Craft Focus magazine

Transcription

CRAFTFOCUS
www.craftfocus.com
Issue 42 April/May 2014
www.craftfocus.com
M AG A Z IN E
Make the most of summer
150+ new and exciting products
Make your mark
Innovative products for
scrapbookers and stampers
Man-made
Fresh ideas for crafty
men this Father’s Day
Counting on
cross-stitch
Creative ideas for
contemporary stitching
All the news from:
CHA Winter Show
Craft, Hobby + Stitch
Creativeworld
Official media partner for
Craft, Hobby + Stitch
International and
proud sponsor of the
New Product Showcase
April/May 2014 Issue 42
Managing Editor
Georgina Cassels
+44 (0)1376 535 611
Deputy Managing Editor
Lauren Dowey
Chief Sub Editor
Louise Prance
Editor
Julie Bonnar
+44 (0)1376 514 000
[email protected]
Sales & Marketing Manager
Robert Clark
+44 (0)1376 535 606
[email protected]
Account Manager
Tracy Voice
+44 (0)1376 535 618
[email protected]
Production Manager
Scott Brothwell
Deputy Production Manager
Sarah Barnes
Senior Graphic Designer
Vicky O’Connor
Graphic Designers
Rebecca Clarke, Sarah Young
+44 (0)1376 535 616
[email protected]
Production Assistant
Aimee Smith
Web Development Manager
Stuart Weatherley
Subscriptions
Kay Tilbury, Tammy Watt
+44 (0)1376 514 000
KD Media Publishing Limited
Pantile House, Newlands Drive
Witham, Essex, CM8 2AP, UK
www.craftfocus.com
Front cover image:
Thanks to Knorr Prandell
contents
regulars
19
editor’s letter
5
An overview of what to expect in this issue
industry news
7
What’s happening within the craft sector
brand spanking new
A look at the latest product launches
19
your questions answered
49
We’ve teamed up with industry experts CHA-UK
to give you answers on importing
competition
56
Win a selection of luxury card supplies from
Hunkydory Crafts worth £749 RRP
bookstand
62
The newest craft-related book releases
project – as easy as A, B, C
69
Alistair Macdonald shows how to make a simple
alphabet bunting from his latest book
next issue
79
What to look forward to in the June/July issue
Craft Focus magazine is proud to be
associated with and supporters of:
man-mad
Great crafting ideas for Father’s day
51
let’s organise
57
Help keep the craft materials tidy with
innovative storage solutions
scrapbooking and stamping
64
New and original ideas for happy scrappers
and stampers
summertime crafting
73
Learn something new and make the most of the
longer daylight hours
counting on cross-stitch
83
Creative ideas for contemporary cross-stitch
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.
features
83
64
shows
show news
27
Keep up-to-date with what’s happening in
your industry
Craft, Hobby & Stitch
International
All the latest gossip from the show
31
a world of creativity
41
Julie Bonnar reports back on this year’s brilliant
Creativeworld show
CHA Winter
47
News and reviews from this mega winter show
craftfocus 3
75$'(:,5(6&28.
60
focus on
around the houses
We talk to Michael Powell about his love of architectural
art, water painting and cross-stitch
60
a time of discerning crafters
Julie Bonnar catches up with Adam Newhouse from
Hunkydory Crafts to see how the papercraft market
has changed
70
up & coming
Introducing Need Craft and its lampshade making
phenomenon
89
70
business advice
a picture can speak a thousand words
Metakinetic share how to boost conversation rates online
by improving how your product’s are displayed
54
designed to turn a profit
We take you through the process of pricing
your own hand-made goods
80
changes to employment law
Why SMEs need to know their responsibilities as an
employer to avoid fines and legal action
88
4 craftfocus
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and much much more.
Z Z Z Z H G G L Q J V D Q G I O R Z H U F U D I W O W G F R P
forward thinking
nking
It’s been so nice to see the sun shining, the milder
weather has a way of making people look forward
and plan for the rest of the year. However, I’m very
mindful of what some retailers have had to endure
during the recent storms, persistent rains, and
floods. According to the British Retail Consortium
bad weather is the second biggest influence on a
customer’s spending pattern. Despite this, further
studies have shown that high street shoppers will
also in fact take cover during showery weather,
so it pays to have an inviting window display to encourage passers by to
choose your shop. Crafters will see a rainy day as a crafting opportunity
too so it’s not all doom and gloom.
Indeed, this issue has been so much fun to put together for you. It’s
full of some wonderful fresh and innovative products that we were lucky
enough to see and try over the last couple of months at the big trade
shows. The crafting industry is certainly weathering the recession well
(excuse the pun), and there’s a real positive feel and excitement, with many
more manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers exhibiting at the shows
than ever. We review shows past, and give you news on the forthcoming
events that aren’t to be missed.
There are lots of things to look forward to in this issue – we’ve got
some great crafting ideas for stocking up for Father’s Day plus innovative
storage solutions to help crafters stay organised. In advance of the lovely
summer that we’re expecting (one can hope), we take a look at product
ideas that are trending. We’ve also got exclusive features for product
offerings for scrappers, stampers and cross-stitchers.
Those who make their own crafts will be interested in our feature
on page 88 where I talk you through the process of pricing your own
hand-made goods. A picture can speak a thousand words or so they say,
so we’re lucky to have Metakinetic
netic share how to boost conversation rates
online with great images on page 54.
Enjoy the issue!
Julie
64
Julie Bonnar
Editor
Visit us on:
Twitter: @craftfocus
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/craftfocus
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CraftFocus
craftfocus 5
HeeBee Trade
Needlecraft Specialists
HeeBee Trade is a
leading UK wholesale
supplier of quality
needlecraft products and
accessories including
canvas, fabric and
threads.
We are official UK
distributors of;
ZWEIGART
ANCHOR
DMC
KREINIK
RAINBOW
GALLERY
APPLETONS
We supply half boxes of
most threads and have a
minimum order value of
just £50, therefore we are
ideal for small businesses
and designers
01565 872214 [email protected]
w:www.heebee-trade.co.uk
95 Town Lane, Mobberley, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 7HH
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news round up
industry news
We round up news from the crafting industry
COATS LAUNCHES NEW CRAFTS WEB PORTAL
MAKE IT COATS
Coats has launched
a new web portal
for crafters called
Make it Coats. This
has been designed
to provide crafters
with a great digital
experience that
will inspire, inform
and teach textile
crafters. The initial focus is predominantly on sewing and quilting, crochet
and embroidery, and will provide links with its existing hand-knitting
brand’s sites such as Red Heart, Rowan and Schachenmayr.
The portal includes over 250 free crafting projects, 90 films and more
than 4,000 product pages, as well as inspirational mood boards from
collections, articles and designers. Crafters can learn a new technique
through the virtual tutorials, discover how to care and repair or get a
question answered in the frequently asked questions section.
The responsive design means that the content fully adapts itself to
be viewed equally well on a desktop computer, tablet or smart phone.
The call to action Make It encourages consumers to choose Coats as a
GMC ADDS TO ITS EXTENSIVE BOOK RANGE
GMC is delighted to announce the
addition of titles by Aurum, Batsford
and the recently renamed Pavilion
Craft (formerly Collins & Brown) to
an extensive range of books already
available for craft retailers. A total of
21 different art and craft publishers
are now available from GMC, with
subjects, skill levels and brands to
suit every budget.
Aurum imprints Creative
Publishing International and Walter
Foster offer a range of step-by-step
how-to books, for both children
and adults, covering subjects such as
home decorating, jewellery making
and more crafting subjects.
Apple Press, Frances Lincoln,
Jacqui Small and Quarry Books
produce high-end, beautifully
illustrated lifestyle books, including
the first title from popular interior
design blogger Will Taylor.
Under the banner LoveCrafts,
Pavilion Craft publishes innovative
trusted craft partner, and with a focus on the end user, the site allows
crafters to add individual comments and ratings to featured patterns,
products and projects, and share through blogs and events related to
the world of crafting. The product explorer provides a guide through a
comprehensive catalogue of Coats Crafts products.
“Our makeitcoats.com web portal builds on the
recent launch of the new Coats Crafts branding. The
portal provides inspiration, guidance and support to
crafters and confirms Coats’ reputation as the number
one global player in the textiles crafts market,”
comments Frazer Smith, Chief Commercial Officer, Coats plc.
The site has dedicated areas for both the UK and the US markets,
where the content is tailored towards the most popular types of crafting
in each market. The UK site has additional content on crochet and
embroidery while the US site has a greater focus on sewing and quilting,
but users can toggle between the content of two sites via a button on
the navigation bar.
Coats Crafts
W: www.makeitcoats.com
and fun craft books, including
the hugely popular Best
in Show series. Alongside
established craft authors
such as Jane Brocket are
books from up-and-coming
names including Sophie
Simpson (What Delilah Did).
Batsford is a leading
publisher in textiles, fashion,
design and practical art. It
specialises in producing highquality, beautifully illustrated
books for the professional and enthusiast that are presented to appeal
to all readers, whatever their level of knowledge.
Aurum, Batsford and Pavilion Craft complement a range that
includes popular US publishers Sixth & Spring, Leisure Arts and Lark,
with books from well-known authors, series and brands such as Nicky
Epstein, Diane Fitzgerald, Cozy, Potter Craft’s BurdaStyle books and
Threads titles from Taunton, not to mention books on popular new
trend Zentangle from Design Originals.
GMC Distribution
T: +44 (0)1273 488 005
E: [email protected]
W: www.thegmcgroup.com
craftfocus 7
industry news
BRITAIN’S YOUNGEST BUSINESSMAN LAUNCHES
SWEET GIFT RANGE AT SPRING FAIR
Dubbed Britain’s youngest businessman by the media, 10-year old Henry
Patterson, founder of children’s gift company Not Before Tea, launched his new
product range at this year’s Spring Fair. Henry created Not Before Tea just 10
months ago, and since then his story has made headlines the world over in The
Times to The New York EC. In November last year, he won ‘One to Watch’ at
The Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
Not Before Tea started as a fictional sweet shop run by Pip the mouse and
Sherb the owl. Henry was fascinated by the sweets and games that his parents
and grandparents enjoyed when they were young and used this as the basis
for his first collection, deciding to bring the story to life.
He showcased his edible Mud & Worms, jars of Ants in Grass and Ladybirds
on Leaves and Mr Fox’s Homemade Fudge at the Spring Fair, as well as,
Doodlepods in action. These are drawstring bags containing fabric crayons
and blank bags and aprons for children to decorate. Spring Fair was the
first time that Not Before Tea was made available to stockists. Henry is also
celebrating the launch with the publication of his first book The Adventures of
Sherb and Pip.
Sherbert Pip
T: +44 (0)7841 399 670
W: www.sherbetpip.co.uk
MANUFACTURING PARTNER WANTED
The House of Scarlet is a design house producing
creative wallpapers. The company is now looking
for a manufacturer to print its colourful designs
onto wrapping paper, cards and notebook ranges.
If you can help, please contact Natasha Scarlet
Danson, Designer and Founder below.
The House Of Scarlet
T: +44 (0)7917 202 144
W: www.thehouseofscarlet.com
8 craftfocus
GALT TOYS AND TOY FAIR AUCTION
An iconic portrait of Marilyn Monroe has raised £2,050
for the Toy Trust charity after being unveiled at Toy Fair
by celebrity art expert and star of BBC’S Bargain Hunt,
Timothy Wonnacott in January. This striking 5ft x 5ft mosaic
masterpiece of Marilyn has been created by Ed Chapman,
who is one of the UK’s leading contemporary artists. The
piece was created using purely materials from the craft range
from Galt Art including fun buttons, cotton reels and mosaic
masterpieces kits, as well as a variety of paints, crayons, pens
and craft kits.
Over 30 bids were made for the piece, with plans to
donate the full amount raised to the Toy Trust charity. John
McDonnell, Managing Director at Galt Toys, said before the
auction closed, “We’d like to thank everyone who placed a bid
on this iconic masterpiece and are over the moon that we’ve
been able to raise such a substantial amount for the Toy Trust
charity, which helps disadvantaged and disabled children in the
UK and abroad. The bidding hasn’t stopped since the auction
began and it has been hugely exciting to watch the bids go
up and up over the last few days. The artwork was originally
commissioned to help inspire children that the sky’s the limit
when it comes to creating stunning pieces of art, but the
funds raised through its sale will now be used to directly help
disadvantaged children.”
The auction was won on Monday 27th January by a mystery
bidder, who has since been revealed as Emma Messenger
from Messenger Enterprise Ltd, owner of several Toymaster
stores. Emma says: “The Marilyn portrait is a fantastic piece of
art, which I just fell in love with the moment I set eyes on it at
Toy Fair. It’s only when you look at the picture up close that
you see the amount of detail and the many Galt materials that
have been used. We’re so excited to have won the auction
and are very pleased to be giving to the Toy Trust. We now
look forward to displaying the artwork around all our stores,
to inspire as many people as possible!”
industry news
SARAH HURLEY LAUNCHES
ONLINE TRADE SHOP
Sarah Hurley’s range of craft products,
sewing kits, cards and gifts is now available
wholesale to retail outlets, companies and
web shops worldwide.
Sarah Hurley’s brochure is available to
download for a sneak peek at her product
range, and retailers can sign up for a trade
account and access to the trade online
shop. Once approved retailers will be able
to place orders online 24 hours a day. If
retailers are looking for bespoke branding
or personalised items, retailers can contact
Sarah Hurley for a quote. The craft kits,
which were introduced throughout 2013,
continue to be a huge hit, with the felt
Sausage Dog kit being last year’s Christmas
best-seller.
Sarah Hurley Designs
T: +44 (0)7827 885 818
W: www.sarahhurleytrade.com
ETC SUPPLIES EXPAND INTO NEW PREMISES
“The last two years have seen exceptional
growth in trading for ETC Supplies, and
2013 was another record-breaking year,”
comments M.D. Jas. S. Purba. ETC Supplies
has now purchased a new 20,000 sq.
ft. distribution facility that will allow the
company to continue to grow at this
remarkable rate. The new premises permit
an increase in stock holding and larger bays
for unloading goods that can accommodate
two 40 feet containers at a time. There is
also dedicated customer car parking, a new
customer showroom, dedicated sample
room and larger sales office.
Most people know this company best
for its one-of-kind range of embroidery
backings. In fact, it’s probably Europe’s largest
distributor with over 65 types of backing
to choose from. Recently its own brand
economy embroidery thread (sold at £2.99 a cone) has made great gains into market share.
The company has many individual products that have been especially developed as a result
of customers’ needs. ETC Supplies only sell direct to the trade user, which allows them to
keep prices low and directly in contact with its customer.
“Many people in the trade know me personally,” said Jas S Purba. “No customer is too
small or too big for me to visit on a one to one basis. It’s often during these visits that
a chat with the customer results in identifying a need and a new product is developed
and added to our range. One of our USP’s is that we can speak to our customers direct
about any technical issues they have too.” This enables ETC Supplies to increase the number
of products sold to each customer and thus making life easier for the customer as they
only need to deal with one supplier. This new distribution facility will allow us to grow our
European business further. The next focus for us will be in growing our business in Germany
and Spain.
New address for ETC Supplies is:
Mile End House, 101 Brook Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow, G40 3AP.
ETC Supplies
Tel: +44 (0)141 550 1188
W: www.etcsupplies.co.uk
TWO NEW BRANDS FOR JONES
Jones Crafts has been very busy adding two new brands. Little B and Webster’s Pages will
now be distributed from the company’s Nottingham Warehouses. All the current catalogues
are now available from its website for all the brands they work with.
Jones Crafts
T: +44(0)115 973 8708
W: www.jonesnottm.co.uk
10 craftfocus
r/o 31 Commercial Road
Edmonton, London N18 1TP
Tel: 0208 884 0999
Fax: 0208 884 4666
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.mcourts.co.uk
New Fashion Jewellery Range
now available
Wholesale Haberdashery Suppliers
To shops, stalls, schools, colleges, carnival
bands, dress & curtain makers, theatres,
designers etc.
See our huge range including
Beads, Trimmings, Lace, Buttons, Ribbon,
Sequins, Diamantes, Motifs, Zips, Cords,
Thread, Masks, Feathers, Flowers, Bridal,
Lingerie Accessories, Craft, Haberdashery,
and much, much more.
industry news
DURABLE ANDROID
TABLET FOR RETAILERS
MiTAC is just about to release
the new MioWORK L130 series
rugged android tablet for retailers
with Cervello PAYG EPOS
functionality. The new tablet is
semi-rugged and designed specifically for use in the retail environment
by leading technology manufacturer MiTAC. It will provide a one-of-akind middle ground for retailers who need more durable solutions than
consumer tablets but don’t wish to invest in military-standard devices.
Available from May, it’s been developed to address the increasing
need for a mid-priced durable device for retailers who currently
struggle with the dilemma of choosing either a device that is too fragile
for daily use, or that stretches their budget much further than they can
reasonably affordable. This tablet comes certified for enterprise use and
holds an array of attractive features including secure wireless access,
IP67 ingression resistance, Mil-standard drop resistance, and flexible
power options – none of which are currently available on standard
consumer devices. It also offers functional accessories including a multidocking station, and has been set up to easily install and run Pay As
You Go EPOS software Cervello, giving retailers a simple, off the shelf
software and hardware solution at an affordable price point.
Despite being a new entrant to the retail sector, these tablets are
already well established in the medical market, where a similar need
for greater durability and bespoke functionality exist. They come with a
standard one-year warranty included plus there is an optional extended
three-year warranty available. While the price of a MioWORK tablet is
approximately 30 per cent higher than comparable consumer solutions
at £750 +VAT, the range is also approximately 50 per cent lower priced
than military-standard solutions too, so retailers can save a substantial
amount by opting for this semi-rugged option.
Using Cervello on the tablet will also make it faster, reliable and more
accurate. Cervello is already performing well in the retail sector as a
simple, effective, off the shelf epos solution that eliminates the need for
capital expenditure or ongoing license fees. Its unique pay as you go
or monthly fixed payment model makes it the perfect entry-level epos
solution for retailers of all sizes, but particularly suited to
smaller retailers.
“This new tablet combined with Cervello software
offers a much needed solution for retailers
who need reliable software and durable hardware
at an affordable price point,”
says Fiona Cowlam, Cervelo’s Marketing Manager.
For more information contact Julian Stone, Business Development
Director: Tel: + 44 (0)7720 090222
MioWork
W: miowork.mio.com
Cervello
W: www.cervello-pos.com
12 craftfocus
NEW PACKAGING FOR GLUE DOTS
Glue Dots International, well known in the US
craft industry for its best-selling instant bonding
adhesive products, has just launched an exciting
new-look consumer range of products and
displays aimed at the UK craft sector.
Fast, safe and easy to use, Glue Dots®
double-sided adhesive dots bond instantly to
virtually any surface and they’re mess free,
non-toxic with no drying time. Launched in
permanent, poster and removable formulas,
they’re ideal for a wide variety of everyday
craft projects.
The bright new shopper-friendly packaging
and colourful graphics clearly show the
products’ features and benefits, so that
customers can easily find the right Glue Dots®
for their needs. The new packaging takes
consumers interest beyond traditional tape or
glue defining Glue Dots® as The New Way to Glue.
Launched in individual hang packs or dispensers, there’s a choice of
stylish looking and highly space efficient displays options.
Glue Dots®
T: +44 (0)7584 236 126
(Dave Angus, European key Account Manager)
W: www.gluedots.com
GROVES APPOINTED UK DISTRIBUTOR FOR TILDA
Following the recent administration of the
W Williams company, Groves is delighted
to announce that it’s been appointed as UK
distributors of the Tilda brand.
“This superb collection of seasonal, coordinated
products, that vary from fabrics, trims and storage
through to paper items and gift accessories. Tilda
products, both complement and enhance the
existing Groves product ranges,” commented
Andrew Groves, Managing Director.
A new catalogue illustrating the complete
Tilda range is available to retailers and the
complete range of Tilda will be in stock from
mid-March onwards.
Groves
T: +44 (0)1844 258 080
W: www.groves-banks.com
The Kunin Group
We have the felt
colours and designs
to suit all your craft
projects. Available in cut
rectangles and bolts
For further information about Kunin Craft Felt please contact
Fashion Futures Ltd, Units 1 and 2 Mace Industrial
Estate, Ashford, Kent TN24 8EP.
[email protected]
Tel +44 (0) 1233 625227
Fax +44 (0) 1233 612352
industry news
IMPRESS MACHINE POISED TO REVOLUTIONISE
CRAFTS AND HOBBIES SECTOR
Craft Dragon, a Stoke-on-Trent company, has developed a
revolutionary machine for the crafts and hobbies market, and secured
investment from venture capital specialist Midven with a number of
private investors. Craft Dragon is the inventor and manufacturer of the
ImPress™ machine. The company will use the funds to help build on its
success, and expand sales in the UK, USA and Germany.
The device was the brainchild of avid hobby crafter Jayne Nash,
whose family has gone on to develop the patented ImPress machine.
Struck by the fact that existing machines are large and expensive for
the hobby crafter, Jayne came up with the concept for a more versatile
machine. Jayne collaborated with her husband, Anthony – an engineer
– and her idea was adapted so it could perform many different tasks
including hot foiling, stamping and die cutting.
Jason Nash, Craft Dragon’s Managing Director, said: “The machine
was quickly tailored specifically for the needs of the serious hobby
crafter – it is multi-functional, robust and reliable, compact and
affordable. We always knew we had a good product and our early
sales success proved there is a market. This investment from Midven
and private investors will give us the opportunity to grow the company,
create jobs and continue to serve our enthusiastic customers.”
Midven is a leading venture capital fund manager that provides
investment for small, high-growth businesses across a range of sectors
in the West Midlands, and through its Early Advantage fund, the
company has invested £100,000 in Craft Dragon; this is in addition to
the investment from a number of supportive private investors.
Gio Finocchio, Midven’s Investment Manager said the size of the
potential market was significant, with around £1billion spent on crafting
and hobbies in the US every year, and around half of households taking
part in some form of craft or hobby.
Craft Dragon
T: +44 (0)1782 341 827
W: www.craftdragon.co.uk
Midven
W: www.midven.co.uk
14 craftfocus
FRESH FOCUS FOR EXACLAIR
ExaClair has just released its Decopatch
catalogue with the new papers and
maché products for 2014 showcasing
modern, fashion-forward and homedécor inspired themes. The front cover
of the new catalogue is a stylish, trendy
woman set against a striking blue
background that epitomises Decopatch’s
change of direction. With a fresh new
look, the catalogue is set to attract and
inspire crafters looking for
new, funky and fashionable
ways of decorating
furniture, home accessories
and ornaments.
There’s a strong focus
on creating home décor
such as storage pots and
bowls with the fresh chic,
funky and stylish papers.
The new origami-style
papers include rabbit
and bird designs that
particularly standout with clean lines and straight edges. Other new
papers to choose from include the bright, floral and contemporary
Tropical range, and the Casablanca range of opulent, oriental designs
plus the Robot papers that are great for kids. For a copy of the new
catalogue, email: [email protected].
“We’re delighted with our new catalogue. A great
deal of research has gone into Decopatch’s new
direction, and the new designs will provide crafters
with inspiration and enthusiasm.”
Nick Parry, Head of Arts and Crafts at ExaClair
Exaclair
T: +44 (0)1553 696 600
W: www.exaclair.co.uk
industry news
HIDDEN CENTRE
CAKES MAKE
BIG REVEAL
Cakes with a hidden
centre are apparently
at the top of the 2014
baking list according to new research from Renshaw, one of the UK’s
leading manufacturer of baking ingredients. Renshaw’s Big Trends survey
revealed hidden centre cakes are fashionable, and closely followed
closely by an up and coming trend-to-watch the painted cakes, and a
continuation of last year’s rainbow cake love affair.
Cake and cupcake painting was voted the second most popular
trend to try, with more than a third of people surveyed eager to add
the craft to their decorating repertoire. More than 2,500 people
completed the online survey. Sophisticated flavours and toppings were
seen as increasingly important, with sugar paste and fondant icing set
to rise in popularity as a decoration trend. Over a third of people plan
to decorate cakes with sugar paste this year, with coatings like Colour
Melts and Royal Icing also gaining favour as new toppings to test out.
Colour and flavour remain key baking and decorating themes, with
the striking hue and subtle cocoa taste of American red velvet returning
as the cake to watch too. Classic flavours chocolate and lemon remain
popular, with exotic fruits and berries also set to dominate the year’s
baking and sugarcrafting palate. Celebrity chef and UK cake royalty, Mich
Turner MBE, recently predicted 2014 would be the year of style as
much as substance: “People who’ve spent the last few years mastering
the art of the cute cupcake will be looking for advanced baking and
decorating projects to test their skills with bigger celebration cakes,
while beginners will do best to start with the basics, like learning to
cover a cake properly.”
Renshaw
T: +44 (0)151 706 8200
W: www.renshawbaking.com
NEW EASY-TO-NAVIGATE SITE
The new online store for PJ Beads is now live and features a great
range of jewellery-making products. Easy-to-follow navigation allows
customers to browse by product type or by material, including
semi-precious beads, Swarovski crystal, freshwater pearls,
Shamballa and Pandora style beads, gold, silver and plated jewellery
components and findings.
Customers can take advantage of special offers and sales
promotions while the new wholesale pricing and quantity-based
discounts mean retailers are able to shop at significantly reduced
prices. If you are looking for inspiration, the jewellery-making projects
section on the website will give you plenty of ideas and, if you want
to show off your creations, there’s also a customer gallery.
“PJ Beads was one of the UK’s first online suppliers
of beading and jewellery-making components. We
offer great value, excellent customer service and
now our new online store gives us a great shop
window to showcase our fantastic product range,”
commented James Whittaker, founder of the PJ Beads business.
PJ Beads
T: +44 (0)1704 575 461
W: www.beads.co.uk
THE PROFESSIONAL DESIGNER’S SECRET WEAPON
Ever heard of Morplan’s PatternMaster®? Designed 35 years ago, the
PatternMaster® is still one of the essential pieces of kit for anyone in the
business of designing clothing. It features a straight edge, right angles, 45° bias
markings, grading markers, seam allowances and a range of curves to help the
shaping of arm holes, sleeves, necklines and trouser seams. All in one handy tool.
Stocked in metric and imperial versions, the PatternMaster® is made from
strong, clear perspex with long-lasting, etched markings and smooth edges and
it’s supplied with easy-to-follow instructions. Morplan has been working with the
garment industry for over 170 years creating, and supplying specialist tools and equipment
for every part of the fashion design process. Morplans’ ranges include patternmaking tools,
tailors busts, scissors and shears, cloth marking and pinning, garment covers steamers,
hangers and rails hrough to retail display, point of sale and carrier bags.
Morplan
T: +44 (0)800 45 11 22 (freefone) to ask for a
catalogue
W: www.morplan.com
16 craftfocus
An exclusive round up of the newest product offerings around
Blushing vintage
Oyster Blush is Papermania’s latest offering to the Capsule collection
and features beautiful subtle pantone colours. Available from
Docrafts, this on-trend shabby chic collection has a super selection
of fabric elements including vintage laces, which are trending in
fashion and home-wares. The 2m jumbo crochet and RicRac
trim, 5m adhesive crochet borders, 1m pleated fabric trim, 1m
ribbon, large ribbon bows and 1m fabric tape continue to push
the boundaries between paper and soft craft. Whether starting a
project from scratch or freshening up your home, this collection will
give that knockout finish to any home décor project.
This new capsule collection also
contains lace papers and die-cut
notelets, adding plenty of intricate
detail for all projects with staple
embellishment of big bloomers, pin
wheels and polka dot buttons for
extra definition and depth.
Docrafts
T: +44 (0)1202 811 000
W: www.docrafts.biz
Milestone moments
Hunkydory has
new all-occasions
card kits for both
the Milestones and
Special Moments
collections that card
makers love to cater for. These new collections are bursting with
tempting topper designs for every special event.
Special Moments will help crafters to create cards for friends and
family to celebrate those special events in life. All A4 toppers are
beautifully designed and accent-foiled with adorable teddies, flowers
for mums, well-wishing parrot , and many other themes for Easter,
sympathy, anniversary and Father’s Day. From birth to marriage,
and school to retirement, the Milestone collection is full of fresh
and original designs covering 10 different milestones in life. The
range includes a wonderful range of graduation caps, celebratory
champagne flutes to little treasures and items to welcome the pitterpatter of tiny feet. Both of these collections retail for around £19.99.
Hunkydory Crafts
T: +44 (0)1772 272 572
W: www.hunkydorycrafts.co.uk
Laser-cut buttons
Hand-designed and painted, these
wooden laser-cut MDF designs come
as buttons and brooches, and are
available from Hantex. Many are
fabric-lined to give a textured effect.
Retail price is between £3.20 and
£3.90. A free counter-top stand is
available when retailers order a
fill (90 packs). There’s hundreds of
designs to choose from with specialthemed designs for Christmas.
Other seasonal designs will be
added later in the year.
Hantex Ltd
T: +44(0)1754 820 800/
0844 879 4719
W: www.hantex.co.uk
A tough three-some
Gorilla Glue Europe has just launched
three new innovative products into
the UK marketplace. The products
include the innovative Gorilla Clear
Repair Tape, White Gorilla Tape and
Gorilla Super Glue Gel. The Gorilla
Clear Repair tape retails at £7.99, and
has indiviudal properties that make it the first clear tape of its kind in
the UK with its weatherproof, airtight and crystal clear designs. It’s a
multi-use tape with heavy-duty strength and durability that can stick
to smooth, rough and uneven surfaces. While Gorilla Super Glue
Gel is an easy to use, thicker and more controlled formula ideal for
multiple surfaces and vertical applications. This retails at £6.99 and
maintains the tough Gorilla credentials. Its anti-clogging cap enables
the product to be used for a variety of jobs time and time again.
With its triple layer strength and outstanding versatility, White
Gorilla Tape is the perfect solution for both indoor and outdoor use
and can grip a variety of uneven surfaces and remains white and
won’t yellow outdoors. Retails at £10.49.
Gorilla Glue
T: +44 (0)1257 241 319
W: uk.gorillaglue.com
craftfocus 19
brand spanking new
brand spanking new
brand spanking new
New Bernina embroidery software
Bernina has released a new version of
its popular DesignerPlus and EditorPlus
embroidery software.
DesignerPlus version 7 can help sewers
unleash their creativity through new threedimensional features a range of 3D effects
like Trapunto to create distinctive surface
embellishments. The software is supplied
with CorelDraw® Essentials X6 enabling sewers to apply special
effects to artwork, add text, shapes, freehand draw elements or trace
bitmaps for unique multimedia projects. Turn artwork from various
graphic formats into an embroidery design in just one click, and get
a realistic view how the embroidery will look on real garments. The
EditorPlus Embroidery Software 7 has an on-line screen manual,
easy to identify large flat icons, and an easy to switch measurement
system, and comes with simple editing and extensive lettering
options. All Bernina embroidery software allows sewers to design,
import, edit, manage, and freely combine embroidery designs.
Bernina
T: +44(0)20 7549 7849
W: www.bernina.com/en-GB
Homely maché and decopatch
ExaClair has launched a new range of Decopatch
papers and maché products, which have been
inspired by fashion-led and modern home-décor
trends. The new distressed papers are available
in warm greens, reds, blues and browns and its
tactile, textured design gives items a high quality
finish. The Weekend in the Country range uses a soft palette and
country-chic designs perfect for decorating furniture and household
ornaments. Home décor enthusiasts looking for bright, kitsch, on
trend papers will love the Hello London range with its London
buses, Union Jack, red telephone boxes, bowler hats and London
Eye detailing. The brightly-coloured flowers and sparkly jewels of the
Royalties paper designs will add vibrant sparkle to any home.
Also new to this range is the maché blank products which includes
oval bowls, and sugar, coffee and tea storage pots to ensure
Decopatch fans can now personalise and coordinate even their
kitchen design.
Exaclair
T: +44 (0)1553 696 600
Smooth airbrushing
The Neo trigger for Iwata
airbrushes makes getting
started in airbrushing even
easier. Its innovative dualaction, traditional finger button
or new pistol trigger design
offers simple and ergonomic
solutions. These pistol trigger
airbrushes have a pre-set handle allowing even the beginner to
pre-set the spray performance for any line, any background, and any
shade, and will perform perfectly every time.
Different to any ordinary airbrushing systems, the Neo series is
one-of-akind in that the airbrushes are designed to work at low air
pressures to give an even minimal overspray, precise control, detailed
spraying and fine atomization. Specifically designed to work together,
the Neo-Air for Iwata Miniature Air Compressor and the Neo for
Iwata Airbrushes make the perfect set both compact and affordable
for crafters.
Matchstick men
(and dogs)
Bothy Threads has
just brought out two
new Lowry designs
called Coming from
the Mill and Market
Scene, Northern
Town. The original
pictures are held
at ‘The Lowry’ in
Salford but these
cute designs are an
exact reproduction
and measure 37cm
x 34cm on 14 hpi
Parchment Aida.
Both retail at
£31.99 each.
Graphic Air
T: +44 (0)1423 522 836
W: www.graphicair.co.uk
Bothy Threads
T: +44 (0) 844 8000 221
W: www.bothythreads.com
20 craftfocus
Now Open
Cash and Carry online web shop.
Carriage FREE on all orders over £150 excluding VAT.
FocusCraft, Unit 5 Henry Close, Battlefield
Enterprise Park, Shrewsbury SY1 3AB
T: 01743 465788
F: 01743 465799
www.focuscraft.co.uk
100% mercerized
Egyptian 3 ply crochet
cotton. Available in:
10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80
and 100 in white and cream
ecru, weights 30 and 50 as
well available in 6 bleach
solid dyed colours.
100% Metallic Thread in 1, 2 and 6 ply, in 12 solid dyed colours.
A WHOLE RANGE OF BEAUTIFUL THREADS
We can supply you with the best
quality: Lace, Embroidery, Sewing,
Quilting, Crochet, Tatting, Metallic,
Rayon, and Perlé threads (even Perlé
Finca 16 which can go on as sewing
machine) as well as 6 ply Mouliné
embroidery floss.
100% mercerized Egyptian 2 ply cotton, in 5 g. balls,
weights: 12 and 16, and 10 g. balls in weights: 3, 5, 8, 12
and 16, in solid dyed and bleach fast colours.
)RUPRUHLQIRUPDWLRQSOHDVHJRWRRXUZHEVLWH
ZZZILQFDWKUHDGVFRXN
100% mercerized
Egyptian 3 ply crochet cotton
thread for all use in 40, 50
and 60 weight, for quilting.
100% mercerized Egyptian 6 ply
cotton, in 8 meter skeins in solid
dyed and bleach fast colours.
brand spanking new
A stitch in time
These bird-print
sewing card kits
are by the Danish
company Rice, and
make great gifts
for children, card
makers and those
who want to ease
themselves into
crafting. The trace
embroidery cards
come in a pack of
six assorted bird
prints, and come
complete with
different coloured
threads and two hand-needles. Each card pack measures 15cm
(wide) x 21cm (high), and retails at £7.99.
Silky Linen yarn
Artesano is pleased to
launch its brand new
product Artesano Linen
Silk DK. Linen Silk is a
standard DK yarn of a
blend of sheep’s wool
with silk to produce a
robust yet soft knit with
added texture and further
interest. This yarn is
hand-painted to produce
wonderful colours and patterns for knitting and crocheting. It’s
available in a range of 16 colours – autumn leaves, blue yonder,
blush, borealis, hydrangea, masquerade, night sky, orchid, paradise,
Rhododendron, russet, sea turtle, sea-spray and shamrock – shown
here in lichen. Fully supported with an exciting range of patterns,
there’s something for every yarn enthusiast including a simple scarf,
gorgeous shawl and fabulous jumpers and cardigans.
RICE DK
T: +45 63 11 35 35
W: www.rice.dk/en
Artesano Yarns
T: +44(0)118 950 3350
W: www.artesanoyarns.co.uk
Retail-ready strings
Creative Beadcraft continues to expand its large range of retail-ready
strings. These come with loops and labels, which will make a great
display feature. The latest additions include Czech 4mm and 6mm
pressed glass beads in transparent, opal, metallic and neon colours.
There’s also a dazzling range of metallic silver, gold and copper beads
and dagger-shaped beads too.
The Czech pearl range now
includes strings of drops, Baroque
beads and hearts in the same 20
colours as the 4mm, 6mm, 8mm
and 12mm pearls. While the Indian
4mm round crystal facetted beads
are now available in the same
transparent and metallic colours as
the very popular strings of crystal
puffy rondelles.
Melt-in-the-mouth
Hearts of home bakers and cake
decorators will melt over the
latest line from Renshaw. Colour
Melts is a completely new range
of versatile cake decorations that
caters for the growing demand
for ready-to-use toppings and
cake coverings, Colour Melts is a
fuss-free and versatile ingredient for flooding,
dipping and drizzling homemade goods like
traybakes, cake pops and other dipped desserts.
The microwaveable pots are available in a
total of seven colours – yellow, green, blue, red,
pink as well as classic black and white. Colour
Melts set to a smooth finish, and this nifty
product will appeal to bakers and decorators of all skill levels, with
a world of applications to discover. Colour Melts come in 200g tubs
and are typically priced at £1.99.
Creative Beadcraft
T: +44(0)1494 786 924
E: beads@creative
beadcraft.co.uk
W: www.creative
beadcraft.co.uk
22 craftfocus
Renshaw
T: +44 (0)151 706 8200
W: www.renshawbaking.com
*/29(6,1$%277/(6+,(/',1*/27,21
3527(&76+$5':25.,1*+$1'6
A unique hand care emulsion that works with your skin
to create a protective shield keeping your hands naturally
smooth and hydrated - the perfect crafting companion.
ɏQuickly absorbed and leaves no greasy residue
ɏ Hypoallergenic, fragrance free and ultra light formula
ɏ Won’t wash or rub off and remains effective for up to 4 hours
ɏ Skin can still breathe but natural oils and moisture are kept in
ɏ Dry cracked skin will soon start to look and feel smooth again
'LVWULEXWHGLQWKH8.E\$EEOLVV/LPLWHG117)
HPDLO#DEEOLVVFRXNZZZJLDEFRXN
7UDGHDQGZKROHVDOHHQTXLULHVZHOFRPH
brand spanking new
Full-length lady
Isabella is a new full-length
Elegance lady from John
Clayton, dressed in a beautiful
smoky-blue evening gown
and bold luxurious jewellery.
This design measures 19cm
x 40cm and is available as a
complete kit on 14ct Aida or
27ct evenweave containing
Zweigart fabric, DMC
stranded cottons sorted onto
numbered cards, needle, clear
charts and instructions. Retails
at a reasonable £18.75, with
full-colour brochure on hand
to support the range.
Heritage Crafts Ltd
T: +44 (0)1889 575 256
E [email protected]
W: www.hcrafts.com/
trade
Big softie
Sarah Hurley’s trade website
is beginning to take shape
with more than 150 products
available and more on the way.
This little deer and sausage dog
are two of the popular softie
felt toy kits on offer. These
sweetly branded kits contain
everything a crafter needs to
make these cute characters
including hand-cut felt squares, embroidery thread, pre sorted onto
a thread sorter card, needle and needle threader, a small bag of
stuffing, a woven label, printed pattern sheet and basic instructions.
They're perfect for beginners and children as an introduction to the
world of sewing. All materials in the kit are sourced in Britain, and
packaged in a box made from recycled materials. The pattern has
been adapted from one of Sarah’s hand-drawn illustrations. All the
sewing kits are CE marked and retail at £7.50.
Sarah Hurley Designs
T: +44 (0)7827 885 818
W: www.sarahhurleytrade.com
Family fun
La Pashe is taking crafters back to the
beginning with its iconic and hilarious
Flippin’ Men and Flippin’ Women range of
front and back decoupage designs under
the brand Flippin’ Families.
This range contains A4 sheets of
decoupage designs on 160gsm silk paper,
with co-ordinating toppers and greetings
to make amusing family decoupage
projects. Simply cut out the pieces, layer
with foam pads to create professionallooking and fun-filled cards for all the
family and friends. These designs are also
available on CD-ROM with more than 34
new designs.New designs feature children,
teenagers, parents, grandparents, aunties
and uncles in a myriad of family situations
that we all can connect with.
Homegrown and
home-sewn
DMC has introduced a new
range of fun and modern
floral designs capitalising on
a popular trend and seasonal
time of year. The range of 16
different designs come in a
modern, bright and colourful
planter PoS unit, which will be eyecatching when placed at a till point
or in a fixture. The kits re packaged
in a seed packet, and contain the
award winning DMC stranded
cotton, 14ct white Aida fabric,
needle and instructions and measure
just 3 inch x 3 inch when stitched,
so are the designs offer a perfect
introduction to cross-stitching.
La Pashe
T: +44(0191) 417 6494
W: www.lapashe.com
DMC Creative World
T: +44(0)116 275 4000
W: www.dmccreative.co.uk
24 craftfocus
We update you on what’s happening in the next couple of months with a round up of
show news
Stationery Show
1st - 2nd April, 2014
Venue: Business Design Centre,
London
T: +44 (0)20 8462 0721
E: stationeryshow@firstevents.com
W: www.stationeryshow.co.uk
The London Stationery
Show is the UK’s only
trade exhibition dedicated
to stationery and writing
instruments, and is part of
the National Stationery
Week. The show offers
everything from the ordinary
to extraordinary, with many
of the products having craft-connections from colouring pens to
stationer’s must-have items.
38th JAPAN HOBBY SHOW 2014
Venue: Tokyo Big Sight, East Hall 1, 2, 3
24th - 26th April, 2014
T: +81 3 3512 5670
W: www.hobby.or.jp/hobbyshow/2014/en
Organiser: Hobby Association of Japan
Supported by Craft
& Hobby Association
(CHA), this show will see
approximately 120,000
visitors covering a variety
of crafts from sewing,
embroidery, lace, quilting,
knitting, beads and jewellery,
scrapbooking, card-making
and soap-making, among
many others.
British Craft Trade Fair
6th - 8th April, 2014
Venue: Great Yorkshire Showground,
Harrogate
T: +44 (0)1444 246 466
W: www.bctf.co.uk
The British Craft Trade Fair (BCFT) is a
three-day event that takes place at the
scenic Great Yorkshire showground in Harrogate. This trade fair has been running for more
than 35 years under the supervision of PSM Ltd, and is strictly trade-only showcasing work
exclusively from both British and Irish makers – you won’t find any mass-produced products
here. Retail buyers can now log in to the website (www.bctonline.co.uk) and view the
latest product catalogue from all the exhibitors enabling them to order and view products
throughout the season and not just at the show.
Organisers of the BCTF have reported another sell out exhibition. With over
500 exhibitors and more than 4,500 visitors expected, it’s a great one-stop shop for
independent jewellers, and buyers can be assured that at BCTF they will find one-of-akind products to stock their shelves. BCTF is promoted as a home and gift fair with a twist
– everything is made in the UK. Made in Britain sells – this message has been fuelled by
consumer and media support over the last few years and the launch of the Made in Britain
government initiative is helping to support its popularity.
Margeret Bunn, principle fair organiser, said: “BCTF is a joy to organise, and once we’ve all
500 exhibitors in place, cleared the aisles ready to open the doors to buyers, I always feel
very proud of our exhibitors and what we’ve achieved by pulling them altogether.
“With so much talent, it takes your breath away! British made and British crafts are in
demand, consumers recognise this more now and this has helped the fair hold its position
and expand even during the past years of recession. I believe the future is bright for
British crafts.”
POST SHOW NEWS
Spring Fair is Britain’s barometer of retail
recovery
Spring Fair 2014 opened its doors on 2nd
February, 2014 at The NEC, Birmingham, and
welcomed more than 66,500 retail buyers,
including 5,250 from overseas, which was a
two per cent increase on last year’s show, and
showcased 300,000 new product launches
from 3,000 exhibitors across 13 different
market sectors.
As one of the largest retail trade events
in the country, Spring Fair serves as a crucial
barometer for the economic health of the
sector. Organisers of the show revealed a clear
upswing in the home and gift trade, and billions
of pounds worth of transactions will be carried
out as a direct result of participation in the show.
A number of factors have driven this rise and a
myriad of new products being developed along
with a sharpened concentration on consumerdriven trends and a clearer knowledge of
retailers changing buying patterns.
Strong product categories this year at the
show included design-led contemporary gifts
and British-made products. Visitors were also
impressed by the quality and variety of product
on display, and shared their show experiences on
social media networks.
A new development for i2i Events Group that
positively impacted Spring Fair is a strengthened
craftfocus 27
show, news and events
shows, news and events
shows, news and events
Dates and venues for 2014
Great British Craft Festival
(www.greatbritishcraft.co.uk)
31st May-1st June: Bolton Arena, Greater Manchester
9th - 10th August: Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire
partnership agreement with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), which was designed to
inspire and support UK-based SMEs in their efforts to succeed in overseas markets.
UKTI helped Spring Fair achieve a two per cent increase in overseas visitors attending
the show compared with the 2013 event. The partnership boosted international
representation at Spring Fair, helping to provide British suppliers with an entry point
to international markets and featuring prominent Best of British showcases and
Exporter trails throughout the exhibition. Five UKTI Villages were located around the
NEC with a total of 50 hand-chosen exhibitors, all entrepreneurial British companies
with a particular strength in export business that were new to the show.
DATE FOR NEXT YEAR’S DIARY
ICHF shows (www.ichfevents.co.uk):
3rd-5th April: Creative Stitches & Hobbycrafts, ExCel,
London
10th - 12th April: Cake International, ExCel, London
3rd - 5th May: Weald of Kent Craft & Design Show,
Penshurst Place, Tonbridge
The Cake & Bake Show
(www.thecakeandbakeshow.co.uk)
4th - 6th April, Manchester Central
Trident Exhibitions Creative Crafts shows
(www.sccshows.co.uk)
10th - 12th April: The King’s Hall, Belfast
24th - 27th April: Bath & West Showground,
Shepton Mallet
8th - 10th May: Echo Arena, Liverpool
Spring Fair International
1st - 5th February, 2015
The NEC, Birmingham
W: www.springfair.com
Consumer Calendar
Want to get your products to more customers? We
list the best UK-based consumer craft shows in the
forthcoming months:
Upper Street Events (www.upperstreetevents.net)
7th - 10th August: The Festival of Quilts,
The NEC, Birmingham
The Great British Craft Festival
This Hunkydory craft festival is back for a third year,
and plans to be bigger and better than the previous
years. Returning to Stoneleigh Park in August, it’s
also added a brand new show at Bolton Arena in May (see dates and venue listing).
The exhibition halls will be fit to burst with fabulous exhibitors including Debbi
Moore Designs, Crafty Devils, Pinflair, The Southampton Bead Shop and, of course,
Hunkydory Crafts. There will also be an entire hall dedicated to inspirational make
and takes across both festivals that will include over 1,300 free sessions. Due to
popular demand, the company has added even more workshops to its GBCF
schedule, and you can now buy half-day workshop tickets for both the Bolton and
Stoneleigh Park shows. Each festival will also have its very own free Hunkydory
paper craft kit for every attendee worth £4.99, courtesy of Club Hunkydory.
Sincerely Yours, Papercraft shows
(www.sincerely-yours-shows.info)
5th - 6th April: Leigh
18th May: Lincoln
1st June: Taunton
The Great British Craft Festival
T: +44 (0)1772 272 577
W: www.greatbritishcraft.co.uk
4th-5th April, Manchester Central
This show will be another exciting weekend dedicated to the world of
cakes, breads, pies, sugar craft and the art of baking, and after the success
of last year’s sell-out show, the country’s biggest experiential baking
event is returning to Manchester Central in April.
Celebrities at the show will include Rosemary Shrager, Great British
Bake Off winner John Whaite, Eric Lanlard, Mich Turner and Peter
Sidwell, as well as this year’s winner and her fellow contestants; Frances
Quinn, Kimberley Wilson, Glenn Cosby and Christine Wallace.
A ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ cake installation is expected to be the
28 craftfocus
largest cake installation the UK has ever seen featuring the sights and
sounds of the jungle. Everything will be edible, from the leaves and the
grass to over 120 hand-crafted flowers and animals including a lifesize tiger. It’ll take a team of 20 people and more than 2000 hours to
create ahead of the show. Experiential stands include companies such as
Billington’s and live cake decorating in action.
T: +44 (0)844 854 1364
W: www.thecakeandbakeshow.co.uk
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Knitting Boards
and Looms
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WHO
show review
affectionately
known as Stitches
Our first hand account on this year’s Craft, Hobby & Stitch
Craft, Hobby & Stitch changed its name many
moons ago, but those who have been in the
crafting industry for a while still fondly refer
to this show as Stitches. This year’s show saw
the spark back that had been missing and the
crafting sector seems recession-proof. The
show was certainly much bigger than previous
years with more than 250 manufacturers,
distributors and wholesalers showcasing
exciting new and innovative products for the
coming year’s trading. We noticed that many
manufacturers that had been missing had
returned with bigger and better stands.
The show was buzzing throughout as more
than 250 exhibitors from across the globe
connected and engaged with 8,000 creative
craft industry professionals that descended
on the NEC over the three days. Our only
complaint is that three-days was not long
enough to explore all that this show had
to offer in the form of well-run workshops,
seminars and demonstrations and stands
to visit.
This year’s show also saw the launch of
the new Cake Pro section. This was a brand
new area dedicated to the rapidly expanding
sector of cake decorating, sugarcrafting and
baking, where there were amazing displays
and cake works of art demonstrating this new
crafting phenomenon. The brand new area
attracted lots of attention and was welcomed
by visitors and exhibitors alike. Dawn Butler
of Dinkydoodle Designs says: “This show has
opened our eyes to the huge overlap between
cake decorating and the crafting world.
Visitors have been particularly interested in
the airbrushing products, which are edible and
usually used on cakes but they’ve been keen to
use them on buttons, fabric and stamps! We’ve
seen a mixture of visitors from large retailers
to independent retailers who’ve seen that they
can put craft and cake together. The Cake Pro
area fits well within the show and has given
us ideas of other products we could create to
interest the crafting audience.”
The show welcomed thousands of retailers
through its doors each day. Lyn Symonds from
Creative Crafts, who won the Craft Focus
competition and won the VIP trip, said: “I’ve
had a great time at the show, I always enjoy it
but this year there seemed to be an additional
level of excitement and optimism. My main aim
is to get a feel of the trends and see if they
will be a fit in the shop. It’s wonderful to see
new products from existing and new suppliers
and the demos are so exciting and useful too,
allowing us to see and sometimes even have a
go with products which we can show to other
members of staff and, of course, customers.”
The Bright Sparks Pavilion was packed
with upcoming designers and businesses with
innovative products for retailers to discover.
Tina Francis of Tina Francis Tapestry said:
“I’ve had a really good show and met mostly
independent traders with two or three shops
in different locations, which is a great way of
getting my work known across the UK. My
products have been really well received, my
designs are different to traditional tapestry
designs and visitors seem to really like them.”
James Dannell, Director at Needcraft,
another Bright Sparks exhibitor, said: “This
has been our first trade show, and it’s been
fantastic. We’ve met lots of independent
retailers who are our target market. It has
been great to show visitors what we do and
the quality of our products, everyone has been
really friendly and professional. Bright Sparks has
a real buzz about it and a great position in the
centre of the show – it’s been good to meet
other like-minded exhibitors in this area too.”
“The response to the show has
been overwhelmingly positive both
from exhibitors and retailers. Our
latest addition, the Cake Pro area,
dedicated to cake decorating and
sugarcraft supplies, made its debut
at this show and was very well
received, not least because of the
growing public interest in baking
and cake decorating,” said Andrew
Morton, ICHF Events Ltd, Show Organiser.
craftfocus 31
affectionately
known as Stitches
The entrance had
a new and most
welcome display
of wonderful
innovative products
from participating
exhibitors
(sponsored by
Craft Focus) and
presented in the
form of shop window displays. This was a
great way for exhibitors to draw attention and
showcase key product lines.
Craft Focus was invited to attend Immediate Media’s British Craft Awards 2014. The vote
was open to readers across Immediate Media’s portfolio of crafting magazines. The award
ceremony is always held on one of the evenings during the show and the results were
as follows:
Stitch Retailer of the Year
The North West - Black Sheep Wools
The North East - The Viking Loom
The South West - Material Needs
The South East - Faye Whittaker’s
Pier Shop
East Anglia - Threads & Patches
The Midlands - Betty Stitchkit
Scotland - Nifty Needles
Wales - Criss X Stitches
Following on from the revamped fashion
show last year, expectations were high. Dance
Choregrapher and Tutor, Chris Worrell with
Silk Model Management’s Coral Bell put on
a colourful show combining catwalk models,
dancers and the introduction of male models
for the first time. Exhibitors who participated
in the catwalk shows included some of the best
fabric, yarn, pattern and jewellery manufacturers
who showcased their newest product lines.
Regional Craft Winners:
North West - Inspirations by
Cardcraft Plus Ltd
North East - Crafty Corner
South West - Crafty Devils
Papercraft
South East - The Glitter Pot
East Anglia - Stamp Addicts
Midlands - Blyth Craft Studio
Scotland - Stamper’s Grove
Wales - Dandie Crafts
Best stitching online retailer: www.sewandso.co.uk
Small business our cross stitchers love to support: Heaven And
Earth Designs
Favourite stitch designer: Joan Elliott
Best newcomer in the stitching world: Kate Knight
Ultimate stitching licensed character: Gorjuss, Bothy Threads
Favourite thread: DMC stranded cottons
Stitching kit collection readers couldn’t resist: Tatty Teddy (Me to You) Anchor
Overall stitching retailer of the year and best stitching retailer that went the
extra mile in 2013: Material Needs (Somerset)
Overall retailer of the year and best craft retailer who went the extra mile in
2013: Inspirations by Cardcraft Plus Ltd
Best craft chain Store: Hobbycraft
Best online retailer: createandcraft.tv
Best UK craft & stitch show: ICHF’s Hobbycrafts, NEC
Favourite papercraft range: Hunkydory Crafts
Favourite craft CD-ROM range: Crafter’s Companion
Stamp range you couldn’t resist: Crafter’s Companion
Die-cutting range to die for: Spellbinders
Craft gadget you couldn’t live without: Spellbinders Grand Calibur
Favourite card designer: Joanna Sheen
Ultimate craft punch range: Tonic Studios
Most inspirational craft blog: Craftingwithhunkydory
Favourite craft TV presenter/demonstrator: Leonie Pujol
32 craftfocus
affectionately
known as Stitches
Here’s a sample of the super products that we got to see:
Floral Fantasia from Hunkydory Crafts is a celebration of all things bright and beautiful, featuring
the prettiest of flowers teamed with stunning vibrant colours. This all-new collection includes
innovative set piece cards compromising spinners, decoupage easels and trellis basket cards glazed
with its original diamond sparkles finish and accompanied by silver and gold accent-foil along with
beautiful designs filled with favourite flowers. There was
a high demand for Hunkdory’s paper pads at the show,
all of which feature double-sided patterned papers,
foiled papers and embellishments. The pad format
ensures that all unused sheets stay in perfect condition
until you need them next.
Hunkydory Crafts
T: +44 (0)1772 272 575
Hantex had several brand new product lines and additions to existing
lines, and had something for most retailers. The new ranges from Art
Gallery Fabrics was particularly popular, with the Littlest range taking
top spot, and the new wooden, hand-painted button packs also proved
popular. Each pack is themed with many different designs available, each
in an attractive hang-sell cellophane packet. This was also the first time
Colette patterns had been shown in the UK and were particularly well
received. Colette patterns are very well designed and teach the user as
they sew. Visitors liked the off-the-shelf availability of the Batiks fabrics
with the great price point and colour brochure support.
The innovative Swatch Buddies fabric sampling system was
introduced for the first time to the UK finally providing a solution to
the old customer problem of keeping neat, portable record of fabrics.
Swatch Buddies is the fastest and easiest way to make swatches of
your fabrics for shopping, designing and organising. Just peel the liners
off the pre-cut adhesive template and stick to the wrong side of your
fabric. Cut the swatch around the template and stick the swatch to the
swatch card.
Hantex Ltd
T: +44 (0)1754 820 800
W: www.hantex.co.uk
Bothy Threads launched
four new Mirabelle kits that
are worked on 16-count
Zweigart Aida in subtle
colours. The ornate patterns
and embellishments make
them really interesting stitching
projects. The kits come
complete with pre-sorted
34 craftfocus
threads, needles, embellishments
and comprehensive instructions/
stitch diagrams and retail at
£34.99.
Bothy Threads Ltd
T: +44 (0)1900 828 844
The Spanish firm Arenart and its UK
distributor, Creative Products Distribution
introduced the new and original technique
of sand painting. This fun and creative
technique uses coloured sand (47 normal
colours and 6 metallic) and a special
adhesive paper to produce great pictures.
Arenart has developed products for
children with Arenakids range and also
Arenadesigns for adults with predesigned
numbered sheets of landscapes, flowers,
portraits and silhouettes. This easy-to-use
technique is simple because the sheets
are already numbered with the colournumber. Just lift the adhesive protector,
sprinkle the sand on every space with
its number. Arenart products conform
to all EU’s safety rules for school and
educational products.
Creative Products Distribution Ltd
T +44(0)20 8953 2143
W: www.creative-distribution.co.uk
affectionately
known as Stitches
Crafts brand Gilliangladrag
showcased its own range of
colourful knitting needles and
crochet hooks. The knitting
needle range, sold per pair
in eye-catching packaging, is
available in 14 different sizes
from 2.25mm to 10.00mm
and comes in two different
lengths 25cm and 35cm,
retailing between £2.95 and
£5.95. The colourful crochet
hooks are available separately
in 12 popular sizes from
2.25mm to 9mm and retail
between £1.95 and £2.95.
Woodware had lots of new products to share with visitors to
the show, and was particularly pleased with the response to its
brilliant new Bowmaker, ColorBox inks and Clear Scraps new
line of laser-cut acrylics mixers. These fun products can be used to
spray to give a positive and negative image, and finished with Color
Solutions alcohol inks, heated to soften and distort to use as an
embellishment.
Gilliangladrag
T: +44 (0)1306 898 144
W: www.gilliangladrag.co.uk
Woodware Craft Collection Ltd
T: +44 (0)1756 700 024
W: www.woodware.co.uk
Stitchtastic introduced retailers to its striking original cross-stitch designs. The most popular
products was the Eddie Stobart caricature range. Eddie fans can now stitch both the new and old
Eddie designs. The original lorry kit measures 44cm x 28cm and is very distinctive, while the newer
refrigerated design made its debut and caught everyone’s eye measuring 36cm x 24cm. Both are
straightforward stitches which look incredibly detailed when finished and framed. Stitchtastic has
no minimum order value and provides free shipping on all orders more than 10 kits.
Stitchtastic
T: +44 (0)114 383 0333
W: www.stitchtastic.com
36 craftfocus
With its brand new stand, DMC was
able to showcase its product portfolio
and highlight the new collection to
a wider audience. Popular products
proved to be the crochet collection,
while the latest cross-stitch kits also
created lots of interest. Thomas and
Felix, founders of the successful myboshi
hand-crocheted beanies, created a real
buzz with live product demonstrations
and shared their story with visitors (see
our interview with Thomas and Felix on
the Craft Focus website).
New to the show’s
cake decorating sector,
Silikomart from Italy
demonstrated the mini
wonder cakes square.
Bakers can now make mini
wedding cakes from home
small in shape but still great
in taste. This silicone mould
square will make six mini
squared wedding cakes. The mould is presented in bright
fuchsia and is made in Italy, and is designed with food safe
silicone and resistant to temperatures from -60°C to
+230°C, so is suitable for the oven or the freezer.
DMC Creative World Ltd
T: +44 (0)116 275 4000
Silikomart
T: +39 041 519 0550
W: www.silikomart.com/blog/en
NEW FOR SPRING
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affectionately
known as Stitches
Creative Beadcraft’s expanded range
of starter selections attracted a lot
of interest, as it now offers more
than 60 options for the retail-ready
strings including four collections of
colour co-ordinated multi-strings,
Czech pressed glass beads and
pendants, glass pearls and crystal
beads such as puffy rondelles, facetted
rounds and cubes.The new range of
Japanese seed beads and Swarovski
bicones and flatbacks in 5cm hanging
tubes also proved popular, with the
two starter selections of Miyuki
delicas. Creative Beadcraft has also
introduced a new floor stand utilising perforated panels designed to
hold hanging tubes and strings and make a compact but eye-catching
display. Each floor stand holds eight perforated panels or can be
provided with four perforated panels on the top and four panels
with hooks for packs with euroslots on the bottom.
Creative Beadcraft
T: +44(0)1494 786 924
W: www.creativebeadcraft.co.uk
ExaClair, UK supplier of
brands such as Decopatch,
Clairefontaine, Maildor, and
Avenue Mandarine showcased
its new and exciting products
with an attention-grabbing
Decopatch lion that stood
over a metre tall on the stand.
This head-turning piece was a great
way to show off its latest papers that
include the Tropical range, with green,
geometric designs that blend with
floral papers plus the tactile, Fuzzy Fur
range was used for the lion’s mane
and muzzle, and the result marked
Decopatch’s move into contemporary,
fashion-forward designs, which is
reflected in the company’s new
catalogue. Also popular were the
floral, sparkly and super-kitsch
Royalties designs and the Colour Burst
range, where textured, subtle patterns
are ideal for home décor projects.
Exaclair
T: +44(0)1553 696 600
38 craftfocus
Hot sellers for Fantastic
Ribbons were still the
homespun style and vintage
look items such as its latest
colours in printed, dotted,
twill tape ribbons. This
haberdashery-associated
line has a fabric feel and can
be used for textiles, sewing
and embellishments. The
new range of lace spurned
high interest and buttons
were still on the increase
with interest in the new
fabric button range and
the exciting new colours
in its value packs of mixed
loose craft buttons. The general consensus from its customers
is that business in sectors like sewing and cake decoration are
growing, and the company has recognised the need to buy smartly
and provide a lower minimum order of £125 carriage paid and
minimum pack size to three units.
DATES FOR
YOUR DIARY
Fantastic Ribbons
NEW SHOW FOR 2014
T: +44 (0)844 800 9120
E: [email protected] Autumn Craft,
Hobby + Stitch
W: www.fantasticribbons.com
21st - 22nd September, 2014
ExCeL, London
Coats is your crafts partner of choice was the
message Coats Crafts wanted to promote at
this year’s spring show. Indeed the company’s
innovative rebranded stand was created to
promote the call to action strapline of the
new Make it web portal. Under the new
branding Make it Coats, the powerful combination
of Rowan, Patons and Schachenmayr handknitting
ranges were displayed in the latest yarn cabinets,
sitting alongside fresh wall-mounted and gondola
cabinets to showcase Rowan and FreeSpirit fabrics.
Customer enthusiasm about its hand-knittings
and fabrics ranges remained high, and spread
across its more traditional product offers that they
reinforced at the show. This included the newly
introduced patchwork and quilting cabinets, to
reflect the returned popularity of these crafts.
Aimed at capturing a younger audience and entice
retailers and customers back into embroidery, the
Anchor iPhone
cover and Frame It
display assortments
were showcased.
Spring Craft, Hobby + Stitch
15-17th February, 2015
NEC, Birmingham
W: www.chsi.co.uk
Coats Crafts
T: +44 (0)1484 681 881
W: www.makeitcoats.com/en-gb
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show review
Julie Bonnar visited and reports back on this year’s brilliant Creativeworld show in Frankfurt
Creativeworld was one of the trio of consumer goods fairs held in Frankfurt am Main at the end of January, and we’re lucky enough to be invited
over by Messe Frankfurt to see what products manufacturers had in store for crafters.
Following last year’s rather
disheartening business
climate, this year’s exhibitors
and visitors seemed to be
in high spirits, and more
economically optimistic about
the forthcoming year. All
three shows (Paperworld,
Creativeworld and
Christmasworld) closed their
doors having attracted 83,174
visitors from more than 154
countries with 60 per cent
of these visitors coming from
outside Germany, which was
an increase in international
buyers over previous years.
X-Cut Build-a-Scene die-cuts from docrafts
FACTS AND FIGURES
• CHA (Craft Hobby Association) from the US partnered
Creativeworld bringing with it a variety of fresh, new
handicrafts trends from across the pond.
• 287 exhibitors from 32 countries presented their
latest products and trends to 8,165 visitors from all
over the world.
• The level of international visitors rose 49 per cent.
• The top five visitor nations after Germany were France,
the Netherlands, Spain, Great Britain and Russia. With the
Netherlands and Spain seeing the biggest increases (+111
per cent and +84 per cent respectively). There was also a
significant increase of visitors from Japan, Lithuania, China
and Taiwan, resulting from the other two shows running
along side.
Wow Embossing
Powders demonstrates
its new silicone moulds
RESPONSE FROM EXHIBITORS AND VISITORS
According to an exhibitor’s poll conducted by Messe Frankfurt, 82 per cent of
exhibitors were satisfied to extremely satisfied with the Creativeworld fair, and
were particularly encouraged by the increase in the number of visitors from the
(specialist) retail trade compared to 2013. More managers attended at the fair,
which is indicative of a high visitor standard, and the focus of visitor interest was on
handicrafts items, followed by graphic and artists’ requisites and textile design.
“Our expectations were exceeded. Saturday, we could hardly move on our stand
because there was such a crush! We went to Frankfurt to meet retailers who can
be inspired and exploit synergetic effects – and we found them there,” said Michael
Hammer, Vice President Sales, Princeton Art & Brush.
craftfocus 41
NEW HALL 4.2
In addition to Hall 4.1, half of Hall 4.2 was
opened to Creativeworld exhibitors this
year. This hall also offered a varied and
interesting events programme including
the new Creative Talks area, the Creative
Impulse special show, the My Bag Café and
the US Pavilion were all highlights of this
area. Visitors were able to see the latest
trends from the US, listen to expert lectures
and create their own bags at My Bag.
USA PARTNERSHIP
The US presented its latest products in a
special pavilion with 37 exhibitors exhibiting
in the fields of paper, card design, stamping,
punching, modeling and also holding a
selection of lectures to share the creative
trends that are currently happening in the
States.
The US Pavilion showcased the latest
handicrafts ideas and new products from
the US and the joint presentation with 16
exhibitors organised in co-operation with
the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA).
“We presented companies
belonging to our association that
want to gain a foothold in the
European market. A partnership
with Creativeworld is the
right way to bring the industry
together with new customers,”
said CHA President Andrej Suskavcevic.
“We tried to create a much
stronger image at this show and
in Europe as a key arts and craft
paint supplier. Creativeworld
is as important in Europe as
CHA is for the United States, so
we expect Creativeworld will
give us access to many more
new customers and to help
us support our already strong
wholesalers in Europe,” said Stan
Cliffords, President and CEO of DecoArt.
42 craftfocus
Creall modelling materials and characters
created by clay artist Martin Pottjewijd
TREND SHOW, MY BAG AND CREATIVE AWARDS CEREMONY
A magnet for visitors was the Trend Show, organised by Trend Bureau (bora.herke.palmisano) for
Messe Frankfurt. The designers set out to combine traditional handicrafts techniques with fresh
ideas to inspire visitors.
With a special exhibition and awards ceremony, the second Creative Hands was held at the fair,
this time under the motto ‘My Bag’ which Craft Focus featured on its website. The 20 most creative
bag designs were put on show at ‘My Bag Café’ and the jury chose the most attractive design. The
winner came from Kathrin Holighaus who created a bag with an integrated folder.
The presentation of the Creative Impulse Awards was very interesting. The awards had four
categories this year, and visitors had the opportunity to see all entries for themselves. Also new
for this show was the Creative Talks lecture area that provided a favourable setting for the expert
lectures but also for panel debates.
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Tread carefully with Molotow’s Grafx markers
TRENDING SPOTTING
The handicrafts trend and the desire for customisation and DIY
crafting are becoming increasingly popular, and the appetite for this
was reflected in the show with new techniques that picked up on
the trends.
Textile printing and customising garments continues to be very popular
and the more colourful the better
is this year’s motto. Dip dyeing and
That’s Original demonstrates
templating are simple techniques
the creativity of products with
that produce great results.
ilovetocreate.com
Decorate with rhinestones or rivets,
motifs, paints, sprays, specialty pens,
and embellishments.
Washi tapes are hot news too
and can be used to wrap and liven
up a wide range of projects.
“People love to make things for
themselves. As paint manufacturers,
we benefit from this and take
account of the latest trends. A
major trend at the moment is, for
example, paint that you can use to
personalise textiles,” says Marabu’s
Marketing Director, Kirsten Rohde.
Innovative dress your doll
from Roos Production
TOP TRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
• Crochet has gained a strong fan base, and it’s the younger generation
getting involved. Crochet inventers Thomas and Felix of myboshi from
DMC’s exciting new range of fun beanie’s has helped this sector pick
up pace.
• Patchworking has bounced back with a contemporary look, and
there are more and more consumer magazines supporting this
traditional craft.
• Up-cycling or refashioning– whatever name you would prefer to
know it by, making something new from old is huge business.
• Leather crafting is set to be big news, from jewellery making to bag
making and accessories.
• Punching motifs into borders made of paper or felt has become very
popular for decorating bags, garments, greetings cards and decorating
cakes, making these items more desirable.
44 craftfocus
Marabu’s
stand was
impressive with
lots of inspiring
projects for its
latest paints
and sprays for
fabric, porcelain
and glass.
DIARY DATES FOR NEXT YEAR
Creativeworld, Paperworld and Christmasworld
31st January - 3rd February, 2015
Venue: Frankfurt am Main
T: +44( 0)1483 483 983
W: www.creativeworld.messefrankfurt.com
show review
crafting on a mega scale
News and reviews from the CHA conference and trade show
Create & Craft live from the CHA show
Overall feedback from the show has been very
positive, and this was backed up by a very busy
show floor that featured a large and diverse
selection of craft and creative products from
exhibitors from all around the world. Exhibitor
numbers were on par with last year, showing a
definite halt in previously declining numbers.
The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA)
announced an increase in attendance at this
year’s annual Conference & Trade show held
in Anaheim, California in January. It aimed to
bring together the key players of the crafts
and creative industry from retailers large and
small, independent chains, and the leading
innovations in crafting from more than 400
exhibitors from around the world over the
four days.
FACTS AND FIGURES
For those of you who don’t know, CHA is
an international non-profit trade association
consisting of thousands of member companies
engaged in design, manufacture, distribution
and retail sales of products worldwide in the
US craft and hobby industry.
and Artisan Workshops. Seminars with a focus
on technology and social media were a firm
favourite with attendees.
Two new education components extended
to the show floor this year and included
a Makerspace that highlighted the Maker
Movement with live demonstrations and
hourly business and education seminars, as
well as Education Theatres featuring hands-on
workshops during show floor hours.
New features also included a fun VIP buyer
lounge and membership bar, and a Bead
Pavilion, where bead and jewellery exhibitors
could display their wares in their own
exclusive area.
“As a bead store owner, I naturally
attend many bead-related
wholesale and retail shows. The
good thing about attending a
general craft show such as CHA
is that it gives me an opportunity
to think outside the box. These
days, you can’t stay in business by
focusing only on your own main
product lines. You need to look
outside to see how other craft
products can be incorporated into
your business,” Marg Yama.
• 2994 buyers, 4.28 per cent increase from
2866 buyers in the previous year (2013).
• 4.11 per cent increase in total attendance.
• 23 per cent international attendees from
55 countries including Japan, Australia and the
United Kingdom.
• The conference portion of the show was
well attended with 32 per cent of total
attendees participating in education sessions.
• There were 116 total programs offered
including seminars, workshops and events,
of which 26 were sold out. Many new
programs were introduced to the Conference
programme line-up this year including Lunchn-Learn Boot Camp sessions, Hands-On Labs
craftfocus 47
crafting on a mega scale
BUZZ-WORTHY PRODUCT AWARDS
The Hot 20 Awards is an annual feature of this show that recognises
exhibitors for outstanding work in product innovation, with 20 of the
most innovative crafting products of the year selected by a jury of
industry professionals and representatives from the media. Winners are
chosen from over 80 products submitted to the CHA 2014 New
Products Showcase, and the most innovative and buzz-worthy products
are selected by a panel of expert media judges, including: Cynthia
Richter, Woman’s World Magazine; Nancy Nally, Scrapbook Update;
Jenny Barnett-Rohrs, Craft Test Dummies; Jade Harrington-Boudreaux,
Jaderbomb.com and Lisa Fulmer, Cool2Craft.com.
1. Beadlon Artistic
Wire Findings
Forms™
15. Little B Perfect Positioner
2. Beadalon
Knot-a-Bead™
17. M-D Building Products Metal Sheets
3. BIC® Magic
Marker® brand
Window Marker
4. Brother International Corporation
ScanNCut machine
5. Chameleon Art Products Ltd Color
Tones Pens
3RD
PLACE
16. Lumi Inkodye Black
18. Plaid Enterprises Mod Podge
Mod Melter
19. Ranger Industries Tim Holtz®
Distress Marker Spritzer
20. Spellbinders Tool-n-One .
1ST
PLACE
The 2014 award winners went to:
• Chameleon International for New Exhibitor
Award
• Clear Bags for Inline Award, SpinRite for
Island/Peninsula Award
• Lion Brand Yarn for the Critics’ Choice
Award.
6. ComposiMold PowerMold Modeling
Compound Push Mold Kit
7. Craftwell eBrush
8. Crystal Katana: from CrystalNinja.com
9. DecoArt
Chalky Finish
Program
10. DesignMaster
TintIT™
11. Ellison/Sizzix
Modern Surrealist by Marisa Pawelko
12. Fiskars Brands 12
inch x 12 inch Rotary
Ruler Combo
13. ICE Resin Susan
Lenart Kazmer Iced
Enamels®
14. iLoveToCreate
Aleene’s® Quick Dry
Fabric Fusion®
48 craftfocus
Top Prizes went to:
Brother International Corporation for
ScanNCut machine
A revolutionary new home and hobby cutting
machine with the convenience of a 300 DPI
built-in scanner.
Craftwell eBrush
For the portable airbrush system used
by crafters, cake decorators and beauty
enthusiasts alike for scrapbooking, makeup
application and more.
Spellbinders for the
Tool-n-One
A portable tool
that performs
multiple craft
functions,
including piercing,
folding, paper
removal, inking,
distressing, curling,
and more.
The CHA Exhibiting with
Excellence awards
These were presented to companies whose
dynamic displays and merchandising techniques
enhance the overall atmosphere of the show
floor.
2ND
PLACE
The annual Craft Industry Prestigious
Service Awards
These were also presented during the show
and were awarded as follows:
• Gail Czech of The Creative Network, Inc.
received The Meritorious Award –
this is the highest honour the Association can
bestow and acknowledges an individual or
group that has made a significant contribution
to the Association and Industry.
• Georganne Bender and Rich Kizer of Kizer
& Bender Speaking received the Industry
Achievement Award. This is awarded to a CHA
member (individual, group/company) that has
made a significant contribution to the growth
and vitality of the Craft and Hobby Industry as
a whole.
• Lion Brand Yarn Co. received The CHA
Special Recognition Award, which
recognises an individual or group for
extraordinary contributions that positively
showcase the Craft and Hobby Industry. C
DIARY DATES FOR NEXT YEAR
CHA 2015 Mega Conference &
Trade Show
8-13th January 2015
Anaheim, California
W: www.craftandhobby.org
father’s day
man-made
Product offerings for crafters to make and give
for Father’s day
Top that!
Perfect for Father’s Day, this Special Moments topper set from Hunkydory Crafts
features fun images of Dad in slippers taking it easy in his armchair with the
Sunday newspaper, with a cup of tea in hand. Including sentiments for Father’s day,
Grandad and birthday, this Hunkydory Crafts topper set is versatile and can be
used for many more than this occasion. Lovingly die-cut onto 300gsm card stock
and foiled with rich gold, this pack also contains a co-ordinating sheet of 350gsm A4
printed Adorable Scorable, plus one 350gsm sheet of A4 accent-foiled Adorable
Scorable cardstock. This Father’s Day topper set retails at £2.99, and is part of the
Milestones and Special Moments Collection, which includes a selection of toppers
for all occasions.
Hunkydory Crafts
T: +44 (0)1772 272 575
Food for thought
Eye candy
This Food Map cross-stitch by Helen Smith is available from
Bothy Threads, and will not only be informative, explaining the
history behind the foods depicted, but a bit of fun for Dad’s
to put up in their workspace. Designed on 16-count ice blue
Aida and measuring 36cm x 42cm, it retails at £34.99.
This year is the 20th anniversary of the Uni-ball Eye, one of the most popular
rollerball pens in the country. To celebrate this milestone Uni-ball has released
the Eye Designer. This pen combines a bright, stylish design with the reliability
and quality of the original Eye pen, and comes in eight vibrant ink colours. The
Designer is available loose, or in a variety of triple pack combinations and as
an all-inclusive eight-piece set. Whether customers are looking for the latest
fashion accessory or simply a good pen, they will find it in the Eye Designer.
Bothy Threads
T: +44 (0)844 8000 221
Mitsubishi Pencil Co. UK Ltd
T: +33 0100 9933
W: www.uniball.co.uk
craftfocus 51
man-made
A good read for hobbyists
GMC Distribution stocks a good range of niche books on a variety
of craft and hobbyist topics. Here are just two of the latest releases
that will appeal to men:
Trucker appeal
Stitchtastic has come up
with some great crossstitch designs based around
its most popular caricature
ranges, which will make
great gifts for men. The
new Eddie Stobart kit
reflects some of this
famous haulage company’s
newer truck liveries. While this aircraft caricature range includes the
Vulcan Bomber, with its wing tip brushing the clouds this design looks
amazing both from a distance and close up.
Both kits come with DMC threads, presorted onto thread cards and
Zweigart aida, and costs £29.95. Stitchtastic has no minimum order and
offers free shipping on any order over 10 kits.
Stitchtastic
T: +44 (0)114 383 0333
W: www.stitchtastic.com
A date to remember
La Pashe has got Father’s Day well and truly
covered this year, with papercraft products
to suite every kind of Dad out there.
Calendar Cards feature customisable built-in
date wheels which allow the card-maker
to choose a specific date to display on the
front of the card, so simply set to 15th June
to make this a perfect card for his special
day. There are some fabulous designs to
choose from including the two shown here
– Free wheeling and Seat in the shade.
La Pashe
T: +44 (0)191 417 6494
W: www.lapashe.com
52 craftfocus
Modern Cartooning
By Christopher Hart
Price: £14.99
ISBN: 978-0823007141
Published by Watson-guptil
This new book is aimed
at budding cartoon artists
who are keen on learning
how to draw this style. The
book features a fresh look
at cartooning and has an
easy-to-follow approach to
the process. Christopher Hart
shows readers basic tips for creating a cast of the most hilarious,
outrageous characters inspired by today’s cartoons. Packed full of
tips, hints and step-by-step illustrations, Modern Cartooning gives
artists of all ages the tools they’re required to let imaginations
flourish.
Bryan Peterson’s Exposure Solutions
By Bryan Peterson
Price: £14.99
ISBN: 978-0770433055
Published by Amphoto
American professional
photographer and
internationally known
instructor, Bryan Peterson
is known the world
over and is the bestselling author of many
photography books, with
this new book set to be
no exception. It contains a compilation of best tips from some of
his earlier publications, and many fresh ideas desgined to alleviate
some of the more challenging situations. Bryan has a knack of
making a complex and often confusing topic seem easy-tounderstand with his trademark use of colour and strong, graphic
composition that has acquired him many photographic awards.
The book explains how to solve the most common photography
problems and help photographers grasp the correct exposure for
a variety of situations. Amateur or professional, everyone will be
able to take something away with them.
a picture can speak
a thousand words
As an online business, your product photography is the closest your customers will get to the
real product before purchasing. Daniel Ruffle, Head of Digital Design at Metakinetic describes
how to make the most of your images
1
Provide more than one image and
from multiple angles
Do you still only display one solitary
image on your product page? Your customers
will expect more. You should aim to include at
least three images from various angles (usually
front, back and side) to really showcase the
product. Your images are also a very important
contributor to the overall brand experience a
visitor receives on your website. They help to
tell your story, as well as sell your products, so
they should be as high quality as possible and
take up a large portion of the product page.
Your merchandising strategy should also be
extended to your product photography to
maintain brand consistency.
Create a sense of depth in
your image
You need your visitors to be interested
and excited by your product imagery, and
while blank white backgrounds aid clarity
they can also be quite dull and uninspiring.
To create intrigue in the image, try placing
the item against a backdrop that sets it at the
forefront of the frame. If you’re worried about
2
54 craftfocus
Designer Isabel Manson, Photography Zoom 101
SEVEN COMMANDMENTS FOR
GREAT ONLINE PRODUCT IMAGES
The images that accompany your product
description will actually have more influence
on a buyer than the details in the text, so if
you want to give your stock the best chance of
converting you may want to review the images
that you’re currently using.
Visuals are always extremely persuasive and
your product image needs to capture all the
intricacies of an item to give it every possible
chance of attracting an online buyer. If you can
afford to get professional photography for your
products rather than using the manufacturer's
images then I’d definitely recommend this.
It also helps to add a dimension of brand
personality to your products that will set them
apart from competitors who might be selling
the exact same items.
the background of your image becoming too
busy you can use backdrops in different shades
of white/cream to add dimension without
drawing the focus away from your product.
Show the finer details of the
product with zoom
If your products have delicate detailing
like craft products do, it’s vital that you allow
users to see this up close. Including a zoom
function is a quick and easy way for visitors to
see an enlarged version of your main image.
There are a variety of zoom functions that you
can use, the easiest being a Click to enlarge link
under the main image which will literally open
3
a pop-up window of the image in a bigger
size. More advanced offerings using Javascript
or Flash include Magic Toolbox Zoom, which
operates without a pop-up box, and Adobe’s
Scene 7.
Engage with your audience
You know the perfect use for your
product, so why not photograph it in
that precise setting? Images that show an item
in use or in location are far more persuasive
than those with an abstract background. A
pretty embroidered tablecloth would appear
far more desirable to a visitor if it was shown
in a teatime setting in the garden rather than
4
business advice
Designer Isabel Manson, Photography Zoom 101
folded neatly on a plain white surface. Think
about how and where your product will
be used and plan your images to capture
this scene.
5
Use a large default image
If your image is the most persuasive
element of a product page, it makes
sense to ensure that this is as large as possible,
both on the product page and in the search
page. As a general rule, your product image
should take up a minimum of 50 per cent
of your product page, and the product itself
should be in 80 per cent of the frame. Be
aware that, when adding a larger image to your
page for the zoom functionality, you’ll need to
upload a smaller fully-formatted image to be
the main default. If you edit the large zoom
image in the source code to reduce it in size
this will only increase your page-load time,
which can infuriate visitors.
6
Be different
Just because your competitors
showcase its products in a certain way,
it doesn’t mean you have to stick to the same
mould. Your product images also represent
your brand to a potential customer so by
demonstrating your brand style and creativity
in your product photography you can help
customers buy into your brand vision, as
well as the individual products making an
online experience far more enjoyable and
memorable. The best product photography will
come after you’ve spent some time developing
your own individual image style, which can
then be replicated through all the images on
your site.
Don’t be afraid to use rich media
Don’t restrict your product pages to
only include images. 360-degree product
viewers and product demonstration videos
are all fantastic ways to improve the amount
7
of information that you’re providing to your
customers, and can be relatively inexpensive
to implement.
Video works particularly well for craft
products that form part of a wider craft
project, giving you the opportunity to
showcase the item in use, as well as the end
result that can be created with it. Again, if
you’re using either of these rich media features
try to include touches of your own branding to
create an original experience for the visitor.
Hopefully, this has given you some food for
thought on the ways to improve your own
product photography. Once you’ve come up
with a plan of action, the next most important
step is testing. Not all customers will prefer the
same features, so it’s recommended spending
a month testing the various different changes
that you’ve identified before you make any
permanent amendments.
If you think your products would benefit
from a larger amount of images, first test
which amount works best – three may be
too small, and five may be too many. Similarly,
if you are re-doing your photography to
include shots from different angles, you should
start by trialling different images to identify
which angles create the most conversions.
You may find that, depending on the product,
the inclusion of a side-view image is all that is
needed to boost sales, whilst other products
may require a top-view and internal-view to
improve conversions. You may even discover a
whole new market for your products waiting
just across the pond. C
Daniel Ruffle is Head of
Digital Design at Metakinetic,
an award-winning full service
e-commerce agency. Based in
Wokingham, Berkshire, with
a team of 20 specialists, the
company provides e-commerce solutions,
digital marketing and creative design
services to a wide range of online retailers.
Focused on quality, support and delivering
commercial results, Metakinetic helps clients
become more successful online.
T: +44 (0)118 324 9000
W: www.metakinetic.com
craftfocus 55
WIN!
Here’s your chance to win 30 Lace in
Bloom luxury card collections, courtesy of
Hunkydory Crafts, one of the UK’s premier
papercraft manufacturers
THE PRIZE
The Lace in Bloom Collection from Hunkydory Crafts is a
celebration of nature’s most beautiful flowers and blossoms with
stunning shades of carnation pink, lavender haze and hydrangea
blue. This kit is ideal for all-year round card making, with a versatile
soft colour palette suitable for all occasions including birthdays,
anniversaries and more.
FEATURES
Delicate lace borders and pretty doilies are predominant
throughout the collection, along with exquisite silver foiled
accents, which add a touch of style and elegance to your cards.
This collection is a wonderful mix of foiled and die-cut card
toppers and miniature postcards, complemented by pretty
borders and sentiments, with die-cut decoupage for added depth
and dimension. Also included are 24 sheets of foiled and printed
Adorable Scorable cardstock for that extra-special Hunkydory
touch to your cards. C
TO ENTER
To enter the competition go to
www.craftfocus.com, fill in your details
and answer the following question:
Q. Which three colours feature in
this collection?
Closing date is 31st May, 2014
Terms and Conditions
1. Competitions are not open to employees of KD Media
Publishing Ltd (including immediate families)
2. Entrants must be a member of the 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. No discussion will be entered into
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
56 craftfocus
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Hunkydory Crafts is a family-run business that is passion about, and
specialises in, papercraft products. This company also features in one
of this month’s company profiles; read more about them on pages
70 - 71.
T: +44 (0)1772 272 575
storage solutions
let’s organise
Help crafters stay tidy and keep craft materials safely with innovative storage solutions
STYLISH SEWING
Korbond has an extensive range of storage solutions offering a
variety of options
to cater for a
range of tastes
and trends. The
collection includes
fashionable fabric
sewing baskets,
practical craft
organisers, stylish
knitting bags and
storage racks. To
view Korbond’s
entire storage
range visit: sew.
korbond.co.uk.
Hot products
for this year include Korbond ‘Creations’ sewing baskets
that come in five varieties of carefully selected fabrics:
• Harbourside –
an alternative take
on the popular
nautical style, this
textured finish
sewing basket is a
unique option.
• Bloom – this
floral fabric
combines soft and
feminine colours
to provide a
traditional design
option for crafters
and sewing
enthusiasts.
• Retro – this
eye-catching fabric
is a great colourful option for those that have an artistic nature.
• Candy Stripe – this minimalistic striped pattern presents an
appealing two-tone effect making this fabric an attractive option for
those who like to keep things simple.
• Monochrome – this stylish fabric emphasises core colours of
black and white, in a floral feminine design.
Korbond
T: +44 (0)1476 581 888
W: www.korbond.co.uk
ON THE MOVE
Studio Collection offers must-have luxury for sewing, quilting and
crafting enthusiasts and is the latest addition to the popular range of
Groves storage solutions. Designed with attention to detail, it offers the
best in style, while being totally practical for keeping sewing machines,
accessories and project work protected and tidy – perfect for travelling
or simply storing at home. Made from wear-resistant padded fabric, these
sturdy yet elegant cases have comfort grip handles and multiple storage
pockets and compartments. With easy glide heavy-duty zips the Studio
Collection is built to last. The fat quarter bag sits neatly on top of the
trolleys and in addition to storing fat quarters is also excellent for storing
items such as thread boxes and books.
CONTEMPORARY DESIGNS
Groves has just launched its Hobby Gift Collection for this year, which
includes sewing machine bags, craft bags, knitting and crochet holders.
Designed to suit all tastes and budgets, prints include animal, floral, polka
dot and contemporary. Retail prices start at around £17.
Both the Studio Collection and Hobby Gift ranges are currently
on trade promotion, so contact your local Groves representative for
more details.
Groves
T: +44 (0)1844 258 080
W: www.groves-banks.com
craftfocus 57
let’s organise
NEEDLE SAFE
Seek It Out is an online crafting company that aims to inspire adults
to take up creative hobbies. It has recently launched a new range of
sewing kits for the wholesale market which includes this knitting pin
wrap and needle case. Both of these can be made by machine or
hand for those who want to enjoy a complete sewing experience
without huge expense and hassle. Each project includes thread,
pins and needle, a tape measure and comes in a quirky handmade oilcloth bag, which can be used again and again. Designed by
Shropshire twosome Frank Wagstaff and Rosie Beswick, the projects
offer adults a great way to learn to sew inexpensively. “They are
fun little projects that teach you how to sew, cut out and follow a
pattern,” says Rosie.
Seek It Out
T: +44 (0)1743 885 292
W: www.seekitout.co.uk
58 craftfocus
HANDY FOR BUDDING ARTISTS
This colourful NeoCritz pencil case, designed by Japanese brand Kukuyo,
combines function with style. Zip it up and carry it as a pouch when on
the go, then once you’re settled at your desk, open the case and fold
back the top to convert it into a standing penholder. Compact in design
it takes up little space on the desk. Pens and pencils are displayed well
and easy to grab. There are two small pockets on the inside, handy for
stashing correction tape, erasers or leads. As a crafter, this case can be
used for safely storing your crafting tools that you use regularly.
Kukoyo is distributed by Stone Marketing
T: +44 (0)1732 771 771
W: www.stonemarketing.com
storage solutions
BOBBINS AT THE READY
Prym has some practical solutions
for sewers that will not only
help store products safely but
also make them easy to use.
These two products will solve
the unraveling bobbin syndrome.
This 32-compartmental bobbin
box means that all bobbins can be
pre-loaded with favourite threads,
eliminating the need to stop in the
middle of a sewing project to
refill a bobbin.
For smaller projects and
workshops, this doughnutshaped bobbin ring is just as
useful and will prevent bobbin
threads from unwinding and
tangling. Mould to fit the
bobbin by submerging in
boiling water, and then press
the sides and immerse into
cold water to fix into shape.
This ring will hold up to 20 bobbins securely. Both versions will hold
metal or plastic bobbins, and all brands and different sizes.
A TREASURE CHEST OF
LUXURY AND TRADITION
Prym Europe GmbH
T: +49 (0)24 0214 04
W: www.prym-consumer.com
DMC Creative
T: +44 (0)116 275 4000
For the ultimate
in thread storage,
DMC Creative
World is offering
retailers the
opportunity to
offer its customers
a fantastic wooden
Collector’s Box
containing one
skein of every
DMC stranded
cotton colour –
this equates to 465
colours in total. This
box is beautifully
crafted in highquality wood and
would be a welcome gift to any serious stitcher. The box keeps the
full stranded cotton range neatly stored in one place with projects
and accessories stored in a compartment in the top of the box.
The chest’s dimensions are 45cm x 35cm x 27cm.
FILE IN STYLE
Due to the nature of alcohol pens – these
need to be stored horizontally to ensure the
flow of ink remains at both ends. This modular
stacking system from Crafter’s Companion can
be customised to suit a crafter’s workspace, and
built up in three convenient ways; horizontally,
vertically or angled, and stacked as high or wide
as space will allow. Each individual unit will hold
12 pens which is the perfect size to hold two
full packs of colour-themed Spectrum Noir
pens. However, this pen storage solution will fit
other brands of pens up to 17mm in diameter,
as each tray measures 13.5cm x 24cm. They
are available in black or clear, and retail at £5.99
per tray.
Crafter’s Companion
T: +44 (0)1388 660 930
W: www.crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk
craftfocus 59
around the houses
We talk to Michael Powell about his love of architectural art, watercolour painting, and its
conversion to beautiful cross-stitch products
Up the garden
As an artist what inspired you to turn your
artwork into designs for cross-stitch?
It was a pure accident! I was exhibiting my
paintings and a lady who visited the exhibition
suggested that my artwork might make
great cross-stitch kits. We made up some
samples, which sold really well. We really didn’t
look back and 12 years later, it would seem
she was right!
Hearts and Flowers bookmarks
What are the best-selling products?
The bookmarks sell
well, and the newest
to the range is Tall
Houses which includes
Italian Villa, Timber
House and Chateau,
with other designs
to follow shortly.
The designs are fully
stitched and use full
crosses and back
stitch, with some blend
colours producing
a beautiful and
practical result. These
bookmark kits contain
everything you need
to stitch the complete
design including the
Tall Houses bookmark
Aida band, tassel
– Tall Timber
60 craftfocus
and felt backing and Anchor threads. Full
instructions and two charts sets– one for
Mini Myrtle Cottage from the Mini Kits range
general stitching and one for the backstitch –
are also included. The kits retail at £10.99 and
make wonderful gifts for cross-stitchers or
book lovers.
The mini kits are great collections to get
crafters hooked on cross-stitch, and make
good PoS products. These are divided into
a number of collections with something for
everyone from Cottages, Lighthouses, Spanish
Cottages, Christmas Windows, Snow Scenes,
and a range of holiday scenes from the Greek
Islands, Venice and Tuscany plus new additions
including Summer Daisies.
The best selling design is the biggest one we
produce, which is the Venice Palazzo Triptych.
This is made up of three designs that can be
put together to make a triptych but they also
work as individual pictures too, making them
great value. Secret Garden 1 and Up the
Garden Path are also popular.
company profile
Venice Palazzo Triptych
What tips would you give retailers
who are considering stocking your
cross-stitch designs in their stores?
It’s so important to have some completed
stitched models, and to provide a little space
to show these – even when space is at a
premium – as it does work. For retailers, we
offer high quality laser print service free of
charge for models of the mini kits, bookmarks
and some of the 8 inch square designs. When
framed, these show the finished design to a
quality that is difficult to tell from the originals.
Some of your designs have been adapted for
paper-crafting and for sending as an e-card –
how did this come about?
Last year, I worked with DoCrafts to produce
a range of stamps, papers and decoupage kits
that all sold very well. I’m planning some new
ranges that I hope to launch soon under my
own brand too.
Place du Marché triptych
Congratulations, we know you’ve won
Designer of the Year four years on the trot.
Tell us a bit about this award?
This is the award now called the British Craft
Awards and is voted for by readers and
subscribers to the Immediate Media magazines
including World of Cross Stitching. It’s brilliant
to be voted Designer of the Year, and to
receive it four years in a row – it’s just fantastic
and makes it all worthwhile!
What is trending in the cross-stitch market
at the moment?
I tend not to follow the trends. My work
concentrates on characters, bears, rabbits
and places. However, we do find themes like
gardens, hearts and flowers work extremely
well for us, and of course, buildings of all
shapes and sizes have become our trademark.
Do you have any exciting plans or products
that you can give us a
sneak preview of?
Yes, I can tell you
that we’ll shortly
be launching a new
Triptych called Place
du Marché (Market
Square) and, as it
sounds, it’s a Frenchbased image. It’s a
gorgeous computer
generated image of
the skyline, but we
think it looks great,
and retailers and
customers will love
it too. We also have
many other products
in the pipeline for later
in the year. C
Flower Meadow
bookmark
Michael Powell Art
T: +44 (0)29 4049 6000
W: www.michaelpowellart.co.uk
craftfocus 61
KNITTING
KNIT YOUR OWN ZOO
By Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne
Price: £12.99 RRP
ISBN: 9781908449443
Publisher: Collins & Brown
bookstand
Stocking craft books alongside your other
product lines is a great way to make
additional sales. We review the latest editions
to hit the bookstands
QUILTING
QUILTERS,THEIR QUILTS,THEIR
STUDIOS,THEIR STORIES
By Jo Packham
Price: £16.99 RRP
ISBN: 978 1 592538928
Publisher: Quarry Books
Collins & Brown has a new addition to its bestselling Best in Show series.
Knit your own Zoo features 25 cute wild animals to knit and bring to life.
It features some well-known animals such as lions, tigers and bears plus
a few unusual ones like fruit bat, meerkat and armadillo. Authors Sally
Muir and Joanna Osborne are the knitting duo behind this publisher’s
very successful Knit Your Own books, and they also run their own knitting
business, Muir and Osborne. This new addition is simple to follow with
detailed instructions and clear photography.
We say: “Knit your own Zoo is a handy-sized book that puts the fun back
into knitting. The back of this book also features some helpful hints and
methods for choosing yarns, knitting the pieces and the final stuffing of
the animals.”
CAKE DECORATING
STEP-BY-STEP CAKE DECORATING
By Karen Sullivan
Price: £16.99 RRP
ISBN: 978 1 4093 3481 1
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley
This book gives those who love quilting
an insight into the work of 30 of the top
quilters in the industry such as Amy Butler, Kaffe Fassett, Tula Pink and
Brigitte Heitland to name just a few. Author Jo Packham, editor-in-chief
of Where Women Create, has been a leading innovator in the handmade publishing industry for more than 30 years. Discover each of the
designer’s quilting stories, be inspired by their fantastic studios, and gain
technical advice for making and displaying your own quilts – with access
to more than 80 online quilt patterns too.
Over the last few years, cake decorating has
become extremely popular from beginners
making the obligatory cupcake or trendy cake
pop to more experienced cake decorators
creating dreamy tiered celebration cakes.
This book features DK’s signature step-bystep photography that makes any new craft easy to grasp, and covers
everything you need to build and decorate your own amazing cakes
for every occasion imaginable. The dedicated technique chapter gives
cake makers some of the best expert tips to help learn what the best
tools for the job are, how to make a variety of butter-cream icings and
marzipans, and how to make a glossy ganache. Learn the art of piping,
stenciling and making delicate flower decorations with 20 one-of-a-kind
projects from three award-winning cake designers – you’ll be making
bespoke cakes in no time at all.
We say: “Quilters, Their Quilts, Their Studios, Their Stories is a great book
for those who want to take their quilting to another level.”
We say: “We like this book, it’s very easy to read and excellent to dip
in and out of to perfect your master baker skills.”
62 craftfocus
book reviews
HAND PRINTING
THE PRINT MAKING BOOK
By Vanessa Mooncie
Price: £14.99 RRP
ISBN: 9781861089212
Publisher: GMC Distribution
The Print Making Book is a great
resource book for those crafters
who want to try hand-printing.
It’s full of projects and techniques
to transform lots of ordinary
everyday household items into
works of art. All techniques are
easy replicated and can be done at home. Learn sun, relief painting,
mono printing, Lino prints and image transfer techniques with 23
beautiful projects to make to show off your new skills. Items to make
include scarves, tea towels, stationery, bags and cushions.
We say: “This is a great book for a wide range of crafters who want to
add a real custom feel to their projects.”
SEWING
BOLD & BEAUTIFUL
By Habibe Acikgoz
Price: £20.00 RRP
ISBN: 978 1 906417- 84-0
Publisher: Jacqui Small
Bold & Beautiful contains a range
of easy-to-sew clothes that are
designed for wearing individually
and together. Habibe Ackkgoz has made a series of modern garments
that skim the body to create a flowing but elegant and flattering
silhouette to suit all ages and body shapes. The book comes with a
CD that contains all the pattern pieces to make the clothing outlined
in the book. The illustrated guides explain how to construct each of
the garments along with all the techniques to get a perfect fit and
professional finish. The first chapter concentrates on how these garments
can be worn together to create a range of outfits for all occasions.
We say: “Habibe is Turkish born, and has been living in London
working as an established dressmaker, selling her garments through
specialist boutiques, for the last three years. She now has customers all
over the world.”
JEWELLERY MAKING
HOW TO MAKE SILVER CHARMS FROM METAL CLAY
By Sue Heaser
Price: £12.99 RRP
ISBN: 978 1 84543-508-0
Publisher: Apple Press
Any crafter that has worked with
clays will have heard of author Sue
Heaser. Sue is an internationally
renowned artist, author and
teacher and has been working with
both polymer and metal clays for
more than 25 years. Sue explains
in this inspirational book how to
craft intricate pure silver charms with no silver-smithing training and with
little specialist equipment. Learn all the essential techniques including
designing, moulding, finishing and firing plus how to add loops to add
to chain. The silver charms featured in this book have been divided into
chapters according to skill level. With 50 projects for beginners to more
challenging miniaturization projects, there’s a really good selection.
We say: “Any jewellery maker will love this book. It has over 50
different charms to choose from including butterflies, silhouettes, birds
and animals to handbags, insects and lucky charms.”
BIRDS – 20 JEWELRY AND
ACCESSORY DESIGNS
By Sophie Robertson
Price: £9.99 RRP
ISBN: 978 1 861089762
Publisher: GMC Distribution
This book looks at jewellery
making from a bird inspired
perspective to create unusual
pieces from scratch. Sophie
Robertson starts by outlining all
the tools, materials, findings and
techniques that you will need to
create the 20 projects that are featured in this book. The second half of
the book is then divided into earrings; necklaces and pendants; bracelets,
bangles and rings; brooches and cufflinks; and accessories. There really is
something for everyone, whether you are a classic or contemporary fan.
We say: “Bird-inspired crafting is a very popular trend at the moment
and this is a lovely book to help those new to jewellery making.”
Book Contacts
Anova Books, T: +44 (0)207 605 1466, www.anovabooks.com
Aurum Publishing Group, www.aurumpublishinggroup.com
Dorling Kindersley, T: +44 (0)207 010 3709, www.dk.co.uk
GMC Publications, T: +44 (0)1273 488 005, www.thegmcgroup.com
Jacqui Small, T: +44 (0)207 284 9300, www.aurumpress.co.uk
Quarry, www.quarrybooks.com
craftfocus 63
putting your mark on it
New and original product offerings for scrappers and stampers
A4 EMBOSSING
Crafter’s Companion now has some exciting new A4 embossing
folders for the eBosser or Grand Calibur machines from the American
designer, Teresa Collins and Craftwell. There are12 designs available in
this collection from bold wording through to vintage-style patterns,
allowing for a great variety of crafting styles. Choose from designs
such as About Time (steampunk-style clock faces), Cabbage Roses,
Herringbone, Dotted Chevrons and Sophisticated (floral pattern).
The patterns retail at £14.99 and can be used for card making and
embellishments.
Crafter’s Companion
T: +44(0)1388 660 930
W: www.crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk
BARE ALL
Staple and essential, the Bare Basics from docrafts is a simplistic but
refreshing range for crafters to achieve a truly homemade feel to their
crafting. This new Papermania collection will be a fundamental part of
any crafter’s stash. And with growing trends continuing towards upcycling
and the make and mend attitude, there’s been an increased demand for
core products that can be used to transform tired items into fresh and
contemporary makes. Muted, natural textures such as canvas, hessian
and wood provide the foundations for this range, which are versatile
to suit all crafters’ needs but will also add a contemporary feel to any
card or scrapbook. The star, tag, heart, flag and canvas shapes are ideal
for appliqué and for use on larger scaled projects as each pack includes
six pieces. Hessian is still the go-to material for the ultimate rustic feel
and the jute ribbon, 8 inch x 8 inch hessian squares, hessian pockets and
shapes provide various options for crafting projects.
A DISCERNING PALETTE
Woodware is excited about a new product that Stampendous has
brought to the market, which will complement its wonderful range
of stamps. Fran Seiford from
Stampendous has come up with
the Creative Palette, which has
so many ways that it can be
used, and is brilliant for creating
backgrounds.
The addition of stamps from
the German mixed media
artist Nathalie Kalbach to the
Stampendous stable also adds
another dimension to the use of
the Creative Palette. The palette
works well with acrylic paints
but also with Colorbox re-inkers,
using in conjunction with the
Crafter’s Re-inkers adds so many
possibilities to mixed media
work, especially on Craft Canvas.
Remove colours from stamps
or stencils on the palette.
Retails at £20.00.
docrafts
T: +44(0)1202 811 000
W: www.docrafts.biz
Woodware Craft Collection
T: +44(0)1756 700 024
W: www.woodware.co.uk
64 craftfocus
Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L™
T: +1 847 808 1140
W: www.scrapbook-adhesives.eu
NEW WAY TO GLUE
When it comes to scrapbooking and stamping,
Glue Dots® are the perfect new way to glue.
These double-sided adhesive dots bond instantly
to virtually any surface including paper, glass,
textiles, metal and wood.
Fast, simple and safe to use, Glue Dots are mess
free, non-toxic and there’s no drying time. They
are available in permanent, poster and removable
formulas and because they are easy to use, they’re
ideal for all ages and abilities.
A best-selling craft line in the US, Glue Dots
has just launched an exciting new-look range
of adhesive products and highly space efficient
“At Manuscript we truly feel that the application of
sealing is endless but most importantly the process
is simple and great fun to do! It’s creative potential is
endless,” says Sophia Luisada at Manuscript Pen Company
Manuscript Pen Company
T: + 44 (0)1746 861 236
W: www.calligraphy.co.uk
displays, aimed at the UK craft sector. Displays
come in floor standing and flexible modular
countertop options as well as hang pack clip strips.
Whether you’re looking for a permanent or
removable adhesive solution, Glue Dots has a
product to suit all scrapbooking or stamping needs.
For orders and new account opportunities please
contact:
Dave Angus European Key Account Manager
T: +44(0)7584 236 126
W: www.gluedots.com/glue
craftfocus 65
scrapbooking and stamping
3D FOAM DESIGNER SHAPES
NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
The popular 3D foam designer shapes from Scrapbook Adhesives
by 3L™ have eight new shapes for this season. Create custom
embellishments for cards and crafts with glitter, embossing powder
and flock and use these on paper, glass, wood, and plastic. These
double-sided permanent adhesives are made from 2mm high-density
foam, which is both lightweight and fun to use.
It’s so easy, just remove the top liner, apply your favourite medium,
and then add the shape to the project, and customise with craft foil,
powders, glitter, and flock to match the project. You can also use
embossing powder and heat-emboss 3D shapes or mix and match
the sets for even more creative options for papercrafting projects.
The entire high quality adhesives including these shapes are ideal
for all paper-crafting, card-making and scrapbooking projects and are
now available at the brand new European website. To register visit
the company ‘s website.
WAX LYRICAL
Sealing is an art form that
is steeped in history, and
has served as a personal
signature the world over. It has
stepped forward into the 21st
century and is experiencing
an important comeback to
the crafting environment.
Manuscript Pen Company
has formulated a new
and exciting but simple
way to apply wax seals to
correspondence, greeting
cards, giftwrap, tags and more.
Specially designed, the Cool
Melt wax gun has a wider-set
nozzle specifically designed
for use with Manuscripts wax
sticks, and operates at a low
temperature. These seals are perfect for all occasions from producing
200 hand-made wedding invitations to creating dozens of stunning parcel
toppers for Christmas gifts, and also for using in jewellery making. In
addition to the wax gun, Manuscript offer a wide selection of brass wax
seal stamp designs in two sizes – small and large – plus a range of coloured
wax sticks.
DISTRESSING DESIGNS
Prima’s distressing tool was created for both left and right-handed
users, and has a contoured ergonomic grip that will help end
hand-fatigue. The interchangeable head covers both rough and fineedge distressing with two heads that come in each package. A file,
razor blade, bone folder, and metal brush are also included in this allin-one product created by Ingvild Bolme, which is part of our Comfort
Craft tool line. This distressing tool is the ideal tool for adding an aged
look on your crafting projects.
MORE THAN
AN INKPAD
Prima’s Chalk Edgers
aren’t just another cutelooking inkpad. Each
easy-to-hold chalk edger
comes with a gorgeous
soft ink that will add
that perfect shabby-chic
touch to craft projects.
However, you can do
more than just ink the edges of your papers with these. Try stamping
or painting with them, or mixing with water in a small spritzing bottle
to make your own chalky spray. The uses for these iron-shaped inks are
only limited by the crafters creativity. Available in dozens of must-have
colours (too many to mention), and multiple finishes.
POSTCARD SIZE
Everyday Vintage Paintable Cards are vintage goodness in a small,
alterable product, and big news in the paper-crafting world at the
moment. These sweet cards come in two sizes 3 inch x 4 inch and 4
inch x 6 inch, and have a vintage design already printed on the highquality specialty paper. Use these as they are or add for an instant aged
touch to your project. For more experienced crafters, they can step
it up a notch by adding art mediums to them for a custom finish to
layouts, cards, tags, home decor, or pocket page albums.
Prima is distributed in the UK by:
Kippers Hobby
T: +31 38 375 6789
W: www.kippershobby.nl
StampBox
T: +44 (0)1435 830 176
W: www.stampbox.co.uk
66 craftfocus
ADDICTED TO
STAMPING
Stamp Addicts has added
over 25 new stamp
designs to its website
since January which,
coupled with
its new recycled
packaging, is proving
extremely popular.
With new grunge
style stamps, as well as
doodles, twiddly bits,
birds, cats, flowers, and
a new bride and groom
design, there’s bound
to be something to
interest every crafter.
Stamp Addicts is
constantly adding new
artwork to its blog The
Purple Zone to inspire
its retailers, and offers
online ordering with free
carriage on orders over £150. Sarah
and Vicky regularly appear on Create
& Craft and are also available for in
store demonstrations. The company
has been retailing rubber stamps for
over 21 years and manufacturing for
over three years, as well as, organising
Stamperama for the past 12 years. If
retailers are interested in becoming a
Stamp Addicts stockist then do get in
touch with them.
Stamp Addicts
T: +44(0)1234 855 833
W: www.stampaddicts.co.uk
Family run, Edinburgh based rubber stamp company.
Manufacture in-house a wide range of Cling rubber stamps.
Brand New: Dinosaur Stamps
Existing Ranges include: Wedding, Celtic, Celebration, Fantasy,
Scottish, Halloween,
Christmas, Animals, Domestic Goddess
FREE delivery on orders over £75 (net of VAT).
&OHDUSRO\PHUVWDPSV
3URXGO\GHVLJQHGDQGPDGHLQ%ULWDLQ
5DQJHRI:HOVKODQJXDJHVWDPSV
ZZZLQNZHOOVWDPSVFRXN
HPDLOOHVOH\#LQNZHOOVWDPSVFRXN
75$'(:,5(6&28.
8QLW=RQH$
&KHOPVIRUG5RDG,QGXVWULDO(VWDWH
*UHDW'XQPRZ(VVH[&0+'
www.craftystamps.com
Tel/Fax: 0131 221 9440
[email protected]
Crafty Stamps, 92 Grove Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8AP
OCH AYE THE NOO
Crafty Stamps has added new
designs to its already best-selling
range of Scottish-themed stamps.
These stunning stamps are very
versatile and include designs like the
popular Thistle that measures 8cm
x 4.9cm (retails at £3.65), and the
Teddy and Decanter that measure
approx 6cm x 5.3cm (retails at £4.35
and £3.40 respectively).
Like all the Crafty Stamps rubber
stamps, these are Cling mounted,
adhere to a laminated storage sheet, and designed for easy use with an acrylic
block. The stamps are UK manufactured, nicely-packaged and benefit from the
usual storage advantages associated with Cling mounted stamps, and use
the same rubber you would expect to see on high quality wood-mounted
rubber stamps.
Crafty Stamps
T: +44(0)131 221 9440
W: www.craftystamps.com
CLEAR IMPRESSIONS
The fresh, crisp designs of Inkwell Stamps’ clear polymer stamps ensure that stampers of all
experience levels can produce excellent results very quickly. The depth of the stamp means
complete beginners can produce clean impressions showing all the finest detail, while at the
same time, more experienced card makers relish its durability. Use these stamps time after
time without deterioration in the image to produce a simple but elegant card very quickly or
easy to use when incorporated with different
techniques and styles.
Inkwell Stamps has a wide selection of
designs on a variety of creative themes,
including babies, birthdays, weddings and
Christmas. Based in Wales, they also have
many of their designs translated into Welsh.
There is no minimum order or minimum order
quantities required so stocking up couldn’t
be easier.
Inkwell Stamps
T: +44 (0)1244 660 579
W: www.inkwellstamps.co.uk
68 craftfocus
project
as easy as ABC
Bunting is a great way of creating an exclusive area for displaying products for a special events.
Alistair Macdonald shows how to make a simple alphabet bunting
MATERIALS NEEDED
• Card for templates
• Brightly coloured cotton fabrics, two 10
x 12cm pieces per flag
• Brightly coloured felt scraps
• Assorted coloured embroidery threads
• Purple sewing thread
• Bright purple bias binding 3m x 2cm
Other equipment needed: ruler, pencil,
fabric glue, fabric marker, pins, scissors,
paper and fabric, iron, sewing machine,
computer and printer, large knitting needle
and hand sewing needle.
Step1
Transfer the triangle template on to some
card and cut it out. Lay the fabric, right
sides together and secure with pins. Place
the template on to the cloth and mark all
of the edges with a fabric marker. Secure
the two layers of the flag with pins and cut
round the marked lines.
Step 2
Take a flag and start to sew
down one of the long sides
using a medium stitch on
a sewing machine. A seam
allowance of 1cm has been included so stop
stitching approx 1cm from the corner. With the
needle in the down position, lift the presser
foot and turn and continue stitching down the
other long side of the triangle.
Step3
Step 6
Take the purple bias binding and, using an iron,
carefully press in half lengthwise, matching the
edges together. Sandwich each flag between
the folded bias and pin into position, spacing
evenly approx. 2.5cm apart. Make sure you
leave enough bias at the start and finish to
allow for ties. Using purple thread, machine-sew
the entire bunting together with a medium
straight stitch. Stitch as close to the edge as you
can. It’s as easy as ABC!
Clip the excess fabric from the tip of the
flag and turn to the right side. Using the
eye of a knitting needle, ease the tip of the
flag out to form a sharp point. Press the
flag and trim away the protruding seam
allowance to maintain a straight edge along
the top of the flag’s short side. Repeat for
all 26 flag pieces (one for each letter of
the alphabet).
Step 4
Print the alphabet from a computer using
a clear bold font – either upper or lower
case. I’ve used a font size of 85. Use this
printout as a template for your letters. Cut
out each letter in a brightly coloured felt
and put to one side.
Step 5
Using a coloured embroidery thread,
which contrasts with the colour of each
of the flags, hand stitch a running stitch
spaced 5mm apart and running 5mm
away from the edge. Glue a felt letter on
to each flag just above the pointed tip.
Allow to dry completely following the glue
manufacturer’s instructions.
This project has been reproduced from
the project book Mini Bunting by Alistair
Macdonald, which features 20 fabulous
bunting designs including this fabulous
alphabet bunting. Alistair is a successful
fashion designer who’s created his own
range of textile products and gifts that are
popular in the UK and as far as Norway
and Japan. Priced at £4.99, this book is part
of Twenty to Make series, and is ideal to
stock alongside relevant product lines.
Search Press
T: +44 (0)1892 510 850
p
W: www.searchpress.com
craf
fftf
ft
t ocus 69
craftfocus
a time of
discerning crafters
Julie Bonnar catches up with Adam Newhouse, Company Director of
Hunkydory Crafts, to see how the papercraft market is changing
How has the papercraft market changed since
we last caught up with you two years ago, and
has it affected the business?
The economic downturn has not had the
same effect on craft as on many other areas
of business. The fact that people are not
buying big-ticket items such as cars, or taking
expensive holidays, means that they are at
home spending more time crafting.
Customers are more discerning than
previously, and while there are many who buy
Hunkydory launches every time, others
are putting a little bit more thought into
what they actually need to purchase for a
particular project.
How important is social media to Hunkydory
Crafts for connecting with your customers?
Social media is incredibly important to us. It’s
strange to think that almost five years ago, it
was more or less non-existent, and now it’s
one of our most important marketing tools.
Facebook enables us to communicate with
over 18,000 people at the click of a button; not
only that, these people are actively engaged
with our brand and products, which is priceless
to our business.
Social media is also a great form of two-way
communication between a business and its
customers. We glean lots of useful information
from our social media, from requests for new
collections to any service issues that customers
may face.
What are your core best-selling products?
We found that our male themed collection,
It’s a Man’s World, has been one of our best
sellers. We received lots of requests from
both trade customers and card makers
asking for more male-orientated themes for
cards. It seemed to be an area that had been
overlooked in the papercraft industry, and it
was a fantastic opportunity. We first released
the collection in November 2013, and have
since re-manufactured the collection three
times to keep up with the demand.
Adorable Scorable is one of our core product
lines, and has always remained one of our best
70 craftfocus
company profile
selling products. This original cardstock is an
absolute essential, allowing crafters to create
the perfect score and fold with or against the
grain without cracking or feathering. There’s
now a range of over 40 colourways, with more
added every season.
provide excellent quality products at the
very best price. Our new range of Premium
Card Kits, retailing at £4.99, will be extended
throughout the year to cater for beginner
crafters, as well as those who make cards to
sell or for charity.
the first time at Bolton Arena on 31st May and
1st June 2014.
The Great British Craft Festival is a
celebration of the very best of British craft, and
the event will offer thousands of crafters from
across the UK the opportunity to gain tips on
all their favourite crafting pastimes and enjoy a
chat with the big names in British crafting.
Do you have any plans or new products that
you’re looking forward to launching?
Floral Fantasia is our newest release, and
it’s a celebration of all things bright and
beautiful, featuring the prettiest of flowers
teamed with stunning vibrant colours. The
collection includes innovative set piece cards
compromising spinners, easel cards and trellis
basket cards, all glazed with our Diamond
Sparkles finish. We also feature a fabulous
accompaniment of silver and gold accent
foiling throughout the kit, and it’s bursting with
designs filled with everyone’s favourite flowers.
We’re expecting big things from this collection
due to its versatility. Floral Fantasia is suitable
for all occasions including birthdays, Mother’s
Day, get well soon and many more occasions. C
What new trends are currently coming out
on top for 2014?
Hunkydory is always keen to move with the
times, and we endeavour to make each and
every launch very different from the previous
one. This year will see this variety continue,
with the use of fashion-led shades and the
latest images. As the customer is becoming
more price-conscious, we will continue to
Tell us about the successful Great British
Craft Festival that you run each year?
The Great British Craft Festival is one of our
biggest achievements to-date, and this year
we’re so proud to extend the festival to two
show dates. Due to the success of our awardwinning Stoneleigh Park show last year, we’ve
added a new date and venue to our show
calendar. We will return to Stoneleigh Park on
9th and 10th August 2014, and open doors for
Hunkydory Crafts
T: +44 (0)1772 272 575
craftfocus 71
your questions
answered
We’ve teamed up with industry experts from CHA-UK
to answer your questions about commerce
Finding and importing new products from overseas
Importing and exporting goods from outside the UK can help a business find lower priced goods or find new product markets. Craig de Souza
demystifies some of the considerations before commencing importing.
I’ve come across some great products
overseas and have started thinking about
importing to sell in the UK. How should I
go about finding a good supplier abroad and
check that they are credit worthy?
A lot will depend on whether you’ve already
found a supplier who manufacturers the
products for other markets or whether
you’re taking your own product idea to a
factory to produce for the first time. Another
consideration will be the country you’re
looking to deal with; it’s arguably easier to deal
with a developed economy than an emerging
market. Recommendation and references from
the potential source are always important. If
possible talk to existing UK or European
customers of the chosen supplier, and ask
them about every aspect of their supply
relationship, especially quality control, leadtimes, product testing and the commercial
aspects of how they deal with the supplier.
If you’re looking to find a factory to produce
your own designs then the internet is a good
place to start researching possible sources of
manufacture. Look for companies that already
produce products of a similar nature. But
do beware that the products being shown
may not belong to that source; one CHAUK member was shocked to find their own
product images were being displayed by a
Chinese factory claiming that they were the
producer, when in fact they’d never dealt in
the Far East! This is why recommendations are
so important.
Q
A
What additional costs should I be aware of
when importing?
Shipping costs will obviously be a major
consideration wherever the products
are coming from. The term Ex Works is
used where the buyer will be responsible
for shipping costs from the supplier’s
factory. Another commonly used term is FOB
Q
A
72 craftfocus
or Freight on Board, which means that the
supplier will pay to ship the consignment to
the port but once on board the ship, the buyer
becomes responsible for freight costs.
If the goods are coming from outside the
European Union then import duties will usually
need to be paid. This is effectively a tax payable
to the government depending on the nature of
the item. Finally, VAT will normally need to be
paid on the items to HMRC before they will
be released from the docks.
Should I think about using a third party
agent to handle the import process and UK
customs clearance?
Yes, absolutely. Customs clearances, VAT,
duties and even the physical collection of
goods from the port of entry are best dealt
with by someone who’s used to dealing with
these sorts of things. One CHA-UK member
attempted to do it themselves with a man in
a van, and it cost them thousands in additional
charges because certain protocols weren’t
followed. At CHA-UK, we’ve a number of
affiliates that we can introduce members to
who can manage the entire process.
Q
A
How important is a contract that contains
International Commercials Terms?
Inco terms are a useful glossary of meanings
for certain aspects of the importation process
(an example is FOB). Think of them as a
common language in the commercial world,
however, in my experience many supply
relationships will simply be based purely on
the issuing of a purchase order, payment of
a deposit and a series of emails. Even if a
contract is negotiated and agreed, remember
that the parties entering into it will usually be
based in different countries and varying laws
will apply.
Q
A
How do I check that the products I import
meet UK legal requirements or if they need
an import license?
If you’re importing products into the EU for
sale for the first time then you’re liable to
ensure that they comply to relevant EU laws.
There are many conformity issues that you’re
responsible for making such as general product
safety regulations, and also specific product
considerations (CE marking for example).
CHA-UK members are able to access advice
from a number of affiliate companies that
can help.
Q
A
Q
A
How will I be expected to pay for goods
from abroad?
You may have heard of Letters of Credit –
these days these are becoming less popular.
More common will be payment up front or
30 per cent deposit with 70 per cent prior
to shipping. Regardless, it will be important to
make sure that what you’ve paid for is what
you’ll receive. I’d always advocate the use of a
quality control audit prior to payment to make
sure that the goods meet your expectations. C
CHA-UK
Craig De Souza is
CHA-UK’s Director
of UK and European
Membership
Services, and has 17
years of knowledge
and expertise in marketing and advertising.
10 of these years have been in the craft
and hobby industry in consumer, trade,
online and offline media publishing. He’s
the only paid staff member of the CHAUK and in place to help, assist and support
all CHA-UK members as well as gaining
new members in the UK and Europe.
W: www.cha-uk.co.uk
Relax and make the most of the longer daylight hours and encourage your customers
to learn something new
GET ROLLING!
The lighter evenings and warmer
weather brings out the home
do-it-yourself in crafty types and
this creative idea from Rice DK
for home decorating is something
a little different. The Patterned
Paint Roller kit is an ingenious set
of roller(s) that makes patterned
wallpaper easy and very satisfying
to make. Create your own
painted patterned creation with the decorative roller by just adding
your paint colour to one of the three designs of patterned rollers
available and get rolling. Retails at £31.50 and comes complete with
extra plain roller.
RICE DK
T: +45 63 11 35 35
W: www.rice.dk/en
HEAVENLY HAND MADE
With six simple yet diverse sewing
projects, the Sew & So On collection
from docrafts is perfect for giving
your furnishings a home made touch.
Boasting intricate design and quality,
the kits are suitable for sewing
beginners or giving as a gift for
needlework lovers. Complete with
all materials and detailed step-by-step
instructions, you just need to add
the needle.
The Sweet Cottage tea cosy kit is
the perfect afternoon tea in the garden and features a cute appliqué
picture of a house and garden. While the Pretty Dreams bunting kit
will make a great gift for the keen haberdashery teen or an entry
level sewing project for a mother and young daughter with its soft
pastel materials and lettering, it can be stitched together to create a
beautiful hanging focal point in any child’s bedroom.
Also in this range is the Appliqué Home cushion kit, Repeated
Heart cushion kit, and for baking enthusiast, the Love Cupcake
hanging heart kit is a great accessory for a kitchen in need of some
updating plus Welcome hanging heart kit is set to be a hallway
must-have.
All of the kits, which ever is chosen, features gorgeous fabrics, as
well as everything eles that is required to finish these cute in-a-box
kits. They retail at £8.95.
FINNISH FUN
PaaPii Design is an innovative
manufacturer of fun and modern DIY
kits from Finland. The brand launched
in January 2011 by Anniina Isokangas,
who started by sharing her crafting
exploits on her popular blog. PaaPii
was featured among the 100 designers
appearing in Bowie Style’s ‘Print &
Pattern Kids’ and she received the
award of ‘Handicraft Entrepreneur of
the Year’ in Finland.
The quirky and amusing animal
kits are made in Finland and there
is now about 20 different ones in
the collection including dogs, cats,
deer, owls, foxes and mushrooms
in variety of colour and fabric
options. The high quality cotton and
colours complement each other
and animals have names and distinct
characters, like Rollo the Cat who is a
globetrotter and has travelled to every
part of the world.
PaaPii comes from the finnish word ‘paapia’ which means ‘to sleep’ in
children’s language. In addition to these DIY kits, this company also offers
ready-made toys, fabrics, posters, postcards, pouches, bags and tea towels.
docrafts
T: +44(0)1202 811 000
W: www.docrafts.biz
Paapii Design
T: + 358 50 594 1241
W: www.paapiidesign.com
craftfocus 73
summer crafting
make the most of summer
GLITZ AND GLAMOUR
This is a great product that we’ve seen several times at trade shows
and allows crafters to precisely and accurately decorate card, paper
and fabrics with Swarovski crystals. The Crystal pen applicator makes
designing your own stylish patterns very easy and customers will keep
returning for Swarovski crystal refill cartridges that comes in seven
refreshing colours including crystal, light rose, light siam, light amethyst,
light sapphire, peridot and light topaz. Once applied to fabrics, these
designs are heat resistant up to 100oC when protected with a cloth.
For retailers there is also a great range of promotional materials to
support the new range from display models, posters and banners.
Craft and Stationery is now a subsidiary company of Knorr
Prandell in the UK making it easier for retailers to contact them.
Craft & Stationery UK Ltd
T: +44 (0)1462 659 050
W: www.craftandstationeryuk.co.uk
74 craftfocus
MODERN CROCHET
Following recent market research by CHA, crochet is seen as one of
the fastest growing craft trends in the UK with more than one million
adult crafters trying crochet for the first time since 2011. To cater for
the growing demand DMC offers an exciting collection of fashionable
and quality crochet yarns available in a wide selection of colours to
create beautiful and original crochet designs. Following the success and
popularity of Natura Just Cotton, DMC has introduced its spring summer
collection with nine new colourways and a selection of new patterns to
complement its existing range of twenty Natura designs.
DMC offers the widest colour choice of crochet yarns in the market
place with 60 shades including vibrant and subtle colours that work
in harmony with each other allowing for multiple combinations and
following the latest fashion trends. The patterns supporting the yarn
include stylish and creative designs for ladies fashion, baby, homeware
and Amigurumi patterns that use simple crochet stitches with projects
appealing to beginners and more experienced crocheters.
DMC Creative World
T: +44 (0)116 275 4000
NO PREP PAINTS
Country Love Crafts has
just launched the new
Americana® Decor™
Chalky Finish range that
allows those who love crafting for the home to create their own stylish décor
items. These stylish paints can be used to paint, decorate, customise, personalise
and up-cycle furniture and home décor pieces.
The ultra-matte, chalky finish paint is available in a convenient 236ml size,
an amazing 29 vintage, intermixable colours and priming and prepping time is
a thing of the past. It adheres to all kinds of surfaces from wood, metal, glass,
terracotta, bisque, ceramics, paper, most plastics, canvas and fabric. It’s very easy
to use to distress and in just one-coat, it’ll cover most colours and most surfaces.
It’s extremely durable too because of its one-of-a-kind cross-linking paint resin
system. Use in or outdoors as it has a minimal odour from both paint and wax
products. It’s water-based so is easy to clean up. Also included in the range are
finishes (waxes and varnishes) and specialty products (crackle medium, image
transfer medium and stain blocker).
FROM TEA TOWEL TO TOY
Mibo’s organic cotton tea towels doubles up as a simple
and fun sewing project. Made in the UK and designed by
Madeleine Rogers for Mibo, it takes between 30 minutes
to an hour with the aid of a sewing machine to transform
any of the tea towels into very sweet little decorative
cushions. Just cut out the animal and sew the edges, stuff
and stitch up the final open edge. Mibo has recently added
an owl, squirrel, penguin, giraffe, tiger, orangutan, and gorilla
to the original menagerie of lion or fox. When made up
these animals range from 28cm to 40cm in height. More
animals will be coming soon, and Mibo is also currently
working on a series of children’s books to tell the tales of
these delightful characters.
Mibo
T: +44 (0)1273 208 888
W: www.mibo.co.uk
76 craftfocus
“This new paint from DecoArt was launched at CHA in
January and was voted Top 20 Most Innovative Products
CHA 2014,” comments Jenny Hawkins from Country Love Crafts.
Apply the paint with a soft brush or a roller, and these paints will achieve a
lovely velvety matte finish on old or new
furniture or a distressed finish for a shabby
chic look. Use the crackle, tinted waxes
and varnishes that come in the range
too for an aged, weathered or timeworn
appearance. Perfect for makeovers, upcycling, modernising, improving,
re-decorating, refurbishing, revamping or
hand finishing.
Country Love Crafts
Tel: +44 (0)1235 861 700
W: www.countrylovecrafts.com
summer crafting
SAND MASTERPIECES
As children, we can all remember sprinkling and gluing sand on to
pictures and filling up bottles of pretty coloured sand, but sand art has
just become sophisticated, and is available for adults too.
CPD has just started distributing a contemporary range of sand art
kits and accessories from Spanish manufacturer/designer Arenart. The
picture canvas is made up of pre-cut adhesive sheeting, simply peel off
the designated area, sprinkle with the colour sand indicated, and watch
the picture grow.
Designs available include Gustav Klimt’s – The Kiss, Alfred Gocke’s –
Homage to Kandinsky, and a beautiful image of Audrey Hepburn, plus
many others. There’s a complete set to get budding sand artists started
that includes 26 bottle of sands, a varnish spray, cutter, scalpel and
cleaner brush and instructions in six languages.
The Arenart sand art range is supported by a
wide range of accessories from transparent and
opaque texture to add relief features, glues, brushes and adhesive sheets
to individual tubs and bags of sands in 47 regular and eight metallic
colours. Sands come in 38g and 1000g bags, and 75g, 170g and 700g tubs.
The pieces of sand art produced are very simple to do but are of a
really high quality, and wouldn’t look out of place in any home.
Creative Products Distribution
T: +44 (0)208 953 2143
W: www.creative-distribution.co.uk
QUINTESSENTIALLY BRITISH
Buttonbag has created two new craft
kits that capture the quintessential quirky
nature of this British company. Sew a
Cottage Box and Sew a Teacup set both
retail at £10.95, and are suitable for
children aged about eight years up as
well as craft lovers of all ages.
Like many other Buttonbag kits, the
little cottage box cleverly incorporates
the packaging into the overall craft project. In this case, the box
the kit comes in is cut down (using the dotted lines) to create
a sturdy form for the cottage. It’s all hand-sewn and is just the
right size for keeping a few sewing essentials or hair clips handy.
While the teacups kit has an easy-to-follow pattern that
shows how to make and decorate two cotton and felt teacups.
Both kits contain sharp scissors as well as fabrics, needles, pins
and thread, which make them incredibly good value. With their
distinctive button print packaging, these kits will really stand
out on your shelves and grab your customer’s imagination.
Wholesale unit price is £4.40 and comes in packs of six.
SUMMERY DECORATIONS
Weddings & Flowercraft specialises in
importing a massive collection of flowers,
diamantes, trims, feathers, butterflies,
birds as well as Christmas berries and
millinery flowers. These jewelled and
bedecked butterflies are so pretty and made
from feathers and mounted on a PVC-cut
out base that strengthens the butterflies
and avoids wing fractures. The butterflies
measure 10cm and are available in both
black and white. A box of 12 butterflies
includes three different gem layouts giving
even more options. The butterflies are
mounted on wires that can easily be
removed so can be used for decorating a
wide range of crafting projects.
Another super summery product is the five-foot unstructured bead
garlands (SFJ1890), which are fantastic for decorating cakes, candelabras,
wishing trees, lampshade fringes, gardens and much more. There are 15
different colour options available including metallic silver and gold.
Buttonbag
T: +44 (0)208 525 1640
W: www.buttonbag.co.uk
Weddings & Flowercraft Ltd
T: +44 (0)1394 458 977
craftfocus 77
STYLISH SUMMER MAKES
Stylecraft has launched the second phase of its spring/summer
season, which is a feast of delicious new colours in existing
ranges with plenty of desirable patterns in both knit and crochet
await crafters.
Stylecraft has created a wonderful range of homeware
patterns in one of its most popular spring summer yarns –
Classique Cotton. Included in this range are patterns for techie
covers, slippers and some funky cushions to name but a few. The
structure and quality of the yarn, together with the colour range,
makes it a perfect partner for crochet projects. There are four
delicious new shades to add to the range including Heather, Teal,
Plum and Wisteria.
Stylecraft
T: +44 (0)1535 609 798
W: www.stylecraft-yarns.co.uk
MAKE A BEE-LINE FOR A NEW SEWING MAGAZINE
With interest in sewing continuing to rise on the back of the BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee series, the time is ripe for a fresh new magazine for keen
sewers. Love Sewing is a brand-new launch from Practical Publishing that brings readers the best in inspiring ideas and beautiful new fabrics. On sale
from the 24th April, Love Sewing is packed with projects, ideas and inspiration to get you making, mending and creating beautiful things for your home,
your family, friends and for yourself, from simple home décor projects to dressmaking and quilting makes.
Inside each issue will be a wide range of sewing projects with photo step-by-step instructions designed to make sewing simple and enjoyable.
Whether you’re an enthusiastic novice or more experienced with your machine, the magazine will have expert advice and tips, teaching you new
skills and how to master your machine. Love Sewing will come with fabulous free gifts each month too, including exclusive sewing patterns, branded
fabrics and much more. If you are interesting in stocking this new magazine, contact Gavin Burrell below.
Practical Publishing
T: +44 (0)161 474 6960
W: www.practicalpublishing.co.uk
78 craftfocus
next issue
next issue…
Don’t miss the June/July 2014
edition of Craft Focus
Embossing
Raise the stakes with
powders, patterns, stamps,
moulds and inkpads
Spray your own DIY fashion
with trendy colours for fabric
• Catering for kids
Stock up on
products for the
summer holidays
• Made in Britain
Trendy craft
products that fly
the flag
• A common thread
Our helping hand
to specialty threads
Issue 43
June/July 2014
Editorial deadline: 8th May, 2014
Advertising deadline: 15th May, 2014
Published: 30th May, 2014
Latest products from WOW Embossing Powders
Painting a picture
Paints for every crafting occasion
Plus………
Essential tools
and accessories,
and the latest
beading and
semi-precious
gemstone
products
Not to be missed...
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
craftfocus 79
designed to turn
a profit
Pricing a product that you’ve designed can be one of the most confusing aspects of a
handmade business. We take you through the process to avoid making a loss
Turning a hobby into a business can be tricky,
especially when it comes down to pricing your
hand-made designs. The end result must be to
make a profit so you’ll need to learn how to
be consistent in your pricing strategy.
Here are our top tips on pricing your
one-of-a-kind designs:
DETERMINING A BASE PRICE
Determining a base price for a product is a
way of ensuring that you won’t sell it at a loss.
You need to work out exactly how much each
item costs you to make:
• Raw materials
This is easily calculated and really is a case of
bean counting. Make sure you factor in all the
materials that you’ve used. Don’t forget to
incorporate the hidden costs that you may
have incurred to get the raw materials to you
such as postage and packaging.
If you’re not VAT registered, this will also
include absorbing any VAT charges that you’ve
paid a supplier as you won’t be able to claim
back through a VAT return.
• Operating costs
These include light, heat, travel, telephone,
advertising, website fees, display, tools,
workshops, fees for credit cards, hire and rent.
This list can be endless and that’s why it’s
important that you make it as comprehensive
as possible. Hiring a good accountant is the
best way to do this is. He/she will start by
working out a yearly rate and working it down
to a daily rate, and converting to a reasonable
percentage for your product.
• Labour charges
It sounds ridiculous but don’t forget to allocate
a salary to pay yourself – you wouldn’t forget
to pay your staff. You should pay yourself an
hourly rate and then work out how many
hours each piece has taken you to make. This
can be quite scary where hand-made pieces
are involved.
“Determining a base price for
a product is a way of ensuring
that you won’t sell it at a loss.”
WAYS TO SELL
The way you decide to sell will determine
what pricing you want to share with others.
80 craftfocus
business advice
amount for the piece when they actually sell it.
This can affect your cash flow as you may not
get paid for several months.
• Commission
Some businesses work on a percentage
commission, which works like this: if the
retail price for a hand-designed piece is £40.
Commission agreed is 25 per cent commission,
which equates to £10. You’ll receive £30 (this
amount needs to cover all your base costs plus
your profit).
Try to keep your wholesale price a secret
from retail customers – this is between you
and your balance sheet.
You will need to have both wholesale and
retail prices to quote.
• Wholesale prices
If you decide to sell to retailers (shops,
galleries and online businesses) you’ll need
to set a wholesale price. This is the minimum
price that you can accept that still makes it
profitable (this usually includes the base price
plus a proportion of profit). How much you
add for profit is down to you, so do some
research to find out what your market will pay
and what your competitors are charging.
• Sale or return
Some companies ask for sale or return. This
means that you only get paid the wholesale
• Retail
What is a fair retail price? Commonly retail
pricing is at least double the wholesale price.
However there's no hard and fast rule – you
may well think that when you’ve worked out
your costs and applied your profit that your
designs seem very expensive.
Quite often designers don’t value their
work as highly as the general public is willing
to pay for it. Low prices can work against
you and result in lower sales, and also attract
the wrong type of customer – for example,
people looking for a bargain rather than
exclusive pieces.
Selling at unrealistic prices whether high
or low doesn’t do you or your business any
favours. The perceived value is what customers
are willing to pay. This depends on how
individual your customer thinks the piece is,
how beautifully designed it is, and how much
they want it! A customer spending £40 on a
hand-made piece of jewellery is more likely
to feel they’ve something original and quite
special than paying £10.
REDUCING COSTS
If you feel your designs are still too expensive,
there are several ways to trim your costs. You
could modify your designs slightly by using less
expensive raw materials, reducing the quality
slightly or choosing less expensive packaging.
“Selling at unrealistic prices
whether high or low doesn’t
do you or your business any
favours. The perceived value
is what customers are willing
to pay. This depends on how
individual your customer
thinks the piece is, how
beautifully designed it is, and
how much they want it!”
CONCLUSION
Correct pricing is not only important to
you and your businesses profitability but
also to building good relationships with your
customers and within the handmade crafting
industry. Reputation for correct pricing is key
to being profitable. C
craftfocus 81
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The UK’s leading magazine
for the craft industry
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To advertise here
telephone Tracy Voice
on +44 (0)1376 535 618
www.craftfocus.com
cross-stitching
Creative ideas for contemporary stitching
WEDDING SEASON
Love is certainly in the air at Bothy Threads, as it introduces a new
cross-stitch design from Kim Anderson entitled Love Birds, to add
to its other two popular designs Love Heart and Love Tree. Love
Birds is on 14 hpi white Aida, and measures 20cm x 25cm. It comes
with sparkling metallic threads, beads and appliqué flowers, and
retails at £24.99.
Also ready for the wedding season is two pretty samplers that
can be personalised to make a really special keepsake for the
happy couple. Vintage Wedding is the newest design from Helen
Smith (retailing at £24.99) and Wedding Celebration from Amanda
Loverseed on 14 count vintage blue Aida measuring 23cm x 30cm.
Bothy Threads
T: +44 (0)844 800 0221
LOVE LILIES
Flower and cross-stitch lovers will adore this beautiful summery
triptych of three lily designs from Sue Hill. They can be made to
display separately or they will make a stunning picture hung together.
They retail at £9.58 and measure 10cm x 21cm each. Available from
Heritage Crafts as full kits on 14ct aida or 27ct evenweave.
Heritage Crafts Limited
T: +44 (0)1889 575 256
W: www.hcrafts.com
DETAIL IN MINIATURE
Victoria is the most recent addition to John Clayton’s Elegance in
Miniature range. This collection has taken the head and shoulders
from the original Elegance ladies and reduced them in size to produce
these sweet miniatures. However, no detail has been lost during this
miniaturisation process, and they’re sure to appeal to stitchers who
want something that is a little quicker to make. Victoria measures
12.5cm x 13.5cm, and is
available as a full kit on 14ct
aida or 27ct evenweave. The
kits contain Zweigart fabric,
DMC stranded cottons
sorted onto numbered
cards, needle, clear charts
and instructions.
Heritage Crafts Limited
T: +44 (0)1889 575 256
W: www.hcrafts.com
craftfocus 83
SWEET STITCHES
These pocket-sized Stitchlets retail at just £2.29, making them a great
way of introducing crafters to a new craft on a small budget. Mouseloft
has recently launched 12 fresh designs to its brilliant 80+ range of
counted cross-stitch kits. New additions include a VW Beetle, a golfing
teddy and a bird by a birdhouse, shown here, and other designs like
Trevor the rabbit, a camper van, meerkats and a baby owl.
The Tiddlers range retails at £1.39, and offers a slightly simpler
collection of designs that will appeal to young and old alike. These cute
kits include an elephant, a cupcake and a penguin, and are joined this year
by fresh summertime additions of hedgehog, happy whale, contented
cat and the new special occasion Graduation teddy (retails at £2.89
with cards).
CONTEMPORARY
IN DESIGN
DMC works with renowned
artists, popular licenses and
expert designers to ensure
stitchers get the very best of
what’s new for cross-stitch. And
to keep on top of the current
trends, its new needlecraft
collection offers more than 50
new stylish and contemporary
cross-stitch designs. Fresh and
colourful, these kits include
contemporary birds and modern pop art as well as an exciting
collection of floral designs. All kits contain high quality DMC stranded
cotton thread, world-renowned for its colour, shine and ease of use.
Also brand new, the Contemporary Sampler cross-stitch kits are
modern designs, which are stitched on 14-count Aida with DMC
stranded cotton.
Samplers are always
popular amongst
stitchers, and this
set of four designs
include quirky and
humorous sayings that
everyone can relate
to. The designs reflect
popular pastimes with
the current interest
in baking and sewing,
the two larger designs
(RRP £26.99) while the
two smaller ones retail
at £16.99
DMC Creative World
T: +44(0)116 275 4000
84 craftfocus
Mouseloft
T: +44(0)1477 533 566
W: www.mouseloft.co.uk
)DW&DW&URVV6WLWFK
%ROG%ULJKW)XQGHVLJQVIRUDOO
Fun and colourful children’s kits on 6 and 11 count Aida
Birdhouse Bunting, stitched on 14 count white Aida
Card kits for all occasions on 14 count Aida
www.fatcatcross-stitch.co.uk
See our website for information on our wide range of kits for children
and adults or contact us on 01568 780 183 / [email protected]
WHAT’S TRENDING
We asked Jenny Dixon, Editor-inchief of Needlecrafts at Future
Publishing, what the current trends
were in this sector.
“Cross stitchers
have always enjoyed
adding charms and
buttons to their work,
but now kits are
offering the chance
to incorporate things like appliquéd fabrics
too. The current trend for cross over crafts
is really exciting. At Cross Stitcher, we’ve
always encouraged stitchers to be a bit
more adventurous with their fabric choices,
so it’s pleasing to see so many more
colours and even printed backgrounds now
available. All in all, it’s a pretty exciting time
to be a stitcher!”
http://crossstitcher.themakingspot.com.
86 craftfocus
IT’S KIDS STUFF!
Fat Cat Cross Stitch
has recently expanded
its range of children’s
counted cross- stitch kits
and it’s highly popular
range of card kits.
Each of the children’s
kits come complete with
everything required to
stitch a bold, bright fun
design whether it be
on six-count Binca with
tapestry wool for the
youngest stitcher or 11-count Aida with stranded cotton for older
children.
Card kits are supplied with good quality aperture cards and
plenty of thread and fabric to complete the design on a 14-count
Aida for a wide selection of occasions. Each kit comes with chart,
key, instructions, fabric, thread, needle and a full colour photo on the
front cover.
The children’s kits have full colour charts while the card kits have
large, clear black and white charts. Be sure to check Fat Cat’s new
website for other designs including its
ever-popular Striped Cat or email them for a copy of the latest
catalogue.
Fat Cat Cross Stitch
T: +44(0)1568 780 183
W: www.fatcatcross-stitch.co.uk
subscribe
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publication for the craft industry and is available
FREE of charge to our registered readers.
Published six times a year, Craft Focus contains
all the recent product launches, latest news, and
details about all the major craft events.
Visit www.craftfocus.com or fill in the form
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craftfocus 87
changes to
employment law
It’s essential that SMEs know their duties as an employer to avoid fines and legal action
The national minimum wage is currently
£6.31 per hour, although the government has
recent suggested that this may soon be raised
by a further 50p. UK small business owners
who fail to pay its employees the minimum
wage will now face government fines of up to
£20,000, according to reports. Previously, SME
employers who failed to pay minimum wage
were required to pay underpaid wages in full
including a fine of 50 per cent of unpaid wages
up to a maximum of £5,000. However, in a bid
to scare employers into action, this figure will
now rise to 10 per cent.
The national minimum wage plays an
important role in supporting employees in the
UK, and while many SME employers will not
intentionally underpay its employees, it can be
difficult to stay on top of the ever-changing
employment laws. It’s not only keeping
up-to-date with minimum wage that baffles
small employers, but other issues relating to
Employment Law continue to take up precious
time and cash that could be used elsewhere.
Quality Solicitors revealed results of an
online poll that highlighted what employers
are concerned about:
• Termination of employment was the number
one issue currently experienced by SMEs.
The research found that the second most
prolific legal issue for small and medium-sized
businesses is making redundancies.
• In addition, 65 per cent of SMEs often left
it too late to seek legal advice on compliance
issues and 45 per cent of them leave
insufficient time to resolve legal matters due to
other business pressures.
• The main reason for SMEs finding these
issues challenging, according to the research, is
that in 85 per cent of cases, they don’t know
or understand what their legal requirements
and obligations are and 45 per cent lack
awareness of changes in legislation.
Employment Law 2014 update:
• From April 2014, statutory maternity,
paternity and adoption pay increase. The rate
of statutory maternity, paternity and adoption
rate will increase to £138.18 per week.
• From Spring 2014, a health and work
assessment and advisory service is to be
introduced, offering free occupational health
assistance for employees, employers and GPs.
The service can provide an occupational
88 craftfocus
health assessment after four weeks of sickness
absence. Further information is available from
www.gov.uk.
• Provisions to be made sometime during
2014 for more flexible parental leave to enable
parents both male and female to share the
care of a child during its first year.
From October 2014 – and yet to be
confirmed – the government proposes to
extend the right to request flexible working
to all employees and remove the current
statutory procedure for considering requests.
Instead employers will be required to
consider all requests in a reasonable manner,
and employers will have the right to refuse
requests on business grounds.
• By the end of this year, many employers
could be affected by the auto-enrolment
pensions provision that started in October
2012. Employers with more than 350 and
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up & coming
let there be light!
Lampshade making has become a popular stand-alone craft. We catch up with James Dannell,
Director of Needcraft, which supplies everything to turn crafters into a new generation of
lampshade manufacturers
How did the business come about?
My father, Martin started the business in 1982.
Originally the intention was to make and
supply to lampshade manufacturers. Things
really changed about 14 years ago when the
bottom fell out of the indigenous lampshade
market with the start of cheaper mass
imported, inferior quality lampshades from the
Far East. Over 90 lampshade manufacturers
went out of business during the next decade,
and this led to less choice on the high
street and a greater loss of key lampshade
manufacturing skills.
We identified that people still wanted to
have one-of-a-kind and quality shades, so we
updated our machinery and product offering
accordingly. It’s been excellent and customers
tell me that, what was a hobby is now a
business venture thanks to our products. This
is always nice to hear, and makes all the hard
work worthwhile.
Who had the brainwave of selling materials
for crafters to make their own lampshades?
Fellow Director (and friend) David Little is
an incredible self-motivated person who
never stops working on developing new
products. We call him Danger Dave (so do
many of our customers) as he’s often heard
saying “Where’s the danger in that!” We’re all
incredibly passionate about what we do, and
now our professional kits are inspiring creative
crafters, DIY enthusiasts and supporting craft
workshops to get making lampshades.
Lampshade making is a key trend at the
moment. Why is it so popular?
I think the main reason is that the proliferation
of imported products has greatly reduced
choice on the high street, particularly large
drum style shades that don’t stack well
and are expensive to import. Crafters and
homemakers love the idea that they can
make their own professional, flame retardant
lampshade with farbics that they want to use.
Needcraft can also offer a customising service
to print suitable fabric with a customer’s own
shade designs.
Lampshades are currently a stylish decorative
item, and a great fashion statement. The
growing crafting trend has led to a huge
growth in social lampshade making workshops.
Lampshade making wasn’t accessible before,
but our kits have taken an industrial process,
and made it possible for crafters and creative
people to make something really beautiful,
original and practical with a professional finish.
What are the main products that you offer?
We’ve set out to be the one-stop shop for
anybody who wishes to make lampshades.
Our drum kits are incredibly popular, and we
recently added a range of British manufactured,
unfinished, wired and tested beech lamp bases.
These are available in cost-effective trade
packs, which gives customers the chance
to offer the complete lampshade making
experience, and bases painted to match.
Many of our customers that stock Annie
Sloan paints, Linterior Designs and the Curtain
craftfocus 89
up & coming
and Blind Makers friendly forum are working
with these already.
You recently showed these lampshade making
kits on the Bright Sparks Pavilion at the Craft,
Hobby + Stitch this year. How did that go?
It was amazing – absolutely the best show
we’ve exhibited at so far, and we’ve prebooked for the Autumn show at ExCel in
September and for spring 2015 too.
To be part of the Bright Sparks Pavilion was
a great opportunity, and we were eager to
show retailers how great these products are.
Visitors to the stand were so enthusiastic, and
it was lovely to meet some of our existing
customers for the first time. We received some
super orders from new customers too.
Tell us about the lampshade kits?
The lampshade kits contain everything needed
to make a professional lampshade with a
textile or paper of your choice. The kits are
made in the UK by us and include quality
components, are user-friendly, enjoyable to
make and some say addictive. The kits are
a product for everyone and we think this is
why our retail partners are enjoying so much
success with them.
90 craftfocus
Need Craft has a special lampshade
workshop pack so that course providers can
offer this option and add to their teaching
schedule. What’s in this pack?
The workshop pack is the most cost effective
way to purchase our most popular lampshade
kit – 30cm drum. The pack contains the
un-boxed components to make 30 of these
sized shades at an incredible price. We’ve a
special offer where we include a free fabric
pack that includes 50 pieces of quality fabrics
including silk – all the pieces have already been
cut to the correct size.
We’ve also included details of the
customer’s lampshade making workshops on
our workshop page website, and our sister
company Needprint will print the course
provider a 6 inch x 2 inch outdoor advertising
banner to advertise its workshop free of
charge. We’re all about working with our
trade partners to make sure they maximise
their sales.
revenue streams; retailers can make and sell
the lampshades; hold lampshade- making
workshops; or opt to sell the kit version that
we can supply in plain boxes (should our retail
partners wish). We can supply mixed trade and
workshop packs and now retailers can stock all
of its popular sizes with minimal investment.
Instilled by Martin when he first set us
up, providing excellent customer service is
important to us, and is our ethos. The future
is extremely positive for the craft industry, and
we hope that our lampshade making products
will be a big part of this. C
What benefits can you offer retailers that
would like to stock your products?
As a manufacturer of our own products, there’s
plenty of margin there for a retailer with three
Needcraft
T: +44 (0)1992 700 311
W: www.needcraft.co.uk

Craft Focus magazine

Transcription

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