Custom Invitation Vendor Questions (Etsy)

I need someone to check my head and expectations regarding custom invitation vendors on Etsy. I found a couple that I really liked the look of, and sent custom quote requests in. I followed all shop procedures, was polite, professional, positive, and non-demanding in both cases, and one took 9 days to get back to me, saying she'd consult with her artist (it's been 5 days since that, no further communication,) and the other hasn't responded at all. They both have 1000+ rave reviews with no mention of lack of communication, etc. My request, while custom, is definitely not out of line from what they've both previously produced.

At this point, I have a couple questions regarding the apparent lack of jive between my expectations and the reality of these vendors:

Did I just hit in the middle of busy season with my request or something?

Is expecting a faster follow-up window than once a week out of line? If yes, what timeframe should I consider acceptable?

At what point do I give up on these Etsy vendors?

What can I do to solicit quicker responses from vendors in the future?

I'm really frustrated and discouraged, because I've seen nothing I like trawling the 'typical' custom invite sites, and I would have been thrilled to work with either vendor I reached out to. So, to that end, one more question: does anyone have any favorite custom invitation vendors- not minted, wedding paper divas, etc- they've worked with and would recommend?