Help Center

We re-stock our shop every other Friday.  Our next re-stocking date is posted on our website homepage and on the alert banner at the top.  

To receive the latest information about the exact time of our next scheduled re-stock, along with what products will be available, make sure you are subscribed to our Newsletter, which we publish a few times per month, usually the day before our re-stocks.

 

Yes!  While our individual colors are often sold out, we re-stock them when new batches have cured.  Subscribe to our Newsletter to learn when our next re-stock of individual colors will be.

We regularly offer individual colors in Half-Pans & Full Pans, and occasionally offer our colors in Natural Seashells, Quarter-Pan, and Eighth-Pan (you can read about them here.)

To place your order, simply add as many items as you wish to your shopping cart while browsing our store. Once you are ready to proceed with your purchase, do so by going to the cart and clicking "checkout". Follow the instructions by providing us with accurate delivery information and payment.  We will ship your package within 1-8 business days.

International taxes might be applied upon delivery in your country, depending on your country's tax policy.

Customs duty is calculated as a percentage of the customs value of the goods:

The percentage or rate varies depending on the type of goods. You can check the tariff applicable in the TARIC database for EU and Import calculator for USA.

The customs value is made up of:

• the price paid for the goods,
• the insurance cost,
• the shipping cost.

Unfortunately, we have no control over any additional fees that are charged to you once your order enters your country, and cannot be held responsible for them.  Nonetheless, you have our apologies for any inconvenience to you as a result of these international policies!

Unfortunately, we do not offer these options.  After experimenting with different versions of these, we found the specialized systems and extra labour required for them was not feasible without raising our prices or charging extra fees for the service.  We understand this is frustrating for some of you, and apologize for any inconvenience.

Your 100% satisfaction is of the utmost importance to us!  If you have any problem or issue whatsoever with your order, please contact us and we will create a solution that satisfies you.

Please send us your current shipping address as soon as you realize your error.

The sooner you contact us with the correct shipping address the more likely it is that we can correct your shipping label.  Please note that we ship as promptly as we can.  Even if you send a message with your updated address, we cannot guarantee that it will get updated, and therefore cannot be held responsible for misdirected packages.  However, we always do our very best to accommodate this kind of error!

Our shop is often low on inventory or sold out.  This is simply because our inventory is limited and it tends to move quickly when available.  We make our products by hand in small batches with great care and attention to detail.  This takes time.  We re-stock our shop every other Friday with all of our cured and ready inventory.

To receive details and information on what we will have available each time we re-stock, links to purchase, and the exact time the shop will go live with new inventory, you can subscribe to our Newsletter here.  

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We understand that it can be frustrating to arrive to an empty shop.  It may help to think of us as you would your local baker.  We work hard preparing batches of our product, and when they are ready they are available for sale.  When they are sold they are gone, and we head back to the studio, roll up our sleeves, and get back to work making more.

We are not Amazon, and that is a good thing.  We are a small studio of highly trained craftspeople, and we are forever grateful for your patience, good humor, and patronage.

While we cannot accommodate specific scheduling requests for our Shop Re-Stocks, we generally vary the times they are scheduled so that every time zone, religious practice, and daily schedule can have a convenient opportunity of purchasing our colors.

Shipping destinations:

• We ship worldwide!

Shipping times:

• Domestic orders are shipped via USPS Priority Mail and take 1-4 business days to be delivered to you, once they are in the mail, depending on your location.
• International orders are shipped via USPS First Class International Mail and take around 7-21 business days to be delivered, depending on location.  If customs pulls your order for a search, times can take longer.  Depending on the country, you can be charged an import tax for your order.  Unfortunately, we have no control on additional fees imposed by different countries, and we cannot be held responsible for them.
• Shipping times might vary depending on location, shipment method and other factors.

We are happy to automatically combine orders placed separately that are destined for the same person and address so that you pay only one shipping fee.  Once we prepare your item for shipment, we will issue a return for your additional shipping fee(s).  You will receive shipping confirmations for each order placed, but they will have identical tracking numbers.

Exceptions:

• If items ordered exceed the size of our packaging materials, we will need to send separate shipments.
• Depending on the size and expense of the orders places, we are unable to combine all international orders placed separately.

For domestic customers with a shipping address inside the United States, tracking is automatically included with your order. 

For all international addresses, tracking is unfortunately not guaranteed.  We ship internationally via USPS First Class International Mail, which usually includes tracking within the US as a courtesy.  Once the package has left the US, it just depends on the countries through which it travels whether or not additional tracking information will be available.  We have unfortunately not found an affordable international shipping option that includes tracking.

If your tracking status is "Delivered" but your package hasn't arrived, here are some steps you can take:

• Check with your neighbors
• Check with your mail person
• Call or stop into your local post office branch with your tracking number and inquire
• Give it a couple days

If these steps aren't possible, or if you've done them and your package is still missing, please contact us and we'll step in to help!

If your tracking status is "in transit" and you feel that your package should have arrived, you can call or stop into your local post office branch with your tracking number and inquire - they can often provide more information.  But please let us know if you think your package may have gotten lost.

It doesn't happen very often, but once in a while packages will go astray - whether it has been stolen, lost, tied up in customs, misdirected, etc, we are here to help!  Please let us know!

Yes!  All of the pigments that we select for our line of colors are considered very lightfast, unless specifically noted.  

Currently there is only one color we use that is not rated as extremely lightfast, and that is Vivianite.  Many Vivianite suppliers list it as a very lightfast pigment.  However, after conducting our own testing we have found that upon longterm exposure to intense sunlight it does show some change (shifts from a grey-blue to a cool grey), giving it a rating of 4/5 instead of 5/5.  To protect a painting that incorporates Vivianite, display it under UV protective glass and out of direct sunlight (good advice for any art on display!).

We only work with pigments that have low or no known toxicity when properly used.  We do not work with cadmiums, cobalts, lead, manganese, mercury, or arsenic pigments.  We do work with copper-containing pigments, which are generally not considered non-toxic, but pose no serious health risks, especially when handled as intended.

Please note that our line of watercolors is professional/artist grade and not intended for children.  Pans pose a choking hazard.  Please use only as intended.

Our binder formulation contains local wild honey.  We do not use any other insect (or animal) products.

While we realize or colors are not cheap, there is a very good reason!  All of our G&B products are made by hand, right here in our Colorado studios.  We use only the highest quality ingredients and materials, which alone are expensive.  Our watercolors have a maximum pigment load, and - no fillers, which significantly effects price.  In addition, we use traditional, labor-intensive methods and techniques to transform these materials into our products.  

Our colors are made using muller and slab (no mixers, rollers, or mills!), and then panned individually by hand (never extruded).  Once fully cured, each color is wrapped by hand with a hand-painted original color swatch on each label.  

We also take great care to carefully package each order so that it arrives safely on your doorstep.  You won't find our products tossed into an oversized box with a handful of packing peanuts or a random wad of plastic.  We try to minimize waste with our plastic-free packaging, using the correct size box or enveloped packed with care to protect your order during transit.

Further, we pay our wonderful team a living wage AND provide them benefits and paid time off.  We treat our team the way we would want to be treated ourselves.

In addition to all of this, we take pricing very seriously.  We make a point to know our numbers and price our products fairly.  That means we have set prices that allow us to operate our business and pay our team without overcharging our customers, which we believe is equally unethical.  We understand that you work very hard for your money and have the utmost respect for that.  We feel a deep sense of gratitude and responsibility when you trade your earnings for our products.

So, there are many reasons our colors may seem expensive to you:

• Handmade (like actually)
• Top quality ingredients
• Maximum pigment load
• No fillers
• Plastic-free shipping, with materials appropriately selected for safe delivery of order
• G&B team receives living wage + benefits

At the end of the day, you get what you pay for and each dollar you spend is a vote.  We are so grateful for our amazing customers, and ever in awe of the beautiful work into which you transform our colors.

Yes!  As our offering of natural pigments has increased, we decided to add country of origin to their names so that you can more easily distinguish between pigments and feel more connected to the colors you use.

Below are listed the original names and what they became:

Pipestone ⇒ American PipestoneRed Ochre ⇒ French Red OchreOrange Ochre ⇒ French Orange OchreYellow Ochre ⇒ Italian Yellow OchreLimonite ⇒ Cypriot LimoniteGreen Earth ⇒ Italian Green EarthGreen Earth #2 ⇒ Russian Green EarthCeladonite ⇒ French CeladoniteFuchsite ⇒ Brazilian FuchsiteMalachite ⇒ Chinese MalachiteVivianite ⇒ Australian VivianiteLapis Lazuli ⇒ Afghani Lapis LazuliPurple Ochre ⇒ Armenian Purple OchreViolet Hematite ⇒ American Violet HematiteBrown Ochre ⇒ Italian Brown OchreCassel Earth ⇒ German Cassel EarthChromite ⇒ South African ChromiteShungite ⇒ Russian ShungiteBlack Earth ⇒ Italian Black EarthGrey Ochre ⇒ French Grey OchreSlate ⇒ French SlateGraphite ⇒ German GraphiteBarite White ⇒ American Barite

While we use through our current stock of labels, country of origin may not be listed on the above listed colors.  All of these pigments are the same as they have been.  Nothing changed except the addition of country of origin to the name.

All other natural pigments were introduced with their current name, location included from the get-go.  For example, Moroccan Red Ochre has only ever been named as such.  Chilean Lapis Lazuli has only ever been called Chilean Lapis Lazuli.

Yucatán Mayan Blue has only ever been called that and is a different pigment from our previous Mayan Blue.  

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

A paintable project is a printable project for you to download, print, and paint yourself.  

How it works:  Once you have downloaded the files, then you print out the included drawing or template onto watercolor paper so that you can paint directly onto it.  

Paintable projects generally include:

• Template or drawing (to be printed onto watercolor paper)
• Supplies list
• Step-by-step instructions
• Terms & techniques glossary
• Additional subject information

You get to skip over the challenge of rendering a technical drawing right to enjoying the painting process.  

Finished projects can be framed for display, given as gifts, turned into beautiful mail art, mounted into a shadow box, and so much more.

That depends on a variety of variables, such as your level of experience, how much you take your time, whether or not you restart, which project you're working on, etc.  Generally, our Paintable Projects take around 1-3 hours to complete.  I urge you approach them with patience and with the enjoyment of the process being your main goal.  Try to relax, savor, and take your time!

Not at all!  You are encouraged to use your own creativity and whatever supplies you have on hand.  The instructions and supply lists are just guidelines, and often include ways to adapt what you have on hand.

I'm sorry, but no.  These projects are designed for your personal use and enjoyment.  They are wonderful tools from which to learn and gain experience.  Feel free to give finished projects as gifts to friends and family, and share your results on social media (please tag #greenleafblueberry and/or @greenleafblue so I can see your work - it really makes my day to see finished projects!)

Please purchase an additional project for your friend, or as them to purchase their own.  Our projects are intended as one per person.  A lot of thought, energy, and work goes into creating each project for you, and we would like to continue to offer these at a very affordable price.  

Just think of them as a nice cup of coffee - when you go out to coffee with a friend, you each enjoy your own cup!

Absolutely!  It is so exciting to see your finished projects! 

 If you use the following tags we will be much more likely to see them:

• #greenleafblueberry
• #GBPIY (for Greenleaf Blueberry Paint It Yourself)
• @greenleafblue

I'm sorry, but unfortunately we cannot offer refunds for digital products.  Once you have completed your purchase that downloads are immediately available to you.  However, if you have any problems, questions, concerns, or issues, please let us know!  Your satisfaction is our priority.

For any part of the downloads that are designed to be painted upon with watercolors, we recommend using a 90 lb. watercolor paper.  140 lb. papers generally will not go through a printer.

My favorite paper for our projects, charts, etc is Arches 90 lb. Cold Pressed.  Purchasing it by the sheet is more cost effective.  You can get six 8.5 x 11" pages per 20 x 30 cm sheet.

You can use regular cartridge paper for any of the text and instructions.

I use an Epson Workforce printer with excellent results.  The real key though is to use the Black & White setting, and to not use a thick paper setting, as this will cause too much ink to be put onto the paper.

I still carve brushes, but currently not as often as in the past.  With two little ones and a long to-do list my time is very short these days!  To keep tabs on new brush collection releases, make sure you are subscribed to our Newsletter!

Thank you so much for your concern!  I was hospitalized in the spring of 2016 for a stroke and artery damage as the result of an exceptionally unfortunate visit to a chiropractor who decided to perform a C-spine adjustment without first taking an X-ray.  My recovery has gone very well so far and I am endlessly grateful for that.  Your support and kind word throughout have meant more to me than you will ever know.  Thank you so much!

Please contact us through our contact form, or as a reply to an email you have received from us.  We simply don't have the time to keep up with the various messaging systems across social media.  Specifically, we unfortunately cannot reply to Instagram and Facebook direct messages - please forward those inquiries through our contact form here.

We do our very best to stay current with our correspondence, but as a very small team our inbox at times get overwhelmed!  We always appreciate your good humor and patience.