BuggaLove - Unique Nursery Decor & More

Shop Closed for Maternity Leave

2010-10-25T10:23:00.000-05:00

It's Official! We have only a few weeks left until the arrival of Bugga #3. I have closed my shop for maternity leave and plan to re-open in a few months. All orders placed in September and October have been completed and shipped!

While I'm "away" feel free to

♥ Find me on Facebook ♥

and

♥ Sign Up for my Newsletter ♥

October Clearance Sale

2010-10-01T11:56:00.000-05:00

All infant bodysuits and toddler tshirts are 40% off!

(Stock is limited)

At the end of October (or when I run out of bodysuits) I will be closing my shop for "maternity leave". Bugga #3 is due in mid-November and I anticipate being closed for November and December. I am currently taking a waiting list for custom mobiles and wood wall letters. If you'd like to be on my waiting list, contact me!

Introducing Block Party and Peacock Lane!

2010-08-25T08:40:00.000-05:00

While I was hoping to unveil these earlier in the month, better late than never! I have two new design schemes available for mobiles and wood wall letters.

Block Party is a bright, colorful scheme featuring blue, red, green, brown, and white. I saw this scheme and immediately though that it would be perfect for airplane single flyers because of the stars on it.

And for the little girls...introducing Peacock Lane! This design scheme is whimsical and fun featuring dots, stripes, and a variety of patterns in teal, deep purple and lime.

I have one more design scheme to unveil, hopefully by the end of the month! Stay tuned!

More Treasure Hunting

2010-07-27T10:17:00.000-05:00

July has been a record breaking month for BuggaLove! I've been so busy, I've had to increase my lead time from 4-6 weeks to 5-7 weeks on custom mobiles and wood wall letters. I think it will be back to my standard lead time by mid-August as I'm gaining ground on all my orders! I'll be unveiling 3 new design schemes in August! Want a sneak peek? Sign up for my newsletter!

More treasuries I'm being featured in!
EtsyKids - Tweet Tweet for Tots
The Birds and The Bees
"A" is for...
Apple Caramel
Airplanes

On a personal note, I announced several months ago that we're expecting Bugga #3 in November.

I'm thrilled to report that

It's a Boy!

Etsy Treasure Hunt

2010-07-09T01:18:00.000-05:00

The introduction of Treasury East on Etsy has really opened up the treasure chest for opportunity! I'm currently being featured in 10 treasuries in Treasury East! They're all really great collections! Hope you'll check them out...
Bullfrogs and Dandelions

Summer 2010 Etsy Baby Shower - Volume 1

Triceratops Homage

Awwww Nuts!

Come Sail Away

I'll Take you There

Little Boy Blue

You are my Son Shine - A budget friendly nursery

Nursery in Gold, Blue, and Green

If I have a Child

Enjoy!

July Newsletter from BuggaLove

2010-07-01T13:30:00.000-05:00

My July Newsletter went out today! Have you signed up yet? There are exclusive coupon codes ONLY for newsletter subscribers! Sign up today!

BuggaLove was recognized in June in a few places. In case you haven't seen it yet, I've been nominated as a Favorite Etsy Mom! To vote, please click "I like this" next to "Jess of BuggaLove"(currently #9)! Thanks so much for your vote! http://babble.com/mom/parenting-top-50/top-50-etsy-moms/nominate-an-etsy-mom

I've was also extremely honored to be featured on parenting.com! Check out this list of 31 Baby Gifts for $20 and Less! http://www.parenting.com/gallery/Baby/Cheap-Baby-Shower-Gifts

SALE NEWS

Great news for all my clients! We're overstocked on 18-month sized bodysuits in both long and short sleeves! So for the month of July, we're continuing our June special! Customers will receive a FREE 18-month infant bodysuit with the purchase of ANY infant bodysuit from BuggaLove (while supplies last).

Upon purchase, write the following in the notes section of my website or Etsy shop: I want a FREE 18-month infant bodysuit! Please send me a (insert: short or long) sleeved bodysuit in the (insert design name here) design. You must indicate this at time of purchase.

As you probably know by now, I have a very limited number of pre-made items available in my shop. Mostly because I'm too busy working on custom orders to keep the ready-to-ship items stocked! There is ONE pre-made mobile on sale! It is 50% off! With an alpha-numeric theme, these are perfect for any nursery or play space! Available only in my Etsy Shop! Mega Alphabet Mobile

Don't forget, you can stay up to date with what's happening at BuggaLove by following us on Twitter, following the BuggaBlog or becoming a BuggaLove Fan on Facebook!

Introducing FOUR new design schemes!

2010-06-18T13:49:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled to unveil four new design schemes for my design scheme catalog! From classy to country, these new options add a lot of variety to my already wide array of choices!

Oh La La 2

You may remember I introduced Oh La La recently...well here's Oh La La 2! Very chic, damask patterns in yellow/orange, black/grey, and aqua tones.

Farm Fresh

This is Farm Fresh. I love this design scheme for it's country chic look and the best part is that it has great designs for both boys and girls!

As you can see, from this sailboat mobile, great options for boys.

Or pretty for girls as shown in the name sample!

Bliss

Bright and Bold, Bliss is a great girly design scheme with a mod theme. Dots stipes, mod butterflies, florals, and solids this scheme has it all while featuring deep shades of green, yellow, pink, and brown.

Earth Love

Subtle and earthy, Earth Love is a fabulous gender neutral design scheme. Featuring clouds, dandelions, birds, dots, leaves, stripes, and flowers in light blue, green, brown, yellow, and peach this design scheme is great for many nursery themes.

Don't forget about our June Special!
BuggaLove is overstocked on 18-month sized bodysuits in both long and short sleeves! For the month of June, customers will receive a FREE 18-month infant bodysuit with the purchase of ANY infant bodysuit from BuggaLove (while supplies last).

You do NOT need to add the free item to your cart!

Last Day to enter my Blog Giveaway!

As you may know, I have been co-hosting the Etsy Baby Shower for the past year. We're currently in the middle of the Summer Etsy Baby Shower and I'm hosting a giveaway on the Etsy Baby Shower Blog. See the Baby Shower blog for details! Enter to win today a set of FREE Wood Wall Letters!

June Specials and Other Announcements

2010-06-01T18:42:00.000-05:00

Exciting News!

I'm thrilled to announce that I'm pregnant! We're expecting our third Bugga in November 2010. We've still got a few weeks before finding out if we're having a boy or a girl, but I'll keep you posted!

June Special!

BuggaLove is overstocked on 18-month sized bodysuits in both long and short sleeves! For the month of June, customers will receive a FREE 18-month infant bodysuit with the purchase of ANY infant bodysuit from BuggaLove (while supplies last).

You do NOT need to add the free item to your cart!

Blog Giveaway!

Introducing the Oh La La Design Scheme

2010-05-27T12:21:00.000-05:00

For the next few months I'll be rolling out some new design schemes! Today, I'd like to introduce you to "Oh La La"! It's a gorgeous scheme featuring orange, hot pink, lime, and aqua in dot, floral, and damask patterns. Great for your child's bright, mod room!

As with all of BuggaLove's wood wall letters you can find them in 2 sizes and many font choices! The font shown here is "Impact".

If you haven't visited me recently

2010-04-02T10:17:00.000-05:00

Time certainly can get away from a person! I can't believe it has been so long since my last blog post. I've been working on a few things. Specifically, I am expanding my line of Wood Wall Letters! If you haven't visited BuggaLove recently, now is a great time to do it!

I will now be offering letters in two different sizes, 6" and 8". And you now have more than 10 font choices! What's the best part? The best part is that I was able to reduce my prices by 20-30%! So now, letters are only $10-$12 each!

My gallery hasn't been fully brought up to date yet, but I'm working on it! And I'll be unveiling several gorgeous new design schemes very soon! Please check back often.

Reach for the Stars!

2010-02-05T15:31:00.000-05:00

BuggaLove was featured in a blog today! I was included in a design board for a moon and stars themed nursery by NameSake Design. I absolutely LOVE her design board (and not just because I was included)! Featured in the blog was one of my Moon and Star mobiles. These are a favorite of mine to make and one of my most popular mobile styles.

BuggaLove Website is undergoing maintenance

2010-01-27T14:03:00.000-05:00

Please forgive the appearance of the BuggaLove website. There were some issues with the coding and I am working to have the situation corrected. Hopefully it will not be unsightly for long!

BuggaLove Recommends - Mama's Little Helper

2010-01-23T16:24:00.003-05:00

I haven't done an edition of BuggaLove Recommends in a very long time! So here it is! Mama's Little Helper is a great site for PA moms who are in and around Bucks county! Christina Glen, a Richboro, PA mother of one has launched Mama's Little Helper, a reference for Bucks County Moms, to help moms in and around Bucks County, PA by providing a much needed resource of places to play, classes to take, story times, consignment sales/stores, calendar listings, local events, holiday features, coupons and a blog of need to know information.

"The inspiration for Mama's Little Helper came from my experience as a new mother to my daughter Jenna," said Christina. "When I was a new mom, I had a hard time looking for activities and places to take my child. I decided to design a resource in the form of a website that would help moms to access all of the resources available to them and their child with a click of their mouse!"

Mama's Little Helper is easy to navigate and is updated daily. Pages and features include a calendar, newsletter, classes, coupons, indoor/outdoor play, blog, story times, free activities and helpful parenting articles. Mama's Little Helper reaches working moms, stay-at-home moms, nannies, parents, grandparents and any child care provider looking for something to do in and around Bucks County. Hope you'll check it out!

BuggaLove Introduces New Design Schemes!

2010-01-19T01:44:00.003-05:00

I'm pleased to announce the addition of 6 new design schemes to the BuggaLove design scheme catalog for 2010! This is the first of many new additions to the catalog scheduled this year! Here is a peek at the new additions:

It's Etsy Baby Shower Time!

2010-01-08T00:10:00.001-05:00

As you may remember, in the Fall of 2009 I co-hosted the Etsy Baby Shower with Deniz from DecorativeLabels. We're excited that it's baby shower time again! The Winter 2010 Etsy Baby Shower has begun!

If you're an Etsy Shop owner and you'd like to participate...
CLICK HERE

If you're an expecting Etsy member and you'd like to participate...
CLICK HERE

January Special at BuggaLove

2010-01-01T14:54:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!

Buy One, Get One 50% Off

on all infant bodysuits at BuggaLove during January!

BuggaLove in True North Parenting Magazine!

2009-12-07T17:36:00.000-05:00

This afternoon as I picked up the mail, I found a most wonderful thing amidst the holiday cards (and bills). My copy of the December/January issue of True North Parenting magazine had arrived! Among the other helpful hints, resources, and articles, this fabulous magazine is featuring a BuggaLove Single Flyer in their Handmade for the Holidays article! I am thrilled and honored to be included.

If you're in Oregon, be sure to pick up a copy of True North! And if you're not, be sure check them out online here!

BuggaLove Recommends - Holiday Edition 2008

2009-11-24T14:49:00.000-05:00

Last year, my kids had a Handmade Holiday. Really, we just bought them one big gift and a few stocking stuffers. The BIG gift was their kitchen set. Which I then finished myself to match our living room. We got it from Willow Toys. The quality and craftsmanship are superb. I can say a year later that this set is going to last us for many years to come despite the fact that my kids play with it daily and they're not always gentle. These toys also come with a lifetime guarantee. I consider them an investment. We got them the oven and refrigerator. There is plenty of storage space for all the kitchen accessories.

Every kitchen needs play food! I found a couple of wonderful Etsy shops to fit the bill. Their felt and cotton creations have more than held up to being cooked with by my two chefs for almost a year now and look as good as new. The first seller I'd like to introduce you to is BugBitesPlayFood who made our vegetable set. But beyond fruits and vegetables, this seller offers an amazing and creative variety of food items for your child to play with.

The fruits we purchased were equally fabulous. Made of felt and cotton, these fruits are colorful and very well made. We bought these from aebaby on Etsy. AeBaby not only offers these fun food creations but sells the most adorable I Spy bags and Loveys too!

Lastly, when we finished the kitchen set, I used a magnetic paint on the refirgerator door. I wanted to have letters to stick on it, just like a real refrigerator. But down with the plastic letters! I found these letters made from felt by MiChiMa on Etsy. You can get letters, numbers, names, uppercase, lowercase, you name it! These have held up well and were very colorful! The perfect finishing touch to our new kitchen!

Yes, I realize that this is the 2008 edition! Sadly, we didn't do much of a Handmade Holiday this year. And those items we DID buy handmade I can't show you yet, lest the recipeint be a BuggaBlog Reader. BUT there was ONE item we had custom made for our Buggas. I'd like to introduce you to CurlyQCuties. The most adorable custom monsters in the world! We bought one for each bugga to stick in their stockings. They came faster then I expected and are very well made. When I asked my 3 year old what to get her brother for Christmas yesterday, she told me a monster. I think I found the perfect thing to fit the bill! This monster isn't the one I got for him, but it was too cute not to show you.

Hope you enjoyed the BuggaLove Recommends Holiday Edition! Happy T-giving everyone!

Technical Difficulties Solved

2009-11-12T09:49:00.000-05:00

Thanks for everyone's patience and kind words. All my data was able to be recovered and my computer is now fixed! I wasn't expecting to get it back until Friday at the earliest, but thankfully it was completed ahead of schedule. So, back to our regularly scheduled programming!

I have a few new mobiles to list over the next couple of days, hope you'll look out for them!

We are currently experiencing technical difficulties

2009-11-10T22:15:00.000-05:00

Hello BuggaLove Readers!
I am sorry to announce that my computer crashed this morning. It is currently in for repair, but while it is being fixed there will be a delay in all BuggApparel orders. Sadly, I've lost all my graphics and designs. I anticipate they will be recovered and certainly I can recreate all of those that I did not have backed up. (Note to self...back up computer more often).

Please forgive any delay in my responses to you. I will have very limited computer access until I receive my computer back.

Sincerely,
Jessica

Blog feature from Sara's Toy Box

2009-11-06T16:10:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled and flattered to be put on Sara's Toy Box blog! Sara is a member of the Handmade Toy Alliance and is doing a series of articles called Handmade Holidays. BuggaLove was featured in Part 1 of this series! http://saras-toy-box.blogspot.com/2009/11/handmade-holidays-part-1.html

Thank you Sara!

What I'm Working on Today

2009-11-03T09:26:00.000-05:00

Since starting work on the Etsy Baby Shower in the beginning of October, I haven't posted any updates on what I'm working on for BuggaLove. The baby shower is still going on, we have a virtual Chat/Trunk Show in the Etsy chat rooms on Thursday, November 5th from 10pm to midnight. My co-host Deniz from DecorativeLabels is continuing to load the pictures of the gifts to the Etsy Baby Shower Flickr Album.That will wrap up the promotional activites for the Etsy Baby Shower and hopefully I'll have some time to stock up for the holidays. It was a busy October, I'm hoping this trend holds through the holiday season!

Sadly, my newsletter is late this month. I intended to have it out by now, but there has not been time to do so. It is my hope that by the end of the week it will go out. It will contain an exclusive Black Friday through Cyber Monday coupon code that is only for my newsletter subscribers. Thanks for your patience!

In case you missed it, I listed a

brand new dragonfly mobile last week!

Today, I have the following things that I'm working on in my studio. With any luck they'll be listed next week!

2 dragonfly single flyers

3 moon and stars mobiles

On Deck to start next week!

6 Airplane Single Flyers

2 Safari Mobiles

Etsy Baby Shower Featured Shops - Volume 10

2009-10-29T07:00:00.057-05:00

We are nearing the end of our Baby Shower Shop Features! For the past 10 days, I have been featuring shops that participated in the Fall 2009 Etsy Baby Shower! The Etsy Baby Shower is a Virtual Baby Shower in which a number of expecting and brand new Etsy mommies receive gifts from donating Etsy shops. This shower we have raised 112 gifts from 91 Etsy Shops for 28 lucky new moms and moms-to-be! Check out my previous blog posts for more featured shops!

Also see my Co-host Deniz's blog for more featured shops!

If you're interested in participating in the next Etsy Baby Shower, contact us! You can also stay updated on this event through our brand new Etsy Baby Shower Blog!

Handcreativity joined Etsy in September 2009, but only started stocking her shop in October. Handcreativity is inspired by nature, beauty, and love. Handcreativity featuresGuest Book and Journal Pen Sets. They’re all one of a kind. The Guest Books are for Weddings, Bridal Showers and Baby Showers. The Journals are generally for everyday usage but there are some models for special occasions (Thanksgiving, Christmas and Family Gatherings). This is Handcreativity's first time participating in the Etsy Baby Shower. She is donating a baby shower guest book.

We asked HandCreativity what advice she ahs for new moms. She said, "The best advice will be to trust themselves and follow their gut feelings. As a new mom myself, I can definitely tell them to enjoy the times cause time flies and when you notice the baby is already a couple of months old. Also do not force themselves too much, all is well that ends well!"

For this holiday season HandCreativity is offering free domestic shipping on all Journals! You can find HandCreativity on Twitter and on her blog!

TishaTooDesigns joined etsy in June of 2009. Growing up in a wonderful and amazing family in a little town of Corrales, New Mexico really plays a huge role in her inspiration. Playing in their garden and helping her mother care for our little community of wild critters nurtured a wonderful sense of imagination and creativity. TishaTooDesigns creates unique and imaginative baby wear with a whimsical touch. Many creations use 100% cotton materials. This is her first time in the Etsy Baby shower and TishaTooDesigns is so excited to help support our wonderful community of crafters. She will be donating a new set of onesie and bib with an embroidered toadstool on the front.

You must see the Veggie Swaddler, the original inspiration for the whole business. 100% percent cotton and machine washable, snuggles little ones to sleep and is completely adorable.

We asked TishaTooDesigns what advice she might have for new moms. She said, “Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Friends and family are there to help you in this new transition for all the members in the family.”
TishaTooDesigns is offering a 10% discount on your order in the month of November. For blog readers only, enter code NOV%10GOBABY. You can also follow TishaTooDesigns on Twitter!

DesignaBag joined Etsy in September 2009. DesignaBag strives to create fun, functional and affordable things. DesignaBag loves making things for kids that are fun and adorable! She enjoys making things that you can't find on a rack at a store! She make custom bags (including diaper bags) custom shirts/onesies, hairbows, cloth diapers, slings... give her a pattern and she will make it and figure out a way to make it her own. :) This is DesignaBag’s first time participating in the Etsy Baby Shower. She will be donating a customized bib and burp cloth set.

Check out these messenger diaper bags, the most popular item at DesignaBag

We asked DesignaBag what advice she has for new moms. She said, “Take time for yourself. Grab a quick nap or a long shower when you can!”

DesignaBag is offering free shipping when you buy 3 or more items! You can also find DesignaBag on her Blog!

Etsy Baby Shower Featured Shops- Volume 9

2009-10-28T07:00:00.018-05:00

This week I have been featuring a variety of shops who have generously donated to the Etsy Baby Shower. The Etsy Baby Shower is a Virtual Baby Shower in which a number of expecting and brand new Etsy mommies receive gifts from donating Etsy shops. This shower we have raised 112 gifts from 91 Etsy Shops for 28 lucky new moms and moms-to-be! Welcome to the final post in the series! If you missed my last 7 installments, go back and read them!

StarbrightBaby joined Etsy in June 2008 and this is the second Etsy Baby Shower she has participated in. She will be donating one of her sweet Teething Giraffes to a lucky baby. I can personally endorse StarbrightBaby’s teething giraffes! My son LOVES his!

Inspired by her son, StarbrightBaby features Teething Giraffes for babies. Suzi came up with the Teething Giraffe pattern after she received something similar for a baby gift from friends. Her little one loved it, but so did her 3-year-old niece! When she asked where she could get another one, her friends told her that it had been made by their grandmother who had passed away. Suzi figured out how to make one with a few aesthetic changes and before her niece left to go home we had a herd of giraffes in the house! Check out the organic teethers! Colorgrown cotton fabric is Suzi’s new favorite material!

We asked Suzi what advice she has for new moms. She says, “Hold your baby as much as possible. It really helps with the fussiness of the first 3 months. Babywearing is my favorite way to hold my babies!”

Want to see more StarBrightBaby? Check out her website and become a Fan on Facebook!

ZadyBall joined Etsy in October 2007. She has participated in the Etsy Baby Shower several times before and Alayna always has a hard time choosing one to send, so for this shower, she’s letting the mom choose her favorite. ZadyBall gets a ringing endorsement from BuggaLove! My son LOVES his ZadyBall!

Alayna’s inspiration is her children. When her oldest was a baby, he LOVED toys with strings. He had one toy in particular that had a knotted fabric string for a tail. He would play with it ALL the time, and it would help to sooth him at bed time. Alayna decided to make a toy that had lots of strings for him to play with - and that's how the Zadyball was born!

A Zady®ball is a handmade toy that is easy for young babies to hold on to, and will quickly become a favorite! They are soft to hold and cuddle, and have lots of knotted fabric strings to grab and rub. As your baby grows, Zadyball just becomes even more fun! It is great for soothing sore gums while teething, easy to throw and catch – especially when you are learning how, and machine washable – a MUST for any baby toy! Zadyball is available in many different colors, styles and personalities. You are sure to find one that is perfect for the baby in your life!

Zadyball comes in different animal versions as well. Alayna is pretty fond of Ringo the Purple Octopus, shown above.

We asked Alayna if she has any advice for new moms, She says, “For first-time moms, I ALWAYS recommend reading "The Happiest Baby on the Block" and using the 5 S's method it describes. It was seriously a life saver for me! Also, while having a baby can be exhausting, frustrating and really hard, remember to enjoy the special time you have with your baby. It won't be long before they are all grown up!”

Through the end of November get 20% off with the code "BABYSHOWER" from ZadyBall! Want to see more? You can find ZadyBall on Etsy, Twitter, Facebook, and Blogger!

PtiteBaloue joined Etsy in October last year. Curiously Isabelle convinced her boyfriend to open an Etsy shop for his photographs first, then she was a bit jealous so she opened hers too! This is her first time donating to the Etsy baby shower and one lucky baby will be getting a sweet teddy bear.

Isabelle has always loved soft toys. And for years she had been knitting only scarves, so since all of her friends and family members now had at least one, if not several, of her scarves, she decided to try something a bit more challenging. Inspiration comes as she falls upon new colors / fibers / yarns and figure out what kind of animal they could turn into.

PtiteBaloue features knit soft toys. Some of them are vegan, made from acrylic, polyester and other non-animal fibers, but several are knitted from handspun (by Isabelle, on a drop spindle!) natural fibers and stuffed only with pure wool, which makes them entirely natural and eco-friendly. They are all unique pieces, and take a lot of time to make. Often Isabelle spends 5, 6, 7 hours on the smallest toys and even more on bigger ones. Especially when she has to spin the yarn first!

You must see Elvis the Lion, shown here. He's not currently in Ptitebaloue’s Etsy shop because he's just about to spend two months in consignment at the boutique of an art galery in Quebec. But hopefully Isabelle will make him lots of brothers and sisters soon! (I’m sure if you ask her, she’d be happy to make you one!)

We asked Isabelle what advice she had for new moms. She said, “mm that's a hard one since I don't have any kid of my own yet... maybe to spend as much time as they can with their children?”

Ptitebaloue is offering $5 off on a purchase of $30 or more (before shipping) until Christmas and $10$ off a purchase of $80 or more (before shipping) to BuggaBlog readers! Just mention "Baby Shower" in the "Comments to the seller" and Isabelle will refund the money through Paypal after you've checked out.

Woodponddesigns joined Etsy in June 2008. This is the first time Jennifer has participated in the Etsy Baby Shower and she will be donating a Jumble Ball to a lucky baby! Woodponddesigns is inspired by nature and the changing of the seasons, and by Jennifer’s children, who are always willing to help in the creative process.

Woodponddeisgns is all about cute quirky fun! Jumble Balls are the bulk of their business, but Jennifer loves making all kinds of sewn items. She keeps a sketch book of design ideas and tries to stop herself from branching off in too many directions at once. When she’s not working on a new Jumble Ball, Jennifer enjoys working with felted wool, creating one of a kind plush critters. She also can't stand to throw out fabric scraps and is always looking for creative ways to use small amount of fabric, which is how she came to make drink coasters, button cover projects, passport sleeves, cute wallet purses, and mini sachets.

You must see Woodponddesign’s signature product: the Jumble Ball. They are a soft, squashy lightweight toy ball designed for infants and toddlers with tons of textured ribbons and rickrack and either jingle bells or a rattle secured inside. A sensory learning toy that is brightly colored, safe, fun, and best of all, washable!

We asked Jennifer what advice she has for new moms, she said, “My advice to new moms is to accept any help that is offered, don't try to do everything yourself. If a friend wants to bring you a casserole or come over and do your laundry so you can rest, say YES! It's also important to reach out and connect with other new moms, either in person or online.”

Special Christmas and Holiday themed items are arriving at Woodponddesigns now! BuggaBlog readers will receive 10% off any Jumble Ball order throughout the month of November at WoodPondDesigns! Use coupon code: BabyShower during checkout. A PayPal refund will be sent for the difference. Want to see more of WoodPondDesigns? Check out their blog or become a Fan on Facebook!

LittleAlouette joined Etsy in 2008. Inspired by their wee children and all babies and mamas and papas they love, you will find organic natural wood toys, teethers, and gifts. Each product is made by hand and usually all the wood is surrounded by cups of tea, laughing children, and disco music so each product will come to you infused with love and bliss! Your LittleAlouette item also comes with welcome card that includes information about their fabulous family business and locally sourced timber. They also provide you with a wood toy care guide.

This is LittleAlouette’s first time participating in the Etsy Baby Shower! They are sending the lucky lady a square teether! Perfect for wee small first teething times.

We asked Amy what advice she has for new moms. She said, “Get rest! Don't live on the new motherhood speed! It feels like you can do it all- but you will crash as some point! SLEEP- who cares about the state of your house for a few months. This time will never again be with you- nothing is like the few weeks and months after your FIRST baby. I promise. The second is different. Just relax. And enjoy this time and REST!”

LittleAlouette offers free worldwide shipping on some products! You can find LittleAlouette on their blog, website, Twitter, and facebook!

WigglyToothFactory joined Etsy on May 13, 2008. Inspired by the birth of her first child to make children related products and tooth fairy pillows you’ll find the WigglyToothFactory is a one stop shop for all your child's tooth fairy needs. My shop can take your child from teething to the tooth fairy.

WigglyToothFactory is a faithful Etsy Baby Shower donating shop! This is her third time participating. For this shower, she is donating a small hanging tooth fairy pillow and an item called a teether towel which is used for a child going through there drooling phase. You can see the original tooth fairy pillow here! It's a large tooth fairy pillow with a hand embroidered face and a small back pocket to hold a child's newly lost tooth or a special gift from the tooth fairy.

We asked Megan what advice she has for new moms. She said, “I guess I would just say take it one day at a time and enjoy every minute because they grow up quick.”

Find more WigglyToothFactory on Twitter, Facebook under The Wiggly Tooth Factory, LLC and my blogger!

Etsy Baby Shower Featured Shops - Volume 8

2009-10-27T07:00:00.013-05:00

We've got a few more shops to showcase this week for the Etsy Baby Shower! The Etsy Baby Shower is a Virtual Baby Shower in which a number of expecting and brand new Etsy mommies receive gifts from donating Etsy shops. This shower we have raised 112 gifts from 91 Etsy Shops for 28 lucky new moms and moms-to-be! Check out my previous blog posts for more featured shops!

Also see my Co-host Deniz's blog for more featured shops!

BlessedMommyof1 joined Etsy on July 15, 2008 and this is her first time participating in the Etsy Baby Shower! She will be donating headbands in a variety of styles and colors to one lucky mom!

Nicole’s inspiration for her shop is her 18 month old little girl who shows her new things every day. Nicole says, “To see the world through her eyes really opens up my eyes, and I love creating cute little accessories to go with the things she loves.”

Nicole’s shop features all kinds of little girl accessories, from itty bitty clippies and larger clippies to tutus and hair bow holders. Her items are all one-of-a-kind, and are created with lots of love and attention to detail. Shown here is her crocheted flower itty bitty clippies! We asked Nicole what advice she might have for new moms. Nicole said, “I know everyone says it, but sleep while you can! Try to take some time by yourself, even if it's just for 15 minutes each day. You'll be amazed at how refreshing it is to just be: be alone and be YOU!”

Check out Nicole’s Etsy Shop! In October/November she’s featuring FREE SHIPPING on any order $15 and over! Use code FREE15 when ordering. You can also become a Fan on Facebook!

PrettyPrettyBows joined Etsy in August 2009 and this is her first Etsy Baby Shower. Monica is donating sets of infant bows to 4 lucky new moms! Monica’s inspiration for her products is her daughter and nieces. They LOVE bows so she tries to keep them stocked up. Monica started out making bows for her daughter, who calls them her "pretty pretties", and it grew from there. Shown here is Monica’s favorite product: The Little Hedgehog Clippie.

We asked Monica what advice she might have for new moms. She said, “Don't panic! LOL” For specials and discounts, check out the clearance section of PrettyPrettyBows! I have a clearance section with lots of cute discounted bows. You can also follow prettyprettybows on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook!

LilyBugBoutique
Lilybugboutique joined Etsy in December 2007. She is participating in her second Etsy Baby Shower and will be donating a lovely minky baby blanket. The inspiration behind LilybugBoutique’s hair bows is Ingrid’s daughter and making cute things to go with her clothes. And Ingrid loves finding cool designer fabric and matching minky to go with them for her minky blankets.

Lilybugboutique was started when daughter Lily was 6 months old. Ingrid named the shop after what they call her…Lily Bug. Checkout the sweet hair bow: The Flying Ladybug.

We asked Ingrid if she had any advice for new moms. She said, “Enjoy each and every moment, the good, and the bad, because before you know it...time has flown by and your kids have grown so big!”

Through November, LilybugBoutique is offering a Buy 1 Get 1 Half Off to anyone that convos Ingrid or mentions the code EtsyBabyShowerBOGO. She’ll be sure to adjust your invoice and refund you the discount!

JJKGirlyThings joined Etsy on April 15, 2009. Her inspiration for her products comes form several places. Mostly though it comes from creating things for her three grandaughters. As she shops with them she see outfits or colors that catch her eye and she usually writes it down to make something when she gets home. Also when she is at a craft store she finds ribbons or small embellishments that she thinks will make a cute bow. JJKGirlyThings loves to browse through Etsy supplies and find things that inspire creation.

JJKGirlythings is participating in the Etsy baby shower for the first time. She is donating a twenty dollar gift certificate to the new mom so that she gets exactly what she wants and needs!

You’ll find boutique style hair accessories for little girls at JJKGirlyThings. Barbara’s mission is to create durable, fun, all occasion hair accessories at an affordable price. Every little girl should have the opportunity to look their absolute greatest. Barbara strives to make just the right bow to complete that special outfit. Check out this little animal collection. So cute!

We asked Barbara what advice she has for new moms, she said, “It is a one day at a time experience. Enjoy each day. Make as many memory days as possible because before you know it they will be grown and gone.”

JJKGirlyThings is offering 50% off all Halloween items right now! And she has a clearance section for more great savings. You can also find her EtsyMini on this Blog.

Anther generous shop who has donated to the Etsy Baby Shower includes the founder of the Etsy Baby Shower EcoFriendly4u.

Etsy Baby Shower Featured Shops - Volume 7

2009-10-26T07:00:00.014-05:00

It's been a full week of posts featuring shops that donated to the Etsy Baby Shower! And we're not done yet. There were 91 shops to donate 112 gifts, which is amazingly generous but not a surprising response from the Etsy community. I've found they always rise to the occassion. Don't forget to check out more Featured Shops on my co-host Deniz's blog!

JudyAGoddard
JudyAGoddard joined Etsy on April 20, 2008. Several years ago Judy made wooden growth charts and sold them on the internet for a specific site. But they were too bulky and there were issues. So she tabled the idea and then, in 2008, she discovered that she could make the charts on canvas, like a floor cloth and away she went!

Judy’s shop has really evolved since she first joined Etsy. She's gone from felted baskets to knitting and crochet supplies to fine art prints and cards, etc. But through all those changes, she always carried the canvas growth charts.

This is Judy’s second time participating in the Etsy Baby Shower. Check out her "Down on the Farm" growth chart. We asked Judy what advice she has for new moms. She said, “ Be involved in your children's lives. Make sure you make it to little league practice, school plays, dance recitals. Kids know you care when you share their adventures and successes. And just one more thing... Read To Your Children. Then they'll love to read.”

For the from November 1st – December 15th, all items will be 20% off at JudyAGoddard! Feel free to pop by Judy's Blog, become a Fan on Facebook, or Follow her on Twitter!

MyWoobie
MyWoobie is COMING SOON! The day it was created was October 8th, 2009 and MyWoobie just received their labels this weekend, so hopefully they will have woobies listed and ready to sell soon!

Woobies are small minky blankets with ribbon loops. Nancy loves minky and loves babies so it just seems like the right thing to create. Nancy recalls that when her children were little they didn’t have things like these! This is MyWoobie’s first time participating in the Etsy Baby Shower, but she intends to keep doing it from now on. MyWoobie donated to two very lucky moms! Each Mom chose which fabric combination they would like. The first one chose a blue and brown combination for her little boy and the second Mom chose a very colorful flower pattern with hot pink.

We asked Nancy what advice she had for new moms, she said, “Make every minute count and ENJOY your children every day! One day you will blink and they will be grown and having babies of their own!”

ILoveYoYo first opened with a different shop in February 2008. After a while, Nilufer decided to open a new store only for YoYo Appliques and opened ILoveYoYo in May 2008. Nilufer has a full time job and sews yoyo's to relax herself after long days. She sells them like supplies because she doesn't have enough time to design them.

Nilufer learned to make YoYo’s two years ago and fell in love with them. It’s very traditional quilting technique originally made with cotton fabric. She started to sew them with satin, satin lining, crepe, organza and velvet fabric. Check out her stain heart YoYos, they are ADORABLE and I can think of a million uses for them!This is ILoveYoYo's first time participating in the Etsy Baby Shower and she is generously donating YoYos to two moms! She's sending Pink & Red Heart YoYo's to a mom with a baby girl and Blue Heart YoYo's to a mom with a baby boy.

We asked Nilufer what advice she has for new moms. She said, "My son will be 10 in January. I can advise two things to all moms. First of all what you are scared of most, you have to teach it first. If you [are] scared your baby can fall down from the couch, first you have to show how he can come down. Second thing is if your baby fell down don't panic and start to laugh. Tell them that it's so funny and they have to show you again. Believe me when you behave like this they never cry very long. They also learn that they can get hurt but it's gonna stop at sometime."

Keep ILoveYoYo in mind for the holidays, for the Christmas season all red, green and white yoyo’s are on sale for $2.00! ILoveYoYo also welcomes wholesale requests and custom orders. Use code TOMTIS to get 10% off the baby colors yoyo appliqués (pink, blue, white and yellow) for the month of November.

Want to see more YoYos? Check out ILoveYoYos Flickr album, Blog, and follow Nilufer on Twitter!

Other generous shops that have donated to the Fall 2009 Etsy Baby Shower include:

AbleMabel which features a wide variety of baby items and home decor. You can also visit AbleMabel's Blog!

AND

BabyBaharCollection which features baby shower favors!

Etsy Baby Shower Featured Shops - Volume 6

2009-10-25T07:00:00.009-05:00

Stay tuned this weekend! I am continuing the Featured Shop series from the Fall 2009 Etsy Baby Shower. The Etsy Baby Shower is a Virtual Baby Shower in which a number of expecting and brand new Etsy mommies receive gifts from donating Etsy shops. This shower we have raised 112 gifts from 91 Etsy Shops for 28 lucky new moms and moms-to-be! Check out my previous blog posts for more featured shops! Also see my Co-host Deniz's blog for more featured shops!

SprinklewithSugar
SprinklewithSugar joined Etsy this past year, in June. This will be the first Etsy Baby Shower she has participated in and she will be donating a cute, snuggly newborn hat to one lucky mom! And she is excited to know she is going to create something special to go on a brand new head in the world.

Tracey has been knitting since University when she should have been studying! The inspiration for her products comes from my daily life. Animals, nature, colours that get her attention, Tracey says, “There is not enough time in the day to create everything that is floating around in my brain.”
SprinklewithSugar features hand knitted items such as hats and photo props. Shown above is one of her favorite products!

We asked Tracey what advice she might have for new moms. Tracey said, “As a mom of three, I can give advice 'till the cows come home, but in the end, the only things that matter are 'enjoy every moment, because they grow up in the blink of an eye' 'tell them everyday that you love them'....and most importantly 'don't ask your eight year old son how you look in your new pair of jeans. He will tell you the truth.'”

JessECreations joined Etsy in January 2008. She has participated as a shop donor in the past and for this shower Jess will be donating a sweater for very lucky baby boy! The inspiration for the products at JessEcreations is the people Jess loves and she’s by the yarn she uses too. You can see some Ohio State Spirit Scarves she’s created here!
Right now, JessECreations handles custom orders for crochet creations; but Jess is getting ready to open a new shop! The new shop will be called Storied Yarns and will carry her line of handpainted and hand-dyed yarns. We asked Jess what advice she might have for a new mom. She said, “Take it easy. I tend to over-do it, and as a new mom myself I'm learning I have to take it slow if I want to survive. :)”

Blog readers get FREE SHIPPING on all orders from JessEcreations. Use the code ETSYBABY and let Jess know as part of your custom order request. Also check out Jess's Blog!

LittleSideKick joined Etsy this summer, but posted her first listing on September 1st.
This is her first time participating in the Etsy Baby Shower and she’ll be donating a fun ribbon ball to one lucky baby!

LittleSideKick's inspiration is in the fabrics. She loves finding a fabric she likes and then thinks; "This would make a great..." LittleSideKick is very baby-centric, colorful and fun. The shop features cute hats, clothing, unique soft toys, bibs and burp cloths. Check out this little knit pant and appliqued tee set.
We asked Christina what advice she has for a new mom. She said, “Use cloth diapers! I'm on my third child, but my first in cloth, and I love it! It's so much easier than I thought it would be, and I am now an enthusiastic proselytizer spreading the cloth diaper gospel! Hallelujah! I'd also be happy to answer any cloth diaper questions.”

Check out LittleSideKick’s blog! She is having a giveaway for a $25 gift certificate. Contest ends October 27th. Want to follow LittleSideKick on Twitter? Click HERE.

CrochetandMore joined Etsy in September 2008. CrochetandMore can't put a finger on what inspires her shop, she says, "Ideas just come to me, I usually have more ideas than I have time to complete!" Her 15 year old daughter adds her ideas too. CrochetandMore decided to open this shop after discovering Etsy with her Rose Prints shirts and realizing she could be selling my crochet too. She love her beanies best.

This is CrochetandMore's first baby shower through this shop. Her assigned mom recently went into labor! So they haven't chatted about the specifics of the gift yet. We asked Crochetandmore what advice she has for new moms. She said, "Nap when they nap, especially first time Moms. You never get enough sleep, so don't feel guilty about taking a nap too. Even if there are chores, etc. to be done. Take care of yourself so you can better take care of your new baby!!"

CrochetandMore is offering FREE SHIPPING to any BuggaBlog reader. They can convo her in advance and she will change the listing or put EtsyShower2009 in the message to seller and she will refund via Paypal.

Other shops that have generously donated to the Etsy Baby Shower include:

IrishHooksandYarn which features gorgeous handmade baby hats. Beome a Fan of IrishHookandYarn on Facebook!

Etsy Baby Shower Featured Shops - Volume 5

2009-10-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

This is the 5th blog post featuring a variety of shops who have generously donated to the Etsy Baby Shower. The Etsy Baby Shower is a Virtual Baby Shower in which a number of expecting and brand new Etsy mommies receive gifts from donating Etsy shops. This shower we have raised 112 gifts from 91 Etsy Shops for 28 lucky new moms and moms-to-be! Check out my previous blog posts for more featured shops as well as my co-host Deniz's blog for more featured Etsy Baby Shower sellers!

BirdandBean first joined Etsy WAY back in 2007, she had heard about all these great things that were being made and advertised there and she set up her kids shop soon after. Monica participated in last year’s baby shower and is donating a cotton recycling onesie to a lucky baby in this shower! It is never to early to become an activist for the earth!

Monica’s inspiration is a lovely group of nephews, nieces, god kids and friend’s kids. They make her smile and when they (the kids) started appearing here on earth. Monica wanted to send something that was like a hug, so she started making kids clothes. She had not sewn since Jr High Home Ec class, but soon remembered how and was on her way!

BirdandBean features kids clothes that grow with kids, are functional, affordable and are kids clothes, not grown up clothes made smaller! After all you are only a kid once!

Back in Nov of 2007, Monica was still working at her old job but wanting so badly to be creative again. She made her goddaughters some dresses and it went crazy from there!

You can see her Dia De Los Muertos stuff here! Monica’s nephew and goddaughter have been wonderful models! And all sales will come with a unique reusable bag.

We asked Monica what advice she might have for a new mom. She said, “Well although I am not a mom myself, but an Aunt....I find breathing really important!”

You can find BirdandBean on Etsy, her website, and the BirdandBean Blog!

October 15th was MakMayDesigns 1 year Etsyversary! This is the first Etsy Baby Shower she will be participating in and she is donating a onesie to a lucky mom! Inspired by Becky’s two daughters, MakMayDesigns features a variety of onesies, bibs and tank tops. See the cute chenille appliquéd whale onesie here!

When we asked Becky what advice she had for new moms, she said, “Relax and enjoy your time with your new baby, the time truly goes so fast.” Become a MakMayDesigns Facebook Fan!

R osePrintsOnline joined Etsy in June 2008. Her inspiration for her products is her kids. She makes things she thinks she would want to see on her own kids from the things they are into. RosePrintsOnline is all about unique, custom decorated kids clothing inspired by my life and kids. The caterpillar from RosePrintsOnline is FABULOUS.

RosePrintsOnline has participated in the Etsy Baby Shower before. For this shower she is donating a beanie from her other shop CrochetandMore because that is what her assigned mom preferred.

We asked if RosePrintsOnline had any advice for new moms, she said, “Nap when they nap, especially first time Moms. You never get enough sleep, so don't feel guilty about taking a nap too. Even if there are chores, etc. to be done. Take care of yourself so you can better take care of your new baby!!”

RosePrintsOnline is offering FREE SHIPPING to BuggaBlog readers! You can convo her in advance and she will change the listing or write EtsyShower2009 in the message to seller and she will refund via Paypal.

Other generous sellers who have donated to the Fall 2009 Etsy Baby Shower include:

SewSoSweetBoutique which features handmade clothing and embroidered items.

AND

BRKids which features wonderful applique work on kid's clothing! You can also follow BRKids at their blog!

Etsy Baby Shower Featured Shops - Volume 4

2009-10-23T07:00:00.014-05:00

This week I am featuring a variety of shops who have generously donated to the Etsy Baby Shower. The Etsy Baby Shower is a Virtual Baby Shower in which a number of expecting and brand new Etsy mommies receive gifts from donating Etsy shops. This shower we have raised 112 gifts from 91 Etsy Shops for 28 lucky new moms and moms-to-be! Check out my previous blog posts for more featured shops!

IvyandMae joined Etsy in another store in the summer of 2006. Ivy & Mae as it is now, has been in existence since March 2008. IvyandMae has been a loyal donating shop to the Etsy Baby Shower for at least three showers. She hasn’t decided which treasure to donate yet, it will be a surprise!

IvyandMae is inspired by fabrics. Usually Jessica sees a fabric and knows what she wants to use it for and things spur from there. IvyandMae is made up of cute dresses for girls and ties for boys, with a few odds and ends thrown in. You must see the yellow daisy bubble dress.
We asked Jessica what advice she has for new moms. She said, “I'm still figuring out what in the world I'm doing myself. I guess...be patient with yourself and your child.”

A quick note about IvyandMae, the cut off to order Christmas dresses (or other wear) from her shop is in early December. Jessica does custom orders, so if you want something extra special she’ll work with you. Jessica is pregnant with her 3rd baby...a girl! So she’s planning on phasing out her shop starting in December.

See IvyandMae's blog here!

SewClassic joined Etsy in July 2008. Inspired by her own daughter and love for all things pretty, you’ll find things that sew classic wants her own baby to wear in her shop. SewClassic hopes to branch into adult clothing in the future.

This is SewClassic’s second time participating in the Etsy Baby Shower. While she was supposed to be nurturing her new baby, she also had to sew for the increasing orders that she got from participating! For this shower, she is donating her signature item, a baby kimono. See her baby kimono in creamy white and burgundy with sakura here!

We asked Kennis what advice she has for new moms. She said, “Set up a good sleeping routine as early as possible. If you baby sleeps well, it makes everything else much easier!”

Special Offer from SewClassic! Those who mention “Etsy baby shower” will get 20% off! Just convo SewClassic for your discount! Also, visit the SewClassic Facebook Fan Page!

GrannyZann joined Etsy in September 2008. This is her second Baby Shower and she’s not exactly sure what she’ll be donating this time, but whatever it is, the baby will surely be lucky!

GrannyZann is inspired by different things but mostly Suzanne’s grandchildren. GrannyZann is primarily children's clothing. Suzanne loves to find fabrics that every one else is not using and she especially loves to work with anything toile! She also carries "Sammies" which are reusable sandwich bags and Market bags for grocery shopping or just about anything else you care to put in them. You must see this Christmas set, it is SO cute!

We asked Suzanne what advice she has for new moms. She said, “Stay relaxed and enjoy your baby. The dirty dishes and house really will be there when the baby is resting and you are rested as well.”

On November 19-22 you’ll find FREE shipping on all clothing items and 20% off your entire purchase when using GRANNY20 in the message to seller box.

Other fabulous shops that have donated to the Fall 2009 Etsy Baby Shower:

PoodleLove who specializes in a variety of baby items and is giving a Baby Shower in a Box to her lucky mom

AND

TutuCuteandMoore who, as the name suggests, specializes in tutus!

Don’t forget to read DecorativeLabel’s blog today to see more featured Etsy Baby Shower shops!

Etsy Baby Shower Featured Shops - Volume 3

2009-10-22T07:00:00.004-05:00

Sarayard joined Etsy in September 2008, but just started working on her store in January 2009. This is her first time participating in the Etsy Baby Shower and she is very excited. She’ll be donating one of her best selling prints "Lunch Time"

Sara’s inspiration comes from fairytale, children world, nature which she just loves, and imaginary stories. In Sarayard you will find Fine Art Prints, greeting cards, postcards, ACEO's, bookmarks, gift boxes and jewelries made by Sara. Everything is based on my original paintings and drawings. Sara just loves creating things with her hands and that is why in the near future she is planning to upload more works based on original paintings, collages and of course jewelries as well. Sara’s work, " The Cow" is a must see!

We asked Sara what advice she might for new moms and she said, “Have patience with your little angels and give them love as much as you can.”

Sarayard is having two special offers until the end of November. First, purchase any print and you will get a second one FREE (free print will be the same size as the purchased print). You can also enjoy FREE shipping everywhere in Sarayard’s jewelry section which is going to have more beautiful items very soon!

Want to see more of SaraYard? Check out her blog, become a Fan on Facebook or Follow her on Twitter!

Other amazing shops that have donated to the Etsy Baby Shower include:

Handcreativity which features journals, pens, and guest books. You can see more about Handcreativity on her blog!

AND

SugarVillage which features watercolor painting, cards, and invitations!

Don’t forget to read DecorativeLabel’s blog today to see more featured Etsy Baby Shower shops!

Etsy Baby Shower Featured Shops - Volume 2

2009-10-21T07:00:00.014-05:00

xIn case you missed it, this week I am featuring a variety of shops who have generously donated to the Etsy Baby Shower. The Etsy Baby Shower is a Virtual Baby Shower in which a number of expecting and brand new Etsy mommies receive gifts from donating Etsy shops. This shower we have raised 112 gifts from 91 Etsy Shops for 28 lucky new moms and moms-to-be! Check out Volume 1 of the Featured Shops and the shops featured by my co-host, Deniz!

LizzyPops joined Etsy way back 2007. It was December, and Bronwyn started her adventure with Christmas-themed baby aprons. LizzyPops has participated in the Etsy Baby Shower before both as a donating shop and as a mom! She says, “It's a wonderful Etsy tradition, and a great example of how many good people can come together and do something nice for a total stranger. As mommies, though, we all have some very important things in common, so maybe we're not entirely strangers, after all!” This time, Bronwyn is donating newborn-sized aprons to her Etsy moms. They make for great pictures, and catch the inevitable baby dribbles with ease.

Bronwyn loves the feeling she gets when creating something new. She always has projects in progress, but the gratification of a completed craft makes her feel so happy and accomplished. This is especially so when she’s given new life to something old, so she’s gradually shifting more toward recycled fabrics from antique quilt tops and vintage clothing.

Right now, the shop shelves at LizzyPops aren't overflowing. You can find aprons for babies, from newborn through to one year, overalls, and Uniquilts (shown here) which are crazy quilted, and full of wild colors and fun textures. Perfect for curious little hands. Her SuperSize Me Bibs, which are reversible and unique are hanging out at The Makery, an adorable little shop in Louisville,. Bronwyn plans to add bibs back to her Etsy shop soon. So contact her if you want a bib, and she’ll hustle her bustle to make them!

We asked Bronwyn what advice she might have for new moms. She said, “Every new mom experiences stress in the first few months. When you start to feel overwhelmed, remember that you are not alone, you are not crazy, and you are not a bad mother! Take a deep breath, maybe even step outside for a moment, and remember that you can do this! Cherish that new little life - that little life that seems bigger and more important than anything else in the universe.”

If you find LizzyPops from this blog or are a part of the Etsy Fall Baby Shower of 2009, let Bronwyn know! She'll refund $5 from your purchase price (minimum purchase $20, please). Want to see more LizzyPops? Become a fan on Facebook!

OpieBaby joined Etsy in April 2009. This is the first year that Lindsey has participated in the Etsy Baby Shower and she will be donating a Custom Travel Wipe Case. You can see an example of her lovely wipes cases here!

Lindsey wanted to make things that she knew that she would like to use! She loves custom and unique wipe cases and onesies. You and your child stand out more if they don’t look like every other kid out there! OpieBaby started as a hobby. Lindsey loves to create things and knew that she might have a chance at actually selling some of the items. She is currently working on some new items so keep a look out!

We asked Lindsey if she had any advice for new moms. Lindsey said, “Treasure the early infant times. I remember thinking that I couldn't wait till mine could walk, talk and communicate. Now I miss the times when she would just lay in my arms!”

MonogrammyingByTammy joined Etsy on June 26, 2008. Being from the south where everything is personalized, she have always loved monogrammed items. Tammy has two little girls (5 and 2) and she could never find affordable embroidered items for them. So she figured she would just make them herself. More and more people complimented on them and wanted to purchase them, and now here she is! This is Tammy’s first time participating in the Etsy Baby Shower and she isn’t quite sure what she’ll be donating, so it’ll be a surprise!

MonogrammingByTammy has embroidered items for baby and children. Tammy has a variety of items and is always open to making those eccentric custom orders. The products range from bibs and burp cloths, to mother/daughter aprons, all the way to a-line and pillowcase dresses with matching diaper covers. Currently her most popular items are the birthday tutu outfits, which include a ribbon onesie, ribbon diaper cover, tutu, and matching hairbow. You must see this first birthday Tutu outfit! It is a beautiful blend of turquoise, greens, and pinks.

We asked Tammy what advice she has for new moms, she said, “Being that I am a perfectionist at everything I do, I had to learn that I was missing out on some really special moments with my girls by stressing over everything being spotless and in it's place. You know when you go to craft shows, you always see those signs that ‘Housework can wait,’ well to a degree that is the truest statement I have ever heard. Time seems to move by so quickly, as my oldest daughter is somehow old enough to be in kindergarten and I am not sure how or when the time pasted for that to happen. Stop, Breathe, and Enjoy the most awesome opportunity ever given to you...Motherhood.”

MonogrammingbyTammy is offering 10% off your total purchase for all the blog readers through December 31, 2009. Use the code BSBR1009 in your notes to seller! Want to see more of Tammy's work? Check out her other Etsy Shop or become her Fan on Facebook!

Other amazing shops that have donated to the Etsy Baby Shower include:

TishaTooDesigns which features original and inspired baby hats, blankets, and bibs.

TwoLittleTots which features a variety of baby products including hair clips, bibs, burp cloths, and crayon roll-ups! You can learn more about TwoLittleTots on the TwoLittleTots Blog!

Don’t forget to read my co-host DecorativeLabel’s blog today to see more featured Etsy Baby Shower shops!

Etsy Baby Shower Featured Shops - Volume 1

2009-10-20T07:00:00.007-05:00

This week I am featuring a variety of shops who have generously donated to the Etsy Baby Shower. Started by June, from FickleFaerie almost 3 years ago, the Etsy Baby Shower has become a Semi-Annual event. The Etsy Baby Shower is a Virtual Baby Shower in which a number of expecting and brand new Etsy mommies receive gifts from donating Etsy shops. This shower we have raised 112 gifts from 91 Etsy Shops for 28 lucky new moms and moms-to-be!

Custom Kids

CustomKids joined Etsy on October 13th, 2008. They just celebrated their 1 year Etsyversary! Amy is participating in the Etsy Baby Shower for the first time. She is a newby but she loves giving back and having a baby is the most special time for both Mom and baby to be. One lucky mom will be receiving a baby tote bag, blanket and burpies from CustomKids!

CustomKids inspiration is simple, kids! Amy loves tapping into kids imagination and transforming their play into reality. CustomKids is kid and baby friendly. There are capes (custom orders always welcome), party favors, chalkboard placemats (makes eating out with kids fun!), tote bags, diaper bags, tutu's, and much more! You can see one of the CustomKids capes here. They make playtime special!

We asked Amy what advice she might have for a new mom. She said, “Get sleep whenever you can. The late night feeding/burping and waking can take a toll on you. Don't be afraid to sleep when you can, you'll need it!”

CustomKids is offering FREE SHIPPING to all the BuggaBlog readers. Contact Amy before you place the order and she will set-up a custom order for you.

You can also find CustomKids on Twitter and Flickr!

TheCleverKitty joined Etsy in January 2006. Shannon first heard of Etsy on craftster.org, and was amazed and excited about the possibilities of it. She set up shop, and quickly became involved in the Etsy community and Teams. TheCleverKitty has participated as both a donating shop and as a receiving mom. Shannon is donating a pair of felted baby shoes, in the recipient's choice of color.

Inspiration for TheClev erKitty comes from many places. Shannon loves to create and is often inspired by the creative process itself. She also find a lot of inspiration in the beauty and variety of nature. Other times it's the materials she’s working with that are my inspiration. TheCleverKitty features felted baby shoes, hair accessories, and a little bit of jewelry. Shannon loves classic styles, bright colors, and playful patterns. You must see her hand sewn felt flower hair clips. Shannon loves hand stitching and these are so much fun for her to make. She finds the process of working out the design for each new type of flower is like a fun little challenge too.

We asked Shannon what advice she might have for a new mom, she said, “I know it sounds cliche, but sleep when the baby sleeps! And remember, there's no such thing as a perfect parent. Do the best you can, and don't get hung up on every little mistake you think you have made, but try to see the big picture. Don't forget to make time for yourself every now and then - a happy mom makes a happy family.”

TheCleverKitty will be offering free worldwide shipping Friday, November 20 - Sunday, November 29. Shannon will also include a free gift with purchase if you mention this blog post when placing your order!

TheCleverKitty is the EtsyKids Founder and Team Leader, proud member of Etsy Maine Team and the Crafting In Color Team, as well as the Editor of modern handmade child. Read her blog or become a fan on facebook!

Other fabulous shops that are donating to the Etsy Baby Shower include:

BabyBugsNBubbles which features a variety of baby gear.

AND

SneakaPeek which features a variety of bibs, burp cloths and other assorted baby items.

AND

DesignaBag1 which features a wide variety of baby items including bibs, burp clothes, bodysuits, diaper bags, and hair clips.

Don’t forget to read DecorativeLabel’s blog today to see more featured Etsy Baby Shower shops!

Etsy Baby Shower Blog Week!

2009-10-19T11:57:00.005-05:00

For those of you who have been wondering where I have been, I've been working hard! My orders went through the roof in September and October is proving to be almost as busy. In addition to that, I've taken on the task of co-hosting the Etsy Baby Shower!

Started by June, from FickleFaerie almost 3 years ago, the Etsy Baby Shower has become a Semi-Annual event. I have participated in all but one of these showers over the past three years. And now, the torch has been passed to me and Deniz from DecorativeLabels to host this shower. The Etsy Baby Shower is a semi-annual Virtual Baby Shower in which a number of expecting and brand new Etsy mommies receive gifts from donating Etsy shops. This shower we have raised 112 gifts from 91 Etsy Shops for 28 lucky new moms and moms-to-be!

Over the next week, Deniz and I will be featuring these generous shops on our blogs! You'll be seeing an amazing variety of shops and products that are perfect to give as your next baby gift. Many of these shops are offering special sales for our blog readers, so there's no better time to follow the BuggaBlog!

New Blog Review!

2009-10-02T08:24:00.002-05:00

In late August I was contacted by a blogger who wanted to do a review of my bodysuits. I don't often send in products in exchange for blog reviews but this particular blogger caught me just as I was reviewing my marketing budget for the fourth quarter and I was able to send her a product. I really enjoyed reading her review today and wanted to share it with you!

http://2gerberbabies.blogspot.com/2009/10/buggalove-whats-not-to-love.html

I was particularly overjoyed (but not surprised) to read about her experience washing my garments. Here's an excerpt "This onesie has been washed a lot since it became a part of his wardrobe. I do mean a lot. Maybe every three days since we received it. The graphics are as bright as ever and they have held up to the abuse of a messy toddler."

I'm so glad this little rock star is enjoying his new bodysuit!

Go Shopping at NewParent.com

2009-09-29T12:28:00.002-05:00

A wonderful online magazine has contact me and put a couple of BuggaLove products in their shopping section!

Check out New Parent! About halfway down the page you can "Go Shopping"!

You'll find BuggaLove products under Baby --->Nursery & Baby--->Clothing and Shoes

Only 2 days left for the Limited Edition Series!

2009-09-28T12:10:00.003-05:00

In the beginning of August I unveiled my Limited Edition bodysuit series. It was part of an Artist Collaboration with the talented Jennifer Nilsson! You can read about it here: http://buggalove.blogspot.com/2009/08/limited-edition-designs-from-buggalove.html

This Limited Edition series is about to be retired! At the end of September, I'll be retiring these lovely items. I just wanted to give all my readers a head's up that these will no longer be available after September 30th!

New Look for the BuggaLove website!

2009-09-19T16:55:00.006-05:00

It's almost complete! All of the major features are up, I just have a few headers to change from the old design...so take a look!

http://www.buggalove.com

I worked with Angelic Touch Designs on this project. This husband and wife team worked tirelessly to help me realize the vision I had for my site. My favorite feature are the links to Twitter, Facebook, and my blog at the top. I thought their implementation of that feature combined with my bugs was really smart. I highly recommend Mark and Jennie for your web template design. In addition to their web templates, they also do templates for wordpress, business card design, twitter, and more. I will probably be contacting them again for design projects in the future.

Other happenings in the BuggaLove World: My new newsletter will be rolling out at the end of the month. Contact me to sign up! Also, Halloween bodysuits on sale! I must clear them out by Halloween. They are 50% off!! Great deal!

Hope you're all having a great weekend!

BuggaLove Newsletter Responses are rolling in!

2009-09-02T23:31:00.003-05:00

I am so excited that the response to my announcment of the BuggaLove Newsletter has been so positive! I finished sending all the emails to former clients yesterday and now the responses from those who WANT THE BUGGALOVE NEWSLETTER are rolling in!

It was so important to me to make this an OPT-IN email list instead of the OPT-OUT emails so frequently sent by companies these days. I wanted to be sure that each person who received these future emails from me wanted them because I know my inbox is bombarded each day with emails that I would prefer not to get.

I do appreciate the time that each person who has opted-in has taken to reply! I hope to see many more replies in the next few days. If you are a BuggaBlog reader and you are as excited to receive this newsletter as we are to send it please feel free to contact me to request to join the BuggaLove mailing list!

Mattel is exempted from 3rd party Testing requirements of CPSIA

2009-09-01T09:43:00.003-05:00

In case you haven't heard, the company who is the very reason for the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act has essentially been exempted from the third party testing. It leaves most of us who are desperately struggling to comply with this unwieldy law shaking our heads in despair.

Feel free to read up on this issue, there are many, many articles about it. Here are a select few:

Handmade Toy Alliance Press Release

Chicago Tribune

BuggaLove is still threatened with going out of business due to the third party testing issue come February 2010. Not because I don't want to have my products tested and certainly not because they won't pass the lead limits, but because the costs associated with this testing is astronomical. See my previous blog series: The Cost of Compliance with CPSIA - Volume 2.

The BuggaLove Newsletter is Coming!

2009-08-31T17:04:00.004-05:00

Since I started my business in March 2007, exciting things have happened! We went from A Laine Designs to BuggaLove and we can now be found on Etsy, Buggalove.com, and Artfire!

I am writing today to let you know that the new BuggaLove Newsletter is coming! First, each current and former client will receive an email detailing that this newsletter is coming. This is a one-time-only message giving clients the opportnity to opt-in. Clients will not receive any more emails unless they reply stating they would like receive the newsletter. I know how most people dislike receiving SPAM (as I do), and it is definitely not my intention to send any unwanted emails!

This newsletter will visit your inbox about once a month and will include updates about BuggaLove, new product information, specials, sale information and coupon codes for loyal customers! If you are as excited to receive this newsletter as we are to send it please feel free to contact me to request to join the BuggaLove mailing list!

Other ways to stay in touch with BuggaLove include: Following us on Twitter, becoming our Fan on Facebook, or visiting the BuggaLove Blog!

I hope to hear from you soon!

ArtFire Coupon Code THIS WEEKEND ONLY!

2009-08-29T08:39:00.003-05:00

It's been an exciting week in my ArtFire Studio! First, Artfire rolled out the ArtFire Kiosk for Facebook. This allows you to purchase from BuggaLove right on Facebook! You don't have to leave facebook, you don't have to have an account with Artfire. It is an AMAZING feature! It's a similar feature to the Rapid Cart here on my blog.

Second, Artfire rolled out it's coupon code feature! While BuggaLove has offered coupon codes in the past, they have only been able to be used on the BuggaLove website. But from now on, coupon codes will be available for use on BOTH the BuggaLove website and the BuggaLove ArtFire Studio. WOW!

So, in honor of this new feature, for this weekend only you can use the code BUGGAFAN in my ArtFire Studio for 20% off all infant bodysuits!

Thank you ArtFire!

Another sneak peek at the new BuggaLove!

2009-08-28T19:39:00.004-05:00

Thanks to everyone for voting on which flower graphics you liked best! I appreciate all the votes, comments, and emails I received about it and your feedback helped me to move the design forward! Here is the final result:

For all those who asked, YES, I designed these myself :) But I have hired someone to help me with my website design, incorporating my graphics. Stay tuned, I'll be announcing a date for the official unveiling of the web relaunch soon!

Which Set of Flower Graphics!

2009-08-27T20:36:00.005-05:00

Hello to my readers! I'm soliciting opinions as I'm doing a little bit of graphic design for the new look of BuggaLove! So, which of these sets of flower graphics do you like better? (Please answer in the poll to your right!)

A

B

I'm happy to receive your comments as well! :) All feedback is welcome!

Halloween Creepers Available now!

2009-08-26T08:30:00.002-05:00

While they have been available on Etsy for a couple of weeks, these Halloween creepers are now available on my Website! Only very limited quantities are available, so get them while they last!

What I'm Working on Today

2009-08-25T19:58:00.002-05:00

It's time for another edition of What I'm working on today!

2 Moon and Star Mobiles
3 Dinosaur Mobiles

And of course, several onesies are on the list :) I have some new designs, but I haven't done the pictures for them. It always seems to be last on my list to get done!

Last time Moon & Stars and Dinosaur styles were listed, they went FAST! I don't think I'll have them up for another couple weeks, but keep your eyes peeled...

GIVEAWAY WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

2009-08-22T21:38:00.001-05:00

Thank you so much to all who participated in the BuggaLove giveaway! According to random.org and the True Random Number Generator...

The lucky winner is #3

Lisette!

Congratulations! You will be receiving an email from me to get details about your prize!

Giveaway of Artist Collaboration Bodysuit!

2009-08-06T09:52:00.005-05:00

I'm thrilled to announce another giveaway here on my blog! As you may know from earlier this week, I have recently made available some Limited Edition bodysuits featuring the artwork of the very talented, Jennifer Nilsson. You can catch up on that news here.

Jennifer and I are very pleased to co-sponsor a giveaway of one of these limited editions!

What you'll win:
One (1) Limited Edition bodysuit in the design of your choice. You choose the size and sleeve length of the garment.

How to enter:
Leave a comment about which one of the Limited Edition designs suits your little bugga best or which one is your favorite! You can see the 5 Limited Edition designs here .

Want Extra Entries?
You can earn 1 extra entry for doing each of these things. You must add a comment to my blog for each one that you do in order for the entry to count.
1. Twitter about these Limited Edition bodysuits and/or this Giveaway with a link to this blog post or the Limited Editions on my website.
You can use these tweets or make up your own (you can earn one entry per day with your tweets!):

Plz RT: Limited Edition infant bodysuits! Perfect gift! http://www.buggalove.com/category_44/Artist-Collaborations.htm @BuggaLove @JNilsson

Please RT: Fabulous Giveaway from @Buggalove@JNilsson on http://buggalove.blogspot.com Enter today!

2. Blog about BuggaLove or this Giveaway
3. Follow my blog
4. Become a BuggaLove Fan on Facebook
5. Become a Jennifer Nilsson Fan on Facebook
6. Follow BuggaLove on Twitter
7. Follow Jennifer Nilsson on Twitter

Deadline: Midnight (Eastern Time), Friday, August 21, 2009.

How to win:
Each entry will be given a number in the order their comment was received. I will use the True Random Number Generator on Random.org to choose the winning number. I will announce the winner here on the BuggaBlog on Monday, August 24th. If the winner has not left contact information, the winner must email me with their full name, mailing address, and which design/size/sleeve length they would like.

Good luck to all!

New Items from BuggaLove

2009-08-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've been posting every so often about "Things that I'm Working On". On the most recent list was 5 mobiles. I'd like to give you a sneak pic of the finished products! These will be listed in my Etsy Shop in the near future. If you want one of these reserved for you, contact me!

BuggaLove featured on BabyLuxe daily!

2009-08-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to be featured on this amazing blog. I follow it religiously as it features many top rate products for baby and mommy! I was so flattered and thrilled to be contacted about a product review on Baby Luxe. They were particularly interested in my single flyers and mobiles. And, well, you can see for yourself what they think!

http://www.babyluxedaily.com

Psst...there's a coupon code for Buggalove in there for you!

Limited Edition Designs from BuggaLove

2009-08-03T11:10:00.019-05:00

I've started something new! I've just listed a Limited Edition series of baby bodysuits featuring artwork from, Jennifer Nilsson. These items will only be available for a limited time and in limited quantities!

Jennifer is a professional fantasy artist, working from her home studio in beautiful Pennsylvania. Best known for her characters, the Mouser-kins™, Jennifer's style leans toward childhood whimsy and she refuses to create ANYTHING - unless it's sure to make you SMILE! You can find more of her original work at http://www.mouser-kinsmagic.com

Jennifer and I chose several of her beautiful pieces to turn into wearable art for your baby. My personal favorite is "Be Original". What a wonderful message for your unique baby!

These Limited Edition bodysuits are currently available for sale on my website. You may find them available in my Etsy Shop or Artfire Studio later this month.

Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming GIVEAWAY for one of these Limited Edition bodysuits sponsored jointly by BuggaLove and Jennifer Nilsson.

Are you interested in being the next artist to collaborate with BuggaLove for a Limited Edition line of bodysuits? Contact me!

Halloween Bodysuits are Back!

2009-07-30T11:19:00.004-05:00

I know, I know...some of you will be saying "It's too early for Halloween!" but beleive it or not, July/August is the best time for Halloween stuff. And I have a VERY limited number of Halloween designs and sizes to offer this year. So these are LIMITED EDITION!

CPSIA Labeling Guidance Issued

2009-07-21T14:41:00.006-05:00

Today, two very important documents were released by the CPSC regarding CPSIA.

http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/ballot/ballot09/tracklabelpolicy.pdf

http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/sect103policy.pdf

As usual, I'm going to try to interpret these documents into lay terms. Please note, as always, this is only MY interpretation and I am not a lawyer. I'm just a person running a business selling children's products that is trying to read the law and comply to the best of my ability. See my first post on labeling requirements here: http://buggalove.blogspot.com/2009/06/labeling-requirements-for-cpsia.html

This guidance was much needed and for the micro-manufacturer/crafter I beleive it is very helpful to assist in determining the labeling requirements set forth in the CPSIA. I'm going to start with the policy itself.

Why do there need to be labels?
To establish a means for identifying the source of children’s products in order to improve the safety of such products. Discussing Section 103, the Report from the House Energy and Commerce Committee noted that it intended the Section to “aid in determining the origin of the product and the cause of recall”. If a manufacturer can identify the location, date of production, and such individualized information as the batch or run number, it can more readily isolate products that it or others may discover present a safety concern. Similarly, if a consumer can identify the manufacturer (or private labeler), location and date the product was made, and any more specific identifying information, he can more easily determine whether a product in the home is the subject of a safety recall. (pgs. 1-2)

What kind of a label must be used?
The policy is that it must be a permanent label. But it is specifically stated that "The statutory provision does not require a uniform one-size-fits-all system." That means there isn't a specific material, format, information that must be provided on the label. It is going to depend on YOUR type of business and your specific product. "At this point, the Commission is not imposing any such uniform requirements, but expects that manufacturers will use their best judgment to develop markings that best suit their business and product." (pg. 2)

When do I have to start labeling?
The labeling requirement begins for products manufactured on or after August 14, 2009. This is not a retroactive requirement, you don't have to pull the products you made before this date.

What must be labeled?
All children's products. Here is my blog on "What are Children's Products" http://buggalove.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-are-childrens-products.html

What does my label have to look like?
"Each manufacturer is ultimately responsible for making a reasonable judgment about what information can be marked on their product and packaging, given the character and type of their product and packaging, and what required information can be ascertainable, given the character and type of their business." (pg. 3)

Do I have to label my packaging?
"A mark on disposable packaging need only be permanent to the extent it is durable enough to reach the consumer. As such, an adhesive label on a piece of disposable packaging might be sufficient for a packaging mark. Further, if a mark is visible on the product through disposable packaging, there is no need for the mark to be on the packaging." (pg. 4)

Can I label ONLY my packaging and not the product itself?
"Some circumstances where the Commission considers that marking the product itself might not be practicable include (pgs 4-5):
(1) If a product is too small to be marked...
(2) If a toy is meant to be stored in a box or other packaging, such as games with boards
and small game pieces. There, the board and the box should be marked, but the
individual game pieces do not need to be. The Commission believes that this principle would similarly apply to arts and crafts kits for children. Again, only the storage box and one integral part of the kit needs to marked and not every item in the crafting kit. Where a number of small products such as marbles, buttons, beads, etc. are packaged together, the Commission believes that marking the package would be sufficient. For products that are meant to stay with or be contained in their original packaging, the packaging would be considered part of the “product.”
(3) If a product is sold through a bulk vending machine, the item does not need to be individually marked but the package or carton in which such products are shipped to the retailer should be marked.
(4) If a physical mark would weaken or damage the product or impair its utility.
(5) If a product surface would be impossible to mark permanently such as those made of elastics, beads, small pieces of fabric (such as jewelry, hair ornaments, etc.), or craft items like pipe stems, or natural rocks.
(6) If the aesthetics of the product would be ruined by a mark and a mark cannot be placed in an accessible but inconspicuous location.

What information is supposed to go on my label?
Manufacturer name, date, and location. If your product takes several days to make, you use the date that you finish/package your item. Location is city, state, and country. Small manufacturers/crafters do NOT need to include batch/lot or run numbers as these likely do not apply. "Section 103(a) does not require codes, formats or numbering systems. A manufacturer may choose to employ a code or numbering system provided the required information remains ascertainable by the consumer." (pg.s 4-6)

The above is the most important information for me in my situation. I recommend reading the entire 6 pg. policy document as there many be information more pertinent that I have not included in this summary. Please note, these are not the official FAQs from the CPSC. They are simply MY summary of the policy. You can find the official FAQs here: http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/faq/103faq.html#103q8

As for the voting member statements, here are the best quotes I found:
"...the Commission does not intend to penalize manufacturers for inadvertant violations of the statute when they have made a good faith effort in attempting to comply with the tracking label requirements." --Inez Tenenbaum

"...the Commission agrees that small volume manufacturers or crafters need not create a labeling system incorporating the use of lot, batch, or run numbers so long as such manufacturers can keep adequate records of the components used in their products"-- Inez Tenenbaum

"The Commission will shortly be posting answers to additional Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the marking required by this section." --Thomas Moore

"It is important to note that the guidance issued today probably will not be the last word on this important issue. We realize that all the issues presented by Section 103(a) cannot be addressed by this document...I emphasize that the agency initially will be looking for 'good faith' compliance in the context of a recall." -- Nancy Nord

I hope you've found this blog post helpful in keeping abreast of the latest in CPSIA news. Hope you're all having a good day and good luck in implementing this provision! I know that this guidance has now provided me with enough information to move forward with labeling ideas for my products.

What I'm working on today

2009-07-17T09:06:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone!
It's time for another post on What I'm Working on Today! I think this will likely become a regular post because I've always got something working on my plate and I want you to know what's coming! (And if you've placed an order with me, it's a great way to figure out where I am with your order.)

So, here's What I'm Working on Today!
1) 7 airplane single flyers (custom order)
2) Flower mobile
3) 2 AutoMobiles
4) 2 Sailboat mobiles

On Deck!
5) 3 airplane single flyers (custom order)

I've got 4 onesies and a mobile going out to the post office this afternoon! I *wish* I had taken pics of the mobile, it came out beautifully. It is a custom Dragonfly Mini mobile made in Lemongrass.

CPSIA Webinar

2009-07-14T08:27:00.004-05:00

On July 1, I sat in on a Webinar that had a good bit of information about CPSIA. I received the link to the webinar while I was on vacation. I'm sorry for the delay in presenting it but without further ado:

https://sgsevents.webex.com/sgsevents/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=1428737&rKey=5adc482f6420ebff

Don't want to listen for an hour? Let me sum it up for you:

Listen to the introduction. It's important to know WHO you are listening to in order for you to gauge for yourself if you feel these folks are reliable. Personally, I think they are. The first part of the presentation is definitely worth listening to. It provides good information about the labeling requirements that are impending. The introduction and labeling requirement presentation is the first 12.5 minutes of the presentation.

Second part of the presentation deals with composite testing. Very interesting I found it relevant to me. It talks about how testing happens in addition to other things. This is the next 27 minutes (give or take) of the presentation. Toward the end of this section of the presention I found there was a lot of information not relevant to me.

The next part of the presentation deals with what we can expect in terms of enforcement. It's all speculation. And while I found it interesting and enjoyed the perspectives given, it's really not possible to know. So, if you're short on time, this might be a section to skip. This section runs about 10 minutes.

The next part of the presentation deals with BPA. As a parent, I found this interesting given all the information about BPA in bottles and other baby products over the past 3 years that has come out but it is not relevant to my business. So if you are listening to this purely for your business, you might be able to skip this section.

There was a brief question and answer period at the end (starting at about 46 minutes). I would listen to that just for your own general knowledge. Some of the questions are great and I found some of them relevant to me.

ARTFIRE GRAND OPENING!

2009-07-13T07:57:00.003-05:00

BuggaLove is expanding! In addtion to our website and Etsy shop, I'm pleased to announce the GRAND OPENING of my Artfire Studio!

All items have been marked down 25% on Artfire!
I will be adding nursery decor items through the next day or so, keep your eyes peeled for new additions and feel free to contact me if an item you want to purchase has not yet been added.

Additionally, YOU have the opportunity for EXTRA SAVINGS! There are 5 additional ways to save:

1) Follow my Blog for an extra 5% off
2) Become my Fan on Facebook for an extra 5% off
3) Tweet on Twitter about my Sale for an extra 5% off
4) Blog about my Sale for an extra 5% off
5) Refer a friend (friend must make a purchase) for an extra 5% off

Do all 5 things and receive a total of 50% off your purchase!

Please add links to each item and/or note each item in your notes to seller and you will receive a refund of your purchase price for the appropriate additional amount. Please note, 25% has already been taken off your purchase on Artfire.

The fine print: The savings are for purchases made through my Artfire Studio only. All additional incentives must take place prior to purchase for eligibility. All additional incentives must be noted at the time of purchase (except the refer a friend incentive). The "Refer a Friend" incentive requires that the friend make a purchase and MUST note your full name or username in the notes to seller at the time of purchase. Current blog followers and facebook fans ARE eligible for the additional savings as noted.

Another Happy Client

2009-07-12T12:30:00.007-05:00

I had the pleasure of working with Mikaela on her son Jamie's nursery! She ordered a set of Love Letters and a bird mobile for his room. Isn't the room adorable?

Other Updates: We returned from our vacation in the Dominican Republic on Friday. I'll be blogging about traveling with an infant and toddler, as well as reviewing our resort and some products we used along the way sometime this week. Unfortunately, we got back with two kids who weren't feeling very well. This will delay my Grand Opening of my Artfire Studio as I was planning on opening today. But hopefully it will open within the next 72 hours. Stay tuned! There will be special savings for my Blog readers and followers!

What I'm Working on...

2009-07-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

In my studio I currently have in process:
A Mega AutoMobile
A Midi AutoMobile
A Mini Sailboat mobile
A Midi Sailboat mobile
A Mini Flower mobile
A dragonfly mobile (custom order)
Two airplane Single Flyers (custom order)

Not to mention the dozen or so onesies that I need to complete today. Want to see what these things look like? Here are some examples of them! I'll be using different design schemes on each one, so they each look unique!

So there's what I'm working on! Keep your eyes peeled as I hope to have them listed when I return from vacation July 12th.

Giveaway winner

2009-07-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

Thank you so much to all who participated in the BuggaLove giveaway! According to random.org and the True Random Number Generator...

The lucky winner is #8

Digital Misfit

Congratulations! You will be receiving an email from me today to get details about your prize!

I will be having a Grand Opening for my new Artfire Studio on July 12th after I return from vacation. Please stop by and take a peek at my new Studio!

Last Day for the Huge Summer SALE! Giveaway Announced!

2009-06-30T08:39:00.006-05:00

It has been an incredible month for BuggaLove! A sincere thank you to all my buyers for making this event a wonderful success. As a thank you, I am having a GIVEAWAY (no purchase necessary)!

What you'll win:
3 Onesies in the designs of your choice. You choose the size and sleeve length.

How to enter:
Leave a comment about your favorite item in my Etsy shop with a link.

Want extra entries? You can earn 1 extra entry for doing each of these things. You must add a comment to my blog for each one that you do in order for the entry to count.
1. Twitter about my Sale or Giveaway with a link to my blog, website, or Etsy Shop.
2. Blog about my Shop, Sale, or Giveaway
3. Follow my blog

Deadline: Midnight (Eastern Time), June 30, 2009. The Sale and the Giveaway ends tonite!

How to win:
Each entrant will be given a number in the order their comment was received. I will use the True Random Number Generator on Random.org to choose the winning number. I will announce the winner on Wednesday, July 1st! The winner can then email me with their full name, mailing address, and which onesies they would like

Good luck to all!

Labeling Requirements for CPSIA

2009-06-27T12:51:00.002-05:00

As the labeling requirement deadline approaches in August, many children’s product makers have been questioning whether or not they have to label their product. And many are confusing the testing issue with the labeling issue. I hope this will clarify a few points.

Does my product have to be labeled?
Your children’s product must be labeled. See my blog post on What Are Children’s Products here. Labeling issues and testing issues are separate. The label does not indicate that the product has been tested using the guidelines set forth by the CPSC in the CPSIA. The label is essentially a tracking device so that the consumer can identify where the product came from and when appropriate, the CPSC can issue recalls for those products.

Please note, that textiles have additional requirements for labeling. These requirements have been in place for years under the Textile and Wool Acts, long before CPSIA. Here is a link to the FTC website regarding labeling for textiles: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/textile/bus21.shtm

A good resource regarding textiles is the Fashion Incubator. Good information regarding labeling requirements for garments can be found there.

Can I attach a hang tag as a label?
No, permanent labels are required under CPSIA. Unfortunately, a sticker or hangtag is not acceptable.

What goes on my label?
According to what the CPSC has set forth currently, “The tracking label must contain certain basic information, including the source of the product, the date of manufacture and more detailed information on the manufacturing process such as a batch or run number. The scope of this provision is quite broad in that it applies to all children’s products, including, but not limited to, items such as clothing or shoes not just toys and other regulated products. Congress modified the requirement for tracking labels with the phrase “to the extent practicable” recognizing that it may not be practical for permanent distinguishing marks to be printed on small toys and other small products that are manufactured and shipped without individual packaging.”

The quoted information comes directly from the CPSC website. More specific labeling guidelines have not yet been issued by the CPSC. Though I hope they are to come as they are sorely needed. Here is the FAQ from the CPSC on tracking labels: http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/faq/faq.html#sect103

Are labeling requirements retroactive?
No. As it stands right now, you only have to label your products manufactured on or after August 14, 2009. I don’t take much comfort in this due to what was seen previously when the phthalate testing deadline came to pass. Previously it was also ruled that phthalate testing would not be retroactive. In the eleventh hour, this ruling was overturned in court. So I continue to remind myself that although it is not retro-active at this time, this may change.

Summer Sale Update and Upcoming Events

2009-06-26T09:47:00.004-05:00

As we near the end of June, the BuggaLove Super Summer Sale event is coming to a close. Last day for these huge savings is June 30th. This current sale discounts my mobiles further than ever before! Come to think of it, it's the first time I have ever put them on sale. There are only a few pre-made mobiles left and they have all been deeply discounted!

I will be going on vacation in the beginning of July and expect to return July 12th. Please note, also on June 30th, my website will be going down for maintenance. I am aiming to redesign my site at this time. So it will be down indefinitely, but hopefully it's return will coincide with...

BuggaLove's Artfire Studio Grand Opening!

My Artfire Studio will officially open on July 12th. More details regarding my Artfire Grand Opening Sale will come in July. Please stay tuned to my blog and follow me on Twitter as there might be a secret pre-opening event of some sort.

BuggaLove Review!

2009-06-13T22:57:00.003-05:00

Every 3-6 months Etsy hosts a Baby Shower for new and expecting moms. I have participated for the past 2 years and have really met some wonderful Etsy folk in the process. The most recent shower I was assigned to give a gift to a very sweet mom-to-be. She just wrote a blog about my gift to her! And it was such a nice review, I thought I'd share it.

You can read it here: http://tiffanyteske.blogspot.com/2009/06/etsy-baby-shower-gifts-part-two.html

Super Summer Sale!

2009-06-01T13:05:00.005-05:00

BuggaLove is proud to announce a HUGE summer sale! We're going on Vacation soon and must make room for new items when we return! Big savings on almost every BuggaLove product!

Savings up to 50% on the most popular BuggaLove products!

Onesies are up to 50% off (Select sizes)!
Pre-made Mobiles found in my Etsy shop are up to 50% off!
BuggaBags (including my PROMOTIONAL TOTE) are 50% off!
Other decor including picture frames, wall art, etc up to 50% off!

Custom Wall Letters are up to 20% off!

Ready-to-Ship Wall Letters are 50% off!

Thanks for shopping BuggaLove! Your place for unique nursery decor and more!

Time Flies when you're a stay-at-home parent

2009-04-07T13:50:00.002-05:00

Recently, I wrote a short piece for the Etsy Success Newsletter. Unfortunately, due to space restrictions, most of what I wrote was cut. So, I decided to post the full article I wrote here.

You can see the Etsy version here: http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001mChcnPHJmGtyDoAc_Idue8nZB1ncVCZ_dqCgIIyYksLsGRYgZFU4pClcbEWvYEtlEMZf2kfexs3UbqHmFu2jKzTqMXFw7KMloypToG-vBtc%3D

And here's the full article:
Being a stay-at-home parent is a 24/7 task. So how does one fit an online business, full-time or even part-time into the mix? As the mother of two small children, a 2 ½ year old and a 7 month old, I admit it is a challenge. And it was quite an adjustment. The first question I encounter when I tell someone about my home based business is “How do you have the time to do that?” The answer is that my business is important to me, so I find the time.

Here are some quick and dirty tips for the stay-at-home parent:
1) Take some time in the morning to decide what you want to accomplish for the day. Be realistic about what you want to do.

Every morning I make a list of things I want to accomplish for the day. I separate these items in order of urgency and importance. Those items which are both urgent and important are first. Next comes items that are urgent but not important and items and are important but not urgent. Last come the items that are neither important nor urgent. Being realistic about how much time I might have and how much I can get done in that time period is crucial.
An example:
Urgent and Important
The custom order that must ship this week.

Urgent and Not Important
Housework

Important but not Urgent
Email - business
The items I need to make to stock my shop
Marketing

Not Urgent or Important
Email - personal

That’s right…I’ve deemed housework as NOT IMPORTANT. See #4, which is an important part of being able to put housework in the not important category. This is relative, there are some days where housework IS an urgent and important thing.

2) Utilize nap time to the fullest extent.

When nap-time comes, immediately tackle your high-priority items. Don’t have nap time? (I rarely do) Have a special activity time where your children can create along side of you. No matter how old your child is, there is a way to actively engage them, even for short periods of time, in activities that are creative and fun for them. This will allow you to work, even in short bursts.

3) If you have a partner, encourage them to be on board with your business plan.

When your partner/spouse is supportive of your business, you can utilize some time at night and on the weekends without having it interfere with family time. In my house it becomes a special daddy/kid time that they get with me on a daily basis. Also, when my husband comes home from work, we eat dinner and then he takes the kids for at least one hour. This gives me the opportunity to do whatever I want to do. It could be that I just need a break or that I would like to check email, or that I have to package some items. I utilize this time to the fullest.

4) Create a realistic time line for custom orders in your shop.

For many Etsy shop owners the items they have in their shops are already created. In cases like these, it’s about finding the time to make more items to have a well stocked shop and packaging of sold items. There is another type of shop, like mine, that specializes in made-to-order items. I would love to get a custom order, go sew/paint/create the item and ship it the next day. But for me, this is simply not an option. So my turn around times reflect an accurate and generous amount of time for me to create my items. This does NOT hurt business. It sets expectations for clients and they can be confident that I will complete the item in the time (or sooner) that I allowed to make it. Quoting faster shipping times doesn’t help your shop if you can’t meet your deadlines.

5) Utilize the resources available to you.

Carrier pick up the best example of this. I only go to the post office if I have an international package. All other packages are picked up from my front door by USPS. This saves me time and money. Printing postage via Paypal or USPS click-n-ship makes this possible. This is just one of the resources available to me that make my work easier. Try to use all of your resources, it will save you time and money!

Gymboree takes a hit due to CPSIA

2009-03-05T13:53:00.005-05:00

I am a HUGE fan of Gymboree. They have excellent quality clothes and although the prices can be steep, I'm always scoping out the best deals and hitting the Gymboree outlet store near me which has made them affordable.

Sadly, Gymboree has been affected by CPSIA. The best post I've seen yet on this is on Rick Woldenberg's blog here:
http://learningresourcesinc.blogspot.com/2009/03/cpsia-body-count-rises.html

By the way, if you haven't read Rick's blog before it is a wealth of good information. I highly suggest reading it regularly.

For my son, I bought things from Gymboree up to 2 years in advance for him when I could get great deals on sale. He won't fit into these clothes for at least another year (he's 6 months old now). All of a sudden these SAME clothes, made of the SAME materials are deemed unsafe by CPSIA. I will most certainly not be throwing all these clothes out. Who can afford to do that? And my kids aren't any less safe for wearing Gymboree.

I am so disgusted with CPSIA.

One other thing that has been weighing on me. For all of you who are still sending letters, PLEASE check your spelling and grammar. It might just be my own personal pet peeve, but so many people offer the letter they've written for others to use. Some of these letters are full of spelling errors and grammatical mistakes. Please correct these errors before you send them out. And do not use abbreviations like SAHM. People who are not as involved in the online world do not know what a SAHM is! Write it out. Also, so many people have complained about receiving a form letter from their representative. Why would you send a form letter if you don't like getting one in return? This makes no sense to me. Keep fighting the good fight. It's amazing how fast a year goes, we don't really have that much time.

BuggaLove Recommends....

2009-03-02T23:27:00.007-05:00

I am thinking that every once in awhile, I'll have a post about things I recommend. This will be the first in that series. I have a small obsession with baby feet. Ok, it's not so much baby feet as much as what goes on them. A very good friend of mine is always bemused with my matching socks for every little outfit. When my daughter first starting wearing shoes, I bought more pairs than she could ever wear. Of course, at that time, I had no idea the extent of the handmade options available to me. Only one pair of her shoes was handmade, the rest were Robeez. If only I had known then what I know now! This from a woman who before having her own children thought that shoes on babies were unnecessary and ridiculous. Of course, I didn't go as far as these baby high heels, which I still contend are unnecessary and ridiculous.

With my son, now only 6 months old, I was completely entrenched in handmade. And as such, I looked to fill my obsession with new baby shoes. I was so disappointed that there were more boy options. The girl options seemed so endless! But I was determined to find the perfect little shoe. That's when I found these by BabyBugShoeDesigns. They come in several design styles and all the colors in the rainbow. So many wonderful choices!

I bought him a little brown pair and a pair of argyle shoes. These shoes are FABULOUS. They stay on little feet, they can be machine washed and dried, they are made of the softest material (an Ultrasuede), and the craftsmanship is excellent. I absolutely loved them. This week, the time came that he outgrew these itty bitty shoes. As I sadly packed them away, I just had to go back for more. I bought him the same pair of brown ones again (they're just so perfect for almost every outfit!) but I also got him an "athletic" pair. All those little sweatsuits and hoodie outfits would be totally incomplete without these on his feet!

I was VERY torn about getting a pair of personalized ones with his initial on them. In the end, I decided against it. But I'm sure that when he outgrows these, I'll be back for more! I hope you'll visit BabyBugShoeDesign for your babies shoes!

CPSC releases guidance for Crafters

2009-02-10T01:03:00.007-05:00

Well, it's about time! Never mind the fact that the law goes into affect TODAY. I guess we should be happy that it's better late than never.

Here's a link to the document itself. Read it. Seriously. I know I'm gonna break it down a little for you, but you really should read it yourself. http://cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/smbus/cpsiasbguide.html

Questions 1 and 2: Who is a manufacturer? And Am I Affected?
Please read my previous blog post for these answers.

Question 3: What is a children's product?
Again, I addressed this several weeks ago, read my blog on it.

Question 4: Do all children's products require testing? What requirements do I need to meet?
There is an easy to read table on pg. 4 of their document. Review it carefully. At the bottom of pg. 4 there is reference to the Stay of Enforcement in terms of the GCC (general conformity certificate) requirement. You can read more about GCCs here on my blog

Question 5: For testing and certification of children’s products that are required now (for example, lead paint and small parts), what do I need to do?
It states that XRF testing can be used for total lead content and lead paint. Previously I understood that lead paint was required to undergo the mandatory 3rd party testing. The statement isn't all that clear, it can be used but not as a replacement?

Here's the actual statement, "For lead paint and lead content, an X‐Ray Fluorescence (XRF) machine (used by a trained, qualified person) is a possible method to determine if a component has lead, but note that XRF is not a replacement for a third–party test. " (pg.5)

You can note my choice of trained, qualified person is the company Essco Safety Check, you can see my experience with them in this blog post.

Question 6: If I make multiple units of the same thing, do I have to have every single product tested?
Simple answer: No. But if you change your design or materials, then maybe. This is not good news for the OOAK folks. More clarification may be needed on this point from the CPSC for some. But based on my reading, I beleive I have a good grasp of the spirit and intention of this statement and feel that I can appropriately apply it to my items.

Question 7: When testing and certification are not yet required (for example, lead content and phthalates), what do I need to do?
Again, reference is made to the Stay of Enforcement indicating testing and certification are not necessary until 2/10/10. But you are encouraged to "get to know your product". This can include learning about your components through your suppliers (MSDS sheets) and XRF testing.

Question 8: Are there exemptions/exclusions to meeting the lead content limits?
They're working on it. These are the natural materials exemptions that are not yet finalized but have been on the table for some time now.

-Precious gemstones: diamond, ruby, sapphire or emeralds
-Semiprecious stones provided that the mineral or material is not based on lead and is not associated with any mineral based on ead
-Natural or cultured pearls
-Wood
-Other natural materials including coral, amber, feathers, fur, and untreated leather
-Surgical steel
-Gold, of at least 10 karats
-Silver, at least 925/1000 pure
-Platinum, palladium, rhodium, osmium, iridium, and ruthenium
-Yarn, dyed or undyed
-Dyed or undyed textiles (cotton, wool, hemp, nylon, etc.), including children’s fabric products, such as baby blankets, and non‐metallic thread and trim. This does not include products that have rhinestones or other ornaments that may contain lead or that have fasteners with possble lead content (such as buttons, metal snaps, zippers or grommets).
-Children’s books printed after 1985 that are conventionally printed and intended to be read, as opposed to used for play
-Certain educational materials, such as chemistry sets

Question 9: What do I do if I learn that one of the products I make or sell does not comply with the lead limits, phthalate limits or toy standards?
Tell the CPSC immediately.

Questions 10-12: Phthalates
I have avoided phthalates on my blog for the most part. And this one won't be any different. I'll be doing a blog post on phthalates in the near future, so I'm not going to address it now.

Question 13: Donations
They're just like everything else. If you are using one of the exempted materials, you don't have to test it. If you're not, you do.

Questions 14-17: Resale and Vintage
Resale has gotten a LOT of attention. This document is consistant with the guidance provided previously as well as reiterating the exemption from testing and certification for resale shops.

Questions 18-19: Bikes and Enforcement stuff
I'm skipping these questions too, they're clear enough I think.

One really important thing, I've been seeing a few comments saying, "but they didn't address this or that". There is simply no way they can address every possible product on the planet individually. That is an unreasonable expectation. You will have to use your own common sense and deductive reasoning to apply these guidelines to your business and to your product lines. With some exception, I beleive there is enough information here about the testing for most people to be able to determine what is expected of them at this point.

We should all still be working toward changes to the law. Next year on this date, many people will still be forced otu of business if the testing requirements are not amended.

If you read my blog today, you qualify for a discount on any pre-made mobile in my Etsy Shop. In honor of this February 10, 2009, a significant date in CPSIA history, you can get 20% off the purchase price (not including shipping) on any mobile that is ready to be shipped. Just write "I Read the BuggaBlog" in the "message to seller" and I will refund your 20% promptly through Paypal. Offer only good on February 10th, 2009.

What goes with LemonGrass?

2009-02-05T12:23:00.010-05:00

A new favorite nursery décor line! This exclusive line has a modern-retro feel. Perfect for a unique nursery. I especially love the "Georgie" and "Billie" lines. Check out Olli and Lime:

http://www.olliandlime.com/usa/shop.html

Ollie and Lime bedding designs pair perfectly with the LemonGrass design scheme featured at BuggaLove. Love Letters or a mobile with a Lemongrass scheme will complete your nursery perfectly!

We're in the Fire Swamp

2009-02-04T10:21:00.002-05:00

This is the best description of the stay I’ve seen. And it should answer many of the questions people have about it.
http://www.klgates.com/newsstand/Detail.aspx?publication=5267

There are people working to overturn the stay and remove Nancy Nord from her position at the Comission. Many of these are consumer groups, but the Energy and Commerce Committee also is working toward this goal. Letters between Energy and Commerce Committee chairs and Commission officials are flying. I am not sure the stay will actually stand. A letter was written from the Committee to President Obama, and from reading that letter I certainly hope that is not the only point of view President Obama hears. I hope that the promises made by Change.org are fulfilled to give the president a more balanced view of the issues and consequences of CPSIA. Or that he seeks some other perspective besides the Committee’s in order to make decisions.

We are still in the middle of the Fire Swamp. We’re learning a lot about the terrors of the Fire Swamp and we have definite confirmation that the R.O.U.S.s (Rodents of Unusual Size) exist.

What you could be doing to help:
Contact your Senators and ask them to support the DeMint bill
Work on securing information about your supplies and/or move forward with a reasonable testing program in case the stay is overturned

Senator DeMint works for change to the CPSIA

2009-02-03T09:41:00.002-05:00

Senator DeMint is proposing some legislation to change CPSIA.

You can read about it here…
http://demint.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=JimsJournal.Detail&Blog_ID=295d58b2-b6fe-c446-1432-24b6199424ed

Overall, I agree with many of his points and don’t think that these changes will negatively affect our children’s safety in any way, contrary to the opinion that the consumer safety advocates of the CPSIA might have you believe. However, I don’t think this list is all inclusive of what the amendments should hold.

One big thing that I believe to be missing in our conversations about CPSIA is an alternative to the third party lab testing that will be required by CPSIA. Why aren’t more people asking about alternative testing processes? The only alternative I’ve seen mentioned is XRF testing. Is that really the only other testing method that exists? Why isn’t it acceptable to the CPSC for testing for lead in paint on toys while it is perfectly acceptable technology for testing for lead in paint in homes? When will a scientific study be conducted regarding the correlation between lead readings found by XRF and the lead reading found in the same object tested via a digestive testing method? With all the technology available today, one would think that there would be more than one way to obtain this testing. For phthalates too, is there another way? We know XRF doesn't test for phthalates, but other than destructive testing, what other ways are there? My limited search for answers on these questions has not been successful.

Another important thing that I really want addressed, which essentially is mentioned in Senator DeMint’s proposal when he talks about using manufacturer’s certifications, is that the materials used by the home based business (like mine) are likely to be different than the materials used to make a mass produced item. For example, I use a non-toxic, water based, acrylic craft paint that is made in the USA for my painted items. It contains no lead, and the plant in which it was made uses no lead-containing chemicals. It is highly unlikely that the paint found on a mass produced toy is the same type of paint. Lumping all painted items into one pile for a testing requirement presents a significant problem.

It also begs the question about art supplies. How is it that one could purchase these paints at any craft store and use them with their children, and yet use of them to sell suddenly results in the need for lead testing. Schools are using these types of supplies in art classes. They have been considered safe for years. How many stories have you heard about kids eating paste in Kindergarten? (Maybe you were that kid?) Those stories don’t end in tragedy. Art supplies have their own labeling requirements. Those should be proof enough regarding the contents of a supply, regardless of whether it is to be for personal use or to create handcrafted items for sale.

The CPSIA fight is not yet won

2009-02-02T09:12:00.008-05:00

There was a collective sign of relief heard round the internet on Friday evening when the stay of enforcement was announced. "We were heard!", "We're saved", it was deemed a "Stay of Execution" of our businesses. The same language that was used to exempt the retail and thrift stores was used and they were not considered saved.

Still, the news is good. It will allow us to operate until next year without certifying or testing our items. I'm still glad I had my items XRF tested before the stay happened. Because I can say with the highest level of confidence that my items comply with the new lead limits. What this really means for us is that we have been given another year to work toward the changes that need to be made to CPSIA

Here's an article that I'm in, published today in the Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123354219894838207.html?mod=todays_us_page_one

But good news can be short lived. We need to keep fighting for permanent change to be made to the law. If we sit on our laurels, a year will go by quickly and we will be in the same position a year from today as we were before the stay. We must continue to contact legislators.

Additionally, it is my understanding that calling the Committee of Commerce and Energy about this issue puts you into a voicemail box and that letters sent to the Committee chairs are being forwarded directly to your Congress person's office instead. These two things allow the Committee leaders to effectively ignore us in our insistance to be heard. We need to find more ways to get our message across. A government "for the people and by the people" should not be ignoring the people!

I think we should organize an enormous craft show/protest in Washington DC for all items affected by this issue. It would be a spectacular event, don't you think? Personally, I would donate a number of these "goody bags" for the first X number of people to come through the gates. Anyone feel like helping me organize this? We'll need a committee of experienced organizers, at least one of them in Washington, D.C in order to make this happen.

Senator Jim Demint is working toward legislative change. http://demint.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=JimsJournal.BlogHome. There are other people in Congress also working toward legislative changes.

Use this Stay as an additional call to action. If you haven't contacted your representative, do so TODAY! If you have contacted your representative, do so AGAIN! I say, the time for letters and emails has passed, call them. Get a personal contact in your representative's office and/or set up a meeting with your Congressperson. Find out very specifically where they stand on this issue and what they plan to do to help enact change to the law. Encourage bi-partisanship on this issue, separating into camps of Democrats and Republicans doesn't help anyone.

Happy Monday! And wishing you a good week!

Stay of CPSIA

2009-01-30T20:43:00.006-05:00

While I would love to write a full blog on this issue, I am so tired from such a long week that I just don't have the energy.

So here's the link:
http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia09/brief/stayenforce.pdf

And here's the press release:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09115.html

And here's my limited understanding of how it works:
1) The CPSC announces they want to do this
2) The CPSC puts it in the federal register and opens a mandatory 30 day period for comments (so that's 30 days from today 2/30)
3) They vote on whether or not to activate the stay.

So potentially, the stay goes through in early March. It misses the February deadline, but since it's a proposal up for review, no one will be enforcing it. I'm sure I'll write more about this at some point, but like I said, I'm exhausted.

In other news, BuggaLove had a RECORD BREAKING month for sales in January 2009. My mobiles are just flying out of my house. Right now the wait time is 4-6 weeks for custom nursery decor and 5-7 days for creepers.

I introduced a new type of mobile this week, BIRDS! There are 3 bird mobiles currently for sale in my Etsy shop. And I created a custom Woodland theme mobile for a customer in December. I hope to offer those to you all soon!

Have a great weekend! I'm going to take a much needed break from blogging over the weekend!

Last chance for Creepers on Sale!! Sale ends tomorrow!

You should be CHECKING YOUR FACTS!

2009-01-29T10:34:00.006-05:00

I was so excited to see that there was an article coming in the Philadelphia Inquirer! Since I lived in Philly for awhile and live between Philly and Allentown currently, I sort of consider it my hometown paper. So like I said, I was excited...until I read the article.

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20090129_Craftspeople_see_safety_proposal_as_threat.html

There are several errors in it regarding exemptions. First, there is NO natural materials exemption. It might be coming, it is being considered, but it has not passed. Second there is NO exemption for OOAK (one-of-a-kind) items. That statement was made in another article some time ago. It was a misquote from Julie Vallese. Who, by the way, is no longer with the Commission.

Misinformation about the law from large media outlets does not help our cause! Mainstram media is where the public at large gets most of their information on a variety of topics. I have never been so alerted to the blantantly false information being passed around. It is SO important to fact check, especially on a topic as complicated as this one! Especially since this topic has been largely ignored by the media to date, save a few articles and some local tv spots. Be discerning when reading these articles. Many have inaccurate information.

Haven't you been noticing all the toys are on sale at your favorite big box retailers? Didn't you wonder why? After all, it's past the holiday sale season, it's not really time to "change over" to a new season of toys, toys don't really have a "season" like clothes do. They're on sale because they have to be pulled from the shelves as of February 10th if they haven't been tested. Some of these retailers have MASSIVE inventory to unload before that date.

Who cares about the CPSIA?

2009-01-28T11:32:00.002-05:00

I've been writing for over 2 weeks about CPSIA, which begs the question: Who cares?

Most people know someone who will be affected because most people know people who have children, will buy something for a child within their lifetime, or have children themselves. Most small businesses and crafters who sell children’s products care about this. They will be put out of business by this law due to the prohibitive testing costs. Their products might be safe, but they can’t afford to “prove” it. Many parents care about this, their choices for their children could be significantly limited if the mid-size, small, and micro manufacturers all go out of business due to this.

The following was provided by Winklepots.Etsy.com and highlights who cares:

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 a 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.

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 Global 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.

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

What can I do to help?
Call your Congressman (the time for letters and emails has passed), ask them to call for a hearing from the Energy and Commerce Committee to discuss this new law. Find out their position on this important issue. It has become a rather partisan issue, and that helps NO ONE. Encourage them to take a bipartisan look at the big picture here.

Thank you for your submissions!

2009-01-27T13:39:00.003-05:00

I had a good response in the past couple hours to my call for contact information. I no longer need any more submissions at this time. I have sent along the information of everyone I've heard from. Thanks for your quick responses and willingess to speak to the media.

Want to talk to a reporter about CPSIA?

2009-01-27T11:01:00.003-05:00

I just got off the phone with a reporter from a national media source. I'm not at liberty to say which one at this point. However, he is looking to speak with a few other people whose businesses are in jeopardy due to the CPSIA.

If you are interested in speaking to him, please send your full name, phone number, and website to me via email at buggalove@gmail.com. Please send a short blurb on how the CPSIA will affect your business and your family (i.e. will the income loss be hurtful?). Don't wait, if you're interested send me your information now! I promised him I'd be in touch shortly with interested parties.

Additionally, I'm still taking questions for my next article on CPSIA FAQs! Free free to submit them via email. Thanks so much for all the emails about how much you're enjoying my blog. I really appreciate hearing from you!

CPSIA FAQs - Volume 1

2009-01-26T13:43:00.004-05:00

This is a call for questions: Please leave your question about CPSIA in the comments or send them via email to me at buggalove@gmail.com. I will be researching the answers and devoting posts to them. Some questions will be easier to answer than others. And for certain questions, I won’t be able to answer them at all becuase I'm not a lawyer, legislator, or compliance officer with the CPSC. But many people have been looking for a place to direct family and friends with simple language and answers to common questions. I hope to provide that.

What is the CPSIA?
CPSIA stands for the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. It lowers lead limits and details restrictions and bans on phthalates for children’s products. It was passed by Congress in August 2008 and signed into law by the President.

Who does the CPSIA affect?
Everyone. If you buy or sell any child’s product. This includes thrift stores, libraries, donations, small crafters, large businesses, etc. It is broad, sweeping legislation.

Who’s going to enforce this?
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is responsible for enforcement of the law.

How does this affect resale (Good Will, consignment shops, etc.)?
All items sold retail OR resale for children are mandated to comply with the new lead limits. So, children’s items at thrift stores and consignment shops are included.

Why does Snopes say this is an urban legend?
Because the CPSC released a statement detailing the following: “The new law requires that domestic manufacturers and importers certify that children’s products made after February 10 meet all the new safety standards and the lead ban. Sellers of used children’s products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards.”

Read that closely, they are not required to CERTIFY those products meet the lead limits. However, the statement a little further down reads: “… resellers cannot sell children’s products that exceed the lead limit and therefore should avoid products that are likely to have lead content, unless they have testing or other information to indicate the products being sold have less than the new limit. Those resellers that do sell products in violation of the new limits could face civil and/or criminal penalties.”

So a seller of used goods doesn’t have to have a GCC (general conformity certificate) and they don’t’ need to do the lead testing, but they still have to comply with the new lead limits. Here is more on this subject.

http://buggalove.blogspot.com/2009/01/im-mommy-blogger.html
Source: http://cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html

Who is a manufacturer?
Anyone who manufactures, produces, or assembles a children’s product is a manufacturer. That is a definition from the CPSC. Please see my blog post for more detail: http://buggalove.blogspot.com/2009/01/am-i-really-manufacturer.html

What is considered a children’s product?
I’m going to give you the short answer here: A consumer product designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger. But there are many things that are questionable in terms of whether or not they fall into the cateogry of children's product.

Please see my blog post for more detail:
http://buggalove.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-are-childrens-products.html

Please submit other questions! And look back in the BuggaBlog Archives for other important topics related to the CPSIA!

BuggaLove CPSIA Sale - Last week!

2009-01-26T12:26:00.008-05:00

The BuggaLove CPSIA sale on creepers and Ts in my Etsy shop is coming to a close. It will be running it only until the end of January, so take advantage of this sale while you can. BuggaLove very, very rarely runs any type of sale!

It's Buy One, Get One Free on all Creepers and Ts

FREE Shipping - WorldWide!

http://buggalove.etsy.com

The Cost of Compliance - Volume 3 - Sending your items for XRF testing

2009-01-23T18:17:00.004-05:00

Special Edition! Two posts in one day...OY! I just couldn't wait the whole weekend to post. Ok, I’ve been sitting on this information for a week, dying to share it with everyone. But whenever I endorse a company, I want to be sure that my endorsement is well deserved. So I waited to get my results back from my tests to ensure that I could really recommend this company. And I can recommend this company with no reservation.

The Breaking News! I have found an affordable place to get your items XRF tested. I sent them an email and heard back early the following morning from Seth Goldberg, President of the company. A few minutes later, I had him on the phone and we talked for nearly an hour. Since then, we’ve talked several more times at length. Essco Safety Check is a small business just like mine. As a result, Seth understands the implications of CPSIA on my business and he wants to help people like me. His service and accessibility have been beyond reproach. And to me, that type of personal service is really valuable. Not to mention he’s an expert in the field.

Essco Safety Check charges by the hour and they can do ~50 tests per hour. I sent in 200+ components for my items and will be charged only $500 for their services. While they charge by the hour, break that down and it was about $2.25 per item. Based on all the other quotes I’ve seen from various companies as well as renting my own XRF gun, this was definitely the most cost effective. And here’s what I got for my money:

1) ~225 items XRF tested
2) All the data from each test in excel format
3) A certificate for each test detailing a picture of the item, a graph of the contents, and a pass/fail reading (some other things are on there but these things were most relevant to me)
4) A CD with this company’s software detailing all the information needed for me to make my GCC (coming to me when he returns my items via snail mail)
5) Also, this company is working on a way to make data available in HTML so you can make it accessible on your website or potentially have your data hosted on theirs.
6) He will re-run the data based on the changing lead levels over time. In my case, 99% of my items tested 0 and the other 1% were less than 27ppm, so there would be no need to re-run as that is well below the eventual 90ppm limit that will be imposed. But that kind of follow up service may be very important to some people!

Essco Safety Check
2018 156th Ave NE
Suite 100, Building F
Bellevue, WA 98007
P: 425-749-4136
http://www.essco-safetycheck.com/
Seth Goldberg, President: seth@essco-safetycheck.com

How long did it take? I mailed my package to them on Tuesday. They received it Thursday (2 days from PA to WA using USPS...WOW!), and I had my results early evening on Friday. I’m not really sure you can get much better than that. And if you’re local and don’t want to send your stuff to him, Seth will come to you. After reading this, if you decide to contact Seth at Essco Safety Check, please tell him that Jessica from BuggaLove recommended him to you. It’s one way I have to show him how much I appreciated his service.

The Cost of Compliance with CPSIA - Volume 2

2009-01-23T11:38:00.006-05:00

I know you were all expecting XRF Testing – Volume 2 today, and it is coming. I may be putting out another blog tonite or tomorrow. At the latest I expect you’ll have it Monday. But in the meantime, I got a little curious about all the quotes for the digestive lead testing that I was hearing. So I checked the CPSC website for accredited labs and I found one in Pennsylvania (because that’s the one closest to me) that I decided to call.

If you’re curious as to where to get the CPSC accredited lab list, here it is: http://www.cpsc.gov/cgi-bin/labapplist.aspx

Here’s the bottom line for digestive lead testing as it applies to me. I'm only doing the costs for my BuggaMobiles and my BuggApparel. Each component of my item will cost $60:

My line of BuggApparel, I specialize in designs on creepers:
Snaps - $60
Fabric - $60
Thread - $60
Labels - $120
Designs - $3000

Cost of Testing - $3300
Cost of Product to be tested - $300
Total cost to maintain my line of Creepers: $3800

And each time I ran out of any of my supplies, I would need to have the new batch of garments retested. So based on 2008 sales, this testing would net me a loss of $500-$1000 on my line of BuggApparel in 2009. I would have to price myself out of the market just to break even. I would potentially consider reducing my offerings in terms of designs, but that really stunts my creative process. I love coming up with new ideas for new designs. Additionally it would prohibit me from doing custom designs, which is a significant portion of my business.

Let’s talk about my mobiles. I have 13 different styles, 3 sizes, 20+ paint colors, 16 design schemes with over 100+ designs within them. For the purposes of this I have estimated some things or lowered my quantities, so the actual cost would be slightly higher than what this reflects.

BuggaMobiles:
Hoop - $180
Mobile Pieces – $6000
Fishing Line - $60
Paint - $1200
Designs - $6000

Cost of Testing – $13440
Cost of Product to be tested - $300
Total cost to maintain my BuggaMobiles: $13740

For those who are interested in which lab this was:
Chemical Solutions
Mechanicsburg, PA
http://www.chemicalsolutionsltd.com
(717)697-7536

And again, each time I run out of any component from the initial batch, I would need to retest those components. There is no reasonable way to absorb $13740 into my costs. That cost exceeds my total spending in all of 2007 AND 2008. I suppose I could look to limit my offerings significantly in order to bring costs down but part of the beauty of my work is that each one is unique, strung individually, made to order based on the colors my client wants, etc. That aspect, the creative aspect of my work, and the aspect I love most, would be destroyed.

So, I’m simply confirming what we all know to be true, the digestive testing for micro-manufacturers is simply prohibitive financially, among other things. On a positive note, this testing facility understood that I am a one-woman operation running a home-based business and was more than willing to do business with me. Please note this testing is for LEAD ONLY. Phthalate testing is not done by the lab I contacted. Based on these numbers, my business will not survive the next wave of deadlines in August 2009. BuggaLove has been given 8 months to live.

The Cost of Compliance with CPSIA

2009-01-22T09:20:00.001-05:00

I’ve been researching XRF testing for about 2 weeks. As many people are finding it to be the way they want to go to test items (at least until August). I looked into the DIY version. Of course, I DIY everything else! Why not this?? So here are some company names and rental rates.

Renting your XRF gun:
Here are 3 companies that will rent an XRF gun to you. All of these companies say that they’re easy, user-friendly machines. They’ll download your data into an excel document for you. Honestly, at first I thought this would definitely be the way to go. Until I saw how much it would cost me.

Innov-X Systems
100 Sylvan Rd., Suite 500
Woburn, MA 01801
Phone: (781) 938-5005 Ext. 309

My contact was Kyle and he sent me a document detailing the following rental costs:
Monthly Rental - $4,900.00
Weekly Rental - $1,900.00
Daily Rental Daily (2-day minimum) - $575.00

I never got the information about training from Kyle. Though it seemed as though there was some type of training involved.

Atlas Inspection Technologies
500 Elliot Ave W
Suite A
Seattle WA 98119
Office 800-281-0650 ext. 2424

My contact was Tyler. In his email to me, he stated, “As far as training goes, if you are in the US no training is necessary. We send the gun along with a good set of instructions and it is very easy to use.”
Daily Rental - $500/day
Weekly Rental - $2000/week.

Ajax Environmental and Safety Supply
2537 S. Gessner, Suite 238
Houston, TX 77063
Ph (713) 789-4149

My contact was Judd. I spoke with him on the phone and he emailed me the following rates:
$400 - day
$1,400 - week
$4,000 - month

Estimated shipping $235 (EACH WAY).

After contacting these 3 companies I determined that there was no way I could do this myself. It was simply financially prohibitive. If a company were to provide me training, I might be more inclined. But again for those enormous daily rates PLUS shipping costs for overnight shipping each way (it costs a lot of money to ship an item that costs $40K to replace!), I determined this was not a cost effective method of testing for me.

My next step was to a local company who tests for lead in the home. They had never heard of CPSIA. They said while they use an XRF gun it’s not the same type of gun I needed and therefore were really unable to give me a definitive test. They’d charge me $125 just to come visit my house and then up to $500 for half a day of testing. But since they didn’t have the proper equipment to give me a pass/fail based on the lead levels required by the CPSIA, I decided this was not the best way to spend my money. However, I’m sure there are local companies out there who are equipped to handle these types of requests. So it is definitely worth exploring in your area. One place you might call to find one is your pediatrician's office. Since they often deal with testing children for lead, they may have a suggestion for a company that typically tests your home.

At this point I determined that neither of these options, renting a gun or finding a local company was the right one for me. I was starting to lose hope that there was a viable, affordable XRF option. I also considered trying to arrange for a co-op of folks to rent a gun with and split the cost, but I was having some trouble getting traction in that arena as well. So I decided to explore my options in terms of where I could send my items to be tested.

Stay Tuned for XRF Testing – Volume 2 Sending your Items for Testing

7 Stages of Grief

2009-01-20T09:59:00.001-05:00

Every day I scour the web and the CSPC website for new information about the CPSIA. And every day there’s some roller coaster ride of “good news” and “bad news” first saving my business from extinction and then destroying it and putting me out of business. I realize there are a lot of people who have been dealing with this issue much longer than I have. Since late November I’ve been reading, researching, placing calls, and discussing it with anyone who will listen on a daily basis. My part time home based business gets even less of my time and learning about CPSIA and lobbying for change has become almost a full time job.

I also went through the 7 stages of grief during this time. That must sound a little wonky but I bet if you search your feelings, you might find it to be true of you too. (That statement was very Star Wars Geek of me)

Stage 1 – Shock/Denial – “Naaaah, this can’t be true!” “That’s just crazy!” “What I’m reading has GOT to be wrong.”

Stage 2- Pain – The thought of losing the business I’ve been building over the past 2 years hurts me to the core. My items are part of who I am. Sometimes I am even sad when they sell because I really love them!

Stage 3- Anger – Anger at those who passed the law and anger at not being aware of it until it seemed too late to change anything.

Stage 4- Depression – Feeling a sense of impending doom as I prepare to liquidate inventory and go out of business.

Stage 5 - The Upward Turn -Slight hope as change starts to happen that maybe it will all be ok and I will be able to stay in business after all.

Stage 6 - Reconstruction and Working Through - Creating a business plan that I’m comfortable with that includes a reasonable testing program leaving me with a high level of confidence that my products comply with the lead laws, even if they don’t comply with the third party testing requirement.

Stage 7 - Acceptance and Hope - Becoming comfortable with my business plan and hope that things will change based on some of the statements and letters I’ve seen from the CPSC and legislators.

So, since I’ve reached the acceptance stage. I am going to cautiously move forward with my reasonable testing program and my business plan, which includes discontinuing a few things and expanding a few others. But first, I might take a few days to just decompress from this roller coaster. I will still likely report on things I find of interest regarding the CPSIA, but I’m going to work hard at making my blog a place for other BuggaLove news as well.

My meeting with Congressman Dent

2009-01-19T10:21:00.003-05:00

This past Friday I had the opportunity to meet with Congressman Dent. I found him to be very receptive to my concerns as a small business owner and truly interested in finding a reasonable solution to the unintended consequences of the CPSIA. And I believe after speaking with him that the affects we’re feeling truly were an unintended side effect. Earlier in the week he drafted a letter to the Energy and Commerce committee leaders. He recruited 5 other Pennsylvania Congressman to sign that letter. So even before meeting with him, I knew that he had been working toward learning more about CPSIA and the impact it was having on his constituents.

So, what did we talk about?
Truth be told, I did most of the talking. He was very interested in the fact that all of my supplies were purchased in the US. I mentioned that of the suppliers (most of them at this point) I’ve contacted, none of the supplies I use contain lead. I showed him a sampling of my products and detailed how each component was lead free.

We talked about the testing requirements, how it is physically impossible for me to comply and financially burdensome/impossible to comply with third party testing requirements. I talked about the end unit testing requirement vs. component testing and the effect of that on my made-to-order items. I mentioned XRF testing as a reasonable testing program instead and I gave him a contact who is an expert in XRF testing in case he had additional questions about it. I mentioned the labeling issue as well that will arise for me in August.

I discussed how the paint I use is acrylic, non-toxic, water based paint, made in the USA and is lead free. I let him know that as much as I want to comply with the law, I am unable to and this will result in my business closing down as of August. I mentioned I’d be using XRF technology to screen my products for lead at this point, and while I was making this good faith effort, even that wasn’t approved to keep me compliant in terms of my painted products the way the law is currently written. I left him with some notes on our meeting (Who I am, What I do, What my Concerns are, etc.).

It sounded like he felt it might be prudent to slow the deadlines down, that there were too many issues to address in such a short a period of time. It sounded like he was interested in helping to get amendments made to this law so that I, and those like me, will be able to continue business as usual. It also sounds like the Energy and Commerce Commission has most of the power in this situation to make changes since the law has already been passed.

Overall, I feel the meeting was productive and I feel as though he listened and heard me. He assured me his office would maintain contact with me about the issue. One of my concerns was that now that I’d met with him, my issue would just fade away. He assured me that would not be the case. For my part, I don’t think there’s any more action that I can take that will be any more effective than what I’ve already done.

What should you do?
1) Write or call the leaders of the Energy and Commerce Committee. They need to continue hearing from us.
2) Call your Congressman and ask for a meeting to discuss CPSIA (no more emails or letters, it’s time to meet). Emails are ineffective for making real contact, Congressmen get too many of them.
3) Continue blogging, contacting news media, and spreading the word about CPSIA. Don’t stop the noise.

Late Friday there was some GOOD news, about the issue. The Energy and Commerce committee had a committee meeting Friday afternoon. From that came the following letter:http://energycommerce.house.gov/images/stories/Documents/PDF/Newsroom/nord%20moore%202009%201%2016.pdf

This is very important! It shows that we are being heard, most of the main issues we need addressed are included in that letter. Things are happening. We can only hope the CPSC will respond quickly with some answers that will be clear and address our concerns.

At this point, with so little time before the February 10th deadline, I have to make business decisions that represent due diligence on my part even though there the limitations within the law for made-to-order, one-of-a-kind and painted items. Should changes not be made, I will be closing my “doors” come August. In the meantime, I have come up with a plan. A lot of people have been contacting me and asking me what I plan to do. While I cannot endorse that this will be a good plan for everyone, it is what I am going to be doing.

I believe based on my research regarding XRF testing that it is a good screening tool for lead for all of my products. Additionally component testing is the only reasonable way for me to test, because my products are made-to-order (MTO) and/or one-of-a-kind (OOAK). So digestive testing is not physically possible, in addition to being prohibitive financially. So, I am going to move forward with my “reasonable testing program”. I am going to stay in business until August and hope in the next seven months there will be change enough to allow me to continue BuggaLove.

My reasonable testing program:
1 – Contacting the manufacturers of my items to determine whether the possibility that there is lead in them exists.
2- Component testing (regardless of the manufacturer’s assurance of a product being lead free) using XRF technology.

I am mailing my components out tomorrow for XRF testing. When I receive the results, I will be blogging about my experience with the company I chose to use as well as providing a variety of quotes for rental of an XRF gun. For those considering this method of testing, the following is an important note to make. I sat in on a conference call on the afternoon of Thursday, January 15th. Among the panelists was Jennifer, aka The Smart Mama. Jennifer talked a little bit about XRF testing to keep items in compliance until August. There are some items that can be XRF tested in order to remain compliant with CPSIA until the mandated third party testing requirement goes into effect in August. My creepers, for example, can be XRF tested in order to remain compliant. However, the way I understood it, items that are painted require the third party digestive lead testing now and XRF is not acceptable. XRF is acceptable for determining total lead content which is seen differently within CPSIA than the lead paint requirement.

Take that information and apply it as you see fit to your own solution for remaining compliant. I have determined that between my contact with the manufacturers and the XRF testing, I will have the highest level of confidence that my items are within the lead limits set forth by the CPSC and that is the spirit and intent of the law, even if I cannot follow the exact subscribed testing method that is mandated.

I'm a mommy blogger!

2009-01-16T08:52:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I came upon some raw footage of Julie Vallese, from the CPSC. Julie Vallese is resigning from the CPSC, however on her way out the door, she’s managed to give one bang up interview about the CPSIA

http://www.wbaltv.com/video/18479590/index.html

Here are a few of the things that really stood out to me about this interview. First of all, it was focused on resale and consignment shops. Which is great, except that they’ve already released an official memo on resale and consignment shops. So, this interview gives us no new information. You can see that memo here: http://cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html

From this interview there are a couple new phrases to be entered into our language when talking about the CPSIA. The first one I’d like to discuss is “level of confidence”. I first introduced the memo above in my previous blog post from January 9, 2009.
http://buggalove.blogspot.com/2009/01/finally-getting-on-board-with-blogging.html

So when asked to clarify this memo a bit, Julie Vallese talked about a reseller having a “level of confidence” in their product. And that while this was “not defined”, she suggested three possible ways to gain this “level of confidence”:

#1) Look at the product and assess whether or not you feel it might not pass the lead limit
#2) Contact the manufacturer
#3) Screen the product using XRF technology

This brings me to the point I made in my first post about this issue: Since it’s been determined that used goods are still subject to the law but don’t need to be tested, and selling them is basically at the seller’s risk. Why can’t handmade goods be exempted in the same way? The difference with my handmade goods is that I *know* what went into making the item. As the manufacturer, I can have a higher “level of confidence” knowing exactly what is going into my products. I can contact the manufacturers of my supplies and discuss materials and any certifications they have. If that standard is good enough for used goods, it should be good enough for my handcrafted goods. Sellers could still be held accountable and face civil and/or criminal penalties for selling goods that are in violation of the new limits the same way a reseller of used goods is. So, why not extend the testing exemption in this way to those who handcraft items?

I’m not going to address the suggestion of XRF screening at this time because that’s a topic that will warrant a post all it’s own. And that post is coming, I promise. But I do want to make the point that in this video, Julie Vallese was extremely careful to make sure we all knew that XRF was not definitive and could only be used as a “screening tool”. I find this to be indicative of what may come in terms of the suggestion to allow XRF testing replace the third party lab accredited digestive testing that is currently mandated as of August.

The second phrase I’d like to address is “mommy blogger”. If you’re not interested in a short rant, please skip this paragraph. All I can say is, Wow. Just wow. I’m not really sure how much more condescending that phrase could be in the context that it was used. And the notion that we, “mommy bloggers” are responsible for the misinformation regarding this law on the web is more insulting than I can express. Let me tell you who THIS mommy blogger is. I am a former higher education administrator with a Masters degree under my belt. I am a business woman (as long as the CPSIA doesn’t put me out of business), and I am a mother of two small children. I’m smart and I’m discerning of good information and bad information, regardless of the source. My first phone calls about this law were made to the CPSC directly and to my Congressman’s office for some clarification and to gather information. My information gathering resulted in misinformation being given to me by the CPSC. Information that directly contradicts the law as it is written. If there is any misinformation on this blog, you better believe I will address it, apologize, and print a retraction. But I stand by what I’ve written based on my interpretations and the information that I’ve gathered from many sources, including from the CPSC directly.

On a more positive note, I’m meeting with Congressman Dent today! I plan to update you all on how that meeting went as well as address the XRF testing next week. Have a great weekend!

What are children's products?

2009-01-15T11:04:00.007-05:00

I know it sounds like a crazy question. But with the stroke of the CPSIA pen being so broad it’s an important one to ask. Do the collectibles meant for adults that are plush or dolls fall under the law? What about miniatures? How about jewelry, what’s keeping a child from wearing it? Keep in mind the following is my interpretation of various resources and I’m not a lawyer.

Children’s products defined: A consumer product designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger.

“Ok, so my item isn’t primarily intended for children. So, I’m good, right?” Well, sort of. Because you see it’s the CPSC deciding what is and what is not a children’s product, not you as the manufacturer. So you can’t just blindly stick a “Not intended for children under 12” disclaimer on your item and call it a day.

Here are the criteria by which the CPSC will determine if a product is a children’s product:
#1 - A statement by the manufacturer about the intended use of the product, if such a statement is reasonable

#2 - Is the product represented in it’s packaging, display, promotion, or advertising as appropriate for use by children 12 years old or younger

#3 - Is the product commonly recognized by consumers as being intended for use by a child 12 or younger

#4 - The Age Determination Guidelines issued by the commission staff in September 2002

Translation:
#1...means to me that you can say your products isn’t for kids, but if that statement isn’t reasonable, your disclaimer doesn’t matter.

#2...makes sense and should be relatively easy to determine.

#3... seems very subjective to me. Especially relative to miniatures, plush, collectors dolls, etc.

#4... well you can read that fun little 300 pg document here http://www.cpsc.gov/BUSINFO/adg.pdf, if you’re so inclined. I was not able to read it before posting about this topic, so I can’t comment on it at this time.

What about art and wall accessories? Their “use” is to look at it, not touch it. And that brings us to the question of “play value”. Well, in terms of children’s products themselves, play value doesn’t matter. It still needs to be tested for lead (Section 101). Where play value DOES matter, is in determining whether it needs to be tested for phthalates (Section 108). So your wall art and decorative accessories are children’s products, but since they have no play value they don’t need to be tested for phthalates.

By the way, the question of art and wall accessories is an interesting one to me because what it written is in direct contradiction with what I was told verbally by the CPSC. Obviously, I have to go with what’s written. Saying “Mr. X told me over the phone this is ok” isn’t going to cut it.

I’m not sure if this information is complete enough to help you determine for yourself whether or not your item will be considered a children’s product. For some of us, it’s obvious. All my products are children’s products and subject to lead testing. And for some of you phthalate testing may also be required, which I didn’t really discuss, but is an important part of the law.

Here’s my sources for this blog post so that you can determine for yourself if your products are “children’s products”: http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/childprodtest.pdf
http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/cpsialead.pdf

Tomorrow is my meeting with Congressman Dent. Stay tuned, I'll be discussing that meeting and the XRF testing information I've gathered in some upcoming posts.

Am I really a manufacturer?

2009-01-14T13:12:00.004-05:00

When I first mentioned the CPSIA to a couple of my friends who are attorneys and my attorney, their reactions were “But, you’re not a manufacturer”. So my initial reaction to hearing about the CPSIA back in November was, “Naaah, this doesn’t apply to me”. But I “heard” it does. So I started reading and researching and making phone calls to try to get information. Mostly I was looking for information telling me that this law didn't apply to me or that all the people out there talking about this were wrong.

Well, in case you haven’t heard, it does apply to me. And if you are a crafter of handmade children’s products, it applies to you too. My very first question for the Congressional Liaison at the CPSC was, “As an artisan/crafter, am I considered a manufacturer?” His answer was a resounding YES.

Here is how the CPSC defines manufacture: To manufacture, produce, or assemble

So based on that definition, I am most definitely a manufacturer. And I suppose I really always felt that I was, at least in terms of my nursery decor items. But I was surprised to have that label placed on me regarding my line of BuggApparel. After all, I'm just embellishing a pre-made blank garment. How can I be considered the manufacturer of that? But I am. And furthermore, the fact that I put my own label in that garment, makes me a private labeler.

But it's my opinion that there should be a distinct difference made between me and a company who manufactures mass-produced children's products. And as there currently isn't one, that is one of the things I am asking to see changed in any amendment or revision made to the CPSIA. Here are just a few of the changes I am requesting be brought to the attention of the Congressional Committee on Energy and Commerce:

>>>>I am asking for the consideration of reasonable exclusions to the testing and certification requirements for textiles and apparel to the extent that a component presents a risk that it contains lead. As such, proof of component compliance from a supplier should be acceptable for handmade products.

>>>>I would like artisans/crafters to have a different designation by the CPSC from “manufacturer” that will exempt handcrafted products that meet the criteria for reasonable exclusion from testing as stated above.

>>>>I would like to see adjustments for small business such as limits of production under which certification is not required. This could include reduced certification requirements without removal of the liability.

More on product testing soon, specifically, information on XRF testing costs that I’m currently researching. Tomorrow, a discussion on what counts as a children's product.

CPSIA - What is a General Conformity Certificate (GCC)?

2009-01-13T11:35:00.004-05:00

I'm struggling very much with the interpretation of the CPSIA as it is intended for micro-manufacturers of handmade goods like me. I have been reading and turning it over in my mind. My goal is to stay in business while Congress and the CPSC figure out the law and what amendments should be made to it.

While it is very clear that in August 2009 the new regulations require third-party testing. The February 10, 2009 deadline allows for XRF testing and/or another "reasonable testing program".

So, based on that, until August I can come up with a reasonable testing program and produce a general conformity certificate regarding this program. So what is a general conformity certificate. Well, it just so happens that the CPSC has some guidelines on what that means.

Here's what I've learned:

Certification means vouching that a product complies with the standard set by the CPSC, In this case lead limits (and phthalate limits if those apply to you)
Certification may or may not include any laboratory testing
Certification may or may not include a label or mark on the product
If the product has a private label (like my BuggApparel does), the private labeler must also issue a certificate

What needs a certificate:

Certification must be based on a test of each product OR a reasonable testing program.
All products intended for children under 12 must be tested.

Where do you get a certificate?

You make it yourself based on the information and data you get from your "reasonable testing program"

What goes on the certificate?

Certificate must be in English
It must identify the manufacturer AND private labeler of the certificate issuer
It must identify the party doing the testing by listing name, address, and phone number
Date and place the product was manufactured
Date and place the product was tested
Contact information of the person maintaining the test records
Each applicable standard (or ban)

What do you do with the certificate?

If you are the retailer of your own products: File it away, if someone asks for it, you must be able to produce it.
If you do wholesale or consignment of your products: Send it with any wholesale order you receive or with any products you intend to consign as the retailer must be able to produce it if asked.

General disclaimer: This is only MY interpretation of my source about GCCs. I am NOT a lawyer. Here is my source: http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/conformity.pdf

Here is a template for your GCC: http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/faq/elecertfaq.pdf

In the upcoming days I'll be talking about XRF testing. I'm currently researching costs and gathering information. Stay Tuned!

Winner of the Love Letter Giveaway announced!

2009-01-12T12:31:00.007-05:00

Congratulations to Andreah

of Life's a Hoot!

She is the lucky winner of a set of Love Letters

through the blog giveaway

hosted by Nursery Murals and More

Todays CPSIA update: I'm currently reading through the several updates that have been posted by the CPSC, including the natural materials exemptions. I hope to share my thoughts on these updates with you over the coming days.

Have you sent your letters to the Committee Leaders of the Committee on Energy and Commerce? Here is my letter to them, sent today. Please feel free to use my letter. But also note, as a concerned citizen I hate receiving form letters back from my legislators, so why would I send one? It will be much more impactful if you write an original letter to them in your words, detailing your concerns. Still, a form letter is better than no letter, so if you must...here it is:

I am writing today to express my concerns with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) passed in August 2008. As the mother of two small children, I am pleased to see that actions are taken to ensure our children’s safety when it comes to toys and clothing. However, this well intentioned law has some unintentional consequences.

I write today not only as the mother of Arden, age 2, and Braden, age 4 months. I also write as the owner and sole proprietor of a small online business called BuggaLove. I create handcrafted nursery décor items and embellished children’s apparel. These items are made from non-toxic materials. None of my materials or supplies contain lead. According to the CPSIA, I am a manufacturer. Further according to this law, I need to have my products tested for lead. My items are not created in batches of thousands, or hundreds. My items are custom made, individually, specific to the needs of my customer at a reasonable cost. The law currently does not take into account one-of-a-kind or made to order items in its testing regulations. Furthermore, the costs of testing and certification on a small businesses, like mine, are burdensome. If amendments to the law are not made, I may be out of business as of February 10, 2009. I very much would like to find a reasonable way to comply with the law and maintain my growing fledgling business.

There are thousands of small business owners like me. We work in our garages, at our dining room tables, and in our spare bedrooms. We lovingly create items with care for our children and children around the world. I realize that this law was well intentioned and necessary due to the toy recalls that took place in 2007. I ask that you please consider a hearing to analyze the unintended consequences of this law and analyze the economic impact of CPSIA due to its broad terms.

Finally getting on board with blogging

2009-01-09T11:40:00.001-05:00

Since I've been doing a good bit of writing lately I thought it was time to bite the bullet and get a REAL blog. The posts prior to this date were added today. I am just learning how to "blog" There aren't too many posts there but I think they're worth reading. Particularly yesterday's posting about Congressman Charlie Dent.

For today, I'd like to highlight breaking news from yesterday. The CPSC has announced exception from testing for used goods. Simply put, used goods sold in places like thrift stores and consignment shops are not subject to the third-party certifications that new goods are. They are, however, still subject to the new lead level requirements.

So how do you know if a product contains low enough lead levels without testing it? You don’t, so sell at your own risk.

Read the full memo here: http://cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html

My thoughts on this: This is good news! As a parent, I often will buy (and sell!) at consignment shops for children. So the fact that their businesses are no longer in jeopardy is very positive.

However, since it’s been determined that used goods are still subject to the law but don’t need to be tested, and selling them is basically at the seller’s risk. Why can’t handmade goods be exempted in the same way? The difference with my handmade goods is that I *know* what went into making the item. Sellers could still be held accountable and face civil and/or criminal penalties for selling goods that are in violation of the new limits the same way a reseller of used goods is. So, why not extend the testing exemption in some way to those who handcraft items?

Congressman Dent supports Small Business

2009-01-08T12:00:00.002-05:00

For those who do not know, I have been communicating frequently with Congressman Charlie Dent’s office. His office has been extremely helpful in assisting me gather accurate information regarding the CPSIA. My meeting with Congressman Dent himself is scheduled for January 16, 2009.

I’ve received word today that Congressman Dent is taking up our cause. And he is gathering the support of other Congressmen. So far, Congressman Jim Gerlach and Congressman Tim Holden have joined him to support the effort. Others are reviewing and likely more will join the effort in the next few days. Congressman Dent is sending a letter to the Committee on Energy and Commerce requesting a hearing. This is VERY good news. THIS is how things get changed.

It is the new chairman of the Committee who has the ability to call for hearings on this matter and advance critical legislation to resolve some of the issues. The best way to convince him of the need for a hearing to amend the CPSIA is to WRITE LETTERS to the four Energy and Commerce Committee leaders explaining our concerns and issues with the law as it is written and how it will affect us. Even if you have written to these people before, I urge you to send another letter.

Here are the names and addresses of the four Committee leaders:
The Hon. Henry A. Waxman
Chairman
Committee on Energy and Commerce
2125 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

The Hon. Joe Barton
Ranking Member
Committee on Energy and Commerce
2322-A Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

The Hon. Bobby Rush
Chairman
Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade
and Consumer Protection
2125 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

The Hon. Ed Whitfield
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade
and Consumer Protection
2322-A Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

My Conversation with the CPSC

2009-01-01T12:00:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! For me, I wish I could say that it was going to be a great year. But right now, I’m not sure that it will be. On New Year’s Eve I spoke with the CPSC at length. While I have been trying to maintain that all I have been reading about the CPSIA cannot possibly be true, it is. The few products that I will be able to continue making after February 10, 2009 will likely not be able to sustain my business. So at this point, with no amendments having been made to this new law, my small home based business selling quality hand made items is in jeopardy.

I’m still fighting the good fight. I plan to meet with my Congressman in the upcoming weeks, I did a short interview for the Keystone News Connection just before Christmas which will hopefully be picked up by various PA radio stations, and I’ve been doing as much research on the law as possible.

From my conversation with the CPSC, I have confirmed the following:

Artisans/Crafters ARE considered manufacturers and ARE subject to having their items tested
There is currently NO exceptions for any materials, though a vote is being taken on natural materials in early January (wood, cotton, etc.)
My garments (tote bags, etc.) must be tested, even if the garment itself has been tested previously, once I embellish it in any way it must be tested again.
There is physically no way to comply with testing requirements for made-to-order and one-of-a-kind items at this time.
My mobiles might not only be considered children's products, they might be considered TOYS even though they have absolutely no play value and are not meant to be touched by children, only looked at.

Unfortunately, with the February 10, 2009 deadline looming, I must take measures that will minimize my losses. I cannot stress enough that my products are safe. Among other things, the new law requiring third-party testing is over reaching and does not take into account custom made and made-to-order items. I am so glad that our government wants to help protect our children. But the unintended consequences of this law will be devastating to small business, the US economy, and my ability to make choices as a parent for what I buy for my children.

I hope to have better news about the future of BuggaLove in the upcoming month. The CSPC will be contacting me later in the week to answer questions that arose during our conversation.

Handmade Children's Products Endangered by CPSIA

2008-12-21T12:00:00.001-05:00

As the mother of two small children, I am pleased to see that actions are taken to ensure our children’s safety when it comes to toys and clothing. As you probably have not heard, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act was passed in August 2008. While this law has good intentions it has some unintentional consequences.

As the owner and sole proprietor of my small online business, I create handcrafted nursery décor items and embellished children’s apparel. None of my materials contain lead. However, according to the CPSIA, I need to have my products tested for lead. My items are not created in batches of thousands, or hundreds. My items are custom made, individually, specific to the needs of my customer at a reasonable cost. Among other concerns, due to the burdensome costs of testing and certification, if amendments to the law are not made, I will be out of business as of February 10, 2009.

There are thousands of small business owners like me. We work in our garages, at our dining room tables, and in our spare bedrooms. We lovingly create items with care for our children and children around the world. I have been privileged over the past 2 years to provide nursery décor and apparel to children in 40 states and 9 countries. My fledgling business was growing beautifully.

I realize that this law was well intentioned and came about due to the toy recalls that took place in 2007. But I am asking for the consideration of reasonable exclusions to the testing and certification requirements for textiles and apparel to the extent that a component PRESENTS A RISK that it contains lead. I would like to bring to your attention several online resources that highlight the plight of those like me:

http://www.nationalbankruptcyday.com
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org
http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/handmade-childrens-items-unintended-consequences-consumer-pr-3056/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/20/AR2008122001878_3.html

Others who have written to their representatives have simply received a form letter in response. Many of these form letters do not address any of their questions about this legislation or our concerns. At this time I am trying to work closely with my Congressman's office in Washington to get some answers regarding the scope of the CPSIA. The enforcement of this law as written means the end of choice for consumers regarding children's products.

Please write to your representatives. Make your voice heard. Save Handmade.