Craft Focus Magazine - Issue 64 - Dec/Jan 2017/2018

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Issue 64 December 2017/Janurary 2018

www.craftfocus.com

Cold spell

A selection of products to keep customers crafting through winter

COUNTDOWN TO

HOMEMAKER

CHSI Stitches

HEAR FROM OUR EXPERTS

Flight of fancy

How H ow tto o tturn ur n a h house ouse into a h ome with with into home DIY projects DIY p rojects

• Be ready for the General Data Protection Regulation • Create an amazing marketing plan for 2018

New product launches at the show

Unicorn-mania has hit the craft sector

December 2017/January 2018 issue 64

Chief Sub Editor Louise Prance

contents

Marketing Manager Michael Richards +44 (0)1376 538 481 michaelr@craftfocus.com

regulars

shows

editor’s letter 5 An overview of what to expect in this issue

show news 27 Keep up-to-date with what’s happening in your industry

Editor Julie Bonnar +44 (0)1376 514 000 editor@craftfocus.com

Sales Manager Sarah Mclean +44 (0)1376 538 490 sarahm@craftfocus.com Account Manager Tracy Voice +44 (0)1376 535 618 tracyv@craftfocus.com Production Manager Scott Brothwell Senior Graphic Designers Sarah Young, Stephanie Hodder, Vicky O’Connor, Chloe Edey +44 (0)1376 535 616 artwork@kdmediapublishing.com Production Assistant Charlotte Potter Web Development Manager Stuart Weatherley Subscriptions Beth Varney +44 (0)1376 514 000 KD Media Publishing Limited Pantile House, Newlands Drive Witham, Essex, CM8 2AP, UK craftfocus.com

industry news 7 What’s happening within the hobby and craft market brand spanking new A look at the latest product launches

Creativation 35 Andria Gibbon from Creative Industries, discusses what January’s show has in store for its visitors

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bookstand 57 The newest craft-related book releases ask the expert 81 Leading experts in the industry help with retailing and crafting dilemmas

Creativeworld Craft Focus previews Creativeworld

45

hot products on the horizon 61 We put the newest products for CHSI Stitches in the spotlight Manchester Stationery Show 97 We report back from the new venue and show

project 106 A quick festive make from Julia Gailes at Crafter’s Companion

ISSN 1758-0900 Craft Focus is solely owned, published and designed by KD Media Publishing Limited. Whilst every effort was made to ensure the information in this magazine was correct at the time of going to press, the publishers cannot accept legal responsibility for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility of the standing of advertisers nor by the editorial contributions. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Craft Focus is published six times a year. Subscription rates for overseas readers are £75 per annum (incl. p+p), Cheques should be made out to KD Media Publishing Limited and sent to Craft Focus, Pantile House, Newlands Drive, Witham, Essex, CM8 2AP, United Kingdom.

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19 features

homemakers 51 Making for the home is big news for 2018

Craft Focus magazine is proud to be associated with and supporters of:

woolly wonders What’s new in felting

79

definitely worth the paper 85 Innovative product releases from the big names in papercraft all-for-one 91 Why craft kits are perfect for your customers

109

baby, it’s cold outside Help customers with their new year’s crafting resolutions

109

craftfocus 3

100

focus on celebrations with cakes 42 Grace Clements of FMM SugarCrafts, explains how the company has been able to stay ahead of the cake decorating game a perfect finish 76 Rhys Betteridge talks to us about how PlastiKote continues to come up with creative paints for the DIY market what’s trending - flight of fancy Unicorn-mania has hit the craft sector

100

TRADE-WIRES.CO.UK

editors’ picks 103 Amigurumi is big business – we talk mini knitted characters tried and tested 114 We put the Gleener 2in1 fabric depiller through its paces

business advice Create an amazing marketing plan for 2018 40 Michael O’Connor from Grey Sergeant discusses a marketing plan that’s easy to adopt for your business getting the right domain name 74 David Fairhurst from Intelligent Retail explains how to avoid the pitfalls of choosing a domain name stop worrying, craft a plan and get moving 82 How to comply with the new General Data Protection Regulation coming into effect in May 2018 how to avoid the January blues 105 Sara Davies MBE, founder of Crafter’s Companion, discusses how to take advantage of the January sales

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Unit 3, Zone A Chelmsford Road Industrial Estate, Great Dunmow, Essex, CM6 1HD Tel: 01371 238 013

Editor’s pick: DecoArt has a wide selection of projects, and to build on the unicorn trend, there are more than 10 ideas featuring this mystical horse. We love the Unicorn dresser shown here, which has been designed by PLA Schneider.

DecoArt is stocked by Country Love Crafts, countrylovecrafts.com

Craft overload!

I’m not sure where to begin this time – it’s certainly jam-packed with new product launches! The December/January is always an exciting issue as we’re always delighted to be working with ICHF Events, the organisers behind the UK’s main trade event CHSI Stitches. I can’t wait to share with you the six-page special on what the craft industry has to offer for the forthcoming year in terms of hot new products.

It’s time to get planning as it’s showtime – we catch up with the organisers behind that Frankfurt fair, Creativeworld and the US show, Creativation so you can map out which ones you need to visit.

I also look at some of the key trends that are influencing the craft sector and gone unicorn and amurugumi mad! Making for the home is an ever-growing area and whether your customer is into knitting, sewing or painting – there’s something for everyone in our homemakers feature (page 51). If you’re looking to improve your papercraft offering then we talk to some of the big names to see what’s hot (page 85).

Enjoy the issue!

Julie Bonnar Editor

103

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www. houseof alistair.com

NEXT WORKING DAY DELIVERY AS STANDARD • WE SELL THE COMPLETE RANGE OF BEACON ADHESIVES • A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE TO MEET ALL YOUR NEEDS!

View o u creativ r entire rang e e-distr ibution at .co.uk

T: 020 8953 2143 E: sales@creative-distribution.co.uk @craftsandhobby Unit 4, Lockwood Industrial Park, Mill Mead Road, London N17 9QP

www.creative-distribution.co.uk

industry news

industry news A round-up of news from the crafting industry NEW BRANDING FOR UK CRAFT SHOWS The UK’s leading lifestyle, craft and cake event’s organiser, ICHF Events has unveiled a major rebrand for its long-standing consumer craft shows. Formerly Stitching, Sewing & Hobbycrafts, the event visits Glasgow, Birmingham, London, Manchester and Exeter have been renamed The Creative Craft Show as part of a brand overhaul with new logos and a fresh new look.

Amy Last, Head of Marketing at ICHF Events said: “This is a hugely exciting time for us, and we’re pleased to be able to breathe new life into these much-loved shows. The rebrand is about taking the shows into the next phase, which will see all the features that exhibitors and visitors love, with fresh new ideas coming to fruition over the coming months.”

The high-end outdoor summer shows will also be getting a new look and feel and will be known as the Henley Country and Weald of Kent Country Craft Shows. The rebrand will go live from 2018. ICHF Events organise more than 25 shows in the UK each year.

For more information visit ichfevents.co.uk

AMPRY PUBLISHING COMES TO THE UK Search Press has just revealed that it will take over the exclusive distribution of Ampry Publishing in the UK and Europe. The following nine titles have just arrived in the Search Press warehouse – Rug Hooking with Deanne Fitpatrick, Celebration of Hand-Hooked Rugs 27, Designed By You, Hooked Carpetbags Handbags & Totes, Rug Hooking with Fancy Fibers and Celebration of Hand Hooked Rugs 26, Story Rugs and Their Storytellers, Introduction to Rug Hooking and Scrappy Hooked Rugs.

For more information and to stock go to the Search Press website, searchpress.com

CRAFTER’S COMPANION ANNOUNCES NEW COLLABORATION Crafter’s Companion has announced a new collaboration with talented designer Michelle Jackson-Mogford on a range of innovative new digital papercraft products.

Michelle has a wealth of industry experience behind her, having worked on several International design teams, featured in craft magazine publications and demonstrated on craft TV for a design software company, and is excited to bring her skills and expertise to Crafter’s Companion.

Michelle will be developing her own exclusive range of CD digital kits, which will be manufactured and distributed

by Crafter’s Companion across its website, in craft stores and on TV shopping channel Hochanda. “I’m honoured and thrilled to be joining the Crafter’s Companion family.

Designed by crafters for crafters, that’s important to me and I hope that it reflects in my collections. I’m so excited to share all my arty goodness with you. I know with Crafter’s Companion behind my collections will be the best they can be,” commented Michelle about the exciting collaboration.

With so many printable mediums, the collections will cover everything from cardmaking to home décor, mixed media and scrapbooking, and will cater for all skill levels. Michelle’s first triple-CD collection, the Monet-inspired Lilies & Light, will be released in December with more to follow.

Crafter’s Companion founder Sara Davies MBE, says, “We’re so pleased to have Michelle on board! Her collections will be inspired by the great artists and promise to be truly inspirational for experienced crafters and budding digital artists alike. We’re really excited about the creative digital kits Michelle will be bringing to our customers.”

To find out more visit crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk craftfocus 7

industry news

GOO IS GRIPPING THE NATION Filtering over from the US, slime, goo or silly putty is becoming a popular thing to make and children are loving it! It’s ideal for arts and crafts camps, cub and scout meetings, craft project or just an all-round fun activity.

Parents and children are searching shelves for glue to make slime, and Beacon’s clear slime glue is the perfect base for any young person’s favourite recipe. Slime glue dries clear, or in your chosen colour, it easily cleans up with water. It’s fun and easy to use – simply add your desired colour, some baking soda and away you slime! Creative Products Distribution is the appointed distributor of the Beacon Adhesive range. For further information and the latest price list, email sales@creative-distribution.co.uk or ring sales on +44 (0)20 8953 2143.

CREATIVE WORKSHOPS FOR NORTHEAST GALLERY Newcastle-based art gallery, The Biscuit Factory, is crafting a new workshop programme this winter. The gallery is the UK’s largest independent arts, craft and design gallery, and has teamed up with a number of northern makers and artists to host a series of interactive workshops, including Jarrow-based duo Muddy Fingers Pottery, paper cut artist Emma Boyes, who lives in the Lake District, and screen printer and up-cycling extraordinaire Kim Searle.

For the first time, the seasonal programme includes special festive themed activities, offering participants the chance to make their own Christmas cards, tree decorations, tags and wrapping paper. The workshops take place throughout December 2017 and January 2018, and are aimed at all abilities.

To find out more visit thebiscuitfactory.com

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AN EVER-GROWING TEAM Dannells, the company behind the Needcraft brand, specialising in professional lampshade kits, has appointed a new Head of European Sales, to develop its Needcraft brand with existing and new customers across UK, Europe and the rest of the world.

Simon Duncan joined the business in early October. He comes with a wealth of experience in developing sales across all customer categories within the craft and hobby Industry and building retail merchandising concepts. From his previous roles with Crafter’s Companion and Creative Hobbies Groups, he’s able to give Dannells a deep understanding on penetrating and growing its Needcraft kits to the wider Craft and Hobby industry. His experience in Europe will also help define a clear cohesive strategy into each specific country market.

Simon said, “I’m absolutely delighted to join Dannells, the potential with our brands and products, both in the UK and internationally, is huge. I’m excited by the thought of what Needcraft kits can deliver through inspirational ideas on varying fabric craft styles with stamping, stenciling and dyeing, there are so many variables to make bespoke lampshades. The creative possibilities for consumers and soft craft retailers are endless.

The team at Dannells is dedicated, fun people with a total focus on customer care, something close to my heart, which builds strong customer partnerships.”

For more information on the Needcraft range, visit Dannells website dannells.com.

industry news

MAKEDO PARTNERS WITH LITTLECONCEPTS Makedo is a cardboard construction system for 21st century thinking, making and play. Developed by designer Paul Justin in Melbourne, Makedo has been hailed as the ‘Best Toy Ever’ by Wired magazine.

Children learn by doing, creating, experimenting, failing and succeeding. The creations then open the door to imaginative play. Makedo can be enjoyed by anyone from 4 years to 99 years of age. The range features two main play sets including the Toolkit 030 and the Toolset 360. There are also six add-on packs featuring extra parts and tools. The pack retails from £8.99. littleCONCEPTS launched the product at Top Drawer in London and has started working with new retailers to bring the product to new consumers around the UK and Ireland. littleCONCEPTS co-founder, Luke de la Mare is delighted to be working with the innovative brand: “We love the sustainability ethos that comes from the find, re-use and recycle element of utilising discarded cardboard to become a universally available, free and unlimited building block. We also believe a big focus in the education at the moment is Stem learning, and we’re seeing more parents looking for a Stem related product to use at home, and Makedo fits that bill!”

For further information on the range visit littleconcepts.co.uk PART OF THE FAMILY In November OTTOBRE design launched its first OTTOBRE family issue. This new edition has been published specifically in response to the growing demand for patterns for both men and older teens, and it will complete their already highly successful range of fashion and pattern magazines for kids and women.

The new issue includes 10 menswear designs including jeans, trousers, shirts, T-shirts, sweatshirts and boxer briefs – basically all the patterns you need to sew a complete casual wardrobe, and also in wide range of sizes.

OTTOBRE models include both older teens and men allowing readers to visualise the garments on wearers of all ages and with different builds.

You’ll also find six fashionable patterns in smaller sizes aimed at younger women, two dress patterns for plus-sized ladies, and two versions of a chic linen bathrobe, which would make a perfect Christmas gift.

As usual, there are simple patterns for beginners and more challenging pieces for the more experienced sewer. You can browse the online catalogue of magazines including the new family issue on the website below.

If you’re interested in becoming an OTTOBRE design retailer email – ottobre.retailers@ottobredesign.com or to find out more about the publications visit ottobredesign.com

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JONES CRAFT TO DISTRIBUTE THE DRESS IT UP BUTTON BRAND Jones Craft is now a UK distributor for the novelty buttons from the American Dress it Up brand, who is a leader in button embellishments.

The customer can take a creative, imaginative and fun embellishment and customise their projects.

The buttons come in an extensive range of novelty shapes and designs including a ladybug, ballet slippers, footballs, cupcakes, flowers, sunglasses, dogs, cats, trains, planes and automobiles. Almost every theme imaginable is included, and tastes covered. Buttons are a versatile embellishment and can be used on most craft surfaces such as fabric, paper, wood, frames, wear-ables, and jewellery and customers will fall in love with the Dress it Up range.

To stock get in contact with Jones Crafts, jones-crafts.com

industry news

AS PRETTY ON THE OUTSIDE Alistair Macdonald from House of Alistair has just designed the Eastman Tailor 22S sewing machine in rose gold, which will be exclusively sold in John Lewis with other machine designs available for wholesale. The good news is that other colours including lace blue, lace white, pink lace, zebra and leopard print are available to the trade.

The striking sewing machine from Eastman Staples is perfect for a range of dressmaking and craft projects and can tackle lightweight fabrics to heavier fabrics such as denim. It features 22 stitch options including embroidery and an automatic four-step buttonhole, and has a handy reverse button, lock stitch facility, thread cutter and can be used with a twin needle. It also comes with a darning plate, bobbin, screwdriver, needle pack, zipper foot, seam ripper, buttonhole foot, oil and twin needle, and will retail at £199.

To stock email alistair@houseofalistair.com CRAFT AND HELP THE HOMELESS National homelessness charity Crisis is calling on keen knitters, craft enthusiasts and people with sewing and alteration skills to help boost homeless people’s self-esteem at their temporary centres this festive season.

In its 50th anniversary year, Crisis at Christmas runs from 22nd - 29th December, 2017 with centres set to open across London, Birmingham, Newcastle, Coventry and Edinburgh. As well as warmth, companionship and hot meals, guests will receive healthcare and specialist advice on housing, work and benefits.

The sewing service team plays a vital role carrying out repairs to guests’ clothing and belongings, with a variety of roles on offer from experts at making and repairing clothes to keen enthusiasts who can help with basic tasks such as sewing on buttons and taking up hems.

There are also roles available for people to run craft sessions in everything from knitting to T-shirt making, helping guests try something new and develop their skills.

Long-term volunteer Kerry Smith said: “I started volunteering at Crisis five years ago after signing up as a general volunteer. Giving a little bit of my time to help others felt like the right thing to do.

From the second I walked in I knew I had made the right decision.

Seeing all the services available to those who needed it most and the enormous part the volunteers play in making it all happen blew me away!”

One in four homeless people will face spending Christmas alone this year. With the homelessness crisis worsening, Crisis says the centres are needed now more than ever.

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MORE FROM ART GALLERY FABRIC ‘Indie Folk’ by Pat Bravo is the last instalment of Pat’s Indie trilogy. This collection expresses a visual story of Pat’s love for folklore and the world around her. Ornamental florals and minimalistic ethnic designs are splashed with saturated colours for sewing eclectic projects with a trendy twist. The collection is made from 100 per cent premium cotton making it quality fabric for sewers for dressmaking, quilting and other stitching projects. Art Gallery Fabrics’ collections are distributed in the UK by Hantex.

To find out more visit the company’s website hantex.co.uk

Sewing volunteers mending items by Jeff Hubbard for Crisis

“Without our volunteers, Crisis at Christmas simply wouldn’t exist to help provide a warm, safe place to those with nowhere to call home. It’s because of their generosity that we can bring thousands of people friendship, support, and life-changing services each and every Christmas. And though we work all year round to help people experiencing homelessness – we know that the Christmas season should be a special time for everyone and that no one should have to spend it alone,” says Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis.

“So as our charity turns 50, we’ll work harder than ever to make homelessness a thing of the past. And until then our volunteers will remain at the heart of what we do,” Jon adds.

Crisis at Christmas centres are run by thousands of volunteers from all walks of life register now at crisis.org.uk/volunteer

industry news

UK’S FIRST TV CHANNEL DEDICATED TO SEWING AND QUILTING On air and behind the scenes, the team of top industry experts work hard to bring Sewing Quarters viewers tons of exciting projects. Whether you’re into dressmaking, bag making, piecing, patchwork or quilting – you’ll learn something new every day.

The online shop is packed with tools, haberdashery essentials and fabulous fabrics – from simple solids to designer gems. And with the 30-day money back guarantee and single daily postage charge, customers can shop with confidence. If you’re interested in working with the team, contact Ian Munro (buyer) via email at ian.munro@immediate.co.uk.

To find out more, tune in daily from 8am to 12 noon on Freeview 78 or go online at sewingquarter.com.

CSS INDUSTRIES, INC. ACQUIRES SIMPLICITY CREATIVE GROUP CSS Industries Inc, a leading consumer products company within the seasonal, celebrations and craft markets, has announced that it has just completed the acquisition of Simplicity Creative Group (Simplicity) from Wilton Brands LLC for $64 million subject to certain closing and post-closing adjustments.

Simplicity is a leading provider of home sewing patterns, decorative trims, knitting and crocheting tools, needle arts and kids’ crafts products under the Simplicity, Wrights, Boye, Dimensions, and Perler brand names. Simplicity’s products are sold to mass-market retailers, specialty fabric and craft chains, wholesale distributors and online customers.

“A key component of our strategy is to strengthen and expand our portfolio in core markets through new product development and complementary acquisitions,” says Christopher J. Munyan, CSS President and Chief Executive Officer. “Simplicity’s pattern business is the perfect complement to our recently acquired McCall business, and the other product lines expand our reach into adjacent markets such as kids’ crafts and needle arts.

Simplicity has built a strong portfolio of well-established brands in the craft industry, and we welcome their talented team to CSS.”

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN TECH AND CRAFT Craftiv8 is a start up technology and craft company, whose aim is to join technology and traditional crafting. Craftiv8 formed in February 2017 and its first product is Galactic Plastic, which combines a new material with traditional marbling and resin working styles. The company successfully launched the product back in the summer on Hochanda and aim to bring it to a larger audience and continue to expand the range of art and technology crafts.

Galactic Plastic started out its life initially in medical devices to help with lower limb conditions such as Hip Dysplasia and Cerebral Palsy. It became Galactic when one of the researchers added in some interesting pigmentation. The one-of-a-kind sculpting material is colourful, flexible, skin safe, low melting and has almost no smell. It’s easy to work with low power heat tools, and bendable at 60oC and you can marble and change the colour of it at 90oC and use it with silicone moulds. It has a lot of exciting craft uses and you can view the video and images on the company’s Facebook facebook.com/ galacticplastic or visit the website galacticplastic.co.uk.

COLOUR, CRAFT, CREATE Sandra Rushton is an artist and avid crafter with a passion for combining her original hand-drawn artwork with craft to create original pieces for use in paper craft and multimedia projects.

Sandra first appeared on Hochanda in January 2017 with a range of inspirational journals.

Stamp sets and card kits accompanied the range, and in February, the first of two A4 colouring and decoupage books became available with step-by-step instructions for blending alcohol markers, pencils and coloured examples providing inspiration.

Her latest book Timepieces & Other Curiosities offers a Steampunkthemed range of hand-drawn images in different sizes that can be coloured in a range of media. A watercolour edition is also available, which uses high quality watercolour paper, and is ideal for any waterbased media. Stencils are a new addition accompanying the book, the first of many new products moving forward into 2018.

For more information visit sandrarushton.co.uk craftfocus 15

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brand spanking new

brand spanking new An exclusive round-up of the newest product offerings

Making an entrance Envelopes Ltd has just launched a new range of coloured holographic bubble bags. In addition to its already-popular silver holographic bubble bags, the company now has added red, green and gold colours.

The spectacular eye-catching bags have an original holographiceffect design and come in three sizes to choose from, giving your customers the perfect way of grabbing their undivided attention.

Gifts galore 30 Gifts in 30 Days (ISBN 9781590128503) retails att £8.99 and is published byy Search Press. The book includes simple projects that can be made in a day, and include hats, scarves, booties, coasters, dishcloths, coin purse, basket, afghans, pillowcase edging and more.

It’s sure to be a go-to book for quick gifts, and contains projects, which are simple enough for beginners to follow. Author Bendy Carter is a renowned crochet designer, has written more than a dozen books, designed for celebrities, and hundreds of her patterns have been published in magazines, free leaflets and purchased by yarn companies.

Envelopes Ltd +44 (0)1628 810 000 sales@simply-envelopes.co.uk simply-envelopes.co.uk

Search Press +44 (0)1892 510 850 sales@searchpress.com searchpress.com

Your colour, your way Become your own designer with the Make & Paint kit.

The kit allows crafters to make a professional flame retardant lampshade that can be painted with the prelaminated textile panel, which is also included in the kit.

Use your own methods of dragging, rolling, sponging, dabbing and even using stamps and block printing to make beautiful decorative effects when the lampshade is lit.

The kits are also available as trade and workshop packs for easy stocking in retail outlets and workshops. To complement the kit, Dannells’ is now stocking a range of acrylic paint in 23 striking fashionable colours.

Dannells’ NeedCraft +44 (0)1992 700 311 info@dannells.com dannells.com

On fire Creative Beadcraft has just added some fabulous new colours to its extensive range of 4mm, 6mm and 8mm fire-polished bead including metallic rainbow colours, subtle chalk shades and vibrant Picasso effects.

Czech fire-polished beads are one of their best sellers as they’re so versatile, high quality and great value. The facetted shape catches the light adding sparkle and interest to jewellery pieces. Use them in designs on their own, with plain colours for contrast or combine them with some of the other Czech beads available in the beautiful colours from superduos and seed beads to multi-hole beads such as CzechMates, nib-bits and diamonduos. The beads are competitively priced as Creative Beadcraft buys direct from the Czech factories. They’re available loose and on retail-ready strings.

Creative Beadcraft +44 (0)1494 786 924 beads@creativebeadcraft.co.uk creativebeadcraft.co.uk

craftfocus 19

brand spanking new

Ready for longstitch Showing they’re more than just a cross stitching company, RIOLIS has been growing its longstitch collection, and the latest designs are these four seasonal miniatures.

Each kit comes with 13-count Zweigart interlock canvas with a colour printed design, wool/acrylic threads, needle and clear instructions. The finished designs are 6cm square, and retail at £5.99 RRP, which makes them an affordable introduction to a new craft for a beginner or youngster. The little Christmas house would make a great stocking filler.

SoloCrafts +44 (0)161 464 7313 sales@solocrafts.com solo-crafts.com Mermaid mad Your customers can make a real splash with the fantastic new products from FMM Sugarcraft. The under the sea theme is so popular at the moment and these new products are right on trend! Mermaid Tails is a set of two cutters, which create lovely mermaid tail decorations in two sizes. The larger size can be used as a cake topper for the main cake, and the smaller size to decorate the accompanying themed cupcakes. The mermaid tails can be dusted with edible coloured dust once completely dry to create a beautiful shimmering effect.

Continuing on with the sea theme is the Under the Sea tappit set, which contains a starfish, sea horse, fish, octopus and shell so bakers can create fun cakes for all types of occasions from children’s birthday parties to weddings on the beach!

FMM Sugarcraft +44 (0)1442 292 970 sales@fmmsugarcraft.com fmmsugarcraft.com 20 craftfocus

Cross in the capital The Fei Collection is developing a new range of London Landmark needlepoint kits. The collection of designs is aimed at encouraging visiting stitchers to purchase, take home, and recreate their own piece of iconic London.

First in the series is Palace of Westminster featuring the world’s most famous clock, Big Ben, and HMS Belfast on the River Thames silhouetted by London’s iconic Tower Bridge. Over the coming months, more new needlepoint kits of iconic London will be added including the Tower of London.

All the needlepoint pincushion kits contain English Appleton wool, quality 12-count Zweigart interlock canvas, needle, chart, instruction, backing material and stuffing.

The Fei Collection +44 (0)1594 516 771 sales@feicollection.co.uk feicollection.co.uk

Feline friends Peter Underhill’s ‘Purrfect Fit’ is another addition to the Crazy Cat Lady range, which cat lovers, crossstitch and fans of this collection will love.

Here she’s enjoying the warmth of one of her cats who has wrapped himself around her neck.

The kit measures 12cm x 16cm and is available on 27-count evenweave fabric and on 14-count aida. It retails for £18.99.

Heritage Crafts +44 (0)1889 575 256 sales@hcrafts.com hcrafts.com

brand spanking new Go large The Wild at Heart and Woodland Wonder collection has taken decoupage to another scale. The ranges make decoupage incredibly easy where customers simply layer up base images with the included decoupage die-cut elements using foam pads to create a stunning level of depth and dimension.

Crafters can create up to eight amazing layers of decoupage on their cards with beautiful rich gold foiling borders and accents the die-cut elements.

The Wild at Heart collection takes an up-close look at iconic safari scenes, perfectly capturing beautifully majestic creatures in their natural habitats and the Woodland Wonder range celebrates the countryside, with a gorgeous selection of stunning nature scenes featuring animals.

Hunkydory Crafts +44 (0)1772 272 575 trade@hunkydorycrafts.co.uk trade.hunkydorycrafts.co.uk

Make your marquetry Peak Dale Products has been working closely with award-winning Marquetarian Quentin Smith to come up with four new kits – Anna, Bella, Chloe and The Sunset Girls.

Marquetry is the art of applying slices of veneer to a board to create a design. The new kits are ideal for beginners and professionals, and contain everything you need to get started with Marquetry including full step-by-step instructions, wooden veneers and the tools.

The finished product is a beautiful, wooden piece sized 24cm x 18cm that will also fit into a standard sized frame so you can hang and display your work of art.

Peak Dale Products +44 (0)129 878 447 sales@peakdaleproducts.co.uk peakdaleproducts.co.uk 22 craftfocus

An era of cute companions It’s ‘Raining Cats and Dogs’ from Graphic 45 is a new deluxe collectors edition to celebrate our favourite furry canine and feline friends.

Precious pets are very special family members, and card makers will love the rich colours and perfect pages filled with these playful pals. Each set includes 24 loose sheets of paper (two of each 12 decorative double-sided papers), new cardstock stickers, and decorative chipboard.

Graphic 45 is distributed by Jones Crafts +44 (0)115 978 1263 craftsales@jonesnottm.co.uk www.jones-crafts.com Happy colouring edding's Colour Happy Box includes 20 brushpens in light and luminous colours in 10 brand new shades plus the innovative brushpen colour mixer – the only tool that you’ll need to transform 20 colours in to 190 shades.

The Colour Happy Big Box consists of 70 products, including 20 brushpens, the brushpen colour mixer, 30 fibrepens, 12 fineliners, five gel rollers, one profipen, and the brand new Pastel Pen-Soft White. The white pen is the first semi-transparent for creating pastel shades and special bright white highlights. The innovative cardboard box itself looks fantastic on your desk, thanks to its clean, modern appearance, and the sleeve provides you with inspirations, step-by-step instructions and hints and tips. So whether it’s hand lettering, sketching or colouring-in, the edding Colour Happy Boxes provide the ultimate creative escape to help you unwind and relax. edding UK +44 (0)1727 896 112 info@edding.co.uk edding.co.uk

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PAPERCRAFT & SCRAPB O OKING SHOWS

PAPERCRAFT SHOWS Thetford, Norfolk - Sunday 28th January Maidstone, Kent - Sunday 4th February Leigh, Lancashire - Sunday 4th March Newark, Nottinghamshire - Sunday 15th April Taunton, Somerset - Sunday 13th May Portsmouth, Hampshire - Sunday 10th June Edinburgh, Scotland - Saturday 16th June If you are interested in exhibiting at any of our shows, please contact Graham on 01634 686823

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www.sincerely-yours-shows.co.uk

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brand spanking new

Dinosaur delights Esoterra by Katarina Roccella is one of the latest fabric collections from Art Gallery Fabrics. The fabric range brings to life an extinct luscious land where beautiful and exotic creatures roamed.

Katarina captures the archaeological essence of this mysterious world with lush foliage, rugged textures enhanced by deep green, dark teals, greys and hints of fuchsia. The fabric range consists of knit, canvas, rayon and cottons and is perfect for all sorts of projects for all the family.

Art Gallery Fabrics’ collections are distributed in the UK

by Hantex +44 (0)1754 820 800 sales@hantex.co.uk hantex.co.uk Rumble in the jungle Wrendale’s countryside designs have been such a hit in crossstitch that Bothy Threads has decided to let some wilder animals loose on the cross-stitch scene.

The new jungle designs are all worked on the company’s specially printed 14-count speckle Aida with charts and pre-sorted stranded cottons. The four designs include Bamboozled featuring a giant panda nibbling bamboo; Age Is Irrelephant stars a couple of elephants; Love Is shows mother and baby orangutans and Parrot On Parade is a very striking Pretty Polly.

Bothy Threads +44 (0)1900 828 844 info@bothythreads.com bothythreads.com

Resisting colouring Resistad from Jacquard is the world’s top performing water-based gutta, and is the preferred resist by silk artists all over the globe.

Resistad’s one-of-a-kind chemistry offers all the advantages of both permanent and removable resists without any of the disadvantages, making it the ultimate tool for any Serti artist.

It comes in a concentrated formula for viscosity control, and is great for any application method, from hand-pipetting to screenprinting and stamping. It’s easily coloured, which extends creativity with gutta, as design elements can now be any colour the artist chooses.

Resistad is extremely soft on silk, barely changing the hand of the fabric at all, making it great for both fine art and functional silk art applications. Its superior hydro-phobicity allows for new levels of detail. Used on any lightweight silk, cotton or other fabric, it creates a barrier for colour that’s unsurpassed.

Jacquard is distributed by Art Van Go +44 (0)1438 814 946 art@artvango.co.uk artvango.co.uk All things steampunk Crafter’s Companion has launched a brand-new stamp range designed by artist Donna Ratcliff. The innovative hand drawn designs fuse images of nature with the mechanical elements of steampunk, resulting in some seriously creative stamps for all kinds of different papercraft projects.

There are a total of six un-mounted rubberstamp sets in the range, with whimsical designs including butterflies, flowers and animals. The stamps are perfect for use with a range of different colouring and art mediums, and are sure to be a big hit with fans of steampunk.

Crafter’s Companion +44 (0)1388 660 930 trade@crafterscompanion.co.uk crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk

craftfocus 25

shows and events

shows, news and events We update you on what’s happening with a round-up of the shows

WHAT’S DIFFERENT FOR CHSI STITCHES FOR 2018 CHSI Stitches is your chance to make new business contacts, promote your products and take orders for the year ahead. The unrivalled trade buyer database ensures craft retailers can make high quality contacts for better return on investment than ever before.

ROI is what it all comes down to, so the organisers ICHF Events is going to make that database work for you like it never has before!

Here are just some of the new features the show has to offer: New Creative Forum - The Insights Keynote Lecture brings four years of research on the UK creative craft market to visitors for free. This powerful incentive will get buyers through the doors.

New Product Showcase – Get your products the exposure they deserve, and generate sales and interest for 2018. This crucial area (sponsored by Craft Focus) is being expanding and developed.

New Creative Catwalk – This area aims to bring your products alive to buyers and retailers with a newly located catwalk and updated production.

New exhibitor VIP area – For business meetings and networking plus let’s be honest for socialising with new and loyal clients that you might only get to meet once a year!

If you’re interested in exhibiting there are still a few spaces available – contact Dominic Fleming on +44 7973 670 219 or email dominicf@ichf.co.uk or visit chsi.co.uk

THE ONLY CURATED DESIGN-LED SHOW RETURNS Top Drawer, the creative powerhouse for inspired retailers, returns to London in January. The spring/summer 18 edition will present more than 1,500 leading and undiscovered UK and international brands, expertly curated and chosen for their beautiful design, exceptional quality, originality and commercial appeal. The show covers an extensive range of sectors from Craft, Home, Gift, Fashion, Greetings and Stationery, Children’s, Wellbeing, Spotted and Food Emporium.

The show provides access to this season’s hottest new design-led products giving buyers the ultimate choice for a successful season, and will bring thousands of refreshingly diverse and innovative products under one roof from leading names both in the UK and abroad to offer creative retailers exceptional choice for the season ahead. Top Drawer is the essential platform for buyers sourcing the very best in class across every product category this spring.

For more information visit the website topdrawer.co.uk

DIARY DATES Top Drawer When: 14th - 16th January, 2018 Where: Olympia, London Web: topdrawer.co.uk Scotland’s Trade Fair Spring When: 21st - 23rd January, 2018 Where: SECC, Glasgow Web: scotlandstradefairs.co.uk ASWS Creative & Hobby Show When: 22nd - 23rd January, 2018 Where: Expo Houten, Utrecht, The Netherlands +31 (0)172 575 888 Web: asws.nl Toy Fair When: 23rd - 25th January, 2018 Where: Olympia, London Web: toyfair.co.uk

Creativation When: 18th - 22nd January, 2018 Where: Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona +1 201 835 1203 Web: creativationshow.org

Christmasworld When: 26th - 30th January 2018 Where: Frankfurt am Main +44 (0)1483 483 983 Web: christmasworld. messefrankfurt.com

Creativeworld When: 27th - 30th January, 2018 Where: Frankfurt am Main +44 (0)1483 483 983 Web: creativeworld. messfrankfurt.com

Floradecora When: 26th - 29th January, 2018 Where: Frankfurt am Main +44 (0)1483 483 983 Web: floradecora. messefrankfurt.com

Paperworld When: 27th - 30th January, 2018 Where: Frankfurt am Main +44 (0)1483 483 983 Web: paperworld.messefrankfurt.com

AEF Pro Paris When: 9th - 11th February, 2018 Where: Pavilion 5, Paris Porte de Versailles, France Web: aef-pro-paris.com

h+h Cologne When: 23rd - 25th March, 2018 Where: Koelnmesse, Cologne Web: hh-cologne.com CHSI Stitches When: 18th - 20th February, 2018 Where: NEC, Birmingham +44 (0)1425 272 711 Web: chsi.co.uk Taipei International Gift and Stationery Show When: 19th - 22nd April, 2018 Where: Hall 1, Taipei World Trade Exhibition Web: giftionery.net

craftfocus 27

TOYS AND HOBBIES This January, the 65th annual Toy Fair takes place at London’s Olympia. Toy Fair is the UK’s largest toy, game and hobby trade exhibition. More than 250 exhibiting companies launch new product lines and inventions at the show, visited by retailers, buyers, and media from across the wider toy industry.

Toy Fair brings together the biggest internationals, newest startup companies, and one-man bands under one roof. For craft businesses and retailers alike, Toy Fair is an opportunity to discover new products and connections.

At the Toy Fair 2018, there are many craft-related exhibitors such as 1 Two Kids, launching the Sophie La Giraffe knitting range by Stitch & Story, and Great Gizmos, with its mould and paint Unicorns sets. Milly&Flynn will also launch its licensed ART NINJA craft range at the show, based on the BBC’s hit art series for children. This range includes a robot string puppet, screenprinting set, and shadow puppet theatre kit.

Models and painting kits will also be showcased by companies such as Battle Front Miniatures, the MiniMaster Sports Company, and UGears Mechanical Models will be exhibiting their new generation mechanical construction kits for kids and adults.

For more information on exhibitors and to register for tickets, visit toyfair.co.uk PAPERWORLD’S EXTENSIVE PROGRAMME OFFERING Paperworld’s complementary programme will offer a wide variety of inspiration for commerce and industry, introducing new perspectives on the future of the paper, office supplies and stationery sector.

In a comprehensive programme, the trade fair will be presenting to its visitors the innovations for tomorrow’s workplace (visionary office) and the trends in paper and stationery products for private use (stationery trends). Visionary office will feature commercial office supplies and equipment, while Stationery trends will present products relating to school, giving, writing and lifestyle. This will make it easier for trade visitors to orientate themselves around the eight hall floors and the 1,500 exhibitors.

“We’re investing in a very varied, high-quality supplementary programme, in order to establish Paperworld’s position as a networking and training platform, and also to give the sector new impulses and bring supply and demand even closer together,” says Michael Reichhold, Director of Paperworld.

It’s free of charge to participate and a digital events calendar is available on the Paperworld website. Here, visitors will be able to find all the events at a glance, and put together their own personal programme to make efficient use of their visit to the fair.

After its successful premiere last year, the Future Office special show will begin its next round in Hall 3.0, C71, and this time the main theme will be health. Those who want to experience healthy aspects of office work, should first make themselves aware of the bad factors in everyday office life. The starting point of the show, therefore, is

28 craftfocus

the Bad Office, where all aspects of an unhealthy office atmosphere prevail. The planning and design of the Office of the Future has been undertaken by the internationally known architect André Schmidt from the Berlin firm, Matter, on behalf of Messe Frankfurt.

The Trend Show in the foyer between Halls 5.1 and 6.1 will showcase trends for the 2018/19 season and provide retailers with ideas for putting together their product ranges and designing their retail shops.

On behalf of Messe Frankfurt, designers from the style studio bora. herke.palmisano are picking up on trends in fashion, architecture and art and adapting them for the paper, office supplies and stationery products world. For ‘visionary office’ the designers have put together ideas for the ‘Work + Challenge’ trend. ‘Stationery trends’ is illustrated by two style worlds, ‘Minimal + Excellent’ and ‘Spirit + Ambition’.

Other special show features to look out for include Mr. Books & Mrs. Paper in Hall 5.1, aimed at booksellers and retailers who would like to put books, stationery, and writing products together skilfully. The BMWi promotional area (Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy – BMWi)) in Hall 6.1, young start-up companies will showcase what they have to offer in terms of fresh ideas and unconventional products. The Greetings Card Competence Centre in Hall 5.1, in collaboration with the Working Group of Greeting Card Manufacturers and Publishers (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Gruß- und Glückwunschkarten - AVG) will showcase all there is to know about greetings cards. The gift wrapping show, Wrap Up!, in Hall 5.1, will show visitors tips and tricks for wrapping gifts quickly and attractively. The Oriental Culture exhibition will showcase a piece of the Orient with sophisticated arts and crafts products that combine traditional design and Far Eastern features.

To register visit paperworld.messefrankfurt.com

H+H COLOGNE TO TARGET KEY CRAFT AREAS h+h cologne will opens its gates in Cologne in March and all of the signs indicate that the international trade fair for creative handicraft and hobby supplies is going to add a further chapter to its success story. More than 320 companies have booked over 90 per cent of the planned exhibition space. “h+h cologne offers the international trade visitors a market overview that is unique in this form. The trade can establish new customer contacts, strengthen existing business relations and exchange ideas on the marketing concepts of tomorrow with professionals from all over the world more efficiently here than at any other fair,” says Catja Caspary, Vice President at Koelnmesse.

In addition to the comprehensive industry offerings, the targetgroup specific supporting programme is considered to be one of the key factors of the fair’s success. High-quality speakers will pick up on the trend themes of the industry again next year and acknowledged experts will present information and strategies that are tailored to meet the needs of the trade. The offer will once again be rounded off by a trend fashion show put on by the members of Initiative THE ONLY FRENCH ANNUAL EVENT DEDICATED TO THE NEEDLE AND CRAFT MARKET AEF PRO PARIS is a professional event of the craft, haberdashery and textile market in Paris. This is its 9th year and it will be held at the same time as Aiguille en Fête.

B2C show. Joining the two shows together gives AEF PRO a more dynamic and innovative business model, and makes it a major annual meeting place but allowing the two shows to keep their own identity yet with and obvious synergy between the two.

At the show you can meet French but also international suppliers, wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers, as well as new designers and increase your network on the French craft market. Discover the trends and new products for the forthcoming year. The trade exhibition show brings together designers in textile and craft creation, yarn, haberdashery, fabric, thread, embroidery, patchwork, sewing machines but also scrapbooking, beads, cardboard, decoration, and other creative activities complementary to the textile world.

To find out more visit the website aef-pro-paris.com 30 craftfocus

Handarbeit (Handicraft Initiative), a target group-oriented workshop programme, as well as numerous special activities with artists and various institutions.

2017 saw a record attendance of more than 16,000 top decisionmakers and buyers from 75 countries visiting, and the number of visitors from abroad rose by 16 per cent. “The continual growth in the number of trade visitors and exhibitors as well as the ever-increasing internationalisation confirm impressively the outstanding significance of h+h cologne as the leading international trade fair of the textile handicraft industry,” commented Katharina C. Hamma, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH. Handicrafts continue to be a popular leisure time activity. This can also be seen from the market figures, which the association Initiative Handarbeit announced in Cologne. The DIY scene is changing, and becoming more diversified, younger and more closely networked.

Today, consumers are increasingly surfing the web and looking for new ideas. Suppliers and distributors should work together much more closely online and offline in order to optimally serve the consumers.

To find out more visit hh-cologne.com PARTNER FOR CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION The Taipei International Gift and Stationery Show (Giftionery Taipei) is the only and leading international gift and stationery show in Taiwan, rolls out its 72nd edition at the Taipei World Trade Exhibition Hall 1 in April, 2018.

The 2017 show attracted more than 514 exhibitors and 18,000 visitors, including 1,374 overseas buyers (an 18 per cent growth for the later).

Highlights include a preshow press conference, hot product launches, most popular product awards, seminars on global design trends and retail expansion and innovation workshop, one-to-one matchmaking meetings, and DIY workshops.

Potential exhibitors need to register for booth space before 31st December, 2017 and to get a 15 per cent early bird discount.

Easy visitor registration online is available at giftionery.net.

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CONSUMER CALENDAR Want to get your products in front of more customers?

We list the best UK-based consumer craft shows in the forthcoming months: Craft4crafters (craft4crafters.co.uk): 15th - 16th Feb: Westpoint, Exeter Crafting Live (craftinglive.co.uk) 25th Jan: Sandown Park racecourse, Esher

SUCCESSFUL SUMMER SEASON IN SCOTLAND POINTS TO POSITIVE SHOW IN JANUARY With retailers from all over Scotland reporting a healthy summer season, thanks largely to a strong tourist trade, there’s an air of optimism in the independent retail sector. This has clearly helped boost Scotland’s Trade Fair, which runs in January, where over three quarters of all stands are already booked. With more 450 exhibitors, about a quarter of who are new 2018, they will have plenty of crafts, gifts, homewares, fashion, accessories, food and drinks to choose from.

Key to the show is the Craft Gallery, where selected exhibitors will showcase their stunning crafts. In a new position at the show, this area provides a great opportunity for buyers to take in the high-quality craft offerings all together.

Exhibitors include Tessuti, Mixter Maxter, Michael James Hunter, Carla Edwards, Collingwood Norris, Kathryn Williamson, Olive Pearson Designs and HGR Jewellery.

Greater prominence has also been given to the Launch Gallery, where new, young companies have distinctive stands. This is always a rich source of inspiration and real excitement for both buyers and exhibitors.

Helen Crawford from The Old School Beauly said of the show, “Scotland’s Trade Fair is an essential part of our annual buying schedule. Not only is it a pleasure to attend and see the familiar faces with quality products that have stood the test of time but also a good deal of newness in Craft and the Launch Gallery. While we don’t specialise in Scottish products, we do try to source and offer the best of what is available and the Scottish Trade Fair is undoubtedly the place to find those absolute gems.”

The ever-popular Seminars will include talks from experts on social media for business, getting good Trip Advisor reviews, how to become digitally savvy and a practical look at using video to promote your business.

Mark Saunders, Director of Scotland’s Trade Fairs said, “It’s encouraging to see the high number of people wanting to exhibit at the show, reflecting strong sales in many retailers across the country. Visitors can be sure that our exhibitors have been selected to be the best possible collection of companies manufacturing high-quality products that sell from Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.”

To view the exhibitors list visit scotlandstradefairs.co.uk

Grosvenor patchwork & quilting shows (grosvenorshows.co.uk): 19th - 21st Jan: Newark Quilt Festival, The Lady Eastwood Centre 26th - 28th Jan: Spring Quilt Festival, South of England Showground, Ardingly 16th - 18th Feb: Spring Quilt Festival, Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland ICHF Events (ichfevents.co.uk): 1st - 3rd Feb: The Creative Craft Show, Manchester 8th - 11th Mar: The Creative Craft Show, Glasgow 8th - 11th Mar: The Scottish Quilt Show, Glasgow Sincerely Yours, papercraft shows (sincerely-yoursshows.info) 28th Jan: Thetford 4th Feb: Maidstone 4th Mar: Leigh Upper Street Events (upperstreetevents.net): 30th Nov - 3rd Dec, 2017: Country Living Harrogate Christmas Fair, HIC

CONSUMER SHOW NEWS CREATE IT EVENTS Stamp Addicts & Be Creative formed Create It Events to bring inspirational craft, hobby and art retail events to the market. The events offer free on-stand make and take space so that retailers can educate the consumer and increase their sales, as well as workshop space is available separately for those wishing to cater to larger groups.

With 25 years of personal experience exhibiting at retail events, Create It is a more inclusive experience for both exhibitors and attendees. Cost for exhibitors are kept as low as possible and making the event interactive, educational and fun for the visitors.

2018 is an exciting year for Create It Events Ltd. The organisers are 32 craftfocus

building on the success of the Kent 2017 show to create a bigger and better show for 19th - 20th May, 2018 at the Kent County Showground.

More than 70 per cent of 2017’s exhibitors have already confirmed their booking for next year, and expansion of the portfolio for 2018 is underway with some one day events around the country. Details will be announced soon. All Create It events is open to any companies wishing to exhibit. If you’d like to be added to the waiting list, email the team at sales@createitevents.com.

For more information visit createitevents.com

show preview

learn, connect and discover Andria Gibbon, Vice-President for Events & Education for Association For Creative Industries, discusses what January’s Creativation show has in store for its visitors Here at the AFCI offices, we’re gearing up for the final countdown to Creativation 2018.

While most people have calendars counting down to the holidays, our staff is centrally focused on January 18th – the day we start our Creativation University education program, and the beginning of our five day event in Phoenix, Arizona.

Our office is a buzz with finalising the plans for the new features at Creativation, such as the Creator Lounge, Tech Park and Camp Creativity, as well as bringing back some of the favourite features of 2017’s event, like the Bakery and Town Square.

If you haven’t experienced Creativation yet, we invite you to join us in Phoenix for a creative experience like no other. Stop by our website at creativationshow.org to register, book your housing, and check out all that you’ll learn, who you will connect with, and what there is to discover.

START YOUR SHOW JOURNEY Start your stay in Phoenix at one of the official discounted hotels, which you can book online. Rooms are starting to sell out, so we encourage you to book as soon as possible.

craftfocus 35

learn, connect and discover

A warm welcome Don’t miss the Newbie Welcome Session and the Icebreaker Happy Hour on Thursday evening. If you’re a first-timer to Creativation, we suggest attending the Welcome Session to find out what to do during your stay and to meet some new colleagues and industry associates.

The Icebreaker Happy Hour will follow the session, and this will be a good chance to grab a drink, network and make quality connections before the rest of the week begins. A ticket is required, so make sure to register for these sessions.

Fill your days on the shop floor Continue your experience with workshops and seminars during our education program and end Friday evening at the New Product Networking Event, where you’ll get an exclusive preview of exhibitors’ new products before the tradeshow floor opens. This is a great opportunity to meet the manufacturers 36 craftfocus

who created these products, plan which booths to visit the next morning, have a drink and network with your peers.

Saturday is filled with exciting events starting with breakfast and a presentation for our Industry and Hall of Fame Awards. Shortly

after we recognise prestigious colleagues, and welcome our Keynote Speaker Shama Hyder, who will be speaking on the topic of ‘Growing Your Brand in the Digital Age’ – a topic that is so pertinent in today’s times and important when trying to do business overseas.

show preview

After the Keynote, follow the excitement through our Brother Train Station lobby to the front doors of our Creativation City as we welcome all of our guests to explore the trade show floor. Enter in through Town Square and take a ride on our hop-on/hop-off tour bus to get a feel for what’s new and exciting throughout the Show.

Stop by the Edible Arts Shoppe, sponsored

by Satin Ice, to learn crafting in a ‘foodie’ way; Get information about new technology that can take your business into the future in the Tech Park; Pick up some delicious treats at our food truck and learn a new craft in the Artisan Fair; Learn the basics of painting in our

Art Studio featuring the Society of Decorative Painter’s new Make With Paint program, which teaches the how-tos of painting; Relive your summer camp days at Camp Creativity; and grab a beer or wine with your colleagues at the International Bistro.

There’s so much happening on the show floor that three days may not seem enough.

Don’t forget, throughout the show there will be chances to win donated prizes from our manufacturers – just drop your door prize ticket in the tumbler in Town Square.

Relax at the after party At the end of the day Sunday, head on out to

the shuttle pick up area and hop on one of our pedi-cabs to The After Party at The Duce.

Have fun dancing, eating, playing games and crafting with Michaels at this energetic networking event. Part of the ticket proceeds go to AFCI’s official charity – Kids in Need Foundation. Kids in Need will also be at The After Party accepting school supply donations.

All donations that value $25 USD or more will receive a drink ticket to help you enjoy your evening. Ticket is required to attend.

And don’t leave Phoenix early, as there’s still much more on Monday. You don’t want to miss The Ultimate Pitch Contest at 9.30 am, which will feature five of our Innovations Center finalists pitching their new product idea to a panel of judges for a chance to win $10,000.

Wow! I’m exhausted just thinking about everything that’s going into planning Creativation 2018. But I know that all of the hard work is worth it once those doors open and everyone is smiling, doing business, networking and enjoying the entire event!

We can’t wait to see you there!

Creativation 18th - 22nd January, 2018 Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona +1 201 835 1203 creativationshow.org craftfocus 39

Create an amazing marketing plan for 2018 Michael O’Connor, PR & Marketing expert from Grey Sergeant, discusses a marketing plan that’s easy to adopt for your business

With 2018 just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about how you will market your business for next year. The idea of a putting a plan into place can be quite daunting but your business doesn’t need a complex marketing strategy – it needs simple examples of these three components.

Anybody can put together a marketing plan, and there are dozens of templates and examples available on the web for every type of business strategy. It’s the writing that’s more of a challenge.

The first stage to writing an amazing marketing plan is to understand what marketing is, and what it’s not. And that can be difficult because the standard definition of marketing is a little fuzzy.

What is marketing?

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) 40 craftfocus

defines the term ‘marketing’ as,

“Identifying something that people or businesses want, and are prepared to pay for, or a problem that they would like solved, then developing a product or service that meets that need and then promoting it so that the audience is aware of its existence.”

In other words, marketing, at least as defined by the CIM, consists of everything that every business does everywhere and in every situation. The problem with fuzzy definitions is that they result in fuzzy concept and fuzzy planning. Indeed, most marketing

plans, especially those built from templates on the web, tend to be all over the place.

For a marketing plan to be amazing, it must be tight and focused. That’s only possible if you define the term with enough precision that it’s easy to see whether your plan will hit the mark. With that in mind, here’s the definition that works for me, “Marketing: the removal of obstacles to buying and selling.”

Here’s why that definition works: In an ideal world, buyers would always know exactly what they want and what they want would be instantly and universally buyable.

At the same time, sellers would always know what goods and services to create, and what they create would be instantly and universally sellable.

In the real world, there are many

business advice

obstacles to buying and selling. For example, consumers often don’t know what they want, they want more than they can afford, or they can’t decide which of two products is more important. Consumers can’t figure out how to budget and pay for a product, and all of these obstacles make buying less likely.

Similarly, manufacturers struggle to find consumers who’re willing to buy its products.

They must figure out how to get money from a customer, and then how to deliver products in return or how to customise those products – these are all obstacles that make selling more difficult.

Removing these problems increases the likelihood that buying and selling will take place. So that’s ‘marketing.’

What is amazing marketing?

Here’s a definition for amazing marketing: ‘Amazing Marketing: spending as little time and money as possible to remove as many of those obstacles as possible.”

An amazing marketing plan will have these three components: 1. Messages that potential customers find relevant and timely The thing to get in the way to buying and selling, is a potential customer’s lack of awareness of why the customer needs it. If your customers don’t get what you’re selling, they certainly aren’t going to buy it!

Unfortunately, most marketing messages are written from an inside looking out perspective. They concentrate on naming the product, placing it in a category, listing out its features and functions and, worst of all, on

this history of the company that made it.

An amazing marketing plan starts with messages, which create a connection in the customer’s mind between what the customer wants and needs right now, and what you have to offer. Without such messages, a marketing plan is worthless.

2. Measurable vehicles for disseminating those messages Once you’ve created messages that resonate with buyers, your next problem is the communication gap between you and your customers. Screaming your messages into the wind won’t do; if shoppers don’t hear the messages, they won’t buy.

There are, of course, at least a dozen ways to reach customers such as advertising, press releases, trade shows, websites, search engines, social media, signage, and so forth.

An amazing marketing plan will identify the communications channels that will work best.

What’s crucial here is measurability.

Without reasonable metrics, you don’t know whether your message is being heard, and even more importantly, whether it’s having the desired effect. For example, if you’re running a print advert, you measure before/ after sales in the region where the advert ran.

Similarly, if you’ve got a website, you measure the number of visitors who sign up for a free trial. Email marketing is always measurable.

An amazing marketing plan will identify the specific vehicles that you’ll use to disseminate your messages and, most importantly, how you’ll measure the success or failure of those vehicles.

3. Methods that easily and profitably convert prospects into customers Once you’ve got messages that work, and know how you’re going to get those messages in front of prospective customers, your final obstacle is removing the barriers that keep customers from buying. You do this by setting up efficient sales channels and programs.

These methods might include a trial usage period, online ordering, distribution network, retail placement, telesales, shared sales force (reps who sell products from multiple companies) or a dedicated sales force that only sells your product. The two important words here are ‘easily’ and ‘profitable’.

You want the buying method to be as easy as possible so that the mechanics of buying don’t get in the way. The easier it is to buy your product, the more of that product you’re likely to sell.

The other key concept is ‘profitable.’

Every sales method both costs money and determines to a certain extent the price that your product can command. For example, fielding a dedicated sales force is more expensive than offering a product online.

That extra expense is justifiable, however, if the product is too complex to sell online or if customers prefer to buy your category of product from a salesperson.

An amazing marketing plan will identify the methods by which you’ll sell your product and quantify the profit that selling through those methods will generate. It will then define, in brief, how you plan to develop those programs and channels.

If you’ve been reading carefully, you’ll notice that there’s really not all that much content in an amazing marketing plan. In fact, the most amazing marketing plans of all can be communicated in a single page or a couple of slides.

Michael O’Connor Grey Sergeant michael.oconnor@greysergeant.com craftfocus 41

celebrations with cakes Grace Clements, Managing Director of FMM SugarCrafts, explains how the company has been able to stay ahead of the cake decorating game Tell us a bit about the company and how it all began?

My parents Joe and Mary Clements started the business in 1948 working from home making filter coffee bags. They then expanded into making piping tubes, bags and aprons for the catering trade.

The business expanded further when we saw a gap in the market for sugarcraft tools and cake decorating equipment, and took the decision to develop this market, and we haven’t looked back!

FMM Sugarcraft celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2018. What makes the company withstand time and stand out from other companies in the sugarcraft sector?

From the very early days of the company, we quickly realised that to build a sustainable business we needed to offer superior customer service. Putting customers at the heart of our business has been the

cornerstone of our success. Listening to their needs and responding in a timely manner are all essential elements of our core values.

In addition to this, it’s important to bring new and innovative products to customers to stay ahead in this competitive market.

Are there any planned celebrations for 70 years in business that you can share with Craft Focus?

Lots of things are in the planning stage at the moment to celebrate this milestone year so I can’t say too much at this stage, but retailers should keep an eye on our social media channels for details as they emerge!

Is it important to the company that most of your products are made here in the UK? What important role does this play of the product quality?

Designing and manufacturing in the UK gives us greater control of the whole process from ensuring that the initial drawings are clear all the way through to checking the first sample that comes off the production line. Any issues or problems can be picked up straight away and addressed immediately.

Because everything is done on site in the UK, we can ensure consistent quality of our products and that the range is in constant supply – and no-one has to wait for a boat to arrive from China!

For those retailers who don’t know, explain what products you can offer retailers?

We offer an extensive range of sugarcraft tools and equipment designed to make cake decorations quicker and easier for bakers and cake decorators.

Over the past year, we’ve noticed that many people working with clays are using our cutters to cut the shapes for jewellery, gift tags and other decorations for greeting cards and even fridge magnets. In response to this demand, we’ve created a new brand FMM FunCraft, which offers a range of tools and cutters for crafters. We’ve even launched our own bright and light air-drying clay.

42 craftfocus

company profile Have often do you launch new products, and there any new ones in the pipeline for 2018?

We’re continually bringing new products to maket throughout the year, and have got a great selection of products that we’ll be launching in the spring of 2018.

What are your most popular products, and what products would you recommened to retailers that are considering stocking for this sector for the first time?

FMM SugarCrafts is probably best known for the innovative tappit range. These tools are perfect for making letters, numbers and shapes to decorate cakes and plaques. By ‘tapping’ the flexible strip on a board or side of a table, the individual motif is easy to remove.

Our best-selling lines include all the basic equipment required to get started with cake decorating such as a smoother impression mats to emboss the sugarpaste, and all the essential modelling tools.

The novelty cutter range is also extremly popular and includes a set of fluffy clouds, picket fences, and unicorns. Not only are these products great for beginners as they’re so easy and simple to use, they’re real time savers for busy cake professionals where time is money.

Our innovative Easiest Ever range has revolutionised the way people make sugar flowers – it takes minutes rather than hours to make a selection of pretty flowers. In addition to our first product – the easiest rose, we now have a carnation, peony and beautiful ranunculu set in the range.

With social media, image sharing and programmes like The Great British Bake Off – baking is definitely back in the limelight. How do you keep up with the trends?

FMM SugarCrafts constantly watches the trends that are emerging in areas such as hobbies, homeware, gifts and children’s toys to see what people are becoming interested in.

Monitoring different styles of cakes that are emerging is also part of what we do to ensure that our products are meeting market needs.

How can retailers get to see the FMM Sugarcraft ranges?

We have two websites now – fmmsugarcraft. com and fmmfuncraft.com or if retailers prefer to talk to someone, you can call +44 (0)1442 292 970 and we’ll be happy to give you any information you need.

FMM Sugarcraft +44 (0)1442 292 970 sales@fmmsugarcraft.com fmmsugarcraft.com fmmfuncraft.com craftfocus 43

show preview

have a nice DIY Craft Focus previews what Creativeworld has in store for 2018 and beyond DIARY DATE Creativeworld When: 27th - 30th January 2018 Where: Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany Who: Messe Frankfurt creativeworld.messefrankfurt.com Opening times: Saturday – Monday 9am to 6pm and Tuesday 9am to 5pm

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS Why crafting matters to the generations Creativity and handicrafts are more than a hobby, and are a trend for all generations.

We all know that making and paintings things promotes children’s motor skills and intellectual development and as adults, the trends to colour-in and hand-letter have found a counterweight to modern life’s stresses.

Handicrafts are also popular among older generations because they help maintain fitness, encourage communication and offer an infinite range of making opportunities. In a nutshell, creativity is booming.

Creativeworld is one of Europe’s leading trade fair for hobby, arts, crafts and artists’ materials, and in January will be bringing in the new craft season.

‘Have a nice DIY for your business’ is the new slogan for the fair this year. Last year, a total of 339 exhibitors from 37 countries made presentations to 8,650 trade visitors and buyers from 80 nations. This year exhibitors will show their latest products, techniques and materials for decorative crafts, graphic and artists’ materials, handicrafts, textile design and creative hobbies.

Creativeworld is a trend and business platform for the wholesale, retail and specialist trades, DIY markets, garden centres, web and mail order businesses in the craft sector, and is a source of new ideas, inspiration and expert knowledge.

The diverse product range at the show Leading manufacturers have now signed up for Creativeworld 2018, and the hobby and handicrafts product segment is represented by renowned exhibitors such as Creative Company from Denmark, SissixEllision Europe from the UK and German manufacturers Buntpapierfabrik Ludwig Bähr and Eberhard Faber. In this segment, visitors will find all products for making-it-yourself from paint, felt and craft books. Buyers will find wool and yarns for knitting, crocheting and embroidering, as well as fabrics for sewing. Exhibitors presenting their innovations include Stafil and Rodomonte Scali from Italy and Hotex from Germany. In this sector other exhibitors include Artemio from Belgium, Efco from Germany and Glorex from Switzerland.

The range of products on show stretches

from ribbons and decoration articles, florists’ materials and gift-wrapping materials and mosaics.

Representing the world of graphic arts and artists’ requisites, registrations have been received from Colart International from the UK, Royal Talens from the Netherlands, Pebeo and Clairefontaine from France and the German companies edding, Marabu, Lyra, C.Kreul and H. Schmincke. Each company will be showcasing extensive ranges of high-grade paints and papers, including brushes and easels, as well as coloured pencils and streetart articles. Manufacturers such as Montana Cans from Germany, Montana Colors and NBQ from Spain will be showing their latest colours and materials.

Visitors Trade visitors will find leading, internationally renowned full-range suppliers, such as Rayher Hobby, Rico Design, Max Bringmann and Hobbygross Erler. Over recent years, the trade fair has developed into a magnet for top decision makers from the sector’s wholesale and retail trades. This applies equally to DIY markets and garden centres, web and mail order trade and commercial consumers, such as art academies, educational institutes and care facilities. Products such as creative and handicrafts materials in user-friendly sets form an interesting supplementary assortment for toy and bookshops, food retailers and drug stores. More and more buyers from these segments are using Creativeworld as an order platform.

“Creativeworld is unparalleled. It’s the biggest and most international platform for the hobby, crafts and artists’ requisites sector. With their portfolios of brand name products, our exhibitors cater for all important segments of the market,” says Michael Reichhold, Director of Creativeworld. craftfocus 45

have a nice DIY

“For specialist retailers in particular, it is important to test the latest techniques and materials. And Creativeworld gives them the opportunity to try out products so they can present the products and techniques professionally to customers in their shop and offer well-founded advice”, says Michael Reichhold.

Creativeworld is set to be inspiring, lively and future oriented. Trade buyers can be sure of finding everything the creative heart desires.

At the exhibitors’ stands, visitors will be able to try, test, paint, cut, design and discuss brand new products.

What’s trending Street art remains popular and has gained a large following over recent years. The fair is expanding this segment because it offers a variety of new opportunities for the retail trade. “We’re developing a special show on this trendy subject in cooperation with street artist Akim Walta. Our aim is to present products and materials, and to show retailers how to position street-art products in their shops and, therefore, attract new target groups. The individual creative segments are growing together and offering a variety of synergistic effects for the trade,” says Michael Reichhold. Trade visitors are invited to test the products for themselves and try out the various techniques at the Street Art special show in Hall 4.2 and at the workshop in the Creativeworld Forum.

The Forum The Creativeworld Forum in Hall 4.2 offers a wide variety of workshops on new techniques and materials, as well as product demonstrations. Visitors can take part in a varied free programme of events daily from 10am. The Forum will also be the setting for the presentation of the Creative Impulse Awards, which Messe Frankfurt gives in collaboration with Hobby Art magazine. From November, manufacturers can enter their innovative products for the coveted awards in four categories (Creative Product, Creative Tool, Complete Set and Creative Book of the Year). All entries will be on show in a special exhibition in Hall 4.2 on all days of the fair.

Trend Show The Creativeworld Trend Show in Hall 4.1 (Stand G41) presents the entire spectrum of 46 craftfocus

hand-made lifestyles from garments, fashion and home accessories, creative articles for the office, to gift and wrapping ideas, and is a must visit area. For each trend, workshops will be held in the Trend Show area on all four days of the fair. Visitors can obtain tips and inspiration and experiment with the materials under expert supervision.

Designers from Stilbüro bora.herke. palmisano present the latest techniques and products on behalf of Messe Frankfurt and showcase what’s coming for the DIY season and the chance to craft and test a variety of trending products.

“We observe the influences of product, textile and fashion design on the hobbies, arts and crafts and artists’ requisites sector and adapt them to the product and

thematic world of Creativeworld”, says trend scout Claudia Herke of Stilbüro bora. herke.palmisano. Using materials and tools supplied by manufacturers exhibiting at the fair, the designers create extraordinary single pieces during the run-up to the fair and present them in three trend worlds.

“At the Trend Show, specialist retailers can see unexpected compositions of creative materials and techniques, which generate important impulses for their business.

This year, the designers are integrating the tools and materials used into the show so visitors can see how the individual pieces were created,” says Michael Reichhold, Creativeworld Director, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH.

The three trend worlds are dominated by a blend of different material combinations, influences from nature and simple colours: The Colourist: expressive mixture of different materials with dynamic colours This trend revolves completely around colour with intensive shades such as magenta, yellow, cyan, orange-red, azure, violet and emerald playing leading roles. The intensive colours are applied to the different materials with rough brush strokes, scrapers, stamps or templates. In this way, wood, plastic, wool, bast materials and patterned silk fabrics are given an extraordinary finish with striking patterns, painted typographies or checks.

Traditional skills are tested with new materials such as the ancient batik technique shibori, which is used for a variety of materials from fabric and paper. There are also many recycling ideas, such as plastic strips, cable and PET bottles combined with classic DIY materials.

48 craftfocus

The Gardener: creative inspiration from flora and fauna Nature is a rich source of creative inspiration.

Leaves, blossoms, herbs, insects and landscapes are the motifs of The Gardener for designs, three-dimensional images or embroidery templates. The trend unifies a natural colour palette including copper beech, lime, oak, sage and chicory. Sketches created using different painting techniques such as gouache, water, oil and pastels, not only decorate greetings cards but are also used as design ideas on fabrics and porcelain. The use of leaves is an invitation to be creative and trees recreated artistically on paper in different shades, and folded into three dimensions. Leaves and insects are used as embroidery motifs. Knitting offers numerous opportunities to add a very personal touch. No longer is the classic knitted scarf rounded off with wool fringes but with feathers and pearls.

Dark shades are used for pottery with irregular and handmade shapes created without the potterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wheel. Sensuous and relaxed.

The Purist: high-grade materials given a restrained finish This clear, simple style is given expression through the use of high-grade materials, such as paper, cardboard, chrome and leather, and a restrained finish. In the case of The Purist trend, plain objects are turned into something special simply by using patterns such as a leather shoe can become one-of-a-kind through the application of delicate polka-dots.

Typographies for sweatshirts and hoodies can catch the eye if the letters are not printed in the usual places but run across the hood.

Contrasting surfaces and their properties generate an aha-effect. Soft and gentle meets hard and angular, shiny metal competes against dull and matt while paper-thin meets strong and bulky. A fine line is drawn with a pencil on rough hand-made paper or bright, chromed products such as mugs, dishes and bowls, are sprayed with matt paint. Beside white, shades of grey and chrome, the colours in this trend world range from rosĂŠ shades to dusty pink. The Purist trend puts the focus on the quality of the materials used, which underscores the reduced, simple and highgrade style.

home maker

home makers Making for the home is big news for 2018 – we highlight some of the trends and latest products that should be top of your list to stock HOME COMFORTS It’s all about the print for forthcoming trends. Field Day

by Elizabeth Olwen is one of the latest collection from Cloud9, which uses 100 per cent certified organic cotton in the manufacturing of its base cloths and eco-responsible low impact dyes for printing and dying.

Field Day invites crafters to step inside nature’s wonderland and experience a carefree day in the life of nature’s sweetest creatures, where frolicking, exploring and chasing butterflies are the order of the day (sounds idyllic).

The range is made up of seven beautiful prints in flannel and five prints in knit, making it a very versatile collection for sewers and perfect for making cosy makes for the home such as winter pyjamas for all the family, baby gros and stunning quilts.

NOT OFF-THE-PEG The peg bag kit is one of House of Alistair’s best-selling kits, and uses beautiful Liberty print fabrics, which turns an everyday item for the home into something quite special. The kit contains all you need to create your own peg bag including the wooden hanger, pearls and re-usable pattern and full set of instructions. It retails at £21.95, comes in stylish packaging, and is one of a range of stylish kits for crafters to make and cherish.

House of Alistair +44 (0)20 3417 5572 alistair@houseofalistair.com houseofalistair.com

Cloud9 fabrics are distributed in the UK by Hantex +44 (0)1754 820 800 sales@hantex.co.uk hantex.co.uk BRING THE OUTSIDE IN Make bright and bold cushions or panels with the brand new needlepoint kits from RIOLIS. Choose from a butterfly or dragonfly design in a stained glass style, either would make a great focal point in the living room.

The kits have Zweigart 10-count aida fabric with a full colour printed design. The sections are filled using different needlepoint stitch techniques, which are all explained using simple pictures.

Instructions are also included to finish the project as a picture or turn it into a cushion front measuring 33cm x 33cm. Each kit retails for £42.99.

RIOLIS is distributed by SoloCrafts in the UK K +44 (0)161 464 7313 sales@solocrafts.com m solo-crafts.com

PERFECT PATTERNS Pattern 8742 from King Cole is one of the company’s extensive range of knitting patterns for the home. This geometrical designed pattern includes a large and small cushion cover, plus a gorgeous throw, which when completed measures 114.5cm x 170cm.

Designed to work with King Cole’s Big Value Super Chunk, which comes in 27 colours – the cushions and throws are perfect to put a homemade stamp on any room.

King Cole +44 (0)1756 703 670 enquiries@kingcole.com kingcole.com

craftfocus 51

home makers

CHALKING IT UP The trend for flat chalky paint finishes isn’t going anywhere soon, in fact, it’s quite the reverse, which is why PlastiKote has brought Chalk, a superior decorative spray paint to the market.

Chalk is a high quality spray paint, which is easy to apply and gives a vintage look to furniture, mirrors, picture frames and ornaments. It’s available in a range of seven stylish colours, and gives an ultra matt chalky that’s perfect for anyone with an interest in interior design.

Chalk has been specially developed so that it can also be easily sanded when dry to give a distressed finish, has a low solvent content, and gentle spray mist action means it can be used indoors and on virtually any surface. Always take care to mask off areas not to be painted but make a mistake and it can be simply wiped away with soap and water within 10 minutes.

ADD SHIMMER Brand new from Diamond Dotz are these cute Christmas designs and all crafters need to do is add their choice of filling. The range includes 14 different designs. Our favourites are the snowflake and tree shown here, but there are so many to choose from.

Each kit contains the pillow with adhesive design, pre-sorted dotz, stylus, wax and sorting tray. The pillows are 18cm squared, and retail for £18.99 each. All designs are also available as standard kits, which retail for £16.99 each.

Diamond Dotz is distributed by SoloCrafts in the UK +44 (0)161 464 7313 sales@solocrafts.com solo-crafts.com

PlastiKote +44 (0)844 736 2235 plastikotehelp@valspar.com plastikote.co.uk

NURSERY NECESSITIES For nearly 70 years, Jack Dempsey Needle Art has been a leader in creating needle art for embroidery. The charming patterns enable crafters to create wonderful heirloom quality quilts, adorable baby gifts, beautiful pillowcases, irresistible children’s items, and other keepsakes.

Jack Dempsey Needle Art +1 314 231 5116 sales@jdneedleart.com jdneedleart.com

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HANGING AROUND IN STYLE Inject personal style into the home by combining favourite designs with soft lighting to create a lovely ambience throughout. With NeedCraft’s lampshade making kit homemakers can do just that. Get creative and use your favourite fabrics and wallpaper to match any interior and create customised designs to fit your personality. The kits are available in a wide array of shapes and sizes so you’ll be able to find the best fit for each room and create a beautiful warm glow.

Every kit has sturdy and durable components so you’ll have no trouble constructing professional and one-of-a-kind lampshades alongside the handy how-to video tutorials available on the NeedCraft YouTube channel.

Dannells’ NeedCraft +44 (0)1992 700 311 info@dannells.com dannells.com

Bothy Threads - 2017 Winter Collection

The Home of Happy Stitching!

home makers CATERING FOR CHILDREN Selfie Clothing was created by parents wanting to let children create their own colour in works of art, and has evolved from a colour in top range to additional projects to help with creative play.

The Colour In range is made and hand printed in the UK, and is soft on the skin, designed for play and washes well. Ideal as gifts, the customisable childrenswear craft kits from Selfie Clothing allow children to let their imagination run wild and create something that’s original to them.

Each Colour In product comes beautifully packaged in a creative kit, which includes a set of fabric colouring pens and a practice colouring sheet. The themes available include Cutesy Christmas, Winter Scene, Ice Queen, Dinosaur, Space Adventure, Superhero and Unicorn.

Selfie Clothing +44 (0)1638 333 321 info@selfieclothing.co.uk selfieclothing.co.uk

TAPESTRY IS TRENDING Woolla has a original tapestry weaving kit, which allows crafters to make a modern woven wall hanging in home decoration.

The weaving trend is gaining traction all over the world. These kits offer endless design opportunities with tassels, plaits, braidings and texture combinations. People who want their home to be on-trend and interior designers will love these novelties.

JSC Gamma TH +7 495 741 7006 ext. 2983 export@firma-gamma.ru firma-gamma.com

DINNER DATE ExaClair, the UK supplier of Clairefontaine, has launched the new Paper Touch table decoration pads, designed to feed the growing DIY stationery market.

The pads include 12 sheets of cards, printed on both sides, that will provide crafters with the means to create coordinated menus, coasters, confetti, gift boxes, gift labels, place tags and place mats, just with a few simple cuts and folds. There are two themes in the range – the cute and kitsch Shabby, and contemporary, nautical Navy.

“The pads are a fun and creative way to personalise a dinner party or kids party,” says Kevin Wharton, Marketing Manager at ExaClair. “They’re also extremely convenient and good value, with everything included in one pad.”

SPLASH OUT WITH COLOUR Alcohol inks are part of a huge trend in arts and crafts community at the moment.

The inks have unparalleled brightness and transparency that can be used on surfaces that traditional paints can’t.

They can be used on glass, metal, paper, plastic, polymer clays, ceramic tiles Christmas ornaments, and even wax.

Piñata alcohol ink from Jacquard Products is often used on Yupo and other art papers to make beautiful abstract paintings, but it’s a versatile mixed media tool to add vibrant and metallic colours to almost anything.

People love the designs that come from dripping the inks on to hard surfaces, and watching the inks blend and swirl is quite an experience itself. Basic Dyes can even be mixed into Piñata clear extender to make custom colours.

ExaClair +44 (0)1535 696 600 enquiries@exaclair.co.uk exaclair.co.uk

Jacquard Products are distributed by Art Van Go +44 (0)1438 814 946 art@artvango.co.uk artvango.co.uk

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£81 FOR 126 BOTTLES

£2.59 PER PACK OF 3 (20.5CM)

64P PER BOTTLE

£9 PER SET OF 3 (ASSORTED SIZE BUTTERFLIES)

All prices exclude delivery and VAT

£4.95 FOR 8 STRIPS OF 8 POTS

FROM £3.43 PER PACK OF 6

PLEASE VISIT US AT CREATIVEWORLD HALL 4.2 | STAND D 68

book reviews

bookstand Make additional sales by stocking contemporary craft books alongside your other product offerings. We review the latest editions to hit the shelves MINIATURES MY MINIATURE LIBRARY – 30 TINY BOOKS TO MAKE, READ AND TREASURE Price: £14.99 RRP ISBN: 9781786270252 Publisher: Laurence King

OUT NOW

My Miniature Library is a beautiful kit to make a complete collection of tiny books. With stories ranging from illustrated fairytales to well-loved nonsense rhymes and books of butterflies, birds and flowers, plus blank books for you to create your own works of art, you’ll have everything you need to make a little library of beautifully illustrated books.

The books are simple to make – just cut, fold and glue. The kit comes with a miniature bookshelf to press out and make. The fully illustrated instructions are easy-to-follow, and the box transforms into a beautiful library scene!

We say: “It’s perfect for children and adults aged 7 years and over and would suit dollhouse fans too.”

HANDICRAFTS A MAKER’S GUIDE: EMBROIDERY AND PATCHWORK & QUILTING Price: £16.95 RRP each ISBN: 978 0 500 293270 & 978 0 500 293263 Publisher: Thames & Hudson

OU NOWT

Thames & Hudson has a new series of book in association with the Victoria & Albert Museum. The maker’s guides offer a fresh and contemporary approach to handmade traditions from around the world.

A Maker’s Guide: Embroidery contains 15 beautiful step-by-step projects for crafters of all skill levels. Each one taking its cue from a different tradition including Indian Kantha, English wholecloth quilting, Japanese boro patchwork, and the block- and strip- pieced quilts of North America, as well as appliqué

traditions from Hawaii and Panama. The projects are both functional, fashionable and include tips on how to create beyond the book, to develop individual and original designs.

While A Maker’s Guide: Embroidery includes 15 projects based on techniques such as English goldwork, Indian beetle-wing embellishment, Japanese Kogin, and Irish whitework, as well as contemporary machine embroidery. This modern maker’s handbook demonstrates decorative stitching traditions and will expand the readers’ crafting horizons and become an invaluable addition to every craft shelf.

We say: “These inspiring books will give readers the skill and confidence to express their passion for these age-old crafts.” craftfocus 57

bookstand DECE MB 2017 ER

EMBROIDERY

DRAWING HOW TO DRAW ANYTHING

By Scriberia Price: £9.99 RRP ISBN: 9781786485397 Publisher: Quercus

MANDALAS TO EMBROIDER

By Carina Envoldsen-Harris Price: £9.99 RRP ISBN: 9781782215448 Publisher: Search Press

As children, we learn to write as well as gain a practical means of communicating that we use almost every day of our lives if only to jot down a shopping list or dash out an email. We also learn at an early age to draw, but later in life it isn’t nurtured in the way that writing is and is forgotten.

Drawing is an incredibly practical way of turning what’s inside your head into something tangible and useful, and can equip us with new means of solving problems, sharing ideas and telling stories.

How to Draw Anything has been put together, by Dan Porter and Chris Wilson from Scriberia who help clients to think, work and communicate in a visual way. It sets out to repair the broken relationship with drawing, and inspire us to pick up a pencil and start making pictures again. The book gives the confidence and joy in drawing, and takes it out of the art world and puts it firmly as a practical tool for everyday life that can change the way we work, think and communicate.

Carina Envoldsen-Harris is an exceptional embroiderer with a large following online.

Her blog has more than 1,700 followers, her Instagram page has 1,800, and more than 3,200 people have liked her Etsy shop Polka and Bloom. Carina’s patterns are vibrant and contemporary, varying from traditional to the more unusual, and include floral designs and calligraphy, through to intricate portraits of Frida Kahlo and the colourful Day of the Dead skulls. Mandalas to Embroider has given the traditional mandala an update and twist by incorporating Carina’s trademarked style of boldness mixed with femininity. The stitched mandalas aren’t just for working and popping into frames but can be shown off in a necklace, brooch or on your shoes. There are 24 beautiful, meditative mandalas to embroider, which are accompanied by gorgeous stitch diagrams and keys inside that are easy to follow and feature only 10 stitches to make all the motifs, which are accompanied by clear, step-bystep diagrams.

Learn how to display your creations in embroidery hoops, including the much-loved Dandelyne hoops, which the 12 mini versions perfectly fit inside. The 24 corresponding black and white motifs are included and can be ironed onto your chosen fabric multiple times, as well as one bonus mystical mandala template to test your new embroidery skills.

OUT NOW

We say: “Scriberia is an illustration agency based in London and were selected by Pottermore to create a series of GIFs to launch the eighth Potter story, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. It’s well-worth a look at their website, scriberia.co.uk.”

We say “Mandalas and hoop embroidery are right on trend at the moment. This book is sure to encourage your customers to have a go and buy all the materials they need at the same time.”

WOODWORKING ULTIMATE WOODWORK BIBLE – A COMPLETE REFERENCE WITH STEP-BY-STEP TECHNIQUES

By Phil Davy and Ben Plewes Price: £14.99 RRP ISBN: 9781911163435 Publisher: Collins & Brown This comprehensive book is an essential woodworking bible, which covers all the techniques to transform a simple piece of wood into a beautiful, practical or ornamental object. It features all that a novice woodworker needs to know including selecting tools to joints and finishing, and all the basic techniques. It also introduces the reader to work spaces and safety issues and goes on to cover a wide range of projects accompanied by step-by-step instructions, illustrations and diagrams.

The Ultimate Woodwork Bible is full of useful tips and techniques from leading woodworking professionals and is suitable for both 58 craftfocus

beginners and more advanced woodworkers. It’s an indispensable reference book to turn to time and time again.

We say: “Also in this ‘Ultimate’ series from Collins & Brown is books on papercraft, knitting, crochet, sewing and quilting.”

OUT NOW

Book contacts Collins & Brown, imprint of pavilionbooks.com/craft Laurence King, laurenceking.com Quercus Pub, quercusbooks.co.uk Search Press, searchpress.com Thames & Hudson, thamesandhudson.com

UK Distrubutor for: • Opal • Eucalan

Sock Yarn Specialist

New: Boho Spirit Solids

Order online at www.cygnetyarns.com/wholesale

TRADE ENQUIRIES:

Cygnet Yarns Ltd, 12-14 Adelaide Street, Bradford, BD5 0EA Tel: 01274 743374

E: viridianltd@gmail.com T: 0117 300 5244 www.viridianyarn.com

Knitting Needles & Accessories

new product showcase

Diamond Dotz Stand 12K31 Great new designs available from Diamond Dotz dD include this lovely owl family picture with a mother and baby cuddled up together. Each set comes with the adhesive canvas design, a stylus tool, wax and a craft tray, plus the pre-sorted coloured dotz. This technique is rapidly becoming the new Zen craft, as the simple act of picking up a bead and placing it down on the design helps soothe away those daily stresses.

This company is launching new stumpwork embroidery projects in the form of a range of fun designs in kit or booklet form where stitches are set out for both left- and right-handed stitchers. Each project has an illustrated mini tutorial and uses a different stitch or technique.

These will have a broad customer appeal for beginner to experienced and this form of hand embroidery is rapidly rising in popularity.

Hawthorn Handmade Stand 12F12 The delightful Whale needle felting kit is the newest addition to Hawthorn Handmadeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s felting kits. Made from 100 per British wool, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sure to make a splash and provide hours of felting fun. The Whale joins two other new needle felting kits including the Gloucester Old Spot Pig and magical mini Unicorn kit. Each kit comes with everything you need including two felting needles in a secure holder and detailed instructions with a size guide and step-by-step photos.

Hot products on the horizon We put the newest products for CHSI Stitches in the spotlight

Dizzy & Creative Stand 12H21

The Rip it Away from The Gypsy Quilter is actually two tools in one. The razor blade is protected by a safety feature, which protects the fabric and your fingers but cuts through threads easily. Use the rubberized tip to grab loose threads and easily remove them from the fabric, and when not in use a plastic cover protects the blade. craftfocus 61

hot products on the horizon

Zebra Pen, Stand 12H25

Zebra Pen is launching a new range of arts and crafts products including the Japanese brush pens are ideal for calligraphy, illustration and Manga drawing. The flexible brush nib allows for thick and thin lines from the same tool. The permanent archival quality pigment ink is waterproof, fade- proof and AP certified as non-toxic, it achieves top quality for lasting impressions. Traditional artistry in a pen! On the Sunday, there will be a live demonstration by a professional calligraphy artist of traditional Japanese brush pens all day.

Bothy Threads is launching four more cross stitch kits based on Hannah Dale’s Wrendale Designs. The artwork is inspired by the Lincolnshire countryside and her animals have already been very successful in stationery, home furnishing and ceramics. The spring collection features a deer, Bothy Threads fox-cub, badger and a rabbit Stand 12A01 bringing the total to 32 cross-stitch kits.

The kits are all worked on the company’s original speckle-printed 14 hpi aida and contain instructions, stitch diagrams, needle and presorted stranded cottons.

Textile Heritage Stand 12A09

The Sewing range is the latest range of small cross-stitch kits from Textile Heritage. Each is an attractive project complete with thoughtful finishing details, all beautifully packaged and presented. The fresh new line includes four different kits including a bookmark, needle-case, scissor keep and pincushion. These make a wonderful addition to the ever-expanding collection, and trade prices start from £3.50.

62 craftfocus

Hoooked Stand 12K06 Take amigurumi crochet to the next level with Hooked’s fun amigurumi family. The crochet cuties will enable crocheters to live out their creativity with such designs as Donkey Joe and Rainbow Unicorn.

All crochet sets include yarn, hooks and accessories and come in a gorgeous gift box, which is perfect as a gift for loved ones.

Does your Shop ŚĂǀĞ Ă ƌĂŌ ĞƉĂƌƚŵĞŶƚ͍ ,ĂǀĞ LJŽƵ ƚŚŽƵŐŚƚ ĂďŽƵƚ ĂĚĚŝŶŐ <Ŷŝƫ ŶŐ ^ƵƉƉůŝĞƐ ƚŽ LJŽƵƌ ƐƚŽƌĞ͍ &Žƌ ϭ ŵĞƚƌĞ ŽĨ ƐƉĂĐĞ͕ LJŽƵ ĐŽƵůĚ ŚĂǀĞ ƚŚĞ zĂƌŶ ĂƐ ƐŚŽǁŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƉŝĐƚƵƌĞ͕ ƉůƵƐ ϮϬ WĂƩ ĞƌŶ >ĞĂŇ ĞƚƐ ĂŶĚ Ă ƐĞůĞĐƟ ŽŶ ŽĨ EĞĞĚůĞƐ͘

dŽƚĂů ĐŽƐƚ с άϳϰϯ ͮ dŽƚĂů ZZW с άϭϱϳϭ dŽƚĂů WƌŽĮ ƚ с άϴϮϴ ^ƚĂŶĚ͕ WĂƩ ĞƌŶ ŽŽŬ Θ EĞĞĚůĞ ZĂĐŬ Ăůů ƐƵƉƉůŝĞĚ &ƌĞĞ ŽĨ ĐŚĂƌŐĞ ǁŝƚŚ ŽƌĚĞƌ͘

ŽŶƚĂĐƚ ƵƐ d͗ Ϭϭϳϱϲ ϳϬϯϲϳϬ ͗ ĞŶƋƵŝƌŝĞƐΛŬŝŶŐĐŽůĞ͘ĐŽŵ t͗ ŬŝŶŐĐŽůĞ͘ĐŽŵ :ŽŝŶ ƵƐ ŽŶ ^ŽĐŝĂů DĞĚŝĂ

DĞƌƌLJ ŚƌŝƐƚŵĂƐ Θ ,ĂƉƉLJ EĞǁ zĞĂƌ ĨƌŽŵ ĞǀĞƌLJŽŶĞ Ăƚ <ŝŶŐ ŽůĞ

hot products on the horizon TOFT TOFT is delighted Stand 11A25 to be exhibiting two brand-new books by best-selling author Kerry Lord. Edward’s Doll Emporium is a crochet flipbook where you can mix-andmatch different heads and costumes to create your favourite people in miniature. Kerry’s most recent offering, Edward’s Menagerie: Dogs is the longawaited compilation of 50 different canine patterns to crochet. TOFT has released new dog and doll kits alongside these books in the much-loved complete kit format and will be launching a brand-new range of hat and scarf knitting kits, all fashion-led designs made with the company’s luxury British wool.

JSC Gamma Trading Stand 12L11 PANNA has produced a novelty embroidery kit ‘Roses on Sheet Music’. It’s a stumpwork, and the kit includes fabric with a printed photo of the result, so as the crafter stitches each petal and bloom, they seem to bring the printed image to life. Using a variety of stranded cottons and silk ribbons produces a 3D effect that makes the result seem like an open window into another world. All materials and instructions with coloured close-up photos are included into the kit, so stitchers will be able to create the real masterpiece!

Organ Needles Stand 12A15

Eugenio Gabarró Stand 12G17

Eugenio Gabarró leather products are wonderful for making fancy jewellery such as bracelets and necklaces for both men and women. The leather cord collections comprise of a variety of thicknesses, shapes, colours and finishes that make it versatile to use in arts sectors as well as for crafts projects. The only limit is your imagination.

66 craftfocus

Organ Needles is introducing a new range of blister pack needles. The needles come in a tamper proof pack, description clearly shown with sizes and barcodes on a card, perfect for displays. The full range of domestic needles is covered in the new packing offering more than 60 different types of needles, standard sewing needles, twin needles, jersey sewing needles, jeans needles, metal needles, microtex needles, embroidery needles, super stretch needles and new anti glue sewing machine needles for embroidery machines.

Buy online NOW at www.its-sales.co.uk

Printed Rip Stop PVC Italian Boucles Metallic Printed Velvet

Digital Print PU Leather Look

Printed Denim Cottons

Stock Lots

Remnant Packs by KG Premium Cuddle Fleece

hot products on the horizon Maximum light, minimum obtrusion is what is being said about the new Lumi, which is a powerful professional workstation LED lamp with a 51cm wide shade that gives an even spread of light over a large area. The lamp is ideal to use on any workspace, cutting table, drafting table or desk, and enables you to see fine details and true colours clearly. The large shade can be smoothly adjusted vertically, horizontally and laterally to any desired position. The two-step dimmer allows easy adjustment when less light is required. Designed by daylight, its ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing and comes with a two-years warranty, and is suitable for a variety of crafts and hobby activities.

The Daylight Company Stand 12C12

i t a cushion hi or frame f ll Make this stunning design into as a panell on your wall.

The clever needlepoint kit from RIOLIS features a printed stained glass style Dragonfly pattern on 10-count Zweigart aida fabric. Each section of the picture is filled in using different needlepoint stitch styles, such as crosses, tent and chain stitch to give a textured finish. The kit contains fabric, wool/acrylic threads, sewing needle and full pictorial instructions to make this fabulous 30cm x RIOLIS 30cm design.

Stand 12K25

GMC Distribution Stand 12B01 First published in 1989, Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book instantly became a trusted and beloved resource has sold more than one million copies. This brand new updated edition features 65 additional pages and more than 1600 photographs and hand-drawn step-by-step illustrations. It includes information about knittersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tools, correcting errors, finishing, embellishing and garment care, plus new essentials such as brioche, entrelac and double knitting and comprehensive chapters on lace and cabling, to provide a masterly understanding of every stage of the craft. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a must-have bible for beginners right through to seasoned knitters who will cherish it for years to come.

The star in the new colour family is the ergonomic Soft Comfort thimble, which comes in orange, pink or light green. The thimbles are available in three different sizes for perfect protection when sewing, embroidering or quilting. The soft material moulds itself to every finger and the reinforced white cap offers sufficient protection from undesired needle pricks. It has practical breathing slots allowing for the necessary ventilation. The colours help to distinguish between sizes S, M and L and therefore are ready to hand for every finger. This product has been nominated in the Category Prym Consumer Europe Best New Product in the British Sewing Awards recently.

Stand 12C12 68 craftfocus

GRAPHIC 45 PIONEER JONES BUTTONS KAISERCRAFT DRESS IT UP HEARTFELT CREATIONS STRETCH MAGIC IMPRESSION OBSESSION

sales@jones-crafts.com sales@jones-buttons.com www.jones-nottingham.com

The worlds premium Leathercraft suppliers - with it’s two stores in the UK are pleased to introduce our new starter kits.

Ladies, want to try leathercrafting and make some things that you would enjoy using? Try this set.

This collection gets you started with everything you need to make a floral mystery braid cuff, zip card case, coaster and floral wristlet key charm. The set includes stamping tools, dyes, pre-cut and pre-punched leather, hardware, instructions and patterns. AGES 10+ Contents: ï Six Projects ï Mallet ï Paint Brushes (2) ï 2 fl. oz. (62 ml) Bottles Cova Color (3) ï 6 Piece Starter Tool Set ï Instructions

Hey guys, if youíve been wanting to try leathercrafting, this is the kit for you. Construct your own belt, magnetic money clip, coasters and wallet. Set comes with all the necessary tools, hardware, dyes, finishes and leather. AGES 10+ Contents: ï Five Projects ï Mallet ï Sponges (2) ï 2 fl. oz. (62 ml) Bottle Leather Finish ï 2 fl. oz. (62 ml) Gel Antique ï Round Hole Punch ï 6 Piece Starter Tool Set ï Instructions t a n d y l e a t h e r. e u / e n

hot products on the horizon Wholesale Crafts Stand D09

An amazing line of Glitter fabrics at the show will be available wholesale for the first time at the show. Melissa Davin-Smith, Managing Director of Wholesale Crafts said: “These amazing fabrics have been hugely popular on our retail site for the last three years, becoming very big in the online craft world. To be able to offer them wholesale is very exciting and we’re expecting a strong uptake as people look to stock this must-have product for 2018.” The fabrics come in 44 fine and 23 chunky glitter versions and are popular for bag and bow making, as well as cushions, wallpaper and even stairs. Wholesale Crafts will also be offering a line of faux leather fabrics.

Artibalta Stand 12A23 Artibalta ib l launched l h d the h paint by numbers kits Artventura, which now features more than 150 designs in tow collections. The main collection is 40cm x 50cm and the mini collection 16.5cm x13cm. Artventura is the only paint by numbers producer in Europe, who uses stretched canvas, instead of cardboard. The collection includes designs based on famous painting as well as original creations from the Artventura team. Artibalta will be presenting a series of interesting products using different techniques, including Diamond painting, painting by numbers, cross-stitch and patchwork fabric.

Cygnet Yarns Stand 11A22 Boho Spirit Solids is Cygnet’s brand new range, which has been introduced to perfectly coordinate with the hugely popular Boho Spirit variegated range. Available in six beautifully vibrant shades, this roving yarn falls somewhere between a DK and Aran weight yarn. The loftiness of the yarn means it will knit up on larger needles to create a feather light fabric, whereas using a smaller needle will result in a fabric with a fabulous drape and incredible sheen. With an RRP of £3.49 per 100g ball, this yarn is bound to be top of every knitter and crocheters wish list.

70 craftfocus

Crafter’s Companion Stand 12G08 Following on from the success of the fabulous Gemini twin-function machine, Crafter’s Companion is thrilled to launch the brand-new Gemini Junior to market. Perfectly complementing the Gemini in both size and style, the Junior is a more compact and portable die-cutting and embossing machine, offering crafters the versatility of a smaller format without compromising on the power and performance they’ve come to expect from the Gemini. With a plate size of 6in x 9in, the machine works perfectly with A5 size and is a great introduction to die-cutting for beginners or those wanting to craft away from home. The new Gemini Junior retails at £139.99 and comes complete with all plates required, as well as a starter kit worth £40 containing a 3D embossing folder and a selection of dies so crafters can begin die-cutting straight away.

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Our range of products: Easels: Studio Easels, Table Top Easels, Field Sketching Easels, palettes and many many more Canvases: Cotton Canvases, Linen Canvases, Transparcent Linen Canvases, Canvas Boards Stretchers Bars All our products are made in EU and are made from special selected and prepared Pine or Beech Wood Sketching and Drawing Pads and Colour Paper in Sheets We make Sketching and Drawing Pads in many sizes.

They can be gummed or on spiral

www.quantumart.eu RIÆ&#x153;FH#TXDQWXPDUW HX _ _ :HVW 5RDG %XLOGLQJ +DUORZ &0 %4

ExaClair Stand 12D07 ExaClair is adding to its 300+ strong Decopatch paper range with a new textured paper collection, designed to give another dimension to projects. The collection includes 14 designs, each featuring raised, metallic foil elements providing textured, shiny effects and feature minimal starry and geometric papers to flamboyant flamingos and elegant floral motifs. A further three traditional papers will also be launched next year, targeted at the home décor crafting market with concrete and marble-effect papers, and a colourful marbling design.

“The results from these papers are fantastic,” says Clement Rouillard, Marketing Manager at ExaClair. “The contemporary designs are in line with the trends we predict for 2018, and the textured papers are an exciting and different collection.”

Want to introduce your customers to leathercrafting? Tandy Leather has a new set, which will get crafters started. The kit includes everything that’s needed to make six projects including a floral mystery braid cuff, zip card case, coaster and floral wristlet key charm, as well as stamping tools, dyes, pre-cut and pre-punched leather, hardware, instructions and patterns. The kit is suitable for children over the age of 10 years old, as well as adults looking to learn new skills.

Tandy Leather Stand 12D20

Hantex Stand 11J06 ®

240

$ MISSES’ SIZES 6 8 10 12 SEWING PATTERN AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR SHIRT, 14 16 18 20 KNITTING INSTRUCTIONS OVERALLS, AND SLACKS FOR SWEATER • CROCHET INSTRUCTIONS FOR SNOOD • • LORE

19.95

240 — ROSIE THE RIVETER

Rosie the Riveter was the fictional character pictured to recruit women into in posters the work force during World War II in the 1940s. Women started working in large numbers building airplanes, tanks, warships, artillery, and ammunition. Factory slacks or overalls, and work demanded “utility and her colleagues. Folkwear clothes” became the uniform of Rosie pays tribute to the accomplishments of these heroic women with this hard-working wardrobe of Shirt, Overalls, and Slacks to sew. Also included are patterns for a Sweater to knit and a snood to crochet.

The Shirt is styled from as a “camp” shirt. It’s timeless men’s sport shirts and is known today in crisp white cotton and made extra-large in bright lots of fun tropical prints.

The pleated Slacks have side pockets and a back Straight legs fall smoothly zipper. from the hips for a clean, Add the sweetheart-shaped smooth look. bodice for Overalls with cross in the back. straps that The charming Sweater knit in two colors in alternating and stockinette stitches garter has set-in sleeves and a round neck; and to keep your hair out of the machinery, a simple completes the package.

Snood to crochet Included in the pattern Riveter,” a fascinating accountis “The Life and Times of Rosie the of women’s valuable contributions the war effort. to Overalls

FRONT AND BACK VIEWS Slacks Sweater Front

Back Back

Back

Front

Front Shirt Back

SUGGESTED FABRICS

Snood

Front

&

YARNS Shirt: Light to medium-weight cotton and blends; rayon and silks.

Slacks and Overalls: Medium-weight cotton, wool, blends, corduroy, denim, velvet, and velveteen.

Sweater & Snood: Classic Elite Boston, 100% wool per 3⁄4 oz. [50g] ball) or (110 yds [91.8m] equivalent.

NOTIONS

Bust

6 301⁄2 78

8 311⁄2 80

23 24 Waist 58 61 321⁄2 331⁄2 Hip 83 86 Bk Waist 151⁄2 153⁄4 Length 39.5 40 SHIRT 45" (115cm) fabric with or w/o nap* 60" (150cm) fabric with or w/o nap*

®

REQUIREMENTS

MISSES’ SIZES

6

10 12 14 16 321⁄2 34 36 38 83 87 91 97 25 261⁄2 28 30 64 67 71 76 341⁄2 36 38 40 88 91 97 102 16 161⁄4 161⁄2 163⁄ 4 40.5 41.5 42 42.5 8

10 23⁄8 2.2

12

14

18 20 40 42 in.

102 107 cm 32 34 in.

82 87 cm 42 44 in.

107 112 cm 17 171⁄4 in.

43 43.5 cm

16

18 21⁄2 2.3

13⁄4 1.6

17⁄8 1.75

SLACKS

20 25⁄8 yds 2.4 m 2 yds 1.83 m

45" (115cm) fabric 21⁄2 with or w/o nap* 3 yds 2.3 60" (150cm) fabric 2.75 m 15⁄8† 13⁄4† 17⁄8† 21⁄8* 21⁄4* 23⁄8* 21⁄2 with or w/o nap* * yds 1.5 1.6 1.75 1.95 2.1 2.2 2.3 m OVERALLS 45" (115cm) fabric 31⁄8* 31⁄4* with or w/o nap* 35⁄8† yds 2.9 3 60" (150cm) fabric 3.35 m 21⁄8† 21⁄4† 21⁄2* with or w/o nap* 25⁄8* 1.95 yds 2.1 2.3 2.4 * For each 1" (2.5cm) you m wish to length or shorten, to yardages given. add or subtract 2" (5cm) † For each 1" (2.5cm) you wish to lengthen or shorten, (2.5cm) to yardages given. add or subtract 1" SHIRT 6 8 10 12 14 Finished bk length 281 ⁄4 281⁄2 283⁄4 29 291⁄4 from nape of neck 71.5 72.5 73 73.5 74.5 Finished width 431⁄2 441⁄2 451⁄2 47 481⁄2 at hem 110.5 113 115.5 119.5 123 OVERALLS/SLACKS Finished side 391⁄4 391⁄2 40 401⁄4 403⁄4 length 99.5 100.5 101.5 102 103.5 197⁄8 205⁄8 213⁄8 223 ⁄8 231⁄4 50.7 52.5 54.5 57 59.1 6 8 10 12 14 16

Finished width at lower edge (ea. leg) SWEATER Color #1 one 3⁄4 oz. (50g) ball (100 yds [91.8m] per skein) Color #2 one 3⁄4 oz. (50g) ball (100 yds [91.8m] per skein) Finished back length from nape of neck SNOOD one 3⁄4 oz. (50g) ball (100 yds [91.8m] per skein)

8

9

2

3

19 48.5

191⁄2 49.5

9

16 18 20 291⁄2 293⁄4 30 in.

75 75.5 76 cm 501⁄2 521⁄2 551⁄2 in.

128.5 133.5 141 cm 411⁄4 413⁄4 421⁄2 in.

105 106 108 cm 243⁄4 257⁄8 27 in.

63 65.7 68.5 cm 18 20 10

3

4

20 51

201⁄2 52

SIZE 6 & 8 KNITTING NEEDLES

in. cm

ONE SIZE

ROSIE THE RIVETER

SIZE H CROCHET HOOK

1

FOLKWEAR 240

© 1986 Folkwear All Rights Reserved.

FOLKWEAR • Asheville, North Carolina www.folkwear.com

TRIM TO FINISHED SIZE

OF 11X17" W/4-WAY

0

240

Shirt: Thread; five 1⁄2" (13mm) wide light to medium-weight buttons; 1 yd (.95m) of 22" (56cm) interfacing.

Pants: Thread; 7" (18cm) zipper; one 3⁄4" (2cm) button; of 22" (56cm) wide light to medium-weight interfacing. 1 yd (.95m) Overalls: Thread; 14" (35.5cm) zipper; two 3 ⁄4" (2cm) buttons.

Sweater: Six 1" (2.5cm) buttons; 2 yds (1.83m) of 13⁄4" (4.5cm) grosgrain ribbon; size 6 & 8 knitting needles.

Snood: Size H Crochet hook.

SIZING AND YARDAGE

Search Press’s Twenty to Make book series is to be re-launched with striking new livery and exciting POS to celebrate the 10th year anniversary of the multi-million selling innovative range.

The successful formula remains the same with 20 projects per book, each explained with one-page instructions accompanied by a beautiful illustration of the finished article, and the price stays the same at just £4.99.

Search Press has developed a great range of point-of-sale including spinners, countertop displays, shelf wobblers and project cards, which allows retailers to make a real splash in-store. All new titles will now be published within six categories – knitting, crocheting, sugarcraft, sewing & stitching, papercraft and general craft. The low price point means that the books are a perfect till-point impulse buy to help inspire customers as they’re introduced to new skills, trends and encourages extra sales of product in-store.

94115 24032 1 Printed in U.S.A.

BLEED

Hantex is showcasing Folkwear sewing patterns, which are based on authentic ethnic and vintage garments collected during travels to other countries. All the patterns are flexible enough to be used for costuming as well as making original every-day-wear. Many people use the patterns including historic re-enactors, Renaissance Faire participants, theatre costume designers, and lovers of creative art-to-wear. Residents of historic neighbourhoods and members of antique auto clubs use the patterns to dress to the appropriate historic period for their annual events. The patterns lend themselves well to embellishments from smocking to embroidery to quilting. craftfocus 73

new product showcase

Search Press Stand 12J16

getting the right domain name Intelligent Retail’s David Fairhurst explains how to avoid the pitfalls of choosing a domain name for your business’ website

If there’s one thing guaranteed to cause frustration, stress and worry for any new e-commerce business owner, finding a good domain name is probably on the list.

I remember way back in the early noughties spending literally days musing over a name for my new business, one which had an available domain name and didn’t have a competing registered entity already trading.

Putting the trials and tribulations of setting up a brand-new business aside, don’t think that getting a good domain name to promote an already established bricks-and-mortar retail store is easy. There are many pitfalls and crocodile traps to look out for…

New or old?

Finding a domain name that isn’t already registered can be a bit of a challenge. If you think your company name is pretty original, think again. Somebody has probably already got your chosen domain name and is currently using it to promote a business out there on the World Wide Web! If you’re lucky enough to be able to 74 craftfocus

register the domain of your choice through a registration service then great, however what happens if somebody already owns the domain name that you really want?

Domains that are actively being used are unlikely to be given up at any price, however people can and do buy domain names to trade as commodities. In this case, you can approach the domain owner to negotiate a purchase directly (there are many services online to search for domain owner details, try viewdns.info for instance). In most cases, unless the domain owner has masked his or her identity, contact details will be present for the domain.

You may find that the domain you want is actively being traded on a domain name marketplace. Expect to pay a substantial amount of money for the domain, based on that domains history, popularity or trading vertical.

Domain history Buying a pre-owned domain name, whether you’ve bought this from its current owner or

a domain registration company, comes with some potentially important gains or truly disastrous pitfalls. It’s here that you really need to be cautious and do your research.

You can end up spending a large amount of money on a pre-owned domain that could potentially do your business a lot of harm, or at the very least dampen any progress you could possibly make with your new e-commerce website in search engines.

Domain history is all-important. Google especially has a very long memory when it comes to domain name usage history, so even if the domain name you’ve just purchased wasn’t actively being used for anything currently, check that past history of the domain won’t damage your chances in Google.

It’s pretty easy to see what the current standing of the domain you are purchasing is if this is a domain with an active website, simply do a site:mydomain.com (replace mydomain.com with the domain) in Google.

This will show a list of current pages cached in Google’s servers. Go through this list and

business advice

look for anything suspicious such as pages crammed with spammy text and page titles.

Next, check that the domain hasn’t been black-flagged for association with viruses and malware previously. There are many tools out there on the ‘web for this. Search for ‘website blacklist’ in Google or if the current domain owner has access to Google Search Console for the domain ask them to check the malware and ‘manual actions’ sections to make sure the site currently hosted on that domain hasn’t been previously flagged for malware or spam. Google are pretty good at informing domain owners via Search Console if a site has been hacked or infected with malware. If any historical action has taken place on a domain that already has Search Console set up then there will be a record, however if the domain you’re interested is currently hosting a website and you don’t have access to Search Console try a site:domain.com inurl:keyword search in Google (replace domain.com with the domain and keyword with a keyword like ‘gambling’ or some other commonly used keyword for a hacked site). This should give you an indication if the site has in the past

been hacked or infected with malware.

If you find anything suspicious then walk away, the odds are that you will be spending money on a domain that won’t do your business any good at all.

Check the archive For domains that aren’t currently active you can still find out a lot about the history of any website historically associated with that domain. https://archive.org/ offers the ‘wayback machine’ – a repository of historical websites. Simply type in the domain name and you can find pages that used to exist on that website, which can further aid in your research into the worth of the domain.

It is probably not a great idea to purchase a domain that was previously used for a completely different kind of business. For example, one of my previous clients https:// www.tbgallery.com/ sell bathrooms and bathroom accessories, but the people who previously owned the domain used it for a photography gallery and this was a wellestablished website which had gathered a lot of photography industry-related links over many years. For a website offering bathrooms

this is of no use whatsoever and is actually counter-productive if your aim is to rank well in Google for ‘bathroom’ related key phrases.

Check those links!

Whilst we’re on the subject of external links, do a check of links that are pointing at any domain you are thinking of purchasing. There are several tools available to scan these links for free. Majestic and Open Site Explorer (Moz Tools) are two you can use to get a good idea of historical linking on any domain if you don’t have access to Google’s own search console for the domain, these can give huge amounts of data to aid in your purchasing decision and help you to avoid a potentially costly mistake.

Look especially for links from spammy, low quality pages and from pages which are clearly off-subject. This will give a clear indication of a domain associated with low quality web content and one that is likely to have had low standing with search engines previously. Again, any links from obviously malware infected or manipulative pages and you should walk away from the domain purchase.

Intelligent Retail +44 (0)845 680 0126 intelligentretail.co.uk

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a perfect finish Rhys Betteridge, Commercial Manager talks to us about how PlastiKote continues to come up with creative paints for the DIY market Tell us about how the company began PlastiKote first came to the market in 1923 as an innovative clear coat product removing the need for wax on linoleum. That sense of innovation continued and in the early ’90s PlastiKote spray paints were launched in the UK and Ireland, primarily for the DIY and craft sectors.

PlastiKote was the first consumer spray paint brand and it was with some excitement that crafters and DIYers used its products for the first time. PlastiKote spray paint was loved for its simplicity, convenience, speed, versatility and lack of waste. Nearly 25 years later, those qualities are just as important but now PlastiKote is renowned for so much more! Consumers buy Plastikote spray paint for its superb range of colours, its variety of different finishes and effects – and of course for achieving a perfect finish, fast!

PlastiKote makes beautiful paint sprays.

Tell us about the product range?

PlastiKote spray paint has more than 275 products and is continually adding to its range. Only recently we launched two exciting new products, Chalk – a chalky, matt finish

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paint, and Leaf – a precious metal effect finish. We’re currently working on the launch of Garden – a new outdoor paint in a range of fabulous colours.

PlastiKote offers an incredible 27 different product ranges for the hobby and craft sector – our wide spectrum of colours, finishes and effects make just about any creative project extra special. Products include Metallics, Glitters, Twist & Spray, Chalkboard, Glass Frosting, Sealers, Primers, Stone Effect, Crackle Effect, Metal Hammer Effect, Fluorescent, Glow in the Dark, Rust Effect and Fast Dry Enamel. PlastiKote is proud to offer more than 135 different colours, so there really is something for everyone’s taste and colour scheme.

How can crafters use the paints?

PlastiKote spray paints can be used on virtually any surface and it works beautifully on metal, stone, wood, plastic, wicker, glass – even cardboard. Crafters can use it for purely creative projects such as Christmas decorations, picture frames or for larger decorative items like furniture.

With spray paint you can create special

company profile

effects including metallic, stone, glitter and crackle. You can add visual texture, introduce a new dimension, create interesting layers or just make sure the colour gets into every nook and cranny, particularly for three-dimensional projects. For crafters, PlastiKote spray paint makes just about anything possible.

How important is quality to the brand, and how does this relate to the products?

PlastiKote has a long history of developing high quality paints that provide solutions to original requirements, different environments or surfaces. Only recently we launched easyspray technology, introducing a wider spray nozzle, any angle spraying, no recoat window and a finer spray mist for a flawless finish.

PlastiKote focuses on three key areas when developing its products and quality is its number one priority: Quality – perfect finish, no brush marks, multi-purpose, speed of drying, speed of use.

Convenience – quick, easy to use, and

no brushes.

Creativity – texture, finish, range of colours.

Achieve something you can’t with a brush.

What products are proving best-sellers, and why?

Chalkboard paint is a hot product this year, and we’re seeing it used everywhere from placemats, notice boards, gift boxes to even table tops.

Metallics are very much on trend still in home interior design and they continue to be a hot favourite with crafters and hobbyists.

Copper and Gold Leaf are our two best sellers, and it seems crafters love the effect they achieve on everything from ceramics and mouldings to glass and cardboard. And of course, Twist & Spray and Fast Dry Enamel, in all colours, continue to be top sellers as more and more people get involved in recycling, upcycling and re-vamping. There’s no doubt, this is a great time to be creative!

PlastiKote has recently updated the brand’s website. Tell us about how you are inspiring potential customers with a range of project ideas?

Inspiration, education and information are the bedrock of our communications with potential customers. We just want to continually spread the word about the versaility and creativity of spray paint!

PlastiKote also wants to support its retailers in as many ways as possible – interactive and regular communication with spray paint users is just one aspect of that support.

The new website has been launched to

showcase our extensive range of products and it includes a wealth of creative projects to inspire and encourage. Alongside the website we have a monthly blog that features top tips, how-to projects, reader ideas and photographs, competitions and a vlog. Spray paint enthusiasts can follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter as well as subscribe to our channel on YouTube. We also have more than 500 project pictures on our Flickr site.

We love getting enquiries from spray paint users and we always respond to questions within 48 hours. We encourage users to share their completed projects with us and we regularly give away spray paint as a thank you for their contribution.

Where can retailers get to see the PlastiKote range?

Retailers can visit the PlastiKote website plastikote.co.uk to see the full PlastiKote range. They can visit the PlastiKote blog spraypaintideas.co.uk to see a huge collection of spray paint projects to help them decide which spray paints are best for their consumers or telephone the helpline for more information.

PlastiKote +44 (0)844 736 2235 plastikotehelp@valspar.com plastikote.co.uk craftfocus 77

felting

woolly wonders What’s new in felting

LEARN FELTING TECHNIQUES Felt Wonderland by Lisa Marie Olsen features all the feltmaking techniques that your customer will need to know as well as 12 fantasyinspired projects. Step into wonderland with Lisa Marie and learn how to transform sumptuous wool fibres into beautiful felt items.

Handmade felt is irresistibly soft ft and d lovely l l to workk with, h and before you know it you’ll be caught up in the magic of this gorgeous material and making beautiful, tactile gifts for you and your loved ones.

The clear, step-by-step photographs and instructions explains how to wet felt from basic flat-felting techniques through to using a resist and working around a 3D mould.

The projects include decorative teacups, teapot and tea-light holder to more practical pieces such as a pretty handbag, lampshade and cosy slippers all inspired by Lisa’s love of fairy tales and fantasy stories.

You can embellish the lovely felted items in many different ways and create your own fabulous works of art as she also includes other techniques such as needle felting, hand-stitching, embroidery and appliqué to further embellish the projects. There are also full-size templates provided on a separate, foldout sheet.

Felt Wonderland (9781782215110) retails at £9.99 and will be published in February 2018 by Search Press.

Search Press +44 (0)1892 510 580 sales@searchpress.com searchpress.com

ALL THE CHARM OF THE REAL THING Hawthorn Handmade has been adding additional kits to its extensive collection of felting for beginners and beyond. We particularly like this grunting Gloucester Old Spot, which is a wonderful first needle-felting project. The woolly Polar Bear has all the character of the real thing and is easy to make with the detailed instructions and British wool.

All kits are beautifully gift boxed and contain everything the crafter needs to create their own fluffy creatures.

Hawthorn Handmade +44 (0)1258 880 691 info@hawthornhandmade.co.uk hawthornhandmade.com PURE AND PERFECT FOR LOTS OF PROJECTS Hollandfelt has an extensive collection of wool felts. All of these are made of pure new wool and comply with the high standards of UNE-EN 71-2, UNE-EN 71-3 and Öko-Tex 100.

The material has a width of 183cm and bolts have a length of 20m.

There is no minimum order size, and the company can cut its woolfelt to every size and shape that fits your designs.

With more than 90 colours to choose from, ranging in thickness from 1mm to 5mm, there’s always a type of felt suitable for your customer’s project. Hollandfelt wool felts can be used to create kits for dolls, stuffed animals, seasonal crafts, play food, protective phone sleeves, fashion accessories, interior products and more.

Hollandfelt +31 15 214 63 41 sales@hollandfelt.nl hollandfelt.nl

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ask the experts Leading experts in the industry help with retailing and crafting dilemmas

DOMINIC FLEMING, Head of Events, ICHF Events ichfevents.co.uk Dominic leads CHSI Stitches, the UK’s trade show for the creative craft industry.

2018’s event takes place from 18th - 20th February, 2018 at NEC, Birmingham.

Dominic has many years of exhibition and event management experience, particularly trade show management.

He’s passionate about exhibitions and the positive impacts for businesses.

“I’ve decided to start selling my craft kits to trade, and have booked a small exhibition stand. Can you give me any tips on stand presentation and making the most of a trade show?”

Firstly, well done! A trade show is a big step but, get it right, and it can be an important turning point for your business. I would suggest you focus on three key areas: Make it visual. We work in a creative industry, so use your artistic skills to create a really enticing stand that not only shows your product at its best but also shows retailers how they might display it in store and how attractive it could be to their customers.

Make it product focused. Buyers will want to handle and try the products to see how they work and learn first-hand how to demo them to their customers. Make sure you have tester kits, which they can try for themselves on stand as well as product information for them to take away.

Make it personal. For a truly compelling sales pitch, add your own personality – this could be the start of a working relationship that will reap benefits into the future. The chance to meet customers face-to-face is rare these days, so make the most of having an audience in front of you ready and willing to order.

Good luck!

JULIE BONNAR, KD Media Publishing craftfocus.com Julie has worked in the craft industry for more than 14 years on both consumer and trade magazines, designing projects and craft PR. Currently the editor of Craft Focus, she originally trained as an interior designer but found she liked making her own clothes more than she liked making curtains.

“As a small business I find social media very time consuming and go long periods without posting. Can you give me any ideas how I can make this less of a chore.”

I can sympathise with you, managing social media is in itself a full-time job! Firstly I would suggest you look at all your social media accounts, and indentify the ones that are really working for your business. Most will have analytical reports and you can see from these where you’re getting the best results, and also indentify what’s the best time to post.

Secondly, make your life simpler by creating a content calendar of what you want to promote or talk about in advance. At Craft Focus, we concentrate on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep our subscribers up to date with what’s happening in the craft sector, and we aim to post at least once or twice a day.

For ideas of what to post, look at what other businesses similar to you are talking about. Try to use your social media channels as more than a promotional tool – your followers want to hear more than just what you have for sale. Give them helpful advice on using products, amusing crafty stories, share other people in the industry posts, and most of all show your followers who you are behind the brand – after all it’s all about being social!

Most social media channels have scheduling tools such as Facebook and TweetDeck for Twitter, which are free to use and allow you to schedule posts/tweets in advance. You could use social media platforms like Hootsuite, where you can control all your social media in one place. Using these tools means you can plan for busier days and free up more time.

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GDPR: stop worrying, craft a plan and get moving With the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) coming into effect in May 2018, businesses will need to introduce new policies and procures in order to achieve compliance, according to Paula Tighe, Information Governance Director at leading law firm Wright Hassall

“It’s important that businesses take the time to fully understand the effects of GDPR, and give themselves time to implement the necessary changes. Devising a thorough plan months before its arrival is best practice, and it’s not a box-ticking exercise that can be left until the last minute,” comments Paula Tighe.

Though the UK has left the EU, this has no impact on the change, and it doesn’t matter where your data comes from, if it’s used or processed in the EU, you must nevertheless comply with GDPR.

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RAISE AWARENESS AND REGISTER IT It’s crucial that your company appreciates the seriousness of non-compliance, and the potential damages you could face by not adhering to the rules. Begin by recording the transition process, as this can help prove your willingness to comply, and should protect you in the event of any claims.

This record, known as the Data Register, will show what data you currently hold and your reason for processing it. It will also contain details on where the data originated from,

and who supplied the data – this will help you meet accountability principles of GDPR. Compliance is not about stopping you from doing things – it’s designed to improve standards by questioning existing processes, and promoting changes where necessary.

Start by reviewing your existing digital and hard copy format privacy notices and policies. Are they concise, written in clear language, easy to understand and easily found?

Next, evaluate how you communicate

business advice Ensure you have a robust process for making the assessments and then record it, along with the outcome – a PIA is a simple step towards compliance, with the emphasis on what you do, rather than what you say you will do.

these notices and policies to your data subjects. The new GDPR requires you to clearly explain your reasons from processing data, and you must show individuals how to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office if they think you’re doing something wrong.

RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL GDPR aims to give individuals greater control over their personal data, which means businesses must review and amend existing policies where necessary to meet the requests of data subjects.

Individuals now have the right to request data is edited or even erased, so it’s therefore important to introduce a procedure that can deal with such requests quickly and efficiently.

Perhaps one of the key drivers for the changes, is the right for an individual to prevent their data being used for direct marketing purposes, as is the right to challenge and prevent automated decisionmaking and profiling.

Having transparent procedures in place will go a long way towards heading off any future problems with the regulator, regardless of complaints or investigations. If your organisation already handles personal data correctly under the current Data Protection Act, the switch to the GDPR should pose no real problems.

PREPARE FOR PERSONAL REQUESTS If an individual makes a subject access

request, to see what information you hold on them, you must comply within a month. You can refuse to comply if you think the request holds no merit – but you must tell them why and that they can complain to the regulator.

For SMEs, it will be more important to show a willingness to comply by trying to implement all the necessary steps and creating a data register, than to be fully compliant in May. NEVER ASSUME YOU HAVE CONSENT Handling and obtaining consent for personal data is one of the trickier aspects of the new GDPR. Individuals must give clear consent for their data to be used, but must be allowed to revoke consent easily at any time. If you change the way you want to use their data, you must obtain a new consent.

Consent must be implicit and your attempts to obtain or confirm consent, will help mitigate any future problems at the hands of the regulator.

KEEP REVIEWING AND KEEP RECORDING Where data processing could pose a significant risk to individuals because of the technology being used, or the scale of the processing, you should undertake a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) before beginning the project.

These assessments will help you and the regulator decide the likely effects on the individual if their data is lost or stolen and should form part of your ongoing processes.

MAKE SOMEONE RESPONSIBLE AND KEEP IT UP If you routinely monitor or process personal data on a large scale, you should appoint a data protection officer who understands the regulations and how best to drive your data privacy processes.

It’s not just electronically held data that can pose a problem – you also need to consider written records, which are also covered by the regulations. Make sure all your staff are trained on the correct handling of personal data.

The ‘Data Register’ will serve as proof for organisations who are defending themselves against claims of a data breach – not recording your progress could land you in hot water later down the line.

Organisations that can prove they have made an effort to comply, even if they are not fully compliant with every aspect of the GDPR from the word go, will do better.

Paula Tighe is a qualified data protection professional and leads the trusted advisor information governance service.

Experienced in working with small, medium and large private and public bodies, Paula advises on a range of data protection issues, including training design and delivery, marketing, housing, project management and ICT security.

Wright Hassall is a full-service law firm, advises clients across a variety of sectors including advanced manufacturing and engineering; food and agriculture; housing, development and construction; and gaming and digital media.

To find out more visit their website wrighthassall.co.uk.

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Sticky Roll is a super-sized, super thin, double sided adhesive on a roll!

This must-have product has fast become an essential in every crafters stash, bringing users a new level of creativity to their paper crafting.

The materials have been specially selected for use with die-cutting and cutting machines and helps to solve the problem of messy and time-consuming gluing associated with intricate shapes, giving a SURIHVVLRQDO Č´ QLVK Sticky Roll is not only fabulous for adhering those hard to glue die-cuts and shapes to a wide range of surfaces, but can also be used IRU JOLWWHU Čľ RFN IRLOLQJ JLOGLQJ Čľ DNHV HPERVVLQJ SRZGHU XOWUD WKLFN embossing powder and mica powders. Sticky Roll is permanent and acid free, 210mm in width and 10 metres in length. Sticky Roll, less time gluing, more time crafting!

Made in the UK Our beautiful glitter is available in a range of colours, is XOWUD Č´ QH DQG OHDYHV D JRUJHRXV Č´ QLVK ZKHQ XVHG ZLWK 6WLFN\ 5ROO

www.wildspiderdesigns.com sales@wildspiderdesigns.com Tel: +44(0)7902204267

We look at some of the latest innovative product releases from the big names in papercraft CONTEMPORARY IN COLOUR Crafter’s Companion has released a brand-new addition to Sara’s Signature range. The enchanting Flutterby is a fully co-ordinating papercraft collection featuring a contemporary colour palette of blue, turquoise and purple.

The range includes printed acetate, A4 glitter and mirror card packs, photopolymer stamp sets, a luxury foiled card pad, foil transfers, dies, embossing folders, foil rolls and wood block stamps.

Crafters will love the dreamy nature-inspired images including butterflies, flourishes and flowers. It’s the perfect combination for all kinds of different projects for any occasion.

Crafters Companion +44 (0)1388 660 930 trade@crafterscompanion.co.uk crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk

FUN AND FUNCTIONAL STORAGE The functional new Storage Genie from Hunkydory Crafts is a must-have for all crafters’ storage needs, and is perfect for organising crafting materials. The stylish black and signature Hunkydory purple case is hardwearing and durable, and boasts multiple ways to store crafting equipment and materials. The expanding file is stylish and compact yet deceptively large on the inside, with a huge amount of space to keep crafts organised. It retails at £19.99 and contains 13 over-A4 sized pockets, coloured labels included to organise each pocket, a handy compartment on the inside perfectly sized for Little Books, secret storage drawers ideal for housing craft essentials and a carry handle for ease of transport.

Retailers buying in bulk can save and get 20 for £125 (£6.25 each) or 100 for £500 (£5 each).

Hunkydory Crafts +44 (0)1772 272 575 trade@hunkydorycrafts.co.uk trade.hunkydorycrafts.co.uk

A SPRINKLE OF FAIRY DUST Believe in Fairies? This magical watercolour collection Fairie Dust, features soft petal pink, sophisticated lilac and deep azure blue, playful fairies, florals and toadstools, and will make the concept of fairies come to life in this whimsical collection.

The 12in x 12in collection includes 16 sheets (new format size), two of each of the eight designs and decorative sticker sheet, coordinating chipboard, cardstock tags, pockets, journaling and ephemera cards, as well as decorative cardstock stickers. The collection is also available as 8in x 8in bundle.

Graphic 45 is distributed by Jones Crafts +44 (0)115 978 1263 craftsales@jonesnottm.co.uk jones-crafts.com

STENCILS IN 3D It’s now never been easier to add detail and create multi-coloured designs with stencils thanks to these amazing 3D stencils by Sheena Douglass.

Sheena makes it easy to take your stencilling skills to the next level, as each image of the six new sets contains a base stencil with a solid shape and a further two stencils with added details to layer on top of the base image, bringing your designs to life. The clever trick of using different stencils for each layer of detail makes it easy to create multi-coloured designs in no time, and they’re suitable for use with a wide range of mediums including inks, paints, pastes and more.

Crafters Companion +44 (0)1388 660 930 trade@crafterscompanion.co.uk crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk

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papercrafts

definitely worth the paper

definitely worth the paper

GET CREATIVE The DIY stacks from DCWV (Die Cuts With A View) are a great way to spend time crafting and creating. The stacks are available in eight different formats, and include wreathes, mini albums, flowers, favour boxes and more.

Follow the instructions as written in the kit or change them up to customise the project to your liking. The majority of pieces are already cut or templates are available for tracing. What’s more, assembly is effortless and easy!

DCWV is distributed by Personal Impressions +44 (0)1787 375 241 pisales@personalimpressions.com personalimpressions.com

DIE-CUTS AND MORE Looking for something different to offer your customers, JEJE Produkt is a manufacturer of peel-off stickers and craft products in the Netherlands. New to the company is the exclusive brand from Mary Rahder. It consists of a collection of 3D decoupage sheets, die cut sheets, clear stamps and peel-off stickers.

Home Decoration is more popular than ever and the company has developed Deco Dots, colorful mirror shine peel-off stickers to redecorate your home and a range with gorgeous large winter peel-off designs especially made for colouring with markers including Kuretake Zig, and Chameleon.

If you’d like to design your own exclusive peel-off sticker range you can email or schedule a meeting at Creativeworld, Creativation and CHSI Stitches, where the company will be exhibiting next year. At the upcoming shows, JEJE will launch the new die cut collections – Bill & Betty, Miss Mimi & Friends and Happy Bells.

JEJE Produkt +31 35 624 6732 info@jejeprodukt.nl jejeprodukt.com 86 craftfocus

ADORABLE SCORABLE GOES VIBRANT Hunkydory Crafts has just launched a new range of vibrant watercolour cardstock. The new cardstock features an amazing selection of 25 different vivid watercolour patterns featuring a variety of colours. This striking selection includes a beautifully bright and varied colour palette, incorporating yellows, pinks, purples, blues, greens and all in incredible watercolour patterns with different colours perfectly blending into one another. This will add a real standout touch to crafters makes, whether it’s as a background, matting and layering or box-making.

The speciality Adorable Scorable’s heavyweight 350gsm finish ensures a secure and sturdy base for all projects and it has become crafters signature finish, giving crafts the extra touch of glamour and luxury to propel them to projects with true wow-factor.

Hunkydory Crafts +44 (0)1772 272 575 trade@hunkydorycrafts.co.uk trade.hunkydorycrafts.co.uk

NEW POSCA PC-7M ϰ͘ϱͲϱ͘ϱŵŵ ůĂƌŐĞ ďƵůůĞƚ ƟƉ͘ Available in 15 colours

POSCA range includes 8 sizes in over 40 colours

www.uniball.co.uk

papercrafts

GLOSS AND GLIMMER Sweet Poppy Stencils are the brand of The Craft Station Ltd, under the brand laser cut metal stencils which are distinctive in design and quality so you are able to achieve the high end results that you expect when creating your projects, whether it be paper craft, cake decorating or home décor.

Sweet Poppy® products include Stencil Mediums, Satin Glitters, Mica Powders and Shimmer & Sheen lustre paints which all reach the same high quality that is synonymous with the brand.

The new exciting addition to the collection is the launch of 10 new colours of Stencil Medium all in a handy 50ml size; they are Pale Pink, Pale Blue, Pale Green, Lilac, Peach, Lemon & Silver all in a Pearl finish & Red, Dark Green & Dark Blue in a Glossy finish – each pot retailing at £4.50

A CLEAR DIFFERENCE This range of transparent shapes can be coated with glitter, decoupagéd, painted, and filled with papercrafting or mixed media supplies or embellished. Choose from nine designs: bauble/balls (6cm, 7cm, 10cm and 12cm diameter), star, heart, tree and square box with a lid. The clear shapes are split-able and fill-able and sold in wholesale packs through Country Love Crafts.

Country Love Crafts +44 (0)1235 861700 sales@countrylovecrafts.co.uk countrylovecrafts.com

Sweet Poppy Stencil +44 (0)1775 527 442 sales@sweetpoppy.co.uk sweet-poppy.com

NEW FROM KAISERCRAFTS Kaisercrafts has two new releases for December – Wandering Ivy and Open Road. Wandering Ivy consists of soft ivory tones and vintage floral sketches making this collection a decidedly provincial affair. Bright splashes of colourful green and blue offer a fresh take on an otherwise traditionally vintage collection.

Open Road is an Australian-themed collection including a rustic, earthly colour palette to represent Kaisercraft’s beautiful home country.

With a combination of countrified papers and native flora inspired backgrounds, the collection portrays the pure wilderness of the land down under.

Kaisercrafts is distributed by Jones Crafts +44 (0)115 978 1263 craftsales@jonesnottm.co.uk jones-crafts.com

Bauble and star designed by Kate Crane

craftfocus 89

Whatever the celebration our crackers will always delight - adding sparkle, a surprise and a bang!

craft kits

all-for-one Crafts kits are perfect for your customers to learn new skills

CROSS-STITCH Brighten up the home with one of these pretty wall hanging banners from RIOLIS. Shown here is a garden scene in spring and autumn. Each design is cross-stitched onto Zweigart 14-count flaxen aida fabric with wool and acrylic threads.

The edges are fringed, and the topstitched over to attach to the included wooden hanger. The finished banners measure 20cm by 30cm, and each kits retails for £23.99.

These would make a great gift, either as a project for someone to stitch, or as a completed piece of art.

RIOLIS is distributed in the UK by SoloCrafts +44 (0)161 464 7313 sales@solocrafts.com solo-crafts.com

WHOLE-STITCH ONLY Simply Heritage is a range of whole-stitch only designs, which are ideal for beginners or as a ‘quick stitch’ project for the more experienced cross stitcher. The kits are available as complete cross-stitch kits with 14-count aida fabric.

Animal lovers will adore The Antagonist by Peter Underhill measuring 9cm x 11.5cm and retailing at just £11.50.

Heritage Crafts +44 (0)1889 575 256 sales@hcrafts.com hcrafts.com

APPLIQUÉ PEPPY introduces craft kits with cotton fabric included from the series of Patchwork appliqué kit. The kits are based on Japanese technique ‘Kinusaiga’, to help crafters create amazing pictures from fabric pieces. PEPPYS’ kits contain a base with an adhesive layer that makes the process of creation easy and exciting. The fabric elements are fixed on the base and the allowances are pressed into the base cuts using the modeling stick. The finished project measures 17cm by 19 cm, and makes a lovely home decoration. The retail price is around £15 ($19).

JSC Gamma TH +7 495 741 7006 ext. 2983 export@firma-gamma.ru firma-gamma.com

FOCUS ON FABRIC For customers who have the perfect piece of fabric just waiting to be shown off look no further, the NeedCraft textile wall art kit contains everything you need to make their own customised wall art for the home.

The kits are very simple to use, and available in three shapes: circle, square and rectangle and come in an assortment of sizes, and can be used with favourite fabric designs.

The textile wall art kit is also available in workshop packs for schools and private classes, and is a great product to get your students involved in arts and crafts.

Dannells’ NeedCraft +44 (0)1992 700 311 info@dannells.com dannells.com

craftfocus 91

all-for-one KNOW YOUR NEEDLEPOINT The Fei Collection needlepoint kits are original and timeless designs created in-house by Fei Trapnell, who is a self-taught designer and stitcher and has an innate ability for creating beautiful needlework. Fei designs and stitches each piece with passion, care and time.

The kits come in three different sizes – small (pincushion), medium and large. All of The Fei Collection needlepoint kits are carefully assembled by hand to the highest quality ensuring customers will enjoy stitching today’s treasures and tomorrows’ heirlooms.

They make wonderful gifts, which are lovely to give and to receive. The latest addition to the range of medium-sized needlepoint kits is ‘Kitchen Garden Sampler’ – it was inspired

by Fei’s love of gardening and home produce. The kit contains English Appleton wool, wool index card, Printed Zweigart interlock canvas, needle, chart and instructions – all of which are packaged in The Fei Collection’s distinctive dark green gift bag with stylish cord handles.

PERFECT PRINTING Personal Impressions, UK distributor for Gelli Arts has announced several new-launch items including the six new Gelli Arts printing kits. The kits come in handy, reusable storage tubs that contain a Gelli plate, roller, new Gelli paint, texture tools, paper and/ or fabric and a few other goodies too. The different kit options available are card printing kit, paper quilt kit, quilt squares printing kit, patch printing kit, stamping & printing kit and feather printing kit.

For those you who’re not familiar with Gelli Art – a gel printing plate looks and feels like gelatin, but is durable, reusable and stores at room temperature. It’s easy to clean and always ready for printing. Mono-printing (essentially a printed painting) on a Gelli plate is simple, fun and innovative. The new kits are bound to be a hit for anyone looking for an arty crafty gift.

Gelli Arts products are distributed by Personal Impressions +44 (0)1787 375 241 pisales@personalimpressions.com personalimpressions.com

The Fei Collection +44 (0)1594 516 771 sales@feicollection.co.uk feicollection.co.uk

FOUR REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD STOCK CRAFT KITS: 1. Kits include everything that your customer needs to try a new craft 2. Kits are attractively packaged 3. They make great gifts for crafters for birthdays, Christmas and other special occasions 4. The perfect way to learn a new craft inexpensively

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The London Bead Co. Delicate Stitches

Threads Swarovski Crystals Seed Beads Delica Beads Findings 339 Kentish Town Rd. NW5 2TJ 0207 267 9403 orders@londonbeadco.co.uk londonbeadco.com

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Boasting exceptional print and digital platforms, Craft Focus, Gift Focus, Attire Bridal and Attire Accessories have become market leaders in their respective fields – trailblazing the industry with inspiring, engaging and empowering content designed to drive your business forward.

INTRODUCING THE An interactive directory listing for the trade, the iProfile is the brainchild of KD Media Publishing and brings a new marketing experience to trade retailers across the country. The iProfile was born in response to demand for a digital-savvy and flexible solution that allows clients’ multimedia to be incorporated into an enhanced listing.

Simultaneously, clients may take advantage of the benefits provided by our own popular trade websites. A year-long listing, with tangible, measurable results, the iProfile is already taking the industry by storm.

For further information, contact Marketing Manager, Michael Richards on michaelr@kdmediapublishing.com

With crucial media partnerships now signed with some of the major trade shows in the UK and beyond, KD Media Publishing’s portfolio of trade titles are a collective powerhouse of knowledge and connections which benefit from exceptional and targeted distribution, further bolstered by official media partner status at these key events.

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show review

state-of-the-art stationery We report back from the new Manchester Stationery Show The new stationery trade show, which ran at the end of October in Old Trafford, Manchester, kicked off in style as exhibitors and visitors were introduced to a new venue, which was variously described as ‘intimate’, ‘quirky’, ‘edgy’ and ‘boutique’.

Show organisers Ocean Media Group, who also run the London Stationery Show, were delighted that everyone involved embraced the industrial style of the Victoria Warehouse, with its concrete floors, huge red brick walls and exposed beams and pipes.

WHO WAS THERE? With 40 exhibitors representing 70 leading stationery brands, the new show attracted buyers from as far afield as Penny Black from Glasgow, Klondyke Garden Centre from Falkirk, Pencil Me In from Elgin and Scottish Trade Stationers from Alloa to local leading craft retailer Fred Aldous and

The Co-operative Group.

Other regionally based visitors included Marple Stationery Supplies, Utility Retail, Austin & Co, Ryman, OPen Office Solutions, Castlegate Stationery, Art & Toys, B&M Retail, Celebrations of Stourbridge, Budget Greeting Cards, Hunkydory Crafts, Poundland, The Crow Emporium, The Little Stationery Shop and Write Here.

In addition, buyers from TJX Europe, Accessorize, Paperchase, notonthehighstreet and Sainsbury’s visited the show.

ExaClair, the UK supplier of Rhodia, J Herbin, G Lalo, Brause, Exacompta and Clairefontaine, declared the show ‘a roaring success’, saying it had delivered higher than expected visitor numbers for them, and positive interest in its premium notebook and calligraphy brands. Clement Rouillard, Marketing Manager at ExaClair, said, “The venue choice was good in terms of space, layout and feel, meaning we were able to showcase our products to great effect.

It was well attended by key customers in the boutique stationery market and so a positive experience for us.” craftfocus 97

state-of-the art stationery

SHOW FEEDBACK The show’s seminars and Creative Stationery workshops sponsored by Craft Focus magazine were well attended, and exhibitors confirmed that they had picked up good leads.

“The venue offered crafting experiences throughout both days at the Creative Stationery Workshops sponsored by Craft Focus, and they had full attendance from what I saw. I sat in on one about mindful colouring, which was about edding pens, using two colouring pens to create shading when just one pen was used. I thoroughly enjoyed doing something different from the norm, and equally other participants were really enjoying the experience. It’s a great way for a company to showcase its products and receive feedback on both price and availability. I also took away a very handsome goody bag,” says Retail Analyst Faika Khurram from Bright Disposition

On the visitor front, the show’s Twitter feed was busy with comments including, from Toad Diaries, “Interesting day at the Manchester Stationery Show. Phil Pond’s seminars never fail to amaze us – great talk and inspiration!” and “Great visit to the Manchester Stationery Show. Can’t wait to add calligraphy products to our Christmas range coming soon,” from Sarah Sibley, founder of online business Got2Jot about exhibitor Manuscript Pens.

“The stationery industry is a creative and fashion-led sector. We want to tap into this creativity and stage events that inspire and inform,” says the show’s Marketing Director Vanessa Fortnam. “We’re already planning how to encourage more suppliers to take advantage of this new industry event to network with customers and new contacts in 2018. We’ll also address the issue of visitor parking for next year. Many visitors were frustrated and delayed on the first day of the show as the show clashed with a Manchester United Championship League home game, and hope our decision to pull the show forward to the beginning of October next year will help with this.”

DATE FOR NEXT YEAR’S DIARY The 2018 Manchester Stationery Show 2nd - 3rd October, 2018 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester stationeryshowmanchester.co.uk

98 craftfocus

The UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading magazine for the craft industry

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flight of fancy Unicorn-mania has hit the craft sector, and crafters can’t seem to get enough of these mythological creatures Crochet cuteness This sweet crocheted unicorn is part of the amigurumi family from Hoooked. The unicorn corn crochet set includes yarn, hooks and accessories and comes in a gift ft box. It’s the perfect gift for those who love to crochet and unicorns.

Hoooked, hoooked.co.uk ed.co.uk

Add sparkle The new textile design kit from Viva Décor brings a magical, mystical sparkle to your fabric crafts projects. Textile Glitter is a creamy-textile paint with sparkling glitter that can be easily applied using a brush, stencil or painting freehand with writer nib on the paint bottle. The eight-piece kit includes four textile glitter paints (gold, fuchsia, light blue, light green), two A5 stencils, a brush and instructions. There are five other kits available from Viva Décor including glass painting, ceramic decorating and patina wax projects.

Viva Décor is distributed by Personal Impressions, personalimpressions.com By paint and by project Dresser designed by PL Schneider If you’re looking for inspiration to help customers engage with the extensive range of paints from Decoart then take a look at the website decoart. com/projects.

Decoart has a wide selection of projects, which you can search by product, occasion or surface material.

To build on the unicorn trend, there are more than 10 projects featuring this mystical creatures. We love the Unicorn dresser shown here, which as been designed by PLA Schneider.

DecoArt is stocked by Country Love Crafts, countrylovecrafts.com

Paint your own pottery Country Love Crafts has a good selection of highquality bisque pottery blanks including three unicorn designs – Tiny Tot Sparkle (small unicorn), cute Unicorn Sitting and Unicorn Standing. All designs have a smooth surface and anti-shivering policy. Paint item with poster paints, acrylics and finish/seal with a coat of craft varnish.

These are perfect for craft, birthday and hen parties, corporate team-building events and home décor projects, as well as fundraising schemes.

Country Love Crafts, countrylovecrafts.com

Dressed for the part 5036 is a delightful sweater and cardigan pattern, which has been knitted in Comfort DK yarn in pale pink and cream versions from King Cole. Knitters and children will love this design with its wonderful unicorn horn, ears and tail!

King Cole, kingcole.com

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NEXT ISSUE… Don’t miss the February/March 2018 edition of Craft Focus

Sew on We talk sewing and fabrics for the new season Tools of the trade The essential tools for crafters ON WITH THE SHOW A sneak peek at what CHSI Stitches can offer your craft business Don’t forget to pick up your copy….

Craft Focus is packed full of the newest product launches, industry news and business advice from leading experts in the fields of retail, e-commerce and business management.

February/March 2018 (issue 65) Editorial deadline: 5th January, 2018 Advertising deadline: 12th January, 2018 Published: 2nd February, 2018

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AS SURE AS EGGS ARE EGGS The latest ideas for Easter and springtime

editor’s picks ks

mini me Amigurumi is big business – we talk mini knitted ted and crocheted characters Cuteness in a gift box Take your crochet to the next level with the fun amigurumi family from Hoooked. The crochet cuties will enable crafters to live out their creativity. With a wide selection of characters for more crochet inspiration, there’s bound to be more than one that your customers won’t be able to resist. All Hoooked crochet sets include yarn, hooks and accessories and come in a gift box, which is perfect to give as a gift.

Hoooked, hoooked.co.uk

Wedding wonders 9067 for King Cole is proving that knitted items can be used anywhere with this innovative pattern. 9067 is a clever design featuring a bride and groom cake topper, which as been knitted using the King Cole Dollymix DK, Moments and Big Value Baby 4-ply.

It taps into a couple of craft trends at the moment including Amurigurimi and handmade weddings, and is bound to sit pretty with your knitting customers.

King Cole, kingcole.com Pocket style Pocket Amigurumi (ISBN: 9781782215462) by Sabrina Somers contains 20 lovable little monsters to crochet and collect, from sprout-like sidekicks and spiky wolf companions to leaf foxes and fiery cats.

The loveable little critters are so cute and very quick to crochet – you’ll want to make them all! At 10cm (4in) high, the manga-inspired plushie creatures are perfect little companions that can peek out of your pocket. Using just one size hook, crochet your partner or a whole team of beasts. These tiny collectables make wonderful gifts and are suitable for crocheters of all abilities.

Search Press, searchpress.com

craftfocus 103

Sara Davies MBE, founder of Crafter’s Companion, discusses how to take advantage of the January sales With the New Year just around the corner, it’s hard to believe how fast 2017 has gone. And, for craft retailers, as the Christmas season draws to a close, attention will turn to one thing – the January sales!

The January sales have almost become a holiday of their own, but before you start slashing your prices it’s important to take a step back and think about the pros and cons of running a sale event. In this issue, we talk about how to make the most of New Year price cuts.

Kick off the New Year The January sales can be the perfect kick-start to a new year. They’re a great opportunity to sell off your older stock and clear some shelf space for any new products you spot at the 2018 trade shows, such as CHSI Stitches.

Customers look forward to the January sales and will anticipate offers and savings.

Some crafty ones (pardon the pun) might even have put some money to one side to secure some bargains. So, this seasonal opportunity can offer craft businesses the potential to increase sales revenue at an otherwise quiet time of the year.

Competitive pressure While these sales are hugely popular, they’re also very competitive. There’s often a lot of pressure to offer the best deals, so be careful not to drive your prices down too much in a bid to compete with larger businesses.

You need to stand out from the competition. Do you have big reductions on a limited amount of stock? Are you running a quirky deal? For example, if a customer spends over a certain amount can they get a free gift with their purchase? Can customers be entered into a prize draw every time they purchase? Everyone loves a freebie so think about adding value for your customers!

January sales are also very time-consuming in my experience. Running a sale of this magnitude doesn’t just happen by itself.

It takes time and effort to prepare for one, which can sometimes be tricky alongside all your other Christmas activity, and hopefully the time for you to have a break too.

to shout about, select two or three key offers that will really get your customers talking.

• Word of mouth is a powerful thing so let your regular customers know what you’ve got coming up and with any luck they’ll spread the word for you.

• Shout about what you’re doing on social media as well, you could even create a Facebook event for your sale period to reach a wider audience.

Building on sales Once you’ve got customers through the door wow them with your great customer service, even during very busy periods, to encourage them to shop with you beyond the sale season.

It’s also a great opportunity to build out your customer database to use in future marketing activity. So, think about how you can build this into your sales activity. Could customers get a little extra discount if they complete a contact form or a one-of-a-kind discount for filling in a survey? This doesn’t Decide on your main offers have to be limited to your store either, think So, if you do decide to go ahead with a about replicating this if you sell online as well.

January sale, how can you make sure you do Finally, while it might be a discount sale, it right? it’s also the perfect chance to up-sell. Try • First off, think about which deals you want to encourage further spending wherever you can. For example, you could offer a percentage off products such as card and paper if a customer purchases dies or pens.

Think about combining complementary products to create special deals and make sure you tailor your offers to your customers to encourage further spending.

In short, the January sales can be hugely beneficial to your craft business, but only if you plan and deliver them right. Hopefully these tips will help you along the way to making sure you get the most out of them.

That way you can relax knowing everything is in hand and enjoy Sara Davies MBE, founder those left-over mince pies! of Crafter’s Companion and Durham-born craft entrepreneur, crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk craftfocus 105

business tips

how to avoid the January blues

festive

PINE CONES

A quick festive make from Julia Gailes using the Sara Signature Traditional Christmas collection from Crafter’s Companion 2

2. Take one of the squares you’ve cut out and place it with the reverse white side facing you. Bring two adjacent corners towards the centre and fold them to create a point. Repeat this step with the remaining squares.

MATERIALS NEEDED • Sara Signature Traditional Christmas collection • Digi stamps from the CD • Printable light card • Silver glitter cardstock • Silver mirror cardstock • Polystyrene eggs • Sequin pins • Metallic thread • Sara Signature Traditional Christmas collection • Festive Greeting die • Border punch (optional) • Snowflake & circle dies • Ribbons, twine, flowers and beads • White copy paper • White tissue paper • Candle • Spectrum Noir markers • Greaseproof paper • Sakura Quickie Glue Pen • Glitter • 10in Cake Drum (these are the thicker-style boards) • Red Liner Tape • Collall Tacky Glue • Stick & Spray adhesive • Pearl Diamond Crafter’s Companion Spray & Sparkle

TOOLS • Gemini die-cutting machine • Heat tool • Computer and printer • Hot glue gun • Paper piercing tool • Stapler

STEPS TO MAKE 1

106 craftfocus

1. Print a patterned paper from the Sara Signature Traditional Christmas collection from the CD onto a sheet of printable light card. Cut the sheet up into 1in squares using a guillotine, punch or die. One sheet will create enough squares to create one pine cone.

3

4

5

6

3. Pin four of the folded squares around the narrowest end of the polystyrene egg, ensuring that the points are placed together. Secure the folded squares by inserting a pin in the point and the top corners as shown.

4. Continue to pin more folded squares by working up from the previously pinned pieces up to the top to cover the polystyrene egg. Secure them in place with a pin in the top corners and leave the points free to dangle as they create the pine cone effect.

5. Die-cut a snowflake from silver glitter cardstock, thread a length of metallic thread through the centre and knot the ends together. Create a hole in the top of the polystyrene egg and push the knotted end into it, securing it with a touch of hot glue.

6. Push the die-cut snowflake down to the top of the polystyrene egg and embellish it as desired to add the perfect finishing touch to your pinecone!

Julia Gailes has been crafting ever since she can remember and became addicted to cardmaking and papercraft six years ago. Her dreams came true when she started working in the Crafter’s Companion store at Newton Aycliffe.

Thanks to Crafter’s Companion for this project. To find more projects visit the company’s website crafterscompanion. co.uk, and for trade enquires visit crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk.

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It’s more than just a directory listing, and acts as an extension of your own website. The iProfile boasts the significant advantage whereby you can access an exceptional and targeted audience, thereby boosting your potential to tap into new business opportunities.

Visitors to our site are actively seeking to connect with businesses like yours, and via the iProfile, they can learn about your services and products, explore all you have to offer, make informed decisions, and connect with you directly - all from one click.

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Help customers with their crafting new year’s resolutions with products perfect for the season Seasonal accessories King Cole has patterns for all seasons but wools best come into play for making winter warmers such as pattern 5016, which features four beautiful shawls, snoods and scarfs to make in the company’s Panache double-knit yarn. Another great pattern for making pretty scarves is 5022. This pattern features scarves made using garter stitch including triangular, eyelet and stocking stitch.

King Cole +44 (0)1756 703 670 enquiries@kingcole.com kingcole.com

Snug as a bug House of Alistair is known for its stylish sewing accessories and kits. The Hot Water Bottle Cover kit is an ideal gift for any crafter this winter. With eight wonderful Liberty fabrics to choose, this water bottle will become a must-coveted accessory, and make a great gift this winter. The RRP is £24.99.

House of Alistair +44 (0)20 3417 5572 alistair@houseofalistair.com houseofalistair.com Woodland wonders The new Fox in the Wood range from Threaders is a 100 per cent quality cotton-based fabric, which features silver and gold foil detailing for a touch of luxury. There are a total of nine beautiful designs in the range, all in a sumptuous colourway, as well as a nine -piece fat quarter bundle and six-piece co-ordinating thread box.

Stitchers will find this collection of super-soft fabrics perfect for an array of projects from dressmaking to gifts and items for around the home.

Crafter’s Companion +44 (0)1388 660 930 trade@crafterscompanion.co.uk crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk

Let it snow, let it snow Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful.

Why not use DecoArt Snow-Tex to add that wintry feel to your craft projects. The white dimensional paint dries to create effects like snow and stucco on most craft surfaces, and is available in 2oz, 4oz and 16oz pots. Snow-Tex can be painted once dry or tinted while wet by adding Americana Acrylics.

It’s great for embellishing holiday ornaments, scrapbooks, gift bags, greeting cards, memory crafts, tags, boxes and holiday decorations. It can be used on wood, tin, ceramic, pottery, clay, Christmas decorations, polymer clay, plaster, resin, papier-mâché, concrete, paper, posterboard, Styrofoam, ornamental glass, plastic, terracotta plant pots, journals and paper craft projects.

Country Love Crafts +44 (0)1235 861 700 sales@countrylovecrafts.co.uk countrylovecrafts.com

craftfocus 109

winter crafts

baby, it’s cold outside

baby, it’s cold outside

Water tight Cloud9 Matte Laminates by Cloud9 feature six of Cloud9’s most popular and fun prints but re-introduced as a sophisticated collection of laminates. The lovely matte PU coating on these prints still remain certified organic. The range is perfect for projects that need to be drip or shower-proof such as umbrellas, bibs, aprons, outerwear and bags.

Cloud9 fabrics are distributed in the UK by Hantex +44 (0)1754 820 800 sales@hantex.co.uk hantex.co.uk

By candle light What better time to start a craft-like candle making than winter. Light your own beautiful homemade candle and fill your home with a Christmas scent with the beautiful candle making kits from Peak Dale Products. The starter kit has enough of everything to make eight to 12 dyed, scented candles and includes the dyes, scents, paraffin wax, other tools and full instructions.

For slightly more experienced candle makers, the Ultimate Candle kit contains enough wax for dozens of candles, seven moulds of different shapes, plenty of dye and scents and lots of extras. The kit is perfect for those bulk candle makers, and the company also stocks a wide selection of candle making add-ons including wax, stearin, wick, wick holders and mould seal. Soy wax and bees wax are also available.

Peak Dale Products +44 (0)1298 78 447 sales@peakdaleproducts.co.uk peakdaleproducts.co.uk

Dyeing for colour Basic dyes are one-of-a-kind among fabric dyes because of their versatility. They are some of the brightest dyes that exist, and they’re easy to use on a variety of difficult-to-dye materials.

Wood, paper, potpourri, acrylic fibres like yarn, reeds, leather, and even some types of plastic can be dyed with Basic Dyes.

Basic Dyes are also soluble in alcohol, so they can be made into alcohol inks or used in situations where you don’t want the surface to get wet with water. This is a particularly good for woods that are likely to warp or for soft leather. These dyes are a crucial tool for the home decorator and the artist who needs to colour anything and everything. Art Van Go offers basic dyes from Jacquard in 13 stunning colours.

Jacquard Products are distributed by Art Van Go +44 (0)1438 814 946 art@artvango.co.uk artvango.co.uk

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baby, it’s cold outside

Winter glow Create and design your own beautiful lanterns, which can be used safely around the house. The lantern making kits are ideal for using with your favourite textiles to create beautiful interior decorations, or even get the children involved to make personalised or themed lanterns. Use special photos, wallpaper, fabric to create personalised lanterns. They use battery operated tea lights so there’s no risk to leaving your designs glowing throughout the evening. The kits are also available in workshop packs for schools and private classes, and is the perfect way to get students involved in a bit of craft while learning new skills!

Dannells’ NeedCraft +44 (0)1992 700 311 info@dannells.com dannells.com

More choices for shrink art Grafix Shrink Film allows you to design, cut out and bake your own creations, and is now available in Metallic Gold and Silver, which is perfect for seasonal metal-like embellishments. The product now comes in eight additional styles including Clear, Matte, White, Black, Sanded, Inkjet Clear, Inkjet White and Assorted Colours.

Crafter’s design will shrink to half their original size and become nine times thicker. Use with permanent markers, paint pens or stamps to decorate, and even draw with coloured pencils on the pre-sanded film. Print photos, clip art and text on Inkjet Shrink film and make jewellery, embellishments, paper crafts, magnets, key chains, tag art and children will love it too. Grafix Shrink Film is offered in 8.5in x 11in sheets in packs of six and 50 complete with ease to follow instructions.

Grafix +1 216 581 9050 info@grafixarts.com grafixarts.com

craaft ftffocus cus 112 1 12 2 craftfocus

Cosy toes Opal is an even mixture of fine wool from Germany and South America both are merino and the more expensive and yet better Polyamide 6.6 that renders it highly wear and tear resistant. The 4-ply sock yarn is part of a range of Schafpate, which is brought to you as a joint Opal and Viridian venture.

The wool is supplied from about 30,000 sheep from the nature reserve BiosphareAlb in South Germany where traditional practices of sheep rearing is still worked by the migrant shepherds and supporting an environmental and animal friendly way of life. Viridian has sponsored eight rare breed German sheep – Schafpate – which translated means Sheep Godfather. The sheep have been named Hannah, Kim, Thelma, Sunny, Claire, Kate, Charlie and George, which are names from the Viridian owner’s family.

The yarns are washed after printing, which means that there are no chemical or colourant leftovers. The yarn is steamed twice, which gives the yarn a fantastic volume and grip, and your knitted garments remains soft to touch. You can wash Opal wool in the washing machine at 40° without fear of it shrinking or colours bleeding. Opal contains no residues whatsoever that could damage children or g yyour skin or that of your y grandchildren. ndchildren. Opal is also saliva and sweat resistant.

Viridian dian +44 (0)117 300 5244 viridianltd@gmail.com virid d ld dianltd@gmail.com l viridianyarn.com virid dianyarn.com

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COUN COU C OU OUN UN NT TDOW TDO TD T DO OW W WN N TO TO CHSI Stitches

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Ho Ho How ow w tto o tu tturn turn a hou h house ous ou o use us u ssee into in in int nto nt to a home to home with h ho wit wi wit ith DIY DIIY D IY projects pro roj rrojec ojjjec o jeeeccts ts

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craftfocus 113

fuzz balls be gone Julie Bonnar puts the Gleener Gl ner 2in1 fabric depiller through its paces

THE PRODUCT The Gleener 2-in-1 Fabric Depiller and Lint Remover helps to restore clothing, upholstery and other household fabrics. The patented and awardwinning fabric shaver and lint brush safely removes fuzz balls, bobbles, lint, and pet hair from virtually all fabrics. Three fabricsafe edges get rid of bobbles and pilling, while the built-in lint brush finishes up the job.

Gleener’s patented fabric safe edges are what sets ithis tool apart from other clothes shavers. Each carefully designed edge targets a different type of bobble from big and bulky to medium and super fine, reviving natural fibres, synthetics and blends.

HOW TO USE IT Its simple ergonomic design is easy to use, and is constructed from ABS plastic with a rubberised handle for a good grip. It comes in a storage pouch and contains all three of the removable edges for coarse, medium and fine fabrics.

It does come with instructions but all you need do is drag the edge over the affected area to remove pilling. It works on natural fibres such as wool, merino, angora, cashmere, pashmina, silk and cotton but also synthetic fabrics like acrylic, rayon, viscose, polyester, spandex, microfiber and nylon. You can use it on sweaters, coats, suits, jackets, scarves, hats and gloves.

Each Gleener Fabric Depiller and Lint Remover includes three edges and a travel pouch so you have all the tools necessary.

• Edge #1: Tackle big & bulky pills found on

114 craftfocus

heavy woolens, blends and synthetics.

• Edge #2: Great for medium pilling on cashmere, merino and finer wools.

• Edge #3: Revitalise your summer knits, t-shirts, silk blends and ultra-delicate from fine pilling.

WORTH KNOWING...

If your customer is a knitter, crocheter or sewer, it’s important to them to look after the items they have made. The idea for this tool came about when it’s creator Kim Cole found a favourite sweater had became covered in pills after only a few wears. “Somehow my beautiful merino wool turtleneck had turned into a weekends-only item, looking old and worn before its time. Determined to salvage my sweater, I set out to find a solution. I bought and tried countless fabric care products, but none of them were efficient, easy and effective. The last product I tested left a huge hole right in the front of my sweater. That’s when I had my first a-ha moment! There had to be a better way, people need a better solution to this annoying problem, and I would create one.”

REASONS TO STOCK • It comes in a drawstring bag and would make a practical gift for a yarn or fabric lover • Competitively priced at £19.99 RRP • No batteries are required • Replacement blades are available • Great PoS item Gleener Inc. +1 855 453 3637 info@gleener.com gleener.com

In a recent poll, 86 per cent of our readers told us they would find it beneficial to know about new products as they come to the market. Tried & Tested puts the latest products in the limelight so if you have a product to feature, get in contact with Julie Bonnar at editor@craftfocus.com.