Shop Small Holiday Guide and Small Business Saturday Giveaway - Meet the Crew
As a community inspired brand, we continuously work to create products, build relationships, and support local events, organizations, and businesses that strengthen communities. With that in mind, we wanted to do something new this year for Small Business Saturday…
We are so excited to announce our Holiday Guide to Shopping Small and our Shop Small Giveaway! The goal is to promote and highlight local makers and encourage others to shop small this holiday season. PLUS, we want to reward you with an absolutely amazing giveaway. I know we keep hearing it, but it is true - now more than ever, it is so important to support local businesses for the holidays. When you shop small you are not only supporting your community and small business owners (which is fantastic in itself), but you are also finding amazingly unique gifts that tend to be ethically made and sourced. A total win-win.
To throw around some of that small business love, we sat down and thought about what we want to find under the tree this year, what we recommend to others wanting to support local, and what unique and fabulous gifts we want to give our friends and family. The result: a fabulous list of local makers. When asked to join, they each so generously contributed to our giveaway. We have collaborated with eight other local businesses to bring you a jaw-dropping, happy dance worthy Shop Small Giveaway! Valued at $300, this giveaway is insane.
Meet the crew - because you NEED to know them.
Artery Ink
Mara & Gloria are the creators and artists behind Artery Ink. They have forged a bond between art and wellness by spreading body positivity and education through their artwork. Artery Ink offers greeting cards and other paper products, apparel, and stickers ~ all of which encourage self-care, healthy lifestyles, and happiness. Their products are made to inspire you to learn more about the body you live in, with the mission of taking better care of yourself to live a happy and healthy life. In addition, they have been avid supporters and advocates for our frontline healthcare workers throughout the pandemic.
Big White Yeti
Katie produces soy candles made from 100% soy wax, pure fragrance oils and undiluted essential oils, and cotton wicks. In the last few years, she has gone from making small batch candles in her kitchen to a roomier pouring process in her studio in Bay View. Her candles are clean, pure, and long lasting. She believes in simple, unfussy scents that smell really, really good. Katie's creative process begins by thinking about things she likes and scents she wants her own home to small like. Earthy, natural, and happy are typically the notes she throws around when creating a new Yeti.
Campo Alpaca
Katie spent time traveling in Peru and fell in love with the people, the country, and the alpaca fiber. She loved how soft, warm, yet light the products were as well as the vibrant Incan patterns of the products. Years later she created Campo, a company dedicated to creating exciting products made from fine alpaca fiber while benefitting the people and communities with whom they work. Campo partners with Chaska, an NGO that supports girls in poverty through financial, emotional, and educational support. Campo empowers the people who make their products and ensure fair, sustainable working conditions. Sweaters, scarves, hats, socks, and blankets are among the Campo lineup.
The Earth & All Stars
Stacey creates uniquely bold, geometric leather jewelry and accessories. When the friend of a friend passed along a bag of discarded leather scraps, the colors, textures, and smells were too lovely to go to waste. And with that, she started to cut. Her leather jewelry is lightweight and extremely comfortable to wear. New designs emerge through the continual process of sketching, patternmaking, and trial and error. Each piece is hand-cut using custom patterns, a sharp scissors, and Xacto blades. Finally, a piece is built by pairing colors and shapes with complimentary hardware and findings.
Fern & Nettle
The company started with handmade goat milk soaps after Jenny fell in love with the craft in 2012. A Montessori school teacher at the time, she was initially intrigued by the soap-making process while on a field trip with her students to Old World Wisconsin. She saw a historic demonstration of soap making, and thought, "I should do that!" And then she did. Her focus is on natural, chemical-free living. Better ingredients for better living, handmade, and all-natural. Fern & Nettle offers soaps, lotion bars, masks, lip balm, and more.
Makery Maven
Established by Ellen in 2011, Makery Maven Co. specializes in all things custom and handmade; from lasercut wall art, to home goods, personalized gifts, and more! Her interest in creating with her hands to make functional and unique things for her own home shines through in all her work. Ellen and the MM team (a group of incredibly talented women) believe in repurposing and recycling whatever supplies they can and truly love the creative process that comes with one-of-a-kind designs.
Nourish Natural Products
Jamie has made it her mission to help others live well and spread kindness by encouraging each of us to take care of ourselves. She explains, "Because when we are kind to ourselves and fill our own "love tanks," we can't help but spill our abundance out onto others." Nourish Natural Products offers roller blends promoting physical and emotional wellness, products for the face, body, and hair, room sprays, and so much more. They even offer products for the kiddos like Monster Spray and Boo Boo Balm and specialty items for pets. Nourish Natural Products are prepared by hand in small batches using organic, high-quality, safe, and good-for-you ingredients.
Jim Kennelly
Jim is a designer, artist, and entrepreneur living and working in Milwaukee, WI. Although he grew up in the Chicagoland area, obsessing over Michael Jordan, eating deep-dish pizza and Chicago dogs, something called him to Milwaukee. After studying graphic design, he moved to The Good Land and fell in love. While his taste in food and beer has changed, his passion for great design has stayed consistent. Jim’s love for where he lives and refined design skills are illustrated in his recognizable prints and stickers as well as in his curated Instagram feed.
The giveaway begins on Small Business Saturday (11.28) with two winners announced on Giving Tuesday (12.01). Follow us and the giveaway crew on Instagram for all the details and a sneak peek of what you can win!
There are roughly a kabillion more small businesses that we absolutely love! Watch our Instagram stories for more local love throughout the holiday season.
