Etsy Bloggers Blog Carnival for January 5, 2009

CPSIA Law of 2008

This is my first blog carnival for 2009. It is appropriate that as the new year brings change my first blog should be about some big changes coming in 2009 for crafters and vendors of goods for children under the age of 12. These changes are legislated under the  CPSIA Law of 2008 (USA).

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) was penned in response to the breach of consumer trust by the large toy manufacturers who contracted with Chinese firms to manufacture their toys. As many of us on both sides of the USA/Canada border are aware many of those toys contained toxic chemicals.  The new law stipulates mandatory third party testing for products intended for use by children under the age of 12 to determine if these items contain toxic chemicals.

The new law comes into effect February 10, 2009. Toy manufacturer Rick Woldenberg, President/CEO of Learning Resources, named this day the  National Bankruptcy Day.  He was referring to the thousands of dollars to be spent on third party testing. For many small toy companies in the USA, Canada and Europe, crafters and artists, the cost of this testing will be prohibitive leaving them with no choice but to close their doors.

This mandatory testing does not only apply to toys. It applies to all products marketed or which could be perceived as being marketed for the use of children under 12 years of age. It applies equally to toys, clothes, books, furniture, art and craft supplies, shoes, hair and jewellry accessories, glasses, and many more items.

Etsy.com is an online venue for crafters, artists and artisans to sell their goods. Many of these items are or might be perceived to be for the use of children younger than 12. Many of these products are unique, one of a kind items. The shopkeepers in question are too small to be able to absorb the cost of having each of their items tested.

This will affect crafters in the USA, Canada, Europe and elsewhere who sell to consumers in the USA from venues like Etsy.com.

For more information please visit this link to the Storque on Etsy:

 

http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/handmade-childrens-items-unintended-consequences-consumer-pr-3056/

Become A Blog Designer

Did you know that many people are now using blogging platforms, such as Wordpress, to create both blogs and websites? Even large companies such as Ford Motor Company use Wordpress as the base for their website.

There are many reasons that businesses, both large and small are turning to Wordpress. For starters, it is open source, which means that it is free! It is easy to customize and can serve many different purposes. A person may use it to create a simple online journal or it can be modified into an e-commerce store that sells hundreds or thousands of products.

If you are familiar with Wordpress and know how to customize a theme, you should consider becoming a blog designer. Unlike a web designer, you won’t need to know anything too specialized or difficult.

You will need to know how to upload a theme and customize it by changing the colors, and add a customized header. If you are not skilled in graphic design, you could outsource the creation of the header.

As a blog designer, you could choose to work locally. Many of your local business owners may not be very familiar with websites, blogs, and the differences between them. They may not have even heard of Wordpress before.

They may not realize that it is a very affordable option for their website. Traditional website design can cost quite a bit of money. By educating local business owners on the benefits of Wordpress, you may find yourself with a full client load very soon.

Of course, you can also work online and design blogs for people you meet virtually. Most people with an online business are very comfortable working with people they’ve never met face to face.

As a blog designer, you can also add on blog coaching services, where you teach your clients how to navigate their new Wordpress blog. Writing a post may seem like a simple activity to you, but it may be daunting to someone who’s never used Wordpress.

There are other blog platforms you could choose to work with, such as Blogger and Moveable Type. The possibilities of a blog design business are endless!

Featured Etsy Blogger of the Month for August 2008 -- TuLips Talking!

Congratulations to TuLips Talking, this month's featured Etsy Blogger. I have not had the pleasure of chatting with TuLips but anywhere you see the Etsy Bloggers Team, you'll find her. She's always showing her support, offering kind words, asking helpful questions, posting some humor, and just being such a huge part of our team.

I surfed on over to her blog and was delighted by her beautiful jewellry designs. I also empathized with her as I read her post regarding her pet's gift! Surf on over and read all about it for yourself! http://tulipstalking.blogspot.com/

When you are all done surf over to her shop on Etsy. Don't drool too long -- you'll get your keyboard wet! Just grab that mouse and click on 'add to cart'.