Whiskey Molecule Necklace - Unique Custom Pendant

I absolutely love custom jewelry requests, so naturally I was excited to receive a creative special request from my longtime friend Jeff. A good friend of his had a birthday approaching and he knew just the thing to make her day, but was without tools and resources to bring his idea to fruition. He asked for my assistance.

The idea: A whiskey molecule necklace for a whiskey-loving gal

The process: We started with some sketches. Jeff sent me a diagram of the chemical structure of whiskey as well as his idea for how it might work as a pendant. He also shared important details about the recipient, such as she's very tall and loves to wear big, bold jewelry. Good to know!

The build: Starting with sterling silver wire, I cut and formed each piece of the molecule. 

I then laid out all the pieces and began soldering them together. 

This was a fairly large piece to heat, so it took a few tries to get solder to flow to all the joints.  

After the whole piece was soldered together, it still looked a little too light and delicate, so I decided to hammer it flat to make it a bit bolder and give the lines more weight. Lastly, I filed the joints smooth and polished the pendant, finalizing it with a brushed, matte finish.

End result: Super awesome lady receives badass, thoughtful, customized gift! Everyone parties and has a great time!

Birthday girl photo courtesy of Jeff

Moral of the story: put some thought into your gift giving and don't be afraid to ask a professional for help. This was a true collaboration and couldn't have turned out better. Contact me for help with your unique idea today!

Music + Jewelry = LOVE

I love a good love story and I also appreciate good music, so when the two come together and I get to participate it's beautiful thing. I recently had the pleasure of creating some one-of-a-kind gifts for a lovely couple who happen to have very good taste in music (and jewelry).

First, there was the ring. This couple loves Ray LaMontagne, has seen him perform live several times, and wanted to incorporate some of his lyrics into the custom ring design.

They selected the lyrics "forever my friend, forever my love" from the song "Forever My Friend" on his 2004 release Trouble.

Later, the husband reached out to me once again to order a custom sterling silver bracelet for his wife – this time with lyrics from another of their favorite musical artists, Brandi Carlile. Her song "Fall Apart Again" from her self-titled album contains this beautiful line: "As long as the day is full of time, there will always be room for your hand in mine."

The lyrics fit absolutely perfectly on this sterling silver cuff bracelet.
 

Valentine's Day is just two weeks away! But there's still time to order a custom gift for your special someone. I'll be working overtime this coming week to get all your orders shipped on time. What lyrics do you think would be perfect on jewelry for your sweetie? 

Contact me to talk about your gift idea today. 

Handcrafted Copper Cuff Bracelets

Now available by popular demand: handcrafted copper cuff bracelets from Lofted Designs!

Back in December, I created 40 of these bracelets as a custom order for holiday gifts at a school. I designed two different sets:  one specifically for teachers and one for the school's administrative and support staff.

These were custom teacher gifts for the holidays

After sharing photos of the custom bracelets on Instagram and Facebook, many people asked how they could purchase one for themselves. I hadn't originally planned to offer them as a regular item in my Etsy shop, but enough people seemed interested that I've decided to list them for purchase.

For just $28, you can select your finish (hammered or smooth) and choose from one of these phrases or suggest your own:

dream  ❤  teach  ❤  inspire
dream  ❤  explore  ❤  inspire 
imagine  ❤  believe  ❤  dream

Please allow up to two weeks for custom orders to be handcrafted, plus shipping time which varies by destination.

This Needs No Explanation

Custom Handmade Bridesmaid Gifts

I absolutely LOVE making custom jewelry – especially when weddings are involved. Whether I am designing wedding bands or handcrafted earrings, it is a tremendous honor to be thought of for such a monumental occasion. So when my friend Ali was planning her wedding day and asked me if I'd make handmade gifts for her two lovely bridesmaids, I jumped at the chance!

Works in progress – stamping, hammering and forming

The bride already had an idea in mind, which is always helpful, and knew she wanted to give her BFFs sterling silver bracelets. We worked together to refine the design – an elegant hammered cuff, a little bit wide, but not too chunky. The bride came up with a personalized message to be stamped on the inside of each bracelet.

A secret message inside – with love from the bride

The finished product

Two custom bracelets for the big day!

The bridesmaids LOVED their gifts and even wore them during the wedding. I couldn't be more flattered to have been chosen to be part of this beautiful occasion.

If you have a special event coming up, why not give your loved ones personalized handmade jewelry as a gift? Contact me to discuss your ideas anytime!

Custom Wedding Band for the Groom

My dear friend Meredith was married over the weekend, and I was extremely flattered when she asked me to create a Lofted Designs original for her groom's wedding band.

Her engagement ring contains a hidden heart in the setting just below the diamond, and she requested that a hidden heart be incorporated into his ring as well.

Bride's ring with secret heart in setting

I started by creating a 6mm wide band using 19 gauge sterling silver sheet metal. The bride came up with a simple inscription using their initials that incorporated the secret heart. The groom isn't particularly flashy and wanted a ring that wouldn't be too shiny, so I completed the band with a matte, brushed finish.

The ring fit perfectly on the first try (amazing!) and they were wed on September 7th, 2013 on Martha's Vineyard. Wishing Meredith and Winter Anderson a lifetime of happiness!

Photo courtesy of Kristen Shull (friend of the bride)

Looking for a custom wedding band? I love working with couples to create truly unique wedding jewelry. Contact me to learn more.

Graduation Jewelry - Order Early!

It's almost that time again – young people across America are deep into their last semester of high school and getting ready to head off to college next fall. Or perhaps a bright young student you know is finishing up college studies and getting ready to enter the real world. 

Now is a great time to think about ordering a unique, early graduation gift they can show off during those final weeks and days of senior year. Custom graduation rings and necklaces for the class of 2013 start at just $45 and will surely be cherished for many years to come.

Custom graduation necklaces are crafted from a hand-cut circle of polished sterling silver and stamped with "Class of 2013". You can also include the school name, graduate's name or initials on the back and beads are used to represent school colors. A sterling silver chain, polishing cloth and gift box are included so you receive it ready for gifting. Order a necklace here.

 Custom rings are available in multiple styles (thin or thick, wide or skinny) and finishes (brushed, polished or hammered) and can be stamped with a name, nickname, school name, graduation year, or simply "CLASS OF 2013" (any year is available). Stamp it on the outside to show your pride or on the inside for a more discreet look. Order a ring here.

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

Fun with Flatware

Around the holidays, a friend approached me with a fun idea. She had been collecting pieces of antique silverware and wanted some special messages added to the handles. We sat down to brainstorm a list of appropriate (and some inappropriate) words and phrases together and I got to work with my alphabet stamps. 

She gave out several pieces as holiday gifts and they were a big hit! Have a fun idea of your own? Let's chat. I love custom projects!

Geek Love - Custom Binary Rings

Just in time for Valentine's Day! I recently had the opportunity to create custom his and her rings for a couple with "I ♥ You" spelled out in binary code. How sweet and nerdy is that?!? (For those of you who aren't super nerds, binary code is a computer language where  data is represented digitally using zeros and ones.)

To create these bands, I first measured and cut strips of bare metal sterling silver to size for each ring. I then hand-cut the tiny hearts and stamped the code using 0s and 1s:  01101001 ♥ 01110101.

The next step was to hand-forge and solder each ring. Then they were polished to a shine and shipped off to their new owners.

The couple was very happy with the finished rings and can now proudly show off their love for one another every day.

Interested in your own custom his & her rings? Contact me today via Etsy or email me directly to talk about your ideas!

UPDATE - October 2013: 
Binary code rings are now available in my shop all the time!

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!!

Custom Cufflinks - Men's Jewelry

I recently had the opportunity to make custom cufflinks for the first time. This was exciting for three reasons:

1. I always love the challenge of making something new.
2. Making a gift for a man for a change was great! Almost all of the jewelry I make is for women, and coming up with ideas for men is usually a daunting task.
3. This was a very meaningful gift, and I was thrilled to be able to make it happen. Allow me to explain...

My client and her husband had vacationed in Newfoundland. It was a memorable adventure involving challenging physical feats, and they both agreed it was a vacation they would never forget. Along they way, they had collected some interesting green stones as souvenirs.

Rocks from Newfoundland

Cut to a couple of months ago, and she needed a birthday present for him. What a great idea to turn those souvenirs into a meaningful gift! I was more than happy to help out.

Custom sterling silver settings

Cufflinks in action

Custom gifts are so thoughtful and I am always happy to help. If you have a great idea (or even just a really cool rock or two), I'd love to chat!

Recent Custom Orders

I know I've said this before, but I love custom orders! They are my absolute favorites. Here are a few recent projects I've been dying to share.

Class of 2010 graduation necklaces have been so popular this year. Here are a few samples I've made in the past couple of weeks.




I also recently created this custom ring for a client who loved the look of the Lofted Designs wide hammered sterling silver ring, but wanted something one-of-a-kind. She loves all shades of green, so I found a malachite with a beautiful range of color.

Personalized Mother's Day Jewelry

Mother's Day is right around the corner on May 9th. Flowers are nice and breakfast in bed can't be beat, but these handmade necklaces will last forever!



Each sterling silver eternity circle includes custom personalization and a birthstone, and necklaces are available in one-, two- and three-circle designs.



Other styles are also available such as the popular "My Heart Belongs To" necklace. Your order will come with a 16" sterling chain and a gift box.



Be sure to place your order by April 30th to guarantee on-time delivery for Mother's Day!