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Original poster

Weekly Challenge and Chat Thread 2008, part 2

997 replies

Gingermonkey · 21/02/2008 08:53

Ooops - we've filled the thread, best start a new one, eh?!

OP posts:
meridian · 22/02/2008 12:27

LOL... all thsi talk of America is making me home sick... there is an airstream dealership nar where my parents are in Idaho.. right next to a Peterbilt truck dealership and a giant RV dealership.. thats DH's dream to go round the states in a big RV taking pictures.. I'm not sure if he would want to live there, I do thinks parts of the states are a much better place for DS to grow up in.

We fly out to San Francisco in April before going to visit my parents in Idaho for two weeks.. I havent been back there for over 5 years so I'm very excited... Northern California is one of my favorite places in the world.. I cant wait to go to all the craft shops as I never really went to them back when I actually lived there as I only ever painted back them... DH will kill me I'm sure... obviouslly we will be doing a factory tour Jelly Belly Factory, Ghiradelli Chocolate Factory ect as DS is mad on machines... Not been to Portland but Seattle is very good crafts wise.. coffee wise too

I have done nothing today, still have this nagging cold I did write up a recipe for tiramisu though with a picture to make you drool naturally...

meridian · 22/02/2008 14:07

ok have actually taken a few pictures of my second and third attempts at making earrings.. let me know what you think..

here

Dingle · 22/02/2008 15:01

Had a NIGHTMARE WITH MY PRINTER(oops sorry) it's has been rather temperamental recently to the point that it wouldn't print anything at all last night!! Leaving me with Nbg's cards and notebooks all in a rather sorry state.

I had to muck around with all the software this morning BUT at least it is now working and I have printed off all the wording I need for today.

While the software was loading I made this with my new stamps!!!

Whizzz....the card fairy arrived this morning!!! THANK YOU!!!

DD is pestering me to play on Cbeebies website so I must sign off...for a while!!

Nbg · 22/02/2008 15:41

Dingle

All this talk of America is making me all daydreamy.
I'd love to go.
I especially want to take the children at christmas and stay at that hotel thats in Home Alone 2
I'd love to see LA and Calafornia (damn Arnie and his pals in that advert).

I got very excited earlier. One of the mums from dd's school offered for her to go round and play after lunch, dh was going to work and both ds's would be having naps.
So I thought
"craft time"

Then my parents turned up and have only just left.
Typical.

Nbg · 22/02/2008 15:44

Meri, I forgot to mention that I havent been able to post your swap but I'll do it on Monday

meridian · 22/02/2008 15:48

nbg--- ohh I hate that advert.. its totally crigeworthy bluergh.... sorry about you absense of crafting time...

dingle-- lovely as always! time for a bit of printer shopping?

meridian · 22/02/2008 15:49

nbg- no worries...I shall look forward to it arriving mext week sometime. DS pestering for playdough, while yawning his head off.

Nbg · 22/02/2008 15:52

Is that his wife in the ad?

Ds1 is now up

Dingle · 22/02/2008 16:11

My printer isn't actually that old!! Until I start doing an awful lot more scrapping again...I cannot justify buying a better one, just can't make out why the software keeps going haywire! It's the second time in a couple of months now!

Tillyboo · 22/02/2008 20:12

LK - I've been on the UK Craft Forum for a while now and it's very helpful. A really friendly bunch of people too.

I've had a lot of support and help regarding the Toy Safety Standards.
My Trading Standards are very on the ball re safety marking and insisting I have to do things absolutely by the book - to the point of being anal.

It's been a real headache and I've been so frustrated by it all and almost got to the stage whereby I can't be bothered anymore.

The handmade community (especially Etsy) is huge and as far as I can see having a safety CE mark doesn't seem to be a big issue with most people. But, my TS don't have an answer to that and just tell me there's no compromise

I'm almost there .....

lucykate · 22/02/2008 20:35

tilly, i've noticed on etsy, there are some sellers who make, what are essentially sofies, but tag them with just one word, 'art'. i don't know if that makes any difference with ts, but to a buyer, it does, mentally put it into a different category from something tagged as a toy.

Nbg · 22/02/2008 21:20

It seems to be a bit of a minefield doesnt it tilly.
Do you know anyone who has come across TS for their crafts?

Heres my Monkey

Tillyboo · 22/02/2008 22:01

Hi, I've tried all angles to try and avoid CE marking to enable me to sell by calling them soft sculptures, not toys etc. but no, according to my TS (and it seems mine are very strict compared to other regions) there is no compromise.

If anyone is interested here's the thread on the craft forum.

On page 2 there is a posting from me that incorporates one reply from my TS relating to 'Adult Soft Toys'. Might be of some interest to some of you

Nbg · 22/02/2008 22:28

It just seems endless.
TS dont make it easy for people like us to continue do they

Bit reluctant to start setting fire to bits of my material too

lucykate · 22/02/2008 22:48

adult soft toys sounds like something that would come from ann summers

lucykate · 22/02/2008 22:53

tilly, have ts given you any indication regarding, if you hadn't contacted them in the first place, how they go about policing this kind of thing, i mean, do they seek products out to investigate, or is it only what lands on their desk, and in their area?

Nbg · 22/02/2008 23:01

LK

Although would be no good if it was soft

Ahem,

I'll stop lowering the tone of our mature well mannered thread.

Nbg · 22/02/2008 23:01

LK

Although would be no good if it was soft

Ahem,

I'll stop lowering the tone of our mature well mannered thread.

Original poster
Gingermonkey · 23/02/2008 09:12

nbg and lk - dirty minded scoundrels!!!

OP posts:
lucykate · 23/02/2008 09:16
Tillyboo · 23/02/2008 09:43

You smutty lot

TS were non committal about how they police things but they did mention that they visit the following types of places ..

a) craft fairs
b) local sales (village halls etc.)
c) charity shops
d) independent shops
e) car boots

They even said to me " If you know of anyone selling sub-standard toys or toys you think might be badly made we'd be like to know "

Our regional TS seem to be very 'on the ball' and very pro-active which is why it's made me so nervous.

I think the best thing to do, if you are a bit concerned, is to contact your own TS and see what they say. I think although the rules and regs for Toy Safety are the same all over, the degree of enforcement detail and how far you take things is dependent on your TS officer.

If you self certify you must keep strict records of the tests you carry out and yes, you have to test fabrics for flammability etc.

Any buttons, ribbons and embellishments are a big deal to my TS so extra care has to be taken with securing.

It really, really is a complete minefield and very difficult and longwinded process in gathering all the information

Nbg · 23/02/2008 09:59

Smutty, moi?

Lucykate made me say it

I'm going to call our local TS on monday I think and see what the situation is with them.

meridian · 23/02/2008 10:01

Minds out of the gutter please ladies! none of that round here!

lol

I jumped on the bandwagon and joined the crafts forum too. which mens i have been messing around on the computer and not done any crafting this morning.... oh and DH ate the last tiramisu last night waiting for a bead order to come hopefully at the beginning of next week so i can try and do some new things... and considering doing some sort of give away as i have been blogging for nearly a year.. a year in the beginning of april but will need to do a give away before april with going on holiday... not to be needy or anything but will somone have a look at the earrings I posted? here just need to know what somebody else thinks... I might use them as part of a give away type thing...

Nbg · 23/02/2008 10:07

They are lovely Meri. You should definatley do a giveaway and give them to me

How do they work?

I need to get off here.
Mamag sent me an email last night saying she'd like to pop in for a cuppa this morning so I need to clean in case she comes!!!

Dingle · 23/02/2008 10:45

Nbg- I put your notebooks and cards on my blog last night.
Hope you like them!! I still need to parcel them up and get around to the Post Office. If I don't manage today it will be after work on Monday afternoon!!

I wasn't quite right yesterday but I have woken up today absolutely full of flu, can hardly breathe and my head is pounding. DS has a funny tummy (just like his dad- a cold goes straight to his stomach!) and poor little DD is so congested she feels sick too. She was up in the night and I dosed her up but this morning her little face is so red and sore I am having to use the steroid cream again!!

I rang the craft fair organisers last night to advise them I wouldn't be able to attend today- just as well I did really. Still I will try again in March!

Apart from that I just want to curl up with a lemsip and my new stamps!!

PS- I have jumped on the bandwagon too- forum looks very informative!