it will kill your children? A protest blog.

[#1]

OK ... I need a little help here... As someone who does not make things for children I have not been following this whole cpsia thing.. other than to have an understanding that materials must be tested for lead? OK, so looking at the mass quantity of threads on here I want to learn more. As someone who myself is trying to make it as a fine artist... I understand how difficult it is to make it.. and I feel for those of you who have been struggling making children's toys and clothing etc. - but to have these regulations put upon you that could run you out of business seems insane. Mainly insane since I have never heard of a child suffering at the hands of a handmade bib or hand sewen plush rabbit. I have heard of children ingesting lead form mass produced toys.. so why must you suffer for the greed of the immoral large business owner? Well, as an artist I am starting a blog ..

[Former_Member]

I did like the sheep joke :)
I have to take a lunch break,,, please keep sending the links they are great.. my google searches are so overwhelming on this subject.. your links are so appreciated. I will check back in a few..
I would love to hear how this is affecting you personally.. what has changed for you? How were things going for you before all of this?

[Former_Member]

Lundberg says:
OK about the testing places... Are these places private industry? What do you know about those companies? Where they involved in the lobbying?

___________________________________________________

Can't wait to hear the answer to this one... All I know is that the testing agency must be accredited--oh and just found this

H.R. 4040-8 (B)(vi)

"The Commission shall publish notice of the requirements for accreditation of third party conformity assessment bodies to assess conformity with other children's product saftey rules at the earliest praticable date, but in no case later than 10 months after the date of enactment of the Consmer Product Saftey Improvement Act of 2008"

The Commission is supposed to maintain an up-to-date list of entities that have been accredited on its Internet website according to Section E (H.R. 4040-9)

[Former_Member]

I'd like to be featured!

[Former_Member]

Here's a link to the accredited testing entities

http://www.cpsc.gov/cgi-bin/labapplist.aspx

[rabbitwhiskers]

EXACTLY!!!~ That's what's so horribly frustrating. The whole law is absurd! It should be focused on the problem, which is, as you said, lead in the paint of toys imported from China. That's it. Instead of going to the source, (toy imports from China,) it somehow got blown way, way out of proportion to the extent that it is now capable of putting us all out of business. We've been wearing clothes for how many zillion yrs. now? I've never heard of them killing anyone or causing serious illness. A minority of people are allergic to certain fibers, but that's not the same thing. I'm wondering why, with the stupid reasoning behind this law, do its creators think it is it okay to put everyone over the age of 12 at "risk" if fabrics are so "dangerous?" And since when do children dine on their wardrobes?

[littledebrarae]

Lundberg, thank you for your blog. I had 100 cloth dolls made to sell at a local craft fair. Unfortunately though, THEY BANNED all children's items because of the 'new regs'. Then I was going to register them online, but my husband begged me not to. WHY? Because someone who knows my art and the arts & crafts I do THREATENED To TURN ME IN if I tried.

Soooooo, I just made 100 useless products that I can't sell at all. I ended up just giving these dolls away in short I lost (as they were $75.00 a piece) several hundreds of dollars all because of OVER REGULATION.

(please note these dolls were tested (all of them) for lead using a $98 lead testing kit)

Luckily, I do more than just kids' crafts. SO I'm still in business much to the chagrin of my 'acquaintance'.

But many of my friends have already closed down their shops, rather than face prosecution for trying to make a living.

I wonder though with the new administration who according to several congressmen are in FULL SUPPORT of the CPSIA, how long WE are ARTISTS will be able to stay in business (before they come after US too)?

[rabbitwhiskers]

You asked how it affects us~ I have been making hand-smocked dresses for 32 yrs. Twenty-five yrs. ago I was injured in a car accident and, in spite of having 4 surgeries, am still left with nerve damage that requires daily doses of strong pain killers. Because of this I cannot take a job in the outside world. In an effort to come out of a bad depression from both the accident & a divorce I decided to focus on my smocking and make it a business. It has given me a sense of purpose, which I had lost, as well as the positive sense of being active and able to contribute to my financial support and something other than my "condition" to focus on. If things continue as planned with this law, everything I have worked to achieve is going to be pulled out from under me. I am fighting this law to the end. It's my life I'm defending!

[Former_Member]

Your handsmocked dresses are beautiful rabbitwhiskers.

[Former_Member]

I am one of the shops that will be affected by this law!
Will no longer sell children's items unless something is changed.

Thanks for your interest in this!

[Former_Member]

Love your dresses rabbitwhiskers, I know how you feel. If nothing changes we will be stuck with lots of finished items and lots, hugh amount, of supplies

[Former_Member]

Thanks :)

How this effects me

I live on a tiny island out in the middle of the ocean. Kauai to be exact. There are no jobs here and people are moving away, especially the younger one's. Both of my kids are still in school, one graduating from high school this year and she desperatly wants to leave. The restaurant she was working at closed because of the economy. The other is in community college and can't find a job either.

I was just going to open my shop making Hawaiian wear and traditional hula costumes when I got wind of this in Dec of last year. Since I can't very well sell Hawaiian things in Hawaii (lol) My best source was online like here and ebay(which I have been doing).

I have been able to send my grls off island on school and soccer trips, but as a family we haven't been off this island in six years.

I really wanted to get this going. I have thousands of dollars invested in machines, fabrics, threads, tables, chairs etc. Plus all the items I have made already to get started.

I'm in the mind set that this can't possibly happen. It's like a science fiction novel written before our eyes.I haven't decided if I will open or wait until the first person is called out. It's very disheartening that people would do that.

That's it for me. :)

Lorie
Kauai

[Former_Member]

Here is a website that gives the information on this law from beginning to end...as far as who and when....
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-4040

Website of one of the biggest groups behind this law...
http://www.uspirg.org/about-us

Excellent forum on the actual effects of this law for specific groups....

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6011118

[Former_Member]

rabbitwhiskers your things are so pretty! Have you tried the other e site? The childrens boutique buyers love smocked things.

[Former_Member]

Lead does't KILL a child..it causes irreversible Brain Damage...
But the new regulations are an "overkill"

[rabbitwhiskers]

Thank-you very much for the compliments, Ida, Morgan, and Hula. Hula I feel the same as you. It all seems surreal!! I can't believe it's happening either. I really want to stay open anyway, but like you, haven't decided. Yesterday I read what I think is a good alternative, to closing. That was, stay open but make your items inactive or go on vacation mode Use your shop to post signs to the effect that you have been forced to remove your items until the law is repealed or fixed the way it should be and you are allowed to sell again-(Whatever you want to say to that effect-) and then say that if they want to be able to buy any handmade children's items they should join in protesting this law- and give nos. where they can write/phone to register a protest. This idea was originally posted by acorngirl and I think it's the best alternative I've heard yet- Good luck to you hula. I think at some point we will prevail. I just hope it's sooner, than later. Your idea for a Hawaiian shop is a great idea. It needs to be given a chance to work!

[Former_Member]

thank you, marking

[Former_Member]

Thank you :)

I hadn't heard of that idea. That is kind of brillant isn't it!

[Former_Member]

HulaMoon and Rabbitwhiskers- I'm writing my congressman today, in hopes that SOMEONE will make sense of all of this regulation. Someone has got to see the light in reguards to this "over the top" regulation especially for all the small business people, making wonderful things for children, for their children, no less. I'm all for safe, when it comes to kids, but what a drastic way to do this. Keep hoping and praying for change in this law!!
And Rabbitwhiskers, your things are SO beautiful! You must find a place to sell your art, that will work for you.

[Former_Member]

ok all great information so far.. and thank you.
I know lead doesn't kill.. I decided on the title as a reaction to the governments reaction :) Please keep on sending me more! I was curious as to the childrens books.. so I just emailed a librarian friend of mine to get her take on it.. I will let you know what she says.
OK so I have gotten some response from people wanting to be featured.. great :)! My goal is to get posts started by this evening. If you want to be featured.. please convo me - tell me your story.. what has the CPSIA meant to you personally.. how has your business been prior to this - are you someone who has been successful and this has knocked you on you butt .. have you been struggling and this will put an end to you.. are you defiant and don't care about the cpsia.. I also would like an image to put up when I feature you.. how about your best work.. something that will be affected by this law.. maybe talk about it.. what has handmaking the clothing, toy etc. meant to you and how will CPSIA change that.. I also want an etsy mini - only of those items to be affected.. I want people who read the blog to be able to link to you and find your shop.. OK .. I have to get to my own studio now.. I am so happy for the info and your stories.. please keep them coming.. I will check back soon!!!

[Former_Member]

Thank you for supporting us Lundberg!!!

I know that my hats are NOT toxic (100% cotton yarn).

This new law is absolutely beyond ridiculous.

[LoblollyRidge]

<------ahem.... hula, you just try to catch me for some stupid test! ain't gonna happen!
:)

this law will affect (effect?, somebody help me with that one!) schools and library's as well. my sis is a librarian, an if they don't exclude books, they'll have to either remove the childrens' section, or deny access to children into the library.

all text books will be illegal as well, as some num-nuts (sorry, was it pelosi?) decided to make it retroactive....

it's insanity beyond compare. the schools here think i'm making it up, even when i give them the sites to look at.

here's the one from the american library association:
http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1601

[Former_Member]

Lundberg
Lundberg says:
OK about the testing places... Are these places private industry? What do you know about those companies? Where they involved in the lobbying?
-------
Maybe this has been mentioned already, I'm only on pg 3 of the thread, but someone in another thread said she tried to have her items 3rd party tested. She called EVERY lab in the country, they all turned her down because her business is "too small to bother with"! Even if the financial issue wasn't there, how are we supposed to test if the companies who are qualified to do it won't?

[Former_Member]

littledebrarae
littledebrarae says:
Lundberg, thank you for your blog. I had 100 cloth dolls made to sell at a local craft fair. Unfortunately though, THEY BANNED all children's items because of the 'new regs'. Then I was going to register them online, but my husband begged me not to. WHY? Because someone who knows my art and the arts & crafts I do THREATENED To TURN ME IN if I tried.

Soooooo, I just made 100 useless products that I can't sell at all. I ended up just giving these dolls away in short I lost (as they were $75.00 a piece) several hundreds of dollars all because of OVER REGULATION.

(please note these dolls were tested (all of them) for lead using a $98 lead testing kit)
----------
OMG this makes me so sad....you totally could have sold them! The lead testing kit you got would constitute a "reasonable testing program" under the new rules, and they're not even in effect yet! The idiot that threatened to turn you in couldn't have done anything, there was a whole thread with someone asking what if you continue to sell and get sued and you're not in any danger of being successfully prosecuted unless your products are over the lead limit. CPSC won't even consider going after you unless there's a documented verifiable case of injury due to your product, they've said that. Not sure where I saw that, maybe one of the clarifications that's been published? I definitely remember seeing a post about it with a link to where it's stated.

The over-regulation this law creates is only half the problem, the rest comes from the fear and panic it creates. :-(

[Former_Member]

Spazspun says:
<------ahem.... hula, you just try to catch me for some stupid test! ain't gonna happen!
:)

this law will affect (effect?, somebody help me with that one!) schools and library's as well. my sis is a librarian, an if they don't exclude books, they'll have to either remove the childrens' section, or deny access to children into the library.

all text books will be illegal as well, as some num-nuts (sorry, was it pelosi?) decided to make it retroactive....

it's insanity beyond compare. the schools here think i'm making it up, even when i give them the sites to look at.

here's the one from the american library association:
http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1601
_________________________________________________________

"Affect" was right! I have been speaking with local librarians too and they cannot believe this law. They're not sure what to do.

[Former_Member]

HulaMoon if I were going to be stuck anywhere, I'd love that place to be as beautiful as Kaui. I went there on my honeymoon. But, things are expensive there and not many jobs. Good luck!