What the heck are you SMOKING?

[spark]

And NO I don't want to have any!

I just realized some of you might get a kick out of this. On Saturday, December 17th (three days ago) I got a message from somebody...

...wanting to commission a custom character plush to give to their SO for Christmas!

I was completely floored. FLOORED. That would be pushing it to have something pre-made that's sitting ready to ship sent out in time, and this person is asking for a hand-made item that normally takes weeks if not months for me to make!

I honestly sat there staring at the message for a while, reading and re-reading it to make sure I'd read it right, and this person wasn't talking about Christmas next year or something.

[Moosenogger]

Have you answered the email yet? Cause I have a suggestion...

"No, sorry. I don't think I can:

1. Purchase the materials
2. Set up the materials
3. Cut out the materials
4. Sew the materials
5. Stuff the toy
6. Take pictures detailing the creation of the toy
7. Send said pictures to you throughout the creation process so you can say "Yes" or "No" on certain features of the toy
8. Finish sewing the toy
9. Package the toy
10. Ship the toy

by Christmas Day. (a.k.a 5 DAYS FROM NOW)"

[RootedPhoenix]

....they've gotta be smoking something REAL special. *snerk* Or they have a TARDIS you can borrow. O____o

*gives spark a cookie*

[AccountingDrone]

Insane.

Though I do love your work and would love a plushie, just can't afford it right now. My [nonfarting] Bert hippo is getting a bit scruffy looking. [I use him for a pillow when I don't have my j shaped pillow handy]

[Caractacus_Potts]

Have you answered the email yet? Cause I have a suggestion...

"No, sorry. I don't think I can:

1. Purchase the materials
2. Set up the materials
3. Cut out the materials
4. Sew the materials
5. Stuff the toy
6. Take pictures detailing the creation of the toy
7. Send said pictures to you throughout the creation process so you can say "Yes" or "No" on certain features of the toy
8. Finish sewing the toy
9. Package the toy
10. Ship the toy

by Christmas Day. (a.k.a 5 DAYS FROM NOW)"

May I suggest you make this a Valentines Day gift?

(No reason to throw out a commission just because the customer doesn't have a clue)

[Kanalah]

Yeah I get people at Really Big Craft show (weekend before halloween) wanting to order a ton of stuff for Christmas. I always tell them that if they want to order for christmas they need to contact me immediatly after the show, or work details/down payment at the show.

Invariably I always get emails just before Christmas asking if I have time to whip up a huge complicated quilt. /facepalm

No because while I do work 12-14 hour days leading up to Christmas day, that's to finish up any last minute things so I can, I dunno RELAX.

I always tell them "You mean for next Christmas?"

[Android Kaeli]

And this is one of the major reasons why I'm hestiant to start putting up my beading/jewelry services online. While I don't do anything as complicated as a quilt or plushie, it DOES take time to make things -- plus having to send things out through the mail.

[Dreamstalker]

I only put stuff in my Bonanza store when it's finished, and while I've been toying with the idea of making a "Custom XYZ" listing, I'm not sure how to go about it...I'm sure customers are going to make requests that I can't accomplish.

[Pimento]

I can proudly say my jester hoodie has survived its first live show, even after it errupted into a giant fist fight, i will also say that you choose fabric that blood washes out of nicely :P

[EricKei]

Just write him back:

"Sure, no problem! Thanks for writing to me so soon, it's refreshing to have an awesome customer like you who thinks to begin work on an order a whole YEAR ahead of time I'll be glad to work up something for you..."

And send him your rough rates, legalese, get an idea of what he wants

IF he then responds that he wanted something for THIS Christmas...Ask him if he's willing to (a) pick out something already MADE and on your site, and (b) drive to your town and pick it up himself. There's no way anything will get there in time at this point thru the mail short of maybe FedEx Guaranteed overnight >_> That would be, what $100+ for some of your smaller items?

[Pixilated]

Have you answered the email yet? Cause I have a suggestion...

"No, sorry. I don't think I can:

1. Purchase the materials
2. Set up the materials
3. Cut out the materials
4. Sew the materials
5. Stuff the toy
6. Take pictures detailing the creation of the toy
7. Send said pictures to you throughout the creation process so you can say "Yes" or "No" on certain features of the toy
8. Finish sewing the toy
9. Package the toy
10. Ship the toy

by Christmas Day. (a.k.a 5 DAYS FROM NOW)"

Sure she can! Providing she doesn't plan to eat, sleep, bathe, do any housework, laundry, cooking, etc., etc., etc. for the next few days.

Oh, and providing she's willing to personally deliver it to the customer, since there's no way it'll get there through the postal service ... not even sure about courier service at this point.

This sort of request comes from people who have NO idea what's involved in handmade anything. I'm a complete amateur at crafts but at least I know how long it takes me to make a stuffed animal -- and this is a really basic one, from a store-bought pattern, LOL.

Spark, hopefully your customer will be willing to buy the critter for some more distant celebration.

[ShadowBall]

When it comes to any kind of creative work, stupid people seem to think you can just put your idea/vision into a machine, press a few buttons, and the machine does all the work for you in 30 seconds (you know, like what Photoshop does )

[BlaqueKatt]

Or they have a TARDIS you can borrow.

If anyone finds a TARDIS lying around doing nothing I have a key for it....well 2 actually......(I lost one, bought another, and then found the one I lost)

[Dreamstalker]

I have a TARDIS key around here somewhere, but it's for the older incarnations (I had a new-style one I made, but I think I lost it on the subway).

[BeenThereDoneThat]

What you need is some kind of automated e-mail reply system so that any requests received after a certain date say something like "My deadlines are as follows: blah blah blah I will not be taking any requests after this date (and/or) I will not be taking any holiday orders after this date; normal work and shipping schedules will resume on X date." Then if you want to give them a personal response as well you can...and if not, they can sit and spin