Shannon Duffy has studied psychology in North Carolina, woodworking in Kentucky, and jewelry making in Arizona. But a bigger influence on what she does as a crafter might be the time she spent playing with dolls in Germany. “We were stationed there with the Army. We lived near Erlangen when I was 10 to 13 [...]

Fifteen years ago Liesl Gibson began to suspect the sewing industry might have a problem. She wanted to make something for her 2-year-old niece to wear, but she couldn’t find many patterns that she liked. “I picked out a dress pattern for her that I thought would be cute,” she recalls. “But it didn’t fit [...]

Can’t wait to travel to Washington, D.C. for the Summit of Awesome? Well get a sneak peek at our Nation’s capital and visit early to lend your voice at a rally to discuss the unintended consequences of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).
Join the Handmade Toy Alliance, amongst other associations and [...]

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) has been kicking up a lot of dust in the indie craft community. For those who are not familiar with this piece of legislation: the CPSIA bans harmful chemicals, such as phalates and lead in children’s toys. It also requires third party testing and certification of toys [...]