School Bands a Thing of the Past? November 4, 2009

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) can add a whole new section to those being adversely affected: School bands.
The ill-conceived law, written in the wake of lead in paint recalls of imported toys (the wording of which was guided along by consumer groups and the very companies that were issuing those recalls) sets lead [...]

Tools of the Loom by Greco Woodcrafting October 8, 2009

Yes, it has been a while since I blogged, but I have good reasons. Really, I do! The end of the summer snuck up on us and we found ourselves thinking “Wait, we didn’t get to do this or go there yet!”, and so, much free time (is there such a thing?) was spent as [...]

1 Year Later, Now What? August 14, 2009

Today marks 1 year since the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act was signed into law. President Bush and all but 4 Congressmen felt great about what this law would do- after all, it was framed in part as a reaction to the many toy recalls Mattel had made just the year before.
But for a law [...]

8 Days Until Price Increase August 6, 2009

Unfortunately, August 14th is rapidly approaching. That’s the date that the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act mandates tracking labels. I will be able to fully absorb this cost on some of my more expensive items, but I will have to pass along some of that cost to my customers on the lower priced toys. I [...]

CPSIA – Tracking Labels July 23, 2009

With the August 14th date for tracking labels being required rapidly approaching, manufacturers, crafters and artists have been waiting anxiously for guidance from the CPSC to find out exactly what they need to do in order to be compliant. Small manufacturers and crafters will not need to create and track lot or batch numbers as [...]

A Must for Dust July 16, 2009

Two dust masks, side by side. The new one on the left has a crisp, almost hospital-like cleanliness about it. The used one to the right, is worn out and ready to be replaced. It did its job well, but to use it much longer would risk sucking those particles already trapped deep inside fully [...]

In the Beginning… July 7, 2009

I’ve been faced with a small problem for a while now. My current shop set up doesn’t have a dedicated space for my miter saw, and worse yet, it doesn’t even really have a temporary space for it. I’ve resorted to using the table saw to support it, as you can see in the first [...]

Thank You June 18, 2009

I want to start by taking a moment to thank my customers from the craft fair this past weekend. It was great getting to meet each of you, and I hope your little ones all enjoy their new toys!
Over the course of the two days there, I was able to get some really great feedback [...]

Meet Greco Woodcrafting! June 8, 2009

This weekend will be Flag Day, and what better way to celebrate than by going to the birthplace of our flag? The 13th and 14th I will be a vendor at the 2nd annual Philly Flag Fest, taking place at and around the historic Betsy Ross House. The map above shows approximately where I will [...]

Google, I Call Shenanigans! May 26, 2009

At 1000 Markets, there are a lot of tools available to help your items develop a presence on the web. One that I recently started to use is Google Base. I had given this a shot in the past through other sales venues I was on without much luck, so I was a bit reluctant [...]