![\"giving_back-madesmith1\"](\"http:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/giving_back-madesmith1.jpg\")
The Old Quilt by Walter Langley via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n
your lucky boot laces,<\/p>\n
a seashell charm given to you by your toddler.<\/p>\n
From chipped plates to wedding dresses, the one thing that most of our cherished possessions have in common is the fact that there are stories behind them.<\/p>\n
In other words, it’s not so much the item that matters, but the history it holds.<\/p>\n
This realization fueled the founding of Madesmith<\/a>, a unique branding agency and distributor of gorgeous goods\u2014jewelry, clothing, shoes, skin-care products, and home goods\u2014handcrafted by artisans in the U.S. whose stories are an integral part of the entrepreneurial process.<\/p>\n Madesmith founders Sheila Iverson and Sumeera Rasul believe that stories are vital to crafting connections between consumers and the real people who make the things we buy, transforming shopping into a more mindful experience than we commonly get at the local discount store where cheap merchandise is often made thousands of miles away.<\/p>\n “When you shop at Madesmith, you\u2019re not just buying a mug; you\u2019re making a connection with the 28-year-old ceramic maker Clair Catillaz<\/a>,” explains Patrick James of CoExist<\/i><\/a>. “You\u2019re not just buying a kitchen knife; you\u2019re understanding the link between the hobby of a 29-year-old actress and the life\u2019s work of her blacksmith father<\/a>.”<\/p>\n Photo courtesy of Madesmith.com<\/p><\/div>\n Every week, Madesmith shares stories of makers and designers who produce handmade objects sustainably. “We know that you appreciate old-fashioned craftsmanship just like we do, and through these stories we aim to bring you closer to the makers, their locally made products, and the process,” says Sheila Iverson. “Get to know who makes the thing you use, and how it’s made.”<\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Run through a quick mental list of all the “stuff” you own \u2026 Now, which of the items you cataloged do you cherish? You might name the quilt your grandmother stitched by hand, your lucky boot laces, a seashell charm … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/giving_back-madesmith21.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"giving_back-madesmith3\"](\"http:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/giving_back-madesmith3.jpg\")