Made in Michigan Blog Hop #Giveaway $200 #Etsy Prize Package! #Rafflecopter (Ends 11/2)

I am extremely happy to be part of this Made in Michigan Giveaway Hop. As I said in a previous post about the hop, Michigan really needs and deserves this type of spotlight with the economy the way it is right now. Yes, everyone is hurting, but it just amazes me how badly Michigan is doing economically with all of the wonderful resources we have. Most people know the the "Big 3" car makers are located here, but jobs with them are hard to come by. Where I live, Ford used to be the largest employer. I swear, probably 80% of the people I know are either laid off from Ford right now or their spouses are. There are other large companies here: Kellogg's, Jiffy (you know, the corn bread & other mixes that you can still get for less that $1 a box?), Better Made Chips, Meijer, Jiffy Lube, and even Eden Organics! Then we have quite a bit of agriculture here, too. But, with large agri-business taking over, it is hard for the family farmers to stay in business. Do you know that, though I live in a semi-rural area, I've never seen two of Michigan's main crops at the farmer's market - blueberries and cherries? In fact, it's rare that every stall at the farmer's market has a vendor!  Finally, we have some amazing outdoors areas. I don't think I have to tell many people how fantastic the U.P. is. Western Michigan is known for its beaches and sand dunes. And, you can go pretty much anywhere and find some great camping (you know, the kind that isn't basically a huge parking lot for campers? I think people call it "roughing it"...) As I said, I just don't understand how, in a state with so much to offer, the financial situation of the majority of its residents is so dire. So, I am extremely happy to be able to spotlight a few of the items that you can get that are made right here, in Michigan.

My giveaway consists of a TON of amazing prizes offered by Etsy shops based in Michigan. At the top of this page, you will see links to reviews of some of these shops. After you enter in the Rafflecopter form below, I strongly urge you to click on those links and read about these wonderful shops, their products, and rack up an extra entry into the giveaway by completing the very easy Rafflecopter entries at the bottom of those posts. (I'm telling you, they are EASY - no commenting/following/liking necessary!)

Yeah, yeah... you want to know what you can WIN, right?! Well, here you go:

Andrea, owner of 4th Street Candle Co. (that's "4th Street" in MY town, by the way!) would like to offer the winner an 8oz hand-poured, dye-free soy candle in the scent of his or her choice (see this post for the full list.) Let me tell you - her candles ROCK! The scent is so real. And these candles last a long time! Though I have burned my candle for an hour or so every night since I received it three weeks ago, there's maybe only 1/4 of it burned down. You can visit 4th Street Candle Co. on Facebook, Etsy, Twitter, and Andrea has her own blog ~ Stumbling Along Faithfully.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Courtney, owner of Beatifical, makes little creatures of all kinds by hand. Based in Detroit,she says that she started making them one day and just never stopped. Sometimes she has a plan in mind when she starts a new creation, but most times, she works off the cuff and a new addition to her shop is born! Aside from making the creatures by hand, she also makes her own buttons for the eyes - now that's what I call 100% handmade! Courtney is offering the winner a $15 gift certificate to use in her shop, Beatifical.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I cannot find enough words to describe the beautiful pieces of woven bead jewelry that is made by MelJoy Creations, located in Sebewaing (it's in the "thumb" of Michigan). Each gorgeous handcrafted piece is made with quality in mind, yet kept at affordable prices. (If you use the coupon code BOO20 at checkout through October 31, you can even get an additional 20% off your entire order!) I absolutely love that, if you see a woven pattern you like but not the colors you want (or the other way around), you can request a customization and MelJoy Creations will be happy to work toward creating you the perfect piece.  MelJoy Creations is offering the winner a hand-woven beaded bracelet worth $30! You can stay updated on MelJoy Creations' newest items and sales via  Facebook and their Blog.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

8daysOfTreasures

You could probably find a gift for everyone on your list at 8daysOfTreasures. This shop has "A Little Bit of Everything" and that's no joke. From beautiful moss terrariums to breathtaking Michigan photography to vintage and antique items, you really could browse this shop for eight days and still find something new! Stephanie is a very talented photographer who has managed to capture some awesome scenes on film. If you're the lucky winner, you can expect to receive (4) - 4" x 6" and (2) - 5" x 7" photographs depicting colorful Michigan autumnal scenes and Lake Michigan beaches (you can see the autumn photos here and the beach scenes here and here.)  And, yes, 8daysOfTreasures is offering you a discount code, too! From now until November 30, you can receive 20% your entire order by entering the code: AUTUMNSALE11 at checkout. To stay updated on Stephanie's newest items and sales, connect with her on Etsy and Facebook.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 So, PETfection (located in Grosse Pointe) saved my life! Well, they probably saved it, plus they kept my family safe and made my kitty cat very happy. How? This is the very first time I have managed to find a company that makes natural, organic, non-toxic pet supplies that really work! In Michigan, especially in the wetland area where I live, fleas and ticks are terrible. Once your pet gets them and they get into your home, you have to pull out the big guns - chemical-laden flea killers. Not good for people, nor animals. But, PETfection's Cat Bug Spray really repelled the biting insects and it even making out cat's fur really, really soft. You can read more about this and some of their other products here. In addition to the bug spray, you can find shampoos, treats, pet beds... a ton of safe & natural pet products at their online store. Oh, and the prices aren't what you'd expect! You won't be re-mortgaging your home or mailing them and arm and a leg just to get Fido's funky odor under control. I suggest heading to their Web site. There, you'll get to see all of their wonderful product (even great gift baskets) and, if your order is shipped to a Michigan address, shipping is free - no coupon code needed! PETfection will be sending the winner one 2oz. jar of relaxing & healing Peppermint Paw Cream! You can find PETfection at their Web site, on Etsy (free shipping is only good on orders through their Web site), on Facebook, and on Twitter. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michigan Spinning, located in Grand Rapids, offers a wide array of hand-dyed and naturally colored fibers and yarns and even handmade drop spindles! In wanting to help the local economy, the shop's owner, Debra, tries to buy fibers from Michigan Farms first. The materials that she cannot find locally are purchased on Etsy, so she's still supporting those vendors that matter most! I have always been impressed and in awe of anyone who could take a fluffy pile of wool and turn it, first, into yarn, then into a functional item. I received a package recently from Michigan Spinning that will enable me to learn to do just that! You see, Michigan Spinning's mission is to preserve these traditional skills through education, especially the younger generations, in the hope that these will not become lost arts. And, to help pass the traditions on to a wider circle, the winner will receive the same items I got to review: a Top Whorl Drop Spindle and 4oz. Wool Roving in their preferred color(s) or, if he or she prefers, a $35 gift code. You can find Michigan Spinning on Etsy, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also follow on their Blog!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also owned by Debra is The Star Box, an Etsy shop that specializes in  hand-carved rubber stamps. Have you ever tried the old "simply use a potato to make a stamp" art project? How did it turn out? Yeah, mine, too. Stamps are hard to make and, looking at Debra's intricately carved stamps, I can't help but wonder how she does it! Each stamp is carved, then mounted on a hand-finished block of wood. The winner will receive an Art Doll Paper Doll Rubber Stamp Set from The Star Box. You can find The Star Box on Etsy, Facebook, and Twitter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Amore Vivo is located in South Lyon. You have to go check out this Etsy shop that is just filled with beautiful floral arrangements, wreaths, wine art, and upcycled cork art. What really gets my attention, though, are the fresh holiday arrangements that shop owner, Michele, creates from Michigan evergreens (juniper, blue spruce, cedar, pine, and more) each year for a limited time. And, that is the prize that she's offering to the winner of this giveaway: one Fresh Michigan Evergreen Centerpiece (this prize will be available to the winner between November 20 - December 18.) Check out Amore Vivo on Etsy and Twitter!

Whew! That's a LOT of prizes! Be sure to hop on over to the other blogs participating in the Made in Michigan Giveaway Hop, listed below!

(BTW - I have kept all entries optional. Please take the time to check out these great shops and let them know which items you like the best. It is very helpful to them to know which items people like the best. Also, please don't "like" a Facebook page only if you're going to "unlike" it the day after the giveaway ends. It's rude. I haven't asked you to follow, like, subscribe, or vote for me in any of these entries. If you like my blog, please show me some love!)

GOOD LUCK!!!