Back to site

Shop Info & Policies

welcome

I am an independent designer from western New York with a new online paper- and printable goods shop called Up Up Creative (the shop was named by my then-15-month-old son – I asked him one day what I should call my little store and he said, "Up up?" (wanting to be picked up, of course) and the name stuck).

The goal of my work is to provide modern, clean design and handmade goods that have practical and lasting applications (e.g. printable stationery sets, recipe cards, school valentines, wall calendars, and more). I only create and sell things that I would actually buy myself – things for the person who loves design and admires beauty but who lives within a budget. My work is clean but colorful; simple but with a sense of humor; bold but still understated. Much of it is downloadable and DIY – I want people like me who love to create things to be able to have a personal library of gorgeous designs.

I started Up Up Creative in 2008 after coming to the scary realization that writing my dissertation in English was making me miserable. Suddenly, I found myself gripped by the fierce need to create. I am the illustrator and designer, owner and operator. I am the marketing department and the shipping department. Up Up Creative is all me, 100%. And I love it.

payment

I accept payments via PayPal ONLY. (Please note: you can use a credit card with PayPal and do not have to have a PayPal account to use this option.)

shipping

Your order will ship within 3-5 business days of cleared payment.

I ship via USPS First Class and Priority Mail, depending on the order. Unless you contact me in advance of purchase, shipping DOES NOT include delivery confirmation or any kind of tracking.

Insurance is NOT included, but can be added at additional cost - contact me before making payment if you are interested in adding USPS insurance to your order and I will send you a revised invoice through Paypal.

** IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING GIFTS:
If you purchase something from my store and would like to have it shipped directly to someone as a gift, please mention this in the note to seller during the checkout process. Include any wording you'd like written on the gift enclosure for the lucky recipient.

** IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING CUSTOMS:
International buyers may be subject to customs duties. I am not responsible for these duties or taxes, and they shall be covered by the buyer.

returns

Refunds and Exchanges
As a general rule, all sales are final. Please read all item descriptions carefully before making a purchase.

That said, I will consider making an exception to the general rule on an individual case basis. Please contact me if you would like to make a return and we can figure out an arrangement for refund or exchange.

Printing prices:

  • Invitation suite: $4.50 -- includes one 5x7 inch or 5x5 inch flat invitation with envelope, one 3.5x5 inch response card with envelope, and one additional 3.5x5 inch enclosure of your choice w/o envelope (could be used for accommodations, save the date, direction card, etc.) Also included : your choice of up 2 fonts and up to 3 colors, a pdf proof and 2 rounds of changes before printing.
  • Invitation only (5x7 inch or 5x5 inch flat invitation with envelope): $2.75
  • POSTCARD-STYLE INVITATION (4x6 inches, printed on both sides (no envelope)): $2.50
  • Reception card (3.5x5 inch): 90¢ each
  • Directions card (3.5x5 inch): 90¢ each
  • Directions & map card (5x7 inch): 1.20¢ each PLUS $50 design fee for the map
  • Accommodations card (3.5x5 inch): 90¢ each
  • Save the date postcard (4x6 inches, printed on both sides): $1.65 each
  • Save the date flat card w/ envelope: $1.65
  • Thank You Card w/ envelope: $1.65 each
  • Ceremony Program (5x7 inches) : 90¢ per printed side of page
  • Place Card (fill in) : 75¢ each
  • Place Card (with printed names/table numbers) : $2.00 each
  • Menu Card : $1.00 each

::ABOUT UP UP CREATIVE WEDDING INVITATIONS::

All printing is done in my attic studio on a digital inkjet press using archival inks. The inks I use are exceptionally vibrant and are water-insoluble, meaning they won’t blur or run when your mom cries at the thought of her baby getting married. (Interested to know why I don’t outsource my printing? It was a big decision, and you can read about it here: http://bit.ly/insourcing)

Because I print these myself, I do not have print minimums. Some wedding invitation designers, for example, require a minimum order and/or that you order in increments of 25. I don’t do that. If you need 72, you can have 72. No need to waste 3 or 8 or 28 more. This saves paper and ink and ultimately saves you money. I do recommend you order a few extras just in case, but that's up to you.

All paper used by Up Up Creative is EITHER 100% cotton OR contains 100% post-consumer recycled content. All envelopes are at least 30% PC content. In addition, all papers are acid-free, lignin-free, and archival. Non-cotton papers used are FSC-certified.

Orders are shipped USPS Priority Mail with delivery confirmation and insurance. Expedited shipping is available for an additional cost. I do ship worldwide but please contact me for shipping costs and expected delivery times to your country.

In a bio I once had to write about myself I think I described myself as a wanna-be-better environmentalist. In my mind, that’s someone who isn’t perfect but who is nonetheless committed to making eco-friendly choices whenever possible. Someone who believes that her actions have wide-reaching consequences and who tries to remember that in her daily duties and interactions with people and products. Someone who is trying to make the best choices even when it’s not always clear which choices are best. (Cloth diapers or disposable – there’s so much more to the debate than it appears, and it’s not always easy to know what’s best… but that’s another story for another website).

What all this means for you is that I’m a paper goods designer who is always trying: to find the best quality papers with the most eco-friendly features; to find companies to work with who are also committed to making ecologically-minded choices; to reduce waste.

printables

I sell printable goods because they are eco-nomical and eco- friendly. No packaging. No waste. Print just the number you need, as you need them.

printed goods

Beginning in August 2009, all paper used by Up Up Creative contains at least 80% post-consumer content. All envelopes are at least 30% PC content. In addition:

* Paper is FSC-certified & carbon-neutral, made with 100% renewable energy
* Paper is acid-free, elemental chlorine free, and archival

eco policies

Other ways I strive to lessen my company’s ecological impact:

* When designing I try to be cognizant of ways in which I can maximize prints-per-paper. That means that in my own work and in custom orders, I send three-per-page whenever I can instead of setting up my files to print one to a page with more waste.

* What paper waste I do have gets reused. Whole sheets get used later for test printing. Partial pieces get used for notes, gift tags, and other projects I do with my kiddo.

* I do not have print minimums on custom orders. Some wedding invitation designers, for example, require a minimum order and/or that you order in increments of 25. I don’t do that. If you need 72, you can have 72. No need to waste 3 or 8 or 28 more.

* I try to reduce my own packaging. All the cardboard I use to ship calendars I get from boxes that make their way into my house. I never buy cardboard or chipboard for shipping preferring always to reuse what’s around. This may not look as clean and fancy as some shipping supplies, but I believe my customers are more concerned with how the product looks, not the shipping stuff.

* I try to source my supplies from companies that themselves are working to be eco-friendly. The company I buy my paper from, for example, offsets its electrical usage with renewable, Green-e certified wind power and maintains its FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and SFI (Sustainable Forest Initiative) certifications. In addition, the mill offsets 100% of the carbon produced by its outbound shipments.

last words

If you are pleased with your purchase, please tell a friend; if you are unhappy, please tell me. I want this to be a good experience for both of us.

I love creating and I love knowing that the things I make are going out into the world to make other people happy. Thanks for stopping by.