Hey friends! I've gotten a number of coronavirus-related questions from fellow crafters, so I thought it might be time for a quick update to let you know what Stampin' Up and I intend to do about it!
First off, let's answer the biggie–IS IT SAFE to send and receive mail right now?
Is it safe to send and receive cards right now? YES! Coronavirus has a very short lifespan on paper or cardboard. If you're concerned about receiving mail, just leave it in the mailbox for a few hours before you get it out. If you're concerned about infecting vulnerable friends and family, don't be–by the time it reaches them days later, any active virus will be long dead.
The mail has not been suspended anywhere due to COVID-19. IF you hear that rumor, it is likely due to people misunderstanding that the guaranteed delivery times to some affected countries has been suspended. Entirely different thing!
Is it safe to order stuff that comes from China? Yes! The loooong shipping transit, days in port and on trucks and trains make it a certainty that any virus would be deader than dead by the time it reached the US, let alone Stampin' Up, let alone arrives at your house. You don't have to worry at all about Chinese-made items carrying illness.
Is there a slowdown on things coming from China? Yes! There is a disruption, definitely. Stampin' Up's manufacturers have all been given the go-ahead to resume production. They are working as quickly as possible, but because of shipping bottlenecks and some workers still not cleared to return, there may be some delays or backorders.
What items are not likely to be affected by all this? Stampin' Up makes all their own stamps, ink and paper! So the basics are not expected to go into backorder, or if they do, it won't be for very long. The things like embellishments, dies and some patterned papers are what may have issues here and there for the next little while.
Is Stampin' Up still open during social distancing? Yes–but! As many home-office people as possible are working from home, and they have spaced everything out as much as possible so that essential pick-line workers have a generous amount of personal space for safety. In addition, they have shared that at the stamp manufacturing facilities, employees have been broken up into smaller shifts with time in between shifts for heavy-duty cleaning. That lessens the chance that production will be messed up if one shift becomes quarantined.
How can I support my favorite Stampin' Up demonstrator(s) through this? This is my favorite coronavirus question : ) You can support direct sellers and small businesses by ordering, yes, but also by sharing our posts on social media or leaving happy comments or reviews that might lead others to purchase. However, I know most of you probably could get by without ordering for a while because your stash equals mine : ) and sometimes it's hard to want to spend money on fun things when you're not sure what will happen next.
SO, the BEST way you can support us right now is just by STAMPING and SHARING WHAT YOU MADE. Use that amazingly fun hobby to encourage others in our anxiety-ridden world right now. Make kits for your grandkids to make cards for veterans, or call a local nursing home and make a card for each resident. We have an AMAZING opportunity to share a hobby that brings us great joy AND improves our world at the same time. What a cool thought!
Got other questions? I'll add them to this post! Leave a comment or email me at Lyssa@songofmyheartstampers.com. If I don't know the answer I'll go find out for you. Stay safe and stamp happy, friends!
