Willo O'Brien

You may have heard something about this crazy CPSIA issue, but if not, let me catch you up:

First of all CPSIA = Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. And the CPSIA law that has us all freaking out is one that, in essence, is much needed, as it’s stemmed from trying to protect children from the toxic amounts of lead found in toys imported from China & the like.

Now initially I thought that just meant toys. But the thing is it’s not just toys! It’s everything from clothes to bikes to books! And the *sad* thing is, all the darling small businesses & crafty creatives out there sewing, painting & handcrafting their hearts out (including my WilloToons Baby line!) could be direly effected by this law if it is not amended.

Now, before I get too far into this story, you should know the latest news that thankfully mandatory testing & certification has been suspended 1 year. And it should be noted that the article/interview about my business, featured in the image/blog above, was written prior to this suspension – just weeks before the deadline when several of us would have to shut down or face EXPENSIVE (read: unsustainable business expense) lead testing. Regardless of this suspension though, it’s key that everyone be aware of what’s happening & continue to speak up so that at the end of the 1 year suspension, it’s amended correctly.

What’s ironic is that we (the crafters/small business owners) are specifically promoting handmade to AVOID toxic or mass produced toys/gifts/products from China! So, we all agree this is important, but the problem is that the law was written so poorly, that it essentially calls for lead testing on *every single product* produced for children under the age of 12. Which, when you start thinking about it, means this law wouldn’t just effect small crafters, it would effect every single person, or business, who has any relationship to all the many small processes & products that go into creating & supporting millions of small businesses! Ak!

Domestic Diva, who also has a children’s clothing company, did an awesome job of listing out all the people she could think of who would be effected by this law, within our industry (see thumbnail to the right of said impressive list). It’s long. And this is just within the clothing business! Her post is a great overall, too & was one of the first that really got me to wake up & take action. Plus, she continues to put her heart & soul into keeping us all up to date. Thanks Lisa!

So yes, this is a big deal, and quite honestly I’ve had a hard time sitting down to write a post about it on here until now, because I’ve been reeling about it, like many small business owners out there.

When I first figured out how directly this effected my business, I Twittered a lot about it to raise awareness, and I wasn’t the only one. There’s a ton of activity/awareness on Twitter about this issue, thank goodness.

I also participated in a fabulous CPSIA Protest/Awareness giveaway on Goodies for Mom – which got a TON of reaction & an incredible amount of comments, which was great.

But, as I state in the article above, this law threatens my entire vision for the future of my business, and I have to take it very seriously. As well, I think it’s completely short sighted – especially in light of our current economy – to threaten this many businesses. Plus, I *love* beautiful, handmade toys & clothing made for children and would never want to see them go!

Alright, so how can you help? Well, good news. Although this might be overwhelming, there are actually several ways you can get involved immediately:

First, I highly recommend you visit, read & download the action packet on the Etsy Storque CPSIA post. It lists out a few simple steps you can do right now within the next 10 minutes (online petitions & the like).

Beyond that, I ask that you help us spread the word & raise awareness! Bookmark/post/email my blog post to spread the word to everyone you feel should hear about it – Mom’s, bloggers, crafters, etc.

Lastly, thank you for reading & for all of your support, darling readers! Raising awareness & sharing this with as many people as possible will help get our voices heard & make sure this law gets amended correctly.

For more information, current updates, videos & more, visit:

• Change.org – Save Small Business from the CPSIA
• CPSIA Ning site – particularly the videos, if that’s a good way for you to absorb information
• Fashion Incubator – Kathleen Fasanella has been doing an awesome job of keeping us all informed

I welcome all your comments & feedback!