Little Ida

A doll bed she'll want to sleep in herself

Convincing my 12 year old daughter to play with her 3 year old brother, taking precious time away from texting her friends isn’t easy. Okay, I’m kidding (sort of). She does spend a lot of time on art projects, an activity I encourage. When they engage in free play together, their imaginations are boundless, and that magic thing called bonding is in full force as stories are made up on the fly.

They are both equally attracted to this adorable doll bed by Javis Davis. He is more hands on with it, arranging and rearranging the multiple pieces around his stuffed animals. She enjoys standing by as he plays, and has even tucked a doll or two in.

Javis Davis is a small woman run business, that has been producing gorgeous quality bedding for over 10 years. Mary Lou Cothran designs and oversees production in her Alabama location, and has been doing so from the beginning. A rare gem in the industry, Mary Lou pairs her bedding set designs with a team of sewers who live up to her decadent pieces with production quality and attention to detail that makes them worthy of becoming true heirlooms.

The doll bed is a miniature version of the baby and child sized bedding Javis Davis produces. Each set includes a washable foam mattress, fitted sheet, bed skirt, mattress pad, two blankets, and three pillows. It is available in many different fabric combinations, suitable for girls and boys, and two sizes for dolls up to 13,” or 18” in length. This would make an incredible holiday gift, and can even be matched up with kid size bedding in identical fabrics, if you want to be really extravagant.

Special offer: Post a comment including your favorite Javis Davis fabrics, and be eligible to win a $25 Javis Davis gift certificate!

Take a look at the Javis Davis custom doll beds and bedding here.

Corporate Monster wants to swallow Micro Brew beer brand

As a supporter of small business, and micro business owner myself, I feel it's crucial to post about this: 
 
Rock Art Brewery, a micro beer brewer in Vermont is facing a huge and very unfair problem. The maker of Monster Energy Drink (a 1 billion dollar company) doesn't like the fact that Rock Art brews a beer called 'Vermonster.' The company has asked Rock Art to immediately cease and desist using the name, marketing materials etc.
 
Rock Art began as a one man operation out of the owner's basement. The business now has seven employees and is growing rapidly. The owner created this Vermonster beer to celebrate their 10th anniversary. His trademark lawyer has advised him that there is absolutely no infringement, however the energy drink company can fight this in the courts anyway, and can appeal numerous times. Each court case will cost Rock Art $65,000, and they can not afford to battle this 1 billion dollar company.
 
The ironic thing is that the name 'Vermonster' is commonly used for Vermont products (ie dishes in restaurants, sandwiches, pizza etc.). How sad that some mega-corporation feels they have the right to take that name away from a Vermont company.
 
Please watch this short video and spread the word.

CPSIA: Overcoming Obstacles & Fighting for Change

Photo by UrbanTurn

The holidays are coming and the world's largest toymaker (hint Mattel) has just been granted an exemption from third party testing its toys for lead. The CPSIA law was created because of Mattel, and they've managed to skirt it, while crafters and micro businesses making inherently lead free products pay dearly (or go out of business) to remain "legal."

There is hope. Read my CPSIA article on Etsy's blog and learn about some of the latest news on this complicated law. Our voices are making a huge difference. Let's keep fighting together for change!

P.S Please consider joining the Handmade Toy Alliance. Each business or consumer who joins makes our collective voice louder, and our influence stronger.

Great giveaways + new artists at Craftsbury Kids

I'm excited to share with you the work of four new Craftsbury Kids artists. Scroll down to read more, and find out how you can win some great prizes.

 

Tweet by Willow Baus

Pre-motherhood, Willow Baus designed accessories for a large children's clothing company. Now she makes little wooden sailboats with cotton sails, and toy wooden rowboats just begging to be filled with seashells, sticks, and other tiny treasures. All of the boats are designed to float on water, whether in the bathtub, or park puddles. It’s hard to choose just one of these toy boats. The good news is, if you purchase one or more of the boats this week (by Saturday June 14) at craftsburykids.com, and mention this post, you’ll be entered into a random drawing, for a chance to win an additional boat of your choice.

Cupcakes & Pastries

Inshi Khanna’s Cupcakes & Pastries’ dresses are inspired by old English, French, and Indian films among other things, including her two year old daughter. I love that she created them with tea parties in mind, where cookies, candies, and other delights are served. With features like gold and silver trims and embellishments, and hand printing on some of the dresses, this is a very special collection. Though the dresses are drop-dead gorgeous they’re 100% cotton (excluding embellishments) so they’re comfortable too. We’re giving one Cupcakes & Pastries dress of choice away this week. Take a look at all the dresses here. Order one or more, mention this blog post, and you’ll be entered in the drawing.

BeBe Babies

Casie Nipper is an Oregon-based dollmaker who creates these unbelievably cute  one of a kind plush animals, called BeBe Pets. I love their stitched on bellies, and the way their little faces peek out. If you order one at craftsburykids.com this week, and mention this blog post, you’ll be entered for a chance to win an additional BeBe Pet of your choice.

Urban Baby Bonnets

Colette Palamar is a painter as well as a seamstress. She sees her Urban Baby Bonnets project as kind of a worldwide collage of moving and changing color and pattern– kind of like a walking painting made up of the folks who wear her hats, all over the country, and the world. Her designs are a real work of art with awesome color and print combinations, and the stitching is top notch. Get one at craftsburykids.com this week, and mention this post (as well as your favorite bonnet design). You’ll be entered in a random drawing, for a chance to win an additional bonnet of your choice.

Clothing with kid and parent appeal

Liliputians-NYC children's clothing is created entirely in New York City by seamstress/designer Heather Flottmann. Heather's unpretentious designs offer up just the right amount of colorful whimsy to appeal to kids, while also being attractive to the adult eye.
 
With clean and simple lines, the pieces are not fussy or overdone. How refreshing, in a world where frilly poufy apparel for girls parallels with bland, neutral designs that can be way too serious, with not much in-between. Liliputians is a perfect match for that sometimes fickle time of childhood, where preconceived ideas of style can be an instant turn-off to developing personalities.

Save 15% on all Liliputians items at Craftsbury Kids, for a limited time. Visit craftsburykids.com and Enter code LIL2009 at check out to take advantage of the discount. Offer expires June 24, 2009. 

Shown above from left to right- Foxglove pant set, Jello Dots dress, Frida Decoupaged Folklorico pants. 

Looking to grow your handmade business? Read on...

 

Open Letter to crafters, small businesses, and supporters of handmade (please feel free to post this on your own blog):

You may already be aware that the Handmade Toy Alliance has become a non-profit organization with a mission not only to continue to work toward change in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, but first and foremost to support crafters and small businesses in the children's industry on an ongoing basis. Or maybe you have yet to learn who we are. If that's the case, you can learn all about us at handmadetoyalliance.org. 

Joining the HTA is not just about fighting the CPSIA; it's about you and growing your business. As makers and sellers of small batch products for children, we came together out of an imminent need to fight for our right to remain in business. Along the way it became clear that no organization existed to support people like us. So we thought- "Why not be that support system?"

At the start we were ignored by the CPSC and Congress. Nevertheless, our energy and commitment remained steadfast, and as our numbers grew, our collective voice became and continues to be important and respected in the CPSIA debate, proving that a small group of concerned citizens really can change the world. It's only natural that we use that voice to continue our work, and offer valuable resources to your business.

There are a number of ways that HTA membership can benefit your business, all of which are listed here: http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/join-the-handmade-toy-alliance/ In this post, I'd like to talk about my favorite, and in my opinion--hands down--the most important tangible benefit.

Sure you'll help in the fight for a better CPSIA by joining the HTA, and your support is greatly needed and appreciated. But did you know that membership also includes built in marketing for your business? For my small business, this alone makes the membership dues well worth it. Dues by the way, can be as low as $35 a year.

As a small business owner, I'm sure you're well aware of the ever rising costs of PR and advertising. As an HTA member you'll benefit from a low cost approach to growing your business. You'll receive a profile page on the HTA website, with a description of your services, and photos of you and your products, linked to your own website. The site is regularly visited by members of the press as well as parents and others interested in handmade products. Your inclusion will improve search engine rankings, and open up the opportunity for members of the press to learn more about you, as well as increase your pool of potential customers.

In addition to your profile page, you will be given the opportunity to participate in affordable cooperative advertising, as well as a featured business write up on the Handmade Toy Alliance blog. As we grow there will continue to be new marketing ideas and you'll be on the ground floor.  
 
We are all part of a small and still largely untapped niche in the children's industry. Every day millions search for unique gifts and other items for their children. By joining the HTA you become part of an alliance of innovative businesses ready to serve this unique segment of the market. 

Since its inception, the HTA has been member driven. Rather than act as a large untouchable force, we want to continue to be approachable and accessible as peers. HTA members hold a diverse range of talents and knowledge, and we've been quite successful at tapping into this pool for the benefit of us all. As an HTA member, you get to both give and receive, thus you become a part of the process that shapes the future of this alliance. But rest assured if you're too busy to be involved in this process. Participating in the development of the alliance is optional. You decide how much or how little you want to be involved, if at all, while still reaping the benefits offered.

Please consider becoming a member of the HTA . More information and a sign up form can be found here: http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/join-the-handmade-toy-alliance/ For the low cost of membership you'll be joining with a unique group of businesses that hold in common the fact that we all offer something truly special to the children's industry, and a unique talent for working together to bring novel ideas into fruition.

Yours truly,

Cecilia Leibovitz
Craftsbury Kids
President, Handmade Toy Alliance
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org

Whitney Phippen feature in Better Homes and Gardens

    

Craftsbury Kids artist Whitney Phippen’s vintage silhouette pendants are featured in the May issue of Better Homes and Gardens. Just gorgeous!

Craftsbury Kids interview with Lyn Pollard

I was recently interviewed by Lyn Pollard of Chalkydoodles regarding Craftsbury Kids, and the Save Handmade movement. It was interesting to reflect on both these projects and really got me thinking about details I hadn't pondered in a long time.

Read part one of the interview here, and part two here.

Small Magazine's new blog

I'm so happy to find out today that Small Magazine is now publishing a blog. How wonderful to have a supplement to their seasonal issues so rich with amazing photos and inspiration. Go take a look at the blog, called smaller here.  

My letter to Congressman Dingell

March 17, 2009

Dear Congressman Dingell,

I want to express my gratitude for the letter you sent to Nancy Nord and Thomas Moore, and the important questions you ask regarding the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. As owner of a micro-business serving the children’s industry, I do not have the means to hire lobbyists, and having the support of lawmakers means so much. I have been working on the CPSIA issue for many months, and it encourages me to keep going when I read letters like yours. I would like to share with you, answers to some of the questions you pose, particularly those that affect my business specifically.

A little bit of background on my company: I started Craftsbury Kids in 2004 in order to offer children alternatives to the mass produced throw-away toys and other items, so ubiquitous in the marketplace. My purpose is to offer difficult to find handmade items that are made in the USA and Europe, and tend to last for generations. I am part of a niche market and my income is modest, however my family of six relies solely on this income to survive. I do this because it’s important to me that children have access to items that will help them to grow artistically and intellectually. I see my offerings as a respite from the flashy characters and electronic toys and gadgets that have shortened childhoods and limited imaginations. I have always chosen Craftsbury Kids items with quality and safety in mind. Most of the items I offer are made from natural materials.

You ask about quantitative data concerning any negative impact of the Act on small manufacturers of children’s products. I work with about 100 artists, and most produce one of kind items. If component testing is not allowed, the majority of my artists will go out of business, with the exception of three larger manufacturers. The permanent marking requirement will also pose difficulties for these small producers (in the event of a recall, small producers can easily trace the items sold and get in touch with consumers).

As far as mitigating economic impact on small manufacturers I would suggest the following:

1. Focus on items that pose a risk such as paint and cheap jewelry, and exempt all other items.
2. Allow for use of certain finishes that do not pose a risk (for example milk paint, beeswax, tung oil, vegetable oils etc.)
3. Allow certification of materials to suffice for proof of compliance (component testing), and remove the requirement that finished products be tested.
4. Exempt small producers from batch labeling or make it voluntary.

I am alarmed by the fact that books printed prior to 1985 are now illegal to sell to children. I do not know of one case in which a child has been lead poisoned by a book. Do you know any children who are capable of chewing up and digesting books? It is my understanding that this would be necessary for a child to be adversely affected by lead in ink. I can not stress enough how important books, especially old books are for children. These books contain a rich history that will never again be available, as many are out of print. A great many books printed prior to 1985 are valued at no more than a few dollars. These will not be sold to adult collectors as the law allows. I fear that millions of these books will be thrown away as trash. I have already discovered a box of old children’s books placed on the curb for garbage pickup, by a Vermont thrift store in my area. Books must be exempted altogether from this law, if the legacy we pass on to our children is important to us.

I would suggest that thrift stores be allowed to sell items (including all books) that to the best of their knowledge are safe, and not be held liable. Because they risk being severely penalized under CPSIA, many stores have chosen to stop selling children’s products altogether. This is an absolute tragedy for the needy, not to mention an environmental nightmare when all of these things end up in our landfills. Has a zipper on a pair of jeans ever given a child lead poisoning? It is really shameful that this law is causing thrift stores to close, or eliminate their children’s departments.

I believe the age limit in the Act’s definition of children’s products is highly inappropriate. Children above the age of 2 or 3 do not put toys or other non-food items in their mouths. I know this to be true, because I am a mother of four, and have observed my own, and the children of others.

It is my ardent hope that commonsense changes will be made to this law, in order to ensure safety for our children, while allowing the entrepreneurs of our country to continue to offer our children great value. Small businesses are disappearing in droves. During this time of economic crisis, it is more important than ever that our Citizens be allowed to remain in business. If changes to the law are not made, my business will be left with very little to offer. I don’t know if I will be able to remain in business, my specialty being the innovative, the handmade, the one of a kind, all of which are currently at risk of being wiped out by CPSIA.
Yours truly,

Cecilia Leibovitz