Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

No I don’t live a Norman Rockwell Life

This past weekend we took the kids to see the Norman Rockwell exhibit at the King Prussia Mall, PA. It is a interactive walk through show. That is a great for the kids, because it is Ok to touch. It starts with a 4 ½ minute video explain the artist. They you can walk through the painter most famous covers from the Saturday Evening Post. There are full size cars the kids can sit in and a soda shop fountain where you can sit next to Rockwell's famous patrons. My kids loved the real vintage phones set up with a switch board. My kids spent time calling each other. When we reached the my kids want to go back in and play some more. I loved the fact that it was a local mall bring art to the masses. The cost was 5.00 for adults and free for kids under 12. So a deal to boot. If you live in the Philly this is worth an hour well spent.

So if you are in PA  check out The most beloved characters and scenes of Norman Rockwell's portfolio are brought into three dimensions on the Lower Level of King Prussia Mall -The Plaza (near Rite Aid) October 29th - March 14th.

My favorite Resolution

I was at the Kimmel Center (Which is like Lincoln Center for Philadelphia's). The put up a banner for people to put there resolutions in a Sharpie marker so you know they would stick to them because there were in permanent ink…

On closer inspection…I read this one.

I will

STRENGTHEN MY SUPERPOWERS

(No I did not write it..)

Happy New Year !

Welcome 2010

Snow n Capes

So I am making a new resolution prior to the new year. During my busy season I had all these great plans to write blog post weekly or even bi weekly… as you can see it has not happened. Because I was one busy elf and running one wonderful workshop. I have some of the great friends and helpers. We made a ton I mean a ton of capes and they all went off to all the Santa relatively safe and sound. I wanted to share a picture of the cape the last day of shipping yes during a the 2^nd largest snow storm in philly's history.  This was the view from my bathroom window the morning of my last day of shipping.. I love 4wd.

Our New Pet Frank?

So this past Saturday was my DS birthday. We had 26 kids and a very busy day. The party was held at The Insectariums in Philadelphia.

The Insectariums is a product of a exterminator turned a Please Touch Museum …but coach roach style. Apparently the museum started when kids use to come by the exterminators front windows where he had his bugs displayed. The children noticed the bugs in the window… the owner thought why not start a museum and charge all the people to come in and see the bugs.
My son love bugs so he though it was great. I got a little crazy when kids are running all over the place, so it was more difficult for me. The place was a little well loved looking but great for the kids.

The 1st floor is mainly dead bugs in glass boxes, except for a full size kitchen set up in the middle of the room incased in glass. Our Tour Guide sprayed water and live roaches come out of the cracks in the kitchen for the water. Nasty! Also if you are brave you can eat bugs. 6 adults and 2 kid partook in the bugs…Yum…I did not. The 2nd Floor was the live bugs. It was neat to see the various living bugs spiders,millpedies. It was hard for our tour guide to keep the kids attention with such a large group. They sat for the viewing of the Madagascar Hissing Coach Roach but she lost them when she moved to the other insects. The museum had a small spider web set up with the web made out of rubber tubing which was the big hit for the kids to climb on.

We had cake in The Insectariums party room. My husband made the cake…without a pattern it was a fly. I made the party favors which included soap with bugs in it, they looked like bugs in amber . I will post instructions in my blog later this week. Also I could not resist the opportunity to make clothes for the kids.

The Best Part of the day according to My son, was when he got a new pet for his birthday. My sister in law though it would be nice(or payback) for my son to get a live Madagascar Hissing Coach Roach as a gift for his birthday. So after the party was over my son went a pick out a roach. The Madagascar Hissing Coach Roach only eat dog food, fruit, and vegs. He moves really slow but, will live for up to 5 years. The hissing sound is like air rushing out of a tire.
So we now have a hissing coach roach living in my home… in a cage. My son named him Frank. Does anyone else think this is odd? I hope Frank does not call any friends over for a visit?

Would you pay $4400 for a Superhero Cape?

Follow up to last week:
I was asked to do an interview by the Philadelphia inquirer regarding a New Law called Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (aka CSPIA) The article came out last Thursday 1/29.

Here is the Link to the full article, click on the link:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/magazine/20090129_Craftspeople_see_safety_proposal_as_threat.html
Some background what the law is:
The law was written because of the issues with China Using Lead in children's toy. By when law makers wrote the law they did not consider the small business in the US such as my own. The law states that all maker of all toys and clothing for children under the age of 12 must be 3rd party tested and certified to not contain lead (lead is in paint and some printing methods,some metal parts jewlrey). The issue is the requirement are all fabric, components, trims, all colors must be tested and every time we use a new dye lot, testing is required again. The Testing Cost $100 per item fabric, trim..and then you have to get the finish toy/clothing test when it is done.

So just for capes I have 10 satins, 13 felts, 6 velcro, 13 threads, 2 labels @$100 per test= 4400.00
then technically I have to get the capes tested by color way when they are done being sew)
than every time I purchase new fabric do the tests again
How could I build that in to the cost of the $15.00 cape?

Don't forget I have other products, tees, mask, gloves, teepees, dresses (one dress I use 3-4 fabrics per dress)

The handmade community is pushing to have the law amended to exempt manufactures that make under 5000 pieces per lot or have under $1 million in sales. At best exempt handmade community.

I am of the opinion that the US government is way to busy to come after the mom at home sewing in he bedroom. But I do feel as my company grows it is an issue. I have already been asked by one of my clients who is Boutique for the testing certification letter. So do I think BabyPop Designs will affect me long term, yes.

Where as I think it is important to protect the American child from careless manufacturing off shore, I think it is important to protect the small business owners as well. With so many Americans out of work should we encourage those who want to change there situation. Many artisans make items for the love of children's. I have hear of a lot of my fellow artisans getting out of making kids items because of the law, which is a shame.


If you would like to learn more or help out with the effort to amenda the law:
here some help:
Forbes http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html
Handmade Toy alliance http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/
My blog: http://babypopdesigns.blogspot.com/2009/01/cpsia-save-my-bussiness-and-please-read.html

http://www.etsy.com/storque/media/bunker/2009/01/CPSIA-Etsy-Resources.pdf

Here are some resources for supporters:

Find your representatives:https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

MomsRising Letter writing campaign:http://www.momsrisingaction.org/o/1768/campaign.jsp?campaign

Public Comment to CPSC:http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/ComponentPartsComments.pdf

Contact info for Waxman

Washington, D.C. Office:

2204 Rayburn House Office Building,

District of Columbia 20515-0530

Phone: (202) 225-3976

Fax: (202) 225-4099

Los Angeles Office: (more district offices)

8436 West 3rd Street,

Suite 600Los Angeles,

California 90048

Phone: (323) 651-1040

Fax: (323) 655-0502

On Saturday night the CSPS stay or extended the deadline for the certification to a 2/2/2001. But the law still need to be changed.

Thanks for Take your time to read and please feel free to pass the information along,

Philadelphia Inquirer Visit

I was interview about CPSIA by the Philadelphia Inquirer Dawn Fallik, the article came out in today’s Magazine Section front page. Pictures of My daughter and I take by Inquirer Photographer April Saul.

I was very happy that the paper want to show the point of the handmade community and I was pleased that the more people will know about the issue.

Read the article here where it's on the web.

True or False It Never Snows Prior to Halloween in Philly

TRUE

Since I moved to the Philadelphia Area 5 years ago (from Florida) it have never snowed prior to Halloween (actually it hardly ever snows during the winter). Which upsets my husband who hell bent on getting a snow blower.. I keep saying we need it to blow the mud that occurs every winter???. I think I can count how many times the snow has come on 2 hands.

Well it snowed on Tues Oct 28th...Take a look! My DD kept on trying asking to go outside an play in the snow. I caught a few on my tongue. It melted as soon as it hit.

Oh yea the world series was delayed for weather the night before... by the way the Phillie's Won.

Philadelphia Soul Win!!!

I am not normally a big sports fan but a few weeks ago the Philadelphia Soul became the Area Football Champs!!!!! The Soul are a team that is near and dear to my heart. In case you missed it this is the team that is partially owned by John Bon Jovi. Arena Football is a great spectator sport it is fast moving and fun. I have a tendency to loose interest at most sporting events, but not at area football, my son loves it and it is affordable. So get if you chance go see a game next season. Why the post from a kids designer... well in a past career I worked with JBJ on designing the teams uniform, and I proud of them for doing so well. They are a great group of people. Congratulation Philadelphia Soul!