About Bethany Lowe Designs
Over the years trends have changed and decorating styles have evolved, but one thing has always remained the same within my brand; every item is handmade and unique. No two are ever exactly alike. From the initial design of our products, to our responsible manufacturing practices, we take every detail into account.
Whether you are inspired by my love of vintage nostalgia and tradition, or you are looking to create a home filled with trend-setting holiday magic, I invite you to become your own designer and to create your own story. My collectors from around the world continue to inspire me every day in their Facebook posts, Pinterest photos, and Instagram images. They create innovative decorating styles while using my designs; combining old traditions with fresh new décor. The images of their homes during the holidays remind me of why I began this journey so many years ago, and I am proud to know that long journey has been worth it.
I have always believed that sharing the holidays with family and friends should be an important and memorable time. Like my mother, I often made my own decorations for our family home. In the early 1980’s, I realized that there were few vintage inspired designs in the marketplace. It was a style I loved and wanted to share. I didn’t know enough about creating a business to be afraid. So, I just did it.
As the years passed and my business grew, I started to see special family time being lost in a fast-paced world. I was inspired to make my company slogan ‘build a tradition’. Through my artwork, I was committed to helping families create memories—like the moments I remembered as a child and was building within my family.
Meet Bethany
I grew up on a small Midwestern farm in Illinois. My mother was a homemaker and my father was a Veterinarian. Holidays were a magical time for my family and our rural community. We dressed up for costume parties and mummer’s parades. We had pumpkin carving contests, and trick-or-treated throughout our neighborhoods. We went for horse-drawn sleigh rides and ice skated together on country ponds. We went caroling door-to-door, and built snow forts and snowmen to greet passersby. As a child, one of my favorite traditions was creating May baskets from paper and flowers – special gifts that I hung on the doors of friends and family.
The most wonderful time for me was when our family gathered to decorate our Christmas tree and the boxes of ornaments and decorations came out of the attic. Unwrapping them was like opening a gift of memories, with each ornament telling its own story. Our child-made ornaments from school projects always brought laughs and teasing from my brothers and sister, but my mother made sure they all had a place of honor on our tree. Our tree was not the beautiful, perfect designer tree you see today, but my memories of that tree are some of my most vivid and cherished recollections, as it brought us all together in the spirit of the season. Unfortunately, since my mother always allowed her four eager children to help, not many of our beautiful ornaments survived, which may be one of the reasons I love to create new decorations with an old fashioned, vintage feel.
I am proud to say that my husband, Curt, has been on this artistic journey with me since the very beginning. Throughout the years, my art has taken us on travels to far-off places where
we made life-long friends, overcame business challenges together, and were inspired by the cultures and events we experienced along the way. My life would be colorless without my art.
While we were growing the business, we were also raising a family of four on our farm in Illinois. Throughout the years all of my children have participated in the business. My daughter, Erin, is currently the CEO, and my niece, Abby, is the Director of Merchandising and Product Development. Working with my family has made everything more fun! We have six beautiful grandchildren and divide our time between running our farm, my company, and continuing to ‘build a tradition...’ with our family.
Today, as I share my imagination and memories with you, I hope to inspire you to build new traditions with your family.
About our Product
Vintage Roots
At the heart of Bethany Lowe Designs lies a love for all things vintage; an inspiration to take something old and make it new again. We hope to stir those same nostalgic and wistful affections of the past within you; Christmases gone by, chilly nights trick-or-treating as a child, and holidays spent with loved ones.
Artisan Crafted
Our products are proudly handmade by artisans in The Philippines. Over the years, Bethany worked with the artists to teach them the vintage techniques and nuanced finishes that her customers had come to expect. Each piece is carefully sculpted, cast, and painted, with a level of detail that is unmatched elsewhere in the world. She is proud of the integrity and commitment they bring to their craft, and thankful for their friendship over the past 20 years. They are truly part of her story, and our family at Bethany Lowe Designs.
Attention to Quality
Each item is handcrafted with the utmost attention to quality. Our materials are individually handmade or sourced to evoke a feeling of years gone by. Mercury glass, mica, and paper pulp are authentic to the history of the items we produce. Real goose feather trees and our paper mache items are manufactured in practices true to their time. Each unique piece is made to be handed down from one generation to the next and to withstand the test of time. Come build a tradition with us.
Sustainable Practices
At Bethany Lowe Designs, we are actively looking towards the future. By using bio-degradable materials, such as paper pulp and paper maché, packaging with paper based products, and decreasing our printed catalogs in today’s digital age, we are taking the first steps of minimizing our carbon footprint. We are proud that 99% of our paper mache products are made from recycled paper.
About Our Licensed Artists
Johanna Parker
Since her early childhood, whimsical art has been a natural way for Johanna to express her creative imagination. Her artistic mother led her along the path of crafting, and encouraged Johanna to start exhibiting her Folk Art at the age of 12. Illustration and paint became the focus of her talents, and as a young adult, she was drawn to the arts in papier mache, discovering that her abilities as a painter complemented her sculptured creations. Inspired by her collections of vintage holiday novelties (and an October 31st birthday), Johanna admits that her favorite subject matter is indeed Halloween! Her wish is to spread smiles and cheer with each of her creations for future generations.
Leeann Kress
Growing up in a family of wildly creative and imaginative women, Leeann cannot remember a day when they were not doing something artistic. Creating dolls and whimsical figures was a way of life. She owes her love of the holidays to these women who wove a magic web of merriment and mischief around her.
Over the years, her artistic journey has taken her through several mediums such as porcelain, polymer clays, to her favorite sculpting medium, paper clay. Leeann’s art has been featured in several doll and craft magazines over the years. Sculpting and bringing her Charmed Confections to life is Leeann’s passion. She hopes collectors find the charm in her pieces and is excited to be part of the Bethany Lowe family of artists!
Michelle Allen of Raggedy Pants Designs
Michelle Allen began her career in 2000 as a doll maker and pattern designer, mainly focusing on snowmen and 'raggedy type' dolls. And so, Raggedy Pants Designs came to be. After discovering stone clay in 2014 and immediately falling in love with the process, her focus turned to sculpting. She now sculpts seasonal items for Bethany Lowe Designs. She hopes her playful characters will bring warmth and happiness to all.
Michelle Lauritsen
As a child Michelle loved the holidays and the tradition of decorating with the same festive collectibles year after year. She has always had a strong passion for art and creativity but never knew where it would take her. Then, in 2008, Michelle found her niche for sculpting and creating playful characters with paper clay. She enjoys incorporating new mediums to her work, adding whimsical features and unique textures that are reminiscent of her childhood past. Alongside her supportive husband, Michael, and two children, Dylan and Casey, Michelle is happy to be creating art from her home studio north of Seattle, WA. Her hope as an artist is to awaken joyful times and memories for people of all ages.
Robin Seeber
Robin was born with a whimsical imagination. She spent much of her childhood building houses in the woods for fairies and gnomes! To this day, Robin is still inspired by fantastical creatures in fantasy movies, childhood poems, nursery rhymes, and nature.
Robin's doll company, Outside the Box Primitives, has been featured in many popular craft and doll magazines.
Robin lives on a circa 1850 farm in PA. She and her husband have 6 children and 8 grandchildren; along with horses, cats, and a pair of ducks named Charlie and Maisy Floater.