Chicki on Etsy!

Browsing Etsy the other day, I ran across a very talented polymer clay artist. She makes the most amazing focal pendants!

So, I asked her if I could feature her on my blog, and she said "Yes!" (Click on the pictures to see the actual listings)

Chicki ( http://chicki.etsy.com/ ) is also a member of the Etsy Street team I belong to, PCAGOE (Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy). You can check out their blog at http://www.pcagoe.com/

When did you start to work with clay?

I first bought some clay probably 5 years or so ago and made some very simple beads with it. Since then I took a couple breaks from clay when I had my children. I guess I have been seriously working with it for almost 2 years now and have had it in my etsy shop for just over a year.

What had inspired you to start?

I am always up for a challenge and thought clay would be fun to try. Well, I bought some clay and was hooked. It is such a great medium to work with.

What do you love most about working with clay?

I love the versatility clay has. It can mimic anything you want it to be and it can be used in so many ways...its great! I love the colours and textures that clay can be made into as well. There are so many great artists out there using it in so many ways...that is fantastic!

What is your most favorite creation?

Ok so my biased opinion is all of them! I do love all of my work but have a few that I just cannot part with so I keep them for myself or give them to close family members. Right now though, I really like creating necklaces from my own beads and enhancing them with sterling silver findings and glass beads or crystals.

Do you have any advice for people who are considering working with polymer clays?

There is a wealth of information out there to learn from. My advice to a newbie would be to read and experiment. There are lots of great books out there. Develop your own style and go from there....you never know what you will end up creating. And have fun!

Thanks Julie!

CPSC Grants a One Year stay of the new CPSIA testing and certification requirements!

CPSC Grants a One Year stay of the new CPSIA testing and certification requirements!

This is awesome news!

While we all should continue what we have started in trying to ensure that everything we (as craftsmen) make is well within the limits for lead and phthalates (and other hazardous chemicals), it does mean that for the next year (until February 10, 2010) we will not have to pay exhorbit prices for the 3rd party testing as was originally planned in order to ship to the United States.

From what I can gather, one of the things they will be considering is whether or not the retailers/manufacturers of the supplies we use for our crafts will have to provide all of the 3rd party testing certificates to us, the users, and if that should be sufficient. This reprieve will also allow them to provide a list of accepted testing labs, and to educate all small business with testing requirements etc.

Personally, I believe that as long as I provide the certificates I get from the retailers for all of the supplies used in my crafts, that should be sufficient. And, would you not think so as well? I mean, really! Since I am not the one bringing in all the supplies from other countries, I am only a consumer myself. I am not the one who is mass-producing little jewellry findings, or paint, or glue, or fabrics, or any number of the "ingredients" in my crafts. I would think that the big retailers are the ones that should be ensuring that what they are selling to the public is safe for the public to use!

Anyway, enough said. For the time being, we have a reprieve, until the commission has an opportunity to review just exactly what it is they were proposing and how it would effect not only the economy of the USA, but all of the world!

I must state here that I do agree that we must protect our children. They are our future. But there is a difference between protecting them, and trying to make it so that they have no contact with Anything that is manufactured (in a factory or in an individual's home) up to and including fabrics, paper products, craft supplies, etc. Is it actually the plan to put them in little bubbles, safe from the nastiness of the Entire World? Of course, what would those bubbles be made of? And who made them?

To read the entire report in PDF please go here : http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia09/brief/stayenforce.pdf

Save our Cottage Industry! CPSIA and how it affects You!

The following is a post that I am sure many of us will be reading quite often in the days to come.

Now as a parent myself, I have always been concerned with what exactly is in the products that I purchase, especially from the big box stores and the dollar stores. However, there is such a thing as "over-reacting" and to me, this is one of those obviously "not thought about" non-sensical laws. To me it is more like shooting the messenger than actually trying to do something about the real issues.

Sadly, lead is in everything. It is in the water we drink and the food we eat. It is a cheap, easily obtained element and has been over-used for a long time in the manufacturing process.


"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=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade: Due to the new law, you will now be given an undyed, natural fibre 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. (Imagine this, More lead seaping into the environment!)

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.html

To 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 Forbes http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react."

In my own opinion, I believe that the onus should be upon the retailer of any and all goods available for purchase to provide the necessary 3rd party testing certification. And! Since the government is trying to enforce this, perhaps the Government should be the ones to Pay for this testing.

This law is supposed to protect us and our children from lead and other hazardous materials. The law is implying that any and all supplies (such as crayons, paper, inks, fabrics etc) would not be appealing to children 12 and under. Well! I quite clearly remember as a child actually doing crafts! I coloured in colouring books. I learned to sew, crochet, and knit! I did not just play with the end product.

Maybe I am part of a minority in this, but again, I feel this is just a tactic to make it so that any and all manufactured items (Handcrafted/handmade included) is only to be made available from big companies. It is just WRONG!!