Yesterday was my grammar exam at uni and it was more like a war than a test. There was past participle punches, split infinitive inciters and dependent clause karate chops. I'd been stewing about this one for many weeks now.

So it was a lovely surprise to find this package on my doorstep yesterday morning - it's from the lovely Alli_Lucy who has definitely kindled a love in me for the reclaimed sweater!





( Firstly, apologies for the bad photo. My camera and I aren't on speaking terms anymore because it just wouldn't cooperate with me. Also apologies for me not modelling it personally - my face still looks like I took on half a drunken nightclub )

This is the item I requested for our swap (we asked for one thing each and included two surprises) and let me tell you... it was really hard to wait! But I'm glad I did because this little cardy is perfect! I wear a lot of blues and I'm nearly always in jeans so this is perfect to toss on in the kind of weather we have right now where it's warm, cold, warm, cold and I can pair it with a tee to look casual, or with a nice lacey top if I'm going out. I wore it to my exam and I got a lot of compliments! And between you and me... I think it was a good luck charm too.

I'm not sure which detail I love most... the blue lace, the doily pin, the velvet ribbon or the satin ribbon just inside the front like a little blue secret.





( A better photo colour-wise, cardy, albeit blurry. Maggie thinks it's so cute she passed clean out! )



Surprise gift number one:




A two cheeses framed embroidery! I literally squealed when I pulled this out! Her stitches are so tiny and perfect, it's lke painting with thread. Framing an embroidered scene like a painting has been a project I've had to keep shifting further back and back on my to-do list, so I'm happy now that I have one of my own!



Surprise gift number two:




Gorgeous handmade tea-towels. These suit my kitchen perfectly but they're far too nice to actually wipe my hands on! So I'll be using them on didplay, making my other tea-towels all jealous.


Thank you Alli for such a wonderful hoard of presents! And such good timing too!

Don't you just hate it when your plans don't work out? I had THE perfect gift planned out for Alli_Lucy but I just couldn't get the pattern to work. So I had to go shopping again (oh what a shame) for more supplies and I have it all sorted now so I should be mailing this week! Yay!

*Hits this rocks!*

Fisticuffs Crabby! I love it! I love this show far too much for how old I am.

Ooo I LOVE birds! But I can't draw them to save my life. So pleasepleaseplease show me if you make some birdy stamps and we'll definitely swap. MMBIRDS!

~Holly

I wonder if people are just putting any price because they have no idea, and would be open to paying more?

Some people are, for sure, but there are others who say "I don't really want to pay more than this" but their ideal price seems, to me, to be far too low. You could do it for that price but you wouldn't make a profit or even get any payment for labour. Which is pretty sad. But then there are some great people on there as well!

I agree, some of the "ideal prices" are pretty ridiculous. You couldn't even buy the wool to make the knitted top for $25! And a table top for $10? Geez, I'll take 3!

There are so many requests that I just didn't bid on even though I know I could do a swell job, because I wasn't willing to lower my price down that far. I COULD do it for that price but it'd mean I'd probably make about $2 profit - and that includes labour. I guess you could always place your bid with your price but if they want it for $10 they're probably just going to decline a more realistic price anyway, because it will be a lot higher.

Some of the things that are being requested are pretty funny, though! I like browsing through and having a bit of a chuckle.

I bend the shank of eyepins and also drip glue on them. I'm really worried about pins falling out so I bend, glue, mould clay through the eye, and paint/gloss over them so I HOPE they're in there for good!

The brand of paint I use is Semco artist's acrylics and so far I've had no problems with the red reacting to the sculpey glaze. Although I like the idea of coating the cured clay with a matte gloss before painting anyway, so I might start doing that for now. But for any Aussies reading this, Semco acrylics have (so far) been great to use!

These are my shop policies. I've just copied and pasted from my etsy page - please use anything here that you agree with and want as your own shop policy! I don't care if you even cut and paste it into your own page if it'd help you get started

Another tip is to go and browse your favourite seller's shop policies and have a look at the kinds of things they have listed. It's important to make up policies that you can stick to and then stick to them!



Payment
♥ PAYMENT DEADLINES ♥
Everyone likes to get paid! Payment must be received within 3 days of placing your order. If I have not heard from you within 3 days, I will send you a friendly reminder note to see how things are going on your end. If payment is not received within 5 days of placing your order, the purchase will be cancelled.

I understand that the payment process can be a little tricky! If at any stage you need help or your situation changes, please don't hesitate to contact me. I am more than happy to walk you through the payment process or set up other methods of payment.

♥ TYPES OF PAYMENT ♥
For international buyers, I only take payment via Paypal. I also accept credit cards through Paypal. You do not need to open an account with paypal to use your credit card. Simply order through the shop, click on "pay with paypal" and enter your card info.

For Australian buyers, I accept Paypal or direct deposit. If you wish to pay via direct deposit please contact me after making your purchase and I will send you out the details.

Shipping
I always endeavour to have all items shipped within 2 days of receiving payment (excluding sundays). If you are ordering a custom, please allow 1-2 weeks "crafting time".

I will ship anywhere in the world that Australia Post will deliver to! If your country isn't listed, please contact me for shipping costs.

Postage in Australia is unfortunately expensive for anything thicker than 2cm, so I ship by economy air to keep my shipping costs as low as possible for you. Items shipped via this method usually take 1 week - 10 days to arrive. If you require a speedier method or insurance/delivery confirmation, please contact me before paying or leave a message in the "message to seller" box and I will send you a revised invoice.

I am also happy to combine shipping on multiple purchases. Please contact me before paying for a revised invoice, or to set up a special custom listing.

I always try to recycle like-new packaging where I can, but let me know if you prefer a brand new box.

♥ BUYING A GIFT? ♥
If your purchase is a gift, I am happy to mail it straight to the recipient. Please convo me or write in the "message to seller" if you want your item gift wrapped and please include your message for the gift-tag!

♥ INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS ♥
Please be aware of your country's customs fees and regulations. I always fill out my customs declarations with the correct amount you paid, and will not classify the item as a "gift". Please note that buyers are responsible for any and all duties and customs charges that may be incurred.
Refunds and Exchanges
Unfortunately, due to the nature of customs, I am unable to accept refunds or exchanges unless the item is something I can reasonably relist. Refunds or exchanges on custom items will therefore be granted on a case-by-case basis.

I do accept returns and exchanges on regular items as long as contact is made within 7 days of receiving the item. All items must be shipped back in original condition at the buyer's expense. A refund (less original shipping costs) will be granted as soon as the package is received and inspected. If an exchange is desired, the buyer must pay additional shipping costs for the new item to be sent out.

Once I post an item, what happens to it is out of my control. I always pack your purchases securely and safely, and I have never yet had a problem with items being damaged or going missing during shipping. However, if such a problem arises, or your package never arrives, please contact me and we will try to work something out. My greatest concern is seeing you happy and satisfied!

Additional Policies and FAQs
♥ ALLERGIES ♥
All Two Cheese Please items come from a smoke-free home!

For those allergic to dogs: I do have two dogs, but they are poodles - this means they don't shed hair! They are also not allowed near anything I craft, so I feel confident that my items should be suitable for those who suffer from dog allergies, but if this is a concern to you please do contact me.

♥ BUYING FOR CHILDREN ♥
Please note that not all of my items are suitable for young children! You know your children best, so please keep them in mind when purchasing something that may have small parts.

♥ CUSTOM ITEMS ♥
I am always open to customs! It's one of my favourite things to sit down with someone and turn their ideas into reality! I would love to work with you to make your ideas come to life

♥ WHOLESALE & CONSIGNMENT ♥
Serious wholesale & consigment enquiries are welcome! Please contact me for more details.

♥ COPYRIGHT POLICY ON MY HAND-CARVED STAMPS ♥
All the stamps you see here are my designs, and as such are copyrighted. If you would like to use them for anything other than personal items (ie: anything that is to be sold), please contact me before hand. I do grant permission in most cases, providing you mention my name/shop in a line of credit in your listing.
If you need a stamp designed for use on items you are selling, I can do this. However, if you wish for your custom stamp to never be duplicated, there will be an additional fee to buy the exclusive rights of use to my design.
If the stamp is a design that you've provided, then obviously it will not be copyrighted to me, and you are of course free to use it however you please.



I hope this can help someone

From the buyer standpoint, I just completed an awesome Alchemy transaction. I didn't pick the lowest offer, nor the highest,  but the person who seemed most excited about the project and who had the best communication. I think I paid a fair price for her and for me, and we really had fun planning the project. I hope she had as much fun making it! I am really looking forward to getting it! She made exactly what I wanted, and I paid her a wee bit extra to cover her etsy and paypal fees, and we are both happy. I will definitely use it again.

This makes me so happy to read!

I recently won an alchemy bid to make a custom softie and I'm having so much fun! I'm really tempted to ask what the other bids were like, because I'm curious as to why I was chosen. I probably won't ask because I'm not sure if it's polite or not, but I'm still very curious!

I love to do customs because my favourite part is talking with the buyer to work out what it is they're after, and then making them their perfect thing. I like to send lots of photos and updates during the process because I think it's more fun if everyone's involved. So I'm glad that this is seen as a good thing!

The hardest thing about Alchemy is moderating your bids! There's about 7 things I want to bid on to make right now but it would be a disaster if all 7 accepted and I had to get everything made at once! :p

Nope, not retarded at all!

I use the Sculpey brand gloss - they sell it right alongside the sculpey clay. It's expensive for the size jar you get, I guess, but I really like how thick and shiny it is. If you go to a hardware store you can use a lot of their glosses too (and it's more economical the price you pay for the size jar you get).

Be aware that a lot of the glosses (sculpey included) like to make red paint turn orange or bleed. I've managed to find a brand of red paint that doesn't turn orange but it did take a few trial and error runs to find one!

~Holly