✨A quiet return
After two wonderful weeks in the beautiful landscapes of England, I’ve returned home with my mind full of castles, windswept cliffs, ancient ruins and the quiet magic of places like Stonehenge. The rugged coastline and centuries of history were the perfect backdrop to unwind, gather inspiration and recharge.
Those two weeks of travel are also why there was no newsletter in October — but I’m glad to see that the launch of the website has already drawn a steady trickle of visitors in my absence. I’m still refining a few details here and there, yet most of my focus can now shift toward what truly matters: keeping Vhalandar alive and growing with new creatures and their stories.

🌿 Behind the scenes
On the first of November I shared an honest post about the quieter months — and even though it only reached a modest number of people, the kind responses meant a lot! Every like and comment was noticed and much appreciated.
What really surprised me, though, was a reel I posted halfway through the month. It was shared a dozen times and viewed over four thousand times — a first for my own page! It brought in new followers and reminded me how much people enjoy seeing the process behind the creatures. Apparently, the tiny miniatures and little “making-of” moments capture hearts just as much as the finished pieces.
Every bit of support helps: a like, a comment, or a share might seem small, but for a tiny world like Vhalandar it makes all the difference — it helps my very modest following grow, and with it, my very modest little shop.

✈️ Shop update & US shipping
In the previous newsletter I mentioned that I’m currently bound to courier services instead of my regular postal options. Unfortunately, there’s still no news regarding the US import tariffs — the long-awaited ruling hasn’t been announced, and postal companies still refuse to ship parcels overseas.
The good news is that I’ve now sent several packages through the courier, and everything arrived safely within only five days — a huge improvement from the usual two to three weeks. Even better, no import fees were charged to my customers. While courier shipping is more expensive, I’m relieved to finally have a fast and reliable way to send my creatures across the ocean again.
Over the past weeks I’ve also adjusted many of my shop prices. I try to be as transparent as possible about this: the listed prices may seem high at first glance, but they already include a significant amount of Etsy fees, VAT, shipping and packaging costs, and of course the materials themselves. If I were to calculate my actual working hours, the prices would easily double.
Because I still have a regular day job, I don’t rely on my art for income — I’m simply happy when I can cover my materials and keep investing in better tools and supplies. With that in mind, I decided to lower my prices slightly to help offset the higher shipping costs for international buyers, and hopefully encourage a few more creatures to find their new homes.

🍂 New creations
October brought a small but lively gathering of new beings and miniatures to the world of Vhalandar. Five new Shrumlings sprouted up — each with its own autumn colours and curious expression, perfectly at home among fallen leaves and moss.

Two new Nissri pixies, Brynnel and Brynna, joined the ranks as well: brother and sister, mischievous as ever, and full of character.

Alongside them, I finished a handful of witchy miniatures: a Halloween-themed cabinet, a miniature witch scene beneath glass, a botanist’s table under its own dome, and a set of witch shelves — each filled with tiny bottles, herbs and spell ingredients, all capturing that cosy, mysterious spirit of late autumn.