www.craftfocus.com
Issue 10 December 2008/January 2009
CRAFTFOCUS
www.craftfocus.com
MAGAZI N E
e
r
u
t
c
i
P fect
Peressentials
Seasonal Solutions
Cute crafts for Valentine’s Day
All that
Glisters
Art
We focus on
jewellery making
A Good
Yarn
The best new
knitting ranges
CHILD'S PLAY
Easy kits for kids
PLUS
Industry News
Retailer Interview
Q&A Technology
It’s Your Serve,
It’s Your
Style
COMING EARLY
2009.
Die designs by
™
When it comes to the holidays, make your presents
felt … or cardstock … or metallic foil … or shrink
plastic. With a little help from the Big Shot™ Express
motorized shape-cutting system and holiday dies
from Dena Designs, you can embellish the winter
your way.
For more information, please visit www.sizzix.co.uk or call 0871 222 2277 within UK and +44 (0) 845 345 2277 outside the UK.
©2008 Ellison All rights reserved.
December/January 2008/2009 issue 10
Group Editor
Demelza Rayner
+44 (0)1376 535 609
[email protected]
Contributor
Sarah Reeve
+44 (0)1376 535 614
[email protected]
Editorial Assistant
Jennifer Kettle
+44 (0)1376 535 612
[email protected]
Sales Manager
Mark White
+44 (0) 1376 535 606
[email protected]
Advertising Sales
Tracy Voice
+44 (0)1376 535 618
[email protected]
Design Manager
Vicky Longman
+44 (0)1376 535 616
[email protected]
Graphic Designers
Sarah Barnes
Sophie Farage
Laura Perry
Steve Mckea
+44 (0)1376 535 616
Production Manager
Stuart Weatherley
Kline Davis Limited
Broseley House
Newlands Drive
Witham, Essex CM8 2UL
www.craftfocus.com
contents
regulars
industry news
27
6
We take a look at the hottest news stories about
brand spanking new
12
Spotlight on the latest product launches
competition
17
Win £350 worth of craft kits from
Creativity International
business link
52
How to recession proof your business
up and coming
66
Jayne Bentley of Colour My World reveals the
business’ template for success
features
child genius
proﬁle
creative play
insurance health check
24
33
Christmas covered with TH March
We speak to Fiesta Crafts about the company’s
rewarding range of children’s craft kits
sew far sew good
19
Our pick of some of the best craft kits for kids
retailer interview
50
Multi award-winning artist Michael Powell tells us about
his popular cross stitch designs
44
34
We speak to Sally Hayes of The Paper Mill
Shop about the ﬁrm’s rich heritage
valentine’s day
37
Fall in love with these themed products
Cover courtesy of Michael Powell
www.michaelpowellart.com
q&a technology
ISSN 1758-0900
The 12 days of e-commerce from contributor,
Beth Scott
Craft Focus is solely owned, published and
designed by Kline Davis 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 £40 per annum (incl. p+p), Cheques
should be made out to Kline Davis Limited
and sent to Craft Focus @ Broseley House,
Newlands Drive, Witham, Essex CM8 2UL.
Craft Focus magazine is proud to be
associated with and supporters of:
MEDIA SUPPORTER
ANTI COPYING IN DESIGN
in a spin
42
44
Secure repeat sales with impressive new lines
climate change
54
Taking the temperature of your business
art school
57
Encourage consumers to get creative with
art materials
shows
spring fair
61
We take a look at this top trade show
special feature
focus on jewellery making
27
We look at the sustained success of this craft
and highlight the best new products around
craftfocus 3
World of Crystal
BY NEVER THE SAME
Swarovski Crystal Components
At out of factory prices
Hot ﬁx and non hot ﬁx loose stones
from SS3 to 48
Beads, Buttons, Sew on Stones, Pendants, Pearl, Banding,
Filigrees, Cupchain, Zips etc
Have your own logo made
Decorate it BLING IS IN!
Phone, iPod, Cameras, Bags or Boots, Wedding Dress, Jeans,
Cards or Curtains
www.diamante.co.uk
email: [email protected]
Ms U Radcliffe, 13 Winchester Ave,
Aintree, Liverpool L10 3JY
Mobile: 07802 673 010
NOW SHOWING ON
A COMPUTER NEAR YOU
A new & completely unique
Trade Website for the
Arts and Crafts Industry
from the producers of
LTD
STARRING
THE ENTIRE CASTS OF
Redhotbed
Small Beauties
Heritage Creative Products
&
Crafty Horizons
and currently featuring most - but eventually
ALL the Chorus from
Studiolight Crafts
A brand new production from our studios in Caledonia
Season’s Greetings
Welcome to our December/January
issue, which is packed full of new
product lines to help boost New Year
sales. With shelves full of Christmas
stock, now’s the perfect time to
order ahead for the coming months,
starting with one of the year’s
earliest occasions – Valentine’s Day.
From stylish heart stamps and pretty pink papers, to
creative cross stitch designs, we showcase some top
new crafting products sure to woo your customers.
Fashion accessories of all kinds have achieved excellent sales over the
past couple of years, as more and more people seek to individualise
their look. This has prompted a boom in the number of crafters
deciding to make their own jewellery. Wires, ﬁndings and, of course,
beads of every shape, size and colour are currently selling well, and
appeal to amateur and expert crafters alike. We take a look at what
the future holds for this thriving sector, and uncover some great new
craft ranges.
Finally, for all the latest business advice, look no further: Beth Scott of
Loud’n’Clear.com provides a novel twist on the 12 days of Christmas,
with her top e-commerce tips, while Tony Price, acting CEO of
Vistage International, shows how you can prosper in uncertain times.
With the festive season just around the corner, making sure your
business is ready for a happy Christmas is more important than ever.
That’s why Jim Pittman, AC11 Chartered Insurance Broker of
T.H. March & Co, shows you how to secure the correct cover for
the Christmas period.
May I take this opportunity to wish you a happy Christmas and a
prosperous New Year.
9ZbZaoV
www.
directcraftsupplies
.com
Demelza Rayner
Group Editor
CAN YOU AFFORD TO MISS IT?
craftfocus 5
industry news
Keep up-to-date with the industry’s movers
and shakers by reading our regular round-up...
Rowan reveal latest Knitting & Crochet Magazine
Spring 2009 embraces all things natural, a fact reﬂected in Rowan's Knitting & Crochet
Magazine number 45.
The company believes that next season will boast relaxed pieces as well as an ultra ﬁne,
smart, urban look, with raised surfaces and textures important whilst open lace and mesh
patterns provide interest using non textural yarns.
These three major themes are apparent in design stories Bloom, which features feminine
ﬂorals inspired by '50s glamour with a touch of the Orient, hippy chic and rustic Evergreen,
and Driftwood, which is full of casual, castaway colours and textures found along a
windswept, untouched rocky beach.
The beautiful Rowan Knitting & Crochet Magazine 45 has an RRP of £10.95, and further
details are available at www.knitrowan.com.
Digital Scrapbook Artist
unveiled by Serif
In recognition of the trend for scrapbook
artists turning to their digital images and
computers to preserve their memories,
Serif, a leading developer of professional
design and graphics software, has
introduced Digital Scrapbook Artist,
a photorealistic digital scrapbooking
program with brand appeal.
Digital Scrapbook Artist offers a
combination of unlimited creativity and
ease of use, meaning that crafters of
all skill levels can create handcrafted
digital scrapbooks. The product’s list of
features includes the ability to add shadows and effects to images, built-in digital
photo editing, custom page size selection and unique, digital versions of traditional
scrapbooking tools and materials such as decorative scissor edges and shaped
punches. Other applications include high quality embellishments, with every piece
of material or frame rendered in high deﬁnition, and fully customisable photo
paintbrushes that allow the user to add glitter, sand or even stitch items together in
a ﬁrst for digital scrapbooking.
Another great feature of the product is one click share, which allows the crafter
to print, email, and export their project as an image or PDF, and the user can even
share scrapbooks on-line at DaisyTrail™, a social scrapbooking network set up by
Serif so that crafters can exchange tips and show off their designs. Everyone who
signs up for free membership at DaisyTrail™ will receive two free digikits that can
be used with the Digital Scrapbook Artist as well as any other similar software.
The program comes complete with all a crafter needs to get started, including
a bonus value DVD from DaisyTrail™ containing 10 content packs full of themed
backgrounds, embellishments, photo frames, materials, alphabets, and much more.
Visit www.serif.com to ﬁnd out more.
6 craftfocus
Crafty Computer Paper
introduce innovative new lines
Crafty Computer Paper is always on the look out for
new and innovative products, and lately the company has
discovered several in quick succession.
The ﬁrst is a wood veneer which can be printed through
an inkjet printer. This great quality product is real wood,
looks fantastic printed and can be used to create a wide
range of great crafting projects.
The company has also recently introduced laser transfer
foils which work using a laser printer or a commercial
photocopier and laminator. Images are printed in black
and the foil is applied using a laminator or a domestic
iron. The result is a clean, crisp metallic ﬁnish to the black
image, a process that can be seen on a video on the Crafty
Computer Paper website to assist crafters.
Already a hit on the Ideal World television channel, Crafty
Computer Paper has just released a new CD called ‘Card
kits and pieces’. This successful CD is perfect for those new
to card making as all of the card kits are ready to print, cut
and stick. More advanced users will enjoy the CD because
there are over 500 editable graphics that can be used in any
editing software.
Access www.craftcomputerpaper.co.uk to ﬁnd out more.
news&events
Major Brushes opens on-line shop
Major Brushes is one of the largest art and craft suppliers to the
education market in the UK, having been established for 13 years and
now operating out of an impressive 16,000sq ft warehouse in Cardiff.
The company has recently opened an online shop to supply individuals,
retailers, nursery and pre-school groups. Although Major Brushes started
by supplying brushes to schools, the business has now been expanded
to supply a wide range of art and craft materials, including artist brushes,
water pots and palettes, lino printing products, clay and pottery tools,
watercolour paints, stencils and templates, as well as a selection of art and
craft accessories.
Access www.majorbushes.co.uk to view the new website and to ﬁnd
out more about the company.
Direct Craft Supplies website launched
Morris Ecosse Ltd, the Dunbar-based manufacturers, agents and
wholesalers has launched their new website, which will trade under the
guise of Direct Craft Supplies.
Morris Ecosse has, for many years, dealt with shops and retail outlets
throughout most of Scotland and northeast England, and this latest
venture will simply extend their facilities to a much wider audience.
Owner Andrew Morris says: “This is a very exiting time for us. We have
put a lot of time and effort into putting this website together and it will
mean that we can now offer our services to almost anyone within the
arts and craft retail trade. We have built our business up over the years
on a foundation of reliability, trust and friendliness in a very competitive
market and are proud of our achievements and excellent customer
relationships."
To see the exciting new website and ﬁnd out more about the company
access www.directcraftsupplies.com.
Bright Sparks Pavilion returns to ICHS
Craft Hobby + Stitch International, which will take
place at NEC, Birmingham from 15th –17th February
2009, will once again showcase new businesses and
designers at the Bright Sparks Pavilion.
The essential event will offer trade buyers cutting
edge products and supplies from a whole host of new and well
established, global exhibitors, while presenting the perfect networking
opportunity. There will also be the chance for exclusive show offers.
ICHF Ltd Managing Director David Bennett said: “Due to the
popularity of the Bright Sparks Pavilion at Craft, Hobby & Stitch
International 2008, it is going to return for 2009. As last year, we’ve
had a lot of interest in the area with a mix of exhibitors from various
sectors of the industry including papercraft, needlecraft, and hobby.”
Many new businesses and designers have already signed up to
exhibit in the Bright Sparks Pavilion, where they will showcase new
ideas and launch designs. Exhibitors in this area will receive free,
dedicated editorial in the show guide, a brightly coloured stand fascia
and the opportunity to meet 8,000 buyers from 43 countries. To ﬁnd
out more visit www.ichf.co.uk.
Spring/summer '09 range launched by Maia
The stunning Maia range, available from Coats Crafts UK, continues
to grow in 2009 with exciting new designs for spring/summer. This
season sees the introduction of 22 new designs, which now takes
the complete range up to a total of 109 artistic kits.
With designs from the Maia studio and featured international
designers already known to the brand, Maia is now proud to add
UK artist, Mark Harrison, to the growing portfolio. Mark's designs
capture atmospheric scenes from New York and Venice, focusing
on dramatic shapes with an emphasis on light and shadows. The
Maia studio has interpreted this with the use of metallic threads to
highlight the effects of the designs.
From the Thomas Kinkade range, three tranquil cottages have
been perfectly depicted, whilst All Loved Up is an elegantly detailed
ﬂoral study of anemonies from British artist Nel Whatmore and
a further three designs have been added to the ethnic collection
from featured artist Keith Mallet.
The launch also sees improvements to the charts in the form
of a simpliﬁed stitching key, more contrast in symbols to make
identiﬁcation easier, and the progression of the cross stitch chart on
the back stitch selection to now be in full colour.
For further details of the range and to view the new look charts,
go to www.maiaembroidery.com.
craftfocus 7
Hallmark Card Studio 2009
Deluxe launched
The much anticipated Hallmark Card Studio
2009 Deluxe has recently been launched in
time for Christmas for use on the home PC.
The ofﬁcial software of Hallmark, one of the UK's leading greeting card
publishers, the product allows crafters to create personalised cards and projects
in just a few easy steps. The software provides a good value for money solution
to designing a range of crafts and is especially useful for creating personal and
inexpensive Christmas cards.
Hallmark Card Studio 2009 Deluxe can be used to create greetings cards,
stickers, invitations, photo frames, calendars, stationery, scrapbooks and certiﬁcates,
all of which can be made in three simple steps, selecting what to make and
choosing from 9000 card templates and 16,000 clip art images. After adding
personal messages, graphics, and photographs for an individual feel, the completed
creation can then be printed out or emailed to a friend or family member.
Other features of the product include a digital photo editor to perfect
photographs before use, an event organiser to ensure that important dates are not
forgotten, a Hallmark sentiment library to help crafters create special messages,
and Hallmark E-cards to enable the user to send a card instantly. Exclusive
Hallmark fonts are also included in the software and KidLock password protection
to keep projects secure.
Access www.Avanquest.co.uk for further details.
Simply Knitting gets
a makeover
Simply Knitting, one of the UK’s leading
knitting magazines has initiated an
exciting design re-fresh following in
response to a full-scale reader survey.
The market-leading brand now has
a new clean and contemporary look
aimed at making navigation easier, with
more patterns and some exciting new
columns. The magazine features more
quick patterns, focusing on accessory
patterns for smaller items such as
scarves and hats, as well as some more
unusual makes such as Sackboy, star of
the new ‘Little Big Planet’ game from
Sony who will be popping up in the December issue.
Issue 48 also carries an exclusively designed bound, hardback diary, made
especially for knitters. It contains everything crafters would expect from a diary, as
well as knitting tips and information, show dates, charities you can knit for and a
handy shopping guide.
Debora Bradley, Editor of Simply Knitting said: “During the refresh process
we thought long and hard and came up with a new strapline for Simply Knitting
– ‘Essential reading for every knitter!’ - and this is exactly how we feel about the
magazine. We think Simply Knitting should be every knitter’s ﬁrst choice! We’ve
worked hard to maintain the identity of the magazine while making it more
contemporary, and we’re very excited about having a brand new look.”
Visit www.simplyknitting.co.uk to ﬁnd out more.
8 craftfocus
CHA Winter Show keynote
presenter announced
The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) has announced
that two-time Emmy award winning journalist and crafting
enthusiast Deborah Norville will be the keynote speaker
at the 2009 CHA Winter Convention & Trade Show.
Deborah will address the CHA membership on Sunday,
25th January, 2009 from 6.30-7.30pm at the Anaheim
Covention Centre in Anaheim, California. In Deborah's
presentation, entitled Turn Your Passion Into Proﬁt! Using
the Power of Positive Thinking to Reach Your Goals, she
will share her lifelong love and passion for crafting and
stories of a rich family history that passed on valued skills
and crafting traditions to the next generation. Deborah
will also discuss the importance of using gratitude to move
closer to achieving personal and professional goals during
challenging economic times. In addition to appearing as the
show’s keynote speaker, Deborah will also debut her line
of knitting yarn, The Deborah Norville Collection, at the
CHA Winter Show.
“We are very excited to present Deborah as our
keynote speaker. The expertise she brings as an avid
crafter and professional journalist will no doubt inspire our
members to use their passions to realise greater business
success,” said Steve Berger, CEO, CHA.
As the largest trade show for the craft and hobby
industry, over 15,000 craft retailers are expected at the
CHA Winter Show to check out the latest products and
industry trends. The Winter Show is one of the buying
events of the year, with 96% of buyers purchasing products
as a direct result of the show. Approximately 20% of
attendees are from more than 60 different countries,
making the show a truly international event. Billed as a
global marketplace for the constantly growing arts and
crafts industry, the event will feature seven major sections
including Scrapbooking & Papercrafts, Fabric/Quliting/
Needlecrafts, Art Materials & Framing, General Crafts,
License & Design, and International Pavilion as well as a
speciﬁc section for New Exhibitors.
With a theme of It’s Easy Being Green: Discover the
Possibilities, the event will also help exhibitors focus
on providing innovative, environmentally friendly and
sustainable craft products for consumers. The ‘Green’ Show
theme was designed to help the industry take some ﬁrst
steps at going green and to capture some of the expanding
$208 billion dollar green market.
To learn more about the upcoming 2009 CHA Winter
Convention & Trade Show, including a complete schedule
of all programs and events, exhibitor listings, travel
discounts and other key show highlights, visit the website
www.chashow.org.
Craft4Crafters consumer show set to take
place in Exeter
Jones & Co appointed distributor of 7 gypsies
Nottingham based company Jones & Co has announced that it has now been
appointed the distributor for the famous 7 gypsies brand, which is owned by
the Ultrapro Corporation based in California, USA.
Jones & Co (Notts) has been distributing Around the Block products, now
also owned by Ultrapro, for some time, so this development marks a logical
step for the company to give their increasing number of retail customers a
broader choice, as in time they plan to stock all the major lines from 7 gypsies.
The company is preparing a list of the products to come over in early
December, so any retailers currently stocking 7 gypsies are welcome to advise
Jones & Co (Notts) of any requirements they may have to allow them to cater
for their ongoing needs.
E-mail [email protected] for more information.
FuturePlus announces partnership deal with
Design Objectives
FuturePlus, the award-winning customerpublishing agency of Future, has
announced it is to partner with Design
Objectives on three new magazines.
FuturePlus will publish papercraft and
scrapbook titles Creativity! Life and
Creativity! as well as the bi-annual
product guide for Design Objectives.
Creativity! is a bi-monthly 116 page
magazine focusing on papercraft and
card-making, with an A4 format and
print run of 65,000 copies. With an
established readership of over 150,000
consumers, Creativity! supports product sales through a clever mix of
inspiration and editorial content.
Sister-publication Creativity! Life will be published three times a year, in
an A4, 68 page format with a print run of 25,000 copies. The magazine is
aimed at the scrapbook market, helping readers to preserve their special
family moments and memories.
FuturePlus will also publish the bi-annual product guide for Design
Objectives, which will be in an A5 format, running at 44 pages and with a
print-run of 150,000 copies. There will be a plate-change section, which will
allow up to 220 retailers to personalise copies with their own distribution
and contact details. The product guide is primarily a marketing tool for
retailers to increase consumer awareness of the extensive range of papercrafting products available in their stores.
The magazines will be available to buy throughout selected Design
Objectives craft stores in the UK. To ﬁnd out more visit the website at
www.docrafts.co.uk.
10 craftfocus
Craft4Crafters exhibitions are consumer events that build
enthusiasm in the crafting community with thousands of products,
demonstrations, the latest product launches and workshops all
under one roof. The next show on the calendar is in Exeter at the
Westpoint Arena from 23rd-25th January 2009, and provides a fun
opportunity for retailers to spot trends and see how consumers
are responding to new products.
Since its beginnings in Bristol, Craft4Crafters moved to Exeter
ﬁve years ago and remains the ﬂagship show of the trio, with
around 100 exhibitors, a strong needlework following and around
8,000 visitors. Shows in Telford and Newark launched two years
ago and are growing steadily, with around 70 exhibitors and 4,000
visitors at each event. The varied range of workshops, interactive
demonstrations and the industry experts that are on hand at the
show remain popular and ensure that the visitors stay in the venue
longer and frequent the exhibitors’ stands.
The exhibitors vary from paper suppliers, bead manufacturers,
and stamp makers to artist supplies, oil paints and more technical
equipment for framing. The experts that attend are regularly
featured on television and have their own following, and special
guests such as artist Linda Wain and Debbi Moore are invited to
lead exclusive workshops.
Access www.craft4crafters.co.uk for further details.
Enhanced Diary Management developed
by Cybertill
EPoS and e-commerce technology company, Cybertill Limited, has
enhanced the Diary Management component of its EPoS solution.
The new features make the software particularly useful for
retailers operating workshop repair activities or booking in-store
classes, for visitor attractions booking tours at point-of-sale, or for
meeting and conference organisers.
Diary Management comes as a fully integrated element of
the Cybertill system, is easy to operate and saves staff precious
time. It allows for an unlimited number of diaries to be set
up, with controlled user access and the option to ﬁll the diary
with appointments, bookings and reminders. This information is
accessible from any part of the EPoS system, both from the backofﬁce without access to the till screens, and at point-of-sale.
The new functionality is also an easy means of putting together
quotes for repairs or services and associating them with customer
accounts. Quotes can be stored, brought up when required with a
few clicks, and then swiftly turned into sales transactions.
For meetings and conferences organisers, the system enables
them to create tour records, book places at different times and
highlight availability when limited places are available.
For further details visit www.cybertill.co.uk.
Retail software from Cybertill improves performance, proÞts and customer loyalty.
¥
¥
¥
¥
¥
¥
¥
¥
Our point-of-sale systems are extremely easy to learn and use
With our service, thereÕs no headache or cost of managing staff and systems
You can drive your shop, online store, and mail order operations all from a single
tool,in real time, using the same stock data
We can help you design and build your web site or provide links to your existing site
YouÕll always know whatÕs happening in your business, at the touch of a button, from
anywhere and in real time
Great customer relationship management tools will help you build loyalty and
increase sales
Imagine speciÞc prices and promotions for all your different customer types
With Cybertill, high performance comes at an affordable price.
Time to treat yourself to a new till system?
Many retailers in the art, craft and toy sectors, ranging from specialist one-store
independents to larger chains, and from online shops to multi-channel operations,
now rely on a Cybertill system to power their business.
We understand your needs and the challenges that you face, and we can help you
to make money and build loyalty from your retail operation.
To learn more, please contact the Cybertill sales team on
0800 030 4432 or at [email protected]
Take a look at some of the latest products around
brand spanking new
TrimCraft Ltd
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Speciﬁcation:
Retailer Beneﬁts:
Other Information:
Laura Ashley Connemara Designer Paper Packs
Visit www.trimcraft.com.
Price available on application.
The Connemara range of papers feature exquisite prints and warm, autumnal
colours. Each pack contains 24 sheets, and a selection of papers are presented
with a unique soft, velvet effect.
The Laura Ashley brand is instantly recognisable and enormously popular with
consumers due to its chic styling.
The paper packs are presented in 180gsm heavyweight cardstock which is both
acid and lignin free.
Design Objectives
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Speciﬁcation:
Retailer Beneﬁts:
Other Information:
Anita’s Accessories Outline Stickers
Access www.docrafts.co.uk.
Price available on application.
Anita’s have given a whole outline sticker spinner a make-over, comprising of 96 gorgeous
designs. From birthdays to weddings, male to female and ﬂowers to butterﬂies, a variety of
crafters’ favourite themes are covered.
The products include repeated text, borders, alphabets and numbers, all of which are core
items for craft boxes.
Other new launches from Anita’s Accessories include an A5 vellum stack that provides pastel
tones of the colours found in the brand’s paper pack.
The Crazy Wire Company
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Speciﬁcation:
Retailer Beneﬁts:
Other Information:
Knitted Wire Bracelet kit
Telephone +44 (0)1524 848 777.
Prices start from £3 RRP.
The stunning range of knitted wire bracelet kits are simple to use and contain wire,
beads, ﬁndings and full illustrated instructions to create fabulous designs in a range
of colours.
The kits are appropriate for crafters of different skill levels as they have been designed
to suit all ages and abilities.
Due to the reasonable price point the kits make wonderful presents.
Beads Unlimited
12 craftfocus
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Speciﬁcation:
Craft Multi Pliers
Visit www.beadsunlimited.co.uk.
RRP £4.95 per pair or £24.95 for 10.
The Craft Multi Pliers have round noses which make them perfect for getting into and turning
perfectly curved loops, the inner jaw is ﬂat for pressing and squeezing, and the combination is
completed with an inner cutter.
Retailer Beneﬁts:
The Craft Multi Pliers have a great selling point of combining the practicalities of three
individual sets of pliers in one.
Other Information:
Beads Unlimited has a wealth of experience and has been in business for 21 years.
news&events
A & C Black
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Speciﬁcation:
Retailer Beneﬁts:
Other Information:
Silk Paper for Textile Artists by Sarah Lawrence
Telephone +44 (0)207 758 0200
RRP £16.99.
Silk Paper for Textile Artists provides an introduction to the technique of silk paper, and
includes step-by-step guides as well as examples and advice. The book is ﬁlled with
brilliant photography of original pieces and descriptions of Sarah Lawrence’s own work.
Silk paper is becoming ever popular with textile artists and is an exciting and ﬂexible
material that can be used for many projects.
Author Sarah Lawrence is a well known British feltmaker who has been president of the
International Felt Guild and runs craft company Crafty Notions.
Kirsten Lapping Designs
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Speciﬁcation:
Retailer Beneﬁts:
Other Information:
The Harmony Collection stamp sets
Visit www.kirstenlappingdesigns.com.
Price available on application.
The A5 stamp sets in The Harmony Collection are the original interchangeable stamps, which can
be used individually, or mix and matched with others in the same set as well as others
in the collection.
The pretty designs can appeal to young, and young at heart crafters.
The Enchanted Collection complements The Harmony Collection, with delights including glitter
and embossing powders that can be cut and punched.
Ribbon & Craft Wholesale
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Speciﬁcation:
Retailer Beneﬁts:
Other Information:
Ribbon Punches
Access www.ribbonandcraftwholesale.co.uk.
RRP £6.95.
The exciting Ribbon Punches create four lovely shapes that are perfect for
threading onto six or seven millimetre ribbon.
This product can be used to add interest when creating cards, gifts and
wedding favours.
Ribbon & Craft Wholesale has recently been appointed as the UK
distributor for Nellie Snellen products.
Derwent
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Speciﬁcation:
Derwent Craft Knife
Access www.pencils.co.uk.
RRP £4.99.
The new Derwent Craft Knife can be used for many applications and is perfect for sharpening pencils,
cutting paper and adding textural interest to projects.
Retailer Beneﬁts:
The product comes on a blister card with ﬁve replacment blades so that crafters can easily change the
blade regularly and protect their work from tearing.
Other Information:
A pack of ﬁve replacement blades has an RRP of only £1.79.
craftfocus 13
brand spanking new
Coats Crafts UK
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Speciﬁcation:
Retailer Beneﬁts:
Other Information:
Anchor Starter Kits
Visit www.coatscrafts.co.uk.
Price available on application.
Anchor has a variety of small cross stitch designs for crafters starting on Aida.
Designs include a sweet butterﬂy and a beautiful poppy ﬁeld, and each is stitched
on 11 count antique white Aida fabric.
Anchor’s wide range of beginners kits includes products that will appeal to adult
crafters as well as those that are speciﬁcally aimed at children.
Each design includes full instructions and pre-sorted threads.
Studiolightcrafts
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Speciﬁcation:
Retailer Beneﬁts:
Other Information:
Die-cut twisted pyramids
Access www.studiolightcrafts.co.uk.
Price available on application.
The new range of die-cut twisted pyramids consists of products featuring
Flower Fairies and Winnie the Pooh, as well as designs themed especially for
Christmas and male recipients.
Licensed items are always a popular draw for consumers, and twisted pyramids
were a favourite item last year.
Studiolightcrafts Limited are also known as publishers and suppliers of A4
decoupage sheets, a comprehensive range of A4 and A6 decoupage books, 12x12
scrapbook papers and transparent stamps.
ArtYarn
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Speciﬁcation:
Retailer Beneﬁts:
Other Information:
Lang Yarns Fatto A Mano Magazine 166
Visit www.artyarn.co.uk.
RRP £4.50.
The latest knitting patterns from Lang Yarns, available from ArtYarn, focus on outdoor sports,
with 19 colourful and warm, ski-style knits for all the family. This magazine features a number
of yarns ranging from DK to chunky and wool-mix to cashmere.
Lang Yarns of Switzerland offer stylish, well-presented patterns with a continental ﬂavour to
compliment their extensive range of handknitting yarns.
ArtYarn also distributes Lang Yarns’ sock yarn Jawoll and a comprehensive range of knitting
needles manufactured by Addi.
Beads Unlimited
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Speciﬁcation:
Retailer Beneﬁts:
Other Information:
14 craftfocus
Milleﬁori Donuts
Access www.beadsunlimited.co.uk.
A single donut is £1.25, 10 of one colour is £6.75 and it is £8.75 for
10 mixed.
Pleasingly patterned milleﬁori donuts from Beads Unlimited look as delicious
as their name suggests and are available in six tasty colours.
These eye catching glass pendant beads can be used to brighten up popular
projects such as jewellery making.
The milleﬁori beads measure 30mm in size, making them perfect for
customising clothes.
Cathie Shuttleworth
Paper Crafts | Beautiful Templates | Templates and patterns
for crafters of all ages and abilities
View all our products online at
www.cathieshuttleworth.co.uk
[email protected]
01536 373595
15-17 February
NEC Birmingham
Europe’s
No
1
Trade Show
for the Art, Craft, Needlecraft
& Hobby Industry
• Over 300 exhibiting companies from around the world
• Meet the new designers in the Bright Sparks Pavilion
• Free Workshops & Seminars
• Find out what’s hot for 2009 in the New Products Pavilion
• Exclusive show offers
Strictly trade only, no under 16’s
For information about exhibiting or visiting this show,
please contact:
www.ichf.co.uk
Supported by
,&+)
HYHQWV
Dominic House,
Seaton Road, Highcliffe,
Dorset. BH23 5HW.
Tel 01425 272711
Fax 01425 279369
Email [email protected]
34th Year
competition
WIN!
£350 worth of the NEW
Mister Maker kits from
Creativity International!
Creativity International is a well-known leading supplier of
arts and craft in the UK, Europe and beyond. They are also
one of the largest suppliers of educational craft in the UK.
The company is already a market leader in the
education market, and is fast becoming a leading light on
the high street too, with parents looking for the brand
knowing it represents good quality and great, enjoyable
products at a competitive price.
One of Creativity International's latest and most
exciting licensing deals is for Mister Maker, a hit children's
television programme that has captured youngsters'
imaginations. Mister Maker is a lively arts and crafts TV
series aimed at getting pre-schoolers creative and having
fun. In the show, Mister Maker works from his magical
Art Room where oversized arts and craft materials,
Doodle Drawers and Shapes come to life. Using a variety
of live action, graphics and animation Mister Maker is the
ultimate interactive arts and crafts show for younger kids.
Creativity International’s new Mister Maker kits include
Sock-Puppets, Badge-Making, Make-a-Face, and Endangered
Animal Masks, with each one encouraging hand-eye
co-ordination to help develop children’s dexterity and
conﬁdence. It’s all about educational, practical play, with a
really fun twist!
Each kit retails at a perfect price point of only £4.99
and there are over 24 skus. To ﬁnd out more and to
receive a free promotional ﬂyer call +44 (0)1384 485 550
or email [email protected].
THE PRIZE
To celebrate Creativity International’s new raft of licensed
craft kits, the company is offering readers the chance to win
some of the popular new Mister Maker products. One lucky
winner will receive £350 worth of a selection of Mister
Maker kits.
To enter the competition, simply visit www.craftfocus.com,
ﬁll in your details and answer the following question:
“What is Creativity International's latest licensing deal?”
The deadline for entries is 30th January 2009.
Terms and Conditions
1. Competitions are not open to employees (or their immediate families) of Kline Davis Ltd.
2. The competition closing date is subject to change without prior notice.
3. The winner will be notiﬁed in writing.
4. The editor’s decision is ﬁnal and no correspondence will be entered into.
5. The prize is not transferable and has no monetary value.
6. If an advertised prize is not available, we reserve the right to offer an alternative prize of
equal or greater value.
7. No purchase necessary to enter and there is no charge to enter via the website.
craftfocus 17
craft kits
child’s play
One of the easiest ways of getting children inspired by
craft is by stocking a selection of simple DIY kits. We
spotlight some of the best….
Petit Artisan
www.petitartisan.com
The Animache range of seven duo-animal
box kits encourages the artist in every
child. These eco friendly kits include
two papier mache animals produced
in accordance with community trade
principles in villages in the Philippines. A
quality paint brush and water based paint
pots provide the creative tools – children
need only add imagination. After an hour of educational, creative play children have their
own distinct toy to adopt or gift away. Each kit retails at around £9.99.
Crafty Kids
Past Times Quilling
Cathie Shuttleworth
www.cathieshuttleworth.co.uk
Cathie Shuttleworth has developed a collection
of imaginative, three-dimensional paper
templates that will appeal to all ages. Each kit
comes complete with instructions, template,
coloured papers and handy hints. Each kit is
graded according to ability, so there is something
for everyone, even children. The new range
for this season includes mr and mrs mouse,
an aeroplane, a clown and some stylish animal
boxes, with templates for a giraffe, crocodile and
zebra. Each kit retails at £6.99.
www.pasttimesquilling.co.uk
The Children’s Quilling Workbox from
Past Times Quilling is designed as a
replenishable workbox for children
wanting to learn the craft of quilling. It
includes the children’s quilling handbook
which teaches the basic skills involved in
the craft in a very simple way. It is written
like a story, with the main character,
Cuthbert the Caterpillar, taking the child
through the book and showing them
how to make his friends in quilling. The
workbox also contains three bundles of
quilling paper in three widths and three
different sizes of plastic quilling tool. PVA
adhesive is included together with a
selection of blank cards, greetings cards,
gift cards and gift boxes for the child to
decorate with their quilled designs. The
workbox retails at £14.99.
www.craftykids.co.uk
There are 21 designs in the Crafty
Kids collection. Each one contains
everything a child needs to create his
or her own puppet design including
detailed step-by-step instructions, all
the component parts, paints, brush and
glue. For girls, the fairy princess and
ballerina are popular choices, while
for the boys, the knight and dragon
designs are in demand. The kits retail
between £10-£11.75.
craftfocus 19
child’s play
The Little Experience
www.the-little-experience.com
The Little Experience’s award-winning kits come
complete with everything needed to complete
the project, right down to the scissors and needle.
Furthermore, all of their boxes are specially printed
inside so your young customers can cut them up
and make something cool. This adds a totally new
dimension to teaching children about the value
of recycling. The new Stitch Hearts kit, priced at
£9.99rrp, is ideal for kids to make an extra special
heart felt gift for their favourite person. The Little
Experience kits come in four different sizes and are
suitable for boys and girls from 0-16 years.
DMC Creative World
www.dmc.com
The DMC Classic Disney range has something for
everyone and is perfect for children to learn a new hobby.
There are characters from the Jungle book and Aristocats
and many other Disney favourites. Not only are they
available in traditional cross stitch kits but also adorable
ready to stitch Disney key rings. Prices range from around
£3.99 - £25.
Also available from DMC is the Hello Kitty range,
offering children the opportunity of making some simple
felt cushions, bags and purses. With bright colours
and a small amount of stitching the DMC kits can be
completed in just an hour or so.
Wizard Ltd
www.wizardcrafts.com
SHRINKLES make great craft kits for
kids to colour, cut, shrink and make
key fobs, badges, magnets, jewellery
etc. Latest in the extensive range
of Bumper Boxes are Knights &
Dragons, presenting hours of fun and
everything children need to make 12
ﬁgurines of Knights each with their
own Dragon to slay!
All the girls will love Fairy Tale
Princesses Shrinkles with this great
set of wonderful, age old fairy tale
characters and beautiful Princesses.
There are 30 Shrinkles to make with
accessories including clip on earrings,
a noodle necklace, key rings, magnets
and lots more.
20 craftfocus
Mouseloft
www.mouseloft.co.uk
With miniature cross stitch designs at
pocket-money prices, Mouseloft knows
exactly what it takes to get children involved
in this rewarding craft. The Stitchlets™, At
The Zoo™, By The Seaside™ and Tiddlers™
collections present new designs each year
that appeal to boys and girls alike. Prices
range from just 99p for designs from the
Tiddlers™ collection, to just £1.79 for
designs from the other three collections.
Tel: 020 8995 2299
www.petitartisan.com
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Luxury Occasions Box
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7R¿QG\RXUQHDUHVWVWRFNLVWGHWDLOVRIDYDLODEOHSURGXFWV
JRWRwww.silverviscount.co.uk
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8QLWV'(5HFWRU\%XVLQHVV&HQWUH5HFWRU\5RDG
5XVKGHQ1RUWKDQWV112$*
Tel: 01933 311888
JHSS [email protected]
Fax: 01933 312888
Westpoint Arena Exeter
23rd – 25th January 2009
The International
Centre Telford
20th – 22nd February 2009
Newark Showground
11th – 13th September 2009
craft kits
Planet Purple Kids
www.planetpurplekids.com
Planet Purple Kids produces a funky, unique range of kits for kids aged between six and 13 years of
age. Their award-winning range includes book kits, pencil case kits, bag kits, along with the popular
ﬁnger and hand puppet kits. The family-run Irish ﬁrm strives to be as eco-friendly as possible, keeping
packaging down to a minimum and always striving to develop re-usable and bio-degradable options.
New designs are launched regularly and the kits shown here are from the June 2008 collection.
The Bold Sheep
Creativity International
www.cilimited.co.uk
The New Mister Maker Craft kits from Creativity International are
most popular with children aged between three and seven years old.
The kits stimulate hand eye coordination and are each linked to the
national curriculum. Among the new kits, one of the most popular
is the Mister Maker Sock Puppet kit. Kits are priced at £4.99 each,
and good terms are offered for new and existing trade customers.
Retailers can also request FSDUs (free standing display units).
www.theboldsheep.co.uk
Fresh from The Bold Sheep is a
new collection of small children’s
kits, baby baa ginners. This is a range
of eight miniature kits, measuring
8.5cm x 8.5cm (3½” x 3½”)
worked on binca with chunky
tapestry wool. These feature two
hearts, a silly spider, and a butterﬂy,
each retailing at just £7.50.
There are also several new baa
ginners tapestry kits, which retail at
£12.50 each, and cross stitch kits,
which retail at £11.50 each.
craftfocus 23
creative play
We find out more about award-winning firm, Fiesta Crafts
Pictured from left to right are; managing
director Andrew Bacon, designer Valeria
Miglioli and Rob Trup, marketing manager
Fiesta Crafts, an Enfield-based toy company
was established 18 years ago by brothers,
Andrew and Richard Bacon. The company
originally impor ted hand crafted fabric
toys produced in islands in the Philippines
known locally as the 'Fiesta' islands. Since
then Fiesta Crafts has expanded to become
a well recognised UK toy company with an
enviable record of commercial and awards
success including expor ting to over two
dozen countries worldwide.
One reason behind the success is the
company ethos, which is to produce toys
with traditional values of creativity and
play. This is translated in cheerful, bright
products that children and parents
recognise as toys with loads of play value.
All products and packaging are designed
in-house by the Fiesta Crafts team.
In 2007 Fiesta Crafts expanded into
traditional craft kits for children with a
new range called Paint, Make and Play. The
creative kits for younger children include
wooden pieces to paint and clip together
and ready painted wooden characters to
bring the toy to life, providing hours of
creative play. Paints and a brush are also
included. Paint, Make and Play sets currently
include pink and blue castles, a fairy house,
a nativity scene and a fire station with its
own push-along fire engine.
The kits are designed to provide the
perfect choice for parents and people
wanting to give something wor thwhile
as a gift because they test children’s
imagination and creativity and also produce
an end result to be proud of.
Not only have The Paint, Make and Play
kits enjoyed great sales but they have also
just won the Gold award for crafts in the
highly competitive and prestigious Good
Toy Awards.
The Good Toy Awards are organised
annually by the National Association of
Toy Lending Libraries and each entr y is
stringently tested. This makes the awards
par ticularly impor tant for companies like
Fiesta Crafts who specialise in providing
in-house designed toys with true play value.
Winning the award was a major triumph
for the company as it was up against
some impressive entries from much larger
companies from all around the globe.
Fundamental to the success of Fiesta
Crafts’ products is the marketing suppor t
behind all their products. As well as
supplying products with eye-catching
packaging and effective point of sale
displays to convince customers to purchase,
Fiesta Crafts also pursues a highly active
publicity campaign throughout the
consumer media. By pointing the consumer
to their informative website, the public can
find a retailer by entering their postcode in
the ‘find a stockist’ facility.
For retailers who like to stock a variety
of products, Fiesta Crafts’ other speciality
is educational fabric wall hangings. Themes
include animal height char ts, reward char ts,
and calendars in English and a range of
foreign languages they even produce a
Football League Table! C
Further information
For more information about all the UK
designed products from Fiesta Crafts call
+44 (0)208 804 0563 or email
[email protected]
24 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
A new and exiting company supplying
a vast range of ﬁndings to shops
and internet retailers only
Headpins fancy head pins, ball head pins, crimps 3 sizes,
crimp covers, wire protectors, jumprings, round and oval, clasps,
lobster, toggle, magnetic, multistrand, diamante, ﬂower toggle,
elasticated bracelets, bracelet blanks, earrings, ﬁsh hook,
lever back, screw on, stud, box clasps, bell cap ends,
diamante charms. Faux suede and cotton cord.
For a catalogue contact
Bead Time
5 Church Road,
Ashford,
Middlesex
TW15 2UG
Tel: 01784 252438
www.beadtime.co.uk
jewellery
jewel purpose
As one of the hottest trends to hit the
industry, jewellery making has enjoyed a
bumper year and, thanks to the catwalk,
shows no sign of slowing. We look at the
rise of this craft and identify the best new
products on the market...
Fashion is a notoriously ﬁckle friend, with many
trends absolutely crucial to follow one minute
and then unceremoniously dumped the next.
Season after season new looks strut down the
catwalk, through showrooms and into stores,
swiftly inﬂuencing how and why consumers
spend their money. In the craft industry,
however, fashion seems to be an inspiration
that is important to note but not always critical
to follow, a fact that many retailers may be
grateful to acknowledge since it is extremely
fast moving.
Last season, however, all of this changed
as jewellery making exploded onto the craft
scene with genuinely impressive designs,
ﬁnancially viable products and an enthusiastic
level of interest from consumers. This interest
was peaked, of course, by the catwalk with a
host of high fashion designers building their
collections not only with the use of costume
jewellery, but often around it. Fashion houses
with reputations as varied as Marni, Givenchy,
Louis Vuitton, and Alexander McQueen were
just a few of the trailblazers of the jewellery
revolution and happily all of them had a
different take on the statement jewellery trend,
meaning that, from a fashion retailer’s point of
view, consumers could spend as much time
and money as they liked on the look of their
choice because jewels would always be at the
centre of any up to the minute outﬁt. Success
for the fashion industry is all very well and
good, with the impact on consumer conﬁdence
undeniable, but what does this mean for the
craft industry? From a craft retailer’s point
of view the best aspect of the statement
jewellery trend was that the costume aesthetic
is entirely achievable, with creative consumers
realising that they could easily mimic their
favourite designs sans the catwalk price tag,
pushing sales of jewellery making materials
through the roof.
This season the good news is that jewellery
is still an extremely important part of the
strongest and most commercial fashion trends,
meaning that the trend for jewellery making
can only continue in popularity. Vivienne
Westwood’s spring/summer ‘09 collection
had a distinctly DIY look that is dependent
on the individual details that only customising
can deliver, and there was hardly a designer
who did not send tribal-inﬂuenced creations
down the catwalk, from the achingly edgy
Christopher Kane to the classically elegant
Ralph Lauren. In terms of jewellery itself, huge
necklaces as seen at Christian Lacroix and
Phillip Lim are still big news, a fact that has led
to the emergence of a trend for enormous
earrings, such as those at Louis Vuitton and
Zac Posen. Ladylike pearls are also set to be a
spring/summer favourite if shows from Luella
and Lanvin are anything to go by, whilst bows,
corsages, feathers, fringing, rufﬂes, zips and
sequins are just a few more of the catwalk
details that craft retailers can stock to attract
consumers who keep a close eye on their
ﬁnances as well as fashion.
Read on to discover some of the best
products to keep the jewellery making trend
in fashion...
At the forefront of combining fashion jewellery
design with the craft of jewellery-making,
inspirational designer Claire Aristides realised
her dream to allow women with no prior
experience the means to create their very
own piece from scratch with her hugely
popular Designer Jewellery Making Kits.
Crafters can create colourful stretch bracelets,
on trend chandelier earrings and long chain
necklaces using step-by-step guidance from
Claire, who developed the products in
response to her successful workshops run
in London, Glasgow, Manchester and Dublin.
The great value kits retail from £20 to £50
and include a variety of materials such as semi
precious stones, Swarovski crystals, pearls,
sterling silver and gold. To ﬁnd out more visit
www.clairearistides.com.
craftfocus 27
Jones & Co
Nottingham
Creative
Beadcraft
Creative Beadcraft
La Fourmi
jewel purpose
The latest products from well established
company Creative Beadcraft include eight
and 12 millimetre ﬁre-polished beads from
Jablonex, which are a fabulous and cost
effective way to add sparkle to jewellery.
New metallised beads, pendants and metal
components reﬂect the ongoing trend for
statement jewellery, whilst chunky enamel
ceramics, striking pewter beads and large
link chain have been added to the popular
ranges. Creative Beadcraft’s semi-precious
range has also been extended with new
stones in a variety of shapes and sizes,
including a large range of Swarovski beads
and pendants. All items are available
loose with many attractively presented
in barcoded hang sell packs, and more
information can be found at the website
www.creativebeadcraft.co.uk.
Jones & Co Nottingham
In line with the current trend for very long
jewellery, La Fourmi is offering all kinds of chains
to tempt crafters this season, some where you
can open the links and include rings and beads of
all kinds to create an asymmetrical aesthetic. By
nature this is a thrown together look, so pieces
can be great fun to design as well as easy to
make. An offbeat combination of large and small
mix glass, metal and crystal beads is available to
turn jewellery into cool, structured chaos! Access
www.cordslafourmi.com for further details.
Jones & Co Nottingham Ltd has just launched The Peacock Collection, an attractive range that includes an
intial 12 types of effective, sprayed glass beads. available on eight inch strings together with jet and opal effect
pendants. A range of pendant trays, ring cases and bracelets from Amate Studios will also soon be available
to compliment the expanding range of products, which are ideal for jewellery makers. This leading craft house
also distributes stretch magic, P’Leather and supreme waxed cotton cords, as well as ranges of glass, metal,
real MOP shell and printed river shell pendants. Also on eight inch strings are magniﬁcent ranges of semi
precious stones and Czech glass beads. For further details visit www.jonesnottm.co.uk.
28 craftfocus
Design on the left was made using:
Come Visit Us At These Shows!
Craft Hobby & Stitch
February 15-17, 2009
NEC Exhibition Centre
Birmingham, UK
Booth #: 9C28
Toho® Seed & Cube Beads
Handerbeit & Hobby
March 20-22, 2009
Cologne Fairgrounds
Cologne, Germany
Booth #: 2B27
WildFire™
Supplemax™
Spin-N-Bead Jr.
Bead Stringing Glue
Make it with Beadalon.
www.beadalon.com
Design by Katie Hacker
Learn how to make this design at:
www.beadalon.com/sunburst.asp
#34
MANUFACTURING WIRE SINCE 1976
jewellery
Beads Unlimited
Empirical Praxis
Empirical Praxis Ltd, known as epbeads.
co.uk, has just launched jewellery making
starter kits, complete with an instructional
DVD, to the trade. The exciting new Earrings
& Bracelets DVD is a great entry point into
jewellery making, featuring close up shots
so that crafters can easily follow techniques
as well as brilliant tips and images for design
ideas. EP Beads is giving free classes to
the trade to help craft shop owners learn
more about jewellery making and use their
new skill to better communicate with their
customers and help increase sales. Access
www.epbeads.co.uk for further details.
Crafters can create original jewellery using
one of the imagepac Home Stamp Making
Kits from www.imagepacdaylight.co.uk. The
versatile product makes it easy to construct
individual textured stamps or embossing die
that can be used with metal clay to achieve
beautiful designs using just a desk lamp and
the materials in the kit. As well as bringing
texture to designs, crafters can experiment
with drawings, text and even their own
photos to add a personal touch to their
jewellery. Everything needed to make stamps
is included in the kits, so consumers simply
add imagination for jewellery that will be the
envy of all their friends.
The lovely new Glass Bead Boxes from
Beads Unlimited provide a visually pleasing
and collectable way to store all the materials
needed for organised and efﬁcient jewellery
making. The company likes them so much it's
added them to its original range with seven
new boxes dedicated to rocailles. The products
also come at a reasonable price, with rocaille
boxes at just £3.50 each including VAT for ﬁve
or more, whilst the original glass bead boxes
are just £6.95 each or just £4.50 each including
VAT for ﬁve or more. All of the products are
available at www.beadsunlimited.co.uk.
Image Pac
Natural Minerals
Jewellery from Natural Materials by award winning
designer and teacher Beth Legg is the ﬁrst handbook
of its kind to include step by step projects for making
jewellery from natural materials, and is available
from publisher A&C Black. A must have for anyone
interested in contemporary studio jewellery, the
book covers an extensive range of techniques for
working with various materials and provides chapters
dedicated to stone, shell, amber, vegetable ivory and
feathers. Each project includes concise information
accompanied with sequence photographs, enabling
the reader to produce their own distinctive jewellery.
This truly unique, paperback handbook also contains
an inspirational gallery of work by contemporary
makers from across the world, and has an RRP of
£15.99. To ﬁnd out more call +44 (0)207 494 8533. C
craftfocus 31
insurance check
Christmas covered?
In a time of uncertainty and with the festive season just around the corner,
making sure your business is ready for a happy Christmas is more important
than ever. Here Jim Pittman, ACII Chartered Insurance Broker of T.H. March
& Co Limited discusses the importance of having the correct cover over the
Christmas period.
Mortgage costs are increasing, energy costs are
set to rise, food is getting dearer and in some
cases retail sales are dropping. But we can all
hope that sales will increase as people ‘absorb’
the festive spirit and start some additional
retail therapy!
With ambiguity and insecurity in the air, you
may wonder how this affects your business
insurance. As wholesalers and manufacturers
supply clients for December, their stock levels
will be dropping but traditionally for retailers
Christmas is a time when stock is increased.
As a retailer carrying higher stock than
normal at Christmas time, insurance cover
needs to be checked. It’s common to see
many policies that include an inbuilt automatic
increase for the festive period but is this really
adequate? If not, tell your insurance advisor.
“As a retailer carrying
higher stock than normal at
Christmas time, insurance
cover needs to be checked.”
Importantly, you need to look carefully at the
loss of proﬁts or business interruption cover
and ensure that the period of increase covers
the duration you need it for. Some packages
provide high levels of cover automatically
– check your policy as practice can vary.
With busy schedules and hectic lifestyles,
Christmas shopping is starting later each
year and you want to make the most of all
potential Christmas sales. The last thing you
need is something that will affect a good run of
business at Christmas.
Disasters can strike at any time and a ﬁre,
ﬂood or escape of water will never happen at
a convenient period.
Using ﬁre as an example, the last thing you
need in the run up to Christmas is such ruin
happening to your shop. Smoke and water
can both badly affect your shop and just as
important, your stock. The chance of being
back up and running in time for Christmas is
slim and even if you managed, you’d have no
stock to sell.
“Disasters can strike
at any time and a fire,
flood or escape of water
will never happen at a
convenient period.”
Following such a blow to your business,
you source your records, kept at a separate
location and hope that all stock can be
replenished. Your suppliers are sympathetic but
as in lots of cases, they are unable to restock
you with all the items you need.
The result of this is that your anticipated
Christmas sales do not occur and many of
your ‘usual’ customers have enjoyed shopping
at a competitor’s outlet. The loss of sales can
continue for much longer than expected with
custom not returning in the New Year due to
the new retailer your customers have found.
You may also be contractually obliged to pay
your staff, this together with a severe drop in
sales could mean your business survival
is threatened.
“It is essential to have
adequate cover in place
and you need to be
considering 24 months
protection as a minimum.”
As a result of an unwelcome disaster, trading,
in some cases, may cease or more than likely
be reduced for some time whilst repairs are
carried out. At this point your loss of proﬁts
cover will protect you, however many people
do not buy loss of proﬁts cover or simply
buy insufﬁcient cover. It is essential to have
adequate cover in place and you need to
be considering 24 months protection as
a minimum.
From experience, many of the mall
operators insist on ﬁve years’ rent cover, as
an event causing serious destruction could
affect retail centres for long periods of time.
So ensure you buy adequate cover and take
advice from your professional advisor. 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 the
website www.thmarch.co.uk
craftfocus 33
a family affair
The Paper Mill Shop may be a relatively recent phenomenon,
but the company can trace its ancestry back through ﬁve
generations to it origins and a romantic tale of young love.
Marketing manager Sally Hayes explains…
How did it all begin?
In 1845 22-year-old James Cropper left his
home city of Liverpool in pursuit of a young
woman named Fanny Wakeﬁeld who had
stolen his heart and who had moved to the
Westmorland town of Kendal. Later that year
and with a new wife to support, James decided
on a career in papermaking and took over
the lease of Burneside Paper Mill just outside
Kendal, within the Lake District National Park.
The Mill, James Cropper PLC, is still the source
of the coloured and textured paper and card
sold by The Paper Mill Shop. What’s more the
tradition of papermaking in the Cropper family
has been successfully handed down through
succeeding generations. The current chairman
of the company, James Cropper is the great,
great grandson of his namesake who founded
the business over 160 years ago.
Does the company implement eco friendly
business practices?
James Cropper PLC takes its environmental
responsibilities very seriously and is very proud
of the fact that the Mill is accredited with the
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Standard.
We have our own recycling plant and ensure
the River Kent, which supplies the mill, is kept
free of any waste or pollution.
34 craftfocus
What prompted the move into retail?
As the Mill produced ever more specialised
papers, it became clear that the excesses and
off cuts from its vast range of colours would
be ideal for sale to the general public if cut
to A4 or A5 size. The idea for The Paper Mill
Shop was born.
The growth of this retailing business led to
The Paper Mill Shop in 2003 having its own
conversion, picking, packing and distribution
centre on the south side of Kendal. From here
its 24 retail shops are managed, exciting new
products are developed and customer orders
to the new Internet site are handled.
Which shop opened ﬁrst?
Our ﬁrst shop opened in 2000 on the site of
the Mill at Burneside. The original shop was
in a temporary building on the mill site, but
we quickly moved into the Mill. If you visit the
shop today you can actually look out across
the mill ﬂoor and see the paper coming off
the machines.
How has the retail business evolved?
The retail business evolved into a factory shop
formula, we are in all McArthurGlen Designer
Outlets and selected Freeports, and we
have some high street presence in Liverpool,
Gateshead and Penrith.
How important is the family tradition to
the business?
Very important, Mark Cropper the son of
the present chairman, James Cropper has just
been appointed deputy chairman and is taking
an active role within the company. Within the
workforce of 500 at the Mill and our subsidiary
companies many people and family members
have long work histories. Only recently a lady
who worked in the accounts department
retired after 40 years’ service.
How would you describe the overall design
and layout of your shops?
Our stores were ﬁtted to sell our paper and
card in a pick ‘n’ mix format, so our shops
reﬂect this. But as we established ourselves
in the craft industry we soon realised that
selling the craft accessories was a fantastic
complement to our core product. Our current
stores aren’t geared up to displaying a large
amount of hanging goods. So we have taken
the decision to refurbish one of our original
stores Livingston in Scotland to enhance our
ever-growing range of craft accessories and
display our paper and card better.
What other types of products do you sell?
We sell craft accessories, we stock the two
main brands Design Objectives and Trimcraft,
retailer interview
but we also pride ourselves on stocking lesserknown brands such as Colour My World and
Cosmic Shimmer.
We also sell other paper-related products
such as our famous Create a Calendar,
envelopes and artist pads, which are created
from the paper produced at the Mill.
How do you decide which new products to
introduce?
We visit the trade shows and get a feel for the
trends and keep a keen eye out for anything
new. We do look for products that we feel
will work with paper and card, not only card
making but also papercraft and scrapbooking.
What are the key trends in crafting and
current best selling ranges?
We’ve found that die-cut decoupage has been
a great success this season. We all have busy
lives these days and crafters see this as a quick
but effective way to create a card. We’ve also
seen uplift in art products such as Sakura Pens
and watercolours, crafters don’t just want
to emboss a stamp they want to colour or
paint their design to give it a more subtle but
colourful look.
When did the company ﬁrst start trading
online and how important is this to the
business?
We started trading around two years ago; we
have seen a very good increase in our internet
sales. Crafters and small businesses now know
and trust our quality papers so ordering online
hasn’t been a problem for us and continues to
grow. Because of this growth we are investing
in improving our site for 2009.
When were demonstrations/workshops ﬁrst
introduced and how useful are they in terms
of business?
Demonstrations have been an integral part
of the Paper Mill Shop since stocking craft
accessories, but I do believe it is time for a
change in direction. Many craft companies
have grown with their customers, crafters now
know all the techniques and keeping them
interested is proving to be ever more difﬁcult.
The workshops do work for us but again it’s
a challenge ﬁnding new angles from which to
approach them.
How important are your customer loyalty
events?
Our customer loyalty events are our VIP
evenings, we hold them three to four times
a year and invite our loyalty card customers
along to an evening event where we hold new
product launches and instore demos. They
are very important to us as an opportunity
to spend more time with our customers and
reward them with special offers and discounts.
Has crafting been hit by the current
economic climate?
Yes, I think it has. However, as a company we’ve
got to ﬁnd the right product at the right price
The artist’s impression is of the new Livingston store due to open on the 6th Dec 08
and make sure it has longevity, customers don’t
want throw away products they want to get as
many uses out of it as possible.
There are other areas we are looking at. We
don’t only provide paper and card to crafters
we do have a lot of small business customers
who are now producing their own stationery
at home on the computer. This is one way for
smaller companies to save money and with the
expansion of our internet site we see this as a
growth area for us.
What strategies have been implemented to
stay competitive?
We’ve a new stock system now in place, which
has given us a clearer understanding of our
stock situation and bestsellers. This has helped
us react more quickly to fast selling lines but
also clear slow selling ones.
Top tips for survival/recession prooﬁng.
Don’t remain stagnant; keep new lines coming
but only buy the minimum pack quantities
therefore test the water before repeating but
don’t repeat forever, replace it with something
new. If it’s not selling then get rid, but don’t
discount all the time or the end of each month,
otherwise your customers will become wise
and wait until you discount it.
Plans for the future?
Once we have evaluated the reﬁt in our
Livingston store we will roll this new format
down to our other existing stores and ﬁnd
new ways to promote our core product
paper and card but also ﬁnd new and exciting
products within craft, which is a challenge to
us all.
At the moment we are lacking in a presence
in the Midlands, which is something we are
keen to rectify. However, due to the current
climate, like many other companies, we are
waiting to see how this will affect consumer
spending and will make a decision in the next
ﬁnancial year. C
craftfocus 35
valentine’s
valentines day
for the love of craft
Crafty Horizons
We showcase some sensational designs
to tempt your customers into making
their own Valentine’s Day cards and gifts
Crafty Horizons
+44 (0)1752 407 178
www.craftyhorizons.co.uk
If your customers want exquisitely ﬁnished cards to show
their loved ones how much they care, Crafty Horizons may
well be able to help.
For the traditional card makers among your customers
Crafty Horizons has a range of several toppers, from a single
red rose to a miniature bouquet with hearts and roses. For
a fun, modern approach Crafty Horizons can supply pink or
blue teddies holding roses or even a pink pig presenting a
red heart.
In the Crafty Horizons range there are many more
toppers, embellishments and die cuts, including ribbon bows.
Paper Cellar
Banana Frog
+44 (0)871 871 3711
www.papercellar.com
These superb, sparkly glitter frames would add a touch of glamour to any
Valentine’s card. There are two sizes – the small glitter frames retail at £1.99,
while the large glitter frame retails at £2.99. Paper Cellar also has a wide
range of other Valentine’s-themed goodies, including 6” x 6” wedding papers
in a variety of colours and designs, and several colours of lace tape, including
white and pink.
+44 (0)1628 533 066
www.bananafrog.co.uk
Banana Frog’s set of ‘I Heart You’ stamps are just perfect for
Valentine’s-themed crafting. Ranging in size from 1cm tall
to 5cm tall, the stamps will stick by themselves to an acrylic
block or other smooth surface. All 12 stamps are presented
on a 15cm x 10cm (6” x 4”) sheet, enclosed in a plastic wallet
for safe storage. The recommended retail price is £11.75.
craftfocus 37
valentine’s day
Trimcraft
+44 (0)8703 507 507
www.trimcraft.co.uk
The Laura Ashley Love Song range of papers features delicate
prints and soft, inviting colours. The paper packs are presented
in 180gsm heavyweight cardstock which is both acid and ligninfree. Each pack contains 24 sheets (two sheets of 12 designs) of
which six designs have a velvet effect. Also in the Love Song range
are clear stamps, featuring soft ﬂoral images, and embellishments
featuring ribbon and diamante.
The Crafthouse Press
Inspire Me Papers
+44 (0)845 120 0155
www.inspiremepapers.co.uk
Don’t miss out on the fabulous Valentine’s-themed packs
from Inspire Me Papers. All papers, card, folded card and
envelope collections are available stylishly packaged in
retail packs of ﬁve and 25’s. The Valentines Pack can be
purchased individually or as part of the Occasions Collection
Box. It features Stunning Ruby Slippers, Vintage Black Pearl
Embossed, Essentials Strawberry Red and Electric Pink,
Coloured Vellum Rose Red and Flamingo Pink.
Scrapbookingonline
+44 (0)1942 810 319
www.scrapbookingonline.co.uk
Two new themed collections from
US ﬁrm, BoBunny, released in
September 2008, are just perfect
for Valentine’s crafts. Sweetie Pie
and Flirty feature coordinating
papers, cardstock stickers, ribbons,
rub-ons, brads, buttons and more.
Colours include soft pinks, fresh
greens and rosy reds, with fabulous
patterned papers to match.
38 craftfocus
+44 (0)1905 620 040
www.jollynation.com
The Jolly Nation™ 3D die-cut
decoupage papers are ideal for
novice crafters. There are three paper
combinations in particular that are perfect
for Valentine’s Day-themed card making.
These are Pride & Prejudice, Charleston
Couple and Salsa Couple. While not
festooned with hearts and ﬂowers, the
designs still convey the romance of the
occasion. Each set comes with two sheets
of lightweight card, one featuring the 3D diecut decoupage and the other printed with a
complementary pattern.
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Luxury Occasions Box
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valentine’s day
Design Objectives
+44 (0)845 450 3900
www.docrafts.co.uk
Papermania offers crafters a brand new collection for
those keen on creating beautiful love-themed designs.
Scrumptious is cream and pink, created for those that are
crafting for love, mothers day, spring birthdays, weddings
and more.
Coordinating products include clear stamps, 12” x 12”
and 6” x 6” papers, acetate sheets, motifations and cute 3”
x 3” notelets.
Patch Corner Crafts
+44 (0)7815 712 110
www.patch-corner-crafts2004.co.uk
Spring is fast approaching and love is in the air, with Valentine’s Day round
the corner and lots of brides planning their weddings. Patch Corner Crafts
has a wide range of die-cut shapes for all occasions, including 14 different
heart shapes and a range of 3D wedding favour boxes in assorted shapes
and sizes that can be cut in any colour to match the wedding theme.
Elusive Images
+44 (0)1833 695 958
www.elusiveimages.com
Fresh for Valentine’s Day
crafting is the latest romantic
unmounted stamp set from
Elusive Images.This will be
launched in December as part
of the Elusive Images Timeless
Romance collection.
Creative Expressions
+44 (0)1536 481 778
www.creative-expressions.uk.com
Shown here is the brand new A4
unmounted stamp plate, featuring
a variety of heart designs. It is
priced at £19.99rrp. C
40 craftfocus
Q&A technology
Loud-n-Clear.com Ltd have been making websites for over a decade, specialising
in e-commerce sites for craft businesses. They created the Internet Craft Fair at
www.craft-fair.co.uk to help UK-based crafters. Beth Scott from Loud-n-Clear.com
answers your retail queries.
Over the past year we’ve covered many of the issues you may encounter with taking your
business online. We thought it would be a good time to recap some of the main points, a
kind of 12 days of e-commerce.
1
On the ﬁrst day you’ll want to think
about your sales channels (from
the web site? Via eBay?) and how
you’re intending to use your web
site: promotional tool, basic sales platform or
online community?
On the second day you may want to
consider the look of your web site.
You’ll need to decide questions such
as who will do the actual design and
implementation, and whether to style it in
keeping with your current branding or to go
for a new look. If you are using a professional
they will need a good brief about what you
want and you should both be clear about
exactly what is required.
2
3
The third day you just know that, at
some stage, you’ll need to update
your site, even if it’s just to change a
price. You may want to update your
site yourself using some form of content
management system (CMS) or you may leave
the responsibility to your site designer. If you
decide to do the updates yourself then please
be careful – getting a price wrong can be
embarrassing but imagine how you’d feel if you
managed to leave your site with no products
available to buy. Paying your site designer to
make the updates may sound the safer option,
but you do need to know how much it will
cost and that the designer will actually make
the updates in a timely manner.
42 craftfocus
4
The fourth day should be dedicated
to deciding how you are going to sell
from your web site. The choices range
from the simple, albeit off-putting,
print and post order form, through third
party check-outs such as PayPal or Google
Checkout to a bespoke shopping basket
system using your merchant account through a
secure processor like Protx or WorldPay.
On the ﬁfth day you’ll need visitors to
your site. As well as advertising and
publicising the site (please remember
to put the site address on all marketing
material) you’ll want people to be able to ﬁnd
it in search engines. Your web site designer
should have built basic search engine readiness
into your site. If you’ve designed the site
yourself you’ll want to think about the search
phrases potential customers may use to ﬁnd
you and optimise your design accordingly
– there are many resources online to help
with this.
5
6
By day six you will be hoping to
see a return for all the effort so far;
you’ve got a beautiful web site which
is getting a lot of trafﬁc so you can
capitalise on it by selling advertising space on
your site. Google AdSense is probably the
simplest solution for selling space but you
can always sell adverts directly to suitable
advertisers. It may be considered wise not to
accept advertisements from your competitors.
7
On the seventh day you may have
realised that there are items that
complement your own products which
your customers may be interested in
but which you don’t sell. To take advantage
of this you could consider afﬁliate-marketing
schemes such as Afﬁliate Window or Amazon.
These allow you to put items you don’t sell
yourself on your web site by linking to the
afﬁliate and you receive commission on any
sales they make.
8
On the eighth day you could think
about your ongoing relationship with
your customers. You will probably
ﬁnd it worthwhile to let them know
about new products, special offers and sales.
A good way of doing this is by sending out an
email newsletter. The important thing to bear
in mind here is that it should be an opt-in
newsletter: you want it to go to people who
are interested and you really don’t want to
ﬁnd yourself guilty of spamming people.
9
On the ninth day you realise that
you’ve got usage statistics for your
web site. They can be very useful,
telling you not only how many people
have looked at your web site but also how
they found it, where they entered, where they
left, how long they spent and how many pages
they looked at. This information not only lets
you assess and ﬁne tune your marketing but
also allows you to both plan and monitor
changes to the site structure.
The Best Suppliers
Of Pick and Mix Card
Leading Suppliers of
Pick and Mix Card
10
On the tenth day you might consider the various
aspects of your online security. The hosting company
should be taking precautions against hackers and
denial of service attacks but you should take care of your data
security. In particular you should take precautions against being the
victim of credit card fraud – using a service such as Veriﬁed by Visa
will help here.
11
On the eleventh day there is your personal data
security to concentrate on – all the web site security
in the world won’t help if the access details can
be acquired from your own computer. An anti-virus program is
essential (and you must keep it updated), you should keep your
computer’s operating system (usually Windows) up to date with
the security patches, and security software such as a ﬁrewall (for
example Zone Alarm or Windows Defender) is highly desirable. In
addition to these software solutions you should also be aware of
things like phishing scams and domain transfer attempts.
12
On the twelfth day you can relax and look forward
to the year ahead C
Further information
We welcome reader’s questions for future issues. Please visit our
web page at http://www.craft-fair.co.uk/craftfocus to see previous
questions and answers or to ask further questions.
Range of units to ﬁt all premises
Widest selection of card
Low initial outlay
No contract required
Payper Box replenishes with stock of
YOUR choice NOT ours
Card can also be
purchased separately
New Imported Range of
Scrapbooking Papers from America!
Unit 8, The Metro Centre,
Ronsons Way, St Albans,
HERTS, AL4 9QT
Tel: 01727 836665
Fax: 01727 831088
in a spin
Knitting made a welcome comeback last year,
with renewed public interest and spiralling
sales, but how can retailers keep the ball
rolling? We explore the options and showcase
some great new products...
As one of the most enduring and beloved
of crafts, knitting has experienced more
ebb and flow in its time than consumers
have knitted and pearled one, but last
year in par ticular it returned to the public
conscience with a bang, much to the delight
of retailers.
Due to this it could be said that this year
the market is set to enjoy the same, if not
better, level of sales; however, the industry
knows from experience that predicting
consumer spending is not that simple. In
an attempt to prolong the current healthy
attitude towards knitting, it is wor th
considering what the key attractions of the
craft are.
Knitting is a traditional craft, and is often
taken up or practised to create gifts, such
as baby clothes or soft toys. It is safe to
say that this side of the market will remain,
Cornish Organic Wool Ltd
44 craftfocus
but in terms of gift giving it is impor tant to
note that a new type of consumer can be
attracted to knitting if retailers emphasise
the personal touch that crafting a present
can bring. This point is especially valid when
one considers that in the midst of these
uncer tain financial times many people are
now seeking ways to make plain gifts more
special by adding embellishments.
As a relaxing pastime, knitting is also
often perceived to be a solitary activity
that crafters can enjoy as a rewarding
and creative pursuit in a cosy setting as
the nights draw in and, although craft
circles have been popular previously, the
concept of social knitting really took off
last year. Possibly born out of the desire
for professional advice, crafters began
congregating at their local shop and signing
up for classes, the ideal situation in which to
Patons
boost existing sales. In terms of developing
this interest retailers can influence spending
with special offers for regular visitors
or by adding in store events to their
schedule, creating a genial atmosphere and
forming a local knitting community that
may encourage consumers to bring their
friends to class. Any retailer knows how
crucial good customer service can be and
a key gripe of many consumers is that it
is often all too rare. Classes are a great
place to hone such a skill as they provide
an oppor tunity for casual conversation and
questions, a feeling that consumers will
remember on their repeat trips.
As far as the retail space is concerned
craft lends itself well to displays both in
store and in the window, and knitting
materials need not be any different. A
little imagination can go a long way and
as the seasons and stock change, displays
should always reflect the new products
on offer with different themes or colour
schemes to catch the eye of passers by.
Even in between seasons windows can be
regularly updated to announce new lines,
which should draw attention to the variety
of stock available. In store, a great way to
inspire crafters is to ensure that pattern
books and catalogues are prominently
displayed so that consumers can see the
results that could be achieved with the use
of the products in front of them.
When trying to attract new customers
it is also impor tant to cater your product
offering to different skill levels of crafter, as
Clare Watson, UK Marketing Manager for
Regia and Patons, explains. “Because we
now have such diversity of knitters enjoying
knitting
the craft, we try and offer something for all
types of knitters, from the beginner who is
attracted by a fun, fancy yarn and a simple
pattern to the more experienced knitter
working on complex lace patterns in fine,
pure wool or the highest quality cotton.”
In addition to this it is well wor th spending
time looking at any emerging trends, as
such information can make a real difference
in sustaining the interest of regular
crafters. “One trend which is cer tainly on
the increase is sock knitting. Knitters are
catching the sock bug, which has already
been a huge sector in mainland Europe.”
Of course, new and good quality
products are the real secret to a successful
business, so read on for a selection of
the latest knitting lines to hit the market...
of months, keeping them coming back
for more. Firstly, Linen Touch is a superb
new DK yarn from Patons in 12 shades
at a great credit crunch beating price.
The company will also be launching new
additions to the FAB range, and an eco
inspired yarn will be revealed in the weeks
to come. Visit www.coatscrafts.co.uk for
fur ther details.
Since the revolution of the hairy scarf
phenomenon hit the industry, King Cole
has claimed that the key to continued
success was always going to be maintaining
the interest of the new and revitalised
knitter. The company has addressed this
challenge in two ways, firstly, in enthusing
crafters by offering increasingly innovative
new lines which combine clever blends
of fibre, texture and colour. Secondly, by
offering the very best in design suppor t
from baby through to high fashion, including
the adorable new Comfor t Chunky Multi
and stunning Waves yarns, whilst offering
excellent value for money. See the latest
yarns and designs at www.kingcole.co.uk.
The revival of knitting, combined with
increasing environmental awareness, is
being addressed by Cornish Organic Wool
Ltd. Based in the very far south-west of the
country in Penzance, Cornish Organic Wool
produces organic wool cer tified by the Soil
Association. This cer tification ensures that
ever y stage of the wool’s process – from
the farmer through the washing, spinning
and dyeing – is completed to what is
regarded by many as the toughest standards
in the business. In addition, every process
is completed in the county of Cornwall,
leaving a very tiny eco footprint. Cornish
Organic Wool comes in standard weights
4ply, DK, Aran and Chunky, with the DK and
Aran available in a variety of bright colours,
proving that organic doesn’t have to be
dull! For more information access www.
cornishorganicwool.co.uk.
In addition to their hugely successful 100%
Cotton 4 ply and DK yarns, Patons has
several new yarns to offer this season with
the continuation of the natural fibre theme.
Fur ther colours and design suppor t will
appear for last year's spring favourites, Dew
and Serenity, and Paton's new value yarn,
Smoothie DK, is set to be strengthened
with new colours and patterns. Available
from Coats Crafts UK, the new product
launches will for the first time be staggered
to allow retailers to offer something new
to their knitting customers every couple
King Cole
craftfocus 45
WEB OF WOOL
Specialists in ‘self patterning’ yarns
Distributor for Schoeller &
Stahl yarns including the
Socka Fortissima sock yarns
and many more.
Exciting coloured yarns in
Wool, Cotton and Bamboo
blends including some with
added yarn conditioners
We have a large range of
patterns and kits to tempt
your customers along with
accessories like the Rollie
StitchKeepers.
WEB OF WOOL (WHOLESALE)
53 Regent Grove, Holly Walk, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV32 4PA
01926 311614 [email protected]
www.webofwool.co.uk
knitting
Rowan
Viridian
Regia
At Regia, the company is in a perfect
position to cater for knitters wanting to
turn their hands to socks, so to speak,
with specifically developed yarns. Regia
offers a great selection of plain, striped
and patterned ranges, in everything from
cotton and wool, to bamboo and silk, all of
which are available from Coats Crafts UK.
The company's self patterning yarns are its
core strength, with exclusive patterns in the
range developed by Kaffe Fassett, which are
wonderfully coloured in his unique style.
Regia also has a few fancy sock yarns such
as the new Regia Softy Colour, which is a
chenille like striped yarn that is perfect for
making snuggly slipper socks. To find out
more visit www.coatscrafts.co.uk.
With its 100% Pure Luxury Merino DK
yarn, Stylecraft has brought the luxury
and softness of this beautiful fibre in a
sophisticated palette to happy crafters at
a surprisingly affordable price. This easycare yarn comes in superbly presented
50g balls, with the added bonus that it
can be machine washed at just 40º. The
yarn made an immediate impact with
knitters, and the company has announced
a significant extension of the palette with
the introduction of six additional shades.
Elegant new colours of Oyster, Café,
Flint, Ink, Merlot, and Kingfisher translate
beautifully into this top quality yarn, which
has been used to create a new collection
of four exclusive ladies designs as well as
the gorgeous Baby Collection. Access www.
stylecraft-yarns.co.uk for fur ther details.
Just two of the fabulous new spring/
summer yarns from Rowan this season
are Lenpur (TM) Linen and Pima Cotton
DK. The new Lenpur (TM) Linen yarn is
an innovative fibre made using wood pulp
which gives a smooth, self mercerized finish,
that provides a wonderful drape. The yarn
comes in 12 vibrant shades, from hot reds
and yellows to cool blues and greys, and is
introduced through a dedicated collection
of colourful ladies wear. A standard DK
weight, Lenpur (TM) Linen is presented in
50g balls, taking an average eight balls for an
average adult garment, and has an RRP of
£4.45. Another new launch is Pima Cotton
DK, a 100% cotton yarn in a muted summer
palette of 16 shades, such as Bulrush
green, Skipper blue, Millet grey, Caftan pink,
Freckle, Bran and Tango. Introduced through
the Rowan Classic brochure Reminiscence,
Pima Cotton DK appears in a collection of
beautifully textured designs using cables and
beading. The yarn is a standard DK weight
which is presented in 50g balls and takes
10 balls for an average adult garment, at an
RRP of £4.65. For more information visit
www.knitrowan.com.
Viridian, a leading UK distributor of sock
yarn, is currently taking delivery of Opal's
much anticipated, new “Harry Potter”
range of briliant sock yarn. This unique,
self patterning sock yarn picks up on
the colours of the beloved characters
in the world famous books and hugely
Stylecraft
craftfocus 47
in a spin
Silver Knitting Machines Limited
A&C Black
work directly with skilled workers in
Vietnam, providing income, education and
independence to local craftspeople and
their families. Visit www.moral-fibre.net to
find out more.
popular films, and is sure to be a big hit
with Hogwar ts' loving crafters of all ages.
Proving the magic of licensing, the company
has, in fact, already received many preorders from eager stockists! For more
information on this range, other sock yarn
and knitting accessories from Viridian,
access www.viridianyarn.com.
It is hard to believe that the origin of the
widely-acclaimed range of Lantern Moon
knitting needles, available from Moral
Fibre Ltd, star ted with the humble chopstick, however, this is how the tale began.
The founders of Lantern Moon, who had
previously lived and worked in Vietnam,
believed that if chop-sticks could be
manufactured there, then so could knitting
needles. Passionate about reviving local
handicrafts and suppor ting skilled ar tisans,
they embarked on a quest to make what
they believe are "the finest wooden knitting
needles ever". All of the needles are made
from recycled and sustainable materials,
most of which have been beautifully
handcrafted with excellent performance
and style. Lantern Moon continues to
48 craftfocus
Silver Knitting Machines Limited was
formed in 1990 and is now the approved,
exclusive distributor for Silver Reed Knitting
Machines & Accessories throughout the
UK and Europe. From basic beginners
models such as the LK150 through to
punchcard models and electronic machines,
the company has a wide range of products
to suit crafters' needs. New items include
the ingenious PC10 Pattern Controller,
which allows the user to easily form and
store various patterns stitch by stitch by
freely moving a blinking dot on the liquid
crystal display, and the KR21 Electronic
Knit Contour Unit, which releases crafters
from complicated computations of casting
on, increasing or decreasing numbers of
stitches when shaping a garment, for which
there are four different styles of pattern.
Moral Fibre Ltd
For fur ther details access the website at
www.silverviscount.co.uk.
A source of invaluable inspiration for
anyone interested in yarn and knitting,
The Yarn Palette by author and textile
designer Claire Montgomerie provides a
comprehensive guide to the different yarns
available, from traditional wool to silk and
cotton yarns. This beautifully illustrated
sourcebook, available from publisher A&C
Black, focuses on the history of textiles and
knitting as well as contemporary designs
and patterns. Twenty knitting projects are
included, ranging from socks and scar ves
to bags and blankets, each accompanied
by thorough instructions and vibrant
photographs. Encouraging the reader
to experiment with textures and tones,
combining colours in new and unexpected
ways, this sourcebook is priced at £16.99
and is suitable for the beginner as well as
for the more experienced knitter. Telephone
+44 (0)207 758 0200 for more information. C
SILVER KNITTING MACHINESDSSURYHGH[FOXVLYH
GLVWULEXWRUIRU6LOYHU5HHG.QLWWLQJ0DFKLQHV$FFHVVRULHV
WKURXJKRXW8.(XURSH)URPEDVLFEHJLQQHUV/.
3XQFKFDUGPRGHOVWR(OHFWURQLFWRJHWKHUZLWK1(:3&
3DWWHUQ&RQWUROOHU.5(OHFWURQLF.QLW&RQWRXU
7R¿QG\RXUQHDUHVWVWRFNLVWGHWDLOVRIDYDLODEOHSURGXFWV
JRWRwww.silverviscount.co.uk
6LOYHU.QLWWLQJ0DFKLQHV/WG6LOYHU9LVFRXQW
8QLWV'(5HFWRU\%XVLQHVV&HQWUH5HFWRU\5RDG
5XVKGHQ1RUWKDQWV112$*
Tel: 01933 311888
Fax: 01933 312888
www.viridianyarn.com
sew far sew good
We speak to talented ar tist, Michael Powell, to find
out more about his expansion into the craft market
Tell me a little about your background.
What prompted you to become an artist
and what inspires your designs?
My mother won trophies for designing
and making wedding cakes and my father
(a retired Architect), star ted his own
ver y successful practice in the 1970s. I
obtained a degree in Interior Design from
Birmingham Polytechnic and moved to
London to join an American space planning
company that had just star ted up a small
office. I was very much the junior, making
the tea, but was soon given oppor tunities
to show what I could do. I was sent to the
head office in New York and was given six
months intensive training. I eventually got
bored with office design and joined another
architectural practice where I worked on a
wonderful warehouse conversion project
for film producer David Lean. Following
this I joined Fitch and Co. leading retail
50 craftfocus
designers, for whom I spent time travelling
the country supervising the fitting out
of Top Shops, Timpson Shoe Shops and
Dorothy Perkins stores.
After seven years in London I returned
to my home town of Cardiff and joined
Bass Brewery where I spent a year or
two designing pubs before leaving and
star ting my own interior design practice.
The recession in the early nineties caused
severe problems and I took the oppor tunity
to follow my passion for drawing and
painting. Buildings were my thing and I
gradually developed my own quirky style. I
believe it was a reaction against the strict
and regimented world of architecture. I
initially sold prints and originals of local
buildings and landmarks, and developed a
range of Christmas cards and greeting cards
which were first seen by the retail trade at
the Birmingham Spring Fair.
When did you realise that your art
would work well as cross stitch and
needlecraft kits?
I was approached to license some designs
for the manufacturer of a range of cross
stitch kits and, having seen how successful
they were, I bought back the designs and
star ted manufacturing under my own name.
That was about eight years ago and now
my range of over 60 cross stitch designs
form the backbone of my business.
My inspiration is still very much buildings,
normally just from holidays to Spain or
Italy. I capture images with the camera and
never paint on location. My work requires a
careful thought process to turn a group of
images into one design which captures the
mood and character of the location.
Which are your best-selling cross stitch
and needlecraft designs? How often do
you launch new designs?
Without doubt my best selling design has
been the ‘Pots of love’ image. This seems
very odd after saying that my inspiration
has always been buildings but I do force
myself to move in other directions from
time to time! Other examples are the ‘Pots
of flowers’ image and my Tapestry designs.
My recent range - Little Gems - are beaded
mini sampler designs containing a brief
sentiment. These have been extremely
popular. More recently the Venice Palazzo
triptych has been my best-selling design.
What prompted you to diversify into
other related sectors i.e. rubber stamping,
and stationery?
The rubber stamps were developed
following an approach from a large
stamp manufacturer. They have been ver y
successful and have widened my profile
since being on the Create and Craft
television programme.
proﬁle
designs. I will continue to go to trade shows
and to direct mail the needlework shops.
A significant propor tion of my trade
business is abroad where customers
seem to be more amenable to new and
contemporary designs.
What would you say has been your
greatest success?
I think being voted designer of the year
for the last couple of years at the Origin
International Awards counts pretty high, as
it is voted for by the general public. I am
most proud of my Venice Palazzo triptych
design though.
The stationery - cards and writing sets
- were just a natural development from the
original paintings and provide a great add
on to my other ranges.
Are you planning to move into any other
crafting sectors, for example decoupage,
painting kits?
I am currently developing a range of
painting kits for beginners. I am hoping to
launch these at the Craft Hobby and Stitch
Trade Show in 2009. Watch this space!
When did you launch your web site and
how important is this to your business?
I launched the web site about four or five
years ago and it is cer tainly an invaluable
par t of the business. It is a great method of
determining how my designs are perceived
and received, and we encourage comment
and feedback about my designs. I have a
large members’ area and it is mainly run
by Julia, who is my designer and right hand
woman. The web site was purpose built
from scratch and has a great and loyal
following.
There is a trade section on the site
where retailers can register for secure
access, see all the designs, and place trade
orders on line.
How would you like the company to
develop over the next few years?
I would like to widen the brand and profile,
increase my product range across other
craft sectors especially rubber stamps
and launch my range of painting kits. A
significant amount of my trade business
is overseas an I hope to expand this area
fur ther in par ticular. C
Further information
Michael Powell
Tel: +44 (0)2920 496 000
www.michaelpowellcross-stitch-ar t.com
New web site: www.michaelpowellar t.com
Which craft trade shows do you attend
and why?
I have exhibited at the Craft Hobby and
Stitch Trade Show at the NEC for the
last few years and have also exhibited
at the TNNA Show in the USA. I keep
considering the Paris SMAC Show but have
not committed as yet.
How do you plan to grow your existing
retailer base?
When I star ted out there was some
reluctance from retailers to take my kits
because they were so different compared
to what was available. I have developed my
business to some extent by going directly
to the end user at retail exhibitions to
show the finished models. The reaction to
the finished models is always fantastic. I
hope the public then go to their local shops
and hopefully ask the owners to buy in my
craftfocus 51
keeping hold of the
purse strings
It’s hard to ignore the state of the current ﬁnancial
climate at the moment as it is affecting businesses
and consumers alike. However, it is not all doom and
gloom and there are things that small businesses can
do to protect themselves during these difﬁcult times
- to strengthen their business enabling them to survive
the storm and come out the other side.
This is a very big subject area so for the
purpose of this article I am going to
concentrate on how to protect the sales and
revenues that you have made. Any business
adviser would be able to tell you numerous
stories of seemingly successful businesses
going bust or running into serious ﬁnancial
trouble. The order book can be healthy and
the forecast for proﬁtability good, but in the
short-term the company can run out of cash,
ﬁnd that they can’t pay the bills as they fall due,
and then the trouble starts.
But how do they get into this position
in the ﬁrst place?
• A major customer delays a large payment or
completely defaults resulting in a fatal bad debt;
• Poor debtor control;
• Allowing credit without properly checking for
credit worthiness;
• Poor or no ﬁnancial control;
• Being under capitalised in the ﬁrst place
increasing the risk of over-trading;
• Accepting large sales orders without ﬁrst
forecasting the effects on working capital and
again increasing the risk of over-trading.
• Poor security policies and procedures.
The list could go on, but there are two
clear themes emerging that we should
look at in more detail. Firstly, the need for
ﬁnancial planning, and secondly, the need for
ﬁnancial control.
52 craftfocus
Planning
A major customer, or for that matter a
signiﬁcant number of smaller ones, delaying
payment or defaulting is a real risk in a tough
trading climate particularly when bank funding
is tight. Nothing you can do about that, I hear
you say! If your business is overly exposed to
one or two really big customers you need
to watch them carefully for signs that they
are in trouble – news (even gossip), listening
for tell-tale signals from your contacts in the
customer’s business. Sounds like paranoia, but
such events are rarely sudden, and it’s your
money that is at stake. Reliance on one key
customer is quite common and in the longerterm such businesses should develop a strategy
to create a more balanced customer portfolio.
You should plan for an increase in debtor
days and bad debt anyway, which means that
you will need the working capital to cover this.
Having a business strategy which simply relies
on you delaying paying your own creditors is
not sustainable.
Creating a simple cash budget will allow you
to forecast the effect on your bank balance if
and when customers slow down payments.
Forecast for a percentage of your debtors
to default i.e. you might allow for ﬁve per
cent of debtors as a bad and doubtful debt
contingency, but study your customers and
their past records of payment because in a
higher risk customer portfolio the contingency
may need to be higher. Having a forecast will
Peter Mulhall,
business adviser at
Business Link, talks
about some of the
positive actions that
can be taken now
to help secure the
future health of
your business.
also allow you to predict the effects on your
cash balance of taking on that large exciting
sales order, which you will have to fund until
the customer pays.
Control
Don’t bury your head in the sand, check your
bank balance regularly – I mean several times
a week, not just when your statement arrives
at the end of the month. Update your cash
forecast when you have new information, and
this would likely be weekly. Have a column on
the forecast at the side of the budget for the
actual cash in and out, as of the last day of the
month, and compare the two. Do this as soon
as you can after the month-end and adjust the
forecast for the next few months based on
your current performance and your view of
the immediate future, but most importantly
take corrective action.
Bank funding is very tight, but banks and
other funding bodies are still open for business.
If your forecast is telling you that your bank
balance is at risk of dipping into the red or
below the agreed overdraft limit, talk to your
bank relationship manager as soon as possible.
Bank lending is based on their assessment
of risk, a business that shows it has a robust
planning and ﬁnancial control process is more
likely to get support than the proverbial
ostrich. Seek advice from your accountant and
Business Link adviser.
business link
GOOD DAY-TO-DAY CREDIT CONTROL IS
ESSENTIAL TO SURVIVAL. TOP TIPS:
1
2
3
4
5
6
Credit checking new customers
is cheaper than a crippling bad
debt - you could;
• Buy a credit rating report;
• Ask for trade references;
• Ask for a bank reference;
• Study historical accounts;
Send a month-end statement of
account to the customer as a
matter of course.
Look for press reports
on the company.
Ensure that your terms of trading
are crystal clear before the sale
is agreed, issue them with every
invoice and ensure you stick
to them.
Consider asking new or risky
customers for cash with order, or
cash before shipment, or cash on
delivery.
When net credit days are given,
send the invoice with the goods
so that the clock is ticking from
the delivery time.
7
8
9
If terms are say 30 days, call
the customer on day 31 from
the invoice date to ask about
progress of the payment.
If still no payment, call every
few days to chase it, but
reinforce this with a more
formal letter, at say day 37,
to the accounts department
in the ﬁrst instance followed
by a ﬁnal letter to the MD or
FD if still no payment despite
promises. Be courteous and
succinct at all stages.
13
14
15
16
17
Ensure that the face of
the invoice says that you
are aware of your rights
under the Late Payment
of Commercial Debts
(Interest) Act 1998 i.e. "We
understand and will exercise our statutory
right to claim interest and compensation for
debt recovery costs under the late payment
legislation if we are not paid according to
agreed credit terms."
10
Get on ﬁrst name terms
with people in their accounts
department and phone the
customer within 24 hours of
their receipt of goods to ensure
no problems with the order and/
or the invoice. This helps avoid a
common delaying tactic.
Arrange to meet the
company if the amount is
signiﬁcant.
11
Consider stopping
further supplies.
Consider retaining a
collection agency.
A ﬁnal recourse is that you
could seek to wind up the
customer’s company if the
debt is £750 or more, your
customer will know this so
use it as leverage before
setting it in motion.
Use your judgement
throughout the whole
collection process to
ensure you don’t risk a
valuable customer, but at
the same time protecting
your own company.
You could consider invoice
discounting or factoring,
this can be much lower risk
than overdraft, but is often
more expensive and difﬁcult
to reverse.
Take up debt insurance (often
called credit insurance). C
Further Information
If you are worried about how the current
climate is affecting your business, you can
contact Business Link who will provide
you with free, impartial and skilled advice.
Just call +44 (0)8457 17 16 15 or visit the
website www.businesslink.gov.uk/east.
craftfocus 53
taking the temperature
of your business
In this challenging climate, Ian Tomlinson of EPoS and ecommerce solution
provider Cybertill argues that retailers should pay more attention to setting and
using meaningful key performance indicators (KPIs).
As with so many things in life, the answer
to every problem is closer at hand than you
think. As retailers feel the pain of an economic
slowdown and ﬂagging consumer conﬁdence,
they tend to look outside their business
for remedies and strategies. However, they
would do better to look inside the business,
measuring its performance and planning its
future using intelligence that is readily available.
Effective business management relies on
good information. It goes without saying that
retailers need to monitor their exposure
to risk, their cash ﬂow and their proﬁtability.
However, the most valuable information often
does not sit in the P & L accounts; it derives
from measuring critical indicators. These
indicators are as individual to the business as
its DNA.
Too many managers monitor ﬁnancial
performance and expect to be able to make
changes based upon what they ﬁnd. Invariably,
they are shutting the door after the horse
has bolted. Financial data records the result of
strategies and tactics, but leaves little room for
manoeuvre after the event.
A more reliable approach is to deﬁne
simple indicators that proactively take the
temperature of a business. For an online
retailer, indicators could be based upon
visitor trafﬁc by time of day and duration,
highlighting the pages visited and the products
that provoke enquiries and generate sales. A
stores-based retailer could measure footfall, by
location, by time of day and by length of visit.
In our business, selling e-commerce
and EPoS solutions to retailers of all sizes,
you could argue that ‘sales made’ is a key
54 craftfocus
performance indicator. Whilst this is clearly of
critical importance, I look elsewhere for my
business intelligence.
A plasma display in my ofﬁce shows me in
real time how our telemarketing consultants
are performing: the number of calls each
makes, the total time being spent on the
‘phone each day, the number of appointments
made and, from another set of KPIs, the
demonstrations that result from those calls.
Throughout the day, I watch this data coming
across the screen and am in time to spot
trends, ask questions, sound alarm bells and
make changes. Waiting for sales results at the
end of the month could just be too late.
Every business is affected by scores of
internal and external factors that enhance or
diminish its performance. The sheer volume of
information available can be distracting so it’s
important to focus on just a few key indicators
which reﬂect performance, are measurable,
are comparable against benchmarks such as a
previous year’s data or a competitor’s results,
and which indicate a course of action.
So how do you identify your KPIs?
Whilst best practice suggests that you ask
yourself three questions: what drives your
sales ﬁgures, your costs and your cashﬂow, you
should always come back to what drives your
own business. Whilst there are retail constants
such as sales per square foot of store space,
accept that drivers can vary enormously even
within the same sector, and that they will need
to change with time.
Analyse what would enable you to
outperform your competitors and consider
having these elements as KPIs. Understand
the costs of each step in your supply chain.
Investigate the effect that training and staff
turnover have on your sales, and measure
productivity by sales person against experience
and length of service. Good stock management
means having the right stock available at the
right time in the right location. It also enables
you to release cash by ‘turning’ stock. Set KPIs
around product defect/return ratios and then
calculate how these returns are eroding your
bottom line.
When it comes to presenting KPIs, make
sure that your chosen method highlights trends.
You can do this by simple means as I do with
my telemarketing activity screen, or you can
invest in business intelligence software. These
systems are particularly good at crunching data
and providing ‘trafﬁc light’ performance displays
and exception alerts.
At the end of the day, if you have deﬁned
your most critical drivers and their basis of
measurement, the intelligence that you need
should be readily available.
Remember that measuring sales
performance will not help you to make
sales. Understanding and acting upon the
key indicators of your business is the best
route to success. Only KPIs will enable you
to judge whether your business is in poor or
good health, and will direct you to apply the
appropriate treatment. C
Further information
To ﬁnd out more, simply contact Cybertill
on +44 (0)871 200 2260.
15-17 February
NEC Birmingham
Europe’s
No
1
Trade Show
for the Art, Craft, Needlecraft
& Hobby Industry
• Over 300 exhibiting companies from around the world
• Meet the new designers in the Bright Sparks Pavilion
• Free Workshops & Seminars
• Find out what’s hot for 2009 in the New Products Pavilion
• Exclusive show offers
Strictly trade only, no under 16’s
For information about exhibiting or visiting this show,
please contact:
www.ichf.co.uk
Supported by
,&+)
HYHQWV
Dominic House,
Seaton Road, Highcliffe,
Dorset. BH23 5HW.
Tel 01425 272711
Fax 01425 279369
Email [email protected]
34th Year
art materials
Daler-Rowney
Creativity International
art beat
Arts and crafts have always gone hand in hand,
so stocking the latest lines for a range of artistic
pursuits is a must for retailers. Read on as we reveal
some of the best new products on the market...
Ar t can take many forms and everyone
has their own, often very specific opinion
of what constitutes truly great work. But
whether you favour Monet or Mondrian, ar t
is a form of self expression that, much like
crafting, will constantly evolve.
No matter what our personal experience
of fine ar t may be, it is safe to assume that
at the very least we have all picked up a
pencil and scribbled a drawing for a parent
or teacher. At the other end of the scale,
of course, painting, sketching, sculpting and
collage are just a few of the ar tistic pursuits
that an enormous number of people enjoy
as their favourite pastime, lest we forget the
students and professionals that have chosen
ar t as their career.
The same creative thought process
needed for ar t is employed by many
crafters, just as the same dexterity and logic
required for tricky but rewarding projects
can be found in different ar tistic techniques,
so it makes sense that a craft retail space
should cater to the ar t community. Simply
by stocking a few key items such as good
quality pencils, a variety of paints, different
sizes or textures of paper, imaginative
moulds, or comprehensive and fun kits,
retailers can easily expand their product
offering and encourage new interest in
their shop. Having attracted like-minded
consumers into a store, customer service
and appropriate product knowledge can
then go a long way to setting new visitors
on the road to other craft projects,
boosting sales and transforming business
into a real work of ar t.
Read on for our pick of some essential
new ar t materials...
Derwent
The new Daler-Rowney 100% cotton water
colour paper is available from January 2009
and is a response to the requests of ar tists
for such an addition to the Langton ar tist
quality range. The high quality and acid free
mould-made paper has been made with
100% cotton pulp, and is also available in
both rough and smooth textures to adapt
to crafter's needs. Excellent absorption
and good colour rendering are just some
of the attractive qualities of the products,
the natural colour and mould resistant
treatment of which guarantee excellent
durability. Ideal for all wet techniques,
including watercolour, gouache, acrylic, ink,
and also calligraphy, the range is available in
pads, blocks and sheets.
The company also has a new, value oil
colour launch in the form of Daler-Rowney
Oil, a well balanced range of 24 colours.
The range contains primary mixing colours
with a good loading of light-fast pigments,
and high quality linseed oil has been used
as the binder. Each colour in the range has
craftfocus 57
Creative Charlie
the same bodied buttery consistency that
brushes out well, holds brush marks and is
suitable for impasto application. All colours,
in accordance with EC labeling regulations,
are classified as non-hazardous for use and
contain no solvents, drying quicker than
conventional oils to a low gloss sheen,
Derwent
allowing traditional painting techniques to
be implemented. For more information visit
the website at www.daler-rowney.com.
Derwent's new Onyx pencil is made from
smooth dark graphite and allows the crafter
to instantly create dense, rich, jet-black
tones that are even darker than those
from a Graphic 9B. The pencil's 4mm wide
core has a firm texture which means it can
sharpen and hold a fine point for longer,
making it ideal for hatching effects. It will
also smudge, so that the ar tist can blend
it with their finger tip or a special Tor tillon
tool. The product is equally efficient when
used for rapid, expressive sketches as well
as detailed and architectural drawings,
suiting a variety of projects. The Derwent
Onyx is available in two tones, Medium
and Dark, which can be purchased by
the consumer individually at an RRP of
£1.45, or in a blister pack containing four
pencils (two Dark and two Medium) with
a sharpener and eraser at an RRP of £4.99.
Access the website www.pencils.co.uk for
fur ther information.
Just one of the exciting new ar t material
offerings from Creativity International
this year is strong and versatile ModRoc.
The fantastic, plaster impregnated sculpting
material will now be stocked by the
58 craftfocus
company, and is ideal for use in a wide
variety of projects, including mask making,
model railways, covering armatures, and
ar t work. Fun to use when wet, yet durable
and tough when dry, ModRoc is easy to
decorate any way the crafter wishes and is
a must have in the kit of any ar tist, sculptor,
or teacher. To find out more visit the
website at www.cilimited.co.uk.
The Rainy Day Box by Creative Charlie
is packed full of a wide range of ar t
materials and activity sheets for hours
of ar t and craft fun. The materials in the
box have been carefully selected to be
suitable for children and are recycled or
reusable wherever possible to encourage
environmental awareness. Just some of the
items contained in the box are recycled
paper and card, water-based and childfriendly paint and glue, a non-roll chunky
paint brush and paint palette, wallpaper
and material off-cuts, beeswax crayons,
pom-poms, feathers, glitter, a recycled
pencil, stickers, a recycled window mount,
letter stencil, paper plates and doilies, and a
children’s apron made from recycled juice
packs. The Rainy Day Box was also recently
announced the overall winner of the
Practical Pre-School Awards 2008, Toys and
Games category. For fur ther information
visit www.creativecharlie.com. C
Westpoint Arena Exeter
23rd – 25th January 2009
The International
Centre Telford
20th – 22nd February 2009
Newark Showground
11th – 13th September 2009
spring
springfair
fair
spring fever
As one of the biggest shows in the exhibition calendar,
Spring Fair has a new look and a packed schedule to
attract retailers. Read on to find out more...
Spring Fair International’s bright and
contemporary new identity reflects its
positive role in bringing the most impor tant
brands and buyers from different retail
sectors together in one enormous space,
the NEC Birmingham, from Sunday 1st
- Thursday 5th February, 2009, a highly
attractive prospect for craft companies
looking to expand their horizons.
The event attracts some of the most
powerful retail decision-makers, ensuring
exhibitors’ brands and products are seen by
the most influential buyers in the business.
The event also showcases thousands of
ground-breaking new product launches
and boasts the world’s biggest collection of
British designed merchandise. The size of
the show makes it an attractive locale for
buyers in search of creative products and
variety, as well as being a wor thwhile visit
for craft exhibitors as it can expose them
to a new and enthusiastic audience.
Spring Fair International will also feature
a packed workshop & seminar programme,
with special workshops geared towards
framing, printing, glasswork as well as tips
on how to increase sales through marketing
and branding.
Simon Clarkson, Marketing Director
for Spring Fair International, says “There’s
considerable crossover-buying and
synergy between the retail sectors, so an
international forum of this kind is essential
for connecting and inspiring buyers and
suppliers, not to mention a key oppor tunity
to buy the latest innovative products. We
firmly believe Spring Fair International 2009
will be the best yet.”
Read on to preview two of the key craft
exhibitors at the event...
Product Previews
Crafters Companion Ltd
Hall 3 Stand B28
Tel: +44 (0)1388 663 251
Web: www.crafterscompanion.co.uk
Crafters Companion will be demonstrating
their innovative new scoring tool, the
Ultimate Pro, at Spring Fair. The ingenious
product incorporates 10 elements essential
to any crafter, including card-scoring,
envelope making, envelobox making,
bow making, paper trimming, measuring,
embossing shapes and much more, all in
one handy and attractive compact carrycase. The company will also showcase its
inventive and hugely popular Rock-a-Blocks
at the exhibition. The patented Rock-aBlocks stamp system is designed to work
with a simple rocking motion for comfor t
and efficiency, and has changed the way
stamping is practised throughout the world.
In brief
when: 1st-5th February 2009
where: NEC, Birmingham
visitors: 70,000
opening times: Sun-Wed 9am-6pm,
Thurs 9am-4pm. Volume halls open
one day early.
website: www.springfair.com
Crafty Kids Ltd
Hall 4 Stand L10
Tel: +44 (0)1329 661 161
Web: www.craftykids.co.uk
The 21 fantastic puppet kits from Crafty
Kids have sold extremely well over the
Christmas period, and Spring Fair sees the
much anticipated launch of some exciting
new products. The new puppet kits make
a bird and a tiger, whilst two new craft kits
are in the form of an adorable mouse desk
tidy and messenger bird. As usual, ever y
kit includes full instructions, all constituent
par ts, paints, a good quality brush, glue
and special tags for threading the puppets
together. Fur thermore, each kit includes
a special Crafty Kids apron. All cardboard
par ts are made from post consumer waste
paper and can be recycled again once
finished with, making the products friendly
to the environment as well as to kids.
Indeed, the kits are EN71 passed and ideally
aimed at children aged 4+. C
craftfocus 61
If you’ve enjoyed reading Craft Focus
magazine, why not log onto our website at
www.craftfocus.com? Containing up-to-theminute news, events and special offers, the
site is updated regularly with information to
help you advance your business.
Special Features
• Featured Articles
Read our regularly updated spotlighted
features whenever you wish, covering
e-commerce, visual merchandising, trade
show previews and much, much more.
• Back Issues Archive
If you're looking for information on a
particular subject regarding your business,
take a look at our back issues archive. All
magazines will be sent out free of charge to
qualiﬁed registered readers.
• Media Pack
Download our comprehensive on-line media
pack for a features list, advertising rates and
speciﬁcations.
Find a Supplier
The latest feature on www.craftfocus.com,
the supplier directory, allows you to contact
advertisers in the magazine for more
information about their products or services.
Simple to use and available world-wide 24
hours a day, the supplier directory is a reader
reply service for the 21st century.
If you would like to ﬁnd out more, log onto
www.craftfocus.com.
62 craftfocus
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Fill in the form below to receive a regular copy of Craft Focus magazine
Craft Focus magazine, the leading trade
title for the craft industry, is available free
of charge to qualiﬁed registered readers.
Published six times a year, Craft Focus
contains news on industry trends, new
products and all craft trade events.
Simply ﬁll in the form below and post to
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craftfocus 63
next issue…
ICHF Preview
Your guide to this
essential event
Papercrafts
The perks of papercrafts
Easter Inspiration
Stock up on seasonal
products
Mum’s the Word
Special occasion crafts
Frame & Fortune
We focus on framing
Issue 11
February/March 2009
Plus
Available from: 30th January 2009
• Expert Advice
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Ad deadline:
64 craftfocus
16th January 2009
Bike Vietnam
to Cambodia
to raise funds to support people paralysed in sporting accidents
R E G A I N
The Trust for Sports Tetraplegics
– 6 Dece
m
ber
2009
ber
27 Nove
m
Ho Chi Minh City to Angkor Wat
Join REGAIN’s 11th cycling challenge – an amazing 450km ride over ﬁve
days from Vietnam’s lively Ho Chi Minh City to historic Angkor Wat in
Cambodia. As for previous events the charity is encouraging tetraplegic
hand cyclists to take up the challenge alongside able-bodied cyclists.
www.actionforcharity.co.uk
email: [email protected]
tel: 0845 408 2698
Acting as agents for
Managed by
REGAIN Registered Charity Number: 1030693
Challenge details: To take part in Bike Vietnam to Cambodia you need to pay a registration fee of £250 and pledge to raise minimum funds of £3,200 for REGAIN.
template for success
Colour My World is a refreshing new company with cutting edge
template designs that are as practical as they are pretty.
We speak to founder Jayne Bentley about future plans for the business...
It was during what felt like the thousandth
time of being asked “What can I do with this
template?” that Jayne Bentley had the idea for
her “templates with style”.
Having been in the craft industry for over
15 years in both the United States and the
UK, Jayne deﬁnitely knew a thing or two
about spotting a gap in the market thanks
to the experience of opening her own craft
shop in July 2000 and running classes to
teach customers new techniques. It was this
knowledge that led Jayne to observe the need
for a new template product that could be
functional and inspirational in equal measures,
which in turn prompted her and three talented
friends to launch Colour My World in 2007.
66 craftfocus
The aim of Colour My World is to be
an exciting craft manufacturer that creates
innovative templates for scrapbookers and
cardmakers. The templates with style are a
great invention, adding a new dimension to
projects with separate pieces that can be
popped out and traced around to create
layers, which can then be built up like
decoupage. The six templates in each themed
set come in a cute handbag carrycase and lend
themselves to being changeable, such as in the
Georgie Porgie set, where the template for
a golf bag can transform into that for a beer
glass or post box. Other items in the range
include the Animal Antics and Old Macdonald
sets, in which the thoughtful company has had
the face of the characters already put onto the
templates so that the crafter always get the
eyes in the right position.
In addition to this, Colour My World has
created the More Than Words range, a special
collection of decorative templates in the shape
of meaningful words. The designs cover a
myriad of occasions, such as Baby and Home,
and can be used to make eye catching cards
and mini albums. There are thirty unique word
templates to choose from, with four different
words in every set. The templates are available
in mega size, mini size and sweet teeny weeny
to adapt to individual designs, and even the
packaging is a template for an envelope.
All of the products are made in England
with clear instructions and excellent design
ideas. Of the decision to manufacture in
England, Jayne says, “It was important to all of
us that everything was made here in England,
as that way we could oversee every aspect
of the products, and as Clive and Matt's
backgrounds were in plastics it made perfect
sense. We have a fantastic factory unit and
use the latest technology to cut our ﬂat laying
templates smoothly in any shape or design we
wish.” As the items are made from acid free
polypropylene, consumers can even decorate
and rubber stamp onto the template itself as
the surface is washable, making the products
extremely child friendly.
Future plans for the business include an
existing commitment to constant product
updates, as well as an exciting new own brand
paper range, which is due to be launched
in the new year, as Jayne explains: “Not only
do we have more templates coming out, but
we are also launching our own paperpacks,
available in 8" x 8" and on CD. We are also
working on on an idea book. This has been an
amazing year for us, and next year looks just
as busy.” C
Further Information
To ﬁnd out more visit the website
www.colourmyworld.co.uk.
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