Dates To Know – 2018 Handmade Holidays

December 1, 2018January 1, 2019 / pen&thimble / Leave a comment

pen&thimble 2018 Christmas DEADLINES

December 10 – Last Day for NEARLY GUARANTEED* pre-Christmas delivery (US orders)

December 11- 17 – I will do my best to get your purchases to you before Christmas, but you’re taking a risk that orders may not arrive. Choose Priority or Express Mail if you’re worried.

December 18+ – Your order will likely not arrive in time for Christmas. But I’ll still be around working on orders as they come and answering questions.

*NEARLY GUARANTEED pre-Christmas delivery = I cannot control what USPS does once a package is in their hands. But I can guarantee that orders placed by 12/10 will be shipped by 12/15 giving your package 7 business days to get to you.

I Believe in Sale-ebrations!

November 20, 2018November 18, 2018 / pen&thimble / 1 Comment

So Fun! Bright and Customizable Mini Ornaments by pen&thimble

I Hit 1500 Sales on Etsy! Join Me For a Cyber Week Sale To Celebrate!

15% off purchases $50+
November 20 – 26
No coupon code needed

Head on over to my Etsy shop now and add items to cart so you’re ready for the sale on Tuesday!

And THANK YOU, for helping me turn my hobby business into a small business! Your purchases, reviews, social media comments, and good wishes have all helped me get to this milestone! You all keep me going when things get tough. Seriously, thanks a ton!

Shop November Customer Favorites (So Far):

Pink unicorn apron with child's name. A personal gift for the holidays! — Unicorn Apron. #1 Bestseller This Month!

Mini hand-embroidered ornaments by pen&thimble are perfect for the kid's Christmas tree! — Hand-Embroidered Mini-Ornaments. #2 Best Seller This Month!

Hand-embroidered linen napkins for grownups! Makes great hostess gift! — NEW! Hand-Embroidered Linen Napkins! Bright & Sustainable For Grownups!

Cotton Christmas Coloring Placemat. Color, Wash, Reuse! — Cotton Christmas Coloring Placemat: Color, Eat, Wash, Reuse!
Last Year’s Best Seller!

Hand-Embroidered Christmas Napkins. Makes a personal hostess gift and beautiful table setting! — NEW! Hand-Embroidered Linen Napkins!
Make a gorgeous statement for special occassions,
but super absorbent for everyday use too!

Customize Your Holiday Gift-Giving!

October 9, 2018October 9, 2018 / pen&thimble / Leave a comment

I’m so excited to announce my new line of hand-embroidered mini ornaments. Available on Etsy and Amazon Handmade!! These ornaments are just 2.2 inches (5.5 cm), but they have BIG character and adorable hand stitched details.

Pandas with flower crowns or penguins with pom-poms! Whichever you choose, these hand embroidered ornaments will bring cheer to your holiday decor!

Who are these ornaments for? You, kids, teacher gift, baby’s first Christmas, family, friends, penguin lovers, panda enthusiasts!

What do I do with this? Gift to your kids’ favorite teacher — bonus points! They are the perfect size for your mini tree or kids’ tree! Hang on your plant for easy festive fun! Use as a bright personalized gift tag or napkin ring tag before hanging on the tree! Grab a bunch for wall decoration in small spaces (mine are right above my desk already)!

Which mini ornament is your favorite? Are you Team Panda or Team Penguin? Tell me below!

There’s No Such Thing As Free Lunch Or Free Shipping. But It Sounds Awesome!

July 11, 2018 / pen&thimble / Leave a comment

Hi, pen&thimble friends!

I want to let you behind-the-scenes of some very recent price changes in my shop!

Etsy Increased Seller Fees So I’m Lowering My Prices? Yup!

The Boring Part: Etsy has changed its seller fee structure so that their cut of my sales includes the item price (same old) AND shipping price (new). And on top of that, they are increasing seller fees. Some people are pretty upset, but to me, it’s no big deal. Fees are an expected part of selling on an online marketplace.

pen&thimble handmade accessories for children

What That Means for YOU Shopping pen&thimble On Etsy:

1) FREE SHIPPING ON EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME! Now that Etsy is taking a cut out of my shipping costs too, it makes sense to offer free shipping! Yay!! We all love free shipping!

2) TOTAL ITEM COST GOING DOWN, NOT UP. WHAAT? Yes!

For example, previously, a $12 placemat cost $3.11 to ship. That was $15.11 total.

Now that same placemat is $13 with free shipping!

Previously, a $15 pouch with $3.11 shipping was $18.11 at checkout.

Now, the price, including shipping, is $16!

I’m so excited to offer free shipping, while keeping prices low, so that I may continue making quality and sustainable items accessible to you!

But Real Talk, There’s No Such Thing As A Free Lunch… Or Free Shipping.

Yes, there is always a catch! My decision to offer free shipping and to offer lower prices overall means that sitewide sales and promotions are going to be nonexistent, or at best SUPER RARE — like an eclipse. I’d rather have items more affordable all year round than offer sales continually.

But! Email subscribers! You will still get those special coupons each month! Click HERE to subscribe if you aren’t already a pen&thimble insider!

affordable handmade with pen&thimble

Recap:

Etsy seller fees going up. Just fees on my end! But my prices are going down. This means WAY less public site-wide sales and promotions moving forward. But email subscribers are still getting freebies and exclusive sales each month! Sounds like we’re all winning, right?

Check out the new prices and free shipping on Etsy! Just in time for your back-to-school zero-waste/waste-free lunch needs — so many reusable placemats, napkins, utensil bags, and snack pouches to choose from! Yay!