Janery Shop: Launched! {Launch Week Giveaway #1}

This is a very, very exciting day for me. Today Janery, my online shop, has opened its virtual doors for business.

I know it’s a bit later than I projected, but when you’re doing everything from the technical programming to the marketing and item descriptions and – last but not least – the making of the products yourself, you’re bound to encounter a few bumps in the roads.

But I’m not here to talk about those bumps.  Not today, anyway.

I’m here to get the party started, and kick off a week of 5 giveaways to celebrate the launch of my long-dreamed-about business coming to fruition!

Things You Should Know About Janery:

(in a particular order)

1.  A commitment to community

No matter how small my new company may be, I believe that I have a responsibility to give back to the community.  Therefore, a portion of all sales will be donated to the Carpenter Shelter/Hoffman Center for Homeless Families, because I believe that everyone deserves to live in a safe, affordable home.

2.  A commitment to Made in the USA

Whenever possible, I’ve taken the time to track down quality suppliers whose products are manufactured in the USA.  The pilloww inserts, flour sack towels, quilt batting, and polyfill are all made in the USA by family-owned companies.    The organic cotton produce bags are manufactured overseas, but in certified fair labor & fair wage facilities.  Unfortunately, at this time it is not possible to source all the fabrics from US-based manufacturers, but I’m going to continue to strive for that as my company grows.

3.  Fabulous Pillow Covers

All of my pillow covers are made with invisible zippers in the bottom seams, so that you can show off both sides of the pillow.  They allow the cover to fit much better than an envelope closure.  Additionally, all pillow covers have fun matching or coordinating fabrics on both sides.  Sure, I could use plain white cotton on the back sides to keep costs a little lower, but then you wouldn’t be able to show off both sides of your pillow!

On Etsy you’ll find similarly priced pillow covers, but most will not have hidden zippers or coordinating backs!

4.  This is only the beginning

While I’m truly excited to be launching an online shop full of merchandise handmade by me, I have a much larger vision.  It’s a vision of a growing business, one that can become strong enough to provide jobs for skilled women, while allowing them flexible working hours so that they can be home with their children before and after school.  It’s a challenging vision, but it’s one that is definitely on my mind.

Now that you know a little more about me and the Janery shop, let’s get on to the first giveaway!

Giveaway #1:  The Eco-Friendly Kitchen

***This giveaway is now closed.***

The Prize:

• 1 set of Reusable Cotton Produce Bags from Janery;  hand-stamped in fun fruit prints
• 1 fabric pouch, perfect for storing the produce bag set in your purse or car*
• 1 Embellished Flour Sack Kitchen Towel from Janery; you choose the pattern
• 1 set of 4 large cloth napkins in a fresh green apple print*

Pardon the photo quality. I left my camera out of town this weekend and am stuck with a camera phone!

*Today’s giveaway is unique in that it includes two items not {yet} available at Janery.  In the last few months I’ve been testing a few product ideas that I’m not sure I’ll be producing for the shop – the cloth napkins & the fabric pouches for the reusable produce bags.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Simply comment on this post!
2. For a second chance to win, “like” Janery on Facebook.
3. For a third chance to win, blog or tweet about the launch of Janery.com – and comment here to let me know that you did.  (I’m @borrowedabode on Twitter.)

Other details:

• This giveaway closes on Wednesday, 6/15/2011 at 8:00 PM
• The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on or after Thursday, 6/16/2011
• Due to my travel schedule, the prize will not ship until after Wednesday, 6/22/2011

And that’s it for today! I hope you’ll check out my shop and let me know what you think!