About Us

Cherished Prints took root in 2012 with the passing of a beloved mother. After losing her mom to cancer on February 28th that year, Melissa Fox-Austin scoured the internet for a memorial announcement that captured the essence of her mom’s memory—something clean, uplifting and beautiful. As she searched, however, she was met with an array of outdated and mediocre designs. Unwilling to settle for what was available, Melissa took it upon herself to create a design that paid perfect tribute to her mom’s generous life and the love they shared.

Melissa’s design featured dandelions with their seeds blowing in the wind. This depiction not only signified her mom’s passing at the beginning of her son’s life but was also representative of the start of the next generation when the older one passes on. This sentimental announcement would later become known as the Dandelion Collection.

Through her personal experience, Melissa gained an understanding of the need for beautifully and professionally designed stationery to celebrate the life of loved ones. On March 6, 2012, Melissa opened an Etsy shop and shared a single listing for a memorial announcement. At that time, Melissa’s shop was the first to offer funeral stationery on Etsy. On May 22, 2012, she sold her first order.In 2015, Melissa launched Cherished Prints, an online boutique that now consists of made-to-order funeral and memorial stationery. It has since received more than 2,000 sales and hopes to transform consumer expectations of funeral and memorial stationery.