an update!

Well now, who's been slacking at blogging then? that would be me!
I have been awfully busy sewing though, the bugs are literally flying out(or crawling, or slithering!) and I'm rather shocked at how well they have been selling (especially as, my initial thought was... they don't have any arms! who'd want to buy something without arms ;)) my biggest problem is actually I cant sew fast enough to keep up! thankfully I've met some amazing customers who have been happy to wait for their orders.

The garden babies collection has expanded to butterflies, caterpillars, flower babies, strawbabies, dragonflies, spiders, ladybirds, bees, and the latest addition, the snails, who are due soon :) as well as the flower bags and leaf bags which are great for storage and play as well. in the pipeline I have a little bee skep(at least i think that's what my dad said they were called) but its taking its time as its not as easy as i thought!!
 who knows where they will take me next, do we have any suggestions?

 I shall leave you with a few pictures,
much love,
Suzi x

finaly did it! and pricing rambles

So, I made it, my trading standards man came back from his holiday, and tried not to groan at me on the phone (what... you again!? lol I'm joking obviously) and  is happy that I'm using due diligence.
and so, thats it, job done. my technical file is now actually looking more file like, and 20 bundle babies are ready to go.

except that I detest pricing anything up. DETEST! I'd honestly rather give stuff away than put prices on things because of the pressure to get it right, right for people to buy, and right so that I'm not losing money.
This has now been made much harder by the massive postage hike! £2.70 just seems  SO much more than £1.58. I cant include postage any more in my prices, which I hate.

If I were to go by some of the calculators on-line, they'd be priced so high no one would buy them - the thing is with them being so tiny they don't look much, but with the costs of the materials, and packing (like labels which I need to have now) and postage that's enough!  to get anything for my time (and each doll can take up to an hour to complete, depending on detail) the price goes higher and higher, (imagine If was charging minimum wage... £6 an hour for time alone!)  I either earn money by selling lots with a low price, or one or two with a high price. I hope with pricing them at £5 plus postage, they will sell, if not, I'll have to rethink.
 If I  were to put a low price on them, they might sell but it devalues the handmade market such a lot... all those one of a kind pieces deserve the money and respect they get. I'm trying to be fair. I want them to have homes and be loved, but I also don't want to be paying out of my own pocket to sell! makes no sense!

Anyway, since the CE mark has been sorted I feel a little lost!! my muse has vanished of course as now i'm actually allowed to make things its not so driven! lol!

think it must be time for bed!

An Q+A with me :)

What was the first handmade item you ever made?

I honestly couldn't tell you this! I've been making things since I was very young, they've just evolved slowly in better and bigger (and smaller again!) However one thing that sticks in my memory was a patchwork quilt I started at about 12 or 13. It had alot of materials cut from things... dolls clothes, my own clothes, my 'best' male friends boxer shorts...... and alot of other 'hmmmm' bits. I never finished it, but last week my mum cut it up to add to her own quilt...so it did get somewhere in the end! 

What inspired you to make dolls? What sparked the ideas for the other products, like the star baby, the peapods, etc?

Ever since I was a little girl I've just loved dolls. I  grew up in a tiny village allowed me to be a child a lot longer than most nowadays, even with friends who grew up faster we found new ways to develop games involving dolls mimicking adult life. I don't know if I ever actually grew out of them because I still fall in love with every doll I make now! I went from playing with them, to making them, starting with rag dolls for quite a while. More recently I discovered waldorf dolls and I just love them, they've got such characters and there is so much more play value than modern dolls which are full of batteries and sounds.

Having girls it plays a big part, it was actually when I was attempting a larger doll's hands/arms that my oldest came to me and said 'is that a teeny tiny baby doll mummy?' and then the bundle babies came to life, they have evolved and got bigger, got smaller, got hands, hands disapeared, gone from painted faces to embroidered as well as getting new outfits and arms and legs, new fabrics, and they're always changing as I learn and perfect techniques, or simplify. (see picture for earlier dolls) Other ideas just come to me, through a fun idea or just need, and I'll trial them and they just take off! I know Ros from Silverwood Handmade Jewellery laughs at me as I never thought the peapods would sell! and they've been the most popular so far with the decorations. 

When do you craft?

Any spare moment! currently My oldest is at preschool 3 days a week, but as I have a nine month old,  I'm still limited to mostly evenings, even that can be broken into slots where the baby is awake. Also if you're adding in husband times it really does shrink my time down! generally how it works is that we'll watch a program or film together in the evening and I'll sew then, as nearly everything is hand done, its easy to do alongside watching something or having a conversation. 

How did it feel to have the honour of making the guardian angel peapod? ♥

Emotional pieces are always such an honour. always. I'm a very emotional person in general, that particular piece was very hard - both me and Ros wanted it to be perfect and initially I couldn't get it right, and couldn't 'see' it. On top of that, the heartbreaking story behind it, where I'm looking at my two children and thanking God for my life and being allowed to watch them grow up - because that could have been me after my second was born. 

My heart goes out to the man who now has responsibility for those three babies and although my little decoration is insignificant in his huge journey for the future, its made with a lot of love, from me and from Ros who designed it and sent it forward.  All the money bar the postage for it was donated to the family fund because paying for someone to help hold and love those babies is worth more than anything the money would have been spent on here!

I've had quite a few pieces I've been asked to make from Angel parents and they too are very emotional, but although the pieces are sad, and I truly wish there was no need for them, I feel happy to make them with love. I know from experience, having someone who acknowledges the loss of a baby through miscarriage and stillbirth, at whatever stage, helps it to feel 'real'. Sometimes when there is nothing to hold,and nothing to keep, you just need something that is physical that is there, as a reminder that it happened, when it feels like everyone has forgotten. Being asked to make pieces like this is so special - a huge honour, as I know how important they are to the person choosing me to make them. And the more baby loss is talked about, the more support and love there is for families experiencing it.

Do you have a specific craft area in your house or do you pull it all out on the dining table then clear up after each session?

ha I wish!! our house is the size of a mouse hole. all of my doll making bits live in a box next to my sofa, and get taken out every evening. 

How old were you when you got your first sewing machine?

I was 18 :o) I used to borrow my mums before that though!

How did you first learn to craft? Are you self taught, did your mum/grandma/someone special teach you?

I come from a crafty arty background - my mum has always made things for forever, so I would have to say firstly that my mum initially taught me a lot of things, including crochet over the phone while I lived in Spain. I've also taught myself a lot of things,and learnt a lot using the internet, and people I've met through it, and I also did 3 years of college and a year of Uni studying art. I'm still learning though! I don't think it ever stops!

How are you finding it running your own business and any top tips?

I really love it but I don't think I've been doing it long enough to give out any tips yet! I've found it quite overwhelming, not only the tax and legal part which I'm all registered for and keeping books for yet still haven't got a clue what happens when it comes to the end of the year, Also the CE marking which is ongoing,   I just have a few questions for my TS man when he gets back from holiday, on which the answer will either be, get fabric tested, or go ahead as planned. I'm hoping for the go ahead as planned! 

I think the toughest part for me is pricing, as I'm not making much, if any, money on my pieces, and now the postage is sky high its even harder to price things correctly so that I'm not losing out. everything I make takes a good deal of time, and so I couldn't possibly charge by the hour/for my time or no one would buy anything! I hope I find a balance soon!

I'm excited for the future of making happy customers.. I love that part! 

thats all the questions answered for now! Thanks for taking part!!

square one

Evening Peas!
Well its one step forward and 2 steps back, After my TS visit I was high as a kite and so excited, but was quickly brought back down to earth when I was told that actually, Oekotex- 100(certificate of no nasties) fabric doesn't comply to EN71(rules for children's toys) and thus, square one I was at once again!
Which bought me to the conclusion of... well not much really and I'm living in limbo. I've thankfully at least made a good few friends in this process, and a fellow Waldorf doll maker who is helping me on the journey as well!
It now all depends on fabric, and it might be the case that I will slowly get fabric tested 3 colours at a time, (probably starting with white, pink and blue... which goes against all my gender stereotypes rules but..well never mind! it makes life easier!) and we have found (hopefully) a skin fabric which complies which helps a lot!
I'm so excited to be able to make toys, little ideas keep popping into my head and I just want to get going, waiting is frustrating, as much as I love the decorations I know I can do more! I get so excited at the thought of little pocket buddies for small people and this pea pod completely inspired me for one of them.

Also this last week saw the arrival of dissolving fabric, which is something I learnt about at uni (the short time I served there ;)) and the decorations now have pretty wings made with machine lace.. which is fun.

Suppose I better get back to head making :0)
goodnight!

Trading standards visit

Monday I had TWO suited men turn up at my door, for my trading standards meeting, it was scary! They were however very friendly and as I ran through my plans for my paper trial, said that I'd obviously been doing my reading and that they were grateful as its so complicated. The end result was my toys dont need testing as they're small, so not a flammability risk, and they're sewn well so the stuffing isn't going to fall out! So my last job now is to order the okeo tex-100 fabric to comply, and then I'm all good to be making toys!! Below is my specification sheet for anyone who could use it for their technical file.

Unfortunately the fabric is anything up to £22 a metre, which is obviously a lot when I need all the rainbow colours, pink, black brown, plus skin fabric.... I'll buy in half metres so its not as bad but I'm still looking at £100+

So in the mean time I can still make my decorations which have blossomed into more things in the sketchbook! its fun.
I've also been selling a lot of pea pods, and being so touched by the stories that come with them. I feel really privileged to be let into strangers lives to talk about some things that are very sensitive, and its really very special.

One example was the tragic death of a mother with 8 day old triplets, I was asked to make a small decoration with a pea pod and angel, which was hard in general, but harder in the circumstances knowing what its about, my heart ached for that daddy and his babies. As the request was from a fellow facebook crafter, I asked her to donate my price for this to the fund for the family: http://www.justgiving.com/familyassistancefund and I hope the little piece brings comfort and hope for the difficult times ahead.

So theres a small update. have a good day!
x

New look! and fabric found!

I'd like to thank the wonderful Kirsty Wiseman for my new logo and beautiful blog makeover! isnt it awesome! you can get one too: http://limegreenbogiegirl.blogspot.co.uk/p/need-logobusiness-card.html

Things are progressing I think, I've found some fabric, just got to get confirmation that it passes (which it should do) so I can put an order in. its very much more expensive than the last, but comes with an oekotex-1oo cert saying its free of nasties, which is most important (in general anyway, I dont want to sell toxic toys to children!) and also for the EN71 which is the toy safety regulations.

I've also taken the big step and gone self employed. not that it really means all that much in reality until i'm earning lots, but it means i'm legal and tax registered and all that fun (and slightly daunting) stuff.

So monday I have a date with a man.... a trading standards one, so I can run through everything to be sure I know what I'm doing, so I need to work on my technical file and at least run up an example for him to check over.

I also ordered some labels and cards yesterday! from Moo, who I hope will be worth the price, I've been eyeing up their mini cards for years! if you want to try them they've got a spring sale right now and you can use my code til the end of april and get 10% off: http://www.moo.com/share/rdk7w2

I got some mini cards for business cards to slip into the the bags when they sell, and some business card size for CE labelling.

So now after all that I need to actually sell stuff!!

(pictures of the new moon babies available on the facebook page)

the good news and the very bad news.

So today I got an email from my trading standards man (i'm pretty sure he groans everytime he gets an email from me! I have a million questions but hes very patient)

The bad news is that I need EN 71 certification from my fabrics to prove there is no heavy metals or AZO dyes in them. Should be easy but its practically impossible. :( None of the fabric suppliers I've emailed have so far got back to me, Myriad are working on it and in contact with their manufacturing people, myfabrics have been pretty terrible in that she seemingly has NO IDEA what i'm on about, and has been so slow at getting back to me, talking around in circles saying they dont have them, then they do meet german standards, but not giving me any proof that they do... I've emailed for the 4th time now and i'm pretty sure she is also fed up with me because she has no idea what i'm talking about...

I've also emailed natures fabrics who can help with bamboo (but they only have limited colours) and I've found earth Eco who have plain bamboo with the okeo tex100 but I'd then need to find out about the dyes. Might email them later.

So what this means is two things: 1. unless I can source some fabric from somewhere with certificates I cant make toys.
and 2. all that fabric I bought last week is completely useless to me.

*hits head on wall*

my only other alternative would be to get the fabric tested myself which would cost £55 PER fabric, plus vat and certificate fee.
why is this soooo hard? how have people just sailed through it??

onto good news, my dolls have been looked over by the TS man and he says they look good, no small parts to be choked on and because they are little they dont need flammability information (though i'd rather that one than the dyes issue as its easier to do!) and He doesnt think they need to be tested by the public testing people (pull tested etc) which is something at least though means not much without the fabric certificates!

In the mean time I've asked him to confirm I can still sell my pea pods (and should have asked about mobiles too!) I should be seeing him in the flesh on monday so I'll ask for him to confirm everything then when I get him to be clear on things I need for the technical file.

right at least that is out of my head for tonight!

CE update and testing

Hello Munchkin friends,

This week has mostly been kept busy with getting samples ready for testing, they are all posted now, along with a sample label to be sure I've got all the important boring stuff written correctly, should take about 4 weeks for the results.

I'm also waiting on contact from the fabric companies at the moment, I need evidence that the dyes conform to dye standards safe for toys, which does make me wonder, if they're not using safe dyes...why on earth are they allowed to sell it in the first place? It doesnt make alot of sense to me, as fabric is generally made to be worn etc and it also blows my mind a little in thinking of the million bits of fabric in my home..clothes, furniture etc what exactly is in the dye around my children? but trying to be rational, I cant really dye all their clothes with red cabbage.... (though I cant admit to not trying!)

So, I got an email back from one the two fabric companies, one saying they'd find out and be in touch, the other took 2 weeks to say ask for data sheets when I order fabric, which is fine but I already put in a big order with them and that doesnt help!! its just not as easy as I hoped.

I have to admit I find this completely frustrating. If I cant meet all the criteria for the CE mark, I cant make the toys, and its so tempting to give up and say I've had enough, but I'm enjoying this, I've got lots of ideas and I love seeing them evolve! I just want it to fall into place.

If it comes to it I'll have to resort to keepsake/decoration items only which would be a real shame for all the childrens ideas I have.

In the mean time I've been busy with pea pods decorations this week! this sweet little set belongs to Nikki who wanted one to represent her children - two precious babies she lost first and her fab four.

Awaiting CE approval

Who'd have thought a hobby could get so complicated?
I've suddenly be catapulted into this (overwhelming) world of CE marks, tax, self employment and a whole bunch of other stuff I never expected to happen, not now, or with this anyway!
But I'm finding it exciting, and I'm learning so much!
At first I thought I was going to have to give it up, but now I'm ready to tackle it right on with the help of trading standards. The thought of having safety certificates for everything was so much, along with declarations of conformity...testing..BS14whatevers.

I had a very helpful phone call with a man from trading standards who informed me of a few things I didnt know.
like.. any toy that is soft, is not allowed to be marked with the 'not suitable for 36 months' as its a given that parents will give a soft toy for a baby. Which cued a bit of a panic for me, as I was worried on the off chance that say a bunny ear would fall off and get eaten, wouldnt that be a choke risk? but apparently not, the choke risk lies in hard items like buttons, which would have to be put into a tube and tested to see if they are too small to go down the wind pipe. Soft things are not an issue (which to me as a parent is totaly bizarre! personally I would have rather marked them as not suitable just in case, but I cant do that! I can only recommend they're for a certain age)
On the other hand though, it does mean my star baby can be sold for under 36 months as when added with lavandar makes a nice sleepy time toy for bed. (though I'm sure I'll have to jump through hoops for lavandar oil?!!)
Even the man said its incredibly complicated and has recently changed.

So I'm currently prepping two toys for testing, I have one bunny to go, because I figured if it was going to be one that failed it'd be those darn ears, and I'd rather I knew where I was going wrong and be safe than not.(not that I think its going to fail! I'm sure it wont) and I also need to send one bundle baby as they're the basis for the other toys at the moment. I also need to send my labels so they can be sure I've labelled them properly.
It'll take 3-4 weeks to get results back (probably the longest wait eveeer for me! equal to pregnancy!! ) but I hope that once I'm in the all clear I'll have a little stock going on ready to upload! I'm lucky in that my local trading standards are sending my dolls away for free for basic testing! anything more would have to be paid for, there are also tests I can do at home apparently.

Also as well as having the CE testing, I need to keep a technical file for the toys, so every 'batch' I make with the same fabrics, needs to have a declaration of conformity, which is a form to say they've been made with the CE standards in mind. This along with all the safety certificates and risk assessment need to go in a file with any other information like design etc so that should I ever need it, it'll be there to prove I've done my job properly.

I've had to email my fabric companies for certificates,though the main and most important is the stuffing safety, and should I be using eyes on toys they would have to be pull tested (but I dont).
thankfully the stuffing safety was easiest to get hold of! fabric companies are a little more of a challenge.
So all this on top of learning about tax, and self employment its no wonder that my head feels like its going to explode!!

Anyway, I'm excited to get these last few bunnies finished as I have to admit they're not my favourite to make!!