F.A.Q + policies
STORE INFORMATION + POLICIES
Scroll down to find these topics to answer any questions you might have before you contact me. I know it's long because I have 20 years of experience with questions that are asked but you will probably find exactly what you need here!
BASIC INFO
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The items here are created by an independent artist. Most are handmade, all are original designs. By purchasing a piece from this shop you are directly supporting a full time working artist. The shop is updated with new stuff almost every Friday at 2pm PST.
- I keep all unsold work on the shop's front page.
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I use Monster Clay for most of my sculptures using tools from Ken's Tools. A mold is made using silicone and they are then cast in urethane which is a type of plastic. All of these materials can be learned about at the Smooth- On site. They even have a whole page to help you learn! I use acrylic to paint my work. If you would like to know more about how i create, please consider supporting my Patreon.
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Please oh please be patient with shipping since this is a one person business. Packing and shipping is done by the same person making the art here and there is only so much time in the day! Sometimes things run extra slow when i get busy- please give me time. It can take up to two weeks to ship your order. If there are ever any delays i will make a post about it in the store news page.
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I am available for paid freelance design for film/TV productions. I'm not open for private commissions, collaborations or custom work and will not answer inquiries into such work. This very much includes sculpting custom masks for musician/DJ personas.
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If there is an item you want but it keeps selling out, the best thing to do is keep watch on my instagram, facebook, tumblr or twitter. You can find me on each of those accounts under "missmonstermel". I generally post a heads up on a new piece 24 hours before making it available for sale and will usually post it in the mid afternoon, pacific USA time.
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I can't always have everything in stock since most of it is handmade. I really try my best to keep up! But please understand the physical limitations of one person vs. time in a day.
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If you choose to participate in a pre-order, please be prepared to wait. There may be times when production goes over the predicted wait time. I WILL keep pre-order customers up to date in the shop news!
- What conventions do you sell your work at?
* I go to the springtime Monsterpalooza and Designercon! There are no plans to vend at any other conventions.
-Can you teach me how to sculpt or mold/cast things?
* I can't personally teach you but i do have a patreon where you can pledge anywhere from $1 up to $35 to get access to tutorials and all kinds of knowledge from me. Also a friend of mine has an excellent book on sculpting and a whole online class on molding and casting!
- Why do you keep all your sold /discontinued work up in the shop?
* I want to show what i have made over the years! I keep all unsold work on the front page. The categories found at the bottom of the shop are arranged by date so the further back you go , the older the work. If it says "sold out" at the bottom of the page that's exactly what it means- that particular piece is not available. If you want to know the latest on what's coming up or when a new piece is on the way, please keep up with my news section or follow me on social media, instagram, facebook, tumblr or twitter!
- I see you post different projects you are working on. Why don't you just make one thing at a time?
* I work on a lot of things at once because it's a better use of my time and keeps me from being very bored or burned out just making one thing. I also think it's more fun for people to see a variety of art posted to my social media in all the stages of completion!
-Please make STL/digital files of your work available so I can just print my own!
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MASKS:
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Masks are made in limited quantities. When I have a new design, I open for pre-orders for blank do-it-yourself masks. An opening date is announced in advance. A limited quantity is made available once the sale opens. It takes 3-8 weeks to produce, pack and mail all of the pre-ordered blanks. Once the DIY edition is sold out it will most likely not be available as a blank in the future. Occasionally if a sculpt is popular is may do different colored editions of blanks after the first DIY edition sells out, but this is not always the case. Please do me a favor and do not ask for an exception. ( Yes, even if you are a band/DJ/Musician/Performer ) Requests to remake discontinued masks can no longer be answered.
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There is a TON of super detailed information on my masks at the "mask care and info" page!
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I will also produce finished, ready to wear versions of my current "in print" mask design. These are offered in small batches as i complete them. I try to post an advance warning when finished masks are going to hit the store. I realize that it can be very frustrating if a mask you want is sold out before you can purchase it but please understand I am limited in how many i can make by hand. I am also not interested in mass producing them at this time as I want them to remain unique pieces of artwork.
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Masks are made of cast urethane. It is a strong plastic but not indestructible. Please read all of the information provided with the mask listing in the shop or read the "mask care and info" page here.
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I am not open to mask commissions or any other privately commissioned work. I am open for freelance for studios and companies- serious inquiries only, please.
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If you want to have a heads up on future mask design editions please follow my instagram, facebook, tumblr or twitter or watch the store's shop update page for news, release dates and progress pics. New masks come out every few months!
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I sculpt my masks in Monster Clay.
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Please do not recreate or recast my mask designs.
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Please feel free to sell any of the blank masks you have purchased from me and finished yourself!
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I do have a Patreon you can support if you want to learn about mask making! However, Google is your friend! :) Try searching "slush casting masks" , "urethane mask mold" or "casting in urethane".
CONTACT:
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Please use the "contact the shop" tab at the top of the store for inquiries.
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When inquiring about an existing order, please provide the order number.
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Please use the store's contact for order/shop/product questions. Using DMs or comments on instagram, facebook, tumblr or twitter or other online outlets to ask about your order may result in your question not being seen or answered!
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If you are concerned that an order has not arrived, make sure it was not part of a pre-order or that im not experiencing shipping delays. The item's store info will tell you if there is an estimated pre-order ship date. Otherwise, please contact the shop so i can help you!
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Inquiries will be answered during weekdays: I am out of office for weekends and U.S holidays.
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Please keep in mind there are a lot of emails to answer, it will take a few days to get back to you. Please don't take it personally if i cannot provide an answer - especially if the inquiry is about non-store issues or has already been answered here.
SHOP POLICIES:
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There is an update page for this shop that's great for answering inquiries you may have about an order you placed!
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Please read item descriptions carefully before buying. The entire description! :)
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Please contact me before you open a dispute with paypal, give me time to respond to you and provide help. Dispute abusers are asked to take their business elsewhere since opening a paypal dispute means I'm out that amount for minimum 30 days, immediately. It's not fun!
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Items cannot be held. I can only accept payments through the store using the options available there ( no money orders, no checks or mailed payments) This store only operates via online purchases, there is no local pick up or a studio that is open to the public.
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If you pre-order an item, you are getting the item. Please keep in mind I am not a bank that can be withdrawn from because a preorder was placed with me. If you are not sure about the item do not pre-order it.
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I cannot bear responsibility for lost/tampered with/stolen packages! I cannot provide refunds or replacements for missing packages. If the tracking says it was delivered, there is nothing I can do for you. PLEASE go to your local office or check with your mail carrier if you haven't received an item and tracking shows it has been mailed or delivered. If it gets returned to me, you will be contacted. Buyer pays shipping expense to have the item re-sent.
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Please do not ask for your item to be shipped to a different address than what was provided with your order. For convenience and to protect myself and the buyer, the package must be sent to whatever shipping address is provided with your order.
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Please use consistent names for ordering through my personal shop and for payment/shipping address Keeping track of aliases, character names or studio names that are different from whatever used to place your order slows down the shipping process. If you must have your alternate or artist name on the order, please use the "company name" line on the form instead of the First/Last name lines.
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Please order your items well ahead of any planned events or performances you need them for. I work very hard to get orders out in a timely manner but sometimes my schedule gets very full. Due to the volume of orders it is physically impossible for me to accommodate every customer's individual schedule.
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Due to the hand made nature of this store's items, returns and pre-order cancellations are not accepted.
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Please remember there is a person on the other side of the screen! We all have bad days but let's be kind!
ORDERING:
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1) Once an order is placed , you will receive a confirmation email with your order number. Please check the email used to place the order.
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2) Once your item is packed, you will get a fulfillment email from my store. This means the item has been packed but has not shipped yet.
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3) Once an order has been shipped you will get a tracking number from paypal or the shop's email system.
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Check your spam filters if you ordered but never got an email receipt from my store email! Please check the email you used to place the order.
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Please make sure all shipping information is correct. I cannot be held responsible for shipping to an incorrect address that is provided by the buyer nor can i be held responsible for lost, stolen or damaged parcels.
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If your order is refusing to process, please make sure your billing address matches your credit card/account address, restart your browser and try again.
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You can use your order number to check on things at the order status page. It will tell you if an item is processing ( order received ) or fulfilled ( packed and on it's way)
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I do not take checks or mailed forms of payment.
SHIPPING:
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I ship worldwide!
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You can calculate the cost of shipping by adding what you want to your cart and starting the check out process. You can abandon the order after it allows you to calculate the cost of shipping.
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Shipping a mask to to UK/Europe/Asia/Aus is from $35 - $60. Shipping a mask to Canada is around $25-$50. International customers may have to pay a customs fee when they receive their item!
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Items ship once a week. There will be a 7-14 day window before your order will be packed and mailed.
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Orders are shipped via USPS
- My packaging is a bit ugly because I re-use boxes and packing materials as much as possible! I'd rather save money and landfills instead of making pretty but wasteful custom packaging. I do not send any receipts or promotional print outs other than a sticker of my logo.
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Shipping Insurance and delivery confirmation is available upon request. Purchases under $250 are not insured unless requested by buyer before purchase for an additional cost. Tracking / delivery confirmation will be sent . I cannot be held responsible for errors on the part of USPS. Claims for missing or undelivered packages have to be made directly to your local post office on the rare occasion that this happens.
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Your tracking will show when the parcel arrived at, left the sorting facility and the date of delivery. This allows me to prove when a parcel was mailed on my end in the case of missing or stolen mail. Again, i cannot bear responsibility for missing mail as my responsibility ends once the order is accepted by the post office. By purchasing from my shop, buyer acknowledges and accepts this policy.
****A WORD ON INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING! ***
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I ship via USPS and i do provide a tracking number. The tracking will indicate when the item was mailed but it will not provide detailed, step by step tracking. Once an item is mailed and tracking is provided, it is out of my hands.
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I can combine shipping for international orders. Since the cost of overseas shipping is ridiculous , please contact me if you have multiple items you would like to order and i can accommodate you ( within reason).
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If you would like insurance on an item, please contact the shop after ordering so this can be arranged and paid for.
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It can take 7 days to two weeks or more for international items to arrive depending on where you live. Sometimes packages get stuck in customs for weeks.
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ITALY and RUSSIA are notorious for packages disappearing! Order to those countries at your own risk. Again, i cannot be held responsible for missing mail.
OTHER BORING BUT NECESSARY STUFF
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I will not be able to answer inquiries concerning issues that have already been addressed here or in an item's description.
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By finalizing your order, you acknowledge you have read , understand, and agree to honor all information stated above and in the purchased products description.
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Sales are final.
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I'm not responsible for injuries sustained through improper use of my products.
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Cupcakes are pretty great but they give me gas.
WHEW! You made it! Thank you for taking the time to read my shop's policies! I hope you love what you buy from me.