Craft Focus magazine

Transcription

www.craftfocus.com
Issue 27 October/November 2011
CRAFTFOCUS
www.craftfocus.com
Knit together
MAGA Z IN E
Expert business advice
A bumper guide to
trends, products and
expert comments
Great customer service • Online
business success • What works
in marketing • Insurance matters
• Webwise advice • Prepping
for Christmas
Needlecrafts
PLUS
There’s a plethora of
types to tempt your
customers
The low-down
and latest on
• Art materials
• Craft clubs
• Quilting
• Paper crafting
don’t miss the latest
product launches,
news round-up,
show reviews
and previews
Two g
compe reat
titions
inside
Official media partner for
Craft, Hobby + Stitch
International and
proud sponsor of the
New Product Showcase
October/November 2011 Issue 27
Managing Editor
Louise Prance
+44 (0) 1376 535 611
Editor
Wendy Gardiner
+44 (0) 2392 261 338
[email protected]
Editorial Assistant
Nancy Hayes
+44 (0) 1376 535 611
[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
Sarah Barnes
Deputy Design Manager
Sophie Farage
Graphic Designers
Laura Perry, Steve Mckea,
Hayley Kilminster, Brett Skingle,
Leanne Walsh
+44 (0)1376 535 616
[email protected]
Web Development Manager
Stuart Weatherley
Subscriptions
Alice Henson, Tammy Wright
+44 (0)1376 514 000
KD Media Publishing Limited
Broseley House, Newlands Drive
Witham, Essex, CM8 2UL, UK
www.craftfocus.com
Front Cover image:
contents
features
regulars
editor’s letter
A round up of what’s in this issue
5
news round up
Reporting news and events that are
happening now
7
knit together
35
The ever-expanding world of knitting holds
many creative and commercial possibilities as
we discovered
brand spanking new
The latest product launches
16
Adventures in Papercrafting
49
Louise Fisher investigates the exciting world
of papercrafting
competition – win VIP tickets
34
Two lucky readers of this issue will win VIP tickets,
with hotel accommodation to next February’s
Craft, Hobby + Stitch International
project – make a lamp
56
Dremel provide the how-to instructions to turn
paper plates into a stylish lampshade
competition – gunning for success 57
Enter our second competition of the issue and
you’ve a chance of winning a handy Dremel
glue gun
needle crafting
65
Step into the modern world of needlecraft
delights, with Becky Williams’ run-down of
tapestry, embroidery and more
quilting today
77
Quilting: stitching together two pieces of fabric
with a thick padding between them. Actually,
quilting today is so much more than this
dictionary definition
club together
101
Holding craft clubs or classes in your shop might
seem like an optional extra but Becky Williams
looks at why it’s a must in today’s retail world
bookshelf
84
A whole host of new books have recently
been published. Wendy Gardiner provides an
at-a-glance overview of what’s available
in the name of art
109
Louise Fisher gets the lowdown on art supplies
from four of the biggest names in art
King Cole
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:
q&a special - prepping for xmas 114
This month industry expert Clare Rayner, answers
queries on how to get ready for the festive trade
without peaking too early or breaking the bank
subscription offer
119
Register for your regular copy of Craft Focus
next issue
120
A preview of what’s in store for December/
January issue – published on 28th November 2011
65
focus on
a major in quilting
58
EQS evolved as business boomed for Graeme
Wright and Elizabeth West. Graeme shares
his story
templates are tops
74
From templates to workshops to manufacturing,
B-C-E has developed a thriving business inspired
by imagination. Owner Jon Sutton tells us more…
cotton patch, a family concern
88
With a good quilting knowledge and skills in
negotiation, purchasing and importing Jean and
Geoff Sewell were on to a winner from the start
MEDIA SUPPORTER
one stitch at a time
98
Stitch by Stitch is a dream come true for Sally
Kemp, whose hope and aim is to keep traditional
embroidery alive
craftfocus 3
MKZIN\[KW]S
Suppliers of Card Making, Scrapbooking, Craft and Bridal Supplies
online business – a real gem
106
Turning a hobby into your job is a dream for many but for Janette
Anderson of south Queensferry near Edinburgh it became a reality
when she launched her business Allium
up and coming – fire in the belly
122
We talked to Tony Nash about his new business Craft Dragon that has
got off to an incredible start
business advice
going above and beyond
60
Jo Causon sheds some light on the many reasons why excelling at
customer service makes good business sense
life after riots
82
Big businesses assisting riot-hit high street traders could mark the
beginning of a new era of cooperation according to Robert Ashton
Suppliers of
Craft and Bridal Supplies
Card Making
Scrapbooking
Card Embellishments
Floral Products
[email protected] | 01384 230000
insurance solutions
87
Readers put their insurance queries, concerns and questions to leading
brokers TH March
a little effort goes a long way
91
Nick Waller shares the seven customer service points that have
proven to be effective in ensuring that your customers feel relaxed
and comfortable
love your rubbish
94
If you don’t give your rubbish due care and consideration, you could
end up much poorer, and a criminal to boot, warns Jason Mohr
selling – what works and what doesn’t
97
In a new series for Craft Focus, Clive Harper will be highlighting what it
takes to make a success of a retail business. Here he shares what works
in sales and more importantly, what doesn’t!
word on the web
– a basic guide to website terminology, part 3
118
In the final instalment, Bob Scott focuses on secure ecommerce and
online payment systems
Your Professional
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shows
show news and events
26
We review CHA and Autumn Fair and have news of Craft, Hobby +
Stitch International plus more trade and consumer shows from around
the country
dates for your diary
32
An at-a-glance listing of forthcoming trade and consumer shows
4 craftfocus
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Contact:
Tel: 0086-592-5425497
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if it’s crafting – we’ve
got it covered!
Hi, welcome to this absolutely jam-packed
largest-ever edition of Craft Focus! We’ve
packed the pages with a diverse range of
crafting features sharing news, views and trends
to help you keep abreast of what’s happening
out there. Take a look at our special reports
on knitting, needlecrafts, quilting, art materials,
papercrafts and craft clubs – there really is
something for everyone.
Knitting has enjoyed an amazing resurgence
over the last five years and its popularity continues to grow as the
market diversifies as Becky Williams discovered. New products designed
especially for beginners are bringing in fresh crafters, while new novelty
yarns are bringing exciting creative possibilities to those who are
experienced in the craft. Quilting is also enjoying renewed energy as
we found out when talking to exhibition organisers, retailers, specialist
magazines and tutors.
We share what’s new in needlecraft, with a look at tapestry, long
stitch, embroidery, rag rugging, crewel and stumpwork whilst in our
papercrafting pages we take a look at some of the general areas that
have seen definite surges of interest in recent times and products that
are set to be ‘hot stuff ’ in the coming festive season.
Providing customers with how-to demonstrations and workshops isn’t
a new idea, so it is interesting to see how classes and courses have taken
off and provide positive potential to increase sales. Our final feature
is all abut getting arty – with new materials and ideas to help
encourage customers.
Don’t miss our show news and reports – we’ve reviews of the
recent CHA show and Autumn Fair, with comments from exhibitors
and organisers about what sold well and what trends emerged. We’ve
also previews of some of the forthcoming spring fairs as well as news of
consumer shows that all help to encourage crafters.
Finally, don’t miss the opportunity to enter two competitions! Craft,
Hobby + Stitch International are giving away two VIP tickets and
accommodation for the February show and Dremel have provided us
with 10 super glue gun prizes.
Until next issue…
Wendy Gardiner
Editor
PS: Next issue our attention turns to decoupage, jewellery making,
trimmings, craft kits for children and visual merchandising. We’d love to
hear your views and news on any of these features.
craftfocus 5
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news&events
news round-up
Wendy Gardiner gathers and reports on the news and events from around the industry
Craft council and WI craft clubs
Through additional Arts
Council funding and a
generous donation from
the National Federation
of Women’s Institutes
(NFWI), the Craft Club
scheme now has 350
active clubs in primary
schools across the UK
teaching children craft
skills with the help of local volunteers . The aim is to build on
this success, with volunteers passing on their skills to parents and
children in a fun and lively environment. “It will strengthen bonds
between local communities and between family members by
enabling them to learn new skills together,” explained the
Crafts Council.
Eleven volunteer training events are taking place across the
UK this autumn including events in Cardiff, Margate, London,
South Shields, Sheffield and Walsall as well as two sessions a
day at the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace from
6th-9th October. From these sessions approximately 300 new
volunteers will know how to effectively and confidently pass
on their knowledge and skills to others. These training host
venues will then be supported to set up a regular Craft Club
using the trained volunteers. They will also be supported by the
online resource www.craftclub.org.uk that provides practical tips,
project ideas and an online forum connecting people who are
passionate about craft and learning new skills.
People who are interested in attending one of these training
events can book online www.craftclub.org.uk/crafty_volunteers.
If you are unable to book online please ring the Crafts Council
on T: +44 (0)20 7806 2500.
Fairy Tales, Candy Canes and Butterflies Online
ChristmasBusinessUK has been working around the clock this year to design
a bespoke range of Christmas decorations for the forthcoming season. “We
are the largest independent supplier of Christmas decorations in the UK,
stocking over 500,000 baubles and half a million metres of tinsel and have
an extensive product range” explained Wendy Clarkson, creative director of
ChristmasBusinessUK. The new collection includes ever-popular traditional
decorations plus a new selection of beautifully handmade
butterflies in purple and fuchsia and some extraordinary
decorations to suit the craziest of themes. There’s also a
unique collection of candy inspired decorations such as
a candy cane snowflake hanging decoration, a red and
white striped sequin bauble or a red and white lollipop
(all from £3) whilst the sugared almond collection will
satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth craving! “Be adventurous this
year and try dressing your tree in retro multi-coloured
bows from only £3 each!” said Wendy. “We have been
described as the ‘World of Christmas’ because our
large range is sourced from across the Globe. We
work extremely hard to make sure the products we
choose are of the highest quality and my rule of
thumb is that I will only add items to our collection
that I would like to have in my own home,” Wendy
added. Everything you need for a fairytale Christmas is
available online with immediate delivery. Retailers can buy
through the trade website www.ChristmasBusinessUK.com.
Needlework in
Glasgow
World famous for its teaching of
traditional embroidery techniques,
the Royal School of Needlework
(RSN) started up a Scottish-based
teaching centre at Make it Glasgow
Extended licensing deal
sewing café in the centre of the
Design Objectives, the company responsible for craft website
thriving Merchant City area this
docrafts.com has signed a new licensing deal with Hallmark
September. They are offering a
Cards. Design Objectives has been working with Hallmark
series of ‘taster’ days in different
for the last three years, mostly on the well known Forever
embroidery techniques including
Friends brand, which as one of their lead licenses, has seen
crewelwork, silk shading, blackwork
great success with over 400 products in the range. This new
and goldwork. RSN tutor Helen McCook will be teaching the classes. Helen has
deal expands the relationship between the two companies into
a wealth of teaching experience combined with a contagious enthusiasm and
a broader range of categories for Forever Friends including
passion for embroidery. She explained: “The RSN first set up a Glasgow branch
kids crafting and covers other Hallmark properties including
in 1879 so we’re thrilled to be back running courses in Scotland some 132 years
Country Companions and Lucy Cromwell. It also covers new
later. The Make it Glasgow sewing café provides the perfect venue and we look
international territories. Commenting on the deal, Becks Fagg,
head of product at docrafts said: “We value the Hallmark license forward to welcoming lots of craft enthusiasts to our classes in this historical
and cultural heart of Glasgow.” All classes are suitable for beginners and no
as we see it as a key stone for our company moving forward.”
For more information on Forever Friends contact Julie Michell, embroidery experience is necessary and cost £65 each.
Further details available from T: +44(0)20 3166 6937, E: gill.holdsworth@
T: +44 (0)7785 288194, E: [email protected] or visit
royal-needlework.org.uk, www.royal-needlework.org.uk/courses.
www.foreverfriends.co.uk.
craftfocus 7
news round-up
Promotions working
Crafty holidays
Set on the foothills of Dartmoor National Park, The
Manor House and Ashbury Hotels are the ideal
venue for a craft break. Their unique Craft Centre
offers 17 tutored crafts with expert tuition, including
pottery, glass engraving, enamelling, personalised hot
press printing and woodwork. As well as the arts and
crafts, guests are spoilt for choice as there are many
other activities to try out, available free of charge to
hotel guests. These include tennis courts, bowls rinks,
badminton courts, swimming pools with spa facilities,
10-pin bowling, snooker tables, and target ranges
featuring archery, air pistols and air rifles. Breaks are full
board from £210pp, for four nights midweek.
For more details T: +44 (0)800 197 7552,
www.activityhotelbreaks.co.uk.
Comfort blanket campaign
Future Publishing’s Simply Knitting and The
Knitter magazine have teamed up with
national domestic violence charity Refuge
to help raise awareness about the issue
and support women and children who
experience abuse. Working with Refuge
to launch a nationwide ‘Comfort Blanket
Campaign’, the magazines are asking readers
to knit small squares, which can be sewn
together to create larger blankets. The
blankets will then be given to the women
and children who access Refuge’s services – with a target of making 100
blankets by Christmas.
Refuge is the magazines’ nominated charity for 2011 and is celebrating its
40th anniversary this year. With one in four women experiencing domestic
violence at some point in their lives, Refuge supports 1,600 women and
children each day, providing a vital lifeline for those looking to escape the
misery of abuse.
As part of the Comfort Blanket Campaign, beautiful patterns are available
online in an e-book containing 26 different designs at www.justgiving.com/
refugeblankets. The e-book is available for free, but the magazines are
suggesting a small donation for each download. Readers can then access
the patterns created by fantastic designers and stars of the knitting world
including Alan Dart, Sarah Hatton, Judy Furlong and Simply Knitting and
The Knitter’s very own Debora Bradley and Juliet Bernard. The teams are
encouraging everyone to get involved from individuals and crafting novices
to whole knitting groups. Readers can send in completed blankets directly to
Refuge’s London offices, or give blankets or individual squares to the editorial
team at October’s Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace.
For more information please contact Debora Bradley, Editor of Simply
Knitting, T: +44 (0)1225 442244, E: [email protected],
http://simplyknitting.themakingspot.com. Post blankets to: Fundraising/Simply
Knitting, Refuge, 4th Floor, International House, 1 St Katharine’s Way, London
E1W 1UN.
8 craftfocus
Since launching AEG sewing machines, distributors Adjustoform
Sewing Limited have been very pro-active with several
promotions to help bring the brand, which is new to the UK, to
the attention of consumers. It joined with Coats Crafts UK to
offer two reels of high quality Duet sewing threads with every
machine purchased and has run competitions in several sewing
magazines with prizes offered to consumers who can answer a
few simple questions about AEG sewing machines. AEG Sewing
Machines come from a background of thoroughbred products
from a company that began life as light bulb manufacturer
way back in 1887. The collection includes sewing machines,
overlockers and steam presses. The sewing machine collection
starts with entry level mechanical machines for beginners or
sewers who simply want a basic machine (RRP approximately
£161) through to computerised and versatile machines with
191 stitch programmes and loads of features and accessories
(RRP approximately £349.99).
For further information contact Chris Darwent or Keeley
Glynn on T: +44 (0)1233 642865,
E: [email protected].
Dempsey Designs buys Minicraft
Dempsey Designs is delighted to announce
it has purchased the Minicraft range of soft
toy kits and fur fabric products from Groves.
“This is a perfect complement to our current
range of craft kits. We have recently enjoyed
success in the soft toy kit area and feel
the addition of Minicraft is perfect timing,”
said Debbie Dempsey. Minicraft Kits will
be available though Groves as normal for
the independent retail trade and through
Dempsey Design’s usual distribution. Debbie went
on to say: “Minicraft has a terrific heritage and some great
classic designs. We know the soft toy kit area is really growing
and we look forward to developing this brand in the future.”
All Dempsey Designs Kits are manufactured in the UK and the
Minicraft Kits will be made alongside its own kits in Leicester, to
the same high quality standards. There are more than 50 soft toy
kits in the kit range which include pre-cut fabric pieces that are
ready to stitch. Price points start with the best selling mini kits
at £4.99 up to the cuddly soft toy kits at £12.99.
For further information contact Debbie Dempsey at T: +44(0)
1869 337948, E: [email protected],
www.dempseydesigns.com
Brigantia Needlework
P u r e w o ol ta pe s t ry k i ts
Looking forward to 2012? We are.
With our Diamond Jubilee
inspired designs, quality and
service, let the celebrations begin!
• Extending our direct delivery service
straight to your customer. Less work for
you and faster service.
• Providing an increased supply of
worked models to help you sell.
• Our Web ordering system has been
launched to make it even easier to order.
• Named telephone contact. If we can’t
answer we’ll call you back.
• Friendly and helpful advice service
even if you don’t buy one of our products.
• 160 shades of Pure Wool knitting yarn.
• More traditional and cutting edge designs.
www.BrigantiaNeedlework.com
Brigantia Needlework, PO Box 60,
Hebden Bridge, HX7 5ZE
Phone: 01422 881100 Fax: 01422 884044
news round-up
ONLINE NEWS
New interactive website
This summer saw the launch of a new look website for Rowan.
Registration to the Row@n club is free and gives exclusive
access to the forum, back catalogue of archive patterns, news
and newsletters, events calendar, video tutorials and technical
help. “There is also a new website feature named The Design
Room, where you can see what our designers get up to on
a daily basis, with galleries and designers stories,” said Sarah
Brook. The forum allows Row@n members to chat with other members, exchange ideas, tips, create groups, or ask questions online. “There will
also be an exciting new facility to search our catalogue of current designs and the possibility of accessing hundreds of free online patterns and
exclusive patterns only available to our Row@n members, Sarah added.
“We’re also making a digital version of our knitting and crochet collection available to Row@n members online. This is the first digital
publication we’ve created at Rowan and it coincides with the launch of our special landmark 50th edition. Extra content and articles have been
added to the online version meaning that browsers can see the beautiful imagery of the shoot locations and designs and read exclusive articles
written by head Rowan designer Marie Wallin,” said Sarah. The Row@n club will be separate from the Rowan Knitting and Crochet magazine
subscription, where UK subscribers will continue to be able to join for £25 per year.
For further information, contact Sarah at Rowan on T: +44 (0)1484 690803, E: [email protected].
Online crafting revolution
Gwyneth Windsor of Topaz Consultancy and her team have
been designing craft items for the trade for many years, and
have in the past presented them on Ideal World/Create and
Craft. Their first CD ROMs were published in 1991, and they
have since produced over 250 cd-roms in both Education and
Craft. The massive bank of designs include all kinds of papercraft
products including scrapbooking and cardmaking. They are now
offering licensing or partnerships so other companies can access
this growing revenue stream easily. “The partnership offer is a
‘no risk’ strategy allowing people to enter this market without
needing costly design fees etc. We can supply product ready
for upload to a website, and therefore ready for customers to
download immediately,” explained Gwyneth. “This is an ideal
way to make money from online craft sales without holding
any stock, offering a massive choice and being able to quickly
respond to trends and seasons” she added.
For further details E: [email protected] or visit
www.craft2print.co.uk.
New improved website for Mamelok
Following the successful takeover of the Mamelok brand by a new
management team, the directors of Mamelok Papercraft Ltd have launched
a new company website. Showcasing the historic range of Mamelok die-cut
and embossed scrap reliefs, the site also features the company’s paper masks,
dress-up dolls, friezes, garlands and greetings cards. To celebrate the launch, a
number of Mamelok scraps are now also available with silver and gold glitter
to bring an extra sparkle to scrapbooks, cards and other projects.
Director Philip Saich said: “We’ve been fans of Mamelok for years and
it’s very gratifying now to be able to play a part in the future development
of this fantastically quirky brand. ‘We have ambitious plans to develop
complementary products which we feel will be of interest to Mamelok’s
customers. We’ve already created a new wreath garland and a new dressup doll called Florence, and we’ve expanded the range of glittered scraps
available for purchase.” Now located near the university city of Cambridge,
Mamelok Papercraft sells to customers throughout the world.
Visit www.mamelok.com to learn more.
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Linda Ayres
Specialist Art and Craft book publisher Search
Press recently announced the appointment of
Linda Ayres as its New Business Development
Manager in the UK. Her main priority will be to
introduce and develop the Search Press brand
into new areas. “Linda is already well known to us
in her former role as sales director for Australian
Consolidated Press and we welcome her and
her expertise at selling into markets that are
sometimes outside the normal craft radar,” explained Mary
Ellingham, Publicity Manager. Linda will be based in Birmingham where she can be
contacted at E: [email protected].
10 craftfocus
news round-up
Dids Macdonald
ACID (Anti Copying In Design) CEO Dids Macdonald has been appointed Vice Chair of the
Alliance Against IP Theft. The Alliance is a unique coalition of trade and enforcement organisations,
providing a single voice for those who share an interest in preventing intellectual property theft
in the UK. On her appointment, Macdonald said: “There has never been a more important
time, in The Alliance’s impressive history, to play a key role in its future - particularly now that
its resonance is being heard loudly and clearly across the entire IP landscape. I look forward to
representing the issues and interests of all the Alliance’s members, who are varied and diverse, but
unified in the recognition of IP as a positive force for the UK’s growth strategy.”
Cariad – new gift shop
NEWS IN BRIEF
Macmillan campaign goes to
Westminster
Infi-knit, the 127m long giant woolly scarf
petition, run by cancer charity Macmillan,
was presented to the government in June.
Macmillan web visitors were asked to say
what things kept them warm – whether
it was a bowl of homemade soup, or their
favourite dressing gown. Their message
was turned into a bit of knitting by
Macmillan’s Knit-Bot machine, and could
be viewed through a web cam. All of the
messages were knitted together to make
‘Infi-Knit’, a giant woolly scarf petition.
Over 5000 people took part, making
the scarf over 127 metres long. Further
information is on www.macmillan.org.uk.
New shop opening – Arts Desire
A new shop has recently opened in St
Benedict’s, Norwich’s bustling artists’
quarter. Arts Desire, the creation of
Norwich artist and designer Kay Spalding,
offers craft workshops and a gallery
space for up-and-coming local artists.
The shop also stocks tastefully selected
gifts, jewellery and homewares, much of
which is hand-made in Norfolk. It’s been
something Kay, who studied at Yarmouth
College of Art, has been wanting to do
for several years and now with her three
children growing up, she’s found the time
and location to go for it.
12 craftfocus
In the midst of the recession the opening of an independent shop selling jewellery and gifts
has provided a boost to the local economy of Welsh market town Llanrwst, North Wales.
Cariad, established by local jewellery designer and budding entrepreneur Cariad Loughlin
opened its doors in April and has already been doing a bustling trade, proving popular with
both locals and visitors to the area. Talking about her new venture, Cariad said: “I’ve always
wanted to open a shop of my own and when I finally got the chance, I grabbed it with both
hands. I’m also planning to launch an online retail store when I’ve settled into the business.”
Further information T: +44 (0)1492 642 538, E: [email protected].
Young entrepreneur fights back
An out of work graduate from Oundle, Northamptonshire, decided
to fight back against unemployment and set up a pioneering website
selling quality, ethically sourced, handmade craft, with help from The
Princes Trust. Rebecca Holder aged 25, launched The Emporium
Oundle from her home last autumn, after spending months
unemployed despite graduating from Coventry University with a
first class BA (Hons) degree in illustration and animation. Fed up
with no income and no job prospects, she successfully applied for
a £250 ‘Will it work?’ grant from the Princes Trust. She acquired a
£2000 loan from the organisation in March and another £1500 in
September to help her push the new business forward. Rebecca
said: “The first challenge I faced was signing up fellow graduates, friends
and neighbours to create an array of handmade merchandise that I could sell on my website. But
with so many young people unable to find work at the moment, I soon found willing suppliers to
work with me.” In no time at all, the young entrepreneur has built up a loyal customer base and
now sells all kinds of high quality crafts – from soaps made from garden herbs through to candles,
bags, stationery, jewellery and many other unusual, quality gift items. “We want to make a positive
contribution to the UK economy and society, and what better way to do so than to create the
next generation of UK businesses?” added Rebecca.
Visit the website at: www.theemporiumoundle.com.
www.colourcraftltd.com
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
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news round-up
Knitting superstar
The Knitter, published by Future Publishing
has partnered with one of the biggest
names in the industry. Already a superstar in
America and the UK, Jane Sowerby has got
on board with the magazine to design some
exclusive lace patterns for The Knitter. As the
author of the seminal book ‘Victorian Lace
Today’, which brought classic lace patterns
to a new audience, Jane is an expert in
the field. October’s issue will feature two
beautiful variations on a gothic shawl, with
designs for two different lacy cowls in
November and February 2012. The next
issue of The Knitter is on sale from
3rd October.
Further information T: +44 (0)1225
442244, E: [email protected],
www.theknitter.co.uk.
Award winning pop art
Truro Fabrics were amongst the judges of
‘DesignEd in Cornwall’, held at University
College Falmouth throughout July. After
judging 463 pieces of GCSE and post-16
students design and technology work
from 24 schools and colleges,Truro
Fabrics announced Laura Toms from Looe
Community School as the winner of the
GCSE Textiles and Fashion category. Laura
received the prestigious award for her
textile bean bag inspired by the theme of
Pop Art.
For more information visit:
www.designedincornwall.co.uk
14 craftfocus
Marketing your business
With so many great resources on the web available for SMEs it’s difficult
to find marketing solutions that will work. Sarah-Jane White has collated
the best ones in an ebook called 49 Quick Ways to Market your Business
for Free, which can be used as a guide and inspirational tool. “I wrote this
book as a result of giving many talks on low-cost or no cost marketing to
local business networks. The demand for all the information in one place
was extremely high and the consensus was that an eBook was a preferred
option,” said Sarah-Jane. “If you just do one of the tips, once a week, you
should increase your company’s visibility both on and offline in no time!” she added. 49 Quick
Ways is published by Brightword Publishing, ISBN: 978-085719-144-1, ePub, RRP: £4.99 and
available from all good online bookshops.
Enchanted patchwork
Teamwork Crafts new Enchanted Forest
designs from expert Gail Lawther are
each 25 inches (64cm) square patterns,
which can be sewn individually or all
can be joined to make one big quilt. The
six panels depict birds, deer, hedgehogs,
hares, badgers and a magical are available
at trade price of £3 each. The packs
include full size pattern and clear how-to
instructions. “Even if your customers
haven’t tried stained glass patchwork
before, they can confidently start with any
of these designs” said Gail Lawther. For
further details T: 01903 750946,
E: [email protected],
www.gaillawther.co.uk.
Introducing the ImPress from CraftDragon®
The ImPress is the first machine of its kind in the world. Designed and built here in the UK the ImPress was initially designed to
make hot foil stamping available to the home user for craft and domestic purposes. To this end, the ImPress is small, lightweight
and portable, inexpensive to purchase and run, attractive and ultra-stylish but above all, due to its’ revolutionary design, the
ImPress has even more unexpected and exciting functions, making it the most versatile and accessible tool of its kind.
Beneficial features of the ImPress
* Easy to use
* Light Weight
* Easily Interchangeable printing heads
* Unique slide in die system
* Revolutionary positioning and guide mat
* Variable Temperature control
* Superlative design
* British designed and Built
* Precision ink Stamping
* Inexpensive print enhancement
* Sublimation Print onto Promotional Goods
* Apply hot fix gems onto Fabrics
* Suitable for All Age Groups
* Professional Finishes
* Other exciting uses to be released in the future
Why the ImPress?
The CraftDragon® ImPress can:
* Hot foil stamp
* Precision ink stamp
* Add Embellishments to all your projects and crafts.
As seen on
Create & Craft
TV
Telephone
Email
Website
01782 658 333
[email protected]
www.craftdragon.com
Unit 18, Trentham Lakes Technology Park, Longton Road, Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs, ST4 8LJ
brand spanking new
What’s new, what’s hot and what’s must-have. We take a look at some of the latest
products available
Prym Products
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
Knitting loom
Coats Crafts UK, T: 01484 681881, E: [email protected], www.coats.com
TBC
The knitting loom design is based on the knitting dolly of old but it has 28, 32 or 36
pegs to be looped, depending on the size of sock required. It also has a soft handle
and a casting-off needle.
Available in small, medium or large and with easy to follow instructions, even totally
inexperienced knitters can quickly produce socks.
The knitting loom can be used to create trendy socks, stockings, leg warmers, wristlets
and smart phone covers. It also fits neatly into any pocket so can be used even when
you’re on the go.
SES Creative by John Crane Ltd
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Denim Handbag Deco set and Hello Kitty iron-on beads set
John Crane Ltd T: +44 (0)1604 774 949
RRP £14.99
The denim handbag set includes the denim shoulder bag, fabric paints, glitter
fabric and jewels to decorate it along with full instructions. The Hello Kitty
handbag set also has a blank shoulder bag, plus glitter, cords, glue, paintbrush,
iron-on beads, templates and ironing papers.
These crafty kits will appeal to young fashionistas who love to be creative. They
include everything needed, plus full instructions.
Peak Dale Products
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
The Ultimate Candle Kit
T: +44 (0)1298 78447, E: [email protected],
www.peakdaleproducts.co.uk
TBC
The Ultimate Candle Kit includes a large 2kg of wax and nine different moulds
including a votive mould and candle holder. The basic candle kit for beginners
is also available. This is a smaller kit containing 1kg of wax and a mould.
With Christmas approaching, The Ultimate Candle Kit contains everything for
an enthusiastic candlemaker to make a range of different candles.
Berisfords
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
16 craftfocus
Christmas collection of ribbons
www.berisfords-ribbons.co.uk
TBC
Berisfords has so many festive ribbons in a multitude of designs including scripts such
as Merry Christmas and motifs which include little fir tree and stripes, checks and
plains. Merry Christmas (art 12330) is available in six colours and two widths of 10
and 25mm. Little Fir Tree (art 12910) comes in five colours and is10mm wide. Both
come on 20m reels.
These glorious ribbons are available in reds, greens, silver and gold as well as vibrant
brights and delicate pastels. Use them for embellishing Christmas party outfits, adding
a finishing touch to a knitting project, brightening up a dining table, wrapping gifts or
decorating Christmas trees, garlands and festive ornaments.
new products
Janome Ltd
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Horizon Memory Craft 12000 sewing machine
T: +44 (0)161 666 6011, www.janome.co.uk
TBC
This is Janome’s first long-arm automatic embroidery
machine with a total arm length of 440mm. New
features include magnifying glass, powerful lighting with
extendable light and a button to lift the foot
automatically. The detachable embroidery unit opens to provide a massive embroidery area. It can stitch up to 1000 stitches per minute and
has a 9 mm wide stitch capability.
Retailer Benefits:
All the usual Janome computerised features are included plus over 400 built-in stitches, the AcuFeed flex system for dual feed is of course
included as is the auto fabric thickness sensor and two needles plates.
Other Information: The new software interface that provides for a seamless real-time connection between PC and the MC12000 is called Horizonlink.
Paperblanks
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
New autumn collection of journals and diaries
T: +(00) 800 3333 8005, E: [email protected], www.paperblanks.com
From RRP £5.99 Mucha Collection, £15.99 Baroque Vantaglio Marrone to £19.99
Handstitched collection.
The new collection includes journals and diaries that have evocative and beautifully crafted covers.
Baroque Vantaglio Marrone, is a combination of reproduction gilt-work over Moroccan leather whilst
the Embellished Manuscripts collection includes beautiful reproductions of excerpts of original
manuscripts, letters and drawings including the works of William Blake and William Wordsworth.
The Paperblanks collection now includes around 400 different styles. Available in a selection of sizes,
each exquisitely crafted journal takes inspiration from great artists, writers and textiles.
Paperblanks advocate social and environmental responsibility by utilising acid-free, sustainable forest
paper and 100 percent recycled binder boards.
Premium Art Brands
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
PanPastel and Sofft Tools
Paul Giddens T: +44 (0)1926 492 213, E: [email protected],
www.premiumartbrands.com
TBC
PanPastels are available in 80 colours and a variety of sets. No solvents or water
needed as you apply dry colour. They can be applied to a variety of surfaces with either
the unique Sofft tool applicators or with the specially formulated PanPastel sponges.
PanPastels can be used with existing craft materials including stamps, craft markers,
encaustic art for blushing/tinting wax, watercolours and much more.
Premium Art Brands are the exclusive distributors for PanPastel and Sofft Tools for the
UK and Eire.
Buttonbag ltd
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Madame Jolie and Friends Sewing kit
T: +44 (0)20 8525 1640, E: [email protected], www.buttonbag.co.uk
RRP £14
Cut out and sew the legendary fashionista and her fabulous four legged friends.
The cute, quirky styling of this sewing kit will appeal to girls aged 10 and above.
It comes in a smart tin.
This quirky eye-catching kit will generate lots of interest from your customers
and will appeal to a wide age range.
craftfocus 17
brand spanking new
Coats Crafts UK
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
Anchor needlecraft kit and canvas collection
T: +44 (0)1484 681 881, E: [email protected], www. webshop.coats.com
Father Christmas PCE892 Trade £14.69, RRP £31
The new Anchor needlecraft kit and canvas collection includes stunning new cross
stitch designs, quintessentially British scenes on the tapestry kit and canvas side, and
beautiful long stitch designs and favourite license character pieces. Set to be especially
popular is the festive Father Christmas PCE892 cross stitch kit, measuring 30 x 20cm.
The kit comes complete with all materials required thus making it a perfect gift either
to give or to stitch for a friend.
Visit the Coats Crafts webshop to find great special offers throughout the year.
Crafty Stamps
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
Scottie and Highland Cow Merry Christmas Cling stamp (Code: XM1M)
T: +44 (0)131 221 9440, E: [email protected], www.craftystamps.com
Trade : £2.71 (excl VAT), RRP £6.50
This is part of the new Christmas range from Crafty Stamps with a wee Scottish
theme, consisting of a Scottie dog, highland cow and a Merry Christmas greeting.
As with other cling stamps the rubber stamp is nicely packaged for ease of display,
mounted on Kling-on for ease of use with an acrylic block. These products are priced
attractively for retailer and customer.
Available for purchase from Crafty Stamps along with the other themed ranges.
(Celtic, Scottish and Wedding). A low minimum order of £50 (pre VAT).
Daylight Company
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
LED Lamp & Torch
T: +44 (0)208 964 1200, www.daylightcompany.com
RRP £49.99 (DN1141)
This all new multipurpose lighting tool features 28 LEDs on the Desk Lamp and six LEDs on the
Torch, none of which ever need replacement. All offer brilliant, full spectrum NaturalightTM so
colours and details are seen in optimal comfort.
The light is great to use on the move, offering a lightweight and portable design which makes it easy
to use at home or in the car. Plus, the lamp has an impressive six hours usage on three AA batteries.
The unique design features a sturdy fold-out structure allowing flexible positioning, with a convenient
hand strap.
Ellison Europe Ltd
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
18 craftfocus
Framelits Die Sets
T: +44 (0) 8444 998 181 (UK) T: +44 (0) 845 345 2277 (outside UK),
E: [email protected]
RRP £13.99
Framelits dies come in sets of 4-7 with each die designed to fit within the next largest
die of the same shape. Designs include hearts, scalloped circles, stars and squares and
can be used to cut apertures, create frames. They can be layered up to add depth and
much more.
These dies are ideal for novices and experts alike and can be used independently, as a
whole set or just with one or two together.
Sizzix has already developed the Framelits technology into die sets with stamps which
will be available from February 2012. These new designs are a collaboration with
Stephanie Barnard.
Eco-Fi: High quality
polyester fibre made
from 100% post-consumer
recycled plastic bottles
used in the manufacturing
process of Kunin Craft Felt.
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For further information about Kunin Craft Felt
please contact
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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
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brand spanking new
Hantex Ltd
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
Woolfelt Christmas Ornaments Kit by Rachels of Greenfield
T: +44 (0)1754 820 800, E: [email protected], www.hantex.co.uk
RRP £16.99
The kit includes wool felt, embroidery floss, gold string plus precise patterns and
illustrated instructions to make six mittens. Colours are sandstone, red, green, gold,
brown, and white. Each mitten is approximately 4” x 4 1/2”.
Rachel’s of Greenfield kits contain everything needed to complete the project and
the high quality patterns and instructions make them accessible to people of all skill
levels. Finished models are available to buy.
These kits are part of a very successful range that includes quilts kits and wool felt
appliques in many different designs.
DMC Creative World Ltd
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
MYFBM My Friendship Bracelet Maker and CBFBM My Friendship Bracelet Maker
Clip Board
T: +44 (0) 116 275 4000, E: [email protected], www.dmccreative.co.uk
MYFBM RRP £14.99 and CBFBM RRP £9.99
Colourful tools designed to simplify the craft of making friendship bracelets. MYFBM
is available with a storage tray and Prism threads and CBFBM is available with a
handy clip board facility and Prism threads.
Exclusive to DMC in the UK there’s also support and ideas through the MYFBM
website: www.myfbm.com.
These product help children with their dexerity. DMC offer Prism value crafting
threads as an additional sales accompaniment with various creative packs of brightly
coloured craft threads ideal for Friendship Bracelets and other craft projects.
Mary Kilvert
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
Colourful Sheep Cushion
T: +44 (0)208 274 0053, E: [email protected], www.marykilvert.com
RRP £40
This new cushion shows a colourful flock of sheep illustrated by Mary Kilvert. Handmade using
beautiful linen and combed cotton mixed with a neutral plain linen back it measures approximately
42cm square and is filled with 100 percent deluxe duck feather insert.
The cushion can be purchased directly from Mary Kilvert’s online shop www.marykilvert-shop.com
Mary Kilvert’s Colourful Sheep range also includes limited edition prints and designer tea towels
and mugs.
Mulberry Silks
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other information:
20 craftfocus
deColourant Plus 2.5oz Jar
T: +44 (0)1603 739 222, E: [email protected], www.mulberrysilks.co.uk
RRP £8.99 each
deColourant and deColourant Plus, are a new, innovative and totally unique product range.
Get great precision and fantastic fine line detail, all in an easy to use citrus scented cream.
deColourant does not change your fabric or papers in any way, it works exclusively on the
colour dyes, removing them and revealing the true beauty underneath. deColourant Plus also
replaces the removed dyes with your colour choice in a one-step, non-messy process.
“The world’s best discharge paste for artists and screen printers, deColourant is unlike
anything else on the market for ease of use and great results,” said Mulberry Silks.
Judged Top 20 New Products at CHA 2011.
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Hantex Ltd
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Bitter Sweet book by Art to Heart
T: +44 (0)1754 820 800, E: [email protected], www.hantex.co.uk
RRP £15.50
Bitter Sweet is the latest book from Art to Heart and contains seasonal projects
including wreaths, pumpkins, table runner, quilts, ornaments and coasters. Perfect for
teaching in workshops.
Art to Heart books have been consistently popular for many years, due mainly to their
diverse range of projects ranging from the very simple to more challenging. Add on sales
such as wire hangers and stands are also available.
HobbyFun UK Ltd
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
Creapop and Fabrics (sticky plastic and organza fabrics)
Samantha Austin, T: +44 (0)776 379 8776, E: [email protected],
www.hobbyfunukltd.co.uk
RRP £18.00 starter set
The starter set includes two special sets of two sheets of sticky plastic and 10 A4
sheets of organza of your choice plus a free pack of Christmas card designs.
This product is great for making cards, toppers and scrapbookers. The plastic
sheets are 0.3mm thick and will go through all cutting machines enabling users to
create their own shapes and designs. HobbyFun also sell pre-cut sticky templates
to decorate in fabrics of choice.
Children can take part in the development of this unique toy and even learn to
knit thanks to the very simple and easy to use pattern.
Sticky Skins
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
Sticky Skins
T: +001 443 418 9634., E: [email protected], www.stickyskins.com
RRP $5.50 – $11.50 + shipping
Sticky Skins personalises as well as protects any device. With custom cut material that uses
innovative technology with pressure-activated adhesive and air release technology, Sticky Skins
are easily placed but more importantly removed without leaving any trace of residue or damage
to the device.
Sticky Skins is constantly adding devices to the line. There are skins for laptops, net books and
gaming devices as well as phones.
Some of the more popular devices for which there are Sticky Skins include: iPhones, some
Blackberrys, Amazon kindle, Apple iPad and iPod. It is also possible to create a line for a device
that is currently not available.
Woodware Craft Collection Ltd
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
22 craftfocus
Sakura Gelly roll metallic gel pens
T: +44 (0)1756 700 024, E: [email protected], www.woodware.co.uk
RRP approximately £2 per pen
A point of sale display holding 150 Sakura Gelly Roll Metallic pens, themed with a Christmas
theme. 60 x Gold, 60 x Silver & 30 White. The Metallic Gelly Roll pens are opaque so can be used
on darker card as well as the lighter shades to create some stunning effects.
The point of sale display is free standing or will fit on your Sakura display. The display can be
topped up from Woodware Craft Collection’s stock quickly and easily.
The samples on the header have been created using peel off ’s designed by Francoise Read and
are also available from Woodware.
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brand spanking new
Bothy Threads
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Mr Men and Little Miss designs
T: +44 (0)1638 665149, E: [email protected], www.bothythreads.com
RRP £27.49
Princess Carriage (XMMS9) is 26 by 26cm square on cloudy blue 14 hpi Zweigart
Aida with gold/silver sparkle and glitter threads. London Bus (XMMS10) is 36 by
28cm on white Zweigart Aida.
These designs can be used to celebrate a birth, wedding or any other sparkly
occasion! With Union Jacks flying the London Bus is a really good one to celebrate
the year of the Olympics.
Beadalon
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other information:
Artistic wire mesh
T: USA (866) 423 2325, www.beadalon.com
TBC
Artistic Wire® Mesh is a permanently coloured, hollow copper wire woven into a
mesh tube that’s been flattened but can be stretched, wrapped and twisted to give
an alternative dimension to fashion jewellery. It is available in six popular colours;
silver, gold, copper, black brown and hematite and two sizes; 10mm and 18mm.
The wire mesh can be filled with shaped pieces of wire, or stretch the mesh to
create 3-D shapes. To finish-off crimp it with C-Crimp findings, tie it, or try wrapping
it with artistic wire.
Wire Mesh was named as one of the ‘Top 20 Hot Products’ at the July CHA
Summer Conference & Trade Show.
Beckmann Direct
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other information:
Inspired series of DVDs
T: +44 (0)1624 816585, E: [email protected], www.beckmanndirect.com
Trade price £12.25
This series of Inspired practical DVDs range in length from 49 minutes to over 90
minutes. Presented by experts in their field, topics covered include Recycled
Ribbons, Embellishing parts 1 and 2, Textile Techniques, Working with Velvet and
Textile Landscapes. They come packaged in hard plastic sleeves with colourful
printed outers.
Each DVD has a series of projects that viewers can make whilst learning new skills.
Produced by Colouricious, the collection is constantly expanding with new films
being added regularly. More information can be viewed at www.youtube.com/beckmannvp.
Elizabeth Bradley
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other information:
24 craftfocus
Dahlia tapestry kit
T: +44 (0)1865 339050, www.elizabethbradley.com
RRP £102
Infused with pretty pink tones and a detailed single flower head design, the kit contains all
materials needed to finish the tapestry. It is beautifully presented with colour-coded chart,
quality 100 percent British wool, needles, instructions and a printed canvas.
The kits are designed to provide endless stitching enjoyment for all abilities whether they’re
starting from scratch, are avid stitching fans or are brushing up on latent skills.
This kit has been designed to help consumers support Breast Cancer Awareness. For every
pink Dahlia kit sold during October 2011, Elizabeth Bradley will donate 20 percent to Breast
Cancer Care.
show news and reviews
Wendy Gardiner provides reviews and previews including a review of CHA summer show and
news of some of the spring fairs on offer
Nikki Sivils
SHOW REVIEW
CHA Summer Show
The CHA 2011 summer show hosted 216 exhibiting companies filling
77,824 square feet of exhibit space. The Show attracted over 4,000
qualified trade show attendees as well as 716 buying companies from
44 states and 36 countries. In addition,,the CHA conference achieved
a dramatic increase in attendance with 28 per cent of all attendees
participating in off-show-floor events and education. This is up from
10 percent in 2010.
Additionally, CHA’s show theme of Craft Fusion: The Selling Power
of Mixed Media, and its Craft Fusion Centre reinforced the versatility of
mixed-media crafting and energized the industry by re-focussing on the
hottest trends in mixed-media. The Craft Fusion Centre featured Crafty
Couture, a CHA designer display competition, and daily ‘Minute-to-CraftIt’ mixed-media challenges, which created additional excitement on the
show floor.
“Despite slightly fewer retail companies and overall show
attendees, the show floor was larger than last year and the vibe was
very upbeat and positive,” says Tony Lee, acting president and CEO,
CHA. “Many of our exhibitors reported that they were pleasantly
surprised by the consistency of foot traffic and increased face time
with key buyers. While we still have a long way to go to get back to
pre-recessionary show participation, we are happy with the overall
performance of this year’s summer show and are developing plans to
enhance our shows in the future.”
Tom Vasko of Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L commented: “We’ve been
exhibiting since 2004, and this year’s show was unique. It initially looked
like it was going to be smaller, but our traffic was consistent, so our
expectations have been exceeded.”
“This is our fifth CHA Show and our best one yet. Everything went
well, and we met lots of new customers who saw us for the first time,”
said Stephan Derome with Marmonie Loisirs Creatifs.
“Whilst we didn’t launch any new products at CHA this year, we
still found the summer show very successful with all of our products
received well by buyers” said Matt Stanchie from Picture Keeper.
Our own Tracy Voice also attended and enjoyed the opportunity of
catching up with many of the international companies we know, she
also managed to meet people from some of the new up and coming
businesses. We also asked a few of the UK companies who exhibited
how they faired.
26 craftfocus
What new products did you
launch at the show?
We released five new collections
at the CHA summer show:
School is Cool, Get Well Soon,
My Lil’ Monster, You’re a Hoot
and Gingerbread Land. Each line
includes 12x12 patterned papers,
12x12 cardstock punch-outs and 12x12 alpha and element stickers
all of which can be purchased individually or as collection kits.
Was the show successful for you?
We find the CHA summer shows to be increasingly slow in
attendance and sales – especially compared to the winter show, but
despite that, Chicago is always good to us!
Which of your products were received best?
We had a great response to our new collections, in particular our
Get Well Soon line and our new 12x12 alpha stickers.
What were the biggest trends you noticed?
Walking around the summer show, we noticed a lot of really cute
monsters and other adorable whimsical characters.
Further information, T: +001 417 838 0996,
E: [email protected], www.nikkisivils.com
Connie Crystal
What new products did you launch at the show?
We launched our new line of beads which consists of an assortment
of different colours.
Yes it was. Our redesigned booth certainly attracted a lot of
attention. Everyone was attracted by the amount of sparkle!
We were very pleased that all of products were received equally well.
The launch of our new line added a nice touch to our Suncatchers.
After talking to many people we realized that there is a trend that
is just starting. That trend is the embellishment of any kind of craft
project with some sparkle. People have been looking for something
that sparkles very well and that does not break the bank. We are
very fortunate to be able to provide them with just that!
Further information, T: +001 732 721-6379,
www.conniecrystal.com.
Crafter’s Companion
Which new products did you launch at the show?
We launched the Envelobox Creator and Boxer boards which
are add-on boards for the multi award winning Ultimate Crafter’s
Companion Pro. We also launched our brand new alcohol ink
markers Spectrum Noir.
The show was very successful for us. We were privileged to win an
innovation award for the Envelobox Creator board.
We were blown away by how well the Spectrum Noir pens were
received – the US market is now eagerly anticipating the launch of
the range in October. Loads of pre-orders were taken for the range,
including some from many new, large customers who are keen to
bring Crafter’s Companion on as a vendor.
The biggest trend at the show was for Mixed Media – a fusion
of different crafts. Crafters are enjoying new creative pursuits in
addition to the hobby they already do, for example combining
jewellery making with papercrafting. This is good news for retailers,
as it automatically widens their potential customer base.
Further information, Crafter’s Companion,
www.crafterscompanion.co.uk
Flower Soft
Which new
products did you
launch at the show?
We were delighted
to launch a whole
range of new
products at the
CHA summer show
including new card
Flowersoft launched new card toppers
toppers, new Flower
and card-making starter kits
Soft card making
starter kits and Flower Soft colours and clear stamps.
Was the show successful for you and which of your products
were received best?
Yes, the show was successful. Our top selling new Flower Soft
colours in our Diamond range - ruby, emerald, amethyst and our
new Ultra Fine White went down very well. New card topper best
sellers were our Christmas snow globes, Christmas tree pyramids
and our new starter kit.
Further information, Flower Soft Inc, E: mark@flower-soft.us.com,
www.flower-soft.com or for the UK,
Katy Sue Designs Ltd, T: +44 (0) 191 427 4571,
show news and events
Crafter’s Companion enjoyed a successful
show at the recent CHA summer show
SHOW REVIEW
Autumn Fair
International
Autumn Fair International
took place at The NEC,
Birmingham from 4th - 7th
September and proved to be
an inspirational event for the UK
retail community, with a three per cent
rise in footfall compared with last year and a visitor attendance
of 32,300 (highest since 2006. Figures subject to ABC audit). Roz
McGuinness, Event Director, Autumn Fair International described the
event as a great opportunity for the industry and said: “The quality
of retailers at the show was high, with a combined buying budget
of £6 billion from buyers across all sectors. With no other national
trade craft shows taking place at this time of year, the show was also
the perfect sourcing environment for buyers in search of up-to-the
minute Christmas merchandise and an early preview of spring ranges”
she added. Emap Connect had also made a major investment in new
features and provided a strong focus on future trends to create a
directional event that was the perfect launch platform for 60,000 brand
new products from over 1500 exhibitors, 900 of them exclusive to AFI
this season.
The hobby & craft section
One of the most exciting new initiatives for Autumn Fair International
2011 was the brand new Hobby & Craft sector in Hall 5 of the
exhibition, supported by an excellent craft demonstration zone. Roz
McGuinness said: “With 40 exhibitors from the UK and overseas
grouped together under the Hobby & Craft banner, the new sector
represented a small but significant start, but one that will enjoy a much
larger area in 2012 following this year’s enthusiastic retailer response.”
The new craft demonstration zone was co-located with the Bladezsponsored toy demo area. Throughout each day of the fair, exhibitors
presented their latest ingenious crafting products to packed-out
audiences, providing inspiration to retailers on the hunt for something
new and exciting at the show.
The verdict on the new Hobby & Craft sector of Autumn Fair was
extremely positive on both the exhibitor and visitor side. Sara Davies,
sales director of Crafter’s Companion said: “By lunchtime on the first
day, we knew that we’d made the right decision in taking part in the
show. That evening we bought a couple of bottles of champagne to
celebrate over dinner! We were very happy with the craft demo area
and found that buyers walked directly from the theatre to our stand and
placed orders on the back of our demonstrations.– it’s been the biggest
opportunity for revenue growth.”
Jon Cowen, Director of Payper Box was also pleased with Autumn
Fair, commenting: “We’ve met toys buyers, craft buyers and gift buyers.
We’ve seen an interest from buyers that have never thought about
stocking craft products before but are considering it now having seen us
exhibiting here. With such a diverse audience at Autumn Fair, we have
most definitely increased the visibility of our brand by participating in
the show.”
craftfocus 27
SHOW PREVIEWS
Paperworld and Creativeworld
Visitors to Autumn Fair found it really
useful to have craft products displayed
alongside other sectors, like gifts and cards
Retailers were also impressed, with Josie Foster, owner of craft store,
The Gallery, saying: “I think it’s really useful to have craft products
displayed in an environment that also has things from other sectors,
like gifts and cards. It brings a whole new dimension to this market and
it’s also very helpful for us to find out what the trends are going to
be. This is a very nice show all round, well laid out and very civilised!
The suppliers are also extremely focused here and the craft people in
particular have been very keen for us to give demonstrations on their
stands. We found the craft demo area to be extremely useful.”
There are exciting plans afoot for both the Hobby & Craft sector and
the whole of Autumn Fair International in 2012, which will take place at
The NEC, Birmingham from Sunday - Wednesday 2nd - 5th September
(volume hall opens one day early).
For more information contact Roz McGuinness:
[email protected]
Dates: 28th - 31st January, 2012
Venue: Frankfurt am Main
Web: www.paperworld.messefrankfurt.com, www.creativeworld.
messefrankfurt.com
Paperworld is the leading international trade fair for stationery, office
supplies and writing implements for home and commercial markets.
Professional buyers come together to meet with market leaders and
small, innovative companies. This year more than 2,000 exhibitors
travelled to Frankfurt to reveal their latest products and ideas to the
entire industry over four days whilst 107,000 trade visitors attended
the combined Paperworld, Creativeworld and Christmasworld shows.
Exhibition organisers are expecting even greater attendance in 2012.
Paperworld also provides visitors with the ideal venue for discovering
the latest trend shows, numerous innovations, award ceremonies and
events, through the comprehensive programme of special exhibitions.
Here you will find inspiration for future assortments and learn about the
latest designs coming into the market.
Running alongside Paperworld for the second year is “the world’s
biggest trade fair for the creative sector, Creativeworld – an important
international trade fair for all hobby, craft and artist suppliers,” said the
organisers. Creativeworld provides a huge assortment of themes for
visitors to discover through four main product groups; decorative crafts,
graphic and artists’ requisites, dandicrafts (textile design) and hobby
and crafts.
For further information T: +44 (0) 1784 415 950,
E: [email protected], www.paperworld.messefrankfurt.com,
www.creativeworld.messefrankfurt.com. For visitor registration:
www.ukfrankfurt.co.uk.
Autumn Fair attracted about 32,300 visitors
Paperworld and Creativeworld provide the opportunity
to learn new skills as well as find new products
28 craftfocus
SpringFair KraevaK
Dates: 5th - 6th February, 2012
Venue: Rignhal, Arnhem
Web: www.asws.nl
Promising to be the most colourful trade show in Europe
SpringFair KreavaK provides retailers, wholesalers and other
businesses with an ideal platform to meet and network with
manufacturers, importers and other suppliers in the Creative and
Hobby market sector.. It covers wool, crafts, hobbies, dolls, picture
framing, sewing, quilting, painting and drawing art, haberdashery,
fabrics and sewing machines. Organisers ASWS said: “By organising
an exhibition like this one, the interests of each branch are
optimally served. Manufacturers, importers, tradesmen, suppliers,
service providers, publishers and specialised magazines in the
creative sector are given the opportunity to exhibit their services
and products in the perfect environment.
Further information from T: +31 172 575 888, E: [email protected],
www.asws.nl.
Craft Hobby + Stitch International
Dates: 19th - 21st February, 2012
Venue: NEC Birmingham
Web: www.ichf.co.uk/chsi
Craft Hobby + Stitch International reports an exceptional stand take-up
for next year’s show. “This follows the huge success of last year’s show
which saw more than 7000 buyers attending from over 40 different
countries, reflecting the continued growth and reach of the show,” said
show organiser Troy Bennett. As well as the busy exhibitor stands,
the CH+SI show will offer visitors more than 150 hours of dedicated
training, technique and seminar-based sessions. The programme currently
being created for visitors wil provide seminars giving advice and
inspiration on everything from enhancing sales with effective displays, to
supplying and maximising sales on TV. Industry experts will deliver the
free seminars and workshops, sharing their specialist skills and advice.
Even more choice
Groves will be bringing an enhanced stand to the 2012 show, following
its recent acquisition of Impex. Michael Lane, marketing consultant
at Groves said: “We’re looking forward to bringing an even bigger
and better redesigned stand to the show in February where we’ll be
exhibiting all of the brands we already work with plus, for the very first
time, our full range of Impex products.”
The ‘Itch to Stitch’ needlework demonstration area, hosted by Jane
Greenoff and sponsored by Madeira Threads, will provide retailers with
a one-stop-shop of top tips including: How to promote needlework
workshops and classes in store, stock ideas, top tips and techniques
to develop needlecraft in store. In the ‘Itch to Stitch’ area, Madeira
Threads will showcase its hand embroidery products including Mouliné,
a stranded cotton embroidery thread which comes in a practical blister
pack. In addition, visitors will also be able to browse Madeira’s stranded
silk and metallic threads.
Show Organiser, Troy Bennett said: “Craft Hobby + Stitch 2012 will be
a particularly special show for us – it will be celebrating its 37th year but
it also marks ICHF Event’s 500th show. We organise over 21 shows a year
in nine different venues and our 500th show is back where it all started.”
For information about trade stands contact Troy Bennett or Andrew
Morton at ICHF on +44 (0)1425 272711, E: [email protected],
www.ichf.co.uk/chsi.
30 craftfocus
Make It provide exhibitors plenty
of options for corner stands
Make It
Dates: 24th - 26th February, 2012
Venue: The Farnborough Airshow, Hampshire
Web: www.make-it.org.uk
There are some exciting new developments on the way for next
February as Make it 2012 introduces an array of new craft companies
to exhibit alongside the established card making and paper craft line
up. Make it Homemade is designed to widen the appeal of the show
to other craft sectors and will incorporate suppliers of home hobby
craft products. Crafts will include knitting, stitching, beading, patchwork
and quilting, candle making, felting, ceramics, preserving and baking.
More than just an exhibition, Make it offers visitors a series of hands-on
workshops, all run by exhibitors. The programme presents a range of
papercraft, beading and stylish home craft projects.
Make it already consistently attracts over 10,000 visitors each year
and with the introduction of Make it Homemade, it is anticipated that
visitor numbers will further increase by some 40 percent. The exhibition
takes place on the site of the Farnborough Airshow in Hampshire, an
enormous purpose built hall in a spacious setting with adjacent free
parking it has easy access and direct motorway links. If you would like to
find out how you can get involved in Make it 2012, please call
Kate Valentine on T: +44 (0)1784 880890, E: [email protected]
or visit www.make-it.org.uk.
CHA Winter Conference & Trade Show 2012
The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) announced “The Power of
Community: Build Locally, Drive Socially” as its theme for CHA’s 2012
Winter Conference and Trade Show. To demonstrate the power
of community building, CHA’s board of directors voted to approve
removing membership requirements for CHA Trade Show exhibitors
and attendees. Beginning with the CHA 2012 Winter Conference &
Trade Show, non-member companies are welcome to exhibit, shop
the show floor and experience the craft industry’s premier trade
events first-hand.
Opening the CHA Trade Show floor to non-member exhibitors
and attendees represents a major shift in community building
within the craft, hobby and other related creative industries. “While
remaining focused on our core business, we recognise that there
is a tremendous opportunity to grow the show and industry by
offering an affordable way to experience the CHA show and
attracting a more diverse group of exhibitors and buyers,” says Tony
Lee, acting president and CEO of CHA. “CHA’s partnership with
the Hobby Manufacturers Association (HMA) demonstrates that
CHA can expand the range of products at the Show while offering a
marketplace for all things creative.”
For more information about CHA, membership or its CHA
Conferences & Trade Shows, visit www.craftandhobby.org.
CONSUMER SHOWS
Festive Gift Fair
The Festive Gift Fair, to be held at
the NEC Birmingham from 17th - 20th
November, provides inspiration and
thousands of new, clever and affordable
gift ideas. “With 350 stalls brought
together from all over the country,
the variety of gifts is amazing and so
there is always a surprise around every
corner! No wonder, it’s considered
the most popular Christmas Shopping
event in the Midlands,” said the
organisers. Visitors can browse, shop
and enjoy the Christmassy atmosphere created by musicians and
entertainers throughout the show. “With so many bargains to be
found, drop your full bags at the Present Crèche while you continue
shopping” they added.
For more information on exhibitors and visiting the fair, visit
www.festivegiftfair.co.uk.
Terence Conran – The way
we live now
The Design Museum is marking Sir
Terence Conran’s 80th birthday with
a major exhibition that explores his
unique impact on contemporary life in
Britain. Through his own design work,
and also through his entrepreneurial
flair, Conran, who founded Habitat,
has transformed the look of the
British home. This exhibition explores
Conran’s impact whilst painting a
picture of his design approach and
inspirations. It traces his career from postwar austerity through to the new
sensibility of the Festival of Britain in the 1950s, birth of the Independent
Group with its flare for the avant-garde and the Pop Culture of the 1960s,
to the design boom of the 1980s on to the present day.
Further details from T: +44 (0)20 7940 8790, www. designmuseum.org.
Art & Craft Fayre
The Art, Needham Market, Suffolk
3rd Saturday each month
10 am – 2 pm
This is a regular monthly craft fayre, offering an eclectic mix of affordable,
individual, handmade objects ranging from jewellery to patchwork or felting.
Maria Bennett from The Art & Craft Fayre explained: “This monthly fayre
gives independent, local crafters the opportunity to market their wares in
an inspiring and friendly atmosphere, with like minded people on a regular
monthly basis.” It takes place on the third Saturday of every month and
displays a great variety of local arts and crafts. All stall holders make the
wares that they sell and the fayre prides itself on a 100 per cent handmade
status. Entrance is £1 which includes tea.
32 craftfocus
Craft In Focus
Craft In Focus is returning
to Wisley from 24th - 28th
November to stage its Christmas
craft and design fair. This year
the event will be held in floored
and heated marquees and will
feature around 130 of the UK’s
finest professional contemporary craftworkers and artists working in
wood, glass, metal, textiles, ceramics and more. All exhibitors at Craft
In Focus events design and make the work that they display and are
selected for their individuality and innovation in contemporary design,
as well as outstanding technical ability. The event is a must visit for
anyone seeking something unusual and original and produced by an
individual business that has a real passion for the work they create.
For further information contact Craft In Focus T: +44 (0)1622 747
325 or visit: www.craftinfocus.com
dates for your diary
We’ve got an at-a-glance listing of the major trade and consumer
shows around the world over the next two months
OCTOBER
13th - 15th - Belfast Creative Craft Show, Belfast
27th - 30th - Crafts for Christmas & Hobbycrafts, SECC, Glasgow
(organisers ICHF)
NOVEMBER
3rd - 6th - Crafts for Christmas & Hobbycrafts, NEC Birmingham
(organisers ICHF)
3rd - 6th - Art Materials – Live, Birmingham
4th - 6th - Cake International, Birmingham
10th - 12th - Belfast Creative Craft Show
16th - 20th - Ideal Home at Christmas show, London
(organisers Ideal Home)
17th - 20th - Festive Gift Fair, Birmingham (organisers Festive
Gift Fair)
24th - 28th - Craft in Focus, Wisley, Hants (organisers Craft in Focus)
Some dates may be subject to change. Please check with the show
organisers before planning your visit.
Show organiser contacts
ASWS, www.asws.nl
CHA, www.craftandhobby.org
Craft in Focus, T: +44 (0)1622 747 325 , www.craftinfocus.com
Design Museum, T: +44 (0)20 7940 8790, www. designmuseum.org
Emap Connect, www.spring fair.com
ICHF, T: +44 (0)1425 277 988, www.ichf.co.uk
Koelnmesse Ausstellungen GMbH, T: +49 221 821 2458,
www.hh-cologne.com
Sincerely Yours, T: + 44(0)1634 686 823, www.sincerely-yours.co.uk
Trident Exhibitions, T: +44 (0)1822 614 671, www.sccshows.co.uk
Twisted Thread, E: [email protected],
wwwmasseriadellazingara.com
★
★
★
Win!
★
a VIP trip to Craft,
Hobby + Stitch
International
★
HOW TO ENTER
Europe’s largest trade show for the
craft industry, Craft Hobby + Stitch
International is fast approaching and will
be held from 19th-21st February, 2012
at the NEC in Birmingham. Now in its
37th year, the show draws manufacturers,
distributors, wholesalers and retailers
from the creative art, craft, needlecraft
and hobby sectors. The show offers a
world-class forum at which to promote,
sell, buy and network with industry
colleagues from around the globe.
More than 250 creative craft exhibitors from
across the globe will be attending the event
which will also offer visitors more than 150
hours of free dedicated training, technique and
seminar-based sessions. The seminars require
no pre-booking, although to participate in the
free workshops, pre-booking is required.
The 2012 event will again feature a vibrant
catwalk show, which was well received at the
2011 show. This will run throughout all three
days, inspiring buyers with stunning creations
from exhibitors. Buyers will also be able
to draw inspiration from, and discover new
products in the Bright Sparks Pavilion which
will be packed with innovative new designs
and creations from upcoming designers and
creative craft entrepreneurs.
34 craftfocus
Getting there
Direct flights from around the world and
connections from most major European cities
are available into Birmingham International
Airport which is adjacent to the exhibition
centre, while the unique ‘sky-rail’ monorail links
the NEC to the airport providing a stress-free
transit from plane to exhibition. Birmingham
NEC is also at the heart of the motorway and
rail network.
THE PRIZE
Two lucky winners from this issue will each
receive a one-night bed and breakfast stay
for two people on Sunday 19th February, at
the Hilton Birmingham Metropole hotel, in a
double or twin room. In addition, the winners
and their guests will be invited to attend a VIP
lunch on Monday 20th February at Craft Hobby
+ Stitch International.
Just 10 minutes from Birmingham
International Airport, the Hilton Birmingham
Metropole Hotel is one of the UK’s largest
conference hotels. Located on the site of the
NEC, the hotel has excellent transport links to
the city centre. The hotel’s three restaurants
offer a selection of international cuisines,
while a fully equipped Living Well Health Club
and heated indoor swimming pool provides
extensive leisure facilities. C
To enter the competition, simply go to
www.craftfocus.com, fill in your details and
answer the following question. Closing date
for entries is 28th November, 2011.
Q. At which venue is Craft Hobby +
Stitch 2012 held?
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 prize covers the bed and breakfast room rate
at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole only. Additional
expenses incurred while staying at the hotel are
not included.
8. No purchase necessary, and there is no charge to
enter via the website at www.craftfocus.com.
Further information:
To find out more about CH+SI visit:
www.chsi.co.uk. For more information on the
hotel, visit: www.hilton.co.uk/birminghammet
knitting
knit together
The ever-expanding world of knitting holds many
creative and commercial possibilities, as Becky
Williams discovered
Knitting has enjoyed an amazing resurgence over the last five years and its
popularity continues to grow as the market diversifies. New products designed
especially for beginners are bringing in fresh crafters, while new novelty yarns
are bringing exciting creative possibilities to those who are experienced in the
craft. As word continues to spread among crafters about the joys of knitting
and pattern choice gets more vast every day, we look at ways that retailers can
diversify their existing product range, or take a leap into this world of sticks
and string.
Be Sweet is home to exquisite yarns and
contemporary patterns that are ideal ‘yarn
candy’ for today’s modern knitter.
Be Sweet
US-based yarn company, Be Sweet is home to exquisite yarns and
contemporary patterns that are ideal ‘yarn candy’ for today’s modern
knitter. The company offers socially and environmentally friendly
fibers and products to fashionable consumers. These products evoke an
individual style and help support community development around the
world. The collection includes hand-knitting yarns and ready-made
wearables such as scarves, shawls, hats, cardigans, and more.
As well as its established luxury yarns, Be Sweet has just launched
a new brand called Simply Sweet, a perfect ‘basics’ range. The range is
starting with a catalog that doubles as the initial pattern booklet ($5
retail), and gorgeous yarn colours at $6/skein (wholesale).
Be Sweet began when Nadine Curtis lived in Cape Town, South
Africa and was inspired to work with job creation programs that give
artisans the confidence and the means to support themselves and their
families in an otherwise economically depressed region. The programs
have grown to include over 200 crafters, comprised of mostly female
members of the Xhosa Tribe who live in the Western and Eastern Cape
regions. The employment is based on learning new marketable skills,
sustainable growth, fair wages, and enjoyment.
Further information: E: [email protected],
www.besweetyarns.com
With adorable designs for all the
family, including this Baby Bunting
design, Spud & Chloë is a range for
every day.
Spud & Chloe
Founded over a decade ago, Blue Sky Alpacas designs and
distributes luxury yarns, patterns and accessories for hand
knitting and crocheting. From go-to classics to exquisite
specialty fibres and crave-worthy organic cottons, Blue Sky
yarns seek the perfect marriage of fibre and twist to create
fascinating textures and colours. Blue Sky’s patterns are
designed to showcase these yarns to their best advantage.
Spud & Chloë is a washable line of sweet yarns for real life.
Available in Fine, Sweater and Outer, Spud & Chloë features
spot-on colours, a super-soft hand and playful designs for
everyone from grandma to the grandkids. And the bonus:
the option of gentle machine washing makes Spud & Chloë
a yarn for every day and every creation. The Spud & Chloë
blog, Spud Says!, is curated by Susan B. Anderson and
features news, crafting tips and dozens of free patterns to
keep crafters inspired.
Further information: E: [email protected],
www.blueskyalpacas.com, www.spudandchloe.com
Blue Sky Alpacas
patterns are designed to
showcase yarns to their
best advantage, including
this fab Apres Vest.
craftfocus 35
knit together
Knitting accessories
Colinette Time Tones is
a selected capsule range
of fashion colours, for
creating beautiful pieces
like this ‘Acacia’ jacket.
Capsule colours
Colinette Yarns’ new Calligraphy is a great new super-soft chunky
weight hand-washable 100 percent wool yarn. Made from the very
best quality fibre and as soft as thistle-down, this 2 ply wool twist
yarn loosely spirals along its length giving a full-bodied, but light
and bouncy feel and texture when knitted.
Calligraphy is priced at £3.71 (ex VAT) per 100g hank and is
available in the full range of Colinette Yarns’ unique 127-strong
colour palette. Calligraphy knits to all the designs in the existing
One Zero chunky pattern book, priced at £2.25.
For this season, there’s also an exciting new and carefully selected
capsule range of fashion colours for this and other Colinette yarns,
called Colinette Time Tones (take a look at
www.colinette.com/timetones). This high-fashion shade distillation
of the full Colinette colour palette, available for the first time
ever this season, makes a great starting point for retailers when
considering which shades to stock this autumn.
Also new for retailers this year is the first-ever two-tier Colinette
stockists plan: the Colinette Capsule Collection at entry level, or
the Premium Stockist scheme with its unique 12-strong benefits
package. Both schemes allow access to the new Time Tones
dedicated area of the Colinette website to facilitate shade selection
and online ordering.
There’s never been a better time to become a Colinette
Yarns stockist or to upgrade to the brand new Premium
Stockists scheme.
Further information: T: +44 (0)1938 811898
36 craftfocus
Viridian is a small,
independent distributor, based
in Bristol, specialising in sock
yarn and knitting accessories.
It offers a fast and efficient
service, aiming to get orders
out within 48 hours using
a next-day delivery courier.
Viridian usually holds stock of
all its products, so you’re not
kept waiting!
Viridian’s product range
consists of Clover bamboo
knitting needles and
accessories; Knit Pro needles
and accessories; Opal sock yarn; Eucalan – the no-rinse washing
liquid; KB authentic knitting boards and the adjustable sock loom;
and Rachel John Extreme Needles and Textiles.
One of Viridian’s latest arrivals is Schafpate III, Graffiti and Polar
lights 6 ply from Opal Yarns. Some more exciting new products are
from Knit Pro and include an ergonomic range of square needles,
‘Cubics’, plus the desirable Rose Sets of interchangeable needles and
crochet hooks, both in leatherette boxes. Both Clover and Knit Pro
have an extensive range of needles, crochet hooks and accessories to
suit knitters and crafters alike.
Eucalan is an eco-friendly washing liquid that can be used for
woollens as well as lingerie, swimwear, bedding, toys etc. There
are four fragrances, three of which use essential oils – eucalyptus,
lavender, grapefruit and unscented – and all contain lanolin, which is
a natural conditioner.
Further information: David or Suzette T: +44 (0)117 300 5244,
E: [email protected], www.viridianyarn.com
Angora from Adriafil
Adriafil has been dealing in handknitting
yarns since 1911, producing top-quality
yarns while offering and specialising
in a very prompt shipping service.
Adriafil is enjoying growing success
in the British market, due to the top
quality of their merinos and precious
yarns, the peculiar style of their fancy
yarns, the excellent price/quality ratio,
Carezza is a very popular
and the beautiful and free patterns. The
angora-based yarn that
wide range of Adriafil yarns gives knitters
comes in a range of colours.
an opportunity that cannot be missed, with
classic merinos, precious alpaca and cashmere, or fancy sparkly yarns
and wonderful printed baby yarns, or rarities like 2 ply, a DK mohairbased yarn and wonderful angora yarn in plain colours.
Recently, Adriafil have been experiencing increased requests for their
angora-based yarn, Carezza. Angora is shed from the angora rabbit
and allows the creation of very soft and warm garments, and Carezza is
also suitable for finishing touch embroidery and inlay work. The ideal
mixture in these yarn (70 percent angora, 10 percent wool, 20 percent
polyammide) makes the thread strong and soft at the same time.
Adriafil presents angora in the classic colours of white and cream, and
in a whole range of classic and fashionable ones.
Further information: T: 0039 0541 383706, E: [email protected]
knit together
The glitz factor
Rico, the German-based supplier of handknit yarns and craft
materials, has enjoyed outstanding growth since its introduction
into the UK market. Thanks to its flair for colour and creativity, its
yarn ranges have appealed to knitters nationwide.
The Company’s reputation has been largely gained following
the launch of a succession of highly creative and innovative yarns,
including the phenomenally successful Pom Pom, Can Can and
Loopy, which have captured knitters’ imaginations – and which has
led to Rico scooping the prestigious 2011 Craft Business award for
the most innovative supplier.
For the coming season, Rico is adding a touch of ‘bling’ to these
trend-setting leaders, as both Can Can and Loopy yarns will be
offered with the addition of a bright glitz effect. These yarns are
sure to find a ready market as they come complete with an easyknit pattern to create a fabulous and unique scarf, which is printed
on each ball band.
In addition to these amazing special-effect yarns, the Rico
range also includes a collection of classic and fashion yarns, many
of which incorporate exclusive natural fibres to maximise their
handle and visual appeal. Rico’s new autumn 2011 collection
includes new developments that combine exclusivity with
affordability. New Essentials Cashlana DK is a superb blend of 80
percent Italian extra fine Merino, produced by the world’s leading
spinner of luxury fibres, and 20 percent super fine Cashmere.
The result is a yarn of outstanding quality, which offers a truly
wonderful handle and appearance.
Also scheduled for an autumnal launch is Essentials Alpaca,
which comes with a choice of DK or Chunky weights. In each
case, the blend is 50 percent superfine alpaca and 50 percent
Highland wool. The result is a unique combination of luxury
handle and affordability.
Further information: T: +44 (0)203 024 9009, www.rico-design.de
Rico’s trend-setting CanCan
yarn is now available with
a bright glitzy edge, with a
pattern on the ball band.
38 craftfocus
HiyaHiya needles
New to the world of
interchangeable needles
is HiyaHiya Bamboo
Interchangeable Needles.
The set features keyless
screw-on connections
and swivel cables, made
with high-quality bamboo
impregnated with resin,
making HiyaHiya needles
the strongest and smoothest
bamboo needles available.
The 4in or 5in small set
includes 7 sets of tips in
sizes from 2.75-5mm. The
5in large set includes six sets
of tips in sizes from 5.5-10mm. Tip length is
approximately 4in or 5in. Each set includes a practical and portable
brocade case, needle tips and four cables (two 26in, one 34in and one
42in cable). Each set also includes a set of needle grips.
For further information: contact Qianer Huang at Shanghai HIYA Co.
Ltd, E: [email protected], www.HiyaHiya.com or
www.HiyaHiyaNorthAmerica.com
Autumn at ArtYarn
ArtYarn Trading Ltd is a supplier
of quality hand-knitting yarns,
needles and accessories to
the craft trade. It is the UK
Distributor of Lang Yarns of
Switzerland, and SchoppelWolle and Addi needles from
Germany, featuring fabulous
fibres and the latest in continental
knitwear design.
ArtYarn have various new additions for
the autumn/winter season 2011/12, including
Lang Yarns’ autumn/winter collection, with 10
new yarns and four new ‘Fatto a Mano’ magazines
with designs for all the family. The ‘FaM’ Vintage 184 pattern book
from Lang Yarns features 68 designs for ladies, men and the home,
using a selection of yarns, including the lovely Donegal Irish tweed and
sumptuous superchunky Astrakan. In keeping with current trend for
extremes, the new yarns range from the finest Merino 400 Lace to the
giant knit Maxima. See more at www.langyarns.com
There are more new additions from Schoppel-Wolle, including
a wonderful new random colour-effect, hand-painted sock yarn,
Wunderklecks, plus new colours in the ever-popular Zauberball yarn.
Further information: Richard or Katy Sparrow, T: +44 (0)1529 240510,
E: [email protected], www.artyarn.co.uk
Sock Yarn Specialist
New In from the USA Kb Authentic Knitting
Boards and Sock Loom.
Makes knitting Easy
and Fun...
Eucalan – the no rinse delicate washing
liquid. Available in 4 fragrances;
Eucalyptus, Lavender, Grapefruit and
Natural Unscented. Made with essential
oils and a touch of lanolin, which acts
as a natural conditioner, anti-static and
dust-mite deterrent.
Knitting Boards
and Looms
www.viridianyarn.com | [email protected]
tel: 0117 300 5244
knit together
Impressive endurance is one of the strengths of the
new cords of Prym’s circular knitting pins.
Quality tools
With new, quality knitting pins, crochet
hooks and accessories, Prym sets the stage for
unforgettable knitting and crocheting pleasure.
While the circular knitting pins of nickel-plated
brass wow the fans with sheer brilliance and a
smooth look, the circular bamboo knitting pins
are deliberately more natural. The ensemble of
well-rounded stars is enhanced by additional
lengths and gauges.
Impressive endurance is one of the strengths
of the new cords of the circular knitting pins:
antistatic, tear-resistant and breakproof,
they merge seamlessly with the needle body.
Meanwhile, the crochet hooks for thread
and wool step into the limelight with a soft
handle and ergonomic poise. A firm grip and
guaranteed crocheting pleasure without tiring
make for a grand entrance.
Further information: Coats Crafts UK T: +44 (0)1325 394227,
or Habico Limited T: +44 (0)113 2631500.
This season, Coats are
introducing SMC Select
yarns to the UK market, with
plenty of pattern support.
King of knitting
Knits for a
new season
King Cole offers a large range
of knitting yarns, patterns and
accessories to the retail trade. The
range covers economy products
and high-end natural fibres,
but it is best regarded as a ‘middle
market’ supplier.
The company generates
consumer interest by investing in
knitting magazine advertising and
endeavours to feed all the interest
back to local stockists. However,
there are naturally gaps in the
company’s distribution that need
to be filled by good retailers.
King Cole has an excellent
reputation for service, too. Retail
customers are regularly updated
by one of 10 UK salespeople and a strong internal team ensures prompt delivery.
King Cole is also active in the appropriate trade shows, both in the UK and
internationally, in order to ensure good communication with the market.
Caroline Symonds from King Cole said: “King Cole believes that the
relationship between ourselves and retailers is a partnership that can only
work if it is a mutually beneficial – we believe that we work hard to make that
possible. King Cole offers innovation and value for money in products, as well
as commitment and reliability in service.”
Further information: T: +44 (0)1535 650230, E: [email protected].
Coats Crafts offers
premium quality products
across all sectors of
the crafting sphere. Its
handknitting brands
include Rowan, Patons,
Regia and SMC Select.
Brand new for
handknitting this
autumn/winter 2011
is the exciting new
premium range SMC
Select. Drawing pattern support from
such designer favourites as Sarah Hatton, amongst others,
the range carries a contemporary, cosmopolitan feel and the
collection is only enhanced by the premium quality of the
yarns behind the designs.
This autumn, the team at Coats Crafts will be launching
some very exciting mid-season products on the handknitting
side. Perfect for Christmas will be the new ‘one ball projects’
– a selection of beautiful scarf and accessory designs, all using
just one ball of yarn. The patterns for these will be available
for free, both on the ball band and also at www.coatscrafts.
co.uk for the SMC designs, and www.knitrowan.com for the
Rowan designs.
Further information: T: +44 (0)1484 681881,
E: [email protected], www.coatscrafts.co.uk
40 craftfocus
knit together
Poppy Patch is a beautiful yarn from Knit Collage, embellished with ribbon, flower
appliqués and strips of fabric.
Unique yarns
Yarn Harlot
Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC (AMP) is a leading
publisher of general nonfiction trade, cookbook, craft,
gift, and humour books, publishing as many as 200
new titles annually. Each season, AMP introduces
exciting new titles to its craft line, which continues to
grow in popularity as the craft/DIY movement gains
momentum. A generation of younger, hipper crafters
is emerging, so AMP’s craft line often mirrors what’s
hot in popular culture, with titles like the newest from
blogging phenomenon Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, All
Wound Up.
In ‘All Wound Up: The Yarn Harlot Writes for a
Spin’, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, best-selling author
and self-proclaimed Yarn Harlot, talks about knitting,
parenting, friendship, and even crocheting in essays
that are at times touching, often hilarious, and
always entertaining. Fans of her blog and knitters
everywhere are sure to enjoy this all-new collection
of tales of the woollen and silky skein, which follow
Pearl-McPhee’s previous exploits chronicled in Yarn
Harlot and Free-Range Knitter.
New in the wildly successful Pocket Posh line
of books, ‘POCKET POSH Tips for Knitters’ by
Jayne and Jodie Davis is a useful reference guide
for knitters, which goes beyond knit one, purl two,
to offer helpful tips and tricks on selecting yarn,
refining patterns and completing projects.
Perfectly sized for purse or pocket, ‘Pocket Posh
for Knitters’ features fashionable cover art and an
elastic band closure.
To view AMP’s entire craft line, visit
www.andrewsmcmeel.com/home-crafts.html.
For orders in the UK, contact Simon & Schuster
UK Ltd, T: +44 (0)141 306 3100,
42 craftfocus
Knit Collage yarns are vibrant handspun creations that reflect a curious
and optimistic approach to the world. Bits of ribbons, sequins, flower
appliqués and strips of fabrics are spun together with brightly coloured
wool, mohair and sparkling Angelina fibres. Even though the raw
materials are the same, no two skeins are completely alike because of
their handmade nature.
Founder Amy Small says: “All of our spinning takes place in India,
where we recently moved our operation. With the hope of creating work
for uneducated women in Punjab, we spent countless hours over the past
six months teaching them how to craft the yarns on traditional spinning
wheels. Through much patience and hard work, more and more women
are slowly becoming spinning experts. We now proudly employ 46 women
there. The process we shared with them is enormously time intensive. To
spin one skein of our Gyspy Garden yarn, it takes about two hours. This
does not include any of the other steps involved, including the carding,
quality check and packaging. Through this laborious process, we hope to
create beautiful, unique yarns, and better the lives of the women who craft
them along the way.”
Further information: T: +1 (610) 999 5063, E: [email protected],
www.knitcollage.com
Martingale Publishing has a reputation for quality craft
titles including Sock Club and The Big Book of Monsters.
Inspiring books
Martingale & Company is an industry-leading publisher of books for knitters,
quilters and other crafters. Since its founding in 1976, the company has sold
nearly 20 million books worldwide. The 100 percent employee-owned company is
staffed with enthusiastic people dedicated to their individual crafts as well as to the
corporate mission, which is providing quality products and service to
inspire creativity.
The company works closely with independent shop owners, forming
partnerships to help these business people succeed. In addition to outstanding
discounts, various marketing programs, and the informative free Shop Talk
newsletter, Martingale & Company supports retailers by offering incentives to
consumers who buy books at local shops.
Martingale & Company books are distinguished by carefully edited instructions
with detailed illustrations and how-to photos. The company prides itself on
superior customer service and its reputation for quality books, including The Big
Book of Monsters, Grammy’s Favorite Knits for Baby, Sock Club and Successful
Lace Knitting. Further information: Dorothy Lisherness T: +1 (800) 426 3126,
E: [email protected], www.martingale-pub.com.
CAPTURE THE MAGIC OF
CHRISTMAS WITH DUFEX
Seeking some sparkling Christmas inspiration for you and your
customers? Then take a look at the fantastic Christmas designs
from Dufex Limited.
There is no better way to capture the magic of Christmas
than with the amazing sense of light and movement created
by Dufex.
Alongside our best selling stickers, card blanks and
decoupage comes 12 brand new Christmas Dufex Die Cut
decoupage sheets.
We are also proud to present over 20 new Reddy Creative
Cards Christmas Paper Die Cut Decoupage.
For more information call 01462 410070, e mail
[email protected] or visit www.dufexcrafts.com.
knitting
knit together
Jazz it up
The South West Trading
Company is a successful
producer of fine
yarns, including their
renowned SOYSILK,
a fibre made from
the proteins in Soy, a
renewable resource.
Jazz is the newest
yarn in the SWTC
Collection and the
first to be made
in the USA. This
luxurious yarn
comes in 8 colours
String Me Along is
and is the perfect
a beautiful carry-alo
ng yarn
with petite sequins
carry along to jazz
that will dress up an
y yarn in
your inventor y.
up anything! Retail
stores are finding great
success pairing Jazz with slower-selling yarns in their stock,
while creating exciting, shimmery projects that their customers
love. A vest pattern is free to stores with the purchase of Jazz,
which is available in 1oz skeins and sold five per pack. String Me
Along from SWTC is also a carry along yarn. Like their popular
sequined yarn called Yang, String Me Along showcases petite
sequins, which will dress up any yarn in your inventory. It’s also
fun for hand spinners and weavers who want to add a bit of bling
to their projects. String Me Along is available in 20 colours and
is sold in packs of five cones each. A sample pack of two cones in
each of the 20 colours is also available. Further information: E:
[email protected], or visit www.SOYSILK.com, where there is a
wholesale merchant area and shopping cart for your convenience.
The talent behind SWTC, Jonelle Beck-Raffino, also has a new
book out. Socks a la Carte Colorwork by Jonelle Raffino and
Katherine Cade (September 2011) is the third book in the Socks
a la Carte series, and teaches readers how to design original sock
patterns with colourwork options. By choosing from a variety of
sock cuff, body, heel and toe pattern combinations, knitters will
be able to create thousands of combinations while learning about
sock construction and achieving the perfect fit. You can see a
digital preview of this colorful book here: http://www.scribd.com/
doc/59880250/Socks-a-la-Carte-Colorwork-by-Jonelle-Raffinoand-Katherine-Cade. Further information:
E: [email protected], www.sewstitchglue.com
With something for all the family,
Thomas B Ramsden is the parent
group of Wendy, Peter Pan, Robin
and Twilleys of Stamford yarns.
British traditions
Thomas B Ramsden is the parent
company of Wendy, Peter Pan, Robin
and Twilleys of Stamford yarns.
The Wendy brand is one of the oldest
surviving names in British handknitting and its
broad range of yarns and designs cater for the enthusiastic and
dedicated home knitter. The collection encompasses pure, natural
fibre yarns in its classic collection and multi-fibre complex blends in
its fashion collection.
The Peter Pan range for babies, toddlers and children has a
strong fashion and classic element, and is probably the finest baby
handknitting, design and yarn collection in the world.
Within the group, Twilleys of Stamford has a unique identity. The
yarn and design collection has expanded with the introduction of
the ‘Freedom’ collection, but Twilleys still maintains its tradition of
creating high-quality knitting kits for beginners and children.
The final element of the portfolio is the value Robin Collection,
consisting of a wide variety of high-quality classic and fashion yarns,
principally using acrylic fibre to offer superb quality, fantastic value
for knitters on a budget.
Austen Ramsden, MD, said: “A unique feature of Ramsdens yarns
is that the majority of our yarns are still manufactured to a large
extent in the UK at our Guiseley Mill. It is noteworthy that our
balling plant is one of the biggest in northern Europe.”
With its collections, Thomas B Ramsden has one of the broadest,
high-quality handknitting and craft collections available from
one company anywhere in the world and the company offers the
discerning knitter a superb range of quality designs and yarns.
Further information: National Sales & Marketing Manager Austin
Moffatt T: +44 (0)7823 320989, E: [email protected],
www.tbramsden.co.uk
craftfocus 45
knit together
Practical Publishing is
launched ‘Knit Now’
magazine, dedicated to
stylish accessories and quick
knits like gloves and hats.
DMC Creative World has
introduced Natura Just
Cotton yarn in 34 shades and
is offering introductory deals.
Knit Now
A world of creativity
DMC Creative World Ltd offer Natura Just Cotton yarn for crochet and knitting.
NATURA Just Cotton is a stunning range of 100 percent cotton threads with a
matt finish. The long, regular fibres give the yarn a softness and strength with
a quality that is a pleasure to work with. Available in 50g balls (approx 155m),
RRP £3.50 per ball, NATURA Just Cotton is a versatile thread that is especially
suitable for clothing due to its soft touch, high absorption and durability to
frequent washing. It is also perfect for creating decorative accessories. The
range offers a mix of 34 vibrant and subtle colours where two or more colours
combine well together to offer a variety of thicknesses, textures and effects.
DMC offer introductory deals that include free consumer pattern booklets to
promote the yarn.
Further information: T: +44 (0) 116 275 4000, E: [email protected],
www.dmccreative.co.uk
Knit Now is the brand new launch from craft magazine
specialist Practical Publishing. It is a unique monthly
title focusing on stylish accessories and quick knits for
today’s knitter.
Responding to the market demand for a knitting title that
delivers up-to-date, on-trend inspiration for newcomers,
beginners and intermediate-level knitters alike, Knit Now
will provide readers with all the know-how and inspiration to
create individual and stylish accessories for themselves, their
friends and family and for their home.
Every issue will include exclusive patterns with clear
step-by-step instructions, interviews with up-and-coming
and established designers, an insightful look at all the latest
high-street fashion trends and how to recreate the look plus,
inspiration pages, competitions, giveaways and exclusive free
gifts worth a minimum of £5.
Further information: www.knitnowmagazine.com
Knitted Simplicity
Well known as paper pattern experts, Simplicity have been branching out into trimmings and essential haberdashery items for the last few years.
“The trend to craft, whether it’s to knit, crochet or sew, continues to grow so we decided to bring together some well-known brand names under
one umbrella, making it easier for crafters to find the supplies they need to fulfill their creative desires,” explained Jackie Braid of Simplicity
Creative Group.
The extensive range includes knitting and crochet needles/hooks, scissors, quilting templates, fashion buckles of every shape and size, ironon mending patches, unique sewing notions, appliqués, no-sew pocket monsters for kids, bindings and a fabulous collection of fashion trims.
Mainstay of the knitting and crochet section are needles, crochet hooks and knitting accessories made from coloured aluminium or plain steel –
providing functionality and fashion.
Particularly popular are the afghan hook, loopy scarf tool (which is kid friendly too and comes with full instructions) and circular needle sets
with interchangeable components. Of course, there are also essentials like stitch counters, etc, and some fun items such as punch needle set, pom
pom makers, bloom loop to make flowers and a yarn daisy to wind balls from skeins.
Further information: T: +44 (0)161 480 8734, E: [email protected].
46 craftfocus
The UK’s leading magazine
for the craft industry
C
To advertise here
telephone Tracy Voice
on +44 (0)1376 535 618
www.craftfocus.com
papercrafting
adventures in
papercrafting
Louise Fisher investigates the exciting world of papercrafting...
PAPER
It’s only natural that with the rise in interest of
craft in general, that papercrafts would benefit.
Papercraft is possibly one of the broadest
ranges of crafts (and as a result, one of the
most difficult to write about and fit into a
few editorial pages!). Just some of the various
sectors of papercrafting include embossing,
decoupage, stamping, origami, scrapbooking,
card making and stickers. Consequently, the
range of products consumers need can be
quite daunting. Here we take a look at some
of the general areas that have seen definite
surges of interest in recent times and products
that are set to be ‘hot stuff ’ in the coming
festive season.
Consumers will be wanting to make their
own greeting cards and decorations for the
Christmas period, so now is a great time to
get prepared and stock up on some popular
or specialist products. It seems that trends in
the world of paper craft tend to follow those
of fashion. Jennifer Lloyd-Hancock of Ellison
Europe Ltd explains: “This year when vintage
and lace were big in the fashion world, they
also became increasingly popular in paper
crafting. It seems quite likely that the trends
for the latter half of the year will follow the
traditional movement of fashion towards
muted colours, richer tones and high-end
embellishments.” As well as moving with the
fashions, papercrafting (as with all craft) follow
trends according to yearly events such as
Easter, Halloween and Mother’s Day. “Winter
and particularly Christmas will always evoke
the use of deep reds, browns and greens with
accents of silver and gold,” says Jennifer.
Winter also tempts new crafters into the
fold, with keen hands wanting to make their
own decorations, tags and cards for the festive
season. Jennifer agrees: “Products that appeal
to beginner crafters or that make crafting
easier are always going to do well. We recently
launched the Big Shot Starter Kit as a way
for people to get everything they need for
cardmaking, scrapbooking and even home
décor in the one set” she said.
Twist and fold
“By adding simple actions such as folding,
bending, twisting and cutting on a sheet of
paper, a two dimensional material transforms
into a three dimensional creation. Paper folding
does not require any special tools or facilities,
but simply a structural idea. Folding paper is
great fun and seeing it’s transformation into
a new form gives a surprise element to the
designer and user.”
Rentaro Nishimura, Designer, Graduate of Product
Design at The London Metropolitan University.
www.rentaro.co.uk
Flying high
Butterfly Garden papercraft sheets
are perfect to brighten up those dull
winter days and are ideal for retailers
looking to stock some bright fresh
designs ready for spring. “As with all
China Butterfly designs these sheets are
printed in the UK on high quality paper
(150gsm) and card (250gsm)” said Sarah
for China Butterfly. The decoupage,
topper and sentiment sheets are all
bagged individually, the backing papers
are bagged in pairs and each pack
has an RRP of just £1, also available
is the complete collection containing
all five Butterfly Garden sheets with
an RRP of just £3.50. For more
information contact China Butterfly on
T: +44 (0)1704 831708 or email info@
chinabutterfly.co.uk. Monster collections
There are many types of paper and some are
more suited to particular projects than others.
Newcomers to the crafts will be looking for basic
supplies and multipacks of paper with lots of
variation in them. Nikki from Nikki Sivils said:
“Collection kits have become a big trend in
scrapbooking, for one reasonable price you can
get all the papers and co-ordinating products
in one package.” The Sivils’ My Lil’ Monster collection is perfect
for children who like to play with and create things out of paper. There are all sorts of
monsters, with a colour palette of bright red and green, great for children, so that users
recreate their own monster family. Further info - Nikki Sivil, T: + (001) 417 838 0996,
E: [email protected], www.nikkisivil.com.
craftfocus 49
adventures in papercrafting
EQUIPMENT
A cut above the rest
It’s the dies that count
Along with paper, the right
high quality equipment makes
consumers’ lives so much easier.
Xcut is a brand well known for
its high quality yet affordable
products. Its A3 self-healing
cutting mat is printed with
a useful measuring grid and
comes with a convenient carrying
handle. Katy Godbeer, Creativity magazine
says: “The grid on the Xcut cutting mat is
ideal for centering and positioning a project
accurately, and I love the carry handle at the top”
As well as the cutting mat, Xcut produce soft
grip non-stick stainless steel scissors. Docrafts
demonstrator Clare Bennet told us: “The soft
grip finger holes mean makes cutting for long
periods easy, whilst the size and precision makes
them great for cutting card and an intricate piece of decoupage. The
non-stick blades makes them good for cutting double-sided tape too.”
To find out more, contact Docrafts, T: +44 (0)1202 811000,
E: [email protected], www.docrafts.biz.
Marketing Assistant, Jennifer Hancock from Ellison Europe Ltd
told us about their dies: “One of the quickest and easiest ways
to get professional looking yet handcrafted paper elements is by
die-cutting. At Sizzix we have a variety of different machines and
die-cutting technologies that cater to all skill levels and crafting
styles. One of our most popular machines is the Big Shot, a hand
operated roller machine that makes producing multiple die-cuts
in a huge variety of materials easy for anyone.” It is the actual dies
that do the cutting and these come in an almost endless array of
different designs and technologies. “Our bestselling technology
is our Bigz; these are steel rule blade dies that will cut everything
from paper and card stock to leather and chipboard.” The latest
releases from Sizzix include Bigz dies
in classic Christmas designs, grungy
Tim Holtz alterations designs and even
vintage Valentine shapes. “This year
we’ve gone for a traditional look for
many of the Christmas dies that echoes
the trend for ‘make do and mend’. Our
latest releases, Framelits, are also perfect
for novice crafters, as the wafer thin dies
make cutting multiple sizes of the same
image really simple.” Further info
T: +44 (0)844 499 8181 (within UK) or
+44 (0)845 345 2277 (outside UK),
www.ellison.com.
Set to impress
“The patented new Craft Dragon
ImPress enables home crafters to hot
foil stamp, rubber stamp, die cut and
embellish with amazing clarity and
precision, on a wide array of surfaces
using just one machine” promises Craft
Dragon MD Jason Nash. “Because it’s so
versatile, the ImPress offers terrific value
for money, and gives professional results, time
after time. In fact a number of the participants
in our early trials have used the machine to
turn their passion for crafting
into their own small business,”
said Jason. Everything, from
the machine parts, packaging
and support services has been sourced locally
or nearby Staffordshire. Based on a multi-functional, modular system, the
machine has easily interchangeable heads and offers an unparalleled level of
functionality. One of these ‘heads’ is
the exciting new Flexiblock, a simple
attachment tool designed specifically
for ink stamping.
For more information, contact
Craft Dragon on T: +44 (0)1782
658333, E: enquiries@craftdragon.
com, www.craftdragon.com
50 craftfocus
Practical Pens...
Pens are a large part of papercrafting and Letraset is a UK
brand is renowned for its high quality, durable marker
pens. To meet pubic demand the company has extended
its range of FlexMarkers to incorporate 51 new colours.
Originally, Letraset’s markers were mainly used by
professional designers and illustrators, “It wasn’t long before
crafters caught on and realised
they could get professional
colour at a reasonable price
too,” says Letraset’s Marketing
Executive, Paul Lewin. With
its new flexible brush nib, the
FlexMarker provides consumers
and crafters with excellent
control for colouring small
areas as well and larger spaces.
To find out more contact
Letraset UKLtd, T: +44 (0)1233
624421, E: enquiries@letraset.
com, www.flexmarker.info.
EQUIPMENT
Surge in 3D
Faye Channon at Craftstyle
Products has seen a definite surge
in the interest in 3D items in
papercrafting. “3D is so popular in
card making whether it be decoupage
or matting and layering, we have decided to take it
to the next level by creating 3D Christmas trees. Customers can use their
imagination to decorate the tree, write their message on it and then send it
to their family and friends. The results will certainly look different compared
to plain cards on the mantelpiece!” The tree works by slotting two halves
together to create a tree that stands on its own as a card or decoration. To
find out more contact Craftstyle Products, T: +44 (0)1924 411564,
E: [email protected], www.craftstyleproducts.co.uk.
Handmade is bang on trend
Penny Black is an American based company
specialising in card making supplies that stocks a
wide selection of rubber stamps and stickers perfect
for Christmas card and tag making. Consumers
will find they’re able to create greetings cards in
minutes with sets of complementing stickers. Penny
Black’s Winter Fantasy pack (pictured) is printed
in colour and is easy to use. Sue Sandler of Penny
Black said: “The handmade look is bang on trend
and consumers love the speed and ease at which
they can create personalised projects in minutes.”
Further infomation from Penny Black Inc,
T: +(001) 510 849 1883, E: [email protected],
www.pennyblackinc.com
STAMPING
Life in characters
Stamping is a popular
papercraft in the winter. Ryan
at Creative Expressions told us:
“Character ranges have been,
and continue to be, very good
sellers in rubber stamping.
Our Tatty Button range has
performed very strongly for our retailers this year, as a result we have recently
launched the second wave of designs as part of the Tatty Button Christmas
range” He said. The collection is a range of stamps centred around a quirky
character called Tatty Button. The range also includes accessory stamp sets,
which feature embellishing designs and sentiments.
To find out more contact Creative Expressions, T: +44 (0)1536 481778,
E: [email protected], www.creative-expressions.uk.com.
52 craftfocus
Stuck on you
Stickers are a fun, simple way to start papercrafting
without any expert knowledge. Jenny Kearly, director of
Craft Creations says: “The popularity of papercrafting
and peel-off stickers is threefold. It is led by the
ingenuity of crafters, the different ways they find to use
a product and, of course, their willingness to share these
ideas with others. Many of these ideas are then taken
a step further by the next crafter, one idea sparking off
another. Also the crossover between scrapbooking and
card making has excited both camps, with card making
becoming more and more like making a scrapbook
page.” The sheer amount of designs for stickers available
means that all paper crafters can find something they
like to suit their projects. “We offer more than 700
designs in multiple colour choices, usable either as a
complementary motif or as a main feature on a card or
page” she said. Further info Craft Creations Ltd,
www.craftcreations.com.
Sweet new Christmas designs
Alongside producing stickers
for paper craft, Penny Black
also specialise in rubber
stamps. One of Penny Black’s
newest releases for Christmas
2011 is a wood-mounted
stamp, called ‘Fashionably
Wrapped’. It’s easy to stamp,
colour and embellish with
this lovely fashion girl for
beautiful, unique greeting
cards. Susan Sandler at
Penny Black says: “The mixing
of elegant with whimsical offers artists endless creative
expression while giving a project added visual interest,
layers and dimensions.” Further info Penny Black Inc,
T: +(001) 510 8491883, E: [email protected],
www.pennyblackinc.com.
We are an Edinburgh based rubber stamp company
who deal directly with retailers.
Brand New Christmas Cling Stamps with a Scottish theme.
Nicely packaged and mounted on kling-on for use with an acrylic block.
FREE delivery for orders over £50.00 (net of VAT).
You can view our range of products on our website
www.craftystamps.com
Tel/Fax: 0131 221 9440
[email protected]
Crafty Stamps, 92 Grove Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8AP
EMBOSSING
WOW! Embossing Powder is the market leader in embossing powders – a market that
is certainly going through a revival at present. Embossing has become very ‘on trend’ in
the world of paper crafting and crafters have been coming up with new and innovative
ways of using the powders. “We have seen a remarkable increase in demand and not only
in card making, but scrapbooking and beading too. Customers that specialise in mixed
media have become a large part of our business,” explains Amanda Fletcher. “Embossing
powder is the must-have addition to any crafter’s stash and with WOW! offering retailers
such amazing deals, what are you waiting for?” she added.
To find out more contact WOW! Embossing Powders, T: +44 (0)870 777 8782,
E: [email protected], www.wowembossingpowder.co.uk.
BOOK REVIEWS
“Papercrafting has real staying power within the craft arena,
because people will always want to create something that
looks good, is achievable by people of all skill levels and
yet has that handcrafted feel they desire,” says Jennifer
at Ellison Europe Ltd. To help with this, its a good idea to
also stock some ‘how to’ style books on the craft products
you sell. Here we’ve reviewed some exciting recently
published books...
Wild & Wonderful Origami
By Nari Ono and Roshin Ono
This book has all the instructions you need to create
an origami zoo, bringing paper to life. Make a dolphin,
blowfish and even a sea turtle using
just your hands and a selection of
papers. Each of the 50 designs also has
a skill rating so it’s easy to see which
are manageable. Published by Cico
Books, RRP £12.99, it is available in
the UK from Cico Books (ISBN: 9781-907563-56-0).
Pop-Up Cards
By Jo F Mathieson
This hardback features 19 fun and
quirky pop-up cards that cover
all occasions and make use of
cutting, folding, stamping, inking
and embossing skills. This is a great,
practical book for crafters looking
to take their creations to the next
exciting level - 3D crafting! Published by New Holland
Publishers Ltd, RRP £14.99, it is available from Hew Holland
Publishers (ISBN: 978-1847730763).
54 craftfocus
Copic Colouring
A fabulous resource for papercrafters looking to fill
in stamps, this book includes the different colouring
techniques associated with paper crafting. It is a
useful guide to the colour system, compatible inks
and papers and includes step by step tutorials on
a wide range of designs to inspire the keen crafter.
Published by Annie’s Attic, RRP £10.99, it is available
from Search Press (ISBN: 978-1596353763)
The Art of Papercutting
By Deborah Schneebali Morrell
This book includes a good mix of 35 paper craft projects
that are each exciting, fresh and inspiring and are suitable for
skilled or beginner crafters. Instructions are easy to follow and
peppered with great advice throughout the book. This makes
a lovely addition to any paper crafters collection. Published by
Cico Books, RRP £12.99, it is available in the UK from Cico
Books (ISBN: 978-1-907563799
Tea Bag Folding Through the Seasons
By Sharon M Reinhart
A small but useful book (don’t be fooled by its size)
it contains very practical information and is a howto guide for teabag folding. It shows you how to
create a wide range of card designs that are suitable
for any occasion, from Easter, to birthdays and
Christmas. Published by Annie’s Attic in paperback,
RRP £7.99, it is available in the UK from Search
Press (ISBN: 978-1596-3-5360-2).
Quick and easy papercrafts
A fun, comprehensive guide to paper crafts, with 320
packed pages that include decoupage, origami and
cards to cut outs and book making, this book explores
techniques over 100 easy to make projects that take
advantage of readily available papers. Published by Lark
Books in paperback, RRP £12.99, from GMC Distribution
(ISBN: 978-1600-5-9820-3).
Presents a One-Stop Shop for all your Quilling needs
BF
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$&RPSUHKHQVLYHUDQJHRI4XLOOLQJNLWVIRUDOODJHVDQGDELOLWLHV
WRFUHDWHSLFWXUHVFDUGVJLIWER[HVDQGPRELOHV
$ZLGHUDQJHRI4XLOOLQJSDSHUV
4XLOOLQJWRROV
7KH4XLOOLQJ:RUNERDUG
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$UDQJHRIDFFHVVRULHVLQFOXGLQJFDUGDQGJLIWER[
EODQNVDQGKDQGPDGHSDSHUV
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D%URDGZD\'XIILHOG%HOSHU'HUE\VKLUH'(%:
7HO1RHPDLOLQIR#SDVWWLPHVTXLOOLQJFRP
Visit our website to see
the wide range of fabrics
and stencils at www.
hobbyfunukltd.co.uk or see us
at the following show:
NEC Birmingham
3rd-6th November 2011
Or visit one of our stockists
near you. See our website
for details.
Free P+P with code HF0911
www.hobbyfunukltd.co.uk
Tel: 07763 798 776
Wrenbury House, 75 Wrenbury Rd, Northampton NN5 6XZ
An exciting new British company with a fabulous range of cling
stamps, manufactured in the UK to a very high standard
www.ladybugcraftsink.co.uk
stylish paper
plate lampshade
Create a designer lampshade out of paper
plates… Elegant, chic, retro, cool, it’s simple
to make using a Dremel glue gun
MATERIALS:
Dremel Glue Gun and 7mm clear glue sticks
50 (approximately) paper plates, 18 cm diameter *
Brushed chrome stick lamp base
Drum lampshade, cream, 13 cm high x 15cm diameter
Steel rule, pencil and scissors
Bone folder or the back of a table knife
Ramekin dish or other
TIP :
With a simple lamp base
and normal bulb, this lovely
lampshade will become a
favourite bedside or living
room light.
You can gauge
the
approximate nu
mber
of plates you w
ill need
for your particu
lar
shade by measu
ring its
circumference;
1cm
equals one plat
e.
STEPS TO MAKE
1. Fold one of the paper plates
in half and burnish along the
crease using the bone folder or
the back of the table knife. Place
the ruler 5 mm away from and
parallel to the fold and use the
pencil to mark the line. Keeping
the plate folded, use the scissors
to cut along the line marked.
2. Lay another paper plate
right side down and place one
of the semi circles on top of
it, matching the curved edges.
Place the steel rule along the
straight edge and use the bone
folder to score a line down the
whole plate. Repeat the process
on the opposite side of the
plate so that two parallel lines
are scored down the centre of
the whole plate, approximately
1cm apart. Fold in the semicircles, wrong sides together,
and burnish the scored lines to
achieve a sharp crease.
NOTES:
• The circumference of the plates must
be a little larger than the height of the
lampshade.
• The ramekin dish is used to rest the
lampshade on during the gluing process; it
56 craftfocus
3. Insert a clear glue stick into
the Dremel Glue Gun and
turn it to the cool setting.
Rest the shade on the dish,
top edge up. Apply a line of
glue up the centre of the 1cm
wide panel on the first plate
then position the folded plate
vertically on the shade so
that one of the folded edges
aligns with the vertical seam
of the lampshade.
assists in the positioning of the plates at a
consistent height around the shade. If the
dimensions of your shade and plates differ
to those given, choose a dish that allows
the plates to be positioned centrally on the
shade when the shade is resting on it.
4. Repeat the process, aligning
subsequent plates adjacent
to the previous one, working
your way around the shade
and ensuring that the plates
remain vertical and level at the
top and bottom of the shade.
Repeat the process until the
shade is completely covered.
Fix the shade onto the base;
add the bulb and your lamp
is complete. C
Further information
For more information on Dremel projects
go to Virtual Press Office located at
www.dremel.co.uk For Dremel videos:
www.youtube.com/user/DremelEurope.
★
gunning for success
With a glue gun – so much is possible. Add colour glue
sticks, glitter sticks and more and you’re onto a winner!
The Dremel Glue Gun 930 is aimed at the hobbyist and creative
crafter. Its features include drip-control, a five minute heat-up
time, a fixed precision nozzle and silicone nozzle protection
tip - as well as having an extendable plastic stand, a stable base
and an ergonomic handle. The clever Glue Gun 930 has a dual
temperature facility of 105 and 165 degrees centigrade which
allows gluing and decorating across a wide variety of materials
from glass, wood, textiles, plastics, paper and cardboard.
The Dremel colour glue sticks are an exciting addition to
the Hobby range when used to embellish decorative crafts and
create 3D relief designs. For example, a beautiful faux wax
seal pressed with a rubber or metal stamp adds instant charm
to invitations, table place cards, announcements and awards
certificates, as well as envelopes, gift wrapping and tags, or even
your own wine bottles!
There’s also a range of accessories and attachments for the
Dremel Glue Gun. Plain glue sticks (7 and 11mm), wood glue
sticks for specialised woodworking applications, glitter sticks to
add sparkle to creative designs, solid colour glue sticks for work
in 3D and a special glue work pad which protects projects from
dirt, is heat resistant and cleans easily - allowing you to remove
glue spills from the pad and protect your furniture.
THE PRIZES
We have 10 Dremel Glue Gun 930s to give away, complete
with one pack of every accessory - worth over £50 each!
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 November 2011.
8. No purchase necessary and there is no charge to enter via the website
at www.craftfocus.com.
HOW TO ENTER
To enter the competition, simply visit www.craftfocus.com, fill in your
details and answer the following question by 30th November 2011.
Q: At what temperatures does the Dremel Glue Gun 930 work? C
Competition sponsored by Dremel.
For more information,
T: +44 (0)844 7360 107 or visit
www.dremel.com.
craftfocus 57
competition
Win!
★★
a major in quilting
EQS evolved as business boomed for Graeme Wright
and Elizabeth West. Graeme shares his story
What made you decide
to venture into this
business?
Since leaving university
most of my working career
has been in the craft sector
in a number of countries
around the world. I joined Coats Patons as
it then was and during my time with them I
built up a wide network of contacts and an
understanding of how the industry works.
After leaving Coats, I worked with a partner
in the US introducing American craft products
to European distributors. We found that in
many cases the wholesalers relied totally on
the suppliers to generate awareness of the
products in the UK, something that in general
they were not willing to do. It occurred to us
that there was an opportunity for a marketingled company to make a real difference.
In addition, we had been heavily involved in
putting together a range of quilting products
for a German company and so had many
excellent contacts in this particular craft. With
those in mind we started Quilt Direct.
When did this happen?
Quilt Direct was started in 1996, making 2011
our 15th year in business. Although at first it
was a mail order business, our aim was always
to become a wholesaler. Our vision was to
use Quilt Direct to demonstrate that the
concept worked and there was a market for
the products that we offered. On that basis,
we set retail prices that allowed a margin for
shops to make a living.
After seven years building the business
we sold Quilt Direct and became European
Quilting Supplies or, as we are generally known
now, EQS Ltd. Not least this eliminated the
perceived problem of us competing with our
own customers. This is a philosophy that
we have stuck strictly to even when, in the
interim, more manufacturers and wholesalers
seem to be going the other way and supplying
consumers direct.
Over the years we have steadily added
to our range with threads, waddings and
fabrics. More recently we have built on
our relationship with Madeira threads and
Zweigart fabrics to launch our own range of
cross stitch and needlework kits.
How did your previous work help
establish this business?
While working with Coats, I had spent time
in Spain and South America as well as the UK.
When I came back to this country I was sent
to a wholesale business in Nottingham owned
by the group. There I learned how to run a
business that had several thousand products
and even then a 360 page catalogue. It has
stood me in good stead when building up
EQS Ltd.
My colleague Elizabeth West has had a long
career working mainly in administration, she
was formerly PA to the Chairman of Cadbury
Schweppes. She is also a keen quilter although
her current responsibilities do not leave much
time to enjoy the activity!
Are most of your customers web based
or bricks and mortar retailers?
Even now most of our customers are
traditional retail shops, though many of them
58 craftfocus
do have an on-line presence. (I love the
description of these businesses as clicks and
mortar!) Undoubtedly the internet is a major
feature which will develop strongly in the
years to come and we do have some accounts
trading exclusively via this medium.
“We pride ourselves on having
probably the widest range of
products for patchwork and
quilting in Europe. We really
are a one-stop shop with fabrics,
threads, waddings, notions,
books etc”
What are the specialist brands
you distribute?
We pride ourselves on having probably the
widest range of products for patchwork and
quilting in Europe. We really are a one-stop
shop with fabrics, threads, waddings, notions,
books etc. On top of that we have a wealth
of experience that we are happy to share with
our customers to help them get the most out
of this exciting craft. Possibly the top brands
we carry are Michael Miller and Riley Blake
(fabrics), Sew Simple (waddings), YLI and
Madeira (threads), Clover Needlecraft (sewing
and knitting tools) and this in addition to many
more. In total we carry over 6000 lines.
What do you think is your USP?
We have a wide range of goods that cover
all areas of quilting. On top of that we have
an unrivalled knowledge of the market and
the craft. Quilting is a technical craft with
many different elements to it and it is by
understanding the various techniques and the
best product for each one that we can be of
most use to our customers.
We also have a comprehensive website
(www.eqsuk.com) which is accessible to
focus on
consumers in order to educate and illustrate
the various products that we have. Of course,
without a trade account they cannot see
prices or place orders. In addition, and what
we find very exciting, is that we now have an
app which is really an electronic catalogue. For
those people who have an iPad or iPhone, this
means that they can view our product range
whether they are on-line or not. There is even
a facility to create and order from a wish list
which our customers can email to us. On top
of that, consumers can do the same but email
the list to their favourite retailer.
Our efforts on the internet are
designed to achieve two things:
first to make it easier for our
customers to place their orders
with us and, second, to encourage
consumers to increase their spend
with their local EQS stockist.
constant stream of new lines coming onto the
market; it is our job to keep abreast of what
they are and bring them to the UK.
How do you select the products you
want to stock?
Twice a year we attend Quilt Market in
America. This is the major trade show
and really is the forum not just to see new
products but discuss trends, new techniques,
marketing ideas and so on. Fortunately I was
invited to sit on the Advisory Board for the
organisation of the show and so we do get
early indications of new ideas and products
that enable us to stay ahead of the game.
We endeavour to ask the following
questions to ensure our criteria is met: is it
truly new? Is it a suitable product? Does it
work effectively? And does it represent true
value for money? Because of different tastes
and techniques, what may be selling well in
America may simply not be of interest in the
UK. Our job is to make that call.
What are your best selling lines?
Do you offer workshops/courses?
While fabrics are an important element in
our sales, it is the non-fabric lines that tend to
get overlooked. Recent research in America
suggests that 40 percent of the sales of quilting
products are generated through products
other than fabrics. That is certainly not the
case in the UK. We maintain that fabric is
bought with the heart and non-fabric with
the head. That can make it difficult to make
a balanced decision about how to allocate
budgets. Above all, it is impossible to make a
quilt without wadding and threads so that is a
good place to start. Notions (the American
term for specialist haberdashery products)
are the basic tools of a quilter and there is a
We don’t offer workshops as such, but
re totally committed to education so we
work closely with various teachers and
demonstrators who give classes using our
products. In addition, we have a library of
instructional videos on our website that show
how to use a number of different products.
Certainly workshops form an important
part of the quilting story and most of our
customers do offer classes.
What do you think are the most
important trends for this season?
Big, bright and bold may be the best way
to describe current trends in fabrics. While
quilting remains an essentially traditional craft,
we have noticed in the last couple of years
a significant trend towards brighter, fresher
colours which, in many cases, reflect the
fashion industry in its colour combinations.
Names such as Michael Miller, Riley Blake and
Amy Butler epitomise this trend. The good
news is that this is also making quilting more
attractive to a younger generation.
Are there any important lessons that
you have learned that you can share with
CF readers?
When starting a new business, everything
takes longer than you can ever predict and if
you don’t wake at 3am thinking, “What have I
done?” then you are not taking it seriously!
What plans do you have for the future?
Most recently we have expanded our activities
to encompass a wider range of textile craft
products. Building on our distribution of
Madeira threads and Zweigart fabrics, we now
offer a wide range of lines for needlework and
cross stitch. This has led us to commission a
wide assortment of cross stitch and stamped
needlework kits under the EQS label.
In addition, we have not ruled out the
possibility of expanding into the rest of Europe.
We now have contacts across the EU and
beyond which could form the foundation of
a concerted drive to work more actively in
those areas. We just need to make sure that
we have all the resources, primarily human, to
carry out a properly structured and supported
campaign. C
Further information
EQS Ltd, 11 Iliffe House, Iliffe Avenue,
Leicester, LE2 5LS.
T: +44 (0)116 271 0033
www.eqsuk.com
craftfocus 59
GOING
ABOVE
and beyond
Jo Causon, Chief Executive of the
Institute of Customer Service, sheds
some light on the many reasons why
excelling at customer service makes
good business sense.
The two questions that
crop up most regularly
whenever I speak or
I am interviewed are:
‘Does customer service
really matter?’ and when
I reply emphatically, ‘Yes
it does, it matters very
much’, I am invariably
asked ‘OK, but isn’t it
very expensive to get customer service right?’
The answer is an equally emphatic ‘No.’
While it is one thing to believe this fervently,
as I do, it is quite another thing to prove it,
but this is what the Institute of Customer
Service has recently tried to do. The result
is a major piece of new research, ‘Return on
investment in customer service – the bottom
line report’ which investigates the impact that
customer service has on the bottom line of
any organisation.
The research arose from a realisation that
those of us involved in promoting customer
service excellence and professionalism need
to talk more in the language of business. We
need to understand how business operates
and how customer service delivery – the
whole experience – has to add up in order
60 craftfocus
to demonstrate that it is an important
strategic driver for business. We wanted to
move thinking away from customer service
being purely about service and the delivery
mechanisms to a recognition of its worth as a
serious business imperative at the very heart
of any successful business.
If you look at the Institute’s UK Customer
Satisfaction Index results, it’s clear that the
same companies are always up at the top of
the ratings – significantly ahead of the game.
What is it that makes them so successful? The
way they implement, manage and measure
their customer service and how they work to
align their people, processes and strategy.
While our research didn’t cover the craft
sector specifically, there is enough common
ground in the findings to predict that they will
apply equally to this area as to any other.
There is no one single solution shining
through our report – which doesn’t surprise
me. It is of course contextual and will vary
depending on the business sector, culture
of the organisation, competitive landscape
and other factors. But what is clear is that
the softer, more emotional activities such as
treating customers as individuals are becoming
more and more important.
Customers want to be treated as a person
not a number. We want to give our candid
opinion on the service we receive – and the
growth of social media makes this very easy.
The softer elements of customer experience
and customer engagement – the complete
experience – these are the areas organisations
need to focus on and measure. This needs
to be done right across the business, from
the back to the front. It’s not just about how
glossy the brochure or the website are, or
indeed about how beautiful the dress looks. It’s
about an end-to-end experience that creates
an advocate of the customer.
That experience begins before the
customer has even come in contact with you
personally. It might be a referral from a friend,
the result of ‘Googling’ on the web, or casually
These softer, less tangible aspects of customer
service are harder to measure, especially
those that influence customer behaviour and
perceptions, but they will lead to competitive
advantage because they provide a focused and
customer-centric approach – bringing all parts
of the business together to give customers
what they want. And in today’s challenging
economic climate, the organisations that can
differentiate through exceptional customer
focus on
service are the ones who will not only survive,
they will grow.
“It’s not just about how glossy the
brochure or the website are, or
indeed about how beautiful the
dress looks. It’s about an end-toend experience that creates an
advocate of the customer.”
Strong, enduring customer relationships are
the key to long term success and profitability.
A total of 81 per cent of respondents believed
that gaining an understanding from the
customer viewpoint i.e. understanding what
the customer wants - not what you believe
they might want - is very likely to lead to an
ROI in customer service. Acting on customer
feedback was second with 74 per cent and
selecting the right staff followed with 68
per cent.
If you want to achieve an optimum return
on your investment in customer service,
I recommend the following steps to add
real value to your organisation and, thereby,
achieve competitive returns.
• Look at your strategy – its effectiveness,
how is it perceived internally and
externally – and compare it to
your competitors.
• Is customer service fully embedded
in your culture? Is there a consistent
approach across the organisation,
its attitudes and behaviours? How
comfortable is your staff with making
informed decisions for the customer,
without having to refer the query to a
more senior colleague?
• Do you look at the service you provide
from the customer viewpoint? Do you
know what needs to change in order
to deliver the definitive customer
experience? How can you develop a strong
relationship with all your customers?
•
Be innovative. Embrace social media, look
at what online forums are saying about
you, your industry and your competitors.
Find out where you can make
the difference.
•
Don’t forget your basics. Review your
‘hygiene factors’ such as service recovery
and staff training.
And in answer to my second most
frequently asked question, ‘Isn’t this expensive?’
It certainly doesn’t have to be. The latest
results from our bi-annual UK Customer
Satisfaction Index published in July, show that
small organisations can steal the march on
their larger rivals through personalised service.
Local providers score well for the unrivalled
through selecting and training the right staff
they can develop a consistent customer
experience much more easily.
While we must acknowledge the
importance of customer service we should
also celebrate it. National Customer Service
Week, run by the Institute and taking place
from 3rd-9th October. Last year over 1,700
businesses and organisations took part to
acknowledge the role the customer plays in
their activities. It is free to join in and you
don’t have to be a member of the Institute.
See below for details.
“Local providers score well for
the professionalism of their staff,
their knowledge of the customer
and the organisation’s services –
and importantly how they handle
complaints and customer issues.
In doing so they rival the best
performers in the Index as a
whole, such as John Lewis, Marks
& Spencer, Marriott Hotels and
other similar giants.”
professionalism of their staff, their knowledge
of the customer and the organisation’s
services – and importantly how they handle
complaints and customer issues. In doing so
they rival the best performers in the Index as
a whole, such as John Lewis, Marks & Spencer,
Marriott Hotels and other similar giants.
So, small is beautiful. Large organisations
may have big training budgets but theirs is
a constant struggle to deliver consistently
good customer service, to ensure that every
customer gets the same standards of service
across all their outlets. Smaller organisations
may not have the financial advantages but
About the Institute of Customer Service
The Institute of Customer Service is the professional body for customer service and is
the first port of call on all aspects of customer service, delivering tangible benefits to
organisations and individuals. Our aim is to ensure that our customers can improve their
business performance and their customers’ experience.
The Institute is a membership body with a community of more than 320 organisational
members - from the private, public and third sectors - and around 6,000 individual members.
The message is that it is no longer good
enough to simply satisfy your customers or
to deliver a service that works. No longer
can you merely deliver a service within the
timescale you have set. All these are important
and we have to do them. But what will really
make the difference is when the customer
asks: when I went through that experience,
did they really engage with me, did they
understand my needs, did they think about
what was best for me? Does this approach
run through the whole of your organisation?
Would I recommend them to a friend?
There should always be a constant striving
for improvement, never settling for the routine
just because it’s always worked for you.
Successful organisations are those that are
prepared to innovate and if necessary, take
a risk. C
Further information
The Institute of Customer Service
www.instituteofcustomerservice.com
craftfocus 61
needlework
needle crafting
Step into the modern world of needlecraft
delights, with Becky Williams’ run-down of tapestry,
embroidery and more
Stylish storage
From the tapestries of ancient Egypt to the embroideries of the Bayeux Tapestry,
needecrafts are some of the most ancient handicrafts known to man. It’s the
beautiful simplicity of needlecrafts that has enabled them to endure into the 21st
century, a new audience of enthusiastic and contemporary crafters can be found.
New developments in the industry are bringing in new needlecrafters, while also
giving experienced crafters fresh areas of interest. This month, we’re looking at the
needlecrafts of tapestry, long stitch, embroidery, rag rugging, crewel and stumpwork
plus specialist tools.
Best of British
Coats Crafts offers
premium quality products
across all sectors of
the crafting sphere. Their needlepoint brands include Anchor, Maia and Royal
Paris, all of which offer a fabulous selection of tapestry and long stitch kits,
alongside the cross stitch ranges. Autumn sees the launch of the new Anchor
AW11 collection, featuring a comprehensive selection of new tapestry designs.
Floral and traditional British landscape scenes mix with more contemporary
homeware designs and keep well within the current trend boundaries. Notable
is the new ‘Love’ tapestry cushion kit, reflecting the quirky British theme perfectly
by including flavours of the Union Jack design. There are also several beautiful
still life designs alongside quintessentially British countryside scenes.
Also new for this autumn is the new Anna Maria Horner needleworks
collection. Part of this collection is two beautiful envelope collections of sixstrand embroidery floss in different palettes chosen specially by Anna Maria.
The packages are exquisitely beautiful and provide a portable storage option
for all of your stitching adventures. The envelope even has a large-scale winding
card for the embroiderer to use. Alongside this will be a beautiful two-ply pearl
cotton range, also packaged in charming gift boxes.
Further information: T: +44 (0)1484 681881, E: [email protected],
www.coatscrafts.co.uk
Prym’s storage bags are practical and pretty – essential
for needlework enthusiasts! Well thought-out, they
provide plenty of space for essential needlework
accessories when open and when closed they’re
compact enough to store easily. Inside, there are elastic
loops in various sizes, plus pockets for storing tape
measures, scissors, pens, etc. The sturdy design keeps the
contents safe and well organised. The bags are not only
functional but downright chic, and sure to be on every
needlework enthusiast’s wish list!
For crafters with a lot more stash to store,
Prym make larger storage boxes, as well as other
haberdashery items, including scissors, thimbles,
magnifying glasses, embroidery frames and embroidery
needles for use in tapestry, embroidery and crewel.
Whether your customers are new to crafting and need
general purpose accessories, or they are expert crafters
looking for specialist tools, Prym cater for every need.
Further information: Coats Crafts UK
T: +44 (0)1325 394227, or Habico Limited
T: +44 (0)113 2631500.
Licensed needlework
Verachtert is a leading Belgian manufacturer of quality needlework
kits, which have been sold worldwide for 60 years under the
trade mark Vervaco. The Vervaco collection is an all-round
needlework collection which includes a range of licensed products
such as Disney and Popcorn. The Vervaco range contains a wide
variety of different needlework kits with all kinds of techniques,
including long stitch, tapestry, latch hook and cross stitch. Thanks
to the international style of the designs, the top-quality materials
(Zweigart fabric and DMC yarn), and clear multi-lingual working
instructions, the kits are commercial products which can easily
be marketed.
Further information: Groves & Banks T: +44 (0)1844 258080,
Thomas B. Ramsden T: +44 (0)1943 872264, Design Perfection
T: +44 (0)1706 822556, W: www.verachtert.be
craftfocus 65
needle crafting
Floral and traditional British landscape scenes mix with
more contemporary homewares designs.
Classic samplers
Kits with extras
Christine Silvester has been designing needlework kits under the Abacus Designs
name since 1993 and has just introduced a brand new kit concept. She says: “The
new ‘Stitch and Sow’ range features spectacular embroidered flower designs, and a
novel feature is that every kit contains a pack of Thompson and Morgan seeds, so
the flower can be grown as well as stitched.”
“The kits make great gifts and have received an excellent response. With vibrant
shades of Madeira threads, the kits contain Indian silk, which is then backed with
wadding and calico to give a padded effect. The completed designs vary in size
from three to five inch square, with trade prices varying accordingly, from £6.25
upward. An attractive point of sale display box is provided with initial orders of
16 kits or more.”
Abacus Designs has built up an enviable reputation in the specialist needlecraft
sector and its wide range of designs also includes canals and waterways, buildings
and town scenes.
Further information: Abacus Designs at Audlem Mill Limited, The Wharf,
Audlem, Cheshire, CW3 0DX, T: +44 (0)1270 811059, E: [email protected],
www.abacusdesigns.com/trade.html or www.abacusdesigns.com/stitch & sow
embroidery.html
Patricia Ann Designs was founded in March 2000 and
in the past 11 years, Patricia has produced over 60
designs with many more featured in magazines in the
UK and USA. She has also written a book, ‘Beginner’s
Guide to Drawn Thread Embroidery’, published by
Search Press. Patricia says: “My samplers incorporate
traditional stitches and techniques from the past with
contemporary new fibres, threads and embellishments,
to produce a stunning modern heirloom.”
Some designs are geared at the more experienced
stitcher who wants to improve their stitching skills by
learning new and challenging intricate speciality stitches
and techniques like Drawn Thread and Hardanger. Other
designs may feature just one or two simple techniques,
making them perfect for beginners wishing to broaden
their needlecraft skills. All the designs feature clear and
easy to follow charts, diagrams and written instructions.
E: [email protected], www.patricia-anndesigns.com, UK distributor Derwentwater Designs
T: +44 (0)1768 865008.
Magic canvases
Zweigart is the world’s leading manufacturer of needlework fabrics and canvases. Since 1877,
Zweigart has been weaving, dyeing and finishing top-quality German made fabrics for different
needlework techniques, such as embroidery, tapestry, long stitch, hardanger, pulled and drawn
thread work, and all kinds of canvas work. Recently launched is Zweigart’s two new ‘needlework
idea’ booklets with projects for using Waste Canvas and Magic Canvas.
Waste Canvas can be used as a grid to work embroidery onto clothing, such as jeans,
sweaters, caps, etc. After the embroidery is finished, the canvas is dampened in order to pull
out the warp and weft threads. The embroidered motive is now on the garment. This is a very
popular technique for young people to be able to personalise their favourite piece of clothing.
The Zweigart needlework idea booklet no. 222 shows projects with instructions using Zweigart
canvases (article 500/40 and 510/56).
Magic Canvas (article 9614) is a coloured canvas, which is a combination of a craft and a
needlework product. It’s possible to work 3D projects, as well as framed needlework projects. The
Zweigart needlework idea booklet shows a variety of projects using long stitch and chain stitch,
such as friendship bracelets, keyring pendants, sport bags, book jackets and many more.
Further information: Zweigart & Sawitzki, T: 0049 7031 795 427, E: sales @zweigart.de. Or
contact Zweigart’s UK distributors: Derwentwater Designs T: +44 (0)1768 483 119, EQS
T: +44 (0)116 271 0033, HeeBee T: +44 (0)1565 872 225, Heritage Cratfs T: +44 (0)1889 575 256.
66 craftfocus
Stock up now for Christmas
Tapestry kits for all levels of ability
Easy to follow designs with colour printed canvas
Tel: 01460 281111 [email protected]
www.jollyred.co.uk
needle crafting
Specialist embroidery
tutor
If you’re looking for an embroidery
expert to visit your shop and hold
talks or workshops, look no further
than Tracy A Franklin. Tracy is a specialist
freelance embroiderer, based in Fowlers
Yard studios, Durham City. She is an expert in
various embroidery techniques, including Crewel
work (wool on linen), Silk-shading (fine embroidery), Canvas work
(embroidery worked on canvas) and Gold work (both traditional and
contemporary). As well as commission work, exhibiting and selling
specialist materials, Tracy also teaches these techniques in workshops
and classes, both at her studios and other requested venues.
The classes, courses and workshops taught by Tracy include Royal
School of Needlework certificated courses, and City & Guilds
Embroidery & Design levels 1, 2 and 3, taught on site and also by
distance learning. These courses are taught through Tracy’s wellestablished ‘Stitchbusiness’ (www.stitchbusiness.com). Like any good
expert, Tracy also boasts three embroidery publications to her name:
‘New Ideas in Goldwork’, ‘Contemporary Whitework’ (both published
by BT Batsford Ltd), and ‘Crewel Work’ (self published).
Tracy also works to commission for individuals and for bigger
museum work, and she leads the Durham Cathedral Broderers on
ecclesiastical commissions, which are supported by the Friends of
Durham Cathedral. Within her studio, there are various pieces of
work on display and a stock of specialist threads, materials and other
embroidery equipment available, for classes, workshops and individuals.
Further information: W: www.tracyafranklin.com.
Strawberry tapestry
Bothy Threads has a small range of traditional tapestry kits, with
the most popular being the William Morris, Bird and Strawberry
Thief. Over the last ten years, the company has concentrated on
developing an extensive range of cross stitch kits, but is now excited
to be launching a new range of contemporary tapestry kits.
Bothy Threads is also busy stitching up a wonderful Gorjuss
collection, featuring square and circular cushion designs and a vintage
collection will be out later this year. All these new kits are worked in
tent stitch using Appleton tapesty wool on a 12HPI canvas.
Further information: T: 01638 665149, E: [email protected],
www.bothythreads.com.
Unique creativity
Packed with tradition
For almost 20 years, Mill Hill (a
division of Wichelt Imports in the
US) has manufactured kits, beads,
buttons and treasures world
wide crafting enthusiasts.
The unique line of Mill Hill kits
combine beads with stranded
thread, and are stitched on
perforated paper. Mill Hill
produces new lines of kits for
the spring/summer, autumn and
winter seasons, ranging from small (6x6cm) to large (13x13cm), plus
other specialties throughout the year. The Buttons and Beads, Charmed
Ornaments, Seasonal Ornaments and Santa lines are several of the most
popular. Each kit comes complete with Mill Hill Glass Beads, Ceramic
Button and/or Treasure, 14-count Perforated Paper, stranded thread,
needles and instructions. Mill Hill also holds the license for producing kits
that adapt the artwork of Debbie Mumm, Jim Shore and Sticks.
Mill Hill is a division of Wichelt Imports, a leading distributor of
needlecraft products worldwide for more than 40 years, including cross
stitch fabric, bell-pull hardware, Permin kits, Mirabilia Designs, stranded
thread, needles, scissors and the complete Mill Hill line.
Further information: E: [email protected], www.wichelt.com.
Twilleys of Stamford has long been associated with the
manufacture and distribution of needlecraft kits from its original
base in Lincolnshire. Twilleys traditionally had a comprehensive
range of tapestry, cross stitch, embroidery and longstitch kits
with a plethora of design subjects. Today, the Twilleys of Stamford
brand is part of the Thomas Ramsden group and is based in
West Yorkshire, where it continues to evolve and flourish in its
craft products.
The once extensive range of craft products has been vastly
reduced but, more importantly, it has been refreshed and it now
regularly launches new products developed by the small design
team that still resides in Stamford.
The current needlecraft collection offers plenty of choice for
tapestry and longstitch, mostly in the form of traditional scenes
and cushions kits, but there are also some smaller projects for
children. The future will see Twilleys focused on maintaining a
compact range of products that are continually supplemented
with new kits engaging strong and innovative designs.
The Twilleys 2011 catalogue is available from head office or
alternatively can be viewed as a PDF online at www.tbramsden.
co.uk/craft
E: [email protected], www.tbramsen.co.uk.
68 craftfocus
needle crafting
A world of creativity
Sensational
stumpwork
and more
The Mary Jane Collection is a small
design and manufacturing company,
which specialises in the more
traditional forms of embroidery.
The company has been trading for
about 20 years and the product
range has grown from those early days. Inspiration is taken from the
countryside and designs use traditional styles, for example, the range
of crewelwork in the Jacobean style. The range of products include
Crewelwork, Goldwork, Stumpwork, and Blackwork, with kits and
booklets suitable not just for the accomplished needleworker but also
for the beginner.
The Blackwork range has the more traditional samplers and bellpulls
but there is also a range of seven books for Christmas – each book
contains six designs using Holbein stitch. They also incorporate charms
and buttons, which bring them into the 21st century.
The Goldwork kits comprise not only flowers but hedgerows as well,
(shown in the Blackberries and the Rosehips kits). These kits use beads
for the stumpwork blackberries, and rayon threads for the embroidery,
to give the look of silk, which is then enhanced with Jap thread.
The range of Crewelwork covers pictures, cushions, bellpulls
and firescreens. The thread used in the crewelwork range is Caron
Impressions, which is 50 percent silk and 50 percent wool. The thread
ensures that stitches are not as ‘chunky’ as wool and yet not as flat as
stranded cotton. The designs use a variety of different stitches and are
available as fabric packs as well as complete kits.
The Mary Jane Collection offers eight accessory kits in the
stumpwork range, which covers the use of wire and calico slips within
the design. These kits are suitable for beginners. There are also three
larger designs in the stumpwork range – Foxglove, Apple Blossom,
Robin and Ivy.
E: [email protected], www.maryjanecollection.com.
70 craftfocus
DMC Creative World Ltd is delighted to offer retailers a
wonderful selection of tapestry products including Collection
D’Art Tapestry Canvases, Woodland Folk starter packs, Tapestry
Starter kits and a range of Children’s Tapestry kits.
Tapestry is traditionally worked in half cross stitch using DMC
tapestry wool or soft cotton onto a colour design printed on
tapestry canvas. The designs available are perfect for all tastes
and abilities, from beginners to experienced stitchers, with the
Collection D’art range offering 50 at great value, in a range of
popular themes and sizes. There are also complete kits with
the Woodland Folk Tapestry starter packs that include DMC
soft cotton thread, as well as a range of fun and quick-to-stitch
Tapestry starter kits that make the perfect gift for someone who
is keen to learn a new technique. Prices: from RRP £8.99 for a
6x6in tapestry starter kit to £23.99 for a 20x24in (50x60cm)
Collection D’Art canvas only.
Further information: T: +44 (0) 116 275 4000,
E: [email protected], www.dmccreative.co.uk.
Rug hooking
artist
Rug Making is becoming
a popular art and craft
form using traditional
techniques, and turning
new and recycled
materials into fabulous
floor coverings, just as our ancestors did many years go. Cilla
Cameron is an international rug maker, teacher and wholesaler
who runs The Rug Studio in Nottinghamshire. She runs rag rug
workshops in her studio and in retail outlets to promote rug
making and sells rug-making equipment through mail order.
Cilla holds a wide range of equipment, from the beginner
through to experienced makers, for making both Hooked
Rugs and Proddy Mats. She offers to retailers a selection of
Rag Rug Kits, with and without ready-drawn patterns, and
including hooks, prodders and spring hooks handcrafted in
England. Ready-drawn patterns on hessian are suitable for
all rug makers and this top-quality evenweave hessian is
manufactured for rug makers.
The Rug Studio offers a fabulous collection of jewelcoloured, hand-dyed wool flannel swatches for making hooked
and proddy rugs, as well as hand-dyed sheep fleece that’s
suitable for textured work.
Further information: Cilla Cameron T: +44 (0)775 277
2474, E: [email protected], www.ragrugsuk.co.uk.
needle crafting
Introducing rag rugging
Deborah Hastings runs Devon-based Rag Rug Textiles and produces kits that include a sample of rag rugging, plus enough recycled fabric to get
started learning this craft in a successful and achievable way. The kits are ideal for newcomers and make lovely gifts – simply add a pair of scissors!
Each kit is contained in an A4 clear hanging bag and there are three kits available.
The Proddy Kit contains a 2ft square of hessian, a sample of rag rugging, prodder, plus a marked-out piece of recycled fabric ready to cut into the
right-sized pieces, and full written instructions. Add a backing to make into a cushion.
The Hooky Kit contains a 2ft square of hessian, sample of rag rugging, hook, plus a marked-out piece of recycled fabric ready to cut into the rightsized pieces, and full written instructions. Add a backing to make into a cushion.
The Lavender Bag Kit makes an eight inchsquare lavender bag, and includes all materials needed including: recycled fabric, lavender sachet, prodder,
a sample and full written instructions.
If required, Deborah can provide a sample of the lavender bag kit to aid sales, and Deborah can also provide demonstrations or workshops to
help introduce rag rugging to your shop.
Further information: T: +44 (0)1769 560515, E: [email protected], www.ragrugtextiles.com
Rag rugger tool
More rag rugs
Jenni Stuart-Anderson is based in Herefordshire and has been making one-off,
contemporary rag rugs, cushions and wall hangings since 1987. She uses recycled
textiles, which she also weaves into boas with locally sourced rare breed fleece. Using
traditional techniques and tools, Jennie holds workshops at various venues, including
retailers’ premises.
‘Rag Rug Making’ by Jenni Stuart-Anderson was published by Traplet Publications
in 2003 and has been reprinted twice. Jenni’s new book ‘More Rag Rugs’ will be
published later this year. Both books outline the history of rag rug making and give
guidelines for designing and making rag rugs and other projects, including doorstops,
jewellery, festive wreaths and seat mats. The new book ‘More Rag Rugs’, also
published by Traplet includes details for making a rug frame and a peg loom, plus a
peg loom woven rug project.
With interest growing rapidly in recycling crafts and a low-impact life style, Jenni’s
rag rug making courses are being snapped up across the UK.
Further information:T: +44 (0)1568 750229, E: [email protected],
www.jenni.ragrugs.freeuk.com
72 craftfocus
Rag rug making is an old favourite craft, often
associated with ‘hard times’. There are a range of
working methods and tools available but the ‘standard’
in the UK used to be the shaggy rag rug (with a
range of regional names) usually made with a tool,
now antique, properly called ‘Browns Patent Rag
Mat Maker’.
Browns ceased production more that half a century
ago, but Makings Handicrafts has created a modern
version of the old Brown’s tool called the ‘Rag Rugger’
and has been gaining in popularity ever since.
The present economic downturn has brought
increased attention to rag rug making, and the fact
that this is the ultimate recycling craft (the material
used is almost always old clothes or textiles) makes it
one of the hottest topics in the craft world. It’s been a
favourite at craft shows, large and small, for some time.
Makings Handicrafts is based in Cornwall and
produces a small range of other rag rug making tools,
supplying wholesale to teachers, demonstrators and
retail outlets throughout the UK and well beyond.
Makings Handicrafts creates all of its own products and
is, therefore, able to guarantee quality.
E: [email protected], www.makings.co.uk.
75$'(:,5(6&28.
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templates are tops
From templates to workshops to manufacturing, B-C-E has developed a thriving business
inspired by imagination! Owner Jon Sutton tells us more…
What made you decide to venture into
this business?
As a retailer we noticed there was a gap in
the market for generous sized shaped card
templates for consumers. When we began,
we decided to use the strongest available
Polypropylene for manufacturing the templates
as we realised that the end user is going to be
using the templates time and time again.
When was the business started?
We started in summer 2006 manufacturing
our first Stencillo designs purely to sell in our
own two retail shops and at consumer shows.
Our own customers spread the word to other
retailers, and they approached us to ask if we
would supply them. Within a few months we
decided to attend the Craft, Hobby and Stitch
International trade show in the Bright Sparks
pavilion and attracted our first 60 retailers. At
the show we were approached by one of the
buyers for Create and Craft, which pushed us
into full time manufacturing.
What was your background prior to
this business?
Kim (wife and business partner) had been in
retail crafting for eight years and had racked
up a few awards for best regional retailer in
that time. Her classes were extremely popular
and an ideal way to showcase techniques and
products, but coming up with new ideas all the
time was very tiring. Using our templates she
found she could offer several classes from one
template and different decoration techniques
could be incorporated into the class. So Kim’s
mind began to race with ideas for templates
which increased the classes and eased her
74 craftfocus
problem of keeping customers interested.
I have several years experience in varied
manufacturing environments and am therefore
extremely knowledgeable about the technical
processes. So it was a very easy transition to
close one of our outlets to concentrate on
manufacturing and the award winning Blyth
Craft Studio.
Who are your customers and what specialist
brands do you distribute?
The majority of our customers are bricks and
mortar shops with a growing number of web
retailers. We only sell our own B-C-E branded
products including templates, stamps, CDRoms,
DVDs, decoupage and our extremely popular
template tape.
focus on...
What do you think is your unique
selling point?
Strong durable templates with easy to
follow instructions that always follow the
same format. Many consumers that use our
products comment that they are easy to
use and they provide speed and accuracy
by eliminating measuring. Kim is constantly
designing templates which can do more than
one card ensuring that the inevitable valuefor-money factor is at the forefront of the
consumer’s mind. Our instructional DVDs are
a strong selling tool, giving the consumer the
techniques to do more with each template
than it was originally designed for and also
acting as a showcase for other templates in
the range. Many of the templates can be used
for umpteen different creations.
“Whatever is newest is always the
hottest seller, however, at present
exploding boxes and complex card
projects are seeing a revival”
What are your best selling lines?
Whatever is newest is always the hottest seller.
At present exploding boxes and complex card
projects are seeing a revival. The kinetic cards
have so much more appeal, that the recipient
often leaves that card out for weeks after the
event to show visitors. The pride the maker
feels is incredible.
Do you offer workshops/courses?
Kim can be booked for In-store
demonstrations which can include a workshop.
Most of our retailers book Kim a couple of
times a year.
What do you think are the most important
trends for this season?
Character based products have been
gaining popularity with many manufacturers
promoting licensed characters. B-C-E is also
meeting this demand, but, instead of providing
images that are prolific in high street greeting
card shops, we have opted to commission our
very own range of ‘cute’ characters by a UK
artist. This gives the card maker a whole new
choice which is exclusively for their use.
Are there any important lessons that
you have learned that you can share with
CF readers?
As a retailer, try to keep up with current
trends and listen to your customers – they
know what they want which might not
necessarily be what you want to stock. Try to
educate them into purchasing products that
will breathe new life into their creations. Run
demonstrations and classes. Samples always
sell – a lot of consumers will often be swayed
into a purchase if they can see an example
of what a product will allow them to create.
Our templates come in resealable cellophane
bags so staff members can make samples for
the price of a piece of card. Most customers
are absolutely fine if you say the only template
left is the one you used to make a sample. C
Further information
B-C-E (UK) Ltd, Unit 9, Edlington Court,
Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 1LT
T: +44 (0)1427 810301
W: www.b-c-e.co.uk/trade
craftfocus 75
quilting
quilting today
Quilting: stitching together two pieces of fabric with a thick
padding between them. Actually, quilting today is so much more
than this dictionary definition says Wendy Gardiner
The recent Festival of Quilts, was a huge
success with visitor numbers slightly up yearon-year despite the economic times and riots
(which were happening at the same time),
which just goes to show that quilting is still
big news. There are lots of different types of
quilting, ranging from traditional quilts using
traditional techniques to amazing textile art. To
find out how the various aspects of quilting are
perceived we spoke to an exhibition organiser,
retailers, editors and tutors.
during the show, the vast majority of which
are fully booked prior to the event starting!
Quilters have a veracious appetite for learning
new techniques and trying new tools. Many
also come with empty suitcases, ready
to stock up on lots of new products, fabrics
and threads.
For further information about Twisted
Thread’s creative exhibitions, T: +44 (0)208
692 2299, www.twistedthread.com.
THE EDITORS
THE EXHIBITION ORGANISER
Twisted Thread
Andrew Salmon, MD of Twisted Thread,
organisers of the Festival of Quilts, the Knitting
and Stitching shows and Stitch and Craft
Some months ago we were telephoned by
someone doing research into the benefits of
quilting, but even we were unprepared for the
resulting newspaper headline. Enthusiastic as
we are, we can’t (quite) see quilting as the
new yoga! What we do see is that the vast
majority of people who attend Festival of
Quilts, simply take enormous satisfaction in
being amongst fellow quilters and seeing some
extraordinary work.
The exhibition stages a number of
competitions and the resulting displays of
entries submitted for the various categories is
always staggering. These along with the galleries
from top artists and teachers sharing their
vision and talent make this a very important
aspect of the show. Another very important
area is the academy workshops and quick and
easy classes. We offer over 300 different classes
Patchwork and
Quilting magazine
Dianne Huck, editor
of British Patchwork &
Quilting magazine
shares her views on
the quilting market.
I’m delighted that patchwork and quilting
is still a strong, vibrant craft 30 years after its
huge revival in the late ‘70s. I think quilting
stores have probably done most to keep
the sewing and cotton industry buoyant
and are very important in retaining interest
and encouraging new people to take up
the craft.
Quilting is very social with most quilters
belonging to at least one group and this is
one of the main reasons I feel quilting has
flourished and grown to the extent it has.
Encouraging group visits, or taking your shop
to the group are great ways to encourage
sales and ffering activities specifically for
youngsters will inspire a new generation to
continue this creative craft.
Fabrics
Judi Mendelssohn, assistant editor of the
magazine travels around the country visiting
shops to feature in the magazine and says
she has noticed how each shop has its own
distinctive identity. This will be primarily due to
what the shop owner likes, modified by what
their customers want. Sometimes the building
in which the shop is situated can have an
influence, such as whether it is old with many
rooms, full of nooks and crannies or a large
room in a modern building. “Of course each
shop will need a wide basic range, but being
known as a ‘specialist’ stockist whether that’s
for ‘30s prints, American Civil War designs,
batiks or Japanese designs, can have a big
impact especially when trading at quilt shows
where a stall needs to stand out from the
crowd” said Judi. Even with the competition
of internet sales, quilters still like to see and
stroke fabrics. Patterns and kits are widely
available and made up samples really do make
a difference to sales.
Books and magazines
These can have a big influence on fabric and
equipment sales – witness the success of
strip rolls. Initially they were bought and left
languishing at home because quilters did not
really know how to use them. Several books
have shown the myriad of designs possible.
craftfocus 77
quilting today
Justhands-on.tv
In the same way there are books that show
traditional designs for using ‘30s or American
Civil War fabrics. Magazines, such as ‘British
Patchwork & Quilting’ often feature projects
using the latest fabric ranges and the editors
strongly believe that quilters need to support
their local quilt shops.
Workshops
Shops that are large enough to encompass
their own workshop space are at a great
advantage. ‘Drop in’ sessions for groups or
individuals can be offered as well as weekly
lessons or day workshops. If space is not
available in the shop, many owners find it well
worth hiring a nearby hall.
To stock British Patchwork & Quilting
magazine, available to retailers on SOR,
contact Traplet Publications Ltd,
T: +44 (0)1684 588500.
To find out other ways in which the
magazine can offer you support contact
Justhands-on.tv
Patchwork and quilting
online is a new concept
in the UK but one that
has been embraced by
Justhands-on.tv who are
proud to spotlight the
wide range of talent that exists here in the UK.
Created by Valerie Nesbitt and co-presented
with Jennie Rayment, this on-line tv channel
brings weekly workshops and demonstrations
into the homes of subscribers. They also tour
shows and exhibitions with their cameras so
that viewers can be educated, informed and
inspired. Devoted to patchwork, quilting and
mixed media textile arts, it attracted more
than 10,000 members worldwide it its first
year and during that time ,witnessed a growing
interest from a younger audience. “People of
all ages, from novices to the experienced, can
enjoy workshops and inspiration in their own
home from talented tutors that they might not
otherwise have access to, at any time of the
day or night that suits them and their
78 craftfocus
lifestyles. All they need is access to the
internet” said Valerie.
Mandy Shaw, one of the UK’s top sewing
designers, who features her book ‘Stitch with
Love’ on the site says that she has seen a
definite move towards creative home-made
décor. “I think the current economic climate
with people spending more time at home
has provided the incentive but the growing
momentum is due to the infectious sense of
well-being generated from making something
from scratch” she said. For further information
visit: www.justhands-on.tv.
RETAILERS
Creative Quilting
Issy Saulet of Creative
Quilting, a specialist
shop in Hampton
Court village shared
her views.
New products
Recycling wadding seems to be doing very
well for us. We have just started to stock a
new product called Dream Green. It’s entirely
made of recycled plastic bottles (hence the
slight green tint). It comes in a pre-packed
format (crib, queen, king) and also on the roll
(60” wide). It works for machine quilting and
for hand quilting alike (it’s even the wadding
recommended by our handquilting teacher,
Jenny Barlow).
We are also seeing a renewed interest in
all things vintage of course so buttons, ricrac
and ribbons are doing extremely well. Our
customers must have made miles of bunting
which is the must-have item at any party at
the moment! However, we’ve found the
trend is not about brand new products, but
more about existing products being revamped
and made to look pretty. We did very well
with a rotary cutter (Olfa 45mm) that had
a white background with lots of pretty tulips
printed on it. It was a special edition and
despite being £4.00 more expensive than the
plain yellow version, it sold very well. We have
customers buying boxes of pins just because
they have a very pretty plastic button head!
New trends
I think a fundamental shift is happening and
we are seeing a lot of young women (age
25-35) coming to the shop wanting to make
unique quilts or items for either their own
children or for friends. They are clearly tired of
shop-bought items and everything looking the
same. They want something unique and want
to make it themselves. It’s not surprising the
sale of sewing machines has gone through the
roof in the last 18 months. I jokingly call it the
‘Kirstie effect’ as we saw lots of women coming
into the shop after the broadcast of Kirstie
Allsop’s Handmade Home programmes. They
all wanted to make the same stocking or the
same advent calendar.
We also get asked if we run classes for
children (girls and boys). Children love making
things and they have no fear – adults can get all
panicky and worried they won’t be able to use
a machine or might look stupid if they don’t
achieve perfection the first time. Children don’t
have those hang-ups, you sit them in front of a
machine and off they go. (need this section to
be attributed to someone).
I have recently listened to Debra Meaden
from Dragons Den on Radio 4 and while
I agreed with her about apprentices, I
don’t agree that one of the reasons is that
‘handmade is not cool’. Where we are (Surrey),
handmade is very cool and lots of young
people are doing it as is shown in the photo
here. The owl (called Twit) was made by Max
with his mum Sarah.
Creative Quilting,
T: +44 (0)208
941 7075,
www.creative
quilting.co.uk.
quilting today
The Royal Bridlington
Dotty Dolly
Joan and Debby Standfast opened a patchwork
and quilting shop in Wellington, Somerset, a
year ago.
We have recently been selling lots of
Christmas fabric and advent calendar panels.
Actually these have been selling since July.
It is a sign of the times though that people
are preparing for special occasions well in
advance, and that the quick-sew options of
pre-printed panels answer the need for an
easy to complete project. Moda’s ‘30s Feedsack
fabrics are very popular at present, as are the
very pretty contemporary fabrics and we think
this popularity will continue. We have recently
started selling Osnaburg for customers who
like to add embroidery to their cushions and
quilts, particularly for those who like ‘red work’.
Trends for next year
We think that the bright and contemporary
fabrics will continue to be popular, such as
those designed by Michael Miller and Tanya
Whelan. These are really good for encouraging
younger customers to have a go. There also
seem to be a lot of large patterns which are
great for bags and cushions. More traditional
fabrics always sell and never seem to go out
of favour.
Bunting has been very popular and
continues to be for all sorts of occasions. We
predict that this will continue particularly as
the Olympics are just around the corner giving
us another theme.
Dotty Dolly, T: +44 (0)1823 660879,
80 craftfocus
THE TUTORS
Val Nesbitt
Val Nesbitt has been a patchwork tutor for
many years and explains what she feels the
current mood in quilting is.
As a patchwork tutor, the biggest single
item that transformed my world was the
introduction( some years ago now) of the
rotary cutter and its wonderful marriage with
the sewing machine. This meant faster, accurate
piecing and the pure enjoyment of sewing plus I had a finished project quickly. I find that
the current view by newcomers to patchwork
is that they too want it simple – so the current
move in shops to sell ‘pre-cuts’ meets that
need whether it is in squares (charm packs)
or strips (jelly rolls or strip rolls). Originally
supplied to shops by the fabric manufacturers,
larger shops are also providing customers
with their own pre-cuts which means that
the customer has a much wider choice.
These pre-cuts allow you to pick-up and sew
pretty much straight away which means very
little sub-cutting for a project. They appeal to
newcomers and dedicated patchworkers too
as they offer a range of colours/designs that
may otherwise have been overlooked. Indeed
with the use of charm pack squares, the quilt
(or other project) just needs sewing together
– so in just a couple of hours you’re done!.
The Royal Bridlington
Fiona Garth and Tim Norman, own The Royal
Bridlington at which they organise a whole
stream of workshops and courses.
We started with dancing holidays but soon
added quilting workshops to our schedule.
When my mum bought me a Janome
MC11000, which came with a quilting kit, I
decided to learn about quilting, firstly from a
book and then a local class. This, together with
the fact that Tim, my husband grew up with
quilter Susan Briscoe ensured it was definitely
meant to be! In the end we held several
workshops and a couple of residential courses
with Susan last year. Susan teaches patchwork,
bags and is an expert in Sashiko. We then
invited Ferret to teach. Ferret is an amazing
long arm quilter who recently won first prize
at The World Quilt Show. Other well known
tutors who teach here are Lilian Hedley and
Dawn Cameron-Dick.
All of our course are suitable for all levels
of experience. and we can offer full board if
needed. The Royal Bridlington, T: +44 (0)262
672433, www.royalhotelbrid.co.uk
QUILTING BOOK
New quilting books are published regularly
by the core publishing houses, and they
can be great to encourage newbies to the
craft. One such book is Foldy Rolly Patchwork
Pzzazz by Jennie Rayment, a softback book
published by JR Publications. It includes 12
block designs and related projects, presented
in full colour with clear step-by-step
instructions. Littered throughout are also
lots of helpful hints, topical tips and humorous
tales that will keep you laughing as you sew!
Priced £14.75, ISBN 978-0-9524675-9-5 to
order T: +44 (0)1243 374860,
www.jennierayment.co.uk. C
Life after riots
Big businesses assisting riot-hit high street traders could mark the beginning of a new era of
cooperation according to Robert Ashton, political advisor and best-selling author
“It’s a shame that it
took a series of riots
to stop big business
from trying to drive
small traders off the
high street, and start
helping them instead”
said Robert Ashton.
He was responding to
news reports stating that the High Street Fund
– created by The Wellcome Trust and funded
by major companies – is to give £10-million to
help small shops that fell victim to the rioting.
“Perhaps they are finally seeing that it’s the
independents that fill in the gaps between the
often boring and bland national stores. They
complete the consumer shopping experience,
giving choice and originality” he said.
According to Robert Ashton, localism should
be translated from governance to retail. He
said: “Just as local service delivery by locallybased organisations is better for everyone
- more accountable, cost effective and
82 craftfocus
responsive - so also can the same principles
be applied to retail”. He suggested that retail
giants support local traders, providing access
to branded products at wholesale prices. “This
would enable the small market town to have
city brands, with all the cost/value benefits,
retailed by independent franchisees”, he said.
The big retailers gain very cost effective
penetration into otherwise uneconomic, small
shopping locations. The independents gain
more reasons for shoppers to stay local and
not travel into big towns and cities. “Everybody
would win,” he added.
The Co-op already does this, allowing
community-owned shops to buy from them
at a discount. The Co-op benefits from higher
stock turnover and the community-owned
shops can sell branded products at the same
price as the Co-op supermarket in town.
Robert said: “Why not do the same with other
products? Let’s use the High Street Fund as a
starting point for a retail revolution, providing
real, lasting support to an otherwise declining
independent retail sector.”
Sir William Castell, chairman of the
Wellcome Trust wants big businesses to offer
expertise as well as cash. He said: “The private
sector has the expertise and needs to use it to
work with national and local governments, to
help others get back on their feet.”
About Robert Ashton
Robert Ashton created the Norfolk
Community Foundation in 2005. It is now
close to having a £4 million endowment. In
the past year the foundation has distributed
more than £1 million in grants to voluntary
and community groups. Robert acts as a
trouble-shooter on Big Society projects and
has advised the Parliamentary Office on
Big Society issues. Robert is also a director
of Ethecol – an ethical credit & debit card
payments processing company – and the
author of 12 best selling business guides
(including How to be a Social Entrepreneur –
Capstone 2010). C
“Serious About Sharpeners”
Established in 1912 KUM is certainly a serious player in the world of Pencil sharpeners, Drawing instruments, Painting brushes and Erasers.
Manufactured to the highest standard in the heart of Germany. KUM have sharpeners for every pencil on the market today,
including a great LEFT handed range!
The KUM blade is manufactured and fitted in a special way which allows smooth and precise finish time after time, unlike imported “budget”
sharpeners which make pencil sharpening a chore and can sometimes destroy a good quality pencil!
For more information on UK distribution. Please contact Keith Vear on 01454 326169 Mobile: 07860260828 or Email: [email protected]
PATCHWORK AND
QUILTING
The Shirt off his Back
bookshelf
Wendy Gardiner provides a comprehensive
listing of the many and varied new titles
available now, all packed with projects and
techniques to get your customers trying out
new crafts
ARTS AND CRAFTS
Print workshop
By Christine Schmidt
Published by Potter Craft
(distributed by GMC Distribution)
£14.99 softback.
ISBN: 978-0-307-58654-4
This a casual, easy going ‘how-to’
book on printing images to a
range of different surfaces. It’s
been written in a very relaxed,
but hands-on style and is aimed
at those with low budgets, but
high ambitions, you’ll soon be comfortable talking about ink and
shopping at hardware stores.
Stencil It
By Helen Morris
Published by Jacqui Small
£20.00 softback
ISBN: 978-1-906417-57-4
This book demonstrates quick and
affordable ways to bring pattern
and colour into your home. There
is a wide range of contemporary
and classic effects that can be
achieved using a variety of
finishes, such as paint, gilding,
plaster and varnish. Projects vary in size, from small scale cards and
cushions, to full scale ventures covering an entire room.
84 craftfocus
Juliet Bawden. Published by Jacqui
Small Publishing (available from:
Littlehampton Book Services)
£18.99 hardback,
ISBN: 978 1906 4176 42
Juliet has 30 quirky and
imaginative projects transforming
the traditional pin stripe, checks,
flowers or rugby shirt into practical, everyday
items for the home such as cushion covers and bags to a quilt
cover and pillowcase. The book is beautifully laid out on a
project by project basis with easy to follow instructions.
Home Sewing Techniques
Cheryl Owen. Published by New
Holland Publishers £16.99 hardback
ISBN: 9781 8477 385 78
This is a beautifully arranged book
which guides the beginner through
a range of basic sewing skills and
then shows how to put these
techniques to practical use in a
variety of attractive and practical
everyday items using clear, easy to
follow instructions and great photography.
Christmas Crafting In
No Time
Clare Youngs. Published by Cico
Books £14.99 softback
ISBN: 9781 9075 6378 2
This book has 50 projects and
inspirational ideas including tree
decorations, cards, gift wrap ideas,
festive food and handmade gifts. A
wide range of crafting techniques
is covered, including papercrafting,
paper mache and festive cooking.
All the templates needed are included.
Simply the Best: Sewing Book
By Simplicity. Published by Collins & Brown £20.00 hardback
ISBN: 978-1-84340-557-3
This is a well-known ‘sewing
bible’ that’s been updated
with new illustrations and
photography plus spiral binding
within a hardback cover. Its
packed with hints and tips on
sewing including understanding
patterns, sewing basics and
sewing on special fabrics.
bookshelf
KNITING AND CROCHET
Cool Knits for Kids
By Kate Gunn and Robyn
MacDonald. Published by Octopus
Books £8.99 softback
ISBN: 978-0-600-62377-9
Cool Knits for Kids shows you
how easy it is to create stylish and
functional clothes for children. The
book includes 25 different warm,
fashionable knit wear items suitable
for knitters of all abilities and has clear step-by-step instructions
and detailed photographs. Other books in this series include
Nursery Knits and Cute Knits for Baby Feet.
20 To Make Mini Christmas
Knits
By Sue Stratford. Published by Search
Press £4.99 softback
ISBN: 978-1-84448-722-6
Choose from 20 cute and charming mini
kits such as: A Christmas tree egg cosy,
mini mittens, angels, French hens, turtle
doves and more. All are ideal for gifts or
as decorations plus a great way to use
up ends of yarn. Also available in the 20
to Make series is Christmas Crochets
by Val Pierce.
The Knitting Book
By Frederica Patmore and Vikki
Haffenden. Published by DK books
£25.00 hardback
ISBN: 978- 1-4053-6803-2
Whether you’re a knitting novice
or a seasoned stitcher, this
book is the techniques bible. It
includes hundreds of step-by-step
demonstrations and information
on the best knitting equipment.
The inspiring photographic stitch gallery contains over 120 stiches.
Apply your skills to make a variety of different patterns with ‘The
essential companion for every creative knitter.’
Simply Amigurumi - 10 Crochet Projects
By Elisabeth A. Doherty. Published
by Lark Books (Distributed by GMC
Publications) £5.99, softback
ISBN: 978-1454700-21-0
Amigurumi (Japanese-inspired crocheted
dolls and objects) is one of the freshest
crafts around and here are ten cute
creations that will charm crocheters.
From a sweet-looking cupcake to a
little darling mouse, these projects are
completely adorable.
CRAFTS
Books and Journals
By Constance Richards. Published
by Lark Books (distributed by GMC
Distribution) £6.99 softback
ISBN: 978-1-60059-994-1
This book contains everything you
need to know in order to make
beautiful journals and albums that are unique
to you, and all in a weekend! There are more than twenty projects,
each with easy step-by-step instructions and ‘how-to’ photographs.
Jonathan Adler Happy Chic
Origami
By Jonathan Adler. Published by Sterling
Publishing (distributed by GMC Distribution)
£9.99 boxed
ISBN: 978-1-4027-8048-6
Learn how to create many different origami
animals with projects by Duy Nguyen. 15 artful
creatures using sheets of Adler’s signature
patterned origami paper are included with
easy to follow instructions. Animals include owls, gazelles, dragons,
greyhounds, and many more.
Quick and Easy Paper Crafts
Published by Lark Crafts (distributed by GMC
Distribution), £12.99 softback
ISBN: 978- 1- 60059-820 -3
This book offers an incredible variety of ideas,
with each technique clearly explained so that
anyone at any level can create professional effects
at home. Explore collage, paper clay, paper
weaving, surface design and paper folding.
Contacts
A & C Black, www.acblack.com
Anova Books, T: +44(0)207 605 1466, www.anovabooks.com
Cico Books, T: +44 (0)1256 302699, www.cicobooks.co.uk
GMC Publications, T: +44(0)1273 488 005, www.thegmcgroup,com
How2crafts, T: +44(0)121 212 9857, www.how2crafts.com
Jacqui Small, T: +44 (0)20 7284 7181, www.aurumpress.co.uk
New Holland, www.newhollandpublishers.com
Octopus Publishing, T: +44 (0)207 632 5488
Quarto Group (incorporating Creative Publishing International),
T: +44 (0)20 7284 7197
Search Press, T: +44 (0)1892 510 850, E: [email protected],
www.searchpress.com
Stash Books, www.roundhousegroup.co.uk
The Useful Booklet Company, T: +44(0)1761 439825,
www.heatherworks.co.uk
craftfocus 85
acid
insurance solutions
Craft Focus readers put their insurance queries, concerns and questions to
leading brokers T.H. March
Neil McFarlane, sales and
marketing director, of
T.H. March & Co Limited
minimum security
What is the minimum security condition
within a policy?
Q
A
Neil says: Most, if not all insurers that provide
cover for business premises impose a minimum
level of security within their policy wordings.
The condition will require certain types of lock
to be fitted to the final entry/exit doors and
windows, and in certain cases, a specific type of
alarm with a number of features among other
security requirements. A copy of the particular
insurer’s standard can be requested when a
quotation is provided. It is very important you
comply with the condition.
occupied by the business e.g. fire damage to
stock and contents. It is a policy requirement
that such physical loss or damage must also be
insured. The gross profit indemnity enables the
business to pay its standing charges, including
payroll, and recover its net profit during the
indemnity period. The indemnity period is the
period selected as being the time needed
to restore normal trading levels with the
minimum period permitted usually 12 months.
Working expenses such as postage and
discounts allowed are not normally included
in the calculation as they vary directly with the
turnover. The policy also covers increased cost
of working expenses incurred in order to avoid
a reduction in turnover like renting alternative
premises, subject to it not costing more than
the loss likely to have been suffered. The policy
may also extend to cover interruptions caused
by damage at the premises of customers or
suppliers, or resulting from failure of utilities or
murder, suicide, or outbreaks of food poisoning
or infectious/contagious diseases occurring at
your premises.
Q
A
what’s what
When insurers mention, contents, stock and
target stock – what do these mean?
Q
A
loss or damage
I am looking at renewing my policy and my
insurers mentioned business interruption
insurance, what exactly is it?
Neil says: This covers loss of gross profit
following a reduction in turnover as a result of
loss or damage to property at the premises
Neil explains:
Contents – Includes plant, machinery,
equipment, tenant’s fixtures and fittings all
contained in the premises.
Stock – Includes unfinished materials and
packing materials. Should be insured on the
cost price, and not retail price.
Target stock – Any stock that is attractive
to a thief. Can include (but not limited to)
jewellery, watches, precious metals, compact
discs, electrical goods including computers, furs,
clothing, cigarettes and alcohol. Not all insurers
have the same stock type as target, so if in
doubt, ask your insurer or broker.
illness
I am looking for a robust policy but want to
know how I will be covered if I or a family
member become ill?
Q
A
Neil says: When you’re fit and healthy it is
difficult to tell what you or your business might
need, or how you’d feel if you were diagnosed
with a critical illness or suffered a long term
disability. It is even more difficult to imagine
what would be happening if you had died. You
might want to know that any borrowings can
be paid off, that your business can continue to
trade and make money and more importantly
that your family will be able to pay the bills.
Take advice to make sure the cover you have
has been correctly arranged and will give the
right people the right amount of money at the
right time. Also, make sure you have a will and
that it is up to date. Does your business know
what will happen if you are no longer there? C
Further information
T.H. March is a well-established family
business founded in 1887. With offices in
London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow,
Sevenoaks and Yelverton near Plymouth,
the company has departments covering
household, motor, travel, commercial and
scheme insurance. To find out more visit
www.thmarch.co.uk.
craftfocus 87
the cotton patch –
a family concern
With a good quilting knowledge and skills in negotiation, purchasing and
importing Jean and Geoff Sewell were on to a winner from the start
What are the origins of this family
business?
It was in 1990 that Jean and Geoff Sewell
established The Cotton Patch as a patchwork
and quilting business on the outskirts of
Birmingham. With Geoff ’s knowledge of
negotiating, purchasing and importing and
Jean’s quilting knowledge and ability to select
attractive fabrics, the business had an edge
from the start and the pair began by sourcing
the fabrics and other products direct from
manufacturers in the USA rather than buying
from wholesalers in the UK.
Why did your get into this business?
Jean was a patchworker and found 100
percent cotton fabrics were hard to source.
She and Geoff frequently went around jumble
sales trying to find good fabrics suitable for
quilts. Geoff became very adept at recognising
the difference between 100 percent cotton,
poly/cotton and polyester! Clearly there was
a gap in the market. Geoff had a premises that
he had recently purchased and the business
was launched… now three generations of the
Sewell family work in the business.
What did you initially stock?
A selection of cotton fabrics (and some poly/
cottons on the roll initially), books from the
USA, lots of specialist quilting tools (notions)
such as Omnigrid mats and rulers and some
88 craftfocus
haberdashery. When we began we didn’t
realise how recently rotary cutters had
improved life for patchworkers by being able
to cut efficiently and quickly using an acrylic
ruler and a self-healing mat. These continue to
be our best-selling product lines as they are
invaluable to patchworkers.
Have you expanded the range of
products offered in store?
Our aim is to be a one stop shop for
patchwork and quilting supplies. The range
of products on offer is now over 5000 and
includes everything from needles and pins
to the latest long-arm quilting machines and
frames. We have over 2000 fabrics on the bolt
and offer one of the largest ranges of waddings
in the UK. Thread is increasingly important to
quilters and our thread ranges will continue to
expand over the next few years.
We complete effectively with
the craft multiples because we
have staff that are passionate
about patchwork and quilting
who can advise customers
by telephone, in the shop, at
shows and via email
Do you have any lines that are exclusive
to you?
We are the European distributor for Handi
Quilter and Grace products. We produce
our own ranges of charm packs, strip rolls
(some manufacturers call them jelly rolls) and
patchwork palettes (sometimes referred to as
layer cakes). This enables customers to get a
wide range of fabrics which are co-ordinated
or themed at a reasonable price without to
buy fabrics by the metre.
How do you ensure you compete with
the larger craft multiples?
By being a specialist shop we can stock a wider
range of products than the craft multiples can.
We offer competitive pricing and are often
less expensive than the craft multiples because
we buy direct from manufacturers where we
can. We visit the States on a regular basis to
stay abreast of the latest developments and
have staff that are passionate about patchwork
and quilting who can advise customers by
telephone or email, in the shop and at shows.
Do you offer a workshop programme?
We’re launching a new range of workshops
starting in October 2011. These include
courses for beginners, intermediate patchwork
classes and introductory courses on machine
quilting, the Marti Michell Block of the Month
program and a new Marti and Me Club.
focus on
How important is your webshop to you?
The website is an integral part of our business
and enables new quilters to find us easily. We
have a website that is our main ‘shopfront’ at
www.cottonpatch.co.uk, an information site
at www.cottonpatch.net and some subsidiary
sites which specialise in niche products which
may appeal not just to patchwork and quilters
but also to other markets. These are www.
rotarycuttershop.co.uk for rotary cutters and
blades, www.scissors-shop.co.uk for a large
range of scissors and mightybrightuk.co.uk for
Mighty Bright lights which are LED book and
crafting lights. We also have a separate site
for our subscriptions at www.cottonpatchsubscriptions.co.uk where people can sign up
for specialist patchwork and quilting magazines
as well as our fabric clubs.
something large businesses find difficult to do.
We also use Twitter and have three blogs
which enable us to give updates on the
wider patchwork and quilting world as well
as products. These methods together with
traditional magazine advertising and web
advertising are used for marketing. We
produce regular printed newsletters which
are mailed out to a large part of our database
so that customers who don’t have access to
the internet can see some of the range of
products we have on offer.
“The future is very bright for
patchwork and quilting and as
a recent survey concluded –
quilting is good for you”
Do you utilise social media platforms?
Increasingly social media has become an
important part of our business. Since we
launched our Facebook page in March
the number of visitors who have ‘liked’ us
is over 1000 in the space of five months.
That continues to grow every day and the
relationship is a very direct way of connecting
with our customers. Since we use Facebook
ourselves it’s easy to respond to comments
during the evening and at weekends which is
What do you think the biggest trends for
the coming season will be?
We setup our Cotton Patch studio a year ago
to establish a centre of excellence for machine
quilting. Customers can see a range of quilting
machines and frames from manufacturers
including Handi Quilter, Grace, Pfaff and
Janome. We see this area developing strongly
in the UK and Europe as it has done in the
States as increasingly customers want a longer
arm machine for their quilting. The CE certified
machines from Handi Quilter close this gap for
customers in Europe. We offer local support,
installation, servicing and telephone support
for our customers.
What are your plans for the future?
We are in the process of building an extension
to our existing building onStratford Road.
The continued growth of the craft areas and
especially patchwork and quilting means that
we are constantly sourcing new products and
developing the business. The future is very
bright for patchwork and quilting and as a
recent survey concluded – quilting is good
for you. In the article published in the Journal
of Public Health, Emily Burt and Jacqueline
Atkinson studied members of a quilting
group to ascertain the link between quilting
and wellbeing. The study found that the
process of quilting and the links within a
quilting group provided a whole range of
positive wellbeing factors.
Not only was the joy of expressing their
creativity, the use of bright colours in the
patchwork fabrics found to be uplifting,
the production of quilts and sharing that
end product by giving to family, friends or
organisations such as Project Linus was also
found to be positively healthy!
Finally the social side of quilting, the sharing
of skills, the encouragement and motivation of
others and the support that a quilting group
offered was also noted as a significant factor.
So for many of our customers it could be that
the latest quilt that they are planning could
make them feel happy in lots of different ways.
We feel pretty happy about that too. C
Further information
The Cotton Patch
T: +44 (0)121 778 5327
www.cottonpatch.co.uk
craftfocus 89
business link
a little effort
goes a long way
There are seven customer service points that have proven to be effective
in ensuring that your customers feel relaxed and comfortable with you and
your store. Try them and see what difference it makes says Nick Waller
We all have certain shops or restaurants that
we like to frequent because of the service we
receive from the people that work there. The
waitress at the local coffee shop who calls you
by name and knows exactly what you mean
when you ask for your usual. The assistant at
the dry cleaners who knows exactly how you
like your clothes cleaned and pressed and
makes sure that they are done that way every
time, on time. The craft shop owner who
knows what you like and often puts a little
something aside to show you.
There is no substitute for good customer
service. After all, that’s really what you’re
selling. Someone else will always have a better
location, a larger range of stock and at better
prices. Excellent customer service is what will
put more money in the till. With competition
from the department stores and larger chains
increasing, this is even more important for
SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises).
Provide excellent customer service by
following these seven customer service points:
Customers love power
There is a certain feeling of power customers
have when they are walking into a retail shop
or store. They ARE the customer and therefore
feel that they are in charge. Over the years,
they have become accustomed to the old
adage ‘the customer is always right.’ Though
they are not always right, we certainly need
them more than they need us so let them be
right even when they are obnoxious, rude or
loud. If you want revenge - let them be right
and then sell them a more expensive item than
they came in to buy. It’s better to be wrong
and rich, than right and poor!
Never interrupt your customers
People think and feel they’re important...and
they are! If you interrupt your customer, you
are saying to them that they aren’t important.
Wait your turn, and you are more likely to
make the sale. Try wrapping a plaster around
your finger so tight that it hurts just to remind
yourself to shut up and let the customer talk.
When your customers are talking,
they’re buying
The average person speaks at a rate of 125
to 150 words per minute. You are physically
capable of hearing upwards of 1,000 words
per minute. So when someone is talking to you
craftfocus 91
at 150 words per minute, what do you do with
the other 850 words left over? You probably
get distracted and concentration becomes
very difficult. Take on the burden of listening
more than talking and you will have a more
involved customer. Research shows that when
customers are talking, they are, in a sense,
buying. It’s when they are quiet that you’re
in trouble.
•
•
•
•
Conversations should be two-way
Have you ever tried to get into a conversation
with a customer who finds talking almost
impossible? Quality questions have always
driven a fine presentation so your ability to ask
specific questions to draw answers from your
customer is essential. When all else fails, the
easiest way to get a customer to start talking is
to close the sale. This sounds ridiculous, but no
matter where you are in the conversation, this
puts the burden on the customer to tell you
how they feel about the offer. You might find
they start to talk once the sale is completed!
Certainty is the key
The amateur wonders if customers are going
to buy. The professional knows they are going
to buy - it’s only a matter of what and how
much. Certainty comes from the accumulation
of knowledge and experience. People who
choose to shop with you have a conscious or
even a subconscious desire to own what you
are selling. So unless you have a crystal ball,
assume everyone is going to buy and start
your journey into finding out what it is.
Stay in control
Left to their own devices, customers will
run you around the store causing all sorts of
confusion, most of the time resulting in no sale.
Control can be maintained in any sales
presentation if the following things are in place:
92 craftfocus
A total understanding of the sales process
People knowledge
Product knowledge
Complete knowledge of stock holding
‘Winging it’ is the problem. When you wing
it you have a very difficult time controlling
the sale, and making your customers feel
comfortable enough to buy.
Sell with enthusiasm whether you love
it or hate it
Selling merchandise you like is certainly easier
than selling anything you dislike. You may like a
particular range, item or brand and never want
to show alternatives, or you may be bored by
the same old stock and only want to show
what’s new.
What matters is what the customer
wants, not what you like or think is best. The
moment you can sell the merchandise that you
personally dislike with as much enthusiasm as
the merchandise you love, that is the moment
you can begin to call yourself a professional.
Listen to your customers and show enthusiasm
while you help and steer on the items that
they want or need.
Retail selling today is remarkably different
than in the past. With more and tougher
competition, consumers have much more
of a choice of where they shop, and more
importantly, where they shop more than once.
Start using the customer service points in this
article. You can set yourself apart from your
competition and build a loyal customer base you just have to dare to be different! C
Further information
Nick Waller is Sales Director for UK Flooring
Direct, the UK’s leading online flooring
retailer. Nick can be contacted on
T: +44 (0)2476 012 181
M: +44 (0)7817 249 882
E: nickwaller@ukflooringdirect.co.uk
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love your rubbish
If you don’t give your rubbish due care and
consideration, you could end up much poorer,
and a criminal to boot, warns Jason Mohr, Britain’s
king of waste carriers and the founder of AnyJunk
Rubbish disposal has been in the spotlight since
The rules don’t only apply to
a number of local authorities started charging
businesses – householders
for disposal of waste at tips. I am constantly
being asked questions about the regulations
have the same duty of care
and legalities of dumping junk.
when it comes to transferring
It’s all about a ‘duty of care’, whether you’re
or disposing of waste.
dealing with trade waste or household rubbish.
Simply put, this means you are obliged by law
to get rid of your rubbish responsibly. Everyone )Store and transport waste securely
with rubbish to dispose of should be aware that and safely without risk to others or the
they should comply with five key requirements: environment.
)If you hire a third party to remove or
transfer waste, they must be licensed waste
carriers.
)Waste must only be disposed of at facilities
that are licensed to receive it.
)If you transfer commercial waste to another
party this must be recorded on a waste
transfer note, which should be kept for at least
two years.
)If you transport building or demolition
waste (this includes the waste generated by
refurbishment) you must be registered as a
waste carrier with the Environment Agency.
These rules don’t only apply to businesses
– householders have the same duty of care
when it comes to transferring or disposing of
waste. Don’t give up your junk to anyone who
is not lawfully authorised to handle it.
The penalty for ‘breaching your duty of
care is a fine up to the statutory maximum
94 craftfocus
of £5000 on summary conviction and an
unlimited fine on indictment. This means that
irresponsibly dealt with rubbish can leave
you seriously out of pocket as well as with a
criminal record.
Of course you can avoid having to be
concerned about any of these regulations by
simply calling a professional rubbish clearing
service, such as AnyJunk. They will handle all the
messy details (literally) and you can have every
confidence that your rubbish will be cleared
with the utmost care. C
Further information
Any Junk provides an on-demand rubbish
clearing service and is the UK’s leading
provider. They recycle 80 percent of the
rubbish it collects. Jason Mohr founded the
company and after starting out with just one
van, now has a turnover of £5 million.
business tips
selling – what works
& what doesn’t
In a new series of articles for Craft Focus, Clive Harper, managing director of Yankee Candle®
Europe, will be highlighting what it takes to make a success of a retail business. He has been
with Yankee Candle® Europe since its first day, taking the company successfully on to over
4,000 wholesale trading accounts and 220 concessions nationwide. Here, he shares some of his
expert knowledge on what works in sales and more importantly, what doesn’t
Preparation is key
Whether you are considering opening a retail
outlet or looking to improve a long-standing
business, be it in a high street location, the
heart of a residential village, tourist destination
spot or on the world wide web, preparation is
key. The six Ps - “perfect preparation prevents
pretty poor performance” - are a good guide
to follow. A well established retailer would
benefit from regularly taking time out to
consider their preparation and presentation,
scrutinising their business from the eyes of
a customer, standing back and being honest
with themselves.
Doing the maths
A good approach is to begin with
understanding the money you need to make
from your outlet in order to have a viable
business. Once you have removed the initial set
up costs, wages and utilities, how much money
do you need to bring in to have a successful
retail outlet?
Does this need to be increased because
you are looking at expansion or are you not
creating as much as you initially thought?
Selling space
Once you have established this figure, you
need to consider how much retail space you
need in order to achieve this goal and how
you are going to maximise this space. The type
of shelving and displays you use are highly
important as this will affect how much stock
you can physically sell and promote to your
customers. You need to utilise all the space
you have, so consider if there are any types of
displays you don’t already use, such as table
displays, spinner stands and even counter top
displays for add-on sales at the till.
Understanding your brands
Understanding the brands you sell and
allocating the correct amount of space to them
is key to success. Use your sales information
to discover any brands you need to allocate
more space to. In some instances by doubling
the amount of space you currently dedicate
to a successful brand and therefore offering
your customers more choice in their favourite
products may see you increasing your profits.
Focal points
There are key focal points in every store
which generally attract customers’ attention
over other areas, so keep these in mind when
looking at the positioning of products in your
outlet. When a customer enters the store they
generally turn left. Keep the area where they
enter clear as this is the area they use to get
comfortable and acclimatise themselves. The
right wall is where most of your customers
will look and stop first so this should be a key
focal point in your store for creative but clear
displays and affordable products.
All four corners
You also need to consider how you are going
to attract customers to all four corners of
your outlet. Is there a particular collection
that is not selling well and is this because it
is in an area where customers rarely visit. By
positioning essential items at the back you
will encourage customers to walk all the way
through, browsing other products in order to
reach the item they initially entered for. You can
use displays to create a ‘path’ and therefore
guide customers around the floor, in essence
planning where you want them to walk and
which products you would like them to stop
and view.
The till
By taking an unbiased look at the layout of
your store, or by effectively planning before
you launch, you can make a huge difference
to how customers shop. One consideration
to make is the positioning of your till - the
most successful position has proven to be
on the right of your entrance. This is an area
customers generally fail to stop in after they
have browsed. By placing your till here you are
utilising prime selling points for the important
factors - your products!
Once you have considered all these areas,
without realising you will have put the six Ps
into practice and, if answered honestly and
from fresh eyes, you will ensure ‘pretty poor
performance’ is not a factor in your store. C
Further information
For further information on Yankee Candle®
and advice about business success telephone
+44 (0)1454 454 500 or visit the website
www.yankeecandle.co.uk.
craftfocus 97
one stitch
at a time
Stitch by Stitch is a dream come true for Sally Kemp,
whose hope and aim is to keep traditional embroidery alive
What inspired you to start your business? Having spent the past 12 years at home due
to a near fatal car accident, which rendered
me disabled, I decided it was time for a big
change. It was time to make use of a talent
that my City and Guild embroidery tutors
kept telling me I had. I was also encouraged
and helped by family and friends, including
new friends I had met through my many
embroidery workshops. I also had a need to
feed my passion for enlightening others to the
enjoyment of stitching.
What products do you offer? Stitch by Stitch offers a range of stumpwork
(raised embroidery) kits. These are mostly
inspired by our native insects and flowers,
including the bumble bee, dragonfly, cabbage
white butterfly, large white daisy and the field
poppy. There are also three exotic butterflies
stitched on organza. We are also just about to
add some ladybirds and pansies to the range.
To complement these, there are also two box
making kits which can be used as a foil for the
stumpwork or any other stitched treasure.
What do the kits contain?
The insect or flower kits contain noil silk
ground fabric and 100 percent cotton fabric
plus all other materials (threads, wires, beads
and needles) needed to complete the kits. The
box kits contain the mountboard (cut to size),
wadding, threads and needles, etc required
to stitch the boxes. These also have noil silk
fabric for the outer faces and 100 percent
cotton fabric for the inner faces. Every
98 craftfocus
stumpwork or box kit has a clear instruction
booklet with stitch diagrams.
How do you choose the components for
the kits?
I endeavour to use the best quality materials
I can find. Noil silk gives a matt, slightly
textured surface which helps to enhance the
embroidery. The 100 percent cotton lining
fabric is a firm quality cotton which provides
the support to hold the embroidery. The
majority of the kits have DMC stranded
cotton threads in them, used because of their
vibrant colours and sheen.
“If approached step by step, or
rather stitch by stitch, the kits can
be sewn by a raw beginner, or an
experienced stitcher who’s looking
for something a bit different”
Which are your best selling products? My bumble bee, dragonfly and the field poppy
are proving to be the best sellers, with repeat
orders coming in. The bumble bee is true
to size and once stitched is fluffy, cute and
life like, prompting closer examination. The
dragonfly is beautiful with its shiny beaded
tail and organza wings and the field poppy
is striking with its bright red petals, black
centre and stamen, also true to size. The four
inch box closely follows the above kits in
popularity, sometimes being sold with a bee
or dragonfly to adorn its lid.
focus on...
What means do you use to promote
your business?
I visited CH+SI at the NEC in February
and met up with my first three contacts who
all placed orders there and then. I also met
other prospective contacts and left on ‘cloud
nine’. I have booked a stand in the Bright
Sparks Pavillion, at next year’s fair. Other
than that I have invested time telephoning
any embroidery/craft shop which I can find
a number for (from ads in magazines and
old craft fair catalogues, etc). Once I have
introduced myself and they are interested to
know more I follow up by post with pictures
and information. And of course I advertise in
Craft Focus and other magazines.
How do you feel the market is at the
moment?
I feel that the craft business is on the up, with
people realising we are not a throw away
society any more. Not that I throw anything
away - it may be useful in another project!
Embroidery is becoming acceptable as a
worthwhile pasttime once again. Stumpwork
is a form of embroidery not commonly found
as a kit and because of this (hopefully) I
have found a niche in the market! The kits
make ideal presents, especially at Christmas,
which will now be on traders’ agendas.
In your opinion what is the next best thing
in embroidery?
Definitely more stumpwork designs. They
provide a textural, 3D finish which is unusual,
looks stunning but is easy to achieve.
What are your future plans?
I intend to expand my Stumpwork range
with more insects and flowers and eventually
to produce other types of embroidery kits
- crewel work, hardanger and blackwork to
name a few. Hopefully, I will also continue
to run small friendly workshops which allow
me to meet interesting people. Workshops are
always fun, social times with like minded folk
who end up as friends. I have so many more
ideas in my mind it’s hard to decide which
one to do first. This is just the beginning! C
Personally speaking
Now for a bit of flesh on the bones of
Sally Kemp
Favourite colour - Red, vibrant down
to wine.
Favourite fruit - Nectarines, sweet
and juicy.
Favourite tipple - Rose wine with a meal
or dark rum and coke to relax.
Favourite type of food - Good old
English roast, especially lamb drowned in
mint sauce.
Favourite soap opera - Has to be
Eastenders, although I must admit I watch
them all!
X Factor or Strictly Come Dancing? Strictly as I am always envious of how
toned the contestants end up and only
wish it could be me.
How do you unwind in the evening? Stitching in front of the telly watching films
or soaps, with my cat curled up on my lap
and my Scottish Terrier dog by my side.
Best moment of your life - Seeing my
daughter and my son each get married
to lovely partners and being happy - two
moments really!
Must read book - Anything by James
Patterson or Clive Cussler.
Further information
Sally Kemp, Stitch By Stitch,
T: +44 (0)770 211 0186
craftfocus 99
craft clubs
club
together
Holding craft clubs or classes in your shop might
seem like an optional extra but Becky Williams
looks at why it’s a must in today’s retail world
Most craft shops are run by people who are passionate for the craft, and
many of you will already have your own club that meets in the shop. But
are you utilising your club to enhance your business? There are numerous
ways to make a craft club beneficial to your business.
Creative utilisation
It goes without saying (but we will anyway) that craft clubs are a
wonderful way for your customers to meet other like-minded crafters,
share their passion for the craft and encourage each other’s creativity.
By holding the club in your shop, your shop becomes part of that
creativity and if customers link their sense of creativity to your shop,
they are likely to be loyal to you with their business. If the meetings
are regular, you’ll also get a set of your ideal customers coming into
the shop on a regular basis.
Clubs are also a great way to encourage new crafters, who might
be nervous about learning a craft on their own. Many retailers offer
clubs for complete novices, with the reassurance that the club leader
(or shop staff) will be on hand to offer help if they encounter any
problems. They are then also able to give buying advice on the best
products for newcomers.
Other clubs usually have a range of abilities, where club members will
inevitably share ideas and sometimes products – this may
naturally lead to crafters buying products from you to expand their
crafting opportunities. However, if you contribute in some way to the
club, you can steer members’ creativity towards products that you
stock. That contribution could be just giving some products to the club,
or it could be demonstrating products to the club. If you do choose
the demo route, be careful to avoid being pushy – a hard sell will only
alienate the members of your club. Instead, give them an unbiased demo
of the products and let them decide whether they like them.
Remember that committed crafters and regular customers are usually
If you contribute in some way to the club,
you can steer members’ creativity towards
products that you stock.
keen to stay up-to-date with new product developments and many will
appreciate a demonstration of new products, especially if using them
involves learning a new technique. Craft manufacturers regularly release
new products and some will even provide you with promotional packs,
or you could invest in some promotional packs yourself and give them
to the club.
You can also utilise the club to act as your ‘test audience’ for new
products. You could give them some new products, or just tell them
about the products, and see how they react – if they are keen, that’s a
good estimation that they will sell to your wider customer base.
Starting a club
If you don’t already have a craft club, how do you go about setting up
one in your shop? Talk to your customers about holding a club in the
shop and see what interest you get. If they already go to a club that’s
held at a local community centre or village hall, get in touch with the
club leader and offer to hold it in your shop instead – it should save
them money, they’ll have everything they need on hand and perhaps you
can offer them some sort of incentive like a discount for club members.
craftfocus 101
Photo by Adrian Burrows
club together
Year 1 children at Bamford Primary School Craft
Club enjoying finger knitting in the park.
The children at Linden Primary School loved
knitting and crocheting for the CraftClub
Recycled Rainforest Project.
If you tend to have customers with very busy lives, who can’t commit
to a particular time or place every week, how about a ‘distance’ club or
online club? Lots of retailers now run ‘clubs’ where they put together
special packs of crafty goodies and offer them to customers on a
regular basis at a discounted rate. For example, Creative Quilting in
Surrey (www.creativequilting.co.uk) runs a ‘Fabric Sample Club’ where
members pay £15 per year to receive ten 5x5in samples of new fabrics
every month. Some clubs also have a place on the shop’s website where
customer creations are shown off.
Another successful online club is DoCrafts’ ‘Creativity Club’ (www.
docrafts.com), which has a rapidly growing membership. When crafters
sign up, they get an exclusive free gift, exclusive content (projects,
downloads, videos and magazine back issues), an exclusive chat forum, a
10 percent discount on all orders, and entry to free prize draws. Smaller
retailers might not be able to run an online club of this scale, but the
club’s two basic ideas can be used by any retailer: exclusive offers
and discounts.
Children’s clubs
As well as running clubs for adult crafters, there’s also huge potential in
running craft clubs for children. Many parents are keen for their children
to take part in crafty activities that will entertain as well as educate,
especially during holidays. Most parents are willing to pay a small fee to
cover materials and other costs, and some might even want to come to
the club with their children. You could make the subject of a club session
very general with an overall theme, such as ‘under the sea’, or you can
make a session more formal with resource packs.
Stitchclub is a company that provides sewing resource packs for
children – the packs contain everything you need to run a sewing
club for children. There are various packs available, for hand-sewing
102 craftfocus
Year 4 children at Bamford Primary School
(in the Hope Valley) made crochet jellyfish.
Many parents are keen for their children
to take part in crafty activities that will
entertain as well as educate.
or machine sewing, to suit boys and girls aged eight years old up to
teenagers, and they’ve all been designed with fun in mind. There are
also comprehensive teaching plans, easy-to-follow workbooks, plus
achievement certificates to give out as they master new sewing skills! To
find out more, T: +44 (0)845 838 7211, E: [email protected] or visit
www.stitchclub4schools.com.
The Crafts Council and the UK Hand Knitting Association (UKHKA)
also has an initiative, Craft Club, to provide children and young people
with the opportunity to learn craft skills from members of their
community. After a successful first year with over 350 active clubs in
schools, Craft Club is expanding into community settings, where it will
work on the same premise with volunteers passing on their skills to
others in a fun and lively environment – in this case to parents as well
as children. Retailers can register on the website at www.craftclub.org.
uk to receive e-news and regular updates on UKHKA campaigns and
initiatives. Registering will also add you to the website’s map of craft
club venues and retailers, which is now enjoying a record number of
hits. Katy Bevan from the Crafts Council said: “The campaign is going
from strength to strength and we’d love to hear from retailers who are
involved in passing on skills within their local communities as well as
from anyone who would like more details.” To find out more or to book
in for one of the free seminars this autumn, T: +44 (0)20 7806 2500,
E: [email protected] or visit www.craftclub.org.uk or
www.ukhandknitting.com.
craft clubs
Arts Desire run workshops
for all levels of experience,
and also has a gallery space.
A craft lounge
Clubs to classes
Members of your club will inevitably share skills with each other and
those new techniques may well lead crafters to new products. You could
wait for your club members to progress into new skills naturally, or you
can bring in expert tutors to run workshops and classes, to teach new
skills and generate fresh demand for products.
Jennie Rayment is an expert tutor who holds classes at various shops.
She says: “Successful product promotion at any craft club or in-store
workshop will really benefit retailers and customers if demonstrated by
an expert tutor, especially one who is well known in their field of
expertise. In addition to giving a professional demonstration, they
will have many samples and completed artefacts that will help to
sell whatever product is being promoted. As an added plus, they may
have produced a book or pattern that would be relevant and could
be sold alongside the other merchandise. For instance, there have
been many occasions when I have been teaching at a store or club
where the sales of the products that I have used in my workshops
or demonstration have been further increased as the participants
have bought a book as well. Expert, enthusiastic and educational
demonstrations will sell far more successfully than an ineffectual and
amateur display of the commodities on sale. The increased sales
potential will most certainly cover the additional cost of employing a
master craftsperson.”
The workshops have helped in building
up a community around us and we are
constantly asking our customers what
workshops they’d like to do.
Arts Desire is an arts and crafts shop that stocks gifts, jewellery and
homewares, plus it’s given up a large part of its retail space to become
a ‘craft lounge’, with a gallery area and workshop space. Owner Kay
Spalding says: “The Craft Lounge and the retail side of the business
support each other. We sell many of the items that people would like
to make, so they become a talking point to introduce people to the
workshops we hold. Equally, for those who just want to buy something
special and locally made, the fact that they can visit our demo days and
see it being designed and produced makes them feel that they have
bought something original and unique, which they have! The success
of the workshops and the retail shop are based on know-how, a great
team of staff, good communication, a friendly approach and explaining
to people that, with a little guidance, they can achieve the same results
themselves, if they come to a workshop. I’m planning on running
workshops for children and opening the shop during the evening for
hen parties and ladies’ nights, where groups can get together to make
a piece of jewellery for themselves. We also have an excellent website,
which we update regularly with new events on our calendar. The events
listings are sent out as a newsletter to all customers who have filled in
the contact sheet, and they are also posted on our social network walls.”
www.your-artsdesire.co.uk.
Arts Desire is an arts and crafts shop that has also given
up a large part of its retail space to a ‘craft lounge’.
craftfocus 103
club together
With eight sewing machines
available, the Sewing Café’s ‘sew by
the hour’ service is very popular.
Creative sewing weekends
Another option is to run weekend retreats, offering like-minded crafters
the chance to indulge in a whole weekend of their favourite craft. Jennie
Rayment runs quilting and creative sewing weekends with a colleague
in Midhurst, West Sussex. “We hire the whole hotel, which has 36
bedrooms, and offer our students a weekend of sewing, entertainment
and fun. The weekends start at 5pm on the Friday and finish at 4pm
on the Sunday. We’ve found that our attendees love to learn new skills,
even those that have been sewing for many years. They also come ready
to spend and love to buy extra haby, fabrics and more,” said Jennie. The
creative sewing weekends are run two or three times a year and provide
fully-inclusive weekend breaks. “We find this is enough to keep the
courses full everytime” she added. For further information T: +44
(0)1243 374860, E: [email protected], www.jennierayment.co.uk. C
Sew by the hour
The Sewing Café in Leicestershire
is a social sewing emporium that
doesn’t just sell fabrics, patterns and
accessories, it also has a workshop
area with eight sewing machines, where
crafters can access the machines on a ‘sew by
the hour’ basis, like an internet café for sewers. Co-owner, Fay Hooper
says: “Our aim is to make sewing as accessible and sociable as possible
– we want to create an inspiring, relaxed environment. We’ve been able
to do this by bringing together the workshop and the retail space – by
offering both the shop and the workshops, we are giving customers
the chance to truly indulge their passions.” The workshops offer a range
of practical project-making, for various skill levels. The atmosphere is
inviting, relaxing and homely, with tea and coffee on hand. Co-owner
Becky Owen says: “The workshops have helped in really building up a
community around The Sewing Café – no matter whether people by
a metre of ribbon or a pattern and fabric, we always encourage them
to come back and show off what they’ve made or post a picture on
our Facebook page. We are constantly asking our customers what
workshops they’d like to do, when is the best time for them to take
part in a workshop, and making sure that we always offer something
new, that caters for the full range of skill levels.“ Find out more at
www.thesewingcafe.co.uk or www.facebook.com/thesewingcafe
104 craftfocus
online business
- a real gem
Turning a hobby into your job is a dream for many but for Janette Anderson of south
Queensferry near Edinburgh, it became a reality when she launched her business Allium, selling
handmade contemporary silver jewellery and bespoke wedding tiaras
The former secondary school English teacher
discovered a love for making jewellery after
an injury to her back seven years ago left her
temporarily unable to work. With time on
her hands and pretty much housebound, she
began making simple beaded jewellery pieces
and soon discovered that not only did she
have a real passion for jewellery making, but
also a natural flair.Together with her daughter
Kirstin Heggie, she enrolled on a number of
silversmith and precious metal clay courses and
progressed from her simple beaded designs
to more complex, contemporary pieces. She
started to receive bridal commissions for tiaras
and was increasingly asked to create bespoke
silver designs until eventually Janette left the
classroom to set up her own business.
Earlier this year, Janette made the decision
to take her business to the next level and
set about opening a small retail studio in
her hometown of south Queensferry, just
outside of Edinburgh, where she sells her own
jewellery and other locally made craft items,
as well as putting her teaching experience
to good use, running a number of jewellery
making classes.
As if that were not enough of a challenge,
at the same time Janette and Kirstin decided
to take their business online.
Kirstin, who combines a full-time job at
the local university with helping her mum
explained: “When mum decided to open a
retail studio, we knew that we had to have
a website where we could sell the products
too. We are fortunate to live in a beautiful
town, which is home to visiting cruise liners
and sees a huge volume of day trippers. With
this in mind, we knew that a website would
be a really useful addition to the business,
allowing those people who have visited the
studio as part of a short visit to the town, the
opportunity to buy from us again no matter
where they are based in the world.”
“As a big online shopper myself,
I just knew that if we could
create an appealing website that
showcased the beautiful products
that we create, then we could
definitely sell them over the web.
Kirstin continued: “I started researching the
various options available, but many of the
choices out there were very expensive and
quite time consuming, especially for a small
business such as ours. Then I read about
Super Simple Shop in Craft Focus and it
seemed to fit our requirements just perfectly.”
Super Simple Shop has been designed
to provide small and hobbyist retailers with
a platform to tap into the lucrative online
sales market without the need for expensive
websites and backend technology. It provides
a solution for businesses like Allium, who are
looking to expand their channels to market
106 craftfocus
focus on...
by selling their products online or for people
who produce products to sell but have no real
outlet to sell them beyond friends and family.
“We did not want to spend a huge amount
of money or indeed time setting up a website
for the business, so the fact that Super Simple
Shop was more or less a ready-made website,
and a year’s subscription cost little more than
a typical night out, made it really appealing.
What’s more, we didn’t just want a website
as a sales platform but we wanted to be able
to use our website for communicating with
customers – be it class times or what the
business is up to.
“We also liked that we can add news
articles and link back to social media channels
such as twitter and facebook which was a real
bonus. “After choosing the design we wanted
from a few stylish templates, all we needed to
do really was upload photos and descriptions
of the products, which was surprisingly
straightforward and within 24 hours we had a
fully transactional website up and running.”
Allium Online has already generated sales
for the business but interestingly to date
the website sales have been closed via the
telephone, which has proved a great learning
exercise for the business.
Kirstin explained: “The fact that visitors to
the site have felt the need to call us in person
to discuss their requirements before placing an
order has made me evaluate the information
that we are providing. Our photography is
of a high standard but I now realise that we
need to expand on our product descriptions
with exact dimensions and sizes so that the
customer can more or less picture themselves
wearing the jewellery without actually coming
in to contact with it.
“We are also looking forward to expanding
the range of items we add to the website,
such as our growing selection of beads and
jewellery making equipment, our handmade
textiles and our range of local original prints
and photographs. Another aspect of the
Super Simple Shop design we really like is
the option to add information about other
people we work with in the Associated People
section. This allows us to showcase some of
our talented local artists and adds another
dimension to the website.”
Kirstin admits that there is still much more
the business needs to do to capitalise on its
new website and drive customers to it. She
said: “We have not really began to promote
the site the way we should; it is all well and
good having a website but it won’t do us any
good if we don’t drive traffic to it. Thankfully,
Super Simple Shop has a great online forum
where you can go to seek advice from
others in similar positions as well as some
comprehensive help documents to help with
issues such as using social media to boost
website traffic - so twitter and facebook users,
expect to hear a lot more from Allium in the
near future!” C
Further information
Allium Online, T: +44 (0)131 319 2140,
www.alliumonline.com
To find out more about Super Simple
Shop’s flexible and cost effective packages
T: +44 (0)191 645 0389 or visit
www.supersimpleshop.com.
craftfocus 107
art materials
in the name of art
Louise Fisher gets the lowdown on art supplies from four of
the biggest names in art
Art is a wide field and like lots of crafts, it’s particularly good for those cold winter months as
it’s mainly an indoor activity. We quizzed Daler Rowney, Winsor & Newton, FW Brushes and
Derwent distributor Acco about which products sell well, consumer buying habits and which
trends we’re likely to see emerging over the festive period.
DALER-ROWNEY
We spoke to the guys at Daler-Rowney to
find out what sells well and what’s going to
be hot this winter, from pencils to paints
and pastels...
What trends have you seen emerging this
year in art supplies?
Acrylics have gained in popularity over the
years and are now the painting medium of
choice. Nowadays many leading contemporary
artists use acrylics as they possess very
different properties to oils or watercolours.
When dry, acrylics lose their solubility very
rapidly and this is a great advantage to painters
who wish to work quickly. A painting that
might have taken weeks to accomplish in oil,
due to the drying time, can be completed in
one session with acrylics. Acrylic colours are
classed as the ‘new’ painting medium as they
have only been around for a few decades.
This is due to the plethora of application
techniques and their ability to take to virtually
any surface. With original and heavy body
versions, our System 3 acrylics are highly
versatile, water-based acrylic colours. They
offer an excellent painting experience at an
affordable price. System 3’s comprehensive
range of colours offers excellent light-fastness,
permanence, durability and covering power.
All acrylic colours can be thinned with water
to pale washes, or used directly from the
pot or tube; each dries quickly to create an
insoluble film. Our System 3 acrylics are fully
intermixable, suitable for interior use and all
but the fluorescent colours are lightfast and
durable (by their nature fluorescent pigments
are not lightfast so are not recommended for
exterior use).
Which are your most popular pastels?
The whole range is very popular. Our artists’
soft pastels combine the finest available
pigments with other ingredients to give a
smooth and consistent painting experience
through a carefully balanced range of 186
tints. All colours come in tints of 1-4 (4
being the deepest) with each vibrant colour
derived from a precise blending of finest
quality pigments. Each colour has the same
pigment combination, which is then mixed
with superior quality chalk and china clay to
produce the different tints. Our artists’ hard
pastels are also popular. They are characterised
by a velvet smooth mark, which stems from
the carefully prepared blend of pure pigments.
Finally, our artists’ oil pastels provide both an
oil and a pastel effect and do not require fixing.
Daler-Rowney oil pastels are smooth, easy to
use and have been carefully colour-matched to
our soft pastels range.
Which products do you supply to cater for
those interested in watercolours?
We supply a selection of watercolour
pencils which include pigments chosen for
their smooth, consistent performance and
rich vibrant colour. Artists’ pastel pencils are
distinguished by their soft, oil-free stroke and
lightfast, soluble pigments with rich colours that
can be easily blended or smudged. We’ve also
ensured that both our artists’ watercolour and
pastels incorporate the same colour codes as
our artists’ watercolour tubes and half-pans
and pastel sticks so they work beautifully as
mixed media. All colour pencils are also enddipped to make identification even easier.
We find that students and leisure painters
sometimes prefer to ‘discover the art of
watercolour’ using aquafine, which offers
brilliant free-flowing colour at an economical
price. Like the oil range, this is achieved by the
substitution of some of the more expensive
pigments with lower cost alternatives and is
indicated by the word ‘hue’. The full range of
37 colours gives rich, free-flowing transparent
colour, with excellent tinting strength and
working properties. All colours can be used to
produce beautiful and delicate washes.
To find out more information contact
Daler-Rowney, T: +44 (0)1344 461000,
www.daler-rowney.com
craftfocus 109
in the name of art
ACCO
Acco, distributors of Derwent art supplies in the UK told us which items
sell well for beginners to the craft, about upcoming trends and the best
sellers in tools and equipment.
What do you forsee being a hot trend this season?
Derwent continually works to improve and innovate; so far in 2011 it has
launched an extensive range of new products and accessories including
the wonderful Inktense Blocks. We predict that these will continue to sell
well becasue they are so versatile and can even be used on fabric and silk.
The colourful water-soluble blocks also complement the Inktense pencils
perfectly, opening up a world of vibrant ink-like washes that are permanent
once dry.
Which art equipment and tools do you find are popular with consumers?
We have a popular range for every type and style of drawing. Take
Coloursoft, one of the most popular ranges; we believe this pencil is the
UK’s softest ever colour pencil, with a beautiful velvety feel, that releases
rich dense colour at a stroke. The Derwent Aquatone range bridges the
gap between pencils and paint; a solid stick of watercolour that you can
pick up and use like a pencil, or take colour directly from the stick with a
paintbrush. Highly water-soluble, Aquatone is a fantastic way to paint!
Derwent has a lot of useful tools to help consumers with their drawing
and painting, the latest ingenious invention is the ultimate sharpening tool.
The most effective way to sharpen a pencil is with a craft knife – though
this is not always that easy or safe. The sharpening stand keeps the pencil in
a safe position and all you have to do is run the knife along the tip of
the pencil.
What ranges do you have that are particularly popular for consumers
new to the craft?
To make pastel drawing even easier - Derwent has released pastel pencils –
all the beauty of pastels with the control of a pencil. The pastel range, both
blocks and pencils, was reformulated in 2010 to create a collection with a
soft and powdery texture that blends beautifully.
For more information contact Acco, T: +44 (0)1900 609590,
E: [email protected], www.pencils.co.uk.
WINSOR & NEWTON
We spoke to industry veterans Winsor & Newton for the
lowdown on paints.
What are the different types of paints available and which
type do you find is most popular?
Painters now have a choice between various types of
watercolour, acrylics, oils (traditional, water mixable, alkyd)
and gouache but this hasn’t always been the case. The earliest
found paints date back to pre-historic times: watercolour
paintings of animals and hands in caves. A simple mixture of
pigment, water and binder, watercolours rely on excellent
pigment quality. Both gouache and watercolour are used
following a ‘staining’ technique where the colour is absorbed
and binds into the surface so it is important to use absorbent
surfaces such as watercolour paper.
During the Renaissance, oil colours began to emerge.
Instead of water, different oils were used to mix and bind
the pigments allowing thicker layers of paint and the use
of canvases. Slow drying, oil paints allowed the artist to
experiment in textures and styles. The next breakthrough
happened five centuries later. In 1940 the first acrylic paints
were created. With a polymer base, acrylics have proven to be
extremely versatile and therefore the most popular, as a wide
range of mediums can be mixed into the paints to achieve
various different textures (from silky thin to glossy thick) and it
is waterproof, quick drying and can be used on most surfaces.
To find out more information contact Winsor & Newton,
T: +44 (0) 1562 744522, www.winsornewton.com,
www.conteaparis.com
110 craftfocus
UNIFORM
MEMORIES
Scrapbook family history
Scrapbook great days out
Scrapbook cadet days past and present
With our specially designed scrapbooking papers and
co-ordinated embellishments you can create great
memories of those days out at the ‘war and peace show’
and those get togethers with fellow ‘re-enactment’ friends.
These papers can be used for making
cards for the forces, or for boys
parties… the possibilities are endless...
These designs are being added to
as we write with vintage forces and
fire police and ambulance.
Please contact Eve
on the
following for more inf
ormation
Tel: 01273 813396
uniformmemories@
hotmail.co.uk
See us at the ‘war and peace show’
or visit our website to see details
of our suppliers and the craft
shows that we will be attending
3 Manor Close, Ringmer, Lewes,
East Sussex, BN8 5PA
^^^KÙHZ[ÌY\ZOJVT
in the name of art
READING MATERIAL
FM BRUSH COMPANY
We spoke to Veronica Towey, director of marketing at FW Brush
Company about what artists look for in paint brushes and about two new
products which will be available in January 2012.
How do you begin to design a new brush?
When designing new brush programs we work diligently to keep up
with the creative flow of our market. The artistic consumer is constantly
stretching the boundaries and thinking outside the box to keep their art
new and fresh. We try to do the same. We have created two exciting
programs with that in mind and believe that we are bound to help the artist
to reach new levels.
What is the first of the new products?
Our Palmer brush is a short handled brush that fits in the palm of the
hand. It works as an extension of the users hand creating a seamless
connection between artist and canvas. The brush is available in both 1” and
2” as well as offering a choice between synthetic and natural bristle. The
brushes are great for base coating, texturing, faux finishing as well as for
large canvases and murals
The other new product is a double-ended brush, how does that work?
We have developed Duets – a series of double ended brushes in a variety
of shapes and sizes that simplify the artistic experience. Unique synthetics
combined with patented brush shapes lets creativity dance across the
canvas. A double ended brush eliminates the fumbling every artist does
when they need to pick up one brush while still holding the other. A quick
addition or touch up can be done by simply turning over the brush to the
other side!
Further information from T: +(001) 718-821-5939, www.fmbrush.com
112 craftfocus
Flowers in Watercolour
By Wendy Tait
Wendy offers readers
invaluable advice on
everything related to painting
flowers in watercolour even down to arranging the
subject. She describes the
process from the prelinimary
drawings to the finished, final
stages. This book provides
a useful resource for those
interested in leanring more
about watercolours. Priced
RRP £8.99, Flowers in
Watercolours is available in
the UK from Search Press.
How to Draw Faces
in Simple Steps
By Susie Hodge
In this slender yet useful
book, Susie draws a
wide variety of different
shaped faces in a step
by step style that allows
you to see the thinking
behind the shapes that
compose a face and
the different stages of
development. How to
Draw Faces in Simple
Steps,RRP £4.99,
is available from
Search Press.
prepping for xmas –
your questions answered
This month industry expert Clare Rayner, answers queries on how to get ready
for the festive trade without peaking too early or breaking the bank!
Q
A
How soon should I dress my windows with
Christmas displays?
This is a really difficult question to give a
definitive answer to – in some locations your
neighbouring shops will begin their festive
feature windows early (some as early as
September!), in other areas very late (into
December). If you are in an area where the
windows are dressed early then perhaps try
and include an element of change, so they
don’t get dull. Depending on the type of
local passing traffic you might want to refresh
something about your window weekly –
to feature a different aspect of your festive
merchandise or a different focus for
your products.
If you local neighbouring retailers don’t
implement festive windows early and you feel
you are missing out on a sales opportunity
then a good time to go into Christmas display
is immediately after Halloween and Bonfire
night (if you are not doing anything special to
dress your window for then). The nights are
drawing in and consumers begin to realise that
before they know it, Christmas will be upon
them – your window needs to remind them of
that AND draw them in!
Your window must draw consumers into the
shop and include compelling reasons why they
should buy from you.
What that includes will vary massively based
on your offering, your customer base, your
location and your preferences. As Christmas
is one of the most important trading periods
for most retailers across the UK it doesn’t
make sense to cut too many corners on costs
– granted a full animatronics display to rival
Hamleys or Selfridges will cost an absolute
fortune and would likely be overkill – but
a well designed festive theme, with some
decent artwork and point of sale might be
a valuable investment from which you reap
considerable rewards.
My advice would be to speak to a designer
who specialises in retail branding, visual
merchandising and packaging – they will have a
very good understanding of how to use design
to influence the consumer and the operational
considerations for implementing a quality
window in a smaller retailer.
Secondly I’d suggest you do a bit of analysis
on your product range – what items make
you the highest cash margin? If you can
feature these items and include them in your
Christmas displays, perhaps demonstrating
how these items are crucial to achieving a key
look that you’ve showcased to the consumer
will encourage an uplift in sales... which, given
you’ve picked out your most profitable
products will translate to a good uplift in
bottom line too!
Q
Q
A
What top tips do you have to make my
festive windows really stand out without
costing a fortune?
The most effective window displays include a
‘call to action’ – like any form of advertising/
marketing media the window isn’t just about
who can create the most appealing display to
brighten up the walk down the high street!
I am not too keen on stocking a lot of
Christmas kits because if they don’t sell, I
have surplus stock that is difficult to shift. Is
there another way to get the festive feel into
my shop and stock selection?
Q
114 craftfocus
q&a special
A
Finally, when it comes
to promotions, a lot of
retailers I work with fall
foul of assuming that
a promotion means a
discount – and typically
they just end up giving
away margin.
I am a great believer in allowing your customer
data to be the best advice about your business
– if you review your previous festive season
sales performance you will get a great deal of
insight as to what YOUR unique customer base
want to buy from you and in what quantity.
If you discover that Christmas kits sell, are
profitable, but are low volume then order
less – you can feature them as ‘when it’s
gone it’s gone’ to encourage those who
do want that kind of product to buy now
to avoid disappointment. Of course if the
supplier minimums are too high perhaps you
A
can negotiate with them about reducing the
minimums, or, sell the surplus stock on ebay or
Amazon market place for instance.
If it is actually a case that your core product
range sell best during the festive season then
that’s the answer – you need to really make
a ‘wow’ impactful display from the items that
you know will sell best – you don’t need to
run discounts or promotions, unless you want
to or have supplier support to invigorate sales.
The key is to feature what your customers
want to see in an exciting and engaging way.
Image Courtesy of Gail D’almaine
Further information
Clare Rayner, the Retail Champion, has regularly made guest
appearances on BBC radio, TV and has contributed to various
retail-focused articles and opinion pieces. 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.
My advice for festive promotions includes:
1. Feature products people want to buy –
give them the best possible position in the
store, with clear signage. Consider giving
away advice and ideas for how to use the
products – this is a value add that won’t
cost you much to do (printing a flyer for
instance) and will given the consumer
greater confidence to buy the items.
2. Offer a ‘mix and match’ promotion
– e.g. select up to five items from a group
of products and get a free gift or a sixth
(smaller item) free.
3. Offer a competition – inspire customers
to make more of their own decorations,
cards etc and invite them to send in
photos of their creations or to share
them on your facebook page.You can pick
a winner who you might then want to
give a nice gift. The key here is to create
a ‘conversation’ with your customers –
encouraging them, inspiring them and
celebrating their creativity!
4. If you have a loyal customer base or a
customer database you might even want
to run an evening event. Open the shop to
guests, host with some drinks and nibbles
and perhaps get some local creatives or
customers to show off their ideas. Getting
people in your shop who really enjoying
interacting with you, your product and
each other can really help you to stand
out from the crowd this Christmas and
beyond! C
If you have a question about any aspect
of your business, simply email: editor@
craftfocus.com or write to: Q&A Special,
Craft Focus Magazine, Broseley House,
Newlands Drive, Witham, Essex, CM8 2UL.
craftfocus 115
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116 craftfocus
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Neon Fleece

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
word on the web - a basic guide
to website terminology part 3
In the final instalment of this series, Bob Scott of Loud-n-Clear.com focuses
on secure ecommerce and online payment systems
Secure Ecommerce
Payment Providers
This is a term for online commerce that uses
a variety of methods to safely take payments
online for goods and services.
Your payment provider will, as the phrase
suggests, handle the online payments;
securely taking, validating and processing your
customers’ payment details; confirming the
order to you and remitting the payments to
you. When you come to choose a payment
provider there are lots of options, but before
making your choice do consider:
Encryption
The process of transforming data using a
cipher in order to obscure the content. Online
it is normally done so a third party cannot
access the personal information (such as credit
card details) passed between user and website.
SSL
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, which
is a cryptographic protocol used to encrypt
data. If a URL starts with https instead of the
usual http then the connection between your
browser and the webpage is being encrypted.
Most internet browsers will display a padlock
to tell you that the page is secure.
Secure Certificate
Companies such as Geotrust, VeriSign and
Thawte provide SSL services to ecommerce
websites. Prices vary depending on the features
chosen but most cost from £100 per year. As
part of the service you may receive a seal or
certificate to display on your website. This will
provide users with the date of expiry of your
secure certificate and will only work on the
domain that it is provided for, demonstrating
your secure status and giving the customer
confidence in your website.
PCI Compliance
The Payment Card Industry Security Standards
Council has created a set of PCI Data Security
Standards (PCI DSS) which merchants must
conform to. This ensure the security of
payment card data. It covers all aspects of
handling the information, including the security
around getting the details on the website (and
in any real world shops) and your business
processes for handling and storing them.
118 craftfocus
- Cost: what are the charges? Is it a monthly
fee, an annual fee plus a small percentage
of each transaction, solely a percentage of
transaction or a set amount per transaction
as well as a percentage? Different pricing
models will suit different users – if you’re
expecting a large turnover which is spread
over many small transactions, then an annual
fee and a lower transaction cost may make
more sense. However, if you are expecting a
lower throughput of transactions then a purely
percentage based model may be a better bet.
- Speed of payment: how quickly you get
your money from the payment provider is
an important cashflow consideration: are
remittances on a set schedule, on demand or
only paid once a threshold is reached?
- Complexity: how easy is it to integrate into
your ecommerce site? If your site is being built
and maintained by a website designer then
they will probably have a preferred solution.
If you are using an ecommerce package then
there will probably be modules to integrate
providers into your system. Alternatively, if you
are developing the site yourself you will need
to be comfortable with the technical aspects
of your chosen provider’s integration.
- Consumer confidence is crucial: your
customers must trust the provider if they are
going to share their card details with them. It
may be worth providing the customer with a
choice of payment method. The main payment
providers in the UK market include:
- Sage Pay. Formerly Protx, Sage Pay is part
of the Sage group of business software and
service providers. It provides a straightforward
pricing model based on a monthly charge
with no set up fees, and a relatively smooth
integration process with its accounts packages.
- WorldPay is the largest of the providers
in the UK market and was one of the first
companies in this field. Depending on the
package selected and the level of sales, its
pricing model can include set up fees, monthly
charges, a transaction charge and a percentage
of each transaction.
Interestingly, both Sage Pay and WorldPay
have articles on their websites recommending
offering PayPal as an alternative payment
method and saying that this has increased sales
by more than 10 percent in some cases. PayPal
is a subsidiary of eBay but aims to provide
payment services to more than just eBay
sellers. Its charges tend to be slightly higher
than other providers but as there are no set
up or standing charges it can be very useful for
businesses with low transaction volumes or for
those wanting to test the waters. Integration
is very easy using the tools provided on the
PayPal site. Your customers do not need to
have a PayPal account to pay you using PayPal,
but if they have an account they can pay you
without having to enter their card details
again and again or going through any complex
validation. For this reason PayPal is quite a
popular option for customers. C
Further information
Loud-n-Clear.com runs the Internet Craft Fair
and specialises in websites for craft companies
Contact details:
E; [email protected],
www.loud-n-clear.com.
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craftfocus 119
next issue…
Looking ahead to 2012
All the Trimmings: haby highlights
Learn the latest techniques for visual
merchandising
Jewellery making
trends
Kids crafts – teach
them now and you’ve
got crafters for life!
New product showcase – an exclusive
look at what’s launching at Craft, Hobby +
Stitch International
• Craft kits for children – the latest products
to tempt them to try something new
• Jewellery making – hot news, trends
and products
• Decoupage – Delights of needlecrafts
– from stumpwork and embroidery to
tapestry and crewel
Issue 28
December 2011/January 2012
Editorial deadline: 25th October 2011
Advertising deadline: 11th November 2011
Published on: 28th November 2011
120 craftfocus
Plus
All the latest
industry, business
and crafting news
The best in the
business – advice
from leading experts in
retail, ecommerce and
business management
fire in the belly
We talked to Tony Nash about his very new business Craft
Dragon that has got off to an incredible start
What inspired you to
start your business?
I have had the
entrepreneurial bug
ever since I was a
child, and have always
wanted to invent a
product that would
shape industry. Our
story began when my wife announced her
desire to purchase a hot foiling machine to
undertake a variety of craft projects. Upon
investigation, the only ones on the market
were expensive, heavy and cumbersome, and
extremely difficult to set up and operate. It
was then that, one Sunday morning in August
2008, I decided to put my skills to the test and
invent one!
What products/services do you offer?
We offer the home crafter, small business
(including wedding and events organiser),
school, or club the perfect way to be creative,
with our world-first multi-purpose machine.
With its unique patented die system, it
provides users with a simple and effective
way of adding embellishments onto a range
of items such as bookmarks, fabrics, ribbons,
diaries and greetings cards. We also supply all
complementary accessories to help crafters
get started, including dies, foils, heat mats and
finishing brushes.
Which are your best-selling products?
We think our new Craft Dragon ImPress™
will revolutionise the crafting world by
enabling home crafters to hot foil stamp,
rubber stamp, die cut and embellish with
amazing clarity and precision, on a wide array
of surfaces, and all with just one machine. The
Craft Dragon ImPress™ is the product of a
122 craftfocus
long and rigorous design programme and we
are extremely proud of it. It is so versatile
and offers terrific value for money, giving
professional results, time after time. In fact a
number of the participants in our early trials
have actually been able to follow their dreams
and use the machine to turn their passion for
crafting into their own small business.
In your opinion, what is the next best thing
in crafting?
Without a doubt – the Craft Dragon
ImPress™! We think it really is a fantastic
piece of equipment which opens up the
world of hot foiling to a whole new audience.
It is so simple that it can be worked by
teenagers through to octogenarians, and
you can even operate it one-handed so it’s
suitable for people who suffer from joint
immobility too.
What means do you use to promote
your business?
Following manufacture of the final product, we
attended our first trade show at the NEC last
November and were amazed at the public’s
response, which was just fantastic. Since then,
we have embraced all avenues to promote
our business, spurred by the backing of
Create and Craft TV and the numerous
magazines aimed at the craft market.
How do you feel the market is at
the moment?
Feedback we’ve received so far has been
hugely positive, from individual home crafters
through to schools and businesses. Crafting
is a huge market both nationally and globally
with significant potential, and we are really
starting to experience a wave of excitement
and optimism across all sectors.
What are your future plans?
Craft Dragon is committed to becoming the
foremost provider of innovative hand-held and
portable crafting machines in the world. The
Craft Dragon ImPress™ offers users endless
opportunities and there is still so much more
that the machine is capable of doing.
We are hugely excited about the future
of the range and, once we’ve shown the UK
market just what it can offer, we intend to
spread our wings further afield and make it a
worldwide phenomenon. C
Personally speaking
Now for a bit of ‘flesh’ on the bones of
Tony Nash
Favourite colour - Gold
Favourite fruit - Blueberries
Favourite tipple - Red wine
Favourite type of food - Fish
Favourite soap opera - Emmerdale
X factor or Strictly Come Dancing Strictly Come Dancing
How do you unwind in the evening Work on new projects
Best moment in your life - Meeting my
wife Jayne and seeing life come into
the world
Must-read book - Childhood’s End by
Arthur C Clarke
Further information
Craft Dragon
T: + 44 (0)845 398 7770
www.craftdragon.com