Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Happy Birthday to The Gift Closet!

Share

Happy Birthday to me! Can't believe I've been blogging here for 1 year now. Man how it has flown by. I have enjoyed it & met so many talented people along the way. To celebrate I will be having a giveaway every day for the next week!

Today I am giving away a $30 Gift Certificate to the Andean Collection. I came across the Andean Collection & really liked their
unique, colorful, & gorgeous jewelry!

Amanda Judge founded The Andean Collection in the fall of 2008 while she was in Ecuador researching rural women’s survival strategies in the face of extreme poverty for her master thesis. The point of her research was to settle on a few tangible projects that an outside agency could do in order to help the community make long lasting improvements in their own standards of living. As it turns out, instead of just writing about these possibilities, Amanda decided to put her own ideas into action.

After discovering the amazing natural materials that were used in native jewelry making, Amanda knew that finding a market for jewelry made out of these natural seeds would be more beneficial than any academic paper could ever be. Amanda then extended her stay in Ecuador to lay the groundwork for The Andean Collection. The first task was to find disadvantaged artisans who had a drive to create a better life for themselves and their families. Next was training the artisans on order production and of course, showing them how to use email. Since the beginning, The Andean Collection has been training the artisans is jewelry design, helping them fortify their supply chains, and let’s not forget the endless cross-continent goose chases to find the highest quality raw materials in South America.

Artisans handcraft our designs from natural seeds that have been sustainably harvested from the rainforests and lowlands of South America. The commercialization of these seeds helps to ensure the survival of the world’s rainforests by providing an alternative income for its inhabitants rather than logging or selling their land to destructive industries. Through a very manual process, seeds are transformed into beads with gorgeous natural irregularities, both in color and form, which truly makes each piece one of a kind.

What an inspiring story!!!

Want It? Click here to shop.

Win It! How to enter to win a $30 Gift Certificate to the Andean Collection:
1.Visit the Andean Collection, come back here and tell me your favorite item. Be SURE your email address is in your comment if it is not visible on your profile.
2. Contest ends Tuesday August 25, 2009 @ midnight & is open to US residents only.



P.S. The winner of the 2 Disc Name Pendant, valued @ $45, from The Taffy Box is #83 Gabriel J. Congrats!!

79 comments:

Jessica said...

Happy one year to you! I'm so happy that you began blogging! Thanks for allowing us to enter a giveaway, too! You're so thoughtful.

I love the huaruro hoop earrings - and all of the other earrings! CUTE!

thisthatandmyblog@gmail.com

Telisha said...

I love the 3 in 1 long stranded acai necklace with the acai hoop earrings. Thanks so much.

Happy one year! =0)

tristanjh said...

I love the pambil earrings in leaf green. Happy Birthday!

tristanjh@yahoo.com

JoandDoug said...

I love the half moon coconut bracelet. jmwilkins10@yahoo dot com

hotmommatrish2 said...

first off just wanted to wish you a happy first year and a even better second year.. but my favorite would be the fuschia classic tagua bracelets

Shannon said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GIFT CLOSET!

My favorite from the Andean Collection is the 3 in 1 long stranded acai necklace in multicolor. So many pretty things!

Shannon
http://jbird-designs.blogspot.com/

peg42 said...

My favorite is the jabon necklace. What beautiful jewelry. Thanks so much.

Unknown said...

I like the square insignia necklace with an "M"

mverno said...

i like the acai bracelet
mverno@roadrunner.com

Heather said...

I absolutely love the accented tagua necklace

heatherdemke(at)gmail(dot)com

lisagee1234 said...

The layered glass necklace in ocean blue~gorgeous!

Melissa said...

I love it! They are all so beautiful! I love the layered glass necklace. Happy Birthday and blogging anniversary!! melnye at gmail dot com

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

Happy blog birthday!

I like the 3 in 1 long stranded acai necklace.

reallyareyouserious at gmail dot com

Michelle AKA blabla3269 said...

I love the half moon bracelette

Gosfam said...

Happy Birthday!! I love the 3 in 1 long stranded acai necklace.
mattles22@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

3 in 1 long stranded acai necklace is great ! thanks for the opp! awesome products

Mamushi Love said...

I like the Acai Bracelet.

Deb K said...

I love the acai earrings~Beautiful :)

Melissa said...

happy blog anniversary to you!!

I love love the 3 in 1 long stranded acai necklace! I love these kind of necklaces!!

Ash and Becky said...

I like the coconut branch bracelet!
beckysmith42@hotmail.com

carol said...

I think the half moon coconut bracelet is really nice...thanks for the great giveaway

mickeyfan said...

ONE of the items I really like is the accented tagua necklace.

jennem said...

I like the jabon necklace
Jennifer, jennem22 at yahoo dot com

mscoffee77 said...

I love the multi colored acai hoop earrings:)

mscoffee77(AT)juno(DOT)com

llinda29 said...

I like rainforest necklace
$19.00

Amanda S. said...

I like the coconut branch bracelet!

janeh said...

the huaruro hoop earrings are my favorite....

Sami H said...

I love the half moon coconut bracelet. I love "Earthy" things and this kind of thing is right up my alley! Thanks for the great giveaway!

Unknown said...

looove these:
classic tagua earrings

autumn398 @ yahoo.com

msrodeobrat said...

i love the jabon necklace

mogrill said...

I love the half moon coconut bracelet. Thanks for the chance.
mogrill@comcast.net

Anne said...

My faveorite item is the acai bracelet in earth green!

Michele {The Scrap Shoppe} said...

I love the muti-colored acai bracelet!

rubynreba said...

Happy Birthday! I love the Diamond Tagua earrings
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Stitchin in the Sip said...

I like the acai earrings. What a wonderful story behind the jewelry.

Ken said...

My sister loves the indigenous wrap bracelet. Please accept my entry. Thank you.

Andrea Hatfield said...

Happy Bloggiversary!!!

I like the acai earrings in sky blue.

jeanne @ Inspiring Ideas said...

Oooooh - I love the seashell and quartz necklace in color tide blue! Gorgeous!

PS: Happy Anniversay!!!!

Lauren said...

I love the huaruro necklace... lovely.

Cindi said...

absolutely love the green acai wrap bracelet. what an awesome and inspiring story

cindirose67@yahoo.com

Peggy said...

My favorite is the seashell and quartz necklace
Thanks
matternu@aol.com

SeahorseLady said...

Beautiful jewelry! I would put this great gift certificate towards the purchase of the seashell and quartz necklace. I love it!

terri142 said...

I really like the Coral Red indigenous wrap bracelet.

Unknown said...

I like the acai wrap bracelet.

Tara said...

the huaruro necklace is really cute!

Steve said...

pambil necklace

AEKZ2 said...

I love the pambil earrings. Thanks!

Unknown said...

My favorite is the Jabon Necklace.

hafner611{AT}gmail{DOT}com

Alice said...

I love the layered glass necklace.

erma said...

I like the classic tagua bracelets, muti color.
erma.hurtt@sbcglobal.net

ehhogan said...

I like the
layered glass necklace in red

ehhogan at bellsouth.net

Melanie Montgomery said...

Happy 1 year!


I really like the Waterfall necklace. The color just pops!


clarkmurdock@yahoo.com

Lim Family said...

I LOVE the acai wrap bracelet! It's stunning and feminine!
Thanks! sara saraelim@yahoo.com

Kimberly said...

I like the layered glass necklace. I want it in coral and blue!

Mom Union said...

I like the Acai Wrap Bracelet in deep purple.

Thanks
dontaskme22@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I love the diamond tagua earrings in kiwi!!! They are gorgeous! Thanks!

sherri419 at gmail dot com

wendy wallach said...

I like the rain forest necklace.

madamerkf at aol dot com

Hotsnotty2 said...

I love the waterfall necklace, its so pretty! Thanks!

Hotsnotty2@hotmail.com

hmmmm1977 said...

I like the fushia tagua bracelet it is funky and would look really nice with my outfits. Pretty jewelry thanks

Mimi the kitten said...

I absolutely adore the huaruro necklace!

sweetsue said...

Happy one year anniversary! I love love love the multi-color classic tagua bracelet!
smchester at gmail dot com

Darcy said...

I love the layered glass necklace.

Christina said...

Christina - xristya@rock.com - I love the Layered Glass Necklace, in red, my favorite color!

Jinxy and Me said...

I like the coconut branch bracelet

Salleefur/Jesselyn/Jesster said...

Hmmm.... I love the Seashell and Quartz Necklace in Pretty Pink. The Acai Necklace in Multi is gorgeous too.

blogggggg said...

I love the indigenous wrap bracelet in coral red!

wordsmoveme at gmail dot com

sharonjo said...

This was a facinating site! I like the Rainforest Necklace! Thanks! senekers@comcast.net

Smooshy said...

i love the coconut branch bracelet!

Pamela S said...

I would either get the Acai Earring in multi color or the indigenous wrap bracelet. I love them both!!

Thanks so much!
pamelashockley(AT)netscape(DOT)net

Gloria's Bits and Pieces said...

pambil bracelet is very nice!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON YOUR 1st YEAR TOO!

kngmckellar@hotmail.com

Meet the Browns said...

My favorite item is the layered glass necklace :)

Katie
showbizkp[at]gmail[dot]com

Anonymous said...

I love the Acai earrings! This shop is so unique!
GirlyRemix(at)gmail(dot)com

covercover said...

I like the 3 in 1 long stranded acai necklace in multi color

ktanjatk(at)gmail(dot)com

The Millers said...

I like the acai wrap bracelet.
iamlisarobinson@hotmail.com

Thanks for the giveaway!

susansmoaks said...

i really like the acai hoop earrings
$21.00

Unknown said...

The Classic tagua bracelet fuschia is my favorite product. garrettsambo@aol.com

Bakersdozen said...

I love the jabon and acai 3 strand necklace. vidomich(at)yahoo(dot)com

Helen said...

I like the accented tagua necklace.

Rajee said...

I love the 3 in 1 long stranded acai necklace with the acai hoop earrings.

rajikarthik@hotmail.com

Related Posts with Thumbnails
 

Copyright 2010 Design by sweet cheeky designs