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.

Globetrotting - Clitheroe, Lancashire, England

Thanks to the magic of the Internet, I often receive orders from around the globe. Wanderlust-afflicted as I am, if an order comes in from a place I am unfamiliar with, I look it up to see where it is located and to learn about its history, what its people do for fun, what its buildings look like, etc.

Today's global exploration takes us to one of the most darling towns I've seen: Clitheroe in Lancashire, England.

According to Wikipedia:

Clitheroe /ˈklɪðɨroʊ/ is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is near the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists in the area. It has a population of 14,697. The most notable building in the town is Clitheroe Castle, suggested to be one of the smallest Norman keeps in the country. 

The town's earliest existing charter is from 1283! How cool is that?! I'm so excited to have received an order from this little town so I could learn of its existence. And if all goes to plan, perhaps I'll visit someday.

Where in the world is Clitheroe?

Have you been to Clitheroe? If so, leave a comment and let me know what I shouldn't miss when I visit!

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!

Fiddlehead Ferns

I recently curated a treasury on Etsy devoted to my second favorite vegetable: the fiddlehead fern (my absolute favorite vegetable is the beet, for those of you who are new here).

Fiddlehead ferns are in season for a very short window each spring, and their rarity on supermarket shelves makes me covet them all the more. An elusive delicacy of early spring, they taste like a cross between asparagus and bitter greens (think broccoli rabe) with an earthiness unlike any other vegetable I've tasted.

This treasury includes knits, jewelry, men's accessories, photographs, soaps, textiles and more. It's great to see so many other people inspired by this amazing veggie! Please take a look and share with your friends.

Reflections on Running

I know I'm not the first person to blog about running this week. And I won't be the last. But today is special for me because it's my one year "RUNiversary". Exactly one year ago today, I shook off my "I hate running" mentality and began the Couch-to-5K® program.

In all honestly, I didn't think it would stick. I thought I'd try it out, confirm the hatred bred into me by torturous one-mile mandatory runs in high school gym class, and move on with my life. Yet here I am a year later, still pounding the pavement. And you know what? I don't hate it after all. I actually kinda, sorta, almost like it.

So, why in the world did I start running in the first place if I hated it so much? Because last year in 2012, I attended the Boston Marathon with my husband and two of our close friends. I was so moved and inspired by what I saw there that I needed to give it a try and see for myself. We watched the 2012 race from three different locations and took it all in, starting in Brookline, then hopping on the T and watching from mile 25, then finally making our way on foot to the finish line.

It was exciting to watch the elite runners speed past. But then came the families running together. The very young running alongside the very old. A father running and pushing his wheelchair-bound son. The groups of friends running for charity or in memory of a lost loved one. And the crowds – constantly cheering and rooting for complete strangers! I'd never seen anything like it. It was all so heavy and meaningful and overwhelming. Of course, it wasn't all smiles and rainbows; I witnessed tangible pain and sickness and struggle in the incredible record-breaking heat. But through it all, I could feel the energy pulsing through the city that day. And the triumphant expressions on people's faces as they neared the finish line – well, that was the closest I've ever been to witnessing that much undeniable, genuine human happiness at once. Huge smiles. Tears of joy.

I cannot even fathom or begin to process this year's horrific incident. I look at the images and they don't seem real to me. I can't reconcile the scene I witnessed just last year with the scenes on the news. It doesn't add up. Who would ever want to spoil something like this. How could this even be real? It doesn't make any sense. And it probably never will.

It is not lost on me that I was at the finish line last year at almost the exact same time this year's bombs went off. These photographs, taken at the flags directly across from the bleachers, bear a time stamp of 2:42pm – almost exactly one year before the explosions. Almost to the minute. 

We were supposed to go again this year, but I was unable to take a day off work.

Runners are a community built on health, strength, determination and good will. It's a community I am very proud to be a part of. I will keep running and hopefully celebrate many more runiversaries. But now I'm running with a little more purpose. Running for those who lost their lives in Boston on Marathon Monday. For those who were injured. And for those who came so close, but didn't get to cross the finish line that day. I'm running for them.

Graduation Jewelry - Order Early!

It's almost that time again – young people across America are deep into their last semester of high school and getting ready to head off to college next fall. Or perhaps a bright young student you know is finishing up college studies and getting ready to enter the real world. 

Now is a great time to think about ordering a unique, early graduation gift they can show off during those final weeks and days of senior year. Custom graduation rings and necklaces for the class of 2013 start at just $45 and will surely be cherished for many years to come.

Custom graduation necklaces are crafted from a hand-cut circle of polished sterling silver and stamped with "Class of 2013". You can also include the school name, graduate's name or initials on the back and beads are used to represent school colors. A sterling silver chain, polishing cloth and gift box are included so you receive it ready for gifting. Order a necklace here.

 Custom rings are available in multiple styles (thin or thick, wide or skinny) and finishes (brushed, polished or hammered) and can be stamped with a name, nickname, school name, graduation year, or simply "CLASS OF 2013" (any year is available). Stamp it on the outside to show your pride or on the inside for a more discreet look. Order a ring here.

Please allow up to two weeks for custom orders to be shipped.