Hey everyone,

Just stopping by with a quick shipping and manufacturing update for all three active projects! I'm sorry if you receive this email three times, but I'm posting this to all three project update pages, and that sends an email for each one.

Photos - I've posted some photos the manufacturers have sent me. They are photos from across the three projects. 

The remade pins and enamel pieces for this project have finally been completed by the factory, and I'm told they'll be shipping to me on Friday. Assuming everything stays on schedule, they should arrive sometime next week.

I'll be in Nashville for a convention next week, so I may or may not be home when they arrive. As soon as I get back, I'll immediately begin processing the shipment, performing quality checks, and assembling grips so they can begin shipping out.

The remaining Night Market pins are also expected to arrive on Friday alongside the remade Firmly Grasp It pieces.

Since Firmly Grasp It has just under 300 backers, I expect shipping for that project to take about 3–4 days once it begins. As soon as those orders are finished, I'll move directly into shipping Secret Night Market. That project should take approximately one week to ship.

I haven't decided yet whether I'll combine packages for backers who pledged for both projects. While combining shipments sounds simple, each project contains more than 50+ different SKUs, and organizing combined orders adds a significant amount of complexity when I'm packing every order by myself.

Unfortunately, it also doesn't really save on postage anymore.

On July 12, USPS changed its Ground Advantage pricing. Instead of charging based on ounce ranges, all packages under one pound now fall under the same price tier. Since enamel pin orders are usually well under one pound, many of those lighter packages now cost the same to ship as a full one-pound package. As a result, shipping costs have increased noticeably for many small businesses.

This project is currently way ahead of schedule.

Right now I'm estimating shipping will begin in late August or early September, which is significantly earlier than the original estimate of late October through early November. Apparently this is what happens when your doctor actually listens to you, prescribes life-changing ADHD medication, and suddenly your productivity goes through the roof. 😅

And finally, I just want to reiterate how incredibly grateful I am for everyone's patience and understanding throughout all of the setbacks and timeline changes with Firmly Grasp It and The Secret Night Market.

Unexpected manufacturing issues and shipping delays can be incredibly overwhelming and stressful, especially when you're a small business owner wearing every hat and handling every part of the business yourself. 

Thank you for continuing to support my small business through all of the bumps in the road. I truly can't wait to get these projects into your hands, and I'm so excited for you to finally see everything in person. ❤️

Cheers,
Liz