Changes to the Platform Goimagine, the platform I’ve been using, will be closing its doors in March. After researching my options, I’ve decided to move Beneath the Oak Designs to Big Cartel. It’s the best fit for my small handmade business and keeps things simple and affordable. You might notice I’m not returning to Etsy, even though that’s where I originally started. Over time, the fee structure made it challenging to keep my pricing where I feel it should be. I never want to raise prices just to offset platform costs. For example, my $16 wire dragonflies (including shipping) would need to be priced significantly higher to maintain the same margin. That didn’t sit right with me. I also value truly handmade marketplaces. While Etsy still hosts many incredible artisans, it now includes a broader mix of products. As a small maker, competing alongside mass-produced items can be difficult. I want to keep my focus on slow, intentional craftsmanship. On my new platform, listings are lim...
A reflective look at a handmade wire tree that challenged my creative process, inviting me to embrace negative space, trust intuition, and let nature-inspired art evolve naturally. Every so often, a piece comes along that quietly asks more questions than it answers. This tree is one of those pieces. At first glance, it’s clearly different from my current collection. The colors are familiar — gold and blue, two tones I’ve always loved — but the feeling is new. The left side is full of movement and detail: blooming wire flowers, twisting branches, and a trunk that feels alive with motion. And then there’s the right side… open, airy, almost untouched. My first instinct was to fix it. I kept asking myself what was missing. Should I add more branches? Balance it out? Fill the space so it matched the rest of the tree? I even started imagining additions — a wire dragonfly drifting through the open space, a delicate moon hugging the hoop, maybe even a soft sun shape in complementary tones. Bu...