Valentine Handmade with Love sponsor spotlight: Madame Koiteh

The Valentine Handmade with Love Gift Hop will be happening Feb. 2-6. Many blogs will be participating. All giveaway items are handmade items. I'm so excited to be sharing my wonderful sponsors with you. The next wonderful sponsor I have is:    Madame Koiteh

I had the pleasure of trying some of Madame Koiteh's handmade products myself.  I had one a blog giveaway for a sampler pack from her shop that included African black soap, organic yellow shea butter, organic white shea butter, and coco butter.  This was a new experience for me.  The African black soap was in small chunks.  They lathered and cleaned well.  All of the products in the pack were in a form that I wasn't really used to but I loved.  Had I not one the giveaway I may have missed out on these organic products that were so good for my skin. 

Since I loved the product so much I contacted her hoping she would be willing to sponsor a giveaway on my blog so I could talk about my great experience with her products and hopefully give one of my readers the opportunity to try her handmade products. 

I asked Madam Koiteh if she could tell us a little about herself and her shop and here's what she had to say:


"I started crafting many years ago, actually as a child. I always loved to sew, crochet, draw, and make perfumes. My mother and other relatives were always making something,from soap to clothes to incense. My first perfume was a sad little bottle of water with a peach pit and some of my mom's Tabu. (I was 5!) Later I would collect flowers, add spices and perfume, and make potpourri. Only in the last few years did I decide to turn my crafty dreams into a business, and it has been the experience of a lifetime.

Now, I have the wonderful opportunity to share my lifelong love of shea butter with the rest of the world. I spend most of my days developing formulas that feature the goodness of pure African shea butter combined with the elegance of modern western beauty care. I use techniques that I learned from my elders in Africa to work with shea butter in a holistic way that preserves its legendary properties. I have also innovated some of my own techniques to make some unique products, such as a very limited edition "Shea Butter Pearl" bath product that will be available later! (Hint, hint)

2011 is a very special year for my whole family at Madame Koiteh, because this year we have launched our first independent fundraising campaign for one of the causes that is truly special to us. This year we are donating 10% of our net profits to the Sheikh Jobe Institute in the Gambia West Africa, where severe flooding has ravaged parts of the countryside and left thousands homeless and impoverished. The Institute is a school, children's hospice, and orphanage that houses more than 300 children, ranging from age 4 to adulthood. The facilities were damaged during the floods and are in urgent need of repair. In addition, many of the parents have lost their livelihood, and subsequently the hospice has not been able to collect critically needed school fees in order to maintain operations. It is an honor and a priviledge for Madame Koiteh to sponsor the Sheikh Jobe Institute and its children for the year of 2011, and we thank you for your business which also supports this worthy cause. You can learn more at my blog madamekoiteh.blogspot.com/2011/01/raising-funds-for-children-of-brikama.html

We will be featuring special products throughout the year in our Etsy shop and other online venues to further support our goal of raising a minimum of $5000 to be donated to the Sheikh Jobe Institute. Please visit us frequently to check out these very special listings. Happy Valentine's Day!"

So don't forget to stop by her shop to make a purchase in support of the great cause throughout the year. 


You can find Madame Koiteh products on etsy:  www.madamekoiteh.etsy.com

Madame Koiteh products website: http://www.madamekoiteh.com/

Madame Koiteh also has another website called "The Shea Butter Queen" http://www.thesheabutterqueen.com/

and last but not least, Madame Koiteh's blog: www.madamekoiteh.blogspot.com



Madame Koiteh will be offering The Romantic Lover's Gift Basket in the Valentine Handmade with Love Gift Hop. The gift basket will include:

"The set is a 3-piece bath and body set featuring shea butter-enriched spa bath salts, a shea butter infused massage oil, and a moisturizing glycerin soap, all in Strawberry Kisses. I will also include a bonus handcrafted candle tin for the winner in Japanese Cherry Blossom scent. It will all be presented in a beautiful keepsake gift bag with a bow."  --- Madame Koiteh


Oh my doesn't that sound delightful!  You lucky readers you. 

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Valentine Handmade with Love sponsor spotlight: The Clever Hedgehog

The Valentine Handmade with Love Gift Hop will be happening Feb. 2-6. Many blogs will be participating. All giveaway items are handmade items. I'm so excited to be sharing my wonderful sponsors with you. The next awesome sponsor I have is:    The Clever Hedgehog

I found out about The Clever Hedgehog while tweeting away on twitter a couple weeks ago.  @Peggylikesstuff told me about her new handmade shop.  I stopped over to see her items.  I love the creativity behind her jewelry.   Peggy makes beautiful jewelry with beads and buttons.  I was impressed with how she was able to turn buttons into lovely, feminine pieces of jewelry.  I could never be so creative. 

Here is a just a glimpse at some of the beautiful pieces from The Clever Hedgehog:

I asked Peggy a few questions about her shop and she was kind enough to take the time to answer them for us:


Q: How/why did you start your handmade business?

From the sounds of things, the start of my handmade business is quite like how others plunge in. We love being creative and making pieces (whether it's making jewelry, knitting, clothing and so on) for both ourselves, friends, family and it kind of grows from there into a business.

I've always been crafty (It's very much in my blood!) but I became much more serious and focused on making jewelry about a year and a half ago. While I've made and sold pieces locally, it's only since October and November that I've set up my online store.

Q: What is your favorite item to create and why?

I actually don't have a favorite item to create - that's what's great about working with beads! Whatever my mood is, there's something to make which will fit - whether it's a putting together a simple pair of earrings, stringing together a necklace or working on more complex weaving or piece of bead embroidery.
 
Q: Do you have any future goals or plans for your business that my readers would like to know about?

As my business is only a handful of months old "officially" and online, my biggest goal for the future is to just have it grow and become more well known. For myself, I hope to become more skilled at what I do - there's always something new to learn and get better at!


The Clever Hedgehog also has a blog:  http://www.thecleverhedgehog.com/


You can also find The Clever Hedgehog on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Clever-Hedgehog-Crafting-Company/145085318851505



The Clever Hedgehog is sponsoring a $25 gift certificate in the Valentine Handmade with Love Gift Hop.  The Clever Hedgehog has such great prices that you'll be able to pick a couple pieces if you so choose.  So stop on over The Clever Hedgehog and start deciding what you want if you win. By the way, this giveaway will be open Worldwide!


Please stop you any of The Clever Hedgehog's links and thank them for being a sponsor in the Valentine Handmade with love Gift Hop on FFCM!


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Valentine Handmade with Love sponsor spotlight: @HautTotes!

I'm Participating in the Valentine Handmade with Love Gift Giveaway Hop from Feb. 2-6. All giveaways are handmade items. I have some FANTASTIC sponsors.
The first one I'm going to tell you about is: HautTotes

About a year ago, I was shopping for a purse. I'm not your typical woman in that I don't own a ton of purses. I search and search for my "perfect purse". I look for just the right size, a look I'm interested in, and it has to be durable because I use it all the time.

In my search, I came across HautTotes on etsy. I absolutely LOVED so many of the designs. My favorite colors are black and pink. I like to have a girly touch to my bags. I also have a thing for skulls. Don't know why but I do. I came across this bag in HautTotes shop: Skull purse with pink hearts

At the time it was only available in a tote size in her shop.  I emailed to ask her if she could scale it down to a "purse size".  I also asked her to add a zipper to it. When I actually got my purse I was so thrilled.  It was beautiful.  I've been using this purse every day for a year now and it is still holding up beautifully.  It's held up to my toddler getting into it, me throwing it around, and probably at least a 1,000 times of me opening, closing, and digging around in it.  I've received so many complements on my purse.  A lot of people don't even notice the skulls right away.  They say "oh was a pretty bag!  Where did you get that!" I tell them and then I say "Do you see what's on the bag" and I hold it up closer.  Then it's usually "Oh my gosh I didn't even notice that at first!"

Here is a pic of my purse after a year of wear:

Seriously, a year of everyday use.  Attacked by a toddler.  Thrown in and out of my file cabinet at work.  Stuffed full of whatever.  Still looks great right?


I love the purse so much I also ordered the matching zipper pouch. 


I'm not the only one who loves her shop though.  Her etsy shop is constantly busy with 100% positive feedback even with over 1100 sales!


You can browse HautTotes Etsy shop here:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/HautTotes

You can also find HautTotes on Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/HautTotes#!/HautTotes

And you can find HautTotes on twitter:  http://twitter.com/HautTotes



I like following HautTotes on twitter.  HautTotes will interact with her twitter followers. I always think that's nice and gives a more personal touch when conducting business.


So I'm sure you're ready to know what HautTotes will be sponsoring as a prize for the Valentine Hand Made with Love Hop.  Oh I'm so jealous of whoever wins this:

This fabric print is only available in HautTotes etsy shop! Oh and by the way:  This giveaway will be open Worldwide!


So stop by one or all of her links and thank her for sponsoring such a great giveaway in the Valentine Handmade with Love Hop Feb. 2-5 on FFCM.  Then come back here starting Feb. 2 for your shot at winning this unique and well made item.




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