Back in 2019, I decided to make a handful of snowflake ornaments. I couldn't believe how fast they sold out and I quickly got to work on a second, then a third batch. The next year I decided to make a a new shape and before they were available, I started getting asked if I would be making them again. The response still has me in awe.
The following year, the ornaments flew out of my store again and I started hearing stories from people who gifted the 2019 snowflake to friends and families and couldn't wait to add another to their collection. I started to stamp the year on the ornaments and every year they keep getting more popular and it seems more people are discovering my work through the ornaments.
When I started with the first snowflake, I had no idea it would grow into a tradition for many. I didn't know people would be anxiously waiting to find out what was coming next and I also didn't realize the pressure it would put me under! Don't get me wrong, I will continue making ornaments as long as it is fun for me, and so far, I love trying to think of what shapes I want to use and how I can surprise and make people smile with putting my birch texture over a bear (2020) or chicken (2021). While I welcome messages with suggestions, ultimately, I make what I am drawn to each year. I'm not trying to predict what people might want or what's trending, I'm making what is fun for me since I'll be handling hundreds of ornaments.
Despite being small, each piece is touched and handled more times than anything else I make. There are many steps in the process, all of which require using the right tool at the right time to ensure the ornaments lay flat, have a smooth edge, and can be hung. I've lost hours of work by missing a particular stage in the clay's dryness. Handmade is certainly a labor of love, and each ornament is different which sometimes shows the lessons learned during its creation.
If you have purchased an ornament in the past, thank you! If you are still buying them, I hope you like the 2022 collection. I'm happy to have them done and will start shipping them next week.