:: Save Handmade! :: Your help needed! ::

:: Please click here to learn how YOU can help save handmade! ::

We're all for strengthening the safety standards of mass-produced toys, clothes, and accessories made in China, and banning toxins like phthalates and lead. But this year, congress passed the ill-conceived Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, a law which goes into effect in two months and will absolutely decimate the small toy manufacturers, independent artisans, and crafters who have already earned the public trust. The very same ones that we often feature here.

With this act going into effect February 10 2009 so many people we love will be affected: Moms who sew beautiful handmade waldorf dolls out of home, artists who have spent decades hand-carving trucks and cars out of natural woods, that guy at the craft show who sold you the cute handmade puzzle--even larger US companies who employ local workers and have not once had any sort of safety issue will no longer be able to sell their goods. Not without investing tens of thousands of dollars into third-party testing and labeling, just to prove that toys that never had a single toxic chemical in them still don't have a single toxic chemical in them.

Sparkle Paw

:: How cute are these little woodland creatures!?  Sparkle Paw features Great products with even Greater adorableness!  I mean really, who wouldn't want a sweet, toothy beaver staring back atcha calling you Gorgeous!?  Check out all the sweetness right here!::

    

Sweet Beets

    

:: Sweet Beets has some of the most adorable cards, tags,and artwork we have seen in awhile!  We are some suckers for letterpress, and this work is pure cuteness!  Check out their entire line here! ::

Orange Moon Toys

:: Orange Moon Toys offers hand carved puppets on a stick!  Each kit includes ::

○ (5) moveable & removable puppet sticks
○ fun fact card
○ shadow theater how-to card
○ labeled storage envelope

And..in case you don't have a shadow theater handy, they even give yoy a little How To so you can make one yourself!  Click here to shop!

     

Super Sweet Creations

:: Super Sweet Creations has some super sweet...well...um...creations!  Check out these adorable tops!  Click here to check out more great stuff in their shop! ::

             

Back to Basics: Wooden Toys Once Again

With all the recent toy recalls and lead fears, wooden toys have once again become all the rage for parents.  A Los Angeles mom has responded to the urgent need for non-toxic, safe toys by creating her own line of safe and natural toys that are incredibly cute.

Amber of Woodmouse Loves Wood makes these ornaments and toys from scratch using sustainably harvested domestic hardwoods, non-toxic water-based paints, and a polish derived from organic jojoba oils and beeswax that she buys from a local beekeeper. She designs, cuts, sands, and paints everything from scratch in her studio.

Check out her Etsy shop for amazing bunnies, owls, pigs, cats, frogs, and several other adorable critters including a hedgehog. She also has a blog where she talks about her passion for crafts and even has a post on some what-to-do and what-not-to-do tips for selling at craft fairs. I took some notes.

In addition to great packaging, Woodmouse Loves Wood will also consider custom orders so if you absolutely must have a monkey, try asking her to design one. It's part of what makes buying handmade so wonderful -- that interaction you have with the person who put their heart into what's going to be a part of your life.

:: Hugging Trees and Going Green with Cue-T::

:: Yesterday, it was too chilly where we live to go to the park, so I put on our ponchos and we went for a walk around the block. Walking two-year-old twins by the hand on a busy city street is like herding cats, especially when they want to hug every single tree. Yep, my kids are tree huggers. "Hola tree! How you doing today?," one will say. So, when I saw this shirt by Cue-T, I was super excited!

Cue-T is a rad children’s line of designer clothing made of 100% Organic Fibers. Their line is "meant to empower children, and let them, as well as others know that they can and will change the world," according to their website.

Cue-T is a completely green business from their shirts to their packaging and they have some good resources on their site like "The Difference Between Organic and Conventional Cotton."

Their line isn't all about the environment, you will find shirts about peace and stopping animal slavery (the circus!). I have been creeped out by the circus for most of my life and think that more parents should think about boycotting them, too.

Cue-T's sizes go from birth to 6T. ::

::Straight from the Kalahari::Zoobie pets!::

It's a pillow, it's a blanket, it's an animal. Super soft Zoobies are the new plush kids on the block. They are cute stuffed animals whose "stuffing" is actually a blanket that folds out or stores in the belly.  Folded one way, they are a nice wide pillow, folded another, they are a chubby little toy.

Their faces are filled with micro beads so they're extra fun for kids to squish and the blanket is made from warm coral fleece to keep your kiddies warm. And you're sure to find a favorite animal among this lot. They've got a croc and a hippo, a monkey and a lion -- what a great selection.

Imagine how perfect a Zoobie would be for traveling -- if your little one gets cold, just fold out the blanket or use the pillow for a nap. They'll still have the animal there for cuddling.

They're also good for moms because they come with a tag explaining the easy folding process. Even better, the blanket zips out so that it can be washed separately. Of course they more than meet USA and EU safety standards.

In addition, Zoobie Pets won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award and were named child's toy of the year in August of 2007 from Creative Child.  The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association included them on the "Best for Kids" Holiday Toy list.

You can order straight from their website ZoobiePets.com or use the site to find a retailer close to you if you don't want to pay for shipping. I was really surprised that they were less than $35 online. It's hard to find blankets or quality stuffed animals alone for that price. Zoobies are 3-in-1!

:: Candy-free Gingerbread House = Perfect! ::

:: Wrestling the last remaining pieces of Halloween candy from the hands of my twin two-year-olds today, I wondered how I would get through the upcoming holiday season with minimal damage to their little white teeth. Then I saw these amazing felt Gingerbread Houses from Twinkle Kids and I thought, "Brilliant. Amazing. Thank you."

These little houses are made entirely of felt and come with 100 "candy" decorations that you can apply to the house. While actual gingerbread houses tend to be an afternoon of messy fun and then tummy aches, these little felt kits can be used over and over again. You can order one directly from the Twinkle Kids web site, where they also sell clothing, hair accessories and other felt cakes. ::  -- Tina Seamonster

::Job Opportunity with Indie Babies!::

:: We are looking for a few Contributing Editors!  If you are interested in writing for Indie Babies, shoot us an email for more information! ::