Laceypots
70 Merrill St., Portland. 207-450-5767.
Lacey Goodrich’s cheery, colorful ceramics always make me smile. “It’s all about joy,” Goodrich says. “I only work when I’m feeling happy.” Polka dots were the first design she painted when she started her business 23 years ago, and it’s still one of her most popular. Today, her line includes stripes, checks, and flora and fauna like sunflowers, poppies, chickadees, and crows. She spins a variety of bowls, serving pieces, vases, and lamps, and she cuts tiles and buttons too. Goodrich sells her work through artisan shows, at select shops and galleries, and at her studio by appointment. Watch for her open house in April. — Tina Fischer
Ferdinand Studio & Storefront
243 Congress St., Portland.
Diane Toepfer opened her shop on Portland’s East End way back in 2001, and the place still adheres to her simple motto: “things I make and things I like.” Toepfer fills the place with handmade crafts, home goods, jewelry, and vintage finds from all around the state. “I’m a scavenger,” she says. “The hunt is how I make this place accessible and affordable.” On a recent visit, I came away with a handmade quilted pillow and a pair of high-waisted charcoal Levis at a price unheard of in the increasingly chichi Forest City. But you can’t play the thrifting game without regrets now and then: mine is that I didn’t try on the one-shoulder sequin leotard Diane was pulling out of her workroom as I left. — Geneviève Beaudoin
Daytrip Jr.
9 Ocean Ave., Kennebunkport. 207-967-8345.
Jessica Jenkins and Andy West opened Daytrip Society, their high-design Dock Square gift/travel shop, in 2007. Four years later, when their daughter was 2, they got pretty into toddler products, and Daytrip Jr. was born. Around the corner from the original, it focuses on eco-conscious goods and Maine-made brands for the under-8 crowd. The last time I went in, my toddler in tow, was just before an off-the-grid vacation week up north. I picked up a Wooly Willy magnetic toy, a toddler-size Etch A Sketch, and an adorably sewn Sophie and Lili–brand doll dressed in Bean boots — we nicknamed her Camp Friend. Little shoppers can ride a refurbished mechanical whale, and each quarter dropped into the coin box benefits the Save the Whales fund. “It’s really sweet, because we have older kids who have been riding the whale since they were babies,” Jenkins says. — Bridget M. Burns
Studio Crie
Rockport.
Last summer, for my 40th birthday, some friends gave me a tote bag by Michaela Crie Stone. I’ve owned a lot of tote bags, but this one, handmade in thick, starchy canvas and buttery-soft leathers, is, in a word, perfect. I’m rarely without it. I’ve lugged produce in it, thrown it into wet dinghies, and shoved it under airplane seats. It not only withstands the abuse, it somehow gets better looking. Like all of Stone’s designs, every detail — from the drop of the handle to the slim but accommodating outside pocket — has been carefully, cleverly considered. Before Stone made handbags, the 30-year-old Rockport native made high-end furniture. It took months to create, and was priced accordingly. “I wanted the option of making something that was accessible to lots of people,” Stone says. Made in small batches using ethically sourced materials, the bags cost $180 to $550. They are “absolutely a high-end product,” she says, “but the price is still in the area where someone like me can save up and buy one.” Or, if you’re lucky, your best girlfriends can. — Jesse Ellison