“It’s always been about life on the coast”….After working in the sailing industry for over a decade, owner and creator Carol Doyle decided it was time for a change. In search of a clean burning alternative to paraffin candles, she started to pursue making 100% soy wax candles which reflect her life on the coast. Maine is what has inspired her candle collections that capture the beauty of the coast, along with some whimsy and beach fun. Enhance your life, preserve the earth, and have some fun along the way!
Skowhegan Wooden Rule Co.
Posted by Stephen Meisner & filed under .
We, the Meisner family purchased the Anson plant from Cooper Industries in 1999, primarily to obtain the sawmill and kilns to produce wood for other manufacturing facilities in Maine. Included in the sale was all of the equipment and the process instructions required to produce the discontinued Lufkin products. On the day the sale was finalized and in the weeks that followed, we were contacted by a number of distributors and industrial customers and asked to continue to manufacture flatwood rules, lip rules, and “L” squares. Demand appeared small but consistent. We decided to gradually rebuild rule manufacturing and the Skowhegan Wooden Rule Co. Inc., was formed to promote and market these products.
Since 1999 we have been able to re-employ some of the skilled local workers who had spent generations crafting these products. We have completely rebuilt and refined the rule manufacturing process. We have not, however, relaxed any of the standards that made E.T. Lufkin’s original rules so desirable. The maple is still the finest quality produced in Maine’s western mountains; each piece is still hand selected and inspected. The rule tips, lips, fittings, and fasteners are still all solid brass and the graduations, numbers, and markings are engraved into the wood (not printed on it) and blackened by hand to last a lifetime. Finally, each rule is carefully finished to bring out the beauty and personality of the wood.
A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm
Posted by Mary Ann Haxton & Marty Elkin & filed under .
Marty Elkin is a self-taught fiber artist who over the last 12 years as been thriving on creating images with hand dyed wool from sheep. She started with art in the 1960’s with tole painting, then over the years did some oil and watercolor painting. Now she spends her time needle felting, which is easy and fun. No counting either. Needle felting is portable, colorful, and useful. She frequently finds herself seeing images from around the farm that spark an idea for a new piece of art. She literally has piles of ideas waiting to be executed.
Since 2008 Marty has created the needle felting kits, and hosts weekly knitting gatherings as well as teaching beginner spinning and knitting. Marty teaches classes for needle felting, portraits, wet felting backgrounds for art. She also teaches acid dyeing of wool fiber using 3 primary colors to create a rainbow and natural dyeing with plants and weeds.
Weft and Warp
Posted by Rachel LeGloahec & filed under .
At a young age I quickly found a passion for cooking. Growing up in Lisbon Falls for the majority of my life I had the availability to attend Lewiston Regional Technical Center for Culinary Arts in the last two years of my high school years. In class it was clear I had a natural ability and skill when it came to cooking. I competed in Skills USA for Job Skills and went on to nationals. Throughout my high school years I rotated through working at several well known restaurants, The Great Impasta (Brunswick), Davinci’s (Lewiston), and The Harraseekett Inn (Freeport). After graduation I went on to attend and graduate at The Culinary Institute of America with a bachelors in Culinary Arts Management. My previous training from Maine showed through many of my classes at the CIA. I came back to Maine to train for my externship at the prestigious White Barn Inn. After CIA I ventured out west and landed in Las Vegas.
I began working under the Chef of the Century Joel Robuchon. I spent over three years working with Joel Robuchon perfecting my craft and creating a foundation for my career. At the young age of 23 I was asked to become a sous for L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon. I was a young woman in an extremely male dominant kitchen who was becoming stronger than the boys, it gave me reassurance of how well I have done. Once I felt I had taken in as much as I could I chose to seek a new venture and became a culinary instructor at a near by cooking school open for the public. After a short time I was eager to get out of the desert and landed in the Florida Keys. I spent about a year as the Executive Sous Chef for a $12 million property over seeing multiple properties and many employees. Out of the blue my former employer of the cooking school reached out to me interested in opening a restaurant off strip in Las Vegas. Of course I said yes. I moved back to Las Vegas and spent 2017 preparing and opening Boteco. It was a beautiful restaurant with clean simple food, I tried to make everything in house as possible, but in the end of the year my partner felt that the direction the restaurant was going wouldn’t utilize my skills. A left handed compliment, maybe my fine dining skills were too much for what he had in mind for the wine bar. Also during my time I competed and won Food Network’s Chopped!
So after a shift in my career I was interested to pursue something I have always had an interest in, leather working. In the past I had made my own hand stitched knife bag and I really enjoyed the process making it. When I would wear it into any kitchen job many people asked about it. So I reached out to Erik Desjarlais and he mentored me until I was ready to operate Weft and Warp on my own. Over the last year I have been able to expand and revitalize the brand and I have had nothing but positive feedback.
I find my inspiration through helping those in the culinary industry by giving them the right tools. Although I am at a place professionally where cooking wasn’t feeding my soul, but the opportunity to set up others for success has been just as good a feeling as seeing someones face after making them food.
Maine Heritage Inc
Posted by Stan Lucien & filed under .
Own a piece of history with a pen made from wood with historic significance.
American Heritage Pens and Maine Heritage Inc. has been making collectible pens since 1996. I taught middle school science and math for 25 years and I enjoyed almost every day, but I decided to retire in 1998. Believe me, running a small business is much easier, but not always as rewarding and never as important as teaching. When I decided to retire, I knew I needed a part time business to keep me busy during the long Maine winters. After bouncing several ideas around, I decided to make pens from wood from old oak lobster traps. I have no clue where I came up with the idea. I now make pens with a wide variety of histories, and the part time business is now full time and more. In fact, I have some help. My wife Andrea also recently retired from teaching middle school English. After I give her a little time to regain her sanity she continued to help me .
Another helper, David S. taught middle school music. His school jazz bands had been the best in the state for several years and the high school stage band was one of the best in the country. I am proud to have David making pens for with me over the past years.
All of us take a great deal of pride in our work and we hope you enjoy this “Made in Maine” product.
Suzanne Anderson – Yikes Studio Enamels
Posted by Suzanne Anderson & filed under .
I originally came to Maine to attend Maine College of Art where I majored in painting. I fell instantly in love with Portland and eventually the entire state and never left. While studying painting I also took every class in metals and jewelry. After graduating I found myself with no tools but a big desire to continue to make jewelry so I created using what materials I had (paper, clay, fiber, paint). Over the years I proceeded to accumulate tools and materials and eventually a studio. I have created jewelry in many forms and color has always been an important part of the process. Vitreous (hot glass) enameling is for me the perfect combination of metalsmithing and color.
My love of the Maine landscape and especially the tiny worlds of lichen and fungus growing amongst the giant glacial granite boulders has been a huge inspiration to the forms and colors that percolate through my work.
Tempest in a Teapot
Posted by Tammy Blake & filed under .
We, sisters Becca and Tammy, are creative business women with a spirit of adventure, a love of learning and a need to continually pass on what we have learned to others. With more than fifty years combined experience in banking, customer relations, people management, quality and control, and restaurant experiences, we bring a wealth of knowledge to Tempest in a Teapot. We are passionate about providing a wonderful tasting tea that makes a difference in your life.
Bold Coast Coffee
Posted by Troy Quimby & filed under .
Maine Roasted™
Anchored on the rugged Bold Coast of Downeast
Maine, we responsibly source rare & affordable
Single-Origin coffees from The Americas,
including direct from our own farm
in Tarrazu, Costa Rica – Café Costa Fuerte.
Our coffees are small-batch roasted, then cooled
by North Atlantic coastal breezes.
Highlighting the independent, hardy, and
adventurous history that embodies the true spirit
of coastal Maine, our signature label features
Little River Lighthouse, a tribute to the
explorers of the Bold Coast, then and now.
From Our Farm To Your Cup
Discover Bold
Mad Gab’s
Posted by Gabrielle Melchionda & filed under .
Mad Gab’s began in my mom’s kitchen over 30 years ago. Since then, Mad Gab’s has been committed to making quality natural and organic products with hydrating ingredients and packaging them to sell—and delight!
I think we can all agree that whimsy, fun and levity are welcome right about now!
As a small, woman-owned company in Maine, we spent the better part of 2020 doing what most small business were doing—trying to keep up with the ever changing world, be thoughtful about who we wanted to be in this moment in time, and find ways for Mad Gab’s to be healthy and sustainable.
Have a peek around…check out our Moose Smooch lip balms, Fish Styxx SPF 30 Sun Stick (Fry your Fish, Not Your Face:), Prickly Pear lip balms…so many products– all packaged to be eye catching and memorable, and formulated with organic ingredients to be effective.
A friendly Mad Gabber is always happy to help, and we love to hear from folks all over–don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or just to say hello!
Warmly,
Gab & Gals
Worcester’s Wild Blueberries
Posted by Lee Worcester & filed under .
Worcester’s Wild Blueberries in Orneville Twp.is the home of Lee & Everett and their golden retriever puppy Mister Blue. We have an adult daughter who lives out of state. Our 147 acre farm has about 20 acres of wild low bush blueberries while the rest is forest land. We also own additional blueberry and forest land in Orneville at a second location and lease land in Barnard and Sebec. We harvest about 35 acres of blueberries every summer.
There is a self-serve farm stand at the end of our driveway from which our friends and neighbors both near & far are able to buy blueberries. Near the stand is a small Concord grape arbor from which we make a small quantity of grape jelly. The original grape vines came from an old farm and took 5 years before they produced any grapes.
Forty years ago we sold all our berries to the Downeast processing plants. Now, and over time, we produce all our blueberries for a few stores, farmers markets and our stand. We have developed recipes from our value added commercial kitchen which we sell at retail stores and craft fairs. More recently we have created sampler sizes of our products for wedding favors.
It doesn’t seem to matter what time of year it is there is always something blueberry going on.