Help Save Handmade in the USA

On February 10th, most of us small shops will either be going out of business or reinventing themselves. Why? because in a little more than a month, mandatory safety testing will be required for all toys sold in the United States under a new law through the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). If the law as currently written is not modified, handmade toys (and other children's items) made by small crafters, and even niche products from some larger companies will no longer be legal in the United States; Countless retailers who rely on handmade products in the children's industry will be left with a dismally limited product range to offer customers.
In 2007, large toy manufacturers who outsource their production to China and other developing countries violated the public's trust. They were selling toys with improperly secured and easily swallowed small magnets, and toys made from chemicals that made kids sick. Almost every problem toy in 2007 was made in China.The United States Congress rightly recognized that the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) lacked the authority and staffing to prevent dangerous toys from being imported into the US, so they passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act in August 2008. Among other things, the CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in toys, mandates third-party testing and certification for all toys and requires toy makers to permanently label each toy with a date and batch number.All of these changes will be fairly easy for large, multinational toy manufacturers to comply with. Large manufacturers who make thousands of units of each toy have very little incremental cost to pay for testing and updating their molds to include batch labels.
For small American, Canadian, and European toymakers, however the costs of mandatory testing will likely drive them out of business, or prevent them from doing business with the United States.:: A toymaker for example, who makes wooden cars in his garage in Maine to supplement his income cannot afford the (up to $4,000) fee per toy that testing labs are charging to assure compliance with the CPSIA.:: A work at home mom in Minnesota who makes dolls to sell at craft fairs must choose either to violate the law or cease operations.:: And even the handful of larger toy makers who still employ workers in the United States face increased costs to comply with the CPSIA, even though American-made toys had nothing to do with the toy safety problems of 2007.
The CPSIA simply forgot to address the class of toys that have earned and kept the public's trust: toys made in the US, Canada, and Europe. The result, unless the law is modified, will be that small creative companies with unique products, will be forced out of business, or forced to narrow their product range and sell to the mass market. Product availability and selection will diminish. Ironically, we will be primarily left with imported plastic toys from China.
What can you do to help? Toy stores, Toymakers and others in the industry: Join the Handmade Toy Alliance- http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org Parents, grandparents, and concerned citizens: Write to your United States Congress Person and Senator and the CPSC to request changes in the CPSIA to save handmade toys. You can find a sample letter with links to representatives here-http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/how-you-can-help/ and the Handmade Toy Alliance website provides extensive information along with important links if you'd like to research further.

Shop Closed December 15th - January 3rd

Just taking a small break and a much needed rest for the Christmas holiday! Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a blessed new year!!

*All shops will be closed December 15th-January 3rd. Any orders placed during that time will be mailed on January 5th*

Merry Christmas!!

A family challenge and new ideas

Well, our family decided a month ago to become more frugal than ever. The goal basically is a simple one; pay off our debt, save and be able to move back 'home' to be closer with family - all as soon as possible. I won't lie, being on a strict budget is hard. Its been a reality check, thats for sure. But its been so good in so many ways!

Its also presented a creative challenge. I decided that from that point on, I was going to create items to use up my incredible stash, but also that when J wanted/needed something, we would make it (if we could) instead of buy it. Because of that we (the creative team of me, J & D) have created several new toddler tees - monsters, robots and a snowman. We've worked on teacher gifts together, and our latest project, which unfolded quickly yesterday. LOL

A little background... in the summer, J decided he wanted a watch. Now, most mom's of toddler know that a watch would likely get lost or break in quick time (no pun intended), so we made one out of scrap foam, drew a face on it and he was thrilled. Yesterday, he dug out his mangled foam watch from the far corners of the toy room and declared he needed a new one - and started pulling felt and ribbon from my bins (yes, he is great at pulling together supplies! lol) So......after some sketching and consulting with my creative team, this is what we came up with!

What do you think?

Its made of felt and ribbon. The clock face is fused onto the felt and then I hand stitched around the clock face and in the middle to secure it. Velcro makes it easy to put on & off. I made a few for the upcoming show and we'll see how they go. J loves his and really......thats all that matters. :)

Teacher Gifts!

Getting ready for shows is fun, but totally exhausting!! :)

Teachers gifts are big on the list so here are a few I have been working on. I'm slowly getting them up on Etsy, but if you want some, come see me at Darnaby! (or email me!)

• Teacher "sneezies" - what teacher couldn't use tissues with all those little germy kids around? lol Lots of fun fabrics this year!


• Book Baubles - these are great for teachers, stocking stuffers for your sister or even co-workers! Use them to organize your bills, keep your spot in your fav book or magazine, cookbooks, endless, fun and pretty!


• Teacher "Pull-ups" as I like to call them. Chocolate cards .. what could be better? I've stuck colored cardstock in them in the past to include a small message, but the generic ones I make can also be great stocking stuffers, bday gifts, or just because!


• And something new ... notepads! I saw these little beauties on a blog last year and thought they were adorable!! (thank you Michelle Wooderson!) The possibilities are endless with these tho!

So, maybe that will get your wheels turning for teachers gifts. I've also been working on fobs! I LOVE FOBS! I can't stop making them. I love pulling out some new fabrics and making a few fobs from them.. ahhhhh. SOOO MUCH FUN!!

Enjoy! And don't forget your teachers this season! They teach your kiddos!! :)

Darnaby Arts & Craft Show - December 6th

Getting ready!!! :)

I am a Robot - Do as I say......

It would be an understatement if I said that robots were a part of my daily life right now. Isn't it funny how boys, specifically toddler boys, change their likes and dislikes? Every week its something new. Cars, trucks, Nemo, Mickey Mouse, Transformers, airplanes, now Robots!

J & D helped me design these shirts. J loves his. We alternate between robots and monsters now. Who knows what will be next! :)

I'll be adding them to Etsy. Etsians seem to love the robots lately, so, seems like a good place to launch them. If I get my act together, I may have them at the Darnaby Arts & Crafts Show (Saturday, Dec 6th, 9-5 - Union HS on Garnett). The Tulsa Trendy Treasures group will be there! Be sure to stop by and say hello!

TTT November Shows

Whewwwww! Its going to be a busy month! The TTT (Tulsa Trendy Treasures) Group will be at the following places this month:

November 6th - 9:00 - 2:30 - Tulsa Spine & Specialty Hospital

November 11th & 12th - 9:00 - 5:00 - St Francis Hospital cafeteria (on 61st)

November 14th - 9:00 - 4:00 - Jenks Elementary School

Tis the season! I am busy using some fab fabrics and creating some really unique teacher gifts! Stop by & say hi!