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Jim (Zig) & Laura Szafranski
A lifetime working with wood
Zig’s passion for woodworking started at the early age of five. On rainy days he worked in his father’s basement shop. Scrap pieces of wood were held in an old machinist vice then cut with a copping saw. Junior High school further fueled his passion. Drafting and shop class at Essex Agricultural School were a major turning point in his life. Zig had the opportunity to add carpentry, electrical, metal work, and automotive skills to his resume. Essex Aggie also taught the value of hard work. Students were expected to attend structured classes as well as complete school farm duties. In the summer students were required to work jobs outside the school. A teacher would visit and supervise every two weeks.
By 1968 Zig had accumulated a few hand tools. He borrowed his brothers new table saw and began building and selling furniture in earnest.
The next woodworking milestone occurred when Zig was hired by CW Keller Associates located north of Boston. Charles Keller and Zig worked as a team. Charlie met with clients and designed beautiful contemporary pieces. Zig built all the furniture. It was a terrific opportunity to create and use different hardwoods. In 1977 Zig and Charlie were honored to have one of their pieces selected by Fine Woodworking magazine for their second yearbook of the top 100 woodworkers in the country. .( A Cherry Grandmothers clock)
A move to Down East Maine with his wife Laura, son Josh and daughter Jess that same year sent him in yet another direction with his wood working education. After clearing land and building a small house Zig and Laura set up a small sawmill. While taking time to build the sawmill from scratch they earned a living like many in Washington County, by raking blueberries and making Christmas wreaths. Laura and Zig often worked together in the Maine woods collecting brush for the wreaths, cutting pulpwood from trees devastated by the spruce budworm, cutting fire wood and thinning land to gather enough logs for a larger house. They also worked on timber stand improvement projects and planted trees together.
The sawmill supplied cedar lumber for local building supplies. They also sold cedar to Jim Steel from Brooklin Maine to build his famous Peapods, a classic rowing boat. With the influence of Jim they started to build Canoes, dinghies and prams. Zig and Laura still build a number of 8 ft. prams every spring for sale to local fishermen and boaters. Other products from the sawmill were cedar seed flats for greenhouses and box stock for local blueberry companies. The sawmill also provided pine for a wood products business. Numerous small pine wood products and also bird houses were built.
If you work with wood as much as Zig and Laura did it’s only natural to build houses and other buildings. The couple also returned to their roots of building furniture and began once again to work on the lathe turning wood. Woodturning of lamps and bowls has combined all of their past knowledge and experience into one beautiful piece of woodworking.
As Laura say’s when asked how long it takes Zig to make a lamp or turn a bowl her reply is –“about forty years”
We hope you enjoy their efforts.
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I grew up in a tiny town outside of Boston, MA where everyone knew everything about everybody. I spent my 20s in the thick humidity of Lousiville, KY where I developed a love for bourbon and the southern drawl. My job at the time (a videographer and on-camera talent for a huge Ecommerce company) moved me and my husband to Las Vegas and we loved every minute of the desert life! I was so inspired by everything around me – plants, mountains, people, FOOD! I did a LOT of traveling, story-telling through video, shot a documentary in Puerto Rico… I was a busy girl!
I was laid off out of the blue, and found myself wanting to keep in touch with those I loved and cared about, but the printed card options out there felt fake and flowery. I started stonedonut shop as a way to put my personality and humor on what I was sending out.
We moved back home to New England to be near my family in February 2019. I was immediately reminded of how the ocean grounds me, inspires me and lights up my world. I was also reminded of how hard the winters are, but thoroughly enjoyed watching my husband experience them for the first time – this was his first real snow!
I love to take in the world around me, pop culture, nature, animals, music, food, movies and turn them into designs for the stonedonut shop. I think my life experience helps me to create something people identify with, and I hope what I create can help bring a smile to even life’s toughest situations.
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During my first winter living in Maine, I found myself craving a new hobby to keep me busy. I have really enjoyed working with clay as a medium in the past (ceramics classes in high school, sculpture class in college), and had been further inspired by a few polymer clay earring tutorials I had seen online. I bought a few supplies and started off making earrings completely just for fun. I figured if any of them turned out well, I could gift them for the holidays. From there – I was hooked! I quickly ended up with a desk drawer full of dozens upon dozens of pairs of polymer clay earrings and decided it may be time to create a business out of this hobby.
I debuted Baublebee Handmade via Etsy on January 20, 2020. Within a few months, I’d sold over 200 pairs of earrings. I’ve been so grateful for the support and consequent ability to continue to have this creative outlet.
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“Necessity is the mother of invention.”
We love oysters, but we loathed shucking. All too often we would pass up buying fresh oysters at the fish market. Not anymore!
After much research, we precisely and meticulously designed a shuck assist to make shucking an oyster easier and safer.
Meet the KRAKEN. The KRAKEN Oyster Grip has truly been a game changer as we enjoy oysters every week while supporting our local fish markets and oyster farmers.
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THE CRAFT
Tucked away in the woods of Maine, the scorching hot forge of Black Dog Ironworks keeps the winter chill away. It’s warm red glow lights up the workshop for Matthew Foster, the shops owner. Often hard at work, Matthew creates distinctive hand forged objects that challenge the integrity of any store bought substitute. An artist at heart, he considers each of his designs to be reflections of the unique rustic character that defines much of northern Maine. With focus and purposeful action, each piece is thoughtfully crafted with hammer and anvil. Once in hand, the weight and visceral significance of each item defines them as heirlooms.
HANDMADE IN MAINE
Black Dog Ironworks is operated from my home in rural Maine. The name comes from my two black dogs, Dakota, a German Shepard and Henley, a black lab & Catahoula mix. Each of my pieces is handmade using traditional and modern blacksmithing techniques. I honed my craft as an art student at the University of Maine where I studied sculpture. In between sculpture projects and commissions, I work in my tiny garage studio, making functional ironwork for anybody who loves products with character.
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I’m a photographer based in Freeport, Maine, but I’m originally from New Jersey and spent 21 years living on Long Island, New York. My first love is exploring the landscape around me, across the country, and around the world. There is nothing more satisfying than being awake to witness the sunrise, whether it’s at Quoddy Head State Park in Maine, or from the top of Sentinel Dome in Yosemite National Park. My aim is not to create a literal reproduction of the scene, but to use the tools at hand including my camera and lenses, filters, and tripod, to capture my own personal interpretation of the scene. My goal is to capture the emotion I feel when I witness the scene.
I have a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art degree from Kean University in NJ, am an educator for Hunt’s Photo Adventures, and in the past was a trainer and technical specialist for Canon USA.
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Growing up in Maine we spent most of our time outdoors. The daily routine was exploring the coastal beaches, woods or mountains. We hiked, biked, camped and hunted but in all seasons the most important obsession was fishing.
Lure making first started in the summer of ’87. Lots of baitfish came to Saco/Biddeford beaches followed by fierce schools of Bluefish. As you know just one crunch from their powerful jaws and razor sharp teeth Bluefish will destroy most commercial lures, so out of necessity I started carving some crude surface poppers so my sons and I could continue enjoying that summer’s run.
Since then the fun continues at Belfast Carving, creating lures from scratch. During the initial design we judge how a fish will receive the bait accounting for how the lure tracks, dives, wiggles and shimmers. Considering how the presentation fits specific water conditions shoreline foliage and bottom contours.
We believe a good lure will track straight, dive deep, wiggle strong and shimmers bright giving a distressed appearance that gets the predatory fish’s attention.
The rewards of our efforts continue during a new lure’s field trials with the first strike and pursuing fight. Bringing the fish to the surface and landing it proves the lure’s design and durability.
Briefly all our experience goes into each lure at Belfast Carving and we want you to enjoy our lures as much as we do. Please enjoy and be sure to take a kid fishing.
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Lori’s love of nature was inspired by her family’s volunteer work as wildlife rehabilitators, while she was growing up on a small farm in northeastern Connecticut. Whether it was bottle feeding an orphaned whitetail fawn or teaching abandoned baby raccoons how to find food in a pond, no matter the task, she was aware how unique her wildlife interactions were. Picking up an old 110 camera, she began documenting her experiences, anxious to share them with others. She didn’t realize at the time how that decision would impact on her life.
Over the years, Lori’s awareness & appreciation for the natural world, combined with her passion for photography, have inspired her to travel the country capturing the amazing wildlife & spectacular scenery each region has to offer. A self-taught photographer published both nationally & internationally, her collection includes images from across America. Using the camera as her tool, she hopes to not only inspire others with her photographs, but also to educate & raise awareness of the fragile natural world that surrounds us.
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Ever since I was a child I have always loved art. From drawing detailed pictures as a child to pottery and jewelry in my High School years. After High School I went to Maine College of Art. I wanted to become a ceramics major, but after taking metalsmithing and jewelry I was hooked, so I switched my major. I graduated in 1998 with my BFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry.
I reside in Maine with my husband and son. Being on the coast is an important factor of my work. A lot of my jewelry has sea glass or beach stones in it. My son and I go out hunting a lot. To me hunting for sea glass and beach stones is very therapeutic and relaxing for me. I can spend hours staring at the beach floor looking for the perfect piece. My son and I have our secret hunting spots that we have sworn to never to tell anyone.
I also have a passion for gemstones, they are my addiction. I love setting them with sea glass and beach stones. That way it gives my jewelry a polished and a natural look. I try to keep my designs simple but elegant. I am also always up for a challenge if a client wants a custom piece made.
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An avid reader, I came into metalsmithing through browsing in a bookstore. I curiously was thumbing through the craft section and found a book on jewelry making. I had no idea, that it was possible to create such interesting and beautiful objects with some tools and my own hands. I signed up for a weekend course, learned the basics and fell in love with the process leading to lots more tools and classes. Originally from sunny California, I moved to the chilly East Coast to finish my degree in Metalsmithing. After completing my degree I decided to stay in Portland Maine, trading in the Pacific ocean for the Atlantic.
I’ve worked in studio jewelry production for award winning designers and studied with talented goldsmiths for a number of years before finally decided to venture out on my own. I believe that wearing jewelry is personal, intimate and tactile. When jewelry is worn, it travels through the adventures and lives of others, changing and evolving with their experiences. I lovingly handcrafted these objects to connect and evolve with others.
