Open House This Sunday - Dec. 22nd

Since Mother Nature doesn't seem to be cooperating with my craft show plans this year (snowstorms have thwarted two events), I'm taking matters into my own hands and setting up shop in my living room this Sunday from noon until 3pm. 

I have lots of handmade jewelry ready for gift giving and stocking stuffing, so I hope you can stop by to do a little last-minute shopping. I'll even gift wrap for you!

It'll be a laid back afternoon with light refreshments and a beautiful view on Bullfrog Lane. Please feel free to bring a friend or two! You can preview a sampling of my work on Etsy. Much more will be available in person.

Sunday, December 22nd, 2013

Noon - 3pm

4 Bullfrog Lane (just off Scituate Road)

York, Maine

Map & Directions

Cash, checks and credit cards are all welcome. Please RSVP on Facebook if you think you can make it and help spread the word. Thanks and hope to see you! 

BDN Maine Food and Gift Fair - A Recap

The BDN Maine Holiday Food and Gift Fair was held in Portland, Maine, yesterday – Saturday, November 30th – and I was very excited to take part. I do love food, and was sandwiched between Dean's Sweets and the Super Stick Food Flipper booth for the day.

Here's a look at my very official looking booth – it's the first show I've ever done where they put up pipe and drape! And my very own sign! This made it feel much more legit than the fairs I typically do.

The foot traffic was a bit light, and I'm not exactly sure why. Most people I talked to thought the event was well-advertised in local papers and online, but for whatever reason – possibly location – there just weren't too many people making their way out the Portland Company Complex. It does take a little extra effort to get there and parking can be an issue in Portland.

But no matter. I can ALWAYS find the silver lining. I had a great day getting to know my neighbors and admiring their work. I also made some excellent trades...

I traded with Eliza of Morris & Essex for a gorgeous box of letterpress holiday cards.

I satisfied my sweet tooth by bartering with Kristen and Dean of Dean's Sweets

Lucy from Lucy's Granola proposed a very tasty trade.

This one wasn't a trade, but was totally worth it! Peanut butter chocolate chip from Stone Fox Farm Creamery. The creamiest ice cream I have ever tasted.

The biggest highlight of the day for me was when a couple of gentlemen purchased a pair of my rubber chicken earrings for none other than Sally Struthers! They are friends of hers and when they saw these earrings they instantly thought of her. Hope she loves them!

Holiday Food and Gift Fair - Portland, Maine 11/30

When and Where:

November 30th, 2013

11am - 6pm

FREE admission!

58 Fore Street, Portland, ME

I'll be bringing along a new assortment of Lofted Designs necklaces and earrings (seaglass, beach stones, sterling silver, vintage buttons and more!), plus new bracelet designs, new ring designs, and a great assortment of pet tags. If you haven't seen me in person in awhile, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I actually plan to get most of my holiday shopping done at this show...it shouldn't be difficult. I'll be in great company with these incredible Maine-based food and gift vendors (this is just a small sampling of the booths I'm looking forward to checking out – there will be many more):

Casco Bay Butter Co. – All-natural artisan butters made from local dairy farm cream.

'Cue Culture – Small batched barbecue sauces

Dean's Sweets – Amazing hand-dipped truffles. Enough said.

Flowfold – Durable wallets & bags handmade from sailcloth

Jared DiSimio Maker – Bags & accessories made from vintage, antique and salvaged materials, each with a story to tell. 

Vena's Fizz House - Mixology Shop and Natural Soda Bar

Morris & Essex – The most stunningly designed & silkscreened, letterpressed and block-printed goods I have ever laid eyes on. Shirts, cards, scarves, bags and more. I want everything Eliza makes. All of the things.

Maine Blanket – 100% grass-fed sheep's wool blankets, solar hand-dyed in seawater and woven on antique looms. How cool is that? 

Baobab Organics – Sustainable, organic cotton clothing for kids

Fiber and Water – Natural burlap wall art featuring hand-pressed designs.

You can find more info and RSVP on their Facebook event page. Hope to see you there!

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! 

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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!

Freeport Fall Festival - This Weekend, September 28-29

This coming weekend, Saturday (10am-4pm) and Sunday (11am-4pm), head on up to Freeport, Maine for some glorious weather, fantastic shopping, and fabulous handmade goods at the 15th Annual Freeport Fall Festival!

More than 60 local artists will be exhibiting and selling their work, including photographers, painters, mixed media artists, jewelers, book artists, woodworkers, potters and other super crafty people. Lofted Designs will have a booth (#72 on the map) along the edge of L.L.Bean's Discovery Park – directly between the giant Bean Boot and the main stage. Catch live music throughout the weekend, plus they've added a new Maine food lineup this year! The two-day event is free, parking is easy and the forecast looks PERFECT.

Seriously, people, it does not get any better than this:

If the Fall Festival isn't incentive enough to visit Freeport, there are also hundreds of great stores, outlets, and boutiques located within a couple of blocks. C'mon guys, even I can't resist a North Face sample sale. And if shopping all weekend sounds like a total bummer and you'd rather just be outside, come check out the festival and then participate in Great Maine Outdoor Weekend or bring a lawn chair and take in some short adventure films at the Maine Outdoor Film Fest right on the L.L.Bean Campus at 7pm on Saturday. 

For detailed event information, check out the Freeport Fall Festival online brochure, visit their website or their Facebook event page.

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.

Kittery Block Party 2013!

I have it on good authority (from several sources) that the sun will shine on the Kittery Block Party tomorrow, Saturday 6/15, from 10 am - 4 pm in Kittery, Maine! Free admission & fun for the whole family!

Visit their website for a schedule of events, parking info and more: http://www.kitteryblockparty.org/

This event covers the whole Kittery Foreside loop. You can find Lofted Designs directly across from the Black Birch. Hope to see you!

Dover Arts Market - Debuting Sunday, June 2nd

I am very excited to announce that Lofted Designs will be part of the inaugural Dover Arts Market this coming weekend, a brand new juried, outdoor artisan and fine arts market!

This Sunday, June 2nd (and every Sunday through October), you can find a very talented group of artists, crafters, painters, potters, sewers, and more gathered in the Cocheco Millworks Courtyard at 421 Central Avenue in Dover, New Hampshire.

SUNDAY, JUNE 2nd

9am - 3pm

The Dover, New Hampshire arts market is the newest in a well-established series of reputable artisan events run by Katy Solsky, who has been operating the Concord Arts Market for six years. She is all about quality and variety, so you can expect to discover some really great handmade finds!

Katy is also (quite ambitiously) starting up the Claremont Arts Market this summer. And all this in addition to launching her own fabulous new company Simple City Dress featuring handmade skirts, dresses and more. Simple City Dress will make its market debut this weekend at both the Concord Arts Market on Saturday and the new Dover Arts Market on Sunday.

You can read more about the Dover Arts Market in this recent Seacoast Online article. Hope to see you there this Sunday!