Angel Policies - selling handmade cards?

Craft Company Angel Policies

A huge list of Craft Company Angel Policies in one handy place! If you are thinking about selling handmade cards or crafts it's important that you understand the copyright and terms of use policy of the company who created the designs you are using, these are sometimes called an 'Angel Policy' or describe themselves as a 'Fully Fledged Angel Company' (sounds lovely doesn't it!)

What is an Angel Policy

An Angel Policy is usually a clearly written set of terms of use found on the website of brands which sell stamps and dies, it is a licence specifically aimed at crafters who wish to sell handmade cards and crafts for charity or profit.

The list of terms clearly states what you can and can't do when it comes to using their stamps on your handmade cards, specifically when it comes to selling cards whether for profit or for charity.

Can I sell cards I've made using CraftWorld downloads?

Yes! You can explore CraftWorld for thousands of tutorials, papers, toppers, svg files and more which you can download and use to make cards to sell.

There may be some exceptions (such as licensed characters like Wallace & Gromit), but we'll state this clearly on the page.

You can start with this page of 105 FREE printable papers for cardmaking.

Can I sell my handmade cards online?

The popularity of marketplace sites like eBay, Etsy, Folksy and Amazon where cottage industry crafters can set up a shop in minutes, means that companies need to be very careful to protect their designs - check that you are able to sell handmade cards online using their designs before you start investing in any small business ideas, especially if using designs for wedding stationery where you will be making in large quantities. It applies not just to stamps but to dies too.

Images of your work can easily find their way online even if not posted by you, so always double check! Companies can come back to you years after you have made and sold the products.

Each brand will have their own rules for selling on and offline, so it's always best to check rather than assume that one company will have the same policy as another similar company.

Tips for selling cards legally on and off line!

If your work is not for sale but is shown online, eg on Instagram or Pinterest (perhaps as part of a tutorial or just a showcase) in some cases a company may require you to make it clear that their designs have been used on the image. It's highly unlikely you'll get into trouble and most companies welcome sharing of their products on your handmade work, but well worth a look at a companies terms before using their designs.

Examples of the Angel Policy restrictions are -

Each handcrafted item must be personally and individually made by you (i.e. not mass produced) and may not be reproduced or copied by any means – including graphic, digital, electronic, mechanical or photocopying.

Items are not sold for large-scale commercial gain. You may sell for profit a maximum of 200 finished products (i.e. cards, craft projects etc) per design, per year. There is no limit to handmade items sold for charity, so long as they abide by the other restrictions in this policy.

You may not use artwork, designs or images for the purpose of creating company logos, trademarks or trade names.

We have been busy finding links to many many craft company Angel Policies so that you can quickly find the craft brand and check - please do comment if you have links to any we have missed or if you think a policy is out of date.

NB. Do click through and read the full policy before you sell your work, especially when selling online! We have highlighted just a few points from each policy not the entire list of restrictions.

Click on the name of the brand for their full Angel Policy

Altenew - Crafters are welcome to make and sell up to 100 cards per design per calendar year.

Apple Blossom (Physical Products: CraftStash) - Crafters are welcome to make and sell up to 200 cards per design per calendar year.

Apple Blossom (Digital Files: CraftWorld) - As with the physical products, you can make and sell up to 200 cards using a design each year.

Avery Elle - Allowed to create handmade cards for profit but some restrictions apply

BuddlyCrafts - Up to 200 items of any one design per year. A photo of your finished project bearing the graphic images may be used on any promotional media however stand alone graphic images may not.

Card Making Magic (Physical Products: CraftStash) - Crafters are welcome to make and sell up to 200 cards per design per calendar year.

Card Making Magic (Digital Downloads: CraftWorld) - The same rules apply to digital designs as to physical designs (above).

Claritystamp - We give permission in the form of a limited licence to use any Claritystamp Limited clear stamps, stencils and Groovi products for the purpose of creating items for sale, provided they are on a limited scale and handmade, rather than mass produced.

Couture Creations - They have a very detailed policy including the need to conspicuously mark your handmade cards with the notice “Includes Copyright Material of Couture Creations” in a reasonable size and location on any items you are selling.

CraftStash (CraftStash) - Crafters are welcome to make and sell up to 200 cards per design per calendar year.

Crafter's Companion The 'fair usuage policy' is very detailed and states that your handmade cards using their original designs may not be sold online.

Crafty Individuals - "We are an 'Angel' company and you are welcome to use our rubber stamps and other products to create handmade artwork to sell"

Craft Consortium - We do restrict the maximum number of craftwork projects to a total of 500 per year

Create & Craft - Items are not sold for large-scale commercial gain. You may sell for profit a maximum of 200 finished products (i.e. cards, craft projects etc) per design, per year. There is no limit to handmade items sold for charity, so long as they abide by the other restrictions in this policy.

Creative Craft Products (Physical Product: CraftStash) - Crafters are welcome to make and sell up to 200 cards per design per calendar year.

Creative Craft Products (Digital Downloads: Coming soon on CraftWorld) - The same rules apply as above.

Creative Expressions - Handmade finished items using our products can be produced and sold in any quantity, although there are some conditions alongside this

Cricut - Cricut has a list of brands which you may not use on cards you plan to sell - we suggest reading the list in full as it is quite comprehensive!

FREE digital die-cutting svg files for cards to make and sell

Daisy Mae Design (CraftStash) - Crafters are welcome to make and sell up to 200 cards per design per calendar year.

Dina Wakley Media (Ranger) - Quantities for commercial use are generally allowed if they are in the range of no more than 50 handmade images - other restrictions also apply.

Dylusions by Dyan Reaveley (Ranger) - Quantities for commercial use are generally allowed if they are in the range of no more than 50 handmade images - other restrictions also apply.

Elizabeth Craft Designs - You can sell any handmade cards but not clean die cuts as supplies

Graphic 45 - "No more than 3 identical projects can be produced under this policy. Credit must be given to Graphic 45 as the manufacturer and the paper line names when possible."

Groovi (Clarity Stamps) - "we give permission in the form of a limited licence to use any Claritystamp Limited clear stamps, stencils and Groovi products for the purpose of creating items for sale, provided they are on a limited scale and handmade, rather than mass produced."

Heartfelt Creations - "Heartfelt Creations is a full-fledged "Angel" Company. This entitles the owner of Heartfelt Creations products to make projects for personal use or sell as handmade one-of-a-kind creations. Each item must be hand-made. Mechanical, electronic, digital, or any form of reproduction other than hand-made is not allowed"

Hero Arts - 50 hand-stamped impressions per stamp image, or less, wherever possible, Hero Arts Trademarks and Copyrights should be displayed.

Hot Off The Press (Paperwishes) - you may recreate the projects for your personal use or to sell for pin money. This use has been surpassed when the designs are made by employees or sold through commercial outlets. They are not for commercial reproduction.

Hunkydory - "Handmade projects may be sold at permanent retail locations, as well as temporary craft events, community fundraisers and over the Internet (excluding auction sites.) In selling handmade projects the seller must make it clear that the items are handmade or personally created by the seller and not a product of the company.

Impression Obsession - "Impression Obsession is an angel company. We license artwork from many talented artists. Although you many sell your HAND STAMPED creations, please respect the copyrights of our artists. Absolutely NO mechanical reproduction is allowed."

IndigoBlu - Our Angel Policy is remarkably simple. You can create and sell anything using Indigoblu designs if it has been made by hand. We do not allow any mechanical reproduction of any of our designs.

Jane Davenport - "In selling handmade projects the seller must make it clear that the items are handmade or personally created by the them and not by 'Jane Davenport'."

Kaisercraft - "We do allow our products to be used in items for sale (cards, pre-done layouts, collages, etc) as long as it is the original product that is being sold and credit to Kaisercraft is given."

Browse our library of FREE papercraft downloads

Lavinia Stamps - items offered for sale must include a notice stating: “Hand-made by [your name] using artwork © Lavinia Stamps Ltd”

Lawn Fawn - "Artwork for sale must be hand stamped and/or hand die cut by the artist personally. Mass production and/or use of paid workers is not allowed. Lawn Fawn Trademarks and Copyrights must be displayed where applicable"

Letter It (Ranger) - - Quantities for commercial use are generally allowed if they are in the range of no more than 50 handmade images - other restrictions also apply.

Lisa Horton Crafts - "Handmade projects may be sold at retail locations, as well as temporary craft events, community fundraisers and over the Internet. When you sell your handmade projects the seller must make it clear that the items are handmade or personally created by the seller and not a product created by Lisa Horton, Danny McIntosh or That Craft Place Ltd"

Made To Surprise (CraftStash) - Crafters are welcome to make and sell up to 200 cards per design per calendar year.

Manuscript (Creative Rox) - "Handmade projects may be sold at permanent retail locations, as well as temporary craft events, community fundraisers and over the Internet (excluding auction sites.) In selling handmade projects the seller must make it clear that the items are handmade or personally created by the seller and not a product of the company."

Marianne Design - "You are permitted to sell your own cards and projects, but only for non-commercial use and in person. This means they will have to be handmade by you and you will have to sell them yourself on a local market, fair or any other small sales point and with a limited quantity not to exceed 50 pieces. It is not allowed to offer your creations for sale online"

Memory Box - "You may sell your handmade items using our products (no mechanical reproduction)for profit"

My Favorite Things - "We welcome crafters using our products to create original handmade cards for sale - restrictions apply"

Paper Discovery (CraftStash) - Crafters are welcome to make and sell up to 200 cards per design per calendar year.

Papercraft Society (CraftStash) - Crafters are welcome to make and sell up to 200 cards per design per calendar year.

Penny Black - need to email them as their Angel policy states no commercial use

Picket Fence Studios - Artwork for sale must be hand stamped and/or hand die cut by the artist personally. Mass production is not allowed. Quantities of each original work must be limited in scope and must not constitute an ongoing business"

Picture This - Handmade products are allowed for sale. Mass production, assembly line construction, production by workers for hire, or syndication of craftwork for sale is prohibited

Pink Ink Designs - "We ask that you hand stamp, hand colour and hand make all your creations personally, that you don’t digitally, mechanically or electronically reproduce our designs. We are more than happy for you to sell your makes to help your chosen charities or as income for yourselves by making and selling cards and other projects.

Pinkfresh Studio - "The Angel policy of Pinkfresh Studio grants limited permission to purchasers of Pinkfresh Studio products to create hand-made artwork for sale. Pinkfresh Studio limits the amount created to 100 or less of an item per calendar year."

Poppystamps - "You may sell your handmade items using our products (no mechanical reproduction)for profit"

Pretty Quick (Physical Product: CraftStash) - Crafters are welcome to make and sell up to 200 cards per design per calendar year.

Pretty Quick (Digital Downloads: CraftWorld) - Make and sell up to 200 cards per design per calendar year, following the usual rules for CraftStash brands.

FREE downloadable templates for 3D papercrafting

Santoro Gorjuss - "Hand-made cards / projects to be sold via Craft Fairs or for charitable purposes etc may be made and sold with an annual capped allowance of 500 units per annum. The limitation is that any handmade projects (including cards and stamped designs) may not be sold at any permanent retail locations, NOR may they be sold via any online retail destinations for instance on Ebay, Etsy or such like."

Sara Signature (Crafter's Companion) - "Items are sold or gifted as completely finished, immediately usable or giftable projects (i.e. the purchaser or recipient would immediately be able to sign the card or use it as a gift for someone else – no other assembly would be required)"

Sentimentally Yours - "Any product that is sold must be a completed hand stamped/prepared item (i.e. a finished card)"

Simon Hurley Create (Ranger) - Quantities for commercial use are generally allowed if they are in the range of no more than 50 handmade images - other restrictions also apply.

Simply Made Crafts (CraftStash) - Crafters are welcome to make and sell up to 200 cards per design per calendar year.

Sizzix (Ellison) - "Craftworks may be sold at permanent retail locations as well as temporary craft events, community fundraisers and over the internet. In selling Craftwork, you (the seller) must make it clear that the items have been handmade by you and the Craftwork is not a product of or associated with Ellison or any of our licensors."

Spellbinders - "You are permitted to sell your artwork and craft projects at seasonal fairs and events, retail shops, community fundraisers, festivals, craft events, and online craft marketplaces such as ETSY"

Stampendous - You can use their designs for handmade cards, however you need to be careful as they have licenced products that have their own copyright policies - take a good look through the details!

Stamperia - no overarching policy on site so would need to check by each designer

Stampers Anonymous - "You may not sell or redistribute the images in any way" Looks like you can't even sell in small handmade quantities from their policy.

Stamps By Chloe - "All items made must be hand stamped/die cut and not mechanically reproduced in any way (e.g. scanning and printing images) There are no restrictions on the amount of items you can make and sell as many as you like for charity or personal gain"

Sue Wilson (Creative Expressions) - Any handmade items sold using our products must be in the form of a finished item such as a card and not packs of die cuts or toppers"

Tattered Lace - "As long as all dies and embossing folders are cut/embossed on a standard home die cutting machine and all projects are hand made there is no limit to how many can be sold or where they can be sold"

TEXT{ures} (CraftStash) - Crafters are welcome to make and sell up to 200 cards per design per calendar year.

Tim Holtz (Stampers Anonymous) - "You may not sell or redistribute the images in any way" Looks like you can't even sell in small handmade quantities from their policy.

Tonic Studios - "In essence, there are no limits to using our products for sale of finished cards or shapes as long as the item is ‘Home made’, i.e. it has been produced by hand (or with the use of standard home crafting equipment) and not in a production line with semi or fully automatic machines."

Trimcraft - Terms very similar but worth checking out in detail - "The seller must make it clear that the items are handmade or personally created by the seller and not a product of Trimcraft or our third party copyright holders"

Wendy Vecchi (Ranger) - Quantities for commercial use are generally allowed if they are in the range of no more than 50 handmade images - other restrictions also apply.

Woodware - The stamps/designs may be used to create items for sale as long as the images are stamped and coloured by hand.

Have you ever had any problems with Angel Policies or Copyright Issues in the past?