Hey friends and clients,
I am working hard on fund raising another micro-loan with Kiva Zip for Make Smith Leather Co. Last years loan worked out so well that it put me in-line for the next level of social borrowing. So, thanks for all of your help! If you are interested in lending again this round, just follow the link to my lending page (you will have all the money you lent last year just sitting in your Kiva Account). Make Smith on Kiva Link:
https://zip.kiva.org/
Swing by the Make Smith Shop Thursday December 18th and let us hand pick gifts for the loved ones on your list. We will offering gift wrapping and hot chocolate will be served by Mike from Twenty-Four Blackbirds Chocolate. He will also be giving a demo of our collaboration Chocolate portfolio.
Hot Chocolate will be served from 6-8pm
Bourbon will be poured for those adults ages 21+
We hope to see you there!
Even though I know it would be cheaper to produce in other countries, the reason I chose to be a “Made in the USA” maker is threefold: quality control, a close relationship with a manufacturer, and short lead times.
1. Quality control
I firmly know that each bag is going to be made the exact the way I want it. I put time and effort into creating my collection and I thoroughly inspect each bag before it leaves our workshop. We ensure that everything is correct, even down to the color of the thread in the stitching.
2. A close working relationship with our customers
If I am ever feeling unsure about something or have a question I know I can call up my customer and talk to them, and they can call me. People do not understand what a pleasure it is to have a real person pick up a phone. Our customers are investing in my company, as I am investing into them. When they buy from us, they are buying piece-of-mind and creating a relationship with the people who've made their goods.
3. Short lead times
When an order is placed, it will be created as quickly as possible - usually three days. That’s something not all factories can say in the USA, and that beats any lead time overseas. Some companies working with China and Bangladesh place their order six months in advance and pray it will be completed and delivered on time. ( I could go on and on about shipping nightmares, carbon footprint and other environmental issues revolving around outsourcing overseas... but I wont. I'll save that for another blog post.
Twenty-Four Blackbirds and Make Smith have joined forces to create the ultimate limited edition chocolate tasting gift set! This set includes a first for the chocolate world: A smoked, single origin chocolate aged on natural Veggie Tan leather. The resulting flavor profile opens strongly with oak, smoke, and leather, paving the way for a bright fruitiness midway through before tapering out into a creamy cocoa finish. This chocolate is perhaps the best compliment to Bourbon ever devised!
Also included are 2 of each of our three half-ounce single origin dark chocolate bars, and 1 of each of our large 1.4 ounce single origin bars. Tucked inside you will find cards for each of the chocolates for recording your tasting notes and a brief guide on how to taste chocolate to help you explore the full sensory experience of each single origin chocolate.
When you're done tasting, the handmade leather portfolio case will provide you with a lifetime of use, be it for refilling with chocolate to host your own chocolate tasting parties, or for filling up with picnic supplies for that perfect Spring day. Each case is hand branded with the signature Twenty-Four Blackbirds logo, gold foil embossed with the signature Make Smith logo, and backed by Make Smith's LIFETIME GUARANTEE.