Current Open Commissions
Below are the types of commissions we are currently offering. Our available services, production schedules, and creative offerings may vary depending on availability and health. Please allow a minimum of 2 weeks for completion, with additional time possible depending on the project.
All commissions begin with a quote based on your request. Listed prices are starting prices and may vary depending on complexity, materials, size, or color selection. Quotes are valid for 30 days from the date they are provided.
Each commission is an interpretation of your request through our individual handmade processes and artistic styles, rather than an exact reproduction. Adjustments may be necessary based on materials, design feasibility, or current techniques.
You may choose one check-in during the creative process to review the general direction of your commission and provide approval, or waive the check-in and enjoy a surprise reveal upon completion. Due to the handmade nature of these pieces, significant design changes may not be possible once work is underway.
Once a commission is accepted, a 50% deposit is required upfront, with the remaining balance due upon completion and delivery. If a commission is cancelled after work has been accepted, the initial deposit is non-refundable due to the unique, custom-made nature of these artworks.
Please Note: We are currently offering local pickup only. Shipping is not available at this time.
Thank you for your patience, understanding, and interest in our handmade work!
Handmade Paper Portraits
By Michelle Miller
These commissions feature handmade recycled papers created by Michelle Miller and transformed into unique, stylized artwork.
Each paper begins with discarded or leftover materials such as project cut-offs, junk mail, egg cartons, medication instructions, lined notebook paper, construction paper, and more. Rather than letting these materials go to waste, Michelle hand-blends, colors, and forms them into new sheets of paper, each with its own distinctive textures, fibers, and color variations.
The resulting papers are cut, layered, and assembled into a stylized, recognizable interpretation of your requested subject. Almost any subject may be considered, including people, pets, objects, or other ideas, subject to approval.
Customization
Customers may request:
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Who or what is featured in the artwork.
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A preferred color theme or general color direction.
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The overall mood, expression, or personality they would like the portrait to convey.
A reference photograph or image must be provided to help guide the creative process. This serves as a visual starting point rather than a template for exact reproduction. Each portrait is an artistic interpretation shaped by the handmade materials, available colors, and individual creative process.
The Paper-Making Process
Handmade paper is a time-intensive material. Depending on the materials and conditions, each batch can take 1–3 days to break down, followed by approximately 12–36 hours to dry.
Please note that this preparation time applies to making the paper itself, not completing your commission. The artwork cannot begin until the necessary handmade papers have been prepared and are ready to use. This process alone can take up to 6 days before any portrait work begins.
Finished artwork sizes are available by custom quote, depending on the subject, composition, and materials needed.
Each piece is made entirely from handmade paper, celebrating the transformation of discarded materials into something new and meaningful. No two portraits will be exactly alike.
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Base Price of (x1) Headshot (sample shown in picture)
-$40 per person
Base Price of (x1) 1/2 Body
-$60 per person
With Matt Board - $3
Frame - Based on what is in stock
-Small $10
-Medium $15
-Large $20
Sample Order:
I'd like x2 people, 1/2 body, in a small frame made with handmade papers.
The Breakdown:
-1/2 Body is $60 per person
-TWO people with 1/2 Body is $120
-Small Frame is $10
So the minimum payment would be $130. Any increases would be based on the image sent and the complexity of it.
Gelli Print Paper Portraits
By Michelle Miller
These commissions feature stylized portraits created from handmade Gelli printed papers by Michelle Miller.
Gelli printing creates colorful, layered papers by applying paint to a Gelli plate and transferring the designs onto paper. The papers can be made using a variety of colors, patterns, marks, and materials, creating unique backgrounds and textures for each portrait.
Compared to the Handmade Recycled Papers, Gelli printed papers are quicker and less labor-intensive to prepare. Because of this, these commissions have a lower base price while still creating a one-of-a-kind handmade artwork.
Customization
Customers may request:
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Who or what is featured in the artwork.
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A preferred color theme or general color direction.
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The overall mood, expression, or personality they would like the portrait to convey.
A reference photograph or image must be provided to help guide the creative process. This serves as a visual starting point rather than a template for exact reproduction.
Choose Your Paper Style
You can choose between two general styles of Gelli printed paper:
Clean — Paint is printed onto blank white pages, allowing the colors and printed patterns to remain the primary visual elements of the paper.
Messy — Paint is printed over existing writing, images, or other marks on recycled or previously used pages. These layers may remain partially visible through the paint, creating a more grungy, layered, recycled appearance.
The specific writing, images, marks, patterns, and colors used in the papers will vary depending on the materials available at the time of your commission. Because of this, specific underlying images or particular colors cannot be requested.
The Process
Gelli printed papers can be prepared more quickly than the handmade recycled papers used for our other portrait commissions. However, the papers still need to be created and prepared before the artwork itself can begin.
The paper-making and printing process is part of the preparation for your commission. The commission itself does not begin until the necessary papers have been prepared and are ready to use.
Process photos and videos will be added here in the future to show how these papers are created and how they become part of the finished artwork.
Finished artwork sizes are available by custom quote, depending on the subject, composition, and materials needed.
Each portrait is a stylized, recognizable interpretation rather than an exact reproduction of the reference image. The printed patterns, paint layers, available materials, and creative process will make every piece unique.
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Base Price of (x1) Headshot (sample shown in picture)
-$30 per person
Base Price of (x1) 1/2 Body
-$35 per person
With Matt Board - $3
Frame - Based on what is in stock
-Small $10
-Medium $15
-Large $20
Sample Order:
I'd like x1 headshot with Gelli Printed Papers, on just the matt board.
The Breakdown:
-(x1) Headshot is $30 per person
-Just a matt board is $3
Total for this order would come to $33 as a starting price.
Felted Friends Portrait - ACEO
By Michelle & John Miller
These commissions bring the Felted Friends style into a custom-made piece created especially for you. Each Felted Friend is made from Hard Craft Felt, with Soft Craft Felt incorporated when needed for additional colors. Pieces are embroidered together and never glued down.
Each Felted Friend is mounted in a handmade frame created by Michelle and John, with the frame included in the base commission price. Our Felted Friends are made to be approximately the same size, creating a consistent little world for these characters to live in.
There are two ways to commission a Felted Friend:
1. A Felted Friend Portrait
Have a real person or animal transformed into a simplified Felted Friend!
A waist-up or upper-body reference photograph is required. One subject can be included per frame, so a person and their pet would need to be commissioned as separate Felted Friends and placed in separate frames.
You may also request general creative details such as:
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Color direction
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Background color
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Clothing colors
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Expression or mood
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A small adjustment to the original reference, such as changing the color of a shirt
Because Felted Friends are intentionally simplified, the finished piece will be a stylized interpretation of the reference rather than an exact reproduction. The photograph provides the starting point, while the final design is shaped by the Felted Friend style and the materials available.
Specific additions or more complicated changes may be possible for an additional cost depending on the complexity.
2. Create a Felted Friend
Don't have a portrait in mind? Give us an idea and let us create the character!
You can provide up to 3–4 creative details from the list below:
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Theme
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Setting or environment
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General personality
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Mood
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Favorite colors
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Season
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Animal or creature type
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Objects or accessories
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Hobbies or interests
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A few descriptive words
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A particular "vibe" or feeling
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Something the character is celebrating or commemorating
You can also choose "Surprise Me!" and let us take the idea in our own creative direction. Even with a surprise commission, we ask that you provide at least one detail to give us a starting point.
Your ideas are inspiration rather than an exact design specification. We will interpret them through the simplified Felted Friend style and the materials we have available.
For example, you might request:
"A cheerful character who loves music, with warm colors and a vintage feel."
Or you could request something more specific, such as:
"A person who plays the saxophone, with a jazzy personality, nighttime colors, and a cozy atmosphere."
A specific object such as a saxophone may require additional cost depending on the complexity of incorporating it into the design.
Make Them Yours
For original Felted Friends created through the Create a Felted Friend option, you'll have the opportunity to help give your new character a name and personality. You may suggest a name that fits the world of the Felted Friends, choose from a general list of names, or work with us to find one that fits. You can also provide whatever personality you'd like your character to have.
Once completed, these original Felted Friends become part of the larger world we're building and will be included in our book of characters.
These adoption-style Felted Friends may receive their own character information and adoption materials as we develop them further.
Real people and animals recreated as Felted Friend Portraits will not receive an assigned character name or personality, since they already have their own identity.
Materials & Availability
Felt colors, handmade paper backgrounds, and other materials will depend on what we currently have available. You are welcome to request a general color direction or particular color, but the final materials will depend on our current supplies.
If a particular material or color is not currently available and you would like us to obtain it specifically for your commission, we may be able to do so for an additional cost and additional preparation time.
Frame colors are available in simple, flat colors and can be made to order. A frame is always included in the base commission price. If no frame color is requested, the default will be black.
All Felted Friend commissions follow our general commission policies regarding quotes, deposits, production time, check-ins, cancellations, and local pickup.
Option 1: Using a reference photo - $40 minimum
Option 2: Giving me free range - $35 minimum.
Prices subject to change based on complexity and difficulty.
