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. 

Introducing P.D. Barkington – Leather Goods for Man & His Best Friend

Lofted Designs is excited to introduce P.D. Barkington – handcrafted leather goods for man and his best friend.

These attractive collars are handmade in Maine (by my talented husband Patrick) using 10-12 oz. English Bridle leather and rugged hardware in solid brass and stainless steel. 

Collars are available the following colors and sizes:

• English tan with brass hardware 
     Extra Small - 14" - 17" (3/4" wide) 
     Small - 16" - 19" (3/4" or 1" wide)
     Medium - 18" - 21" (3/4" or 1" wide)
     Large - 20" - 23" (1" wide)

• Chestnut brown with stainless steel hardware
     Small - 16" - 19" (1" wide)
     Medium - 18" - 21" (1" wide)
     Large - 20" - 23" (1" wide)

Visit the Lofted Designs and P.D. Barkington store (booth #45) at Bazaar Bizarre Boston to see these handsome collars in person and purchase your canine friend a holiday gift. If you can't make it to our event, these will be available for a limited time in the Lofted Designs Etsy shop. 

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!

Meet Sammy

Meet Sammy, one of my happy 4-legged customers, proudly wearing his "Rub My Belly" tag! He's had this tag on his collar for many years, and it looks to be holding up pretty well. 

"Belly Rub" tags and many other styles (including custom stampings with your pet's name, address and phone number) are available in my Etsy shop.

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!!

Enter the Lofted Designs Dog Tag Contest

Help me come up with a phrase for the next line of Lofted Designs dog tags! Here's how it works...

1. Visit my Facebook fan page and click the "Discussions" tab at the top.

2. Leave a comment with your idea for a dog tag by 11:59pm on Tuesday, 11/24/09.

3. You can enter as many ideas as you want. The key is to keep them short and sweet! I can fit about 4 words on a tag (max. 15 letters).

4. On Wednesday, 11/25/09, I will post an online poll with the top 5-10 suggestions and ask all my fans to vote for their favorites.

The creator of the winning phrase will receive a free dog tag and the winning tag will be sold as a new item in my online shop!

Here are all the tags currently available:
Bed Hog
Gimme Treats
I ♥ 2 Cuddle
I ♥ Belly Rubs
I ♥ Cats
I ♥ Heavy Petting
I ♥ My Person
I ♥ Naptime
I ♥ Treats
Mama's Boy/Girl
Daddy's Boy/Girl
Naughty and Nice
Naughty on Purpose
Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg
Cutie Pie
Bite Me
Don't Piss Me Off
Dogs Rule Cats Drool
Tail Wagger

Good luck!