The Tower of Song

Photo by Cara Slifka

Last weekend I participated in the Tower of Song Festival in Portland, Maine as an arts vendor, and I just wanted to say how amazing it all was! Thank you to my friends Will, Alicia and John for putting together such a great event. It was their first time coordinating something like this and usually things don't go that smoothly the first time around, but they had all the details ironed out ahead of time which made for a fantastic day.

I mingled with a very colorful audience in the square below while some of my favorite bands (like Chriss Sutherland and Lady Lamb the Beekeeper) performed from the Tower above. What a treat to be serenaded by lovely music all day! Sales were great and I met a lot of really nice people. Can't wait until next year's Tower of Song fest.

The Positive Side of Credit Cards

As most of you well know, credit cards can be dangerous with their high interest rates and ability to induce disgusting amounts of debt. And then there's the fact that they are always conveniently there, lurking in your wallet, ready to jump out and be used at any time.

Well the time has come to finally cut that malevolent little card to bits and put it to better use! This website presents interesting ways to recycle and enjoy our credit cards as jewelry and even gives step-by-step instructions. Why didn't I think of this first?

If any of you lovely readers would like me to make a custom credit card bracelet for you, just email me. I promise not to steal your identity in the process.

Feature in The Bretttorrium - Creative Emporium

There's this fantastic blog called The Bretttorrium, and somehow blogger Brett was brilliant enough to find me on Etsy and generous enough to feature me in his "Weekend Wonderful" section this past weekend. I could not be more thrilled about this!

I don't know much about Brett, but he seems to be from California, and my Etsy stats sure did skyrocket out west this weekend. Don't you just love Google Analytics? Fascinating stuff.

Here is some of what The Bretttorrium had to say about Lofted Designs:

lofted designs does not make jewelry, they make wearable art. i am simply enamored with these great artisans and i think you will be, too.

How flattering!!! Feel free to use the Bretttorrium discount code when shopping at my Etsy store. It expires June 5th.

Brett was also kind enough to tweet about me to his more than 300 followers on Twitter.

Handmade Class Rings

For some reason when it came time to purchase a high school class ring my senior year, I felt compelled to order one. It wasn't that I particularly enjoyed high school...most of the time I despised it. But everyone else was getting one and they had this feature where you could get a little peace sign placed under the stone which I thought was really cool at the time. If only I could have ordered something really unique. Something different but still meaningful to my experience.

Now, years later, I am making that option available with handmade, personalized class rings available for men and women in all sizes! Perfect for high school or college seniors. You choose the band style (thin or thick, wide or skinny) and the finish (brushed, polished or hammered) and let me know exactly what you'd like it to say. Maybe it's your name or a goofy nickname. Maybe it's the name of your school or simply "class of '09". Stamp it on the outside and tell the world you graduated, or stamp it on the inside for a more discreet look.

You can read more and order here.

Tower of Song Festival - May 23rd, 2009

This Saturday marks the date of the first Tower of Song Festival, to be held in Congress Square in beautiful downtown Portland, Maine. I am delighted to be a part of this event and cannot wait to be serenaded by some of my favorite local musicians while I peddle my jewelry in the square below!

This FREE event takes place from noon until 8 pm. Stop by and say "hello"! Click here for more information about the Tower of Song.

Behind the Scenes - Seaglass Rings

Some of my most-complimented items at craft shows have been my seaglass rings. People seem very interested in the design and construction, so I thought I would share a behind-the-scenes look at how they are made.

First, I cut out silver strips from sterling sheet metal. These strips will eventually form the rings.



Next, I shape the rings on a mandrel to the appropriate sizes and punch a hole on each side. At this point, I also polish the silver to either a brushed or shiny finish.



Lastly, I find just the right piece of seaglass for each ring. This part can be tricky...the glass can't be too thick or too wide or the ring won't fit correctly. I use a length of sterling silver wire to sandwich the seaglass between the ends of the ring and finish each end with a spiral to hold it tight.



There you have it. Available now in various sizes and colors at lofteddesigns.com!

Seaglass = Summer

Summer is almost here, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate the season than by taking a trip to beach! Since the beach is only 10 minutes from where I work, I often find myself combing the rocks and pebbles on lunch breaks for smooth pieces of seaglass.

Large pieces are getting harder and harder to find these days but I've managed to pick up a few nice ones recently. I just love turning them into beautiful jewelry! View more at lofteddesigns.etsy.com.

Dover Arts Festival - Saturday, May 9th, 2009

Just in time for Mother's Day...

Please join me for the 2nd Annual Arts Festival this Saturday, May 9th, in Dover, New Hampshire! The event will take place from 10 am to 3 pm at the One Washington Center mill building near the covered bridge.

Admission is FREE! There will be 40 artist booths (including mine!), a farmer’s market, live music and performances, the Dover Mounted Police, face painting and balloon animals for the kids. Don't miss it!

For more information and directions, visit www.onewashingtoncenter.com