I just got back from my 2 week roadtrip to Canada from California :D Had a great time! Went to the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo and hung out with so many friends and family. The time just flew by ^^ We also drove back a lot of my fur and supplies that were being stored in Canada. Not all of them (we'll need another couple roadtrips for that. And maybe a trailer) but the fur infusion is always good!

The good thing about the trip is that is that I had a lot of time while we were driving (the round trip was about 70 hours of actual driving time) to consider the future of my business. What I want. Where I want it to go. What is best for my husband and myself and our lives and what is best for my customers.

As I've been alluding to over the past months, there are changes afoot here in the Beetlecat Original's workshop. The new changes are intended to increase my own fulfillment in my art as well as to push my business in the directions I wish it to take

It comes to thus:


My current workload will take me to the end of this year. Until then, nothing changes (ie the new policies will not affect currently quoted projects). However, January 1st, 2013, I am going to be instituting several new policies regarding commissions and commission openings.



1) From now on, I will only accept full costumes. No heads. No partials. No 3/4 partials. No custom tails. etc.

2) Fursuit prices will be increased overall to reflect the longer time spent on them and more will be included in this single price. There will NOT be a 'starting' price that 'extras' are added to. Instead, there will be ONE base price that will include almost everything - any style, most markings and colours, most species, most padding (including digitigrade and feral). Some things will still be extra (such as body pods/muscle suits, wings, full body stretch fur with liner) but most of the more common things are included in the single cost. I will also no longer charge a separate price for shipping, but instead it will be included in the full cost.

An unpadded suit will warrant a discount (so do not fear being overcharged vs a fully padded suit). 'Simple' characters will not though as every character is unique; I spend the same amount of time and effort on each.


3) I will allow more time for each project and open more often. I shall take 9 slots over the year in 3 queue openings. Yes, that means I will only be open for a strict limit of 3 fullsuits at a time but will be opening for new commissions every 4 months (to be completed 4-7 months later).
The above changes in policy will give me the freedom to use whatever materials and techniques I feel would do the best job to match the customer's preferences, such as reticulated foams, NFT fur, custom sculpts, body paddings, etc, without any nickel and dimeing or feeling that I have to chose how to make something within a tighter budget or physical restrictions.

This will last for all of 2013 and, if successful, will be the new policy forever. If I ever accept more partials or heads, it will be on an auction slot system. There will be no warning for these auction slots and they may or may not actually happen.


4) I will be implementing a 'rush' option. The idea is as follows: I open for new commissions and you apply while indicating if it being rushed is a condition of acceptance. If I accept the rush then you pay a rush fee (an extra percentage on top of the quoted price which I will send to you) and I make your project IMMEDIATLY rather than in 4-7 months with the other 3 projects taken at the same time. Essentially, you will be jumping into the queue that I filled out 4 months previous.

This will not impact other current projects as the whole idea of rush is that I work on weekends and evenings and the extra fee is my 'overtime rate' for this service. This is something that I will keep a close eye on to prevent myself from taking on too much work to handle (as I am constantly prone to doing we all know) and so it may not be available right off the bat in January and there will be a strict limit on rush projects as the exception not the rule. But it may be an option for some of you later into 2013.


The last change is this:
4) I will increase production of ear and tails. Starting in January (or maybe before if I can figure out how to adjust my schedule for the last 8 months of this year), I will no longer make them as they are ordered in between other projects and as sort of an aside project when I feel they need to be crammed in; but they will be scheduled in the same as any other project and given the same emphasis.

Basically, my plan is to have a larger selection of ears and tails for sale 24/7 online with a significantly shorter turn-around time between ordering and shipping.



Overview is this: Starting January, I will open every four (4) months for three (3) custom full costumes and will make a selection of non-custom ears and tails through-out the year to be made available on my online Artfire store year-round.

Since my current workload will take me to January and a little ways beyond that into 2013, I will OPEN FOR NEW FULLSUIT-ONLY COMMISSIONS JANUARY 2013, MAY 2013, & SEPTEMBER 2013. To be started in May, September, and January 2014 respectively.

My policies regarding concept art/payment/down payments/etc remain the same and are available in my FAQ: http://www.beetlecatoriginals.com/faq

The FAQ itself will be updated to reflect the new/changed policies as indicated above when they become live.


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That is about it. Everything is subject to change, of course, since everything is academic until it is actually implemented. And exact details still need to be hammered out, but I'm pretty happy with my decisions ^_^ Less wait = good. More cool things on a regular schedule = good. And continued fulfillment in what I do with less stress associated with it is ALWAYS good ;)