thistlehillcottage

So I just joined Etsy last week with a little fabric shop I like to call Thistle Hill Fabrics, www.thistlehillfabrics.etsy.com , and it's been really really great!  and a little stressful, like the time I accidentally hit a charge button twice (!!)  and I thought "ruination of my little fabric shop!!"

But the customers are very nice and understanding and fabric shop survived to see another day.

I'm learning tons about internet shops,  credit card fees, shipping stuff...I shipped to Canada yesterday!  Yay me.  Took my package to a small, tiny local post office so that I might get one on one help, rather than the click-n-ship usps.  I did start there but after an ominous question about "EEL" numbers, exporter licenses, auditors, law enforcement, proof of filing...and bears!  O My!

I thought it best to confer with an expert usps official.  Long story short, the idea of a priority mail flat rate envelope was a new one for my kind mailman.  He liked the idea a LOT, though!

And his customs form was issued in 2006 and all filled in by hand.  No printer, no bar code, "there's a computer in the corner, but we don't use it much."

"so let's say I haven't done everything up to...code?  Will my customer get her package or will it be exiled into Canadian Customs Neverland?"  my knees are knocking at this point.  He's telling me how to calibrate his scale with a paperclip.

"oh, we'll just get a nast-i-gram from them up there telling us to update our forms...this'll be fine."

Fingers crossed!