Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Velez and Leora Mauck.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jill and Leora. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As of this year, we have been working creatives for 11 years. We started our journey out of the home, like a lot of art-based companies. Originally, we designed and created greeting cards and paper goods for resale at stationery shops across the country.
Not long after our beginnings, we moved out of the home and began to receive calls about doing custom work. We had recently purchased some letterpress and bindery machinery, so we seized the opportunity and started printing custom-designed projects. We still pride ourselves in this work today. Our studio, now in El Segundo, is complete with staff and meeting space to share ideas and samples with clientele looking for one-of-a-kind papers and invitations. Our primary work is in wedding invitations, but we also design and print for business stationery and social occasions, such as Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, birthdays, etc. Through the years, we have also collected quite a bit of machinery and have grown our business to also be a printing resource for other artists, calligraphers, and designers in the US and Canada.
Has it been a smooth road?
I would have to say that our biggest struggle was surviving the financial crisis of 2008/2009. Our business was new and we had made a sizable investment in our business. Suddenly, shopping in boutiques for custom invitations and fancy greeting cards declined. A lot of our sales reps for our packaged papers were closing their doors as well because no one was buying. There were times when we went from week to week comparing projects to make sure we had enough money to pay our bills. The economic climate changed, we networked and cultivated relationships, and we are happy not to be counting our dollars every week anymore.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Copper Willow Paper Studio story. Tell us more about the business.
We specialize in custom design and printed paper goods. Wedding invitations are our emphasis and we provide papers from save the dates to menus, programs, seating cards, and more, for the wedding day. We also work on several social projects a year, mostly Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, but occasionally print for birthdays and some corporate invitations. We house our own production, so we are also able to take outside art and supply the paper and printing. In addition to the occasional walk in client who use our printing services, we also have a wholesale production division. This diversity makes our business one that can be accessible to any paper needs.
Our letterpress and foil printing skills are quite good and we are very proud of that print quality. In addition to offering various printing methods, we also offer a large range of papers and invitation accessories and use those things to design 100% unique papers for our clients.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
With the birth of social media several years back, small independent artists are able to run creative businesses at home. We are able to offer our wholesale printing to these artists and help them turn their hobby into a profitable venture. It’s nice to be a part of someone else’s journey. We don’t see that changing. There are some changes in wedding invitations, for example guests replying online instead of using a mailed reply card. But invitations themselves, especially for such grand and important events, don’t seem to be going anywhere. If anything, the desire for invitations that are timeless, personal, and beautiful have become more sought after.
Pricing:
- Invitations with letterpress or foil range from $1200-$1800 for 100, based on design and materials selected
- Business cards print for about $300 for 100 and we have a 50% off sale every fall!
Contact Info:
- Address: 349 Richmond Street
- Website: www.copperwillow.com
- Phone: 3108366004
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/copperwillowps
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CopperWillowPaperStudio/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/copperwillowps
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/copper-willow-paper-studio-el-segundo-2
- Other: https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/copper-willow-paper-studio-el-segundo/00b797bf83d31187.html
Image Credit:
Juan Turcios
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