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!

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.

Picnic Music + Arts Festival - Saturday, August 25th

Guess what? It's time to get excited if you live within a reasonable driving distance of Portland, Maine! That's right...this coming Saturday is the 5^th Annual Picnic Music + Arts Summer Festival! Check it out on Facebook and tell all your friends. I am so honored to be a part of this festival again, surrounded by all of my favorite Portland artists!

This will be the first Lofted Designs public appearance of 2012, which means I will be debuting tons of new stuff at this weekend's event. I've just made some gorgeous picture jasper necklaces, lots of new sterling silver earring styles, fun new pet tags, and if we are all very lucky (and my husband can finish them on time), some gorgeous handcrafted dog collars.

All the details:
Saturday, August 25th – 11am - 6pm 
Lincoln Park, Portland (corner of Congress & Franklin Streets)

Rain or shine (but let's all hope for shine)

There will be live music! (view schedule)

Preview all the amazing vendors here

My booth this year is near the corner of Federal & Pearl Streets. 
I sure do hope you can make it!

The Big Thaw - Saturday, May 12th

If you live in the Portland, Maine area and you forgot to buy Mom a gift, you're in luck! The Big Thaw is this Saturday. As in tomorrow. As in the day before Mother's Day. And it's the perfect place to find something unique and awesome that will rock her world and show her how thoughtful you are.

Here are a few ideas to get you started – there will be more than 30 incredibly talented vendors there besides me though, so come see for yourself.

What mom wouldn't love these super sparkly "diamond" earrings. OK, so they're CZ's in sterling silver settings, but hey, for a mere $18 you'll still have enough cash left over to get her some flowers to go with her sparkles.

Some new necklace designs will be premiering at The Big Thaw. These are a combination of my always-popular bubble necklaces and my one-of-a-kind beach stone necklaces. Bubbles meet the beach. The bubbles are drilled through the stone, and they swing and move in a fun way.

Need an adorable Mother's Day gift from the dog? How about one of these handmade heavy-duty aluminum dog tags?

And, just in case you have already covered your Mother's Day bases and are already shopping for Father's Day next month...well, I've just started making sterling silver tie bars for savvy, stylish gentlemen. Something for everyone!

Here's the nitty gritty: 

Date: Saturday, May 12, 2012 

Time: 10am - 4pm 

Place: Mayo Street Arts Center, Portland, Maine 

Directions 

Check out the complete list of vendors.
RSVP on Facebook here.
Amazing organizer Audrey of Little Eye Designs has been posting daily vendor spotlights here.

I'll be downstairs (in the basement), so come find me and say hello! Hope to see you there.

Artsy Affair - This Thursday, Nov. 10th, 5-9pm

Well, the outdoor shows are over for the season and the tent has been stashed away until next summer. This Thursday marks the official start of my holiday craft fair season! I am excited to be trying out a new fair in Maine — Artsy Affair.

Thursday, November 10

5:00 - 9:00 pm

The Inn at Brunswick Station

Brunswick, Maine

visit this page for directions

Artsy Affair is the self-proclaimed "indie style craft and artisan fair" featuring craftspeople from Maine's mid-coast region and a few of us from beyond (like me from York). They are doing a great job of highlighting participating artists on their blog each day leading up to the event, so be sure to check it out for a sneak peek.  Several of my products were featured on the "7th day of Artsy" post!


Artsy Affair is juried (i.e. not cluttered with junk...only the best handmade goods around) and offers a unique holiday shopping experience for the community where shoppers can meet an amazing group of artisans and enjoy the start of the holiday season with delicious food, live music and local art.


Get a jump start on holiday shopping and keep it local.
Hope to see you there!


P.S. Like their Facebook page for updates leading up to the event.

Picnic Arts + Music Fest is Tomorrow

In case you’ve been living under a rock, I’m here to tell you the 4^th Annual Picnic Music + Arts Summer Festival is tomorrow! This is my third year participating and I am excited beyond belief. My booth is across from the Info booth. Mention that you saw my blog post or that you follow me on Facebook or Twitter for a 10% discount off your Lofted Designs purchase! 

Original screenprinted posters by Kris Johnsen will be for sale at Picnic!

Here are the basics:

Tomorrow (Saturday, August 27^th)

Rain or shine

Lincoln Park (corner of Congress Street & Franklin Arterial)
11am – 6pm

There will be live music! (view schedule)

The forecast is looking great for daytime outdoor activities, but I encourage you to come early! Before the good stuff is sold and before the weather possibly turns in the afternoon. 

This event it juried and pretty darn selective, so you are sure to see the best of the best here. This isn’t your grandma’s craft fair. A list of vendors can be found here. 

Here are some links for additional info:

Facebook page 

Twitter feed

Also, don’t forget about the HillyTown Official Afterparty at Geno’s! Facebook event page 

Come on out and have some fun before Hurricane Irene puts you on house arrest. Hope to see you there!

Picnic Portland Holiday Sale - This Weekend

Maine Irish Heritage Center — 34 Gray St. & State St., Portland, Maine

Saturday, December 11th, 12pm - 8pm
Sunday, December 12th, 12pm - 5pm
FREE admission!

Shop like a rock-star and celebrate the local handmade movement. Find one-of-a-kind gifts for everyone on your list at this vibrantly out-of-the-ordinary event! The 2nd Annual Picnic Holiday Sale is TWO days this year and will feature more than 60 creative vendors selling clothing, jewelry, prints, accessories, bags, plush, stationery, photography, housewares, fine art, vintage goods and much more.
 more info

Shop-A-Do Craftastic Art Sale

SPACE Gallery — 538 Congress St., Portland, Maine

Friday, December 3rd, 5 PM - 9 PM

Saturday, December 4th, 10 AM - 6 PM

I am excited beyond words about this show. I will be sharing the floor with some of my very favorite crafters and artists and will probably get most of my holiday shopping done in this one room! I encourage you to do the same. You'll find something for each person on your list at this funky and fabulous art sale! more info

There is lots of other cool stuff happening Friday night as well during Portland's First Friday Artwalk. Check out all of the galleries downtown, then make your way over to the State Theater for 1930s Night! Enjoy live music in the vaudeville style from Over A Cardboard Sea at 5:30pm, followed by a showing of The Wizard of Oz on the big screen at 7pm. Or show up later at 10pm for a screening of the movie with Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon as the soundtrack. Tickets to each screening are only $5! more info