Changes to custom orders....

I have some good news and bad(?) news for you all.

I'm very proud of myself for coming so far in the past 6 months.
I really want to grow and do so much more. You are going to be seeing a lot of
new things that I am confident are going to do quite well in the close future!
Things that I'm very excited about, and plans that are going to change things for me.

Unfortunately, the way that I have been doing custom orders is going to have to change for these great
changes to take place.
I have done as much as I can to keep my prices as low as possible to make custom orders available and affordable to you.
I want to be able to custom make things for you that you could never find anywhere else, and that has been made by a local artisan that takes all of your considerations and details and puts them in to that perfect handmade  item that you envision.

I have done a good job at putting my name out there and people are starting to take notice more than ever before.
That being said, I am booked up for custom orders until the end of July.
That's great! But demand is exceeding my supply.
It is a bit of a problem, but a nice problem to have! It's a heck of a lot better than the other way around, and I know I
am lucky for that. It shows me that my work is valued and I am doing a great job.
I think that it's time for me to value myself a little bit more too.

Over the past few months, a few ladies that I look up to have been trying to councel me on my prices I have been charging. I have been doing a great job at avoiding the discussion when this topic comes up as I never valued myself as high as I should and I always wanted to be "affordable" and available for all.
Making $4/hour was okay when I was getting the odd custom order here and there.

It has come to a point that I am working very hard, very long, very often and I am severely undervaluing myself.
I want to make a profit not only to continue loving what Im doing (I cant see that stopping anytime soon anyways!) but so that I can get better things for the job, use top of the line materials, take courses to improve myself and to expand on what I can provide for you.

Pricing on custom orders has always been on a case by case basis, depending on size, materials, detail, etc and will continue to be.

Orders that are already in place or have been quoted for will not be affected by these changes.

As always, I do appreciate other's perspectives on this topic, no solid prices have yet been set in stone and if you have any input I would love to hear it, please feel free to private message me or comment here. I'm learning that operating a successful business is a constant process of listening and adjustment.

Thank you all for your continued support, it means a lot to me. I do appreciate all of you and am not raising prices for my own personal gain. (If I was, I would have done it a long time ago!)
I just wanted to let you all know and give you a bit of an update. Communication is important and you are all important to me!

So there you have it - that's my good and bad(?) news.