Designer Profiles Features

Three years ago, Monika Brandrup assumed the role of executive vice president and creative director of Up With Paper, UWP Luxe and Jumping Jack Press. In that relatively short time, she has spearheaded a multi-channel approach by creating several sub-brands to serve different markets. So while this house of paper’s sprawling offerings are currently available in 2,500 retail venues around the world, materials, embellishment and, of course, retail price point greatly vary. While this strategy is hardly unique — other gift and stationery brands with similar systems include Fringe, Elum, Meri Meri and Punch Studios — Brandrup represents the only dimensional house of paper traversing this particular route.

Here, specialty retailers remain the most precious and important jewel in her pop-up crown, Brandrup emphasized. “It is [with specialty retailers] that the most innovative and newest products make their way into this special retail environment. It is also where a brand’s validity is established and grown. It would be impossible to expand business growth into larger national or international accounts without a presence in reputable, unique specialty storefronts. It is the foundation for a successful brand.”

That may sound simple, but it can get quite complicated quickly, especially with an intricately structured product. Stationery Trends interviewed Brandrup to learn more.

ST: Can you take us through the different sub-brands and channels they serve?

MB: When you want to conduct business in multiple markets, it is important to offer unique products to each retailer and their customer base. For Up With Paper, our priority is to design for specialty markets first, focusing on our best trend-setting work and showcasing our most creative paper engineering skills. It was also a natural move for us to design and offer completely different yet unique card lines for mass markets that feel new and fresh. All of this can only be achieved by offering diverse, innovative greeting card products that do not compete with one another.

Additionally, consumer shopping habits vary across the different territories in the USA where we sell our pop-up cards. I want to offer unique products to all these segments, but do so in a smart way so everyone has something unique, as if it were made by a completely different company.

This led to the launch of PopGreetings and Parallel Lines. We have developed custom products for TJX for over a decade under the PopGreetings brand, including individual cards for Everyday and Seasonal, sold in floor corrugates, as well as boxed cards, tags, and DIY kits. Additionally, Parallel Lines was launched to serve mass deep-discount storefronts such as Dollar General. Each brand’s products are custom-tailored for buyers, and we have established true partnerships to ensure they have the perfect designs for their customers at the right retail price. All of this is done while protecting our core specialty business.

ST: Can you describe how a similar pop-up item might be presented across different channels?

MB: Very conscious choices are made when designing and producing a card for a high-end retailer vs. a deep-discount store. For example, a paper with high cotton content may be used instead of a common art board, complex paper engineering with moving parts may be showcased rather than simpler pop-up techniques that are less expensive to hand-assemble, or delicate mixed-media embellishments may accent a design rather than a simple finish of only glitter. All of this is visually tied together by conscious design decisions supporting the design aesthetic, such as the type of illustrator, the overall card sentiment, or the specific needs of the end consumer.

ST: In terms of product, what does the specialty segment have access to that other channels do not?

MB: It is critical to protect our specialty retailers by not offering the same designs at the same price points across the two completely different channels. Our core Up With Paper brands (Treasures, Panoramics, and Trinkets) and UWP Luxe brands (Pure Alchemy, Dear Alchemy, and Artisan Series) — basically everything in our specialty catalogs and showcased in our tradeshows — is not offered to other retail channels.

ST: How do your limited-release, exclusive offerings with key accounts strengthen your specialty offerings?

MB: For several accounts, such as Anthropologie, we design custom pop-up cards and dimensional products tailored to their specifications. This gives us an opportunity to be highly design-forward while being showcased in such a reputable store. We offer exclusivity for one year, then release these great designs to our specialty retailers. It is an opportunity to offer something very special.

ST: Can you give a hint of upcoming exclusive offerings for specialty retailers?

MB: Yes! UWP Luxe will introduce an exquisite new Paper Artisan Series launching in January 2027! We collaborated with a stunning French paper artist, Hannah Levesque, and will be releasing a collection of four adult-focused DIY paper kits that are truly works of art. Two designs will be displayed in a glass dome and wood base (included in the kit), and two are showcased in a dramatic shadow box frame that can be hung.

ST: Is there anything else you would like to share with Stationery Trends readers?

MB: For Christmas 2026, we are offering several new designs of boxed cards and boxed tags. Our boxed pop-up cards are showcased in shadowboxes, perfect for display and impulse purchases. We’re also excited to release two new Jumping Jack Press titles: Bark Boo, the Halloween Pup Crew, and Little Book of Flowers, all designed for little hands and young readers.