UPDATES!

UPDATE NOVEMBER 15, 2024

Hi friends,

So, we are experiencing a worst case scenario with the Canada Post strike; they have completely shut down nationally for job action.

I just want to say straight away that we believe in unions, and their right to strike, but OOOOOOOF this is gonna be tough on small Canadian businesses this season.

What this means for you:

IF YOU ARE CANADIAN: Shopify currently has UPS service at a reasonable rate within Canada. Any orders processed through Shopify should select the UPS shipping option.

IF YOU ARE IN THE USA OR OTHER: Unfortunately, there is not currently another shipping option available at an accessible rate. Orders made from outside Canada will be held in house until the strike ends.

We are not sure what this will mean for the planned Snowball Fight shop drop and will keep you updated. Hopefully, this strike will be short lived, but it is not looking like a quick one.

AT THIS TIME, WE CANNOT GUARANTEE OR PREDICT SHIPPING TIMES.

We are really upset about this and thank you for your patience as we yet again navigate things that are so out of our hands it's almost funny. We will continue to look for other shipping options and solutions!

Please message me with any questions or concerns.

I'll keep you updated as I learn more.

-Neacol

UPDATE: NOVEMBER 28th, 2022

We are currently shipping as quickly as possible, several times a week. It's going to take us a little bit to catch up with all our Black Friday weekend orders. If you need something by Christmas, we HIGHLY recommend you upgrading your shipping to the highest option possible, and letting us know in a message so we can do our best to get it our as quickly as humanly possible.

Thank you, all, for your support this holiday season and always!

UPDATE: NOVEMBER 11, 2022

FAQ: Are you doing Black Friday sales this year?

A: YES!

More details to come but we will be offering a different sale each day from Black Friday, November 25th through to Cyber Monday on November 28th. We will announce that day's sale at midnight each day! There will be loads of unique items, including retired designs, and limited numbers of our current collections available. Be sure to follow us on Instagram for details as they are dropped: instagram.com/blingsquaredcuteglass

UPDATE AUGUST 2nd, 2022

We have switched to shipping one day a week. Orders will ship on Fridays only to streamline our production and office time. If you need your cuties asap, please message us upfront and we will do our absolute best to get it out as quickly as possible.

-N

UPDATE FEBRUARY 3rd, 2022

Please note our prices have increased slightly due to inflation and increases in the cost of our supplies (and that we haven't increased our prices in over ten years)! If you are a collector, consider joining our Patreon. (the perks include a regular discount online AND free shipping).

www.patreon.com/blingsquaredcuteglass

-Neacol

UPDATE JANUARY 19th, 2022

Happy new year! Please take note that due to increasing materials costs we will be increasing our pricing online starting on February 1st. Order NOW to get the best prices. <3

-Neacol

UPDATE DECEMBER 24th, 2021

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

We are officially on vacation until January 4th. Please note that nothing will be made or shipped in this time as we aren't going to be in the studio. Orders can still be made and we will address them the moment we get back.

We would also like to take this time to thank you for another year of being artists for a living. After another insane year of restrictions and supply chain issues and no shows, we are still here thanks to YOU. We look forward to 2022 with minds full of mild trepidation and hearts full of hope.

Have a safe and happy holiday. We love you!

-Neacol

UPDATE DECEMBER 8th, 2021

And bang, it's the holiday season. We are shipping orders as quickly as possible here, making post office trips several times a week. If you are hopeful to get something before Christmas, PLEASE select a faster (more expensive) shipping option. If you get stuck without a gift in hand by Christmas Eve, we will be happy to email over a printable gift placeholder (just email me at bling2glass@gmail.com and I'll whip one up for you!).

Important shipping reminders:

#1. Due to the current state of the mail system in pretty much every country we no longer ship orders without tracking. If you do not receive a tracking number, shoot me an email to bling2glass@gmail.com and I will get it to you.

#2.Please note, we are a tiny business, trying very hard not to raise prices in the face of inflation and cannot absorb the cost of shipping your cuties. Please do not select "SHIP WITH PATREON REWARDS - PATREON PATRONS ONLY" unless you are a Patreon Patron with physical rewards. I will contact you to collect shipping fees before your order can go out and that can cause annoying delays!

#3.. Christmas is essentially here - we expect the mail systems to be absolute madness this year and suggest we all plan accordingly!

Happy merry!

-N

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2021

Black Friday Weekend is almost here! We will be holding our annual sale over two days this year, Friday, November 26 and Saturday, November 27 (if you are a Patreon Patron, please check our posts there about your secret, alternate dates!).

On Black Friday proper we will be offering BOGO on Pendants and on the Small Business Saturday we are offering 40% the entire shop. The discounts will apply automatically in your cart; no coupon codes required. There will be a handful of retired designs brought back for the sale and a limited number of each of our current designs, so nab early and nab often!

As a reminder, we cannot guarantee shipping this year so please plan accordingly if you are purchasing Christmas gifts. We will be filling as many orders as possible on the Monday directly after the sale, but some stuff might have to wait until we return from ECCC. As always, PLEASE remember not to choose the Patreon Patron only shipping unless you are a Patreon Patron with physical rewards and you want us to hold your orders until rewards for December ship. We will have to contact you for shipping fees and that will effect your shipping times.

If you have any questions about the sale, please feel free to contact me directly at bling2glass@gmail.com

-Neacol

UPDATE OCTOBER 2021

Don't delay your cuties coming home! Please read these little updates and reminders about shipping.

#3. We are shipping once a week right now, usually Fridays. If you are on a time line and need your cuties asap, please just send me a message and we'll do our best to get it out faster.

#4. Christmas is coming (and so is Black Friday!) - we expect the mail systems to be absolute madness this year and suggest we all plan accordingly! We will be shipping more often towards the end of November but will not be able to guarantee shipping times come December!

As always, please contact me if you have any questions or concerns. :)

-Neacol

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2021

We are back into another showless fall/winter season, kids. We have cancelled our attendance at Designer Con and things aren't looking great for ECCC. Currently the US border is still closed for non-essential travel and we have a kidlet who cannot get vaccinated yet so we need to make the best decisions we can. We miss you all so much and can't WAIT to safely get back to attending shows and smiling with you IRL.

The good news is that means we are back to regular Twitch and SHOP DROPS!

Our first shop drop of the season will be September 26th at noon Pacific, and we will be featuring an assortment of creepy cute Spooktember figures and pendants. From there we aim to be dropping new items in the shop every Sunday.

Our new online schedule is as follows:

Twitch (live glasswork):

Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays from 1pm to 4pm Pacific

IG live (unboxings and shop drop tours):

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 9am Pacific for kiln unboxing

Sunday at 11am Pacific for shop drop tours

Come hang out with us online until things smooth out!

twitch.tv/blingsquaredcuteglass

instagram.com/blingsquaredcuteglass

Huge love - stay safe kids!

-N

UPDATE MARCH 26th, 2021

Just a heads up that our local outdoor Saturday art market is starting back up again (yay!) so our shop drops are likely to now go down to once a month or so. We encourage collectors to dibs off the Twitch live casts or off of Instagram to nab our newest work.

Twitch shows are still as follows:

Mondays 6pm to 9pm - The Neacol Show (boro and experiments)

Tuesdays 1pm to 4pm - Neacol and/or Stanley on the torches

Thursdays 1pm to 4pm - Neacol and Stanley on the torches

Fridays 1pm to 4pm - FAN SQUEE

and can be found here: www.twitch.tv/blingsquaredcuteglass

We ALWAYS do a kiln unboxing the next morning after a live broadcast on Instagram stories. Tune in and reserve your next piece there!

Thank you all so much for your support over the last year. We aren't out of the woods yet but we are closer than ever. <3

-Neacol and Stanley

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UPDATE JANUARY 4th, 2021

HAPPY NEW YEAR! We are in our new studio (!!) and working our butts off filling all those lovely orders made over the break, Patreon rewards and the next Embersmöl clutch of eggs.

Here is our new Twitch schedule for 2021, subject to change with notice:

Mondays 6pm to 9pm - The Neacol Show (boro and experiments)

Tuesdays 1pm to 4pm - Neacol and Stanley on the torches

Thursdays 1pm to 4pm - Neacol and Stanley on the torches

Fridays 1pm to 4pm - FAN SQUEE/Shop Drop

We will be feeling this schedule out and up and everything in January and will adjust as needed for sanity.

As usual, we are doing out best to provide clean and safe shipping, and encourage you to select shipping options that provide tracking. Things should calm down now that the holiday rush is over, but the post offices are still racing at higher levels than usual.

Thank you for your ongoing support in this crazy world! We made it through 2020 thanks to you. Here's hoping 2021 is uninteresting and calm! (lol)

-Neacol and Stanley

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UPDATE DECEMBER 18th, 2020

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Please note that our studio is now closed for the season as we begin our move onto the new space and take some time with our family to reflect on this crazy year.

We will be back in the studio officially on January 4th. Any orders made between now and then will not be processed until we are back on the 4th.

If you are having issues with your packages getting hung up in this most insane of shipping rushes, please email Neacol at bling2glass@gmail.com and she will email you a printable card insert to wrap up in your gift's place.

If you find yourself stuck, please consider our gift certificates as a great gift idea - or check out the availability of our next clutch of Embersmöl eggs.

Happiest of holiday, gang. I hope you have an excellent break and, most importantly a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

-Neacol and Stanley

UPDATE DECEMBER 13, 2020

Please note that parcels are extremely unpredictable at this time. Some seem to be surfing over the top of the Christmas mail and some seem to be sinking to the bottom of the pile. If you need your orders for Christmas we suggest using the highest shipping option within Canada, and developing a zen-like attitude towards time if you are in the USA or further abroad. If something looks like it will not arrive in time, please contact us on or before December 18th and we will email you a printable card insert to gift as a placeholder on the day!

bling2glass@gmail.com

Please note that we will be moving our studio/taking a brief vacation between December 19th and January 3rd. We will be back in the studio (the new studio!) on January 4th. Our shop will remain open but no orders will be processed in this time!

Thank you so much everyone!

- Neacol and Stanley

UPDATE NOVEMBER 19, 2020 - HOLIDAY SHIPPING UPDATE

We are starting to experience the mail slow down we have anticipated. Parcels that regularly take 2-3 days to arrive can now take 2-3+ weeks.

WITH GREAT REGRET, WE CANNOT GUARANTEE PACKAGES WILL ARRIVE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, NO MATTER THE POSTAGE TIER.

We are doing everything we can to get packages out as quickly as possible - many of our items are made-to-order and our current order-to-ship turnaround is the fastest it has ever been. But once it is shipped, we don't, unfortunately, have any control and other than madly tracking the packages alongside you, there is not much we can do to help.

BUT - we don't want anyone feeling empty handed on Christmas day. Should your package get hung up in the tumult of COVID holiday shipping, we will be glad to email you a printable card insert so you still have something that can be unwrapped on the day. Contact us at bling2glass@gmail.com for more details.

Thank you so much for your support in these crazy times.

-Neacol and Stanley

UPDATE OCTOBER 30, 2020 - HOLIDAY SHIPPING UPDATE

Canada Post has informed us that they will not be issuing a guideline for best ship by dates this year for the holiday rush. Their take is that the system is already very overloaded and if you want stuff in time for Christmas day you should order and ship AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Please PLEASE order early and select faster shipping options if you are hoping for special items to arrive in time for the big day.

While this is out of our hands, we understand this may cause complications this holiday season, especially for those of us who are used to doing their shopping closer to the end of November. If you find yourself stuck, we are always happy to issue gift cards or printable card inserts you can gift as stand-ins for the actual items on Christmas morning.

We'll get through and enjoy this holiday season together, friends!

UPDATE: AUGUST 7, 2020

Hello all! Just a quick announcement that due to the very uncertain shipping situation practically every country is facing we will no longer be shipping without a trackable service, which, sadly, means we are no longer able to offer free shipping.

We are still offering free shipping to all Patreon patrons who are at rewards levels where they receive physical items monthly (currently $5 and up), so please do check that out as an option if your shipping charges seem to be mounting as you grow your collection.

Thank you so very much for continuing to support our tiny family art adventures as we navigate through these ever changing and unprecedented times.

Huge love,

Neacol

Dearest friends,

Where to start.

When COVID dropped in North America we were planning a big trip to Seattle for ECCC and Stanley's birthday. ECCC is one of our favorite shows of the year and marks the 'breakfast' of our annual finances, having survived with barely any shows or income for the winter months. We had been watching the news with trepidation, but it wasn't until the con was postponed that we really started to grasp how the world was about to change.

And then the schools closed. And then everything just kept getting weirder.

Now, we are learning to home school our little girls and staying home 99% of the time with our email filling up with show cancellations and postponements. Watching our income evaporate while the credit cards, still heavy with the winter expenses, demand to be answered. Reading our news feeds with unhealthy attention bordering on obsession. Missing our friends and family and life. Trying to figure out how to pivot our tiny family art business into this strange new world.

We are in an odd spot because we are self-employed and super tiny. Even though our income has taken a *drastic* hit we are ineligible for the relief money the Canadian government is offering, since we are still making *some* sales. I am still hoping they change the requirements so we might receive that badly needed aid, but not sure if they will change those requirements to our benefit or not.

Ugh, amiright?

We are doing our best to just keep doing the next right thing and move forward as best we can.

We are so grateful that we have an online store and presence up and ready. We totally understand we are in an enviable position in many ways and are trying our best to pay that forward by helping our other local artists get their web stores and IG accounts set up.

We know now is not a time to stop bringing people joy (which is truly our business) and are doing our best to continue bringing you adorable glass friends to brighten your home, home office and day. We are making more unique sculptures now than ever and offering them on weekly shop drops (Every Sunday!). Honestly, we are making some of the best work of our careers right now.

We are Twitch casting several times a week to connect with you and show you how our glass sculptures are made. Hopefully, we are providing a bit of a break, connection and entertainment during that time too. Find us here: www.twitch.tv/blingsquaredcuteglass

We are keeping our family and collectors safe. Our little island seems to be faring pretty well, but we are still taking social distancing very seriously. Neacol does one town run a week to ship and do our weekly grocery shop. Otherwise, barring the odd solitary beach or park walk, we are home, safe and secure and doing our part to help stop the spread.

We are as confident as we can be that we are virus free, but we are still taking extra measures in our packaging. Neacol is washing her hands and all shipping surfaces diligently before packaging orders and we understand that the virus can survive on glass for approximately 2 - 3 days, which is less than most shipping transit times. Paper and cardboard are only good surfaces for COVID for 24 hours, so if you are concerned at all, please simply don't open your cuties for a couple days after they arrive.

In an effort to minimize our contact, we are shipping one day a week right now only - so it may take a little more time than usual for you to receive your orders. If you have any concerns or a date you need something by (birthdays haven't stopped happening, we know!), please let us know and we will do our very best to get your order out to you on time for your special occasions.

Lastly, we are currently offering free shipping on all orders, worldwide (UPDATE AUGUST 7, 2020 - we are only able to continue offering frees hipping to Patreon patrons at this time). We are missing seeing our collectors at all the canceled cons and want you to have the ability to add to your collections without an added cost.

We don't know what the next months hold (honestly even the next couple days are hard to predict with confidence) but we are here, creating, shipping and live casting, teaching our girls and watching Tiger King with the rest of you, and I will keep you updated.

From our whole family, we appreciate every single order, kind message or "like" online. Our tiny family business has been so buoyed by your much needed support; our hearts explode.

Together we will all get through this. I hope we can serve up some cute glass smiles for you in the meantime.

Biggest love,

Neacol and Stanley