CPSIA, Dolls, and Miniatures.

Today, Wednesday, is a blogathon day for the people protesting the CPSIA laws.
Many people are not aware of them, and so that's what the blog posts are for. If you'd like to join us, please do so.

The CPSIA laws are laws that are a reaction to the lead poisoning problems with toys coming from China. The laws say that all things that are going to children 12 and under must be tested for lead.

Sounds good, right?

Except it also requires testing of handmade items, made from safe products, in American homes. This will kill the handmade toy industry. Many crafters are getting scared, and are stopping making any dolls or teddies or children's clothes or anything like that, until this mess is sorted out.

They made their items out of non lead based products. And since things are one of a kind, or they're a tiny 'company' (think, one woman in her sewing room going to fairs or selling online) how could they afford it? If it's one of a kind, they can't possibly get everything tested because it changes every time!

The law also covers older toys at present. Though various officials people on Etsy have talked to have said that they will use 'common sense', (for example, antique dolls that cost $500 most people would understand they're for adult collectors, not children) but the fear is still there. So people are stopping selling.

Books will apparently have to be pulled from shelves.
The fear is that you won't be able to buy children's clothes from opportunity shops anymore.

This law is only in the USA, but it would affect me, and English people, because I do like getting stuff online from the US, and I'm afraid that it'll be picked up here as a good idea.

I'm also concerned for miniatures, because I don't know how strict or stupid the lawmakers will be. The makers of collectors dolls (crafty looking soft ones) are afraid right now because they make dolls... that the law will consider it for children. Would the law also look at 'dollhouse' and instantly think 'for children' as well? We all know that assumptions happen.

Will online marketplaces such as Etsy take it upon themselves to check for licenses? So... even if it ISNT for children, or it's actually an Australian or English company, will they take it off their site so that they don't potentially get sued? (like they remove Hello Kitty things if they're reported)

Even if it's not true and the law isn't that stupid to compare our miniatures with children's play things, will people think it IS true and pull their products from the internet? As can be seen from my Etsy thread asking if I have to worry, some people are thinking that dollhouse miniatures should be pulled due to CPSIA laws- will all people assume that, even if it's not true, as apparently it's not? (read the second page of the thread.) You should see how many people are crying because they are closing their stores on Etsy.

If I made some chunkier dollhouse food for children (and labelled it for say, 5 years and over, adult supervision required, etc etc, potential choking hazard) and sold it online to an American, would that be illegal? And that's a thought, will you no longer be allowed to buy hand made children's dollhouse food? I've seen some great ones for barbie doll houses!

YES the lead in the chinese toys was tragic. But this law is really going to hurt crafters and small businesses around the world.

Being Featured/Meme

Have you been featured on Fluffy Bricks? Want to show off about that?
Here's two images that you could use to tell your blog or website that you have been featured- you can attach a link to your fluffybricks submission behind it, or put a link below!




Also, FluffyBricks now has its own Meme Award.
All Fluffybricks followers can use this award- It works like a normal meme. You post the picture up on your site, and then nominate 5 people who you think deserve a mention for their beautiful or strange miniatures- things that would be worthy of Fluffy Bricks. Then they save the award, and nominate it to 5 more people. The nominations can be from anywhere. Websites, Livejournal, Blogger, Wordpress, a miniatures forum, anywhere! You could nominate their whole blog, or individual pictures! And you have a choice of two Meme images.


I'd like to nominate- Everyone who has been accepted on Fluffy Bricks so far!

If you have suggestions of different images I could use, or you wouldn't mind me using one of your images, please, suggest it!

Firefox trouble

Sorry, Firefox is 'being a vixen' today.
It's not letting me open more than one window, and apparently, tabs and popups, including the one that comes up when you put photos into blogspot, are right out.

I'll get the next lot of photos up as soon as I can.

I've got a 'links post' below, perhaps some of you might be interested in participating?

I've added to the events and the media on the 'miniature penfriends' part of the site- give it a look!

Here's a question for you all- What first inspired you to be interested in miniatures?

(best answers will go on the website!)

If anyone has Australian themed dollhouse items, I'd love it if you'd submit photos of them!

Link Post Time

I'm now on twitter. So tweet with me if you'd like! I'd love more miniaturist tweeters.

This is a links post. What I'd like you to do is... link away! Link to interesting posts you have just made, your websites, things you recommend, etc.

It doesn't have to be miniatures related.

In return I'd love it if you'd consider mentioning this blog in your own blog or on any other websites you know of. If you can't, don't worry about it, you can still link.

The String Family

I thought I'd write something a little different today. Scroll down for pictures, and of course as usual, any submissions are gratefully received.

When most people talk about books that got them into dollhouses, they talk about The Borrowers. I liked several other books as well. I'm not sure if they got me into dollhouses, or if I liked them because I was already inclining in that direction of interest.

The book series I want to talk about today is "The String Family" by Patricia Cleveland-Peck. I wish I could find a copy in a library in this city. When I have a little extra money I might try and find it online, someone must have it. I'm not sure how many books were in the series, I think there were at least three of them: The String Family, The String Family at Home and The String Family in Summer. There may have been more that I can't remember or find a mention of online.

I was constantly borrowing these books from my school library.

The String Family was about a family of people made from string. When they were 'alive' they were plaited into the shape of a person. When they were observed, they could unravel themselves. I think one of the characters had a job tying up vegetables in the garden. I know that for a while they lived in a potting shed, but I think there was also a time that they lived behind a couch. The daughter's name was Flax.

They had various adventures.

It was quite creative, and it caught my imagination. I was more interested in them than The Borrowers for a while, because The String Family was aimed at younger people than The Borrowers, and also... I thought that I didn't need to play Borrowers, because that would defeat the whole idea of them being real. Playing Borrowers involved me leaving stuff out for them to find and take away, or imagining them within the walls. The String Family, on the other hand, I felt in control of.


In the back of one of the books were instructions on how to make a String Person. So I made six of them, and they lived in one of my drawers. While cleaning my room the other day (pulling everything out of the room) I found them. And you bet I kept them. And I discovered that at the bottom of the drawer I'd chalked 'room divisions' into it. So, lines, dividing up the areas of their home. I made them seats out of corks with a few sewing pins in it as a back support, and the cushion was a scrap of fabric. They'd 'eat' seeds that I'd 'steal' from my pet rat's food bin.

I made them a chest of drawers from three matchboxes stuck together. The handles were beads on a wire, and I covered the chest of drawers with a piece of fabric.

The String Family could talk to one certain human girl.

I just managed to find an actual summary!

"The miniature world of the String family - Mr and Mrs String, their children, Hemp, Flax, Twine and baby Skein all come alive and share their adventures with Sally in Miss Floribunda's cottage in the country. Sally is the only human child to be introduced to the String family and friends..."

I'd love to see these books reprinted so that more children can find something else miniature related!

Once I even got my whole class to make string people.

Competition Winner!

The winner of the competition was Debbie! I'll be in contact with her soon to ask her what she'd like me to put up.

Thanks to all who participated! I've really appreciated the links around the internet. :)

Life

Hello everyone! No update today, because I'm in the middle of a house cleaning adventure. Today I rediscovered my polly pockets, my little ponies, trolls, soft toys, and 'Quints'. Remember those?
I'm sure that I loved polly pockets and quints more than usual people do, because I was such a miniaturist even then! I also found my 'String Family'- anyone remember those books? I made my own string family and they had a house in one of my drawers. Good times! For some reason I didn't make "Borrowers", because I thought hey, if they're real, they don't need me to make a little pretend home for them- they wouldn't live in it anyway.

I'll count up the points for the competition as soon as I have time- if there are any you haven't claimed, now's your chance.

I'm also on a really bad laptop that keeps clicking on the middle of sentences as I'm typing, and it's 41 degrees today, yes that's right, celcius, and I'm supposed to be helping find a host for the next step in my internet empire that a friend and I are creating. You heard it here first folks, we're creating a site for 'good news'. And then many more sites after it. Any profits from this website, and this blog too by the way, goes towards our websites, and also to helping him raise enough money for a PHD. Yes, we have high hopes. But every little bit counts, right?

Also, I'd LOVE more photo submissions from people. Don't be afraid! My cache of photos grows ever smaller, and this is your chance to show off! Or if you know of someone who does some great things, pass me their contact details. You do'nt need to have a shop, or be an artisan.

Two Or Three Things!

Hello everyone!

I've got a couple of things to say today. :)

1. Thanks of course, to the people who have been submitting photos or letting me put their photos up. I'm a little short on submissions right now, so I'd love it if you'd send me some! I don't know you exist to ask you, especially if you don't have an Etsy shop. You certainly do not need to be an 'artisan' to submit things to this blog, I know that 'ordinary' miniaturists can make fantastic things too. I do ask that your photos are clear and of good quality. I might post a tutorial on the sorts of things I want, later on, or find one online that covers everything. If I 'reject' your photos on that basis, please do not take it as any sort of commentary on what it is a photo *of*.

Interesting model railway layouts and other 'related' miniature hobbies photos are also very welcome to be submitted- they won't be put up all the time, but an occasional set of photos for other scales would be interesting I think!

2. Thanks to those participating in the competition! I *do* need you to reply to the competition entry however, with what you've done that's pointsworthy. I really want to make this blog as popular as possible with miniaturists and non miniaturists alike! If you have suggestions on how I can do that, feel free to share.

3. If you missed it before, there's a link on the side of the blog, where I'm trying to create a forum for people to be able to find other miniaturists to have as online or real life friends! Miniaturists of any scale.

Competition Time!

{If you're here to read the blog, don't forget to scroll down for the photos!}

I really want to make this blog popular- Both in the miniatures community, and in the 'outside world'- because we all know these miniatures are fantastic, and I want them to be seen! But I can't do this alone.

If you'd like to help me out, I'd love it if you'd pass on the link to the blog- not just to miniaturists! Anyone can love looking at these. I'd love it if you'd submit photos, or encourage your friends to submit photos.

To reward those who help out, I'd like to offer a points based competition. The prize is a FREE advertising entry! (and it doesn't even have to be for a miniatures site/blog/shop!) After a week, I'll add up the points.

For posting the link on another site, blog or forum, including in your signature- 25 points
For posting the link in comments to a blog- 5 points
For submitting photos- 2 points per photo
PLUS 10 points per photo I put up.
For comments on this blog- 2 points per comment
15 points if you begin to 'Follow' me.



When you do something pointsworthy, you must post a reply to this entry stating what you have done, for those points to be counted. Yes even if you've submitted photos or commented on my blog somewhere- I need it to be easy to count. If you're not a blogger member, please make sure that your identity is clear, and that you leave contact details, with each post. Thanks!

In the event of ties, a group advertising post will be made.

Some ideas of things you could advertise- Your miniatures site, shop or club, your blog, your lj, your etsy shop, something for sale, your totally unrelated website, your business...

Good Luck! And thankyou for your time and help! I hope I can make this project far reaching, with your assistance.


And so you don't feel cheated, here's a photo of a 'bed pig' I made- a Victorian hot water bottle.

Something New

Make Friends!

Do you mourn your lack of friends who are interested in miniatures? This is a new site I've made which I hope will be able to bring new friends together!
Join to find new msn friends, email friends, club members, business partners, snail mail pals, etc!

edit: it's a bit glitchy, but if you do what it says and try again, it usually works. Thanks for your patience!

Advertising on Fluffy Bricks

You'll now see in the About Me section on the side of the blog that you can now advertise your shop, club, or website with Fluffy Bricks for the cheap price of $10. Reach hundreds of miniaturists, and you're on the front page for at least two weeks, almost a month. You can also advertise your Ebay listings for the even cheaper price of $2 a listing, less if I decide to use your photo of your listed item on the blog! The items you are selling merely have to be dollhouse miniatures, they do not have to be stunning or hand made (but if they are, you're more likely to get the cheaper price on the blog entry!)
Payment will be via paypal, please email me with any enquiries.

However, keep sending in your show off photos, the credits are free advertising! Plus everyone will love seeing them. :)

One Twelfth Scale- What Is It?

Dollhouse miniaturists work to scales. This means all the items in our dollhouses are in proportion to each other, to make it seem as realistic as possible.

The most popular scale for a dollhouse miniaturist is "1:12" scale (said "One Twelfth Scale"). It is also sometimes written as 1/12, or 12th scale.

This means that everything is twelve times smaller than in real life, and also that every inch in a dollhouse or miniature scene represents one foot in real life. It also makes a representation of a six foot man be six inches tall as a doll.

Dollhouse miniaturists the world over use inches rather than centimetres for their scale, even in countries like Australia where using centimetres for day to day life has been in use for many decades.

Almost all the items in this blog will be in 1:12 scale.