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I am not the world's best correspondent, and I'm a pretty clumsy typist. I do try to answer questions as quickly as possible, but as many of you know, I can lapse into "snail mode", and it may take me awhile to get back to you with an answer. I've created this FAQ list that should give you immediate answers to 95% of your questions - if you've looked through this list, and your question falls into the other 5%, my contact information is at the bottom of this list. I'm hoping that this list will minimize the time I spend at the computer, and give me more time for the creation and production of new beads.
I'll answer the top
two FAQs first, and then proceed in a more orderly manner:
#
1 FAQ - Do you do custom work?
# 2 FAQ
- How do I get a bead that is out of stock, or not in the current catalog?
How often do
you restock?
How do
I know when you've restocked?
How do I find out
when you've made new beads?
What are the
beads made of?
How should I
clean/polish my beads?
How big are the
beads?
How heavy are
the beads?
Are the catalog
photos in scale?
What size is the
hole in the bead?
How do I make
the bead into something I can wear?
Where can I purchase
beads?
Do you take phone
or email orders?
Do you have
a wholesale price?
Is online ordering
safe?
What payment
methods are available online?
What payment
methods are available at shows?
Do you take
special orders?
How soon will
you ship my beads?
How will you ship
my beads to me?
What are the
shipping & handling charges?
Will tax be charged
on my purchase?
How do I
get a bead that is out of stock, or not in the current catalog?
How do I get a
bead I saw in an ad?
Can I reserve
or pre-pay for a bead that is out of stock?
How can I get
on/off your email list?
What will
I get if I sign up on your email list?
How do you
make the beads?
What is
your background?
How can I return
my beads?
Is your question
still unanswered?
Do
you do custom work?
No, I'm not able to do custom work. I have found that it makes me very
unhappy, and I do not have the necessary emotional reserves to commit
to it. I do enjoy hearing any quotations or ideas you'd like to share,
since I never know what will strike a creative spark in me.
Where
can I purchase beads?
My beads are available at shows and through
my online catalog. Our catalog system is inventory based and will let
you know which beads are available. Most orders will ship in 3 to 5 business
days; I will contact you if there is a delay. Beads listed as 'out of
stock' will be restocked as time permits. Periodically, the entire catalog
will be updated; customers on the mailing
list will receive email notification.
Do
you take phone or email orders?
No, I am not able to take phone or email orders. Please order through
the on-line shopping cart or visit
me at a show.
Is
online ordering safe?
Yes, online ordering is very safe. Our system uses some of the most advanced
security technology available for online shopping, using a server that
supports advanced 128-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption. SSL encryption
is active on our site as soon as you begin to use our online shopping
cart.
When you place your order with our online shopping cart, your information is transmitted in an encrypted form, which is not decoded until is reaches our credit card processing company's computers. Your personal and credit card information is never floating around the internet where it could be stolen.
What
payment methods are available online?
When ordering from my online catalog, all orders must come through my
website shopping cart, and be paid for by credit card. I accept Visa,
Mastercard, and American Express. I am very sorry, but I am no longer
able to make any exceptions to this policy.
What
payment methods are available at shows?
When you are purchasing beads from me at a show, I am able to accept cash,
checks, and travelers checks. I'm very sorry, but I do not accept credit
cards at shows.
Do
you have a wholesale price?
Sorry, no wholesale pricing. It is very important to me that each bead
is handcrafted and that your individual order is given my personal attention.
I am not able to produce a sufficient number of beads to support wholesale
orders.
Do
you take special orders?
No. I've realized that, much as I want to please, and much as I hate to
disappoint, that taking special orders puts me in constant production
and cuts severely into my creative time.
How
soon will you ship my beads?
Your beads will be shipped to you within 3 to 5 business days. If there
will be a delay in shipping, I will notify you.
How
will you ship my beads to me?
U.S. orders will be shipped U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail with delivery
confirmation. International orders will be shipped by airmail.
What
are the shipping & handling charges?
Shipping and handling charges are $7.15 for the United States and $13.00
for international orders.
Will
tax be charged on my purchase?
Online orders shipped to Georgia will be automatically be charged 7% sales
tax - we haven't figured out yet how to get around this feature of our
shopping cart. However, if you provide me with a Georgia resale license
number, I will refund this charge. Online orders shipped out of state
or out of the country are not charged sales tax.
If you buy from me at a show, you will be charged the local sales tax
unless you have a valid resale license number from any state.
How
can I return my beads?
I want you to be completely satisfied with your beads. If for any reason
you are not satisfied with your beads when they arrive, I am happy to
accept a return and refund the cost of your beads to you. Please
contact me within two weeks of your receipt of the beads for return
authorization and instructions.
How do I get a bead I saw in an ad?
How do I get a bead that is out of stock,
or not in the current catalog?
I can add you to my "Wish List"
for beads that are out of stock or currently on vacation. Let me know
which bead you are interested in, and your email address, and you will
be notified when the bead is available again. I cannot promise a specific
time frame, since production is entirely dependant on my whims, but most
beads do cycle through the catalog at least once during a year. It's best
to check the catalog as soon as possible after you hear from me, to avoid
disappointment. The number of beads available when I notify you may be
quite small, and others may be waiting for the same bead. I am sorry,
but I am not able to reserve or accept pre-payment for beads that are
out of stock.
Can
I reserve or pre-pay for a bead that is out of stock?
No. Since my production time frame is so variable, taking reservations
or pre-payments is not practical for me.
How
often do you restock?
I generally add brand new beads to the website towards the end of the
first week of a month. At the same time, I add back of my older designs
that have been on vacation. During the second two weeks of a month I restock
new beads as necessary, and rotate a selection of older beads in and out
of the catalog. I try to keep new beads in stock for a month or two. Older
beads stay in stock for a week or so as they cycle through the catalog.
The last week of a month, often don't restock at all, since I'm working
on new beads.
How
do I know when you've restocked?
If business has been especially brisk, and the catalog is pretty depleted,
I will post a restock date at the top of the catalog. Normally though,
restock dates are flexible, so the best thing to do is to check the catalog
about once a week.
How
do I find out when you've created new beads?
If you'd like to know when I add new designs to the online catalog, you
can sign up on my email list. My list
is absolutely private - it's never sold or shared. I send brief, text
only messages, about once a month to let you know when the new beads are
available. I try to add new beads about once a month, towards the end
of the first week of the month.
How
can I get on/off your email list?
Click here to
add or remove yourself from my mailing list. You may also update (by removing
the old address and adding the new address) your email address at this
same link.
What will I get if I sign up on your email
list?
I send short, text-only messages to let you know about new designs - nothing
else, ever. No huge pictures, no dancing hamsters, no loud music. I send
messages about once a month.
What
are the beads made of?
My beads are made of sterling silver, and given a dark patina with liver
of sulfur (potassium sulfide ) to bring out the details.
How
should I clean/polish my beads?
Your beads will come to you polished with Wenol, which leaves a protective
coating of wax to help prevent tarnishing. If your beads should begin
to tarnish, a silver cloth or a paste polish (such as Wenol or Wrights)
will gently clean them without removing the patina. Wenol, which is what
I use, is available at Williams Sonoma stores and includes a wax in its
formula that inhibits tarnish. Never, never, under any circumstances,
use a dipping polish such as TarnX - it will ruin the patina and leave
your beads grey and white, splotchy, and plain old ugly!
How
big are the beads?
Bead sizes vary, and the dimensions of each bead are included in its catalog
description. Some of my beads are only 1/2 an inch tall, and some are
2 inches tall. To give you a rough idea of the range of sizes available,
we've taken pictures of a representative collection of beads with regular
and miniature marshmallows for scale. Please click here
for size comparison photos.
How
heavy are the beads?
My beads are hollow, and the bead walls are thin, so they are much lighter
than they look - even the largest bead weighs less than 3/4 of an ounce
(21 grams) -- about the weight of 3 US quarters.
Are
the catalog photos in scale?
No, the photos are not in scale. Different computer monitors will show
the images in different sizes. It is very important that you read the
dimensions in the bead descriptions in the catalog before ordering. Please
click here for size comparison photos.
What
size is the hole in the bead?
I make the beads with a 2 millimeter (1/16") hole. If you'd like
a different size hole, a diamond bead reamer (available at your local
bead store), used gently, will quickly enlarge the hole. The silver on
the ends of the beads is relatively thin, and cuts easily. If you are
very sure what size hole you need, you can let me know the size you'd
like when you order, and I can make it for you.
How
do I make the bead into something I can wear?
The simplest way to wear a bead is as a pendant, worn on a cord or chain.
Your local bead store is a great place to learn to make one, using a head
pin and a jump ring. Many of the bead magazines have directions in issue
on how to do this - "Bead & Button", "Stringing",
or "Simply Beads" are three I can recommend.
How
do you make the beads?
They are lost wax cast and fabricated. I cast the bodies of the beads
from clay molds that I carve, and then solder on sheet silver for the
tops and bottoms. Click for photos and
explanation of the process.
What is your background?
Everything but formal art training - click
for my artist's statement.
Is your question
still unanswered?
You can contact me by email
or by regular mail at Anne Choi, PO Box 133116, Atlanta, GA 30333