Handmade Running Necklaces for Heinemann's Wallis Sands Half Marathon Team

Team photo by Michael Grover – 7/10 of the Heinemann running team sporting their new necklaces

Huge congratulations are in order for Heinemann Publishing's running team! This amazing group of ten women made it a goal to train together through the winter and complete the Wallis Sands Half Marathon in Rye, NH today. Some of them are seasoned runners and others are new to the sport, with the half marathon begin their first official race. What a fantastic goal!

I was honored when the team's organizer reached out to me to order running necklaces for the entire team. She thought it would be fantastic to congratulate the team with a meaningful, locally-made gift. I couldn't agree more!

I'm sure the team did a fabulous job this morning. The Wallis Sands Half Marathon follows a gorgeous route along the New Hampshire coastline through Rye and all the way up to Odiorne Point State Park, and what a beautiful morning it was for a run along the beach. Go team Heinemann! I'm rooting for you!! Thanks for supporting the local arts community.

Heinemann is a publisher of professional resources and a provider of educational services for teachers, kindergarten through college. Their offices are located in a reconditioned 1800s mill building near downtown Portsmouth, NH. 

Down East Magazine's Maine-Made Gift Guide

Exciting news from Lofted Designs headquarters!!! Our pet tags are being featured as part of Down East Magazine's 2013 Maine-Made Holiday Gift Guide!

(I created this sweet little badge to commemorate the occasion!)

Down East is known as the magazine of Maine, evoking and illuminating the spirit and culture of my great state and available at newsstands and stores nationwide.

The publication approached me in the early fall about the possibility of featuring Lofted Designs pet tags and I mailed off five ID tags to their editorial team for review.

Thanks to the USPS for helping me make the submission deadline!

Ultimately, they selected three of the pet tags ("squirrel chaser," "i ❤ maine," and "stinky breath") to feature on their Furry Friend gift page.

There's a lot going on in this collage of creativity, but Lofted Designs is #1 in the upper left corner!

Here's a snapshot with our tags highlighted to help you find them.

And a close-up!

If you can't quite read the tags in print, luckily they were kind enough to also feature them online with a link to my Etsy shop! Here's a link to all 133 of their Maine-made gift selections online.

Down East has been in print for nearly 60 years! I am so honored and thrilled to be part of this time-honored publication with a readership of more than 400,000 people. Be sure to pick up a copy, available on newsstands this week!

You're Invited This Sunday – Local Shopping at its Best

Greetings, early holiday shoppers! If you are ready to get a jump start on your gifting, I've got the perfect event for you. This Sunday, I am honored to be participating in an Open House event in York, Maine. Local artist Laurie Wallace is once again opening her home for this wonderful event and I hope to see YOU there!

Sunday, November 3rd

1:00 - 4:30 pm

31 Avon Avenue (off Long Sands Rd.)

York, Maine

(click for directions)

Lofted Designs will be there with gifts for everyone on your list: a new assortment of handmade necklaces, earrings, tie bars, sterling silver rings in many sizes, pet tags and handcrafted collars. Enjoy complimentary refreshments and wine! 

---

OTHER PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Laurie Wallace -- Hand-Spun Knits by Laurie
Gorgeous and soft hobo gloves, alpaca cowl neck scarves, alpaca hats and more! So much care goes into these lovely pieces.

Amy Clark -- Ocean Fire Pottery

One of my favorite local artists, Amy makes beautiful handcrafted wheelthrown stoneware. Preview items on her website or Facebook page. 

Erin Donovan -- Twig Naturals
Handmade candles, coasters and cards — they're all gorgeous and make wonderful gifts!

Janice & Pam -- Gingerloo Cookies 

All-natural cookies baked in small batches locally. Visit their website or Facebook page to learn more (and to drool over gorgeous cookie photos).

***Please note:

This is my only planned show for the holiday season (so far). More may be added, but this is the only one that's been confirmed. Don't miss your chance to shop Lofted Designs in person for the holidays!

Picnic Music + Arts Festival - August 24th, 2013

So much time, so little to do. No wait. Scratch that. Reverse it. 

The 6th Annual Picnic Music + Arts Festival (in my opinion, the very best arts event in Portland) is right around the corner, and I'm busy making TONS of new handcrafted jewelry and pet accessories for this event. Get a sneak peek of what you'll find at the Lofted Designs booth by visiting my Etsy shop!

The Details:

Saturday, August 24th – 11am - 6pm 

Lincoln Park, Portland, Maine (corner of Congress and Franklin)

Rain or shine (but let's all hope for shine)

There will be live music! (view schedule)

Preview all the amazing vendors! Hope to see you there.

2013 Close Buy Catalog - New England's Finest

The 2013 Close Buy Catalog is in the works and I am so incredibly honored that Lofted Designs has been included again! In case you aren't familiar with this awesome organization, Close Buy is a fundraising catalog available to schools and non-profits throughout New England that features handmade goods MADE in New England...genius, right?

Their next sale starts September 1, 2013, so if you are affiliated with a school or non-profit in New England and looking for a unique fundraising idea, look no further. Schools and non-profits interested in using the Close Buy Catalog this fall can sign up until July 22 by emailing hello@closebuycatalog.com.

Two popular Lofted Designs pet tags will be featured this year in the "Puppies, Kitties + Babies" section. Here's a sneak peek of the listing:

I love supporting this organization and I hope you will get involved, too! See who's participating and learn how you can sign up for the catalog on their website. 

Close Buy Catalog 2012 – My Largest Order EVER

Lofted Designs was lucky enough to be selected once again to participate in Close Buy Catalog, a fundraising initiative to benefit schools and non-profits in Maine and beyond. The list of benefiting non-profits and schools grows each year, and I'm so honored to play a role in supporting these organizations. 

This year's fall fundraiser catalog was chock full of incredible products handcrafted in New England, and Lofted Designs pet tags were available in two styles:

I sold almost 100 tags (my largest and most production-intensive order to date), and tackled the project in small batches. Each tag was cut by hand from a large sheet of aluminum. I then filed the corners to round them, stamped the lettering and cut out the tiny hearts by hand with a small saw.

Once the hearts were cut out, I soldered silver rings to the top of each tag. 

After soldering, the lettering was darkened and each tag was carefully polished. And here they are: 

Each tag was placed into its own special pouch and they are finally ready for mailing! 

The final step – shipping to the fulfillment house in Lewiston, Maine, from which they (and many other great Close Buy Catalog products) will be distributed to schools and non-profits in early December. What a tremendous sense of accomplishment! A whole lot of pets in New England are about to get way more stylish. 

If you'd like to outfit your pets with some snazzy new tags in time for the holidays (they make perfect stocking stuffers), visit the pet accessories section of my Etsy shop to place an order today!

York Village Marketfest

This Friday & Saturday!
October 12 & 13
9 AM-4 PM

Visit Lofted Designs this Friday and Saturday at the annual Marketfest celebration in historic York Village, Maine. The forecast looks lovely and I can pretty much guarantee you've never seen more beautiful fall foliage in a such a quintessential New England village setting. 

As if Lofted Designs wasn't enough of a draw, this festival features:
• Dozens of talented artists and craftspeople
• An amazing variety of delicious foods
• Sidewalk sales
• Musical performances
• A "prisoner performance" (WHAT?) at The Museums of Old York
• Petting zoo
• Scarecrow contest (vote for your favorites!)
• Book sale
• MUCH more! You can seriously make a whole day of it. 

I will have a booth just behind the big food tent on Friday and Saturday from 9AM - 4PM. Unfortunately, the event website has virtually NO information on it, however this newspaper article lists a schedule of events. I've also created a Facebook event with all the details.