The Little Black Box

Maybe you can't tell, but that box up there is absolutely bursting with handmade goodness! Yesterday, I received my November Little Black Box in the mail. It was like Christmas when I opened it up! The Box included items from over 20 different handmade retailers. I spent a good chunk of time oohing and ahhing over each individual thing. These are some of my absolute favorites!

This little cup of Spoonfudge from Glutenada was right on top when I opened the box. Let me tell you, the fudge is gone. I ate it. For breakfast this morning. (I didn't share it with anyone!) Absolutely to die for! Soft and sweet and smooth! And for those of you who are gluten-free, so is this fudge!


My other most favorite item? This adorable floral zipper pouch from Midnight Creations. Now, zipper pouches are great and all, but this one is fabulous, because it has a key ring attached. I can put my keys on this and have a place to keep my ID and cash and whatever else I need in a pinch. (And, there was a coupon code included for a 20% discount on one item! In fact, most of the samples in The Little Black Box come with some kind of discount.)

Christmas is coming soon, and I am absolutely nuts about Christmas tree ornaments. I have a HUGE collection that I love to add to and display on our 9 foot tree each year. So, I couldn't have been happier to find this pretty wooden bell ornament in my box. It came all wrapped up in pretty paper from Wood N Goods.

Now, how gorgeous is this dainty little bracelet from Debbie Gootter Designs? It is made from sterling silver, Swarovski crystals and vintage lucite frame beads. Nice, right? It came neatly packaged in a paper jewelry box. I could do the responsible thing and use it as a Christmas gift for someone special. Or keep it for myself. We'll see...

This beautifully packaged handmade soap is from Gabriella's Closet. It's a full-sized 4 oz bar of handmilled Butterbell soap made from olive oil and goat's milk. The scent is very fresh and clean. Again, another of those items that I could add to a gift basket. Or keep. Decisions, decisions!

I've been buying The Little Black Box for three or four months, and everytime I get at least one pair of earrings that fit perfectly with my wardrobe. This month, those earrings came from Jaimie B Designs. Cute little aqua earrings that I can't wait to wear!

I love smelly stuff. Especially when it is spice or food scented. Kreations by Kathie sent in this tin filled with cute little star shaped Harvest Delight mini tarts. They smell just like pumpkin pie, and I can't wait for my kitchen to smell like I actually know how to make a pumpkin pie!

I know lots of people love soap! (And, I mean more than just the whole personal hygiene aspect of it.) Soap in fun colors and shapes is a great thing to have sitting in your bathroom for guests to use. Soap Sushi included a Visions of SugarPlum soap favor in my Little Black Box. Purple and blue soap with pink soap shavings on top. So cute! And, of course, it smells wonderful, too!

And, my final favorite from this month, a special treat for the feline members of my family, a catnip toy from Colorado Catnip Toys. I left my pile of loot unattended on the couch for a couple minutes. I came back and found Cheeto in the middle of the pile. He had managed to isolate the plastic bag containing the catnip toy! I turned it over to him, and he and his sisters spent the rest of the evening taking turns with their new treasure! They couldn't get enough of it!

This is by no means an exhaustive list of everything that came in The Little Black Box this month. Like I said, over 20 items! There were also a magnet, greeting cards, ACEOs (love these), coffee and tea samples (they smell awesome), mini notebooks, a cellphone charm, a button ring. You can see a picture of everything on my flickr account here.

I highly encourage you to check out The Little Black Box. There are still November boxes available. I have never been disappointed in my package. They contain high quality samples from great companies!

If you are a handmade seller, I strongly recommend that you consider including your own quality samples in the Little Black Box. The main thing is to make sure that what you send is truly representative of your company, and something that you would be thrilled to receive if you purchased a box. High quality samples are what keep buyers returning for more! And a good sample makes it that much more likely that they will check out your store.