CPSIA, big government at its finest

This blog will be divided into several parts, feel free to scroll past one part and just read another.

Part the First, In which you may all shake my hand and call me a prophet (ess).

Let your memory wander back with me if you will to this time last year when we were all jumping at lead paint warnings that were coming out every few days it seemed. I thought I remembered forecasting gloom and doom and so I looked back through my archives and yes, it seems that although the scriptures do not mention any specific gift of "believing just enough of the conspiracy theories to be able to call Big Brother's next move", I do in fact, have it.
I call your attention to exhibit A, my blog post from Sept. 17, 2007, entitled most appropriately, Will the government please hold my hand? One short excerpt,

"HOWEVER (you knew that was coming, didn’t you?), if I read or hear one more thing about “the government” letting this happen, or “the government” allowing these toys to be sold, or “the government” taking steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again... I will scream.I don’t want “the government” to decide what toys I can buy and my children can play with. Someone else already gets to decide who and how and when my children get vaccinated, how I can deliver my babies, how I can educate them, and we are on a slippery slope regarding how I can discipline them."

Well, folks it has happened and with the government's usual bumbling inefficiency, it is has produced legislation that is a veritable quagmire of dead-ends and loopholes.

Part the Second, in which I give a brief explanation of why you should care.

Ok, no one wants their kids getting brain damage from chewing on lead painted toys, no one wants their kid ending up in the hospital from ingesting water droplets that came into contact with toys that were in some inexplicable way made from the same stuff we call the "date rape drug". However, in the attempt to keep us safe, the Gov't has drastically overstepped what is needed and produced a piece of legislation that will effectively close down thousand and thousands of small and micro producers. All toys. All infant and child wear. Anything that may be considered a durable article. These are all policed by the new set of rules.

All final distributors are responsible to acquire third party testing on all items or lots of item, no matter what materials they are made from. It doesn't matter if the items are made from materials already deemed safe.
A woodworker using untreated hardwoods and food-grade beeswax as a finish, can continue making cutting boards and kitchen ware, but can no longer produce handmade wooden toys from the same materials. The toys are now deemed hazardous unless each toy, or lot of identical toys undergoes approved safety testing by a third party lab. By lot of identical toys, it means the identical SKU. A carved car and a carved truck made from the same piece of wood are not identical, they must both be tested. A seamstress making a size small shirt and a size medium shirt from the same bolt of (previously tested) cloth, and fastening them with the same (previously tested) snaps, must pay to have both items tested because they are not identical.

This does not just effect micro-producers such as myself. There are many small producers who do produce by the batch, but in small enough batches that it is not economically feasible to test them, who will also be put out of business.

This dragnet is so widespread that many, many small businesses, many home side-businesses are going to either have to close or become illegal. You know the nice lady who knits dolls for the church bazaar? out of business. you know the guy who does woodworking on the side and sells those cool pull-toys at the fall festival? he's a felon, baby.

Please look at this article. It is not long and will explain it in greater detail.

This article is also a very good read, clear and concise. 'Cause, to be honest, no one has ever called me concise.

Part the Third, in which I make a small political point.

Ok, one of the many things that absolutely MADDENED me over this past election season is the use of "voting records" to prove that this candidate was a saint, or that one, a nazi-antichrist-sinner. Yes, of course we can garner some information from a politician's voting record, but that is not the whole story. As I repeatedly attempted to bring up, we also need to know WHY a person may have voted "no" on a particular piece of legislature. For instance... in the future we would all be appalled at a politician who voted against this safety legislation! What kind of monster doesn't want to keep poison off of our children's toys? Well.... gentle reader, the kind who reads the bill carefully and realizes that while the intent is good, the practice will bring about what is being called "National Bankruptcy Day!" The proposed legislation as it now stands is AWFUL. It needs to be clarified. Small makers need to be given a way to comply AND stay in business. Toy makers who have traditionally been the safest of all (that would be small producers in the USA and "boutique" producers from Europe) really don't need to be policed at all. The customer base for these types of producers do enough policing on their own.
I don't want my representatives voting for this! Not because I want dangerous toys, but because the bill as it stands is flawed and incomplete and ironically enough, the only ones who will be able to afford to comply are the HUGE producers whose cheap quality and cheap labor will allow them to foot yet another bill and pay for this testing. so... the result of the "save us from lead paint and melamine made in China" is going to be that the only legal toys left will be mass produced ...in China.

Part the Fourth, In which I give a call to action.
In conclusion, I do, in all seriousness, ask that you take the few extra minutes to read the links I gave. I'm sure that this does in some way effect you. Either you are a child or have a child, or know someone who makes products for children ( hey, you know me, right?), even as a hobby or for occasional sale. Maybe you've come to appreciate the great quality of some of the "higher end" boutique toys that are made in places like Germany. Or, maybe, you think that while we do have a responsibility to protect children, passing huge, poorly written legislation such as this is just bad for the USA as a whole.

This blog has a superb little write-up on the best way to approach your representative about this issue. Here is the official government page showing the subcommittee responsible ( you can see if your state or district is on there, even if they aren't PLEASE contact your own representative AND the chairman listed on that site. This page will let you enter your home address and show exactly who you should contact.

In conclusion, please help save small business, help support artisans, and tell big gov't, "thanks, but no thanks." It really shouldn't take more than a few minutes. This issue is time-critical right now, it's set to go February of 2009.

another must-see

Oh I know. you are tired of seeing all my "must-see" items...
but this one, really, you can't resist it.

All my favorite things... fiber arts, handmade, and while not USA, it is certified Fair Trade AND benefits charity.
Look: Handmade Crocheted Nativity Set

If I knew how to show a picture, you would have to look, but since I don't, you'll have to trust me and click on it.

Click. on. it.

last minute shopping/ holiday travel

I mentioned that I'm doing some trades with people in a previous post.
I just got my shipment from Allison at Sewing Alley.



You MUST go to her shop and get some of the I Spy Bags. I just got mine and I am thrilled.
These are attractive and well made and are going to provide hours of sanity.

She carries two sizes. I got the large ones and I know that after the holidays I will be going back for some small ones.

The possibilities for these relatively quiet toys are many:
-car trips .... sure to minimize the endless "are we there yet"
-airplane trips. nuff said.
-church (these do make a slightly crunchy sound, like a beanbag)
-Dr./ Dentist office
-waiting in line pretty much anywhere

I am going to get a bunch of small ones to make sure I have one in every diaper bag/purse/glove compartment.

Trust me on this one. You want this, you need this. It's a great price for a great toy and you will be supporting a stay at home, homeschooling mom.

Here is the link: Sewing Alley
if you have any questions, use the "contact" button on the store. Allison is great to work with and will help you out.

three months old

it seems totally impossible doesn't it? He is three months old. Waaaahhh, this is going by WAY too fast.
I am super busy... I told the kids I would be done with my work for other people by the first of December and we would just have fun, but... one of the shops I just did some graphics work for wanted the same banners (animated .gif files) done in other sizes. of course the proportions for all of them were different so I can't just resize, i have to remake. THey are all the same theme so that does make it faster, but it also makes it boring..... sigh.... I've done these pics and written this text three times now. Anyway... the kids forgive me because that means more toys for them when I'm finished.

Talk about a "small world" moment! Another of my trade partners (I did photo editing, she's doing some car decals for me), when I wrote to give her my mailing address, she replied back saying that she and her husband had grown up in a town right down the road, her grandmother and brothers live within three miles of me, her first girl was born in the same hospital as my first two kids, and we are still comparing notes, but we think that my husband and her husband probably went to middle school together. Stuff like that is so fun! They are now in Florida, but are from right here where we are.

Trying to think of other news....

oh. Joey is getting fit for his "appliance" soon. He has an underbite that he's had since he was a baby. the dentist has been watching it for several years and wanted to wait and see when his front adult teeth came in. The bite is still off, but only slightly. He wanted to adjust the top teeth asap so that once they were moved into the correct position, all the other teeth could come in an and not be shoved out of position, thus, trying for an easy correction now, rather than major correction later once they've all grown in wrong. I used to think that ortho treatment on a kid so young was stupid, but we really trust our dentist and fully agree with him in this case.
Enter the insurance company.
Our dentist is a participating DENTIST. He also is licensed and does orthodontic work in his office. however, he's not a participating ORTHODONTIST with the insurance company. So, even if he agrees to work within their pricing schedule, they won't cover for him to do the work. So we had to find someone else. now... what sense does that make? pull a kid from the doctor and staff he knows and likes, the doctor who is very familiar with his case and has been watching and measuring for nearly three years now... and make him go some place new, where they have all the new patient fees etc. How utterly stupid. Anyway, he went for his consult the other week and the lady just called me yesterday. basically, the music lessons that I had hoped to do after the new year will now go into Joey's mouth. yikes. Why is it that we pay so much insurance? someone remind me?

Since Joy doesn't have her top teeth, we can't know if she will have the same issues, but since she has the identical face shape as Joey, I do kind of wonder. And now Jonny is looking more and more like them every day. Very cute kids, if I may say so myself, but if the jaw shape is part of the package... maybe I should sell them to a modeling agency while infants to pay for the tooth issues later.

still around

i haven't posted in a bit. I've been busy. I did four more trades/partial trades in the past week. It worked out really well since three of the four only required time ,and the one that did require materials is a partial trade so I'll still get money to cover my materials as well as receive my trade items.
I did some photo editing for one family and will receive some great car decals. I've been wanting a stick figure family for a while, and now I get one! I'll probably also go ahead and buy a cloth diapering one, a homeschool one, and a breastfeeding one. Her shop is here : http://hyenacart.com/distinctivedecals/index.php?viewall=1

Then some computer graphics/ animated advertising for two more mammas and will recieve toys from both of them in return. From one I will get an I-Spy bag for Joey to play with in church, and from the other I will get a wooden puzzle.

Finally, I did some custom dyed yarn and will get paid half in cash and half in crocheted toys.

I'll show pics of all my goodies when they come in. If I get permission from the one lady, I'll also show the photos I edited, it was a challenge, but fun. I actually beheaded two people from one shot and put them into another shot. the man was easy, he had his head in the same pose in both pictures, but the little boy had his head turned away so i had to get rid of that, then paste a new head that was facing the camera, he had really wild curly hair too, so i ended up having to hand paint some hair in so he did't look cropped.
anyway, heading for my mom's house tomorrow for the weekend.

Christmas gifts.

I've been able to make or trade for a number of gifts this year which has certainly helped the budget. I haven't been able to trade for Joey's computer games (Tycoon upgrades/ expansion packs), but Jessi wanted play kitchen stuff.

This is a pocket friend for Joyana. She loves all things ladybug. I got some little pocket friends last year from Lisa at Winsome Whatnots and this year I asked about getting a custom ladybug done and she obviously did a great job. It is about 4 inches or so, little enough to fit in Joy's purses, and big enough to not get lost. It is hand crocheted and washable.
Play food ham sandwich, complete with bread, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato. Also from Winsome Whatnots.

A petite four cake I sewed from felt.

Felt pizza slice- I made this and the following felt foods.

Felt sugar cookies with sprinkles

felt gingerbread lady cookie.

I have more felt food in the works and a big felt treasure map for Joey.

I also was able to trade for a bunch more crocheted food from Tiffany of Fair Trade Family, and she was kind enough to get me some kitchen tools from Ikea since she has one local to her and I do not. From Tiff I got some great Icecream cones, cupcakes, and a few other things.


I also want to get Joey an I-Spy bag from All 4 Kids to play with in church.

I have some other things in mind too, if I can arrange trades for yarn. I used to be able to trade with my applique'd shirts but I just don't have time anymore.

On my "covet list" are toys from Anne Moze, Happy Squash and Doohickies

Please consider buying local or handmade this season and help support the American small business.

More pictures

More pictures of the kids.

Jonny Jumbo showing off his grins and his chins.

Hands. Hands are SO cool. I love hands.
I took these tonight... can you stand it?

Jonny and Jessi chilling in bed.

I think I forgot to show pics of H'ween. We had a Princess, a Knight, and two little dragons. Don't mind the daddy, he's just holding one of the dragons.

The dragons. By the end of the night, they were both pretty beat.
Just hatched dragon baby.

RARRRR, I'm a big, Scary, DRAGON!

who happens to wear pink crocs.

dancing princess

With her BRAVE knight