My Year of Quitting

So far, 2016 has been my year of quitting. I didn't do it on purpose. One thing just led to another and before I knew it, I'd pretty much removed myself from society. Here is how it's gone down:

1. I quit volunteering at The Music Hall in Portsmouth. Or at least, I tried to. Volunteering my time is super important to me, but sometimes there just isn't any time to give. Greeting patrons there and ushering was a great way to get myself out of the house and, as a bonus, get to see a free show or movie now and then. But Lofted Designs got extremely busy in January (see last post) and I felt guilty about never signing up for any volunteer shifts. So when the time came to confirm my commitment and sign on for another season with The Music Hall, I opted out. I didn't fill out the form. I quit. At least I tried to, but for some reason I continue to get their emails each week asking for help. Who knows...maybe I'll go back sometime.

2. I dropped out of my book club, which is actually way cooler than a regular book club (it's a deep dive into a specific topic for several months, looking at literature, film, cultural relevance, art, music, etc.), but the pressure of committing to regular get-togethers was too much. I might re-join again soon because they are discussing super interesting topics right now. I'm just feeling non-committal.

3. I stopped consigning my jewelry at Pear Tree Gifts in Dover, NH. I've been consigning jewelry there since the store opened, and long before that when it was Lucy's Art Emporium. It's a fabulous store, filled with many wonderful things, but consignment just isn't a good fit for my business right now. It took me a long time to come to terms with that.

4. Finally, I just recently made the decision to close my Etsy shop. It's temporary, but my work-life balance was (and is) way out of whack. Lofted Designs has never been my full-time job, but has always been a creative outlet and relief from a long list of full time jobs I didn't quite like. For years, I worked in bustling offices filled with energy and noise, and the studio in the loft was my respite. My evening and weekend haven, with space to myself, quiet if I needed it. About two years ago, I found a day job I actually like that allows me to work remotely from home! This removed some of the need for quiet studio time to myself and I "needed" the loft less and less.

Then, in the last few weeks, my day job got a little crazy. I've taken on some new responsibilities (not necessarily by choice) and I find myself traveling quite a bit and working until 7pm or 8pm most days just to keep up with the extra workload. This doesn't leave any time or energy for creativity in the evenings, and I am reserving my weekends for recovery from my weeks (i.e. doing absolutely nothing). I've received a few desperate emails from customers who were hoping to place orders and it pains me to view my shop stats and see all the sales that could have been, but I'd rather miss out on some Lofted Designs studio time and disappoint a few people than end up working 24/7 and risking my sanity.

So that's that. I'm hoping to relaunch the shop this summer with a new look and some exciting additions to my jewelry line. In the meantime, I'm coming to terms with being a quitter. And I think I'm OK with it.

2014 Calendar Roundup

I am VERY picky when it comes to certain things. Shoes for sure. Jewelry definitely. And most assuredly calendars. It's a little ridiculous. I didn't even realize how particular I was about calendars until I started looking for a suitable version for 2014.

Here is my list of criteria:

1. It must fit the space I have pre-designated for a calendar in my home. I always hang it in the same spot on a small wall between my entryway and kitchen, beside a mirror. It is a vertical space and the calendar can be no more than 10" wide. That drastically narrows the field (pun intended).

2. It must be pre-printed for me. In perusing Etsy for calendar selections this year, I noticed a lot marked as "printable download." I'll be the first to admit that my printer sucks. And even if it were a fantastic printer, by the time I got around to purchasing high-quality paper worthy of a calendar the year would be half over.

3. I'm picky about quality (see criteria #2), so it has to be either letterpress printed or screenprinted, or at the very least printed on heavy cardstock. I want crisp lines and vibrant colors.

4. I need a fresh image or graphic each month. I relish in the ritual of turning to a fresh, new page on the first of the month, so no at-a-glance, all-in-one calendars will do.

5. I have to love it. Every single month doesn't have to blow me away, but I have to be able to live with the theme for a full year.

Following this list, I have narrowed down my selections to the following calendars:

Bold, bright, modern patterns printed on matte cardstock from christine marie b.

I love BOTH of these calendars from Dozi. The top one features adorable illustrations representative of each month, while the second focuses on geometric shapes. Both are printed on matte cover weight paper. 

This amazing animal illustration calendar is made by Spoon&Sailor in Rhode Island. They letterpress on 100% cotton (tree-free!) paper on a Chandler & Price antique press.

Stationery Boutique out of Colorado has designed a gorgeous pattern calendar this year, and this one is currently at the top of my list because each page doubles as a mailable postcard when the month is through. If you know me at all, you know how much I love sending postcards.

I had a Little Low adventure-of-the-month calendar in 2013 and absolutely LOVED it! Every month was darling. I'm strongly considering their great American roadtrip calendar this year.

Red Cruiser came out with this fantastic food/beer pairings calendar and I absolutely love the colors and whimsical style. My only issue is that some months feature meat. Sure, I can easily pretend it's fake meat...fake bacon in March, piles of Tofurky® slices on that June sandwich, veggie dog in July, etc. But should I? I'm not sure. Needless to say, August (pictured above) would be my favorite month by far.

Each month of the 2014 Freckle Paper flea market finds calendar features a hand painted watercolor illustration of an antique object found at a flea market. Charming. Subdued. It comes on a clipboard for hanging.

Help me decide!! Before it's too late and they all sell out. :)

Shop Small with Gus & Ruby Letterpress - Portsmouth, NH

If you're shopping in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire, this holiday season, be sure to stop by my favorite store Gus & Ruby Letterpress at 29 Congress Street. They have amazing gifts for anyone on your list who has excellent taste, but best of all they are fully stocked with a fresh batch of Lofted Designs pet tags (see pic above)!

Also, they're running some great promotions this weekend for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. Be sure to stop in for discounts, a goodie box giveaway, good holiday cheer, and coffee and treats for early shoppers. If you happen to be shopping for a pet-lover or a stocking stuffer for a furry friend, my pet tags are usually right by the register. :)

Happy shopping and many thanks for supporting small businesses!

Buy Local Open House – Sunday, December 2nd

This coming Sunday, December 2nd from 12 - 5 pm, I am honored to be participating in an Open House Holiday Extravaganza event at Ocean Fire Pottery in York, Maine.

Each year, Amy Clark of Ocean Fire Pottery invites her favorite artisans to display their goods at her studio and this year Lofted Designs is invited! I'll be ready with a table full of necklaces, earrings, tie bars for men, sterling silver rings, pet tags and leather dog collars (made by my husband Patrick). There will also be refreshments, pottery mini-lessons, wool spinning demos, and kids art activities throughout the day!

A sampling of Lofted Designs jewelry

Other participants include:

Amy Clark – Ocean Fire Pottery (our gracious hostess)
One of my favorite local artists, Amy makes incredible handcrafted wheelthrown stoneware and combines elements of the earth to create functional art that evokes joy every day. I am the proud owner of several Ocean Fire Pottery pieces. You can preview her creations on her website or check out her Facebook page.

Laurie Wallace – Hand-Spun Knits by Laurie
Handspun items including hobo gloves, soft alpaca cowl neck scarves and hats, handwoven belts and dog leashes.

Erin Donovan – Twig Naturals
All-natural, hand poured soy candles scented with essential oils that smell amazing! Erin also makes beautiful lightboxes, collaged original art, coasters, and gorgeous pocket mirrors that would make perfect stocking stuffers. 

The Details:

Sunday, 12/2/12

12:00 - 5:00 pm

23 Woodbridge Road, York, Maine

Click here for directions

Click here to RSVP

* Plenty of parking is available at Kennebunk Savings Bank, diagonally across the street from the studio