Ocean Fire Pottery Holiday Extravaganza Weekend

I participated in two amazing craft fairs this past weekend, and I have two more coming up! Thank you to everyone who came out to shop at the brand new Etsy Maine Team Artisan Fair at the Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk, Maine! Thank you also to the HUGE CROWDS shopping Craft Fix at Buoy in Kittery this year -- that fair, now in its 8th year, never fails to astound me with the most talented, kind artists and supportive customers around. I am so grateful to have participated in both of these shows!

Coming right up, Ocean Fire Pottery's Holiday Extravaganza is this weekend, also celebrating its 8th year! I love participating in this event and am honored to have a spot in Amy Clark's pottery studio on Saturday, December 3rd from 10am to 5pm. 

Amy will host different artists in her studio each day, Friday through Sunday, featuring her own stunning pottery plus jewelry, candles, body scrubs, cards, calendars, driftwood gifts, coasters and other home decor. Other activities include mini-lessons on the pottery wheel (for adults and kids!), raffles, wood-fired kiln opening (check out Amy's incredible backyard pottery kiln), chair massages and refreshments each day. Don't miss this one! 

Artists throughout the weekend include:
Amy Clark of Ocean Fire Pottery - (our fearless host) handcrafted, wheel-thrown gifts
GLOW - A Holistic Wellness Studio - Chair massages all weekend. Treat yourself!
Becky Louison of Hoppy + Hippy 
Cherie Herne & Cheryl Patten of Salty Girl and Long Dog
Sam Goodall
Ellen Braley of El's Cards
Erin Donovan of Vessel and Co 
Ellen Lamoureaux

Here's a sneak peek:

Some of my latest Lofted Designs creations

Ocean Fire Pottery

Salty Girl & Long Dog

Ocean Fire Pottery

Vessel and Co

Vessel and Co

El's Cards

Salty Girl & Long Dog

Ocean Fire Pottery

The event runs in conjunction with the Festival of Lights in York Village, and is a quick walk around the corner from festivities including the Festival of "Fostering" Trees, Festival of Lights Parade (Saturday), 12th Annual Gingerbread House Festival & Santa Claus at the library and Center for Wildlife's Holiday Bazaar (Saturday: I've donated some jewelry to this event and all proceeds go to wildlife care!). 

Read the Etsy Shop Review That Made Me Blush

Each Etsy customer has the opportunity to leave a review after making a purchase. There is a 1-5 star rating system, and an optional text box for additional comments. I recently read through some reviews that came in over the summer and WOW...I have some of the nicest customers EVER.

It's so awesome when people take the extra time to leave a comment, especially when they are so happy with the quality of the products and my customer service.

Yes, it's true...if you tell me your order is a birthday gift and you need it by a specific date, you'd better believe I will do everything in my power to get it to you on time! I will often include a gift note or even gift wrap your item free of charge (if you ask nicely).

This reviewer was kind enough to comment on the craftsmanship and style of my handmade earrings, as well as my packaging and speedy shipping. Awesome!

What?? That order was an engagement ring?! That's pretty much the best compliment a jeweler can receive...to know your piece was selected as a symbol of commitment to hopefully be worn until the end of time. Incredibly special.

This repeat customer's review warmed my heart!!! What a wonderful testimonial.

And finally, this shop review made me blush! 

10 stars?! A perfect experience from start to finish? Kinder words were never spoken. Like I said, I am the luckiest and have the BEST CUSTOMERS EVER!

You can read more Lofted Designs Etsy reviews (all 243 of them, and counting) here. And, if you'd like the opportunity to write your own Lofted Designs review on Etsy, purchase one of my items here. Thanks!

Bridal Shower Favors - Succulents in Painted Vintage Wooden Spools

I know, I know...this is supposed to be a jewelry blog. But on occasion, I get a little carried away with other crafty projects and I like to share them. My latest endeavor was inspired by my sister's fabulous wedding color palette, her love of succulents and a Maine yard sale score of 25+ vintage wooden thread spools with great old labels.

I will also admit that I've been slightly obsessed with Best Made Co.'s painted axes for quite a few years, as well as Norquay's (suspiciously similar) gorgeous artisan painted canoe paddles which appeared on the market last summer, so this idea of handpainting something wood with fun, striped colors has been floating around in my head for awhile.

First, I got out my ancient acrylics from art school (amazingly, they're still good!) and mixed colors until I got a perfect match. The wedding colors are inspired by the USA and UK flags (she's American, he's from Liverpool), but toned down a bit. So instead of straight up red and blue, they're closer to poppy and turquoise. The gorgeous invitations were designed and letterpress printed by Paper Parasol Press.

I cut thin strips of masking tape and used them to section off stripes on the wooden spools, then painted areas of red, white and blue. Once the paint dried, I taped new stripes and repeated to achieve the effect of multiple stacked colors. No two spools were exactly alike. Some even started out with really unique forest green wood, so I kept a little of that in for variety. I finished each spool with a clear varnish to seal the wood and protect the paint.

Next, I made my way to a nearby garden center and selected the tiniest succulents I could find, being mindful to select varieties with small root structures so they would fit inside the tiny spools.

After that, I used a drill to enlarge the spool holes slightly (although I had purchased tiny succulents, the roots were still too large for most of the spools). I glued tiny pieces of wooden dowel into the bottom of each spool to act as a stopper. Then I used a chopstick to carefully layer some dirt into each spool, gently nudged the roots down into the holes and filled in the area around each one with more soil. Special thanks to Donni, who blogs at The Magic Onions, for providing some planting tips! I do not have a green thumb at all.

The finished product was too cute for words! I was really happy with the way these turned out. That said, they were a bit underwhelming on a large table...I'd probably recommend placing each on a small plate or printed paper coaster if you have the time and budget.

Lofted Designs Marks 600th Etsy Sale

I kind of want to throw a party and do a happy dance, but it's really busy right now up in the loft so I'm just going to write this quick blog post and have my own private party while I make more jewelry.

I JUST HIT 600 SALES ON ETSY!!!!

In case you're wondering, the 600th sale was a customer in Canada purchasing a personalized birthstone necklace. Thank you to ALL of my wonderful customers for helping me reach this milestone!

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!

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. 

Lofty Improvements - Happy Birthday To Me!

My husband and I don't exchange gifts often. It's a rule we set up long ago to take the pressure and guesswork out of holidays. Along with that comes the freedom to pretty much just buy ourselves whatever we want all year round. Within reason, of course. It works for us.

But every once in awhile, we'll surprise each other with a little unexpected gift. This year, he went way above and beyond for my birthday and helped me finish an area of my studio I've been dreaming about and planning for a long time.

I flew off to Chicago to spend my birthday weekend with my mom and sister, and he got to work measuring, planning and building. He even made the ultimate human sacrifice, by which I mean he trekked over an hour to the nearest Ikea all alone on a Sunday and battled crowds to shop for my new desk and shelf. He then carried it up the ladder and put it all together, and I came home to a stunning new packaging and prep area in the loft!

This is how I found it – all put together for me and ready to go!

Here is what the workstation looked like after I added my stuff.

I've gotta say, this new desk has really made a huge difference in my work flow! Making jewelry creates a huge amount of grime so, no matter how much I try to keep up with it, my working surfaces are always covered with dust, metal bits, and polishing compound, not to mention half-finished projects everywhere. 

I use this typewriter to create all of my shipping labels.
I just LOVE the look of a nicely typed address label.

To combat this, I used to manufacture everything in the loft and then transport it down the ladder to the office and/or kitchen table to address and package each order in a clean environment. Now I have a clean station in the studio specifically for processing and managing orders, labeling and packaging. 

 I've organized the built-in shelving to accommodate my gift boxes, envelopes and correspondence materials.

The plan is to stay organized and surround myself with objects that inspire me.

Inspiration in the form of prints by Maria Vetesse (from the beloved and much-missed port2port press Card Society) and Ryan Berkley. I plan to change out this artwork often to keep myself inspired.

And of course I had to add an element of "weird" to the space.
My dad gave me this signed portrait of Oompa Loompa Rusty Goffe many years ago.
It's one of my most treasured possessions.

I am so thankful to be loved and supported by my wonderful husband. Even though Lofted Designs takes up a lot of my time (nights and weekends, mostly, when I could be spending time with him), he understands how important it is to me and how much I love it. I am a lucky gal!

**NOTE: This post is kind of old (my birthday was in March), but sometimes it takes me awhile to get my act together, take pictures, edit and post these things. 

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!

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Not all dads are cut from the same cloth. Trust me, I know. As someone with a very unique dad, I've spent years wading through Father's Day cards featuring beer-guzzling, remote-control-hogging, grilling, golfing, football fan dads. Nothing ever seems to apply to my own father. I actually find it really hard to believe that the majority of American dads are fitting those stereotypes, but typical card store shelves are proving me wrong once again this year.

My own father isn't into any of the above activities, but instead is a health-nut, magician, dog lover, antique toy collector and goofball. He's interested in vintage tattoo flash art, classic Disney, reality TV and sideshow freaks, among many other things. (And now you probably understand me a bit better.)

This year my father is getting this card (spoiler alert, Dad!) from Smudge Ink, which I was delighted to find at Gus and Ruby Letterpress in Portsmouth, NH. It's so weird...just like my dad!

Yeah, my dad totally had a pair of these glasses when I was a kid.

Anyway, my point is that all dads are not alike, and sometimes a set of golf tees or grilling tools just won't fit the bill. Lofted Designs handmade accessories to the rescue!

Does your dad dress nicely, and perhaps read GQ or Esquire magazine? These stylish sterling silver tie bars make a great gift for fashionable dads, and if you order quickly I can customize one just for your pop with a special message on the back.

For pops who love pets, maybe a gift from the dog is just the thing! Daddy's girl and daddy's boy pet tags are in stock and ready to ship with heart, paw and bone cut-outs. 

And if all else fails, just give him a call on Father's Day and tell him how much you appreciate him. No matter what type of dad you have, he's sure to love the gift of hearing your voice.

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!

Loft BED ≠ Lofted

The best. Meant to share this awhile ago.

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!