Winter is racing by at a snails pace... and obsessing about CPSIA

I can't say that January has been my favorite month of this year (though it has been the first). It seemed to be consumed by all the colds that our little family has suffered through. Somewhere in that time Christmas was packed up and put away for another year.



And somewhere in that time between trips to the doctors there was time for creative endeavors too...









Any free time I've had I have spent reading up on the new CPSIA laws. Though I don't make toys or clothing for children I have wondered if my ring pillows and flower girl baskets would be covered under these laws. And though I don't sell children's toys my husband and I have been avid creators of toys for our children. I would hate to see all the lovely small businesses dedicated to making beautiful and creative toys put out of business by this law.

I think the initial intention of the law is correct because our children should be protected from lead and pthalates in their toys and clothing. In the interests of making a profit large companies purchase cheaply made toys overseas without any regards to safety. In response to this small businesses have sprung up making lovely handmade toys with natural materials. But its these small businesses that will now be forced to close with the stringent CPSIA testing requirements. I do think that small businesses should be held accountable to certifying that the components they use to make their toys are safe. We can't just assume that they are safe. We need to demand supplies and materials that are safe and have the certification from the manufacturers to prove it. Any way I hope the CPSIA stay goes into effect and that during this time the laws are better worked out so that small businesses can be allowed to continue.

Another busy week

Well I think I have finally adjusted to being alone in the house during the day. Early in the week I finally got around to fixing my hypertufa planter that I made and broke last fall. It was so large and heavy that when I turned it over I dropped a few inches and broke off one side into several pieces. That was a frustrating reminder that patience always pays off. I had made an attempt this spring at a repair but was interrupted by a visitor and the cement mortar dried fast and basically made the situation even worse. I think it looks fine now but probably not very strong so I don't intend to move it. Its really too heavy to move anyway and I know my husband hasn't enjoyed moving these planters around too much. I love their rustic earthy look!

I also played around and made a few cement mushrooms but the paper towel roll bases in my first attempt were much too small. So I made a rough cylinder form with some cardboard and tape that should make a sturdier base. I am hoping if I "plant" them in a shady spot I can get some moss to grow on them a bit. A buttermilk and crumbled moss mixture is a good starter for that.

This is one photo of my lopsided cement balls. I just filled in with concrete a few deflated balls the kids broke. I peeled off the plastic ball early so I could smooth it a bit too.

I took a bunch of photos of Mexican stone carvings down at the Museum of Natural History in NY this summer and would love to try making something like them in hypertufa. I think I will avoid some of the interesting "fertility" sculptures that might get too much attention from the kids though. They seemed amused enough at the museum!


I am busily working on my little birds and finished this one this week.


I just had to make something for Halloween and made this little display of pumpkins.



Take a look at this cute Etsy Treasury! Its called "I do ... do you?" by terbearco.

Woof woof! I do!

As promised I dressed up my needle felted pair of dogs for their wedding day. The groom is sporting a rather dashing top hat and the bride has a sweet flower veil. They are wearing matching turquoise collars with the groom having a bow tie and the bride a jeweled necklace.







The will be off soon to serve as a cake topper for an upcoming wedding. They are so cute I am going to miss them.