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.
Lori A. Davis, Photographer
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.
Morgan McGeehan Designs
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.
Amalia Moon
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.
IGNITED Arts & Design
My name is Jack Windsor. I am a former tradesman, an armchair historian, and a fan of gaming across multiple genres and platforms. Board gaming, and the personal interaction that naturally comes with it, continues to be my absolute favorite. I have also always had a strong interest and affinity for art; as a child, I plastered my bedroom walls with detailed pencil drawings of people, creatures, and maps of fantastic places that only existed in my mind. I was definitely inspired by the fantasy genre, but that genre also opened the door to the world around me, and in particular it’s past – indeed, history is as involving and interesting as the works of Tolkien, Lewis, and Howard, to name a few – who all drew from historical themes for their own stories. My love of classic fantasy and old school gaming led to strong interests in the medieval periods of history, and in particular the Viking Age, but there have been a great many fascinating cultures throughout the ages, and all of them enjoyed not only art but the pastime of gaming. It would eventually become my passion to merge the two and create beautiful handcrafted wood-burned games; functional pieces of art that would not only be pleasing to the eyes but challenging to the mind.
As a young man, I attended art school in Philadelphia, and honed my talents with the methodology and insights of some very gifted people who taught and learned there. Unfortunately, in time I found my chosen curriculum of advertising art to be too restrictive, and my style just didn’t match the current trends, so I entered the trades – carpentry, masonry, and lastly, electrical. During those years I was still very creative and ‘crafty’; but it became a hobby, not a vocation, as I had originally intended.
Slowly, the blocks building the foundation of today were laid; as life progressed and time passed, sometimes blocks were torn up and reset in a different pattern; ready to build anew or support an addition. Through it all, my imagination and my creativity continuously found new channels or paths to follow.
IGNITED Arts & Design is my outlet for that enduring creativity. Since starting this business from the sale of a Hnefatafl board I crafted several years ago, I have found continuing inspiration from a great many aspects of life – from the storied past, the contemplated future, the fantastic, and my immediate surroundings. Now living in the peaceful lake and forest country of Downeast Maine, just a few miles from the gorgeous north Atlantic coast, I may never in my life create all the things that come to my mind – but I am surely going to try!
My business name, IGNITED, refers to my chosen medium of heat and fire, of carbonized pyrography art; but more poetically, what I experienced when I undertook this new journey. Surely, I was always imaginative and creative, but given an outlet as well as a goal for all these ideas I have, I set alight my imagination. It is kindled by the world around us, and constantly fed with new ideas.
It is my continuing goal that I may share that creativity, that brightness and warmth, with those who seek fine handcrafted items and beautiful unique gifts.
Town & Country Cabinets, Inc.
Town & Country Cabinets was established in 1974 and became a family owned and operated business in 1976 when ownership was assumed by Ronald and Grace Smith. In 2007, Ronald and Grace retired, turning the operation over to their son, David. David, who has been working at the business since 1985, designs and builds custom pieces – ranging from replica furniture to custom cabinets and furniture. We have the capability and experience to produce one-of-a-kind items or literally thousands of the same item. We recently began offering our very own line of Shaker style furniture, designed and produced at our facility in Gorham, Maine. This furniture is currently available for purchase through ETSY or directly from our shop.
Cast & Carve
Cast & Carve is a creative woodworking studio inspired by the outdoors and the love of lakes. Located in Maine, we are the makers of custom wooden name cribbage pegs and 100’s of custom peg designs. Pair these with our best selling Travel Cribbage Boards that are also custom and personalized, and can be made with any US State, and paired with any unique pegs of choice. Our boards fit right in your pocket and are made 100% with real leather and solid wood.
In our Central Maine workshop, we also make unique epoxy lake art, cribbage boards, and many lake products. Our cribbage pegs, travel cribbage boards, and select other items are available for resale, with all pegs and designs catered to your location. Contact us for custom order requests for your store. We are also available on Faire: https://faire.com/direct/castandcarve
Blue Barren Distillery
I grew up in Scotland and studied Zoology before working in Africa for a Safari Company before settling in Maine and opening and running the Hope General Store in Hope Maine for 9yrs. I worked briefly for an Elephant rehabilitation center as the Executive Director before opening the Drouthy Bear Pub in Camden Maine in 2015 and Blue Barren Distillery with my partner Jeremy Howard and opening to the public in 2019 with our first spirit made from 32,000lb of Maine blueberries
Copper Tail Farm
I taught myself how to make soap from a book, back in 2009. I have always been crafty by nature, and making soap seemed like a fun thing to try. Friends and family were my first customers, and I quickly realized I had a product people would pay for! I joined the local Farmers Market (I lived in Eugene, Oregon at the time) and sold there for 5 years. In 2014 my husband and I started a goat dairy and moved to Maine. I started making goat milk soap (which is the only soap I now make). We make several other products as well, including cheese, yogurt, cajeta (caramel sauce), caramel candies and fudge, all from goats milk! Goat health and happiness are our priorities, and all of our goats are treated like members of our family. We are currently the only Animal Welfare Approved Goat Dairy in Maine.
Bar Harbor Tea Company
In 2006, Bar Harbor Tea Company introduced a collection of all-natural teas artfully blended in small batches in Bar Harbor, Maine. The tradition of excellence continues today using fresh, high-quality ingredients that steep a superior cup. A natural and delicious way to enjoy the best tea blends from the coast of Maine.We use Maine grown wild blueberries in each of our three best selling selections. We also offer other “local” flavors such as Maine Maple, Cranberry, and Downeast Breakfast Blend. All teas are available loose leaf or in teabags.