Every year, I approach the holidays with great anticipation. And not just in my personal life. Although, this year we’re expecting a December baby, so that adds a whole new layer. Today, I’m talking about anticipation associated with work. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I usually triple my amount of print shop sales. Luckily, I know this is coming every year. And I make sure I’m prepared.

I begin by stocking up on paper, ink, and supplies in the fall. Since I produce my own art prints, this is a must. With my supplies fully stocked, I’m ready for anything that comes my way. Also, I cut back on client work and give my print shop my full attention. If I didn’t do this, there’d be no way I could fulfill all the orders. Starting in mid-November, I up my shipping schedule to M/W/F to keep up with orders. I usually up the processing times on my shop too, just in case I fall behind. While I’m packaging orders, I love listening to Christmas music and burning holiday candles. In November, I add some Christmas decor to my studio to make it a place a want to be, since I spend a whole lot of time in there. I try to prepare my loved ones for the fact that I’ll be super busy too.

While not all of the work I sell in November and December is holiday themed, some of it is. This is why I’ve made a practice of adding new holiday prints to my shop every year. Even though these prints only sell at the end of the year, I love working on holiday art. It just makes me happy. I do it as much for myself as I do for my customers. This year, I added three new holiday themed prints to my shop.

Here are the new prints I’ve added: