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Q: Which address do you ship to - Etsy or PayPal?
A: All orders are shipped to the address provided on Etsy unless otherwise stated. Please double check to make sure that your PayPal address matches the one you have listed on Etsy. Exception: If you have directly placed your order with me (and not through Etsy), your order will be shipped to the address provided on PayPal.
Q: Can you ship to an alternate address?
A: Yes, as long as you have provided me with the alternative address ahead of time.
Q: Do you ship internationally?
A: Yes. All orders ship out from Canada, and can be shipped both domestically and internationally.
Q: What form of payment do you accept?
A: Currently we accept payment via PayPal. All items are listed in USD. Email money transfer is also accepted if you are in the Toronto area. Please send me an email beforehand if you prefer this method of payment, and I will send you an updated invoice (in CAD).
Q: How long does it usually take to make and ship out an order?
A: It varies. Aside from individual orders received on Etsy, I also do wholesale orders (consisting of at least 20-40 items) and custom orders. During busier times of the year, it may take at least a month before your order ships out. A lot of love, patience, and care goes into making each item. Since I am just one person (who occasionally receives help from my younger sister), it may take me a while to get your order out to you. I usually try to accommodate orders that need to meet a certain deadline, but again, it really depends on how many orders I currently have. To get a better idea, please visit the order status section to see a list of orders that are being worked on, as well as which ones have already shipped out. During less busier times, I can get orders out within a week. Again, if you have any questions or concerns about the status of your order, please send me an email or leave me a message on Etsy, and I'll get back to you asap.
Q: Why are your items "made-to-order"?
A: Each character is made to order because I simply do not have the space/funds to store a large quantity of them at home. By listing each one as "made-to-order" it allows me to purchase only the materials that are needed to create the specific character that was ordered. This helps me save a ton of space, and ensures that only necessary materials are purchased and used per order.
Q: Will you ever have any "ready-to-ship" items?
A: It's possible, but rare. When I first make a new character, it will be listed as "ready-to-ship", but once it's sold, I will relist the listing as "made-to-order" if I do not currently have another one available to ship out right away.
Q: Do I need an Etsy account to purchase something from your shop?
A: No. If you would like to purchase something from my shop but do not have an Etsy account, please send me an email with the subject "Order Request", and mention which item you are interested in purchasing. I will then send you an invoice via PayPal directly.
Q: Can I request a custom order?
A: Yes! I absolutely love the challenge of working on a custom order. If you would like to request a custom order, please send me a message through Etsy, or email me with your request. Please be aware that it may take me some time to complete your order, depending on factors such as: number of items being ordered, complexity, whether or not I am currently working on wholesale orders. If you can let me know if you'll be needing it by a certain deadline, that would be greatly appreciated.
Q: It's taking a long time for you to make my order and ship it out. Can I get a refund?
A: Unfortunately, I cannot issue you a refund. Once an order is placed, materials are purchased and your order is worked on. When I receive multiple orders for the same item, I usually work in batches to ensure that they're made uniformly. Your patience is greatly appreciated, as I am working hard to get your order out to you as soon as possible. Please understand that it may take some time to complete your order because I am only one person, and the number of orders which I receive each week varies. If you've been waiting a while, it might be because there were a bunch of orders that were placed before yours. I usually try to ship out each order in the order that I had received them in (while accommodating ones that need to be out by a certain deadline). Again, please do not hesitate to contact me if you need your order sooner. Also, please do check out the order status section to get a better idea of how many orders I may have.
Q: Is this your full-time job?
A: No, but it feels like one. This started out as a hobby, and is something that I continue to enjoy doing. Please understand that this is not my full-time job and so there may be days when I might be busy with school work, or family matters, and I may not have as much time as I would like, to work on your orders. But also keep in mind that I do continue to work as hard as I can to complete your order for you as soon as possible.
Q: What are those barcodes at the side of your page?
A: The QR codes that you see at the side of my blog contain links to both this blog, as well as the lookbook. If you have a barcode scanner app on your phone, scanning the QR code will bring up either this blog, or our lookbook, on your phones web browser. If you do not currently have a barcode scanner application installed on your phone, I recommend searching up an app called ShopSavvy in either the App store, or G-market. They make apps that work on both iPhone and Android phones. It's really a lot of fun to use, and makes it easy to check out our site on your phone!
Q: Who photographs your items? What camera do you use?
A: I do. I currently use a Canon XSi (dslr) and Speedlite 580EXII (flash). My backdrop is usually either my desk or my giant sketchbook (for it's white background). I like setting up my camera onto a tripod so that the photos come out clearer. A lot of my older photos don't look as nice since I just got my flash recently (which has helped out a lot). I'm still in the middle of updating the photos in my Etsy Shop, so I suggest checking out the lookbook for updated photos. I do use Photoshop CS3 to edit my photos because the lighting in my apartment isn't the greatest. Also, sometimes the photo uploader on Etsy makes my photos look very desaturated, so again, please head on over to the lookbook to see better photographs of my characters.
Q: How long have you been making these toys, and how did you get started?
A: I've been making them for almost two years. I originally taught myself how to knit (because I wanted to make a scarf for myself). Eventually I bought myself a couple of great "do-it-yourself" books which taught me how to make simple toys. I usually draw my own characters in my sketchbook and from there, experiment with different stitches that I've learned (increasing and decreasing) to see if I can create a similar shape to what I've drawn. I like to knit and crochet freehand without using a pattern, and since I use my drawings as a reference, my patterns are only created when I'm actually in the process of making something (so that I don't forget how I made it). After a while, if I've made a certain character multiple times, I usually don't need to look at my pattern to make them. It becomes an automatic process--I can literally knit with my eyes closed!
