A Friend’s Baby Shower Gives Birth To A Big Business For Entrepreneur Courtney Bartik

Courtney Bartik launches Blue Sky Papers and evolves scrapbooking

(Columbus, OH) Courtney Bartik always knew she wanted to start a business. For years she catalogued ideas, ran market research, and waited for an epiphany. Last year as she agonized over what to get a close friend for a baby shower gift. She wanted to honor her friend’s first pregnancy, but with a sophisticated style and an ultra-personal touch. And that’s when it hit her—it was time for traditional scrapbooks to get a sophisticated makeover—and Blue Sky Papers was born.

The dedicated scrapbooking set had been knee-deep in craft glue for nearly a decade when Bartik began market research on her sleek re-styling of the dated trend.

“I’ve always been a concept junkie. I’m always coming up with new ideas and trying to find the gaps in what’s out there,” Bartik said.

Bartik knew she wanted a product that was flexible and stylish. She wanted to be able to involve others in a collaborative process to create a hyper-personal keepsake. Capturing the story of her friend’s pregnancy, not only the images, was important to Bartik. But, everyone she invited to help create the keepsake were modern working women with plenty of style, but little time to spare. That was when Bartik created Blue Sky Papers’ Keepsake Journal Kit.

The Keepsake Journal Kit includes everything needed to create a one-of-a-kind gift that captures the memories, stories, and best wishes of all of life’s most precious moments. By marrying hand-crafted archival quality materials, sleek design, and a touch of inspiration, Bartik has created a product that resonates with sophisticated women who crave a stylish alternative to traditional personalized gifts.

The response to Bartik’s Keepsake Journals has been overwhelming. They are featured in Red Envelope’s 2008 Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Spring catalogues and have been picked up by major retailer PaperThread, a retail division of Carlton Cards, an American Greetings Company.

“The refined aesthetic of the journals seems to be what really captures people,” Bartik said. “You can display these journals, they’re classic.”

To learn more about Blue Sky Papers’ Keepsake Journals please visit www.blueskypapers.com.

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