2026 Subscription Information

Greetings :) Thank you for your incredible support in the past year. If you are a current subscriber, I hope that you enjoyed the products I designed in 2025! And if you are a new customer who is interested in signing-up, I'm honoured that you are interested in my work.

This blog post is the exhaustive write-up of the subscription details, including my personal thoughts. If you don't want to read this wall of text, please skip to section 7.

0. Table of contents

1. Introduction
2. Dwindling Down...
3. Subscription & Bundle
4. Current Subscribers
5. The Four Themes
6. The Schedule
7. Bro, Just Give Me A Summary
8. Common Questions

1. Introduction

This stationery subscription operates on a quarterly basis, meaning you will receive a delivery every 3 months. In other words, 4 deliveries a year.

Each quarter has a theme (section 5) and the designs revolve around that theme. Though, not every design is necessarily directly related to the theme.

The intention of this subscription is to give customers something to look forward to throughout the year and for customers to have the chance to enjoy the products before the next delivery!

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2. Dwindling Down...

Last year, I gave a heads-up that 2025 might be the last year of this subscription model. I wrote several paragraphs detailing why, but it really all goes back to the fact that I am tired 😔 

I love being personal with my audience online, but something I try to uphold is the distinction between "content-Helen" and "business-Helen". This means that while I might share in an Instagram caption that I came down with a cold, or that my wifi died for a few days, I don't let this affect our business and our customer experience. I might reply to emails in bed, or schedule my assistant for a few extra hours, and I might go to the library to use their wifi.

However, I am reaching the point where I am struggling to not let my personal circumstances affect the end customer. For example, the 2026 collection was released over a month later than last year, and it was also split into two parts because I couldn't finish everything on time. This was mostly due to hives that popped up all over my body back in August, which took me out of work for several weeks. I am unfortunately still dealing with today...

Long story long, the above is why I am trying to make some more drastic and material changes to my workload for 2026. Unfortunately, the subscription is one of the things taking a cut. If you are wondering why I don't hire more employees, I talk about it in this post.

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3. Subscription & Bundle

Starting in 2026, there will only be one subscription type offered (Snail Mail). However, I loved designing for the Pen Pals & Washi Wizards, and I think it would be a shame not to have matching washi tapes and stationery products for the 2026 themes :( So, there will be a one-time bundle for purchase at the end of the year (date, to be announced), available to all customers. We will also offer preorders as back-up, so all customers are guaranteed stock.

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4. Current Subscribers

If you are a current Pen Pal or Washi Wizard subscriber, you are likely wondering what will happen to your subscription. I understand this is a drastic change, and I thought long and hard about how to make this transition as fair(?) as possible. I know it's unideal as it's not what you signed-up for, and I sincerely apologize for any disappointment.

• Pen Pal Subscribers: You will be switched to the Snail Mail tier. However, while the "end of year bundle" is not a subscription, we will be treating it as a subscription only for current Pen Pal subscribers. This means, you will automatically be charged for the bundle of washi & stationery unless otherwise requested.
  • $13.50 + shipping for Q1 Snail Mail
  • $13.50 + shipping for Q2 Snail Mail
  • $13.50 + shipping for Q3 Snail Mail
  • $67.82 + shipping for Q4 Snail Mail & Bundle
• Washi Wizard Subscribers: I think it would be wrong for me to switch customers who signed-up for a washi subscription to a sticker subscription as they are completely different products. This is what I came-up with:
  • Current Washi Wizard subscribers will be charged only once in Q4 for a discounted bundle of 8 washi tapes and some extra bits ($32.10 + shipping)
  • The 8 tapes are the same as the ones included in the "end of year bundle" that is available to all customers, but only our current Washi Wizard subscribers will get to purchase just the washi tapes as a discounted bundle.
• The above changes will take place in January automatically. Customers are free to request a change in quantity, cancellation, skip, etc. before each renewal date. So please email thecoffeemonsterzco@gmail.com before January 31 if you have any changes you need to make!

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5. The Four Themes

Okay this is the fun section hehe. I'm excited to share the themes that I settled on for 2026! I think it's a good mix of different aesthetics, colour palettes, and the themes are relevant to most. I hope you are looking forward to them, as I am looking forward to designing around these themes!

I follow the preview sketches pretty closely, but there might be slight changes when I actually go to design the items. For example, I might decide a slightly different shade of brown would look better than what is shown in the sketches!

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6. The Schedule

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7. Bro, Just Give Me A Summary

• I am tired so I need to make cuts to my design workload.
• Only one subscription type in 2026: Snail Mail ($13.50 + shipping) every quarter for 4-5 sticker sheets, 1 vinyl, and 1 card.
• An "end of year bundle" offered in Q4 for all customers. Bundle will include 8 washi tapes, 3 stationery items, and extra bits ($54.32 + shipping).
• Current Pen Pal subscribers will be switched to Snail Mail, with an automatic addition of the "end of year bundle" in Q4.
• Current Washi Wizard subscribers will be charged only once in Q4 for a discounted bundle of 8 washi tapes and extra bits ($32.10 + shipping).
• Themes: Sparkly Clean, Good Afternoon!, In The Post, Gloomy Afternoon...
• Renewals: January 31, April 30, July 31, October 31
• Sign-Ups: February 1, May 1, August 1, September 1 at noon pacific time. Slots are available until sold-out.

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8. Common Questions

Can I cancel or skip my subscription?

Yes. You can do so directly in the subscription portal, or email us for assistance. The deadline to cancel or skip is before you are charged (section 7). 

Cancel or skip Q1 before January 30th

Cancel or skip Q2 before April 29th

Cancel or skip Q3 before July 30th

Cancel or skip Q4 before October 30th

As shown by the schedule, the bundle contents will be revealed prior to any charges. It is not permissible for a new subscriber to purchase a slot, then request to skip the same bundle as a way to hold the slot for future quarters.

What if I need to change my address?

Address change requests must be emailed. Changing the default address on your website account does not change the address for the already purchased subscription.

Please email prior to the renewal dates! We may be able to change your address after the charge if the bundle has not been shipped, however we process subscriptions in large batches quite quickly, so address changes are not guaranteed if requested past the deadline.

Can I purchase a subscription with other items in the store?

No. Subscriptions must be purchased alone.

How do I request a quantity change?

If you are a current subscriber, please email thecoffeemonsterzco@gmail.com with your requested change before the billing date.

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