[ This is the second of a series of posts by Susan Maphis covering the impact of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). For more information about the CPSIA, read Susan's previous article: The End Of Handmade and sign up for her CPSIA Alerts Mailing List ]

Trevor Thorson has been making and selling handmade children’s clothing for the past 8 years, both from her shop, My Pink Zebra Boutique, in Katy, TX, to her online store, KraftyMommasBoutique.com. Her inventory includes handmade items she has made herself and those from other mothers. However, because of the Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), slated to go into effect on Feb. 10, she is closing her store in Texas and is having a sale to liquidate all existing inventory designed for children 12 and under at KraftyMommasBoutique.com. The cost of testing each item for lead is just too prohibitive for her to keep the inventory.

“This was my dream,” Thorson says. “I have always wanted a store. I created the ambiance; I created the concept of having all handmade in one store.” She estimates that testing of each component in her handmade clothing would cost $100 to $150 per component.

“It is my opinion that CPSIA will make us, as manufacturers, weed out the ones who cannot comply (myself included) and also weed out the ones in non-compliance (using lead, intentionally or not),” Thorson wrote on her blog. “I know that my baby things are lead free. But I do not have the capital to have my one of a kind items tested for lead. I have no time or money to run out and rent XRF to test everything!! The past four weeks I have stressed myself silly and sick over this mess because it does not just affect my lifestyle, but it affects my passion, my heart. I have to create.”

Items such as the Cheetah Kitty Onesie & Kimono Booties, pictured above, are currently marked down during Thorson’s CPSIA sale. You can view this item at KraftyMommasBoutitue.com, where it is on sale for $18.75.

[ For more information about the CPSIA, read Susan's previous article: The End Of Handmade ]

Bear Feet shoes have got to be my all time favorite shoes for kids—and my daughters are famous for their shoe collections. These shoes are handmade in Texas. They are designed to have the shape of bare feet and to mold to a child’s foot over time. The flexible soles also promote healthy feet. The best thing about these shoes, though, is the way they look. There are many, many fun colors and styles to choose from for boys and girls, from crib shoes, to ballet slippers, to sandals. I have been very pleased with the durability of these shoes. They hold up and look great even after a lot of wear. Amazingly, my toddler also has a light pink pair that is the only pair of shoes to have survived her daycare’s tire chip mulch without turning completely black. Most pairs retail for approximately $75-$85. You can buy a pair at bestfootforwardllc.com. You can also sometimes find good deals on these on ebay.