Little Ida

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.

CPSIA Letter from Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy

This image is an attachment I received with the below letter today from Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy (please click to enlarge it). Senator Leahy has always been a strong supporter of small business, but I wasn't sure what to expect in reply when I wrote to him. This is very positive and gives me hope! Please leave your comments below. I would love to hear what you think.

Dear Ms. Leibovitz:

Thank you for contacting me about third party testing of toys. I appreciate knowing of your concerns.

In July, Congress overwhelmingly approved H.R. 4040, the CPSC Reform Act, to address the safety of products sold in the United States. I supported the bill because the number of consumer safety crises over the past two years demanded that we put more emphasis and funding into product safety and oversight. Major reform was needed because the CPSC had not been properly equipped to handle these serious problems.

A number of small manufacturers in Vermont have contacted me concerning the CPSC's regulatory guidance. During Senate consideration of the bill, I raised similar concerns and sent the attached letter to Senators negotiating the final package. I am hopeful that the CPSC will take the needs of small, American manufacturers into consideration as they continue to develop new testing policies. In the next session of Congress, I will continue to work towards a solution that both ensures the safety of our children and allows small businesses in Vermont to stay competitive.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please keep in touch.

PATRICK LEAHY
United States Senator

Subscribe to Senator Patrick Leahy's periodic newsletter at the following address:
http://leahy.senate.gov/NwsLtr/indexSub.cfm

Help Save Handmade Toys in the USA

In 66 days mandatory safety testing will be required for all toys sold in the United States under a new law through the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). If the law as currently written is not modified, handmade toys (and other children's items) made by small crafters, and even niche products from some larger companies will no longer be legal in the United States; Craftsbury Kids and countless other retailers who rely on handmade products in the children's industry will be left with a dismally limited product range to offer customers.

In 2007, large toy manufacturers who outsource their production to China and other developing countries violated the public's trust. They were selling toys with improperly secured and easily swallowed small magnets, and toys made from chemicals that made kids sick. Almost every problem toy in 2007 was made in China.

The United States Congress rightly recognized that the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) lacked the authority and staffing to prevent dangerous toys from being imported into the US, so they passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act in August 2008. Among other things, the CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in toys, mandates third-party testing and certification for all toys and requires toy makers to permanently label each toy with a date and batch number.

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 will likely drive them out of business, or prevent them from doing business with the United States.
:: A toymaker for example, who makes wooden cars in his garage in Maine to supplement his income cannot afford the (up to $4,000) fee per toy that testing labs are charging to assure compliance with the CPSIA.
:: A work at home mom in Minnesota who makes dolls to sell at craft fairs must choose either to violate the law or cease operations.
:: And even 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.

The CPSIA simply forgot to address the class of toys that have earned and kept the public's trust: toys made in the US, Canada, and Europe. The result, unless the law is modified, will be that small creative companies with unique products, will be forced out of business, or forced to narrow their product range and sell to the mass market. Product availability and selection will diminish. Ironically, we will be primarily left with imported plastic toys from China.

What can you do to help?
Toy stores, Toymakers and others in the industry:
Join the Handmade Toy Alliance- http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org

Parents, grandparents, and concerned citizens:
Write to your United States Congress Person and Senator and the CPSC to request changes in the CPSIA to save handmade toys. You can find a sample letter with links to representatives here-
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/how-you-can-help/ and the Handmade Toy Alliance website provides extensive information along with important links if you'd like to research further.

Please pass the word on in any way you can, discuss this issue in forums and post about it on your blog.

Holiday Gifts with Cool Mom Picks

 

The editors over at Cool Mom Picks have done it again...they've put together two fabulous gift guides filled to the brim with antidotes to the same old, same old holiday options, and they've included three Craftsbury Kids items in the guides! Just like the Cool Mom Picks blog which features great picks for children everyday, both the Cool Mom Picks Safer Toy, and Holiday guides are heavy on gifts from mom-owned, and other small, independent businesses, with many handmade items. Along with our Puffy Posy Pendant by Little Pink Posies, Heirloom Hobby Horses by Dan Hillman, and Dragonfly pull toy by Brian Driscoll, you'll find goodies from great shops like Quiet Hours Toys, North Star Toys, The Pajama Squid, and more!

Not only are the Cool Moms big time supporters of indie businesses, time and time again, these real moms manage to find products that parents will actually use, and feel good giving to their children. A lot of thought goes into every product recommended by Cool Mom Picks. Take a look at their guides and support small business this holiday season! 

Toys Old & New

Though I don't have many of my own childhood toys saved, I do collect toys both new and old. I love to arrange little toy displays around the house and office for daily inspiration, and thought it would be fun to share some with you. Please feel free to leave links to pictures of your collections. I'd love to see them!

 
The book in the background, New York, City on Many Waters belonged to my parents. As a child, I spent a lot of time gazing at the wonderful water colors and pen and ink drawings of old New York inside. It is particularly special to me because of this, and reminds me of my childhood and years after living in New York.

The pink baby doll was made from celluloid plastic in Japan, wobbles when pushed, and lets out a squeaky crying sound when her head is pushed down. I found her recently in a Vermont antique shop.

The two bunnies are brand new and came from one of my favorite toymakers, Jennifer Murphy of J. Murphy Bears. 

 

The red horse was made by toymaker Dan Hillman. It is part of a hobby horse that sadly, broke in transit while being shipped to a magazine for a photo shoot.

The Friendship book, A Festival of Fun, Beauty and Inspiration for Every Kind of Friend was given to me by my father many years ago. It was published by Hallmark Cards in 1974. The cover is in rough shape but I still cherish it. Inside, there are excerpts from memorable writings by Vincent Van Gogh, Antoine de Saint-Expury, Anne Frank, Henry David Thoreau, and others, along with illustrations by various artists.

The little wooden horse belonged to my mother, and was purchased during a trip to Sweden. She was born there and loved to travel back for visits whenever she could.

Sophie the giraffe is a squeaky baby toy, still handmade in the French Alps in the same manner in which it was when first produced in 1961. She is also one of the first toys we offered at Craftsbury Kids, and our most popular item to this day.

The three brass owls belonged to my mother, and the Philco Bakelite radio was a lucky yard sale find.

Stylish French Fashion Dolls

 

Visiting from France, not far from Versailles, are the charming Lucy and Gina. Each sweetly peculiar Modette doll is handmade by designer Sophie Palhares. The dolls are 100% cotton including their stuffing, and wear wool felt boots and one-of-a-kind dresses designed and sewn by Sophie herself. I especially love the crisp details of the dolls' painted on faces. Both dolls, along with their friend Marcus are for sale at craftsburykids.com. 

Toymaker Irma Niekum

Irma Niekum has been providing Craftsbury Kids with her gorgeous bird banners for over a year now, and we're thrilled to present you with a new collection of her toys and other treasures. Irma insists on sewing each and every stitch by hand--no machines are used in constructing her products; her meticulous attention to detail, along with her talent for color and design is evident in her work. Perhaps most important, a sense of belonging is felt in every one of these delightful toys, decorations, and party favors. Like us, Irma believes that personalized items are more special and carry more meaning than gifts that are mass produced. You can see the collection at craftsburykids.com.

Dan Hillman's Hobby Horses

These gorgeous heirloom quality hobby horses are the creation of Ireland based toymaker Dan Hillman. Dan has a rare ability to infuse static materials with positive energy, resulting in toys that radiate beauty and nostalgia. "Dan works alone on his Hobby Horses, he is a one man show. He loves the work that he does and has no ambition for (his business)...to grow any larger than it is now...small is beautiful, and enjoyable. He keeps orders down to a level that leaves time for him to enjoy each and every creation, to take pride in his work. He never wants his Hobby Horses to become a production line item, or a chore to complete."
-Rebecca Hillman

Dan goes far beyond most to ensure his creations are as eco friendly as possible. The sycamore wood he employs to make the toys comes from locally sourced fallen timber in his hometown of Leitrim Ireland. The finishes on the horses are non toxic and approved for use on children's toys: natural milk paints, plant based Auro paints from Germany, and low VOC acrylics and varnish. Each horse is unique. They are all hand-crafted, hand-stained, and hand-painted. Each one is signed by Dan and individually numbered. They are truly among the most exquisite toys I've ever laid eyes on.

Outlaw plastic toys?

Is the latest news about popular toy Aqua Dots, containing a substance that mimics a "date rape drug" surprising? This whole series of recalls brings to mind the PVC toy scare of the 1990s. There was quite a lot of buzz about it for a while, some companies removed PVC from infant toys, and then it seemed like people were generally satisfied. Once the news blew over, PVC crept back into the stores (or more like it never really left).

What do you think? Will the media attention on unsafe toy production impact the purchasing habits in this country over the long term, or will the issue just fade away after a while? Plastic is so ingrained in our culture, it can be difficult to avoid taking its convenience for granted. Plastic production involves some pretty scary stuff. Maybe it's just time we minimize or even eliminate our use of it. What's your take on this? Can you see yourself doing it?

Tired of all the recalls (both lead, & chemicals in plastic)? Parent Bloggers is teaming up with Consumers Union, known for producing Consumer Reports. They've put together a campaign called "Get the Lead out this Holiday Season!" They're looking for 30,000 parents to volunteer by 11/14 as Safe Shoppers who'll let local stores know they're fed up with unsafe children's toys. Go over to Parent Bloggers to find out more!

This is Blythe

I'm excited to introduce one of the latest collections at Craftsbury Kids, a series of Blythe prints by photographer Gina Garan. When I started Craftsbury Kids, I wanted to capture a bit of the essence of childhood fun. These playful prints fit right in at Craftsbury Kids, where play reigns, and everything's a tad off the beaten path.

After receiving a Blythe doll as a gift from a friend who thought she resembled her, Gina Garan began photographing Blythe Dolls, a short-lived Kenner product of the early 1970s. Gina, who works as a video and TV producer, started carrying at least one of her Blythes wherever she went on her travels around the world and took many photos. In conjunction with a photo exhibition by Gina, a reproduction line--the Neo-Blythes was launched; The underappreciated beauties had become instant icons with a serious cult following.

If you're craving more Blythe goodness, visit Gina's gorgeous site This Is Blythe. The above mentioned prints are available at craftsburykids.com.