CPSIA--not just an American Issue threatening handmade articles

CPSIA--this is NOT just an american issue
Although I am a Canadian, and my products are all created by myself here in Grimsby Ontario Canada, I do sell my products to a number of boutiques in the U.S.A. I also sell my products directly to an increasing number of American customers who have searched for my products as a unique and safe alternative to the mass-produced imported accessories and products for children. For myself, this new bill is inconvenient. The majority of my sales are still Canadian based. For my American peers however, this bill will effectively terminate their home-based businesses. How does this affect us? It limits our choices as parents and consumers. The tests that have been proposed are too costly for the average small business. (over $400 EACH TEST from Feb 10 through August . In August 2009, stricter "third party" testing will be required. The more involved testing in august will cost crafters over $1000 for each test.) There are currently no locations in North America approved for third party testing--apparently items will have to be shipped to facilities in China (the country where the majority of lead-tainted products have originated from..)As a mother I am not against stricter testing. I want the very best for my own child as well as yours and I treat every item I create with the greatest care that can be imagined. I do not bring materials into my home that I suspect would be harmful to my child or any other child. This is not a problem with the individuals who create unique one-of-a-kind handcrafted items. My suppliers have already started testing their products and there has not been a single item that has raised concern regarding lead,phthalates or any other banned material. Their testing is not sufficient under the new bill. Each and every one of my items will need to be tested (each design, each color) as a finished product should I choose to continue to sell in the USA.The spirit of this original bill was to protect the public from the careless and cheap mass-production of toys and children's items by large faceless corporations. Many of whom have outsourced their production to the cheapest bidder with little or no supervision of the materials used in their manufacture. Recent recalls have created a knee-jerk effect within a public that has grown frightened of the increasing number of perils facing our children from toys to luncheon meat and peanut butter.If you think that this is only an American issue please reconsider the long reaching effects that this bill may have for us all.Here is a "blog" entry from a fellow "etsykids" team member. She has asked that I share it with you: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=1322To 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.htmlTo 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.htmlAnd for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Lawhttp://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.htmlDid you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

New Year, New You

Well, the holidays are finally over, and we are smack dab in the middle of the dog days of winter. That almost makes it sound better than it is because dogs are pretty cute for the most part, and usually a lot of fun. However, winters in Hamilton are not all that. (Is that even said by anyone anymore? I am about to turn 45, after all, so no one is accusing me of being "hip" these days - just waiting for my first "ma'am" at the grocery store).

Anyway, since the Christmas sales rush appears to have subsided and orders for new jewelry are at a minimum, it is a perfect time to think about organizing one's work space and making sure everything is where it should be before things start to pick up again.

Emma the cat has got the ball rolling for me by "reorganizing" the tub full of beads and spilling them from one end of my office to the other. An hour or two of crawling around on my hands and knees and (I think) all the beads are now picked out of the carpet.

I did start by organizing all my beads and putting things from previous projects back in their respective containers. Although it was a long and tedious task, it felt good to finally have things back with their "like" partners, rather than all dumped together in old margarine lids. I tend to put a handful of beads and findings in an upside down margarine lid as I work on a project, so I can see what different beads will look like together, but I'm not so good about putting things away when I am done. A year or two later, who knows what you've got left to work with when everything is all mixed up all over the place? So, it's good to re-organize and start again sometimes!

With cats crawling all over your work space, it's also more critical to be organized - it's annoying when they make a mess, and it can be dangerous if they tend to eat beads and other craft supplies. Ditto for children if you have those!

Cleaning up your space is also a good exercise spiritually, since it gives you a new "jumping off" point in your work and does not pose a psychic drain on you. Hard to work on new projects if there is a nagging voice in the back of your head telling you "you really should do something about that mess"!

Once that's all done, you might even feel like trying something new to expand your creative horizons. I've recently been inspired to pick up the ol' paintbrush again after 25 years or so and I tried slapping some paint on canvas. Boy am I rusty! Could use a lot more practise before tackling that 4' x 6' blank canvas that has been hanging over my sofa for the last year. Someday, though, I will have something new to replace "Polar Bear in a Snow Storm"...

Keepin' it Real

It has been way too long since I posted something here, so in the spirit of the upcoming holiday season, I thought I would talk a little about the real vs. fake options in semi-precious stones used for jewelry making these days.

I just took a quick trip to Toronto this past weekend to pick up a few more strands of beads (can NEVER have too many!) for the pre-Christmas jewelry-making blitz, and was again dazzled by the array of different "semi-precious" stone beads available these days. I have only been making bead jewelry for just over a decade, but in that time I have seen a whole lot of new things become available that I never even heard of when I started!

Once I do a bit of reading, however, I begin to find that not all stones are what they seem. In fact, some stones aren't even stones at all, but composites of glass and stone bits, irradiated or heated or dyed to take on various colours and qualities! And some cheaper stones are dyed or processed in order to mimic the look of more expensive and rare stones - case in point - Howlite is often turned into "poor man's Turquoise", and is sometimes even sold as Turquoise. I guess a good rule of thumb is if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is! Definitely a "buyer beware" situation out there in the world of stone beads, so be careful!

I have always been a big fan of "keeping it real" with my stones. I like the idea of a rock being dug out of the ground or the side of a mountain, and then cut and polished into a bead (or beads!) and then nicely drilled so I can string it on some jewelry wire to make something fabulous. Natural stones are thought to have their own special healing qualities. I do NOT like the idea of someone using stone scraps and glass and glue to create the "spam" of beads. What kind of healing qualities would something like that have? And it just wouldn't be a REAL stone bead! Or, would it?

After giving the matter some thought, I have lately come to the conclusion that, although a bead may have had dubious beginnings, there really is a place in the world for something that just looks good. Not everyone believes that stones have special powers, so what difference would it make to them if it was dug out of a mountain by Juan Valdez or not? They just want something that is budget-appropriate, and that adds spark to their outfit!

So, maybe there is a place in the world for all beads - be they real, or fake, or really really fake! Vive le difference!!! (Pardon my lack of French...)

Ideas for makin' stuff

People always wonder where I get my ideas from, and I'm really at a loss as to how I explain it. Ideas just "come" to me - but if I try too hard, the ideas can retreat just out of reach. I'm usually FULL of ideas for what other people should do, but when it comes to my own work it can be a bit more challenging.

Ideas tend to flow more freely when I am immersed in creative tasks over a long period, like when I first started working on setting up my own store. I found it to be a very spiritual experience, really, and I would describe the feeling as being a conduit for creativity. I have never felt that the ideas I receive have been my own, but rather a gift from a "higher power". The more you open yourself to receive, the more the ideas begin to flow! Very new-age-y stuff!

Anyway, I've been craving more dedicated creative time lately, but the pressures of daily life do intervene. It is certainly difficult to balance all the day-to-day pressures of work, home life, family, social obligations, and if you are like me, wedding planning! Like anything, some discipline is required. I had grand intentions of working on some new jewelry pieces on the weekend, but I got gardening while the sun was shining, and then when the thunderstorms drove me inside, an unexpected flood cancelled out my plans. When things go like this, the ideas sometimes dry up.

I have often found it is a good idea (!) to keep a notebook and/or scrap album when the ideas are a bit more plentiful. That way, you can always go back and pick up on ideas that never quite made it to fruition. But do yourself a favour, and leave detailed notes - I have sometimes gone back and wondered what the heck I was talking about, because over time we can forget wisps of ideas we once had!

I have found inspiration in nature, books, magazines, online, and in the works of others, but there is a rule about "borrowing" - never duplicate someone elses' idea EXACTLY!!!
ALWAYS change something and make the new item your own creation! Otherwise, there is no creativity involved - you have merely practiced your ability to mimic someone else.

This is one of the high points of Textures Craftworks, where I sell my creations. All work is juried for originality and creativity, and NO COMMERCIAL PATTERNS are allowed - all work must be designed and created by the artist. There is a time and a place for patterns, and that is meant for newbies to practice and improve their skills, or for people who just want to try something they haven't done before. After that, it's time to come up with some ideas of your own!

Have it YOUR way!

Several of my co-workers at my "day job" have recently learned about my secret life as an artisan. This has had the delightful side benefit of generating a little more business for me because, like many of my fellow Textures artisans, I do custom orders!

If you are ever looking for a particular thing, in a particular colour or style, and would like to have it made just the way you want, look no further than our little cooperative! Not only will you be getting a handcrafted, one-of-a-kind work of art for yourself or your loved ones, but you can shape the final product. Once and for all, you can go to one place with your colour swatch, and ask someone to make you your very own 3 ft. tall, lime green steel widget with purple feathers and silver sparkles! No more traipsing all over town, desperately trying to match up your swatch with all the other wrong green shades of widgets out there - you will save time, energy and gas by stopping by, and will get exactly what you want!

And if it's a pair of earrings or a necklace you want, in just the right shade of blue - give me a call!

Only in Canada, you say?

I worked my second shift at Textures for the month of June this past weekend. Father's Day did not prove to be a big draw for bringing hoards to our doorstep, but I did have an interesting chat with one gentleman who was in town from Los Angeles to work on a film.

After making out like a bandit in our store choosing handcrafted pottery, silk scarves, jewelry and notepads, my visitor said how delighted he was to find an artisan shop here. Being in the film business, he has occassion to travel all around the world, and he likes to pick up handcrafted items that are unique to the area he is in to take home as a momento, and also to give as gifts. Sounds reasonable to me!

He related the story of going to Belize, and how excited he was to go out and look for something really special, that was only available there. Unfortunately, all he found were mass-manufactured items for Sears! Not to bad-mouth Sears, but when you go somewhere exotic, you want to be able to find some exotic trinkets to take home and make everyone else jealous that you were somewhere exotic, and they weren't! Items from the latest Wish Book just aren't going to cut it. May have worked when you were 8 and waiting for Santa, but not now.

Visitors to Hamilton are not as unfortunate as those who go to Belize. They can come to Textures and find a beautiful turned wood bowl made from an old butternut tree that fell down in someone's backyard just a few blocks away! Or at least, they can find it until I get back to the shop to buy it myself... ;-)

Star for a day! The joy of free publicity...

Every artisan must have their day, and I guess today is mine! Check out some of my necklaces that appear in today's Hamilton Spectator - "The Shopper" feature: http://www.thespec.com/go/style/article/384994

It has been a while since my work has received any publicity - last time I appeared in the paper was last fall, as part of an article on the changing face of the Canadian family. Andrew and I were the "shacked up" couple. But now we're engaged to be legally wed, so everything is good, and we will no longer be going to that "extremely warm place" waaaaay down south.

As a working artisan, every little bit of publicity helps the cause. Before moving to Hamilton and becoming a member of Textures, I owned my own gift shop called "FRED- a store...", and I found out what a struggle it can be to get the word out about one's creative activities. I had been unemployed for a year before opening my store, so there really wasn't any money for promotion and I had to get really, really creative. It became my mission to get my name and/or picture in the Sarnia Observer as often as I could, and I did pretty well.

The trick was to take part in some sort of charity or benefit event, so I teamed up with a friend who owned a nearby cafe, and another acquaintance who ran a clothing store, and we organized a charity fashion show featuring one friends' clothing from her store, accessories that I created, and located at the other friends' cafe. We got free event postings in all the local daily and weekly papers, as well as a pre-event photo, and when it was all over, we got another photo in the paper as we handed over the cheque to our chosen recipient organization!

Another thing I did to get my name and location out was to call in to the local radio station's all-request hour to request a song. When the DJ would answer the phone, I would say something like, "Hi, it's Sandy calling from FRED- a store... on Ontario Street, and I'd like to request I Think I Love You by the Partridge Family."

I met people around town later on, and when conversation got around to the "what do you do for a living" question, and I said I owned the gift shop, FRED- a store..., I had more than one person exclaim, "Oh! I've heard you on the radio!" So never underestimate what people will hear and retain. Remember to use your powers for good, not evil.

Another idea is to celebrate your "Grand Opening" waaaay long after your actual business opening. Small town newspapers will usually run a story or a photo when you are opening a new business in town. But they will also come out to photograph a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a "Grand Opening" a year later! Who knew?

But then again, the Sarnia Observer used to run a local news column back in the late '70s that featured such colourful items as "John and Jane Smith recently had a visit from their great aunt Ethel from Kalamazoo. They served tea and crumpets." So maybe my little gift shop opening seemed like the big time. Or, they would just print anything...