Save the Hand Made Items

(cross post with waiting for little miss blog)


Like many of you I like to buy handmade items. I find them unique and more special than mass produced items that are everywhere. I even have a small Etsy shop where I sell flannel blankets and pillow cases that I have made. I had hoped to do a few more craft items this year to sell so that we can earn some money to help with the adoptions however, while surfing the net today I found that this might be in danger of become illegal on February 10th. This is when a new law goes into effect that states roughly that all items sold for children under 12 or 13 must be tested for lead and have proof of such a test. That means that I would have to have test each print of blanket that I make and there is no way that I could afford to do that so that makes my blankets illegal. All the hand made clippies that we love so much for our little girls will be out of the question. No more hand crocheted and knitted sweaters and baby blankets. Things like the the monster that Jim gave me for Christmas and decorations like the beautiful butterfly that Jim's sister gave Little Miss for Christmas last year will no longer be available unless they are proven to be lead free.

This will also apply to consignment and second hand thrift shops. That means no more buying children's items, toys, and clothes second hand. I know many parents out there that have to clothe their kids with second hand clothes. Who can afford to buy everything new? I know I won't be able too. I understand that it is important to keep our children safe but from what I have seen of law it goes too far.

Please take a look at these sites and decide for yourself. I am no expert on law and I hope that I have misinterpreted things. However if you come to the same conclusions that I have, please vote, sign the petitions, write your congressman or what ever else you can do to make this law more reasonable. I hate to think that we will not be able to buy and sell handmade and second hand items in the future.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/economicimpactsofCPSIA/?e

http://coolmompicks.com/savehandmade/

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

http://sites.google.com/site/handmadetoyalliance/