Michelle Lee Provencal is a graduate of Pratt Institute with a degree in Industrial Design. For over 20 years, she has worked as a product designer for well-known brands including Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, and Coach. In 2017, she launched Thirdlee & Co. as a home for her own newly developed needle-felted designs. Her original designs are directly inspired by a deep connection to the tidal landscapes and coastal waterways of Southern Maine’s Biddeford Pool and Saco Bay where her family has made memories for generations. Thirdlee & Co. continues to grow and now encompasses a range of original handcrafted designs as well as a curated vintage & found décor collection. Michelle divides her time between Southern and Mid-Coast Maine and continues to provide freelance design services from her home studio.
Acorn and Artisan
Posted by Kelsey Champagne-Smith & filed under .
Welcome and thank you for visiting Acorn & Artisan!
Acorn and Artisan crafts distinctive jewelry with a blend of 14k gold-fill, brass, & sterling silver, featuring unique lost wax cast designs. This women-owned, Maine-based business draws inspiration from the owner’s children, her ‘little acorns,’ embodying a personal touch in every piece. Kelsey combines modern boho vibes with classic styles to make unique pieces that aren’t just jewelry, but are celebrations of family, individuality, & the beauty of nature.
WharfWarp
Posted by Tim Barthelman & filed under .
We are a husband and wife team and lifelong Mainers. The business began in 2016 following career changes and a desire to explore our creative sides. We gathered some old unwanted lobster rope from a fishing wharf and created a few simple items to sell at a local craft show. Following that successful experience and with positive feedback from customers we decided to make a go of it. And so began WharfWarp.
To start, we acquired the remnants of a rope pile that was part of the 2009 lobster rope buyback program. The two of us untangled, picked, sorted and hauled approximately 12 tons of rope into our backyard. The upfront effort gave us a colorful rainbow of rope readily available and only steps away. Over time we worked on our designs and processes, completely self taught. Today, our workshop is equipped with self-made jigs for weaving, and tools for cutting, joining and finishing the rope. We continually supplement our stock of rope by collecting from local lobstermen.
We NEVER use new rope to create our products. Help solve the plastics problem, not add to it!
Paul Rulli Reproductions
Posted by Paul Rulli & filed under .
By the age of ten, Paul Rulli was well on his way to developing a life long interest in the history, culture, art, and temperament of colonial America. Born and raised in Sturbridge Massachusetts within walking distance of Old Sturbridge Village, Paul was a frequent visitor and an eager student. This eagerness and sincerity prompted Paul’s father to grant access to the workshop and the tools therein. It wasn’t long before the love of woodworking and the beauty of antique woodworking tools merged to create a desire to build Period American Furniture using authentic methods.
After High School, Paul took the traditional path of the men of his time and pursued a degree in Civil Engineering from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. Years later, this training proved to be an asset in the careful renderings and attention to details the art of reproduction furniture making requires.
During his student years and while pursuing his engineering career, Paul’s love for 17 th and 18 th century America only grew and developed into a new full time career as a furniture maker.
The Good Crust
Posted by Heather Kerner & filed under .
My name is Heather, and I am the founder of The Good Crust. We are a pizza dough company featuring the grains of Maine’s own grist mill, with a social mission to help people with unique needs enter the workforce.
As a working mom living near a grist mill in Central Maine, I wanted to make a pizza dough recipe that committed to using 100% fresh, stone-milled grains from Maine. Supporting our state’s farmers and millers ensures the resilience of our food supply and allows us all to enjoy a more nutritious whole grain pizza. I hope that you’ll notice the difference in the flavor of your crust.
As an occupational therapist, I recognized a real-life application to using pizza dough for purposeful workforce development. Today, we welcome people with unique needs to train on the job, knowing that when our community does better, we all do better. We proudly model an inclusive workplace culture that empowers members of our local community with career opportunities.
Sprig Woodwork
Posted by Mimosa Mack And Amanda Slamm & filed under .
Sprig Woodwork was started by sisters, Amanda Slamm & Mimosa Mack, in 2012 after our father, a furniture craftsman passed away from prostate cancer. We really just wanted to be in his shop to be close to his memory. We began making a small table, and some shelves for our Mom and her partner. We then moved on to cutting boards and kitchen utensils. One day a friend and mentor stopped by and announced he was going to teach us how to carve spoons. Which he did, Sprig Woodwork has continued to, carve, sand & grow ever since!
Threadtree Artisan Giftworks, Inc.
Posted by Shannon Newcomb & filed under .
There is always a story behind a person. How they started, who they are, what their interests are. I am a lifelong artist but truly found my craft when I was generously blessed with some wood by a coworker.
I began to experiment with resin shortly after. The use of wood and resin has allowed me to blend the things I love most – working with my hands in a physical way while using other art elements to enhance the wood.
About 70% of the wood I use also has a story. It’s not unusual to find me on “wood hunts”. These are short adventures often resulting in treasures of local wood, some saved from burn piles or sometimes going on site where the wood is being milled. I have gathered wood from Falmouth, Peru, Northern Maine, Norway and multiple other areas. In most cases, I can tell you the location your wood came from and its back story.
The other 30% is imported – I use exotic woods from around the globe (though I have also salvaged some of this locally too). One of my main woods is Olivewood from Turkey- the wood was salvaged from 100+ year old olive orchards before a super highway was installed. This gnarly, highly attractive wood serves as a stunning base to create some truly unique pieces.
I always try to use every possible piece of the slabs, wood and other materials I procure. Smaller cuts become coasters, wall art or bottle openers. Working with clients on a custom order is my wheelhouse – I love to see your face when I hand you your order and I know “I got it”.
I am entirely self-taught and have gained knowledge and experience by both my successes and failures, leaning on other makers, and sharing with those just starting. I draw inspiration from nature around me, the ocean, the mountains and also from the materials themselves.
I am looking forward to expanding and pushing creative boundaries, and encouraging other women to get into the “trades”. I am many things and my story also includes being a wife, mom of two and a nurse. While I have been working in healthcare the better part of my life, I am currently working on finishing my BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Graphic Design, fulfilling a lifelong dream to eventually work full time as an artist.
I look forward to working on your next project.
Blue Earth Bags
Posted by Kim Fenn & filed under .
Someone once told me ” Creative people have to create,” and I totally understood. I had a photography/graphic design studio for 25 years and enjoyed the creative freedom of photographing people, places and products. I didn’t think I would be in business again but the bag business was just meant to be. Everything came together quickly and within 6 months we were selling on our website and at Makers and Art Shows. I bring my artistic eye for design and color while my husband helps me sew, ( yes, he sews) sell at shows and manages logistics. We are driven to show people how you can create beautiful, useful items with waste slated for the landfill. All our bags are from repurposed material. We are honored to be in the company of such inspirational Maine makers.
Lakeside Flies
Posted by Kat Dunlea & filed under .
I have a passion for art and to me fly tying is a true art. I’ve learned many famous fly tiers were women. And one of the most famous was Carrie Gertrude Stevens. She was an American fly fisher and fly lure tier from Madison, Maine and Upper Dam, Maine. She was the creator of Rangeley Favorite trout & salmon flies. Self-taught in the art of fly tying, Stevens invented the Grey Ghost Streamer. Maine plays a key role in the start of fly fishing.
Like Carrie and many other tiers in the industry, I love creating beautiful flies that people can fish & enjoy for years to come. Keeping the legacy of fishing with flies a tradition to carry on hopefully for decades to come.
I do all the designing of the original patterns I tie. I get a vision, study waters, fish habits, materials and other information to help create that perfect fly and name it.
I also try an replicate or re-create beautiful well known patterns.
Yes I truly love to design flies to catch your eyes. But I truly design each fly to catch the fish!
The simple about me summed up .
Learn much more about me, the flies and why I love tying on my website.
Bar Harbor Foods, Inc.
Posted by Looks Gourmet Food Company Inc. & filed under .
Simple. Honest. Food.