1. Where does it begin?
i) Whether you’re looking to purchase an item that’s listed as ‘ready to ship’ or a custom made item, you will need to contact me through the site’s contact page to make a purchase. You’re encouraged to review the site’s terms and conditions, and review questions on this page relevant to your order prior to writing to me through www.easternwindstudio.com/contact
Custom orders begin in a very simple manner. If you're looking into requesting an already listed or a variation of an already listed product in the shop, please be sure to review its listing details prior to getting in touch with me. Once you've reviewed the details, please send me an email describing what you have in mind.
About 35% of my job is in-depth communication with interested individuals irrespective of whether the end result is a purchase or not. My job, first and foremost, is more that of a consultant, mediator and curator than a seller. Write down whatever you have in mind with as much relevant detail as you can (in words, drawings, doodles, references, collages, etc…) and I’ll do my best to give you a transparent and objective breakdown of what is doable, what options are available, and what the associated costs may be temporally and monetarily.
I normally respond in less than 24 hours unless I'm away from the studio. In this 24 hour time frame please avoid repeatedly emailing or messaging me on social media to bump your email. I will get back to you. I will respond to you with perhaps a few questions and clarification and once we're on the same page I will let you know what’s in the realm of possibility, the potential time it will take, and a price estimate in USD.
My studio has been in business since 2010. We’ve provided products to theaters, museums, athletes, musicians, fashion shows, film, video game developers, reenactors, all the way to collectors, cosplayers, LARPers, and Faire goers. I pride myself in taking the time to discuss orders thoroughly with anyone that's considering a project. Just because you ask, will not mean you'll be obligated to purchase. So please feel free to approach me. Although there is no commitment on your part to make a purchase, you do have a commitment to review the information you have been provided with and that we have spent the time to make available to you. There is no other commitment on your part till an order is placed! Anything before that is simply looking into possibilities and doing your part in following along.
That said, if you find yourself questioning whether my studio can be trusted to deliver, I encourage you to review our social media pages and do your research in advance of contacting me. I do not spend any effort and time convincing inquirers of my legitimacy aside from what is available as evidence on our social media already. If you are not convinced, I respectfully ask that you refrain from placing an order.
there's no way to possibly give blanket answers to general questions since 90% of the work I do is custom made one way or another. I urge you to get in touch with me regarding your specific order.
Disclaimer: We do not sell to minors. All minors are expected to communicate through an adult legal guardian. The guardian will be deemed the client and will be expected to have reviewed the site’s Terms and Conditions as well as the item listing in question. Our products are also not specifically made to fit small children. Items like mask combos will have peep holes made for general adult sizing. The head size taken into account for all pieces is that of an adult. Though minor changes to the size can be made, it will be important for guardians to be mindful of this and be very clear in their communication if they are placing an order for a younger child.
ii) I’ve emailed you but I haven’t received a reply and it has been more than 48 hours.
It’s highly unlikely for me to not reply to an email within 24 hours. We work 6 days a week and take orders and inquiries 7 days a week. If you haven’t received an answer please check the following.
1. Make sure the email address you provided was correct. It’s not uncommon for people to get their email address wrong, or get the domain wrong.
2. Make sure to check your spam/ junk folder. When you write to me through my website, you will receive a reply from my private business account which will be a Yahoo account email address.
3. A rare circumstance is that I’m out of the studio and off the grid. This happens once or twice a year for a very short duration. If this is the case, I will have a notice in the ‘Announcements’ section here on my website, and very likely on my social media. Please be patient. If I am away from the studio, I don’t stay off the grid more than 3 or 4 days at a time.
4. If you aren’t sure whether you fall into #1 or #3, you’re welcome to email again. Making sure the domain is correct and giving it a couple of days.
2. What Can I ask for?
You have no limitations aside from the disclaimer at the bottom of this section! Ask for anything and allow me to tell you what is or is not within my skill set. For example; if you ask for wings, I will likely redirect you to another artist. What I can't do, I will be upfront about as it’s just as much a risk to me as it is to my clients. I'd like to think I have a well-rounded understanding of my own skills, potentials, and limitations as well as a good ability to predict the possible limitations of a design; so I will do my very best to be as honest and transparent with my clients as possible and include all disclaimers prior to an official order.
Naturally, if you're emailing to ask for a variation of pieces offered in the shop already, or one you may have seen on social media, simply let me know which item it is and what additions and modifications you'd like to make to it.
Some of the things I make include, but are by no means limited to, headdresses, masks, sashes, stoles and mantles, pauldrons, bags, rugs, busts and display pieces, 3D frame wall art, shoulder or table mounts, partial or full body mounts, soft mounts, etc.
If you’re not ready to place an order and you’re just getting in touch to discuss the possibility of a design and get a quote, that is absolutely fine. I’m happy to help you gather the required information.
The only thing that I do ask, and that is very important to me, is that you try to keep my time in mind as well. It’s of the utmost importance to me that you pay attention to the information I provide, ask for clarification where needed but always read what I have already sent you. If I’m repeating myself and it becomes clear that the inquirer is simply blatantly disregarding the information or demanding their own terms override our policies, the inquirer will be informed of this foul. If they press on, I will refuse to take the order. I’m absolutely happy to clarify anything that doesn’t make sense after you have read what’s been given of course!
Consultation Is integral to an order, however, it should not turn into an indefinite platform for Q&A. Gather you ideas, references if you have any, and as may of your questions into each email as possible. Of course discussing new ideas requires time and discussion but please make sure to be reasonable with time and use email like email, rather than like text messaging.
I highly encourage clients to have as much of their design planned as possible. Please keep in mind this shop is entirely run by one person. I am committed to helping my clients with their design ideas but I do expect that you kindly keep emails relevant to your order, have as much of your thoughts collected as possible, and come forward with a general idea as to what you’d like. As an example, if we’re 10 emails into a wolf headdress order inquiry and the client is still not sure what color they’d like to purchase, then I may have to respectfully ask a client to step back, think about it on their own time, and return to the conversation when they have a more clear vision. Naturally more complicated designs will require more communication and that is absolutely fine, but please keep my time in mind as well. I will not rush anyone into making a decision, but if a correspondence is simply taking longer than what is reasonable for that order, I will ask a client to step back and think about the details a little more and then reach out again.
Disclaimer: We will not accept orders with satanic or controversial cult subject matter or iconography such as a Baphomet in any form.
3. Where’s the buy button?
There isn’t one. All sales are made via email. You must slow down, you must read, we must agree..
I used to operate primarily off sale sites like Etsy. The problem is we’re dealing with high value individually hand crafted pieces of wearable art with relatively long production times. It’s in both of our interests if clients slow down, read, and fully understand what it is they’re purchasing. Since reading did not seem to be too popular, the buy button allowed for too many impulse purchasers. The items are not real fur, and they are not always in stock and ready to ship. Once an order is placed, it can’t be cancelled. These details often escaped the attention of the quick-fingered buyers. I respect my work beyond their sale value, so now, I require people to write to me, to communicate, to understand their purchase and agree to a contract before making a payment. Part of my responsibility is to slow people down, not to speed them up into making a purchase. I walk my clients through their orders. Every experience is a personal one. I care about my work, but I also care about my clients. Years of experience has led to this system; this is in both of our interests. If you’d like to purchase something, write to me through the website’s contact page.
There is no expectation to purchase associated with inquires and brainstorming. However, once you ask to have a sale contract prepared and sent to you, you are expected to stay committed to your order.
Once we reach an agreement on the design and overall details of the order, and you are ready to place your order, I will email you a PDF file of your sale contract which you will need to confirm via email. You will be sent a PayPal invoice. Once you’ve agreed to your sale contract, you will be able to pay your invoice. Your production time begins with the full payment for your item. A copy of the terms and conditions of your sale contract are outlined here
https://www.easternwindstudio.com/terms-and-conditions
If you are placing an order under a payment plan, you will be also be required to agree to the Terms of Payment plans outlined here
https://www.easternwindstudio.com/payment-plans-terms
Whether you choose to pay upfront or take on a payment plan, it’s important to understand we only begin production when orders are fully paid off. We do not start projects with partial payment. Our shop policy will always be prioritized over other expectations or contracts. If you’re expectation is to make a part of the payment at the beginning and the remaining at the end, please refrain from reaching out. We will not accept this term.
Your obligation towards an order begins with you requesting the sale contract (at the end of all discussions regarding the order). Prior to this, you have no obligations and thus there is no consequence. Once you request a contract and a contract is formulated for you, you have 24 hours to confirm and pay. Clients that are not able to meet the 24 hour requirement must indicate this prior to asking for a contract as we do not reserve commission slots. Clients that fail to address their contract and invoice within 24 hours or fail to communicate limitations and disappear without confirmation and payment or communication will be allowed a second chance. however, if this happens a 3rd time, the client will be barred from any future order opportunities and I will respectfully have to turn down the order permanently.
4. What is the current production time?
The best place to find current production times will be in the Announcement section. We also try to update the banner on the home page to include this information regularly.
https://www.easternwindstudio.com/annoucments
5. Can you ship to my country?
We ship internationally, with exception of only a handful of countries that we can’t or choose not to ship to. Please kindly fill out the form correctly on your initial contact email. If your country is a place we don’t ship to, I will always let you know. Please make sure to familiarize yourself with your country’s postage and customs laws as Clients will be fully responsible for their taxes and fees as well as providing additional details such as proof of payment to their national customs office. If you require a lower parcel value, please let me know.
6. What are the pieces made of? Do you use real fur?
I use Synthetic fur only. I use natural fibers for animals with manes; primarily lions. Lions can be requested with synthetic mane but the material will be shorter and less voluminous. Where natural fiber is used, it’s ethically or humanely sourced.
7. What are the costs of custom orders and are there extra associated fees?
If the item you're inquiring about happens to be an animal I haven't worked on yet but one that I will likely happily add to the shop's collection, then there are no extra fees associated with the production. For example, I've been much too busy with commissions to work on a common leopard at this point in time. Although one is in production, it is not yet on display in the shop. if you come to me asking for a leopard headdress or other leopard props, I will not be charging you additional fees for your custom order. Items like this are commissions and given priority over my own projects and thus are completed within the agreed time span. Once the item is completed it will take on its own listing and be available to order in the shop.
However, if you come to me asking for a design that is unlikely to be offered widely in the shop, then there's a chance I will charge you an additional fee. This is because the sculpt I must produce for your order will likely not be used again or much. Depending on the complexity of the sculpt I will charge differently. If a sculpt is particularly difficult or requires a ground-up approach (starting from absolute scratch), your fees will be higher than if your sculpt can be created with a simple modification of an existing sculpt.
8. I need an item in short notice, does this cost more?
Yes!
Please note that orders that are required to be prepared on short notice will be charged rushed order fees. Our regular production time varies based on the commission load at the time of order. These timelines are not arbitrary. I stick to a strict work schedule to be able to get through the commission load that I go through. When a client approaches me for a rushed order, I not only have to work longer hours to prepare that project but I also have to accommodate lost time on other projects. Rushed orders can be very stressful. This is why the less time I have to work on a project, the higher the rushed order fees will be. The rushed order fees associated with each item may differ slightly based on the complexity of that item, however, average fees are updates on the following page.
https://www.easternwindstudio.com/annoucments
Please note, when calculating rushed order fees, you are looking at the production time only, do not include the shipping days as part of your overall time. Please note, weekends do not count as part of your shipping days; count business days only. When in doubt, get in touch with me; I’ll be happy to help.
Those that opt to place rushed orders must also e prepared to communicate very quickly. when we discuss a rushed order we will set a correspondence window for each update to be confirmed. This window will take into consideration your location and time zone and the complexity of you order. for example if you’re located in the US west coast, you will be expected to respond to updates and questions within 4 hours. This correspondence window will be stated in your sale contract. If a confirmation is not received within the agreed upon window, I will make an executive decision on the next step. Alterations and adjustments past this window may or may not be possible and will not be accepted. If they are possible and accepted, they will be negotiated at a fee which will include the cost of the alteration as well as additional fees associated with the added volume of work within the rushed order time frame. Negotiations of this sort may also require that the deadline be expanded to accommodate a delay due to the client’s inability to meet confirmation deadlines. As a business and as an Artist I have no reason to delay orders unnecessarily but please be prepared to do your part in ensuring a smooth production schedule.
It is the responsibility of the client to be mindful of their availability. For rushed orders, we tend to work through the weekend to meet deadlines. If a client is not capable of corresponding over the weekend they must communicate this and will either need to make arrangements to communicate over the weekend or give me full artistic liberty to make any decisions regarding the piece on weekends. If they are not able to do either one of these, then they must inform us prior to signing a contract. In this case we will not include weekends in how we calculate their rushed order fees which will increase their fees but allow us to hold off on weekends until normal business hours when our client is able to respond.
If you're getting in touch for a rushed order and you're located in a country with a stringent customs clearance system then please keep in mind that customs is a sovereign entity. Once they have the parcel, neither I nor any postal service involved has any power over them. They may delay the parcel for as little or as long as they please. Please plan accordingly.
9. Does it get very hot in a headdress?
To some degree, it can. You’re adding a layer of clothing so it’s inevitable that it’ll be at least a little warmer with the headdress than without it; but because there’s space and ventilation around the neck, it’s not too bad in my opinion. In either case we don’t recommend extended use in temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius. We’ve definitely used our headdresses in mid summer with no major complaint with regards to heat but in general this is a subjective matter and also comes down the the client’s tolerance for heat and their body type.
10. I need a custom order on short notice, can it be provided?
This depends on what your design is. if it's something I can realistically complete for you in time, then naturally I will not turn you down. I encourage you to email me with a detailed description of what you’re looking to order, what your deadline is, where you’re located, and any reference photos you may have. It goes without saying these correspondences are time-sensitive and will require quick replies. When the clock starts ticking, a quote I gave you a week ago will no longer be valid as we will be recalculating rushed order fees and what is within the realm of possibility based on how much time is left to complete a piece. Custom orders that require a new sculpt to be made can’t be produced in under 2 weeks. Most such orders will require an absolute minimum of 3 weeks. On custom orders with specific references, please keep in mind we never promise an identical copy of the reference though we will do our best to maintain likeness. Please be sure to review question #8 as well.
11. How do I pay for a custom order?
Once you and I have decided on the design, time frame, cost and potential payment plan, and are ready to place your order and pay, you will let me know. I will send you a document outlining your order details, terms and conditions. This will be our contract and will be treated as such. You will be asked to confirm your full agreement with what’s listed in this document. Upon receiving this confirmation, I will make you a custom invoice via PayPal or you will be asked to make a payment through Wise for orders over $3000 USD. If you do not wish to use wise, a 4% fee will be applicable to your total and you may use PayPal. If you’re located in Canada you may be offered to pay directly via your bank. We strictly do not accept International Credit or Debit payments outside of PayPal or Wise.
If you choose to take on a Payment plan, Please note payment plans are subject to their own terms and conditions, so kindly review the section on payment plans prior to committing. Production always starts After payment completion.
Your contract should not contain any surprises. I will have already spoken to you about all the details of your order in the correspondence we've had prior to your payment. This means you must work out the details of your order before payment. You will be asked to read the contract including the section on "general information" prior to paying for the order and tell me if you have any further questions or concerns. If you have questions or concerns regarding the contract, you must let me know before paying for the order. once the payment is made, you are committed to the contract stated in your listing; as am I of course.
**Please only ask for a contract and invoice to be made for you once you are ready to place your order and are sure about your purchase.**
Writing up contracts and making Invoices take time to prepare on my part so, please, if you aren’t ready to pay or are not certain, do not ask for one until you have decided. Invoices do not remain available indefinitely. clients that ask for invoices multiple times but do not pay will be refused service on the 3rd time. normally clients are given 24 to 48 hours to complete an order after asking for an invoice to be sent.
All clients that are interested in purchasing are encouraged to review the section on Specific Q&A
https://www.easternwindstudio.com/q7a
As well as the sites terms and conditions
https://www.easternwindstudio.com/terms-and-conditions
The information in the above links will be included in your sale contract as well which you will be asked to review and sign prior to paying for your order. I welcome any questions or concerns with regards to this.
12. Can I ask for a one of a kind piece and ask the item not be reproduced in the future for other clients?
Generally speaking; no. I do not limit my designs to one client unless it's something extraordinarily unique. If it's important to you that you be the only owner of a particular design, make sure to clearly state this in your correspondence well before placing an order. I may or may not agree depending on the design. Please keep in mind an item I do agree to make limited to only one client will have a price that reflects its limited-edition status. Keep in mind if your unique item requires a sculpt to be made specifically for this order, we will charge a custom sculpt and mold fee which charges for the time and material used but does not pass of ownership of the sculpt to the clients. We do not surrender molds to clients. They will be stored for 3 months unless otherwise agreed upon and then destroyed.
13. Can I rent a piece?
Personal use (weddings, entrance pieces, mascot, prom, etc.): I do not offer rentals for personal use at all. My apologies. The logistics of a rental are simply much too time-consuming and risky. Furthermore, our pieces are not washable which makes renting them out distasteful for hygiene reasons.
Artistic/ Commercial use (Film, Commercial & photography): Requests for loans of this kind will be considered on a case by case basis and fall into 2 categories. Rentals; which are charged a rate depending on the item and details; and Loans, which are on more lenient financial terms. Consideration does not necessarily lead to an agreement as both rentals and loans carry significant risk for both parties. Acceptance rates are generally low and terms are stringent seeking to protect the item as well as our studio’s rights over the use and distribution of work featuring our items. We have a no fine print policy so everything will be laid out plainly in our contract for clients to consider carefully prior to commitment.
In both cases, you will be required to provide a page, website, portfolio or some form proof of your work for assessment. This can be your social media page. Anything that proves you are a qualified photographer or filmmaker and displays your skill and style. Your case will be much stronger if you have worked with other artists and are able to provide references of whose work was used in what way. You will be able to include attachments once I reply to the original email.
You will also be required to send a cover letter no more that 600 word long, explaining the purpose of the piece in detail; what it’ll be used for, the theme, models, filming or photography conditions, duration of the request, etc. Anything over 600 words will not be reviewed so please keep it within the word limit.
If you’re requesting a rental on behalf of a production company or studio (Cinema, gaming, etc.) you must disclose this in full detail; no code names, no vague language, etc. This is important in our decision making process. Your Corporate name or Brand will not speak for you. The specific project name must be disclosed.
Your request will then be assessed to determine whether it qualifies for a rental, loan or if you will be required to simply purchase the piece. Things we look for are credibility as well as mutual interest with regards to style. If your request is accepted for a rental or loan, you will need to sign a contract specific to each agreement. Of the two, loans are rare at best.
The conditions of our rentals and loans are the same. The only place they differ is how they are charged.
In both cases the requested item must be marketable after use. This means it needs to be something I can confidently sell after the loan. It doesn’t mean it has to be a piece I’ve created or offer necessarily, but it needs to be something I deem marketable. IF it’s an In stock piece, it can be shipped right away. If it is a made to order item, you must be willing to wait the duration of the production time. In a case where the item is required in advance of our quoted production time, the client will be required to simply purchase the piece at its sale value plus rushed order fees. our production times and fees are always updated and listed here and will vary for more complicated pieces. https://www.easternwindstudio.com/annoucments
In both cases, any work produced showcasing our piece must be shared with us at full resolution and be free and accessible for us to use at our digression, in perpetuity with credits to the producer. Likewise appropriate and complete crediting will always be required where and when our piece is published and showcased in perpetuity irrespective of the media in question or how frequently it is used.
All pieces must be returned within a strictly agreed deadline, in pristine condition.
For a rental, the full price of a of the item plus shipping will be charged via the family and friends option on PayPal. Once the item is returned and inspected for damage and soiling, a partial refund of the payment will be processed. The fees for such agreements vary based on the item but are generally 40% to 60% of the item cost over a 2 to 6 week period, calculated from its arrival to the client to the day it is shipped back with proof of a tracking number indicating the parcel has been scanned at the post office. If the item has any damage, the payment will not be refunded. This means any sort of damage, such as, but not limited to, soiling, staining, breakage or any material damage, water damage, bad odor, excessive creasing due to miss packaging and mishandling, etc. will void the refund entirely. If any alterations, reconstruction or attempt at repair, or attempt at removing stains or other form of damage is detected on the piece, the refund will be void. This because if a piece does require repair or cleaning it needs to be done by someone that understands the material and how the item is created.
The client is asked to report any damage due to shipping (from myself to them) within an hour of the item's arrival with photo proof. They will not be held liable for this damage but must report within an hour. Keep in mind, we’ve been in business since 2010 and have never had a package arrive damaged. Damage obtained during shipping from the client to me will void the refund if the item is not properly packaged, does not include an international tracking number, it is not properly labeled and shipped with care, and is not insured. Please know, the import fees on the piece will be deducted from the refund.
For loans, the financial agreement is slightly more lenient with the client being required to put down a deposit which will be fully refunded to them upon the item’s return and inspection. The deposit will depend on the item in question but will generally be 25% to 40% of the item value. They will be responsible for all shipping and customs fees. If the item has any damage, the deposit will not be refunded. If your work falls into our area of interest and the interest of our target clienteles, we are more likely to be lenient on the financial terms and the piece may be more likely to qualify for a loan.
As you can see, there is some risk to both these agreement. Circumstances are not always within one's control, yet as an artist, in order to protect my work, I must hold renters accountable for even those circumstances. It's not a position I want to be in even though I genuinely do enjoy working with other artists however, it is the risk of a rental that our client must accept if they wish to make use of these particular options.
14. I'm getting in touch regarding a piece I've seen on your social media, can I ask for it to be made if it's no longer available?
Most likely, yes. Unless the particular item in question was a one of a kind make or used a fur that’s no longer available, we can usually recreate pieces. If you see an item on any of my social media accounts that you don’t see offered on the website, save a link or screenshot. When you email to request it, you will not be able to attach anything to the email. Once I reply back, you will be able to attach your reference. Please only use the website’s contact page. I don’t reply to social media DMs unless it’s to direct you to the website.
15. I'm getting in touch on behalf of a company or institution and want more than one of a design, do I get a discount?
We do not offer bulk discounts of any sort. Because the items are individually made, the number of pieces in a single order does not reduce production time or cost in any way.
16. I’m getting in touch with regarding collaboration, are you interested?
This depends on your definition of a collaboration. Whether you’re a musician, a photographer, a designer, an influence, etc. please know we absolutely never hand out free work in return for photos, promotion, or any other service. We do not welcome such requests. You’re more than welcome to place a custom order or send a cover letter for a rental request as per Question #13.
Do not seek to use crediting and promotion as a bargaining token. I require all work to be accurately credited in a publicly accessible format when used in official or unofficial published or to-be-published pieces including any personal, collaborative, promotional or official social media post. Offering credits and promotions is not a trading chip; it is a term of sale, included in every sale and loan contract and applicable to all buyers.
We’ve worked with many big names and productions of all sorts; our work has appeared on stages across the world. Though many approach with hopes that their particular offer will be mutually beneficial and worth a free piece, this has not been statistically proven in our data analysis. We’re making an informed decision when we say we will not offer free items, no matter how great you think your reach may be. As mentioned earlier, photos, and media are not considered trade material as they will be in the public domain and need to be credited contractually irrespective.
If you’re looking to put a piece on loan, we may consider your offer on a case by case basis, but please keep in mind we have a target audience in mind and will only consider these requests if there’s mutual interest in the project. Please see question 13 regarding loans.
17. I’m getting in touch from a production company/ studio for a piece to be used in film and cinematic. Can you help? Will you fly out to work with us on the scene?
Never hesitate to write and describe what it is you have in mind.
I’m happy to work with other studios. Please know I do not offer tutorials or information regarding my production technique to maintain the integrity of my business and my work. I’m always happy to brainstorm ideas with any client so feel free to write.
Regarding traveling to work on a scene, it’s a matter of details. I can travel, but it would depend on the studio accommodations as well as on the specific piece. It would also be dependent on the commission load at the time of inquiry. I book anywhere from 4 to 9 months in advance so time spent outside of my own studio would need to be appropriately scheduled as I prioritize bookings based on the temporal nature of bookings, not their monetary value.
18. Can I make changes to my order after payment?
This depends on how far along we are and what kind of changes you have in mind. I highly encourage you to have all your order details worked out with me before making your payment. I spend quite a lot of time talking clients through orders. The price and production time clients are quoted are based on the details at the time of the order. The casts and patterns are prepared accordingly. Sometimes changes or inspirations come to mind after the fact and if possible I will try to accommodate it but please keep in mind, I retain the right to refuse further changes to an order after your payment as per every contract. Accepted changes may be accompanied by additional charges and extended production times. I retain the right to charge rushed order fees on changes if a deadline is to be maintained.
19. What happens after I place an order?
Placing custom orders can be nerve-wracking for some, especially those that haven't placed custom orders before. Please know your order is safe and being tended to. Generally speaking, most clients will receive word or photos of their order within 12 to 16 weeks of their order depending on the production time they are given prior to placing their order unless they are told otherwise. This information will always also be included in the sale contract the client receives specific to their order. It’s very important that you be patient throughout your order. I ask clients to wait till I come to them with updates rather than send frequent emails asking for updates. Failing to follow protocol and repeatedly asking for updates prior to the stated update times may lead to the termination of the order without compensation as it will be seen as obstruction and a breach of the sale contract. All clients get at least one or 2 updates before the item is completed. Some more complicated custom orders will receive more photos. Please know I do work on a schedule and do take my job very seriously so I will not leave you in the dark. I need you to trust me with that . You will receive a photo of your completed work before it is shipped so you will never get a surprise parcel at your doorsteps.
It is superbly important you keep an eye on your email throughout the duration of your order. Correspondence in a timely fashion is very important to custom pieces.
If you place a rushed order, please know, as photos and updates do take extra time, you may not have the advantage of update photos or frequent ones. This is only applicable to rushed orders that have allowed less than 4 weeks’ time for production. Otherwise, clients will receive updates. Rushed orders require communication within no more than 12 hours of orders over 4 weeks. We do not wait longer than this to move forward with production.
As a very important side note, you will be expected to confirm each email and/ or photo containing an update or question regarding your order. If anything needs changing, it needs to be pointed out as the photos are received, not after the fact. this is because often what’s put in place can’t be tweaked or removed. I kindly ask you to stay communicative. Delays in correspondence will have consequences such as but not limited to delays in production deadline. I ask that you respond to all emails within 24 to 48 hours. If you are unable to communicate in a timely fashion, please give me a heads up in advance. Your order will be void without compensation if you have not replied to an email sent to you within 14 days.
20. I need an item on x day but I will not be able to pay until later. Can you accommodate?
we offer payment plans under the conditions listed on the following page
https://www.easternwindstudio.com/payment-plans-terms
If we have already discussed a payment plan for you, then naturally we will have already talked about your financing before you place your order.
If your payment date falls after the shipping date, I can't help you I’m afraid. All payments must be fully aid prior to shipping.
21. Can I request discounted or free items in return to promote and/ or advertise your work?
Unfortunately, I can’t agree to this. The reasons are primarily 2 folds.
1. Production cost and time for my work are high. I simply don’t hand out free work.
2. My previous experience with “promotional” opportunities has not ever brought more buyers to me. My work has been displayed on stages (national and international, big and small), worn by athletes on broadcasted events, been displayed in museums as part of historical costumes, etc. By far the only time my products have brought in more sales have been through clients that regularly wear my work for their hobbies and events. Although I appreciate the offer, please know I’m no stranger to it and I’m making a conscious choice to decline it. Thank you for understanding. Please be advised that proper crediting an artist is not a bargaining token. All work must be accurately credited in any published or to-be-published piece. As such I do not find this as a leveraging point in an offer as it borders on an insult when used in exchange for free or discounted work.
22. Do you offer tutorials? what material do you use for x?
I do not offer tutorials. First and foremost because we are not an educational enterprise and our focus is production. Secondly because the best way to prevent our ongoing problem with counterfeit, copied, and stolen concepts is to adopt a total silence policy. As such, all such information is proprietary. We are supplier private.
I kindly ask that you refrain from asking questions regarding details such as information about the material I use, my suppliers, my techniques, etc.
Unfortunately, in the past, I’ve found this to be detrimental as some saw it as an invitation for counterfeit our work. I take protecting my work seriously so I apologize in advance for not entertaining such questions.
23. Do you make fur suits and masks?
This is a bit of a complicated question. 99% of the time the answer will be that as of 2023 we no longer make any type of suit or head with articulation. In the very rare instance that orders of this kind are accepted, it will depend on what you’re using the piece for. If you mean fur suits for theater or commercial use, I can make them, yes. It will very much depend on whether or not you’re able to provide either a dummy of the actor or if your actor will fit into a generic size suit if we have availability to take on a suit. It would have to be a project I’m personally interested in as well. These projects have very long lead times though so they will need to be discussed and planned up to a year in advance.
If you mean fursuits for the furry hobby, I do not make these. If you have a custom animal design that falls into our existing sculpts (mask headdress combos featuring only the upper head or full heads with stationary open or closed jaws) and have a reference sheet, I’m happy to have a look and see if it’s something I can implement on those pieces. If it’s an animal I don’t offer, you’re still welcome to ask and see if it’s something I’d be open to making a custom sculpt for. Keep in mind that unless you ask specifically for a mask only piece, our upper head only designs will be mask headdress combos and the sculpt will be designed as such. I don’t offer mask only pieces so any requests for a mask only piece will need to be customs sculpts and subject to those fees. It’s less likely I’ll take on mask only designs if they are not marketable pieces.
I do occasionally accept orders of fursuit masks for indie film productions so long as the client is absolutely clear, understands, and is in full agreement as to my position stated below. The reason I do not make fursuits for the fursuit hobby is that I know nothing about the hobby or its expectations and have no way of knowing what the expected features of a fursuit are for the said hobby. simply put, I lack appreciation for it in every way. I can certainly make a mask with an articulated jaw, but I am a costume maker, not a fursuit artist so my style, material choice, and techniques will absolutely differ. I do not share material information either so please take note of these factors before contacting. It will not compare to fursuit heads made by fursuit artists. I have no way of knowing. If you come in with expectations based primarily on fursuit makers you may have dealt with previously and expectations that are rooted in the hobby, and have very clear expectations with regards to the precise way the head is made, it is best if you do not place an order. We do not change our style, material, or technique unless it suits the growth of the business and benefits the predominant body of the business and chief works. This is not to be taken lightly if you are ordering as a furry. This is not a statement on quality or functionality, superiority or inferiority of one art form over the other, but rather a testimonial and clarification that I simply know nothing about the furry world.
If you want to send a blank head to be worked on, it will depend on the style and pattern as well. We may accept working on blanks with realistic sculpts. If this is the case, your head must already be fully rigged (mouth pieces, joints, lining, etc, in place and finished). I do not make wearable gloves or feet, etc. It will be just the head.
24. Can I call you to arrange for an order?
For legal reasons, I require all correspondence to be strictly in writing and in an accessible format. I do not take phone calls or video conferences. I require all communication to be through email only. I discourage DMs on social medial or messaging apps and will require all clients to email. This is also to help me keep track of all order details and have everything in one place so that I can easily search through everything that’s been talked about. The studio handles a large volume of orders with 98% of them being custom orders. Each one varies in its specifications and details can easily be lost and left out if I don’t have the ability to go back into the archive and search for it. Communication and trust are the backbones of any business, as such, I require that all clients do their part in timely and clear communication to the best of their ability. Please keep emails organized, focused, and relevant to the order at hand to help keep everything moving along smoothly.
In rare cases, usually with corporate orders, I will accept a phone call to discuss a particularly complicated piece but but will require a draft of the key points to be emailed to me after the call if the client wished to place an order. All information pertaining to the order must be in writing.
25. I have a real animal hide, would you be willing to mount it, repair it, or add to it?
My studio specializes in synthetic fur and is not adequately equipped to process and mount genuine hide. I have some knowledge of taxidermy but processing a hide should only be trusted to a professional and equipped taxidermist. If you approach me about a hide, I will direct you to a friend whom I trust and who has years of experience working as a professional taxidermist both on ethically sourced fur and otherwise. As a side note, natural hides require a lot of care and paper work to ship across national and international boarders. Never ship or order any animal pelts without understanding laws pertaining to shipping those pieces on both the sending and receiving end.
The same goes for repairs of already mounted pieces. It’s all better trusted to a professional taxidermist.
26. Can I cancel and order and ask for a refund?
This is a 2 part question, the first part regarding cancellations and the second, regarding refunds. Once an order is placed, you are in a binding contract. You can cancel the order but this will not be followed by a refund. An order is considered placed/ active once a payment is made.
This means, an order is considered active and placed when…
The full payment is made
A portion of the payment has been made as part of a payment plan
All sales are final and breaking the contract will not be possible. There are no exceptions.
I expect my clients to shop and correspond responsibly, understand and assess their finances, discuss what needs to be discussed with other parties involved, be aware of the seasons and holidays as well as their own deadlines, and do their part in reading their contracts. There is some reading involved in placing an order but nothing is ever in fine print.
Examples:
A client places an order for an item for his wedding, the next day he says his to-be wife does not like the idea and he would like to cancel the order and asks for a refund.
A client places an order, emails the next day to say he was drunk when he ordered and would like a refund.
A client places an order, then realizes they had missed details in correspondence prior to placing an order or had not indeed read the contract as instructed and are in disagreement with a part of it. For example, they have not read that preparation time for a particular piece is 16 weeks and they need the item in 4 weeks. The client will be asked to pay the appropriate rushed order fees with a second contract, Pay for additional changes, or be refused changes and/ or refunds.
A client has made an impulse purchase. They decide they don’t need the item and have more pressing expenses or buyer’s remorse.
A client begins a 3 part payment plan and pays down the first $600 of the order. A while later the client emails back to say they have vet bills to cover and it is close to Christmas and they need the money. This client has their order cancelled, which means they will not be expected to pay outstanding fees; but they will not be refunded the paid amount. This is explained more under “Payment Plans”.
None of the above cases are subject to a refund.
These are real-life examples and though rare, they do happen so kindly understand, that under no circumstances will an order ever be refunded unless for some reason I’m not able to meet my part of the contract and deliver the piece within the terms of the contract, say for example due to an unforeseeable health issue. This hasn’t happened to date.
27. What is order termination and what will terminate an order?
Terminations never come out of the blue. A client will be given a gentle warning or two before an order comes to a termination. An order termination is when an order is deemed void without compensation. In very simple terms, it’s when a client’s order is cancelled and they don’t get their money back. This is a result of several circumstances all of which have to do with repeated client irresponsibility. We spend a lot of time and effort communicating with clients as clearly as we can. A termination is only a last resort to protect our time and integrity after repeated violation of the contract.
Though the following list is long, please know that I treat my clients with the utmost level of respect and patience and do my best to be friendly but professional. I’m happy to say that we’ve only had one true case of a termination in the past (see point #8) and have been in business since 2010; so this is not a normal occurrence nor do we look for an opportunity to terminate an order. A Termination is a terrible experience for both parties. Terminating orders is not in the business’s best interest in any way so we try to work with clients as best as we can without compromising on our own rights and policies. Termination is an absolute last resort. The client will have been given gentle warnings prior to a termination and it should never be a surprise if they have read the contract and the emails and/ or links we’ve sent. Things that will terminate an order are as follows.
Spamming: I’m highly protective of my time as using it wisely and staying organized ensures that everything runs smoothly. We spend a lot of time discussing orders with every clients to make sure they have all the information they need and that we are able to provide for them to make an informed decision before placing an order. Once a client has been given a quote and has placed their order, the assumption is that a certain block of time is now put aside for the construction of their specific design discussed prior to purchase. I will leave to get on with production and communicate when we have updates to show. Any other communication that is not order related, aims to change order details forcefully after the order where not possible, continuously asks for update despite site policy and contractual deadlines on production times and update schedules, is not oriented and comes in bursts, attempts to make unrelated chit chat, attention seeking behavior like emailing randomly or repeated comments on social media directed towards the order and tries to conterminously remind us of said order, will be deemed as an infringement of time and peace of mind. This will be deemed as causing abstraction in production. small chit chat occasionally within emails are all but common and absolutely welcome but the idea is to please kindly keep the focus on the order. Clients are also asked to keep their emails and thoughts relatively organized. getting 5 emails in a row from a client spams our inbox and makes for a very bumpy communication path. Clients that do this will be kindly asked to gather their thoughts in one or 2 emails rather than send each thought in a separate email back to back. A client that is caught spamming will be gently guided to review this section. If this does not change their behavior, the order will be terminated without compensation. Likewise, while I appreciate clients’ excitement regarding their order, if we begin to feel like a client is trespassing normal commentating territory on social media and that their commends are repeatedly hinting at their order directly or indirectly, they will be given a gentle reminder to review this section. If the behavior continues, the order will be void without compensation. Furthermore clients are asked to refrain form making chitchat on social media to ‘keep in touch’ while their order is in progress. overall any behavior that causes a sense of urgency and stress or wastes time will not be tolerated.
Indecision: when you pay for your order, you’re expected to have already decided on what you’re purchasing because we will have already discussed it in depth. Your contract will reflect these decisions. The shop policy does not allow order cancellation. Once we start a project a client will not be allowed to make drastic changes to their order or continuously email about different eye colors for example or various other details that should have been discussed prior to order placement. This is a subcategory of spamming and time wasting. I allow a lot of wiggle room for my clients and will change what I can if it does not infringe on the time that’s already dedicated to a certain order but there will be a line. A client that comes close to this line will be gently guided to review this list. If this does not help, their order will be simply terminated without compensation.
Inappropriate conduct of any sort and abuse: This is simple. Remain cordial, professional and polite. Aggressive or passive aggressive behavior, inappropriate language, defensive language, etc. will not be tolerated under any condition. Clients that are not mindful of their conduct will only receive one warning which will lead them to this section. If the behavior continues, termination will follow immediately without compensation.
Prying and continuous sharing or asking for personal information: Please remain friendly but professional. I don’t share personal information that may cause discomfort to clients, I ask you do the same please. I’m an artist, not a lawyer or therapist or doctor or nurse. My job is to make you a piece that reflects part of you but please don’t open up too much of your personal life or ask me anything about mine. Please do not send me personal photos or any disturbing content. Should this be the case, comments or questions regarding such topics will simply be ignored. If they continue, or there’s backlash, the client will be guided to review this section. If this does not help, the order will be terminated without compensation.
Radio silence and time management: After a client has placed their order, they are expected to reply to emails within reasonable time. Delays in communication will lead to none-linear delays in production. If a client has gone into radio silence for 14 days, the order will simply be terminated immediately at midnight of the 14th day. They will not receive a warming for this as this is clearly stated in their sale contract which every client is asked to read and sign. The clear indication is that a client has knowingly breached the contract and will not need a warning. This will be a form of time wasting and will not be tolerated.
Missing payments: If you have a payment plan going, please review the terms and conditions of a payment plan for details about missed payments and termination. We don’t chase clients down for their monthly payments. Clients are expected to keep track of that themselves.
Failing to pay for shipping or outstanding charges: Sometimes if the final order size and weight is unknown we may give a rough shipping estimate but mutually agree to charge shipping at the end of production. Some orders may also have exception or additions that come about throughout production which wrack up additional charges. An order will not be shipped out till outstanding payments have been completed. All such changes and expenditures will have been made in mutual agreement and consent with the client so outstanding charges will never be a surprise expense. If for whatever reason the client then refuses to pay the remaining charges the order will be terminated without compensations. The completed piece will be auctioned.
Attempted cancellation and budget mismanagement: An order can’t be cancelled once it’s paid for whether through full payment or a payment plan, whether fully or partially paid. We never push for a sale. Clients are given information and left to make educated decisions based on their own desires and of course their own life style and budget. Once an order is placed, the expectation is that our client has made a responsible decision and/ or is taking responsibility for the order and remaining committed as per shop policy and their sale contract. We don’t compensate for client miscalculation or irresponsibility. The only time to date that we’ve had to execute an order termination has been with regards to this point. Things like “my dog has vet bills I need to pay so I need my money back” will not be met with a sympathetic refund. This is of the utmost important for clients to take into account when they place an order. Your life will be in your hands to prioritize before placing an order so please kindly make purchases responsibly. You will never be penalized if you ask questions and get a quote and then return several months or years later for a purchase, but hastily over-committing will inevitably never end well.
Breach of confidentiality: This rule is a little more subtle. In order to explain how it came about and what sort of behavior would lead to termination, I’ll need to tell you what brought it into our policy. Several ears ago, we had an order inquiry about a black jaguar. Although no information out of the normal communication between myself and the inquirer was taking place, I realized the other party was taking screenshots of the emails and posting them publicly on their Instagram page. This is simply odd behavior. talking to a friend about an order you may have placed, or simply sharing watermarked photos of the production process you may receive from me will not terminate your order. I ask clients not to share information about any discounts they’ve been given or any other benefits they may have received. I also ask that should the client and I discuss something not order related, that it be kept between us just as I respect the confidentiality of my clients.
28. Can I reserve an In-stock piece or put a hold on it?
No. in-stock pieces are sold based on a first to confirm and sell basis. An inquiry or email discussing the piece does not mean I will take that work off sales platforms and/or hold it for someone. The process of purchasing an item is as such. Using the contact page, write me an email, making sure to fill out all relevant fields (email, Paypal email, country, etc.), tell me which item you’re interested in and if you’re planning on adding any parts to it.
if the information from this page is missing, it slows down the sale process because I can’t formulate your sale contract without that information. Once your email is in, I will discuss the item with you if you’re making additions, or send you your contract if there are no additions. You will be asked to first confirm your contract, and then go ahead and pay your invoice. An item is only considered sold when the client has paid for it. It is not removed from sale nor considered reserved. Once an invoice is sent, you have 8 hours to complete your sale. This means in those 8 hours, if there are other inquiries about the item, I will refrain from replying to those specific emails. After this 8 hour period, the invoice will be cancelled and the item will be sold to the next interested client. If I feel like there are multiple serious inquiries regarding an item, I may offer a fair heads up to both parties. The expectation is that people shop responsibly and don’t lose their cool. This information is simply offered in the interest of transparency and so all parties understand that inquiries are not equal to holds.
Please note, the average sale time from when a client gets in touch regarding an in-stock item, to when that client pays, is around 5 hours. Unless I’m away from the studio, communication on my end is generally quite fast. Every item gets multiply inquires during its sale period. These policies are very much shaped by my sales experience. Time has proven that such conditions are required to ensure only the most serious buyers get to purchase an item. This system is not meant to be streamlined or fast, that is why there is no ‘buy’ button. It’s meant to filter out impulse buyers, slow or unsure inquisitors, or people that haven’t thought their commitment through. Communication makes up a very large portion of my workdays. That means if a client chooses to put in a request but disappears for 2 days, and in the interim, someone else comes along with more respect for communication timing and clear communication, then they will have the item.
29. How well can you see with the mask/ headdress combos?
If you're someone who's used to wearing masks, the vision isn't bad at all. You would already know that your field of vision starts at about 20' away or so. Your line of vision is directly ahead with no peripheral vision. If you want to see anything on either side of you, you need to turn your head to face it. It's really something that depends on the individual and what they're comfortable with. I have theaters for example that have requested smaller eye holes because they're confident their performers have enough experience that they can make do with minimal vision.
The easiest way to give you an idea of what visibility maybe like with one of the masks with acrylic eyes is for you to take a paper roll, tighten the roll to half its slandered diameter, clip the roll in half and place each half on one eye like binoculars. Without acrylic eyes, it’s about the same as looking through a 1.5” cut toilet paper roll binoculars that have not been tightened to half their diameter
30. Can you add a bottom jaw to Mask combos and/ or headdresses? Can you add a bottom jaw to a previously ordered wolf mask?
For most masks, yes but they will no longer be mask headdress combos. They will only be usable as masks when we add a bottom jaw. most of our designs either already have a stationary lower jaw option or can be made to have one.
For stand alone headdresses, it’s a bit more complicated and really comes down to the purpose of the piece and your vision. If you want to add a bottom jaw to a headdress, such that the bottom jaw sits on top of the head as well, this will raise the overall height of your headdress. Depending on what you’re using your headdress for, aesthetically, this is not necessarily a pleasing look for most pieces though it really does come down to personal taste.
For performers and theaters that are hoping to bring an animal character to life, adding a bottom jaw is definitely an option. we would have to talk about if/how you’d like to cover the performer’s face.
If you mean to add a bottom jaw such that the jaw frames your face, this is definitely possible. Depending on the animal and the level of anatomical realism you’re after, the degree of the jaw opening may vary.
In none of the above cases are the jaws articulate. We don’t provide articulating jaws.
If you had already ordered a piece in the past, or have an existing order that has already passed a certain threshold in production and you have decided to add a lower jaw, this is not possible. Jaws need to go on at a very specific point in production. Once we’ve passed that stage, they can no longer be added. The same goes for in stock mask headdress combos. If the in stock piece does not already have a lower jaw, we can’t add one post production.
A word on shipping, tracking, insurance, etc…
We ship internationally. There are only a very small number of countries we will not ship to. Always make sure the address you have listed on your PayPal upon paying is correct. I almost always ask clients to confirm their shipping address before a parcel is shipped out but if the order is placed under a time limitation, I will be shipping with the given shipping address. It is up to the buyer to ensure that their shipping address is correct at the time of purchase. If you are moving or need the item shipped to a different address, it's important that you state the new shipping address well before the order completion date. When in doubt, please ask me to wait till you have verified your address. I'm happy to do that so long as it is stated before the project is ready for shipment.
I will only ship to the address of the direct buyer unless we have agreed to ship to an alternative address prior to purchase and the secondary address is stipulated in your sale contract. If due to unforeseeable events, this was not possible at the time of order, your email confirming the secondary address will be deemed legally acceptable. The preference is still to ship to a predetermined address. We reserve the right to refuse shipping to countries we choose not to in this case and it will be up to the buyer to arrange for an alternative address.
It’s extremely important that clients pay attention to their contracts regarding shipping. All life-size pieces are shipped out with Canada Post international tracked parcel service or FedEx. Both services allow you to track the progression of your parcel as it makes its way to you. They have proved themselves to be the most reliable services to me and have rarely faltered. These services, as stated in every listing, *do not* include any insurance on the parcel. This means if the parcel is lost or arrives damaged, myself and my courier will not be responsible. Please choose wisely. That said, loss or damage has not been an issue to date. I urge clients to be aware the possibility is there. If you wish to insure your parcel. you must indicate this prior to shipping. insurance does come at a higher fee.
The non-delivery instructions on all packages that leave my studio are that they ought to be returned to me. 99.99% of the time, this is exactly what happens if for whatever reason the parcel was not picked up by the owner. The item is re-shipped once it arrives back to me and the seller is naturally expected to pay the price of re-shipping. This is only the case if the client has offered the wrong address or has not picked up their parcel. All French parcels will only be shipped with FedEx due to the unreliable nature of Chronopost. Feel free to get in touch with me if you're unsure about customs. I will not answer questions such as "how much are customs taxes in x country?" because I expect clients to do research on their own country's import laws, but I will talk you through some documentation and receipts.
A word regarding communication…
Communication is superbly important to ensuring everything moves along smoothly. while discussing your order details with me be attentive to what I write for you. I spend a lot of time discussing details with clients. I expect potential clients to read and understand what is written. If they do not understand something, I expect them to ask for clarification. This is important because once a payment is made, there is no going back. Once your payments are complete, your production time begins. You will generally receive updates beginning 6 to 8 weeks or 10 to 12 weeks after payment completion depending on your order size and production time. I ask that throughout your order production time you keep a close eye on your emails. I will only communicate with clients via email and will only send update photos or questions via email. This means I kindly ask that you do not message me on multiple platforms. except in exceptional situations (for example if a video needs to be shared via Facebook messenger for clarification). Please know that if your reply to an inquiry and your confirmation of an update is more than 1 week late, this may mean your order due date shifts several weeks if not months. after 14 days, your order will be void without refund and will be auctioned off. I try to keep a smooth production line going. Orders that are delayed due to client's lack of communication get bumped out of line till the next opening. So I kindly ask you respect the order of operation and remain diligent with emails and confirmations. This includes emailing back after an update to confirm you have seen and approve of if even if it is a single sentence stating “I confirm I’ve received and reviewed these photos”.
please take the Terms and Conditions of a sale very very seriously as we will follow them quite strictly.
Please also take care to remain professional and polite in your communication. Customer care is our pride and I do my absolute best to be clear and approachable. Please keep communication relevant to your order. We enjoy hearing what your purchasing your item for, what brings you to Eastern Wind Studio, what about the work speaks to you, etc. but please be mindful not to share personal information that isn’t relevant to the order or is simply unprofessional or inappropriate. You may occasionally find certain questions in your email not pretraining to your order are also left unanswered. We apologize in advance and ask that you understand, information that isn’t shared with clients falls within business or personal confidentiality and will be protected as such.