FAQ

Here are answers to some of the most frequently-asked questions about my plantable papers:

Can I get my order made with herb seeds or vegetable seeds?

Nope! Please read why I don't use these seeds in my plantable paper in my blog post here: http://paperandpulp.blogspot.com/2014/11/dont-eat-your-paper.html

When can I expect my order to be shipped?

I ship every day, Monday through Friday, via USPS First Class mail. I usually wait until some time in the afternoon to take orders to the post office to capture as many orders as I can. (But I will go early in the day if my customer has a time issue like an Express Mail drop-off.) So it may take as long as 24 hours for your package to be shipped but it is often much less. And if you want to know a little secret, I live within walking distance from a post office so sometimes, and especially on nice weather days or if I have an errand to run, I will make a second trip to mail something if I get a sale late in the day. In my Shop Policies, I state that I ship Monday through Friday, but I do also ship on Saturdays. I just like to keep my options open so that I am not committed to Saturday shipping if I decide to take a road trip or put my feet up and take a break from my shop for a weekend here and there.

Can you make specific colors? Can you match my wedding colors?

Yes! I make all of my handmade paper from 100% post-consumer waste. I rely on several different sources to supply me with paper scraps, which means the colors I have on hand can vary over time. I usually have a rainbow assortment of colors and have become quite adept at mixing and combining scraps to come up with custom colors but I can't always make every color. I can get very close to most colors, and have even almost exactly matched a few, too.

Can I write on my plantable paper?

Yes! I actually wrote an entire blog post about it that you can read here: http://paperandpulp.blogspot.com/2014/12/i-can-write-right.html

Will you make a donation to my organization?

Because I get so many donation requests, I have had to limit those charities to whom I donate. I now only donate locally, and to companies and charities with whom my family is directly involved.

What seeds come in your plantable paper?

Seeds in my papers are never hand-gathered so you can be assured my seeds have passed quality control standards. I buy the highest quality non-genetically modified seeds available, which include - but is not limited to - the following annual, perennial and biannual seeds: Hollyhock, Calendula, Bachelor Button / Cornflower, Dwarf Lance-Leaf Coreopsis, Sulphur Cosmos, Wild Cosmos, Chinese Forget Me Not, Larkspur, Sweet William - Tall Single Mix, African Daisy - Flake Mix, Indian Blanket - Fort Know, Sweet Pea - Knee High Mix, Sweet Pea - Bijou Mix, Blue Flax, Sweet Alyssum - Royal Carpet, Sweet Alyssum - Violet Queen, Arroyo Lupine, Four O'Clocks, Love in a Mist, Red Poppy, Dwarf Catchfly, Dwarf Nasturtium, Moss Verbena, Siberian Wallflower, Shasta Daisy, Lance-Leaf Coreopsis, Sweet William, Foxglove, Purple Coneflower, California Poppy, Blanket Flower, Candytuft, Blazing Star, Blue Flax, Perennial Lupine, Rocky Mountain Penstemon, Maltese Cross, Mexican Hat, Prairie Coneflower, Gloriosa Daisy, Black Eye Susan, Clasping Coneflower. These seeds can be planted in conditions ranging from full sun to half shade (though they like more sun, if possible), and in soils from sandy, clay or acidic to moist or dry, from the Northeast to the Southwest.

How do I plant my paper?

Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then rake the soil, tear your paper into smaller pieces, scatter the paper onto the soil, cover with 1/4 inch of topsoil, water and keep moist until seedlings are established, approximately 6 to 8 weeks. The seeds I use in my papers need to be treated in the same manner as seeds you buy at your local nursery. Once planted, they must have sunlight and consistent moisture in order to survive.

I am ordering my plantable paper now but won't use it for a couple of months. Will it be OK?

Yes! Until you use it, store your plantable paper in any cool (not freezing) dry place that is not subject to extreme temperature variations. Some products come packaged in an acid-free plastic envelope. If you will not be using your plantable paper right away, please open the plastic packaging so the seeds can breathe. For best germination, you should plant your paper within 12 months of purchase. (Seed viability will decrease as time passes, but some seeds are viable for up to 5 years.)

Will you send me your products for free? I will review them in my blog.
Yes! However, I am very selective who I give my products to, and I don't give them very often. I will need proof of a certain amount of consistent readership, as well as evidence of cross-promotion on social media, and a well-established presence in either the crafting world, wedding market or another audience that hits my target customer base.

Do you offer bulk discounts?

I don't. Believe it or not, larger orders actually take more time than smaller ones. And because my paper making equipment gets tied up with bulk orders, it slows down my production time for all new orders. (Plus, it's just me making, photographing, writing, packaging and mailing everything in this one-woman business.) I do have a handful of stores that purchase from me at my prices and then mark up my items to sell in their brick and mortar stores.

I am using them with kids. What should I do?

Normally, you can plant my seeded papers outside after the last frost. But, depending on your region, you may have to wait a few weeks to see anything sprout, just as you would for any seeds that you plant. When planting with kids, you may want to speed up the process for more immediate satisfaction. You can do this by making a homemade terrarium by dampening the paper, putting in a glass jar and covering tightly with plastic wrap. Place in a sunny window sill and you will see seedlings begin to sprout in less than a week, depending on the temperature and amount of sunlight. You can also put dampened paper inside a plastic baggie with a little air room, seal shut and place in sun.

I got shipping notification but there is no more tracking information beyond that.

When I package up an order, I print a shipping label in my studio. Once the label is printed, an email is automatically sent with tracking info, but your package has not been shipped yet. When I drop off the package at the post office, it is scanned with gun. The postal folks don't transfer that information from the gun to their computer system until after 5 pm when they download the gun into their computer. It can still take a few more hours for tracking info to appear on the website. If you have been sent an email with tracking but it isn't showing up, just check back a few hours later or the next day.