Holiday Mailings: It's The Most Anxiety-Inducing Time Of The Year

Most of the customers whom I've dealt with on Etsy have been really nice. The people who shop on Etsy truly appreciate the fact that my items are handmade and recognize the work that goes into them. I think it's a great site and love that artists have a place to sell their goods online.

Now that the holiday season is upon us, things have gotten pretty busy at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations. I'm not complaining!!!!! I'm honored that people plan to give my jewelry as gifts to their girlfriends, daughters, friends, etc. And I think it's cool that customers who live as far as Australia are ordering from me.

Still, this time a year can be a blessing and a curse. I think that most shop owners (on Etsy and otherwise) see a bump in sales. However, I feel somewhat like Santa in that I HAVE to get the gifts to everyone on time -- and that adds a whole lot of pressure.

I pride myself on shipping items quickly. On my site, my policies state that customers can expect items to be shipped within 3-5 business days, though I usually mail them out before then. When it comes to the holidays, though, I often get requests for rush orders so people can have their gifts in time for whatever celebration is on the horizon. I do my best to get them out by the requested date, but unfortunately, I also have to depend on USPS ... and the holidays can sometimes slow them down. Hence the stress.

I could send my packages via FedEx or UPS, but that costs a lot more money, especially if I overnight the parcels. I'm already shipping for free at the moment, so I'm losing a little money, anyway. It's worth it to me to add in that touch of great service; I like to give "extras," such as holiday specials. I just hate feeling like I'm out of control. I've been constantly checking the USPS site to make sure that my orders are en route... and it's frustrating when not much information is given about packages on the way to Australia, for example. Tracking in the US is a lot easier to do, obviously, but there still have been some delays.

I don't mind the hard work and I appreciate the holiday sales ... but I'll be relieved when I can relax and not have to keep such a tight eye on USPS.

Handmade Wire Wrapped Jewelry Christmas Style

Earlier today, I posted a photo gallery of blue and white wire wrapped jewelry pieces to honor my holiday, Hannukah. Though I don't celebrate Christmas personally, I still love the holiday and look forward to it every year. I enjoy walking around our neighborhood and looking at the Christmas lights. I also have a great time at others' Christmas celebrations! So in honor of Christmas, here are some of my favorite red and green jewelry pieces:

Happy holidays! Free shipping through Christmas at Naomi's Designs on Etsy! To purchase my jewellery, head to Naomi's Designs. To purchase my children's jewelry, head to MayaGirl Creations. To purchase my novel, check out REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD.

Handmade Wire Wrapped Jewelry Hannukah Style!

Happy holidays from Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations! What have you been doing so far to celebrate the holidays? Have you been shopping or decorating your home? We celebrate Hannukah in my family so on Saturday, my husband and I threw a Chanukah bash -- and had a great time. Jon made latkes and homemade sangria, and we ended up with more food than we could handle!

Anyway, the traditional Chanukah colors are blue and white. So in honor of this festive Jewish holiday, here are some of my favorite blue and white wire wrapped jewellery pieces!

Right now, I'm busy selling my work at holiday fairs and am getting ready for some upcoming parties. But stay tuned for my 2013 collection! Meantime, free shipping through Christmas on all of my Naomi's Designs pieces on Etsy! To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs. To purchase my children's jewelry, head to MayaGirl Creations. To purchase my novel, check out REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD.