A new year, a fresh start and a good long look back

So, it's 2010 and I had a great year on Etsy. Actually, I had a great December, really great. It made me realize a few things. I can handle way more orders than I thought I could, my family is super supportive and if the laundry doesn't get done or the house is messy, nobody else cares.

One of the gifts I got for Christmas was a slide scanner. I was so excited!! I got out all my slides from printmaking grad school and jewelry grad school and started scanning. Hunh. Not so hot. Aparently, you have to spend BIG money on a slide scanner to get good images. I was hot to see all these old pieces though so I took them to the camera store and had them scanned. Viola!!! There they were, 6 years of artwork that I hadn't looked at in as long. Working as a goldsmith after graduation taught me how to work fast, work clean, polish, set stones, carve waxes and deliver great customer service but it did't flex my art making muscle. During the first 15 months of running my Etsy store I was so interested in making sales that I wasn't making work that really spoke to me. I love the pieces I make for Etsy, almost every piece has an inside story. I think that it's time, though, to make some pieces that are closer to where I was in 1999, along with pieces that are very 2010. Can it really be 10 years ago?

So, look for pieces from Hartleystudio in the future that include wood, found objects and color!