Postage prices

A couple of weeks ago I received an email through my online store from a customer regarding a pair of earrings that read:

"I would love to buy these but the postage is just unrealistic."

The item she wished to purchase is $6. Postage is $6.60.

I responded to her email, and explained why postage is $6.60. I'd like to share this reason with you also, so you can better understand the struggle at times of being a handmadie and what we sometimes have against us.

Australia Post USED to charge $4.50 to send parcels within Australia that were under 500g. Australia Post USED to charge around $6.50 to send prepaid satchels within Australia that were under 500g. Australia Post USED to charge around $10 to send prepaid satchels within Australia that were under 3kg. All 3 are reasonable rates, which customers were very happy to pay and there were no questions or issues. 

A Christy Production USED to send earrings, hairclips and other accessories via the regular postal service in a $1.20 envelope. I would label the envelope each time "DO NOT BEND" or "FRAGILE", depending on what the contents were. 

Australia Post does NOT offer a "FRAGILE" service. If you post something via regular post, it is thrown into a very large mail bag with hundreds of other items. If you post a parcel, or prepaid satchel, it is thrown into a very large mail bag or box with MANY other parcels & prepaid satchels, most of which are bigger & much heavier than the items I am posting. While using the regular postal service, I quickly came to realise that nine times out of ten, the items were arriving to their new owners damaged or broken. I had to replace or repair these items at my own extra expense. 

Australia Post put up their prices. Parcels under 500g now cost $6.60 to send. Prepaid satchels for under 500g now cost $7.85 to send. Prepaid satchels for under 3kg now cost $12.85 to send. 

I now ship all items that can be damaged in transit, as a parcel or prepaid satchel. I put cubes of cork on earring backs so they can’t be bent back. I use copious amounts of bubble wrap on each product to keep them “safe” while in transit. I, like many other handmadies, gift wrap all items purchased before sending them to their new owners. 

I do not charge my customers for any of these extra services. I do not charge for bubble wrap. I do not charge for envelopes. I do not charge for sticky tape. I do not charge handling fees. I do not charge to gift wrap. I do not charge petrol for the copious amount of times I travel to the post office each week. 

With the sale of a pair of $6 earrings which has a postage fee of $6.60, so that is $12.60 in total, can you guess how much money I make? I make $1. Yes, $1. I am not telling you this for pity, or for any reason other than to perhaps open your eyes. Please respect the prices that handmadies charge for their wares. 

If you have an issue with the amount that is asked for postage, remember that your quarrel is not with the person you are purchasing the item from. It is with Australia Post. So feel free to take it up with them.

New year.

Each new year brings new expectations, new ideas, better ideas, changes, goals, happiness, sadness, journeys, and memorable moments.  

This year I:

Will be happier.

Will work less.

Will have a more positive outlook.

Will educate myself on how to run my business more effectively.

Will be better at what I do.

Will be more honest with my feelings.

This year I:

Want to be successful.

Want to go on a holiday with my husband.

Want to find out why I can't get pregnant.

Want to be more organised.

Want to be heard.

Shedding the kg's

Precisely 68 days ago I decided enough was enough.  I'm way too overweight.  I'm disgusted in myself.  I'm tired of buying a new pair of swimmers and board shorts every Summer.  I'm tired of feeling tired and having no energy.  I'm tired of feeling sorry for myself.  I'm no longer comfortable with being uncomfortable in my skin.  

68 days on, I'm down 9kg.  It's been hard.  And there's a long long long way to go.  

How, you may ask?  

My Fitness Pal.  The best phone app in the world.   

Learn more about this app and how to count calories here.

Please join me in my journey.  I'd love the support.  Or if you already use the app, I'd love to connect with you.  My username is: christyleefrank

Bag Contents - Public or Personal?

Earlier this evening I posted a picture of the contents of my handbag, as I was in the process of changing handbags.  It astounded me what I had accumulated over the past months in my bag, and decided to lay it out and take a picture and shared it on my personal Facebook page.  Here is the photo...

Contents: Sanitary items, Diary, Small Bag, 2 glasses cases, lots of medications, Nasonex, Floss, x2 Purell, Headache tablets, chewing gum, Mirror, Paw Paw Ointment, Hairspray, Coin Purse, Business Cards, Purse, Fan, Shopping bag carriers, Elastic band, Hair clips, Hair bands, bobby pins, Bulldog clip, KFC wet wipe, Lip gloss, x2 lip liners & eye liner.

I shared the image as I have shared images of my bag contents previously without much of a thought.... after all, tonnes of ladies have shared the contents of their handbags on blogs and social media sites in the past.

The reception from others was mixed.  Some thought it was weird, others thought it was funny.  

It got me thinking.  Are the contents of a women's bag REALLY as personal as people let on them to be.  Obviously I have proven that I have no issue with it.  But I don't understand what the big deal is!! 

What do you think? Public?  Or personal?

I'd really love to hear your thoughts.  The topic has my speechless and slightly annoyed.

#26 - He's back!

I have my husband back!!!!!!! Yay!

How delightful do I look??

#17 - A day late, self portrait day.

I missed the memo (in other words, didn't keep up with what's going on).  It was self portrait day yesterday for Blogtoberfest.  I am home sick from work and have spent most of the day infront of my computer.  So here I am.  Photo taken with my awesome fuzzy webcam.

No makeup.  Hair dried by itself.  No photo editing.  

The real deal.

#10 - Oh boy. Ran out of stuff to say.

It's only day ten of Blogtober, and I've got nothin for ya.  Nothing I say!!  I even searched my laptop just now, hoping for some fun pictures I took of a project from the past few weeks that I happened to not blog about yet.  Nothing.  I did a Pinterest blog post yesterday, so can't do that one again.  Totally stuck.  So guess what.  You get to read about the blabberings of my mind.  Some random things.  Stuff that's happened lately.  Stuff that happened today.  You know, stuff.

- I woke up this morning, and sneezed 10 times in a row.  I've been light headed ever since.  Seriously.
- I have never drank alcohol in my life, but the way my eyes have been acting today after above mentioned sneezing, I think they might be drunk, somehow.
- I have the gimme's when it comes to Stampin' Up!.
- I don't really like ice cream.  But sorbet and gelato - whole different story.
- The power went out tonight whilst husby and I were at a friends.  A transformer blew down the street.  Totally exciting.
- I don't like my sign off signature below.  The colour is wrong and the font is ugly, but I don't know how to change it so there it remains.
- I have so much to do tomorrow, I have a headache just thinking about it.
- When was the last time you made fly eyes for a costume?  Never you say?  Well I'm in the process of making 5 pairs.... Oh that's a good blog post entry I can do when they're done!!
- I am about half way through my Christmas shopping.  Actually that's a lie, about 1/3 done.
- I am a bit over eating at the moment.  Might have something to do with the fact that I'm over cooking.  And washing up.
- I have a scar in my eyebrow and it makes one of my eyebrows look like I have over plucked it.  So I colour it in brown.
- I'm a hairdresser, my regrowth is 3 inches long, and I don't care.  Not sure how I managed that.
- I hate wearing glasses, it covers up your awesome eye makeup.
- Someone came into work the other day with whooping cough.  I could have slapped her, or worse.  SO inconsiderate.
- I'm really over working too.  It's so annoying and daily.
- I am loving that the nights are still lovely and cool.  Makes it so easy to sleep well.
- I'm going camping soon, for a whole week!!  I am pretty excited to be lazy.
- I love Catch of the Day.
- Husby and I are currently awaiting 16 parcels to arrive in the post.  I think we may have got a little excited about online shopping.  I promise they are all necessary purchases, and alot of Christmas presents, and you know, cool stuff for us just cause.  Like I said, totally necessary though....

#8 - A pet peeve - it's time to rant!

Rude drivers.

Image

If you are going to go slow, get out of the right lane.  I have been sitting here with my indicator on for 5 minutes watching this woman pack her groceries into her boot, if you DARE steal my spot after seeing it 2 seconds ago, I will chase you down and make you sorry.  Just because you're on a motorbike, doesn't mean you get to make your way to the front of the line of traffic waiting at the red light.  'P' platers, it is not a race.  Incase you haven't yet realised, skidding your tyres and putting the petal to the metal will set you back a few extra thousand dollars a year then what the rest of us pay to stay on the road.  When you need to merge up ahead, don't race up to the end of your lane and then expect me to happily let you in, if I let you in at all.  Guess what? You have indicator.  Use it.  Hey have you seen those cool signs on the side of the road that say how fast you should go?  I'm pretty sure most roads have a shoulder, just incase you forgot your brain, when you're turning, use it.  Cutting corners is like fingernails on a chalkboard - it's just not OK folks.

I promise I don't have road rage.  I just grunt and speak loudly at people with my windows up.....

Want to share a rant?  Join in over here for fun.      

A little bit frazzled

Image

I have had a shocking 24 hours.  Pretty suprised I haven't cracked and sobbed like a baby in the corner yet...... yet being the key word.  You know what would cheer me up? 

If you entered my giveaway!

Thank the heavens I can go home tonight and eat chocolate until I feel sick.  And then I can crawl into bed and have weird sugar high dreams all night, and laugh about them tomorrow, while I make awesome crafty goodness.

Moving & stress relieving card making

As you may (or may not) know, I am moving.  Moving day is in 9 days!!  Lucky for us, we can take smaller loads of boxes and fragile items over to Mum and Dad's place (where we're moving) and start organising them there.  Moving day should then only consist of furniture items, if we get all the other things over there ourselves in the meantime.  It's been really hard figuring out what to pack in which box, because this isn't your typical move.  Husby and I will be sharing the kitchen & laundry with my parents.  So this means we won't be needing quite a few items, as we will use theirs.  SO, we have gone through the kitchen a few times and had to figure out which box the item went into... the donate box, the storage box, the unpack box, or the try to sell at car boot sale box.  Things that are being packed to be stored, I am packing very carefully, with lots of newspaper, and ensuring there are firmer items at the top of the box to create a steady base for the box that will likely be stacked on top of it for a year!!!  

We have three bedrooms and a small lounge area to ourselves.  We are going to use husby's study room to store most of the boxes, which will be stacked up a few boxes high, so I really need to be careful how I pack.  Each box has a packing sheet taped to it, which has the room it belongs to, whether it is a storage or unpack box, and all of the contents written on it.  I am glad I do packing sheets because I have had to open 3 boxes in the past week looking for things I had prematurely packed and I needed!!! 

I am also INCREDIBLY, stupidly, ridiculously, crazy busy at work at the moment.  I work in an Accounting firm in the Reception area and it is Tax Season!!!!  Kill me now!!  I barely have time to go to the loo!!!   It's incredibly stressful and fast paced.  Just the way I DON'T like it!  

And to top it all off, I am once again sick!  This time round, I have tonsilitis.  It's been about 3 weeks now.  I am on antibiotics but they don't seem to be doing the trick.  There have been a couple of moment in the past few weeks where I wanted to rip my tonsils out myself!  I even had trouble breathing and swallowing one night.  Horrendous.  

So this is why I need stress relief people.  Sick, moving, over-busy work.  

I was smart when I packed up my craft room.  I left out all my card making supplies!  

I have been making cards just about every night for the last week and it has been great.  As usual I don't love every card I make, but I figure someone out there will.  Only problem is, I've had no desire to clean up after each card project.  So my desk now looks like this...

It's gonna be SO FUN to tidy up when I get around to it hehe!!  Here's what I've made in this past week...

I've made several of each card design, so I have a nice stack of cards to add to my stash.  I've been having fun using my new stamp & paper sets that I have recently ordered from Stampin' Up!  Notice that most of the cards are sewing themed?  Awesome huh!!  They came out with a whole bunch of sewing themed stamp sets and a paper set in their latest mini catalogue.  I had to buy the lot.  And I'm thinking of buying more paper before it becomes unavailable too!!  Something I found out, is that they have made the patterned paper into fabric in the USA.  Jealous!  I think I'm going to have to try and get my hands on some.  It is simply divine!!

Well that is what I've been up to lately.  Back to packing I think!!

I'm sick!

Image

This is me!  Tummy bugs and a never-ending cold are playing havoc on my ability to achieve much of anything of late.  Haven't been able to create anything this week to share with you, sorry!  Hopefully I am back on my feet soon... I don't have much patience for ill health.  Hope you all are staying cold/flu/tummy bug free!!

One last thing.  After a horrible night last night of being so ill that I couldn't sleep, I went out today and bought an array of things to help me feel better, along with a 2 litre bottle of Sprite.  Sprite is the one thing that makes me feel better!  

What makes you feel better when you're sick??