In the latest edition of Counselor Magazine our very own Don Martin (Bloomin President) was featured on their Hot List. Check it out:

Don Martin
Bloomin’ Promotions
Armed with a marketing MBA from the University of Colorado, Don Martin always seemed destined for success. As president of Bloomin’ Promotions (asi/40646), he’s developed a unique line of seed paper-based products that includes coasters, calendars and wristbands. Bloomin’s signature items are made from 100% post-industrial, recycled paper and dyed with all-natural, vegetable-based pigments. But Martin doesn’t just sell sustainability – he relies on it. His company uses a 30kW solar power system to run its Boulder-based production facility. Martin also serves on the board of directors for nonprofit Community Link and provides job opportunities at Bloomin’ for individuals with disabilities.

We recently had an inquiry about donating some our seed paper shapes to a middle school in New Egypt, New Jersey. The request came from Tara a teacher who runs an Eco-Friendly club at the school. The school was having an event called 'Night of the Arts' which was set up to to showcase goods that can be made from sustainable materials. This was a perfect fit as our paper is made of 100% post-consumer recycled material and our dyes are soy and water based.

Recently, we heard back from Tara who let us know that the event was a HUGE success and everyone was amazed they could "grow their art". 

We are always happy to help out when we have the opportunity and resources to do so. 

We recently had a nice write-up on some seed paper water bottle neck tags we produced for Red Lion Hotels and their R&R Club. Check out their blog post here:

http://redlionhotels.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/guest-blog-seed-tags-from-red-lion-hotels/

We have a wonderful new addition to our website! A custom invitation builder! In addition to our new invite builder, we have developed 21 beautiful new Seed Paper Wedding Suites that have matching Invitations, Response Postcards, Information Cards and Save the Dates. And the best part, they are completely customizable! The invite builder allows create and build your invitation exactly how you want it. It allows you to create and customize your text in just about any format you can think of. After you place your order, you will receive a proof in no time, from one of our professional designers.
 

We get a lot of inquiries about our seed paper on a daily basis. Perhaps one of our most unique was from a mother of a student attending Parsons-The New School for Design in NYC. They were looking to purchase some of our seed paper to design and create a seed paper dress.  We received a few photos recently to show how our seed paper was printed and assembled into a dress for her project. Who knows, we may see seed paper dresses during Fashion Week NYC, next year. We were thrilled to hear that Elizabeth received an A on her seed paper dress!

OK people OK, It is that time of year. OUR ANNUAL CLEARANCE SALE IS ON, and when we put something on sale, we promise great prices. If you wanted a bunch of seed paper sheets for a project, but just weren't willing to shell out two bucks a sheet, now is your time to shine. Do you need a few thousand green seed paper flowers, or pink butterflies? We have a few...bazillion. We also have a bunch of other discontinued products, and all have great prices, check 'em out at - http://www.bloomin.com/clearance.html

We will keep adding more stuff as we find it during our fall cleaning.

SeedBombs – These Bloomin ballistics are made from a mix of annual and perennial wildflower seeds and 100% post-consumer/recycled paper. They are a great way to combat barren landscapes. 

The colorful biodegradable bombs are an easy way to spread the love - just throw and grow! Make sure your target is tactical (somewhere that will receive consistent watering). Soon enough, your mission will yield a garden of wildflowers that will return to protect their territory year after year. So go ahead -  bomb highway roadsides, sidewalks, medians, vacant lots, or even sabotage your own back yard. For a more controlled explosion of color in a specific area, soak bombs in water, break apart, and spread out under a thin layer of soil. Be sure to water regularly and keep soil evenly moist until seedlings are well established. Germination time is about 1-3 weeks. Enjoy.

On August 25th, 2012, The best cyclists in the world and over 100,000 fans will converge on Boulder, Colorado for Stage 6 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

 Bloomin.com is proud to be a Boulder Stage partner for this epic event. Many believe USA Pro cycling originated in Boulder, dating back to 1975, when Mo Siegel, founder of the Celestial Seasonings herbal tea company, launched the Red Zinger Bicycle Classic. This August, the World will have their eye on Boulder again as the sport’s elite cyclists make their way to the finish line on top of Flagstaff mountain. Check out the grueling route that winds through downtown Boulder and over our glorious foothills. 

Have you ever wondered how seed paper is made? Have you ever thought about what it takes to make seed paper? Here is a short clip from the “Craft Goddess” in Charlotte, NC. A quick how to on making your own seed paper. Bloomin offers a variety of seeded papers, so if you get tired of mushing up the pulp and want to leave that mess to the experts please visit http://www.bloomin.com/seed-paper-supplyservices to order your plantable seed paper today!

Plantable seed paper wedding invitations make a timely appearance on Inspired Bride's blog. We are so thankful they gave our eco-friendly seed paper the spotlight on the first day of spring, how perfect is that!? Inspired Bride is a wedding blog focused on the "how to" aspect of DIY wedding planning.

I personally love the layout of the blog, and think the banner and logo are just darling. Visual appeal make a big difference and can be the deciding factor of whether people decide to read on or click to another page. Inspired Bride has the right idea! Maybe I'll get a couple of pointers from them on how to revamp our layout as well.

Happy First Day of Spring -- now is the time to start sowing your plantable seed paper!

Plantable seed paper wedding invitations debuted with On the Go Bride! This was my first "official" guest blog post and I believe it looks fabulous. On the Go Bride is a lovely blog for busy brides in the Northern California (and Reno) area. We are so happy they took a liking to our eco chic plantable seed paper wedding invitations and hope some eco-friendly brides in California and Nevada will too!

Please let us know if you would like any samples or just want to take a look at our catalog. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information. Happy Friday!

Bloomin was chosen as the official manufacturer of seed paper for Universal's latest blockbuster, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax! We helped produce 3 million bookmarks adorned with seed paper in the shape of a Truffula Tree. In order to stay consistent with the movie's message, we made a special, custom seed mix for this project, and used white spruce seeds in place of our typical wildflower mix.

The Lorax is a Dr. Seuss children's classic with an environmental theme. The Lorax "speaks for the trees because the trees have no tongues." Before long, the greedy Onceler ventures into the land filled with Truffula Trees and begins chopping them all down in order to make and sell "Thneeds", something that EVERYONE needs. The story goes on to share messages of industrialism, pollution, and greed, all of which are important to note in this day and age, especially with our children.

We were so excited to be a part of this project, and we even more excited to see our bookmark on an IHOP commercial during prime time television.

The bookmark also made it into the re-release of the original production of The Lorax DVD! This animated version was produced specifically for television back in 1972. Make sure to get your copy of this classic, exclusively at Target!

Just remember that we all can make a difference when it comes to global warming and protecting our planet. To quote The Lorax, "Unless someone like you...cares a whole awful lot...nothing is going to get better...It's not."

Hope you enjoy the movie, and happy planting!

Here's a great example of how seed paper can be incorporated into almost any promotion. One of our reps overseas was able to add our Seed Paper Enclosure Tag to this Korean iPhone Case. We love how descriptive the advertisement is - it shows you exactly how to get the seed paper to sprout. We also think reusing the iPhone case packaging to grow your seed paper has an excellent, eco-friendly message as well. This just goes to show you how versatile seed paper can be!

Colorado Babies and Brides is a new magazine in the Boulder area. A subsidiary of Yellow Scene Magazine, this dual publication is made for life's next adventures. I was able to pass on some samples of our plantable seed paper wedding invitations to editor Shavonne Blades. We are so happy to have made it on their blog, and we are hoping to make their latest publication as a bridal trend for this season. Fingers crossed!

Here at Bloomin, we love when people reach out and share their enthusiasm for our plantable seed paper products. We were thrilled when Orgainically You Events posted on our Facebook wall. This Denver-based, event planning company is dedicated to making sure your event is everything you want it to be. Thanks again for adding seed paper to your "eco-friendly finds"!

Mrs. Tucker does it again! Right after sharing Bloomin Wedding with her own followers, she shared the seed paper love on Every Last Detail, another wedding blog she writes for. Bloomin Wedding was listed in her "Tuesday Tips: 5 Ways to Green Your Wedding" post as an eco-vendor. Besides choosing an eco-vendor (like us!), Britt suggests brides choose to upcycle, minimize waste, dress green, and offset their wedding with carbon credits.

Thanks again Britt for the love! And for spreading the eco chic message to brides everywhere.

Bloomin Invites was lucky enough to be featured on Landlocked Bride's Vendor Spotlight this January. The Landlocked Bride is a great site for Midwest and Mountain brides to find wedding inspiration, whether it be eco-friendly vendors or the trendiest wedding colors for the season. The blog's founder, Brit Tucker Stewart, is such a doll and will hopefully come check out Bloomin's headquarters soon since she recently moved to Denver.

Thanks again for the love Brit! We're so pleased to be featured on such a wonderful blog.

WeddingInviteLove is a great online directory to help connect brides with their perfect invitation vendors, whether by price, location, or design. We are so thrilled to be showcased on their site, and be given this exposure to boutique invitation studios that we would never reach otherwise.

We are looking forward to hearing from some couples who are just as excited about seed paper wedding invitations as we are. Thanks again for the plantable seed paper WeddingInviteLove, if you know what I'm sayin'!

Tahoe Unveiled is a wonderful blog helping brides and grooms plan their perfect wedding with the beautiful Lake Tahoe as a backdrop. They were thrilled to discover our eco-friendly wedding invitations made of plantable seed paper that grow into flowers when planted!

Thanks for the feature, and looking forward to working with some Tahoe couples soon!

It’s Tebow time in Colorado, and at Bloomin’ this week. Most of our staff had on our orange and Blue, and Sue was sporting the official number 15! We will all be gathering around the tele with friends and family to watch our Beloved Broncos make the magic happen again this Saturday night.

In honor of Tim Tebow mania, we’ve mocked-up a limited edition version of our popular Growfetti in orange, blue, and white seed paper. The name of our newest addition to the Growfetti line--you guessed it…. Tebowfetti! Let us know what you think!

There’s plenty of time to get your orders in so you can have it on hand for tossing in the air when the Broncos win Super Bowl XLVI on  February 5, 201. Go Broncos!

We started off the year with a BANG at the 2012 PPAI Las Vegas Expo. With over 1,000 exhibitors and 20,000 attendees, it's an understatement to say I was a little overwhelmed at my first trade show. Luckily I had the veterans, Katie and Don,  there to help me out. Katie thought it was, "great to meet everyone and finally get the chance to put some names to faces."

The Bloomin sales team got to stay in the luxurious Luxor hotel, and I'll tell you we had quite the time navigating that labyrinth of a pyramid. I guess that's what they try to do in Vegas, get you so lost in the hotel so you'll never leave!

Our new 2012 products were well received, and our new and improved booth looked great. People were most excited about our plantable seed paper confetti packs and mini-planting kits. We are in the process of whipping up some samples of those so we can send them out to the hungry masses. The rest of the month holds two more trade shows, ASI Orlando and Toronto. We better rest up and get ready to do it all over again!

We have all heard about the declining bee populations, and the dramatic impact it will  have the on world’s food supply.

Here at Bloomin', we love when clients show us their seed paper sprouting into wildflowers. Our latest testimonial comes from NK Promotions, a promotional products company based out of sunny Hawaii.

There are so many great ways to get creative with our plantable seed paper wedding invitation suites. In a recent order, the happy couple decided to get crafty and add their own unique style to our Persimmon suite.

We are on a roll this week! Another darling wedding blog was kind enough to feature our plantable seed paper wedding invitations. Rustic Wedding Chic is a great niche blog for brides planning a rustic or country wedding.

As we hone in on the holiday season, love is in the air. And we all know that first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the all-important decision of which wedding stationery suites to choose.

Looking for a way to incorporate the Thanksgiving holiday into your promotional campaign? The Lil' Bloomer Recipe Card is the perfect way to get noticed and have a lasting impression on your target market. The example below incorporates a seed paper leaf embedded with thyme, sage, and parsley seeds, all of which grow into ingredients crucial to the turkey stuffing recipe.

The Lil' Bloomer Recipe Card is great for any holiday-themed dish or for simply promoting healthy eating habits. All of us at Bloomin' are excited to see the new ways companies use this product to project their messages.

Happy Thanksgiving, and enjoy the stuffing!

As the Thanksgiving holiday rolls around, all of us at Bloomin' are grateful for our latest feature in YesBride.com's wedding blog! Founder Kelly Gera took interest in our plantable seed paper wedding invitations and showcased the Persimmon and Cherry Blossom Suites.

YesBride is a great resource to "help you plan the wedding of your dreams while reducing the cost of your special day." Make sure to check them out for all your wedding inquiries.

Thanks YesBride for your interest in plantable seed paper wedding invitations, and for the blog post! We're looking forward to helping your readers go green for their special day.

To read the full blog post, please click here: http://yesbride.com/blog/2011/11/eco-friendly-wedding-invitations-2/

It may be the beginning of winter, but Bloomin' is still sprouting up new ideas, new products, and introducing new team members into our awesome mix.  Our new Sales Coordinator, Katie Kennedy, comes to us with a background and passion for sustainable products. Katie says that, “living in Colorado for the last 13 years has deepened my appreciation for our environment and inspired me to work towards its preservation. I’m proud to be part of a company that runs on renewable solar energy and creates products out of 100% recycled materials”.  Other than saving the world one piece of seed paper at a time, Katie enjoys backpacking, whitewater rafting,  skiing the killer slopes of the Rocky Mountains and gardening on the Front Range (with Bloomin' seed paper of course).

What else is new at Bloomin' you might ask? Brace yourselves for the upcoming release of new growfetti shapes, mini wildflower growing kits, seed paper envelopes, and our gorgeous eco-friendly premium invitation line. Until then, don’t forget to take advantage extended special pricing on our "Holiday the Easy Way" greeting cards.  Um, can you say “free set-ups?” We will, but only until December 1st!

Be sure to check out and download the full and complete catalog of Bloomin Holiday Promotions at http://bloominpromotions.com/BloominHolidayCatalog11.pdf

The most recent PPAI Newslink article informed readers that President Obama will issue an Executive Order instructing all Federal agencies to limit spending on "non-essential items used for promotional purchases." When the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) President and CEO Paul Bellantone caught wind of this order, he quickly petitioned the President saying that, "while it might be tempting to limit the purchase of promotional products in order to yield some short-term savings, in the long-term...promotional products have proven themselves to be the most cost-effective way to reach a very targeted audience in a tangible, long-lasting and memorable manner."

Here at Bloomin', we believe the future of promotional products lies in the use of eco-friendly materials that won't end up in a landfill. Perhaps if President Obama knew about Bloomin' seed paper promotional products, which are made out of 100% recycled materials and grow into wildflowers when planted, he would reconsider his Executive Order. Instead of decreasing promotional spending, people should be re-thinking how they choose to promote their business and what that says to their target market.

We think Bloomin' President Don Martin should add to Mr. Bellantone's petition persuading President Obama to use plantable seed paper for all Federal agency promotions and for his 2012 reelection campaign. Now that would really show the world Obama's commitment to the environment and renewable energy as he attempts to be reelected for his second term as President of the United States.

Bloomin' employees T.J. Ingraham and Michael Sethney (a.k.a Seth) recently opened their food truck Verde, which is proud to be the first, authentic Sonoran style Mexican food vendor in Colorado. The guys were nice enough to stop by the Bloomin' office building today and let everyone try their famous cuisine. I made sure to order their Machaca, which is shredded beef stewed in a special blend of spices.  It was delicious! The meat was bursting with flavor and my tacos perfectly satisfied my mid-day hunger. I ordered three, but could only finish two!

Verde's name not only stems from the Spanish word for "green", but their commitment to serve the freshest food available, using products and methods that will protect the environment as well. Now there's an earth-friendly mission statement we agree with here at Bloomin'. Maybe we can even get Verde to print their menus on seed paper!

Thanks for stopping by today Seth and T.J. Hope business is blossoming and can't wait for some more Verde next week!

Bloomin' is proud to introduce our newest employee, Lauren Shapiro. She is a recent marketing grad from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado. Her interest in sustainability is what led her to Bloomin'. She thinks the idea of eco-friendly promotions and greetings is really great, and so do we! Besides seed paper, Lauren enjoys skiing, cooking, practicing yoga, shopping, and traveling. Last summer, Lauren was on Semester at Sea and traveled throughout the Mediterranean. Her favorite stop? Greece!

Speaking of introductions, Bloomin' just released our latest line of holiday cards. "Holiday the Easy Way" features 20 new stock card designs. Simply select a greeting or submit your own wording, send us your logo, and we’ll make sure to send you a proof within 24 hours.  It’s the easy way to create this holiday season’s greetings.

Lauren's favorite from the new designs is the reindeer on the plantable seed paper card. Which design is yours?

We started off November in style by being featured in OneWed's event planning blog. Bloomin's line of eco-friendly, fully plantable wedding invitation suites caught editorial director Azure Nelson's eye. Nelson "loved the style and designs, and just couldn't wait to post!" The full article can be found here.

Bloomin' Wedding Invitations are a unique, Earth-friendly way to make a lasting impression on wedding guests, and show the bride and groom’s commitment to each other and to the planet.

Each of our designs feature the richly-textured beauty of our signature paper—handmade with an infusion of wildflower seeds. Plant it and enjoy memories of the special day year after year—as a vibrant garden will grow right out of the wedding invitation itself!

Thanks for the post OneWed! Glad we could add some seed paper invitations to your repertoire.

Here is another rough iphone video from Tom at Bloomin' Flower Cards. Our seed paper garden has been in full bloom for six to eight weeks I think. It started out a little slow. I was concerned that we had waited a little too long. Why is it the folks in "the" business often don't get done themselves what we do for others all year long.

For example, I spent a few hours in the evenings before Christmas, cramming in Adobe Creative suite on my own family Christmas cards, and I never did print, die cut and send them out. I put so much work into them I finally had to at least post them on my facebook page, for what ever that was worth. My sub point is that I did my best to help hundreds of others get their holiday cards out and failed getting my own out.

Anyway, my main point is that we shipped hundreds of thousands of seed paper products out to our customers before the end of May so everyone could take advantage of the beginning of the planting season and I neglected to get our own garden in early. Whew, that was a mouthful. Well as it turned out we didn't miss a thing. We have a great late summer garden that I think will be looking good for another month or more.

It's always fun to see photos of our seeded paper growing!  Here is a photo of some beautiful (and tall!!) Zinnias that bloomed from a recent  PB5 flower bookmark project. You can see that our seed paper works well right in your office as out in your garden. Part of the reason our paper has such a high germination rate is the diversity of seeds. Each sheet includes a mixture of 13 different types of annual and perennial wildflower seeds that will grow everywhere from Atlanta and Anchorage!

The first 5 people to send a picture of growing seed paper will receive a FREE Seed Paper Growth Journal. Send photos to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We mean it when say our seeds are randomly dispersed in our paper. One wildflower seed in this plantable seed paper postcard decided to randomly disperse itself right where Jane Lynch's tooth should be! Don't worry we have an amazing quality control team that checks every piece to catch this type of nuances.  But this postcard does more than just make us laugh, it's being used to promote VH1's Do Something Awards. This award show highlights celebrities and young adults that are making a difference. Check out this clip of the highlights from last years ceremony and be sure to watch on August 18th to help celebrate the do-gooders of the world!

We mean it when say our seeds are randomly dispersed in our paper. One wildflower seed in this plantable seed paper postcard decided to randomly disperse itself right where Jane Lynch's tooth should be! Don't worry we have an amazing quality control team that checks every piece to catch this type of nuances.  But this postcard does more than just make us laugh, it's being used to promote VH1's Do Something Awards. This award show highlights celebrities and young adults that are making a difference. Check out this clip of the highlights from last years ceremony and be sure to watch on August 18th to help celebrate the do-gooders of the world!

This flower video is a little rough,  but the seed paper we planted in 2010 grew quite well. Yea the broad-leafed zinnias did take over and shaded out most of the other wildflowers, but we kept our garden watered and we got good results. This is a small garden on the north side of our business. I tried to demonstrate how I planted the seed paper and how it grew. Yes, we painted our building last summer and it looks much better, so no, this is not some kind of "sleight of hand". I just linked up the photos I took over the summer and fall and this is what I got. I hope you enjoy it.

I didn't do it here in this video, but I have obtained my highest germination rates by creating a greenhouse environment in the early stages of development by covering the planted area with some plastic for a week or so until the sprouts are well established. Once our seed paper is planted it is imperative that it doesn't get a chance to dry out. If the seedlings start to develop, and then dry out, they will more than likely not be viable. Below is some seed paper packed with black-eyed Suzan seeds. I put a couple sheets of seed paper in an open baggy on a warm window sill. This is what can happen in a very receptive environment.

Below are some sprouts that were not grown in a zip lock bag, pretty huh! This is where we conduct our loose germ tests. We also test our paper with another company periodically in perfectly controlled environment, but we are always planting random sheets of paper in this tub so we know we are delivering a quality product that will grow.

We love paper!  We spend all day making it, cutting it, printing it and talking about it.  Our paper obsession is constantly inspired by the  interesting and beautiful ways other people use the medium in their art and products. Our current inspiration comes from quilling- a paper art where strips of paper and then rolled into shapes and glued together to create an image.  The image below is an unbelievable example of quilling by Yulia Brodskaya. Here is a good how to by Martha Stewart crafts if you want to try quilling yourself.

PPB (Promotional Products Business Magazine) recently asked recipients of this year’s PPAI Supplier Star Award to comment on the elements they think are critical to ensuring long-lasting customer satisfaction. Check out the 24 Best Ideas For Memorable Customer Service. Don’s are listed as the top 3! We appreciate the praises we receive for our customer service commitment from our customers most of all. Check out the full article in the most recent issue of PPB

24 Best Ideas For Memorable Customer Service By Tina Berres Filipski

PPB asked recipients of this year’s PPAI Supplier Star Award to comment on the elements they think are critical to ensuring long-lasting customer satisfaction. What are your three best pieces of advice to keep customers happy?

Don R. Martin, President Bloomin’ Promotions (UPIC: Bloom108)

1. Offer solutions, not just products. We encourage our distributors to share information about each project early, so that we can make recommendations to ensure it is as successful and cost-effective as possible.

2. Manage the customer’s expectations. Because our products are handmade, there are slight variations in the thickness of the seed paper, as well as subtle color variations. We do our best to minimize these variations, but we encourage distributors to help manage the customer’s expectations.

3. Sample the product. We encourage distributors to plant our products and see for themselves that our paper really does grow. If they have seen how well it grows firsthand, and have that peace of mind when a customer asks, it is a powerful selling tool.

We are very excited to announce that our new 2011 collection of plantable seed paper products are now featured on Felt and Wire Shop. I have been a long time fan of  the Felt and Wire Shop-every thing they carry is unique and beautifully designed!  How can you not love a website when their collection spans from reusable fabric wrapping paper to peacock place cards.  So thanks again to Felt and Wire Shop for adding seed paper to your mix.

There are a couple of things we do a lot of here at Bloomin, we make a lot of plantable see paper, and we print on a lot of seed paper.

We print using three methods:
1) Offset printing: it’s fast, easy, (sort of) and fairly cheap. Unfortunately, all that pressure kills off a lot of seeds.

2) Inkjet printing: it’s slow, problematic, frustrating, and ink costs a fortune, but it looks great, the ink is very eco-friendly, and no seeds are damaged in the process.

3) Letterpress printing: it’s old school work, so-so speed, a lot of set up and clean up, very challenging to do a good job, really fun unless the job is super long. The only seeds that are killed are where the ink is laid down because the get squished, and the ink is soy-based, and quite eco-friendly.

If it was up to me, all our seed paper would be letterpress printed. I love it and I am good at it. Kevin Huck, (Dr Huck I call him) is also good t it. He has been printing here for years. If you have had seeded paper letterpress printed by us, Dr Huck probably printed it.

Anyway, I took out my iphone the other day and made a little video clip of the process. It is down and dirty, and very sloppy (and I thought I do well under pressure) The video is a little embarrassing, but I’m putting it up anyway because I don’t believe we could do it better a second time. I hope you enjoy it, and thanks for watching. Oh yea, if you have any questions about the process or if you need help printing on our seed paper, give me a call. Our phone # is 303.443.3591, press 0 and ask for Tom Noyes.

Thank You Inside Weddings for posting Bloomin’ Invites in your “What’s New” section as a Hot Trend. It’s just a small shout out, but we really appreciate that you noticed our designs and brought attention to them on your site. Emily Burrows designed them and we think they are beautiful. If you would like to check out the post, click here for a look.

Ok, here is a great product – growfetti. We are offering a package of about 400 little plantable seeded flower shapes for $15.00. Each package includes two sizes of flowers, both are quite small, less than an inch diameter. I hope you like them. They come in four color combinations – whites, brights, naturals and pastels. Of course you can get them at www.bloomin.com

They’re made using our original  seed paper, the rough, textured and colorful paper that is packed with seeds. We get like…. 96 flowers I think out of an 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheet. They are super cool, but a lot of work to pop all of those flower out of the sheet and get them into a bag.  Anyone need a job?         … just kidding

Thanks – Tom Noyes

Ask me what makes our company great, and I'll tell you its the people who work there. Our current team of All Star Rock Stars is constantly striving to build a better company for our valued customers every day. Be it back in the die cutting department, paper making, printing, accounting, assembly, shipping, customer service, sales, or the art department, we all are working hard to make Bloomin' the best it can be. It's the people that work there that make it so fun and exciting to come to work everyday. It is inspiring to see the diverse backgrounds and interests that make up our complex, yet ever so simple company fabric.

I am a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell books. Having read the Tipping point and Blink, I was excited to find his latest release "Outliers" traveling back from one of my recent promotional products trade shows. He delivers many insightful accounts, including one of the Chinese rice farmers of the 15th century. He describes their work as particularly meaningful and entrepreneurial. "They weren't just planting in the spring and harvesting in the fall, they autonomously ran their own small businesses - renting the best land they could find, juggling the family workforce, hedging uncertainty with hearty seed selection, building and maintaining sophisticated irrigation systems, and coordinating the complicated process of harvesting the first crop while simultaneously preparing the next". Sounds a lot like the challenges and rewards we face at Bloomin!

In Outliers, Gladwell talks about how today's very best hockey and soccer players are people who are not only talented and work hard but they also benefit from weird and peculiar ways in which their world is organized. I am certain the Outlier phenomenon occurs within many of our own key people, and has been instrumental in our ability to pen our own "Story of Success". A good read, as are all of his books. 

Don Martin

Here is Tia and Naomi, my two 7 year olds enjoying a wintry Sunday morning. We broke a weather record the experts say, I believe it, brrrrrrrrrrrr. Is it because of climate change? I suspect so but I sure hope not. Anyway, I hope these two beauties will brighten your day, they brighten my day everyday. Our kids are the best thing that ever happened to us. It is so much fun looking at the world through their bright eyes. If you have kids, you know what I am talking about huh, if not, I'm sure you have plenty of other great things you enjoy. I hope it gets back up in the 70's soon, I'm not done with fall yet.

- Tom Noyes

This is one of my favorite places to be at 8 am on a work day. Now I know I should be working by now, but hey, all seed paper no play makes Tom a dull boy. Movement climbing + fitness just opened up this summer and is great addition to the climbing gym collection in Boulder. I say collection because there are three gyms within about one half mile of each other. Movement is only a city block away from our headquarters.

I love what these guys have achieved here. They put their money where their mouth is. It is not cheap to build a commercial building with the level of environmental ethics that these guys have demonstrated, especially in Boulder. Here is what they say about this on their website.

"We are proud to be Boulder’s newest and most energy efficient climbing and fitness facility. A combination of ample daylighting thanks to Jim Logan Architects design, solar panels and solar thermal heaters fromLighthouse Solar providing over 80% of our energy, and high-quality, efficient building materials and practices from Harrington Homes and Costen LLC have helped to create one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly commercial buildings in the country."

Reading their story in our local newspaper was a catalyst to setting up solar power on our roof. Much of our power will soon come directly from the sun, hopefully by the end of the year.

-Tom Noyes

Here is a glimpse of an early season custom holiday card. Thanks for your continued business, University of Phoenix. This holiday card has a seed paper star/snowflake attached to a seed paper card. It is letterpress printed inside and out with gold ink. The seeds are a mix of wildflowers.

Like many of our customers, The University of Phoenix wants what they want and we get them what they want. We don't offer this card in this exact configuration, but special orders don't upset us. Bring 'em on! Some of our best formats have developed from customer ideas - thank you very much. For promotional ideas, come to Bloomin Promotions and see what we offer.

If you're thinking of a custom seeded holiday card this season, talk to your trusty promotional product distributor soon.

-Tom Noyes

Steve Porsborg, our seed paper making facility guru (i.e. manager) is pictured here holding a sheet of plantable seed paper utilizing our newest process for manufacturing flat 4-color process printable paper. We can now print 4-color on most custom seed mixes (small seeds only of course)! Making nice, flat seed paper sheets with high germination rates is what we continue to do best. Still made from 100% recycled paper and flat enough to go through our inkjet printers, our seed papers continues to be the greenest and growin'est.

You asked for it, and now we've got it! Small batch 4-color print runs on custom seed papers (including parsley, chives, basil, grass, carrots, lettuce, and more) are now available! Of course we can always letterpress print on any of our papers with 1 or 2 colors for that old world debossed look.

We continue to find new and better ways of doing things! Innovation is alive and well at Bloomin' and remains the secret to our 16 years of growth.