(I had to break this up into two posts, please read Part 1 if you haven't already.)

Here are the new options for placing custom orders in the future!

OPTION ONE: There will be a Custom Order Request Form on my website that will be open at all times, for your requests to be placed. It has proven impossible to accurately control the number of custom orders through the form - so instead, there will be no limit. It will be turned "on", and open at all times (unless I am ill or away). However, when you place a request through the form, it will NOT guarantee that your request will be accepted and filled that month - instead, each month's requests will go into a monthly pool, from which I will randomly draw a certain amount requests on the first day of each month. If you've followed me for a while, you will recall that I did something similar before several years ago. This time however, you will be able to place your request again, once each month, until it is drawn.

So, let's say you want a custom order, here is the procedure: You would go to the Custom Order Request Form (which will be located on this page: http://www.parrotjewelry.com/orderform.html ) and fill it out. Within 24 hours, you would receive a personal email from me to let you know that your request was received and added to the month's "lottery". Then, on the first day of the following month, if your request was drawn, you would receive an email from me to let you know and discuss the details. If your request was not drawn, you would not receive an email from me on the first of the month, and you could enter again for the following month.

The "odds" of your order being picked would depend on the number of requests received each month, and the number that I would fill, which may vary from month to month. (Due to some health issues which occasionally flare up, I can be slowed up in my ability to work at times. Therefor, some months I may only draw a few orders, and other months I may work overtime.)

OPTION TWO:
I have been approached by some of you offering to pay more, if I would work in your order. I have generally chosen not to do that in the past, but this continues to be requested, so I have come up with a new option for those of you who do not mind paying more in order to have a custom order accepted immediately. There will be a separate order form added to my website in the coming months, called the "VIP" (Very Important Parrot) Custom Order Form. Placing a VIP order gets your custom order automatically accepted, and worked in line immediately with the most minimal wait possible. (Wait time will depend on the item/number of birds.) Pricing will be double the normal custom order prices. More information on VIP Orders will be presented in the months to come.

WHEN CAN YOU ORDER?

Due to the excess orders that came through on Feb. 1st, I cannot accept ANY additional orders until all of those are filled. My first priority is to complete each of those before I will put the new ordering system into effect. I had planned to spend several weeks working on website updates - however, I will be putting that on hold so that I can more quickly fill these orders. I cannot determine exactly how long it will take to complete all of the orders, since many factors come into play, so at this point it is impossible to set a date yet when I will put the new order forms up. It may be April 1st (no foolin'!) at best, or more likely May 1st. By next month, I will be able to give you the date, so stay tuned!

I appreciate your patience and understanding as I do my best to manage the high demand for my custom work in the most efficient way that I can. The overwhelming amount of interest in my custom artwork continues to humble and astound to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Happy 2011 everyone! My furry and feathered friends and I have had such a wonderful holiday season with friends and family, and we hope you did too! One of the most memorable moments was a shocking surprise gift from a dear friend, of a special trip that I have wanted to do for over 5 years! Because of this wonderful surprise, this month's auctions will be running for just 3 days instead of 7 days, and any unsold items will be re-listed when I return later in the month.

CUSTOM ORDER OPENING ANNOUNCEMENT

Alright, here's the big news that I know you've been waiting for! On February 1st at noon (central time), I will be putting up the order form on my website for custom orders, and leaving it "turned on" until I have received a certain amount that I can fill for one month, then the form will be "turned off" again until the next month. This may take a few hours or perhaps only minutes to reach the limit that I can take, I really can't predict! If you want to place an order, I recommend that you be ready to fill out the order form as close to noon as possible.

Orders will be taken on a "first come, first serve" basis, and I am no longer going to book further than one month ahead. ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF ORDERS WILL BE TAKEN. Once I receive the maximum number of orders that I can fill for the month, I will remove the order form until the next month.

There are several hundred people waiting for a chance to place a custom order, so I expect that there will be a mad rush to get an order in this first month, as many people have been waiting for several years to be able to place a custom order. If you do not get in the first time however, you will have a chance the next month, and so on, and I will let everyone know through each newsletter of the exact time that I will open the order form each month.

Want to place an order on Feb. 1st? The order form will be found on this page: http://www.parrotjewelry.com/orderform.html
Please be prepared to make your full payment within 3 days.

NEW PRICING AND WEBSITE UPDATES

This year marks the 10 year anniversary of my website, ParrotJewelry.com! It's hard to believe it's been that long since I first started the website! I am currently in the process making some much needed updates. The updates will be ongoing through the next month or two, as I have a lot of old photos to remove and replace with examples of newer work.

The new custom order pricing has been updated, and can be found here http://www.parrotjewelry.com/pricelist.html. Since the last price change two years ago, the pricing has increased significantly for custom orders due to the continually rising demand for my custom work. The good news however is that I will continue to offer monthly eBay auctions at discounted sale pricing!

Warm holiday greetings and wishes for a Happy New Year to you all!

What a year it has been here! Our flooding this summer certainly was the big event of the year, but things have been gradually getting back to "normal" more and more each month. I am so thankful for all of the blessings that have come about this year, and that my family and loved ones are all well. We have so very much to be grateful for, and are looking forward to 2011 with great anticipation!

Killian and Kaleena always insist that I make some Eclectus creations for you every Christmas! They are quite proud to be so perfectly colored for the holiday, and love modeling for me, so it has become an annual tradition now I think! Here is the selection I have created for you this year!

Up for auction are a Male Eclectus bracelet charm, Male Eclectus cell/purse charm (not shown), Male Eclectus charm for necklace, Male Eclectus charm choker necklace, Male Eclectus pendant (no cord), Male Eclectus pendant on cord, Male Eclectus glass beaded necklace/earring set, Female Eclectus pendant on cord, and a Female Eclectus glass beaded necklace/earring set.

Please note that these items are on auction for the next THREE DAYS (not a week, like usual) as well as having a Buy It Now option for those of you needing to get them quickly for gift giving! Go to my eBay Store to see the entire list of new items available!

CUSTOM ORDER NEWS:

Well, at long last, I'm coming to the end of what has sometimes felt like a never-ending list of custom orders that have kept me so busy over the last few years! Within the next month or two, I will be having the first opening for new custom orders since 2009!

Just a handful of custom orders are left for this year, then I will begin updating my website with new pricing, adding more current example photos, and some other much needed updates. I will send out a newsletter in January with the exact date that I plan to put the order form up, so that you will have a little time to plan ahead and get ready to place your custom orders.

Thank you again to all of you that have been waiting so patiently for your chance to place a custom order! I am looking forward to working with you this coming year!

Killian, Kaleena and I want to wish you and your loved ones a wonderful Thanksgiving. It's a perfect time of the year to take some time to reflect on the many blessings in our lives - and one of the things I am so very grateful for is your continued interest and support of my artwork through the years! Many of you have consistently been following my work, some from the very beginning 10 years ago, and have become treasured loyal customers. I can't even say how much it means to me - thank you!

One way I can show my appreciation is to offer another sale - so from now until Christmas, I am putting all current eBay Store Items on SALE - 5% off!

I'm thrilled to announce a new line of my creations called Joy Magnet Affirmative Art! Right now, the majority of these pieces are one-of-a-kind decorative art magnets with positive and uplifting words and sayings. This has been a project that I have been working on a bit at a time over the year, whenever I needed a break from sculpting parrots! To read more about these new creations, and how they came to be, I invite you to visit the new website at: www.JoyMagnetArt.com

There are about 100 pieces currently for sale, and you can view the selection or make purchases through the new Etsy shop here: www.JoyMagnetArt.Etsy.com If you are on Facebook, I'd love to have you stop by and "Like" the new business page: www.facebook.com/JoyMagnetArt Instead of a separate newsletter list for this little "side business", I will be using Twitter to post updates when new Joy Magnet pieces are added to the shop, you can find me here: www.twitter.com/JoyMagnetArt (The Twitter updates will be solely for Joy Magnet Art, and will not be connected to my parrot jewelry.)

To celebrate the opening of this new line, I'm starting things off with a special! Buy any 3 magnets, and you will receive 1 small magnet (of my choice from an assortment which are not listed on Etsy) FREE! Or buy any 5 magnets and receive a free magnet display frame as well as domestic Priority Mail Shipping FREE! To take advantage of this offer, please mention "BLOG" somewhere in your checkout or payment, so that I know to add your free item.