Wonders of wool - Craft Focus magazine

Transcription

www.craftfocus.com
Issue 56 August/September 2016
www.craftfocus.com
ST2R
BAKERS
BACK TO
SCHOOL
From nursery needs to university
essentials, cash in on this sector
Products for those
passionate about baking
and cake making
‘Tis the season
We look at festive decorations
and makes for the home
Wonders of wool
New season trends
for knitters and crocheters
PLUS
Business advice
from leading experts
August/September issue 56
Editor-in-Chief
Alexandra North
+44 (0)1376 535 611
Editor
Julie Bonnar
+44 (0)1376 514 000
[email protected]
Chief Sub Editor
Louise Prance
Director of Sales & Marketing
Tony Fields
+44 (0)1376 538 480
Sales Manager
Michael Richards
+44 (0) 1376 538 481
[email protected]
Account Manager
Tracy Voice
+44 (0)1376 535 618
[email protected]
Production Manager
Scott Brothwell
Deputy Production Manager
Sarah Young
Senior Graphic Designer
Vicky O’Connor
Graphic Designer
Stephanie Hodder, Amy Smith
+44 (0)1376 535 616
[email protected]
Production Assistant
Charlotte Potter
Web Development Manager
Stuart Weatherley
Subscriptions
Beth Varney
+44 (0)1376 514 000
KD Media Publishing Limited
Pantile House, Newlands Drive
Witham, Essex, CM8 2AP, UK
www.craftfocus.com
contents
regulars
19
industry news
7
What’s happening within the craft market
brand spanking new
A look at the latest product launches
19
bookstand
63
The newest craft-related book releases
ask the expert
66
Leading experts in the industry help with
retailing and crafting dilemmas
competition
68
Fantastic Ribbons is offering one lucky
retailer a bumper selection of ribbons
project
85
That’s Original and ilovetocreate show
how to go for the glow this Halloween
features
wonders of wool
What the new season has to offer knitters
and crocheters
41
back to school
How to cash in on the market as a craft retailer
55
’tis the season
We look at seasonal decorations and makes for
the home
71
star bakers
We chat to the experts in the sector to find out
what’s new for home bakers
79
trick or treat
Get into the spirit of things and stock the
essentials for Halloween
89
79
Front cover image:
Thanks to Karen Davies Sugarcraft
for our lovely cover image
ISSN 1758-0900
Craft Focus is solely owned, published and
designed by KD Media Publishing Limited. Whilst
every effort was made to ensure the information
in this magazine was correct at the time of going
to press, the publishers cannot accept legal
responsibility for any errors or omissions, nor
can they accept responsibility of the standing of
advertisers nor by the editorial contributions. The
views expressed do not necessarily reflect those
of the publisher. Craft Focus is published six times
a year. Subscription rates for overseas readers
are £75 per annum (incl. p+p), Cheques should be
made out to KD Media Publishing Limited and sent
to Craft Focus, Pantile House, Newlands Drive,
Witham, Essex, CM8 2AP, United Kingdom.
Craft Focus magazine is proud to be
associated with and supporters of:
shows
show news
31
Keep up-to-date with what’s happening
in your industry
one big weekend
99
We report back from the CHA UK’s summer event
55
craftfocus 3
41
focus on
Club Green
50
Karen Neilsen from Club Green talks about how the business has
adapted with the trends and takes care of its customers
Hochanda
96
We talk to Jamie Martin, CEO at Hochanda, about how the
company is helping the interest in crafts to flourish
one big weekend
99
Craft Focus reports back from CHA’s One Big Show and Creative
Exchanges event
tried and tested
105
Julie Bonnar puts a Make Your Own Melt & Pour soap kit from
The Soap Kitchen through its paces
up and coming
106
We chat to Laura Holland, from That’s Crafty about the
launch of a brand new range of wholesale products
106
business advice
stand up and be counted
52
Dave Angus, European Key Account Manager at Glue Dots gives us
his unique insight into how to make the most of trade shows
top tips on digital marketing
86
Sara Davies shares her advice for better digital marketing
creating content that kicks
94
Intelligent Retail’s David Fairhurst considers the factors
involved in building a successful online marketing campaign
5 questions to answer before you start
a business
103
Daryl Woodhouse, CEO of Advantage Business Partnership has
words of advice for starting a business
4 craftfocus
TRADE-WIRES.CO.UK
55
71
The importance of
making the right decisions
Unit 3, Zone A
Chelmsford Road Industrial Estate,
Great Dunmow, Essex, CM6 1HD
Tel: 01371 238 013
BUSINESS FOR SALE
Many of you are finding business a little
tougher than usual at the moment, and with
the uncertainty of Brexit, the question on most
retailers’ lips is “how will this affect me?” It’s early
days and none of us have a crystal ball, so it really
is just a case of business as usual. Networking and
talking to other people in the industry is a good
way of overcoming uncertainty and making sure
you make the right decisions for your company
is crucial.
This issue is all about preparation for the
season’s busier time and how to make the most of them. We start with
finding out what’s new for knitters and crocheters (page 41) and how to
cash in on seasonal sales such as back to school (page 55), the festive
season (page 71) and Halloween (page 89).
We also chat to the experts in the cake decorating and sugarcraft
sectors to find out what’s new for home bakers and why this sector
continues to grow at the rate it does (page 79).
Do make sure you enter our competition (page 68) for a chance to win a
bumper selection of ribbons from Fantastic Ribbons.
Until the next time,
Julie
Julie Bonnar
Editor
Visit us on:
Twitter: @craftfocus
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/craftfocus
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CraftFocus
41
Please ring 07909 841919
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craftfocus 5
Bothy Threads - 2016 Summer Collection
The Home of Happy Stitching!
industry news
industry news
A round up of news from the crafting industry
HANTEX INCREASES ITS REACH FOR INDEPENDENT
DESIGNER SEWING PATTERNS
Hard to find patterns
Hantex has recently been appointed UK distributor for Canadian
sewing pattern company, Jalie. The sewing pattern company has
created a wide-ranging line of sewing patterns that spans up to 27
different sizes for children to adults.
Jalie designs jeans, tops and dresses but also those items that
your customers will want to make but always struggle to find patterns
for such as bras, underwear and camisoles. The diversity of patterns
available means that there’s something for everyone who sews. What
we also like about the pattern range is that customers can read the
instructions on the Jalie website before they buy, and the pattern
paper is of a really high quality.
Essential patterns
Alison Glass Woven and Knit Essentials garment sewing patterns
will soon be available to stock from Hantex. Each pattern starts with
a basic garment, and takes sewers through
the process to get the perfect fit for their own
body shape. There’s a wonderful range of
options for sleeve length, neckline, type of
item, and hem length that are all included.
The last chapter of each pattern shows a
handful of ways to add embellishments to
your creations, taking them from wonderful
basics to couture pieces. Tank, T-shirt, tunic,
dress and skirt versions are all included in
the pattern. Jalie and Alison Glass patterns are
distributed in the UK by Hantex
T: +44 (0)1754 820 800
E: [email protected]
W: www.hantex.co.uk
CRAFTING BUSINESS NAMED LEISURE RETAILER OF THE YEAR
Independent business StraightCurves, which delivers courses and
workshops in all things arts and crafts for both children and adults,
has been named as the Leisure Retailer of the Year at the 2016
Chesterfield Retail Awards.
“It’s absolutely fantastic to win. We couldn’t have done it without
everyone – the team and the customers,” says Karen Rogers, owner
of StraightCurves.
Established in 2011 in Chesterfield by qualified designer and
secondary school teacher, the business has now grown to cover
Sheffield. The annual awards, which are organised by Destination
Chesterfield, recognise the very best independent shops, high
street stores and market traders in the northeast Derbyshire town of
Chesterfield. For more information go to www.straightcurves.co.uk.
CLEOPATRA’S NEEDLE MOVES BACK TO SCOTLAND
After 10 years as owner of Cleopatra’s Needle, Kate Midgely has sold
the company to businesswoman Lyndsay MacEwen. Established
in Scotland 25 years ago, Cleopatra’s Needle has relocated to
Aboyne in the Scottish Highlands. It’s a new direction for Lyndsay
who previously owned a business designing and manufacturing
clothing for the elderly and disabled. After relocating back to
Scotland, Lyndsay started looking for a niche business venture
and was attracted to Cleopatra’s Needle by its trading credentials,
reputation, client base and its potential to bring new designs
to the market. Kate Midgely is still involved with new product
development, and her designs will be launched later this year.
“Cleopatra’s Needle has a special place in the tapestry
design marketplace, and I look forward to launching new
kits with market appeal in terms of design, price point and
trade margins,” says Lyndsay MacEwen.
Cleopatra’s Needle
T: +44 (0)1339 884 430
W: www.cleopatrasneedle.co.uk
craftfocus 7
industry news
STATIONERY HITS A NEW HIGH
This year’s National
Stationery Week and
Writing Matters campaign
achieved record levels of
coverage and consumer
engagement, including
being tweeted about on Mount Everest
on World Stationery Day.
Audience reach was more than 100
per cent up on last year, and exceeded
100 million for the first time. Organised
by the London Stationery Show, it
was sponsored by BIC, Maped Helix,
Nuco International, Sheaffer and
Staedtler (UK).
The week saw major retail names such as John Lewis,
Paperchase, Not On The High Street, WHSmith, Amazon and
Smythson as well as independent retailers getting involved
including Calliope who more than doubled their previous weekly
takings. Consumer media coverage was at a record level with
coverage in the Daily Mail, Daily Express, The Independent, Sunday
People, Stylist, Huffington Post, Tesco Magazine, Metro, Yours
magazine and Red.
“The myth that writing by hand and stationery
products have been killed off by the digital
revolution has been well and truly laid to rest.
Nothing could be further from the truth,”
says organiser Chris Leonard-Morgan.
Social media played a major part in the success of the week,
which trended on Twitter on three different days. Celebrity tweets
from Sarah Millican, Christian O’Connell, Jeremy Vine and Theo
Paphitis gained the interest of their combined three million
followers plus. Retailers involved online included Laura Ashley,
Hobbycraft, Bureau Direct, The Works and Moonpig and were
among a plethora of retailers posting about the campaign. DJ
Simon Mayo reported on National Stationery Week three times
on his afternoon DriveTime Show, which has a daily audience of
15 million. BBC Radio 2 set up #stationerysongs on the DriveTime
show, which trended on the second day.
Other initiatives included the Stationery Blogger of the Year
Award, National Stationery Week’s new partnership with Explore
Learning and sponsorship of their Young Writers’ Award. A major
boost was provided for the Writing Matters campaign by the
results of YouGov research, commissioned by National Stationery
Week into the importance of writing by hand among adults
and children. 94 per cent of adults and 91 per cent of children
aged between 8 and 15 think it’s important to be able to write
by hand, while 86 per cent of business managers expect job
applicants to be able to write by hand. For more information visit
the website,
www.nationalstationeryweek.com.
8 craftfocus
COLOURED CRAFT FELT MANUFACTURING IN THE UK
Fybagrate is the only remaining coloured felt manufacturer in the
UK. It’s felt factory is located in West Yorkshire, where the company
supports the manufacture of coloured felt products and supply
nationally. As a manufacturer they’re not a household name nor
do they have links with the public. Instead the company’s felt
products are distributed through the traditional trade wholesalers
and merchants. The company is proud of its 35 years in business
and despite a proliferation of imported coloured felts, there’s still
coloured felt manufacturing alive and kicking in the UK. Fybafelt is an affordable, premium-quality 1mm thick coloured
felt range made for the craft trade. Now Fybagrate is introducing a
new range of UK manufactured 3mm thick felts offering even more
crafting options to their customers. The company has 48 Fybafelt
colours in numerous formats – with or without adhesive backing, in
rolls, squares or shapes.
Fybagrate
T: +44 (0)1924 405 929
W: www.fybagrate.co.uk
industry news
CRAFT, COFFEE AND CAKE
Busy Brush Café is celebrating its first birthday, and has just won the
prestigious Muddy Stilettos Best Children’s Business 2016 award in
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Busy Brush Cafè opened its doors on 25th July 2015 and has since
become known for being a pottery café with a difference. Just like
other ‘paint your own pottery’ cafés, customers can choose blank
pottery shapes to paint and have them glazed and fired to take home
and use, but Busy Brush wanted to put the ‘café’ back into pottery
cafè . They serve exceptional cake, barista coffee and loose-leaf teas
within a shop that looks like a cross between Alice in Wonderland
and an artist’s studio. The shop is set over three floors on the main
pedestrianised street in Wallingford and is a feast for a photographer’s
eye, with colour and quirkiness oozing from every corner.
The team at Busy Brush say they’re so thrilled to have won the
award, and with 25,000 votes, it’s an accolade to shout about.
It could be the award winning cake, or the barista coffee or the
THE CRAFTY BEGGARS JOIN CREATE AND CRAFT TV
This summer,
Julie Peasgood
and Wendy Turner
Webster are the
newest members
to the Create
and Craft family.
Together, the ladies
are the craft loving,
enthusiastic and
fun duo on the hit
TV show The
Crafty Beggars.
Julie and Wendy will become Create and Craft brand ambassadors,
with designated shows focused on up-cycling. Create and Craft will
become the broadcast sponsor for The Crafty Beggars show on the
Community Channel in the UK and USA.
Hosted on The Community Channel, The Crafty Beggars TV show
sees two teams who are both given just £20 to buy, beg and borrow
the items they need to create a range of hand crafted items that are
suitable to sell at a pop-up market, just 24 hours later. The team who
make the most money are declared the victorious Crafty Beggars. The
show’s popularity saw the launch of spin-off show Crafty Beggars In The
House in March this year and is a magazine style format, studio based
show with a whole range of guests from the world of arts and crafts.
Now they’re going to show Create and Craft viewers how to do upcycle with a big dose of fun and laughter thrown in for good measure.
Their love for refashioning means they’ll showcase projects that can be
recreated at home including crafting on a budget, introductions to new
projects, and tutorials .
The Crafty Beggars joined the American Create and Craft screens in
July, and their live shows will be screened later this year.
For more information visit www.createandcraft.tv.
10 craftfocus
inspiring upcycled décor, who knows, but since BBC 2’s Great
Pottery Throw Down, adults definitely want in!
Ruby Glaspool, Director of the business told us, “We think all local
and independent family run businesses are worth shouting about
especially as the trend for adults painting pottery is on the rise.”
For more information visit the website www.busybrushcafe.co.uk.
KORBOND GROUP KICKS OFF THE BACK TO SCHOOL
CAMPAIGN WITH NEW YOUTUBE CHANNEL
As part of its digital marketing strategy, Korbond Group has
launched a variety of YouTube videos, to respond to the 78 per
cent of the busy mums looking for back to school guidance
and tutorials. A series of quick and easy how-to video tutorials
are now available to trade partners to help educate and advise
shoppers post-purchase.
The videos cover topics such as labelling school uniforms,
mastering hemming and term-time maintenance. To support
product sales in store or online, Korbond is asking its retailers to
share the videos with your customers through their website or
social media to provide further guidance and advice.
For retailers who’d like further information regarding the Back
To School range, read the feature in this issue of Craft Focus.
Korbond Group
www.youtube.com/korbonduk
www.facebook.com/korbonduk
industry news
SARA DAVIES FROM CRAFTER’S COMPANION
AWARDED MBE
Crafter’s Companion founder, Sara Davies, has
been appointed as a Member of the Order of the
British Empire (MBE) in the Her Majesty’s Birthday
2016 Honours List as a result of her contribution
and achievements in the craft industry. This
is the latest and greatest accolade for the 32-year-old Durham-born
entrepreneur who has taken her craft supplies company from a universitybedroom start-up to an international market-leading business in 11 years. The Queen’s awards are a rarity in crafting so Sara’s royal recognition
is a major boost to the UK’s craft sector and will no doubt help raise the
profile of the industry beyond the traditional craft bubble. Having carved
a successful business that is primarily involved in product innovation,
manufacturing and retail during the toughest economic period for
many decades, Sara’s story is an inspiration to business people and
entrepreneurs in the crafting world. For further information visit www.crafterscompanion.co.uk.
“I’m thrilled, honoured and so genuinely humbled by
this recognition. I was surprised to hear that I would
receive an MBE and have no idea where the nomination
originated but I’m incredibly grateful. By becoming an
MBE, I hope it helps raise the profile of our sector and
what a thriving industry it is. I also hope it inspires other
entrepreneurs in craft to believe, innovate and put our
industry firmly on the map,” comments Sara.
COOKSONGOLD LAUNCHES
2016/17 CATALOGUE
Multi-channel retailer
Cooksongold, the UK’s largest
one-stop shop for the jewellery
maker, has released the latest
edition of its catalogue packed
full of the newest products
and essentials for the
jewellery maker.
The catalogue is the
biggest yet, with more than 17,000 products, 800 pages, 1,500
new products, new categories and a huge variety of industry
leading brands including Dremel, Swarovski, Prometheus
kilns, Argentium silver and Elma Ultrasonics, to name just a
few. Customers can also download the new catalogue on the
Cooksongold catalogue app to their Apple or Android device.
“We’re delighted to release the catalogue, as
it offers the greatest availability of ranges and
brands yet. Our stock listings are in constant
development to meet the growing national
and international demand for brands and
components, which will ensure the catalogue
continues to be an essential tool for our
customers’ workbenches,”
comments Nikesh Patel, Marketing Manager for Cooksongold.
ORKNEY’S HOXA TAPESTRY GALLERY MARKS 20 YEARS IN BUSINESS
The Hoxa Tapestry Gallery in South Ronaldsay, Orkney, is marking its 20th anniversary
this year. The gallery was built in 1996 by Leila Thomson and husband Benny, to
showcase Leila’s large hand-woven tapestries inspired by the landscapes, folklore and
heritage of the islands.
In 2012 the business expanded to include drawings and paintings by Leila’s daughter
Jo, along with handcrafted rugs designed by both artists. Leila’s son Andrew now does
all the framing of the gallery’s artwork and prints, making it a truly family affair.
The gallery is an original member of the Orkney Craft Trail, which was also launched
20 years ago. Situated overlooking Scapa Flow, the gallery enjoys stunning views, many
of which are reflected in the work it contains.
Leila’s tapestries are created using an upright loom made from builders’ scaffolding,
with each large piece taking between two to four months to complete. The tapestries
range from 13ft x 7ft in size, to 6in x 6in and are composed of cottons, linens and
Shetland wool.
Reflecting on 20 years in business, Leila added: “The gallery is looking forward to many
more years of creativity and many more visitors over the doorstep. We’d like to take this
opportunity to thank all the visitors to the gallery who have supported us over the years,
especially all the local people who every year recommend us to their visiting friends
and family. Indeed, word of mouth is our best advert. One gentleman from America told
us he came because his dentist said if he was ever in Scotland he had to visit the Hoxa
Tapestry Gallery!”
For further information, visit www.hoxatapestrygallery.co.uk.
12 craftfocus
Exclusive Needlecraft Kits
New & Exclusive
The ‘Bloomsbury Group’ Tapestry Collection
Comissioned by The Courtauld Institute of Art, London
Five small tapestry kits with gift appeal
Visit: cleopatrasneedle.co.uk for details of the
‘Bloomsbury Group’ Collection & our full range of
cushions, lavender hearts & beginners kits.
(Trade log in & password required to access trade prices)
EBOR FABRICS
Ebor fabrics has just brought
to the market Dr Who
fabrics, under licence from
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there is also a quilt
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Email: [email protected]
Look out for these fabrics
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Ebor fabric stockists.
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[email protected].
Inspiring needlecraft since 1991
cleopatrasneedle.co.uk
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industry news
AVEC PARTNERSHIP BY DESIGN
Craft, hobby and creative gifting was a significant part of AW15, featuring
on the shelves of the majors. Gorgeous artisan packaging, personalised
detailing, and handcrafted ideas are all vying for that coveted place.
Avec Trade (Avec UK) works with an exclusive portfolio of license partners
including market leading brands Disney, DC Comics, Peanuts, The Great
British Sewing Bee, Kirstie Allsopp, Beatrix Potter and Carte Blanche delivering
quirky, original and must-have products and ranges for the consumer. Avec
Trade has an unrivalled market knowledge within the creative craft and
design sector together with a passion for innovation and excellence, which
ideally positions them to identify and develop key opportunities across the craft and gift categories including fashion, paper craft, soft craft,
kids’ crafts, home décor, textiles, knitting and crochet, stationery and gift.
Identifying future trends, the company’s dedicated brand development team is tasked with creating carefully tailored and bespoke range
plans that fit with the commercial goals of its retail partners, and doesn’t subscribe to ‘one-size fits all’ theory.
If you’re interested in expanding your licensing agenda to craft and hobby visit www.avecuk.com.
MULTI-PURPOSE MOULDS
Karen Davies Sugarcraft is an
established and respected
mould designer and
manufacturer in the sugarcraft
industry. The moulds are
extremely versatile for many
aspects of crafting, not just
cake decorating. They can be
used with air drying clay, Fimo,
salt dough and plaster mix to
decorate cards, picture frames,
gift boxes and bags, Christmas
decorations and lots more!
The range has items for
many types of celebrations and
decorations – Christmas, babies,
weddings, birthdays, children’s
parties, lace and rustic themed.
The moulds are produced with
the highest quality silicone and
under normal use, should last
you a lifetime. They are great
value, not just because of the
size, but many have several
designs on one mould. A new
area for crafts is now open on
the website where you can get
lots of ideas on how to use the
moulds. Visit the website
www.karendaviescakesco.uk.
CHANGE IS COMING FOR CHA MEGA SHOW IN 2017
The 2017 CHA Mega show is soon to start its pre-show
marketing for a re-invigorated event in the new location
Phoenix, Arizona. The show is going to have an exciting
new look with an official launch on 8th August, and this
image is just a taste of things to come. Make a note
in your diary now to check out the new look at www.
chamegashow.org. For further information about
becoming an exhibitor or visiting the CHA Mega show
contact Andrew Morton, [email protected] or call +44 1425 271964.
craftfocus 15
Felt made by Kunin from
recycled plastic bottles
NEW WEBSITE: www.fashionfutures.co.uk
Fashion Futures Ltd, Unit 1 Mace Lane Industrial Estate, Ashford,
Kent, England,TN24 8EP, Telephone 01233 625227
Call us now 020 8887 6000
or email [email protected]
Come and visit our warehouse - an
aladdin’s cave of fabrics with our
new christmas ranges of cotton
and poly cotton fabrics including
many special offers.
Ordering fabrics online is
easy on our ecommerce site
www.wholesalecraftfabrics.co.uk
Reindeers, penguins, trees, baubles
- its all here; the largest range of
wholesale xmas fabrics.
Call us now: 020 8887 6000 or email: [email protected] | www.wholesalefabrics.co.uk
Ecommerce www.wholesaleCRAFTfabrics.co.uk
industry news
ACID NOMINATED IP CHAMPION ON BRITISH IP DAY
At the first Alliance for
Intellectual Property
British IP Day held on
the Terrace Pavilion at
Westminster in early July,
ACID (Anti Copying in
Design) was nominated
as the first-ever UK IP
Champion. The award
recognises a person,
organisation or campaign
that has shown excellence
in the promotion or
protection of IP.
On being presented
with the award by the
Minister for Intellectual
Property, Baroness
Neville Rolfe, DBE,
Dids Macdonald OBE,
CEO of Anti Copying in
Design (ACID) said, “This
is, not only a proud
moment, but a huge
opportunity to salute
the UK’s amazing designers who have a global reputation for excellence and
punch well above their weight, a sector growing at over 10 per cent per year.
Our 12-year campaign, now enshrined in law, means that the intentional
infringement of a registered design is now a crime and this is a significant step
forward. We’re now even more determined to carry on until all design theft
has criminal provisions to act as a real deterrent. Post Brexit we’ve a unique
opportunity to update British unregistered design rights giving UK designers
a positive advantage after we leave the EU. Generally, the Alliance for IP will
seek all opportunities to work collaboratively with government in future IP
negotiations. We welcomed the Minister’s commitment to fighting IP theft in all
its forms and supporting the hard work of our creative industries.”
Nick Kounoupias, ACID’s chief legal counsel and CEO of Kounoupias IP
said, “It’s a massive honour for ACID and I’m very proud to have been involved
with Dids Macdonald and her team in changing the law to their benefit. With
so many deserving organisations in the IP world, this is a fantastic recognition
of the significance and importance of designers to the UK economy and
creative environment.”
For more information about ACID, visit www.acid.uk.com.
RELOVED HAS A NEW HOME
Tailor Made Publishing has announced the acquisition of
the UK’s only dedicated up-cycling magazine, Reloved.
The national title joins the successful craft division at TMP,
which includes Inside Crochet, Pretty Patches magazine
and the popular bookazine portfolio.
Sarah Moran, Group Managing Editor commented
“Reloved is a creative up-cycler’s dream magazine, filled
with step-by-step tutorials explaining how to recreate
professional looking results on thrift-shop finds and skiprescued furniture. The team is passionate about recycling,
reusing and repurposing to create original homes and
spaces that reflect our reader’s individual personalities.
With expert columnists such as the queen of chalk paint,
Annie Sloan, and TV’s Salvage Sister, Charis Williams, the
magazine is authoritative, informative and packed with
brilliant ideas every month.”
Taking over as editor, Lou Butt has a long history
within the publishing industry having worked on many
best-selling magazine launch teams including craft titles:
Inside Crochet, Simply Knitting and Yarn Forward, and
she’s looking forward to building on Reloved’s already
well-established foundations. Working with the talented
up-cyclers such as Nicolette Tabram, Chloe Haristy (Cotton
Clara), R&B designs and Money For Nothing’s Jay Blades.
To stock Tailor Made Publishing titles or contribute
ideas, contact [email protected]
“It’s vital that MPs from across the political spectrum
understand the importance of intellectual property
and how it drives economic growth and jobs in every
constituency across the country,”
said Pete Wishart MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on
Intellectual Property MP and Champion of IP in Parliament of British IP Day.
craftfocus 17
Seasonal Special Buys
Luxury Faux Furs
Premium Cuddle Fleece
It’s all about Melton Woollens,
Check Woollens, Luxury Faux Furs,
and fabulous print dress fabrics
GRAPHIC 45
PIONEER
JONES BUTTONS
KAISERCRAFT
FABSCRAPS
HEARTFELT CREATIONS
BO BUNNY
CANDY BOX CRAFTS
IMPRESSION OBSESSION
CREATIVE WORLD OF CRAFTS
STRETCH MAGIC
DRESS IT UP
brand spanking new
brand spanking new
An exclusive round up of the newest product offerings
Czech candy beads
Creative Beadcraft
is the leading UK
distributor for
Preciosa Ornela.
The new two-hole
candy beads are
proving extremely
popular and
Creative Beadcraft
stock all 67 colours, including pastels and metallic shades.
The candy bead measures 8mm and is a low Cabochon with
a round base. It’s the domed shape that gives it great versatility.
The bead has a broad appeal as it’s easy to string, and ideal for
beadweaving as its low curvature means you can sew round and
join it together. It works well with seed beads and other larger
beads including the Preciosa chilli and pellet beads. The twohole Cabochon shape means that it can also be used for sewing
and embroidery as well as jewellery making. The beads are
competitively priced and available loose in hanging tubes and as
starter selections.
Creative Beadcraft
T: +44 (0)1494 786 924
E: beads@creative
beadcraft.co.uk
W: www.creativebeadcraft.co.uk
Tapestry commissions
Cleopatra’s Needle has launched
The Bloomsbury Group
collection, which is an original
range of tapestry kits inspired by
the Courtauld’s Omega textile
archive. Established in 1913
by the painter Roger Fry – the
Omega workshops were an
experimental design collective
and featured other artists of the
Bloomsbury Group. The range
starts with five designs and with
a further five kits due to launch
in September. The small kits
have a distinct gift appeal for
all ability of tapestry lovers and
include spectacle and pen cases.
T: +44 (0)1339 884 430
W: www.cleopatrasneedle.co.uk
Sara’s signature collection
Autumn Morning range is a
brand-new release by Sara
Davies as part of her signature
collection and celebrating
the colours of autumn in its
gloriously golden, rust, forest
green and chocolate tones.
The paper crafting range
features a selection of dies
including ornate flourish and overlay designs. There’s
also embossing folders, 6in x 6in and 12in x 12in paper packs
plus authentic hessian included. The collection is perfect for all
seasonal papercraft projects from cards and gifts to items for
around the home. Country critters
Heritage Crafts has
two new woodland
creatures by Karen
Carter. The first design
is of a little mouse
eating a nut against a
background of corn,
nuts and grasses –
all in lovely harvest
colours. While the
second design features
foxgloves, grasses and berries making a beautiful background to
the brightly coloured fox shown here who is curled up fast asleep.
The creamy yellow backgrounds of both the designs are fully
stitched and both are available on 27-count evenweave fabric or on
14-count Aida. The designs measure approx 12.5cm x 12.5cm (5in
by 5in), and retail at £17.99 Crafter’s Companion
T: + 44(0)1388 660 930
W: www.crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk
Heritage Crafts
T: +44 (0)1889 575 256
W: www.hcrafts.com
craftfocus 19
brand spanking new
Joanne floor standard lamp
Needcraft has come up
with a beautiful new floor
standard lamp called
Joanne. Made from
quality raw beech, it can
be waxed, painted or
varnished in whatever
colour you’d like to
match themes and
room schemes.
The lamp kit is
cleverly designed to
allow it to be assembled,
fully wired and tested
from an easy-to-ship
flatpack making it
price competitive.
Needcraft
T: +44 (0)1992 700 311
W: www.needcraft.co.uk
Canny caddy
Sizzix has just come up with a storage solution that’s lightweight
and stable, the Big Shot Tool Caddy is the ideal add-on for the Big
Shot or Big Shot Express machines. The handy snap-on accessory
can be easily added and removed from the machine.
It’s perfect for organising just about anything from cutting pads
and platforms to die picks and other tool with adjustable sliders. A
built-in, adjustable tape dispenser adds more storage possibilities
by holding standard-sized tapes as well as Washi tape. It can also
be used as stand-alone storage too.
Ellison Europe
T: +44 (0)845 345 2277
W: www.sizzix.co.uk and www.ellinson.com
20 craftfocus
Bags of fun
The new cross-stitch craft
kits from Luca-S are now
available to make a range
of bags and mats for the
home. These great kits
use a 3.5-count canvas
with a similar look to Aida that allows for the design to be stitched
without a background like a regular a tapestry or rug canvas. The
tote bag and purse look set to be popular. The bag is made with
the canvas, while the matching purse uses a 18-count aida fabric.
Lining materials and finishings such as zippers are included in the
kits, along with acrylic threads on bobbin cards and instructions.
Bag measures 34cm x 37cm when completed, and the purse
18cm x 10cm. The recommended retail for each set is £54.99 and
exclusive to SoloCrafts.
Luca-S is distributed in the UK by SoloCrafts
T: +44 (0)161 464 7313
W: www.solocrafts.com
Pocket packs
ExaClair has just
launched a range of
Decopatch pockets with
five full-size designs in
one pack, which are
ideal for those starting
out in craft. They’re
a conveniently sized
option for craft retailers
to maximise the yield
from space in store.
Each pocket pack contains five different Decopatch papers
co-ordinated to a theme making them perfect for home décor
projects. The 12 themes include funky animal prints, bright
flowery tropical papers, kitsch country-kitchen designs and
stylish and exotic oriental motifs.
“There’s space for glues, brushes, varnishes and items to
decorate,” says Nick Parry, Head of Art and Craft for ExaClair about
the pocket pack counter top display stands. It works well for impulse purchases, and a good way to stock
up on a coordinated choice of Decopatch papers too.
ExaClair
T: +44 (0)1553 696 600
W: www.exaclair.co.uk
brand spanking new
Golden celebrations and pink collaborations
To commemorate DMC's
270 years in business
this year, the company is
issuing 17,460 individually
numbered 24 carat Golden
Skeins, each with its own
original certificate of
authenticity. Mounted in
a beautifully embossed
presentation box, and
accompanied by an illustrated and gold leaf embellished history of
DMC, each Golden Skein will delight a dedicated embroiderer.
To support a global consumer launch and still under wraps, but
beginning with online teasers this summer, there's just 1050 Golden
Skeins available in the UK, so interested retailers should contact their
DMC sales manager right away. Golden Skein number 00001 will be
exhibited in the DMC museum in Mulhouse in France.
Numbers 00002-00009 will be sold to raise funds for good causes
and DMC has nominated the Pink Ribbon Foundation in the UK
to receive proceeds from these special sales. The company will
also be raising funds with Pink Ribbon mini cross-stitch kits and
a #MyDMCPink campaign to crowd-craft a Giant Pink Ribbon for
display as official partner to Kirstie Allsopp’s Handmade Fair.
Retailers can get involved on social media.
DMC Creative
T: +44 (0)116 275 4000
W: www.dmccreative.co.uk
New patterns for Sewaholic
The Minoru Jacket is a zip-front
weekend jacket with a secret
hood hidden inside the dramatic
wide collar, and comfortable
to wear raglan sleeves. The
pattern is easy-to-sew, and the
elastic waistline creates a slim,
curve-hugging silhouette. If your
customers are looking for an
easy top to stitch up then look
no further than the Belcarra Blouse. This simple pullover top will
quickly become a wardrobe favourite with subtle waist shaping
and raglan sleeves – the ideal sewing pattern for showcasing
beautiful fabrics with minimal sewing.
Sewaholic is distributed in the UK by Hantex
T: +44 (0)1754 820 800
W: www.hantex.co.uk
Storytelling fabrics
Following on from
the success of the
Wonderland collection
Riley Blake presents
Wonderland 2. The
cute little bunny
rabbits return but this
time they’re wearing top hats and bows instead of floral tiaras.
Supported by a selection of co-ordinates and sparkle, this is
definitely a fabric collection that your customers are going to love.
The collection is made up of one main print, which is available
on cotton and double-gauze plus six coordinate designs featuring
teapots, florals, gingham and more.
Another great range that will be coming soon to Riley Blake is
the Goldilocks collection. As the name suggests, inspired by the
well-known children’s fairytale Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the
range features iconic scenes from the story, including Goldilocks
fast asleep in baby bear’s bed as well as three bold feature prints
made up of florals and mushroom prints, plus illustrations of key
scenes from the fable. Each design is available in a choice of three
colourways; teal, cream and coral/brown.
EQS distributes Riley Blake Designs exclusively for the UK
and Ireland
T: +44 (0)116 271 0033
W: www.eqsuk.com
Beautifully boxed
Aumueller is well
known for its
wonderful wooden
sewing and
knitting boxes.
Think big with
this stunning large
sewing cabinet on
castors in Beech
with an antique
lightwood or
brown finish. This
has compartments
galore to keep all
craft supplies safe and easy to find. It measures a massive 50cm x
28cm x 73cm and is fitted with castors for easy movement.
Viridian
T: +44 (0)117 300 5244
W: www.viridianyarn.com
craftfocus 23
brand spanking new
So much fabric to see
Ebor Fabrics has brought to the market a range of Dr Who fabrics,
under licence from the BBC. A significant part of British popular
culture Dr Who
appeals to a very
wide audience, and
the fabric features
the iconic tardis,
daleks and cybermen.
The fabrics will lend
themselves to a
multitude of craft uses
from bag making,
home décor and
even dressmaking.
As well as the all-over
prints, there’s also a
wonderful quilt panel featuring the Time Lord.
Ebor Fabrics
T: +44 (0)1756 793 908
Watching the clock
This lovely little kit makes
a clock with a wonderful
copper embossed face.
Crafters can follow the
step-by-step instructions to
create the clock face design,
tracing it from the pattern
sheets, then transferring
the design to the copper and
gently embossing it using the
tool provided. Then simply paint
and assemble the clock and your
customer has a lovely personalised
gift or accessory for the home.
Metal embossing is simple, rewarding and new to most
customers – at a recent show Peak Dale had dozens of children
lining up to produce sample pieces, so this is something for almost
any age. The kit is also available on Pewter Oval Sign kit and
Complete Kit containing six mini-projects.
Peak Dale Products
T: +44 (001298 78447
W: www.peakdaleproducts.com
24 craftfocus
Stick and sparkle
Creative Product
Distributions has
taken stock of a
new range of peel
off stickers that are
perfect for all sorts
of crafting including
quick cards. The
designs include
intricate laser cut
designs for borders
for card makers as
well as some more
fun designs like the
owls here. The range comes in luxurious gold and silver and also
glittery pastels and brights.
Creative Product Distribution
T: +44 (0)20 8953 2143
W: www.creative-distribution.co.uk
Winter-weight fabrics
ITS Textile Traders
has new fabrics for
AW. This season it’s
all about Melton and
check woollens, elegant
suiting fabrics, fabulous
outerwear fabrics and
luxury faux furs. The
company also has some
gorgeous dress-weight fabrics
and limited editions including
Italian hand knitting yarns
and haberdashery at
competitive prices.
Do remember that
this is while stocks
last so it’s a first come
first served basis.
ITS Textile Traders
T: +44 (0)1745 562 120
W: www.its-sales.co.uk
brand spanking new
Fun with foiling
Applicraft has
a wide range
of quality
textile foils. The
gorgeous colour
co-ordinated
transfer foil packs
are available
in eight vibrant
colourways. They come in A5 and A4 sizes and are perfect for use
on a wide variety of surfaces including textiles, acrylics, wood,
paper, card, glass and more.
They can be transferred with a heat press and foil glue, fusible
webbing and an iron, double-sided tape, glue dots and Appliglue
making them ideal for textile retailers and craft shops. Experiment
and use them to revamp fashion items from jeans, handbags,
cushions and shoes or create fabulous greetings cards, gift tags,
wrapping paper and invitations. This versatile product is also
perfect for surface decoration on quilts, wall hangings, art pieces
and more. The foils are washable up to 40 degrees on a short,
gentle wash cycle.
Applicraft
T: +44 (0)1932 872 572
W: www.applicraft.co.uk
Take your positions
Following on from the
success of the Crafts
Too Stampeazee
stamp positioner, the
company has added
three additional sizes.
The simple tool makes
stamping easy and
accurate with the
grid lines for perfect
alignment. The new
sizes are 110mm x
110mm, ideal for
using with sentiment stamps, 320mm x 130mm perfect for border
stamps, and 290mm x 240mm for using with larger designs and
multiple stamps.
Crafts Too
T: +44 (0)1252 330 024
W: www.crafts-too.com
Groomed cards for the men
Kaisercrafts has
just released its
new collections
for August, which
includes the
Barber Shoppe
collection. This
papercraft line
features classical
gentlemen’s
charm of an era
long ago with
Vintage timepieces, cars and aeroplanes teamed with soft blues,
brilliant patterns and bold textures making it ideal for projects for
the men.
When light matters
When it needs to be spaced, straight
and layered just right – daylight
matters. Crafters and needlecrafters
know that colour matters and the
tools that are used every day to
make your dream and image come
to life matter the most. The Daylight
DuoLamp delivers everything and
more for work and play, and has been the choice of experts. Intense
light focuses on the specific areas, and the two adjustable shades
move independently of one another so that crafters can direct light
in two separate places. The slim, flexible and modern tool has 56
bright LEDs providing accurate colour matching. The touch switch
dimmer gives you the choice of four brightness levels to adapt to
your surroundings all day long. The lamp brightness is 2,090 Lux
at 30cm (12in). To hobbyists, crisp, clear, bright light can make all
the difference between the right stitch, the right colour, and the
right choice. The light has a sleek design with no glare – all of this
adds up to working longer on what you love without eyestrain and
without heat.
Jones Crafts
T: +44 (0)115 978 1263
W: www.jonesnottm.co.uk
Daylight Company
T: +44 (0)20 8964 1200
W: www.daylightcompany.co.uk
craftfocus 27
Wholesale Haberdashery Suppliers
Our huge range includes
Beads, Trimmings, Lace, Buttons,
Ribbon, Sequins, Diamantes, Motifs,
Zips, Cords, Thread, Masks, Feathers,
Flowers, Bridal, Lingerie Accessories,
Craft, Haberdashery, and much,
much more...
“We wish Dermot of Traynor’s Trimmings a
Happy Retirement and are offering a
10% DISCOUNT to all
of Traynor’s customers
on production of an old Traynor’s
Trimmings invoice, on their ﬁrst order”
r/o 31 Commercial Road, Edmonton, London N18 1TP
Tel: 0208 884 0999 Fax: 0208 884 4666 Email: [email protected]
www.mcourts.co.uk
/mcourtsltd
shows, news and events
We update you on what’s happening with a round up of the shows
DIARY DATES
Autumn Fair KreavaK and Art & Paper Xperience
11th - 12th September, 2016
Venue: Expo Houten, Meidoornkade 24, 3992 Ae Houten,
The Netherlands
W: www.asws.nl
Scottish Autumn Trade Fair
18th - 19th September, 2016
Venue: SECC, Glasgow
W: www.scotlandstradefairs.co.uk
NEW GALLERY FOR SCOTLAND’S TRADE FAIR
Scotland’s Trade Fair Autumn’s Launch Gallery
is already full with an incredible line-up of
original and exciting exhibitors. Held at the
SECC, Glasgow, in the middle of September, it’s
traditionally the last chance for northern retailers
to source and order goods for the Christmas
season. With a wide selection of home-wares,
jewellery, accessories and now food and drink, it
offers independent retailers the perfect chance
to stock something a little more innovative and
unusual for their Christmas shoppers.
With more than 150 stands, of which almost
one third are new exhibitors, including the
Launch Gallery for young, original companies
under two years old, will showcase their wares over the two days.
The Launch Gallery will feature metalwork gifts Steelin Dreams from the
Borders, Snowpaw with their handmade shoes, Nikky d’Aguilar’s stylish scarves
and cushions (right), Scott & Robson designed cards, jewellery from Alison
Phillips and Jessie Growden and bags from Nixey amongst others.
For the first time, the show will also include a selection of food and drink gift
exhibitors in recognition of the quality and variety of edible offerings that make
excellent Christmas presents including Coco Chocolatier, Spice Pots, Jaw Brew
and The Chilli Experience.
Show stalwarts include Dekassa Candles, Ortak, Tart Twist, Urban Outline
candles, Pewtermill Crafts and Earth Squared which all offer highly desirable
and sellable Christmas gifts, which will be complemented by newcomers
offering something a little different such as Black & Wired clothes from
Aberdeenshire, Diamond in the Sky jewellery, Hello Sock, Juli Partlett
Ceramics, Sienna Glass and Dawn Maciocia’s collage paintings.
“Our Autumn Show provides the perfect platform for
re-stocking for the frantic Christmas retail season. We’ve
had such a good response to the Launch Gallery that we’re
considering extending it beyond its original footprint.
We’ve secured some really interesting exhibitors with gifts
for all retailers from clothes to food, accessories to
homewares. With a wide range of price points the show
is certainly not to be missed if you want to succeed in the
final quarter of 2016,”
says Mark Saunders, MD of organiser, Springboard Events.
craftfocus 31
S
CONSUMER SHOW NEW
WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS AUTUMN:
The market for design-led products has increased over the last few years and the UK is particularly good at promoting designer-makers.
Show organisers are helping to increase their visibility to potential buyers with specialised shows and provide a market platform for
well-made handmade goods.
HANDMADE AT KEW
THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY
CRAFT EVENT
6th - 9th October, 2016
Venue: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Following on from last year’s success, Handmade in Britain is
returning to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew for the second edition
of the four-day craft spectacular – Handmade at Kew. Kew Gardens
will once again play host to this innovative, global craft fair where
more than 150 highly skilled international makers and galleries
showcasing their ceramics, glass, furniture, textiles, metalwork and
jewellery. Taking centre stage in the heart of the botanical gardens,
housed in an elegant pavilion next to Kew Palace, visitors will have
a one-of-a-kind opportunity to meet and buy one-off pieces directly
from artists, makers and craftspeople and learn about the ideas and
processes that shape their work.
Set to become London’s leading international craft event, Handmade at Kew has found its perfect complement amongst
Decimus Burton’s glasshouses, a feat of Victorian engineering and
British craftsmanship.
Entry will not only give you access to the show but also to the
whole of Kew Gardens, allowing you to soak up the delights of the
world’s most famous botanic garden with its fine glasshouses and
rare blooms, while browsing, buying or commissioning work directly
32 craftfocus
from these
internationally
renowned
craftspeople and
artisans. It’s a
fabulous day out for
the whole family and
rare opportunity to
indulge in heritage,
horticulture and
shopping.
Ceramics and
pottery are in
vogue, and this
selling event clearly
illustrates why with cutting edge tableware to textural art objects.
The diversity of this popular medium will be showcased by leading
ceramicists from the UK and beyond. Glass is another dynamic
medium that can be blown, moulded, sculpted or cut and shaped
into a myriad of forms. Leading glassmakers will illustrate its infinite
possibilities, showing a mix of sculptural and domestic pieces.
Discover exquisite silverware from talented silversmiths and see
an astonishing array of textiles across fashion and interiors.
For more information and to buy tickets visit the website
www.handmadeinbritain.co.uk/kew.
Julie Bonnar chats to Piyush
Suri, Creative Director
behind Handmade At Kew:
The market for handmade products has
increased over the last few years. Why
do you think this is so?
Craftsmanship is becoming so popular
because people are more aware of the story
behind pieces. They want to be able to
talk about what they buy, and to meet the
person behind the product.
Is there a place on the high street for
designer-maker products?
Absolutely. Whilst our craft events offer a
refreshing alternative to the high street, with
opportunities to meet the maker, there are
plenty of independent stores doing well
in this sector, and larger brands like Heals
is championing designer-maker products.
34 craftfocus
Even high street brands are collaborating
with makers for capsule collections focusing
on handmade and craftsmanship.
One of the most exciting elements about
buying handmade at our events is that
you can meet the maker, shake the hand
of the person who crafted the product and
learn the story behind their process and
inspiration. Whilst some of this is lost on
the high street, events like ours and Open
Studios events in and around London and
the UK complement this development
well. There is also a rise of online shopping
in the industry, these platforms offer an
opportunity to showcase the makers story
and this takes away the anonymity of high
street products.
Consumers seem to have an increased
appetite for British-made products, why
do you think this has happened?
Consumers are more aware of buying
ethically and sustainably. With so many of
our British industries now moved overseas,
it’s a pleasure to support and buy locally
made products. Consumers value knowing
how and where their products are made.
d
n
Bra New
Website
ALL OF STAMP ADDICTS UNMOUNTED
RUBBER STAMPS NOW ONLINE
www.stampaddicts.co.uk
PAPERCRAFT & SCRAPBOOKING SHOWS
PAPERCRAFT SHOWS
Harrogate,Yorkshire - Saturday 13th August
Leigh, Manchester - Sat & Sun 27th & 28th Aug
Thetford, Norfolk - Sunday 4th September
Newark, Nottinghamshire - Sunday 9th October
Portsmouth, Hampshire - Sunday 23rd October
Maidstone, Kent - Sunday 13th November
Taunton, Somerset - Sunday 27th November
If you are interested in exhibiting at any of our shows, please
contact Graham on 01634 686823
SINCERELY YOURS, UNIT 11, ROCHESTER AIRPORT IND EST, LAKER ROAD,
ROCHESTER, KENT ME1 3QX T: 01634 686 823
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
www.sincerely-yours-shows.co.uk
For wholesale details please contact
us by email [email protected]
or call: 01234 855833
CRAFTS FOR CHRISTMAS AND THE STITCHING,
SEWING & HOBBYCRAFTS AND ART MATERIALS LIVE
3rd - 6th November, 2016
CAKE INTERNATIONAL
4th - 6th November, 2016
NEC, Birmingham
W: www.ichfevents.co.uk
ICHF Events return in the autumn with a series of shows that run along
side one another giving cake, craft and Christmas fans four fantastic
shows for the price of one. The halls of Crafts for Christmas and the
Stitching, Sewing & Hobbycrafts and Art Materials Live will be filled
with more than 300 exhibitors plus exciting features, workshops,
demonstrations, Make & Take sessions and lots of craft inspiration.
The popular Crafts for Christmas show is the perfect place to pick
up beautiful, finished craft for friends, family and the home. There’s
a gift wrapping service at the show, which means items can be expertly
transformed into works of art, ticking off some of the Christmas
‘to do’ list.
Crafts for Christmas is joined by Stitching, Sewing and Hobbycrafts
show as well as Art Materials Live, filling the halls with a plethora of
craft supplies, innovative new products, fun and informative
workshops, demonstrations from experts and inspiring features.
Visitors can stock up on everything needed to enjoy a craft-filled
Christmas and to make beautiful festive gifts, decorations and cards.
As well as hundreds of exhibitor stands brimming with exciting craft
products and supplies, visitors can also enjoy the full schedule of
informative workshops, demonstrations and ‘make & take’ sessions
that are taking place throughout the shows. Visitors can also ask
exhibitors for their expert advice and try innovative craft supplies
and equipment at the stands. The Art Materials Live hall will be full
of exciting demonstrations and supplies with free workshops and
demonstrations, as well as stunning displays and works of art from
Britain’s finest artists, it’s the perfect stop off point for artists of all
levels. This is the first time that visitors can enjoy entry to Cake
International – The Sugarcraft, Cake Decorating and Baking Show as
part of their ticket.
Two of the world’s most expensive dresses are on display together
for first time from internationally renowned haute courturier, Debbie
Wingham. The dresses are Red Diamond Abaya and Black Diamond
Dress and will be exhibited in the Cake International hall where they’ll
also be recreated in cake! The dresses will form a jaw-dropping
entrance piece. Studded with real diamonds, the dresses are worth
more than £20 million and will come complete with their own security
team to watch over them.
craftfocus 37
Want to get your products to more customers? We list the
best UK-based consumer–craft shows in the forthcoming
months:
Bert & Gerts arts & craft markets
(www.bertandgerts.co.uk):
7th Aug: Swan Centre, Yardley, Birmingham
13th Aug: The Marlands, Southampton
20th Aug: Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham
24th Aug: Teddy Bears Picnic, Birmingham
Botanical Gardens
4th Sept: Swan Centre, Yardley, Birmingham
10th Sept: The Marlands, Southampton
11th Sept: The Heart, Walton On Thames
17th Sept: Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham
23rd - 25th Sept: West Quay, Southampton
24th - 25th Sept: Willow Brook, Bristol
Craft4crafters (www.craft4crafters.co.uk):
13th - 15th Oct: Bath & West Showground
STORIES IN STITCH EXHIBITION FROM
THE ROYAL SCHOOL OF NEEDLEWORK
19th September – 31st March 2017
Venue: Hampton Court Palace
W: www.royal-needlework.org.uk
The Royal School of Needlework (RSN) at Hampton Court Palace will be
bringing favourite stories to life with the art of hand embroidery. The latest
exhibition opens in September and will showcase a wide range of hand
embroideries in appliqué, stumpwork and raised embroidery, and featured
pieces from the RSN’s archive collection and its students.
Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in these three techniques, which
lend themselves so perfectly to the world of storytelling. Whether the piece tells
the whole story or just a vignette, visitors will be captivated by embroideries
that are based on songs, nursery rhymes and film.
The historic heart of the exhibition will feature two 17th century pieces in
stumpwork when this technique was at its most popular, including details of
how they were worked and how the colours have now changed. The exhibition
will also show 20th and 21st century stumpwork and appliqué covered by the
current RSN diploma, future tutor and degree students. The exhibition consists
of raised embroidery featuring three-dimensional objects such as jewellery. To
book, visit the website above.
“We’ve had fun selecting all the pieces for this exhibition,
and it has triggered many memories and stories of our
own. The exhibition will be a feast for the eyes and show
how embroidery can be playful, amusing, dramatic and fun
using these three creative techniques,”
says Dr Susan Kay-Williams.
Craft in Focus (www.craftinfocus.com):
26th - 29th Aug: RHS Garden, Hyde Halle, Essex
22nd - 23rd Oct: 4th - 26th Jun: Craft and Design Fair, Kent
Festival of Thrift (www.festivalofthrift.co.uk):
17th - 18th Sept: Kirkleatham, Redcar
The Handmade Fair (www.thehandmadefair.com):
16th - 18th Sept: The Green, Hampton Court Palace
Grosvenor Shows, patchwork & quilting (www.
grosvenorshows.co.uk):
2nd - 4th Sept: Great Northern Quilt Show and Needlecraft
Show, Harrogate
30th Sept – 1st Oct: Quilt Festival, Kent
21st - 23rd Oct: Autumn Quilt Festival, Malvern
28th - 30th Oct: Autumn Quilt Festival, Duxford
ICHF shows (www.ichfevents.co.uk):
26th - 29th Aug: Stonor Park, Henley-on-Thames
8th - 10th Sept: Stitching, Sewing & Hobbycrafts,
Manchester
9th - 11th Sept: Penshurst Place, Tonbridge
22th - 25th Sept: Stitching, Sewing & Hobbycrafts, Exeter
27th - 30th Oct: Crafts for Christmas with Stitching, Sewing
& Hobbycrafts show, Glasgow Sincerely Yours, papercraft shows (www.sincerelyyours-shows.info):
27th - 28th Aug: Leigh
3rd Sept: Thetford
9th Oct: Newark
The Great British Craft Festival
(www.greatbritishcraft.co.uk):
1st - 2nd Oct: Stoneleigh Park, Midlands
Upper Street Events (www.upperstreetevents.net):
11th - 14th Aug: Festival of Quilts, NEC
5th - 9th Oct: The Knitting and Stitching Show, Alexandra
Palace
20th - 23rd Oct: The Knitting and Stitching Show,
RDS, Dublin
craftfocus 39
CONSUMER CALENDAR
knit and crochet
the wonders of wool
What the new season has to offer knitters and crocheters
ALL-ROUND YARN
Whopper Cotton is the new
addition to Cygnet Yarns’
range. Available in eight bold
shades, the cotton/acrylic
super chunky yarn is perfect
for oversized toys, homewares
and clothing.
The twisted construction of
the yarn gives it an amazing
stitch definition that lends
itself perfectly to crochet. If
worked on 8mm crochet hooks
or knitting needles it has a firm
texture, which is ideal for rugs,
toys and baskets, or if used on
a 12-15mm hook or needles, it
results in a soft, draping fabric
that’s great for clothing and
accessories. Several patterns
are already available free to
download from the Cygnet
Yarns website with more to
follow shortly.
Cygnet Yarns
T: +44 (0)1274 743 374
W: www.cygnetyarns.com
DRAMATIC NEW PATTERNS
DMC has updated its seasonal collection of crochet yarns
for autumn/winter, and now has a wonderful range of new
colourful yarns that will bring moody blues, neutral
hues and organic textures to stylish homes and a
fresh collection of patterns that embraces coasters
and cushions, placemats, pouffés, as well as a wavy
runner which will bring drama to any dining table.
Autumn also sees Brits seeking bright shades to
offset darker days and warm tones to counteract the
cooler season. DMC patterns has used the complete
range of Natura 100 per cent cotton crochet yarns
so stitchers can crochet the seasonal contrast from a
soft-toned baby jacket with detachable lace-like collar
and cuffs to the sunny stripes and earthy tones of the
substantial but easy-to-make throw in chunky Natura XL.
DMC Creative
T: +44 (0)116 275 4000
craftfocus 41
the wonders of wool
LESSONS IN A BOOK
Stocking the latest books is an
excellent way to inspire and help
yarn lovers learn new skills at the
beginning of a new season.
Pretty Knitted Hands by Kamilla
Svanlund and Clara Falk and
features 27 beautifully-made,
modern mitten patterns for
women and men for all seasons
of the year.
The book includes wonderful
photography and is split into
seasons, and features lots of different styles, stitches, patterns and
colours. There are lacy, fingerless gloves for spring/summer and
thicker, enclosed mittens for autumn/winter.
A wide range of yarns have been used from the warmest wool
to the sheerest silk for occasions as diverse as a summer party, a
wedding, an everyday country walk and the chilliest winter days.
The variety of mittens in this book is superb, and the patterns are
suitable for competent beginners and more advanced knitters. Pretty
Knitted Hands (ISBN: 9781782213208) is priced at £12.99 RRP and is
published by Search Press at the end of September 2016.
Crochet Snowflakes Step-by-Step by Cailtin Sainio is another
wonderful book and contains 40 snowflake patterns for crochet
novices with full written instructions. With lacy textures and regular
geometry, snowflakes are a perennial favourite among crocheters.
The book also contains stitch charts, photo tutorials, and a handy
section of basic crochet techniques, instructions for finishing
and blocking, and a segment on project suggestions, so that the
crocheter will have everything needed to make the lovely designs.
Crochet Snowflakes Step-by-Step (ISBN: 9781782214373) retails at
£10.99, and is published
by Search Press and
available now.
To find more knitting and
crochet books, visit
www.searchpress.com.
42 craftfocus
JULIE BONNAR CHATS TO AUTHOR
CAITLIN SAINIO ABOUT HER CROCHET
INFLUENCES:
How do you keep your crochet projects exciting?
For me, the biggest thrill is learning to make new shapes
and figures. I get ridiculously excited when I learn how to
make something I’ve never made before. My family has got
used to being interrupted mid-lunch, -book, or -conversation
so I can show them the very exciting peacock, butterfly or
hummingbird I’ve just made! My projects tend to involve a lot
of experimentation and discovery, and that’s what keeps them
interesting to me.
What one piece of advice would you give to new crocheters?
This one’s for aspiring thread crocheters – if you’ve never crocheted
before, don’t start with fine threads. Fine threads and small hooks
are extremely tempting, if you’ve seen lace doilies or ornaments
and are dying to learn to make them, but for a new crocheter, tiny
hooks and threads are a recipe for frustration. It’ll be much easier
to learn the stitches in a thicker yarn, and then gradually size down
to finer fibres.
Start with a medium-weight yarn and a comfortable hook, and
once you gain a little experience, you’ll find it easier to extend your
range to finer or thicker yarns, threads, and cords.
Why do you think yarn crafts have made a comeback over the
last few years?
There are a lot of factors. Yarn crafts are accessible, they’re portable,
they’re relaxing, and they produce beautiful things. There’s nostalgia
attached – everyone has stories about the grandmother or aunt
who crocheted or knitted – which also plays into the popularity. And
there’s a lovely mix of the traditional and the modern: you can find
gorgeous vintage patterns for pineapple doilies and knit sweaters,
or new patterns from designers whose styles are modern, playful,
unexpected, or all three. I also think that the internet has been instrumental in the growth
of yarn crafts and crafts in general. It’s incredible to me how much
things have changed with the advent of Google, Etsy, Craftsy,
Ravelry, YouTube, and other sites. We take them for granted now, but
as a kid learning to crochet in the ’80s, I had to rely on occasional
instruction from a friend or relative, and on whatever craft books
and materials I happened to see in my local store. We now have many more options for learning new techniques,
finding new patterns, buying materials, and starting a craft-based
business. As a result, I’ve become a more active, more versatile, and
more skilled crocheter.
I suspect that other
crocheters and knitters
have experienced the
same thing.
To find out more
visit Caitlin’s twitter page
@caitlinsainio.
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Bronte Glen Ltd, Elite Buildings, Starkie Street, Keighley BD21 1PH
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knit and crochet
VINTAGE STYLING
Stylecraft’s latest addition to the Life family of yarns is Life Vintage. The collection
takes its influence from a key trend called the humble labourer. The simplicity of a
neutral marl yarn blends with rich colour in shades; autumn, forest and indigo. Styles
for men and women are relaxed and unstructured, with the emphasis on layering.
There are six patterns, which incorporate solid shades from the Life colour palette to
complete the look.
Stylecraft
T: +44 (0)1535 669952
W: www.stylecraft-yarns.co.uk
COOL NEW TOOL
Hairpin lace is an age-old art, which
creates interesting and intricate fibre
patterns on a small handheld loom.
The hairpin lace tool is sturdy and
comfortable to hold with bright
yellow and orange grips on either
end. The pins are adjustable in
width from ½in to 3in, and include
an additional third pin so you can
create designs with two or more
pins. It’s great for making one-ofa-kind trims in beautiful yarns,
and can be used as an alternative
to the knitting knobby. The
packaging features photos of ideas
and finished items and comes with detailed step-by-step instructions.
EQS distributes Clover products for the UK & Ireland
T: +44(0)116 271 0033
W: www.eqsuk.com
STYLISH SHAWL WOOL
From romantic to classic, frilly to functional, handmade shawls
are all the rage in the yarn world. Shawl in a Ball is the perfect yarn
created specifically for beginner shawl makers and experts, and
just one ball will make the entire project.
Beginners can create show-stopping accessories using the
simplest knit or crochet stitches. The self-striping brushed acrylic,
run with a 100 per cent cotton slub, has the look and feel of silk
mohair. There is a colourway for every personality, and those who
love colour will want to collect all eight.
Lion Brand
T: +1 (0)800 705 8636
W: www.lionbrand.com
craftfocus 45
the wonders of wool
ENCHANTING SIGN OF THE SEASON
Learn how to crochet this pair of sweet robins from Hawthorn
Handmade using 100 per cent British Aran wool. Follow the
‘how to crochet’ guide – written by Mary Carswell who has been
crocheting for more than 50 years – and detailed pattern and hook
to bring the robins to life. The finished pair measure approximately
15cm each and will take a beginner approximately eight to
10 hours to complete. The kit retails at £24.95. All Hawthorn
Handmade kits are beautifully packaged and would make
excellent creative gifts.
Hawthorn Handmade
T: +44 (0)1258 880 691
W: www.hawthornhandmadewholesale.co.uk
HAVE A BALL!
Hiya Hiya has teamed up with Breast Cancer Care to bring knitters the
new petal pink yarn balls, which is the perfect little tool for marking
your stitches. They come in a handy pack of six, and nine per cent of
proceeds will go to the charity.
Hiya Hiya Europe
T: +44 (0) 1603 788038
W: www.hiyahiya-europe.com
ACCESSORISE IN STYLE
King Cole has released its latest
patterns, which includes a
collection of patterns for the
home. We love the retro-feel
flower trellis crocheted throw
and cushion (4691), the double
knit crochet gadget cases
(9040) and the floral and chick
baby mobiles (9037). There’s
something for everyone, and for
every pattern sold, King Cole will
donate a percentage to the Pink
Ribbon Foundation.
King Cole
T: +44 (0) 1756 703 670
W: www.kingcole.com
46 craftfocus
Sock Yarn Specialist
Knitting Boards
and Looms
www.viridianyarn.com | [email protected]
tel: 0117 300 5244
Join us at the Autumn Fair, NEC, Stand 4D40 - E41
Tel: 01756 703670
or email: [email protected]
www.kingcole.com
the wonders of wool
HANDFULS OF NEW YARNS
Sirdar couldn’t be more excited as the company has recently
launched nine new yarns across the Sirdar, Snuggly, Hayfield and
Sublime brands. The gorgeous new fashion yarns include the
fun, brightly-coloured and textured Caboodle; the incredibly soft
chenille Smudge; the stunning beaded Moonstone; the beautifully
soft tweedy chenille Plushtweed and the wonderful Harrap Tweed
Chunky classic Sirdar yarn.
The label has also introduced the Snuggly Tutti Frutti, a brightly
coloured chenille yarn for babies and toddlers and in the Hayfield
range; the Baby Blossom Chunky, which is a self-patterning yarn in
which dainty little flowers appear as you knit, and the incredible
colour-effect yarn, Illusion DK.
Last but by no means least, is Sublime Lola, a truly beautiful
super chunky yarn spun from the finest quality extra-fine merino
fibres. Visit the Sirdar website to explore the rest of the fabulous
autumn/winter collection.
Sirdar
T: +44 (0)1924 231 669
W: www.sirdar.co.uk
REDHOUND REBRANDS
This autumn sees the rebranding of the popular dog jumper knitting
kits by Redhound for Dogs. Having listened to customer feedback
and to retailers who stock them, the company has been condensed
the range to four kits in size ranges from xxs to m to fit dogs from
Chihuahua to small Vizsla proportions. The modification will broaden
the range’s appeal to more knitters with each kit having two styles, one
easy and one a bit more challenging.
The kits are offered in lovely autumn shades of olive green and burnt
orange both mixed with light oatmeal, and supplied in beautifully eyecatching packaging making them perfect for craft and gift shops.
REDHOUND ACCESSORIES
Following on from this success, Redhound for Dogs has a selection
of coasters and a notebook – the perfect companions for any knitter
busy knitting a jumper for their pooch. There are four coaster designs
showing the most popular breeds – Dachshund, Greyhound, Terrier
and Italian Greyhound – all in jumpers and featured in the Redhound
for Dogs book.
The Knitting Notes notebook is A6 with plain paper and wire spine –
perfect for keeping check of where you are with your knitting.
Redhound for Dogs
T: + 44 (0)1622 850683 E: [email protected]
W: www.redhoundfordogs.com
KNITTING NEWS
Hand dyed British yarn specialist In The Wool Shed launches
mindful tunic for gardeners
Warwickshire natural dyed yarns specialist In The Wool Shed is
celebrating slow fashion and British wool with a new, mindful
addition to its Indigo collection.
In The Wool Shed founder, fine artist and natural dyer Emma
Price, created The Gardener, as part of a series of utility knitwear
crafted from the company’s own homegrown yarns.
The simple composition of the design is influenced by Emma’s
longstanding connection with Indian textiles – a constantly evolving
love affair fed during her decade working in the country alongside
hand weavers, dyers, block printers and spinners, sharing her
passion for handcrafted cloth. The comfortable smock-style tunic is
48 craftfocus
easy to knit with a moss stitch bodice,
gathered sides and cuffs, slit-back
detail and delicious deep pockets for
collecting precious things, while leaving
plenty of options to add your own
personal colour twist.
Emma runs the company with her
sister, sheep farmer Louise Weetman
and fellow designer Helen Lambell
from the family farm in Kenilworth where Emma has her natural dye
studio and runs workshops and knitting retreats.
The Gardener kit consists of dyed Lleyn yarn in a choice of shades,
two sets of needles and a pattern. For more information on In The
Wool Shed, visit www.inthewoolshed.com.
Brand new ranges now in stock!
Visit our brand new website for details
www.cygnetyarns.com
Tel: 01274 743374
customers come first
Craft Focus talks to Karen Nielsen, Marketing Director of Club Green about how
the business has grown and adapted to its customer needs and the trends
Tell us how Club Green came about?
Club Green was formed in 1982 and
started life as a small family-run business,
and through dedication and passionate
commitment, the company has grown
into one of the UK’s leading importers and
distributors of wedding favours, craft and
celebration products.
At Club Green, we blend innate knowledge
of the market sectors that we specialise in
to help provide great products that inspire
creativity, offering value-for-money solutions
for all our customers. Our history of organic
and profitable growth over the past 34 years is
combined with the independent recognitions
we’ve received over this period for innovation,
quality, and great customer service. This
shows that our strategy of focusing on our
customers’ needs, and working in partnership
with them to deliver leading products provide
really does work.
What sort of products can you offer
craft retailers?
We’ve a wonderful range of products
including ribbons, buttons, bows, brooches
and buckles. We’ve a good assortment of
nets and fabrics on a roll including net in
glitter and metallics, as well as hessian, linen
and patterned organza fabrics. Guest books
50 craftfocus
are also a winner offering a blank canvas to
decorate for any event.
Our commitment enables the company
to take a long view, and we’re always
evaluating the latest products, best practice
methods, design/fashion trends, and how
best to incorporate them into our offerings.
Our skilled in-house design team utilise this
valuable information to design and evolve
new one-of-a-kind product ideas that are
exclusive to Club Green customers.
The aim is to inspire creativity with an
extensive range of quality trend-led products
and offer solutions to our customers for every
special occasion including weddings, baby
showers, graduations, hen parties and a
variety of celebrations. Be it ribbons, flowers,
gift tags, guest books, confetti, cake boxes,
cups, buntings or garlands, whatever the
celebration, we’ve thousands of products to
provide retailers with the product solutions
they require.
With the rise of Rustic Chic – adding a
glamourous feel to the rustic look – weʼve
added metallics in rose gold/rose quartz,
which is elegant and adds a touch of sparkle,
as well as floral table accessories with ribbons
and flowers in shades of plum, coral, green
and ivory as the leaders. We continue to
introduce vintage-inspired products such as
signage, bunting and parasols too.
What products are proving best-sellers?
We’ve seen a big spike in the following four
areas: plain guest books, cake boxes and
boards, bunting and candles, which all
continue to go from strength to strength.
How has your market changed over the last
few years and how do you keep up-to-date
with what′s happening?
The sectors we work in are constantly
evolving and itʼs paramount that we stay on
top of the changes. Weʼre always evaluating
and keeping ahead of the game through
social media including Pinterest and
Instagram etc, and exploring how best to
incorporate the trends into our offerings.
We also run extensive customer
engagement workshops to ensure our
customers’ needs are at the heart of
everything we do.
company profile
The DIY wedding trend is really popular
at the moment and the introduction of
new ribbon colours can enable brides to
use colours of the same shade to dress up
accessories such as save the date cards,
invitations, name cards, orders of service
and table numbers, making the day look
great, customised and also keeping the costs
sensible. Laser cut boxes, co-ordinating menu
cards, and table numbers are also very much
in the forefront of accessories for the wedding
market. We continue to bring inspired
products such as srose quartz accessories and
parasols from pastels to brights, glitz to glam,
and have the right products for whatever
the chosen theme or colour is. We’re seeing
brides turning to handmade bouquets, and
we’ve a wide choice of products that they can
use to make something to treasure, including
diamante brooches, yards of beautiful ribbons
and flowers.
Our innovative products give retailers a
competitive edge that can deliver great sales
as well as a good revenue stream. Our main
objective is to remain the supplier of choice
within the key markets that we work in and
continue to provide the very best products
and customer service.
What makes Club Green stand out from
its competitors?
We pride ourselves on having the very best
people, products and processes. We place the
needs of our customers at the forefront of the
business and weʼll go the extra mile to deliver
great products and the very best service. I
think this makes us stand out from the rest.
Weʼre a very stable and profitable compay
that has established great relationships with
reliable manufacturers and suppliers across
the world, ensuring that we continue to
provide top quality products.
We continue to invest in product
photography. Our photographer has a wealth
of experience and has a wonderful ability
in bringing our products to life with lots of
lifestyle shots, which can inspire creativity and
enable retailers to visualise how the products
can be used. Weʼre also active on social
media where good photography is essential.
Are there any new developments that you
can share with us?
Weʼve just uploaded our new Christmas
catalogue, which has an extensive range
of products for the festive period including
innovations that help you create your own
hampers, gift boxes, packaging and wrapping
materials, tags, bunting, decorations, floral
sprays, festive ribbons and favour boxes. Both
the main and Christmas catalogues can be
downloaded from www.clubgreen.com.
Weʼre currently working on new product
ideas which includes a range of favour boxes,
lanterns and signage that weʼre really excited
about and we look forward to bringing these
to market soon.
Where can retailers get to see Club Greenʼs
product range?
We exhibit at many of the major trade shows
throughtout the year including CHSI Stitches,
Spring Fair in Birmingham and Creativeworld
in Germany. In September, we’re hosting what
will be the first of a series of product open
days at our head office in Ockham Surrey,
where we will be showcasing the extensive
range of products. The day will also include
live product demonstrations from Club Green
product experts and Modecor, our sugarcraft
and cake decorating partner.
You can find out more about us, our
products and what we are up to, on our social
media platforms – in particular Facebook. All
you need to do is search for Club Green Ltd
and like our page and we’ll be able to share
with you our latest news, product ideas and
other valuable content such as interactive
videos and product demonstrations.
Last year, we invested in a new website,
which makes it easier for our customers
to review products and order trouble-free
online. Although we’re trade only, we can
always recommend a local stockist. C
Club Green
T: +44 (0)1483 281313 E: [email protected]
W: www.clubgreen.com
craftfocus 51
Stand up and
be counted
Dave Angus, European Key Account Manager at Glue Dots International,
gives us his unique insight into how to make the most of trade shows
Managing and running a stand at a show or
exhibition is hard work but there’s always
the promise of cementing relationships with
existing customers and the allure of attracting
new contacts, and we all need a regular
supply of new customers.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Taking the decision to exhibit at a show or
exhibition isn’t an easy one, and the first
question is of course, “Can we afford to
exhibit or can we afford not to?”
Over the years, I must have attended and
run hundreds of exhibitions for a wide range
of very different companies, and there
are a few simple rules for success that I
always apply:
RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH
Do your homework to make sure you book
the right show or exhibition. Focus on your
sales and marketing objectives to help
establish the event you’re proposing to attend
is the right match, before committing time
and money.
“Shows and exhibitions
can be a big investment
– get it right, and you
will reap the benefits,”
says Dave Angus.
We work very closely with our distributor West
Design Products, working alongside its team
when attending shows, and this works well as
we naturally promote each other.
If you’re thinking of attending a show for
the first time, I’d recommend you first attend
as a visitor before making a decision.
Talk to exhibitors about their experience,
talk to the show organisers to find out about
52 craftfocus
PR and marketing opportunities, check out
the competition, watch how busy the show
is, and how visitors flow through the space,
where are the busy areas and where should
be avoided.
Once you’re satisfied that it’s the right
show, you’ll then need to evaluate the full
cost of attending.
SUCCESS OF YOUR STAND
Designing your stand is crucial to success.
Whether you’re designing your own or have
enlisted a professional designer, if you set
your objectives and plan well in advance
you’re more likely to succeed, make fewer
mistakes and save money.
TIP: When I’m running a stand, I always take a
worksheet, checklist and a box of supplies. It’s
called the ‘What if’ box!
Make your own what if box. Mine includes:
contact record notebook/pro-forma, product
leaflets, product literature, pricelists, order
forms, paper, glue dots, notepads, business
cards, pens, spare name badges, paper,
power-point adapters, scissors, cable ties,
paper clips, batteries, cash, and first aid kit.
Read the exhibitor manual to make sure
that you’ve organised everything you need on
your stand such as lighting, furniture, signage,
electricity and somewhere safe to lock away
valuables like computers, bags etc.
Important considerations
•
Don’t overstock your stand
•
Make sure your stand is well lit and your
products look attractive
•
Try to appeal to visitors’ senses.
For example: touch, taste, smell, listen
to, watch or feel?
•
Group your products that work together.
•
What are you going to give to good
prospects to take away – how will they
remember you?
PR AND MARKETING
Make sure that you’re attendance at the show
business advice
is promoted and linked to your marketing
and PR effort including things like preview
and review features in relevant publications,
press packs, direct mail, e-newsletters and
website. Check the event website to find
out who the media partners are. These
publications will normally run features and
articles about the event.
MANNING THE STAND
It always takes longer than you think to park
and set up a stand so, make sure you leave
plenty of time. Manning a stand is a full-time
job, and is one of the most costly aspects of
attending a show.
Your team will need to know what the
objectives of the show are so hold a pre-show
meeting with the team. Make sure individual
roles, expectations and sales targets for
the show are known. Do you have a dress
code? When do staff need to attend? You’ll
need to make travel and accommodation
arrangements. If you’re staying overnight,
will staff be expected to have dinner with the
whole team – if not, what’s their budget?
Who will keep the stand tidy and restocked?
How will you capture contact details of all
visitors to follow up later? Make sure that you
maximise your investment and never leave
your stand unmanned. You don’t want to miss
opportunities and you also need to make sure
products and personal belongings are safe.
PEOPLE BUY FROM PEOPLE
Make sure that you have the right staff
who understand your product or service inside
out. I always stand up at a show
and try to look alert. It’s a fine balance between
pouncing on someone and
missing an opportunity.
Over the years, I can’t tell you how amazed
I am to see people who are manning stands
that are eating, texting, on the phone, sitting
down and looking more interested in talking
to colleagues that engaging prospective
customers. I even saw someone reading the
paper whilst visitors to the show walked past!
Remain focused on why you’re there, and
what you’re trying to achieve. I add up the total
cost of the show and divide it between the hours
the show is open – that provides a great focus.
PITCH, PRESENT, PERSUADE
You only have a few seconds to connect with
visitors before they walk past. A well designed
stand will attract customers but I always try
and engage in eye-contact, smile and say
something to gain their attention: “Are you
familiar with Glue Dots?” or “How are you
getting on?” Or “Can I quickly show you how
Glue Dots work?”
Most visitors are pleased to learn more
about new products and innovation but you
first need to establish that you’re not wasting
their time, and find out quickly if your product
offer is relevant to them by asking a few
simple questions.
The key to being an authentic sales
person is to believe in your product and
work for brands you believe in. For me, it’s
not about selling but providing information
to customers and letting the product sell
itself. People buy from people they like and
before leaping straight to the hard sell, it can
sometimes be about building a rapport
and finding out what sort of business they
run and matching your products to their
business needs.
If you’re clever and well prepared, you can
show how your product would be the perfect
fit for their business and begin to show them
how your product’s features and benefits
would be useful to their customers in no
more than 30 seconds. In other words – The
Elevator Pitch!
It helps if you have a great product like
Glue Dots, and as it’s a fairly new product
in the UK, once most people have seen a
short demonstration, understand why the
product is different and what it can do and
how useful it is, most trade buyers want to
list the product.
Most importantly, listen. So many times
I’ve seen exhibitors continue to sell when the
customer has said, “Yes I like it!”
THE BIG CHANGE
My main focus for the Glue Dots brand
has been trade shows, and we’ve recently
switched our strategy from brand building
and exhibiting to selling at trade shows, and
we’ve had great success.
The difference is subtle but the outcome
could not be more different. We talk to visitors
about their businesses and how Glue Dots
could work for them, explain the show deal
and ask if they’d like to give the product a try.
We then open a pro- forma and follow
up after the show. This new approach gave
us a massive uplift in sales at this year’s
Stationery Show.
FOLLOW UP
During the show, you’ll have taken the
details of those visitors who showed an
interest. Make sure you take accurate notes
and business cards from visitors to your
stand and by designing your own pro-forma
enquiry sheet, you can then record helpful
information for when you get back in touch.
That is of course, if you haven’t been using
a data scanner, which does a lot of the hard
work for you.
Post show follow up is vital – probably one
of the last things you’ll feel like given a few
days standing on your feet not to mention the
backlog of work that usually builds up whilst
you’re away. Make sure that all that hard
work and effort isn’t wasted, and build in time
for those follow up orders, phone calls and
anything else you
promised to send or
follow up on during
the show.
And then follow up
on the follow up and
stay in touch! C
Dave Angus is European Key Account
Manager at Glue Dots International
and manages the existing retail and
wholesale art and craft accounts. Currently
working on developing the retail side of
the business in Europe into key sectors
including major multiples, stationery,
discounters and DIY. For more information
visit www.gluedotseurope.com.
craftfocus 53
back to school
back to school
We talk to UK manufacturers about how important this sector
can be for craft retailers too, and how to cash in on the market
CAPITALISE ON THE BACK TO
SCHOOL EVENT WITH TOP TIPS
FROM KORBOND:
Retail events and seasons are
designed to get shoppers in stores
but as a craft retailer have you
considered ‘back to school’ as
one of the key periods to promote
in your trade outlet? This market
is a sizeable opportunity for
many retailers, with this sector
representing sales of £1.45 billion
in the UK.
• Provide high impact displays
to act as a key focal point on the
sales floor.
This allows shoppers to instantly
recognise and navigate through
seasonal products. The Korbond
Back to School FSDU helps to tell a story of what’s on promotion
as well as helping to capture impulse sales.
• Keep your offering simple with the right product selection
and make sure its sold in a specific timeframe.
The Korbond Back to School FSDU contains concise solutions
enabling the shopper to make quick purchasing decisions. (67 per
cent of shoppers purchase BTS accessories in August).
• Offer expert advice and outstanding customer service
Shoppers will be looking for product advice. Direct them to the
handy Korbond how-to tutorial videos available on YouTube.
For more information and advice visit the Korbond website,
www.sew.korbond.co.uk.
JO BRAY FROM
WEST DESIGN
PRODUCTS
TALKS TERM TIME
OFFERINGS
Back to School has
become an important
trading period,
with total UK retail
spending estimated
to reach more than
£1.45 billion, it offers
a great opportunity to
encourage parents and students who are stocking up to visit
your store.
At West Design, we know how crucial it is to stock the right
product mix for students of all ages. So, each year we produce
a dedicated back to school brochure designed to help resellers
make the most of this busy sales period. We’re always here to
offer advice to our customers but here are a few simple steps that
we recommend to our resellers,” says Jo Bray.
Planning ahead is important - so start now
Start planning your window display early to attract new
customers and entice them in store, make sure they look
eye-catching and highlight your best deals and discounts.
If you’ve exclusive deals make sure you shout about them,
offering value for money is a key factor to sales success
throughout this trading period.
Instore, make sure everything is well presented and all
displays are fully stocked
If you can, give Back to School its own well-signed section and
anything that’s on that to buy list needs to within easy reach and
grouped together. Take advantage of manufacturers who are
offering great deals. For example, we’re offering from 60 per cent
off Glue Dots adhesives, and they come in two attention-grabbing
floor or counter top display units.
Well-trained staff
It’s imperative that your sales team is well aware and kept
up-to-date with all your upcoming and current special offers, they
can then focus on giving great value for money and outstanding
customer service.
If you’d like a copy of the brochure, full of deals on Faber-Castell,
West art bundles, LEGO Stationery, Glue Dots and more, visit
www.westdesignproducts.co.uk.
craftfocus 55
back to school
Boost your sales by stocking items from nursery needs to
university essentials
Just add colour
Whiteboard
markers usually
come in a standard
black colour but
Stationery Market
has a great selection
of liquid whiteboard
markers from one of
the world’s leading
manufacturer of writing
instruments, Monami, in
an array of bright colours. The alcohol-based ink has a new direct ink
delivery system that increases the life of the pen by three times. The
bullet 2mm tip draws very clear and dark lines and has a long cap off
time. Choose from two packs of six or buy individually.
Stationery Market
T: +44 (0)208 263 6099
W: www.stationerymarket.co.uk
Chalkboard craze
Magnum Magnetics is the
largest manufacturer of flexible
magnetic products in the US
including printable magnetic
sheeting and magnetic rolls,
strips and extruded magnets.
The chalkboard magnet
measures 8.5in x 11in and is
specially magneticised to allow
other magnets to stick to it. The
chalkboard laminate is easy to
write on and to clean, and works
with most chalks. You can cut with
regular scissors to any shape and
place on any metal surface. It’s
great for streamlining your crafty
notes on the fridge so you don’t forget the next idea for a project.
Magnum Magnetics
T: +1 800 258 0991
W: www.magnummagnetics.com
56 craftfocus
ExaClair offers 3 for 2*
In what will be a valuable sales tool to support
resellers, ExaClair, the UK supplier of Europa,
Iderama, Campus, Decopatch and Maildor, is
offering a three-for-two offer on popular back to
school brands; Iderama, Campus and Europa.
A wide range of good value, brightly-coloured
and durable products have been chosen to
appeal to this market, including Europa A4
and A5 notemakers, filing and organisation
products, Iderama filing and Campus Neon
filing and organisation products. “We know students love a bargain, and during the summer
months are looking to stock up on stationery, so we expect
this type of incentive to be popular, and we’re looking
forward to seeing how this bulk-buy offer helps to drive
sales,” comments Kevin Wharton, Marketing Manager at ExaClair.
*Promotional dates for this offer runs between 1st June and 30th
September 2016.
Craft on the go
We love the versatile Carry Craft tidy-all container designed by Decree.
It’s made from durable high quality
plastic with four detachable tubs, and
is excellent for storing a multitude of
art and craft materials. Use it to hold
scissors, pens and pencils. It’s ideal for
the home or classroom, and additional
Carry Craft pots are available separately.
Decree
T: +44 (0)845 474 2888
W: www.decreethermo.com
FIVE TIPS TO HELP RETAILERS
PROMOTE THE EVENT
1. Start early – at the beginning
of August, don’t leave it to the
last minute.
2. Create a special area in store
promote and/or a new page on
your website.
3. Use social media to spread the word.
4. Inform your newsletter subscribers about the event.
5. Demonstrate new products in store to generate interest.
back to school
Tip top condition
Amodex Ink & Stain remover is the perfect remedy for removing all
sorts of inks, dye and other troublesome stains including whiteboard
markers, ballpoint, felt tip, stamp pad, gel and fountain pen from
school uniform. The stain remover’s cream soap formula is nontoxic and safe to use on fabric types such as silk and wool, as well as
upholstery, carpeting, and skin. It also has an unlimited shelf life.
In the US, the company is the branded product on Martha Stewart’s
Stain Removal chart for removal of Sharpie and Crayola. The
eco-friendly range comes in various sizes from a swipe on-the-go
portable pack to a hot box containing three specialty kits.
Amodex Ink
T: +1 203-335-1255
W: www.amodexink.com
Easy flow glue
Glue is the staple not only for crafters but also essential for the
back to school market too. Creative Product Distribution has an
extensive range of Beacon glues including the best-selling Kids
Choice Glue. The universal glue
comes in a handy 115ml bottle, and
is great for using on many materials
from paper, wood, felt, leather,
shells, beads, sand, fabric, cork,
glitter, papier maché, cardboard,
and everything in between.
The non-toxic formula has no
unpleasant odour, and it’s easy to
clean up with just soap and water,
which is so important when crafting
with children.
T: +44 (0)20 8953 2143
58 craftfocus
Family fun
Term-Time Essentials 2016, is
Staedtler’s themed collection
of stationery for the peak
BTS period, which features
core elements from the
range along with exciting
new additions and tempting
added value offers. As in previous years, a concentrated burst
of consumer advertising in August will give the range a major
promotional boost.
The company is celebrating its 50th anniversary in the UK this
year, and the advert focuses on how the Noris brand has been a
trusted favourite for half a century. Cinema advertising has been
chosen as this year’s medium to take advantage of some major
film launches during peak holiday periods this year. The campaign
not only supports Noris as the undisputed market-leader but also
promotes Noris colour, the latest addition to the family.
Noris colour is an innovative colouring pencil made by a new,
more sustainable production process which bonds the lead and
wood casing together resulting in a smooth, gliding lead with
significantly higher break resistance. In 24 intense colours, Noris
colour is available singly or in packs of 6, 12 and 24. To ensure
Staedtler products attract maximum attention in-store, there is a
comprehensive range of eye-catching display options.
Staedtler
T: +44 (0)8456 005 930
W: www.staedtler.co.uk
Nursery necessities
Carioca has a whole
range of products that
caters for the youngest
generation including
the 3-in-1 crayon. The
extra-large crayons come
with a 10mm soft lead
and features a pencil,
wax and watercolor in
just one crayon. The
super large body is easy
to handle for babies and
toddlers. The special unit will help retailers display the carioca baby
line, it’s comes already assembled and measures 172cm x 38cm x
32cm and is a perfect addition to the shop floor.
Carioca is distributed by Stationery Market
T: +44 (0)208 263 6099
W: www.stationerymarket.co.uk
The UK’s leading magazine
for the craft industry
C
To advertise here
telephone Tracy Voice
on +44 (0)1376 535 618
www.craftfocus.com
The London Bead Co.
www.londonbeadco.co.uk
Miyuki Delica & Seed Beads •
Swarovski Crystal Elements •
Jewellery Findings •
Japanese Silk Ribbons •
Hanah Hand Dyed “Bias-Cut” Silk Ribbons •
Distributors of The Caron Collection,
Threadworx and Thread Gatherer
range of threads and ribbons
339 Kentish Town Road, London NW5 2TJ
0207 267 9403 | [email protected]
BACK
TO
SCHOOL
WITH
Term-Time Essentials 2016, STAEDTLER’s themed collection of stationery for the peak BTS period, features core
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STAEDTLER is celebrating its 50th anniversary in the UK in 2016 and the ad focuses on how the Noris brand has
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Noris colour is an innovative colouring pencil made by a new, more
sustainable production process which bonds the lead and wood
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For further information, please contact STAEDTLER
on 0845 600 5930 or [email protected]
WWW.STAEDTLER.CO.UK
back to school
Best handwriting
Stepping into the digital era
StyluScript allows you to access
content on your tablet or electronic
device without losing the pleasure of
writing by hand. With a swipe of the
stylus discover plenty of resources on
the Manuscript website including the
Callicreative App. This is a very useful
tool to learn the basics of calligraphy
and have fun drawing and colouring.
Download it for free.
The pink-barrelled StyluScript
fountain pen makes a real statement,
and includes three nib sections:
Iridium for everyday writing, medium
and 2B for Italic writing standard
cartridges plus italic guidelines and
instructions and has a clam pack to
store product when not in use. It retails at £12.99 and is available in
three other colours: metallic blue, green or bronze barrel.
Manuscript
T: +44 (0)1746 861 236
W: www.calligraphy.co.uk
Smells as good as it looks
The new Stabilo Trio
Frutti felt tip pens feature
delicious fruity scents to
add a little something
extra to your artwork.
From a strawberry-scented
red to a lemon-fragranced
yellow, every colour
corresponds to a different
fruit. Each pen has a
sturdy pressure-resistant
medium tip with a width of
approximately 2mm and
the cap is ventilated so it
can be placed on the end
of the pen. Stabilo Trio
Frutti comes in 18 different colours to make artwork come to life
with a burst of fruity scents. Stabilo
T: +44 (0)1753 605 656
W: www.stabilo.co.uk
DIY designer
stationery
Craft and Stationery is
the UK distributor for
Heyda, Brunnen and
Knorr Prandell products.
The German brands have
combined to tap into the
‘make your own’ market
and come up with the
Pimp It up! Collection,
which encourages
the consumer to take
notebooks, diaries and
ring binders from the Brunnen range and accessorise them with stamps,
gel roller ball pens, deco tapes and stickers from the Heyda and Knorr
Prandell collections.
This is a fun way to create personalised stationery and, tailored to your own
taste, the possibilities are endless. The notebook shown here has been given
a makeover using patterned tapes, stamps and pearl markers.
Take white to wow
Back to school season begs for cool new looks that turn
heads down every hallway. There’s no need to go out and
spend a fortune on a new wardrobe – anyone can go from
basic to bold with Tulip’s One-Step Tie-Dye Kits. From a plain
white backpack to last season’s outfits, refresh them with
vibrant tie-dye colours. The easy, one-step process even
eliminates the need to pre-soak fabrics in soda ash – just
add water to the dye bottles, shake and apply for intense
colour that lasts wash after wash. Each kit comes with an
inspiration guide featuring eight tie-dye patterns that are
easily achievable for all skill levels. Who knew creating cool
back-to-school looks could be so fun and easy.
That’s Original
T: +44 (0)2381 159 093
Craft and Stationery UK
T: +44 (0)162 659 050
W: www.craftandstationeryuk.co.uk
craftfocus 61
Established in 1978, with many years of
experience supplying a vast range of top quality
art and craft products to our wide base of trade
customers, from: Independent Retailers to
Department Stores to Museums.
:HRIIHUDIULHQGO\HIƓFLHQWDQGUHOLDEOHVHUYLFH
DQGRIFRXUVHJUHDWYDOXHIRUPRQH\b2XUUDQJH
includes over 13,000 products from hundreds of
leading global manufacturers and our dedicated
team is constantly evaluating and adding items
to our portfolio.
Next Day Delivery on all orders received
before 12:00pm. Carriage order paid
value £50 net (UK mainland)
book reviews
bookstand
Make additional sales by stocking craft
books alongside other product lines. We
review the latest editions to hit the shelves
SEWING
RSN: APPLIQUÉ
By Kate Cross
Price: £17.99 RRP
ISBN: 9781782211884
Publisher: Search Press
CAKE DECORATING
CAKE DECORATING MADE
EASY
By Robyn King
Price: £16.99
ISBN: 9781742577289
Publisher: New Holland
Bakers can create works of
icing art and turn a plain
cake into a masterpiece with
Cake Decorating Made Easy.
Professional cake decorator
Robyn King explains how
to achieve techniques for
special occasion cakes for family and friends.
The book is full of step-by-step images of icing techniques like piping,
floodwork, lettering, figurines and flowers as well as recipes for
delicious cakes.
We say: “This is a great book that’s aimed at beginners and any of the
cakes can be adapted to the baker’s personal preference.”
The Royal School of Needlework has produced a contemporary and
practical guide to appliqué, combining traditional techniques with
contemporary designs. Written by Kate Cross, who is a teacher at the
RSN, the book is the first in a new series designed to showcase the
traditional techniques, technical excellence and contemporary flair
of the RSN, and also give practical guidance and inspiration to those
who’d like to give appliqué a go.
RSN: Appliqué features an introduction to the organisation and its
prestigious heritage, as well
as revealing the history and
context of appliqué, and
showcasing galleries of
inspiring appliqué work
from around the world.
Each technique uses clear
step-by-step photography
and easy-to-follow expert
guidance to show how
to knot thread and
start stitching correctly,
create a design, transfer
it onto fabric, frame
up a slate frame, build
up, cut away, apply
a variety of edges
and apply fabric, as
well as basic advice
on ribbonwork,
goldwork, shadowwork and
silk-shading.
We say: “We like that this book is flexi-bound enabling it to lay
flat when open, making it handy for use while sewing. The book
also contains two beautiful projects to put the techniques into
practice too.”
craftfocus 63
bookstand
KNITTING
SIMPLE CHIC KNITS
35 STYLISH PATTERNS TO KNIT
IN NO TIME
By Karen Miller and Susan Ritchie
of Mrs Moon
Price: £12.99
ISBN: 978-1-78249-310-5
Publisher: CICO Books
Anyone who is a regular visitor to craft shows will recognise the ladies
from Mrs Moon, an online yarn store. Simple Chic Knits ensures that
super-simple quilt-knit pieces can make modern knitted clothes,
accessories and items for the home.
The book includes projects for the knitting novice like a sloppy
joe sweater to more complex projects such as a brioche-stitch scarf.
There’s something for all levels of knitting knowledge and advice to
improve your skills.
We say:“We really like the presentation of Simple Chic Knits. The
photography is fresh and really invites you to get knitting. We love the
navy and green floaty tunic.”
CHILDREN’S CRAFTS
TANGLE ART & DRAWING
GAMES FOR KIDS
By Jeanette Nyberg
Price: £14.99 RRP
ISBN: 978-1-63159-126-6
Publisher: Quarry, part of the
Quarto Group
Tangle Art & Drawing Games for Kids
is an ideal book for children who like
being creative. The book is all about
exploring, experimenting, and having
fun. Artist, Jeanette Nyberg brings
to life 53 drawing games that will
provide hours of enjoyment but also
keeps little minds focussed. Each
activity has ideas on how to ‘make
it silly’, which will appeal to children
as well as introducing them to the
world of tangle art.
We say: “The book is a great way
of getting children back to basics, stimulate imagination and
improve cognitive ability.”
64 craftfocus
GARDENING
MINISCAPES – CREATE YOUR OWN TERRARIUM
By Clea Cregan
Price: £14.99
ISBN: 978-174379140-0
Publisher: Hardie Grant
For those with green
fingers, Miniscapes is a
lovely hardback book
to create beautiful
terrariums that garden
hobbyists or lazy
gardeners will like
too. The author takes
the reader through
a series of projects
for making the little
botanical gardens,
and includes some
great advice on getting started, equipment that’s required to picking
an ideal container and choosing the right plants.
We say: “An attractive little book that could appeal to a different
type of crafter. We can’t wait to make one of our own.”
Book contacts
CICO, www.rylandandpeters.com
Hardie Grant, www.hardiegrant.co.uk
New Holland, www.newhollandpublishers.com
Quarry, www.quartoknows.com
Search Press, www.searchpress.com
ask the
experts
Leading experts in the industry help with
retailing and crafting dilemmas
GRAEME WRIGHT, EQS
www.eqsuk.com
After graduating, Graeme joined the
management-training scheme at Coats
Patons. His training took him around the
UK before spending a year in Barcelona.
From there his career took him to
South America, back to Spain, U.S.A.,
Nottingham and Redditch. He’s served
on many international marketing committees for the
group. He became joint owner and Managing Director of EQS Ltd
in 1996, a company specialising in the full-line product distribution
for patchwork and quilting from threads to fabrics and notions to
wadding. He’s also a director of CHA UK and Council member of
Quilts, Inc. of Houston.
“How can joining a craft association actually benefit
my business?”
As a director of CHA UK, a council member of Quilts, Inc. and a
former director of the British Surgical Trades Association, clearly I
believe in the value of trade associations.
Let me qualify that by saying that this is no blind allegiance
to the idea as I’ve seen poor examples of trade associations.
There’s always the danger that they become introspective talking
shops with no real objective or ambition. While it’s tempting
to encourage people to join an association ‘for the good of the
industry’ the fact is that the vast majority do so because in some
way it improves their own business.
When deciding whether to become a member ask yourself
the following questions. If the majority (or better still, all) of the
answers are positive, there is no reason not to go for it. Does it
give me access to information such as market intelligence? Are
there opportunities to network more widely than I would normally
do? Will it promote the industry in general through national craft
days and press releases etc? Does it give me benefits in the shape
of discounted rates etc? Will it improve my knowledge of what’s
going on in the marketplace? Does my business benefit directly
from membership? Here in the UK, we’re fortunate to have the
CHA UK as our industry body, which satisfies pretty much all of the
wishes listed above. Apart from one executive director, it’s run by
members from the craft industry who are all at the sharp end of
their businesses. They know the challenges that the creative sector
faces, and the need to make the association work for the benefit
of its members. In addition, it can draw on the expertise of the
CHA USA with many more years of experience in providing what its
members need. And that’s why EQS joined.
66 craftfocus
STUART CALLER, KORBOND GROUP
www.korbond.co.uk
As General Manager of Korbond,
Stuart has obtained great exposure
to supply chain and global sourcing,
and oversees all product decisions
in line with customer requirements.
Having worked within the craft and
haberdashery industry for over 10
years, and as a director of the CHA UK,
Stuart demonstrates a broad and deep
understanding of the industry and its trends.
“What can my business learn from looking at the
autumn trends?”
Staying up-to-date in a fast-paced consumer driven creative
industry isn’t an easy job, so being aware of trends before they
happen can keep you ahead of the curve. Research is key, and
utilising various trend sources, including fashion and home
interior design, is really important, as you need to keep your
customers interested by providing appealing, exciting and ontrend products in relevant patterns, colours and styles.
If you pinpoint four key trends and apply further inspiration
taken from websites such as Trendstop and Trendpulse, you can
build your theme or collection to support these trends. Try to
avoid getting caught up in offering every variety and style you
like the look of, keep it simple, and channel the results of your
research into your products.
In addition to this social media also plays a pivotal part in
reinforcing which trend may be more popular with your shoppers.
Pinterest and Instagram are forums that provide a whole host of
information, which you can research at your own leisure before
purchasing from your chosen supplier. My best advice is, if you see
something interesting that isn’t relevant to your line of work don’t
disregard it, you can get even more insight to what’s happening in
the wider market.
Here at Korbond, we recognise that trends aren’t always
predictable, and we’re here to help you gain the confidence you
need to get the right trends on your shop floor. Come and see our
selections from key A/W trends at our two stands at Autumn Fair
NEC between 3rd and 7th September 2016.
ask the experts
JULIE BONNAR, KD MEDIA PUBLISHING
G
www.craftfocus.com
Julie has worked in the craft industry for
more than 12 years on both consumer
and trade editorial teams, designing
projects and craft PR. She’s currently
the editor of Craft Focus but originally
trained as an interior designer but found
she liked making her own clothes more
than she liked making curtains. She also
runs a own blog-style website called The Pattern Pages on fashion
and sewing patterns.
“I’d like to know how I go about promoting me and my
products to magazines.”
Dealing with magazines can be quite a daunting prospect for
smaller businesses, but I can promise you that most editors
don’t bite! Magazines are a good way of helping you reach a large
circulation of people who’ll be interested in you and your products.
Do your research to find out which magazines are best suited to
your business. Learn what the target audience is; is it the same
as yours? It’s a pointless exercise contacting the wrong magazines.
Make sure you contact the right person – larger magazines
have features editors that look after certain topics. Look at the
magazine’s writing style, and find out what future features
are planned.
It’s a two-way street – editor’s need to find quality content,
compelling news and stories to fill the pages just as much you
want to feature. Things that make a good pitch include an
interesting story about a product. Could you consider using your
products to make a project? Can you come up with a new angle
that hasn’t been covered?
Try to increase the chance of your email getting opened by
coming up with a great creative subject line. Stay out of the spam
folder by keeping your pitch short and succinct, and avoid waffle.
Always include good imagery; images with white backgrounds
work best. Include relevant links but make sure they work.
Magazines work well in advance, so you’ll find that Christmas
could be a topic covered as early as August, so don’t miss the boat.
Editors will check facts about your business so make sure your
website is up-to-date. Do read through your email before sending
it to make sure it makes sense. Address the person by name and
spell it correctly – don’t be tempted to send a generic email to
everyone you can think of. Always follow up with a second email or
quick call. Even if your story is unsuccessful, a call can help build a
relationship. And last word of advice, don’t give up trying.
PAUL SMITH, HANTEX
www.hantex.co.uk
Having spent a short time within a FTSE
100 company, Paul moved away from
corporate life and took a degree
in software engineering eventually
becoming one half of Hantex Ltd.
Having his own business allowed him
to implement ideas that fundamentally
changed the way distribution is
done, as well as the way products are
marketed. He’s currently working on a
new venture that will help drive more business to retailers.
“I’d like to start stocking fabrics as soft crafting seems to
be a growth market but I’m not too sure on how to best
promote them.”
When you take delivery of fabric you actually get two things.
Obviously you get the fabric but you also get a problem...
marketing it! So let’s look at ways to help fabrics fly out of your
shop. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, remember that
fabric is a tactile and aesthetic product, so get it off the bolt or
roll and draped over mannequins or similar. Your customers
need you to kickstart their imagination. For web stores, always
include lifestyle images alongside swatches to show just what’s
possible. Try to show projects that have been made using the
fabrics such as bags, dresses, cushions and quilts – customers
love to be inspired.
Good fabric companies should have lifestyle images that
you can call upon so make sure you request these from your
distributor. You’re probably already keeping people updated
via social media but try to add a story to each fabric range such
as what inspired the range, who is the designer, and does it
follow on from a successful previous range? Engaging with your
customers in this way will give them a real sense that you’re
passionate about the fabrics you stock.
Perhaps most importantly of all, ensure that the brand you
stock has good recognition among your sewing customers.
It’s important that they see the fabrics you stock in magazine
projects, blogs, adverts and that there is real brand awareness
for them. When you order your fabric, ask the distributor
specifically what coverage they plan and expect to get and
ensure that coverage happens.
Lastly, (and I know this can be tough) try to show finished
models in your shop that feature the fabrics. For online stores
take dress pattern outlines and flood-fill with the fabric to give a
feel for how it will look.
craftfocus 67
competition
WIN!
FantasticRibbons Trade is launching a new discount
structure and to celebrate the launch, is offering one
lucky retailer a bumper selection of ribbons
Founded in 1999, FantasticRibbons Trade has more than a decade of experience in ribbon
and is passionate about its products. The company has just launched a new discount
structure in addition to trade prices. The new loyalty bonus means that the more you buy the
bigger the discount is. When retailers have achieved it once, they can stay on the discounted
level. FantasticRibbons Trade is offering one lucky retailer £500 RRP worth of ribbon stock
that includes some of the best sellers.
THE PRIZE INCLUDES:
The giveaway includes a selection of the
company’s best ribbon ranges including:
Organza
Organza-edged with satin feel are a
great favourite with cardmakers as it
makes perfect bows and lies flat on
any card. It’s also perfect for wedding
stationery and a must-have in your
ribbon stash.
Satin
Double-faced satin ribbons are also an
essential for any crafter as they make
wonderful bows and look stunning on
papercraft, cake decorating and other
projects.
Grosgrain
Superb washable textured woven
ribbons are very on trend and can used
for sewing, quilting, paper crafts and
giftwrap. These ribbons are very strong,
durable and can be used for the handles
of homemade bags.
Homespun
The new homespun range has a vintage
look with a wide selection of gingham,
check and twill designs.
68 craftfocus
TO ENTER
To enter the competition,
go to www.craft
focus.com, fill in your
details and answer the
following question:
Q. When did FantasticRibbons Trade set up
in business?
Closing date is 30th September, 2016 C
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. Competitions are not open to employees of
KD Media Publishing Ltd
(also excludes immediate family)
2. Entrants must be trade and over 18
years old
3. The competition closing date is subject to
change without prior notice
4. The winner will be notified in writing
5. The editor’s decision is final
6. The prize is not transferable and has no
monetary value
7. No purchase necessary, and there is no
charge to enter via the website:
www.craftfocus.com
FantasticRibbons Trade
T: +44 (0)1392 366 762
W: www.fantasticribbonstrade.com
Christmas part one
‘tis the season
With the festive season being the busiest time of the year for most retailers, we look at festive
decorations and makes for the home
USE YOUR FAVOURITE CRAFT TO MAKE A
CHRISTMAS TREE DECORATION
Crafty cutouts
Create crafty Christmas
decorations with the
assorted Christmas
cut outs. Supplied in a
box of 80 decorations
across eight festive
designs, these
cardboard seasonal
cut outs are the perfect
way to keep everyone
busy as Christmas
approaches. Crafters
and children love decorating them. Each cut out measures between
8cm and 10cm long and is supplied with a chord to allow it to be hung
as a decoration. Perfect for a Christmas tree, room decoration or to give
away as a present. All packs are retail ready, contain barcodes, and the
more you buy the more you can save.
Bright Ideas Crafts
T: +44 (0)1284 724 759
W: www.brightideascrafts.co.uk.
Vintage crochet
For the home, DMC has
designed a range of
retro crochet baubles.
In muted jewel-like
colours and old gold,
the baubles remind
us of times gone by
when festive fizz came
in baby bottles with a
Bambi on the label.
Festive embroideries
Janlynn has increased its
range of traditional freestyle
embroidery designs, with four
new sets, including a festive
winterbirds collection. Each
kit comes with three printed
fabric designs, plastic frames to
use both while sewing and for
hanging the finished piece, 100
per cent cotton floss, needle and
stitch instructions.
The set features three seasonal
birds with winterberries and foliage, and the handy 3in by 4in
frames means these could easily be hung on the Christmas tree as
decorations once completed. The other sets include feathers and
flora, hummingbirds and garden birds. The recommended retail is
£21.99 and all are now in stock.
Janlynn is exclusively distributed by SoloCrafts
T: +44 (0)161 464 7313
Needlework novelties
Decorating the tree is a favourite pastime, and a great lead up to the
festive season for old and young alike. It’s really easy to make Christmas
tree decorations with the cross-stitch kits from RIOLIS which includes
Santa Claus, Snow Maiden and bell. Beginners will be able to stitch the
small figures. What we really like about these is that they have a back
and a front to stitch.
RIOLIS is distributed by SoloCrafts
T: +44 (0)161 464 7313
DMC Creative
T: +44 (0)116 275 4000
craftfocus 71
‘tis the season
FESTIVE SENTIMENT – IDEAS TO SAY IT IN
SEASONAL STYLE
Sara’s signature collection
Crafters can give their seasonal cards a wintry edge with the new
Contemporary Christmas collection from Sara Davies. Featuring an
ice-cool palette of blue, lilac and white, there’s everything crafters
need for modern designs with a frosted twist. Included with the
collection is a 6in x 6in paper pack and co-ordinating ribbons, metal
charms, patterned acetate and a selection of beautiful dies and
embossing folders, as well as a gorgeous A4 luxury foiled card pack. Christmas cut-in dies
The new Create-a-Card dies from
Die’sire are a brand-new release to
the market and feature the new cut-in
style, which allows you to cut an image
directly into your card front, creating
stunning apertures and borders for
your projects.
With traditional designs including
an angel, snowflake, wreath and star,
each design includes both a small and
large version of the image as well as a
border. Use them together to design
your own masterpiece or make a
statement with one simple image, the options are endless. Crafter’s Companion
T: +44 (0)1388 660 930
W: www.crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk
72 craftfocus
Festive kits
Craft Creations
has a wonderful
selection of
festive card kits
called Die-cut
Découpage kits.
The kit contains
all the materials
needed to
complete the
card as shown on the pack as well as the instructions. There’s a mix
of one-card and two-card packs. Designs include polar bears, bear
with; snowman and presents and deer with robin or tree and robin
with pot or spade as well as Father Christmas, Vintage Santa Claus,
Christmas visit, shepherd boy, gingerbread man, gingerbread
woman and traditional nativity scene. Prices start from as little as
£1.99 per pack.
Craft Creations
T: +44 (0)1992 781 900
W: www.craftcreations.com
‘tis the season
DECK THE HALLS WITH HANDCRAFTED DECORATIONS
Customised Christmas
You Can Folk It’s
Folky Christmas kit
makes crafting for the
period so easy. To be
used with the Folk
It series 1 starter kit,
the set features five
designs, from a simple and effective dotty snowflake to wreaths
and mistletoe, there’s plenty to choose from. Whether you want
to update your tableware for Christmas dinner or create
hand-painted gifts or customised giftwrap. The kit contains two
beautiful shades of DecoArt Chalky finish paints, an instruction
booklet and informative DVD to guide you through each step. Putting on the glitz
Get all the family involved
in decorating the tree this
Christmas, and create
wonderful one-of-a-kind
ornaments with Beacon’s
Glitter It. Crafters can add
glitter to the inside of
any clear glass or plastic
ornament no matter what shape it is.
The glue dries both clear and fast without dulling the glitter. It’s safe
for children of all ages, and is non-toxic. Expand on this project and
make sparkly tea-lights and personalised Kilner jars as gifts.
Folk It
W: www.folkit.co
T: +44 (0)20 8953 2143
Inspiring home décor
ExaClair’s new range of Stickino
window and mirror stickers from
Maildor are reusable, they don’t
leave any residue, and are visible
from both sides making them
ideal for sprucing up the home at
Christmas. The range is available in
three styles. The range will be a hit
with all the family and because the
stickers are easily removed, they
can be re-used year after year.
Christmas script
Manuscript has a Christmas
Creation calligraphy gift set that’s
perfect for using on wrapping
paper designs, cards and tags. The
Christmas Creation set contains
a stylus fountain pen with two
nib sections, six colour cartridges:
green, red, pink, turquoise, blue, black and five callicreative italic markers:
silver, gold, pink, turquoise and fine black, Christmas tree seal, gold wax,
practice pad and guidelines and handy storage case. Budding calligraphers
can download free patterns and advice from the website: www.calligraphy.
co.uk/resource/christmas-creations/
ExaClair
T: +44 (0)1553 696 600
W: www.exaclair.co.uk
Manuscript
T: +44 (0)1746 861 236
W: www.calligraphy.co.uk
Happy holidays
Michael Miller’s Holiday Party is a fun modern Christmas print, which consists of one border print, two feature prints and four co-ordinates.
The collection is themed around classic Christmas cocktails, with both the border and feature print starring various glasses and bottles.
The co-ordinates of the collection consist of stripes, dots and snowflakes. The colour palette of the collection is traditional Christmas red
and green with an added modern twist in the form of pink and mint green. The collection is ideal for making festive tableware like runners,
napkins and Christmas cushions.
EQS distributes Michael Miller Collections exclusively for the UK & Ireland
T: +44 (0)116 271 0033
W: www.eqsuk.com
74 craftfocus
TRADE-WIRES.CO.UK
Unit 3, Zone A
Chelmsford Road Industrial Estate,
Great Dunmow, Essex, CM6 1HD
Tel: 01371 238 013
Club Green has a fantastic mix of products to make your customer’s celebrations truly
handmade including a wonderful selection of items for the current DIY wedding trend.
In addition, the company also has an assortment of items for Valentine’s Day, Easter,
www.clubgreen.com
Christmas and Halloween, as well as for special occasions including parties, and baby
showers. From big and bold, pastels and neutrals, there are innovative products for
Tel: +44 (0)1483 281313
everyone including ribbons, gift tags, cake boxes, buntings, garlands, trimmings and
Email:
[email protected]
more.
MANUFACTURER OF BESPOKE CHRISTMAS CRACKERS
Simply Crackers have been producing customised crackers since 1982 in
Nottinghamshire, UK. We only make crackers to order and supply a large number
of hotels, restaurants, retail shops, leisure venues and individual organisations.
Whatever the celebration our crackers
will always delight - adding sparkle,
a surprise and a bang!
For the retail market we offer full customised packaging with your company logo
and your own gifts. All our crackers are hand-ﬁnished and customers have the
option to also add their promotional merchandise or vouchers inside, making it
more special and unique to its clientele and events.
If your event is a wedding we can help you too!
Visit our online shop to see how to make your own wedding crackers.
Visit our online shop www.simplycrackers.co.uk
Call 01949 844 859 or email [email protected]
That’s Original
T: +44 (0)2381 159 093
WINTER WARMERS – STOCKINGS,
MITTENS AND HATS
Christmas part one
HAVE YOURSELF A VERY
CRAFTY CHRISTMAS
Deck the halls with creativity and
Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue this
holiday season. From kitschy crafts
to décor that belongs in a winter wonderland, this glue’s incredibly
versatile formula works on most craft surfaces and dries clear – and
doesn’t yellow – so snow-themed projects stay wintery-white year after
year. And because it’s non-toxic, kids can have just as much fun making
their own creative holiday magic. One of the reasons its so popular is
that it holds items on contact and dries super strong, so crafts and DIY
gifts stay festive instead of falling apart. The easy-squeeze bottle and
customisable tip offers the perfect amount of control and right amount
of glue during each use. Trust Original Tacky Glue with felt and other
non-washable fabrics, foam, paper products, wood, ceramics and more
for a very crafty Christmas!
FESTIVE FAVOUR
Each year, Club Green has a
special catalogue dedicated
to the Christmas period and a
new product for this time is the
Christmas tree favour boxes.
These pyramid-shaped boxes tie
at the top with a pretty red ribbon
– perfect size for putting little gifts
inside and hanging on the tree, or
as dinner favours at the Christmas
table or stocking filler presents.
There’s a matching Chrstmas
bunting available too.
Club Green
T: +44 (0)1483 281 313
W: www.clubgreen.com
THE HOLLY AND THE BABY
This season the cutest elves will mostly be wearing DMC or at least the crocheted results
of DMC’s latest crochet pattern collection. These festive patterns from DMC’s Drama,
Darkness and Brights collection offer a Nordic-take on Christmas
for the little ones. With a detachable holly leaf to accessorise
during the festive period, baby will get extended wear from a
jumper which nods to Christmas but is versatile enough to last
beyond the big day itself. And of course clever crafters can switch
up the colours to crochet a new version for every season.
DMC Creative
T: +44 (0)116 275 4000
STITCHED STOCKINGS Create a treasured Heirloom. The London
Bead Co has the must-have stocking charts
from Caron Collection that combines some of
its most beautiful hand dyed, variegated and
shaded threads. There are five different
variations working on canvas, aida or even
weave, and using impressions, watercolours,
wildflowers, waterlilies and antica.
The London Bead Co T: +44 (0)20 7267 9403
W: www.londonbeadco.co.uk
CHARCOAL MITTENS
Rachel’s of Greenfield has come up with a super little charcoal
grey mittens project. The kits contains woolfelt, embroidery
floss and gold string plus precise patterns and illustrated
instructions to make six mitten ornaments sporting perky red
cuffs and adorned with quirky designs such as a partridge in
a pear tree, snowman catching snowflakes, geometric tree,
Noel, car bringing home the Christmas tree, and a jaunty
reindeer. The opening at the top of each mitten is perfectly sized for gift cards or other
treasures. Each mitten is approximately 4in x 4½in and the kit retails at £19.99.
Rachel’s of Greenfield products are distributed by Hantex
T: +44 (0)1754 820 800
W: www.hantex.co.uk
craftfocus 77
www.karendaviescakes.co.uk
Original designs, hand crafted, highly detailed, silicone moulds for all your craft projects.
Visit our website to view all of our products as well as free video tutorials.
Karen Davies Sugarcraft | Unit 4 Royal Standard House | 330-334 New Chester Road | Wirral | CH42 1LE | 0151 643 0055
cake decorating
star bakers
We chat to the experts in the cake decorating and sugarcraft sectors to find out
what’s new for home bakers
With cake art trends getting more incredible by the season,
Craft Focus asked the experts at the world’s largest cake
and sugarcraft event, Cake International, which products or
techniques are gaining in popularity, and what should retailers
be looking out for in the cake decorating world.
“From cakes decorated in watercolour to marble effects on
buttercream flowers and flawless finishes, cake trends are always
evolving; encouraging beginners to get started, and offering
experienced cake decorators’ new challenges.”
Cake artist, Rose Macefield, known
for her iconic life-sized Batman vs
Superman cakes, will return to Cake
International in the autumn with her
latest film-inspired work, Fantastic
Beasts. Rose gave us her tips about
the products and themes we should be
looking out for this coming season:
“The main trends will continue to be
sharp-edged cakes with wafer paper
Jacqui is the founder of
Totally Sugar, a Londonbased sugar studio which
specialises in bespoke,
edible larger-than-life
and miniature art and is
renowned for its incredible
attention to detail. Jacqui
has an impressive client list from Harrods to
HRH Queen Elizabeth II and large corporations
to celebrities. She’s also taken part as team
leader for the current holders of the Guinness
Book of World Records for the world’s largest
cake at 10m x12m. Having been told not to
play with her food as a child, Jacqui now
makes it her life’s work to confuse and delight
all the senses, using food as an art medium
her artistic flair and high impact works of art
are designed to get people talking. We asked
her about the latest developments in the
sugarcraft industry:
What do you see as the major trends in
the sugarcrafting?
Some cake trends come and go, while others
arrive and there’s just no stopping them,
designs. As wafer paper is light in weight, it’s an excellent alternative
to heavy sugar flowers. Ruffles, pastels, tall cakes and even naked
cakes continue to be a popular choice when it comes to weddings,
and for birthdays, realistic sculpted cakes are still well-liked. A
couple of new trends have captured imaginations such as colour
drip designs, which give the appearance of colour dripping down
the cake’s sides, and mirror glaze designs with a highly polished and
flawless finish, usually in a marble pattern for greater impact.”
Other trends sweeping the cake world are beautiful buttercream
flowers. Masters of
buttercream art, Valeri and
Christina of Queen of Hearts
Couture Cakes explain:
“Buttercream is definitely
back on trend. We’ve also
noticed rice and wafer paper
innovations. Jelly Art is an ageold technique that’s making a comeback. It’s very popular especially
in Asia, and is slowly getting into the global market.”
like the cupcake craze. Last year, we saw the
introduction of the ‘naked cake’ and while
brides may have loved the trend, every selfrespecting cake decorator detested them
and struggled to keep their beautifully baked
sponges moist while they sat out on display
at receptions across the land adorned with
fresh fruit or flowers while clad only in the
meagrest skim of buttercream! We cried out
to be able to decorate and show of our artistic
flair, awesome skills and techniques but the
wedding party wanted fresh berries.
Luckily things have moved on, mainly
thanks to the drip cake – the perfect chance to
combine baking skills perfected through The
Great British Bake Off and Crème de la Crème
with some fast and cost-effective decoration.
Rainbow meringues and gold- flecked macrons
dressed that oh-so-carefully drizzled rich
chocolate ganache. Now things have taken a
step further with the rise of the mirror glaze – a
gelatine-based ganache that leaves a flawless
top finish to any cake, and the perfect canvas
for decorators can go to town on. The finish has
officially been adopted from pastry kitchen,
and is now in mainstream use in bakeries and
with UK home decorators.
I think the next development will be
contoured cakes that will be lusciously
enhanced by the mirror glaze, and then
superbly crafted but with minimal accents
such as sugar flowers, quilled loops or
geometric chocolate overlays. With regards
to colour, brides are stepping away from the
traditional white and more colour is appearing
alongside some beautiful watercolour
painting techniques.
Is there a new tool that will sell well in the
forthcoming months?
I’m so happy to share this amazing find, and
don’t often get excited by cake decorating
tools. Lindy Smith has introduced the Fluid
Writer to the baking market. It looks like an
old-fashioned fountain pen but with a well
on the outside – simply fill the well with liquid
airbrush colours, and it flows to the nib and
sketch, doodle, Zentangle and colour to your
hearts content. Hold it like a paintbrush to
produce a consistent line of colour and what’s
great about it is that you can tip it and use it on
the cake sides without spilling the ink.
craftfocus 79
Products for those passionate about cake decorating
Cutting and colouring
The new range of Cake Star push easy
cutters means creating decorative letters,
numbers and shapes for cakes has never
been so simple. The easy-to-use cutters can
be utilised with all sugarpastes, and are a
great way for cake decorators of all ages to
personalise cakes. The letter and number
cutters are perfect for creating names
and ages, while the versatile geometric
cutters are great for transforming cakes into
customised creations.
The Sugarcraft, Cake Decorating & Baking
show returns to the NEC, Birmingham
this November with more than 125 top
cake exhibitors, competition pieces and
features. For more information visit
www.cakeinternational.co.uk.
Marvellous moulds
Karen Davies Sugarcraft is an established
and respected mould designer and
manufacturer in the sugarcraft industry.
The company’s moulds are extremely
versatile for many aspects of crafting, not
just cake decorating, but also can be used
for cookies and chocolates. The range has
items for many types of decoration and
celebrations from Christmas, babies, weddings, birthdays, children’s, lace,
cupcake and rustic-themed moulds. The moulds are produced with the
highest quality tested food safe silicone, under normal use will last bakers a
lifetime. They’re good value, not just because of the size, many have several
designs on one mould. Karen has her own brand of sugarpaste, which
complements the moulds perfectly. A light dusting of cornflour into the
mould before pushing in the Karen Davies sugarpaste will give you a perfect
result every time. There’s also a selection of free videos on the website and
the YouTube channel showing how to use the moulds.
Karen Davies
T: +44 (0)151 643 0055
E: karendaviescakes.co.uk
W: www.karendaviescakes.co.uk
80 craftfocus
Creative cake decorators will also love
new Colour Splash gel colours. These
highly concentrated gels are available in
29 different shades and can be mixed with
fondant, buttercream or even into cake
mix to create bright and beautiful bakes.
Bursting with high quality colour, a little
goes a long way with these gels.
Culpitt
T: +44 (0)1670 814 545
W: www.culpitt.com
EK Success Brands is known and loved for their innovation
and bringing exciting, market leading products to crafters
across the world. From papercraft to needlecraft their
range of brands includes EK Tools, Martha Stewart Crafts,
Dimensions Needlecrafts, Dimensions Paintworks, Perler Beads,
Inkadinkado, K & Company, Jolee’s Boutique and Sticko.
EK Success is delighted to be working with UK retailers on
current trends such as the resurgence in painting by
numbers, colourful cross stitch and educational bead
projects for children.
Jenna Beby, International Sales Manager, is looking to
collaborate with European partners and successfully grow
the availability for EK Success Brands products across the
world. “We are dedicated to International growth opportunities
and committed to new opportunities. This is an exciting time
for the company as we grow our UK warehousing and supply
chain, and develop and grow our market position.”
We will be exhibiting at CHSI and H&H with our sister company,
Simplicity Creative Group in 2017, but encourage any crafters,
online and bricks and mortar stores to try our products and
contact us directly to become a stockist.
Wilton Brands International
Call: +44 (0)7832 302052
www.simplicity.com
cake decorating
Delicious books
Sensational Sculpted
Cakes by Rose Macefield
shares her trade secrets
and incredible design
flair in this step-by-step
guide to sculpting and
decorating show-stopping
novelty cakes. Learn
how to stack, support
and decorate fantastic
novelty cakes using simple techniques, readily available
ingredients and wonderful humorous designs.
Create a messy monster, a show dog, a rocker’s guitar,
and tennis scenes to name but a few.
All templates are provided to get budding bakers
started as well as recipes for cakes, buttercream and
royal icing. There are nine breathtaking projects that are
clearly explained with beautiful photography.
The book is published by Search Press
(ISBN: 9781782211976) and retails at £14.99 and
available from www.searchpress.com.
Dessert decorating made easy
SugarVeil Confectionery Products recently
launched in the UK, and its wonderful array
of products will help cake hobbyists to create
delectable details effortlessly on cakes, cupcakes
and cookies. The one-of-a-kind, patented
confectionery collection makes it simple to
create intricate details that are decadent and
delicious. It takes three easy steps: just mix,
mould and create for professional-looking
confectionery masterpieces that absolutely
anyone can achieve. SugarVeil confectionery icing mixes are
made with high-quality ingredients from the US without artificial flavours and
preservatives, so bakers of all skill levels can whip up delicious-tasting icing
that’s low in sugar, kosher and requires no extra ingredients to make.
The patented confectioners’ mats are made from high quality, food-safe
silicone and are offered in a variety of design themes with intricate details that
can be cut and shaped or used as is to adorn desserts of all sizes. A complete
collection of tools accompany the line giving bakers options for smoothing,
shaping, texturising and cutting icing for the easy creation of stunning
confectionery masterpieces.
That’s Original
T: +44 (0)2381 159 093
Facts & figures about the home baking industry:
• The home baking sector has doubled in size over the last
five years, rising by 59 per cent to £1.7 billion.
• More than 41 million Brits bake at home which equates to
80 per cent of adults having a go, with nine in 10 women and
seven in 10 men baking.
• Nearly a quarter of adults bake at least once a week, with
one in 20 baking every day.
• Cake is the most searched food term on the internet.
• With cookery programmes such as The Great British Bake
Off, Baking Made Easy and Crème de la Crème, baking is one
of the most popular pastimes.
*Taken from Mintel Research, November 2012
Best in baroque
Katy Sue Designs is a leading
designer and manufacturer of
award-winning creative moulds
and tools for the cake decorating
and craft industries. Designed,
sculpted and manufactured in
their factory in the north east of
England, Katy Sue is well known
for its imaginative designs, intricate detail and silicone mould quality.
The latest ornamental moulds include highly detailed cherubs, flourishes
and drop embellishments that allow cake decorators to achieve an
elegant baroque style of decorating easily with fondants. Katy Sue adds
new moulds to the range every month and has recently invested a further
£50,000 in new machinery to increase production to meet the growing
domestic and international demand for its products.
Katy Sue Designs
T: +44 (0)191 427 4571
W: www.katysuedesigns.com
craftfocus 83
project
GLOW
FIREFLY
JARS
Go for the glow this Halloween with décor that stands out in the dark!
Create fun firefly effects on jam jars with dots of Tulip glow-in-the-dark dimensional paint to make a wonderful display for your window, and
attract customers looking for Halloween craft ideas.
Step 1
MATERIALS NEEDED
• Empty jam or mason jars
• Tulip Glow paint – green 4oz bottle
• Tulip Glow paint – neutral 4oz bottle
Wash jars with warm
soapy water and
allow to air dry.
Tulip Glow in the Dark dimensional fabric
paint dries a luminescent glow-in-the-dark
finish and comes in seven vibrant colours
including green, neutral, pink, yellow,
purple, orange and blue. The paint is UV
activated, non-toxic and won’t crack or
peel. The paint is easy-to control with the
special bottle tip.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Use Green Glow and Natural Glow to
create dots all over jars. Use straight from
the bottle with the specifically designed tip
for optimal paint flow.
Leave to dry completely.
Thanks to ilovetocreate and That’s Original
for the reproduction of this project idea.
The project is created by Pattie DonhamWilkinson, who is known by her friends
and craft fans as ‘PattieWack’ as she’s both
creative and wacky. Pattie has millions of
ideas to transform and bring new life to
everyday objects.
Tulip products are distributed by That’s Original, +44 (0)238 159 093
Add fairylights and wait for dark for the
magic to begin.
INSPIRATION
Why not use as a workshop over the Halloween weekend to get
children crafting and visiting the store?
Try using other colours like orange and drawing simple Halloween
shapes on the jars.
craftfocus 85
Top tips on
digital marketing
Sara Davies talks about top tips for digital marketing
When it comes to digital marketing it can
be difficult to know where to start. There
are so many potential platforms and tools
that you can use to your advantage but how
do you know what will work best for your
craft business?
If you’ve never had to do any digital
marketing before, then getting started can
feel a bit overwhelming.
Here's a few tips that should help get
you started:
Marketing strategy
First off, make sure you approach your digital
marketing strategically. Have a clear idea of
what you want to achieve and how you’re
going to get there. Inevitably things will
change, but a rough idea will help to keep
you on track.
Try to keep your expectations realistic; if
you want to raise awareness of your company
then social media is perfect, but if you set
yourself the goal of increasing sales by x per
cent then it’s going to be hard to measure the
impact that your digital marketing campaign
had on growth of sales.
Once you’ve got your plan and started to
implement it, it’s a good idea to keep an eye
on things. Software such as Google Analytics,
Facebook Insights and Twitter Analytics will
let you check-in on your platforms how things
are going. You’ll be able to identify where
you’re going wrong, as well as what’s working
well. Once you’ve got that information you
can adjust your plan accordingly.
Device-friendly
Be aware of what else is out there as these
days people don’t just use computers. They
can access your website from a number of
different devices so bear this in mind when
you’re creating your site. Try to make sure it's
user-friendly and responsive no matter what
platform it’s on.
All bells and whistles
Take into consideration what you actually
86 craftfocus
need your website to do. It’s nice to have an
all-singing, all-dancing website, but if the
majority of those fancy features won’t get
used don’t waste time and money on them.
Try to think about what your visitors will want
from your website, whether that’s as simple
as finding opening hours, your contact details
and product ranges or whether you need
more complex features that will allow your
customers to purchase your products online.
Content is king
We’ve all heard the expression, and choosing
the right content for your website and social
channels is vital not only for engaging with
your target audience, but also reaching them
in the first place. For example, optimising
your content will help to push your site up the
Google search results.
Vary your content. From high-quality
images and videos to infographics, links and
polls, try all sorts of content and gauge how
your audience receives it. Make sure your
content is as engaging as possible, so that
means don’t just go for the hard sell.
Once you’ve got your social followers and
regular website visitors it’s important to be
responsive. Regularly update your pages and
ensure that there’s always new content on
your platforms. Respond to your customers’
queries, questions and even complaints.
If you appear unresponsive you could
potentially lose members of your audience.
You can use scheduling software to pre-plan
posts so that even if you’re too busy to post
on your platforms they’ll still be updated.
Engagement
Interacting with the local community on
social media, sharing relevant news pieces
and giving your followers advice about things
that interest them (for example, the top ten
tips for making a quick card) can really help
to boost the interaction between you and
your customers.
At the end of the day you’re a business,
so while it’s important to be personable and
interact with your customers, make sure you
do this in a way that’s on brand. Establish a
tone of voice and try to maintain it across all
your platforms.
Cost vs creditability
Remember that digital marketing isn’t just
a cost-saving exercise. Although it’s a costeffective way for small retailers to market their
business, it can be time consuming so make
sure you choose the right channels and the
right content. The last thing you need
is updating 20 different platforms on a
daily basis.
Digital marketing is a constant learning
curve, not least because new platforms are
constantly emerging, so don’t try to do it all
yourself. Seek and take advice from other
people and, if your budget allows it, bring in
some extra help. Social media is a 24-hour
world, which means it’s easily a full time job!
So there you have it – my top tips for
digitally marketing your craft business. Fingers
crossed these tips will get you started and
help you to feel your way through the online
minefield. Happy tweeting! C
Sara Davies is a Durham-born craft
entrepreneur and the founder of Crafter’s
Companion. For further information, visit
www.crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk.
Halloween
Get into the spirit of things and stock the essentials for Halloween
craftfocus 89
Ghoulish Glow
Tulip Glow in the Dark
dimensional fabric paints dries is
a luminescent glow-in-the-dark
finish and comes in seven vibrant
colours including green, neutral,
pink, yellow, purple, orange and
blue. The paint is UV activated,
non-toxic and won’t crack or
peel. The paint is easy-to control
with the special bottle tip.
To stock Tulip paints, get in contact with That’s Original on
+44 (0)2381 159 093 or email [email protected].
SUGAR AND FRIGHTS AND ALL THINGS NICE
For fans of
Amigurumi, DMC’s
sugar skull potholder
brings the growing
crochet trend for
all things ‘day of
the dead’ to your
plants. Equally at
home topped by a
miniature rose, like
a crocheted Catrina,
or a cactus in a more
humorous nod to its
Mexican roots, the
colourful pot holder
is a light-hearted
celebration of
the dark side all
year round.
For more information visit the DMC Creative website,
www.dmccreative.co.uk.
GET THE SHAKES
The Halloween and spider
confetti sparkles shakers
are ideal for this one
special night of the year
and will add an extra ‘wow’
factor to a party, make or
present. Decorate tables
with the scary shapes to
make something ordinary
that little bit more special.
Supplied in a 100g easy to
use plastic shaker jar, these
confetti sparkles are bound
to brighten up any tables.
The pack includes black, white and orange spiders or a mix of
Halloween favourites such as bats, ghosts, pumpkins, witches and
black cats. Use them for craft projects, adding to cards and costumes,
and enhancing scrapbooks. Scatter them in fake cobwebs for added
scariness and use as balloon fillers. The confetti sparkles shakers are
available from Bright Ideas, and are supplied in retail-ready packaging.
To find out more, visit www.brightideascrafts.co.uk.
WRAPPED UP LIKE A MUMMY
Club Green has a wide selection of ribbons for all types of
celebrations but the Halloween spider ribbons will certainly have
all items decorated and wrapped up. Both ribbons come in a
60mm width on 3m rolls. Choose from the orange and black or
with a spider web print. For more items, download the catalogue
at www.clubgreen.com.
Pumpkin full
Country Love Crafts has an extensive collection of ‘paint your own
pottery’ blanks and plaster shapes. The pumpkin sweet bowl can be
decorated for trick or treaters or alternatively as a tea light holder and
placed in the window. The pumpkin bisque shape has a large cut out
face design, which can be painted with acrylic poster paints and sealed
with a coat of craft varnish or to make the item more durable paint with
underglaze and fire in a kiln.
To take a look at the wide selection of shapes to choose from visit
www.countrylovecrafts.co.uk.
90 craftfocus
And now in stock- POWETEC, the Ideal glue for Rhinestones
BEACON ADHESIVES INTRODUCES A POWERFUL NEW GLUE
POWER-TAC, the name says it all! Beacon’s creative team has done it again
with a powerful new glue that bonds just about any material imaginable with
impressive strength and permanent results…and without any overpowering odour
or carcinogenic substances.
Power-Tac’s professional formula is a one-part, crystal clear system that has a fast
grab and dries crystal clear while remaining flexible. Unlike many glues, Power-Tac
never yellows or becomes brittle over time.
Power-Tac bonds a wide range of surfaces including glass, plastic, wood, leather,
tiles, stones, canvas, beads and so much more. Power-Tac is the perfect glue for
both indoor and outdoor use as it’s waterproof and UV resistant.
Power-Tac is not only an ideal choice for craft and hobby projects, but is also great
for home décor, household repairs and many other applications.
Power-up all your creative projects with this impressive and innovative new glue,
POWER-TAC!
NEXT WORKING DAY
DELIVERY AS STANDARD
WE ARE SELLING THE COMPLETE
RANGE OF BEACON ADHESIVES
A comprehensive range to meet your needs!
T: 020 8953 2143 [email protected] www.creative-distribution.co.uk
Unit 4, Lockwood Industrial Park, Mill Mead Road, London N17 9QP
next issue…
Don’t miss the October/November 2016
edition of Craft Focus
Bring out the
inner artist
We put a spotlight on
art materials
Jewellery making
What’s hot and what’s not
DK’s Artist Painting Techniques
Don’t forget to pick
up your copy….
Craft Focus is packed full
of the newest product
launches, industry news
and business advice from
leading experts in the fields
of retail, e-commerce and
business management.
October/November 2016 (issue 57)
Editorial deadline: 7th September, 2016
Advertising deadline: 14th September, 2016
Published: 30th September, 2016
92 craftfocus
Modern P&Q
The latest products to the patchwork
and quilting market
CHRISTMAS
Part two of our festive feature
creating content
that kicks
Intelligent Retail’s David Fairhurst considers the factors
involved in building a successful online marketing campaign
Online marketing is a confusing profession
sometimes. At various times of the day I’m
asked to be a statistician, author, business
analyst and programmer and that’s before
we get started on actually putting together
campaigns, dealing with copywriters and
managing multiple clients through various
communications systems. The phrase
‘octopus on stilts’ springs to mind if you want
a visual clue as to what it’s like working in our
office on the average day.
While it’s sometimes taxing on the brain
trying to keep a successful marketing
94 craftfocus
campaign going, one thing I never considered
myself to be is a psychologist. It turns
out, however, that how people think is so
ingrained in what we do on a daily basis it’s
quite easy to ignore that what we’re actually
doing is analysing people. This may mean
we’ll have to order in some white lab coats
and the chaise longue for when things get
really heavy!
A recent blog post on the Moz.com Internet
Marketing blog (https://goo.gl/g0RqxK)
highlighted for me just how much psychology
is involved in creating a successful campaign
to promote a website and how we all as
marketers and retailers need to consider what
our target audience is thinking when we try to
sell products online.
In this post, content marketing company
Fractl showed through analysis of 300 plus
content campaigns what really counts to get
the best engagement from online marketing
campaigns. The results aren’t exactly
surprising, but you’ll only realise this when
you have your psychology head’ on.
It turns out that promotional campaign
performance is directly tied to several triggers
business advice
including emotional response, comparisons
(which you could class as ranking or pride)
and pop culture references, which could
be pandering to our sense of belonging or
affinity. All of these emotional triggers are well
recognised and known to anyone who studies
psychology.
Content marketing campaigns
If you don’t know what content marketing is,
a simple definition would be creating online
content (whether that is text, video or
imagery in any format) that will both be
viewed and shared.
Successful content marketing campaigns
can go viral and generate massive amounts
of social shares on sites such as Twitter,
Facebook and Google+ while bringing in
hundreds of links to a target website. This in
turn increases both direct traffic to that target
website, will increase referral traffic (from
all of those links) and will increase rankings
in search engines for a range of key phrases
related to the content of the campaign.
Content marketing can therefore be very
powerful and bring in the revenue your
business needs to survive, if done well.
What makes a great campaign?
From the data supplied by Fractl, it turns
out that a really great content marketing
campaign needs a strong mix of emotional
hook, comparison and a good mix of
pop culture.
For an example of how this would read
when related to giftware, you need look
no further than the craze for Keep Calm
paraphernalia a few years ago. This had
oodles of emotional hook, there was massive
competition to see how products could out-
do each other on the Keep Calm front and
there’s definitely a big mix of pop culture in
there as well. Campaigns like this can take
on a life of their own and be self-promoting
– after a while it’s the people you’re selling
to who do the promotion for you, which in
marketing terms is nirvana!
Thinking about your campaigns
Now that you know what makes a great
content marketing campaign, think how you
can create one for yourself. Find products
in your online store which will promote an
emotional response. If you can also find
products which also appeal to popular
culture you’re already over half way there to
having a great subject for a content
marketing campaign!
If you want inspiration then consider that
trading verticals which traditionally sell well
include video gaming, equestrian, angling,
shooting, motorsports and other participation
sports. If you can therefore find gifts which
appeal to people who participate in these
sports and pastimes then you are probably
onto a winner. Remember, if all else fails,
controversy will usually get you the viral
response you need to sell – everyone loves
a bit of scandal! (Check this out if you don’t
believe me! https://goo.gl/HiYuDu). C
David Fairhurst is Head of Creative Online
Marketing at Intelligent Retail.
David has been involved with search
engine optimisation (SEO) and web
development since 1999 and has spoken at
many different retail and SEO conferences
including Spring Fair and SES London. Call
David on +44 (0)845 680 0126.
craftfocus 95
look, listen and learn
We talk to Jamie Martin, CEO at Hochanda, about how the company is
helping the interest in crafts to flourish
Tell us about how Hochanda?
Hochanda, which stands for Home of Crafts,
Hobbies and Arts, launched in September
last year. The channel’s vision is to develop
an entertaining, educational and inspiring
platform that involves everyone across all
ages and all skill levels. Hochanda’s core
values are to help viewers achieve a ʻcan doʼ
attitude through quality demonstrations
by market-leading guests, educated and
informed choices, and customer interaction.
Our initial research demonstrated to us that
we needed to provide consumers with more
choice and variety, through demonstrationled shows with competitive pricing. This
focus, along with top quality customer
services and support, all underpinned by
strong relationships with some of the best
delivery and courier partnerships in the
industry, are what viewers were crying out for. Hochanda felt that the market had been
directed towards a narrowing section of
crafting, namely papercraft, that in turn
was dominated by advanced die-cutting
techniques. We believed the craft sector
was being restricted and wanted to offer a
96 craftfocus
choice to the masses of amazing creative
individuals, both suppliers and customers
alike. Craft takes on many guises as does art
and hobbies; Hochanda is proud to have
contributed to increasing all these important
areas by providing a platform and outlet to
all the hundreds of thousands of amazing
creative individuals out there.
What makes Hochanda different from the
other TV craft channels?
Hochanda focuses on what it does best –
offering a fair collaborative partnership to all,
combined with a balanced, varied output.
We actively wants to inspire people to learn
and take up new hobbies. This is why we
cover more than just crafts – our channel will
appeal to a wider audience as we also cater
for gardeners, collectors, artists, bakers and
many more hobbyists.
Our intention is to stimulate non-traditional
TV shoppers to engage and develop new
interests. We also want to lead and transform
the craft sector. Weʼve just launched an
online-only, interactive, educational
portal that will feature live workshops and
courses. Customers will be fully immersed in
interactive live demonstrations, with an ability
to create an on-demand library of content,
combined with a service to buy what you
need to craft along. Hochanda has a few plans
for the future and believes itʼs fast becoming
the destination channel synonymous for
demonstration, variety and inspiration.
You’ve just launched the Live Masterclass
Workshops and invited trade to join in.
Tell us a bit more about the innovation?
Masterclass Live HD is just one of many
innovations Hochanda has planned to aid
growth across the whole crafting sector. We
acknowledge the need to inspire new people
to craft, so we developed Masterclass with
this in mind. This education portal has infinite
possibilities and being online-based means
that it can reach anywhere in the world. There
has been a rapid rise in online platforms like
Craftsy.com and Creativebug.com, however
core differences with Masterclass is that it’s
broadcast live in HD, and is totally interactive
through on-line chat and Skype. You can even
visit and sit in a live workshop environment!
Masterclass is highly versatile. We
understand that people canʼt always
attend events or workshops, however these
individuals should be offered a solution.
Quality content and the right advice isnʼt
company profile
always easily accessible; the only aspect
holding an individual back, generally, is fear
and knowledge – Masterclass will address
all these areas and more. We hope to inspire
people to try as we know how amazing
crafting is for us all and we hope Masterclass
will be the ticket to welcoming many more
into such a wonderful experience that is
crafting or a hobby!
Many see craft TV as a threat to bricks
and mortar craft businesses. Explain why
more craft awareness could actually be
good business for them?
TV is a great platform to increase exposure of
the craft market. There are so many crafters
that have started their hobby from channel
flicking, seeing something that’s caught their
attention, and then got hooked.
Not everyone who watches craft shopping
TV will buy from the channel. Many see it
as a way to get inspiration and find out what
the latest products are. If they see something
new that they like the look of they will either
contact their local craft store or will look
online for the best deal. We’ve heard that craft
stockists will actually sell a product better if
it’s had exposure on TV, so businesses and
suppliers always benefit from competition
that drives innovation and flies the flag
for crafts.
How can retailers work with Hochanda?
From a sales point of view, I’d say that it’s
a good idea to keep an eye on what we’re
doing and what we’re launching – never
underestimate the power of as seen on TV
POS signage in stores.
Definitely make TV exposure work to your
advantage. On a more practical front, if
you’re a retailer, who’s also a demonstrator
or manufacturer, then there are many ways
that we can potentially work together. We’re
decor items increasing massively, so anything
along these lines are going to be really
popular. Crafters who’re starting out on small
projects will start to grow in confidence and
become more daring in their creations, so
expect to see canvas art, furniture makeovers,
and more homeware-based crafts on the rise.
always on the lookout for new items and
part of our whole ethos is, as well as having
some key high-profile suppliers, we make
a conscious effort to work with smaller
companies who don’t normally get the
chance to promote their products on air. If
you have something that you think would
work well on TV then get in touch.
What crafts are proving most popular,
and have there been any surprises along
the way?
Anything to do with colour or colouring is
really popular, so things like inks, paints, pens,
stamps, stencils and so forth. The same goes
for mixed media items. If it involves getting
inky or messy then it tends to go down an
absolute storm. Dies are still really popular,
but that’s no surprise. I think the real surprise
for us was crafters love of all things messy!
What crafts should retailers look out for in
the next 12 months?
Following on from the previous question, I
can see demand for mixed media and home
What would be your top piece of advice to
give small independent retailers so they
can compete in this buoyant industry?
Find a niche – something that will give you
the edge over a competitor. With so many
companies out there, whether online or
bricks and mortar, you need to find a USP
that will make a crafter come to you to buy.
It’s important to understand that often it’s not
always about the price for someone.
It’s all fair and well slashing the price of
items, but this isn’t going to be sustainable.
You have overheads to pay for, so reducing
your margins isn’t going to help you in the long
run. If you can offer a customer something
extra, whether it’s setting up a ‘try before you
buy’ table, introducing a loyalty scheme, giving
regular demonstrations or starting up a craft
club for example, it’s going to incentivise your
customer to keep coming back to you. C
Hochanda
T: +44 (0)1733 602 000
W: www.hochanda.com
craftfocus 97
show review
one big weekend
We report back from CHA UK’s third annual One Big Show and Creative Exchanges weekend
Organised by CHA-UK’s Director of UK and
European membership services, Craig De
Souza, this was the third year for the One Big
Show and second for Creative Exchanges. The
CHA-UK is focused on helping those in craft
businesses open doors, make connections,
succeed and develop creative skills.
The weekend of events is an opportunity
to network, learn, share and collaborate with
creative likeminded people within the craft
industry. This year’s eventful weekend took
place in June at the Ricoh Arena Clubhouse
in Coventry and brought together craft
designers and retailers alongside wholesalers,
distributors and other authoritative figures
to develop this growing sector. The weekend
was filled with business seminars and keynote
speakers covering aspects such as marketing,
blogging and how to protect your IP.
A few of our favourite products:
Precision cutting
A few of our favourite sessions from
the weekend:
The massive
goal principle
Keynote speaker,
David Hyner
delivered a most
entertaining speech
on why realistic
and achievable
goals don’t work.
David gave us the insight, confidence and
motivation to set massive goals with the help
of a goal-setting pyramid. He quoted Scott
Alexander and asked us to be more Rhino!
Creative Dragons
The Creative Dragon sessions were a chance
for designers and entrepreneurs to pitch their
ideas to a panel made up of business leaders,
buyers and editors from the craft industry
(including Craft Focus). Whether you were
an established business with a new idea or
concept, a new start up, author, designer or
blogger, this was an opportunity to get expert
help, advice and mentoring.
Intellectual property
Anthony Nash from Jacana Designs talked
about the importance of protecting your ideas
giving us some handy tips for how you can
use the law to your advantage and safeguard
your product designs.
The lovely Suzie Candlin, European trainer
and creative designer for Cricut was at the
show demonstrating the Cricut Explore Air
to CHA UK members. The electronic cutting
machine features embedded Bluetooth for
wireless cutting, and can cut more than 60
different materials with ease and precision to
create anything from cards and invitations to
party and home décor. The machine will also
let you upload your own images to cut, write
and score foldlines into your material.
How to film DIY videos
Sara Naumann is a mixed media artist and
instructor and she explained how to film your
own videos and upload to YouTube and share
your skills with others. She also discussed the
use of social media to demonstrate crafting.
Gonna make you a star!
Create & Craft offered designers a taste of
what it would be like to be a presenter with a
two-minute screen test in the search for the
next superstar presenter.
craftfocus 99
over time. However, do take care and either
hand-wash or machine wash on a gentle
cycle with mild detergent in cold water. No
steaming or heat setting is required and best
of all, the fabric is so soft. Crafters are going to
be really excited about printing on the smaller
format fabric sheets and rolls. No special
software is needed – any regular digital
image file (such as a jpeg) can be printed on
THREADS fabrics. You can even print from
Microsoft Word. Simply imagine, print, peel,
and sew.
For more information, visit the
website www.orderTHREADS.com or get
in contact with Karen Banfield,
[email protected].
Create, store and make more
Print your own fabrics
THREADS inkjet printable fabrics are an
amazing new product line that allows crafters
to print their personal photos or designs
on fabric using their own inkjet printer. The
special coating on the fabrics binds with the
aqueous inks from the printers, and result
in extremely vivid images. After printing,
simply peel off the environmentally friendly
100 craftfocus
paper backing.
For the home market, the fabric sheets are
available in A4 and A3 sizes and packaged in
sheets of six, 30 and 100. The current fabric
choices are: Cotton Poplin, Cotton Twill,
Cotton Lawn, Silk Charmeuse, Silk Chiffon,
and two weights of Silk Crepe de Chine
(14mm and 23mm).
THREADS is designed to allow people to
express themselves on another medium and
enable them to make highly personalized
gifts, clothing or home decor items. Crafters,
artists or anyone that can use an inkjet
printer, can make goods to sell, give as gifts
or keep for themselves. Some of the printed
and sewn items made with THREADS were on
display at the CHA-UK One Big Show and can
be seen in the photo.
Major printer manufacturers are evaluating
the fabrics to potentially sell under their own
brand. Recently, at the International Quilt
Market & Festival in Houston, Texas, THREADS
inkjet printable fabrics were picked up by
major US quilt market distributors. For large
projects, THREADS also come on rolls 2.7m
and 9.1m long, with widths of 22cm and
33cm. Wide format rolls are available in sizes
all the way up to 142 cm by 9.1m.
The quality of print and fabric is amazing.
The fabric washes great and doesn’t yellow
We’ve fallen in love with Deflecto’s line of
storage solutions. The interlocking and
stackable organisers are designed to lift and
lock into place and feature hinged snap-on
lids. The stackable caddy organiser was an
entry in the CHA’s hot products award earlier
in the year. This range is great storage for
allsorts of crafting from haberdashery to
baking supplies.
To find out more visit the website
www.deflecto-europe.com. C
For more information and to become a
member of CHA UK, visit its website,
www.cha-uk.co.uk or email Craig De Souza
on [email protected].
S
T
S
T
S
T
Taylors Supplies Haberdashery wholesale, Augustus Street, off Empire Street, Cheethamhill, Manchester, Greater Manchester M3 1HZ
Taylors Supplies
Taylors
Supplies
0161 834 0329
www.taylors-supplies.co.uk
Taylors Supplies
[email protected]
Adhesives, glues, all essentials range, all sewing essentials, arts & crafts, beads & jewellery accessories, bias bindings, bits and bobs for
crafting, bows and ribbon flowers, bridal, buttons, card craft, care and repair, clothing trimmings, dance accessories, crochet hooks and
yarn, curtain tapes, dress making papers, dress shields, dylon dyes and accessories, elastics, ambroidery, tapestry, aida, eyelets, fabric
marker pens and chalk, feathers, fabric, fasening clips, felt, fibre filling and wadding (toy fill), glitter, furnishing, hand sewing needles,
hemming and fusible webs, hook fasteners, hook & loop (velcro), interfacing, knitting patterns, knitting pinks & accessories, kitting
yarns, knitting yarn robin collection, lace & trimmings, lingerie accessories, machine bobbin (spools), machine embroider threads,
machine needles, machine sewing accesories, packaging, patchwork & quilting, pins and safety pins, piping cords, ribbon & double
satin, ribbons fancy, rotary cutters & matts, scissors, sequins spangles card embelishments, sewing aids, sewing threads, sewing
travel kits, tapes webbings, tape measures & rules, thimbles, threaders & accesories, toys & accesories, zips...
& many more fantastic wholesale products!
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102 craftfocus
1
DADDY DIY
Inspiring products
to persuade
guys to give making
a go!
Daryl Woodhouse, CEO of Advantage Business Partnership shares tips and
advice for starting a business
You’ve got a great idea. You’ve got the
passion and the commitment. You’re ready
to start to start your own business. So what
do you need to do first? Daryl Woodhouse,
CEO of Advantage Business Partnership and
co-author of ‘Creating Business Advantage:
Setting Up and Running a Successful Business
has some advice for every start-up whatever
their great idea:
1. Do I need to do market research?
It might be a great idea but is there a
commercial market for the product or service?
2. Ask yourself, do you have the
knowledge, experience and muscle
(both influence and financial) to get
it to market?
Consider what experience or professional
training you’ve had which is relevant for
starting, running, growing and profitably
exiting a business. Be honest in identifying
your skills and knowledge gaps and then
figure out how to fill in the gap.
3. Seek professional advice.
Get advice on the areas you know little
about from people who do know. Remember
also, that ‘you don’t know what you don’t
know’. Don’t rely too heavily on what you
think you should know and do. Even if your
business idea is going to see you working
from your kitchen table as a sole trader,
still go and get some advice from at least a
successful business coach, a knowledgeable
“There’s no rule about
which ideas can
become successful
businesses. You never
know – it might be your
great idea that’s
a winner!”
accountant and probably a trustworthy
lawyer as well.
4. What’s the best set-up for
your business?
At the simplest level a sole trader status
can be set up quickly and without too
much formality. But do you understand the
implications? Maybe the correct legal entity
for you is a limited liability partnership,
a limited company, a charity, or a social
enterprise. You should get advice such as
from your accountant.
5. If you’re starting the business with
someone else, think carefully about
whether you are going to work well
as a team?
How do you structure the arrangement
correctly? Are you equal partners? Do you
have an agreement on what will happen
given possible, and definite, circumstances
in the future (for example dispute or critical
illness)? These are all things that need to
be considered now while you’re friends,
still alive, and in a position to discuss issues
properly without emotion.
All the steps mentioned here are crucial.
The decisions you make at this stage are
the foundations for what you build going
forward. Of course, you then need to focus on
the operational aspects of getting a business
started including the funding, website,
advertising, your networking, business plan,
and all the myriad activities that will become
your daily focus of attention in the time
ahead. However, the importance of these
pre-start-up considerations cannot be
over-emphasised.
Once you’ve identified the need for the
product or service, the price, volume and
frequency needed, the route to market, and
you’re confident that you’ve the commitment,
stamina, resources, commercial knowledge
and the support (family, friends and the right
business team) to see the idea through, then
proceed beyond go! C
Daryl Woodhouse,
CEO of Advantage
Business Partnership
and co-author
of Creating Business
Advantage: Setting
Up and Running a
Successful Business.
Retailers can get hold of a copy of
the book wholesale from the usual
book wholesalers such as Gardners or
Bertrams, or direct from SRA Books (the
publisher) at www.suerichardson.co.uk.
craftfocus 103
business advice
5
questions to answer before
you start a business
tried & tested
scented
seaside
soaps
Julie Bonnar puts a Make
Your Own Melt & Pour Soap
kit from The Soap Kitchen
through its paces
THE PRODUCT
The Make Your Own Melt & Pour Soap kits
are very easy to use. Everything you need
to create themed soaps is contained in a
presentation box including moulds as well
as the scents. I used the seaside kit but there
are also others to choose from including
Christmas, Christmas Nostalgia, Farm Yard,
Vintage Craft, Woodland, Pure and Natural,
Halloween and fragrant sets including floral,
jelly, herbal and fruity.
Within the kit you can make two types
of soap using clear or white melt and pour
soap blocks. The white melt and pour soap
achieves more of a block-coloured soap
while the clear allows you to create more
translucent bars of soap.
There’s a minimum amount of mess
and no extra ingredients are needed to make
them. The kit is perfect for a holiday activity or
to give away as a gift for crafters to
make themselves.
“The most popular soap making method
for hobbyist is the melt-and-pour process
methods. It’s quite easy to do and a great
starting point for those crafters who want to
give it a go.”
HOW TO USE IT
It’s really simple and can be done in less than
30 minutes. Start by cutting the soap into
small cubes (small enough to melt) and place
in a microwavable bowl and heat until melted.
This can be done on the hob if you don’t have
a microwave.
Add your chosen colour and scent and you
can add a bit of glitter to the mix too. Pour into
a mould, and make sure you do this before the
soap starts to set. Leave to cool for two hours,
pop the soap out of the mould, and you have
yourself a soap.
It’s a nice medium to work in and the mould
detailing comes out extremely accurately on
the soaps.
WHAT DOES THE KIT CONTAIN?
• 500g Melt & Pour soap base – clear
• 250g Melt & Pour soap base – white
• 2g Crystalina
• 5ml of colouring – blue, red, yellow
and green
• 5ml of fragarnce in seaweed, algae,
strawberry and cream and cocobeach
• 5 moulds – boat, octopus, seahorse, ice
cream and starfish
REASONS TO STOCK
• Traditional crafts are making
a comeback and this is a
perfect starter kit for anyone
interested in soap making.
• All the soap kitchen products
are manufactured in the UK and this appeals
to a wide audience of crafters.
• The kits come in a gift cardboard box making
them perfect for presents and using
at workshops.
• Competitively priced at £18.99 RRP.
• Each kit has more than enough ingredients to
make several sets of soaps. C
The Soap Kitchen
T: +44 (0)1237 420872
W: www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk
In a recent poll, 86 per cent of our readers
told us they would find it beneficial to know
about new products as they come to the
market. Tried & Tested will put the latest
products through their paces. Contact Julie
Bonnar, E: [email protected], if you
have a product to feature.
craftfocus 105
up & coming
stamp duty
Julie Bonnar chats to Laura Holland, designer and owner of
ny s own brand
That’s Crafty, about the launch of the company’s
of wholesale products
outgrew it, moving to a much larger unit
the end of the following year. This gave
us the opportunity to have a large bricks
and mortar shop, a separate art room to
hold workshops and classes, and a large
workshop to manufacture our own range
of products as well as manufacturing
products for other retailers.
Tell us a bit about the business, how did it
all begin?
I’ve been an avid crafter for years when I
decided to start That’s Crafty! in September
2005. Originally it was an online business,
which I was running on a part-time basis
while working as an accountant but in 2010,
the opportunity arose for me to make the
business full-time.
In July 2013, my partner Graham joined
the company as we’d made the decision
to start manufacturing our own range of
products. We moved the business into an
industrial unit in the December, and quickly
What made you decide to develop your
own brand of stamps and stencils for the
wholesale market?
I realised that there was a gap in the
market for smaller stencils and came up
with the idea for the Dinky stencil.
We launched them to the retail market
in July last year, and to the trade in
February this year.
We now have more than 80 designs
with more on the way. The natural
progression for us was to manufacture a
range of 6in x 6in stencils and to launch our
own range of stamps.
How would you describe your range, and
what does it include?
We manufacture and retail stencils, acrylic
and MDF products, as well as white- and
greyboard items. I’d like to think of our range
as innovative and affordable, while still
maintaining a high quality product. Wherever
possible, we also source our raw materials
from British companies. We’re constantly
designing new products and our new stamp
range is just about to launch too.
How has the That’s Crafty! range been
received in the papercraft market?
Very well, we’re happy to say. We launched
the new products to the trade at Stitches
in February, and were overwhelmed by
the response. We now have a worldwide
distributor for our stencils.
What are the most popular items you’ve
designed so far?
Our Dinky stencils have proved to be very
popular, as have our range of ATC’s in different
substrates. Our acrylic products are extremely
106 craftfocus
popular at the moment – this is an exciting
surface for consumers to decorate and you
can get some very cool, different effects on it.
Our stacking storage boxes are proving to
be popular too. Crafters are constantly saying
they’re running out of space on their craft
table, so we designed them to stack safely
and securely on top of each, so they take up
much less space in the craft room.
Where and how can retailers buy
your products?
All products can be ordered from
www.thatscraftyws.co.uk, our dedicated
trade website.
Are you developing any new items and if
so what?
We’re constantly coming up with new and
innovative products to bring to the craft
market. The 6in x 6in stencils are due to be
launched shortly, as is our own one-of-a-kind
hand-drawn stamp range, which we’re very
excited about. We’re also working on some
brand new acrylic products, as we speak! C
That’s Crafty!
T: +44 (0)1708 344 146 E: [email protected]
W: www.thatscraftyws.co.uk

Wonders of wool - Craft Focus magazine

Transcription

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