Yet another post about Canada... Post - December 19, 2024

Hello again folks, there's been updates in the post situation so I can give you some more clarity about my shop moving forward.

Two days ago, Canada Post resumed work in working through the mail backlog. This means that anyone's trapped packages they bought in November should start to move again and be on their way to you.

However, an entire country's 4 weeks of backed up mail is nothing to sneeze at and Canada Post did not hire temporary seasonal workers, so those packages will still be moving slowly. I would not expect to receive your package before Christmas [ I am very sorry to people who bought gifts; You may have to give your recipient an I.O.U while their present works its way to them. ]

Canada Post is now accepting new dropoffs and commercial mail starting today. Etsy has not yet allowed the purchase of Canada Post labels though, as I personally believe they shouldn't.

Despite it being technically possible for me to send mail again, I will not open my store. Canada Post has published estimates that mail will still be delayed until mid-January at least.

In my experience, a text warning about slow mail is not enough and does not reach most customers, and I cannot count on Etsy to provide accurate shipping time estimates [ I'm not sure anyone can in this situation ]. I am simply unwilling to endure more angry customers, as I have been berated almost daily for the past week about packages not showing up and have issued so many refunds that my Etsy account has gone negative and I will be receiving a bill. I am just human after all and I am at my emotional suffering limit this month due to other personal things going on in my life. For the time being, I'd rather be broke than yelled at any more. I'm sorry.

In good news though, the plan for now is to re-open my store in mid January when the mail has evened out and become predictable again. I will of course keep my eye on the mail situation and make sure as best I can that the service will be reliable and that my customers will actually receive their package when Etsy tells them they will.

Thank you everyone for your patience.

Update on Canada Post Situation - December 14, 2024

Hello again, I've deleted a news post I made yesterday because I jumped the gun on the situation- it turns out that something has just changed.

Apparently the labour minister has ordered the union workers back to work. This means that Canada Post will likely begin operating again as soon as Monday [ Dec 16 ].

The good news is that anyone who has been waiting for their package stuck in limbo should get it eventually. Workers will begin working through the backlog of deliveries and those deliveries will be made.

However, there are a few caution points I have to make. The backlog will probably be worked through quite slowly. It is 4 weeks of Q4 mail and I'm going to assume the usual temporary xmas workers haven't been hired since everyone in this equation is broke. Also, the strike did not reach an agreement. The workers have simply been forced back to work. This is bad for the long term goal of stabilizing Canada's postal service, and there is nothing stopping them from striking again in spring.

I apologize, but I will not be reopening my store any time soon. I can't in good conscience accept orders right now when I can't be sure how long they will take to be delivered with the backlog- or if another strike will begin.

I will only reopen my store once I feel like I have access to reliable, reasonably priced shipping. I don't know if or when that will be, but I'll keep a watchful eye on the situation and of course update this website if anything changes.

Store Shut Down due to Strike - November 26, 2024

This morning I woke up to find myself unable to purchase shipping labels any more for my Etsy store. They've removed the option due to the Canada Post strike, which is still ongoing and shows no signs of resolving.

I have been forced to close my store. I can't buy labels from any other outlet due to the strike, and I don't live close enough to any drop-off locations for other services.

If you have purchased something recently from my store: I have cancelled and refunded the orders I received overnight that I could not buy labels for. If you bought something from my store in the last 2 weeks, it is very likely delayed and stuck in the Canada Post system [ this means that it isn't being shipped, but it has been stored in a secure location ]. I am very sorry for the delays. I assume your package will be shipped once the strike ends, but I don't know when that will be.

I support the workers. They are fighting for a living wage and fair conditions.

Canada Post On Strike - November 15, 2024

Starting today, Nov 15, Canada Post has gone on strike. This may cause shipping delays for anyone buying anything from my Etsy shop. Please be patient with your orders as the workers fight for their rights, fair wages, and better working conditions.

I'm here - November 6, 2024

To Americans, and to everyone else, I'm sorry for this loss and my heart is with you. If you are afraid, I offer you my hand in mutual fear.

I wish I had something better to give. I wish I could dispel the pain. All I can say is that I'm here and I see you.

Fox Keychains Are Back In Stock! - November 5, 2024

I've received my restock shipment of keychains! Popular items with low stocks have been rescued from running out and the Fox Keychains are back :D You can find them in my store here!

Boring Shit - November 1, 2024

I have a few boring but mildly important statements to make:

Apple's changes to Patreon are dropping soon. This means that anyone signing up to my Patreon through the app store [ on a phone or ipad ] will be charged 30% more and that money will go to Apple. DO NOT SIGN UP TO MY PATREON THROUGH THE APP STORE PLEASE Seriously I would rather you just pirate my posts than reward Apple for this horseshit. You can still sign up online in an actual browser without paying Apple as well of course.

The other thing I wanted to mention was tariffs. I may be Canadian, but the vast majority of my customers [ through my Etsy store ] are American. Americans, I am sure you've heard of the election happening right now. You may have heard the word 'tariffs' being thrown around as well. If tariffs are imposed on Canada, you will have to pay more for my products.

So far, my American customers have never experienced tariffs for online purchases from me, so you may not actually know what that will be like. My customers from other countries know though. What happens is, you will see the same prices in my shop and the same cost for shipping. Then you'll pay what you've always paid for my items. But when it reaches the border, they will apply the new tax/tariff to it, and you will be expected to pay that when you receive your package. And no, you generally won't be told what you're going to pay in tariffs when you buy an item. There's no good way for me or other shops to know that for every country we ship to.

One last thing.

Beware of ever thinking of someone as inhuman. No matter the crime or ideology, if you think of another human as less than human, you lose a piece your own humanity.

Good luck, and may you all remain safe.

Restock Coming! - October 29, 2024

I got my tracking number for the next restock shipment and it says it will arrive on Nov 4th! My Etsy store should be fully restocked by Nov 5th unless the shipment is delayed :D [ There's Fox keychains in there of course! ]

Your Art - October 25, 2024

Since I've been gone from social media, one of the things I've really missed was being able to see other people's art. Still, I do get to see the odd piece here and there when friends send them to me.

I've seen amazing art of Ren, Pictures of Strade absolutely gettin' it [ I support it ], art of Lawrence that honours his weird vibes so well, I wonder if I could ever do something so well myself.

Today I saw a cosplay of Fox that was so good I started crying. I can't believe someone would ever go through so much work to dress up as my character.

I guess I'm writing this just to say that even though I don't see everything any more, I know you guys are still making art and I'm so shaken and shattered and blown away by your talent and the love you put into your work.

I'm humbled to the ground and I am determined to put as much effort as I can into my future work so that I can reciprocate your passion with everything I have. I hope I can make something that comes close to making you feel how you've made me feel.

Tumblr Imposters - October 19, 2024

I've been getting a lot of reports from people again regarding someone on tumblr posing as me and posting my patreon material [ account mustystrade ]. I am aware of this, but I don't have a tumblr account so I can't send in a report. I'm not really willing to make any more social media accounts, and frankly I feel that it would be a waste of time.

I simply cannot control the behaviour of other people. Even if tumblr took the account down, they would probably just make another one. I was on social media for over 20 years before I deleted all of my accounts, and in that time I have learned 1000 times that I do not have the power to make anyone change their mind. If someone is willing to pretend to be me, go against everything I've asked people not to do, and publicly post content I create for my Patreon to survive, then I can assure you that they do not give a single shit about my well-being and will not listen to what I have to say.

That's just how things are and why I won't be returning to social media. All I can do is keep making art.