for fear I would mess up and waste that beautiful paper. Working at a paper company, I've totally gotten over that. It helps me to know that using paper actually helps grow forests, which leads to more paper.

Paper is ... so many things to so many people. One thing I hope it never becomes, is extinct.

Help keep paper in the mix, via identities, notecards, folders, brochures, direct mail, in whatever way possible, "think paper" as a component of your next project.

And hey, if you need any crafting ideas....I've still got a few I can pull out and dust off from my younger days.

Direct Mail Is Where It's At

The latest Fold Factory 60 second super cool fold of the week certainly demonstrates that your folds don't have to be fancy to be effective. Direct mail, when combined with the right message, the right audience and the right design.....can achieve some fantastic results. Add in some variable data for personalization, and those results can be over the top.

A few direct mail facts courtesy of PaperBecause.com (Domtar) and Down To Earth (International Paper) :

• 75% of people have made a purchase as a result of direct mail
• Those who received a printed catalog from a retailer were twice as likely to buy online as consumers who did not
• 56% of people say they enjoy reading mail
• Campaigns combining direct mail and Internet yield up to an additional 25% response rate
• Nearly 80% of households either read or scan advertising mail sent to their household

And be sure to check out these awesome articles, courtesy of Deliver Magazine, which offer great tips for getting the most out of your direct mail campaign.

 http://www.delivermagazine.com/2010/12/5-steps-for-making-an-offer/

 http://www.delivermagazine.com/2010/12/10-direct-mail-mistakes-to-avoid/

http://www.delivermagazine.com/2010/12/integrate-mail-with-other-media/

http://www.delivermagazine.com/2011/05/what%e2%80%99s-a-good-response-2/

We are always willing to help you select the perfect paper for your next direct mail piece. Contact your CMP sales rep or email terris@cmpaper.com.

We "heart" paper. And we believe in the power of print.

It's Kind of Like A Cooking Show...Only About Paper

Well, more specifically... this time, it's about envelopes.

Welcome to the first in our "CMP How To" video series.

In the video below Danielle will show you the proper way to use your CMP envelope templates to create hand made envelopes.

The CMP Envelope kit contains envelope templates for #10, #10 policy, A-2, A-6 & A-7 envelopes. They are perfect for printing identity system mockups for your clients (on the actual paper you are specifying). Or, for those of you sustainable folks, these can also be used for making fun envelopes out of repurposed paper, like wrapping paper or old posters.

Let your imagination go wild with possibilities. 

The templates are printed on Robeco printable plastic 20 pt and are available from the CMP sample department by calling 676-9203, through your CMP sales rep, or you can e-mail terris@cmpaper.com.

What do you think our next "How To" video should be about? 




P.S. A big thank you to Danielle for being the first "How To" CMP video host, and to John Haney for the video production assistance.

Domtar's Lynx Opaque: Smooth Finish/Great Price

If Lynx Opaque Ultra were a beer, it would be a darn good one! Or so claims the latest Domtar promotion printed on Lynx Opaque.

smooth finish

great price

Always ready. Always satisfying. Made by Domtar, people who know how to make it.

The promotion is fun, printed on an offset press in 4 color process with match yellow, and filled with great images. Not to mention it's about beer. And has its own coasters inside.

   

Chicks Dig Paper Cuts

Real Printers Use Lynx

Will Work For Lynx

  

Lynx Opaque works for both offset and digital printing, making it a perfect sheet for both your small or large quantity paper needs.



Lynx Digital items are now guaranteed for:

• Xerox iGen
• Kodak NexPress
• Canon imagePRESS Series
• Konica Minolta bizhub Series
• HP Indigo 5500 & 7000 Presses

Don't forget to check out Domtar's awesome PAPERbecause campaign. (The Paper Is Dead video might provide a nice chuckle.)

Wausau Royal Metallics Goes Digital

Wausau Paper announces that three colors in their Royal Metallics line have gone digital.

You can now get digitally sized metallic paper in:

White Gold
White Silver
Champagne Pearl

Specifics:
86# cover only
18 x 12 sheets
250 in a carton

Features:

• Enhanced surface for exceptional digital performance
• HP Indigo 3-star certified, including photo applications
• Suitable for toner based equipment including the Xerox I-Gen & Kodak Nexpress
• Metallic finish on 2 sides
• 30% post consumer recycled fiber
• FSC & Green Seal certified
• Acid-free

What's not to love? Check it out for your next print job.

Why Technology Hasn't Killed Direct Mail......An excerpt from Deliver Magazine

Have you checked out this publication yet?

Deliver Magazine. It's a USPS® publication that features marketing research, news and commentary. It is an awesome resource for me. But then, I sell paper, so I believe in the power of print and direct mail. And I am always looking for facts to use to promote their effectiveness.

Bet you could use some information to convince your clients that print is definitely not dead and that it should remain a vital and relevant part of their marketing campaign, right?

So, I'm sharing the links. Click here to check out Deliver Magazine and here to subscribe to it.

Most of you reading our CMP News & Notes Blog make your living in this industry. Let's work together to keep paper and print alive & well in West Michigan. Spread the word.

****************************************************

The following excerpt was taken from a Deliver Magazine article posted August 24, 2010

Why Technology Hasn't Killed Direct Mail

Look at recent developments, and it becomes clear we’re witnessing a new age of direct mail.

Long an effective marketing device, mail is now being linked with new technologies in astounding ways that improve its effectiveness and bring a new engagement. Such advancements ensure it will last several more generations, and will likely launch mail into a new era of viability.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. The explosion of digital technology was supposed to be the death knell for direct mail. The medium was expected to take what direct had done, and do it better, faster and cheaper.

Consider the irony then that far from killing it off, digital is helping usher in this new era of direct mail.

Of course, direct mail and digital have always been buddies. Mail was the primary way most of us learned about the Internet. (Remember those ubiquitous disks from a major online company?)

Catalogers have always known that mail can drive additional sales and online visits, and many digital entrepreneurs have turned to the mailbox to drive people to the inbox.

The difference today is that marketers are now finding methods for combining digital technology with mail to increase the power of the message. Mail is no longer the carrier, the device you use to drive someone online. It’s the beginning of a conversation that carries on once the customer logs on.

Full article here: http://www.delivermagazine.com/2010/08/why-technology-hasnt-killed-direct-mail

New Mohawk Product Announcement

Introducing ....Everyday Digital!

Not every project’s budget allows for the use of a really unique paper. And that is why, at times, a trusted house sheet is key. Engineered by the team that introduced premium papers for digital color, Mohawk Everyday Digital is an affordable collection of uncoated and coated papers specifically engineered for digital color production printing presses and certified for use in the HP Indigo.

“Mohawk Everyday Digital house sheet will give printers fantastic results while maximizing both productivity and their bottom line,” says Chris Harrold, Mohawk's Vice President of Business Development, Digital Technologies Group.

Everyday Digital Uncoated

• 98-bright, white 
• Available 60# text to 120# cover, including 12 pt. smooth and 14 pt. vellum

Everyday Digital Coated

• 95-bright, white
• Available 80# text to 130# dtc silk

Mohawk Everyday Digital house sheets are FSC certified, manufactured with windpower and are electronic printing guaranteed.

Click here for an Everyday Digital product chart which shows sizes and carton quantities.

Mohawk Everyday Digital is featured in the new Mohawk HP Indigo Guide (pictured at right), which also features The New Mohawk Studio Collection, a line of pastel, mid-range and deep shades specifically developed for white ink applications on HP Indigo presses. HP Indigo’s new white ink technology allows the use of white type and full-color printing on colored stocks by providing an opaque printing base.

I heard we already have a printer in GR using this cutting edge technology. Awesome!

Our sample department is expecting Everyday Digital swatches to arrive soon and inventory is already arriving in our warehouse.

P.S. Please send in your awesome printed samples so we can build our CMP library!

Wausau Astrobrights Line Gets A Face Lift

Just in time for Spring.... Wausau Astrobrights announces a new and improved Color Line Up!

4 New Colors. 5 Improved Colors. Several New Product Codes.

No other bright color paper outshines, outsells and outsatisfies like Wausau Astrobrights.

Check out the link below to see the new and improved colors.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/51326684/astrobright-refresh-info

And this link takes you to the Cross Reference Chart for the new product codes.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/51327923

All items should be available for purchase the second week of April. Swatches arriving soon.

Gone Golfing...Well We Sure Hope So!

 We wish you happy days on the golf course, Mark!

CMP partied last week in honor of Mark Bultema's retirement. Surrounded by his family, his CMP family, friends and long time customers, Mark said goodbye to 23 years as a paper sales rep. Mark came to CMP in 1988 after spending many years as a sales rep for Dickinson Press. His desire was to stay in sales but also to stay closer to home for more time with his wife and young family. Seems like that move worked out well for him and for CMP. He not only raised a wonderful family, but managed to contribute greatly to CMP's growth over the years.

With good food, good stories and some awesome CMP musical talent, we sent him off in style. We wish Mark and Kay a wonderfully happy retirement, filled with health, grandkids and of course, lots of golf. It was obvious by the tears and the emotion shown at his farewell lunch, that Mark will be missed. His customers all echoed one very clear thought as they said their goodbye's:  "Mark always felt like he was part of our team, like he had our best interest at heart. It seemed like he was working for us!"

Way to go Mark. He obviously believed in putting his customers first. While the goal is to sell paper, how nice that it can be done with the friendship and respect of your customers and peers. Thanks for your loyal years of service and for your wonderful example. You will be missed.

Now, enjoy.



Mark enjoys the company of family, friends
and longtime customers.

 


Mark's daughter Holly, grandson  Heath, and wife Kay




Yummy spread.




The CMP Trio of Rachel Dunneback, Steve Holman
& Dennis Gracey




The McNaughton & Gunn folks receive an award
from Dave Beebe/Cascades Paper! Great job using
so much environmentally friendly paper.




The happy couple: Kay & Mark (they still hold hands!)

 P.S. To see all the pics from this event, visit www.facebook.com/cmpaper and look under photos!

Going, Going, Gone

This morning our resident baker extraordinaire, Gail Watts, brought in some Irish Soda Bread in honor of St. Patrick's Day. While we often have food in our CMP Gathering Place, aka "the break room", you have to be quick to nab a portion. Thanks for the yummy treat and for sharing your recipe.

Oh and, Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!



Gail's Irish Soda Bread!



Perfectly round and browned to perfection.

Apparently everyone is too polite to snag the last piece.

GAIL'S IRISH SODA BREAD RECIPE

Ingredients:
4 cups all purpose flour, plus 1 Tbl extra (for covering the raisins)
4 Tbl sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 Tbl (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp grated orange zest
1 cup dried raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.

With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the raisins with 1 Tbl of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound. If bread gets too brown before it is done, lay a piece of foil on top. Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy.

P.S. Watch for more CMP recipe favorites. We seem to eat a lot around here.

This One Is For The Visual People...

Check out this well done video using simple graphics to explain how using more paper leads to more trees! Way to go International Paper, we could not have said this better ourselves.





For more information on their Go Paper. Grow Trees campaign click here http://www.internationalpaper.com/apps/gopaper/.

Help us spread the facts and stop the greenwashing.

Stitchless & Glueless & Die Cut, Oh My!

What a yummy fold!

Check out Trish's 60-Second Super-Cool Fold of the Week #89!
I love this. I love the inspiration. I love the die cut.

Even if it's on a paper I cannot sell. Use Cascades Rolland Opaque50 instead.



Have you signed up for her FREE fold of the week yet?

You should. Visit foldfactory.com.

How about looking through your files and sending her something cool to feature?

It's Time...Announcing the Mohawk Show 12 Call For Entries

Mohawk Fine Papers celebrates the designers who make concrete the complex communications of our culture, who go beyond the expected and make visuals extraordinary.

West Michigan... it is time gather up your great work on Mohawk paper and enter!

I saw the local talent celebrated at the West Michigan Addy's last week, it was very award-worthy. How about submitting again, this time to the Mohawk Show 12?

Winners of this show not only receive awe & kudos from your industry peers nationally, but you can also win BIG money. The only catch, it has to be printed mostly on Mohawk Papers. The good news...Mohawk bought just about everyone in the industry, so that means a lot of papers qualify.

Details:
Four best of show winners will receive $5,000 each. $2,500 will be paid to the winning design team in each of these three special categories: Sustainable Design, Strathmore Showcase and Digital Print. And fifteen honorable mentions will be awarded $500 each.

Entries are being accepted from now until May 31, 2011. Enter as many projects as you like. There are no entry fees. And only 5 samples of each entry are required.

Click here for the order form and more details. http://bit.ly/eXwCaE

And hey... if the Mohawk Paper was purchased thru CMP, I'll even send in the entry for you. Just get me get me the 5 samples (and the details) and I will take care of it.

Someone has to win. Why not you?

Get Well Soon...And Thanks For Sharing

Now that's what I am talking about....way to go Boyne Mountain Ski Patrol!

My friend and graphic designer-turned jewelry designer, Robin Smith of DesignSmith in Spring Lake, had a bit of an accident on the slopes of Boyne Mountain a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately when she fell, her bindings did not release, and she heard the dreaded knee "pop".

Yep, she was one of the unlucky few to make the trip the rest of the way down the mountain in a ski patrol sled. Which by the way, according to Robin, was terrifying.

Robin got this card in the mail from the ski patrol director last week.

It's nice to see someone using the power of paper, even if it is following a not-so-great-experience on the slopes. Good use of a paper card, direct mail and the USPS. And props to Boyne Mountain for their awesome follow through.

Robin will having ACL replacement surgery in late March.

The folks at CMP wish you a super speedy recovery.

All Good Things Must Come To An End

But can lead to exciting new beginnings!

Gail Watts, CMP's resident "mom" baked a cake for Bill Benson. 

Yesterday CMP got together to celebrate the retirement of one of our long time mill representatives, Bill Benson, of  Wausau Coated. How fun! It isn't every day we say farewell to someone who has been an integral part of our coated label paper sales for more than 20 years, so it made for a special occasion.

And yet another reason to eat cake. So much for those New Year's resolutions.

Originally Bill was our rep for another pressure sensitive supplier, and when he switched over to Wausau Coated, so did we. How's that for loyalty? We've had a great working relationship and friendship with him over the years. We asked what he was going to do in his retirement and Bill told us that he and his wife Donna recently renovated their cottage on Washington Island, WI into a year round home. They now plan to live there and spend time sailing, fishing, and hiking. Not one to just sit back and relax, Bill tells us he has also joined the Lions Club on the island and is training to be a Coast Guard volunteer.

We are all hoping he saves a little time to just relax.

L to R:  John Barbour, Bill Benson, Gail & Larry Watts, Chris Cutter, Glenn Bechard

Bill says "Goodbye" to CMP, and we say "Hello" to Glenn

CMP is now looking forward to a new beginning with Glenn Bechard, our newest Wausau Coated rep. Having spent time at Curtis Paper, Cross Pointe and several other mills, Glenn brings with him years of paper industry experience. We look forward to putting that knowledge to use, and to many great years ahead. Welcome, Glenn!

While it is a little bittersweet for us, the CMP team wishes Bill a healthy and happy retirement.  You will be missed, old friend! And oh by the way...we are totally jealous.







Color Trends and Local Talent

I thought I'd share a recent blog post I came across from Jude Stewart called RDA Color Trends, From Coast to Coast on Imprint-The Online Community for Graphic Designers. In it she highlights some local award winning work and summarizes the latest nationwide color trends, as seen in Print’s Regional Design Annual 2010.

Her color picks:

• Strong yellow with hot pink
• The new browns: cardboard, buff and sepia
• Sky-blue
• Honey-bees and tuxedos: yellow with B&W
• Super-dark purples
• The new CMYK and alternate rainbows

And she just happens to feature some local West Michigan work, People Design's commemorative Artprize poster. How cool is that?

According to Stewart, "While not exactly a new trend, more than a few projects from this year’s RDA turned to natural-pulp paper and a related palette of soft browns. It’s a durable trend for many reasons, several of which are unusually relevant right now. Browns are warm, rich and tactile –a luxurious feel on the cheap. Their almost living texture (whether actual in print work or suggested in web projects) makes an equally fitting background for crisp, “produced” messages or handmade stamping or other crafty angles. Browns and tans hint at heritage, authenticity, craftmanship, credibility and Americana. They push that right optimistic button, suggesting a blank slate to be filled with fresh, even noble ideas, whether that expresses itself as corkboard, parchment, wood, concrete or butcher drawing paper."  Check out the full article: http://bit.ly/fmg0Yj

Be sure to check out French 's Speckletone & Dur-O-Tone lines, Mohawk 's new Loop Antique Vellum and Wausau's Royal Fiber for papers that CMP offers in that natural, rich brown palette.

And a big thumbs up to People Design from your CMP fans!

P.S. Here is the link to Print's Regional Design Annual 2010. Kind of exciting that RDA is online for the first time in its thirty year history. http://bit.ly/gHQD7L

Playing With Paper for Valentine's Day....



A sample of handmade paper fun.
Thank you Grace, for the example.

You are probably aware it is Valentine's Day today, right? I mean how could you not know when it's been weeks of red hearts, boxed candy and Valentine's day decorations displayed at every store.

But did you know the day is named after an early Christian martyr, Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD? Wikipedia calls it a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards known as valentines.

Originally valentines were personal and were handmade and handcrafted with love. Unfortunately most handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

That's why last week CMP brought the fine art of Playing With Paper to the members of Gilda's Club. Several ladies made handmade valentines out of the beautiful colors of French, Mohawk & Wausau Papers. My friend, and local designer, Gayle Raymer came along to offer up some creative support.

I'm pretty sure she will agree it is so cool to watch how "Playing With Paper" brings out the creativity in everyone, even those who believe they don't have a creative side. Paper is fun!

If your office would like to "Play With Paper" for any upcoming holiday, like Easter, Mother's Day, spring birthdays or even just to make personalized thank you notes, let us know. We'd be more than happy to share our paper love.

Oh yeah, and Happy Valentine's Day!

60-second Super-Cool Fold of the Week #86

Check out this fold. What a great way to get all your information in one handy package. I'm thinking hospitals, universities....the possibilities are endless.

.

Did You Know...Our Standard Paper Size Was Made Official By Reagan?

Why is the standard paper size in the U.S. 8 ½" x 11"?


Back in the late 1600's, the Dutch invented the two-sheet mold. The average maximum stretch of an experienced vatman's arms was 44". Many molds at that time were around 17" front to back because the laid lines and watermarks had to run from left to right. Sounds big?...well to maximize the efficiency of paper making, a sheet this big was made, and then quartered, forming four 8.5" x 11" pieces.

This was well before paper machines dominated hand made paper labor. A couple centuries later when machines dominated the trade (although many hand made paper makers still existed), and the United States decided on a standard paper size, they stuck with the same size so as to keep the hand made paper makers in business.

Oddly enough, the United States used two different sizes - the 8" x 10.5" and the 8.5" x 11". Separate committees came up with separate standards, the 8" x 10.5" for the government and the 8.5" x 11" for the rest of us. Once these committees found out about each other a couple years later, they agreed to disagree until the early 1980's when Reagan finally proclaimed that the 8.5" x 11" was the official standard sized paper.

Read full article here: http://www.afandpa.org/paper.aspx?id=511