Oh dear - so today has been a very soggy day. Wellies and raincoats definitely needed. I have had to go out in it 3 times and got soaked every time.

I really should have used today to make something out of one of my favourite fabrics that I have in stock but haven't used yet! 

It's been an admin kind of day sorting my order book, ordering various items for customer orders and paying business bills. All of this mixed with school runs, a hospital appointment and swimming lessons later this evening

This is the life of a working from home mum - and I love it!

Its been a crazy 1st week back to work with many more orders than I expected for January - Its usually quiet at this time.

Once again personalised bibs, vests and t-shits are very popular - here are just a few of the designs that I have used

Tomorrow is a day of personalised bibs and blankets then its the WEEKEND!!!!

(and 5 weeks until the children break up for half term!! YAY! That isn't sarcastic by the way - I love school holidays)

I'll leave you with that thought while I go to make some dinner :-)

So here it is my 1st post on my new blog and its the beginning of 2016 - where did last year go?

So what is this new blog from Mama Nix and Me?  

 A place to share the experience of being a Work at Home Mum (WAHM) with a small business and 4 children to keep busy.

Here is a list of some of the topics that I plan to share:

My latest projects within my business as well as my latest products

Chat about one of my favourite topics - fabric!

A how to guide for some projects that you can try

Reviews on equipment that I have used

Information to help other small craft business owners set up a new business (from my own experiences)

AND

lots of chat about family friendly topics - maybe including everyday life, ideas for the holidays, places to visit and funny things that children do :-)

Please bear with me while I get to grips with this blogging malarkey. 

I hope you find my future posts interesting and helpful 

Happy New Year and have a fab 2016

CE testing

My Ribbon Comforters are CE marked - a legal requirement for all toys/items intended for play by children under the age of 14. Soft toys must be suitable from Birth - this includes toys that are knitted and crocheted. Please note items that are not intended as toys but have play value are also covered by this.

I have had many people ask me about gaining the CE mark so thought it a good idea to add the information to my blog.

All toys or items for use in play that are manufactured and sold in the UK and EU must be CE tested in accordance with the Toy Safety Directive 2011. This is a legal requirement!

This applies to handmade toys created and sold by small business owners working from home like myself as well as those produced by the big manufacturers.

There are two options for testing your toys - you can pay to send them off to a testing house or self certify by testing them yourself. I chose to self test.

The best place to start is to read the Toy Safety Standards BS EN71 and to contact your local Trading Standards office for information. Once you are ready to test you can buy the Self Certification Pack for Handmade Soft Toys from a company called Conformance This takes you through the process for self certifying your toys. The testing process covers 

EN71-1 Physical tests - torque and tension 

EN71-2 Flammability

EN71-3 Chemical migration for all fabrics/yarns/external components

EN71-1 and EN71-2 can be carried out at home using simple methods and household items. 

To cover EN71-3 you will need to gain the certificates for the materials that you are using. Some manufactures and suppliers may be able to provide you with these. You are also able to have fabrics tested yourself by sending them to a lab for testing. The third option is to join the CE Marking Handmade Toys Collective. Here you will be able to pay a membership fee and contribute to fabric testing allowing for the costs to yourself to be lower.

Once you have carried out your tests and your item passes you will need to keep a technical file containing all of your evidence to show that your item is safe and complies to the correct standards. This file must be kept safe for the 10 years following the sale of each item.

www.conformance.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/pages/CE-Marking-Handmade-Toys-Collective/768695129851415

Please note all information given here is a guide only! I have given an outline of the information that I have come across during my CE testing journey. It is in no way legal advice and is intended only as a starting point for you. Please contact your local Trading Standards office for up to date information.