Growing concerns about the new LAW

Photo above is of cute dolls made by Lucky Pebble on Etsy.

As people are worried about breaking the law, many Etsy shops
are frantic to sell off their items before the Febuary 10 deadline.
I know I am!

Because of the new Law about lead in children's toys and clothing, lots of small hand crafting folks are worried. I am one of those worried people.
Please take time to let the country and law makers know your voice.

I recently read an article on CNN called
New law could wipe out handcrafted toy makers
about Lucky Pebble and others who worry for their small business.

I quote from the article:
"The law makes no distinction between large-scale manufacturers, mom-and-pop businesses, and one-man operations. While large corporations may be able to easily absorb the costs of product testing, the price is potentially overwhelming for small businesses.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission - which cannot change the law, only enforce it - is scrambling to clarify certain vague language of the law, and to establish clearer rules for testing. On Tuesday, January 6, the commission voted on certain provisions that may offer relief to some toymakers. However, a second vote - which will not take place until after the law goes into effect - is needed to finalize the rulings."

and quoted again here
"The safety standards are perfectly reasonable, but the testing costs are not sustainable for a micro-business," says Dan Marshall, founder of the Handmade Toy Alliance. Marshall and his wife, Millie Adelsheim, own a St. Paul, Minn., store called Peapods, which specializes in natural, no-frills toys such as wooden blocks and trains, as well as other baby products and clothes.

"There's no sense of scale, no exemptions based on the size of the business," Marshall says. "It doesn't make sense for someone who's knitting kids' hats in their living room to pay hundreds of dollars to test each hat." Members of the alliance - more than 170 retailers, toymakers, and concerned citizens - have inundated the Consumer Product Safety Commission with letters, faxes and e-mails expressing their fears and offering suggestions."

Let your voice be heard and stand up for your freedom to craft and sell it too!