The Big Thaw - Saturday, May 12th

If you live in the Portland, Maine area and you forgot to buy Mom a gift, you're in luck! The Big Thaw is this Saturday. As in tomorrow. As in the day before Mother's Day. And it's the perfect place to find something unique and awesome that will rock her world and show her how thoughtful you are.

Here are a few ideas to get you started – there will be more than 30 incredibly talented vendors there besides me though, so come see for yourself.

What mom wouldn't love these super sparkly "diamond" earrings. OK, so they're CZ's in sterling silver settings, but hey, for a mere $18 you'll still have enough cash left over to get her some flowers to go with her sparkles.

Some new necklace designs will be premiering at The Big Thaw. These are a combination of my always-popular bubble necklaces and my one-of-a-kind beach stone necklaces. Bubbles meet the beach. The bubbles are drilled through the stone, and they swing and move in a fun way.

Need an adorable Mother's Day gift from the dog? How about one of these handmade heavy-duty aluminum dog tags?

And, just in case you have already covered your Mother's Day bases and are already shopping for Father's Day next month...well, I've just started making sterling silver tie bars for savvy, stylish gentlemen. Something for everyone!

Here's the nitty gritty: 

Date: Saturday, May 12, 2012 

Time: 10am - 4pm 

Place: Mayo Street Arts Center, Portland, Maine 

Directions 

Check out the complete list of vendors.
RSVP on Facebook here.
Amazing organizer Audrey of Little Eye Designs has been posting daily vendor spotlights here.

I'll be downstairs (in the basement), so come find me and say hello! Hope to see you there.

2012 Graduation Jewelry - It's Not Too Late

Graduation is an exciting achievement for many young people this season. If you know a student graduating from high school or college in the coming months and you're looking for a unique gift idea that won't break the bank, I have just the thing!

Class of 2012 Graduation Jewelry - Custom Necklace - $45

A gorgeous sterling silver circle is hand cut and custom stamped with "Class of 2012", the school name, graduate's name or initials, a date and even school colors! A sterling silver chain, polishing cloth and gift box are included so you receive it ready for gifting.

Order yours here. Please allow up to two weeks for custom orders to be shipped.

Custom Rings - The Boo of Your Dreams

I make a lot of custom rings – in fact, these are one of my best-selling items. Many people choose to customize the inside of their rings with personal messages, initials or dates. Recently, I received an adorable custom ring order I can't resist sharing. 

A couple wanted matching sterling silver rings and they are huge fans of the TV show Parks & Rec. They were inspired by Tom Haverford's recent serenade to his "boo" Ann Perkins, and wanted their custom rings to pay tribute. Here's an audio clip for those of you not familiar with the show:

His ring would be stamped "I can be..." and hers would be stamped "the boo of your dreams" on the inside.

I took this "in-progress" photo as I made the rings.

As if their idea weren't awesome enough, I also received this amazing thank you email from them:

"We'd like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your creativity and time that you put into our purity rings. We have worn them every day since they arrived. We were also able to show them off while were in Nashville to our fellow Parks and Rec fan friends and they adored them. We are loving them, and are very pleased. You're awesome."

Hooray for happy customers!!! :D


Order your very own personalized ring here or contact me to discuss your creative ideas.

Oops! Forgot I had a blog...

Yeah, so sometimes I get distracted. I have the best of intentions to write regular blog posts and I am always thinking of new ideas and topics to write about, but when it comes down to it I don't find the time to get it all together and post it.

I know, I know...I sound like every other slacker blogger on the planet. But really, I will get better at this.

Here is a recent project I worked on. These two new dog tags were handmade for lucky pups in Virginia! Their names are on the back: Faith & Hope.

Every dog (and outdoor cat) deserves to have a special tag to help identify them if they happen to wander off. You can order one for your pet (or your friend's pet) here. Customization is always available on the front, back or both.

Thanks for sticking with me. I promise to write more!!

First Annual Open House

Hi friends,
I'm trying something utterly new and different this year – a holiday open house! You see, I have bunches of beautiful handmade jewelry left over from the festival and fair circuit. Why should I keep it all for myself when it could be brightening someone's holiday or stuffing someone's stocking?

Saturday, December 17, 2011
Noon - 5:00 pm
The address can be found here.

Find great last-minute gifts and stocking stuffers at the first annual Lofted Designs Open House!
Visitors can enter a drawing to win a free pair of sterling silver earrings. And I have a feeling not that many people will show up, so your chances of winning would be pretty amazing!

Bring a friend or two. There’s no pressure to buy like those other jewelry parties...just come browse and enjoy light refreshments (cookies and cider, anyone?) and good holiday cheer.

Preview a sampling of my work at www.LoftedDesigns.com. Much more will be available in person.
 
RSVP for the event on Facebook.

Cash, checks and credit cards are all welcome.
Hope to see you!

2011 Close Buy Catalog

Lofted Designs was honored to participate in the 2011 Close Buy Catalog. What a cool concept! 

In case you're not familiar with Close Buy, this is a school fundraising initiative started in Maine by Masey Kaplan who was fed up with feeling compelled to order from boring wrapping paper catalogs every year to support her child's school. She came up with a much better way to fundraise while supporting local businesses and the Close Buy Catalog was born.

Two of my items were included in the catalog:

• The silver squiggle necklace found here

• The silver teardrop earrings found here

I was really pleased with the number of orders I received – plenty to make it worth my while and keep me busy, but not enough to cause a nervous breakdown. This was my first large wholesale order, and I really enjoyed the whole process, from coming up with designs and pricing all the way through to packaging. 

Here is Sandy (super beagle!) helping me package earrings.

And here are my shipments, ready to go to 23 schools!

My jewelry was in amazing company, side by side with products from Angela Adams, Ferdinand, annie|catherine, Sea Bags, Morris & Essex, Casco Bay Soap Co., Haven's Candies and tons more. So, basically, I somehow ended up in the mix with all the coolest companies in Maine. Not sure how that happened, but I'm sure glad it did!!

If you are affiliated with education in Maine, please consider bringing the Close Buy Catalog into your school in 2012. It's good clean fundraising. No more wrapping paper catalogs! Keep it local. Learn more here.

Craft Fix - Kittery, Maine - This Sunday!

Buoy Gallery — 2 Government St., Kittery, Maine

Sunday, November 27th, 2011

11 AM - 6 PM

Craft Fix is back for another year! So happy to be participating in this creative event. 

After you support Buy Nothing Day on Friday and Small Business Saturday, come over to Buoy in Kittery for CRAFT FIX, where you'll find locally handcrafted gifts for everyone on your list! Some of the seacoast's most talented artists and craftspeople will be there, so skip the outlets and malls and head downtown.

Sneak Peek at some Lofted Designs goodies for Sunday!

All types of handmade crafts will be represented including handcrafted jewelry, tote bags and purses, greeting cards, sculptures, pottery, photography and more. RSVP here or just show up! I'd love to see your face supporting handmade businesses this season!

***Note: If we are very, very lucky, the brand new Black Birch restaurant may be open in time for this event. It is right next door and looks very promising. Like them on Facebook to learn when they open.