Issue 24 - Craft Focus magazine

CRAFTFOCUS
www.craftfocus.com
Issue 24 April/May 2011
www.craftfocus.com
FEATURING NEWS
& TRENDS FOR:
•
•
•
•
Creative cross stitching
Craft kits for adults
Scrapbooking
Father’s Day
MAGA Z IN E
The royal wedding
Crafty ideas to make and
celebrate this commemorative event
WIN:
£570 o
f go
from C odies
raf
Compa ter’s
nion
E-commerce
Advice, guidance and
how to make the most
of the new opportunities
PLUS
latest product launches, news round up, show
reviews, your questions answered and more
EXPERT BUSINESS
ADVICE INSIDE
It’s nice to be the
center of attention.
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April/May 2011 Issue 24
Managing Editor
Louise Prance
+44 (0) 1376 535 611
Editor
Wendy Gardiner
+44 (0) 2392 261 338
editor@craftfocus.com
contents
business advice
regulars
editor’s letter
5
Assistant Features Editor
Rianna Fry
+44 (0)1376 535 613
riannaf@craftfocus.com
news round up
6
News and events that are happening now
Sales Manager
Mark White
+44 (0)1376 535 606
markw@craftfocus.com
brand spanking new
The latest product launches
Sales Executive
Tracy Voice
+44 (0)1376 535 618
tracyv@craftfocus.com
project – all that glitters
70
A simple project for adults and children alike
Design Manager
Vicky O’Connor
Deputy Design Manager
Sarah Barnes
Senior Designer
Sophie Handley
Graphic Designers
Laura Perry, Steve Mckea,
Hayley Kilminster, Leanne Walsh
+44 (0)1376 535 616
artwork@kdmediapublishing.com
Production Manager
Stuart Weatherley
bookshelf
84
Rianna Fry reviews the latest craft titles available
q&a – prioritise choices effectively 13
Clare Rayner, provides the answers to your
questions
competition
92
Win great goodies from Crafter’s Companion
KD Media Publishing Limited
Broseley House
Newlands Drive
Witham, Essex, CM8 2UL, UK
www.craftfocus.com
next issue
96
A preview of what’s in store for June/July issue –
published on 30 May
Craft Focus is solely owned, published and
designed by KD Media Publishing Limited.
Whilst every effort was made to ensure the
information in this magazine was correct at the
time of going to press, the publishers cannot
accept legal responsibility for any errors or
omissions, nor can they accept responsibility of
the standing of advertisers nor by the editorial
contributions. The views expressed do not
necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Craft
Focus is published six times a year. Subscription
rates for overseas readers are £75 per annum
(incl. p+p), Cheques should be made out to
KD Media Publishing Limited and sent to
Craft Focus, Broseley House, Newlands Drive,
Witham, Essex, CM8 2UL, United Kingdom.
Craft Focus magazine is proud to be
associated with and supporters of:
get networking
72
Advice from Roma Bhowmick, Business Link
from single to multiple
74
Tips on taking steps to increase business
subscription offer
95
Register for your regular copy of Craft Focus
ISSN 1758-0900
driving retail traffic, part 2
61
Nick Waller has ideas to get customers spending!
13
Subscriptions
Alice Henson, Charlotte Tannett
+44 (0)1376 514 000
Front Cover image:
Roxanne by Classic Embroidery
23
e-commerce
76
Online shopping - an important sales tool
out with old
79
Take Eric Pepper’s advice and simply reorganise!
communication is key
83
Clive Harper explains effective communication
webwise
91
Paula Wynne provides tips to get started
budgeting for retirement
Now is the time to plan ahead
93
focus on
a way with paper
44
Pat Green talks about Past Time Quilling
features
creative cross stitch
23
We report a buoyant market full of expectation
scrapbooking
41
We delve into the growing craft of scrapbooking
a plethora of paper products
52
ExaClair shares lessons learned and their secrets
of success
a passionate business!
54
La Fourmi started out of a love of craft products
a royal occasion
47
We look at some of the commemorative
products around
hand-made and personalised
80
An insight into the success of Old Dairy Studios
father’s day
55
Get set to celebrate fathers and grandfathers
up & coming - canines to cards
98
The spotlight’s on Krafty Hands card kit business
craft on the move
Keep on crafting, wherever you are!
56
shows
show reviews, news and events
craft kits for adults
67
Kits provide the one-stop solution to trying new
crafts
31
dates for your diary
38
An at-a-glance list of forthcoming events
craftfocus 3
from show reviews to a
royal wedding!
What a couple of months it’s been! Last issue
we were looking forward to CHIS, the CHA
Show and Spring Fair, now we are back, laden to
the gunnels with news, information and product
launch updates from what was not only an
incredibly busy time, but also a very exciting one.
Generally the craft market is buoyant and full
of promise as we report in the Show Reviews.
Exhibitors were pleased with the attendance
and full order books and visitors enjoyed the
busy, colourful collection and packed selection of companies exhibiting.
It really is a case of good times ahead - more consumer magazines
are launching, new craft products abound and the general buzz is very
positive.
In this issue we’ve packed the pages with show reviews and reports,
lots of inspiring industry news, a whole host of new product launches
and a plethora of business advice and guidance from industry experts.
Our special features include an in-depth look at cross stitching as well
as scrapbooking, crafts on the move, craft kits for adults and Father’s
Day. We also couldn’t let the royal wedding of the century (so far!) go
unmarked so have a lovely selection of commemorative products for
you to tempt your customers with.
More and more people are shopping on line so the whole area of
e-commerce is becoming an extremely important issue if you want
to stay ahead of the game. We’ve included some tips and advice from
leading experts in our special e-commerce feature as well as a guide to
starting your own website from scratch in Webwise.
We also have four company profiles to read and enjoy over a cup
of coffee – see how others have made their start in business and
what works well for them and of course, don’t forget to enter our
competition – you can do so online very easily at www.craftfocus.com.
Finally, we have of course included our regular features such as the
Q&A column from leading expert Clare Rayner. If you have a question
you need answered, do email us and we will endeavour to help.
Until next month…
Wendy Gardiner
Editor
PS: Craft Focus editorial is all about products, news and advice that will
help you in business. Make sure you are part of it and send in your news
and views.
craftfocus 5
news round-up
Wendy Gardiner gathers and reports on the news and events from around the industry
An Olympic achievement
Beat the flood
Paul Cummins, a recent Derby graduate is among 13
artists with disabilities commissioned to produce work
for the Unlimited programme for the 2012 London
Olympics. Paul, who has severe dyslexia, specialises in
creating hundreds of different ceramic ‘pot flowers’,
which are used to cover gardens and other open spaces.
“I will be producing 10,000 flowers to be planted at six
Olympic venues around the UK. It’s a very large amount
of work that should keep me busy for around the next
12 months,” said Paul. More of Paul’s work can be seen
at: www.paulcumminsceramics.com. The Unlimited
programme encourages collaborations between
disability-led arts organisations, disabled and deaf artists,
producers, and mainstream organisations to culturally
celebrate the inspiration of the Olympic and Paralympic
Games.
IN BRIEF...
Awarded for growth
Abakhan has been ranked 55th by Europe’s 500, the
association of top European growth entrepreneurs.
Nick Powell, MD of Abakhan Fabrics, Hobby &
Home said ‘We are delighted to have been given
this award, it’s great to receive recognition for all
the hard work and effort that our staff have put in
to maintain our overseas and UK growth.”
Floodgate was developed by Peter Evans
following a flood at his restaurant. It is a door
barrier that is re-useable and available in
different sizes for different types of businesses
and homes. It is also one of a handful of flood
protection products to have successfully
passed the stringent physical tests set by the
Environment Agency. Based in Wales, Floodgate
is a family-run business, which operates in three
areas, domestic dwellings, commercial properties
and providing engineered solutions to meet
industry needs for a varied cross-section of
heavy duty barriers. For more information, T:
+44 (0)1267 234 205, www.floodgate.ltd.uk.
Hand crafted online
A new online boutique that makes it easier
to buy hand-crafted, individual and unusual
objects, direct from the maker has just been
launched. Seek & Adore sells homewares
and accessories that are professionally made
and beautifully designed. Many products sold
through the site are ‘one-offs’. “Each maker
has their own Online Studio page which
allows customers to meet the maker, read
a 60 second interview; ask them a question
and even watch a film clip of them hard
at work, as well as view their full product range,” explained founder Hatty Fawcett.
Seek & Adore is actively searching for new makers, all of whom are hand-picked via an
application process. Apply online at www.seekandadore.com.
Olympic teddy bear
Marathon support
On 21 May, aid and development charity Care
International is running the Prima Solutions
Adventure Challenge - a marathon distance on
foot, bike and canoe in scenic Cannock Chase,
Staffordshire. They invite fashion and retail
industry professionals to take part and help
them challenge poverty. Further details: www.
carechallenge.org.uk/primasolutions or T: +44
(0)20 7934 9470.
6 craftfocus
Merrythought has been appointed to create the official range of commemorative
teddies for the London 2012 Olympics. Using the same techniques and skills for
more than 80 years, Merrythought is a family business run by Oliver Holmes,
grandson of founder Gordon Holmes who established
the company in 1930. Treasured by children and
adults across the globe, Merrythought teddy bears
are fully jointed and made using the finest materials
and craftsmanship. LOCOG Commercial Director,
Chris Townsend, commented: ‘We are delighted
Merrythought is on board, to us we think the great
British teddy bear could become a symbol to mark
London 2012.” For more information, call Sarah
Holmes on T: +44 (0)1952 433116 or E: sarah@
merrythought.co.uk.
news
BUSINESS NEWS
It pays to be loyal
Mums the word
Six mums have just been awarded franchises for The Creation
Station. These new franchisees will join the company’s team
inspiring children’s imagination by running regular creative classes
in their regions. They run between 2-5 sessions per week and
The Creation Station HQ provides all the session plans, materials
and support of the leading creative activity franchise. Founder,
Sarah Cressall said, “We aim to support parents and carers in
our local communities by encouraging them and their children to
get involved in fun, creative play activities without the stress or
mess of setting or cleaning up afterwards. At the same time, we
provide parents with the opportunity to find the ideal solution
to going back to work and spending time with their children.”
Franchises start from £4995. For more information, visit: www.
thecreationstation.co.uk
Htec, one of Europe’s leading providers
of payment and loyalty solutions has
recently introduced the GemPOINTS
loyalty system for smaller retailers.
The simple to operate low-cost
loyalty solution with secure smartcard
technology allows retailers to operate
a comprehensive loyalty scheme; issuing
and redeeming points in the same way
large high street loyalty schemes are
run. “GemPOINTS will help retailers
run marketing promotions or special
offers and allow collaboration between retailers to maintain longer-term
customer loyalty, said makers HTEC. Further details from www.htec.
co.uk.
Smartphones make paying simple
An alternative posting
Collect+ have launched the first delivery service to challenge
the Post Office by offering parcel services from 3500 local
corner shops. “This new Collect+ service will allow the
general public, small businesses and eBay traders to send
parcels out of office hours at a time convenient for them”
said Mark Lewis, CEO of Collect+. They will be operating
from a huge network of local corner shops (most are open
seven days a week from early until late). Parcels can be
sent from local, participating corner shops directly to any
UK address. “The service is competitively and transparently
priced, with parcels up to five kilos in weight costing £4.99
and those between five and ten kilos in weight costing £6.99.”
added Mark. In addition to offering a standard parcel service,
Collect+ also offers a Deliver2Store and Return@Store
service for online, mail and phone order retailers. For more
information T: +44 (0)207 025 6500 or E: collectplusteam@
redconsultancy.com, www.collectplus.co.uk.
Small businesses will soon be able to ring up card sales with the same
security and reliability as any major retailer using their smartphones thanks to VeriFone’s PAYware Mobile. Shipping from April 2011, the
unique pocket-sized card reader works with selected smartphones to
accept secure chip and PIN credit, debit and contactless card payments.
“Potential users can log onto our website and sign-up to be the first
in the UK to receive the solution. First registrants may be selected to
become part of our “early adopter” programme to receive PAYware
Mobile and merchant accounts for free” said Payware Mobile. More
convenient for many home-based consumers, card payments have
been shown to remove many of the cash-only barriers to ‘selling-up’
- encouraging clients to spend more. It also reduces the burden of
handling cash and cheques; reconciling transactions and balancing cash
flow. For further information visit: www.paywaremobile.co.uk.
Revolutionary POS solution
Ingenico, provider of payment solutions and Cybertill, an EPoS and
e-commerce provider, recently launched WebPOS – a revolutionary point
of sale solution for single store independent retailers, which could spell
the end of the cash register. WebPOS combines Ingenico’s point of sale
hardwarewith Cybertill’s cloud-based EPoS software, specifically designed
for independent retailers. It is an all-in-one integrated solution that not
only improves payment processing, but also manages stock, tracks customer
preferences, generates reports on fast moving products and slow sellers, and
will even help to reduce theft. The solution will go to pilot in a number of
independent retailers in April and rolled out nationally thereafter. Craig Doyle,
MD Northern Europe, Ingenico, commented: “WebPOS will provide small
retailers with the business insights of a supermarket, helping them to manage
and grow their business more efficiently.” More information on www.ingenico.
com.
craftfocus 7
news round-up
Scrapping VAT tax relief
Kit helps you become boss
At a time when the number of people starting
a business is at a record high, small business
publisher, Brightword Publishing, have launched a
Start Up Kit. Retailing at £25 the kit comes with
a 200 page guide on how to start a business plus
over £400 of offers from leading brands including
Google, Barclays, BlackBerry and MOO.COM.
“Activating offers in the kit means you can be
up and running as your own boss for less than
the cost of a regular rail ticket, and this includes
furnishing a home office!” said Emma Jones,
Enterprise Nation. Further details T: + 44 (0)789
987 1698, E: emma@enterprisenation.com or www.
brightwordpublishing.com.
IN BRIEF...
A mighty bright award
Gold Crest, LLC, the owner of the Mighty Bright
brand based in Santa Barbara, has asked Trinity
Xtras Limited to manage and develop the Mighty
Bright Europe operation. Bryn Evans, Managing
Director of Trinity Xtras said, “we have launched
www.mightybrighteurope.com and an all new
www.trinityxtras.co.uk website to show not
just Mighty Bright products but the complete
Trinity Xtras product range across all segments.
Customers new and old will benefit from this new
focus and enhanced business position.”
The Forum of Private Business has refuted a claim that closing the controversial Low
Value Consignment Relief (LVCR) VAT loophole would hit small firms hardest. The notfor-profit organisation believes that removing the tax avoidance scheme, which benefits
many large companies by allowing them to move off-shore in order to pay no VAT on
goods valued at up to £18, is long overdue and could stimulate a resurgence of small
high street traders.
It is believed LVCR, which was introduced almost 30 years ago, was originally
designed as an administrative relief to prevent perishable goods from spoiling in
Channel Islands customs warehouses. Whilst it is a legitimate tax break it prevents a
large range of smaller retailers from competing on price because they are unable to
create distribution centres off-shore. However, under an EU directive it must not be
used if it leads to tax abuse or distorts competition. The Forum argues that it does
both, and very clearly damages smaller retailers as opposed to creating benefits for
them. For more information on this subject visit: www.fpb.org or T: +44 (0) 845 612
6266.
MAGAZINE NEWS
Lots of living to do
Handmade Living is the new monthly magazine
from KAL Media. “The first issue, launched on 28
April is set to change the way that we think about
magazines, it is not a craft magazine nor a lifestyle
title but an innovative mix of both,” said Kal Media
MD Kerrie Allman. Each issue will be packed with
interviews with inspirational people, articles on
topics such as cookery, gardening and much more.
Added to this will be a range of beautiful and
useful craft projects, and a unique children’s section
that will enable readers to make the most of the
precious time with their families. “At the centre of Handmade Living magazine
is the ethos of the ‘slow’ lifestyle and whilst we realise that our readers may not
always have time to do everything they want to, we will show them that you don’t
always need a lot of time to change things for the better in your life,” said editor
Charlotte Brett. The monthly A4 magazine is 132 pages, with a cover price of
£3.99, and circulation of 50,000
Arts and Crafts online
Taking responsibility
As from 1 March, the Advertising Standards
Authority has taken control of maintaining quality
and accuracy of marketing statements, (including
adverts), made on the Internet. The new legislation
applies to Internet marketing of any type even
if the product or service that is offered is free.
“Basically you need to ensure that what you say
about your organisation and its products and
services on the Internet is valid, true and accurate,”
said the ASA. “This applies to all types of
organisation and things you say about yourself on
Facebook or Twitter too” they added. There is a lot
more information available about this subject on
the ASA-CAP website www.cap.org.uk.
8 craftfocus
Stephanie Weightman has teamed
up with online family superstore,
Woolworths.co.uk to create a
new Arts and Crafts collection,
which launches with a paper
based crafts range. Perfect for
crafting enthusiasts, the materials
and supplies available on the
Woolworths site, will include
everything from card making equipment, paper craft tools, pens and paints and
embellishments, as well as specialist equipment such as embossing machines and paper
crimpers. Stephanie who has been named Celebrity Crafter of the year by Origin
Publishing, for the past three years, will be creating a set of bespoke and exclusive
projects for Woollies, recording ‘How To’ video guides and writing step by step
breakdowns which will all be free to download online. Visit Woolworths.co.uk to view
the full Arts and Crafts range
NEW!
BFF’s
An exciting new British company with a fabulous range of cling
stamps, manufactured in the UK to a very high standard
news round-up
An instant success
The recent launch of
Simply Homemade, a
new craft magazine has
gone down a storm
with crafters nationwide
claim Practical Publishing.
“Despite only hitting
the newsstands on 24
February, the title has
already sold out in many
outlets,” they told us.
Simply Homemade
covers a variety of crafts such as sewing, knitting,
papercraft, soapmaking, baking, felting, and much more –
with all the projects focussed on creating beautiful items
for readers and their homes. To To get involved,
E: info@simplyhomemademag.com.
Worthy winners
The annual Crafts Beautiful and Let’s Make Cards! awards also provide the
opportunity for many to have their efforts recognised. “The results show what
our readership believe are the best products, designers, tools, materials, services
and stores across the crafting world,” explained
Sarah Crosland, Craft Beautiful Editor. Winners
include: Clarity Stamps - Best Rubber Stamping
Range 2010. Best Online Retailer – Create
and Craft/Ideal World, Best Craft Book 2010
- Keepsake Cardcrafts/The Glitter Girls Book;
Best Toolbox Essential and Best New Product
– Martha Stewart Punches; Best Haby Range
– Pinflair; Best Cross Stitch Range – DMC;
Favourite Decoupage Range – Kan Ben; Best
Bead Range - Swarovski, Best Painting Range
– Promarkers and Best General Gadget for
Crafting - Cuttlebug. Full details of winners all
the categories are on www.craftawards.com
Create and Craft TV expand ranges
IN BRIEF...
Charity bead
“Get beady for the needy with the Big B Charity
Bead!” said Beads Unlimited. As part of their
Silver Jubilee celebrations they have launched
a very special bead. The Big B is available at
checkout online for a suggested donation of £1 or
at The Brighton Bead Shop. For every bead sold,
Beads Unlimited will give a donation to the RNLI,
helping them to reach their £10,000 target. Make
your pledge at www.beadsunlimited.co.uk.
Stay in touch
New research from RightNow (NASDAQ:RNOW),
reveals that while consumers are seeking closer,
socially enabled interactions with retailers,
what they receive is vastly different from what
they expect. The study conducted by GfK NOP,
discovered that 46% of consumers have become
Facebook ‘fans’ of retailers and yet, only 4%
of consumers who have shopped online in the
past year have ever received a service-related
interaction with a retailer through a social
networking site. The message is, if you have a
Facebook page – stay in touch!
10 craftfocus
April will see the launch of a whole new selection
of knitting and stitching programmes on Create
and Craft TV, the UK’s only dedicated TV shopping
channel for crafts. On air since 2003, they’ve mostly
covered paper crafts, scrapbooking and card-making.
“2010 was a very successful year selling sewing
machines too, and we are planning a significant
increase year on year both on air and online” said
Sue Haft, Head of Business Initiatives Craft Division.
They will be introducing a significant range of
products for haberdashery, quilting, cross stitch
etc with more specialist guests too “The aim is to
run hour-long, demo-style programmes with experts and show presenters bringing
exciting new products and skills to the viewers,” said Sue Haft. Tony Sheridan, MD of
Create and Craft TV said: “Our sales techniques include detailed demonstrations and
we encourage interaction via live email and in-show callers.” Create and Craft reaches
approximately 23 million households in the UK. View on Sky 671, Freeview 36, Freesat
813, and online www.createandcraft.tv.
Retailers honoured
Origin Publishing award winners, voted for by
readers of their magazines include regional
winners as the best shop for crafts, knitting
etc as well as categories such as Kit of the Year,
Character, Product, Online Retailer and Designer
of the Year. Stitch winners included Meercat
from Heritage Crafts as Kit of the Year, Gorjuss
as Character of the Year whilst the Twizzler was
voted Best Product. For card magazine readers,
Best Card Designer and Online Retailer is Joanna
Sheen, whilst Product of the Year was awarded to
Houghie Board and Best Stamp to The Jemima
Puddle Duck Stamps by Crafter’s Companion. The knitting categories also
produced some very happy winners, All the results are published in the relevant
magazine and online at www.cross-stitching.com.
woolfelt
advertising feature
Woolfelt® - the luxury of wool at
surprisingly affordable prices…
or why not try the super soft bamboo?
National Nonwovens is globally recognised as
the premier manufacturer of wool felt with
the largest assortment of colours and styles
and Hantex Ltd, have been their UK wholesale
distributor since 2002. Hantex stock all
colours in the trade-marked Woolfelt® range
as well as their Xotic bamboo felt and 100%
pure virgin wool ranges.
Selling only to the trade, Hantex
also stock an extensive range of
associated products. “This
includes patterns, books,
trimmings and our own
colour co-ordinated
buttons which can be
matched to any one of
over a 100 Woolfelt®
colours stocked by Hantex,”
they explained.
More about Woolfelt…
The vast popularity of WoolFelt®, is attributed
to its heirloom quality, all natural wool and
rayon fibre blends, rich textures, luxurious
colours and outstanding uniformity. Woolfelt is
an all natural blend of 25-35% wool and rayon,
giving a unique heathered effect.
WoolFelt® is ideal for many creative crafts
and is the perfect medium for:
• Bag making
• Flower Embellishments
• Cushions
• Stitched work
• Appliqué
• Penny Rugs
• Toys
• Pin Cushions
• Ornaments
• Cup Cakes
• Seasonal Projects
• Embellished wearables
National Nonwovens introduced the first felt
made from bamboo in 2009…an eco-friendly,
soft and strong fabric, ideal for wearables and
home decor uses.
XoticFelt™ is a blend of bamboo and rayon
with bamboo giving good strength whilst
retaining a soft feel. The colour range is a
stunning mix of rich, vibrant colours, giving
endless possibilities.
Shops can order one, three or five metre
pieces of XoticFelt™ or complete ten metre
rolls and at just 92 cm wide (folded down to
46 cm) like WoolFelt®, it’s easy to stock and
takes up very little space. RRP is from £16.35
/ metre. C
How easy is it to stock and what it costs
Shops can order one, three or five metre
pieces of WoolFelt® or complete ten metre
rolls and at just 92 cm wide (folded down to
46 cm). It’s incredibly easy to stock and takes
up very little room. RRP is from £8.70 / metre.
As an introduction to WoolFelt® many
shops start with kits such as the incredibly
popular RGF kits featuring designs such as
Woolly Sheep and Spotty Hen.
These kits have sold consistently well over
many years and contain everything needed to
complete a beautiful WoolFelt® based project.
Ideal for beginners and a great introduction
to WoolFelt®, both Woolly Sheep and Spotty
Hen kits have an RRP of £21.90.
As well as the traditional Woolfelt® blend,
there is now a 100% virgin wool felt in seven
rich, country colours.
For more details, free sample cards and
access to online wholesale ordering
contact Hantex, National Nonwoven’s UK
distributor. Register at www.hantex.co.uk,
call +44 (0)1754 820800 or email
sales@hantex.co.uk
craftfocus 11
What’s new, what’s hot and what’s must-have. We take a look at some of the latest
products available
Artesano Limited
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
Manos Lace
T: +44 (0) 118 950 3350, E: jenny@artesanoyarns.co.uk, W: www.artesanoyarns.co.uk
RRP 12.99 per 50 gram hank
50 gram hank of 400 metres/438 yards, made from 5% cashmere, 20% silk, 75% baby alpaca.
Use with 2.75 mm needles for tension 32 stitches 46 rows = 10cm.
Manos is officially recognised by the WFTO. Hand dyed yarns so no dye lots, every label is
signed by the artisan who made it.
Six brand new colours, adding to the existing range of 12 colours. New range of
patterns will be available for this yarn.
Burhouse Beads
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
New 1mm Coloured Waxed Cord
Sales Department +44 (0)1484 485 100
£7.50/100mtr Reel
Brand new coloured waxed cord available in a choice of six popular
colours. Available now.
Suitable for all jewellery making needs, particularly good for making
fashionable friendship style bracelets.
In addition to this range Burhouse Beads are hoping to have a 2 mm
option in the same great colours in stock soon.
Beads Unlimited
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
Speckled Round Flattie
T: +44 (0) 1273 740 777 E: mailbox@beadsunlimited.co.uk, www.beadsunlimited.co.uk
50p each or £2.50/10 of the same design or multi mix £3.25/10 custom mix
These beautiful beads are big, big show-offs at 28 mm in size. Seven gorgeous shades are
available, all lined with silver foil, giving a fabulous depth of colour.
Beads Unlimited supplies beads, charms, findings and threads imported from across the world.
Over 3000 lines of stock for wholesale and retail customers in all shapes and sizes. User friendly
on line shop, double quick turnaround and the best of old fashioned customer service.
These flatties are just a fraction of the new glass beads just added to the huge range from
Beads Unlimited.
Diamond Tech
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
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Other Information:
Generation Green bottle cutter (G2)
T: 001 800 937 9593, E: craftinfo@dticrafts.com, www.diamondtechcrafts.com
SRP £24.99
Made from recycled aluminium, the Generation Green G2 bottle cutter is
lightweight and allows you to easily score and separate discarded bottles and
wide-mouth jars in three steps. Its six turreted cutting head means cutting
longevity. It cuts wide mouth jars and bottles up to 5 gallons.
It comes with a removal glass cutter for straight cuts and six durable cutting
blades. Bold packaging captures attention and it can be shelved or pegged. An
in-store video is available.
With the G2 you can turn old glass bottles and jars into glass sculptures, vases,
lampshades, votive holder or anything you can imagine. Project sheets are
available in PDF format to post and share online.
craftfocus 13
new products
brand spanking new
brand spanking new
Letraset Ltd
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
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Other Information:
ProMarker Blending Sets
+44 (0)1233 624 421 or enquiries@letraset.com
£18.14 UK List (ex VAT)
12 ProMarker colours that complement each other and blend well together, packaged in
a unique ‘carry-case’ style blister with a free Blender pen and How-to instructions.
Easy to merchandise, attractively presented and packed with added value. The blister pack doubles as portable storage, with each marker
clicking securely into place. Letraset had many requests for related, easy to blend ProMarker colours so these new sets are sure to be a
hit with your customers!
Three ProMarker Blending Sets are available in Pastel, Muted and Vivid colour selections. These sets are the perfect way to introduce this
hugely popular line, or to extend your existing ProMarker set offering.
Peak Dale Products
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
Ribbon Packs
T: +44 (0) 129 878 447, E: sales@peakdaleproducts.co.uk,
www.peakdaleproducts.co.uk
SRP £2.25 per pack.
Pack contains one metre each of five colour matched assorted ribbons
No messing around cutting lengths off ribbon reels, no loose ends, hanging
about and no wastage.
Supplied on a euro slot hangsell tab. Colours available: Cerise, Creams,
Black and White, Purples, Silver and Gold, Pastel assortment, Pinks, Reds,
Browns, Greens, Lilacs, Blues.
Bothy Threads
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
The Runway
T: +44 (0)1638 665 149, E: info@bothythreads.com, www.bothythreads.com
RRP £27.49
A kit comprising 14 count Zweigart Aida, needle, pre-sorted stranded cottons,
special effect threads, beads, sequins and a heart button. Finished size 42 cm by
25 cm.
There are clear stitch diagrams and full instructions (including an alphabet and
number line). This kit uses full cross stitch, back stitch and a few French knots.
The Runaway makes a graceful birth sampler with the horse jumping a gossamer rainbow.The Gorjuss designs are proving to be very
collectable and, by popular demand, Bothy Threads have six more wonderful designs becoming available this Spring.
Audlem Mill Ltd
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
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Other Information:
14 craftfocus
Cross Stitch Kits
T: +44 (0)1270 811 059, E : sales@audlemmill.co.uk,
www.audlemmill.co.uk
RRP approximately £14.95
These cross stitch kits are aimed at adults, but based on some very popular
children’s books set on the canal system. The books feature Muddy Waters
and other boats. The kits, which are fully licensed, feature eight different boat
characters.
Audlem Mill will provide a display box free with a shop’s first order of 16 kits
(2 of each).
Kits are presented in clear A5 bags; finished size approx 5.5” x 4”. More kits
will be introduced as new books are published (several expected in 2011).
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MHQQ\#DUWHVDQR\DUQVFRXN
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Your Professional
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brand spanking new
Ellison Europe Ltd
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Eclips Machine
T: +44 (0) 8444 998 181 (UK), T: +44 (0) 845 345 2277 (outside UK), E: europecustomerservices@ellison.com
RRP £356.50
The eclips machine comes with a 12” square (30.5 cm) cutting mat, handheld remote control and cradle, starter cartridge loaded with
shapes and alphabet, cartridge case, starter cartridge booklet, user guide and 6” (1.8 cm) USB cable.
The eclips is an electronic machine that uses image cartridges to cut shapes and lettering with speed and accuracy. All shapes on
the cartridges are customisable using the handheld remote control. The remote holds 15 different pre-sets that control blade speed
and pressure according to material used, but this can also be adjusted manually. The latest software version (2.0) allows for shapes to
be manipulated so that one fits the entire 12”x12” mat, or repeated to get as many as possible, with the handheld remote control
automatically calculating how many will fit in a given size. Also available is a longer 12” x 24” cutting mat and a pen holder attachment.
Elizabeth Bradley
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
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Other Information:
Blooms by Elizabeth Bradley – Lilac, Rhododendron, Agapanthus, Hydrangea
T: +44 (0) 1865 339 050, www.elizabethbradley.com
From £34 based on six inch mini kits.
Elizabeth Bradley has joined with Kirk and Hamilton to create a vibrant collection
of floral designs inspired by popular flowers with beautiful, detailed features.
This new addition of four Blooms brings the collection to 12 designs. There is a
selection of background colours to choose from, and each kit has easy to follow
instructions using the popular Victorian cross stitch.
All the materials needed to complete the kits are included.
A finishing service is available providing the opportunity to transform a tapestry
into a cushion, a piece of wall art or upholstery etc.
Fiskars
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Special edition Moomin scissors
T: +44 (0) 115 927 7335, www.fiskars.com
RRP £13.49
New technology used by Fiskars to produce the scissor handles allows for a deep colour
tone and beautiful illustrations to bring the Moomin characters to life. The range includes
five pairs of scissors for adults and children including a left-handed version. The children’s
version has safe rounded tips.
Based on much loved characters of the Moomin family, the range includes
Moominmamma and Moominpappa – 21 cm General Purpose, Little My, Moonintroll and
Snorkmaiden - kids 13 cm rounded tip.
Katy Sue Designs
Product:
Contact:
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16 craftfocus
Die Cut Dimension – Wild Flowers from Flower Soft
T: +44 (0)191 427 4571, www.flower-soft.com
RRP £9.99
Packs contain eight precision die cut sheets with four designs. Will make a
minimum of 16 3D cards.
The packs of Die Cut Dimensions are not a decoupage set, but the unique
method of die cutting the images allow areas of the design to pop out giving a
very distinctive dimensional effect. With lots of extra die cut elements on each
sheet customers have the added flexibility to freestyle their card designs. The
results are stunning and always different, which has made these new designs an
instant hit with crafters.
For added dimension add a touch of Flower Soft to the centres and foliage of
flowers. More designs in the pipeline.
www.beadtimewholesale.co.uk
The World of Creativity
Create your own...
Dream Catcher
one of a series of brand new FREE project sheets
featuring FIMO® modelling materials from STAEDTLER
www.staedtler.co.uk | 0845 600 5930
We are dedicated to supplying the retailer and web companies with a truly
gorgeous range of findings, and now we can supply you with gorgeous beads!
NEW RANGE - Steampunk findings now available
For a catalogue contact
Bead Time Ltd
Unit 16 Shepperton Business Park
Govett Avenue
Shepperton
Middlesex
TW17 8BA
Tel: 01932 506362 / 506596
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new products
Kraftz
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
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Other Information:
Acetate Pillow Box Embellishments
T: +44 (0) 1782 628 804, www.kraftz.co.uk
RSP: £1.95 each
There are three styles available - Teddy Bear, Butterfly and Flowers totalling 21 products
in the range. “They are ideal to use with all card making and scrapbooking projects and
they are just stunning and great quality,” said Kraftz.
Each design contains five embellishments and comes nicely presented within an Acetate
Pillow Box which hangs.
Due to the success of this range, more will be added shortly, ideal for all themes, birth,
wedding, every day etc.
Fat Cat Cross Stitch
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
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Other Information:
Easy Peasy cross stitch kits
T: +44 (0) 1568 780 183, E: info@fatcatcross-stitch.co.uk, www.fatcatcross-stitch.co.uk
Trade: £2.48 ex-VAT, RRP: £5.95 inc VAT
The Easy Peasy cross stitch kits from Fat Cat Cross Stitch is a range of 15 bright, colourful and fun
designs perfect for younger children or those with little cross stitching experience. The kits come
complete with six count white Binca fabric, tapestry wool, clear instructions and a full colour chart,
providing an ideal introduction to counted cross stitch.
Ideal for younger stitchers and gifts for children; good value for money; Binca fabric and tapestry
wool provides something different.
The Sew Simple kit range provides progression for older children – 11 count Aida with stranded
cotton - Trade £2.90 ex-VAT. No minimum order levels - free postage for orders over £50.
Daylight Company
Product:
Contact:
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Specification:
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Other Information:
Triple Bright Light (product D32500)
T: +44 (0) 20 8964 1200, www.daylightcompany.com
RRP £124.99
The Triple Bright Light is the brightest lamp in Daylight’s range, delivering 250w, making it
brighter and whiter than any other lamp. It has three powerful 14w Daylight™ energy saving
tubes, flicker-free electronic ballast for high quality light, whilst low heat Daylight™ (6,500°K),
improves contrast and reduces glare. Lamp head size: 610 mm x 110mm x 60mm.
The intelligent design and robust construction of the Triple Bright Light make it ideal for use
in many creative environments requiring optimum lighting conditions. Perfect for illuminating
drawing boards and medium to large size painting easels/intricate beading work and delicate
jewellery crafting. The shade can be adjusted to every required angle. It features a high quality
metal arm with internal springs which gives optimal flexibility and resilience.
It comes with a strong metal lamp stem and clamp for safe working conditions (weighted table
and floor stands are available separately).
Serif
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
MoviePlus X5 video editing software
T: +44 (0) 115 914 9180, www.serif.com
RRP £59.99
MoviePlusX5 has a smart ‘proxy’ engine when editing footage Blu-ray Disc™ and AVCHD™ DVD
burning, unlimited tracks for video and audio, keyframe controls, blend modes and over 200 video and
audio effects. It also has new tools and effects, usability enhancements and improved user interface.
Customers don’t have to own top of the range PC or laptop to use MoviePlus X5.
It’s also quick and easy to export a movie for playback on popular hardware devices like iPads and
iPhones as well as upload a video online to social networking sites such as YouTube.
craftfocus 19
brand spanking new
ExaClair
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
A3 GLX Ergogrip binder and Ecolite Ergogrip binder
T: +44 (0) 1553 696 600, E: enquiries@exaclair.co.uk, www.exaclair.co.uk
GLX RRP from £22.95 each exVAT. Ecolite RRP from £8.50 each ex VAT
The new A3 GLX Ergogrip Binder is a larger format binder ideally suited to storing large quantities of A3 artwork, printouts etc. The
new Ecolite Ergogrip stores similarly large quantities of A4 paper but is manufactured from up to 95% recycled plastic and is itself 100%
recyclable. Both new products feature a unique locking mechanism with four ring/eight cross over prongs and 55 mm spines. User-friendly
grips make them simple to remove even from a full shelf, and the covers and mechanism are riveted to the spine for extra strength.
Both products have clearly targeted consumer groups within growing market sectors providing some great sales opportunities. The A3
binder is packed singly and Ecolite in boxes of two.
They can all also be personalised with the online software Kreaman at www.exacompta.com.
Fil Katia, SA
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
Coral and Degradé Sun
T: +34 938 283 819, E: info-uk@katia.eu, www.katia.eu
Coral RSP£4.10 /50g, Degradé Sun: RSP £3.65 /50g
The composition of Coral is 93% cotton, 7% nylon, yarn weight: Aran. There are 16 solid
colours of 50 g balls (75 m). Needles 5 – 5 ½. Degradé Sun is 100% Egyptian cotton,
yarn weight: DK. There are 9 colours of 50g balls (115 m). Needles 3 – 3 ½.
Coral has a unique “vrillé” effect in cotton to create a unique texture once it is knitted or
crocheted. Degrade Sun has a “Degradé” effect between two colours which produces a
subtle striping effect.
Coral must always be worked loosely on larger needles than really correspond to it. It
is ideal for combining with basic, smooth yarns. When it is combined with other yarns in
stripes or intarsia knitting, its novelty effect is enhanced because of the contrast in form.
Habico Limited
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
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Other Information:
Tray of Candy Cake Boxes
T: 0113 263 1500: E: sales@habico.co.uk, www.habico.co.uk
RRP approx £1 per cake£12 for the complete tray.
Handmade paper cake boxes ideal for party guest gifts and for decoration.
Must-have impulse purchase.
One of a series of five different Cake Boxes. Others include Cupcake Displays,
8-slice Cakes, Swiss Rolls and Square Loftcakes
Kreinik
Product:
Contact:
Price:
Specification:
Retailer Benefits:
Other Information:
20 craftfocus
Easter Grass thread
+ 1-800-537-2166, info@kreinik.com, www.kreinik.com
TBA
Named after a holiday, but useful for designs throughout the year, one of
Kreinik’s newest threads is Easter Grass. The thread is 1/8” wide and has an
iridescent, mother-of-pearl look that shows a spectrum of colours depending
on your viewing angle.
This thread is versatile for many needlework and craft applications, besides
Easter themes. In stitchery, for example, designers suggest using it in long
stitches for windows, eye glasses, insect wings and other realistic images.
Stitch on top of Easter Grass with a gold, silver, or other colour of Kreinik
Metallic Cord for a stunning look. It’s also perfect for adding a pearly, lightreflecting, flat fibre texture in crazy quilting, card making, fibre art and collage.
*UDSKLF$LURQOLQH
8QLW/HYHQV+DOO3DUN/XQG/DQH.LOOLQJKDOO+DUURJDWH+*%*
7)(LQIR#JUDSKLFDLUFRXN
:ZZZ#JUDSKLFDLUFRXN
Sock Yarn Specialist
Eco-Fi: High quality
polyester fibre made
from 100% post-consumer
recycled plastic bottles
used in the manufacturing
process of Kunin Craft Felt.
For further information about Kunin Craft Felt
please contact
Fashion Futures Limited, Units 1 and 2 Mace Industrial
Estate, Ashford, Kent TN24 8EP.
fashion.futures@btconnect.com
Tel +44 (0) 1233 625227. Fax +44 (0) 1233 612352
www.viridianyarn.com | viridianltd@gmail.com
tel: 0117 300 5244
feature
creative
cross stitching
Cross stitching continues to play an
important part in many retailers’ arsenal of
stitch products and happily, the market is
buoyant and full of expectations
“This spring cross stitchers are enjoying
stitching wildlife pictures and it seems the
wilder the better! Designs that have action
and are more realistic seem to catch stitchers’
imaginations and it is wonderful how a design
can start to appear on a plain piece of Aida
fabric. The combination of the cross stitch and
back stitch brings the image to life” said Cara
Ackermann of DMC. Like many cross stitch
companies, they feel the cross stitch market is
buoyant with plenty of scope for new ideas.
“It is always important to work with a good
palette of colours of stranded thread in order
to achieve a more life-like finished design” said
DMC. With over 460 colours to choose from
in the DMC range of stranded cotton it is
possible to match the range of paints used in
the original artwork as closely as possible. Big
cat paintings and animal art comes alive with
Derbyshire artist Kat Davies. There is a unique
intensity and an almost tangible life force
inherent in her paintings which DMC have
translated for the first time into cross stitch.
Special occasion designs
With Mother’s Day and Easter just round the
corner, cute and cuddly cross stitch designs are
proving popular with stitchers as they look for
something different but also something that
will not take a long time to complete. The new
selection of the adorable character Boofle;
who is well known through card shops and gift
items and now for the first time is available in
cross stitch is proving very popular. The Boofle
pup translates perfectly into cross stitch using
DMC threads on 14 count DMC Aida fabrics.
British wildlife and British scenes are also
enjoying a lot of interest from stitchers who
are looking for designs to capture the beauty
of the British countryside. Sharon Jervis
produces artwork that has a strong illustrative
style and is intricately detailed. DMC have
translated a number of Sharon’s paintings into
detailed cross stitch kits.
NEW STYLE DESIGNS
“Even after ten years in the business, I find
it difficult to predict what is going to be
popular in cross stitch! However, I find that
I can only successfully and enthusiastically
work on designs that I really like, so I have
taken that to be my lead!” said Kate Hoyle at
Bothy Threads. Kate works with several artists
with whom she collaborates on designs. “We
usually get terribly excited, with emails flying
to and fro! They will then create the art work
which I can turn into a cross stitch design on
the computer,” she explained. Bothy Threads
aim to have a new kit ready every couple of
weeks, usually on 14 hpi Aida although Kate
does enjoy using different coloured fabrics.
“The stranded cottons are meticulously
sorted by hand onto thread cards. I love using
variegated and sparkly threads, beads and
other embellishments. My latest Gorjuss™
range has given me plenty of scope here,
we’ve included lace, ribbons, buttons and even
feathers!” she added. These designs are proving
to be very collectable and indeed Bothy
Threads have six more designs available this
spring. Four of them are the same size as the
previous six. Purrrrrrfect Love, with a sparkly
heart and purring cat is a lovely expression of
tender feelings whilst the Runaway makes a
graceful birth sampler with the horse jumping
a gossamer rainbow.
craftfocus 23
creative cross stitching
New designs for 2011 from Michael Powell
Cross Stitch art include a brand new triptych
called Beach Huts which has three designs
that fit together to form a fantastic landscape
image. “Each piece measures approximately 8
inches square and has an RRP of £39.99” said
Michael Powell. The kits come with everything
the stitcher needs in order to complete the
project - fabric, needle, pre-sorted and coded
thread cards and charts for both the cross
stitching and back stitch. The designs are
cleverly conceived so that the individual
pieces work on their own
as well. Also available are
delicious Cake and Ice
designs and two new
Harbour designs.
Granny Knits also
offer something a little
different – cross stitch
kits made using wool
and cotton yarn. “We sell
a variety of kits in Crewel
and Tapestry British Virgin
Wool - as well as a new collection in
stranded cotton,” said Jacqui Pearce, Designer/
Founder of Granny Knits. “Our wool cross
stitch kits RRP from £50 while our new cotton
kits have an RRP of £25” she added. Granny
Knits have also designed a Will and Kate kit
(rrp £30). All are available to view online
(trade enquiries very welcome).
24 craftfocus
A CREATIVE CRAFT FOR
YOUNG AND OLD
As people are spending more and more time
at home due to the recession they are looking
for craft activities to take them away from the
stresses and strains of every day life. Cross
stitch is very much a pastime that is enjoyed
by a large number of people: young and old,
experienced and those who are discovering
stitching for the first time.
More people are coming to cross stitch
through the success of ranges like DMC’s
Coronation Street range that was
launched last year, in part to
celebrate the 50th anniversary,
but also as a way to reach out
to a new audience through
the success of the Soap and
through coverage in large
circulation national magazines
such as Take a Break and TV
Choice. Also, with the success of
Cath Kidston’s craft books, cross
stitch is appealing to a wider audience
of new stitchers who are interested in
personalising and decorating their home in a
classic vintage style with designs for cushions,
bags etc.
Cross stitch does not just have to hang on
the wall but can be used to decorate ready to
stitch items such as pouches and plush animals.
Stylish and sophisticated designs are already
available as complete bags and pouches that
contain a section of Aida ready to cross stitch
and personalise.
What is a typical cross stitcher?
It is really hard to define a typical cross stitcher
as this can vary enormously as it covers all
generations and appeals to both men and
women. It is the simplicity of the technique that
appeals to such a wide audience and why it is
possible for children to become cross stitchers
at a very young age.
Ideas to get people interested in
having a go at cross stitching
Many of the UK cross stitch magazines
offer free cover kits which contain all that
is needed to get someone started. “Having
creative cross stitching
supportive retailers
who are happy to
offer either classes or
help stitchers with
the basics is also
very important. We
(DMC) offer retailers
a Mentor Scheme
where it is possible
to go out and recruit
new stitchers by
using the web-based mentor scheme.
Free kits, free charts and ideas for holding
classes are also offered to support retailers,”
said Cara Ackermann. Another method to
keep stitchers interested is regular newsletters
in which you can write about new ranges and
stitching innovations.
There are of course numerous books
available which help teach the craft and are
packed with projects – all of which need
supplies to complete them such as Jane
Greenoff ’s Cross Stitch Bible, which was
reprinted many times and is available in
10 languages. “Thank heavens for stitching
addicts - I have been closely involved with
the industry for over 26 years and thankfully
I am still more than fully employed,” she said.
Not only is she a prolific cross-stitcher, writer
and tutor, she founded the Cross Stitch Guild
in 1996. She started the Guild in order to
provide an organisation specifically for cross
stitch and counted thread addicts. From its
early beginnings with only £25 in the bank,
the company has grown into an internationally
successful business. She has also just written
another book, 100 Cross Stitch Designs. As the
title suggests, this book has over 100 charted
cross stitch designs including alphabets and
initials, borders and motifs. Supplied with a
hard cover and spiral binding, the pages are
horizontally divided to enable you to mix and
match your chosen patterns making it a really
useful stitcher’s tool. RRP is £15.99 and it is
available from Search Press or The Cross Stitch
Guild.
26 craftfocus
CLASSIC EMBROIDERY
We asked Kes Whitehead of Classic Designs for his thoughts on cross stitching for 2011.
How do you decide what designs to create/include in your range?
We work with a number of designers, who produce original artwork which we look
through and then select what we feel is suitable for conversion to needlecraft. So we
are driven by what they submit to us. We also look at what is selling well in our current
range and try to come up with what could follow on - either in collaboration with a
designer or in-house.
How often do you bring out new designs?
Basically, we try to bring out two batches of new designs a year, one in February, for
Stitches, (CHSI) and one in late summer for the autumn season.
What do you include in your kits?
Our kits always include everything needed to complete the design so that once it is
completed, it is ready for mounting and framing. We like to include ‘exotic’ items in
our designs - metallic threads, beads, sequins, etc - to add a bit of razzamatazz to the
stitching.
If other retailers want to stock them, how do they find out about the range
and who do they contact?
We have a web site to show the designs and give trade information, we produce full
catalogues for our complete range and attend
trade shows across the country. We are
also a member of TNTG. And, of
course, we use the trade press! I can
always be reached by phone or
email too.
Finally what particular
trends do you think are
big for 2011?
I cannot say that I see any clear
trend for needlecraft in 2011.
The market always responds
well to good design. This sort
of design with mucho bling
(Roxanne) is definitely popular
right now. The original artwork
is from Di Kaye and Heather has
interpreted it in cross-stitch with metallic
thread, beads and sequins.
Trade Enquires
Monday - Thursday
9.00am - 5.00pm
Friday
9.00am - 4.30pm
Sales agents required
in some areas
• Knitting
• Sewing
• Embroidery
• Buttons
• Ribbons
• Scissors
• Card Making
• Haberdashery
Focuscraft
5 Henry close, Battlefield Enterprise Park,
Shrewsbury SY1 3TJ
Tel: 01743 465788 Fax: 01743 465799
Email: sales@focuscraft.co.uk
www.focuscraft.co.uk
)DW&DW&URVV6WLWFK
%ROGEULJKWIXQGHVLJQVIRUDOO
/21'2175,00,1*6
:+2/(6$/(/7'
26-28 CAMBRIDGE HEATH ROAD, WHITECHAPEL, LONDON E1 5QH
Tel: 0207 7919766 / 0207 7902233
Email: terisa@londontrimmings.co.uk
enquiries@londontrimmings.co.uk
:KROHVDOH5HWDLO
+DEHUGDVKHU\&UDIW6XSSOLHUV
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•
•
•
•
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Feathers
Sequin Braids
Buckles
Buttons
Embellishments
Wool
Zips
Threads
Knitting Accessories
Ribbons
Diamante Buckles
Haberdashery
Flowers
•
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Bows
Dress Net
Handbag Accessories
Scissors
Elastic
Colour Dye
Snap Fasteners
Cotton Webbing
Lace
Cord
Labels
Bias Bindings
Insertion Piping
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Eyelets
Interlining/Wadding
Toy Filling
Trouser Patches
Jeans Buttons & Rivets
Shoulder Pads
Embroidery Accessories
Hook & Loop
Covered Buttons
Curtain Accessories
Toggles
Hangers
Garment Cover Bags
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feature
LITTLE STAR STITCHES
Useful contacts
Bothy Threads
T: +44 (0) 1638 665 149,
E: info@bothythreads.com
Classic Stitches
T: +44(0) 1529 461 056,
E: www.classicemb.co.uk
DMC
T: +44 (0)116 275 4000,
www.dmccreative.co.uk
Little Star Stitches is a new business, which exhibited at CHSI for the first time this year.
They bring a fresh eye to the business so we put the same questions to Kerry.
How do you decide what designs to create/include in your range?
Inspiration can come from anything, it could be a word that somebody has said or the
sight of a tree or flower that sparks an idea, then I just have to get it scribbled down in
my growing folder of ideas!
How often do you bring out new designs?
We are constantly working on new designs for the Peanut & Friends range and also
have some great ideas for another range or two, so watch this space! We’ve just
released an additional six kits in the Peanut & Friends range and have several more that
are nearing the end of the process for release including a wedding sampler. After that
I have my big book of ideas to go through, some of the ideas will be used as they are,
others inspire new designs.
What do you include in your kits?
Kits include pre-sorted DMC thread, 14 hpi Aida, needle, chart, instructions, in fact all
that is needed to start stitching right away. The charts have been kept to A4 paper so
there are no large cumbersome pages to be fiddling around with while trying to stitch.
Can retailers stock your designs?
Our website www.littlestarstitches.com has all of our designs and retail prices, anybody
wanting more info can always call us (see below). C
Granny Knits
T:+44 (0)1903 885 456,
E: trade@grannyknits.com,
www.grannyknits.com
Jane Greenoff
E: jane@thecrossstitchguild.com
Little Star Stitches
T: +45 (0)1453 546 891
or E: sales@littlestarstitches.com.
Michael Powell Cross Stitch Art
T: +44 (0) 2920 496 000
E: info@michaelpowellart.co.uk,
www.michaelpowellart.co.uk
Mr X Stitch
Jamie Chalmers,
E: mrx@mrxstitch.com,
www.subversivecrossstitch.com
The Stitching Shed
T: +44 (0) 1524 421 181,
E: info@thestitchingshed.co.uk,
www.thestitchingshed.co.uk
craftfocus 29
show news and events
show news
and reviews
The recent clutch of spring trade fairs all report
good attendance and a very positive outlook
for the year ahead. Wendy Gardiner provides
reviews and news of more to come
CHSI SHOW REVIEW
The Craft, Hobby and Stitch
International show was buzzing
as hundreds of exhibitors did
business with buyers – from
independent high street
retailers to large multiples. The
show was packed with new
features, including a catwalk
show, bringing manufacturers’
offerings to life on stage, an
eclectic mix of workshops
and seminars and product
presentations. Managing
Director, David Bennett, of ICHF
Events said: “We’ve had excellent feedback from both manufacturers
and retailers. There was an increase in attendance of 11.5% year on year
too. Exhibitors put an exceptional amount of work into creating one of
the most visually stunning and inspiring shows to date. “
This year Country Love
Crafts attended CHSI under
the name of DecoArt. “Our
stand attracted a number
of new businesses who
were looking to diversify
or use DecoArt to
encourage additional sales
of a product or service - DecoArt’s acrylic paints and speciality
finishes can be used on most craft surfaces, including fabric” said
Jenny Hawkins. Visitors loved their extra large Salamander (a 103
cm long Decopatch shape) known as “Sally”. Sally was painted
using DecoArt paints and mediums by artist Andy Skinner. “We
have noticed a definite trend towards home décor items and
we believe this is as a result of popular television shows like
“Kirstie’s Homemade Home” Jenny added. Contact info: E: sales@
countrylovecrafts.co.uk www.countrylovecrafts.com
CHSI review in brief…
Attendance: up by 11.5%
Buyers’ interest particularly noticeable: Needlecrafts up by
12%, Fabrics up by 10%, Yarns and Knitting up by over 8%
and Sewing up by 11%. Interest in Craft Materials, Gifts, and
Art Materials remained static.
Next year’s dates: 19-21 Feb 2012
Contact: www.chsi.co.uk
“Stitches (CHSI) was a huge success for Coats Crafts UK this year, with
the emphasis and concentration on our fabric, sewing and haby brands
proving to be a popular choice amongst retailers” said Sales Director,
Emma Mychajlowskyj. Particularly successful lines for them included
their newest lifestyle fabric releases for both the Freespirit and Rowan
brands. Alongside this, the new range from Ty Pennington also proved
to be hugely popular. Coats Crafts UK also chose to showcase their
comprehensive Milward haberdashery range, which also resulted in a lot
of interest. “We predict that Spring will see an even more pronounced
rise in popularity of the sewing and needlework sphere, and this can
only be reflected in the surge in interest surrounding our haberdashery
and sewing threads ranges” she added.
Groves, suppliers of sewing accessories and needlecrafts to the retail
trade, reported an excellent show. MD Andrew Groves said: “At this
exhibition we’ve really majored on the launch of the new HobbyGift
collection of workboxes, knitting bags, and needlecraft cases. Tapping
into the current knitting trend we’ve also introduced some beautiful
new interchangeable bamboo needles including a luxury gift set and we
showcased Hemline, one of our biggest brands offering everything to
do with haberdashery – perfect for the ‘make do and mend’ trend. The
show has been tremendously positive for us. There’s a very optimistic
mood across the industry as it continues to buck the trend of the
recession.”
“The sheer number of exhibitors and buyers and the level of business that was done at the show
reflect an industry that continues to thrive despite a tough economic climate”
craftfocus 31
Creative Products Distribution Ltd found that Glitter-It! was definitely their hottest new product at the show. “Made
by Beacon Adhesives Glitter-It! allows the user to transform a glass object such as a vase or Christmas bauble by one
application of this amazing glue. It’s so simple to apply that even a child can use it,” said Mike. To help promote the
product there is a video on YouTube too. For further information, contact Sales on T: +44 (0) 208 953 2143,
E: sales@creative-distribution.co.uk or www. creative-distribution.co.uk
Little Star Stitches also in the
Bright Sparks Pavilion area
was a newcomer to the show.
Kerry Whiting said “We really
enjoyed the show and met
lots of helpful, friendly people.
We also got a few orders
and lots of leads. We have so
many ideas from the show
that we are actually busier
now, after it, than we were
getting ready for it! We
learnt an awful lot and are
very pleased we went.”
NEW PRODUCTS
Serif unveiled the new CraftArtist range of digital crafting products. “This
exciting new range provides individuals with all the tools needed to easily
and quickly make professional-looking print projects including photobooks,
wedding stationery, cards, scrapbooks and more at home” said Gary Bates,
Serif ’s MD. The range includes three CraftArtist packages – Baby Photos,
Greeting Cards and Scrapbooks as well as CraftArtist Platinum, the all-inone package for every type of print project.
NEW EXHIBITORS
As well as wowing the visitors with the Salamander on the
DecoArt stand, new stamp designer for Personal Impressions,
Andy Skinner, launched a set of designs at the show. Andy
designed nine sets of clear stamps (unmounted, A5) with designs
including: steam punk, gothic, antique, stitching, nature, altered
Easter and Vegas designs. “It was a great launch pad for my new
designs and I will definitely be attending future shows” said
Andy. Contact info: www.andyskinner.org, www.andyskinnerorg.
blogspot.com.
One of the special features of the show is the New Product
Area (sponsored by Craft Focus), flanked by The Bright
Sparks Pavilion which once again offered a designated area for
upcoming companies and designers to showcase their products.
Craft Fairy, wholesalers of ribbons, paper flowers and rubber
stamps, reported a very successful show. “This is our second
time at the show and it’s great to see visitors that browsed last
year returning to place orders this time. It’s an ideal platform for
us to build our brand with retailers,” said owner Yvonne Randall.
32 craftfocus
Letraset’s hot
product at
the show was
undoubtedly the
new ProMarker
Blending Sets
which are
available in Vivid,
Pastel and Muted
colour selections.
Each set contains
12 easy to blend ProMarker
colours, a free Blender Pen and a
handy blending chart (£18.14 ex
VAT). “Many retailers mentioned how easy these sets make recommending
colours to their customers and they also loved the attractive, easy to
merchandise blister packaging,” said Letraset. They also felt it was great
catching up with all of their existing customers and also meeting many new
ones. Contact info T: +44(0)1233 624 421 or E: enquiries@letraset.com.
DMC Creative World Ltd used the exhibition as a platform to
showcase its diverse new lines as well as its ever-popular cross stitch
products. Jonathan Thompson, MD, Northern Europe Region said:
“We’ve really evolved as a business in recent years so this year’s
show has been an opportunity to bring our new offerings to life.
It’s been a really busy show with quality leads and lots of interest in
our new lines which include ribbons and bias; Prism craft thread and
crochet thread kits.”
Rico Design, creators of yarns, patterns, needles and accessories
reported an excellent show: “We launched our new Loopy
Yarn here which is set to take off from the huge success of our
Pompon and Can Can yarns.” In addition they launched their new
‘Little Friends’ cross stitch collectable kits and patchwork family
collectables. “We had a tremendous number of visitors on the stand
and are delighted with the new accounts as well as the response
from existing customers.” Rico reported.
CHA SHOW REVIEW
CHA Show review in brief…
Attendance: seminars up by 140%,
Show size: up by 5%
Record setting: workshop, seminar and special event attendance
Next event: CHA 2011 Summer Conference & Trade Show,
Illinois 18-21 July
Contact: www.craftandhobby.org
Many of the exhibitors and visitors to CHSI had just returned hot foot
from The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) show in Los Angeles.
This winter conference and trade show celebrated the show’s 70th
anniversary with a new venue, new conference name and new focus on
industry education. “We added several new features to this year’s show,”
explained Steve Berger, President and Chief Executive Officer, CHA.
“From the new Conference format with an all-access badge, to later
show floor hours and a new Los Angeles venue, all of which were well“It’s such a useful show for us in terms of visiting received by the members we spoke with at the show.”
existing suppliers, meeting new ones and gaining The CHA 2011 Winter Conference featured business and craft
and provided attendees with unlimited access to all seminars,
ideas and support from them. We can’t wait to education
workshops, and special events. The favourable response to these changes
attend again next year!”
was overwhelming. “At the Conference I learned more in one day than I
have in six months of retail traffic,” explained Patsy Krall of Artsy, Rubber
Stamps and Paper Crafts in Loveland, Colorado.
VISITORS’ VIEWPOINT
In addition to the new conference and educational focus, CHA also
Retailers flocked to the show in their droves. Many visitors felt that the
launched several new programs including a new Pinnacle Club for VIP
range of exhibitors offered something for all areas of the crafting sector, buyers who attended the past six consecutive CHA Shows. There was
introducing new products and the chance to branch into something
also an Innovations Showcase which was enhanced with an exclusive
new. The expert demonstrations and opportunities to gain some ‘insider Sneak Peek Media & Buyer Event held for 260 buyers and members of
knowledge’ were also very popular. James Hembrow from Craftasmic
the press. CHA’s panel of celebrity judges selected 20 of the hottest
Ltd. said: “This was Craftasmic’s third year of attending CHSI and it’s great items to be featured in an exclusive demonstration prior to the show
to see that the current economic climate has not affected the quality of
floor opening.
the show and the range of exhibitors, seminars, demos and workshops
Urban Fish Design presented three new collections at the show on offer. It’s such a useful show for us in terms of visiting existing
Doodles, Icons and Dragon Wagons. Doodles and Icons caught the
suppliers, meeting new ones and gaining ideas and support from them.
eyes of stamp, scrapbooking, stationery and home décor manufacturers,
We can’t wait to attend again next year!”
whilst the Dragon Wagons were a hit with the baby market. Berenson’s
Andrew Morton, Show Organiser has the final word: “There’s no
beloved character, Wynona Urban Fish didn’t go unnoticed either.
better forum than a trade show for connecting with customers. In a
Companies from CHA are looking to manufacture her as rubber stamps
world where so much business is now done using modern technology – and for embroidery and appliques. “This was a very exciting experience
from email to video conferencing – trade exhibitions like Craft Hobby + for me. After all these years of exhibiting, I feel it finally all came together
Stitch International remain vital in maintaining that all-important face to
and that’s so gratifying,” Berenson said. Contact info: Rebecca Berenson T:
face contact with both existing and new customers.”
00617 838-5198, E: rebecca@urbanfishdesign.com.
34 craftfocus
show news and events
SPRING FAIR REVIEW
Spring Fair International has reported its highest visitor attendance in
five years, with The Jewellery Show also reporting a 10% rise in footfall
compared to last year - making it the largest and best-attended dedicated
jewellery exhibition in the UK, according to organiser Emap Connect.
Editor of Gift Focus, Sarah Reeves reports “The general feeling was
upbeat, the aisles were buzzing - particularly at the start of the week with
some exhibitors declaring their best ever Spring Fair.” The show was easier
to navigate too, thanks to new initiatives introduced this year to improve
the flow of traffic and there was plenty of wow factor with a raft of new
and enhanced features. “There was a feeling among some exhibitors that
buyers were playing safe and sticking to tried and tested lines. Some felt
uncertainty about the economy had created an air of caution, causing a
reluctance to write orders at the show, despite brisk traffic to their stands.
But on an optimistic note many were confident of converting leads and
enquiries into orders further down the line,” Sarah added.
CREATIVEWORLD REVIEW
At the new Creativeworld, The World of Art and Craft Supplies, 229
exhibitors from 25 countries presented their products to 5372 visitors.
“The response from the exhibitors to the first independent Creativeworld
has been very good,” said Detlef Braun, of organisers Messe Frankfurt
GmbH. Perfectly positioned in the immediate vicinity of Paperworld and
Christmasworld, Creativeworld benefited from the unique synergetic
effects generated by these two concurrent events. With this year’s theme,
Handmade – playful and quick ideas for busy people, the ‘Creative Trends
– Creativity meets Design’ special gave visitors the chance to experiment
with new, quick and easy techniques. The three trend worlds – ‘Lovely’,
‘Homely’ and ‘Lively’ – brought current handicraft trends together with new
colour concepts and showed ways to rapidly restyle everyday articles and
make creative gifts.
Particularly popular was home-made jewellery and the decoration of
everyday articles. Another trend that stood out was the combination of
different techniques within a given creative field. Gaining ground here are
techniques such as embroidery and crocheting, as well as knitting, which are
combined with painting, paper work or other materials. Chairs or furniture
are individually covered with knitted fabrics or textiles. A third trend is
toward creative work in paper to ensure, for example, that everything, from
the invitation cards to table decorations, is fully coordinated at festivities
and parties.
PAPERWORLD REVIEW
Paperworld demonstrated again this year the power of its attraction
and the leading role it plays in the international paper, office supplies
and stationery industry by attracting over 51,000 visitors, an increase
of more than 5500 over the previous year. Buyers proved not
only to be in the mood for placing orders but also more willing
to experiment. “In view of the very good mood at the fair, we are
optimistic for 2011 – not only for our company but also for the
trade” said Britta Olsen of Staedtler Mars GmbH & Co KG. The
main theme of Paperworld 2011 was sustainability, playing an
increasingly important role in the connection between office
consumables and articles of everyday use. Striking new products
in this direction include, for example, the first adhesive tape made
using a fully recycled backing material. Climate-neutral stamps and
labels were also launched at the fair and toner cartridges also come
in “Eco-versions”.
A new Microban
Europe stamp
range that includes
antibacterial
protection was
launched at the show
by Colop. Stamps can
represent a risk for
cross contamination
because they are
handled by many
different people in
work environments,
meaning that common
bacteria such as E. coli, S. aureus, MRSA or Salmonella can be easily
transmitted. Franz Ratzenberger, head of sales and marketing at
Colop, said: “The new range of stamps was very well received by
buyers at Paperworld. The built-in antibacterial protection provides
customers with a genuine benefit that is unique in this sector of the
office products market.” More information:
www.colop.com. Paperworld & Creativeworld dates for 2011 are
28 - 31 January 2012.
craftfocus 35
UPCOMING SHOWS
Over the next few months there are more trade shows to exhibit at
or visit covering knitting, stitching and crafts.
THE KNIT SHOW
10am – 5pm Sunday – Monday 15 – 16 May
Warwick Hall, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire
Following the success of last
year, the second annual
Knit Show will provide
retailers with a unique
opportunity to
meet the trade in
a convivial, relaxed
environment. Timed
perfectly for the unveiling
of the Autumn/Winter
2011/12 Collections, The Knit Show is
dedicated to hand knitting and related products. “Visitors will have the
opportunity to discover more about our highly successful and ambitious
campaigns that are increasing the skills base and popularity of knitting
throughout the UK” explained Andrew Groves. Exhibiting members of
the UK Hand Knitting Association are: James C. Brett, Coats Crafts UK,
Designer Yarns Ltd, Groves, King Cole Ltd, Norland Wools Ltd, Sirdar
Spinning Ltd., Stylecraft and Thomas B. Ramsden and Co (Bradford) Ltd.
Stoneleigh Park offers good access by road or rail, parking is free and
accommodation is available locally. “To ensure you are on our mailing list
for an invitation and for local accommodation information, please email
the UKHKA Secretariat, UKHKA.Secretariat@hotmail.co.uk or register on
the website www.ukhandknitting.com” said Chris Kingdom.
TNTG TRADE SHOW
Sunday – Monday, 15 – 16 May
Stareton Hall, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire
At the same time as the Knit Show is running, The Needlework Trade
Group (TNTG) are holding their first trade show of 2011 at which
member companies are exhibiting. These include Bothy Threads, Classic
Embroidery, Cleopatra’s Needle, Derwentwater Designs, Framecraft,
Hantex, Heritage Crafts, Michael Whitaker Fabrics, Philip Stamp, Siesta
Frames, Sehlbach & Whiting, SoloCrafts & Viking Loom. The two events,
with over 20 exhibitors, provide an excellent opportunity to review
all the new needlework and knitting products coming up for the main
autumn and winter trading season, with many companies also showing
their new Christmas ranges. Refreshments will be available during the
day, with a light lunch being provided by the exhibitors. To pre-register for
the show please visit the TNTG website www.theneedleworktradegroup.
co.uk or T: +44 (0)800 6123 541
36 craftfocus
FAIR KREAVAK
9.30 am – 5 pm Sunday – Monday 4 – 5 September
Rijnhal - Exhibition and Conference Centre - Arnhem - The
Netherlands
The ‘Fair KreavaK’ will be held in the Rijnhal in Arnhem,
Netherlands. “Known as the most colourful fair in Europe, it
is a trade event for patchwork and quilting, jewellery, fashion
fabrics, knitting and crochet, embroidery, craft and needlework,
haberdashery, hobby, sewing machines, etc. “Should you wish to
participate and make your application before 1 April 2011, you
will receive 10% discount on your stand space or on the All-in
stand organised by ASWS” said organisers. Info at www.asws.nl.
AUTUMN FAIR INTERNATIONAL
Sunday – Wednesday 4 – 7 September
NEC, Birmingham
Autumn Fair International has announced its expansion with a
new, dedicated Hobby & Craft sector for September 2011. “It’s the
perfect opportunity for hobby, art and craft manufacturers to attract
thousands of key independents and department stores who will
be sourcing new products and spring lines.” said organisers Emap
Connect. Craft Focus is a media partner for this new venture which
we see as beneficial to companies wishing to exhibit in the autumn.
“Autumn Fair attracts 31,300 visitors, of which 83% have direct
purchasing power and intend to buy at the Fair” they added. Top
retailers who visit the Fair include Liberty of London, HobbyCraft, The
Range, John Lewis, The Stamp Attic, The Bead Scene, Paperchase, Ideal
World and QVC.
Buyers can expect to see a wide range of products in this new area
of Autumn Fair including: Artists’ materials, beading and haberdashery,
ceramics, candle crafts, card making kits, decorative painting, children’s
crafts, embroidering, needlepoint and knitting materials, jewellery
making, mosaics, glass, wood and metal crafts, paper crafts, rubber,
stamps and scrap booking, tools, materials and accessories. Retailer
Stephanie Burnham of The Bead Studio said: “I already attend Spring
and Autumn Fair but much prefer the whole clustering and grouping
via a dedicated area at the show. Twelve months is too long between
shows so it will be a great second touch point.”
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LARMER TREE FESTIVAL
Wednesday – Sunday 13 – 17 July
Tree Gardens, Tollard Royal, Salisbury, Wiltshire
Celebrating their 21st year, Larmer Tree Festival are planning to
make it extra special this year and are looking for inspiring artists
and craftspeople to add their exciting ideas! A wide range of artists
are required to ensure special creativity to the festival, from site art,
exhibiting and selling pieces in the Artists’ Quarter and holding arts and
crafts workshops.
Larmer Tree Festival is held in the unique, lush Larmer Tree pleasure
gardens. This five-day party has an intimate atmosphere with a limited
capacity of only 4000, showcasing six stages with over 80 diverse and
eclectic artists, cutting edge comedians, quirky street theatre, 150 free
workshops, spoken word and much, much more! For more information
T: +44 (0)1725 552 300, E: info@larmertreefestival.co.uk,
www.larmertreefestival.co.uk.
SUFFOLK OPEN STUDIOS
11 am – 5 pm 21 – 30 May
Blackthorpe Barn, Suffolk
The Suffolk Open Studios (SOS) Showcase Exhibition is promising a
stunning collection of work from Suffolk artists all under one roof. Here
you will see paintings, sculpture, jewellery, photography, glass, ceramics,
textiles and mosaics. Then during June each of the artists open their
studios to the public to display their skills, offering demonstrations and
an opportunity to see hands on how and where they create their work.
Further details can be found at www.suffolkopenstudios.co.uk.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
We’ve an at-a-glance listing of the major trade and consumer shows
around the country over the next few months
APRIL
7-10 – Stitch & Creative Crafts Show, Shepton Mallet
(organisers: Trident Exhibitions)
8-10 – H+H Cologne International Trade fair
(organisers: Koelnmesse Ausstellungen Gmbh)
9-10 – The Big Stamp & Scrapbooking Show, Alexandra Palace, London
(organisers: Express Services)
14-16 – Stitch & Creative Crafts Show, Belfast
(organisers: Trident Exhibitions)
17 – Papercrafts, Thetford (organisers: sincerely-yours)
30 – Weald of Kent Craft Show (until 2 May, organisers: ICHF)
30 – Papercraft, Edinburgh (organisers: sincerely-yours)
MAY
1 – Papercrafts, Newcastle Upon Tyne (organisers: sincerely-yours)
8 – Papercrafts, Biggin Hill, Kent (organisers: sincerely-yours)
15-16 – The Knit Show, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire
(organisers: UKHKA)
15-16 – TNTG trade show – Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire
(organisers: The Needlework Trade Group)
20-22 – Creative Stitches & Hobbycrafts, Liverpool (organisers: ICHF)
21-30 – Suffolk Open Studios, Blackthorpe Barn
(organisers: Suffolk open studios)
29 – Papercrafts, Lincoln (organisers: sincerely-yours)
JUNE
12 - Papercrafts, Taunton (organisers: sincerely-yours)
JULY
13-17 – Larmer Tree Festival (organisers: Larmer Tree Festival)
19-21 – CHA, Rosemount, Illinois (organisers: CHA)
AUGUST
10-14 – Festival of Quilts, NEC (organisers: Twisted Thread)
SHOW ORGANISER CONTACTS
MASSERIA DELLA ZINGARA RESIDENTIAL
WORKSHOPS
Twisted Thread offer a wide range of courses in textiles, art, yoga and
cookery and wine of the area at Masseria della Zingara – the house of
the gypsy. This beautiful old Masseria is set in 20 acres of private olive
groves, almonds, figs and cherries and has been beautifully restored and
is perfectly located to explore the beautiful medieval white towns in the
hills whilst also providing easy access to the unspoilt coastline. Course
prices include transfers from the airport, all food and wine whilst at the
Masseria and all tuition. To see the full programme visit
www.masseriadellazingara.com or email: jan@twistedthread.com.
38 craftfocus
ASWS – www.asws.nl
CHA – www.craftandhobby.org
Emap Connect – Autumn Fair visitors T: +44 (0)8445 888 071,
www.autumnfair.com
Express Services – T: +44 (0)1536 481 778, www.bssbs.co.uk
ICHF – T +44 (0)1425 277 988, www.ichf.co.uk
Koelnmesse Ausstellungen GMbH – www.hh-cologne.com,
T: +49 221 821 2458
Larmer Tree Festival – T: +44 (0)1725 552 300,
E: info@larmertreefestival.co.uk
Sincerely Yours – T: + 44(0) 1634 686 823,
www.sincerely-yours.co.uk
Suffolk Open Studios – www.suffolkopenstudios.co.uk
Trident Exhibitions – www.sccshows.co.uk , T: +44 (0)1822 614671
Twisted Thread – E : jan@twistedthread.com,
wwwmasseriadellazingara.com
UK Handknitting Association – E: UKHKA.secretariat@hotmail.co.uk,
www.ukhandknitting.com
UNIFORM
MEMORIES
We can supply embellishments and those papers that
you need to celebrate the family history in uniform.
Family who are still in uniform…and for a whole host
of projects to display momentos and collections with
a military theme.
Don’t stop there though… how about making
all those little things for a little boys party?
Camouflage party boxes, invites,
and table decorations?
We will soon be bringing out vintage forces papers,
fire, police and ambulance papers...and matching
embellishments... watch this space.!
Please contact Eve
on the
following for more inf
ormation
Tel: 01273 813396
uniformmemories@
hotmail.co.uk
Pretty eco friendly packaging, easy to carry out and re-usable
Tigerlily Makes fabulous felt-making kits available for wholesale
3 Manor Close, Ringmer, Lewes,
East Sussex, BN8 5PA
t: 0845 543 9046 e: info@tigerlilymakes.co.uk
www.tigerlilymakes.co.uk
© Lisa Marie Olson Tigerlily Makes 2011 all rights reserved
1HZ)URP$PHULFD
&URFRGLOH6FUDS%RRN3DSHUV
WKDW\RXUFXVWRPHUVZLOO
ZDQWWRVQDSXS
3DUWRIDUDQJHRISDWWHUQVDQGFRORXUV
Only from Payper Box
01707 266 500
sales@payperbox.co.uk
feature
scrapbooking
comes of age
We delve into the growing craft of scrapbooking and find out
what trends to look for and what products are hot
Scrapbooking has come a long way from
sticking photos and mementos into thick paper
scrap books. Now it is an art in itself requiring
a whole host of crafting materials, papers, pens
and more.
Perfect papers
New from Crafter’s Companion is a range from
Core’dinations who manufacture high quality,
heavyweight, premium card that has a coloured
core which co-ordinates with the surface
colour. The coloured core can remain hidden,
or the card can be sanded, torn or embossed
to create stunning effects. The acid and ligninfree card has a canvas texture on one side and
is smooth on the other, enabling the card to be
used in a multitude of paper crafting projects.
For a more military look, Uniform
Memories supply embellishments and
papers needed to celebrate the family history
in uniform and for a whole host of projects
to display mementos and collections with
a military theme. “We also have materials
suitable to make camouflage party boxes,
invites, and table decorations for a little boy’s
party” said Eve Parris. In the pipeline are
some new vintage fire, police and ambulance
papers and matching embellishments.
TaDa has launched two new collections with
spring in mind. Goody Two Shoes is a girly
collection that combines dress-up, purses and
shoes with charming illustrations in a pastel
colour palette and Sizzlin’ Summer which
has bright bold colours and quirky animal
characters, fun rainbows and patio lanterns. As
always TaDa’s patterned paper is double-sided
with more petite co-ordinating patterns on the
back.
A best selling design for Nikki Sivils
is their It’s Raining It’s Pouring collection
which is about the simple joy found in a
rainy day. Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker, said “I
love scrapbook paper that celebrates the
seasons. My Summer collection celebrates
all the great images we think of when we
think of summer! This paper line has cute
little bugs, ice cream cones, cameras and I
didn’t forget the neighbourhood ice cream
truck!” Each collection contains one regular
sized paper with 4 mini prints of all the
papers on each side.
Putting a stamp on it
Funky Hands has launched Our Betty clear
stamps, the first product line in the new Funky
Hand Stash range. Our Betty features four
different packs of acrylic stamps, each with a
different image of Betty herself, alongside a
range of images and sentiments suitable for a
variety of different occasions. These can be used
in conjunction with designs from Funky Hand’s
own Papercraft Factory CDs or with any other
paper craft projects.
craftfocus 41
scrapbooking comes of age
World-renowned British urban artist Stephen
Wiltshire has linked up with Staedtler for a major
in-store promotion this spring. Stephen’s distinctive
city landscape sketches feature on outer cases of
individual pen and box sets of pigment liners, which
have been specially produced for counter-top display.
Stephen, who is best known for his detailed sketches
of the skylines of London and other world class cities,
has long favoured Staedtler as his pens of choice.
The pens can be used on a variety of surfaces, are
UV and water resistant, and won’t fade.
Picture perfect
Photographs are of course another important
part of scrapbooking so Picture Keeper, a
built-in software which automatically finds
and copies photos with a single click is very
handy. No wires to connect, no software to
install and no passwords to remember, just plug
Picture Keeper into your computer and click
Start Backup. “Picture Keeper works on multiple
computers (both PC & Mac) and keeps track
of the photos you've already stored. It only
copies new additions and modified files, and
stores them using the same folder names as
on your computer – making pictures a snap
to find,” explained Barry Short of Creatively
Inspired. “That's all it takes to keep your photo
collection safe and secure!” he added. For free
sample contact Barry Short.
The write word
Scrapbooking is all about preserving
and documenting family history by
creating attractive, creative layouts
to display family photographs
and other precious keepsakes.
“Letraset’s new Metallic Markers
are perfect for scrapbooking and
can be used to produce decorative
artwork and lettering in a range
of metallic colours,” said Letraset.
Their Metallic Marker’s waterbased pigmented ink is acid free
meaning it won’t damage or
degrade photographs or other
precious articles. Pigmented ink is
also extremely lightfast, ensuring
long-lasting, fade free colour for
scrapbook pages. They are available
in six sets combining silver and
gold, with four brand new colours.
42 craftfocus
Digital scrapbooking
“The biggest trend currently is people
creating more scrapbooks on the
computer. As they become more
comfortable with using software, we have
seen crafters really embracing the digital
environment and designing fantasy-like
pages which use a great deal of photo
blending and other techniques,” said Ashley
Hewson, sales Director at Serif. Whilst
the US has been digitally scrapbooking
since 2008, now there is a wave of UK
crafters turning to their computers. “Serif ’s
CraftArtist range allows crafters to easily
and quickly design and print stunning
scrapbooks, photobooks, stationery, cards
and loads more at home. With our flagship
product, CraftArtist Platinum, designs can
be personalised with unlimited pictures
and text plus there is a fantastic range
of craft tools and techniques to make
digital scrapbooks more realistic than ever
before” said Ashley.
Aided by machine
Machines also play an important role in
scrapbooking nowadays and the eclips is just
such a machine. An electronic shape cutting
machine, it is easy to use and perfect for
scrapbooking and paper crafting generally. The
eclips uses image cartridges and comes with
a Handheld Remote Control that allows for
customisation of the images to meet specific
needs. Users can change the size, choose to cut
as shadow or outline, even cut specific pieces
for embellishment. The remote also includes
a full QWERTY keyboard, perfect for creating
personalised phrases or titles.
Useful contacts
Crafter’s Companion, T: +44 (0) 1388 660930, trade@crafterscompanion.co.uk
Funky Hands, E: contact@funkyhand.com, www.funkyhand.com
Picture Keeper, T : +44 (0) 1608 641 200, E: bshort@creatively-inspired.com or
www.picturekeeper.com
Letraset Ltd, T : +44 (0)1233 624421, E: enquiries@letraset.com
Nikki Sivils, T : 00 417-838-0996, E : nikki@nikkisivils.com, www.nikkisivils.com
Serif, www.serif.com
Sizzix / Ellison, T: 0844 499 8181 (within UK) | + 44 (0) 845 345 2277(outside UK),
E: europecustomerservices@ellison.com, www.sizzix.co.uk, www.ellison.com
Staedtler UK Ltd, T : +44 (0)1656 778 668, www.staedtler.co.uk
TaDa, T: 00 419 215 5107, E : info@tadacrtivestudios.com, www.tadascrapbooking.com
Uniform Memories, E: uniformmemories@hotmail.co.uk
For a free sample, contact:
bshort@creatively-inspired.com
01608 641200
a way with paper
Having read the book and been captivated, Pat Green
designed her own kit, took a small business course and set up
in business as Past Time Quilling. Thirty years on, business is
still booming
What made you decide to venture into this
business?
I learnt this gentle art from a book loaned to
me by my mother whilst I was teaching. It
was by two American ladies reviving quilling
in their country and I was captivated by
its possibilities. At the time, you could not
purchase any quilling materials in this country
and recognising this gap in the market I
designed my first quilling kit. Coincidentally at
that time the Manpower Service Commission
in conjunction with the local college had
decided to run a small business course, so
armed with my kit I applied for a place on the
course and was accepted.
When was the business started?
I officially registered Past Times Quilling at
the end of the business course on 8 May 1979.
Armed with one kit, one quilling tool and a
small range of paper strips the revival of this
lovely art began and I was happily back in the
challenging world of business.
Over the last 32 years the business has grown
considerably. We now offer 40 quilling kits,
an extensive range of quilling papers in four
44 craftfocus
widths, tools, books and other accessories. My
daughter Wendy joined me full time six years
ago and since then we have also introduced a
beautiful range of handmade paper and gift
bags.
What was your background prior to this
business?
My working background prior to having my
family was in business, starting with general
office duties, then private secretary to the
Director and Secretary of a large furnace
manufacturing company. Once my daughters
had both started school, I took a teacher
training course so that my working hours
would coincide with their school time. This was
the beginning of a rather short art and craft
teaching career, which ended when Past Times
Quilling began.
Are most of your customers web based or
bricks and mortar retailers?
We supply a large number of retail outlets
throughout the UK and overseas, ranging from
small independents to large store groups. There
has been a noticeable increase in our web based
trade customers over the last few years. We
also sell directly to customers through our own
website.
What are the specialist brands you distribute?
Our entire range of quilling products is
exclusive to Past Times Quilling as we design
and produce all of our own kits. The metal and
plastic tools and workboard are manufactured
for us to our design and we personally select
and put together the ranges of paper for
our quilling paper bundles. Plus we have a
handmade paper range which is selected and
imported from India and Nepal.
How do you select the products you want to
stock?
As we design and manufacture our own
products, this of course is based on customer
demand. We research this not only by listening
to our retail customers but also by attending
one or two public craft fairs and talking directly
to the people who practise the craft.
What do you think is your unique selling
point?
focus on
Our unique selling point is without doubt our
experience practising the craft and our ability
to do all our own design work. The patterns
in our kits and our books are all designed and
written by myself, I have taught quilling to
pupils ranging from three years upwards and
am familiar with the age and ability factor
relative to all of our products.
Another very unique selling point is that
quilling is a very inexpensive craft, the only
additional items you need once you have learnt
the craft are the papers which in themselves are
very reasonably priced.
As with all arts and crafts, to
be familiar with the products
you are selling and able to
answer customers’ queries,
preferably with practical
demonstrations, will always
be a tremendous advantage
to the retailer
What are your best selling lines?
Being responsible for the revival of quilling
in this country, our best selling lines have
changed over the years. Primarily our kits were
our best lines, because as a comparatively new
craft, customers needed to learn all of the basic
skills which they could do from all of our kits.
As customers became familiar with the craft
then the sale of the quilling papers, aids and
accessories increased. Our books always sell
well, they teach the whole craft and have a large
number of patterns to copy.
Kits will always sell both to the crafts person
new to quilling and also they make ideal gifts.
The sale of papers now exceeds that of kits as
more people are now able to quill and need
additional supplies.
Do you offer workshops/courses?
We already do after school and holiday
workshops for children which have been
a great success. After doing workshops
for retailers at a recent trade fair, we
are seriously considering offering adult
workshops which would of course be open
to both retailers and their customers.
Are there any important lessons that you have
learned that you can share with CF readers?
Probably the most important lesson if you can
call it that is to only work with good quality
products. From the start of the company our
aim has been to supply a high quality product.
The fact that after thirty years we are still in
business we feel proves that this was the correct
aim for us.
Also, as with all arts and crafts, to be familiar
with the products you are selling and able to
answer customers’ queries, preferably with
practical demonstrations, will always be a
tremendous advantage to the retailer.
What do you think are the most important
trends for this season?
The designs for our quilling products are based
on seasonal ideas, so at present spring and
summer kits are in fashion. As early as August
our winter and Christmas kits will be popular
particularly for crafts people who make their
own cards and presents. Although the colours
in some of our paper bundles are selected to
suit the seasons, we find that with the exception
of the Christmas bundle people will buy the
colours they need for the particular project
they are doing at the time regardless of the
season.
What plans do you have for the future?
There is a constant demand for ideas and
patterns. Practising quillers are not necessarily
able to design their own patterns, neither do
they want to keep buying more kits, so we
are planning to produce sets of pattern sheets
covering a variety of subjects, together with
hints and ideas.
We are also constantly on the look out for
new colours to add to our range of quilling
papers. We have a system whereby we replace
kits which have been on the market for a
while with new designs. There is also a second
children’s quilling book to write.
As previously mentioned, we are planning
workshops for our customers, and we always
follow up any requests or queries raised by our
customers. C
Further information
Past Times Quilling, 113A Broadway, Duffield,
Derbyshire. DE56 4BW
T: +44 (0)1332 840 582,
E: info@pasttimesquilling.com
www.pasttimesquilling.com ,
www.handmade-papers.co.uk
craftfocus 45
Dufex
Butterflies
New for Spring, Dufex Limited has launched
four exquisite A4 die-cut butterfly sheets.
These beautifully engraved butterflies catch the light and have
a colourful iridescence just like the real thing!
They can be used as decoupage for cards or to embellish gift
or favour boxes, candles and scrapbook pages. The foil Dufex
material can be manipulated so the wings can be layered and
angled to create truly three dimensional butterflies.
For more information or to request a catalogue
call 01462 410070
email enquiries@dufexcrafts.com
or visit www.dufexcrafts.com
a r oy a l
occasion
When Prince William and
Catherine announced their
engagement, a new range
of marketing and crafting
opportunities was unleashed.
We look at some of the new
products available
our
“We decided to introduce
William and Cather ine kit
any
as we are a Br itish comp
John
and we felt the design by
g
tin
fit
Clayton would be a
very
tribute to what will be a
Br itish occasion”
FREE ROYAL WEDDING SAMPLER
Many of us love a royal wedding and it will be a
day to remember. It is to be a public bank holiday
which provides the opportunity to celebrate in
style. Coats Crafts UK will be commemorating
the event with a limited edition free Royal
Wedding cross stitch chart. Sarah Brooks of
Coats Crafts UK said “Whether you are a
die-hard royalist and have long been debating
what the bride is going to wear, or whether you
just want to peep at what the bride is wearing,
there’s no better way to mark the occasion.
Our design team is currently working behind
the scenes on a top secret design – all will be
revealed in April!”
Heritage crafts have introduced a
commemorative design
TRADITIONAL PORTRAIT
William and Catherine is a lovely royal
wedding cross stitch design available from
Heritage Crafts. It is a head and shoulders
picture, available as a full counted cross
stitch kit on either Zweigart 14 ct Aida or
27 ct linda fabric. Trade price is £14.58 with
RRP of approximately £34.99. “We decided
to introduce this product as we are a
British company and we felt the design
by John Clayton would be a fitting tribute
to what will be a very British occasion,”
said Jon Blackford of Heritage Crafts. Also
available are some new London inspired
designs such as Westminster Abbey and a
Meerkat kit for those that want something
less obviously royal.
WAVE THE FLAG
Berisford Ribbon have some patriotic ribbons with which
to make the day one to remember. There are three designs
available in six widths, suitable to make garlands, table
decorations, buttonholes, corsages and festive bows to set
off the celebrations. “Why not use them to create a royal
window display, embellish a commemorative quilt or a regal
table setting” said Berisfords.
Fly the flag with Berisfords ribbons
feature
A tea-towel with less than
traditional royal image designed
by Gemma Correll for ToDryFor
MEDIA COVERAGE
This cheeky design from
Mr X Stitch can be
downloaded as a PDF
A TWIST ON THE TRADITIONAL
A number of artists were also commissioned by The Independent newspaper to create
something a little out of the ordinary to commemorate the occasion, including Mr X Stitch (aka
Jamie Chalmers) who designed a subversive cross stitch design with tongue-in-cheek message.
“It’s free to download as a PDF from www.subversivecrossstitch.com so people can share it as
much as they like” explained Jamie. (He is also a great person to go to for trend advice on cross
stitch.) Other ‘alternative’ style products include a funky tea-towel from ToDryFor, an online
boutique specialising in designer tea towels. A husband and wife team based in Oxford, England,
they source over 100 tea towels from numerous designers and produce their own ToDryFor
range of artist-commissioned tea towels, promoting work by both prominent and up-and-coming
artists and illustrators. “We always welcome comments, questions, designer submissions and
general chit chat” said Sally. The Corgi tea towel is £4.25+VAT wholesale, and the minimum order
is 24 tea towels across the ToDryFor range (in packs of 6 per design).
DMC has a limited edition collection of cross stitch designs
Many of the specialist magazines are
covering the royal wedding of course,
usually by providing free projects
to make. These are good news for
retailers as each project does need
supplies so consider taking some
magazines and including them in a
Royal display. Look out for the Future
craft titles. Cross Stitch Collection
(issue 195 on sale from 16 March)
which includes a Royal Wedding
souvenir sampler featuring Prince
William’s coat of arms, a rose heart
and images of the couple. Designed
by Maria Diaz, this one is quite an
advanced piece and features metallic
threads and beads. CrossStitcher also
has a royal sampler, stitched on white
even weave using ordinary stranded
cotton with some metallic thread. It is
in issue 238, on sale from 22 March.
In Simply Knitting (issue 79, on sale
22 March) there will be a 32 page
supplement called Simply Wedding to
celebrate the royal wedding. Projects
include Congratulations bunting, a
Horseshoe Horace lucky chimney
sweep cat charm, a crown tea cosy,
Union Jack beaded crown cushion and
traditional ring cover.
Magazines are offering plenty of
memorabilia to stitch or knit
HEIRLOOMS OF THE FUTURE?
DMC have designed a selection of limited edition cross stitch kits using DMC Satin, Light Effects
on DMC Aida fabric. There are designs for all abilities from beginners to advanced stitchers and
by stitching on 14 count Aida (some designs include iridescent Aida) they will not take long to
complete but will be a lasting memory of this momentous celebration.
craftfocus 49
Mugs and china from
Emma Bridgewater
Stamps with a twist
from Hollys Houses
SEALED WITH A RUBBER STAMP
A CRAFTY LOOK TO CHINA
Emma Bridgewater have produced a range of royal memorabilia, all designed by coowner Matthew Rice. The pieces include a 1 pint lithographed mug, half pint sponge
painted mug, 8 ½ inch lithographed plate and a tea towel. All the items are available
from the wholesale department and RRP prices start from £10 for the tea towel to
£39.95 for the boxed pint mug.
A ROYAL RING
Following the success
of the Royal Wedding in
Sweden in June, 2010, Rica
Sweden has launched a UK
Royal key ring from
replica of Wills and Kate’s
Rica of Sweden
engagement ring as an eyecatching key ring. Modelled
on Kate Middleton’s historic
engagement ring, the key ring
is a lifelike creation of the
ring previously owned by the
late Diana, Princess of Wales.
An ideal gift for any Royal fan, the ‘Royal Wedding’ key ring has been produced in
China and is made from alloy and plated imitation rhodium plastic stone, 55mm x
66mm in size. It comes with a small drawstring bag for additional protection upon
sale. Rigmor Aldehag, founder of Rica Sweden, comments, “We were overwhelmed
by the key ring’s popularity in Sweden for our Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel
Westling’s wedding and we wanted to commemorate the British Royal Wedding
in a similar fashion. We have been astonished by the similarity of the ring to the
actual version worn by Kate Middleton and we believe that it will make a fantastic
handbag accessory for any female who is looking for Royal Wedding memorabilia.”
The ring is available to trade from £5.50 (rrp £9.99).
Hollys Houses design and make rubber stamps, usually of
beautiful, hand drawn house portraits and personalised
stationery, creating unique, personal mementos to
treasure. Asked by the Independent to create a royal
design, Holly also has an alternative take on tradition.
Her stamps are £8 each wholesale (rrp £16 each) with
a minimum order of ten. Another unusual product is a
Teacup Hairband by Clara Francis Jewellery. It is white,
pink, green and gold with glass beads, and Liberty print
covered band. RRP is £120 and there is no minimum
order although delivery time is 3-4 weeks.
USEFUL CONTACTS
Berisford Ribbons, T: +44 (0)1260 274 011,
E: office@berisfords-ribbons.co.uk
Clara Francis Jewellery, E: info@clarafrancis.co.uk,
www.clarafrancis.co.uk
Coats Crafts UK, T: +44(0)1484 681 881 or
www.coatscrafts.co.uk
Crossstitchermagazine.co.uk
DMC, T: +44 (0)116 275 4000,
www.dmccreative.co.uk
Emma Bridgewater, T: +44 (0)844 243 9277,
www.emmabridgewater.co.uk
Heritage Crafts, T: +44(0)1889 575256,
E: www.hcrafts.com
Hollys Houses, T: +44 (0) 7932 739 558,
E: holly@hollyshouses.co.uk
Mr X Stitch, www.subversivecrossstitch.com,
E: mrx@mrxstitch.com
Royal Wedding key ring, UK contact: Kerstin
Olszowska T: +44 (0) 1959 569950,
E: royalkeyring@btinternet.com
Simplyknitting.co.uk
ToDryFor, T: +44 (0) 845 652 9274,
E: teamtowel@todryfor.com,
www.todryfor.com/trade
MKZIN\[KW]S
Suppliers of Card Making, Scrapbooking, Craft and Bridal Supplies
Suppliers of
Craft and Bridal Supplies
Card Making
Scrapbooking
Card Embellishments
Floral Products
sales@e-crafts.co.uk | 01384 230000
Importers & Distributors of Craft & Hobby Products
We are distributing the entire range of Beacon Adhesives
T: 0208 953 2143 sales@creative-distribution.co.uk www.creative-distribution.co.uk
a plethora of
paper products
ExaClair are a well established supplier of all sorts of paper
products. They shared with us lessons learned and their secrets
of success
What made you decide to venture into the
craft business?
Originally we were a commercial office
products business and so as paper producers
with distribution into the market this was
a natural extension for us. Many graphic
art products are used in businesses today
and using the strength of our brand names
Goldline, Europa and Clairefontaine we were
able to enter the craft market via our existing
distributors as well as creating new contacts.
ExaClair is the new name for Tollit & Harvey
how did that come about?
The Tollit & Harvey business started in 1897 –
however Tollit & Harvey is now wholly owned
by Exacompta Clairefontaine which has been
papermaking for over 150 years. We decided
to make the connection clearer and rename
the UK subsidiary of the company ExaClair.
52 craftfocus
Are most of your customers web based or
bricks and mortar retailers?
As we market products extending from
commercial wallets to fine art papers and wall
stickers we have a very diverse customer base
with wholesalers, mail order and retail – high
street chains and independent dealers. Most
are bricks and mortar but many have online
solutions too.
Are there any important lessons that you
have learned that you can share with CF
readers?
I think the most significant lessons that we
have learned over the years are that if you
are to be successful in retailing you have to
understand the products you are selling. If
you can talk about them with knowledge and
confidence then that in turn gives confidence
to the customer.
Many crafters are looking to be inspired and
that starts with the shop window. Whether it
be in the high street or online it is crucial to
make the windows welcoming and interesting;
refresh as often as practically possible - at least
once or twice a month - so there is something
new to look at when a customer visits or
passes by. If it is the same as before then they
might not call again!
Finally engage with your audience by offering
advice and if possible workshops, even if
they are not in your own premises. Go to
clubs/societies and offer free demonstrations
because the benefits will follow. It’s all about
the value add: if you are able to offer more
than just a commercial relationship you will not
only grow your business but also gain valuable
feedback on the right products to stock to
help better manage your inventory and in turn
your cashflow.
What do you think is your unique selling
point?
Our USP is probably the sustainability of
our products; we know our products tick
the right environmental boxes. We have a
broad based product offer from a number
of well recognised pan-European brands but
importantly now, they are all available from a
single source and invoiced in sterling.
What are your best selling lines?
Three of our ranges are probably our best
sellers at the moment - Clairefontaine crepe,
tissue paper, corrugated rolls, the Decopatch
range of craft papers, glues, paper mache
shapes and animals, Goldline books, pads and
papers.
focus on...
How do you select the products you want to
stock?
We look at market trends and innovate
accordingly. We introduce new products
regularly to the range, particularly the
Decopatch craft range which is refreshed twice
a year with new papers and shapes. We review
the range regularly and closely monitor every
line to see which is most in demand.
Do you offer workshops/courses?
Yes. We support customer initiatives and offer
free demonstrations at exhibitions. We have
craft books showing techniques and have an
informative website with detailed information
about the products and how to get the best
from the various materials.
“It’s all about the value add: if you
are able to offer more than just a
commercial relationship you will
not only grow your business but
also gain valuable feedback”
Do you produce a catalogue?
Yes indeed. We launched our new 2011
catalogue in January. It has 92 pages and uses
simple colour coding to navigate through the
range of business, school and home office
products. Each product is accompanied by
a colour photograph and key features and
benefits, The catalogue also includes news
of Kreaman, a new software that enables
customers to personalise labels for their files
and folders by logging on to www.exacompta.
com and following a set of simple instructions.
What do you think are the most important
trends for this season?
I think that simple ideas that appeal to a broad
customer base will continue to be successful.
Decopatch, for example, which combines
cutting, sticking and painting is particularly
successful. Children are entertained by it and
even their grandparents can join in – and
given that grandparents are increasingly taking
on responsibility as carers such things are
important. Home décor will continue to evolve
with inspiration coming from popular television
programmes so customers will take on more
ambitious DIY projects.
What plans do you have for the
future?
We will continue to support our
customers to help sell through
the various products we offer
and we aim to remain relevant
to them as a supplier by bringing
new ideas and products to the
market. A perfect example of this
is the introduction of a new brand
of children’s kits called Avenue
Mandarine – this new and exciting
range offers a great choice of
boxed sets with contents ranging
from jigsaws to dolls, and all with
paints and felt tips to colour
in. Each kit is designed to offer
educational benefits too, helping
children to learn numbers, the
alphabet, colours and shapes.
How can retailers find out more
about ExaClair?
Of course they can call us for more
information, to order catalogues and
a price list (see below) or one of
our field sales team will be happy to
make a personal call to go through our
various product ranges. C
Further information
ExaClair sales office T: +44 (0)1553 696600
www.ExaClair.co.uk
craftfocus 53
feature
father’s day –
celebrate in style
Father’s Day is on 19th June in the UK. It is our chance to
celebrate fathers, grandfathers and fathers in law
Father’s Day is now celebrated worldwide, and is gaining in popularity. In the UK, Canada and
USA it is always on the third Sunday of June. As with many of these special ‘days’ it can be
seen as a commercial scam or a chance to show how much we care for the stoic chaps who
don’t like to show too much emotion!
Whatever your thoughts, it is an opportunity to create eye-catching or fun window
displays, to sell unusual products and dare we say, to get more guys to appreciate crafting!
Knit a slipover
“Why not suggest a quick knit to your customers as a novel and creative
Father’s Day gift?” asked Colinette Yarns. Even if they are complete
novices, they should be able to manage one of these Colinette patterns
as the designs themselves are basic and simple with all the interest
being in the variegated colour shading. The design shown is knitted in
Colinette’s Jitterbug, an easy-care 100% merino wool 4-ply yarn, from
a pattern book of the same name, price £4.50 SRP, and with a further
nine designs for the whole family. Colinette’s Jitterbug retails for around
£10 per 293 metre, 100gm hank and only requires between 2 and 7
hanks to knit, depending upon the size (ranging from 32 to 46”/81117cms). This would make a great value-for-money gift that any chap is
sure to appreciate.
Sew easy for dad
Learn to sew and make a gift for Dad - Simplicity patterns
has a range of simple styles in its Learn to Sew collection,
including one for a man’s waistcoat with trim variations
(Simplicity 2346, sizes 34” – 52”). Whilst making it, you
learn basic skills such as adding a lining, making patch
pockets, inserting a zip and adding appliqués.
A potted history
The idea to celebrate a special day for
fathers was introduced in the USA in 1910.
However, there are suggestions that the
idea of Father’s Day may actually originate
in pagan sun worship as some branches
of Paganism believe the sun is the father
of the universe. This theory is further
advanced because the summer solstice
occurs around the same time of year as
Father’s Day.
Traditionally we celebrate by visiting
fathers, taking cards or gifts. More inspired
gifts can of course be those that are
crafted – including printed T-shirts, desk
calendars, mouse mats or photo frames.
A cutting edge
If you are looking for a nifty idea to keep
beside the till for impulse purchase, this tub
of touch-knives from Groves may well fit the
bill. 99 cutters in a choice of three colours
– orange, yellow and blue - are housed in
a sturdy plastic tub. They have retractable
blades and fit on a key ring - perfect for
Father’s Day! Also take a look at their
bumper pack of storage solutions – every
man likes to keep and store bits and bobs so
why not in brightly coloured boxes. Groves
bumper pack has 20 boxes in five bright
colours and four different sizes. Ideal for all
crafts, they have adjustable dividers, sturdy
catches and hinges and metric and imperial
rules on the lids.
Stitch a gift
DMC’s cross stitch steam train captures the
beauty of the British countryside in cross stitch
with a new exclusive design of a steam train
as it thunders through the British countryside
billowing smoke in its path. A perfect gift to
give for Father’s Day either stitched or to be
stitched by the special dad, it is stitched on light
blue 14 count Aida in DMC stranded cotton
and the design uses mainly full cross stitch for
ease of stitching. C
Useful contacts
Colinette Yarns - knitting yarns and patterns, T: +44(0) 1938 811 898, www.colinette.com/
categories/yarns/cadenza
Crafters companion - card making supplies, www.crafterscompanion.co.uk
DMC – cross stitch designs, T: +44 (0) 116 275 4000 www.dmccreative.co.uk
Groves - haberdashery and tools wholesaler, T: +44 (0) 1844 258 080, www.groves-banks.com
Katy Sue Designs – card making supplies, www.katysuedesigns.com
Kraftyhands - decoupage style card packs, www.kraftyhands.com
Simplicity patterns – T: +44(0)161 480 8734, www.simplicitynewlook.com
craftfocus 55
crafts on
the move
One advantage of handicrafts is that you
can often continue working whilst travelling,
or go to workshops armed with your own
supplies. We look at some of the best
movable craft items
In the bag
This new range of contemporary travel accessories from DMC, made
with rain resistant jacquard fabric is perfect to keep crafters organised
whilst stitching on the move. The accessories are designed to make
them easy to transport and keep organised all the products needed to
stitch right in the comfort of crafters’ homes or whilst they are on the
go. Contact: T: +44 (0)116 275 4000, www.dmccreative.co.uk.
Have kit, will travel!
Knit and go
One craft that is easily done whilst on the move is of course
knitting. Artesano Yarns have introduced a new range of nine
designs called Land of Ice and Snow. “This collection features
designs by Nick Atkinson, Pat Menchini and Julie Ferguson and
all will be available as free downloads on our website,” said Jenny.
Further information from, T: +44 (0) 118 950 3350,
www.artesanoyarns.co.uk.
56 craftfocus
Scrap happy is a collection
of products scrappers use
throughout their day – whether
on the go, at home or at work.
The Fold ‘n Go Notions Box
contains four separate clear
triangular zip compartments and
has two magnetic snaps. There is
enough space enough for lots
of scrapping essentials and it’s
compact to carry along with
you. “It has a top handle for
easy carrying and of course, the adorable scrap happy logo!” said Karen
Frederickson of Scrap Happy. The box is available in black with white,
blue or green trim. Another of their products is the Clearly Mine Tote, a
roomy 17 x 13 x 3” bag in purple/yellow or royal/lime trim, which clearly
shows off what’s inside the clear front pocket. Contact for info, T: 00 260760-5056. E: scraphappy@iscraphappy.net.
feature
New launch
Take to class
Simplicity Creative Group has launched a new range of
lightweight, portable machines which are great aids to
sewers, quilters and paper crafters. The small Rotary Cutter,
quickly, evenly and neatly cuts fabric, felt or paper strips
that can be used in the bias binding maker, woven together,
added as surface trim or more. As well as a straight edge
blade, optional extra blades include a pinking edge, small
and large wave, perforating, scallop and deckle edge. The
Bias Tape Maker does exactly that, turn strips of fabric into
bias binding. Again, different tape maker heads mean you
can make bias tapes from 3/8” up to 2 ½”. The Simplicity
Side Winder is a stand-alone bobbin winder on which you
can quickly wind bobbins without having to interrupt your
sewing. As a universal machine it works equally well with
all brands of bobbins and packs neatly into its own case for
easy transport to workshops and classes or just to sit next
to your sewing machine.
These new machines join the existing extensive Simplicity
craft and pattern ranges, for details T: +44 (0)161 480 8734
or E: uk.eusales@simplicity.com.
Working in partnership with Frederick Warne &
Co.Ltd, the license holders of the Flower Fairies™
brand, Crafters Companion are launching a new
line in their Flower Fairies Friends. “Fairyopolis
is a new twist on the original Flower Fairies
artwork, and you will see the fairies brought to
life like never before,” explained Sara Davies of
Crafter’s Companion. The artwork is a fusion of
contemporary design with a classic framework,
retaining the sophistication and elegance of
Cicely Mary Barker’s original fairy artwork,
whilst bringing the designs up-to-date.
She added “We undertook extensive market research to gain an insight
into what our customers would like next in the Flower Fairies range. Response
showed a desire for a modern twist on the classic so staying true to the intricate
and detailed images taken directly from Cicely Mary Barker’s own work, we are
presenting the new designs in a format our customers want for their card making
and paper crafting projects.” The line, designed to appeal to new and experienced
crafters alike consists of a triple-disc CD ROM, four DL-size rubber stamp sets
and a paper-based card-making selection including card blanks, rub-ons, diecut decoupage, stickers and accessories. For more information, or to request a
Trade Catalogue, contact Claire Hamer on T: +44 (0)1388 660 930 or E: trade@
crafterscompanion.co.uk.
Come fly with me!
One of the problems arising from the terrorist threats
on flights has been the ban on sharp objects on planes
so stitching or knitting on flights has become
difficult, but not impossible if you take along
easy cutters such as the cutter pendant
from DMC. This nifty little device
has concealed blades that easily cut
threads but which aren’t a danger
to others. A great impulse purchase
near the till, for more info contact
DMC at T: +44 (0)116 275 4000,
www.dmccreative.co.uk.
Shed a little light
Ideal for beading or stitching, Artograph’s Globox is the
perfect art and craft light box for crafters on the go!
Distributed in the UK by Colart, it features a conveniently
slanted 5” x 9” tracing surface and long-life fluorescent
lamp (included) for up to 8000 hours of use with either the
included AC adapter or optional battery operation. Unique
multi-purpose palette and a handy storage compartment
to keep crafting tools right at your finger tips, the Globox
weighs 2 lbs, is made in the USA and has an RRP of £24.99.
Further information, T: 001 763 553 1112, www.artograph.
com, or info@colart.co.uk. C
craftfocus 59
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75$'(:,5(6&28.
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SDWWHUQVDQGVXSSOLHUVRIFRPSOLPHQWDU\FUDIWDFFHVVRULHV
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75$'(:,5(6&28.
www.bettsmetalsales.com
all orders over £50 sent FREEPOST
We are an accredited Precious
Metal Clay training centre.
No Minimum order
Silver sheet & Wire
Findings and beads
Loose chain
Tools
Precious metal clay
Wedding Rings
quality jewellery supplies delivered
with over 250 years of experience
business advice
driving retail traffic, part 2
Last month Nick Waller covered key concepts for attracting new customers
and some low-tech tactics to keep them. Here he continues with more ideas to
maintain a strong customer base that continues to spend money with you!
High tech tactics
High-tech tactics are similar to low-tech tactics
but use the speed and power of the Internet
to make the strategies even easier, more
efficient and cheaper.
for these websites is any resource site you are
linking to from your own site. In many cases
there is a natural relationship and this will work
well. The key to this marketing tactic is to make
it easy for your partner to link with you.
Have a great website
Set up email endorsements
The internet has been proven as an effective
means to generate income. With an internet
site, your product or service is accessible
globally, to prospective customers 24 hours,
365 days a year.
More and more people these days are using
the internet as a first port of call because of
its convenience and to save time. Customers
now expect that a company has a web site.
If people want information on a product or
service, they are now saying, “I think they have
a website, I’ll check that out first.”
Websites are quicker, easier and more
cost-effective to update than print based
media. You can therefore have pictures, details
and prices of your products, the very latest
company information, or maps indicating the
location of your company’s outlets on your
web-site. A website can play an integral part
of your promotional and marketing strategy. It
also makes a powerful statement about your
business, showing that you have planned for
the future by securing your on-line presence
today.
Partner with a business that’s sending
e-newsletters or another kind of email
marketing message to their customers. Once
you’ve found a suitable partner, ask them to
endorse your store in one of their email blasts.
With email, you can get new customers into
your store in two different ways:
• Have your partner include a “virtual” gift
certificate for your store
• Have them include a link to your website
The key with this approach is to do all the
work for your partner business. Write out
exactly what you want them to include in their
email blast. The benefits to the customer are
that they get something free in the form of a
gift certificate to your store. Your benefits are
increased as you get to drive visitors to your
website as well as into your store. In addition,
sending email is easier, cheaper and faster than
sending direct endorsed mailing.
Ask customers to forward to a friend
Forwarding an email is so easy and it’s a great
way to get new referrals. Just as with the low-
Seek out reciprocal links
Look for others who have contact with people
you would like to get as customers and ask for
an endorsement. In this strategy look for other
websites that your customers may visit and see
if their owners will put up an external link from
their site to yours.
Essentially you want them to list you on their
resource page. The first place to go looking
Make sure your business
is firmly on the map!
craftfocus 61
driving retail traffic
tech way of getting referrals the key is to ask.
You can’t assume they’ll pass your emails on,
so you have to be proactive. Always ask your
customers to forward your email newsletter
to friends and family who might find them
interesting or useful.
A very important point to remember is that
when you’re asking your readers to forward
your message to their friends, you must be
very clear about what you want their friends
to do. The only thing you want the people
who receive the forward to do is sign up for
your email newsletter. Once you have their
email address and they’re getting your regular
e-marketing, then you can try to get them into
your store or sell them something on-line.
Social media marketing
Social media is not a fad. It is a major driver
of the fundamental shift in the relationship
between brands and consumers to which
retailers, perhaps more than any other sector,
must adapt, or fail.
Today’s business environment is constantly
evolving at an unprecedented pace and this
means as a business owner you need to be
involved in the latest marketing strategies
often just to keep pace. If you don’t engage
in the latest web 2.0 technologies your
competition will.
Clearly, the effects are most obvious in the
way social media – whether ratings tools,
user-generated content, forums, networking
sites such as Facebook or communication
services like Twitter – enables customers to
share their experiences.
If you’re not part of the online conversations
taking place everyday online about your retail
sector, then you’re leaving it to others to
position their store by answering questions
and providing information, thereby creating
a following for their retail business and so
become the resource for the community.
Many businesses are participating in
social networks as a form of proactive
outbound customer service with a twist of
social marketing.
They’re engaging customers on their turf,
in their way, in order to help them solve
problems, find information or simply engage
62 craftfocus
them in valuable dialog. In turn, they’re turning
customer relationships into a powerful
competitive advantage.
In the end, the core question is not whether
or not retailers choose to engage in social
media, but whether or not you choose to
engage with your customers.
Get good search engine placement
For online businesses this topic is of utmost
importance. You must remember your site
won’t magically make you ultra competitive
with big retail players in your sector. Your
website is a tool for you to use with your
current customers and hottest local prospects.
For most SME or Independent retailers,
having great content on your site is far more
important than having great search engine
ranking. But once you’ve built a wonderful
website, you definitely want to make sure
your customers and hottest prospects can find
it easily.
Make sure your website comes up on the
first page of search results if someone searches
on the name of your store or searches on
your main product with your city name and/or
post code.
To get good search engine placement in this
context takes two steps and is not too difficult.
First, make your website friendly for the search
engines and second, submit the URL (the
domain address) of your website to the
search engines.
Set up an affiliate programme
Affiliate marketing is a working relationship
whereby a merchant (online shop or
advertiser) has consumers driven to it
by adverts on an affiliate’s website. If a
consumer visiting the affiliate’s site clicks on
an advertisement and goes on to perform a
predetermined action (usually a purchase) on
the advertiser’s site then the affiliate receives
a payment.
The predetermined action can range from a
sale to a referral, a newsletter sign-up to a click.
It is this cost per action model that defines
affiliate marketing and sets it apart from other
channels.
The benefit for the merchant is obvious -
Seek out ways to increase
customer awareness
they only pay out on results. From the affiliate’s
perspective, they only need to become
experts in driving relevant traffic to merchant
websites in order to maximise return for
themselves. The affiliate spends their own time
and money driving traffic to the merchant and
only gets paid when they deliver results.
Once developed, your marketing strategy
becomes a working document that is reviewed
regularly throughout the year to identify what’s
working, what’s not and what needs to happen
to bring about the desired result. It is your
strategic guide to taking your business to the
next level, so keep it updated and change it as
your goals change or as the market changes. C
Further information
Nick Waller is owner of Sales & Service
Solutions Ltd, specialists in improving sales
and service performance. Nick can be
contacted on T: 07811 251367 or www.
myviewpays.co.uk.
NEW!
BFF’s
An exciting new British company with a fabulous range of cling
stamps, manufactured in the UK to a very high standard
a passionate
business!
La Fourmi was started out of a love of craft products and
the desire to share an ongoing interest in crafting. Wendy
Gardiner talked to Kathleen Cooper to find out how it
developed into an international business
What made you decide to start a business?
That’s a very easy question. The pure love
of craft products and my ongoing interest in
making everything myself had to be shared
with others. That was back in 1978, a long time
ago, when people made lampshades with raffia
and macramé hangers!
of Brussels in 1978 with virtually no capital
and some old planks screwed into the walls.
The business started as a retail shop, but as
customers increasingly said they wanted to buy
in bulk, we began to distribute and wholesale
products. Now we are only distributors as we
sold our retail shop.
What was it like in the beginning?
The business was started in a deprived area
What was your background prior to this
business?
I trained as a UK architect and then a Belgian
town planner, but left architecture to set up
the original shop.
Who are your customers?
Most of our customers are retailers, but we do
have plenty of web based customers as well.
We also sell to distributors in other European
countries.
64 craftfocus
team of people who surround you. Don’t be
too nice and face tough decisions when you
have to, even when at first everyone seems to
be against you.
The second is that there are all sorts of
strange administrative and legal papers that
one wants to ignore, but ignoring them costs a
great deal of money and time, so keep things
filed and do things on time. I’ve also found that
after 30 years of paying bills on time, we have
earned huge credit rating and appreciation
from suppliers, and this makes business a lot
easier. Pay your bills on time.
Do you design your own products?
Yes, we design and produce a lot of our
products ourselves. We also offer products
from Sizzix, Fimo, Staedler, Folia, Muticraft,
Jacquard, Havo, Starform, Aladine and more.
Each year new products, new trends and new
designs have kept us moving and changing our
collection over and over.
What do you think is your unique selling
point?
On the whole, we are perceived as reasonably
priced and as having newer trendier items
sooner than our competitors. We always have
many new items. We have a buying team of
employees of mixed ages and we spend a lot
of time designing things. We always offer good
value and only sell products in which we really
believe. As one very important customer said
the other day “nobody else has shown me
that”.
Can you share two important lessons you
have learned through your business dealings?
There are two very important things which I
learnt. The first is that you must keep an eye
on the team and specially the spirit of the
What are your best selling lines?
Over 35% of our business is in beads and
jewellery parts. We have a huge selection of
jewellery making components which changes
almost daily. Whilst we remain a general
focus on...
craft supplier with about 15,000 products,
we specialise in beads and wood items. The
wood items are also very varied and are the
base for paints, decoupage and masses of fun
and artistic techniques. Of course we also
sell mosaics, candle making products, papers,
stickers, paints and many specific items for
various crafts.
“After 30 years of paying bills
on time, we have earned huge
credit rating and appreciation from
suppliers, and this
makes business a lot easier.
Pay your bills on time”
How do you select the products you want to
stock?
First one of the buyers has to like the product.
Then it is submitted to a buying team meeting,
held regularly in our offices. Once we have
decided that we like it and that we believe our
customers will like it, we then check the price
and possible problems with stocking, ordering
and competition. We always test the product
ourselves.
You test the products you sell, do you offer
training or workshops? We don’t offer these on a regular
basis, although we would like to. Our
representatives sometimes give courses and
workshops in the shops of our customers. But
we hold open days in our warehouse to which
we invite customers and during which we offer
many demonstrations. This is also a time during
which we offer new products and techniques.
What do you think are the most important
trends for this season?
There are trends in terms of designs for
instance, distressed looks for papers, and even
jewellery are popular. We see a lot of birds and
birdcages, keys, sewing designs like mannequins,
butterflies, watches, and lace styles are coming
in. In France and Belgium we have a craze of
jewellery made from softly coloured PVC
tubing which can be strung on to wire and
twisted in all manner of styles. Charms are very
popular as well as some filigree type designs
which coordinate well with lace in textiles.
Painting seems to be more popular again and
decoupage remains steady. Sculptures made
from Powertex with plaster or polyurethane
heads and masks are hugely popular here but
virtually unknown in the UK.
What plans do you have for the future?
We hope to expand the distribution of our
products and become better known in the UK
and some other European countries. We are
also trying to move our warehouse to more
appropriate premises. We are working on a
project to link our website to short films and
step by step projects to help our customers by
giving them creative ideas and projects. We are
planning to publish a yearly book of unusual
craft ideas. C
Further information
La Fourmi
261 Brusselsesteenweg
3090 Overijse, Belgium
T: 0032. 2687 7629 Fax: 0032 2687 6097
E: info@lafourmi.eu
craftfocus 65
feature
craft kits for adults
Nothing beats delving into a package to find all the components needed
to make what’s on the box! We look at some of the latest kits on offer
Craft kits are great as gifts, to get someone
to try a new craft or quite simply because
everything needed is readily to hand. They
make easy stock items too because they are
usually neatly packaged.
All buttoned up
Our first kits are two Vintage packs from
Buttonbag which not only include everything
needed to make the projects, but are ecofriendly too. The Button Jewellery kit has
everything needed to make one long necklace
and a brooch and it’s available in six different
colourways of vintage buttons whilst the
Vintage Corsage kit enables users to make
three unique stylish corsages from vintage
fabrics and ribbons. They come beautifully
packaged in old-fashioned, glass screw-top
jars - the kind grandmothers kept on dressing
tables. (T: +44 (0)208 5251640 E: studio@
buttonbag.co.uk, www.buttonbag.co.uk)
Gillian Harris’ new felt-making bag kits, have been
expanded to include the iridescent ‘Mrs Peacock’ and gentle
palette of the ‘Vintage Vignette’. She has also introduced a fresh posy of flower corsages
and the ‘Diaphanous Damsel’ scarf, fashioned by felting onto fabric. In addition her
mischievous side has had fun creating a selection of bright, humorous kits for children aged
5+. Simple instructions for making characters such as ‘Monstrous Maurice’ are an easy
introduction to the world of felting. With prices starting at £12.75, these kits are unusual
gifts for any budding crafter. (T: +44 (0)1306 898 144, E: gill@gilliangladrag.co.uk)
“We believe that kits
are a perfect idea to
get people started on a
craft. Putting together
everything to complete
a design demystifies a
particular technique,”
said Cara Ackermann
of DMC Creative
World. Kits also make
perfect gifts and enable retailers to offer a
one stop mail order service to the consumer.
The Stitch a Photo has been DMC’s best
selling kit for a number of years (RRP
£20.99). It offer stitchers the opportunity
of converting favourite photographs into a
full colour or sepia cross stitch chart using
DMC’s quality Stranded Cotton. The gift
package includes an order form, addressed
envelope, a detailed explanation of the
service, FAQ leaflet. (T: +44 (0)116 275
4000, www.dmccreative.co.uk)
Debbie Dempsey confirms “Craft Kits are the new ‘must have’ products in a
retailer’s mix.” With a minimal investment retailers can offer a diverse craft
range. “Dempsey Kits are also ‘Gift Craft’ which offers an ideal birthday
gift,” said Debbie. Dempsey Designs started in 2005 with card making
kits, then added jewellery and recently textile craft. “Our soft toy range
from Sue Quinn features the popular meerkat and our latest addition the
penguin design. Customers have even suggested our Penguin Soft Toy Kit
could be a very useful door stop!” There are over 60 kits in the Dempsey
Design range for adults and children, with RRPs from £9.95-£23.50. “Our
best selling kits include the cute Japanese Dolls Painting Kit and the Design
a Mug Kit,” Debbie said. (T: +44 (0)1869 337 948, E: deborah.dempsey@
dempseydesigns.com, www.dempseydesigns.com)
New from China Butterfly are two card
making kits called Treasure Cards and
a Bumper Card Making kit which they
launched very successfully at CHSI in
February. “Our designs are influenced
by many things, but most of all we try
to create something which is unique
and contemporary,” explained Sarah from
China Butterfly. The Treasure Card Kits
were designed in response to the increased
popularity in jewellery making and crafters
desire to try a wide range of techniques. “We try to include everything needed in
the kits, and list any extras you might need
to complete your project on the back of the
pack, as we know there is nothing more
disappointing than getting home with a
new kit and finding that you don’t have
something that you need to complete the
project,” Sarah added. The full range of kits
and papercrafts are shown on the website.
Trade pack and price list is available by
email (T: +44 (0)1704 831 709, E: info@
chinabutterfly.co.uk, www.chinabutterfly.
co.uk).
craftfocus 67
craft kits for adults
As well as
stitched kits,
there are some
fabulous
alternative
crafty ideas
such as these
mosaic kits
from Mosaic Mercantile in the USA.
These include kits for a coaster, mirror and Votive
which are designed as an easy to learn introduction
to the mosaic art and techniques. “Each of these
kits includes all the materials needed to create
a completed mosaic project,” said Iris Willow,
Marketing Manger. For complete beginners, there
is also a Mosaic Essentials set which includes all
the materials needed to set crafters up with the
basics needed to create mosaics, including nippers.
Wholesale prices start at approximately $15. (T: 00
415 282 5410, E: iris@mosiacmercantile.com, www.
mosiacmercantile.com)
Another idea that will appeal to all ages is the new
Fimo projects launched by Staedtler in its latest series
of free project sheets. Designed to attract attention
at point of sale, the new projects target both child
and adult users and also feature FIMO®air air-drying
clay for the first time. “The first leaflet, aimed at
experienced crafters, shows how to make a lovely,
multi-coloured dream catcher using FIMO® soft
polymer modelling clay,” explained Staedtler. The
second leaflet is for a Pharaoh’s Mask and is aimed
at children, is double-sided and features FIMO®air
light, a versatile modelling clay that simply dries
in the air without the need to bake or fire and is
therefore particularly suitable for children to use.
Each project has a skill rating for user guidance and
a list of everything
needed to complete
it. Designed to be
positioned alongside
the products in store,
the free leaflets are
one third A4 in size
and are presented
in pads of 100 with
single copies easily
detached. (T: +44 (0)
845 600 5930, www.
staedtler.co.uk)
68 craftfocus
Jolly Red’s needlepoint kit range splits into various
distinct categories - birth samplers, cushion kits,
Christmas stockings, tea cosies and specs cases.
“Each time we bring out a new catalogue we try to
bring out something new in each category,” said
Jolly Red. Autumn is their most prolific time for
new designs. “With Jolly Red tapestry kits we include a colour printed canvas,
black and white symbols chart for reference, Anchor tapestry wool, needle, and
stitching instructions which get beginners, and we hope seasoned stitchers, into
good working habits! Our kits include enough tapestry wool for tent stitch, as it
gives better canvas coverage than half cross stitch and is more hardwearing,” said
Jolly Red. (T: +44 (0) 1460 281 111, www.jollyred.co.uk)
Sheena Douglass has just launched
Paint Fusion, a new concept
in flower painting distributed
by Crafters Companion. The
technique, rooted in the historical
foundation of folk painting, has
been brought up-to-date and made
accessible to the card making
customer by introducing rubber
stamp based imagery and easy-tofollow guide sheets. The first line in
this new range includes six floralthemed sets, each one containing the base rubber stamps, a tutorial guide and
clear written instructions. Also in the range is a specialist 3-hour DVD in which
Sheena takes viewers through the basic fundamentals of the technique, building
up to a selection of projects. “By combining the painting technique with rubber
stamping, I hope to appeal to existing paper crafters as well as those new to craft,”
said Sheena. For more information on the Sheena by Sheena Douglass range, you
can contact Sheena directly on sheena@sheena.tv. For marketing and distribution,
contact Claire Hamer at Crafters Companion T:+44 (0) 1388 660 930, E: trade@
crafterscompanion.co.uk.
Patchwork and Quilting is another craft area that is seeing a renewed interest
and when available in kit form, it makes a doubly attractive sales proposition.
Rachel of Greenfield, a well established
P&Q expert for over 15 years, has
produced a range of kits popular with
beginners looking to complete their first
quilting, patchwork or appliqué project.
They include everything needed to
complete the project. Two new designs
are Woolly Sheep and Spotted Hen, both
of which, like all Rachel’s kits, include
everything needed to complete the
projects and are available from Hantex
Ltd, the UK distributors (T: +44 (0)1754
820 800, E: sales@hantex.co.uk, www.
hantex.co.uk).
1
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Always prote
c
your work su t
rface
with newspa
per
or a cover
You will need
all that glitters…
This super simple project can be quickly mastered
by adults and children alike. It’s a great way to show
off the new Glitter-It products and turns vases, jars
and baubles into sparkling works of art!
TO MAKE
1. Take a clean, unused and dry jar and remove the lid. Apply a liberal application
of Glitter-It! glue into the jar. NB: it doesn’t matter how much you use, as any
excess Glitter-It! will be returned to the bottle and can be used again and again.
To achieve the best results and to avoid creating bubbles in the liquid, rotate the
jar slowly to ensure that the Glitter-It! touches every surface you wish to cover in
glitter. Once you have coated every internal area you can place a funnel into the
bottle of Glitter-It! and return the excess glue to the bottle, whilst at the same
time, again rotating the jar to ensure an even application to every surface and the
inner rim of the jar.
2. Once the above is done, stand the open jar face down in the funnel to ensure
all excess glue is drained and removed; this will avoid streaks in the finished
project.
3. Open a tube of glitter and pour a generous amount of the chosen colour into
the jar. Gently rotate the jar again to ensure that every internal surface is evenly
covered with glitter. Once this process has been done, tip and tap out the excess
glitter from the open jar onto a piece of paper. Fold the paper to pour the excess
glitter back into the tube for use again.
4. Allow the Glitter-it! to dry thoroughly before replacing the lid on the jar, which
can take several hours depending on the size of the project. (Failure to allow it to
dry completely can result in the lid getting stuck on!)
70 craftfocus
• Glass jar
• Bottle of Glitter-It!
• Tube of glitter, preferably
micro fine glitter
• A plastic funnel
• A piece of paper
HELPFUL TIPS FOR SMALLER ORNAMENTS
) Use cap on bottle to dispense liquid - remove coloured
top from cap, puncture cap with paperclip or large pin and
then pour a small amount of liquid into the ornament. Swirl
it around to coat the entire inner surface, adding more if
needed.
) Make a cone-shaped paper funnel to insert into
ornament opening and fill funnel with glitter.
) Clean up with soap and water while wet. If dry, Glitter-It!
can be removed with ammonia.
) To seal a vase or jar so that water can used in it, simply
apply another coat of Glitter-it.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Glitter-It! is one of a range of products produced by Beacon
Adhesives and distributed by Creative Products Distribution
Ltd. It dries clear and is non-toxic.
A You Tube video showing the application can be seen at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=c24r1ElGc5c.
Contact Sales on T: +44 (0) 208 953 243,
E: www.sales@creative-distribution.co.uk,
www.creative-distribution.co.uk. C
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
get networking
to promote business
Running a small business can be tough: it’s easy to feel isolated if you have no-one to talk to
about your business challenges. Roma Bhowmick, a Business Link adviser provides advice about
networking
You might not only feel isolated as a small
business owner, you can miss out on
opportunities or new ideas because you’re
not aware of them. Networking can be an
important activity to address those issues. It
should be a part of your business development
plan as it will enable you to make new contacts
as well as keep up-to-speed with what is going
on in your sector and local area.
“With the growing awareness of
supporting your local business
community through ‘shopping
locally’, networking is becoming an
increasingly valuable activity”
THE BENEFITS OF NETWORKING
Exchanging information with other businesses
is a key benefit of networking – you will find
out what is happening as well as learn from
other people’s experience and advice.
By networking you will meet customers,
competitors, suppliers and service providers
who are all looking for similar benefits
and to widen their contact base. With the
growing awareness of supporting your local
business community through ‘shopping locally’,
networking is becoming an increasingly
valuable activity.
You can also team up with other businesses
to undertake particular activities, such as
local promotions or advertising campaigns. By
72 craftfocus
becoming involved you will raise your profile,
and increase the chances that other people will
tell their contacts about your business.
business – but remember this is not a sales
pitch, so keep the focus on the subject you are
talking about.
GETTING STARTED
It’s surprising how much new business comes
through word of mouth and personal contact.
If people don’t know about you they will not
beat a path to your door, so start networking
and let as many people as possible know about
your business.
• If there are community groups campaigning
on issues that affect local businesses, get
• Join local business clubs, find out whether
your local Chamber of Commerce, Federation
of Small Business (FSB) or business groups run
networking events, keep in touch with other
local businesses and visit relevant exhibitions.
There are also trade-specific organisations
which will give you access to networks of
professionals in your sector. Check the Trade
Association Forum www.taforum.org for more
information.
• Always take your business cards along to
networking events, but hand them out with
care. If you don’t think the time is right to give
someone your card, you can ask for their email
address or phone number and get in touch
with them later.
• You could also contact local groups
and societies and offer to give talks or
demonstrations on your specialist area. Take
along products and information about your
business
business advice
link
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
Take a look at the following organisations
which have been formed to help
businesses. Many offer networking
opportunities through meetings, seminars
and small business clubs.
involved with those too. You might even
consider becoming a figurehead, as publicity for
the organisation could then generate publicity
for you.
• Finally, don’t forget that seminars,
conferences and workshops also allow time
to network. You will meet other like-minded
individuals, make new contacts and find out
what others in your situation are doing.
“You should build in some time in
your weekly or monthly planning
for networking and budget for any
costs, such as travelling costs”
USING THE LOCAL MEDIA
Networking can also include using the local
media to highlight your business. Contact your
local paper or radio station and find out which
journalists cover business stories. If you have
any newsworthy stories make sure that you
keep them informed – and let them know
that you would be happy to be contacted for
quotes on any issues which affect businesses in
your area.
Enter local, regional and national business
awards
Awards are run by local press, trade
organisations, councils and national bodies. If
you are shortlisted or win you will get free
publicity, meet other business people, raise
your business profile in the community and get
a welcome boost for you and your staff.
Do some research and make time for
networking
You should balance your needs and the time
that you are able to commit to networking
by researching networks in your area and
concentrating on those that will benefit your
business the most. It’s worth speaking with
trusted existing members about what they gain
from membership and maybe making a visit or
two to network sessions before committing.
It pays to monitor which events are more
valuable to you and then focus your efforts on
those.
Remember that networking is not a ‘quick
fix’. You might find that someone gets in touch
with you months after an event, so don’t be
too quick to dismiss a network that hasn’t
brought you any returns in the short term: it
might take time for any benefits to become
apparent. If you haven’t got much time to
attend events you could take a look at online
forums or networks.
Business Link - www.businesslink.gov.uk
Business Link is a free business advice
and support service, available online and
through local advisers
The Forum for Private Business –
www.fpb.org
The Forum is a proactive, not-for-profit
organisation, providing comprehensive
support, protection and reassurance to
small businesses.
Chamber of Commerce www.britishchambers.org.uk
Find your local Chamber of Commerce
on this site (all are run independently but
accredited Chambers belong to the British
Chambers of Commerce)
Federation of Small Business –
ww.fsb.org.uk
This is a large campaigning pressure
group with 194 branches promoting
and protecting the interests of the selfemployed and owners of small firms which
also offers members a range of benefits
including free legal advice and insurance
costs. C
Further information
Take advantage of Business Link’s free help. They can help you start networking by
providing lists of your local groups and access to reference copies of trade directories.
Visit www.businesslink.gov.uk or T: +44 (0) 845 600 9006 for more information.
craftfocus 73
from single to multiple
Many of Clare Rayner’s clients dream of taking their business from a single store retail shop to
a professional, scalable multi-channel retail enterprise but don’t know where to start. Here she
provides the first steps
The reason clients come to me is whilst they
usually have passion, drive, enthusiasm and
resources (time, investment funds etc) the one
thing they lack is the expertise or know how
to get started. So, what are the key ingredients
to becoming a scalable retail enterprise?
your store locations and the natural catchment
area and also at the national level (assuming
you offer nationwide coverage for your online
sales). The two critical ingredients would be
local internet marketing and ecommerce SEO
(search engine optimisation).
EPOS with a Retail Management
System…
One thing clients quickly learn is that a decent
EPOS system is the key to so many processes
that enable them to better understand the
performance dynamics of their business, and
therefore what actions need to be taken to
replicate success…
EPOS typically provides all product information
set up, stock and financial postings and
transactional reporting/analytics. It also, usually,
comes with a BIG capital investment… but it
doesn’t have to.
Going Social – getting loyal customers
to talk about your brand, to review your
products and recommend you to their friends
Finally you cannot afford to ignore the
power of social media and social networks.
Consumers are influenced by peer group
review considerably more than they are
by advertising or marketing messages.
Make it easy for consumers to engage in a
conversation with your brand – deal with
negativity swiftly and appropriately, thank
people for good feedback.
A retailer should be taking advantage of
facebook, twitter, blogging, YouTube, Foursquare
and relevant review sites to name a few. C
E-commerce capability with full
integration to EPOS…
The second thing we tend to uncover is either
the missed opportunity of not having any
online transactional capability OR that the
website is not delivering as much as it could. In
this day and age it is practically inexcusable for
anyone serious about retailing NOT to have a
decent ecommerce capability. I’d also suggest
you should select an ecommerce product
which offers full synchronisation with your
EPOS. I am a great believer in reducing manual
intervention and duplication of effort – so an
ecommerce that was based on EPOS would
be ideal – enabling a single central source of
product data as well as all pricing, promotions
and stock availability information. PS – be
mobile enabled….
2
Quality branding – across all customer
touch points – online, in store and on shelf!
Smaller retailers tend to shy away from
investing in quality graphic design – even
though the visual merchandising and product
3
74 craftfocus
5
presentation both in store and online can
make the difference to conversions.
Whilst it may seem unlikely at the beginning of
your retail journey, your brand could at some
point in the future be a household name –
remember Mr Marks and Mr Spencer started
out with a penny bazaar. If you can create a
quality brand identity, your business’ fingerprint,
that makes your business instantly recognisable
to your customers, online or in store, it will
add value to your business and help your
customers to remember you.
Being easily found for what you sell
where you sell it…
There are only so many customers you can
attract from passing trade, so there will be
a time when you need to focus on your
marketing. Search marketing is probably the
most cost effective, if undertaken properly.
Search marketing enables you to attract new
customers – because if a consumer has to
search for a product they don’t naturally
consider your retail business as the place to go
for their needs (yet!)
Your search marketing approach can be
implemented at the local level – leveraging
4
Further information
Clare Rayner, the
Retail Champion,
has made regular
guest appearances
on BBC radio, TV
and has contributed
to various retailfocused articles.
Clare shares
her expertise
in developing
strategies with
retailers of all sizes to increase profit,
customer base, revenue streams and
channels to market. Clare is also owner/
director of several businesses servicing the
retail sector including Retail Acumen, The
Retail Conference and e-mphasis Internet
Marketing.
Image courtesy of Gail D’Almaine
1
e-commerce
– the way ahead
With the bad weather experienced by so many last year, and the increase in numbers online
shopping, e-commerce is definitely an important sales tool reports Wendy Gardiner
Many consumers changed their shopping
patterns during the bad weather
experienced last year, browsing online
rather than on the high street and
turning to local shops for essentials
rather than making potentially
treacherous journeys to out-of-town
centres. “This shift in behaviour is
likely to prevail as soaring petrol prices
become a real problem for hard pressed
consumers in 2011,” said Richard Lowe,
Head of Retail and Wholesale at Barclays
Corporate. Yet it is not as simple as just
opening up a webshop. It needs to be
done with forethought, planning and
commitment to succeed (see Webwise,
page 91 for tips on getting started).
One of the biggest problems for
retailers starting out in e-commerce is
the lack of unbiased advice. “Although
web designers, e-commerce suppliers
and search engine consultants all have an
opinion that will be freely given, we’ve
all got a commercial axe to grind,” said
Chris Barling, CEO of e-commerce &
EPOS specialist, Actinic. It’s one of the
reasons that Actinic has produced a book
of over 300 e-commerce tips that can be
downloaded free from their website. The
book pulls together articles and advice
they’ve had published over the years plus
new material. It has been independently
reviewed by editors of SME information
sites so can be used as an educational
baseline from which all sorts of
commercial offerings can be viewed.
The benefits of ecommerce
If not enough customers are walking
through your doors, then you need
to reach out and find them, and an
e-commerce store will bring you new
customers by extending your store’s
reach.
“Consumers are increasingly using the
web to make research online before they
step foot into a store and often return
to buy online for convenience once
they have compared the look and feel.
76 craftfocus
If you are not talking to your customers
online, someone else is!” said Scott
Storey, MD of CTS Retail. CTS Retail
has an expansive portfolio of products
and services offering solutions to all
sizes of retail business, in many different
retail sectors. They are a Microsoft Gold
Partner reseller of Microsoft Dynamics
and the only UK reseller of Cervello,
a straight forward and cost effective
‘software plus services’ (S+S). “Having
an ecommerce web store is statistically
proven to increase footfall in store by up
to 7%,” added Scott.
Keeping up appearances
Traditional retailers are missing out
on business by failing to give their
online customer service the attention
it deserves. That was the consensus
amongst a panel of experts who debated
the key issues for online retailers in
2011 at a roundtable in Manchester run
by UKFast. They also agreed that while
online-only vendors can concentrate
solely on pleasing e-shoppers, thousands
of traditional retailers with an addon web presence are delivering an
inconsistent brand image.
“My focus for 2011 is to make our
customer experience online the same as
the experience in-store – to make sure
customers know where they are buying
from, whether online or offline, and
guarantee they enjoy a fluid and great
experience,” said Paul Walker of craft
materials retailer Fred Aldous.
It’s not all about price either.
business advice
“Having an e-commerce web store is statistically proven to increase footfall in
store by up to 7%”
Experienced online retailers such as
lovethoseshoes.com and Fred Aldous
have found that whilst price points may
drive first-time sales, it is customer
service that promotes loyalty and repeat
custom. Paul Walker explained “A lot
of our customers are just discovering
the internet and getting to grips with
it. We make sure we keep things simple
for them. And from a customer service
perspective, we make sure they feel like
they have ownership of the business. It
pays off. I have customers coming to us
asking if we can stock a product that they
could easily get elsewhere but they would
prefer to buy from us because of the
extras that we offer.”
Customer service is hugely important
and must include honesty, consistency,
developing a one-on-one relationship
and, most importantly, promoting a
community feel amongst customers all
of which are the key aspects of providing
good customer service.
Social media as part of the mix
Mobile commerce and social media
shopping are also hot topics and part
of the e-commerce mix. Indeed, at the
recent CHA show there was a keynote
presentation from Facebook Director of
Market Development Randi Zuckerberg
on “The Innovative Consumer – Using
Facebook to Connect and Grow Your
Business.” If industry trade shows have
taught branded manufacturers anything
this year, it’s that selling via traditional,
branded websites is no longer enough.
As technology evolves, so do modernday consumers, constantly finding new
and inventive ways to make informed
purchases saving both time and money.
“Mobile and social shopping have
gone from being the next big thing
to becoming integral parts of today’s
e-commerce strategy,” said Ed Stevens,
Founder and CEO of Shopatron,
an e-commerce provider located in
California. Shopatron not only enables
brands to sell more online using a
retail-integrated e-commerce system,
but allows branded manufacturers to
reach end consumers through innovative
features such as Facebook social stores
and mobile stores. While m-commerce is
still gaining traction in some industries,
some Shopatron stores have seen as
much as 7.5% of their overall traffic
generated from mobile users.
Rob Galkoff, founder of Wilmslowbased The Business Consultants, said
“Retailers need to look at all of the
different touch points that a customer
can use to interact with a company and
make sure they all work together so
thatcustomers will keep coming back.”
Paul Walker added “I would never delete
a comment from Facebook, even if it was
negative. Things are always going to go
wrong, what is important is the way you
respond to it and social networks give
you the opportunity to tackle it head on
and show the online world how highly
you regard your customers’ feedback.”
Jessica Lowe, Press and Marketing
Manager for Harvey Nichols Manchester
commented on the other big social
media success story, “Twitter is great for
us because customers choose to come
and find you. Our customers are excited
about being able to contact Harvey
Nichols directly and get a response.
That personal communication is really
important to the promotion of a brand.”
Using data-capturing wisely
Obviously one important part of
e-commerce is creating a database of
customers to whom mailshots and
promotional offers can be sent. However,
demanding customers register their
details before they buy can be a complete
turn-off. Glen Berd, Founder and
Director of lovethoseshoes.com feels:
“Being forced down a route just so that
a company can add you to a database is
annoying. Customers just want to buy
the product.”
“The data that you can collect in that
way is worth less these days because
there is so much of it about. What
makes it valuable is how you use it,”
said Dale Hicks, founder of online
industry networking business, The
Fashion Network. “If emails are targeted
correctly and give customers the info
about products that they want, they
can generate a significant amount of
business,” he added. C
Useful contacts
Actinic – ecommerce and EPOS
specialists - www.actinic.co.uk. For a copy
of the free PDF book visit: www.actinic.
co.uk/free-ebook-selling-successfully-online.
html
CTS Retail - www.cts-retail.com
Shopatron - + 00866 625 5050, E:
ecommerce.shopatron.com
SME information sites: www.is4profit.
com, www.marketingdonut.co.uk & www.
startupdonut.co.uk
The round table discussions are held in
association with UKFast with the aim of
uniting business leaders to share advice
and provide a wealth of ideas for other
developing companies.
craftfocus 77
Minimum o
f
12 pieces is
required fo
r
wholesale o
r
reseller pri
ce
Fascinator Kit
Designed and produced by MW & More Limited
Nicole Feather
Sinamay
Chloe Diamond Goose
Zizi Quill Feather
We have it in 12 designs
and they all come with free
fascinator box, it retails
from £15 + VAT
Zoe Arrowhead
Basecomb
Madison Sinamay Goose
Contains everything you need to make the fascinator
kit design you choose:
•
•
•
•
Instruction sheet in English, French, Spanish and German
All Feathers required
All Combs or Slides required
And Fascinator Box
•
Tools required: glue, scissors & thread
OUR CONTACT
UK Showroom Central London Based
35 Ebury Bridge Road
Victoria, London
SW1W 8QX
Tel: +44-207-730-4918
Email: sales@millinerwarehouse.com
Website: www.millinerwarehouse.com
Reseller & Wholesale Enquiries Email: layo@millinerwarehouse.com
Tel: +44-207-730-4918 or +44-776-373-9494
Italian & Spanish Agent Madrid Based Eva Sanchez
Mobile: +34-67-9878795
Office: +34-91-5229027
Spanish E-mail: evasanchez454@hotmail.com
Spanish@millinerwarehouse.com
business advice
out with the old
and in with the new
So you want to have a real clean up and make the shop really spic and span but you don’t want
to throw anything away! There is good news because you don’t have to says Eric Pepper
Comfort zones
Customers are creatures of habit. An old lady
with arthritis tends to avoid the top shelves as
does Mrs Depressed. A snobby buyer doesn’t
tend to buy from the bottom shelf. It is a
matter of their comfort zone and everybody
has one. How many times do you hear ‘Oh I
didn’t know you stocked this or that item’? You
have stocked it for years but they never knew
because it was placed outside their zone.
So, if you move the stock from one zone to
another you will have a different shop with
the same stock. NB: remember to move stock
vertically as well as horizontally.
Placing stock at the correct level to match
customer buying patterns can be seen clearly
in your local supermarket. Own brand
cheaper brands of biscuits are usually located
on the bottom shelf and the more expensive
brands are towards the top shelves.
Key lighting
So you have moved the shop around and
it hasn’t cost you anything and nothing has
been thrown away! Now invest in some
extra low voltage lighting. Lighting changes the
appearance and makes a huge difference to
customer’s perception of products. Be sure to
light up that dark corner where nothing sells
and watch the difference!
What can you do with products which
refuse to budge off your shelves? Make some
examples of what can be done with the
product. Use your imagination and come up
with some good ideas and put them in front
of your customers next to the stock.
Use slow sellers
Incorporate the slow sellers into your
workshops because customers often don’t
buy a product because they don’t know
what to do with it. I have one customer
who runs micro demonstrations at the till.
She had a surplus of Origami Paper and
sold loads because she had 15 - 20 second
demonstrations on how to make butterflies
from Origami Paper at the till.
Intriguing notes
Have you thought about putting nicely
handwritten notes on products around your
shop? I know one bookshop where notes are
put on books such as: ‘Mary thinks this is the
best romantic thriller’ ‘Great book for teenage
boys interested in fantasy’ ‘My favourite true
war time story’ and the list goes on. You
can see customers going from one note to
the next looking for inspiration. You can do
the same. The notes need to be small, A7
maximum, neatly handwritten giving advice
and helpful suggestions.
Special offers
Now a few words about Special Offers and
Sale lines. When you go into any supermarket
you see a range of offers. ‘Buy one get one
free’ ‘Half Price offer’ ‘Special Purchase’ ‘Buy
X and get Y free’ ‘Reduced to …’ ‘When it’s
gone it’s gone sale’ and so on. Supermarkets
use so many different offers because they
are trying to appeal to every known buying
emotion. They know that everyone is different
and different emotions make people part with
their money. So in a craft shop it is possible
to run promotions in the same way.
Any promotion must be clear and easy to
understand. The customers’ decision to see it,
like it and buy it is often made in an incredibly
short space of time so you must tell them
clearly what the offer is about.
• Be sure to have a range of offers to cater
for the different buying emotions.
• Place the offers around the store, not all in
one place.
• Make a simple flyer to go in each bag at the
till telling the customers about the current
and forthcoming offers.
• Try some type of money off or special offer
voucher to encourage the customer back
next week or month. This creates extra
sales and customer loyalty. Do always put
an expiry date on the voucher.
So here are some ideas that I know work.
Happy spring cleaning! C
Further information
Eric Pepper is a Stock Underwriter,
underwriting the stock of many famous
names so they can concentrate on their
new stock while he quietly disposes of
their old stock throughout Europe and
beyond. Specialising in paper, art and craft
his company offers special offer a hassle
free method of dealing with discontinued
stock. E: natric13@aol.com.
craftfocus 79
hand-made
and personalised
When the election loomed, and budget cuts put her job as a civil servant at risk, Jo Gibson
decided to give herself a fall-back option and started up a creative studio/shop
When and why did you start up The Old
Dairy Studios?
The studios opened in April 2010, so we’ve
been in business for a year now. I had
worked part-time for a central government
Department, and around the time of the
election realised that a job for life as a Civil
Servant was no longer an option. There were
lots of reviews, cut-backs and downsizing
(we even had to stop using the colour
photocopier!) and so it was time to look
around. I’m good at art and like working with
children and so a children’s pottery decorating
studio seemed the perfect choice. I searched
the internet for somewhere that I could get a
whole starter kit and training from, and took it
from there.
What is your background?
My background is in marketing; I have
worked in central government, education
80 craftfocus
and publishing - all in marketing and
communications roles. I’m currently studying
to become a Chartered Marketer, which
has helped me immensely in setting up my
own business. You really have to know your
customers well to be able to give them what
they want, at a price that they can afford, and
one that makes you a living.
What products do you sell now?
I sell hand-made bags, hand-made cosmetics,
ceramic pieces and personalised office mugs.
What other services do you offer your
customers?
It’s more than just children’s pottery decorating
parties now. I also run desperate housewives
evenings, seniors afternoons, team building
days, children’s parties, mums’ get togethers,
hot chocolate and gingerbread (Christmas
nights), drop-in painting sessions and clay play.
What is your most popular product or
service and why do you think that it is
popular?
Our parties are really popular - we have
a separate picnic themed party room that
children love. It’s decorated with bunting,
butterflies, and mad-cow splodges all over
the walls. The children can make as much
mess as they want to and parents don’t have
the bother of clearing up. The parents always
comment on how constructive art is in
children’s development, and quite often join in
with the kids too.
If you are a shop or studio, do you have a
workshop area?
We currently have one main studio, a party
room and a separate kiln room, but I am
hoping to expand upstairs to create a craft
lounge in the summer. The most we have ever
focus on...
“Cupcakes are very big this year - trinket boxes, plates,
cake stands - they fly off the shelves”
seated in one sitting was a party of 32 scouts
who were awarded with a badge.
Do you have an online shop and if so, who or
what is your target audience?
I am about to set up an online shop selling our
own range of office crockery (there’s nothing
worse than Janet in Accounts using your
mug so I think it’s time to revolutionize office
refreshments!).
Have you noticed any strong trends for this
year?
Cupcakes are very big - trinket boxes, plates,
cake stands - they fly off the shelves. I recently
ran a competition to win a free plate of a
design of any choice, and was surprised that
children are already tapped into the Royal
Wedding so soon - it’s going to be big!
What do you think about the state of the
market at the moment?
I think, it doesn’t matter how bad things get,
parents will always look for things to keep
their children occupied and entertained which
is why I have deliberately kept prices as low
as possible. We stock a range of very cheap
items to paint, charge the minimal for hot
drinks and don’t charge for children’s drinks.
The media has started to lean towards a
make do and mend culture, which encourages
people to find things to do for themselves
and their children to do. I’m even thinking of
starting a crockery mending service.
What is your unique selling point do you
think?
Our unique selling point is the building we
work from. It used to be the old Oxted dairy,
and looks like a doll’s house. I’ve incorporated
Alice (who used to live three miles from the
shop) and cow themes in our branding.
Do you have a website and do you use social
media?
I designed my own website which means I can
update it daily if I want to. I recently added a
‘like’ button on the home page which links to
our Facebook group and website. I also keep
in touch with customers who sign up to our
electronic newsletter on a regular basis.
What was your proudest moment in
business?
My proudest moment was when my son was
serving a customer whose name he recognised
from the credit card. He was itching to say
something, and when the lady left the studios
he told me that he and his friends had named
the local hang out in the woods “Grylls Camp’
after Chief Scout Bear Grylls. When Bear
Grylls himself returned a few weeks later I
was able to tell him what a positive impact
he has on the young people in our area. He
commissioned loads of Christmas presents
from us and kept saying how lovely the studio
was. I’m also really pleased that I have brought
something creative to our community - many
parents have told me how pleased they are
that their children have something constructive
to do at the weekends.
What are your plans for your business?
I’d like to spend more time growing the
business, and hope to expand into other
arts and crafts. I ask customers to complete
questionnaires, and many have expressed
an interest in knitting, sewing, pottery, felting,
decoupage and painting. I’m hoping to use the
whole building (we have eight rooms here plus
cellars) to create a house of art and craft.
Any last thoughts?
It’s been really tough and quite stressful trying
to manage my studios while working on my
‘day job’. I’ve laid the foundations of what I
think will be a successful enterprise, and I am
looking forward to growing the business. I’d like
to find similar buildings to expand the business
- who knows, one day I might be running Old
Butchers, Old Bakers and Old Candlestick
Makers studios all over the south east! C
Contact information
Jo Gibson, The Old Dairy Studios
30 Station Road West, Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0LJ
T: +44 (0)1883 370231, E : kilnroom@
theolddairystudios.co.uk,
www.theolddairystudios.co.uk
craftfocus 81
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Contact us via email to become a
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Our contact
UK Showroom Central London Based
35 Ebury Bridge Road
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hotmail.com
business advice
communication is key
Whether you’re a global brand or a small business the challenge in marketing
is still the same, so how do you ensure you’re communicating successfully?
Clive Harper, managing director of Yankee Candle Europe explains the
essence of every marketing strategy - effective communication
We communicate every day, whether by
talking, email, text or the internet. However,
effective communication is a skill and
one that is often misunderstood. General
communication may not necessarily be
effective and being able to differentiate
between the two may be the difference
between increasing sales and an empty shop.
A mistake often made by businesses in
marketing to their consumers is that they only
communicate to them: telling their customers
what they want and at what price. The first
technique to learn is that communication
should be a dialogue. When you first begin you
should be listening to them, giving them every
opportunity to tell you what it is they want
and expect.
Consider this question: have you given
your customers any opportunity to give you
feedback or advice?
“A mistake often made by businesses
in marketing to their consumers is
that they only communicate to them:
telling their customers what they
want and at what price.”
There are many opportunities for you to
ask your customers what they think about
your shop, products and services through
direct conversation at the point of purchase;
on fliers in each bag and placed at the till point
or a feedback form on your website. All these
possibilities will give you direct feedback on
how to improve your offering, ensuring your
customers are receiving the products and
services they want, when they want them.
The information you gather from this
research can also help you to decide the best
platform for any promotional and advertising
activities. You can ask your customers which
magazines or newspapers they read, which
websites they like and whether they have
social networking profiles.
“When it comes to communication,
you need to remember the
importance of word-of-mouth.”
When it comes to communication, you
need to remember the importance of wordof-mouth. Although you are unable to know
what is being said in direct conversation you
are able to view what is being said about you
on the internet in chat forums, blogs and on
social networking websites.
Search the internet to discover what your
customers are saying to each other about
you and if you discover a complaint or bad
comment, it is perfectly acceptable to reply
with an apology and offer to correct the issue.
The internet is called the World Wide Web
for a reason, so remember that anything you
or an unhappy customer types can be seen by
anyone, anywhere.
Once you have truly mastered listening
to your customers, you can adapt your
marketing strategy, product offering, price
points and service to provide an ultimate
shopping experience. Gathering feedback and
information from your customers should be
an on-going technique and the rise of social
networking websites has enabled it to become
an everyday part of business.
Social networking provides you with a
brilliant communication tool with an enormous
number of potential customers already signed
up and waiting. You can provide customers
with information on new stock or seasonal
sales, ask them questions about a new brand
you’re considering stocking and also run
competitions.
Similarly, now you have the correct
information to give your target consumer their
ideal shop, you can begin your communication
with them with confidence. You can now
place promotions and adverts in the media
you know your target consumer will see, you
can create a brochure designed to fit their
demographic, filled with products you know
they will love and you can write a blog or
newsletter with a personality which will reap
the maximum response.
“Once you have truly mastered
listening to your customers, you
can adapt your marketing strategy,
product offering, price points and
service to provide an ultimate
shopping experience.”
All in all, communication is one of the most
powerful tools we have not just in business
but also in life. Getting it right can prompt an
instant response, especially in a world of instant
messaging via mobile phones and the internet,
and can take you onto a whole new level of
customer service. C
Further information
For further information on Yankee Candle®
and advice about marketing telephone
+44 (0)1454 454 500 or visit the website
www.yankeecandle.co.uk.
craftfocus 83
bookshelf
Rianna Fry takes a look at craft books to get
your consumers’ creative juices flowing
Stylish Sewing
The ideal sewing companion
for a contemporary crafter,
Stylish Sewing is a fabulously
feminine title with 35 designs
to inspire crafters young and
old. Best suited to those
with a basic understanding
of sewing, the book provides
plenty of information to help
stitchers to brush up on
their skill. And, as the projects
are labelled by difficulty, readers can mark their progress from level
one upwards. At the back of the book is an informative chapter that
covers basic knowledge, in condensed, easy to follow paragraphs. Plus,
there is a pocket with pull-out, to scale patterns to save time fiddling
around tracing patterns and enlarging them.
Stylish Sewing is published by Search Press and has an RRP of
£12.99. For more information T: +44 (0)1892 510 850 or visit
www.searchpress.com.
Cute and Easy
Quilting and
Stitching
Presenting 35 charming
ideas, Cute and Easy
Quilting and Stitching shares
plenty of inspiration on how
to use embroidery, quilting
and appliqué to create
fabulous pieces. The book
is divided into four main
chapters; sweet dreams, kitchen essentials, pretty gift ideas, and
cute clothes and accessories. Within the chapters consumers will
be guided through the process of decorations for the bedroom,
a baby quilt, a pretty 1950s inspired apron, a floral picture frame
and an evening bag. The designs are each introduced with clear
instructions and illustrations, which allow novices and more
experienced crafters to make something they’re proud of.
Cute and Easy Quilting and Stitching is published by Cico
Books with an RRP of £12.99. For more information visit
www.cicobooks.com.
84 craftfocus
Little Green
Dresses
Little Green Dresses
by Tina Sparkles is
a great resource
for beginners and
experienced stitchers
wanting to expand on
their knowledge and
technical ability. The
author has covered
a wide range of
garments including
tops, skirts, dresses,
bottoms and rompers
– so there is plenty to keep the reader busy. There are 50 designs
and each has a pattern and sewing level, along with illustrations and
accompanying step-by-step instructions. Handy additional details
to the projects are the ‘mix it up’ sections which give the reader
information on how they can adjust the pattern for a different result,
each time.
Little Green Dresses is published by Taunton with an RRP of
£16.99. For more information T: +44 (0)1273 402 808 or visit
www.thegmcgroup.com.
Knitting at Home
Knitting at Home has 60 beautiful designs for experienced knitters to get
stuck into. Split into seven chapters, there’s plenty of inspiration on how
to add finishing touches to the home, and on how to make accessories
such as hats and shopping bags too. All of the projects are broken
down with clear instructions and images, to easily portray what can be
achieved.
The varied fonts, backgrounds and muted colour scheme give the
book a modern finish that will appeal to new-age crafters, while the
short picture captions and handy tips from the author lend a personal
touch to the title, making
it a joy to read. At the
back of the book is
a range of templates,
measurements,
abbreviations, a glossary
and many other useful
details.
Knitting at Home is
published by Sixth &
Spring, distributed in the
UK by GMC Publications
at an RRP of £16.99. For
more information T: +44
(0)1273 402 808 or visit
www.thegmcgroup.com.
LIVING & LOVING
HANDMADE
The K Factor
Following the successful
“K Factor – so you
think you can knit?”
feature on Harry Hill’s
TV Burp, this book
contains patterns for
15 of Harry’s favourite
characters, so fans of
his TV show are sure to
love this title. The book
contains 96 pages of fun
photographs, easy-tofollow instructions and
plenty of humourous commentary, providing an enjoyable way to craft.
As it’s targeted at crafters with mixed abilities The K Factor contains
basic knitting instructions, a standard doll pattern and details on how to
alter the body shape and facial features.
The K Factor is published by Collins and Brown with an RRP of
£9.99. For more information T: +44 (0)1413 063 100 or visit
www.harpercollins.co.uk.
WE BELIEVE:
THAT FABRIC
MAKES YOU
HAPPY
THAT IF A
THING IS WORTH
MAKING, IT IS
WORTH MAKING
BEAUTIFULLY
THAT WE CAN
ALL EXPRESS OUR
OWN UNIQUE
SENSE OF STYLE
WE BELIEVE
IN MAKING
SOMETHING
JUST BECAUSE IT
FEELS RIGHT
WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS TIME FOR A
NEW KIND OF CRAFT MAGAZINE
A NEW KIND OF
CRAFT MAGAZINE
TO STOCK MOLLIEMAKES CONTACT
chris.trahearn@wwmd.co.uk
OR CALL 0121 788 3112
AT WORLDWIDE MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTION
Print!
Prints are used
everyday, on a range
of materials to give
a plain fabric a little
personality. For the
modern, make-do
and mend mentality,
printing is fabulous;
it’s inexpensive and
prints can be made
from virtually anything
to completely reform
an old bag or plain
pillowcase. Plus, it’s a
craft that’s accessible
and enjoyable for all
ages – which gives this book a wide audience.
Print! is a fabulous resource set to encourage the less
experienced and challenge those in-the-know. Each of the 25
designs in the book are broken down into chapters; stamp, potato
and block printing, sponging and stencils, transfer printing, open
screen, and combined and advanced techniques. All of which have
clear images and accompanying step-by-step instructions. Along
with the 25 projects, there is a section on templates, resources, a
glossary and index.
Print! is published by Collins and Brown with an RRP of £16.99.
For more information T: +44 (0)1413 063 100 or visit
www.harpercollins.co.uk.
craftfocus 85
q&a special
prioritising
choices effectively
Have your questions answered by industry expert Clare Rayner, our Retailers’ Champion who
provides answers and workable solutions to many common dilemmas
Q
Which lead first?
We got lots of leads to follow up at the
recent CHSI. Obviously all are important so
which should we prioritise - new customers
or existing customers with increased orders?
A
It is very difficult to give advice without
knowing a little more about the nature of
the leads and also how these support your
current business objectives. However, as a rule
of thumb, you should consider a few factors
such as:
Cost of attending the show – if you
invested in a stand PLUS your time,
what is going to be the most expedient
way of recovering that cost, and justifying
the marketing spend you have made, with
a reasonable return on investment in a
reasonable timeframe?
a. If your existing customers only plan to
repeat with you, and would have repeated
with you anyway, (without seeing you at
the show) then in terms of making the
show pay for itself you need to focus on
recruitment of new business (that doesn’t
necessarily mean new customers, although
that is ideal!).
b. If your existing customers would have
only repeated like for like, and as a result of
the show they are extending their business
with you, then this should be treated as
a “new customer” because the show has
enabled you to develop your business with
a known contact. You will increase the value
of that customer, and so long as you keep
your promises to them, giving them no
reason to look elsewhere, you will retain
them.
c. If your existing customers were
contemplating moving away from you, but
the conversations you had with them at
1
the show enabled you to retain them, then
that is great – but that won’t deliver return
on investment as such, that will simply have
protected you from the risk of losing a
customer!
d. If you have met new customers then
absolutely you should engage with them
and build relationships. Consider the
cost of new customer acquisition – it is
usually considerably more than the cost of
retaining an existing customer. The show
costs could be notionally attributed to
each new customer you recruit, thus you
can see the apportioned cost and why
your priority should be about converting
as many leads into new customers as you
possibly can (mindful that you need to be
able to fulfil their orders and keep up your
service levels!) The reason for this advice
is that the more customers you recruit
the more spread the cost of the show will
be, thus reducing (per customer) the cost
of acquisition and increasing the speed of
payback from the event.
Consider the promises you made – think
about the conversations you had at the
show – if you said “I’ll get back to you next
week” then make sure you do. You will have
set an expectation, and regardless of the
value of the customer, your reputation will be
tarnished if you don’t keep your promises!
2
Consider the kind of customers you
ideally want. If you have more leads than
you can realistically manage then think about
your company mission statement, your ideal
customer – if you have to prioritise between
leads select those which are most like your
ideal customer – you’ll be happier working
with them!
3
If you have a question about any aspect of your business, simply write to:
Q&A Special, Craft Focus Magazine, Broseley House, Newlands Drive, Witham,
Essex CM8 2UL. Alternatively, send your queries to editor@craftfocus.com.
craftfocus 87
prioritising choices effectively
Q
To stock or not to stock
At the recent CHSI we saw some fabulous
new products but can’t possibly stock them
all. How do we decide which products
to take to make sure we have what our
customers need/want?
A
I recommend looking at your company
mission, your ideal customer, your positioning
and your product/range strategy. How
do these new items meet your aims and
objectives? If you simply loved a product, but
can’t see how it fits in with your offer, then
that should rule it out right away.
Next, you need to think about the total
number of items you can stock – if the new
items are ideal but you don’t currently have
space for them can you delist a less ideal
product from your current range to make
way for the new item? If so, will you need to
reduce the price to clear the stock – what
impact will that have on your margin? If buying
stock of new items whilst clearing down
old items consider how much stock you will
have. You need to consider both the financial
impacts (cash flow tied up) as well as physical
impacts (where will you store it all?).
Then, consider pricing – what is the RRP
for the new item? Where does it fit, in terms
of price point, alongside the rest of your
range? If it doesn’t belong within your price
architecture, and yet you are certain it is an
ideal product, then do you need to review
your current range in totality? It may be that
your price architecture has gone awry...
To be honest this question could become
an entire book... It touches on the buying,
merchandising, range, space and stock planning
processes that are fundamental to successful
retailing. Not only that, what you present for
Image courtesy of
Gail D'Almaine
88 craftfocus
sale is the outward representation of what
your business stands for in the eyes of the
consumer! They will judge your business based
on your products, price points, service levels
and by the way you merchandise them. So
long as you have considered the impacts of
adding new products, and the reasons why
you are making changes to the range, then
you will come to the best decision for your
business and ultimately for your customer.
be guaranteed any more. If you know your
customers well that may not concern you.
Good practice however would be that you
only sell goods to customers who have
produced a guaranteed form of payment.
Once the cheque guarantee scheme is
withdrawn there will really be only three
“guaranteed” payment methods (for payment
in person)
• Cash
• Debit card, pin verified at point of sale
• Credit card, pin verified at point of sale
Cheques have been in decline for years
and can pose a security risk to the customer
– they carry a full set of bank details as
well as the customer’s signature – so
migrating to electronic payments is in the
interest of all concerned. In most cases the
cheque guarantee card is also a debit card,
so customers can use that, with their pin.
Retailers who don’t already have a chip and
pin machine will need to invest in one. For
smaller businesses the FSB is a great source
of information about this, and can offer some
preferential rates for members. You can find
out more about the withdrawal of the cheque
guarantee scheme from various articles online. C
A
Q
A
No longer guaranteed
A lot of my customers still like to pay by
cheque. Once the Cheque Guarantee Card
scheme is withdrawn, will they still be able
to?
Customers can still pay by cheque, but
rather like a cheque in the post, it won’t
Clare Rayner – The Retail Champion – has made regular guest
appearances on BBC radio, TV and has contributed to various retailfocused articles and opinion pieces. As a speaker, mentor, trainer and
business advisor, Clare shares her expertise in developing strategies
with retailers of all sizes to increase profit, customer base, revenue
streams and channels to market. Clare is also owner/director of
several businesses servicing the retail sector including Retail Acumen,
The Retail Conference and e-mphasis Internet Marketing.
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business advice
navigation tabs
heading
sub heading
webwise
– getting started
image
The world is getting smaller as the internet weaves an invisible social and business web around
us so a website is an obvious place for a retailer to ‘open’ an all-day ‘shop window’ says Paula
Wynne
1
Research and plan
Research, brainstorm and plan your
site before you dive in and start looking for
website providers. Set short and long term
goals and objectives for your site which will
steer you in the right direction.
2
Build your brand and style
Essentially, you should create a
recognisable and trusted ‘brand’ with style,
layout and content.
Decide your brand’s colours, themes, fonts,
styles, layouts and design. Keep it stylish and
consistent across all pages, avoiding cheap clip
art and flashy animation.
Create an impression with a clean, simple style
and a spacious design. Avoid heavy and dark
backgrounds and overuse of flashy objects
which can annoy browsers or take a long time
to download.
3
Choose a website
Decide whether you are going to start with
a simple blog, a ‘shop window’ or online shop.
Check out free websites and pay monthly sites
as there are some fantastic low-cost resources
available. Discover the difference between
website software, a hosted website and a pay
monthly site or consider building a bespoke
website. If you go the bespoke route, ensure
you know how to work with developers.
First and foremost, only go for a CMS:
Content Management System. A CMS is
software or an ‘admin’ area for managing your
website content. It’s the engine that allows you
to manage the site, add content and gives you
control 24/7. It also makes life easier and is
way, way cheaper than having to constantly
ask your developer to add content for you.
Today, most websites are developed for you
to log in and manage your ‘front end’ (what
people see) by making changes to the ‘back
end’ (your admin or CMS).
If a development company is building your
site then insist on having your own bespoke
admin section so you have complete control
of your site. This admin should enable you to
control page content, your banners, layout,
navigation and page order.
Carefully research and select one of the
numerous website providers who will ‘host’
your site for you.
4
Map your navigation and take control of
your site
Create a navigation menu with different
relevant tabs, aiming to have all your services
featured. Use the 3 click rule – three quick
clicks to hunt down the relevant page.
5
Get sticky
The term ‘Sticky Content’ refers to
ensuring your visitors stick when they land
on your site pages, like a fly that fastens onto
a sticky fly trap. Communicate with your
visitors through good content and add value
by uploading articles and snippets of news.
This keeps your site fresh and alive and is its
lifeblood. At the same time it keeps the search
engines coming back to trawl your site and it
becomes a traffic builder.
Always have topical, dynamic content
including text, articles, news, products, visual
and creative images, and possibly forums,
member or user profiles, reviews, feeds, jobs,
merchandise tables, animations, audio and
video files.
Get visitors recommending the site to
others. If you are building a platform, this is
all crucial to driving and maintaining traffic.
Finally ...
If you are starting a retail outlet online, you’ll
need a secure e-commerce shopping cart,
product catalogue, web store admin tools and
the all essential secure transaction protection.
Again research the options thoroughly.
Best wishes for your website! C
Further information
Paula Wynne is author
of ‘Create A Successful
Website’, (on sale on
Amazon) which is jampacked with to dos, how tos,
pros and cons, bullet lists and
questions on how to create a successful
website. She also offers practical workshops
to help you succeed online. For more info
visit: www.paulawynne.com.
craftfocus 91
Win!
★
★
★
a pot pourri of
cardmaking supplies
We’ve got a fabulous selection of stamps, card blanks, rubons, decoupage and more from the new Fairyopolis range
by Crafter’s Companion
Fairyopolis is the latest in Crafter’s Companion’s Flower
Fairies Friends range of craft products. It is a new twist on
the original Flower Fairies artwork based on the popular
‘Fairyopolis’ and ‘Return to Fairyopolis’ books which were
released in recent years, and have proved to be a massive
hit. The artwork is a fusion of contemporary design with a
classic framework, retaining the sophistication and elegance
of Cicely Mary Barker’s original fairy artwork, whilst bringing
the designs up-to-date.
The line consists of two CD ROMs, four DL-size rubber
stamp sets and a paper-based card-making selection
including card blanks, rub-ons, die-cut decoupage, and
accessories. The products have been specially designed to
appeal to both the new and experienced crafter alike, and
Crafter’s Companion aims to appeal to a new generation of
crafters with this modern twist on a storybook favourite.
THE PRIZE – worth approximately £570
The prize is a fabulous selection of these new Fairyopolis
products. It includes everything you need to create
beautiful imaginative card designs:
• 3 each of the single CDs
• 24 stamps (six of each design),
• 12 card blanks six of 6 x 6” and six 4 x 6”
• 6 rub-ons
• 6 mini rub-ons
• 6 die-cut decoupage
• Three 12 x 12” paper pad
• 12 Spray & Sparkle Iridescent
HOW TO ENTER
To enter the competition, simply visit www.craftfocus.com, fill in your details
and answer the following question by 30 May 2011.
Q: Who designed the original fairy artwork on which Fairyopolis is based? C
92 craftfocus
Competition sponsored by
For more information, or to request a
trade catalogue, contact Claire Hamer
on T: +44 (0)1388 660 930 or
E: trade@crafterscompanion.co.uk.
Terms and Conditions
1. Competitions are not open to employees of KD
Media Publishing Ltd (or their immediate families).
2. Entrants must be a member of the trade and
over the age of 18.
3. The competition closing date is subject to change
without notice.
4. The winner will be notified in writing.
5. The Editor’s decision is final and no
correspondence can be entered into.
6. The prize is not transferable and has no
monetary value.
7. The closing date is 30 May.
8. No purchase necessary and there is no charge
to enter via the website at www.craftfocus.com.
business advice
budget for
retirement
It doesn’t matter whether you are about to retire
tomorrow or not for several years, some people
are constantly worrying about not having enough
money so we have included a guide to help you
plan ahead
The best way of making your money work for you in retirement is to
complete a Budget Planner. The more accurate you can be, the more
helpful it will be.
If retirement is imminent, then doing the arithmetic in as much detail
as possible will not only reassure you but also help you plan your future
life with greater confidence. You’ll feel better knowing how you stand
financially. Don’t forget that even at this stage there are probably a
number of options open to you. Examining the figures written down will
highlight the areas of greatest flexibility.
One tip, offered by one of the retirement magazines, is to start living
on your retirement income some six months before you retire. Not only
will you see if your budget estimates are broadly correct, but since most
people err on the cautious side when they first retire you will have the
Plan ahead for a ha
ppy retirement
bonus of all the extra money you saved. If retirement is still some years
ahead, there will be more unknowns and more opportunities. When
assessing the figures, take account of your future earnings. Perhaps you
should also consider what steps you might be able to take under the
pension rules to maximize your pension fund. You could also consider
whether you should be putting money aside now in a savings plan and/
or making other investments. Imprecise as they will be, the Budget
Planner estimates you make in the various income and expenditure
columns should indicate whether, unless you take action now, you could
be at risk of having to make serious adjustments to your standard of
living later on. To be on the safe side, assume an increase in inflation and
if possible budget for ar nest egg.
Complete the following columns to create your Budget Planner
Possible savings when you retire
ITEMS
Possible extra outgoings when you retire
ITEMS
ESTIMATED MONTHLY SAVINGS
National Insurance contributions
Extra heating and lighting bills
Pension payments
Travel expenses to work
Extra spending on hobbies and
other entertainment
Bought lunches
Replacement of company car
Incidentals at work,
Private health care insurance
(drinks with colleagues, collections for presents)
Longer, or more frequent, holidays
Special work clothes
Concessionary travel
Life and permanent health
insurance
Free NHS prescriptions
Cost of substituting other perks,
Free eye tests
eg expense account lunches
Mature drivers’ insurance policy
Out-of-pocket expenses for
voluntary work activity
Retired householders’
insurance policy
Life assurance payments and/
or possible endowment policy
premiums
Other
TOTAL
NB: you should also take into account reduced running costs if you move to a smaller
home; any expenses for dependent children that may cease; other costs, such as
mortgage payments, that may end around the time you retire; and the fact that you
may be in a lower tax bracket.
ESTIMATED MONTHLY COSTS
Other
TOTAL
Other extra expenses:
)You will need to make provision for any extra home comforts you
might want and also, at some point, for having to pay other people to
do some of the jobs that you normally manage yourself.
)If you intend to make regular donations to a charity or help with
your grandchildren’s education, include these in the list.
)The same applies to any new private pension or savings plan that you
want to invest in to boost your long-term retirement income.
craftfocus 93
budget for retirement
Expected sources of income on retirement
Many people have difficulty understanding the tax system, and you
should certainly take professional advice if you are in any doubt at all.
However, if you fill in your expected sources of income and likely tax
implications carefully below, it should give you a pretty good idea of your
net income after retirement and enable you to make at least provisional
plans. Remember too that you may have one or two capital sums to
invest, such as:
)the commuted lump sum from your pension
)money from an endowment policy
)gains from the sale of company shares
(SAYE or other share option scheme)
)profits from the sale of your home or other asset
)money from an inheritance
A. Income received before tax
Basic State pension
State graduated pension
SERPS/State Second Pension
Occupational pension(s)
Stakeholder or personal pension
State benefits
Investments and savings plans paid
gross, eg gilts, National Savings
Possible rental income
Casual or other pre-tax earnings
SUB TOTAL
Less: Personal tax allowance and
possibly also married couple’s
allowance
Basic-rate tax
TOTAL A
B. Income received after tax
Dividends (unit trusts, shares, etc)
Bank deposit account
Building society interest
Annuity income
Other (including earnings subject to PAYE)
TOTAL B
Total A + Total B
Less: higher-rate tax (if any)
Plus: Other tax-free receipts, eg some
State benefits income from an ISA
Investment bond withdrawals, etc
Other
TOTAL NET INCOME
Reader Offer
Craft Focus readers can buy The Good non-Retirement Guide
2011 at a special 15% discount (thus £16.15).
To order call +44 (0) 1903 828503 quoting FK0411.
Closing date 30 May 2011.
94 craftfocus
Unavoidable outgoings
Having determined your estimated net income, take a look at your
possible monthly costs and other expenditures
ITEMS
ESTIMATED MONTHLY COSTS
Food
Rent or mortgage repayments
Council tax
Repair and maintenance costs
Heating
Lighting and other energy
Telephone/mobile/internet
Postage (including Christmas cards)
TV licence/Sky/digital subscription
Household insurance
Clothes
Laundry, cleaner’s bills, shoe repair
Domestic cleaning products
Miscellaneous services, eg plumber
and window cleaner
Car (including licence, petrol, etc)
Other transport
Regular savings and life assurance
HP and other loan repayments
Outgoings on health
Other
TOTAL
NB: before adding up the total, you should look at the ‘Normal additional expenditure’
list below, as you may well want to juggle some of the items between the two.
ITEMS
ESTIMATED MONTHLY COSTS
Gifts
Holidays
Newspapers/books/CDs/DVDs
Computer (including broadband)
Drink
Cigarettes/tobacco
Hairdressing
Toiletries/cosmetics
Entertainment (hobbies, outings, home
entertaining, etc)
Miscellaneous subscriptions/
membership fees
Charitable donations
Expenditure on pets
Garden purchases
Other
TOTAL
Further information
Our Budget Planning advice is from The Good
non-Retirement Guide 2011 from publishers
Kogan Page, rrp £18.99 (ISBN 978-0-7494-6244-4).
For more information visit: www.koganpage.com.
subscribe
why not subscribe?
Fill in the form below to receive a regular copy of Craft Focus magazine
Craft Focus magazine, the leading trade title
for the craft industry, is available free of charge
to qualified registered readers. Published six
times a year, Craft Focus contains news on
industry trends, recent product launches and all
craft trade events.
Simply fill in the form below and post to
Craft Focus magazine, KD Media Publishing
Ltd, Broseley House, Newlands Drive, Witham,
Essex CM8 2UL. Alternatively, photocopy the
form and fax to +44 (0)1376 514 555 or
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craftfocus 95
Simplicity
2197
next issue…
We review the hot
trends in kids crafts
Summer time crafting
China Butterfly
Card making – a thriving
business
Special summer time features
covering
• Beading
• Stamping
• Kid’s Crafts
• Card Making
All the best business advice:
• Top tips on PR and how to get good
editorial
• Taking stock – measuring staff
performance
• Retirement issues – be prepared
• Q&A – our own expert retailer
champion, Clare Rayner, provides the
answers
Decorative Seal
All about stamping
Issue 25
June/July 2011
Editorial deadline: 26th April
Advertising deadline: 13th May
Available from: 30th May
96 craftfocus
Plus
• News Round Up – all the latest industry,
business and crafting news
• E-commerce – social media opportunities
from canines to cards
What started as a hobby making cards for charities has turned into a thriving business for Ian
Campbell and Mike Deakin. Wendy Gardiner turned the spotlight on them to find out some
secrets of their success
on but actually, we found that when people
tighten their belts, they turn to their hobbies
for comfort instead. Therefore we decided to
invest some of our own money in starting up
the company.
What products did you start with?
We started small with decoupage card making
kits and embellishments. Then we began to
produce a small number of crafting CD-Roms
and in a short space of time Kraftyhands had
designed and produced over 25 ranges from
florals to sports and cars to children’s and
animals.
What inspired you to turn your hobby into a
business?
We started Kraftyhands as a hobby, making
Christmas cards for animal charities such as
the PDSA and The Dog’s Trust, and quite
soon found that there was a lack of quality,
modern card making resources on the
market, especially for troublesome people like
teenagers and men. After a disappointing visit
to one of the north’s biggest paper craft shows
we came to the conclusion that if we wanted
the kind of quality images and subjects that
we were interested in, then we had to design
and create them ourselves. So we began
Kraftyhands in 2008.
What were your backgrounds prior to
Kraftyhands?
Ian came from a design and advertising
background and I (Mike) a retail and teaching
background. We knew that starting a venture
like Kraftyhands in a recession would be a risk
because the public are extra careful about
what they spend their hard earned money
98 craftfocus
“Kraftyhands guest “Make and
Take” sessions quickly sell out
as the boys have developed
a reputation for making their
workshops fun and full of giggles
and having a laugh is what
Kraftyhands is all about”
Where do you sell your designs?
We now participate in most of the country’s
largest regional craft and hobby exhibitions
and have had products featured on Create
& Craft TV. We have also developed a large
following of what we like to affectionately call
“Krafty Groupies” or customers who in some
cases fanatically collect our CDs. We also sell
from our website and we have been gratified
with the happy responses and feedback about
our products, which we display and share with
the rest of the world. We have also recently
attended Craft, Hobby & Stitch International in
order to increase our sales through retailers.
The show was a great success for us and we
had lots of interest and took plenty of orders.
What do you think is your USP?
We design card making and scrap booking
resources that are bright, colourful, modern
and which are produced to a high quality, plus
our CD-Roms are designed to be as user
friendly and as easy to use as possible with
minimum knowledge of using a computer. Our
card making kits have been designed with our
customers in mind as we are very aware that
we have customers who aren’t too handy with
a knife or scissors. Our products are very child
friendly too.
So what does the future hold for
Kraftyhands?
Well we don’t want to conquer the world; we
just want to continue doing what we love the
most, which is designing good quality resources
for our customers to enjoy. We also want
to indulge our passion for getting out of the
studio and meeting our customers face to face
at the shows and exhibitions. Kraftyhands just
want to spread the love and laughter and keep
on designing products that our customers
want to use and enjoy using. And if you’re
wondering what’s happened to the animal
charities, we still donate a percentage of our
profits to the Dog’s Trust each year. C
Further information
Kraftyhands
Mike Deaton and Ian Campbell
www.kraftyhands.co.uk