A Look Back & A Look Ahead

First thing's first: happy new year and THANK YOU! Thank you for following along in my creative adventures, whether we know one another in person or just online. I'm so lucky to have friends, fans and followers interested in what I do. Lofted Designs started out as a personal hobby eight years ago, and I am constantly amazed by and grateful for the number of people who enjoy my work.

Looking Back

2014 was a year of many milestones for this little jewelry company:

• Lofted Designs surpassed the 700-sale mark on Etsy!
• My work had more than 17,000 views on Etsy from all over the world (93 countries)!
• I shipped more than 135 orders all over the US and the world – not a record-setting year, but certainly nothing to sneeze at. 
• The fewest craft fairs ever – I only participated in three shows this year and none more than 10 miles from my house. This was a risky move, but I loved the shows I did and didn't miss the rest! It all worked out. 

Each year, I donate a portion of profits to some of my favorite organizations and 2014 was no exception. For the first time, I decided to align specific products with non-profits. 

The ever-popular sterling silver Wanderlust Earrings (both the original and the new hammered style) raised funds for Hostelling International USA, an organization that made a huge impact on me when I was younger. Founded in 1934, HI promotes international understanding of the world and its people through travel. They currently operate a network of over 50 hostels across the US, each offering a unique, inexpensive, safe and clean experience.

A percentage of profits from the sale of my new running necklaces was donated to Girls on the Run, a transformational physical activity-based youth development program for girls in 3rd-8th grade. The organization teaches life skills through dynamic, interactive lessons and running games. The program culminates with the girls being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5k running event. The goal is to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness.

My beagle Sandy is my only child, and so naturally I believe beagles are the best dogs ever. Beagles of New England States (B.O.N.E.S.) was founded in 2003 with a mission to rescue, rehome, spay/neuter, and provide necessary medical care to beagles in need in New England. This is an all-volunteer organization doing amazing work every day! I especially love their Sensational Seniors program which helps find loving homes for beagles in need over the age of 10. With your help, Lofted Designs pet tag sales helped fund a generous donation this year!

The remainder of donations went to the Center for Grieving Children, based in Portland, Maine. This wonderful organization provides free bereavement support and crisis response to children, teens, young adults and their families and has been doing so for 27 years. They encourage the safe expression of grief and loss and foster each individual’s resilience and emotional well-being.

Looking Ahead

As we flip the calendar to 2015, I am energized by the concept of a fresh, new start and a clean slate. I've decided to take Lofted Designs in a slightly different direction this year, but more on that in a future blog post (coming soon). 

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. 

Giving Back in 2012

Another year has come and gone, and 2012 was a big success story for Lofted Designs! Happily, this translates to increased donations at the end of the year to organizations that help others.

As you may know, each quarter I select a non-profit organization to receive a portion of Lofted Designs' profits. In addition to the great success I experienced at craft fairs and events this year, I hit a huge milestone by surpassing 450 sales on Etsy in December! Thank you (yes, YOU!) for supporting my small business and helping to make this possible.

HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF

All proceeds from pet ID tags sold on my Etsy site between the time of Hurricane Sandy and the end of 2012 were donated to organizations on the ground in New York and New Jersey including the American Red Cross and the Humane Society's Disaster Relief Fund to help people and pets displaced by the storm. 

B.O.N.E.S.
Beagles of New England States is a charity very near and dear to me, since I am the proud mama of a beagle rescue. I try to include them in my charitable giving whenever possible. They have rescued, rehabilitated and found loving homes for more than 1,200 beagles since their start nine years ago.

THE CENTER FOR GRIEVING CHILDREN
Based in Portland, Maine, the Center for Grieving Children has provided free bereavement support and crisis response to children, teens, young adults and their families for 25 years. They encourage the safe expression of grief and loss and foster each individual’s resilience and emotional well-being.

HOPE ELEPHANTS

Hope Elephants is a unique facility in Maine that cares for retired elephants, provides education programming about elephants and inspires wildlife conservation. Rosie and Opal, a pair of aging and injured retired circus elephants, receive state-of-the-art physical therapy and nutritional support in a purpose-built habitat dedicated to their needs.

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!

**Sandy Sale Update**

For those of you who have been keeping up with my blog, you know I donate a portion of my proceeds from sales to a local non-profit each quarter. You also know I have an awesome dog named Sandy. You also know that Sandy was excited for her namesake storm last week (since everyone kept saying her name all the time).

Well, now Hurricane Sandy has come and gone and left complete and utter destruction in its wake. Many places near my hometown in New Jersey are devastated beyond belief. Thankfully, all my friends and family are out of harm's way, but the road to recovery and rebuilding will be a very long one.

As a result, beagle Sandy and I have decided to turn her hurricane sale into a hurricane relief fund.

All proceeds from pet ID tags sold on my Etsy site through the end of the year will be donated to organizations on the ground in New York and New Jersey including the American Red Cross and the Humane Society's Disaster Relief Fund (to help pets lost or displaced from the storm). 

I typically choose a local non-profit each quarter for my donations, but this devastation is very near and dear to my heart, "local" is a relative term, and this is where our help is needed most. Beagle Sandy and I thank you for your support, as always.

2011 First Quarter Donation - Helping Japan

Like most people, I am heartbroken by the recent natural disasters in Japan. I knew immediately when the earthquake hit that Lofted Designs' first quarter donation for 2011 would go to helping those who have been devastated by these events. But where to donate? With so many organizations collecting money, it's hard to know which ones will do the most with what they have.

When I heard about Real Medicine's Japan relief fundraising, and matching donations being made by the Ace Hotel, Rudy's Barbershop, Bimbo's Cantina and the Cha Cha Lounge, I knew it was the right organization for me. These companies are partnering to match donations dollar for dollar up to $18,000. I can't give much, but now I have effectively doubled what I can afford to give.

The funds are focused on Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief, a Japanese non-profit organization based in Tokyo. JEN was founded in 1994 in response to the humanitarian crisis in Bosnia, and has since been conducting relief around the world for victims of war, internal conflicts and natural disasters. JEN is focusing on providing food and other needed supplies to those in Tokyo and in the earthquake/tsunami-affected northern zones.

To donate, click here and be sure to specify that your donation is for Japan Relief Efforts to get matching funds from the generous sponsors.

The Warm Fuzzies of Success

The verdict is in. 2010 was a great year for Lofted Designs thanks to all of you!

I finally did my 2010 paperwork (yes, I am a procrastinator when it comes to boring stuff like taxes). You know how sometimes, when you're in the middle of something, you can't get a feel for the big picture? It's just too close, too busy, all happening too fast. So sitting down this weekend and getting organized was a HUGE eye-opener for me. As I rooted through my receipts and files and put everything together I discovered the following incredible things:

• I participated in 12 amazing craft fairs in 2010 (who knew?!)
• I had wonderful success on Etsy -- sales nearly doubled from 2009!
• I was able to donate to many terrific organizations

If you aren't familiar with my philosophy on giving back, please take a moment to read this page.

I typically donate to one non-profit organization each quarter based on sales. Well, with 2010's increase in sales came an increase in donations. I would love to give a shout-out to all of the wonderful organizations (and the people behind them) who benefited from this success. May they continue to do great things in the world!

Click on the logos if you'd like to learn more about any of these organizations. Thanks for helping me give back!