We Love Sweden

Not only because it’s the country responsible for H&M clothing and Ikea – but because it’s where our latest two visitors Shona & Calle come from. They visited us recently out in Makapanstad and we put them straight to work. Packing orders and teaching them all about Martha’s strict quality control routine. They gave the ladies a quick geography lesson on the workshops wall map, showing exactly where Sweden was and where our heartfelt products are sold. They also tried to explain what minus 20 degrees celsius felt like – but none of us could even fathom how cold it could be – especially with it being 30 degrees outside!

It was a wonderful day and the order that they both helped us pack and put together was for The Lunchbox Fund. An amazing initiative set up in Alexander Township and run by Topaz Page-Green, which helps to feed and nourish underprivileged children on a daily basis. Just looking at their Board of Directors, it's not hard to see how they are managing to change so many childrens lives. Topaz is an incredible ambassador for South Africa, and while living in New York she is making a huge difference back home. This is the second time we’ve worked in collaboration with them to create a little ‘thank you’ gift to give to all the people who support their initiative. So if you get a chance please have a look at their website and see if this could be something you or your organisation could support.

And on that positve note I'll leave you with something very wise a very great man once said. "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children". And that's why we love you Madiba!

To Someone We Love

Today is a very important day for Martha, well for all of us really. It is five years today since Emanuel (Martha’s son) sadly passed away. I’ve realised one thing over the years – a mother’s love never fades away. Martha will be going to the cemetery later this afternoon to tell him how much she loves and misses him.We all do.

So it couldn’t be more appropriate that this weekend is also Valentine’s weekend. One that has everyone thinking about love and being with loved ones. We also thought it appropriate that this week we did a photo shoot entitled UNITY for the Inspirational Woman Magazine which will be launching soon. We are most certainly all united in one thing… yip you guessed it – LOVE.

So I will leave you with the thought of keeping love in your heart all weekend and telling the people that you love most in the world how much you love them – whether it’s your mom, dad, teacher, husband, boyfriend, children, aunt, uncle, local bus driver or best friend. Say those three words I LOVE YOU and mean them with all your heart - there’s no time like the present!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone & thank you to all our customer's for making it a special time for us all. And don't forget - if you get to Doppio Zero in Rosebank this weekend and monday – you might find a special little heartfelt something waiting there just for you!

A new year, a new team leader

Hello. Finally! I must apologise for it being the first week of February and this being our first blog of the year. Naughty, naughty. Well, I have now made it my new year’s resolution to blog as often as possible – so you’ll be able to keep up to date with what we are up to at Heartfelt on a weekly basis. I promise to also tweet more and add things to our Facebook pages as they happen. In fact, there has been so much happening this year already I don’t even know where to start.

Firstly Martha and I went on a Creative Intelligence Workshop at the beginning of January presented by Ian Marley, from the centre of Creative training at the North West University. It was a great way to brainstorm for the year ahead and we’ve got some wonderful new wedding products coming your way – working in collaboration with another crafting company called Bosele Paper. So watch this space.

The new year also brought with it a new team leader – Mananki Ringane. Who was elected by the ladies to be the communicator between the workshop and management, a fabulous new system now put into place and recommended by Anton Ressel from Fetola who have been helping Heartfelt with its business strategy. We have also employed Charlene (Martha’s daughter) on a full-time basis. She is our new Team Manager and in charge of putting together all orders and invoices. She not only passed her second office admin and computer course with flying colours – but was asked by Campus College to come and mentor a few of their other students (wow wee, talk about an inspiration to others). So if you want to say hello you can email her at charlene@theheartfeltproject.com. Our mission is to see if we can also get our hands on a printer for her as she is working without one – so if you know of anyone with a spare one lying around – please let us know.

I have so much more to tell you – we’ve had some progress on the water situation and are working in collaboration with a company called Cornerstone who are wanting to start working with the men in the community teaching them to make jewellery. But more about that later.

We are also really busy with orders and have a fabulous campaign coming up with Doppio Zero, Rosebank for Valentine’s Day – so please take your lovely there on the 14th – you’ll get a lovely-bubbly heartfelt surprise!

Right, that’s all from me for now – we hope that you have all been having a very productive and exciting year so far. Here’s to more news, more views and more to-dos!