New packaging. Same low price.

My business challenge for the month was to simplify my order packing routine and cut costs to allow me to keep first class postage rates the same low price for my customers despite the postage cost increase that begins tomorrow. I also wanted to make every package a customer receives extra special.

To that end you will now find:

* smaller stick on thermal printed shipping labels which allow for
* smaller padded envelopes to keep shipping weight low and
* no more packing tape
* gets your order packaged faster
* more recycled content
* half sheet size sales receipts to save on paper, ink and shipping weight
* the same complimentary jewelry packaging as always
* the same signature turquoise tissue paper with the addition of
* seasonal silver seals to make it special
* folding business card size guides when appropriate to your order

Priority postage rates will be increasing due to a larger postage rate increase.

Pearl restringing makes a great gift

Gentlemen, for most of the year I deal mostly with women.  But this time of year I deal mostly with men who realize that getting a strand of much-loved pearls, that have been sitting broken and unused in their wives' jewelry boxes, cleaned and restrung makes an excellent and thoughtful gift.  It certainly does! But your time is running out for this year.

I will not be accepting new restringing orders from Dec 10th, 2016 to Jan 1, 2017.  Any order that is already in house on Dec 10th will be completed and returned in time for Christmas.

Never fear, though.  There is still plenty of time to surprise her for Valentines Day!

Pearl restringing info

Holiday shipping deadlines for handmade items

Below are the US Postal Service official holiday shipping deadlines, but when shopping for handmade items please remember that there are additional considerations. Many handmade items you buy online are Made To Order or Customized and the artisan will not even begin to make your item until after the order is placed. Many are swamped with orders this time of year and will make each and every one with their own hands. If you wish to have a fully Custom item made, the artisan will have to work closely with you and may have to purchase special materials and take extra time to work out the details of how to make something they do not normally make. Because this takes so much extra time, many artisans have already stopped taking custom requests for the holidays, but you can find a few who still will.

Contrary to popular belief, the US Postal Service does not guarantee their shipping times. They only provide an estimate of the most likely delivery window. Therefore, most online merchants can only guarantee how long it will take them to get your item in the mail, but cannot guarantee how long the postal service will take to get it to you. As happens every year, expect the USPS to be running late due to weather and other considerations. Ordering early is your best guarantee to insure delivery and avoid paying for expensive shipping upgrades.

Domestic

	First Class Package Service: Dec 20
	Priority Mail: Dec 21
	Priority Mail Express: Dec 23

International

	First Class International Package Service: Dec 1
	Priority Mail International: Dec 1
	Priority Mail Express International: Dec 8

Get your pearls restrung now!

It is time to start thinking about what you will wear to those Christmas parties, winter weddings and New Year celebrations.  This is the time of year when people start checking their jewelry boxes and realize their pearls broke last year and need to be restrung immediately or that the Christmas bride might want to wear grandmother's pearls and they need to be refreshed. Often, I have husbands contact me who wish to surprise their wives by having their broken strands cleaned and restrung for Christmas.

This is the time of year when I'm inundated with rush requests for pearl cleaning and restringing. This also coincides with the time of year when the postal service is bogged down and mail service is the slowest. The sooner you contact me to make arrangements the better. I will not be taking new restringing requests between Dec 10, 2016 and Jan 1, 2017 in order to insure that everything in house is returned prior to Christmas and so I can enjoy my holidays as well.

Pearl Restringing Information

Get your pearls restrung now!

It is time to start thinking about what you will wear to those Christmas parties, winter weddings and New Year celebrations.  This is the time of year when people start checking their jewelry boxes and realize their pearls broke last year and need to be restrung immediately or that the Christmas bride might want to wear grandmother's pearls and they need to be refreshed. Often, I have husbands contact me who wish to surprise their wives by having their broken strands cleaned and restrung for Christmas.

This is the time of year when I'm inundated with rush requests for pearl cleaning and restringing. This also coincides with the time of year when the postal service is bogged down and mail service is the slowest. The sooner you contact me to make arrangements the better. I will not be taking new restringing requests between Dec 10, 2016 and Jan 1, 2017 in order to insure that everything in house is returned prior to Christmas and so I can enjoy my holidays as well.

Pearl Restringing Information