Final week!

From now through February 9, all Dine.n.Doodle chalk mats and Roll.n.Go Crayons are 15% off in my Etsy store, including new and limited edition designs.

http://lilbdesigns.etsy.com

Happy shopping!

Yes they do! Thank you to all who voted, emailed, called, wrote letters, and so forth ... we have been heard! Today, the Consumer Product & Safety Commission unanimously voted to grant a 1-year stay on testing and certification requirements. That means, my doors are staying open for business and I will continue to create my Dine.n.Doodles!

To read more:
- Etsy article: http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/breaking-news-the-cpsia-mand...
- Etsy forum post: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6022029
- CPSC press release: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09115.html
- The actual CPSC document: http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia09/brief/stayenforce.pdf

Ok, I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief, but at the same time, I am more motivated than ever to come up with fresh new designs. Off to sew! :)

The handmade world has been a buzz lately, especially for those of us who handcraft children's items. In a nutshell, Congress passed a law a law stating that all items intended for children 12 and under must be tested for lead irregardless of the materials used starting February 10, 2009. And, before you second guess all this, YES, this law is all encompassing by affecting not only big corporations but even us 'small potatoes'. By their definition, I am a manufacturer and (unless the law is amended) I will need to comply and have each of my Dine.n.Doodle components tested by a third party CPSIA-approved laboratory - every single design or color of cotton fabric, thread, grommet, ribbon, felt, oilcloth, and labels. Or, go out of business. Period.

As a parent, I'm certainly glad Congress is making an effort to keep children safe. As a "manufacturer" of children's items, I'm deeply concerned about the affect this law will potentially have on my business. The required testing is quite expensive, and as much as I would like for my items to not be considered "hazardous," I simply don't feel I will have much success selling $9.50 Roll.n.Go Crayons for over $2,400 (which is the price needed to cover cost of third party testing) or $18.00 chalk mats for over $1,800.

Today, is the day for the blogger's "blog-in". All of those small business owners affected and those who love to buy handmade children's items are posting the following on their blogs. Please join us!
________________________________
As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbeshttp://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html.

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law - http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html.

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react. You can find out how to contact your representative here and your senator here.

SAVE HANDMADE!
Save Handmade with EtsyBABY & EtsyKids who provide a safe
handcrafted alternative for baby & children.
Promotion runs January 9 - February 9, 2009.

Starting TODAY! Visit ShopEtsyBABY.com/CPSC.htm for hundreds of special promotions on fabulous, unique, and safe items for your children from incredibly talented handcrafters. We hope this promotion will bring further awareness to the new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which goes into effect on February 10, 2009. We all agree that we need safe products for our children; however, as it is written, this law will most certainly put thousands of small businesses and handcrafters out of business due to the certification and labeling requirements and exorbitant testing costs.

Show your support for handmade! This joint promotion offers discounts, free shipping, bogo, and more...with hundreds of EtsyBABY and EtsyKids shops participation. As part of the promotion, Dine.n.Doodles are 15% off! To receive your discount, shop my Etsy store, complete the sale transaction, type "SAVE HANDMADE" in the notes to seller, and savings will be refunded via PayPal. Voila!

Help Us Save Handmade!

(Graphic copyright Goldtone Designs http://goldtonedesigns.etsy.com)

PLEASE VOTE! This is the final round of voting to determine the top 10 rated ideas to announce during Change.org and the Case Foundations co-hosted event at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on January 16th. Together, they will be launching a national campaign behind each idea and will mobilize the collective energy of the millions of members of Change.org, MySpace, and partner organizations to ensure that each of the top 10 ideas get the full consideration of the President Obama's Administration and Congressional members.

Please vote to help handmade toys and other children's products remain legal in the United States. Thank you!

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia

I love the beginning of the new year. I've just finished enjoying a 2-week siesta with family and friends, got to sleep in late (you can't put a price on that!), and am now re-energized to do what it is I love doing --- creating! I have several new designs for both chalk mats and roll.n.go crayons to roll out in the coming weeks. I am thrilled beyond words to finally get to THAT pile of goodies in the corner of my sewing nook. Two new chalk mats are already available in my Etsy shop - Little Red Riding Hood and My Forest Friends.

Stay tuned for more! 2009 is going to be a fun and fabulous year!

Day 1 of the New Year and I'm off to a rockin' start: Said "rabbit" at the strike of mid-night. Check! Burning a bayberry candle. Check! Doing a load of laundry. Check! I still have to walk down a flight of stairs backwards, but rest assured, I will before mid-night comes. So, all of my New Year's Day traditions (and a few superstitions) are nearly complete. 'Tis going to be a terrific year, indeed!

Wishing you all a joyful year ahead! I have lots in my head and scribbled on paper that I'm energized to create and add to my Dine.n.Doodle collections this year -- fab new designs and cool new products! Welcome 2009!

I'm nearing the end of my second year in business, thankful for my wonderful customers and retail shops who have made 2008 such a delightful success. At the same time, I fear the ringing in of the new year because of legislation signed into law that goes into effect on February 10, 2009 - the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). This issue is dear to my heart as a mother and maker of products for children, but also how it affects all who make, sell, or buy products for children in the U.S.

The US Congress passed the CPSIA and on August 14th, President Bush signed the Act into law. The Act goes into effect on February 10, 2009 and puts much stricter safety regulations on products intended for the use of children ages 12 and under. While the intentions behind the law are unquestionably good, there are major problems with how the law is currently written. No one disagrees that we need to have measures in place to insure the safety of our children. The CPSIA imposes strict new regulations on testing for lead and phthalates, both of which are horrible substances that certainly should not be in products intended for children, or anyone.

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, to the tune of up to $4,000 per toy, will likely drive them out of business. And 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. Toy makers won't be the only ones impacted by the CPSIA, the thousands of US businesses who offer clothing, jewelry and other gifts for children --in essence-- the entire children's industry will be as well.

The CPSIA simply forgot to exclude the class of toys that have earned and kept the public's trust. The result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade toys will no longer be legal in the US.

Thriving small businesses are crucial to the financial health of our nation. Let's amend the CPSIA so that all businesses - large and small - are able to comply and survive! I ask and urge you to please click the image above to read more and learn how you can help.

Etsy also wrote an open letter regarding the CPSIA, which I think captures the passion and urgency for home-based, handmade crafters like myself:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/handmade-childrens-items-unintended-consquences-consumer-pr-3056/

If you would like to read the actual law, it can be found here:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsia.pdf

The FAQ from the CPSC is located here:
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/faq/faq.html

FREE SHIPPING!
Yes, save on shipping costs - yay! Just purchase 2 or more items and receive free shipping. Please wait for an adjusted invoice prior to paying.
Special offer is valid today through Monday, December 1st.

SHOP FOR YOUR DINE.N.DOODLES NOW!
Perfect for holiday travels + they make super fun stocking stuffers!

C-U-T-E! Seriously, these are THE cutest cross-eyed sheep you'll ever see --- they make you smile. I was silly with anticipation for the arrival of this laminated cotton. No sooner had I taken it out of the package (after dashing 1/2 down my driveway to meet the post officer delivery lady!) I had a chalk mat in production.  Available now in my Etsy shop!

And for a bit more of sheep goodness, here are three adorably cute sheep products made by fellow EtsyKids members --- (l to r): "Match Made in Heaven" print by cicifactory; Vintage Storybook Lamb Print Pink-n-Blue with Snowy White Blanket by eblankies; Set of 3 Farm Patch Quilt Clips by LittleElephantCo. Enjoy!