a new year, a new space...

happy new year! i'm starting out the year by trying out a new shop for my goods. when i joined etsy 6 years ago it was still a very new and exciting place. most people had never even heard of the site when i told them about it. i loved being a part of the movement to bring back handmade (or at least bring about awareness of it). it was truly a community there, and i met so many amazing artists. i lived in brooklyn and was able to visit etsy headquarters in person, even making a video for them there and doing a live tutorial another time. i really treasure the space it provided for me and my work. i love that it is so well known now. almost everyone knows what etsy is, and now most people ask me if i have a shop there when i mention the work i do. it seems silly i guess to say that i am moving elsewhere but i have to admit it is just not a fit for me right now. i don't have the time to devote to creating a large store, which etsy can now easily support and encourages. it is no longer a space just for small artists creating each item by their own hand. i can't really compete with the sheer number of stores there, let alone shops that have their designs produced by someone else. i mostly felt lost there (i remember the days when you could list something and then watch it show up on the front page!). for now i will keep my shop open, and list some custom order cake toppers there. i'm still lucky to have people find me through etsy, and i do still like many things about the site. also examples of my past work are all there still. i have decided to try listing a few of my creations at big cartel. i will continue to share here when i can, but i also post daily on instagram and share my works in progress there. i hope you will take a moment to visit both sites. they are both in the link bar above as well. thanks!