magazine - County Wedding Magazines
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magazine - County Wedding Magazines
www.craftfocus.com Issue 23 February/March 2011 CRAFTFOCUS www.craftfocus.com Boost sales with the latest dressmaking trends MAKE THE MOST OF MOTHER’S DAY product and project ideas Your essential guide to CRAFT HOBBY + STITCH INTERNATIONAL with show news and exhibitor previews PLUS Latest products Industry news Show previews and more T ! ES E G U G ISS BI ER EV Customising is king MAGA Z IN E Easter crafting ideas WIN: £1000 o goodie f from S s ® izzix Official media partner for Craft, Hobby + Stitch International and proud sponsor of the New Product Showcase February/March 2011 Issue 23 Editor Wendy Gardiner +44 (0) 2392 261 338 [email protected] Assistant Features Editor Rianna Fry +44 (0)1376 535 613 [email protected] Sales Manager Mark White +44 (0)1376 535 606 [email protected] Sales Executive Tracy Voice +44 (0)1376 535 618 [email protected] Design Manager Vicky O’Connor Deputy Design Manager Sarah Barnes Senior Designer Sophie Handley Graphic Designers Laura Perry, Steve Mckea, Hayley Kilminster +44 (0)1376 535 616 [email protected] Studio Assistant Leanne Walsh Production Manager Stuart Weatherley Subscriptions Alice Henson, Charlotte Tannett +44 (0)1376 514 000 KD Media Publishing Limited Broseley House Newlands Drive Witham, Essex, CM8 2UL, UK www.craftfocus.com Front Cover image: Encourage customers to craft Simplicity pattern 2445 (www.simplicitynewlook.com) 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, Broseley House, Newlands Drive, Witham, Essex, CM8 2UL, United Kingdom. Craft Focus magazine is proud to be associated with and supporters of: MEDIA SUPPORTER ANTI COPYING IN DESIGN contents regulars industry news 7 News and events that are happening now brand spanking new The latest product launches 75 17 events 52 Listing of forthcoming trade and consumer shows competition 64 Win a fabulous Sizzix® eclips machine and goodies worth over £1000 trading online 98 David Marsh of Business Link says we cannot ignore online sales growth bookshelf 100 Rianna Fry reviews the latest craft titles available q&a noise attracts attention 103 Industry expert Clare Rayner, provides the answers to many common dilemmas word on the web 107 Beth Scott of Loud-n-Clear looks at the advantages of offering vouchers online profiles making a mark 54 Wendy Gardiner talked to Simon Hodges at Letraset to find out more about the company designed for display 62 The Stitching Shed has its roots tracing back to grandma’s wool shop! beading in the blood 66 Wendy Gardiner finds out about beading a good yarn 72 Katy and Richard Sparrow on providing knitting inspiration through their company ArtYarn Trading a family affair 83 Known as wholesale suppliers of fleece and fur fabrics through ITS, the Abakhan family also has a thriving retail side with seven fabric shops bi-lingual cross stitching 114 This issue the spotlight is on Nia Rhind and her cross stitching business special feature customising is king 57 A look at the dressmaking trends for 2011 and how to make them work for you features try before you buy 69 Jennie Rayment provides a guide on successfully running demos and workshops at exhibitions reader survey 70 Let us know what you like and would like to see more of in your Craft Focus easter crafts 74 We take a look at products to promote as alternative Easter gifts make the most of mother’s day 77 We’ve news of products, ideas and classes with which to tempt your customers what a hoot 80 An easy to make cushion project for mother’s day driving retail traffic, part 1 87 With the majority of retailers facing tough times on the High Street, successful strategies are vital to business performance explains Nick Waller multi-channelling 91 Expert David Mackley on multichannel retailing and how it can boost business going legal 95 Dids Macdonald CEO of Anti Copying in Design (ACID) looks at the steps that can be taken before a dispute hits the courts shows the countdown continues 27 All you need to know about Craft Hobby + Stitch International 2011 Spring Fair International 51 A brief look at what’s new at this key trade event craftfocus 3 It’s showtime! This is my first issue of Craft Focus – and it’s an especially big one! As we prepare for the annual Craft Hobby + Stitch International, we’ve been bursting at the seams with lots of lovely news about product launches as well as some previews of what is in store at this annual trade event. We have a three-page listing of all the free workshops that are available at the show so do take a look and pre-book (page 27). We’ve also pages and pages of show previews plus lots of brand spanking new products with which to tempt you. We have also previewed some ideas that are particularly suitable for Mother’s Day and Easter, both of which are just around the corner. Another feature is on dressmaking (page 57) – with a look at how the trend for customising has continued to encourage newbies to sewing and generally given a boost to the craft. It’s great news for anyone involved in fabrics, haberdashery, trimmings, beading and embroidery as so much involves a combination of crafting techniques. As well as all the crafting, we’ve some advisory articles to help with a whole host of business matters ranging from driving traffic to increase your customer base (page 85) to tips on multi-channelling your efforts successfully (page 91). If you are exhibiting at all this year, also take a look at Try Before You Buy in which well known tutor Jennie Rayment provides her guide to running demos and workshops successfully (page 69). We’ve also an easy to enter competition for a chance of winning over £1000 of goodies, including a fabulous Sizzix® eclips machine with handheld remote control (page 64) as well as a reader survey which gives you the chance to let us know what you like most and what you want to see more of in your Craft Focus. So, plenty to read, digest and enjoy. Do let us have your news, views and ideas. Until next time… Wendy Gardiner Editor PS: Organisers of CHSI promise it is even bigger and better this year, with lots of new exhibitors, all the well established businesses we love to see plus new features, demos and lots of workshops. We’ll be there on Stand G12 amongst the New Product Showcase (which we sponsor). See you there. craftfocus 5 Eco-Fi: High quality polyester fibre made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles used in the manufacturing process of Kunin Craft Felt. For further information about Kunin Craft Felt please contact Fashion Futures Limited, Units 1 and 2 Mace Industrial Estate, Ashford, Kent TN24 8EP. [email protected] Tel +44 (0) 1233 625227. Fax +44 (0) 1233 612352 news&events industry news Wendy Gardiner gathers and reports on the news and events from around the industry On the move Apartments, El Ultimo Grito, 2009 (Photo - Michael Tolke) Blossoms are blooming Amy Butler’s Soul Blossoms fabric collections are now available to stock. Her amazing design and colour combinations explode in a sea of Temple Tulips, Peacock Feathers, Passion Lily, Dancing Paisley, Temple Doors, Buttercups and more. Available in 100% cotton, laminates and 100% cotton sateens perfect for home decor, “Soul Blossoms lets you sew and quilt with beautiful fabrics that will make your soul blossom,” promises Amy Butler fabrics. In addition, the company has a new spool collection of Rowan 100% cotton premium threads, also called Soul Blossom, with colours to match the new fabric line. There are some new touring exhibitions plus collaboration with two new UK museums that the Craft Council are shouting about this Spring. Lab Craft: digital adventures in contemporary craft will be shown at UK venues throughout 2011. Exhibits include jewellery made from sound waves, ceramic pots that can be scanned for information and digitally designed and printed fabrics from 26 of the most experimental names in craft and design, including Michael Eden, Geoffrey Mann and Tord Boontje. It shows how traditional craft skills combined with cutting-edge digital technologies have produced craft for a digital age. Glass hand grenades, wind instruments and models of futuristic apartments all feature in the new Crafts Council touring exhibition Breath taking: revealing a new wave in British glass blowing that launched at Bilston Craft Gallery in Wolverhampton on 22nd January 2011. Breath taking presents 16 pieces of newly commissioned blown glass by 21 UK makers who have a more conceptual approach to blown glass. “COLLECT is one of the most important annual fairs for contemporary craft in Europe,” claims the Crafts Council. Private and public buyers from all over the world will visit the Saatchi Gallery from 6th to 9th May to buy work by 400 artists represented by 36 international galleries. Finally, Power of Making is the second exhibition in the V&A/Crafts Council partnership which will be held from 6th September until 2nd January 2012. It will present 100 crafted objects in a cabinet of curiosities exploring the universal nature of making. Celebrating silver anniversary In March this year, Beads Unlimited will be celebrating its 25th year of business. The silver jubilee celebrations will include various competitions, giveaways and charity events throughout the year, all featuring the company’s wide range of sterling silver findings and beads. “From eyepins to lobster clasps, you’ll find everything you need to add a bit of class to any project. Prices start from 15p retail and there’s big discounts for small wholesale quantities,” promises Beads Unlimited. Special celebration promotions range from determining the number of beads in the jar to a monthly silver ticket worth £25 of Beads Unlimited goodies sent at random with orders. For details of what’s happening now and what’s to come, visit: www.beadbarmy.com and www.beadsunlimited.co.uk. craftfocus 7 industry news Easy does it Safety first Diamond Card Craft has just been awarded its second patent for the Eazi-Box Board design. This board allows crafters to produce shaped boxes and shaped cards easily. “Not only can the crafter produce octagonal, pentagonal and triangular cards and boxes but these shapes then lead themselves into creating Noah’s Ark, Dad’s shed, houses, ballgowns, hats, octagonal books, handbags and parasols, so therefore when a shape is required then the Eazibox board is the right board to use,” the company proudly claims. The patent has been awarded on two separate inventions, which is extremely exciting for Diamond Card Craft. Inventive step one is for the capability of producing ‘non-parallel line grooves with an aligned inner boundary line concentric with an outer shape’ and inventive step two is for the capability of producing ‘non rectangular or geometric shape or non parallel line grooves that intersect or join a raised edge or guide when at least one line groove is overlaid by a sheet’. New plans to develop a universal qualification and training framework for health and safety professionals across Europe, were revealed at a conference in Brussels recently. The EUSAFE project has been set up to identify a universal European framework of qualifications to cover occupational health and safety (OSH) professionals across the European Union. Richard Jones, IOSH’s policy and technical director and vice chair of ENSHPO, said: “By opting into the European qualifications, health and safety professionals who work across the EU are able to prove their credibility to employers, and employers are also assured that they are employing a professional.” Previously in September 2008, ENSHPO launched the EurOSHM (European Occupational Health Safety and Health Manager) standard, which will have qualifications that are created as a result of the EUSAFE project. Peter Andrew works for The Scotts Company, producers of gardening products such as Miracle-Gro. As a chartered member of the UK-based Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), Peter said: “Applying to have the EurOSHM qualification could not have been easier, as a Chartered IOSH member, I automatically qualified for the status. My current job role involves me looking after the health and safety of approximately 1000 members of staff across the European Union and therefore being EuroSHM qualified seemed the logical thing to do.” Further information is available from www.enshpo.eu. Glass competition It’s in the cards Glass artists throughout the country have the chance to win top prizes by producing work on the theme of “the environment” for the prestigious Warm Glass UK Glass Prize 2011. There are three categories and prizes: The categories are Artists, Students and Newcomers, and the prizes are: a place on the Masterclass with Bob Leatherbarrow in May at Warm Glass UK’s Resource Centre for the winner of the Artist category, a quantity of bullseye glass for the Student prize, and a Paragon SC2 kiln for the Popular Prize which is awarded to best Newcomer. “The theme of the environment for 2010 winner Alison Lowry 2011 is extremely topical and close to our hearts,” said Warm Glass director Pippa Bluck. “The environmental theme must be incorporated into their piece and all entries must include an element of kiln-formed glass work,” she added. Closing date for entries is 28th February, 2011. The public will then have a chance to vote up until 18th March, 2011 for their favourite piece which will receive the Popular Prize. For more information see: www.warmglassprize.co.uk. Whatever the occasion, Hallmark Card Studio Deluxe has it covered. This new software by Avanquest Software Publishing allows users to create unique and personalised cards for friends and family with thousands of designs and templates to choose from, plus 200 extra cards featuring the Forever Friends brand. By selecting from thousands of cards, invitations, stickers and over 16,000 premium Hallmark graphics, users of this new software can create and customise their cards to their own specific design and print them at home. Other uses available with the Hallmark Card Studio Deluxe software include creating calendars, photo frames, mini albums and stationery. “The software is also very easy to use and projects can be created in just three easy steps,” explained a spokesperson from Avanquest. Retail at £29.99. For further information, visit www.avanquest.co.uk. 8 craftfocus industry news A woolly business The Sheep Shop in Swansea is hoping Craft Focus readers will cast their vote to put Swansea on the map in the first ever online film awards for small businesses – the YOSCAs. The gift shop has been shortlisted in the ‘People’s Choice’ category in The Yell Online Small Company Advert awards (YOSCAs), created to honour the best films made last year by independent companies, shops, bars and restaurants across the nation. Matthew Bottomley from Yell said: “Short films screened online to let customers see first-hand what businesses, their bosses and staff are really like, are predicted to take over from ordinary advertising. In the past, only the big companies could afford to make commercials about themselves and pay to show them on television. Now even the smallest shop or business can shoot its own film, put it up online and get an audience of millions if it goes viral.” To vote, visit: www.yoscas.com/finalists.php. The video receiving the most Facebook ‘likes’ will be crowned a YOSCA winner and have a two minute video filmed by the professional film crew at Yell. Head in the clouds a good thing! You may have heard the expression ‘Cloud computing’, which understandably has confused many! Good news is that Kogan Page has published a book to explain it all. A Quick-Start Guide to Cloud Computing by Dr Mark Williams (£9.99) cuts through the industry hype and provides nontechnical explanations about what it is and how it can improve your business. With case studies from large and small businesses, this guide shows how enabling a remote workforce and sharing resources can reduce your organisation’s carbon footprint. It describes: the benefits of cloud computing; how to choose the right supplier and technologies for your particular business; key security issues and the perils and pitfalls to avoid. For further information, visit www.koganpage.com. When bigger is better Jacquard Products’ popular iDye is now being sold in bulk sizes for large-scale and commercial dyeing projects. “The ultimate way to get gorgeous colour just got bigger!” the company promises. Available from UK distributors Artvango (www.artvango.co.uk), they are also easy to use. Just add fabric, iDye and salt or vinegar to a washing machine, or in a pot on the hob, for easy, rich and vibrant colour. One pound jars are now available in 10 colours of iDye for natural fabrics (cotton, silk, rayon and linen) and eight colours for iDye Poly (polyester and nylon). Jacquard is also offering a 16oz size of iDye Poly Colour Intensifier (for dyeing deeper colours on polyester). A lasting cut The latest innovation from Acme United Europe is new Titanium non-stick scissors in 5, 7 and 8in lengths. They were recently voted as finalist in the category of Best New Product at the European Office Products Awards in Frankfurt. The scissors have adhesive resistant blades, and because they are made from Titanium are up to five times harder than stainless steel blades. They have soft grip handles and are able to cut a wider range of materials whilst staying sharp. Best of all they have a 25 year warranty. Distributed through their European office in Germany. For details call +49 212 232 4513, or visit www.acmeunited.de. 10 craftfocus Full of fire! VIP Crafts has been chosen as the first UK distributors for the Revolutionary Craft Dragon. “This amazing machine designed specifically with the home crafter in mind combines hot foil printing with a precision rubber stamper, as well as the ability to adhere gems to fabrics,” the company told us. It can be used by crafters wanting to print onto paper, card, leather, vinyl and much more. VIP Crafts can also supply a full range of foils, dyes and accessories to create a complete package for you to use straight out of the box. “And that’s just for starters – all of this for the introductory price of just £299 plus p&p,” the company added. For more information, contact Jo on 01905 780 182 or visit www.vip-crafts.co.uk. industry news WEB NEWS… Selling online made easier “Independent craft retailers have been given a boost with the launch of an online shop builder called Super Simple Shop, which will enable small retailers to tap into the lucrative online market which generated a massive £26.2 billion worth of sales in the first six months of 2010,” promises Nick Reacvill, founder and director of Super Simple Shop. The cost-effective package is aimed at independent craft retailers and hobbyists who are looking at online retailing for the first time, or sellers who have been previously dissatisfied with their web-based experiences. It offers users an avenue to generate new and additional sales or increase current income. The easy-to-use format enables users to build an effective website to showcase individual and unique products along with useful hints, tips and guidance to assist even the most novice of web users in making the most of their online retail site. It has built in secure online payment facilities and allows retailers to make simple but effective design choices to maximise the visual appeal of their products. “By looking particularly at the needs of specialist and niche retailers in the craft market, we believe that we have developed a product which will appeal as it’s affordable, very easy to use and effective in allowing them to reach out to a much wider customer audience,” said Nick. Flexible packages start from £10 per month with no long term commitment required. For further information, visit www.supersimpleshop.com. More on safety at work A quick and easy online tool to help retailers assess the hazards in their shop is now available to trial. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has worked to produce the web tool to help implement Lord Young’s recommendation that low-risk workplaces, such as shops, are spared unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy. The aim of the tool is to take the mystery out of risk assessments, giving retailers the means to be confident that they have identified the key risks in their premises and how to minimise them. Judith Hackitt, chair of HSE, said: “The new 20-minute risk assessments make it clear that the assessment of low-risk shops can be done quickly and easily. There really is no need for long detailed documents covering very minor and highly improbable risks.” The online tools prompt users to answer a series of straightforward questions that generates their risk assessment and action plan. HSE recently launched a similar 20-minute risk assessment tool for offices and one specifically for use in classrooms is out to consultation. Simplified risk assessments for other low risk workplaces are currently being developed. The online risk assessment tool can be found on HSE’s website at www.hse.gov.uk/consult/ condocs/risk-assessment/shop.htm MAGAZINE NEWS... Angelic help iForce has become a corporate Angel by providing international charitable foundation Global Angels with a complimentary fulfilment service. Global Angels promises that 100% of every donation it receives from the public goes directly to projects working at grass-root levels to empower children and their communities around the world. By managing the fulfilment of online orders on a donated basis for the charity’s merchandise – which includes clothing, wristbands and jewellery – iForce is helping Global Angels fulfil its 100% promise as well as freeing the foundation’s founder and CEO, Molly Bedingfield, to focus on organising fund raising events, which iForce also supports through its network of clients. iForce is one of the UK’s leading e-fulfilment and returns logistics businesses, offering end-toend solutions to their clients’ business challenges. Founded in 1998, iForce has pioneered the development of traditional fulfilment skills, processes and technologies for the e-commerce world as well as offering strategic planning and consultancy for e-retailers, e-analysis, stock management, customer service and logistics. For further information visit: www.iforcegroup.com. Global Angels Foundation was officially launched in July 2005. Find out more at www.globalangels.org. 12 craftfocus 30 years on Congratulations to Traplet Publications on its 30th anniversary. Traplet is a multinational company with offices on four continents. “It certainly has come a long way from its humble beginnings in MD Tony Stephenson’s front room!” said Mark Keeling of Traplet. Over the last 30 years Traplet has created a number of quality leisure magazines, including four top selling crafting titles including Patchwork & Quilting, Craft Stamper, Sewing World and Beads and Beyond. “Plus with a wide range of books, DVDs, parts and plans, Traplet is at the heart of the craft and hobby communities,” Mark added. The company is now diversifying with a range of bespoke embroidered workwear for businesses and societies. For more information, visit www.traplet.com. <PM6]\UMO+WUXIVa <PZMMLQUMV[QWVITKZW[[[\Q\KPLM[QOV ___LKZW[[[\Q\KPKW]S <MTMXPWVM ! NEWS IN BRIEF... Key Accounts Continuing its growth plans for 2011/12, Marabu UK Limited has a new position of key accounts manager for the UK and has appointed John Taylor to take up the role. John starts with Marabu at the beginning of February. He has a background in craft and stationary having been in key accounts roles with both 3M and Velcro. New campaign to get kids knitting “Knitting is the coolest craft right now with more youngsters and 30-somethings picking up a pair of needles than ever before,” explained Anna Davenport of newly revamped Knit Today magazine. The buzz word is ‘up-skilling’ as mums, parents and teachers pass on their knitting skills to school children, teenagers and within social groups around the country. The Craft Council in partnership Artyarn design from knit with the UK Hand Knitting Association has spearheaded a national the cat, albmerino campaign called ‘Knit One Pass It On’ to encourage new knitters who are enjoying knitting for the very first time. Find out more at www.craftclub.org.uk/knit1_pass_it_on. Knit Today gets a makeover Knit your bit The January issue 55 of Knit Today is celebrating the new year with a completely new look for 2011. “Britain’s best-loved knitting magazine has a bold new logo, a contemporary cover design and inside the magazine, readers will find a lot more patterns than ever before,” explained publisher Anna Davenport. With the emphasis on much quicker knits – over 20 brilliant new patterns in every issue – and fun, easy reads, this new package is perfectly placed to appeal to today’s growing community of knitters. “As a brand, we’re contemporary without being too funky and beautifully stylish without being fuddy-duddy! Our readers love our friendly approach and we’re continuing our strong commitment to being the best knitting magazine on the newsstand,” she added. For more information, email publisher Anna Davenport on [email protected] or editor Marie Parry on [email protected]. MacMillian reports that thousands of cancer patients are too scared to put the heating this winter because they can’t afford their energy bills. Sadly, one in five (19%) people with cancer turn their heating off during the winter even though they need it on. Macmillan has launched www.Infi-knit – a fun and interactive way to get involved in its campaign to end fuel poverty for people living with cancer. “Just go to www.infi-knit. org.uk, tell Infi-knit, our knitting machine, what makes you feel warm and your bit of pattern will be knitted into a real life scarf,” explained a spokesperson. Web cams record the Infi-knit carrying out its unique stitch, so people can watch their bit of woolly petition being created. The super-sized scarf petition will be presented to the government in April. Simply Homemade A new magazine from Practical Publishing will be launched at CHSI. “With beautiful and stylish projects for papercrafters, seamstresses, knitters, beaders, plus other crafters whose hobbies such as soapmaking, candlemaking and feltmaking are often neglected, Simply Homemade offers something for everyone,” the magazine promises. The new monthly title covers stylish brands such as Cath Kidston, Amy Butler Fabrics and Emma Bridgewater Designs, plus a pinch of recipes, baking ideas and homestyle tips and advice. Visit stand E18 for more details. Artisans and craftspeople unite The ‘Made by Hands of Britain’ site unites some of Britain’s finest artisans and craftspeople. In addition to beautiful handmade clothing, accessories, sewing supplies and textiles the site features many more items for the home and garden ranging from the contemporary to the traditional – from modest to the most fantastic (some expensive!) art and sculpture to gourmet food and drink. For further information, visit www.madebyhandsofbritain.com. A dream come true Nikki Sivils can hardly believe she is just months away from the two-year anniversary of her dream, Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker LLC. “Starting my own business has been a rollercoaster ride of emotions, but the very best part for me is getting to design. I have really had fun with my latest six collections for my spring 2011 release,” said Nikki. Her new paper and cardstock stickers are full of fun, whimsical designs and adorable creatures that are guaranteed to make you smile. For more information call + 44 (0)417 838 0996 or visit www.nikkisivils.com. craftfocus 15 brand spanking new Letraset Ltd Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: New ProMarker 12 Sets +44 (0)1233 624 421 or [email protected] £18.14 UK List 12 ProMarkers packaged in a unique ‘carry case’ style blister with a free Blender pen and How-to instructions. Easy to merchandise, attractively presented and packed with added value. The blister pack doubles as portable storage, with each marker clicking securely into place. ProMarkers are the low price, high performance artist’s markers that have taken the UK craft world by storm. These new sets are the perfect way to introduce this hugely popular line, or to extend your existing ProMarker set offering. 2 new sets available January 2011. Antex Craft, Antex Electronics Ltd Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: Fabric Master +44 (0)1822 613728 or www.antexcraft.com RRP £22.06 Fabric distressing, fuse, slash, cut twist and scrunch synthetic fabrics to create interesting works of art. Kit comes with 15/30w duel temperature heated tool, stand, seven tips and a sample pack of fabric. Eye catching packaging. This kit is part of a whole new range with colour coordinating accessory tip packs. Ideal for a counter display for impulse buys. The Fabric Master tool can be also used for wood/leather burning and gem embellishing by purchasing separate tip packs as the tips are interchangeable. GJ Beads Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: Rondelle Beads +44 (0)1736 751 070, [email protected], www.gjbeads.co.uk RRP from £3.25 per pack of 20 14 by 8mm Pandora Style faceted fire polish beads (approx 4mm hole). Manufactured in the Czech Republic, 16 colours available. Established, well known bead supplier offering high quality beads. Friendly, helpful, knowledgeable staff. Same day/next day dispatch on orders and easy on-line ordering. Ideal for adding to charm bracelets or used as accent beads. JSM Sales Ltd Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: Daisy Mae 5 by 5ins Embossing Boards +44 (0)1782 628 804 or www.jsmsales.co.uk RRP £2.35 each There are five designs within the 5 by 5ins Daisy Mae range and also four versions in A4 size. The boards can be used as a normal embossing board to create more effect on your crafting project and also are great to use with foil work. Each board comes displayed within a hanging bag, with clear instructions on the reverse of the header card. Great for demonstrations and also if careful and using the correct materials and accessories, the Daisy Mae 5 by 5ins boards can be used with various crafting machines. craftfocus 17 news&events Take a look at some of the latest products around brand spanking new The Nutmeg Company Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: Two new paperweight designs +44 (0)208 462 1149, www.3dcrossstitch.co.uk RRP £12.99 A Gardener’s World and £19.99 Noah’s Ark The Noah’s Ark paperweight is a challenging design standing 12cm high, while A Gardener’s World is 8.5 cm high. Both kits contain everything needed to complete the paperweight, except the ballast. All Nutmeg Company kits aim to provide practical objects for the stitcher, and encourage the development of stitching skills. This is for the stitcher looking for ‘something new’. The semi-circular base holds a heavy substance (not contained in the kit) to produce a decorative and useful piece. RedHotBed Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: Classic Kit +44 (0)1132 248 600 (ask for Sam Burgin), www.redhotbed.co.uk or [email protected] RRP £3.99 The Classic Kit is just beautifully designed and foiled, providing you with four envelopes, four die cut topper sentiment sheets, four luxury foiled coordinated board sheets and four DL foiled cards. This kit comes nicely presented and contains more than enough to create four luxury cards and more. RedHotBed has other quality new style kits within their new 2011 catalogue. Artcoe Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: Paperwave Tracedown +44 (0)845 300 7750 or www.artcoe.com From £1.69 (excluding VAT) Available in mixed packs containing either one or five sheets of each colour in sizes A4 or A3, also available in 12ins by 12ft rolls. Tracedown can be used on any surface such as haberdashery and ceramics, making a clean crisp tracing which can be easily erased. All orders over £50 will be carriage paid and delivered within 48 hours from receipt of order, subject to stock availability. There is also no minimum order quantity so retailers can order packs in either single or multiple units. Available in five colours. DMC Creative Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: 18 craftfocus DMC/Fillawant Printed Bias +44 (0)116 275 4000 or [email protected] from RRP 85p per metre An exclusive range of printed Bias Bindings (20mm wide) available on a 20m reel. These new products are used to decorate and embellish projects, accessories, clothing, card making, decorative gift wrapping, and floristry. DMC/Fillawant uses precision manufacturing to ensure that the bindings are cut on a perfect bias. The fancy bias designs are exclusive to Fillawant and are not available anywhere else. The bias bindings are offered as individual items but are also available housed in custombuilt display units. Fillawant also offers quality ribbon and piping ranges reflecting the trends in the fashion and home sewing markets introducing a variety of colours, qualities and widths. These aren’t just any ribbons! These are Ribbon Designs’ original, best selling, award-winning, eye-catching, frequently imitated, still the best, pre-packed ribbons. Available in Silk, Satin, Spark Organdy, Metal Organdy & Rat Tail Quick, easy and profitable sales NEW for 2011 - Trade website 5LEERQ'HVLJQV PO Box 382, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 7XQ Tel: 020 8958 4966 Email: [email protected] www.ribbondesigns.co.uk news&events Gillaingladrag Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: Needle Felting Kit +44 (0)1306 898 144, E: [email protected], W: gilliangladrag.co.uk RRP £13.95 This kit contains everything needed to have a go, including merino wool tops and simple step-by-step instructions. The wool can be used sculpturally or just as an embellishment on other felt or fabrics. Packaged in the colourful and distinctive “Gilliangladrag” brand packaging, this kit is sure to catch the eye of crafters everywhere. Needle felting has become extremely popular recently and people everywhere are starting to discover this magical craft, using just wool tops and special felting needles. Crafty Notions Product: Karantha Craft Moulds from Craftynotions Contact: Price: Sarah or David Lawrence +44 (0)1636 700 862 [email protected] £5.99 Specification: Karantha Craft Moulds are new innovative flexible moulds for the creative crafter. Many designs will be available to suit all tastes – from card makers to altered arts to mixed media. Clean, crisp moulds can be made using Hearty air-dry clay, paper, Craftynotions’ Jewel Enamels and UTEE powders. Presented in individual blister packs, for an eye-catching display, each pack contains instructions. This is a brand new product range with multiple uses being launched at Craft Hobby Stitch International at the NEC. There will be demonstrations and sample boards on the Craftynotions stand (A38). Retailer benefits: Other information: Burhouse Beads Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: Knotted freeform freshwater pearls Sales Department on +44 (0)1484 485 100 £6/150cm continuous necklace Pearls are a girl’s best friend. These stunning freshwater pearls are available in a choice of three colours. White, natural purple and white or salmon pink and white and come in 150cm continuous necklaces ‘ready to wear’. Brand new for 2011. These pearls are such good value for money and are top quality pearls at a great price. A passion for pearls means that Burhouse Beads also has a vast new assortment of freshwater pearls from £1/string. Visit the showroom and see for yourself. Littlestarstitches Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Peanut and Friends counted cross stitch kits +44 (0)1453 546 891, www.littlestarstitches.com from £6.95 Peanut & Friends is the first range of counted cross stitch kits from Littlestarstitches. Be charmed by Peanut & Muffin the elephants, Pretzel the giraffe and Humbug the zebra. In addition to seasonal and simple poses, these cute characters appear with the letters of the alphabet. Stitched on 14 count Aida, with the use of fractional stitches and backstitch, there is plenty of detail, making the kits suited to the more confident stitcher. craftfocus 21 brand spanking new Craftwell USA Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: eCraft Electronic Cutting System +1 888 315 8885 (USA), www.craftwellusa.com POA The eCraft revolutionary electronic cutter is easy to use, fun, and fast. It is ideal for scrapbooking, home decor, banners and more.The eCraft’s unique design makes it easy to cut materials automatically, without a cutting mat. Use the paper tray to stack multiple sheets at a time, or use the Roller to cut 12ins by any length. An ultra slim, lightweight design means the eCraft can be taken anywhere. You can also use designs from the large selection of image cards, or create your own with eCraftshop Design Software. Great looking designs and projects have never been easier. Creative Products Distribution Ltd Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: Beacon Gem-Tac glue +44 (0)208 953 2143 E: [email protected], www.creative-distribution.co.uk £3.10 + VAT per 4oz bottle. Sold in packs of 12 Beacon Gem-Tac is the perfect glue for embellishing your wardrobe with Swarovski crystals, pearls, sequins and glitter. It’s been used professionally for over 50 years on ballroom dancing gowns, ice skating costumes and much more. Gem-Tac dries fast, dries crystal clear, is flexible and permanent and can be hand washed. Gem-Tac comes in a squeeze bottle with applicator tip and is available in two bottle sizes 59ml and 115ml. Gem-Tac is a must-have product for your creative customers. This versatile adhesive is specially formulated to securely bond non-porous surfaces like gems, rhinestones and sequins to porous and semi-porous surfaces like fabric and wood. Habico Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: Spring Trimmings +44 (0)113 221 500 (sales office), [email protected], www.habico.co.uk From £1 to £2 per metre. A fabulous stretch frilled organdie with rose detail in four colours, white, ivory, pale pink and cerise. This trim coordinates beautifully with the 1950s floral look currently very much in fashion and very simply adds an exclusive detail to a chain-store frock or blouse. The full range will be on show at CHSI, stand G18-24. La Pashe Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: 22 craftfocus Trinitage +44 (0)191 4910 027, [email protected], [email protected] RRP 65p 16 brand new designs, eight to be released early in 2011 and a further eight some time before March. These designs will have the same three layer, pop up mechanism as the Christmas range. There will be scenes of Britain and other favourite pastimes which will appeal to all occasions and will provide great options for men’s cards. Very much like the Christmas range, just without the snow feature. They have been designed by Jak Heath and will be executed by La Pashe’s very own Jim Harker, famous for the Flippin’, Framin’ and other favourites the company offers. 1 (: I R VW U DU 6S W H U LQ U N J LW V &XVKLRQNLWV ♥ 7HDFRVLHV ♥ &KULVWPDVVWRFNLQJV %LUWKVDPSOHUV ♥ 6WDUWHUNLWV )DEXORXVWDSHVWU\NLWVIRUDOOOHYHOVRIDELOLW\ 7HO LQIR#MROO\UHGFRXNZZZMROO\UHGFRXN NEW FOR 2 011 Cardcuts has launched a unique range of packaging for 2011. Why not use your existing stock and package it in a new way using our pods, baskets etc. Our all new card Hold-alls are perfect for Easter eggs, gifts, crafts, soaps, lingerie and so much more. Trade discounts and bespoke printing available. Tel: 01825 890030 www.cardcuts.co.uk news&events Peak Dale Products Ltd Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: Pull Bows +44 (0)1298 784 47, [email protected], www.peakdaleproducts.co.uk. From £2.50 to £7.25 This selection of new pull bows is available in a rainbow of colours and in four sizes – 3.5ins, 5ins, 5.5ins or 8ins. There are three finishes – satin, glossy and holographic. Colours include black, blue, cerise, gold, green, lilac, purple, red, silver and yellow. The bows are supplied in packs of five of the same colour, or 10 assorted sizes, all the same colour. Easy to make decorative bows that add a touch of class and vivid splash of colour, whatever the occasion. Artesanoyarns Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: Mother Goose, collection of knitting patterns +44 (0)1189 503 350 [email protected], www.artesanoyarns.co.uk £2.50 per pattern This is a collection by Julie Ferguson of six new single sheet knitting patterns for children 0 to five years old. Single sheet pattern available instead of a pattern book. All patterns knitted in easy care Artesano super wash merino yarn, The Mother Goose collection is easy knit, so ideal for beginners and experienced knitters alike. Artesano superwash yarn is available in a range of 25 colours. Machine washable, easy care, excellent drape and stitch definition, standard DK weight. The garments are all easy wear, with ease for comfortable movement. Fiskars Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: Inspiration range of scissors +44 (0)115 927 7335, www.fiskars.com From RRP £11.49 for needlework scissors to RRP £13.49 for general purpose scissors Fiskars’ new Inspiration range of scissors has been given a style makeover using patterns created by Finnish designers. The new designs Gloria, Bloom and Seaflower draw on nature for their inspiration. Bloom is bold and bright yet feminine and romantic, the Gloria design was inspired by a beautiful wild garden and Seaflower combines the land and sea. There are four scissors in each design: general purpose, multi-purpose, manicure, and needlework. The new colours and patterns provide the perfect excuse to buy more scissors – as gifts or to use. The ergonomic handles are made using a completely new process in which the design and the colour are embedded in the material itself. This new technology makes for beautiful deep colour tones as well as giving intricate detail. WS Designs Product: Contact: Price: Specification: Retailer benefits: Other information: Tempting Templates from WS Designs Wendy Stenton, +44 (0)1908 542 759, [email protected], www.ws-designs.co.uk Individual templates start at RRP £4.05 and new layering templates at RRP £6.99. For 2011 WS Designs have now launched a total of 19 new templates. Five independent templates, one new fretwork template, three new layering templates and five new silhouette templates, which are available in two sizes. All available from UK distributor Woodware (E: [email protected]). All the templates can be purchased individually and, as previously, all templates come in their own A4 wallet with full instruction sheet. These templates can be used easily by all ages and abilities of crafters as they are a blank canvas for any other crafting medium, including stamps, papers and peel offs to name but a few. craftfocus 25 Part time - Commission only - Sales Agents Territories available in Midlands, Northern England, Scotland and Ireland This position would suit a knitter, with some time on their hands, who likes talking about the finest of yarns, and earning some extra cash for the privilege. Customer lists available. Exceptional rates of commission for proven fast selling products. Full training and support will be given. Please contact John Morley Tel: 01948 710925 / 07887 644135 email: [email protected] show chsi news news the countdown to craft hobby + stitch international continues New features, new workshops and a new catwalk show are set to wow visitors at this year’s, bigger than ever, trade show Crafts on the catwalk CHSI is Europe’s largest trade show for the craft industry and is promising some exciting new features that will enhance the experience of all visitors. Firstly there is a fashion show with a twist which will take place on each day of the show. Models will not only be strutting their stuff in fabulous clothes, but will also be modelling stunning, hand-crafted accessories – from handbags to glittering jewellery, all created from exhibitors’ products. Full programme workshops Visitors to the show can also take advantage of a host of free workshops and seminars, specifically put together to help businesses gain new insights and skills. The workshops will feature the latest products from a variety of well-known brands, giving attendees a unique oppor tunity to work with them first hand. Plus those businesses new to social media can find out more with the Introduction to Social Media and Developing a Social Media Strategy seminars on Sunday 20th February. A seminar for tracking website performance will be held on the Monday 21st which will show businesses how to use tools such as Google Analytics and Webmaster to monitor the impact they are having online (see pages 27-30 for fur ther details of the full programme). Pre-booking of the workshops is advised. ICHF Ltd MD David Bennett said, “We’re really pleased with this year’s line-up of workshops and seminars. Industry exper ts will be leading the sessions which are designed to help businesses communicate to existing customers, reach out to new audiences and to boost their presence in the industry.” Craft Hobby + Stitch International 2011 20-22 February 2011 T: +44 (0)1425 272 711 E: [email protected] W:www.chsi.co.uk “Craft Hobby + Stitch 2011 is set to be one of the most vibrant and inspiring shows yet” Also new for 2011, the show will have a dedicated product demonstration area with presentations from Serif (Europe) Ltd and Mitsubishi Pen Co. Serif will be unveiling its new range of six digital crafting products, CraftAr tist and demonstrating the whole range along with the well-known crafter and presenter Michelle Jackson-Mogford. As well as all the new features, organiser ICHF repor ts that the show continues to see sales of exhibition space at the 2011 event rising with two major industry players, Groves and Coats Crafts UK confirming their attendance. Sarah Matchett, product manager, Creative Crafts & Lifestyle Fabrics at Coats Crafts UK said: “We are delighted to have chosen Craft, Hobby + Stitch as a platform to showcase our quality brands. Taking centre stage this time will be our stunning lifestyle fabric collections from designers such as Amy Butler, Tanya Whelan and Kaffe Fassett.” With brand new features, the latest supplies and innovations, free business seminars and workshops, the 2011 Craft Hobby + Stitch International show is not to be missed! Don’t forget to come and see us in the New Product Showcase area of the show, (of which we are the proud sponsors). We are on stand G12 and look forward to meeting as many readers as possible. Come and let us know your good news or gripes, or just meet up for a chat. C craftfocus 2727 craftfocus chsi workshop schedule A full workshop programme run during the Craft Hobby + Stitch International show this February provides the perfect oppor tunity to see and tr y some of the new products available. SUNDAY 20 TH FEB 9.15am Eclips Master Class! Hints, Tips & Much More! 10.45am An Introduction to POSCA Marker Pens Peter Hughes of Ellison Europe work through the world of the Eclips, electronic die cutting machine. Mitsubishi Pencil Co introduces the POSCA water-based marker range. This hands-on workshop is packed with fun craft projects demonstrating the uses of POSCA. 9.15am Aluminium/PVC/Satin Necklaces Brit Eellens of La Fourmi shows how to make necklaces using PVC tubing, aluminium wire and satin beads. 2.15pm Get Creative with Marabu UK Kevin Shenton of Marabu provides the opportunity to get hands-on with Painters Pens for glass, porcelain and textiles. 9.30am FIMO® Easter Bunnies FIMO® expert and author Bonnie McGough of Staedtler (UK) teaches the versatility of FIMO® in a series of workshops for Easter and Mothering Sunday. 9.30am Artistic Wire Rings Making rings has never been easier. Wyatt White of Beadalon shows how wire can be wrapped around a ring mandrel for size, then more bending and twisting to add Swarovski crystal components. 10.30am Introducing New STIX2 Products & Techniques 2011 sees the launch of another batch of new products from STIX2. Michelle from the company will be demonstrating how to use these with existing STIX2 lines. 10.30am Felting with ArtFelt Paper This workshop by Katy Sparrow and Irene Lindorfer of Schoppel-Wolle introduces the easy felting technique of ArtFelt. 10.45am Introducing Petal Pairs & More! Kirsty Wiseman of Tonic Studios introduces Petal Pairs, the simple punch system that creates a myriad of beautiful flowers. 28 craftfocus 2.15pm Boost your Sales with Decopatch! John Collingbourne of Tollit & Harvey – Clairefontaine/Decopatch show how Decopatch is a versatile and creative range of decorated papers which can be applied simply and easily to almost any surface. 2.30pm Paint Fusion Join Sheena Douglass from Crafter’s Companion for a workshop demonstrating how to ‘fuse’ traditional and simple paint techniques with rubber stamping. 2.30pm Working with Payper Box Templates & CDs Meet Create and Craft’s rising star Sandy Piercey of Payper Box and learn how to promote sales with techniques on swing card templates and associated CDs. 3.30pm Stamping – A New Dimension! Anny Skinner and Lindsay Mason of Personal Impressions provide a workshop using inks, stamps and more. Use Hobbyfun’s fabrics to create greetings card, using card and sticky-back plastic. 3.45pm Grand Fun! If you have ever wanted to get your hands on the Grand Calibur™ by Spellbinders, Paper Arts™ and the new release dies, this class by Stacey Caron and Kim Hupke of Creative Expressions is for you! 3.45pm Treasure Cards Treasure Cards are brand new from China Butterfly, a card and gift in one. Sarah Gee shows how to create an elegant card including a handmade jewellery piece. 4.45pm Introducing Petal Pairs & More! Kirsty Wiseman of Tonic Studios introduces Petal Pairs, the simple punch system that creates a myriad of beautiful flowers. Also, preview Tonic’s other amazing new products. 4.45pm The Power of PaperArtsy Make yourself familiar with the very successful new ‘Hot Picks’ collection of stamps, paper, dies and more from PaperArtsy demonstrated by Leandra Franich. Fabulous fun and innovative creativity starts here! 5pm Luscious Layers at the Cutting Edge Kim Thittichai shares how to decorate and construct boxes using the heaviest weight iron on interfacings and C5500 Crash from Freudenberg Vilene and the Sizzix ® Big Shot ™ Pro. 5pm Quilling Tips for the Retailer 3.30pm Hobbyfun Fabrics for Cards & Scrapbooking Pat Green of Past Times Quilling provides hands-on tuition of quilling or paper filigree. NEW! An exciting new British company with a fabulous range of cling stamps, manufactured in the UK to a very high standard chsi workshop schedule MONDAY 21 ST FEB 9.15am Introducing Petal Pairs & More! Kirsty Wiseman of Tonic Studios introduces Petal Pairs, the simple punch system that creates a myriad of beautiful flowers. Also, preview Tonic’s other amazing new products. 9.15am The Power of PaperArtsy Make yourself familiar with the very successful new ‘Hot Picks’ collection of stamps, paper, dies and more from PaperAr tsy demonstrated by Leandra Franich. Fabulous fun and innovative creativity star ts here. 9.30am Custom Boxes, Cards & Envelopes Sara Davies of Crafter’s Companion shares some stunning projects! Create an exploding box, easel card and matching three-dimensional Envelobox using Core’dinations cardstock and the Ultimate Pro from Crafter’s Companion. 9.30am Working with Payper Box Templates & CDs Meet Create and Craft’s rising star Sandy Piercey of Payper Box and learn how to promote sales with techniques on swing card templates and associated CDs. 10.30am Get Creative with Marabu UK Kevin Shenton of Marabu gives you the oppor tunity to get hands-on with their Painters Pens for glass, porcelain and textiles. The workshop will involve decorating a glass, mug or a T-shir t. 10.30am Hobbyfun Fabrics for Cards & Scrapbooking Use Hobbyfun’s fabulous fabrics to create an unusual greetings card, using both card and sticky-back plastic as demonstrated by Sandie Haitland of Hobbyfun UK. 10.45am Go Eco! Join Julia Andrus from Eco Green Crafts to learn more about her great eco-friendly 30 craftfocus products. Take this great oppor tunity to try out these paints and inks with stunning techniques. 10.45am Quilling Tips for the Retailer Pat Green of Past Times Quilling provides hands-on tuition giving practical and theoretical knowledge of quilling or paper filigree, enabling the retailer to answer questions, demonstrate and hold workshops. 2.15pm Eclips Master Class! Hints, Tips & Much More! Come and join Pete Hughes of Ellison Europe as he works through the fabulous world of the Eclips, electronic die cutting machine. This session will show you all the features the machine has to offer. So why not come along and be involved with this new die cutting phenomenon? 3.30pm Aluminium/PVC/Satin Necklaces Brit Wellens of La Fourmi shows how to make spectacular necklaces using PVC tubing, aluminium wire and satin beads. This easy technique produces amazing fashionable designs. 3.45pm Luscious Layers at the Cutting Edge Ar tist Kim Thittichai demonstrates how to decorate and construct boxes using the heaviest weight iron on interfacings and C5500 Crash from Freudenberg Vilene and the Sizzix® Big Shot™ Pro. 3.45pm Treasure Cards Treasure Cards are brand new from China Butterfly, a card and gift in one. You will create an elegant card including a handmade jewellery piece with Sarah Gee. 2.15pm Felting with ArtFelt Paper This workshop by Katy Sparrow and Irene Lindorfer of Schoppel-Wolle introduces the easy felting technique of Ar tFelt. Fibres are tacked onto Ar tFelt paper using a felting needle; saturated and processed in a tumble dryer, the paper is then dissolved away to leave a felted fabric. This technique lends itself to detailed pieces and makes unusually light and fine pieces possible. 2.30pm FIMO® Easter Eggs FIMO® exper t and author Bonnie McGough of Staedtler (UK) teaches the versatility of FIMO® in a series of inspirational and fun workshops for Easter and Mothering Sunday. 3.45pm Stamping – A New Dimension! Andy Skinner and Lindsay Mason of Personal Impressions provide a unique workshop that will fire your imagination – using inks, stamps and more you will create fabulous and original works of ar t. 4.45pm Boost your Sales with Decopatch! Decopatch is a versatile and really creative range of decorated papers which can be applied simply and easily to almost any surface – see how it works, have a go and learn about the retail oppor tunity from John Collingbourne of Tollit & Harvey – Clairefontaine/Decopatch. 2.30pm Artistic Wire Rings Making rings has never been easier. Wyatt White of Beadalon shows how wire can be wrapped around a ring mandrel for size, then more bending and twisting to add Swarovski crystal components. 3.30pm Introducing New STIX2 Products & Techniques 2011 sees the launch of another batch of new and exciting products from STIX2. Michelle will be showing you how to use these products with existing STIX2 products and some new techniques. 5pm Hobbyfun Fabrics for Cards & Scrapbooking Use Hobbyfun’s fabulous fabrics to create an unusual greetings card, using both card and sticky-back plastic as shown by Sandie Haitland. No sewing required. 5pm An Introduction to POSCA Marker Pens Mitsubishi Pencil Co introduces the POSCA water-based marker range. This hands-on workshop is packed with fun craft projects demonstrating the uses of POSCA. www.aartij.com retail & wholesale available ...Aarti J’s... Specialists in Beads, Trimmings, Flatback Gems and Appliqués. F6DZGD\6WUHHW_/HLFHVWHU_/(-: 7HO__ (PDLODU#KRWPDLOFRP ❁ ❁ ❁ Are your customers looking for something new and different to work with? Come to our Stand D38 at Craft, Hobby + Stitch, and be inspired by our luscious fabrics and creative stencils, have a go at the Make & Take or join our Workshop to get hands on experience of making cards with our products. If you place an order at the Show, you will receive a 10% discount. ❁ ❁❁ www.hobbyfunukltd.co.uk Tel: 01604 467780 Wrenbury House, 75 Wrenbury Rd, Northampton NN5 6XZ %RVDO)RDP)LEHU ,&+)6WDQG' We are a new Edinburgh based rubber stamp company who deal directly with retailers. We have introduced a Celtic, Wedding and Scottish selection of rubber stamps available as woodmounted (or unmounted on request). Introductory offer of a “Sample Pack” available at a discounted price to the usual trade price. %RVDO)RDP)LEHUKDVEHHQPDQXIDFWXULQJ TXDOLW\$PHULFDQPDGHLQWHUOLQLQJEDWWLQJIRURYHU \HDUV6WRSE\WRVHHRXUFXUUHQWRIIHULQJVLQFOXGLQJ &UDI7H[6SOHQGLG:HE'XUD)XVHRXUOX[XULRXV .DWDKGLQ3UHPLXP4XLOW%DWWLQJ 1HZ 1HZ1HZ %DWWLQJ6 HDP7DSH IRUMRLQLQ J VFUDSSLH FHV RIEDWWLQJ You can view our range of products on our website www.craftystamps.com If you wish to receive a trade catalogue please contact us. Tel/Fax: 0131 221 9440 • [email protected] Crafty Stamps, 92 Grove Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8AP %RVDO)RDP)LEHU :DVKLQJWRQ6WUHHW/LPHULFN0DLQH 7HO )D[ LQIR#ERVDOIRDPFRP chsi show previews news TUESDAY22 ND FEB 9.15am Create with Darkroom Door! Join Rachel Greig of Personal Impressions in a fun filled inspiring workshop using products from Darkroom Door and more. 9.15am Felting with ArtFelt Paper This workshop by Katy Sparrow and Irene Lindorfer of Schoppel-Wolle introduces the easy felting technique of Ar tFelt. Fibres are tacked onto Ar tFelt paper using a felting needle; saturated and processed in a tumble dr yer, the paper is then dissolved away to leave a felted fabric. This technique lends itself to detailed pieces and makes unusually light and fine pieces possible. 9.30am Grand Fun! If you have ever wanted to get your hands on the Grand Calibur™ by Spellbinders, Paper Ar ts™ and their new release dies, this class by Stacey Caron and Kim Hupke of Creative Expressions is for you! Complete a bunting and bonus project that looks like it took hours to create! Please bring: scissors and stick or tape adhesive. 9.30am Treasure Cards Treasure Cards are brand new from China Butterfly, a card and gift in one. You will create an elegant card including a handmade jewellery piece as shown by Sarah Gee. 10.30am Eclips Master Class! Hints, Tips & Much More! range of decorated papers which can be applied simply and easily to almost any surface – see how it works, have a go and learn about the retail oppor tunity following guidance from John Collingbourne of Tollit & Harvey – Clairefontaine/Decopatch. 10.45am FIMO® Makes Mothering Sunday FIMO® exper t and author Bonnie McGough of Staedtler (UK) teaches the versatility of FIMO® in a series of inspirational and fun workshops for Easter and Mothering Sunday. 10.45am Artistic Wire Rings Making rings has never been easier. Wyatt White of Beadalon shows how wire can be wrapped around a ring mandrel for size, then more bending and twisting to add Swarovski crystal components. 11.45am Quilling Tips for the Retailer Pat Green of Past Times Quilling provides hands-on tuition giving practical and theoretical knowledge of quilling or paper filigree, enabling the retailer to answer questions, demonstrate and hold workshops themselves. 1pm Introducing New STIX2 Products & Techniques 2011 sees the launch of another batch of new and exciting products from STIX2. Michelle will be showing you how to use these products with existing STIX2 products and some new techniques. 1pm The Power of PaperArtsy Come and join Pete Hughes of Ellison Europe as he works through the fabulous world of the Eclips, electronic die cutting machine. This session will show you all the exciting features the machine has to offer you and your customers. So why not come along and be involved with this new die cutting phenomenon? Make yourself familiar with the very successful new ‘Hot Picks’ collection of stamps, paper, dies and more from PaperAr tsy. Fabulous fun and innovative creativity star ts here as shown by Leandra Franich of PaperAr tsy. 10.30am Boost your Sales with Decopatch! Kim Thittichai shares how to decorate and construct boxes using the heaviest weight iron on interfacings and C5500 Crash from Decopatch is a versatile and really creative 1.15pm Luscious Layers at the Cutting Edge Freudenberg Vilene and the Sizzix® Big Shot™ Pro. 1.15pm An Introduction to POSCA Marker Pens Mitsubishi Pencil Co provides an introduction to POSCA water-based marker range. This hands-on workshop is packed with fun craft projects demonstrating the uses of POSCA. Free samples and lots of make and take. 2.15pm Get Creative with Marabu UK Kevin Shenton of Marabu gives you the oppor tunity to get hands on with Painters Pens for glass, porcelain and textiles. The workshop will involve decorating a glass, mug or a T-shir t. 2.15pm Aluminium/PVC/Satin Necklaces Make spectacular necklaces using PVC tubing, aluminium wire and satin beads as shown by Brit Wellens of La Fourmi. This easy technique produces amazing fashionable designs. 2.30pm Paint Fusion Join Sheena Douglass of Crafter’s Companion for a workshop demonstrating how to ‘fuse’ traditional and simple paint techniques with rubber stamping to create a new contemporary look. 2.30pm Working with Payper Box Templates & CDs Meet Create and Craft’s rising star Sandy Piercey of Payper Box and learn how to promote sales with techniques on swing card templates and associated CDs. Booking information These free workshops are available to registered trade visitors of CHSI and of course they are very popular so spaces are limited. To register as a trade visitor and book places, visit www.chsi.co.uk. craftfocus 33 chsi preview chsi exhibitor previews Hundreds of companies will be exhibiting at this year’s annual Craft Hobby + Stitch International show. We’ve some product previews to tempt you to attend and help source your supplies BOTHY THREADS Stand A1 Tel: +44 (0)1638 665 149 Email: [email protected] It’s Sew Gorjuss! Bothy Threads have teamed up with Santoro London to bring Gorjussä to life in cross stitch. There are eight captivating portraits in the collection so far with more designs, including a beautiful birth sampler, to be released at the trade show. These designs are embellished with ribbons, beads and sequins and each has an iconic black heart button. Bothy Threads will also be launching their new cat collections and a set of designs about Britain, with an Olympic tribute. THE STITCHING SHED Stand A12 Tel: +44 (0)8451 576 045 Web: www.thestitchingshed.co.uk The designers at The Stitching Shed have worked hard this year to produce a fabulous new range of cross stitch and needlepoint for 2011. They are experts at researching the market and highlighting commercial trends, which is the reason why their designs are so popular. This year the focus is on owls – samplers - children’s décor – cute – country – trendy; something for everyone ! Visit the stand to see the whole range and be amazed at the trade prices on offer. There is no minimum order at The Stitching Shed. BEAD TIME Stand C22 Tel: +44 (0)1932 244 700 Web: www.beadtimewholesale.co.uk Bead Time will be showcasing a new range of Steam Punk, Greek ceramic beads and wooden beads from a sustainable source in the Philippines. They are very excited about their steam punk range as they believe they are the first company in the UK to carry a full range of designs for this up and coming style of jewellery making. Bead Time’s range is in ant –brass with more than 50 styles, wings, watch faces, sculls, crosses, keys, coins and scissors. Later on in the year they are introducing the range in Antique Silver. LA FOURMI Stand A16 Tel: +00 322 687 7629 Web: www.lafourmi.eu La Fourmi specialises in beads and wood items to decorate as well as offering 20,000 other craft products. They will be showing many new items, in particular beads, findings and hollow rubber tubing. There is a big trend for jewellery made with rubber tubing on the continent at present - the tubing comes in various widths and is hollow, so you can slide a wire through the middle and shape it to any design. La Fourmi will show how to use this innovative new material (they put large holed beads on it, twist and shape it to make spectacular jewellery). craftfocus 35 chsi exhibitor previews B-C-E CO UK Stand K20 Tel: +44(0)1427 810 301 Web: www.b-c-e.co.uk The new series of three-step card templates from B-C-E is expected to be as successful as its best selling Mountain Stencillo Template. The ‘Shake & Step’, ‘Octo ‘Step’ and ‘Circle Step’ templates offer a wonderful new slant on the ever popular stepper cards, but differ because they have a central section for decoration with interesting symmetrical steps. “The ‘Shake & Step’ is square in design and comes complete with the easiest back box template for amazingly effective shaker cards,” promise B-C-E. The template also offers an aperture/layering section. B-C-E will also be releasing its second DVD. “Template Techniques DVD Vol. 2 will feature eight of the newer, most effective and best selling templates. It is another full tutorial by Kim Sutton of almost two hours complete with full picture galleries.” they explained. SE SIMONS Stand E30 Tel: +44 (0)1179 554 710 Web: www.sesimons.co.uk SE Simons will be showing a stunning selection of ribbons and trimmings, manufactured by May Arts in the USA. The exceptional range available includes sheer, satin, grosgrain, velvet and silk ribbon in a variety of patterns and prints. Their selection includes the very latest in fashionable, funky designs, in an imaginative combination of colours and styles, which are suitable for all haberdashery, craft projects and decorations. 36 craftfocus FLOWER SOFT Stand J7 Tel: +44 (0)1914 274 571 Web: www.flower-soft.com Flower Soft® will be launching four new Ultra Fine NEON Colours at the Craft, Hobby & Stitch International show on 20 February. Get your first peek of Neon Pink, Orange, Yellow and Green along with some very cool new Card Toppers, including Neon Signs. “The card toppers work perfectly with the new Neon colours and bring something completely different to the craft market,” explained Susan Balfour at Flower Soft. The finished cards are fun, funky and are ideal to give to teenage boys and girls and perfect for aging rock stars! TEXTILE HERITAGE Stand A10 Tel: +44 (0)1355 229 446 Web: www.textileheritage.com Based in the heart of Scotland, Textile Heritage is a familyrun business. “We are recognized as a leading supplier of small, high quality, and beautiful cross-stitch kits that are popular both in the craft and gift markets” they proudly boast. New additions for 2011 are the stunning Celtic Bird range (available in a bookmark, scissor keep, needlecase, coaster and sachet) and the traditional Flowers of Scotland bookmark. With trade prices of £2.05 - £5.04 these kits are a great pick-up line for customers looking for a small project or gift idea and everything essential to completing the project is included inside. A colour brochure of Textile Heritage’s full range of over 200 small cross-stitch kits is also available, or an online catalogue can be viewed on their website, where you can also apply for online trade access. IDEAL ENVELOPES Stand D05 Tel: +44 (0)8454 636 249 Web: www.ideal-envelopes.co.uk Ideal Envelopes has been market leader of greeting card envelopes and other paper and card based products for around 14 years. Over the last two years it has developed its e-commerce business to create an easy to use website with a secure payment system. “All our trade customers now enjoy the benefits of being able to order from 10 to 10,000 envelopes at the click of a button at a time that suits them,” explained Ideal Envelopes. They also offer a free of charge sample service, enabling their customers to see the product before they buy. Earlier this year Ideal Envelopes added a value envelopes category to its website, which lists approximately one million envelopes that consist of overrun stock offered at bargain prices. In 2009 Ideal Envelopes launched a successful sister website www.papercard.co.uk. “PaperCard supplies exactly what it says, a wide selection of paper and card products in a range of sizes from A5 to SRA3, bespoke items can also be provided, simply by contacting one of our sales team,” explained Ideal. Customers can also benefit from a combined shipping charge if orders are placed on both sites,” they added. www.beadtimewholesale.co.uk We are dedicated to supplying the retailer and web companies with a truly gorgeous range of findings, and now we can supply you with gorgeous beads! NEW RANGE - Steampunk findings now available For a catalogue contact Bead Time Ltd Unit 16 Shepperton Business Park Govett Avenue Shepperton Middlesex TW17 8BA Tel: 01932 506362 / 506596 6HHXVDWWKH6SULQJ)DLUDQG&UDIW+REE\DQG6WLWFK Sock Yarn Specialist www.viridianyarn.com | [email protected] tel: 0117 300 5244 7KH8.·VOHDGLQJVXSSOLHU RI3LFNDQG0L[&DUG Now trading from larger premises at: 31 The IO Centre Hearle Way Hatfield Herts AL10 9EW Tel: 01707 266 500 Fax: 01707 275 832 See us at Craft Hobby + Stitch Stand Q17 chsi preview CRAFTER’S COMPANION Stand G1 Tel: +44 (0)1388 660930 Email: [email protected] Crafter’s Companion is the new UK distributor for the Core’dinations ColorCore Cardstock, and will be showcasing the full range at the show. Drop by their stand to pick up your free sampler pack. Also launching at the show are the latest additions to the Flower Fairies range – ‘Fairyopolis’ - a new take on the original hand-drawn artwork from Cicely Mary Barker which features a more contemporary feel and is brought to life through interactive CD ROMs, rubber stamps and paper-based crafting elements. BEADALON Stand D30 Tel: 001 (866) 423-2325 Web: www.beadalon.com Artistic Wire Chain Maille Rings from Beadalon are ideal for creating virtually anything in the realm of chain maille. Made from Artistic Wire these jump rings are precision cut and system matched for diameter and colour consistency. Rings can be opened and closed using the regular or bent Chain Nose Pliers and each package contains an ample supply of jump rings to create many fashionable designs. For easy reference, eight of the most popular chain maille weaves such as the Byzantine, Turkish Round, Foxtail and more are noted on the back of each Artistic Wire Chain Maille Ring package along with the sizes needed and quantity of rings to create the weave. Beadalon is the originator of flexible bead stringing wires and has been manufacturing wire in the USA since 1976. The company offers high quality beading products, competitive prices, friendly and knowledgeable customer service, and prompt delivery. KING COLE Stand F40 Tel: +44 (0)1535 650 230 Web: www.kingcole.co.uk At CHSI 2011 King Cole will concentrate largely on consolidating the success of existing ranges. Lots of new shades will be added with a host of designs to support them. There will be one new product to excite existing stockists, again including full pattern support. “The main thrust of our participation is not just to show an excellent all-round range but to encourage more retailers to try that range and enter the buoyant hand knit market,” said Lance Martin from King Cole. “Our second to none service and ability to tailor a package to fit the retailer are renowned. Come and speak to the experts, we try harder to make it work for you!” he added. GILLIANGLADRAG Stand BS1 Tel: +44 (0)1306 898 144 Web: www.gilliangladrag.co.uk These brand new feltmaking kits are designed specially for children to make and learn from. Due to popular demand, Gillian Harris from Gilliangladrag has designed several different options, with kits suitable for children from five and over. Choose between three picture kits aimed at younger children, a lovely necklace kit suitable from aged eight plus and also a felt monster kit. Packaged in their distinctive circuslike stand up pouches, these kits are extremely eye-catching and make superb gifts, either for the buyer to make as a gift, or for the recipient to make themselves. RRP start at just £12.75. Contact Gillian for further details and to see the full range. CHINA BUTTERFLY Stand BS23 Tel: +44 (0)1704 831709 Web: www.chinabutterfly.co.uk Brand new Treasure Card Kits from China Butterfly create a card and gift in one. Each beautiful decoupage card incorporates a gorgeous handmade piece of jewellery into the design. The jewellery features beautiful sparkly crystals, glass beads and silver plated findings. All kits include everything needed to make the card and jewellery piece including detailed instructions making them suitable even for beginners. These kits will appeal to card and jewellery makers alike offering retailers a wider target audience. There are six different kits available including two ear-ring, two bracelet and two necklace kits. “RRPs start from just £5 making them truly affordable gifts,” promise China Butterfly. craftfocus 39 chsi exhibitor previews COLOURCRAFT C&A Stand Q31 Tel: +44 (0)1142 421 431 Email: [email protected] Colourcraft C & A acrylic inks have been specially formulated using a new advanced acrylic emulsion and the highest quality pigments to produce an extremely versatile, water resistant, light fast medium. Available in a range of stunning traditional and shimmering metallic colours, that are intermixable, nonyellowing and quick drying, they are ideal for using with a dip pen, technical pen, for airbrushing, diluted colour layering, transparent washes, stippling, collage, drafting and photo tinting. Sizes available are 28 ml, 100ml and 500ml and they are VOC and oil free, odour free and non toxic. LETRASET Stand F15 Tel: +44 (0)1233 624 421 Email: [email protected] Letraset, the UK manufacturer of ProMarker, has launched its new AquaMarker, an acid-free, water-based marker that will greatly appeal to Scrapbookers and Rubberstampers alike.The key difference with AquaMarkers is that the ink is water-soluble, so they’re great for watercolour style colouring and illustration. They’re also a fantastic way to create marbled backdrops simply by spritzing with water and allowing the colours to run. AquaMarkers’ other main advantage is that they use pigment colour, making them acid free and extremely lightfast, perfect for adding a touch of colour to scrapbook pages. 40 craftfocus SHEENA DOUGLASS Stand C28 Tel: +44 (0)1388 660 930 Email: [email protected] Sheena Douglass will be introducing a new concept in flower painting at the show. The technique is a fusion between rubber stamping and traditional floral-painting, but is brought up to date and made accessible to the card-making customer with easy-to-follow guide sheets and a specialist three-hour DVD in which Sheena takes you through the basic fundamentals of the technique, building up to a selection of projects. Find out more about this innovative new technique from Sheena herself on Stand C28 or book a place on one of her workshops at the CHSI show. LANAMANIA Stand Q7 Tel: +94 172 826 7364 Web: www.lanamania.com Zealana Possum hand knitting yarns are now in Europe via Lanamania. There are several different blends and weights of yarns with possum fibres which provide exceptional thermal properties due to the hollow nature of the possum fibre. They are also soft to the touch, have low pill and minimal prickle factor! Through the blend of possum with silk or cotton, exclusive luxury summer and winter yarns have been created including mixes of fine merino with possum and New Zealand cashmere as well as a Heron Tweed, which is 80% fine New Zealand merino and 20% possum. MOUSELOFT Stand A02 Tel: +(0)1477 533 566 Web: www.mouseloft.co.uk This year’s Craft Hobby + Stitch show marks Mouseloft’s 15th anniversary. Mouseloft’s counted cross stitch kits demonstrate the company’s belief in high quality at affordable prices. With the Olympics and the Queen’s Jubilee attracting a lot of visitors the brand new ‘Images of Britain’ range lends a distinctly British feel. Most of Mouseloft’s products retail at a little over £2, giving a complete cross stitch kit with which to celebrate and commemorate Britain. There are also many exciting new designs at this price point in the best selling ‘Stitchlets’ range. Your Professional Designer & Manufacturer of Craft DIY Heating Tools & Appliances! ♥ Rhinestone Hotfix Applicator ♥ Mini Craft Iron ♥ Ribbon Iron ♥ Embossing Heating Guns ♥ Glue Guns ♥ 100% Patented Creative Products! ♥ ♥ ♥ Contact: Tel: 0086-592-5425497 info@hotfixworks.com www.hotfixapplicators.com chsi exhibitor previews ELLISON EUROPE Stand F6 Tel: 0844 499 8181 (within UK); +44 (0)845 345 2277 (outside UK) Web: www.sizzix.co.uk, www. ellisoneducation.co.uk, www.ellison.com Resembling a well-travelled suitcase on the outside, the Vagabond Machine easily opens up to reveal a portable yet powerful machine with solid core steel rollers, unibody cast roller housing, solid steel gears, high torque motor and ASB plastic exterior. “The Vagabond can effortlessly cut and emboss many different materials and thicknesses.” Explained Sizzix. Included with the Vagabond Machine is a pair of standard cutting pads, as well as the Solo Platform & Shim, which make all Sizzix components compatible with the Vagabond Machine. Add a solo thin die adapter (sold separately), and the Vagabond Machine can even work with other brands’ dies and embossing tools. In addition, you can use the included sheet of stickers to customise your machine with your crafting journeys. The RRP will be £175 and it is being released at CHSI. GMC PUBLICATIONS Stand D1 Tel: +44 (0)1273 402 808 Web: www.gmcbooktrade.com The Guild of Master Craftsman Publications will soon be launching its new book series: Magpie. Aimed at newcomers to jewellery-making, each title features 20 projects to make in nine steps or less and a comprehensive techniques section. Bracelets is publishing first in May, Earrings a month later in June, with further titles planned for autumn. Books are £9.99 in paperback, illustrated in full colour and place an emphasis on fresh, funky design and affordability. GMC Publications will be accepting pre-orders at both Craft Hobby + Stitch International (DO1) and Spring Fair International (stand 3J20). KRAFTYHANDS Stand F14 Tel: +44 (0)7590 571 548 Web: www.kraftyhands.co.uk Kraftyhands ranges include fun children’s designs and traditional floral products for card makers and scrap bookers alike. They haven’t forgotten ranges for men too, with designs that include modern sportsmen, fast cars and motorbikes and some saucy ladies guaranteed to generate a smile. Their CDs have caught the imagination of the public and many customers have begun to obsessively collect every new CD that Kraftyhands publish. 2011 sees the launch of new eagerly awaited designs including a range of fast cars called Wheelz, new floral ranges; Spring Time Garden and Fleur Francais plus cute Pirate Island and Fat Luigi’s Kitchen. 42 craftfocus WILD ROSE STUDIO Stand Q26 Tel: +44 (0)117 364 3104 Web: www.wildrosestudio.co.uk Wild Rose Studio is a UK craft wholesaler specialising in beautiful and coordinated products for cardmaking with some great new releases for CHSI 2011. Cherry Cupcake is a cute, cheerful and light-hearted new range of stamps and papers whilst Wedding Bells is a gorgeous range of products for wedding stationery and wedding-themed cards. Visitors to stand Q26 can expect to see new springtime designs across the entire Wild Rose Studio range. Both the For Men and Milton & Co collections feature new releases and new 6x6 paper packs for 2011 include exclusive new designs from Kate Knight. OTTLITE TECHNOLOGIES UK Stand F28 Tel: +44 (0)800 955 0121 Web: www.ottlite.co.uk Streamlined and sleek, the breakthrough design of the OttLite Tulip desk lamp gracefully delivers OttLite® High Definition Natural Lighting™ anywhere you need it. “You’ll love seeing fine print and details clearly under this low heat, low glare illumination lamp that helps reduce eyestrain. Innovative styling, incredible technology – this lamp is definitely one of a kind,” OttLite promise. The Tulip’s torchier design has an expandable gooseneck for customisable positioning making tasking easier. Its small, compact shape makes it the ideal lamp for smaller spaces. Colours available include metallic charcoal, metallic pearl, metallic silver and metallic pink. Available in February 2011. chsi preview SIESTA FRAMES Stand A33 Tel: +44 (0)1202 813 363 Web: www.siestaframes.com Siesta Frames, well known for its extensive range of craft supplies, is launching a number of exciting new products at CHSI. In particular there is a new range of storage boxes which are great for a variety of crafts such as beading and paper craft. Siesta Frames manufactures many of the products they sell under the brand names of Siesta and Craft Lite, and are also distributors for The Daylight Company, Bostik Craft Glues, John James Needles, Glue Dots, Premax Scissors, Mighty Bright and Thread Heaven. HABICO Stand G18-24 Tel: +44(01)132 631 500 Web: www.habico.co.uk Habico reports a tremendous success with its already wide range of flying butterfly 3-D stickers and a new set has just been added. These are die-cut and add some real life to a card without adding any thickness as the wings spring up. Also building on proven success, Habico has added several focused new designs to its handmade card embellishments including two Easter, two Baby, Dream Dad, Valentine/Love and a nice young Birthday Numbers design covering ages one to six. STITCHTASTIC Stand A4 Tel: +44 (0)1142 353 958 Web: www.stitchtastic.com Stitchtastic is launching three new designs, all suggested by members of its Facebook page, www.facebook.com/Stitchtastic. The Fiat Punto, Vauxhall Corsa and Alfa Romeo Mito kits add to the existing range of more than 500 designs, including over 100 transport caricatures. Also available is a great range of smaller transport based designs, sold with an acrylic key-ring or coaster. Stitchtastic provides a speedy order fulfilment service, has no minimum order and can provide suitable packaging for both retail and mail order outlets. The company has produced a series of trade packs brand new for CHSI 2011, incorporating its most popular designs. HOBBY FUN (UK) Stand D38 Tel: +44 (0)1604 467 780 Web: www.hobbyfunukltd.co.uk Hobby Fun (UK) is a new venture for Samantha Austin and Sandie Maitland, who came together early in 2010 to import an exciting new range of crafting products from Germany not previously available in the UK. The fabrics, which are made from a variety of fibres, come in a multitude of designs and a fabulous range of colours. “Most of the fabrics we sell are organzas and has a light-catching finish that makes them appear to shimmer,” said Sandie. Hobby Fun also have a wide range of single use 3D stencils made of sturdy, sticky-backed plastic onto which you lay the fabric of your choice. With these stencils you can create gift boxes, table lamps, mobile hangings, Christmas tree decs and tea light holders. The stencils are all pre-cut with holes where required, pre-punched and folds pre-scored and come with making-up instructions. “Card makers and scrapbookers have fallen in love with the effects achieved by using our fabrics in their creations,” said Sandie who has produced four booklets of detailed card designs to inspire and enthuse crafters. “Come to our stand to see the range, try out a make and take or sign up for a workshop to get hands-on experience of using these products. VIRIDIAN DISTRIBUTION Stand J30 Tel: +44 (0)1173 005 244 Web: www.viridianyarn.com This year Viridian Distribution’s stand will be larger than previous years because they are incorporating Knit Pro and Rachel John. “Knit Pro, who are not exhibiting themselves this year, are letting us show their ranges and as we are now distributing for Rachel John we will be showcasing her Extreme Tools and Textiles” explained Suzette from Viridian. In addition, Rachel and Carmen John will be on the stand to demonstrate her range. “So as well as our superb range of Sock Yarn and Clover knitting needles and accessories there will be a bigger display of both Knit Pro and Extreme Textiles,” Suzette added. craftfocus 45 Presents a One-Stop Shop for all your Quilling needs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chsi preview LA PASHE Stand H20 Tel: +44 (0)1914 910 027 Web: www.lapashe.com Nice N Easel does what it says on the tin! La Pashe has designed some lovely floral decoupage sheets to make beautiful easel style cards. With eight new designs being released together this gives a range of choice for the crafter. As with the Build A Blossom (see Easter Craft feature), these designs are perfect for Easter and spring cards and perfect for the special ladies in your life. “Early in the New Year we will be producing step by step tutorial videos on exactly how these cards were designed to be made and give some great inspirations from our design team and artists” promises La Pashe. DAYLIGHT COMPANY Stand E14 Tel: +44 (0)208 9641 200 Web: www.daylightcompany.com LED MicroMax Light, (product D95087) is Daylight’s™ latest multifunctional lamp and magnifier. With four super bright Daylight™ LEDs and an extra large 7 cm magnification lens it is perfect for all kinds of craft and hobbies. Design features include - two power-saving settings giving 12 hours of full power and 24 hours reduced power, two 18 cm flexible arms for precise and easy adjustment, a strong clip to attach to frames, hoops, books and more and a detachable base with swing-out feet for super stability. Plus it’s so lightweight and compact it can be used anywhere anyplace. LADYBUG CRAFTS INK Stand BS12 Tel: +44 (0)141 644 5399 Web: www.ladybugcraftsink.co.uk Ladybug Crafts Ink has some fantastic new images to show. The company has a new set called Baby Baby which includes four cute baby images and seven sentiments which were launched at the CHA in LA in January. If you love cupcakes why not check out the Cupcake Cuties? Nikki’s boyfriend Ben will be making his debut as will new Nikki images. CREATIVE EXPRESSIONS Stand Q32 Tel: +44 (0)1536 481 778 Web: www.creative-expressions.uk.com After launching the Eco Green Crafts range at last year’s show, Creative Expressions will be showcasing the latest new releases from its environmentally friendly craft range. These brand new products include Substrates; a collection of stylish paper mache objects made from recycled paper, which act as three dimensional canvasses for crafters to decorate with inks, stamps, paints, embellishments and more. Other new products featured include die cut embellishing shapes made from 100% recycled card and artists mediums made entirely from environmentally safe ingredients, which can add textured, glossy and matt finishes to craft projects. craftfocus 47 chsi exhibitor previews CARRINGTON FLEET/ JOHN KALDOR Stand N03 Tel: 01204 692 223 Web: www.carringtonbride.co.uk Carrington Fleet continues its quest to supply luxurious fabrics - gorgeous satins to stunning haute couture embellished tulle. The collection covers all aspects of a bridal party or occasional wear. “Come to stand N3 to see abstract, reptile, lush foliage, vivid - prints galore from John Kaldor, with colours put together to give energy and bold contrasts. Check out the new colours in Coast, Lugano and Ritual,” said Lyn Holt for John Kaldor fabrics. WOODWARE CRAFT COLLECTION Stand H46/H48 Tel: +44 (0)1756 700 024 Web: www.woodware.co.uk Stampendous, Magenta, Dreamweaver, Peel-offs, US Artquest and Floral Punch crafts are only a handful of the companies represented by Woodware Craft Collection. The company will also be featuring the Sakura range of gelly pens, having just been appointed the UK distributor.There are over 90 different gelly pens in the range with different finishes. “These pens are fantastic for working with peel-offs and can be used on any surface. Not just a writing product, these pens are also ideal for other creative hobby applications such as scrapbooking, home decorating, card making and much more.Visit us to see our fast-growing ‘own brand’ range of craft and card-making supplies too,” Judith Brewer from Woodware Craft said. 48 craftfocus SERIF CRAFTARTIST Stand J2 Tel: +44 (0)1159 149 180 Web: www.serif.com Serif, the award-winning design, publishing and creative software developer has announced the launch of CraftArtist. “This is an exciting new range of six digital crafting products that provides individuals with all the tools needed to easily and quickly make professional-looking print projects, including photobooks, wedding stationery, cards, scrapbooks and much more at home,” said Ellie Dyke, head of business development at Serif. The new range will be demonstrated at CHSI by the Serif team and well-known crafter and presenter Michelle Jackson-Mogford. The products are CraftArtist Wedding Day; Baby Photos; Greeting Cards; Scrapbooks; Gold and Platinum. SIMPLICITY Stand M17 Tel: +44 (0)161 480 8734 Web: www.simplicitynewlook.com Simplicity’s extensive craft range includes knitting and crochet needles/hooks, scissors, quilting templates, fashion buckles of every shape and size, iron-on mending patches, unique sewing notions, appliqués, no-sew pocket monsters for kids, bindings and a fabulous collection of fashion trims. This year they have added a selection of four musthave gadgets for the home dressmaker and quilter, scrapbookers and card makers. This includes electrically operated bias tape maker, sidewinder, and two rotary cutters – standard and deluxe editions. The sidewinder is a stand-alone bobbin winder that quickly winds bobbins without interrupting your sewing whilst the bias tape maker folds and presses bias strips automatically. The rotary cutters will cut strips to varying widths fast and easily. To find out more about this diverse range visit Simplicity on stand M17. CREATIVE BEADCRAFT Stand J24 Tel: +44 (0)1494 786 924 Web: www.creativebeadcraft.co.uk The latest products from Creative Beadcraft include these gorgeous large acrylic beads, perfect for spring and summer. Sure to create an impact there is a 47 mm butterfly, 49 mm flower and 24 mm heart available as well as 20 and 30 mm balls in five colours. Prices start from 30p each or £2.30 for 10 hearts. Other new ranges include large facetted crystal beads, bold acrylic pendants, semi-precious, wood, shell and bone. Many existing ranges are now available on strings for maximum sales appeal, as well as loose or in branded packs, including Czech pressed glass, metallised beads, Indian glass and bone. flair advertising feature creative play for kids at its best Flair’s commitment to providing the best creative play kits was clear in 2010, the success of which was there for all to see with an impressive portfolio of craft kits for kids. Thanks to its many heritage brands and considerable development, Flair, under the Flair Create banner, is the No 1 supplier of craft kits for children in the UK. The continued success of major names such as Plasticine and Aqua Beads is synonymous with the portfolio which has been enhanced with newer brands such as award winning Zubber. 2011 will see even more new additions to the creative play line up providing the perfect choice for craft retailers looking to attract a younger audience. What’s more, with many lines benefiting from intense TV and marketing support, retailers can be sure they come with the consumer awareness that attracts swift sales. So what is new for 2011? Plasticine is a craft box staple, known and loved by all generations. The classic modelling compound lets you create flexible, detailed models that can keep their shape or be remoulded - all thanks to the unique formula that never dries out. This spring there’s a new way to play with classic Plasticine thanks to the Fancy Flowers Kit. After the success of James May’s Plasticine Garden back in 2009, children and adults alike have been clamouring to have a go at making their own Plasticine Paradise. Of course the pocket money priced packs such as the Classic 8 Colour Pack, will remain a favourite and is a must for budding modellers too. Brand new for this year is Gelarti. Gelarti is a brand of stickers with a difference. Girls can paint and decorate their own stickers with glitter paint and sparkling gems to show off their individuality. The stickers are reusable again and again on any surface from notebooks to bedroom walls, so just paint, peel and decorate to express your style. Flair has also teamed up with Savvi, a leading manufacturer of temporary tattoos based in the USA. As part of the collection, and available as impulse buy or gift packs, are Body Tagz. Each Body Tagz pack contains cute, glittery images for girls or glow-in-the-dark designs for boys. Girls will also love Fashion Tagz which are reusable stickers that can be applied to clothes, accessories and even electronics to create their own unique look. Zubber is an exciting compound brand that moulds like dough and sets like rubber and has enjoyed huge success since the launch of the Zubber Band Maker and Jewellery Sets in 2010. This year a new Zubber Bounce and Catch Ball Maker has been added that will appeal to both boys and girls. The set comes with everything needed to create bouncy balls in three different shapes which all bounce in different directions. Also new is the Zubber Design Wheel Creations which allows girls to create funky phone danglers, keyrings, necklaces and lots more. When it comes to creative play, this is just a very small taster of what’s on offer from Flair but there’s a great deal more to see. C For more information on all that’s available in the Flair Create portfolio, call 0208 643 0320 or email enquiries@flairplc.co.uk craftfocus 49 +28*,(&5$)76 www.colourcraftltd.com Why everyone needs a hougie At some time we have all said “I’m no good at measuring.” The truth is we can all measure. What we can’t do is measure accurately. Hougie can. Hougie has 1/2 and whole centimeters on one side and 1/2 and whole inch’s on the other side. So if your project says score a line at 6cm just turn Hougie over to the cm side, push your card up against the butt edge and score down at the required measure. There’s no need to try and convert cm in to inch’s. They wont go, no matter how hard you try. Hougie measures accurately and right first time. With this knowledge comes confidence. With confidence comes speed. Productivity is also up and best of all. NO CRAFTERS FRUSTRATION 079 098 419 19 • [email protected] • www.hougiecrafts.co.uk Unit 4, Pipewell Road Industrial estate, Pipewell Road, Desborough Northamptonshire, NN14 2SW Fabric Transfer Dyes Procion Fabric Dyes UK Manufacturer and Distributor of quality fabric dyes, paints, inks and printing systems for art, craft, textile and design. Angelina Fusible Fibres and Film Markal Paintstiks Email: [email protected]| Tel: 0114 2421431 for further information, prices or to set up an account. Colourcraft Colours & Adhesives Limited Units 5&6, 555-557 Carlisle Street East, Sheffield, S4 8DT spring fair spring fair international With over 300,000 new product launches and 3000 companies exhibiting, this key retail trade show attracts one of Europe’s largest gatherings of retailers Spring Fair International is big – and this year organisers Emap Connect promise us “the largest and most comprehensive retail trade show in the UK, covering 12 key buying sectors”. On show will be gift and home products, design-led gifts, kitchen, dining and housewares, greetings and stationery, art and framing, toys, gadgets and party, outdoor living, wellbeing, fashion jewellery and accessories. Among the 3000 companies exhibiting there are 500 new exhibitors, 400 international suppliers and 1000 exclusive exhibitors “that you won’t see at any other show in the year ahead” asserts Emap. unveiling a complete new look for their bestselling craft kits as well as launching a new Christmas range. “Our Love Hearts sewing kit, Bird Box, and Owl House Family have been reinterpreted in a brand new colour-way for spring while our Cat & Kitten and Elephants sewing kits have been updated with fresh, funky florals in bold colours,” they explained. They have also developed a medal-making kit in conjunction with the Imperial War Museum, which should appeal to anyone trying to offer craft kits that appeal to boys. Finally, thinking about next Christmas Buttonbag has four new seasonal kits, including a make-your own Advent calendar and a stocking and angel kit that encapsulate the growing trend for a home-made Christmas. (+44 (0)208 525 1640, www.buttonbag.co.uk.) Buttonbag are looking forward to exhibiting at Spring Fair for the first time Big and small exhibitors It’s not all about big companies selling expensive gift products of course. Many crafting companies also find Spring Fair a must-attend event in their exhibition calendar. After a fantastic reception to their debut show at Autumn Fair, Buttonbag is really looking forward to exhibiting for the first time at Spring Fair (stand AA26, hall 9). They will be Interplay are launching a unique range of craft kits for girls New products Interplay is also showing at Spring Fair and At a glance Spring Fair Interna tional 2011 when: 6th-10th Febr uary 2011 where: NEC, Birmi ngham website: www.sprin gfair.com again is among those companies launching new products. Interplay said “We are launching a totally unique range of craft kits for older girls which takes home-made jewellery and gifts to a whole new level.” Called myStyle™ it is an assortment of creative kits inspired by the interests and hobbies of today’s pre-teen market. Fashion and expressing creativity is the desire of most girls aged 8-12, but never at the expense of style. This is where the myStyle™ collection ticks all the boxes; with an inspirational collection that enables girls to create beautiful jewellery and gifts that they will be proud to wear and share with friends! “This is just one of many fantastic ranges from Interplay whose portfolio also embraces the best of science and craft kits available for kids; Wild Science for girls and boys, Technokits, My Living World and the inspirational new myStyle™,” they added. To see the new ranges, visit stand A65, hall 5. (+44 (0)1628 488 944 or [email protected].) craftfocus 51 spring fair preview dates for your diary We round-up the major trade and consumer shows taking place around the country over the next few months February 3-5 – Stitch & Creative Crafts Show, Manchester (organisers: Trident Exhibitions) 6-10 – Spring Fair International 2011 trade show, NEC (organisers: emap connect) 11-13 – Creative Stitches & Hobbycrafts, Brighton Centre (organisers: ICHF) 17-19 - Stitch & Creative Crafts Show, Braintree (organisers: Trident Exhibitions) 20-22 – Craft Hobby + Stitch International 2011 – trade show (organisers: ICHF) 25-27 - Make It, Farnborough (organisers: Etes) We asked why book and magazine publishers GMC exhibit at Spring Fair. “GMC publish books on a variety of subjects - craft, hobbies, gardening, children’s, puzzles and general non-fiction. At Spring Fair, we get to see a huge cross-section of different customers and most of them find something in our lists to interest them. It’s a great opportunity to showcase books to customers old and new” said Michael Robb, Sales Director for GMC. Craft and Hobbies is a strong growth area, with sales of books booming. “We are finding lots of new retailers starting up and we look forward to showing them our products at this year’s show. In addition to many great new books, we are very excited to be selling some new stationery ranges this year, too - so there is even more reason to visit the GMC stand,” he added. Visit GMC on Stand J20 in hall 3 (+44 (0)1273 402 808, www.gmcbooktrade.com). Popular features New developments like the Trend House will showcase best-selling products for the following season whilst the Fashion Accessories Catwalk and Seminar Theatre is set to bring fashion to centre stage with three live catwalk shows a day. Of course, popular events such as the New Product Showcase and the Pandora Catwalk Café at the Jewellery Show will continue to feature. One firm favourite is Spotlight, which features unusual products from smaller and new exhibitors whilst another is the workshop and seminar theatre which offers a fantastic selection of presentations from industry experts. C March 3-6 – Creative Stitches & Hobbycrafts,SECC Glasgow (organisers: ICHF) 10-12 - Stitch & Creative Crafts Show, Malvern (organisers: Trident Exhibitions) 13 – Papercraft @ Leigh, Lancashire (organisers: sincerely-yours) 17-20 - Stitch & Craft 2011, Olympia II (organisers: Twisted Threads) 24-27- Sewing for Pleasure/Hobbycrafts/Fashion, Embroidery & Stitch, NEC (organisers: ICHF) April 7-10 - Stitch & Creative Crafts Show, Shepton Mallet (organisers: Trident Exhibitions) 8-10 – H+H Cologne International Trade fair (organisers: Koelnmesse Ausstellungen Gmbh) 9-10 - The Big Stamp & Scrapbooking Show, Alexandra Palace, London (organisers: Express Services) 14-16 - Stitch & Creative Crafts Show, Belfast (organisers: Trident Exhibitions) 17 – Papercraft, Thetford (organisers: sincerely-yours) 30 – Weald of Kent Craft Show until 2nd May (organisers: ICHF) 30 – Papercraft, Edinburgh (organisers: sincerely-yours) Some dates may be subject to change. Please check with the show organisers before planning your visit. Show organiser contacts Emap Connect, Spring Fair visitors, +44 (0)8445 888 071, www.springfair.com Etes Ltd, Make It, +44 (0)1784 880 890,www.make-it.org.uk Express Services,The Big Stamp & Scrapbooking, +44 (0)1536 481778, www.bssbs.co.uk ICHF, +44 (0)1425 277 988, www.ichf.co.uk Koelnmesse Ausstellungen GMbH, +49 221 821 2458, www.hh-cologne.com Sincerely Yours, +44 (0)1634 686 823, www.sincerely-yours.co.uk Trident Exhibitions, +44 (0)1822 614 671 www.sccshows.co.uk Twisted Thread, +44 (0) 208 692 2299, www.twistedthread.com 52 craftfocus The Studio Partnership Ltd Wholesale Distributors of DECOPATCH, MDF products, letters, captions and objects ANIMACHE painting kits Will be pleased to welcome you at Craft Hobby & Stitch - Stand CO4 www.decopatch.co.uk email: [email protected] tel: 0116 2671143 fax: 0116 2677807 Art and craft artists love the flexibility of the ProMarkers making a mark Letraset is historically known for transferable lettering used by graphic artists, but now it’s successfully entered the craft market with new products. Wendy Gardiner talked to Simon Hodges to find out more At the time, graphic designers regarded this system as ‘a revolution in the studio’. Indeed, Dry Transfer was a unique, revolutionary product that totally transformed typesetting and became adopted more or less universally by the graphic design industry. Using Letraset sheets, lettering could be done quickly and easily by anyone and demand was enormous. We continued to introduce new ranges What was Letraset’s original business? of innovative typefaces, We started out life focusing almost “Professional design will designed by the world’s designers and in exclusively on the always be core to our leading 1987 we acquired the commercial/professional business, but we’ve also International Typeface design industries. Our Corporation which enabled Dry Transfer Lettering had to adapt.” us to be in the forefront of is what made Letraset typeface design (ITC had produced the most famous, enabling designers to produce high successful complete range of text alphabets of quality headlines quickly by transferring the previous 20 years). pre-printed letters directly onto artwork. When was the business launched? Letraset was founded in London in 1959 and then manufacturing was set up in Ashford Kent. We manufactured sheets of lettering that designers used on artwork. This was really before the advent of computer techniques of word processing and desktop publishing. In the late 1980s Letraset also began producing markers, as used extensively within the professional design disciplines. How did your business change when desk top publishing really took off? In the 1990s, in order to stay ahead of trends and service the market we were so well established in, we shifted our focus towards digital design with the introduction of Phototone images and Fontek display typeface library which had over 300 typefaces, many new and contemporary. We also started looking at other markets as we identified the number of people involved in craft and fine art, including exciting art forms like Manga. When did you enter the craft industry? Our entry into the craft industry was most notably via ProMarker, originally introduced around 2003 as a means of tapping into the more recreational art/design markets, and then really taking off (within the craft market) in the last 18 months or so. What made you decide to venture into this area of business? Changes within professional design practices (largely computer driven) and recognition of the many wider opportunities within consumer markets. Professional design will always be core to our business, but we’ve also had to adapt. The craft market has been a whole new world for us, but ultimately rewarding. And at the end of the day, crafters take pride in their work and demand high standards. Letraset’s professional background means we’re very well placed to cater to that demand. Now, Letraset products can be used to create stunning effects (Graham Kennedy TRex) 54 craftfocus Who are your key customers? We are primarily a supplier to trade and profile wholesale in the UK market, with an expansive network of overseas distributors in just about every country. We do operate a website, but this is a small part of the business. Our end-user customer base is really diverse, from professional product and automotive designers, fashion designers, architects and concept artists through to Manga illustrators and increasingly now the recreational art and craft market. What are your best selling lines? Most definitely ProMarker and increasingly our water-based AquaMarker. We offer both these popular lines as single markers, in sets and packs to suit varying needs. How do you decide on the products you want to manufacture? As a manufacturer, we’ve constantly evolved and innovated our product range in line with industry and market trends. Computerisation in the mid ‘80s (when the AppleMac came along) had a dramatic affect on the commercial design industry and in turn effected our What sort of products/services do core Dry Transfer business. We’ve always you offer? been driven to identify and seek out new Our primary business is manufacturing markers for illustration and design. Our marker and diverse consumer markets. Our recent successes in the craft market took a lot of business has evolved in line with the more ground work, but are probably ‘recreational’ consumer markets, nowadays we “Crafters are very vocal, the best example of this. offer several variants they know what they You are known for your including solvent/ want and are always keen lettering and markers, do dye based markers have other associated (ProMarker/Tria) and to tell us, so it makes you craft products? water/pigment based sense to listen!” Yes, we also market artists’ markers (AquaMarker) pads, CDs of professionally with differing nib produced fonts, adhesives, cutting and trimming configurations to meet every requirement. We tools and of course packs of Letraset transfers. also manufacture a versatile range of adhesives We try to provide all the tools our customers and print media, as well as digital resources (fonts/imagery). Of course we still manufacture will need to work alongside our main products. Hence our motto ‘Creative Opportunities’. Dry Transfer, which is still by far the best and most professional looking way to apply Do you offer workshops/courses? lettering by hand! Not directly, but we are heavily involved with designers and make it a priority to support What do you think is your unique (selectively) workshops and courses. We see selling point? the merits for retail and in promoting our Without doubt our longstanding professional ranges through these activities. design heritage, it permeates quality throughout our range. Letraset is really unique You briefly mentioned a website, is in bringing high quality, professional products there anything there to help retailers? to the recreational/mainstream markets. This is something we’re very focused on, our ProMarker is an excellent example of this, we new website will be live in 2011 and we’re adapted and cost engineered an accessibly committed to making our online presence priced, entry level marker whilst retaining work hard for retail customers. Consumers the professional inks/components as used by ultimately will always gravitate to their local professional designers, enabling crafters to craft outlet or regular online retailer and achieve professional results without breaking Letraset has no wish to interfere with that. the bank! Our web philosophy is based squarely around maximising product exposure and accessibility, through our own site and increasingly through social networking. What do you think are the most important trends for 2011? As relative newcomers to the craft market, we’re quite reliant on knowledgeable designers and contacts within the industry to give us feedback on trends and product ideas. Crafters are very vocal, they know what they want and are always keen to tell us, so it makes sense to listen! I think the versatility and enhanced performance offered by affordable, good quality markers means they’re here to stay. I’d like to think Letraset markers will become a staple colour medium for crafters, we just need to keep coming up with new and interesting twists. What plans do you have for the future? Can’t really give the game away too much, but we certainly won’t rest on our laurels. 2010 has really been ProMarker’s year within the craft market, and we’ll be looking to build on that. We have plenty up our sleeves for 2011! C Originally, Letraset just manufactured Dry Transfer sheets Further information Letraset Ltd, Ashford, Kent T: +44 (0)1233 624 421 E: [email protected] www.letraset.com craftfocus 55 Sew Deluxe 'UHVVPDNLQJPDGHHDV\ 7KHXOWLPDWHDLGIRU ILWWLQJZRPHQ·VJDUPHQWV $GMXVWRIRUP3URGXFWV/LPLWHG )RUORFDOVWRFNLVWVWHOHSKRQH )XUWKHUSURGXFWLQIRUPDWLRQDWZZZDGMXVWRIRUPFRP >iX_XdJd`k_ =XYi`Zj Suppliers of quality dress fabrics for the last 21 years Tel: 01274 507022 Fax: 01274 832100 Email: [email protected] www.grahamsmithfabrics.co.uk Bedes Close, James Street, Thornton, Bradford BD13 3NR dressmaking customising is king! The biggest news in dressmaking right now is customisation. Wendy Gardiner reveals how we can all benefit from the trend Traditionally, we make New Year resolutions at the start of the year, many of which are broken before January is out! But for 2011, with promised cuts in government spending and increases in VAT likely to affect all of us in some way, the trend for customising is something that everyone can do without breaking the bank! And whilst it is all about updating, recycling and restyling, a successful outcome will depend on having the right tools for the job and of course, the right trimmings, beads, buttons and essential sewing supplies. Best of all, it’s a way to attract newbies into sewing! Get someone interested in transforming a T-shirt and you’ve the opportunity of creating a new customer base. “We’ve seen more and more people are dipping their toe into sewing and crafting and want to have a go at either making something new or upcycling what they have” The trend to customise has also grown bigger and quicker since Gok Wan shows how to turn high street fashions into stunning outfits that rival haute couture just by adding trims, tucks and simple sewing in his Fashion Fix TV show. Simplicity Creative Group has also noticed the trend for customising. “Over the last couple of years we’ve added a new division to the business, offering trimmings, haberdashery, knitting tools and patchwork and quilting templates to our range,” explained Jackie Braid. “We’ve seen more and more people are dipping their toe into sewing and crafting and want to have a go at either making something new or upcycling what they have” she added. New patterns for dressmaking also reflect the trends of value for money and easy have-a-go fashions with lots of patterns packed with wardrobe mix and match separates, or dresses and jackets with trimming options. Kwik Sew patterns have also seen a trend in newcomers to sewing. They have recently added a great selection of quick start designs for beginners and some super jacket designs like 3841. The unusual collar can be left to elegantly fold back, or buttoned up military style. An easy to make design, it’s perfect for spring. DMC Creative World has added Fillawant to the DMC Creative World portfolio. Fillawant has a worldwide reputation of being a leading supplier of quality ribbons, piping and bias bindings for the craft, hobby and home sewing markets with an exciting collection of products used to decorate and embellish projects. “DMC is known for its high quality hand sewing threads and this reputation for quality, colour range and innovation follows through in the Fillawant range of ribbons, bias bindings and trimmings,” said DMC. Printed bias bindings offer stitchers a unique opportunity to add design and interest to their projects whilst Fillawant’s ribbon range reflects the trends in the fashion and home interior markets offering a variety of colours, qualities and widths. These Fillawant ranges are offered as individual items but are also available housed in custom-built display units and limited edition promotional counter display units. Threads are also an important part of dressmaking – both for sewing garments together and for adding eye-catching detail such as embroidery, top stitching or machine stitch decoration. To cater for the market, Aurifil has established a new UK branch “to satisfy the increasing demand of British quilters and embroiderers who appreciate the quality and the large choice of colours offered to them,” explained the company. They are an Italian thread company that uses the best long-staple Egyptian cotton, producing a thread with high sheen and superior strength. This makes their thread ideal for either hand or machine piecing, quilting or embroidery. It is available in four weights, 252 colours, on small and large spools but also cones. There is also a Lana version, a wool thread ideal for folk art style appliqué and embroidery with a soft homespun look. Aurifil has expanded its selection of racks for stockists, so that the Italian design is visible in the new Torre, Testa and Tana displays which are able to hold a wider variety of colours. craftfocus 57 dressmaking Dressmaking shears are part of an essential sewing kit (Fiskars) The essential sewing kit Whether your customers are dressmaking or restyling, they will need a sewing kit of essentials. Why not put together a pack of must-have pieces to tempt them? Dressmaking shears – an absolute must-have to cut fabric easily. There is a great range of scissors to choose from by leading companies such as Simplicity, Janome and of course Fiskars. Don’t forget the south paws amongst us either! If you have ever tried using a regular right-handed dressmaking shear in your left hand you will know how uncomfortable the moulded handles can be so it’s great that Fiskars have left-handed shears. Equally their Soft-Grip scissors with specially designed cushion handles that spring open between cuts are also extra comfortable and easy to use, particularly for those with arthritic hands. A metre rule is another essential sewing aid (Groves) Embroidery scissors – small sharp blades make it easy to snip thread tails and clip into seam allowances. A pretty pair with painted handles also makes a great gift, such as those from Groves. Pins and pin cushion – Glass headed or flower headed pins are easy to see and remove as you sew, so no need to tack before stitching. Team them with a handy pin cushion. Marking pens – offer a choice of disappearing or soluble pens - any marks made will literally disappear. Great for marking zip or trim placement. Chalk wheel – another nifty marking device, great for marking lines such as pleats, tucks and hemlines. Humper jumper/point turner – sometimes these are two tools, others one tool with joint use (such as Simplicity’s humper jumper). Use the shaped plastic tool to help sew over bulky seams like layers of denim – just tuck it under the back of the presser foot before lowering it and the foot stays level, making it easier to sew the thick seams. The point turner provides professional results when used to poke out corners evenly, perfect for collars, cuffs and cushions. Metre rule/tape measure – a good tape measure is a definite must-have. One that retracts is ideal for dressmaking as is a good wooden metre/yard rule that includes metric and imperial measurements such as the one from Groves. Use it when cutting large project pieces, to accurately mark grainline etc. Good quality thread adds a professional finish to all sewing projects (Aurifil Torre stand) Trimmings are essential for the recycling and restyling (DMC Fillawant) Telescopic magnet – not necessarily a must-have, but certainly on the wish list. This tool makes locating and picking up dropped pins a breeze! craftfocus 59 dressmaking Turn a too-short T-shirt into a new design by adding a contrast band Restyling tips Try tempting new customers with some clever restyling ideas that don’t cost a fortune and enable them to have a go at something simple. It’s also a great way to get existing customers to try a new craft technique. Simplicity has produced a selection of ideas with which to entice beginners. • Jeans can be turned into skirts, bags, wall hangings and cushion covers. Use the pockets as features to hold remotes, glasses etc. • Trim a T-shirt – change plain and boring to wow-factor stunning. Because T-shirts are made from tightly knitted fabrics, they don’t unravel so you can cut away to your heart’s content. Try cutting a fringe about 7 cm long and threading large eyed beads to each strip. Knot the strip once the beads are in place to hold them there. • Add neckline detail to draw the eye to your face by sprinkling sew-on beads, small appliqués, pearly buttons or sparkling rhinestones around the neck. Use a single row for understated elegance, or repeated rows for a bold statement. • Take a large T-shirt and nip in some tucks from hem to under bust to give it a more fitted look. • Layer T-shirts, cutting slashes into the top layer so the under layer peeks through. Stitch around the holes to hold layers together using thread to match under layer. • Don’t discard old belts, use them as straps on bags you make. Simple styles tempt newbies to sewing (Kwik Sew 3841) • If a top is too short, insert a contrast band to the bottom cut from another top. Cover the join with creative stitching or trim. • Turn a T-shirt into a cushion cover! If you’ve an old favourite that you hate to throw out – cut off the sleeves and neckline, trim to a square. Sew across the top, stuff and hand sew the bottom. Voila! A cushion in minutes and your T-shirt remains a treasured possession. • Turn old curtains into new cushion covers. Use one of Simplicity’s easy cushion pattern packs and you’ll be spoilt for choice for shapes and sizes – and best of all, they are perfect for absolute beginners. • Make a bag or two from recycled trousers and cargo pants. Not only are you restyling, it’s an eco-friendly option to use recycled bags rather than plastic carriers. • Cover an old chair to hide the scraps and scratches. A simple rectangle with ties will give a new lease of life to a kitchen chair, or a full cover made from furnishing cotton looks great in the dining room when finished with a bow. C Restyling is a key sewing trend this year (Simplicity ‘go green’ corset, pattern 2966, made with recycled paper) Further information To contact any of the companies mentioned visit or call: Aurifil aurifiluk@aurifil.com, www.aurifil.com DMC/Fillawant new products +44 (0)116 275 4000, www.dmccreative.co.uk. Fiskars +44 (0)1656 655 595, www.fiskars.com Groves +44 (0)1844 258 100, www.groves-banks.com Janome +44 (0)161 666 6011, www.janome.co.uk Kwik Sew www.kwiksew.co.uk Simplicity Creative Group +44 (0)161 480 8734, www.simplicitynewlook.com craftfocus 61 yy y y yy designed for display From graphic design industry to stitch business – The Stitching Shed has its roots tracing back to grandma’s wool shop! When was the business started and by whom? The Stitching Shed was launched in September 2005 by my husband Doug and I, although the idea had been floating around in my head for a good few years before. I had previously worked in the design industry and through the years gained knowledge in marketing, branding and sales. I always knew that there was a way to combine my love of illustration and crafts with the world of business but it wasn’t until later in my career that I finally found the time to commit to it. Although I was a stitcher, my husband Doug knew nothing about the world of cross stitch. However, despite this, he came on board and as well as being the sales force behind the company, he now also has a great talent for needlepoint. In fact, he is responsible for stitching most of my models. 62 craftfocus Was this your first business in this industry? This was our first business ever. My mum was a seamstress and my grandma owned a wool shop so I guess it's in my blood. My first memory was sitting on the counter of her shop counting the money in the till, and my mum always said that my first words were ‘double knitting’. We knew absolutely nothing about the business and the first few years were a very steep learning curve. However, although we are pretty well established now, I feel that you never stop learning and developing as a company. I like to keep the look of our products new and fresh to retain interest and a following. What made you decide to venture into this business? Initially I trained as a children's book illustrator which is where I star ted my career. However I later moved into fashion and then onto knitwear. This was in the early 90s and 'picture knits' were all the rage and I found that my illustration skills could easily be adapted into a stitch count format. The knitwear industry at this time was huge and then cross stitch soon followed. I began to produce a few freelance designs for cross stitch customers but it was when I took a career break to have my first child that I began to mull over the idea of star ting my own business. I spent a little time in the States and loved the 'new wave ' of cross stitch designers out there and the whimsical look and fresh feel of the kits. Once back in England I set to work designing my own brand and signature designs and the rest is history. Why did you decide to locate to where you are? Although I have worked around the world I was born and bred in Lancashire. This is where I wanted to bring up my family and so this is where The Stitching Shed was born. We are lucky enough to be surrounded by stunning views, being just on the doorstep of The Lake District, and yet close to the major motorway and rail networks needed to suppor t a business like ours. “Samplers always sell well and are fun to design.” What is your main customer base? Most of our customers are trades people. We supply hundreds of stores around the world ranging from major outlets through to small village shops. We deal personally with each and every one of our customers and over the years some of them have become friends. We do also have a loyal profile y yy y following on the website and at the retail shows we attend. We even have a lady who has a ‘Stitching Shed wall’ in her home – a whole wall dedicated to our designs, how cool is that. “All of our kits have a room in mind when they are being designed.” Describe the products you offer? We design and produce our own unique brand of cross stitch and needlepoint kits. We specialise in designing imagery that people would want to display in their homes when finished. All of our kits have a room in mind when being designed. I used to spend ages stitching a kit, only for it to live in a drawer when finished. I want people to be proud of their handiwork and so the key points that I adhere to are: could I live with it on my wall? Is it on trend? Is it interesting to stitch? Does it have our signature style? One of our biggest products is the children’s needlepoint range. These are specially designed for the younger market, although they are so cute that we have adults wanting to complete the range too. What do you think is your unique selling point? Our unique selling point has to be the quality of our product, from the highly sought after and commercial designs, through to the top quality materials in the kits. We never skimp on quality. We believe that you truly are only as good as your last product – that’s why we are so successful. Because we have an in-house design studio it means we can add new designs into the range very quickly. We are constantly researching trends and fashions and we have the ability to react to these and produce commercially popular designs fast. What are your best selling lines? It goes in waves really. The children’s needlepoint kits sell really well all year. Although in the past year we have seen a big rise in the sales of cross stitch kits. Samplers always sell well and they are fun to design so we seem to be adding more and more to the range every year. How do you select the products you want to stock? Research, research, research – that’s the best way to keep on top of the market. Having been an illustrator working in the commercial imagery business I have a bit of sense as to what the next ‘thing’ will be. I still work in the illustration industry so I get to see what’s coming around the corner. I also think that product development is an impor tant par t of this business and is something that we will be exploring in the near future. Do you offer workshops/courses? We don’t offer these within The Stitching Shed although we are always on hand for advice should anyone need it. However I was approached by one of our customers to run a small one day workshop on their premises with our products, and this would be something I would be interested in for the future. What do you think are the most important trends for 2011? 2011 is going to be the year of the stitcher. I feel that the market has been dominated for a while by paper craft and although I’m sure there will always be a market for that, I feel that the stitching customer is making a strong resurgence. People are looking for more contemporary cross stitch and needlepoint designs, with a greater reliance on design rather than just pictorial. What plans do you have for the future? We have some very exciting plans for the future which will involve us dipping our toes into slightly new waters. All I can say is watch this space. As for The Stitching Shed range for 2011, we are exhibiting at CHSI at the NEC with lots of new and exciting products – more designs, more colour, come and see us. C Further information The Stitching Shed T: +44 (0)845 157 6045 E: [email protected] W: www.thestitchingshed.co.uk craftfocus 63 WIN! the cutting edge We’ve got a fabulous Sizzix® eclips machine with handheld remote control, toolkit and lots of image cartridges to give away to one lucky reader! The eclips is an electronic shape-cutting machine with handheld remote control that allows users to create customisable shapes and letters to adorn almost anything. No computer required! You can select shapes to cut as solids, outlines, shadows and boards in whatever size you like, to the nearest 1/100th of an inch. Change the pressure and speed of the blade or choose from 15 different pre-set material selections to cut everything from paper and cardstock to foam and chip board. The laser point technology even allows you to see where you are going to cut, so no more waste! The handheld remote control pairs an onscreen navigation system with a hi-resolution 3.6” LCD screen that slides up to reveal a full qwerty keyboard, for complete ease of use. All this sits in an ergonomic desktop cradle and the machine itself includes a built-in handle, meaning that everything can be easily transported. The machine comes with a 12” x 12” (30.5cm x 30.5cm) cutting mat, starter cartridge loaded with shapes and alphabet, cartridge case, starter cartridge booklet and user guide and 6” (1.8cm) USB cable giving you all you need to get started! As an exclusive bundle for Craft Focus readers, you will receive all of the above plus a 12” x 24” cutting mat, a selection of eclips cartridges and a stylish carry-all tote bag. 64 craftfocus WOR TH RRP £100 OVER 0 HOW TO ENTER To enter the competition, simply visit www.craftfocus.com, fill in your details and answer the following question by 30th March 2011. Q: How big is the LCD screen on the handheld remote control for the eclips? Terms and Conditions 1. Competitions are not open to employees of KD Media Publishing Ltd (or their immediate families). 2. Entrants must be a member of the trade and over the age of 18. 3. The competition closing date is subject to change without notice. 4. The winner will be notified in writing. 5. The Editor’s decision is final and no correspondence can be entered into. 6. The prize is not transferable and has no monetary value. 7. The closing date is 30th March 2011. 8. No purchase necessary and there is no charge to enter via the website at www.craftfocus.com. MKZIN\[KW]S Suppliers of Card Making, Scrapbooking, Craft and Bridal Supplies 3/($6(4827( 38 725(&(,9( <285',6&2817 Suppliers of Craft and Bridal Supplies Card Making Scrapbooking Card Embellishments Floral Products [email protected] | 01384 230000 7+(3$&.$*,1*7+$70$.(67+(',))(5(1&( ZZZFOHDUWHFSDFNDJLQJFRXN VDOHV#FOHDUWHFSDFNDJLQJFRXN 7HO beading in the blood! The London Bead Company/Delicate Stitches is owned and run by Faye Niven with daughter Alex Kidd. Wendy Gardiner talked to the duo to find out more about the business How long have you been in business? A very long time! We’ve been in the beading and embroidery trade for 18 years in the UK but before that, we ran the same sort of business in Australia for about 15 years. Why did you move to the UK? (Faye) I had family on both sides of the world as some of the children had moved back to the UK. All the children in Australia are grown up, so I decided to come here for three years to get to know the UK family well, and to see my grandchildren. However, we never went back! Now we’ve been here for 16 years. Did you immediately start the business in the UK? The shop was already going as my son and Alex were here and they had started the bead side of things. However, it wasn’t my son’s thing really, and he wanted a change of career so I came along with the embroidery side – and more beads. So began the mother and daughter duo!. Who runs the shop now? Both Alex and myself. We both work in the shop, but we split other sides of the business between us. I buy the stock and Alex attends all the exhibitions. She is also very talented with beads, and has some really creative ideas 66 craftfocus for using Swarovski crystals. Her shoe heels are really quite stunning. From where do you source your products? Because I have been in the business so long, I have some well established sources, both here and in Australia. We do now buy lots through the internet, but in the past, it was a case of knowing someone who knew someone. We also used to glean information and leads from magazine articles – tracking down the supplier through their advertising etc. Location isn’t a problem as we can and do source from all over the world. Today it is made a lot easier as you can find so much on the internet. What would you say is your speciality? Our speciality is specialised areas. In beading we only deal with the best, such as Swarovski crystals from Austria and Delica beads and seed beads that we get from Japan. For us it is important to only use the best quality beads and threads, particularly for bead weaving. Is bead weaving quite a large part of your business now? At the moment yes, as there are lots of bead weaving products in the consumer magazines, so it is quite big. We stock all the supplies needed, from the variety of beads that can be so beautifully woven to the threads used. What sort of threads do you stock? Again we source and stock what we consider to be the best in the business. For instance we have Gumnut yarns from Australia, the Caron collection Threadgatherer and Threadworks wools, silks and cotton threads. All are for hand embroidery, bead weaving etc. There are others of course, but these give a flavour of our stock. The most popular range is the Carons collection, which is simply beautiful. Which side of business is biggest – beading or embroidery? They are on a par actually. We have a good mix of beaders and embroiderers as customers and of course, beads and threads can be used together. In embroidery beads and crystals add glamour and sparkle, whilst in bead work you often use threads to string beads together. So who is your customer? We have two sides to the business – both wholesale and retail. Most of the shop customers are consumers whilst we deal with our wholesale customers online or by phone – or at the trade show in February. Our shop is in Kentish Town, North London and it is directly opposite the tube station, which is a great location. We do get passing trade from the local population, but also retailer retailer interview interview people come to visit the shop from different parts of country and even from overseas. How do the overseas people find you? Mainly through our advertising and a lot of business comes from the CHSI show in February. We advertise in an Australian magazine called Inspirations, which is sold worldwide, so we get a lot of customers from Australia, as well as people from France, Belgium, USA and Iceland. You’ve mentioned the CHSI trade show, do you attend other shows? Yes, we also take stands at consumer shows such as Stitch and Craft in Olympia and Sewing for Pleasure at the NEC, both of which take place in March, plus the Knitting and Stitching Show in Alexandra Palace in October. We have also attended one-day beading shows run by the Beadworkers Guild which are successful for us. Do you demonstrate on your stand at the shows you attend? Alex does the shows now and yes, she demonstrates all the time. She very successfully shows how to use the hot fix gun, attaching crystals to garments, shoes and other accessories. Her display pieces always attract attention as they look so beautiful, sparkling in the spotlights. It is very hard work though as she mans the stand on her own, whilst I keep the shop open. But we do generate a lot of business from the exhibitions, so the hard work pays off. How else do you promote your business? We have a website and an online shop, which we update regularly to keep it interesting. We also have a Facebook page. We advertise in various magazines which we know work for us and Alex will occasionally provide magazines with a project as an editorial feature whenever she has the time. How do you think 2011 will be for business? We need to be positive about the future. I think that from now on we will see business pick up. Last year was tough as many people have been unhappy with the economic situation and they have been reluctant to spend on anything but the essentials. However, we all have had enough of the gloom and doom and we’ve certainly seen our customers are looking forward more positively. I think it’s a case of ‘to hell with it! Also, crafting often gets a welcome resurgence in times of economic hardship so there is always a silver lining. What about trends, what do you think they are for 2011? In the beading and embroidery business it is difficult to say as really, trends come and go. Crystals seem to stay a constant though as they go with anything. Right now , crystals are on everything and can be put with bigger beads, or used in finer beadwork so they’ve become a classic must-have. They add a little bit of sparkle to give a lift, bringing the whole garment or item to life. With beading, trends can go from bead weaving to stringing beads to larger beads. It is difficult to gauge in advance, but we find that what is going on in fashion in the high street shops does influence beading and embroidery trends. If clothes have big beads, or lots of embroidery, then as a result that becomes the trend for crafting. I can normally tell when things are changing, so we then stock the products that will be needed to stay on-trend. At the moment people are using the very biggest beads and stringing, going into finer beadwork if they want more delicate things. C Further information The London Bead Co, 339 Kentish Town Road, London NW5 2TJ T: +44 (0)207 267 9403 E: [email protected] W: www.londonbeadco.co.uk craftfocus 67 enhancing sales try before you buy One great way to promote a specific product or ser vice at any trade show or public exhibition is to offer demonstrations and/or mini workshops explains Jennie Rayment, internationally renown tutor As many people dislike admitting that they are novices in any craft, demonstrating how easy it is to use a specific tool/notion/template removes the mystique. In addition you can persuade the more knowledgeable visitors that the great new gadget you are showing is worthy of purchase. Any demo needs to be short and snappy, concise on details and the demonstrator must have a good knowledge of the product – one awkward question from an interested viewer can jeopardise the proceedings and prevent potential sales if the demonstrator can’t respond in an informative manner. Good preparation goes a long way When selecting a tool or notion for the sales demonstration, have plenty of samples in a variety of stages – from start to finish - so that people can appreciate the various steps. Depending on the demonstration, a small sample may be specially produced. Keep valuable samples anchored in place as people sometimes walk off with them. Handing out samples made during the demo serves as a very good aide memoire of both the demonstration and your company. In addition, hand out leaflets and sales materials to the assembled crowd while you are in the midst of the demo to reinforce the promotion. If left until the end, then most of the audience will have wandered off and will not be taking your sales literature away. Ensure that your exhibition stand number is clearly written on any literature so that people know where to return later in the day to purchase their items. A word on workshops Demonstrating your product will reach more people, but workshops can also be an excellent vehicle to promote your goods. If possible, provide a kit with all that is required for the workshop in a ready prepared form. If scissors are required during the session, tying them to the table or sewing machine may prevent them from going missing. Should hand sewing needles be necessary, have an assortment of sizes and one or two needle threaders. Remember that if sewing needles are used then a new needle must be given to each student and taken away by them or destroyed by yourself – this is one of the health and safety requirements designed to prevent the spread of hepatitis. Informing the class of this fact will confer the message that your company is aware of these regulations. Should sewing machines be used, students prefer to have a basic machine that they can understand quickly. Spending half the time in “When running any workshop – keep the subject simple. Students will be of different ages and abilities so a broad based technique is ideal.” any workshop trying to make a machine work does not create a good impression. This will not enhance the workshop experience for any interested student. In essence, keep everything simple but interesting with plenty of your promotional materials to hand. Make the approach fun and light-hearted by choosing a demonstration or a workshop that you enjoy doing – your pleasure will enhance the sales and create enthusiasm among the potential customers. C Further information Jennie Rayment is an international tutor and author of several books on the fascinatingly diverse world of surface texture and fabric manipulation. She also teaches many different classes from hand to sewing machine and/or overlocker. A variety of full or half day programmes are available and will be carefully tailored to suit all ages and capabilities. For latest workshop and lecture list, telephone +44 (0)1243 374 860, email [email protected] or visit the website www.jennierayment.com. craftfocus 69 in the know! Craft Focus celebrates its fourth birthday this spring. Its aim is to provide you, the readers, with news, views, articles, features and advice that helps you do business. We want to know what you like, dislike, want more of and would love to see in your Craft Focus magazine. This quick survey will take just five minutes so please help us to make your magazine what you would like it to be. SECTION 1 – Here we list the many regular features and articles for you to let us know which you like best. Please circle the score that represents how important you feel the following features are to you (five being highest): SECTION 2 – What would you like to see more of? This is a chance for you to tell us what you would like to see us cover more. Specific craft areas (please specify) News features • Industry news 1 2 3 4 5 • Brand spanking new 1 2 3 4 5 • Competition 1 2 3 4 5 • Bookshelf (book reviews) 1 2 3 4 5 • Show previews 1 2 3 4 5 • Show/event listings 1 2 3 4 5 Business advice • Internet/web advice 1 2 3 4 5 • Retail Q&A 1 2 3 4 5 • Business Link – general advice 1 2 3 4 5 Special features • Company profiles 1 2 3 4 5 • Retailer profiles 1 2 3 4 5 • Tried and tested – kits on trial 1 2 3 4 5 • In-depth articles on successful crafting people 1 2 3 4 5 Business advice on: Rretail issues Rrunning workshops Rstaffing issues Ronline shop RPR/marketing Rtraining/education other SECTION 3 – About you Please let us know a little about you. Type of business: Rretailer Rmail order Rwholesaler/distributor Rcraft professional What is your main line of business? Rart and craft Rneedlecraft Rdressmaking Rhaberdashery Rbeading Rdecoupage Rknitting/crochet Rteaching Ryarn shop Rmodel shop Rtoy shop Rdepartment store other Do you currently subscribe to Craft Focus? yes / no If not, would you like to receive every issue? (subscriptions are free to anyone working in the craft industry) Name: Company Name: Address: Postcode: Email: Tel: yes / no Simply fill in this survey and post to Craft Focus magazine, KD Media Publishing Ltd, Broseley House, Newlands Drive, Witham, Essex CM8 2UL. Alternatively, photocopy the form and fax to +44 (0)1376 514 555 or complete it online at www.craftfocus.com. 70 craftfocus 5H[YPJ 7KHEHVWSODFHWR¿QG\RXU 6SHFLDO2IIHUV3URPRWLRQDOOLQHV :HRIIHUDFRQVWDQWO\FKDQJLQJUDQJHRIXSWRGDWH DQGVOLJKWO\RXWRIGDWHSURGXFWVLQFOXGLQJ« Paper'LHFXWWLQJPDFKLQHV3XQFKHV 6WLFNHUV&DUG#J?BIIFPEJBKQP Scrapbook PapersRibbon*OLWWHUSDSHU Embossing Powders,QN3DGV 6FUDSERRN$OEXPV:[LUJPSZ 7LVVXH3DSHU Pearlized CardGems %HDGV%IRB4EMRXMarkers &DUG%ODQNVPeel Offs SOXVPRUHORWVPRUH DOOEUDQGHGVWRFNSULFHGWRVHOOWKURXJK DWOHDVWKDOISULFHRUOHVV &DOO(ULFRQ RU HPDLOQDWULF#DROFRP £¶ÉǾ¸¡É¹¾¼½¨ÉǺºÉÄÇ·Á¾Ã¼¡¾Ã¸È£ ¥ Mode Int’l Importer and Manufacturer of High Quality Glass Beads REPS D WANTE The Exclusive Teresa Collins Stampmaker Kit This AMAZING kit, which contains beautiful Teresa Collins designs, allows you to make your own custom design clear polymer Stamps, Embossing dies & Stencils in just 5 minutes! 2010 Innovation Product Showcase Award winner! Information Contact: [email protected] or visit www.imagepacstampmaker.com Photocentric Ltd +44 (0)1733 349 937 Photocentric also make beautifully clear Custom Design photo polymer stamps from your exclusive designs. We make for Designers and Companies both large & small. Premium quality product at competitive prices with short lead time – made in the UK. www.modebeads.com 5111-4th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11220 T: 718.765.0124 F: 718.765.0126 [email protected] Why not add Clear Stamps to your product range to increase your sales. Contact: [email protected] a good yarn Katy and Richard Sparrow started ArtYarn Trading to provide a source of lovely products for knitters which they make available to retailers What made you decide to venture into this business? For the love of the craft initially and in appreciation of quality products that we felt should be more widely available. We love the brands we stock, both for their quality and their originality. Finding yarns that are distinctive and unusual is something we are passionate about and we want to share these ‘finds’ with others. What are the specialist brands you distribute? We are the UK distributor for Lang Yarns: the biggest Swiss yarn company. The company has developed over six generations, from origins as cotton spinners, to be the third largest player in the German market and continues to grow! It produces a very polished, well planned range of yarns with a discerning colour palette. Lang Yarns draws fashion inspiration from the Italian catwalk shows in order to create wonderful new designs and new yarns each season, encapsulating its vision of quality and style. Schoppel-Wolle offers an exciting range of hand-knitting yarns. This is a German company: spinning and dyeing yarns of a distinctive character. For instance, Zauberball (which means magic ball) has an inimitable artisan ‘handwound and hand-dyed’ look with a magical colour play that has great appeal, and unique semi-felted yarns, such as Reggae. The company also produces fabulous fibres and finger-rovings for felting, and Art-felt paper, which is a hotwater soluble felting medium. 72 craftfocus This tunic with crocheted bodice in Zauberwolle, 100% wool from Schoppel-Wolle is Design 24 from Knit the Cat Addi by Selter of Germany is a brand synonymous with quality and design in knitting needles and accessories. The range encompasses top quality bamboo, nickel-plated, aluminium, smooth steel and glittery plastic needles and crochet hooks to suit every preference, including interchangeable sets. What else do you offer your customers? As well as the various yarns and needles, we have recently introduced some wooden shawl pins from another Swiss company, MH Collections. The shawl pins are perfect examples of a new product that we feel our customers will appreciate. Are most of your customers web based or bricks and mortar retailers? Our customers represent a good mix of both brick-and-mortar shops and web-shops, ordering either through our agents or by email or telephone. Of course occasional visitors to our warehouse in the Midlands are also welcome! When was the business started? We started ArtYarn Trading four years ago, having taken over the distribution of Lanartus and subsequently adding the distributorships for Lang Yarns, Addi and Schoppel-Wolle. Prior to that we were involved in the ArtYarn web shop. profile Design 3 from the Fatto a Mano 177 Lang collection in laceweight Alpaca Superlight The new Addi click-lace interchangeable circular knitting needle set features extra-fine tips for precision in lacework What was your background prior to ArtYarn Trading? My (Katy) involvement in the knitting industry began at Ruddington Framework Knitters’ Museum as ‘apprentice knitter’ on the very first knitting machines! There I enjoyed demonstrating and teaching the craft and progressed to becoming commercial manager. Richard worked for Meridian Knitwear in Nottingham. I have always made my own clothes and loved crafts, so for me, involvement in this business came as a natural progression. What do you think is your unique selling point? Our forte is definitely colourful and distinctive yarns and top quality needles. “Trends, such as fashion and new techniques are of great importance to us, because we believe they offer the customer the illusive Zeitgeist element.” What are your best selling lines? At the moment, the Addi nickel-plated circular needles known as ‘Turbos’ in the US are extremely popular, including the short sock circulars. With regard to yarns, the Mille Colori range from Lang Yarns is very popular, as is the sock yarn Jawoll. As for Schoppel-Wolle, the previously mentioned Zauberball sells well. It is available now not only in the original sockweight, but also in lace-weight (800m/100g) and 6 ply (knits as DK). How do you select the products you want to stock? We are always looking to supply a broad range of quality items of appealing design, so that we can fulfil the needs of our customers. Trends, such as fashion and new techniques are of great importance, because we believe they offer the customer the illusive Zeitgeist element – the ‘next best thing’ to keep business healthy and moving forward, whilst at the same time supporting perennial requirements such as standard yarns and needles. Our chosen partners and suppliers are very much led by these same criteria. Do you offer workshops/courses? At CHSI we will be holding a workshop to introduce the ArtFelt felting technique using Schoppel-Wolle products. Design from Knit the Cat, No 17 Swing Dress in Zauberwolle, a 100% new merino wool What do you think are the most important trends for 2011? Crochet continues to grow in importance as is a stronger stance for the ‘home-made’ in all our lives. Quality and durability are key elements to consider. What plans do you have for the future? With the addition of four new agents in 2010 we are continuing to widen our reach – we aim to provide a regular service for shops across the country. C Further information Richard or Katy Sparrow, ArtYarn Trading T: +44 (0)1529 240 510, +44 (0)7810 518 997 E: [email protected] Design 19 in superchunky Alpaca mix Malou from the Lang collection craftfocus 73 73 craftfocus crafts not chocs for easter! With the popularity of crafting soaring, now is the time to think of an alternative type of Easter! Think craft not chocolate to give as gifts There are all sorts of different craft ideas to tempt customers away from their sweet tooth, including sewing kits, decoupage, painting, knitting and more. We’ve a selection of the unusual to spark some inspiration! Cute kits Artist Kay Mawer relaunched the famous seventies Clothkits brand in 2008, bringing it up to date and back to life with fresh new designs. For Spring 2011 there is a new Retro Bird Flower print in a wigwam as well as fabric by the metre. Or you can choose to offer funky new cushion kits at RRP £25 (also available ready made). We love the clothkitty cut and sew dolls (from RRP £16) and the butterfly necklace kit or flower friends kits that are specially designed for children to make. They include everything needed so make a great alternative Easter gift. For further information visit www.clothkits.co.uk A crafty cut Cardcuts have come up with an ingenious idea of using up existing stock and packaging it creatively in a new range of pods and baskets etc. “Our all new card Hold-alls are perfect for Easter eggs, gifts, crafts, soaps, lingerie and so much more,” said Cardcuts. Trade discounts and bespoke printing available. For further information visit the website at www.cardcuts.co.uk 74 craftfocus Learning a new skill Decoupage made easy Great for the spring season and other occasions such as Easter and Mother’s Day, these new Build a Blossom decoupage sheet designs from La Pashe are based on 16 of the world’s most beautiful and favourite flowers. “Available in all colours for crafters to literally bring to life, the decoupage sheets feature the blossoms, leaves and middles and once constructed look very real,” said La Pashe. They come with lovely sentiments and can be used in lots of different ways, such as card making or invitations. For further information visit www.lapashe.com Bring a personal flair to projects by creating a tapestry with an Elizabeth Bradley kit. Choose from a range of over 150 designs in a choice of background colours and learn the skill of Victorian cross stitch. Designs include vibrant flowers, decorative patterns and designs inspired by classic V&A works. The beautifully presented kits contain all the materials needed to complete a tapestry, including a colour coded chart, quality 100% British wool, needles, instructions and canvas to work on. Prices start from RRP £33 based on a 6ins mini kit. To view the collection visit elizabethbradley.com Project book Still with sewing in mind, take a look at Oliver + S Little Things to Sew by Liesl Gibson, a collection of 20 accessories and other small items to make for children. Projects in the book include whimsical yet practical items for children such as a hat and scarf, vest, tutu, art smock, backpack, messenger bag and quilt. Two pull-out sheets provide all the instructions needed. In addition the book includes two cardstock paper dolls. The book is priced at £17.99, ISBN 978-1-59479-910-8. For further information visit www.oliverands.com C Little Nerisa Marissa Felt Bag Kit Rosa Rosa Felt Bag Kit Nerisa Marisa Felt Bag Kit Tillie Tullie Felt Scarf Kit Now available for wholesale orders t: 0845 543 9046 e: [email protected] www.tigerlilymakes.co.uk © Lisa Marie Olson Tigerlily Makes 2011 all rights reserved mother's day DMC C C make the most of mother’s day It’s time to celebrate mothers and what better way than with crafting. We’ve news of products, ideas and classes with which to tempt your customers PSA Mother’s Day affects nearly everyone – as we all have mothers, grandmothers or indeed are mothers ourselves. It is also a great event to promote and provide pretty products and projects aimed at appreciating mothers everywhere. FULL OF LOVE Ideal Mother’s Day gifts include anything that’s pretty and floral or shows love and appreciation. A perfect example is Dictionary of Love, the latest in an ever-growing series of designs by Helen Smith from Bothy Threads. Dictionary of Love combines wonderful plays on the word Love, complemented by quirky motifs. It is worked in shades of pink with an abundance of hear ts and flowers. All the Dictionary series are worked on 14 hpi white Zweigar t Aida and measure 26 by 28 cm using full cross stitches, back stitch and a few French knots. Bothy Threads KIT GIFTS DMC are also known for their pretty needlework collections and unsurprisingly have over 100 new British kits for 2011, many of which are highly suitable for Mother’s Day as gifts, or to be made up and given as gifts. An exciting new character, Boofle, who appears on gifts and cards on the high street, has been introduced in designs suitable for all abilities from beginners to experienced stitchers. Boofle, a pup character is all that a well loved ‘member’ of the family should be, with a real homemade feel, knitted with 100% love and cuddles from Grandad’s woolly cardigan and now available in cross stitch using DMC stranded cotton, satin and light effects threads on 14 count DMC Aida fabric. HAND-MADE CARDS Another way to shower mum with love is to hand-craft a card and of course, this is the perfect oppor tunity for retailers with card making supplies to really go to town. Whether you put together some card kits for special occasions, or just make a display of some Mothering Sunday cards, it’s an oppor tunity to show your wares! PSA Essentials have done just that with the selfinking custom stamps. “With patented Peel and Stick technology, changing your stamp is as easy as peeling off the design and sticking on a new one,” they advise. Choose from thousands of designs, which can be used on scrapbook pages, handmade cards, par ty favours, home decorating and enter taining. “We have licences with Hello Kitty, Peanuts, Skelanimals, Smirk and original designs for each season by PSA” they added. PSA also have lots of great ideas on how to use their stamps on www.psastampcamb.blogspot. com as well as instructional videos. ADD SPARKLE Another area of craft products that can be targeted towards Mother’s Day are those that can be used to make presents for mum. Such as the new Hot Wire from Kreinik. It is a wired metallic braid, (number 16 size), available in nine colours. “It’s the perfect weight for adding sparkle and C C craftfocus 77 C C An aid to dressmaking and shoulder bag. Each kit comes complete with fabric, notions, any templates required plus making-up instructions. Trade prices (excl VAT) star t from £3.93 for the purse kit to £12.70 for the shoulder bag kit Krenik A FIT BODY dimension in quilts, needlepoint, cross stitch, surface embroidery, dolls, hair, clothing and accessories” said Kreinik. Think 3D as embellishments stand proud of the surface of a design. Use the braid as a trimming to add a funky edge or write words and names with the wired thread. “Couch it, curl it – create with it” they added. AN AID TO DRESSMAKING Sewing is another popular pastime that can easily be geared towards mums, and again, more so as the trend to craft continues to grow. These new DIY sewing kits from Silver Sewing Machines are therefore ver y on-trend. There are eight kits to choose from ranging from beginners to intermediate sewing abilities including kitchen accessories like oven mitts or pretty pinny, tissue box cover, pot holder, wallet Adjustaforms 78 craftfocus With more and more people having a go at sewing, another great gift and useful tool is a dressform. “Figures suggest that consumers are taking time to alter clothes that don’t fit properly, or to update or repair garments to avoid the cost of buying new,” explained Chris Darwent Sales Director of Adjustaform Products. The selection of adjustable dress forms available from high street shops and online is now more extensive than ever, with a wide range of designs, sizes and adjustment systems to ensure a more professional look and fit to women’s clothes and sales have remained healthy throughout 2010. There are a number of possible explanations for this and the feedback is from sewers across the world as well as in the UK. For instance, people are staying home more and giving themselves time to make things, or to take up sewing as a hobby and to create garments that are exclusive to themselves both in fabric and design. “Dress forms today range from inexpensive models with basic features for those learning to sew without spending too much money, to a more expensive form with the maximum adjustments and features required by the more experienced garment sewer,” said Chris. Of par ticular impor tance to the Adjustaform range is ‘Sew Deluxe’, a form developed in two sizes, which has quickly become a best seller as it helps the sewer achieve a professional fit to women’s trousers. “This is the only form on the market at present that can be used for trouser-making as well as skir ts, dresses, coats, jackets, etc,” said Chris. Other best selling designs include the traditional Lady Valet with a natural ecru fabric and a solid wood stand and neck cap. While this form is an excellent sewing aid it also looks good when used in a bedroom as a decorative lady’s valet. New for 2011 is The Catwalk Form, which looks traditional in appearance, but has a system of 10 adjusting wheels on a longer length torso in small and medium sizes. The form has a stable five-star base with locking brakes to help keep the form still when, pinning a pattern or fabric onto the form. “The neck adjuster features an easy to use finial, which has already gained praise from sewers around the world and is likely to be introduced into other forms in the near future,” said Chris. Further information Adjustaform Products Ltd, T: +44 (0)1233 625 227, E: [email protected], www.adjustoform.com CC Bothy Threads, T: +44 (0)1638 665 149, www.bothythreads.com (stand at CHSI A01) DMC Boofle, T: +44 (0)116 275 4000, www.dmccreative.co.uk Kreinik Manufacturing Company Inc, T: +304 422 8900, E : www.kreinik.com PSA Essentials, T: +843 415 9156, www.psaessentials.com Silver Viscount DIY Sewing Kits, T: +44 (0)1933 311 888, www.silverviscount.co.uk %RWK\7KUHDGV 1HZNLWVDYDLODEOH %RWK\7KUHDGV7KH$YHQXH 1HZPDUNHW6XIIRON&%$$ _LQIR#ERWK\WKUHDGVFRP ZZZERWK\WKUHDGVFRP what a hoot! Create your own flock of feathery friends for Mother’s Day with Cat Morley and sewing machine specialist Brother Brother is encouraging textile fans to get creative in the run up to Mother’s Day with a funky flock of feathered friends designed by online craft guru Cat Morley. The sewing machine specialist has par tnered with Cat, who runs her own online craft community, Cut Out + Keep, to produce this adorable cushion that is accessible to textile lovers at all levels. The pattern will be available to download for free from Brother’s website from 26 th January, giving new and experienced crafters a chance to create a unique and loveable present in time for Mother’s Day. E DIRECTIONS TO MAK 1. Cut out the front and back owl body shapes, one from each type of the tweed fabric (which can be downloaded fromwww.brother.co.uk). 2. Cut out the owl's face shape from the light tweed. 3. Cut out two large circles from white fleece for the eyes and pin them in place on the face. Sew around the outside of the eyes. Pin the owl face to the front of the owl body and sew in place. 4. Iron interfacing on the back of the floral fabric (this will stop it from fraying) and then draw around the nose template on to the interfacing side. Cut out the nose and pin in between the eyes. Sew in place using a zigzag stitch. 5. Draw around the feather template on to the lighter tweed fabric. Cut out a big pile of tweed feathers. You'll need lots and lots of these. Layer the feathers up on the owl in the shape of a wing. MATERIALS NEEDED xDark and light tweed fabric xWhite fleece xSeveral types of pretty floral fabric xFusible interfacing xCushion stuffing xTwo large black buttons for the eyes xLots of small pearly buttons xSewing machine, iron, thread, pins and scissors “One of the best things about running a site like Cut Out + Keep is seeing people get excited about discovering and perfecting a new skill, then sharing that with others” said Cat Morley. 6. Cut out some contrasting feathers from floral fabric, and place these throughout the wing, tucking them under the tweed feathers. Row by row, sew all the feathers in place. 7. Cut out two smaller circles of floral fabric for the inner eyes. Place two large black buttons on top and sew in place. 8. Sew the small pearly buttons to the owl's middle for decoration. 9. With right sides facing, place the back body piece on top of the front and pin around the edges. Sew around the outline of the owl, leaving a few inches unstitched on the very bottom. 10. Turn the owl right side out, making sure to get its ears unfolded. Fill with stuffing until the owl becomes a comfor table cushion. Fold the bottom unstitched edge under and sew closed. C Further information Cat Morley’s site now has over 60,000 members who log on regularly to share their crafting ideas and learn from each other. Between them, they’ve now posted over 30,000 projects on the site. The patterns will be available on the Brother sewing website from 26th January - www.brothersewing.eu/uk/patternsandprojects 80 craftfocus 75$'(:,5(6&28. 75$'(:,5(6&28. /21'2175,00,1*6 :+2/(6$/(/7' 26-28 CAMBRIDGE HEATH ROAD, WHITECHAPEL, LONDON E1 5QH Tel: 0207 7919766 / 0207 7902233 Email: [email protected] [email protected] :KROHVDOH5HWDLO +DEHUGDVKHU\&UDIW6XSSOLHUV • • • • • • • • • • • • • Feathers Sequin Braids Buckles Buttons Embellishments Wool Zips Threads Knitting Accessories Ribbons Diamante Buckles Haberdashery Flowers • • • • • • • • • • • • • Bows Dress Net Handbag Accessories Scissors Elastic Colour Dye Snap Fasteners Cotton Webbing Lace Cord Labels Bias Bindings Insertion Piping • • • • • • • • • • • • • Eyelets Interlining/Wadding Toy Filling Trouser Patches Jeans Buttons & Rivets Shoulder Pads Embroidery Accessories Hook & Loop Covered Buttons Curtain Accessories Toggles Hangers Garment Cover Bags 0DUDWKRQ0DFKLQH(PEURLGHU\7KUHDGDQGPXFKPRUH 3OHDVHJLYHXVDFDOOZHDUHDOZD\VKDSS\WRKHOS .QLWWLQJ&RQWLQXLQJ7R*URZ,Q3RSXODULW\ :K\QRWVHHZKDW.LQJ&ROHFDQGRIRU\RXUSURÀWPDUJLQV %HQHÀWV ([FHOOHQWVWRFNOHYHOV 6HUYLFHVHFRQGWRQRQH )DEXORXVUDQJHRI\DUQV DQGSDWWHUQV *UHDWPDUJLQV )L[WXUHVDYDLODEOH &RQVXPHUDGYHUWLVLQJ 5HJXODU5HSVXSSRUW 3RVWHUV 'LVSOD\JDUPHQWV 3URPRWLRQV ²&KXQN\ )RUVWRFNLVWGHWDLOVSOHDVHFDOO 7HO)D[ (PDLOHQTXLULHV#NLQJFROHFRXN :HEZZZNLQJFROHFRXN retailer interview a family affair Known to many readers as wholesale suppliers of fleece and fur fabrics through ITS, the Abakhan family also have a thriving retail side with seven fabric shops. Wendy Gardiner talked to Will Abakhan to find out more Abakhan is a family business, what were the origins? It was started by the Abakhan family in the late forties as a rug weaving business. The first retail outlet opened in Mostyn, North Wales over 30 years ago. Still headed by family members, Abakhan has now been trading for almost 60 years. Now there are seven branches across the North West (North Wales, Manchester, Liverpool, Birkenhead, Chester, Hanley and Preston). The company also owns a subsidiary business in the Baltic States, which has been operational since the early nineties and now has seven retail outlets in Estonia and four in Latvia, also trading under the Abakhan name. How and where do you source new products? We pride ourselves on offering value for money throughout the vast range of fabrics, yarns, crafts, sewing accessories and trimmings we have on offer. We are committed to sourcing the best products at the best prices for our customers and frequently have stock lots, clearance parcels and special offers available. Do you offer a workshop programme? Yes we certainly do! Abakhan offer an extensive Craft and Sewing Workshop and Course programme at our North Wales store. We have an amazing list of full day and half day workshops including Dressmaking, Patchwork and Quilting, Hand & Machine Embroidery, Knitting, Felting and many more - there really is something for everyone! Prices range from £12 to £40 per session and the majority of workshops include all materials and use of equipment. From January 2011, the workshops and courses will also be available at our Liverpool store. To promote these, we have produced a brochure online which can be downloaded from our website. Do you have a web shop and how important is this to you? Yes we do have a webshop (www.abakhan. co.uk) which was launched over two years ago. It currently has over 13,000 products – all of which are available to buy online, including dress and household fabrics, sewing accessories and haberdashery, hobby and crafts, sewing patterns, knitting yarns and accessories and much more. New products are being added to the site every day, and we have plans for a major refurbishment of the site in spring 2011, to improve both the look and feel as well as the navigation and use of it. We appreciate how important the e-commerce side of our craftfocus 83 retailer retailer interview interview business is, and we will continue to develop and improve this throughout 2011. Do you utilise social media platforms? Yes we currently use both Facebook and Twitter. Following the launch of our ‘Online Shop’ a couple of years ago, we became aware that a large number of our valued customers are using such platforms to socialise and communicate – and we think that it is a valuable way to keep in touch. It provides us with a great way of sending out special offers and announcements – as well as giving our customer the chance to speak with us, and also to show us their fabulous creations! What are your plans for the future for Abakhan Fabric? We are in the process of refurbishing all of our retail stores, so this will be completed in 2011, along with the redevelopment of our Online Shop. I also expect us to be opening one or two new outlets in 2011! How do you promote and publicise your business? We advertise of course, but I also work closely with lots of the consumer magazines, providing prizes for their competitions and fabric or haberdashery etc for editorials. This is all good publicity for us and helps get our name to a wide audience. 84 craftfocus You also have another arm to your business, ITS – what is this? International Textile Supplies (ITS) is the wholesale division of Abakhan Fabrics, Hobby & Home and as such we are firmly established as one of the UK’s leading suppliers of premium print and plain fleece and fur. We offer a wide range of exciting and original wholesale fleece and fur fabrics available in 15 metre or 30 metre rolls so suitable for fabric retailers and manufacturers. What sort of fleece and fur do you stock? ITS has over 90 different fleece and fur fabrics ranging from premium quality print and plain polar fleece to lambskin and creased fur. We also have neon fleece, micro and mid-weight fleeces. There are so many that we also have fabric reference books and samples are available. Also of course, we have a website for this (see below). Is ITS run separately from the Abakhan Fabric side? Yes they are both run independently – given the nature of the products ITS supply, along with who our customers are, it is important that these are operated separately. What do you consider is the unique selling point of ITS? The main factor which distinguishes ITS from other suppliers is our range of print fleece designs as the vast majority are exclusively designed by us. For our new range in August 2011, we will be focusing on bringing in a large number of new designs to expand the choice for our customer. Again, what are your future plans for ITS? ITS also has a webshop (www.its-sales.co.uk) which will also be refurbished in spring 2011. The site will be completely redeveloped and will offer a more expansive range of wholesale products, alongside our fleece and fur fabrics. Finally do any of the Abakhan family craft themselves? I have to be honest and say that I can actually sew a little, although I won’t be showing you any of my creations just yet! I have four dining room chairs which I plan to re-upholster using my skills, and of course, I am very lucky as I have some very talented colleagues that I can call upon for advice. However, thinking about it – I should book myself on one of our workshops! C Further information T: +44 (0)1745 562 100 E: [email protected] W: www.abakhan.co.uk Facebook.com/abakhan.fabrics Twitter.com/abakhanfabrics To view the ITS collection, visit www.its-sales.co.uk New Kits 3RSS\+RQH\VXFNOHEDVHGRQ :LOOLDP0RUULVGHVLJQVIURPWKH561$UFKLYH 3ULQWHGGHVLJQFP[FPZRUNHGLQKDOI FURVVVWLWFKLQ$SSOHWRQ¶VFUHZHOZRROV )RUZKROHVDOHHQTXLULHV FRQWDFW6DUDK7D\ORU (VDOHV#UR\DOQHHGOHZRUNRUJXN 7 ZZZUR\DOQHHGOHZRUNRUJXN business advice driving retail traffic, part 1 With the majority of retailers facing tough times on the high street, successful strategies to drive retail traffic are vital to business performance explains Nick Waller Whether it’s due to forces beyond our control, seasonal sales or a decline in foot traffic, many retailers will experience a slump in sales at some point. Perfectly trained staff, carefully chosen merchandise and strategic store layout mean nothing if customers aren’t coming through the doors. There are all sorts of ways to encourage customers to spend more at your store, but you have to get them inside first. Unless your shop is in a popular urban shopping centre or on a bustling high street, driving traffic to your location should be a prime concern. Small business owners can easily get too involved in the day-to-day operations of their retail stores to spend any time brainstorming marketing ideas or promotional events. Some retailers worry that marketing is too expensive, others may find it too time consuming. Without announcing who you are and what you sell, how will anyone know? Following are some of the marketing strategies and techniques used by the world’s leading retailers to attract customer traffic. the total amount they will spend with you before they take their business elsewhere. A good customer will buy from you many times over and will refer their friends and family to you. Savvy retailers do everything they can to nurture relationships and increase the lifetime value of their customers. 1 Break even on the front end – break the bank on the back end If you put the two concepts together – you have to pay to acquire new customers and there is a lifetime value to your customers – you come up with this third concept. Although you still want your overall marketing effort to have an immediate return, acquiring new customers at a breakeven, slight profit, or even a slight loss is now part of your game plan. If you know that your average customer is worth £1000 a year and you’ll be able to hang on to them as customers for at least five years, you have an average customer whose lifetime value is worth £5000. It therefore comes down to the following: What are you willing to give up in order to get that person as a new customer – £20, £50 or £70? Once you understand that the real value in the customer comes after the first transaction, it just makes sense to make some sacrifices to get the first sale. You can shift your thinking from, “get a customer to make a sale” to, “make a sale to get a customer.” 2 Apply the “rule of reciprocity” An important concept to understand is that “givers get.” This is due, in part, to the unwritten social rule called the “rule of reciprocity,” which says that if you give someone something, you will get something in return. The same applies to business. Embrace this truth and watch your business grow. KEY CONCEPTS FOR NEW CUSTOMERS There are five basic marketing ideas which are important to understand as they are the foundation for all the tactics that follow. Be willing to pay for new customers Unless you’re counting strictly on word of mouth to attract business, you’re going to have to pay to generate a steady flow of new customers. If you buy an advert in the yellow pages, in a coupon pack, or in the local newspaper, you are spending money to acquire new customers. Know the lifetime value of customers The “lifetime value” of your customer is 3 4 Enhance the power of affinity marketing Affinity marketing is a powerful way to reach prospective customers quickly, easily and cheaply. If you have an affinity with someone or something, you are like-minded. Many retailers focus their marketing efforts on everybody – and nobody in particular. If you chose marketing opportunities that are focused on your hottest prospects (people who are predisposed to buy your products) you’ll spend less and sell more. 5 “The more precisely targeted your marketing is on customers who already have an affinity for your business, the more profitable it will be.” LOW-TECH TACTICS The following ideas for getting new customers are practical, proven, profitable techniques that simply work. These low-tech tactics don’t require fancy technology and aren’t dependent on the internet to work. They focus on starting to close customer relationships and lay the groundwork for a solid future together. • Give-away gift certificates Giving away gift certificates to use in your store is a simple and fun way to get new customers. Gift certificates are more powerful than coupons as they are viewed as a more valuable gesture. It costs almost nothing to give away gift certificates and it doesn’t cost you anything if they don’t use the certificate. • Send endorsed mailings Instead of contacting prospects cold, consider teaming up with a business with whom you craftfocus 87 driving retail traffic share customers and use an endorsed mailing technique to get the other businesses to promote your goods and services to their customers. This way they are seen as providing their customers with something of value, while you get a new customer. It also means you are given a warm introduction. You’re taking advantage of the close, personal relationships your partner business has with their customers. This is an effective way of getting your gift certificates into the hands of your hottest prospects. It’s the perfect synergy of “givers get” and affinity marketing. • Partner with a charitable cause Take the concept of endorsement and make it even more powerful by working with local non-profit agencies and other worthwhile causes. This approach is called cause marketing. The strategy is to work with a cause, usually a local non-profit organisation to raise money for the organisation, while at the same time raising your profile in your community and acquiring new customers. The relationship works by the charitable organisation giving you access to their membership list and you donate a percentage of all the sales their members generate for your business. Ensure you connect with organisations that your customers are likely to respond to. Send an endorsed mailing to everyone on your charitable organisation’s database with a gift certificate and a letter telling them that a certain percentage of the sale (minus the amount of the gift certificate) will go to help the charity. • Create a referral system Customer referrals are the most cost effective way to get new, high-quality customers. In its simplest form, a customer referral takes the form of unsolicited word-of-mouth advertising, where your customers spontaneously tell their friends and family about your store because you have impressed them in some way. The challenge with unsolicited word-ofmouth advertising is that you have no control over it. It is a form of “hope marketing.” In 88 craftfocus order to gain control, you need to create a referral system. This means you are systematic about asking all your current customers who else they think would enjoy your store or want your products. It’s the systematic asking that makes a referral system much more effective than unsolicited word of mouth at generating a steady flow of new customers into your store. “It’s a very, very tough market.You need to buy the right products at the right price, merchandise it brilliantly and provide exceptional service to keep the customers coming back and bringing their friends. It’s all about numbers, numbers, numbers” - John Ilhan • Advertise more Just when you may think it’s time to cut back the marketing spend, you should probably be advertising more. It is wise to increase marketing efforts during slower sales periods because there is more competition and fewer consumer pounds. Consider newspaper adverts, magazines, trade publications and other forms of marketing. • Generate a buzz Whenever anything noteworthy happens within your business, send a news release to the media. The idea is to grab any free coverage possible. Get involved with community events. Consider hosting classes, meetings or other networking events in your store. Use a unique promotional event to generate a buzz about your business. • Examine your pricing strategy When purchasing and pricing products, be sure you’ve considered the cost of goods and that your retail store is able to make a profit at that price point. Your product price should be competitive, but still profitable. Ultimately, the right price is the price the customer is willing to pay for the product. • Design store for sales Take advantage of cross-merchandising strategies and impulse sale opportunities. Use lighting techniques and creative displays to attract customers. Play videos for product education, customer entertainment and any other up-sell or promotional tie-in. Next month – Nick continues looking at effective ways of getting and keeping customers with some high-tech tactics including being web wise. C Further information Nick Waller is owner of Sales & Service Solutions Ltd, specialists in improving sales and service performance. Nick can be contacted on T: + 44 (0) 7811 251 367 or www.myviewpays.co.uk retail technology multichannel retailing today Expert David Mackley talks about multichannel retailing and how it can boost business Multichannel retail is exciting for customers and quite scary for many retailers. It brings with it new opportunities and new threats. It is about change in customer shopping habits. Yet it is vital for the retailer not to lose sight of the customer’s fundamental needs, which actually haven’t changed. This is the first in a series of articles looking at the pros and cons of multichannel retail, the potential pitfalls and risks and how it can boost profits for those who get it right. Last year, I visited a pub that refused to take credit cards. Intrigued, I asked why and the owner explained that he was quite resistant to the banks taking a percentage of what should be his money, he didn’t feel it was right. Not too long afterwards the pub closed down. Unfortunately he missed the fact that regardless of his own feelings, his customers had changed, they wanted and needed to pay by credit card and by refusing to change with them his business suffered. Change is of course a part of every business, and recognising how your customers are changing is vital for any business owner. It’s not necessarily easy though. Change is not always that obvious. At first change, especially change driven by technology, can be surrounded by lots of hot air and hype, and then gradually becomes reality, creeping up over several years. Leading information technology research and advisory company Gartner identified this route to change in its Hype Cycle, which shows what happens with many new technologies; Internet, 3G phones (remember that hype?) and others, where the potential for the technology is written about by an excited press before companies have a chance of making the potential benefits a reality. This creates a peak of inflated expectation followed by disillusionment when people try out the new technology. This happened with the internet when we had dial up connections and poor quality websites and search engines. But then the functionality improves over a period of years. This is the risky part. Those who haven’t changed in the initial rush can be caught out as the wave of change is slow and steady yet powerful and gets less publicity. “Change is of course a part of every business, and recognising how your customers are changing is vital for any business owner.” Multichannel retailing itself is not a new change, it was over 35 years ago that Argos recognised a market where customers wanted to browse at home and buy in store. They successfully addressed that market with their catalogues and shops. The wider emergence of integrated multichannel retailing is more recent, being driven by the expansion of the internet as a new selling channel. For example, the internet now represents a third of Argos’ craftfocus 91 retail technology overall sales (with the check & reserve service key to this growth which underlines the importance of it being multichannel not just internet). “Multichannel retailing is firstly about the customer. It is about recognising that many of today’s consumers want multiple touch points with their retailers when and where they want them.” What is multichannel retail? Multichannel retailing is firstly about the customer. It is about recognising that many of today’s consumers want multiple touch points with their retailers when and where they want them. These touch points can include the shop, internet, telephone or smartphone. A multichannel retailer will aim to offer a consistent brand presence no matter which touch point the customer uses. Now if a retailer only offers two touch points (shop and phone) and the consumer uses four (shop, phone, web and smartphone) then the retailer is missing out on revenue opportunities, and risks losing that customer to a competitor with the right touch points. Mark Lewis, chief executive of Collect + said: “Our research has shown that retailers must continue to adapt to offer services that fit in with busy commuter lives if they are to maintain customer loyalty.” This change in consumer shopping habits allows retailers the opportunity to engage with their customers more than ever before, across different touch points. If they get it right they can grow their businesses, but there is a risk if they don’t they can lose customers’ loyalty. What does the customer want? If multichannel retail is really about the customer, what does the customer want? Well they want what they have always wanted: 1) good service; 2) convenience; and 3) value for money (VFM). 92 craftfocus In the early days of the internet, even up until quite recently, it was viewed by many in retail as a disruptive new technology. “In the early days of the internet, even up until quite recently, it was viewed by many in retail as a disruptive new technology.” There was talk of customers abandoning stores and buying most products and services over the internet at the cheapest possible prices. It was all about price. But with the rush to get online, the technology driving the websites was not refined; this had a negative impact on quality and service. Now things have changed. The pendulum may have swung away from the core customer requirements of service, convenience and VFM for a while as people chased cheapest prices in the excitement of this new shopping channel. However the pendulum has now returned to a happier medium reflecting the traditional customer values. C David Mackley MBA BSc is MD of Intelligent Retail – providers of Multichannel EPoS and eCommerce websites for independent retailers. If you have any questions you can contact David on 0845 6800126 or [email protected] *UDSKLF$LURQOLQH 8QLW/HYHQV+DOO3DUN/XQG/DQH.LOOLQJKDOO+DUURJDWH+*%* 7)(LQIR#JUDSKLFDLUFRXN :ZZZ#JUDSKLFDLUFRXN business advice going legal Let’s go legal – what does it actually mean? Dids Macdonald, CEO of the organisation Anti Copying in Design (ACID) looks at steps that can be taken before a dispute hits court A Letter Before Action (LBA) or Cease and Desist What are they? A Letter Before Action (LBA), sometimes known as a Cease and Desist, is quite simply a letter drafted by a qualified solicitor informing a prospective defendant that unless they settle, you intend to start legal action. In the case of intellectual property (IP) rights infringement an LBA usually sets out why you believe your rights have been infringed together with evidence of your rights ownership. How effective are they? Out of ACID’s 400 plus settlements by its accredited lawyers on behalf of members, only four have reached a final court hearing and of those, many have settled satisfactorily following an effective LBA and/or a short series of legal correspondence. To the recipient it can be perceived as an official shot across the bows or last chance before more serious letters follow, which may lead to the claim being heard in court. Why does the cost sometimes vary and seem high? Generally, the rationale for a Letter Before Action varying in cost is that, basically, some are simple and straight forward and some are much more complicated. In ACID’s experience of many legal actions, the more effective an LBA is, the better the chances are for the least amount of protracted legal response. Another good reason for an effective LBA (which takes time to prepare) is that there should be little scope for a lawyer on the other side to challenge any points of ownership. There are also many other variables which affect the time spent i.e. gathering comprehensive information (and evidence of rights ownership) in order to prepare an craftfocus 95 A complete set of legal documents, including contracts of employment with designers, written agreements with freelance designers, suppliers, manufacturers and customers, confirming that you own all the rights in your designs. 3 If your designs or trade marks are registered at the UK Intellectual Property Office or at OHIM (The Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market), retain and archive all these valuable certificates. 4 effective LBA. This can be easy or complicated, often depending on the efficiency of the ACID member in giving him/her all the relevant facts and evidence of design ownership and clarity of title. As we know too, IP law is not straight forward and it may be necessary to look through case studies and precedents to clarify the legal position. It may also be necessary to seek a second legal opinion. Why? Because compared to other rights, there is little case history under unregistered and registered design right. This all takes time. The amount of time taken to prepare an LBA can also vary if, for example, a lawyer has to follow up an ACID member for more information which is not forthcoming. Most lawyers charge in six minute slots so it is important to ensure that your lawyer has all the relevant facts so that he/she can form a legal opinion. Typically, it is not unreasonable for a lawyer to spend anything from two to six hours on an LBA depending on the complexity of the issue. Another variable may be the time it takes establishing clarity of rights’ ownership – say in a licence arrangement or collaborative design etc. Watchpoints If you discover a copy always be prepared and save expensive legal time by having all the following in place ( the ACID infringement purchase information sheet is a fast track checklist to ensure that you have collected all the relevant information together): Archived drawings and documents ready to prove the history of your designs. 1 2 If you are at an exhibition always ensure that you have evidence of your design ownership with you or have easy access to this evidence. 96 craftfocus Joanna Potbury from ACID accredited law firm DMH Stallard stresses the importance of getting the letter of claim spot on in terms of setting out the claim accurately; not leaving any gaps, and also setting the right tone. “A good letter of claim can set the scene for much of the pre-action stage and can put you in control of the debate from the off. If there are any weaknesses or gaps, they will be exploited by the opponent, which inevitably gives the potential defendant a psychological boost, it is our job as effective lawyers to get this right.” Many designers do not realise that intellectual property law is based on property law. When buying a house, most people will spend several hundred pounds on employing a solicitor to check that the house is free from any unforeseen nightmares such as the seller not actually being the original owner of the property; a sitting tenant; public footpath running through the garden; or the land has been designated for nuclear waste. It is the same in IP law, so: If there are any documents, which are required to prove the ownership of your designs, these will need to be drafted and signed before an action can commence. This is when it can be costly, however, never forget that it is never wasted money, it will cover you for the future. When lawyers ask you to prove your case you are being asked to do so to the court and the other side – it is your lawyer’s job to make sure that the rights are in place at the start so that the strength of your case is not damaged. c Further information Visit the ACID website www.acid.uk.com trading online – the pros and cons of e-commerce With online sales growing at more than 20% per year worldwide and UK shoppers spending about £40bn online last year, this is an activity that we cannot afford to ignore advises David Marsh of Business Link. It is important for independent retailers and business owners to understand what they are up against before taking the plunge into the world of online trading and e-commerce: it isn’t as simple as just creating a website and waiting for the orders to come flooding in. You need to consider not just how you are going to set up and run your website but also how people are going to find you – as well as how you are going to manage the orders and supply process. Planning and research Trying to compete on a broad front is very difficult as there are so many companies in the online marketplace already, but there are opportunities with niche or specialist products and services. 'LIGOXLIGSQTIXMXMSR - The first step is to check out your competition. By doing searches you can see what comes at the top of the search lists, check prices and see what is already available. 8LI[IFWMXIHIWMKR - There is a tool on the Business Link website www.businesslink.gov.uk to help you decide if a website would work for your business. If you are still sure after doing your research that trading online is the right way to go, you need to consider your current and future website needs. If you already have a website you may be able to develop it further, or you may need to start from scratch. Whatever your situation, the key stages are the specification, design, hosting and maintenance of your website. Unless you are very confident and experienced in website design you should use a website design agency. A Business Link specialist IT and e-commerce adviser can help you with writing a specification and identifying suitable agencies. 8LIHSQEMRREQI - Whether going it alone or using an agency, you need to choose a domain name which is easy to remember and spell and which shows what your business is about. You can check if the domain name you are planning to use has already been taken on the Nominet website www.nominet.org.uk . /I][SVHW - You also need to use the right keywords to ensure that people find your website when searching online. Keyword popularity tools will help you identify what words or phrases people might use when searching for the sort of products that you are selling. 7)3- Search engine optimisation is also essential - using keywords in all the best locations on your website so that they are picked up by search engines. Many of the main search engines, such as Google, Yahoo! and 98 craftfocus Bing, provide tips, advice and tools to help you improve your website’s search engine rankings. Looking at your competitors’ websites will also give you clues to how they have managed to get to the top of the search engine lists. 4EKIPE]SYX- Once on your site, page layout is critical to persuade people to delve further to find what they are looking for. The subjects should stand out clearly and it should be easy for browsers to see where they are on the site and what to do next. Research has shown that even placing items in a particular place on the page has an effect on their popularity. 7MXILSWXMRK - When it comes to hosting you should use an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to host your site. This is relatively cheap and there are many ISPs to choose from. 8LITYVGLEWITVSGIWW - Existing trading businesses may be able to get an Internet Merchant Account from their banks, but new small businesses are likely to need to use Payment Service Providers, ie. specialists who undertake card transactions on their behalf. Costs - both setup and recurring transaction costs - and the ease of setting up the service vary greatly, so you should look at all the options before making a decision. Small businesses may need to move purchasers to the Payment Service Providers (PSP) site for the card transactions whereas established sites can have the transaction processes embedded into their sites. When setting up your payment process you should bear in mind that: )There are PCI (Payment Card Industry) codes of practice for handling the security aspects of card transactions and breaches of security can result in fines business link )PCI specifies conditions that must apply when taking, handling and storing card details )Banks and PSPs are exerting pressure on vendors to become PCI compliant )Vendors of shopping cart software will increasingly need to comply with PADSS security standards )Visa, Maestro and Mastercard have introduced 3D Secure, an extra step in the checkout process where purchasers need to have registered and obtained user IDs, then enter them for each transaction Fulfilling orders: additional considerations for e-commerce site owners As part of your planning you should also think about: )Packing and labelling )Despatch arrangements )Carriers )Maintaining customer service levels )Handling enquiries and complaints )Internal processes like stock control and integration with accounts It is critical to get these processes right, particularly if sales take off. Legal issues If you’re moving into online sales for the first time you need to be aware that selling online imposes some additional requirements for e-commerce site owners following the Distance Selling Act. You must provide information on: )The business, its registered name, address )Payment arrangements )How/when purchased items will be delivered: the maximum is within 30 days )Acknowledgement of purchases in email or downloadable form )Right to cancel within seven days )Procedures for returns )Procedures if goods are lost in transit )Terms and Conditions statement )Privacy statement to see what’s new. You can also use the site to get customer feedback and could consider using social media, such as blogs, to develop a community around your brand, giving you more information on what your customers want. Marketing No matter how well-designed your website or how competitive your prices, if customers are not aware of its existence then it will not fulfil its potential. You need to plan your website promotion in the same way as any other marketing campaign. Popular methods of promotion include: )Email advertising campaigns )Search engine optimisation )Adverts, including sponsored links where you ‘pay per click’, banner advertisements and reciprocal links with other sites )Digital coupons )Online directories Selling tactics Once you have attracted people to your site it is worth considering ways of up-selling, for example: )Including a message at the checkout saying ‘people who bought this product also bought …’ )Offers (time limited) )Incentive codes from elsewhere (other advertising including offers that can be redeemed on websites) )Volume discounts )Featured products In conclusion With proper planning and research an e-commerce website can be an important component of your business activity. However, it is essential to define your expectations from the outset as setting targets will help you measure the success of your site and you can then make improvements if necessary. Always seek expert advice and make sure that you have tested your site and put the right procedures in place before going live. C The ongoing commitment Further information Just as in a shop, having an online presence requires regular work to keep things up to date and fresh. Changes in product ranges, specifications, prices and special offers all need to be maintained on your website. You may also need to consider a re-design periodically to stop the site looking stale and to encourage customers to come back David Marsh is a Specialist Adviser on IT and e-commerce for Business Link. For further information and advice on trading online visit the website www.businesslink.gov.uk or call T: 0845 600 9006. craftfocus 99 bookshelf Rianna Fry looks at craft titles to get your consumers’ creative juices flowing... Three-Dimensional Textiles For textile artists and crafters looking to adopt new skills, this book will prove to be a key addition to their bookshelf. Ruth Lee encourages a new way of combining textiles with craft techniques – loops, chains, knotting, netting, twining and coiling. These techniques allow those without machinery and looms to enjoy creating exciting designs they can be proud of. Ruth shares her knowledge on how to get the most from a range of materials including yarns, hemp, nettle string, fabric strips and fine rattan. What’s more, readers will learn how to twist and ply cordage and dye fabrics. There is also guidance on what should be considered to ensure the crafters’ health and safety is not at risk. Three-Dimensional Textiles has an RRP of £12.99 and is published by Batsford. For more information telephone +44 (0)141 306 310 or visit www.anovabooks.com. A Green Guide to Country Crafts Nicola Gouldsmith and Jacqui Mann take crafters on a journey of rediscovery, reviving homespun crafts commonly practised by those from a past era. A Green Guide to Country Crafts embraces the emphasis of thrifty living, and teaches how to create 35 projects inexpensively using techniques from yesteryear. The book is split into seven chapters – Soap-making, Patchwork and Quilting, Candles, Weaving, Rag Rugs, Natural Dyeing and Reinvent. Each of the modern designs use natural and easy-to-source materials, and can be used as home accessories or passed on to friends and family as gifts. Having clear images alongside simple instructions and ‘what you will need’ lists, make the projects achievable to all and the gorgeous pictures will inspire old and young. A Green Guide to Country Crafts has an RRP of £16.99 and is published by Cico Books. For More information telephone +44 (0)1256 302 699 or visit www.cicobooks.co.uk. 100 craftfocus Fashion Dog Fashion Dog showcases a collation of 30 designs to knit, crochet or sew scarves, coats, jumpers and other accessories to keep dogs warm and looking stylish. The book begins with a 53-page showcase of the items all of which are modelled on pups and show which page to turn to for instructions on how to make them. The showcase is divided into three sectors – Snug Chic, So British and Dog Attitude. After this follows the instructions, which kick-start with two pages of tips and tricks to ensure successful end results. Each of the designs has a template and is broken down to outline the size of the item, materials and stitches used, tension, construction method, joining and finishing. Fashion Dog has an RRP of £9.99 and is published by Search Press. For more information telephone +44 (0)1892 510 850 or visit www.searchpress.com. Craft Hope The concept of Craft Hope was originally a blog created by Jade Sims as a method of connecting with other crafters. This soon became a website on which Jade would upload patterns so that other crafters could create dresses from pillowcases to be sent out to a children’s shelter in Mexico. The idea has steadily evolved and now is presented in this compact book. Craft Hope gives consumers the tools – templates and simple to follow instructions – to create, among other things, quilts, items of clothing, dolls and an art kit. The projects have been clearly laid out to include a list of what’s needed to create the pieces, the step-bystep instructions and information about charities that could use the completed item, and how these organisations make a difference. There is an array of gorgeous pieces to make, all with varying skill levels required so even complete beginners can pick up a needle and thread and create something wonderful that will spread hope to others. Craft Hope has an RRP of £12.99 and is published by Lark Books. For more information telephone +44 (0)1273 402 878 or visit the website www.thegmcgroup.com. Creative Paper Jewelry Paper artist and jewellery designer, Dafna Yarom, presents her experience and knowledge on how to create jewellery pieces from paper in one compact resource. Creative Paper Jewelry guides crafters through every step of the process, offering clear instructions, images and helpful notes. Within the book are 20 projects as well as chapters to cover materials, tools, tips and basic techniques to assist those less confident with the craft. Among the designs are a flower pendant, fairy necklace, Japanese peacock brooch and swinging earrings – so there’s sure to be something to suit crafters of varying ages and tastes. This book has universal appeal as many consumers will have paper scraps and cast off pieces of jewellery to get them started. Plus, we now find ourselves surrounded by those yearning to get back to a simpler way of living, and so many are adopting a make-do and mend mentality and will be looking for inspiration on how to breathe life into old bits and bobs. Creative Paper Jewelry has an RRP of £12.99 and is published by Sixth&Spring. For more information telephone +44 (0)1273 402 878, or visit www.thegmcgroup.com. Sew Scandinavian Consumers looking for cheerful designs to freshen up their living space will find ample inspiration with Sew Scandinavian. The book contains 55 projects all of which are colourful and likely to keep crafters enthralled for hours. The projects are split into three sections; A Warm Welcome, Bon Appetit and Home Sweet Home. Each of the designs begins with a list of crafty ingredients, followed by instructions, accompanied by clear images of the finished article, which show crafters what they are aiming to achieve. At the back of the book there is a ‘general instructions’ section. Here frequently used techniques are explained, useful hints and tips shared and full-scale patterns provided. The depth of information and simple layout of the book makes for ease of use, allowing the projects to be enjoyed by craft veterans and novices alike. Sew Scandinavian has an RRP of £9.99 and is published by Search Press. For more information telephone +44 (0)1892 510 850 or visit the website www.searchpress.com. C craftfocus 101 Giles Craft Kits Oriental Papers and Cords We are suppliers of stunning authentic Japanese Yuzen Washi Papers in packs and traditional Mizuhiki Cords in strand packs or ready mades and kits. Wow your customers with something a little bit different, all great for classes and workshops too. Our papers are all made in Japan and are a lovely quality, screen printed and sometimes gold embossed too. We are sorry that we cannot be with you at the trade show this year, however we do have an exclusive product range of Oriental papers and cords that are available at 2010 prices. Email [email protected] or call us on 01530 450126 and we will be happy to send to you a trade pack and a sample of our papers, the quality is amazing. We are offering free p+p on orders over £80 net for a limited period Q&A special noise attracts attention Have your questions answered by industry expert Clare Rayner, our Retailers' Champion who provides the answers and workable solutions to many common dilemmas! Q A Boosting footfall In these economically hard times, how can I attract people into the shop to buy? The obvious and simple answer is get the marketing right know the customer, present the right offer, at the right price and create some noise. But I guess you’d like to know how you go about creating “noise”? Well, there are two ways – you can make it yourself, or you get other people to make it for you (partners, suppliers, other local retailers, advocates, happy customers etc). The “noise” you can make yourself includes: • Doing leaflet drops in the local area • Running newspaper advertisements – perhaps with special offers/coupons • Approaching other retailers/local businesses who share a similar customer base and creating a co-promotion • Advertising on local radio • Making sure your search marketing is up to scratch – focusing on local internet marketing • Running competitions • Sponsoring local charities • Running open events or providing special in-store days • Making the most of your shop front, especially the window (more on that below) The “noise” you can get other people to make for you mainly consists of word of mouth – which these days with social media like facebook, twitter and foursquare you can really amplify. Used effectively social media will allow your happy loyal customers and other advocates of your business to spread the word about what you offer and why they would recommend their friends, family, colleagues and contacts visit your shop. The best bit about social media is that it is free to use – although it is advisable if you are not up to speed with these new marketing methods to seek expert advice before diving in, just to avoid wasting time or doing more harm than good! Q If you have a question about any aspect of your business, simply write to: Q&A Special, Craft Focus Magazine, Broseley House, Newlands Drive, Witham, Essex CM8 2UL. Alternatively, send your queries to [email protected]. 103 craftfocus noise attracts attention Perfect presentation Q A Window displays can take a long time to arrange How often should I change them? As mentioned above, your window is one way to catch the imaginations of passers by and entice them into the store – even if they didn’t originally intend to shop with you today! There is no hard and fast rule about window displays – regular changes can be costly to implement but will add newness and a bit of excitement if you are based in a high footfall area where the same people pass by regularly. Alternatively too many changes could confuse customers who can’t recognise your shop because you’ve changed the window so much! If you want to apply some logic to what is a very personal decision based on your specific Image courtesy of Gail D'Almaine 104 craftfocus A retail proposition and also your location, then consider these times/reasons to change the window around: • Seasonally, to tie into calendar events or To coincide with the seasonality of your products • Periodically you could make an effort to update the window about every four-six weeks VAT hike What impact is the VAT increase likely to have on retailers? This is tough to predict, although it stands to reason that high price point retailers will be most affected. Based on the experience of the temporary VAT reduction a couple of years ago it is certain that larger multiples will Q A Clare Rayner – The Retail Champion – has made regular guest appearances on BBC radio, TV and has contributed to various retail-focused articles and opinion pieces. As a speaker, mentor, trainer and business advisor, Clare shares her expertise in developing strategies with retailers of all sizes to increase profit, customer base, revenue streams and channels to market. Clare is also owner/director of several businesses servicing the retail sector including Retail Acumen, The Retail Conference and e-mphasis Internet Marketing. When updating your window displays don’t get too carried away with the aesthetics – make sure they are shouting out the current key promotions and highlighting your feature products. struggle with re-ticketing all their pre-priced stock. In the past the consumer could present an item for sale at the advertised price and the EPOS system would do a calculation of the reduction, to reflect the reduced VAT, at the point of sale. Retailers cannot do an upwards adjustment at EPOS, however, the products must be sold for the advertised price. Therefore I believe that as re-ticketing is such a mammoth exercise then initially major retailers will swallow the increased VAT and take a margin hit until older stock (ticketed at lower vat rate price) has sold through. Consumers will also begin to feel their buying power being reduced. They will inevitably not have more to spend so certain luxuries may be dropped from the shopping list. Consumers are also well aware of prices of items they want – they shop around and check online pricing to ensure they are getting the best deals. It will be critical for retailers to keep prices as close to the current pricing as possible. If that means current margins are squeezed then my suggestion would be you either absorb that or seek other savings – cost price reductions, efficiency savings – whatever you can to boost the bottom line. Finally I would advise that retailers ease consumers into the change with small increases as ranges refresh. Try to keep to a price ladder in the assortment, offer choices that present good, better and best value for money, ensure your customers understand the value for money the product provides, and, feature products that deliver best margin for you to encourage your customers to buy more of what increases your profitability! C 15% special discount! Although we’re not at Stitches this year, you can still benefit from our pre-show special discount of 15% on all orders placed in February 2011 in the run-up to the show – and get free shipping on orders over £30 every time you visit us at www.phoenixpapercraft.co.uk putting the craft into papercraft Art & Craft Distributors Tried, Tested and Valued by our customers since 1978 Leading brands stocked 3M AIRFIX CREATIVE HOUSE DALER-ROWNEY DAS DERWENT EDDING HUMBROL KUM KURETAKE MANUSCRIPT NEWCLAY PEBEO PENTEL PILOT PRO ARTE REEVES ROTRING ROYAL BRUSH SNAZAROO UHU WINSOR & NEWTON X-ACTO ZIG Fast and efficient service Friendly and knowledgeable staff Contact us for a copy of our latest catalogue and mailshot. Tel: 0161 902 3800 Fax: 0161 902 3801 Email: [email protected] word on the web word on the web Often when you look at e-commerce websites there are boxes where customers can enter a ‘discount code’ or a ‘voucher’. The question is – are they a good idea? Beth Scott of Loud-n-Clear looks at the advantages of offering vouchers online As a shopper I like the idea of getting a little extra something from a retailer and as it is estimated that almost 50% of UK online shoppers used a discount code during their online shopping last Christmas, I’m not alone! According to a PayPal survey on why shoppers don’t complete their purchase “More than 25% leave the site to search for a coupon.” For the retailer the benefit of giving out discount vouchers or promo codes is the likelihood of an increased conversion rate and of enhancing the visibility of the business. Whether you call them discount vouchers, promo codes or whatever, you can either give your customers money off their purchase or a perk of some sort such as free delivery. new business below but if you are targeting existing customers or hot prospects you have a number of options: Y Include a code in a purchase confirmation email to encourage a subsequent purchase Y Email codes out to a newsletter/mailing list Y Provide a 10% discount code for signing up to your newsletter/mailing list Y Put a code on your blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed or on print advertising. Y Put a time limited code as a pop-up during the check-out process to encourage the customer to buy now rather than either abandoning or delaying their purchase As a general rule you will want to put expiry dates on all codes. If the code refers to a particular product, make sure you say “or equivalent” or “while stock lasts” somewhere, just in case you run out. And make sure that the use of a code won’t result in you selling something at a loss – if your code “goes viral” then you could end up with getting many more redeemed than you planned! “If one of your discount codes is posted on a popular forum such as Money Saving Expert then your business will be seen by thousands of people, many of whom will have been previously unaware of your existence.” Targeting new business For the money off route it’s common to be offered either a percentage discount or a straight amount off (although there is typically a threshold on this – for example £10 off if you spend more than £60). Some vendors have found that set amount vouchers are more popular than percentage vouchers and can encourage customers to buy up, ie, purchase more than they had originally intended. When people think they’ve found a bargain they like to share it. And that generates great word-of-mouth publicity for you. So you could send vouchers to existing customers and encourage them to pass them on to their friends, or you could put a good discount code on your Facebook page and suggest that people share it with their friends. HOT TIP: If you are posting vouchers on forums or websites it’s important to remember to update them periodically and to remove any that are no longer valid. More generally, there are no end of websites and forums offering discount codes and since many of them offer free listings, it makes perfect sense to advertise your business with them. You can also offer discount codes to businesses (or their employees), clubs and organisations – for example, if there’s a local craft group whose members might use your products then you could ask to put your discount code in their newsletter or on their website. If you exhibit at craft fairs or trade shows you could put a discount code on a flyer or postcard or even in your entry in the show guide. C Further information Email Beth Scott at [email protected]. HOT TIP: You can, and probably should, monitor the performance of your codes to see what works best for your customers. With the perks option you can be much more creative, offering anything from free postage or gift wrapping through to giving accessories free with a main purchase. You also need to consider how you’re going to distribute the vouchers. We cover targeting craftfocus 107 Wholesale Suppliers of Funky Fleece and Fur Fabrics Premium Quality Print 15m or 35/45m rolls & Plain Polar Fleece Suitable for Fabric Retailers Print & Plain Micro Fleece Mid-Weight Fleece Print & Plain ‘Cuddle Fleece’ Lambskin & Creased Fur & Manufacturers Fabric Reference Book & Samples available Custom Design Service available Tel: +44 (0) 1745 562 120 Email: [email protected] Buy Online: www.its-sales.co.uk St us a itc t C St h In raf an ter t, H d nat ob N io by 10 na & l Neon Fleece sit Vi subscribe why not subscribe? Fill in the form below to receive a regular copy of Craft Focus magazine Craft Focus magazine, the leading trade title for the craft industry, is available free of charge to qualified registered readers. Published six times a year, Craft Focus contains news on industry trends, recent product launches and all craft trade events. Simply fill in the form below and post to Craft Focus magazine, KD Media Publishing Ltd, Broseley House, Newlands Drive, Witham, Essex CM8 2UL. Alternatively, photocopy the form and fax to +44 (0)1376 514 555 or register online at www.craftfocus.com. Subscription form Do you work in the craft industry? Yes No Name Job title Company name Address Postcode Telephone Facsimile Email Please tick one or more of the boxes below which best describe your business. Independent art and craft shop Wool shop Art and craft multiple Model shop Department store Toy shop Needlecraft retailer Wholesaler/Cash & Carry Haberdashery Importer Mail order Agent/Rep Other (please specify) Number of Employees 1-5 6-15 16-30 31-50 51-100 101-300 301-1,000 1,001 + Annual Turnover £0 – £25,000 £25,001 – £50,000 £50,001 – £100,000 £100,001 – £250,000 £250,001 – £1,000,000 £1,000,001 – £5,000,000 £5,000,001 – £10,000,000 £10,000,001 – £50,000,000 £50,000,001 + Do you wish to receive a free copy of Craft Focus Magazine? Yes No Signature Date craftfocus 111 Craft kits for adults (Countryloveceramics) next issue… The Royal Wedding (Berisford Ribbons Craft kits for adults Creative cross stitching (Bothy Ruby) The Royal Wedding – new products and marketing opportunities Preparing for Father’s Day (Crafter’s Companion) Preparing for Father’s Day – making the most of this special occasion Issue 24 April/May 2011 Available from: 4th April Advertising deadline: 18th March 112 craftfocus Plus • Industry news • Scrapbooking • Product previews Creative cross stitching – what’s new, hot and ready to wow! bi-lingual cross stitching Each issue we focus on a newbie in the business. This time the spotlight’s on Nia Rhind and her cross stitching business What inspired you to start your business? I worked in the design industry for some time as a graphic designer in Exeter and then returned to Wales to live and work in the design and advertising industry in Cardiff. After spending some time at home to bring up our children, I found a window for my creative side once again, giving me the opportunity to design using a different mode, by combining art and embroidery. Did your education also influence you? Yes, having studied textiles and embroidery, art and Welsh at A level I went on to study graphic design at Exeter College of Art and Design. Why bi-lingual products? It goes back to my origins. I was brought up in a small village in Wales, where as a child, Welsh was my first language plus I benefited from having a bi-lingual education. After completing numerous cross stitch designs over the years, I soon realised that there was a need for contemporary designs which incorporated the Welsh language – I always translated the words on whichever design I was cross stitching, and created my own chart on graph paper. I felt sure others shared the same problem as myself. So now, I work at home designing original counted cross stitch designs in the Welsh language. They are also available in English of course. How do you start the creative process? All the designs begin their existence as sketches in my sketch book which are then transferred into a chart for cross stitching. My favourite step during the whole process is choosing the colours for the threads to be used. I lay all the chosen shades out in front of me which enables me to imagine the completed sampler before I begin stitching. What’s in a Nia Cross Stitch kit? Each design is supplied as a colour chart pack accompanied by clear instructions and a list of requirements or they may be supplied as complete kits ready to stitch. The collection consists of designs celebrating special occasions and seasonal themes, available as either a Welsh or English version. They include designs suitable to be framed, sweet decorative hangings and cushions. What are your most popular designs? The most popular designs to date have been the contemporary banner theme designs for ‘Christmas’ and ‘Wedding’. These are quite simply a word surrounded by images relating to the occasion. I have received very positive feedback from customers who have completed these samplers in both the English and Welsh versions. These are quite exciting to embroider, as the letters come along quite quickly as you make your way along the word, adding the various little images on your way. 114 craftfocus How do you promote your business? Some of the completed designs have been printed as greetings cards which have been sold locally here in Wales, especially Christmas cards. This is a means of promoting the designs to reach a wider audience outside the crafting world. I have also advertised in selected national cross stitching magazines and many of the designs have also been featured in these magazines. This is one of the most satisfying means of promotion, and seeing my designs in print has proved to be very successful. Last year, I was also interviewed by a Welsh television company and an article appeared on a Welsh language magazine programme promoting my designs and the embroidered samplers and cushions. Do you have a website? Yes, last year, I launched the Nia Cross Stitch website. All the information regarding the designs is available to view here, as well as images of any new designs. This has attracted customers from all over the country and it is updated regularly. What inspires you? I tend to be inspired by everyday images. They end up as small sketches which in turn are charted as graphic images on my computer. I intend to add to the banner styled designs in the New Year, and I am also hoping to add some needlepoint designs to the collection. C Further information Nia Rhind can be contacted at: Nia Cross Stitch Tel: +44 (0)1792 897 695 Email: [email protected] or visit www.nia-crossstitch.com