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Thistle and Fox
illustrations by Lauren Kelly on fabrics, wallpapers & handmade
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Where do you ship to?AUSTRALIA I ship via Australia Post and generally use registered post or express post parcel to ship most handmade items. Within Australia, your order may arrive: NSW 2-5 days QLD 4-7 days VIC 4-7 days TAS 5-10 days SA 5-10 days WA 5-10 days NT 7-10 days Please note these shipping times DO NOT include the production time for the item you are ordering - see individual items for details about production times & where they ship from. INTERNATIONAL International orders are possible but please read the info in my FAQ's and contact me if you need further help. Some countries are difficult to ship to (since May 2020) as all international parcels must be sent with tracking and will require a signature on delivery. These services may not be available for your location at this time. However, many of my items (fabrics & wallpaper) are produced in the USA &/or can be printed in the UK. Please shop for my designs on fabric, wallpaper & home décor via Spoonflower. Although I do not personally manage the orders placed on Spoonflower I do appreciate your support! SHIPPING & PRODUCTION TIMES Allow at least 4 weeks shipping time for orders travelling to, or from Australia. Depending on where you are located and the local shipping services of your region, your order may arrive at your address or be awaiting collection at your local post office. Please check the tracking info and contact me with any questions. Any applicable customs fees are the responsibility of the buyer. Parcels must be collected from Australia Post or courier offices within 2 weeks of the 'parcel awaiting collection' notification. Failure to collect your parcel may result in the order being returned to sender &/or cancelled.
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Shipping Options in the Shopping CartPlease select the shipping option that matches the contents of your shopping cart. If you select the wrong option we will need to contact you to amend the error. If we are unable to reach you your order may be cancelled. ------------------------------------ If you have multiple items in your cart from different sections of the shop please choose the shipping option that matches the largest handmade item or place separate orders. Most items are sent separately and often from different locations. example: Custom Cot Quilt & Ready to Ship swaddle blanket. Choose 'Custom Handmade' at checkout. The ready to ship items will ship the next business day and the custom quilt will ship in 4-6 weeks time. I'm happy to add custom items to my shop which include accurate shipping costs to any location worldwide. Contact me to arrange this.
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Shipping Cost➤ Shipping cost is difficult to estimate given the many items I have available and the various international shipping options. If the actual cost of shipping your order comes to less than the amount you are charged at checkout, I refund any overage of $2 or more. If you are placing a large order for fabrics printed in Australia (5+ metres) and the cost of shipping is not covered by the charges on your receipted invoice I may have to invoice you for the difference or cancel your order. ➤ Shipping quotes If you would like a quote on shipping cost before placing your order, please contact me with details of what you would like to order + your location and I will reply with a shipping quote, thankyou! ➤ The shipping options you see available in your shopping cart are determined by where you are located. Some items cannot ship to certain countries. Please make sure you choose the shipping option that corresponds to the items in your cart. If you select the incorrect shipping option during checkout and I am unable to reach you via email within 48hrs your order will be cancelled and refunded.
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Which items qualify for free shipping?I know we would all love Free Shipping on everything, unfortunately this only applies to particular items: Fabrics, Wallpaper & Wall Decals printed in the USA by Spoonflower; Local Pickup for handmade items and supplies collected from my studio in Upper Orara; Local Pickup for Melbourne residents ordering fabric printed in Melbourne. Free shipping also applies if you are spending $250 or more on Handmade or Ready to Ship items. Discount is automatically applied at checkout. All other orders are shipped via Australia Post and are subject to shipping fees based on average weight of items
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How long will it take for my order to arrive?This depends on what you have ordered and which location the order will be shipped to. Please read the full description of items & allow plenty of time when ordering gifts as your order may have a long production time before it can be shipped. Only Ready to Ship items can be heading your way within a few days. MADE TO ORDER | 3-15 day production time ➤ Fabric ➤ Wallpaper MADE TO ORDER | 4-6 week production time ➤ Cushion Covers ➤ Tote Bags ➤ Baby Play Mats & Quilts ➤ Cot & Bassinet sheets ➤ Change pad covers & baby blankets ➤ Can't find what you're looking for? Ask me if I can make it for you READY TO SHIP | I post items out on Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays ➤ Face Masks ➤ Everything in this section
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Delivery IssuesDelays Please note: We are not responsible for transit delays that may occur due to weather, customs, or other unforeseen circumstances. If you think your package may be lost, don't worry! Email me and I will work with you to find it, or arrange a credit or replacement. Please note that untracked shipping options & items such as fabric samples are sent uninsured as 'large letters' and are non-refundable. Non Delivery If a package is returned to myself or the printer because it was not picked up from a carrier, post office, or locker box OR because an incorrect address was provided and it was deemed undeliverable: we cannot re-ship the order. For wallpaper & fabrics being sent from Spoonflower, it is their policy to cancel the original order and refund in full. If you would like to re-order, you will need to contact me first to confirm your delivery address. Thankyou for your understanding!
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Do you ship to the UK or Europe?If you're looking at ordering my wallpaper/drawer liners or fabrics by the metre, yes, shipping to the UK & Europe is possible if you order directly from Spoonflower where my designs are printed. I also have a small portfolio of designs on the Fashion Formula website - they custom print fabric & wallpapers in London so it may be of interest to you to order from a more local source, otherwise Spoonflower regularly offer great discounts on their site so sign up to their newsletter for updates. My portfolios are located: SPOONFLOWER: https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/thistleandfox FASHION FORMULA: https://www.fashion-formula.com/store/ThistleandFox Both of these printers take care of order fulfilment - I only have control over which designs I upload into my portfolio. They take care of printing orders, customer service etc. If you place an order from either website, you still help to support my design work but I will not have access to any order details and won't be able to assist with any order problems. I do highly recommend Spoonflower fabrics & can provide lots of info about all the different materials. I'm less familiar with Fashion Formula products these days though I did try some samples years ago and was very happy with them. My own website www.thistleandfox.com is setup to accept orders within Australia only at the moment. It makes order fulfilment much easier for me to manage and allows me to focus on creating new designs and managing my design portfolios
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Fabric PricingHow is fabric priced in your shop? You may see the label "starting from $6" The lowest price will most often be the cost of a sample swatch (a 20cm square = 8x8") All other prices are 'by the yard' or 'by the metre' - this is specified in the description of each item. A yard is 90cm in length x the width* of the fabric A metre is 100cm in length x the width of the fabric Various types of material can be chosen from the drop down menus which will alter the price shown. Some materials are heavy weight upholstery fabrics, some are lighter weight garment fabrics or specialty materials for activewear or swimwear. * Fabric Width varies with each type of material but typically starts at 42" wide or 105cm, up to 118"/295cm wide for the extra wide width cotton sateens. Fat quarters are typically 18" high x 21" wide (45x52cm) and are offered for sale as single fat quarters or a set of 4 or set of 8 fat quarters via specific listings in my shop. The better value option is to order a set of fat quarters rather than a single, as every panel is printed to order, a single fat quarter is priced higher than a Set of 4 - which can be printed on a single one yard panel of fabric, making more efficient use of the printable area of the fabric. Why have some fabric prices changed lately? When you place an order for any printed fabric on my website, I then order the printing through a third party: the fabric PRINTER. In most cases this will be Spoonflower USA (if the order has free shipping it's printed under my Spoonflower Pro membership) or Next State Print in Melbourne, AU (if you order a material specified as 'Printed in Australia'). Recent dramatic changes in the USD to AUD conversion rate resulted in many orders barely covering the cost of printing, and I wasn't earning anything for my time working on order fulfilment & customer service - hence, a price increase was needed. In addition to this, some materials have recently become more costly to source or produce so there have been price increases with my suppliers as well. These changes also needed to be accounted for, which means unfortunately, some materials (mostly upholstery weight fabrics) are now in a higher price bracket. I'm in the process of updating all my website products which could take a few weeks from mid April-May 2023. While these changes are being made, there may be a few minor hiccups with pricing in your shopping cart. My apologies for any confusion. Reach out if you are having trouble placing an order. There's no 'team' here, it's just me: Lauren, the designer, owner, CEO, customer service manager, stock controller, marketing officer, spam deleter, snack maker and office pet walker. TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OF THE CUSTOM PRINTED EXPERIENCE: I highly recommend ordering direct from my Spoonflower profile whenever Spoonflower are running a sale (especially those free shipping events!) and sign up to my newsletter or watch my instagram account for updates and sales announcements. Spoonflower also have the 'Fill-a-Yard' feature on their website and if you can make use of this for your projects, it can be a great way to order custom printed fabric in small amounts without wasting any yardage as you can print what you need on panels in various layouts on the same one or two yard piece of fabric! Examples can be found on my blog (soon) << I'll update this with a link For AU customers, ordering fabric printed in Australia may now keep costs down! If you are planning to order over $300AUD worth of fabric in one transaction, contact me for a free shipping code. You can also order a selection of my designs direct from Next State Print here. Clover & Co Fabrics also do custom print runs with a small selection of my portfolio prints... And I am hoping to be able to release some new designs printed exclusively in Australia on some special materials for garment sewing in the near future. Any questions, please reach out!
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Who illustrates all these designs? Who makes your products?Me! I'm Lauren. The one woman sewing factory and fabric designer of Thistle and Fox. When you send an email to Thistle and Fox, I'm the one who reads it, writes and sends a reply. When you place an order for something handmade, I'm the one who makes it and sends the parcel to you. When you purchase my fabrics you are supporting an independent designer and maker, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. Illustration, design and making are my passions. When I read feedback and see the wonderful photos from customers who are loving using their handmade products from my little business I could not be happier! You can read more About me and follow me on instagram @thistleandfox for a behind the scenes look at Thistle and Fox.
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Where are your fabrics printed?The majority of my fabrics are created in the United States by Spoonflower. All of my designs are available on a stunning range of natural fibre fabrics and eco friendly textiles, custom printed on demand. If you are located in Australia, my website & Etsy customers receive their fabric orders from the Durham North Carolina factory (free standard international shipping). For customers located elsewhere in the world, please place your fabric orders via the Spoonflower website. You can learn more about the fabric printing process & eco friendly practices on the Spoonflower website and in this blog post. In Feb 2021 they moved to a much larger location, allowing a more efficient production process. Read about it here: https://blog.spoonflower.com/2021/02/factory-move/ For a full list of the types of fabric available on my website and printed by Spoonflower, please take a look at the Choosing Materials page There is a section of my shop for fabrics Printed in Australia by Next State Print in Melbourne, an ECA accredited printing business with some of the most beautiful fabrics I've ever had the pleasure of sewing with. These fabrics ship only within Australia at the moment. A small selection of my most popular designs are available to order direct from their website using their handy print on demand online software, you can customize the scale of the print yourself! I also have a small selection of my designs available for sale on fabric bases from a custom fabric printer in the UK called Fashion Formula. Yes, they ship worldwide. Free shipping does not apply for fabric produced by Next State or Fashion Formula.
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Do you have any fabric in stock in your studio?Sorry, no. ALL fabric in my shop is printed on demand. This means there's no waste which is better for the environment and the design can be customized (design scale, orientation, colours) so it will be perfect for its intended use. With a portfolio of over 2000 designs and more than 20 choices of materials to be printed on, I could not possibly keep them all in stock in my little studio. Need a customization or want to order a design from my portfolio that you don't see in my shop? Get in touch.
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Can I get a pattern I like in another colour? Can you change the scale of the design for me?Yes to both! I am happy to make simple adjustments to background colors or the scale of any of my existing designs.* You'll need to contact me before checkout so I can make these changes for you before the fabric order is placed as it automatically goes into production when ordered via the Spoonflower site. When contacting me please include in your message: the name of the design ( a link to the design is even better!) your color preference or tell me how large or small (in inches or centimeters) you need the design to be. For example: "I'd like to order 2 yards of the 'White Pony on Mint' with a baby pink background and I need each pony to be 1 inch wide." * There is no charge for small changes to scale or background colour. For more extensive changes there may be a small fee to cover my time. Please get in touch if you're unsure.
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Can I buy your fabric at wholesale prices?I would love to be able to offer competitive wholesale prices for my fabrics... unfortunately I'm still quite a tiny fish in an enormous pond. If you would like to order larger quantities of my fabrics, I am happy to make a special listing for you here on my website. Custom printed fabric costs alot to produce (more than 90% of the retail price you pay is the printing cost) As a designer I receive 10% minus the cost of processing your payment via my website. I do not manufacture my own fabrics or print in bulk for my own use so all wholesale orders are custom printed on demand just for you and ship directly to you from the printer - all fabric orders placed in my shop and all fabric printed for my own use is produced in this way. FABRIC WHOLESALE is possible at the following rates: ✔ BULK ORDERS of 20+ yards or metres For fabric printed in the USA via Spoonflower (shipped worldwide) 10% off orders of 20+ yards of fabric 15% off orders of 50+ yards of fabric 20% off orders of 100+ yards of fabric This can be any number of designs but must be ordered in a single transaction. Free shipping applies to Spoonflower fabric ordered via my website. ----------------------------- For fabric printed in Australia (shipped only within Australia) Order 50 metres or more and receive 5% off. No further discounts apply. ----------------------------- You are welcome to license my designs if you wish to have your own base fabric printed if you have your own sources for doing this at a lower cost ☺️ Contact me with any further wholesale questions. I'd love to hear from you!
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If I send you some fabric can you print your designs on it?I am primarily an illustrator selling a few things printed with my designs on the side... I don't print these fabrics myself - it would require a huge warehouse, hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment and stock... I'm a very small fish by comparison to the custom digital print houses I work with to create my own designs and have them printed on demand. Some materials are printed by Spoonflower in the USA, some are printed in Australia by Next State Print. There are two sections of my website fabric shop for these two printing sources. Digital printing is very different to screen printing. You can read all about the process here. While some digital printers accept base materials sent to them by clients, not many offer this service and those that do charge accordingly. You might like to check out the materials already on offer from the printers I work wth or I also know of a print on demand service in London - if you are interested I'm happy to point you in their direction. FASHION FORMULA CONTRADO SPOONFLOWER NEXT STATE PRINT
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How does the Handmade to Order process work?Most of the handmade items available in my shop are made to order. They are not in stock and ready to send from my studio. When you place an order I have an outside company print the fabric for me (on demand, so only what is needed is printed) they then send the fabric to me (arriving in my studio approx 21 days later) I then do the sewing; a process which takes no more than a few days, then send the finished items to my customer. The entire process from date of order to date of shipping usually takes 4-6 weeks though there are order upgrade options which speed up the production & shipping of the fabric supplies so I can get your order finished faster. You'll find these options as 'Express Order Upgrades' at the bottom of the page in this section of my shop if they are available for the item you are interested in. Not all fabrics can be express printed. Eg: Duvet covers and Single sheets are made from a wide width Luxe Cotton Sateen produced on a very special printing machine - it takes extra time to create fabrics up to 295cm wide! Layby options are also available for terms of up to 6 weeks so by the time you have finished paying for your handmade items they will be ready to send!
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Can you make this special thing for me?I am happy to create custom orders. Get in touch if you would like a custom made quilt, cot sheets, blanket.... I make so many things and I'm happy to chat about how we can make your ideas happen. Please note that there are many custom listings in my shop for various items so please check them out first as it may save you some time. If the request is something I'm unable to make for you I may be able to refer you to another maker who can use my fabrics to make it! CUSTOM MADE FOR KIDS & BUBS Visit the Kids section of my shop. When shopping for items, please read the full description. It contains important info about fabrics, colours, sizes, order options.... HOW TO MAKE THE ORDER PROCESS EASY Before placing an order please make sure your email address & shipping address is correct, add me to your contacts. Stay in touch! Sometimes the ordering process requires me to confirm measurements or your colour choices so please don't shop & run. Check your emails a day or two after placing your order in case I am trying to get in touch with you! Within Australia your order will likely arrive 5-6 weeks after placing your order. I need my order faster. Can you make it within 2 weeks? The minimum turnaround time for custom orders is 4 weeks. If you live in Australia and need your order by a specific date, please contact me before checkout. There are order upgrades and faster shipping options available for some items. Muslin swaddles, quilts and custom cot sheets cannot be rush ordered. The custom printed fabric is not able to be printed faster. Check out the Ready to Ship section for discounted items that can ship immediately.
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How sustainable are your products?The majority of my handmade products use organic cotton fabrics or natural fibers. All organic materials are certified organic by Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS) Fabrics used for all my handmade products are printed on demand (eliminating waste) using water based pigment inks and dyes tested as safe for use with infants and children. The print process is eco friendly, using almost no water, all fabric offcuts are either shredded and composted or used as stuffing for other products. You can read more about the sustainability practices of the fabric printer I work with on their website. In my own studio I use compostable and recycled packaging wherever possible. I am also working towards off grid living, with the hopes that in the near future my studio will be run entirely on solar power. From collecting rainwater for washing fabrics to using only the best eco friendly laundry detergents, I do everything in my power to reduce the impact my business has upon the earth.
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Do you do collaborations?Absolutely! Perhaps you make and sell baby clothes and you'd like an exclusively illustrated fabric? I'd love to work with you! Please contact me so we can discuss the finer details. Make sure you include in your message as much info as you can about your proposed project and a link to your shop or website if you have one. Absolute confidentiality is assured. Please also read this page before you get in touch as many of your questions may be answered here on my website.
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I have another question... how can I contact you?Email is best and you will find my contact details here. I'm often online and check messages every day so you wont have to wait very long for an answer. If no reply is received after 3 days please check your junk mail folder!
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If I send you a design can you print it or make items for my business?No, I sell only my own designs on fabric, wallpaper and handmade homewares. I am happy to point you in the direction of some great print-on-demand companies and custom digital fabric printers where I get my designs printed and where you can potentially order your own printed materials. I also do not hire myself out as a seamstress. It's not a job I could take on in addition to all my other responsibilities. I'm sure you have found that good seamstresses are hard to find so if you do find some, treat them well! And please let me know where I can find them too... I could use an extra pair of hands to do the sewing side of things.
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Who illustrates all these designs?Me! I'm Lauren. The one woman sewing factory and fabric designer of Thistle and Fox. When you send an email to Thistle and Fox, I'm the one who reads it, writes and sends a reply. When you place an order for something handmade, I'm the one who makes it and sends the parcel to you. When you purchase my fabrics you are supporting an independent designer and maker, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. Aside from a few designs based on vintage illustrations from the public domain, all the designs in my portfolio are based on my own hand drawn illustrations and designs. Illustration, design and making are my passions. When I read feedback and see the wonderful photos from customers who are loving using their handmade products from my little business I could not be happier! You can read more About me and follow me on instagram @thistleandfox for a behind the scenes look at Thistle and Fox.
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Can I buy from you in person?Local shoppers can visit me at various handmade markets on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. The next market I'll be visiting is the Made With Love Markets in Coffs Harbour at the Park Beach Plaza Level 1 Carpark. At least once a year, I open up my studio for a 'High Tea' party and private art shows where you can take a peek at all I've been working on in my studio, try on my handmade jewellery and get a closer look at some of the fabrics I've designed. During the past 2 years it hasn't been possible to run my annual tea party - open studio events but I hope to be able to start these again this year! Studio Open Days for 2022 will be posted online soon. To make sure you receive an invite, join my mailing list or contact me with an expression of interest. If you include a note about where you are from in the info then I'll be able to add you to my special COFFS LOCALS mailing list for residents of the Coffs - Mid North Coast area.
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Do you sell your products wholesale?Thistle and Fox is a micro business. Handmade. One woman. No staff. The majority of the items I create are bespoke or made to order one at a time. I use my own fabric designs printed on demand by small printing companies both in Australia and the USA. There's nothing mass produced or manufactured from Thistle and Fox. Because there's a limit to what one person can accomplish in a day I have only a small number of items available for wholesale ordering and my pricing reflects the craftmanship and the quality of the materials that go into creating each item individually to order. I can accommodate wholesale orders of cushion covers, tote bags, tea towels and baby blankets. All other handmade items are much more labour intensive and require far more materials. You are welcome to contact me to discuss wholesale ideas but please take note of the following information first: WHOLESALE
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StockistsAlthough I don't have traditional brick & mortar stockists of my fabrics & wallpapers, you can find my designs licensed to small businesses around the world: AUSTRALIA The Telarie 7 Staughton Street Melton South, VIC, 3338 Next State Print 262 Dundas St Thornbury VIC 3071 *list is a work in progress - If you have a small business and you're using my fabrics in your shop or to make products for sale, please contact me to add your business details here.
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Can I buy your fabric at wholesale prices?I would love to be able to offer competitive wholesale prices for my fabrics... unfortunately I'm still quite a tiny fish in an enormous pond. If you would like to order larger quantities of my fabrics, I am happy to make a special listing for you here on my website. Custom printed fabric costs alot to produce (more than 90% of the retail price you pay is the printing cost) As a designer I receive 10% minus the cost of processing your payment via my website. I do not manufacture my own fabrics or print in bulk for my own use so all wholesale orders are custom printed on demand just for you and ship directly to you from the printer - all fabric orders placed in my shop and all fabric printed for my own use is produced in this way. FABRIC WHOLESALE is possible at the following rates: ✔ BULK ORDERS of 20+ yards or metres For fabric printed in the USA via Spoonflower (shipped worldwide) 10% off orders of 20+ yards of fabric 15% off orders of 50+ yards of fabric 20% off orders of 100+ yards of fabric This can be any number of designs but must be ordered in a single transaction. Free shipping applies to Spoonflower fabric ordered via my website. ----------------------------- For fabric printed in Australia (shipped only within Australia) Order 50 metres or more and receive 5% off. No further discounts apply. ----------------------------- You are welcome to license my designs if you wish to have your own base fabric printed if you have your own sources for doing this at a lower cost ☺️ Contact me with any further wholesale questions. I'd love to hear from you!
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Do you do design collaborations?Yes, though not for free! Perhaps you make and sell baby clothes and you'd like an exclusively illustrated fabric? I'd love to work with you! Please read the Custom Design Info and contact me so we can discuss the finer details. Make sure you include in your message as much info as you can about your proposed project and a link to your shop or website if you have one. Absolute confidentiality is assured. Please also read this page before you get in touch as many of your questions may be answered here on my website.
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How can I licence an existing design from your portfolio?Read the info on my Design Licensing page. Then: Fill out this form and check your inbox for my reply within 24 hours. When you receive my reply, please let me know it has been received. If you don't see an answer from me within 2 days, reach out again, just in case.
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What types of Design Licenses do you offer?Exclusive license: for new custom designs only. Non-exclusive license: for a new or existing design. New custom designs with a non-exclusive license are only possible when the design is likely to fit into the styles already in my portfolio.
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Can you create a design using this >insert name of pop culture character here< ?No. I do not ever reproduce the work of other designers or use copyrighted material. So please don't ask for a fabric design with Disney characters or other similar trademarked designs or logos. Not sure what copyright means? Read this: What is Copyright?
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I need help placing an order!Have you read the info for the item you are looking at? Still need help? Please reach out with your specific question or let me know if you're having a technical problem viewing my website. I highly recommend shopping via a laptop or desktop computer instead of a phone. You'll be able to see the full site & all its features much more easily. For help with shopping my designs on Spoonflower, please see their 'How to Place an Order' page for a step by step tutorial.
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