www.craftfocus.com

MAGAZINEIssu

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Offi cial media partner for Craft, Hobby + Stitch International and proud sponsor of the New Product Showcase

Kick off the show season with...

Beat the winter blues

• New product showcase for Craft, Hobby + Stitch• Frankfurt trio of shows

• CHA’s mega American show

Ideas for the winter months

PLUS business advice

from the

experts

Square upPatchwork

and quilting

Needle and ThreadNeedlecraft trends

craftfocus 3

December 2013/January 2014 Issue 40

Managing EditorGeorgina Cassels+44 (0)1376 535 611

Deputy Managing EditorLauren Dowey

Chief Sub Editor Louise Prance

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

Sales ManagerMark White+44 (0)1376 535 606markw@craftfocus.com

Advertising ExecutiveTracy Voice+44 (0)1376 535 618tracyv@craftfocus.com

Production ManagerScott Brothwell

Deputy Production ManagerSarah Barnes

Senior Graphic DesignerVicky O’Connor

Graphic DesignersSamantha Lock, Rebecca Clarke+44 (0)1376 535 616artwork@kdmediapublishing.com

Production AssistantCharlotte Brown

Web Development ManagerStuart Weatherley

SubscriptionsKay Tilbury, Tammy Watt+44 (0)1376 514 000

KD Media Publishing LimitedPantile House, Newlands DriveWitham, Essex, CM8 2AP, UKwww.craftfocus.com

Front cover image: Cricut

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 refl ect 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.

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

contents

showsshow news 25Keep up-to-date with what’s happening in your industry

Craft, Hobby & Stitch International 33We showcase the newest and latest innovative products to be launched at this show

Frankfurt trio 43A preview of Creativeworld, Paperworld and Christmasworld

a mega show 49We take a sneak peak at the US CHA show

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

news round up 7What’s happening within the craft industry

brand spanking new 15A look at the latest product launches

competition 40 Win a VIP trip to Craft, Hobby + Stitch your questions answered 53We’ve teamed up with industry experts CHA-UK to give you answers

bookstand 70 The newest craft-related book releases

project – a token gesture 91 Marion Emberson explains how to make a pretty gift card

next issue 105What to look forward to in the February/March issue

featuresbeat the winter blues 54Crafts ideas for the winter months

square up 62Patchwork & quilting remodelled as a contemporary craft

feast your eyes on felting 76Check out the versatility of this craft

make an impression with paper 83News of the latest paper crafting products

needle and thread 93What’s trending in the needlecraft sector

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business advicehow to get the most from your website 58Metakinetic shows how an e-commerce site can workat its best to secure sales

enhance relationships with email 68Create Click explain how

word on the web 102 Tan Media explain the new sponsored updates for LinkedIn

focus onon a roll 60Past Time Quilling chats about its niche business

a brand for success 74We talk to Mark Wilson from Creative Products Distribution about how his business offers quality over quantity

retail inspiration – Folded Papers 81The business of paper folding

up & coming 106 Introducing Canny Keepsakes

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season’s greetingI can’t quite believe it – it’s been a whole year since I joined the Craft Focus team on last year’s December/January issue, and here we are, startingthe cycle again. I can honestly say that it’s been a real pleasure getting to know everyone from allwalks of life within the craft industry. Along theway, I’ve learnt about crafts that are new to meand I have a must-do list longer than my arm!

With most of you already in the throes of the busiest season for trading, I should probably

mention Christmas, but it’s also a time for looking forward. The craft industry is such a fun one to be part of, and the product innovations aretruly amazing. There’s always something exciting happening and Craft Focus aims to be the fi rst to let you know about it.

Talking of new products, we’ve been chatting to manufacturers anddistributors about what they have in store for Craft, Hobby + Stitchin February, many of whom will be launching new products – turn to page33 for our four-page special. This has certainly whetted our appetite and we can’t wait for the show! Don’t forget to read the brand spanking newsection plus the show previews for Messe Frankfurt (page 43) and theCHA US (page 49) for more of the latest products to the market.

This issue also focuses on what’s trending in the worlds of patchwork and quilting, needle and papercrafts, plus why felting is so popular. If you’re looking for products to attract customers this winter, we endeavour tobeat the winter blues with some fresh ideas for crafters who prefer to stay at home and make.

Those of you looking to improve your digital business should take a look at the features from Create Click (page 68) and Metakinetic (page 58), onenhancing customer relationships with email and getting the most fromyour website.

We wish you all a Happy Christmas and prosperous New year!

Julie BonnarEditor

Julie

Visit us on: Twitter: @craftfocusPinterest: www.pinterest.com/craftfocus

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We round up news from the crafting industry

industry newsCORNISH YARNS Loophole is now offering its luxurious hand-dyed Perran yarns to retailers nationwide. Deluxe base yarns are kettle-dyed in small batches to create one-of-a-kind knitting and crochet yarns in vibrant colourways, with a wonderful array of tones and shades in each skein. Colourways are inspired by the seasons, nature, and Pantone colour fashion forecasts. A full range of yarn weights are available from laceweight to chunky. Yarn blends include merino, cashmere, alpaca, and silk. Base yarns are primarily sourced within the UK and currently include a fantastic organic merino and silk blend produced in Devon.

Perran Yarns are individually hand-dyed by Loophole, a small family-run business based in Cornwall. It has been providing customers with their Perran yarns online and locally for fi ve years, with excellent product and customer service reviews.

LoopholeT: +44 (0)1872 571 604E: sixskeins@gmail.comW: www.sixskeins.etsy.com

“The Knit Club will take place between 4.30pm and 7.30pm. The club is open to anyone, whether you’re an experienced knitter or are picking up needles for the fi rst time. It’s a great opportunity for those familiar with the basics to knit with others and gain

inspiration for other exciting projects. We’re very approachable, so please just come in and ask,”

says Gail Macrow, Craft Centre Supervisor at the award-winning, independent family-run garden centre in Monkton Heathfi eld.

GARDEN, PETS AND KNITTINGKnitters in Somerset are now being invited to sign up for crafty clubs at a garden centre in the county during December and January. Monthly knit clubs will take place at Monkton Elm Garden and Pet Centre near Taunton on 4th and 11th December, 2013, and 4th and 8th January, 2014. Regular attendees are asked to take their own knitting needles, however, there are some available to borrow from the Craft Centre. Each session costs £3 per person.

The specialist Craft Centre, launched in 2008, sells a wide range of papercraft supplies and knitting yarns, as well as ribbons and buttons. It also offers helpful advice to all customers and has a range of classes and free demonstrations all year round. The Knit Club takes place on the fi rst Wednesday of every month and the Pondside Knit Club takes place on the second Wednesday of every month.

People are advised to check all details, including dates and times, with the garden centre before attending. Those wishing to attend one of the clubs should call the garden centre on: T: +44 (0)1823 412 381 E: crafts@monkton-elm.co.ukW: www.monktonelmgardencentre.co.uk

news ro

und up

ETSY AND INFOGRAPHICSLaunched in 2005 as an online fl ea market for solo crafters, Etsy has become a global marketplace for creative people with a community of more than 15 million buyers and sellers. Earlier this year the website announced changes allowing small businesses to also get involved. With over £64m of goods sold via Etsy in July 2013 alone, selling your wares on Etsy has never made so much sense.

Wondering where to start? World Pay Zinc has created an interactive guide that includes all the information you need to launch and grow your own Etsy shop.

Visit www.worldpayzinc.com/etsy-guide for more information.

World Pay ZinceT: +44 (0)330 333 3601W: www.worldpayzinc.com

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US CRAFT RANGE BOOST AFTER AUTUMN FAIRCrafter’s Companion has experienced a major uptake of new products after using this year’s Autumn Fair as the platform to showcase a range of Darice products following an exclusive deal. The major US craft wholesale distributor selected Crafter’s Companion as its European partner to sell and distribute Darice’s new kids craft range in the UK and Europe. Crafter’s Companion designs, manufactures and sells craft-related products across the world through retail outlets, online and TV shopping channels. The acquisition of kids craft represents a significant diversification in its portfolio from the traditional adult papercraft. To coincide with the Darice deal, the UK-based craft supplies business unveiled the range in the Hobby, Arts and Craft Hall at Autumn Fair.

“It’s a massive coup for our team to bring Darice’s

products to the UK market as they will no doubt be a massive hit with retailers and consumers alike. Darice is a very well respected brand in the industry so to

have its products as part of our portfolio is very exciting, and Autumn Fair was the perfect

stage to present and demonstrate the quality of its products to the UK craft sector. We already have significant interest from major national retailers,”

said Sara Davies from Crafter’s Companion.

Darice was founded in 1954 by Pat Catan and is now a leading wholesale distributor in the craft industry, serving many channels including craft, toy and grocery stores. The company’s key product lines include craft basics, jewellery making and paper crafting as well as licensed products from names such as David Tutera and Tori Spelling. This is the latest achievement for Crafter’s Companion after it opened its first operation on mainland Europe and added a high-profile trade team to expand its retail presence in the UK earlier this year. The company’s main focus is on the crafting tools it manufactures along with its own brand products. The company also distributes an array of third party brands and develops products with licensing partners such as Beatrix Potter and The Snowman.

Crafter’s Companion T: +44 (0)1388 660 930 E: trade@crafterscompanion.co.ukW: www.crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk

NEW WEBSITE OFFERS UK HOBBYISTS AN ONLINE VILLAGE STORE EXPERIENCE Giggling Hedgehogs is a new online marketplace that has been specially designed to offer UK hobbyists, designers, craft specialists and collectors the opportunity to sell their products easily, conveniently and at low cost. The site began trading in October and the design of the website has been created to evoke the feel of a British village gift shop, creating an online space packed with charm, humour, extraordinary skill and the promise of remarkable discoveries and special treasures. The pricing structure for Giggling Hedgehogs has also been specially designed with the needs of smaller businesses and enthusiasts in mind. Vendors can advertise up to 20 products for free with 10 per cent commission on each subsequent item sold. Alternatively, they can subscribe for only £5 per month for unlimited listings and 2.5 per cent commission on sales.

“My vision is to create a really special place where shoppers from around the world come to enjoy the best of British arts, crafts, antiques and collectibles. I want it to be as friendly and engaging as a traditional British shop, a place that really embraces the family values and enthusiasm of creators and collectors in the UK,”

explains site creator Jenelle Clifford.

Giggling HedgehogsT: +44 (0)7710 344 370 E: jenelle@gigglinghedgehogs.co.ukW: www.gigglinghedgehogs.co.uk

APP FOR CREATIVE KIDS The free Creative Kids app by Faber-Castell uses technology to educate on drawing techniques with wiggling mice, giggling colour ghosts and creepy crawlies all coming to life on screen. The app gives children aged six years and over a step-by-step method for creating their own animations and moving images using colour pencils, paper and a tablet computer. Fine motor skills, creativity, and imagination are stimulated in a playful and fun way. The app also features a parent mode and has no external links in order to eliminate any parental concern. It’s available to download from the iTunes Store, requires iOS 5.0 or later and is compatible with iPad.

Faber-Castell Children’s brands include Creativity for Kids® (CreativityforKids.com) and Faber-Castell Premium Children’s Art Products (GreatArtStartsHere.com). For more information about Faber-Castell, go to www.FaberCastell.com.

industry news

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BEADALON’S LAUNCHES RESOURCEFUL WEBSITE Following a year of development, Beadalon has launched its new website, www.beadalon.com. The new site has a more contemporary look and provides a streamlined user experience, and is fully translatable in 12 languages. Like an e-catalogue, the site allows you to see every individual product in the vast Beadalon and Artistic Wire product lines, with a search option available to look for related products.

Product descriptions have been expanded and product details are now automatically updated. There are 22,916 new images, many of which can be enlarged for up-close viewing, plus there’s a powerful new search feature that helps you quickly find just about anything you’re looking for. In keeping with tradition, the Beadalon website will continue to be a valuable educational resource for DIY jewellery makers. The website provides rich online content including a new resource centre, with expanded jewellery-making tips and techniques, videos, plus a glossary of beading terms, and hundreds of printable how-to projects. The new fashion update section provides photos and news about the latest jewellery trends.

Visitors can now sign up to join the Beadalon email list to stay informed of product announcements and marketing news while the news section of the site provides press releases, trade show updates and other useful information. Beadalon T: 00 1 866 423 2325 E: sales@beadalon.comW: www.beadalon.com

industry news

HAINSWORTH HELPS CATH KIDSTON CELEBRATE 20TH BIRTHDAYWhen Cath Kidston wanted to create a beautiful hand-crafted 100 per cent British blanket on which to tell her company’s 20-year history, she turned to Yorkshire textile mill Hainsworth. The result is a stunning limited edition run of 20 Shetland wool blankets, which have been showcased in selected stores across the country. A spokesman for Cath Kidston says: “To celebrate our birthday, we transformed our birthday story print into beautiful, hand-made blankets to go on show in some of our stores. Only 12 large and eight small blankets were made. A number of British companies and talented craftspeople worked with us to make our birthday keepsakes. Inspired by a horse-blanket, the base fabric was made by Hainsworth, a specialist British textile company founded back in 1783 who, with their Royal Warrant, also create the red coat fabric used for the Queen’s Guard uniform.”

Diane Simpson, Sales and Marketing Director of Hainsworth, says: “We really enjoyed working with Cath Kidston to help celebrate its 20th birthday.”

Hainwsworth T: +44 (0)113 257 0391 E: sales@hainsworth.co.uk W: www.hainsworth.co.uk W: http://news.cathkidston.com

HOBZY BAZAAR CHAMPIONS GENUINE CRAFTERS The social network for crafters, which has hundreds of thousands of users from all over the world, has announced the launch of its new online marketplace, Hobzy Bazaar, which will provide solo crafters a platform to sell authentic, hand-made creations on the web.

Francesca Stone, Community Manager at Hobzy, says: “Crafters devote so much time to creating truly bespoke items and it really is a labour of love rather than a mass production. We’re the home of all things hand-made and want to give single sellers who may feel overcrowded, or like they can’t compete in other marketplaces, a space to share and sell their beautiful one-off creations. Our new marketplace is the perfect compromise for those who enjoy crafting in their spare time and want to make a little pocket money out of doing what they love without giving up the day job. It’s important to us that the culture of hand-made crafts is nurtured and encouraged.”

The Hobzy team will provide a Hobzy Bazaar support pack for new users. With no listing fees, automatic translation, currency conversion and shipping calculations, it will be easy for users all over the world to sell and share their carefully crafted wares. For more information or to join, share and start selling visit www.hobzy.com

Suppliers of Card Making, Scrapbooking, Craft and Bridal Supplies

Suppliers of

sales@e-crafts.co.uk | 01384 230000

Craft and Bridal SuppliesCard MakingScrapbooking

Card EmbellishmentsFloral Products

12 craftfocus

NEW TRADE SITETraynor Trimmings & Haberdashery is one of the market leaders based in London which prides itself on providing a personal service, competitive prices and delivering a wide range of quality goods. The company has over 1000 different product offerings in stock, so no matter what your haberdashery needs, there are a range of items, including buttons, ribbons, lace, threads, wool, zips, fringes, bows, glue, scissors and other craft items. Traynors also has a newly launched website that’s easy to navigate and organised in different sections to make it easier to search for products. Traynor Trimmings & Haberdashery T: +44 (0)20 7791 0505 E: info@traynors-trimmings.comW: www.traynorstrimmings.co.uk

industry news

MORE THAN 35 YEARS EXPERIENCE WITH WOOLHollandfelt and Hollandwool are the brand names of Richard Wernekinck’s wool wholesale company. For more than 35 years, Wernekinck has been providing thousands of customers with the highest quality wool products. All its wool products are made from the purest 100 per cent new wool, and carries the latest version of UNE-EN 71-2 and UNE-EN 71-3 certificates.

The company has a wide selection of fine-carded, combed Merino wool in 80 different colours, plus 90 colours of wool felt in five thicknesses. All of the ranges are available from their warehouse in the Netherlands, and as the company uses fixed cost transport, it will only cost £19.50 per order for a 48-hour quick deliveryHollandfelt and Hollandwool will be exhibiting at Craft, Hobby & Stitch International in February (stand E20 and F20), and welcome retailers to come along for a chat.

Hollandfelt and Hollandwool T: +331 15 214 6341 E: info@wernekinck.com W: www.hollandfelt.nl

SNEAK PEAK AT THE LATEST BERGERE DE FRANCE ACCESSORIES MAGAZINE Magazine #169 features a wide range of trendy new accessories and designs for a new generation of knitters and crocheters such as this iPod tidy cushion and patchwork bag. While the #170 magazine contains a range of knits for babies and toddlers including sleeveless waistcoats, hats and bootees, pushchair blankets and soft toys.

Bergere de France T: 00 33 3 29 79 76 45 E: service.export@bergeredefrance.comW: www.bergeredefrance.co.uk

www.sixskeins.etsy.comsixskeins@gmail.com 01872 571604

Perran Yarns from LoopholeA little hand-dyed luxury from Cornwall

Custom dye orders a speciality

Wholesale enquiries welcomed

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHED www.traynorstrimmings.co.ukSpend over £100.00 net online and receive our welcome discount of 5%

tel. 020 7791 0505 email. info@traynorstrimmings.co.uk |16-18 Philpot Street, London, E1 2DW

craftfocus 15

An exclusive round up of the newest product offerings around

brand spanking new

brand spanking new

Lace-in-BloomThe new Lace-in-Bloom collection from Hunkydory Crafts is a celebration of nature’s beautiful fl owers and blossoms. It's ideal for all year-round card making with a versatile soft palette of carnation pink, lavendar haze and hydrangea blue shades that's suitable for all occasions. Delicate lace borders and pretty doilies feature throughout the collections, along with silver foiled accents and die-cut card toppers that will add a touch of style and elegance to any card. Additional items in the range include luxury-foiled acetate, delicate lace parchment, pretty miniature postcard toppers and specialty paper pads. The bumper paper pack is a fi rst for Hunkydory Crafts and has already been well received. Produced by the in-house design team, the accessories are the perfect complement to the rest of the collection and can be used separately for many paper craft projects. It’s an un-missable package and retails at £11.99 RRP.

Hunkydory Crafts LtdT: +44 (0)1772 272 575E: trade@hunkydorycrafts.co.ukW: www.hunkydorycrafts.co.uk

Distinctive pattern wires Beadalon has been producing high quality beading wires for many years but now offers a pattern wire that previously only existed in precious metals. Its new half-hard tempered pattern German style wire is available in fi ve distinct patterns – weave, spiral, fl eck, twist, and check, and in three diameters: 16, 18 and 20 gauges. It can be used to give texture and style to wire wrapping designs ranging from jewellery applications such as rings, bracelets and necklaces to home décor projects. BeadalonT: +1 866 423 2325E: sales@beadalon.comVisit the Beadalon website for a list of UK distributors W: www.beadalon.com

Next generation of Spectrum Noir The Spectrum Noir alcohol markers range has been a huge success and the next generation is now available from Crafters Companion. These markers now feature an ergonomic hexagonal barrel design for greater comfort when colouring, non-slip rubberised grip for better control, and a double-locking cap for extended time between refi lls. The markers now come with a fi ner bullet-tip nib that allows for additional detailing and a chisel nib that can be replaced with a brush nib (available separately). With more products in the pipeline over the next six months, there will be no change to the colour numbers in the next generation of Spectrum Noir system, as the newly formulated ink are compatible with other pens. Crafter’s Companion will continue to produce and sell replacement bullet and chisel nibs.

Crafter’s CompanionT: +44 (0)1388 660 930 E: trade@crafterscompanion.co.ukW: www.crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk

Cute cross-stitchPigs in Blankets is a new cross-stitch design from Peter Underhill’s Farm. Available as a full kit on 14ct aida or 27ct evenweave fabric, it has a design size of 11x28.5cm. The kits contain Zweigart fabric, DMC stranded cottons, needle, clear charts and instructions, card and envelope. A full colour brochure is available and the Heritage Crafts staff are on hand to offer help and advice. Trade price is £7.37 (RRP £13.99).

Heritage Crafts T: +44 (0)1889 575 256E: enquiries@hcrafts.comW: www.hcrafts.com/trade

16 craftfocus

brand spanking new

Sunny side upJacquard’s SolarFast™ dyes can be used to create photograms, continuous tone photographs, shadow prints and ombrés on both fabric and paper, and are used for painting, tie-dyeing, screen-printing, stamping and batiking. Simply apply this liquid to fabric or paper using a brush, sponge or brayer and expose the design to sunlight while it’s still damp to watch the colour develop. Place objects on the coated substrate to block out the development during the exposure to create different effects.

Customers will no doubt want to buy the full range of SolarFast fi lm, thickener and wash; the fi lm allows crafters to print custom negatives on any inkjet printed design, wash out undeveloped dye with SolarFast Wash after exposure and for screen-printing applications, use SolarFast Thickener. SolarFast dyes come in 14 exciting colours and two sizes of 4fl oz and 8fl oz.

Jacquard products are distributed by Art Van GoT: +44 (0)1438 814 946E: art@artvango.co.ukW: www.artvango.co.uk

Paint by numbers Create a monster theme painting using acrylic neon paints with this 3D Monster Pop art kit. Pop on the 3D glasses (included) to watch your painting become three-dimensional. The kit also includes an illustration board, numbered colour guide, paintbrush, foam mounting board and mounting tape. Suitable for children aged six and over and retailing at $12.00.

Faber-CastellT: +1 216 643 4681E: info@fabercastell.comW: www.fabercastell.com

Coffee and Christmas The latest cross-stitch designs to be added to Bothy Threads include The Nativity by Julia Rigby. This cross-stitch designs measures 38x34cm. On 14 hpi blue Aida and embellished with gold beads and stars (RRP £31.99), it will make a great Christmas heirloom for generations to enjoy. The other design, Dictionary of Coffee, is the 15th dictionary design by Helen Smith. On 4 hpi white Aida, it will make the perfect pair when combined with the tea design, which has been a best selling kit for years. The design measures 26x28cm and retails at £27.49.

Bothy ThreadsT: +44 (0)844 800 0221E: info@boththreads.comW: www.bothythreads.com

Range add-ons Due to increasing demand, Woodware has created a range of products to its wooden range that go beyond just card making. These include door hangers which can be easily stamped and decorated with ColorBox Crafter Inks. Woodward has also added two sizes of small canvas tote bags to its Canvas range plus coordinating burlap fl owers and ribbons in natural colours – use these for card making and scrapbooking as well as other decorative uses. Its new spring range of braids and pearls will appeal to the brides who are crafting hand-made wedding items.

Woodware Craft CollectionT: +44 (0)1756 700 024E: sales@woodware.co.ukW: www.woodware.co.uk

18 craftfocus

brand spanking new

Cut above Jakar International has introduced a new range of stainless steel scissors with a soft grip handle for a comfortable cut. These are suitable for all crafting needs to cut paper, fabric and plastic and are available in two sizes 19cm/7.5 inch (RRP £1.99) and 21cm/8.5 inch (RRP £2.25). Both pairs of scissors are supplied in an attractive try me blister card with euro-hole. Other scissors to stock along side are the Jakar Pinking Shears, which are made from tempered stainless steel supplied in a PVC wallet with euro-hole (RRP £9.99).

Jakar International T: +44 (0)208 445 6376 E: info@jakar.co.uk W: www.jakar.co.uk

Party time!Introducing a new concept in party celebrations, Pippins Kits has produced a party pack. This collection contains Pippin Kits best-selling luxury children’s jewellery making kits combined to make a fun and value-for-money party pack for little girls. The birthday girl can invite up to 11 friends where guests can be kept amused designing and making their own jewellery pieces, with everything they’ll need included in the pack, such as invites, instructions and gift tags. There are six styles to choose from which are all available in four different sized packs: six, eight, 10 or 12 items per party box.

Pippins Kits T: +44 (0)1484 485 527 E: info@pippinkits.comW: www.pippinkits.com

Batik and Bali Hantex Batiks and hand-dye Balis use the highest quality cotton with minimal shrinkage, making them perfect for patchwork as well as wearables and other craft use. With two new designs to add its existing range of Batiks and hand-dyed Balis, each comes in five different colourways. Fabrics are available in three-metre pieces, half and full bolts and priced at £4.25 per metre wholesale, based on a single bolt. Fabrics are stocked at the Hantex warehouse in the UK for immediate delivery, and a colour brochure is available alongside trunk shows to allow shops to show finished models.

Hantex T: +44 (0)1754 820 800E: sales@hantex.co.ukW: www.hantex.co.uk

Replenish and quillNewly launched by Past Time Quilling is this super new quilling kit for beginners, with freshly designed outer packaging that is more colourful and appealling to the customer. The boxed kit contains everything needed to start this craft, including a quilling handbook with easy-to-follow instructions, detailed illustrations to make the full range of shapes plus a large selection of patterns to follow. There are two bundles of 3mm quilling paper in a wide range of colours, a plastic quilling tool and PVA adhesive plus a selection of greeting cards and gift box blanks for mounting the quilled designs. It’s a wonderful workbox for quillers to replenish their stock and would make a lovely gift.

Past Times QuillingT: +44 (0)1332 840 582 E: info@pasttimesquillings.co.ukW: www.pasttimesquilling.co.uk

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brand spanking new

Colour-trending tapes Washi tapes are the newest way to personalise craft projects, and the Scotch brand from 3M has introduced a new range of nine different Scotch Expressions washi tapes that will bring any craft project to life. This versatile product is inspired by Japanese craft and is ideal for decorating, embellishing, card making, gift-wrapping and scrapbooking. Each roll has the properties of Japanese rice paper, offering a delicate tactile surface and semi-translucent opacity, which will stick to a variety of surfaces. Crafters can also write on the tape with pen, pencil or marker, and it’s easy to reposition so you can try a few designs before you fi nalise your project. Available in nine different colours and patterns – Travel and ZigZag are 30mm wide and Poppy, Teal and Black Stars, Cracked, Blue, Silver, Peach and Orange are 15m wide. The Scotch washi tapes are manufactured in the UK and retail at £2.79 and £4.49 respectively.

Scotch brand is a trade name for 3M productsT: +44 (0)870 536 0036W: www.3m.co.uk

Glossy cover upThe glossy opaque vinyl fi lm comes in a brilliant range of 17 vivid colours and can be used for all interior or exterior decoration projects. The vinyl will stick to any smooth clean surface and will transform walls, doors, windows, tables and work tops. Great for arts and crafts projects such as lampshade making, the vinyl is easily cut with scissors or a craft knife.

Need CraftT: +44 (0)1992 700 311E: sales@needcraft.co.ukW: www.needcraft.co.uk

Professional airbrushing This airbrush kit, with baby compressor and Neo CN airbrush, has everything you need to get started in the craft and is great for all activities such as card making or scrapbooking. Use it to design quick effects, create colour blends and fades and bring stencils to life. Also learn how to customise your cardstocks and create your own backing papers while enhancing other papercraft techniques. Create basic to advanced airbrush art with the getting started booklet of designs. The kit includes a light-duty compressor, a Iwata Neo CN, Com-Art water-based acrylic colours, airbrush cleaner, stencils, blank cards and a how-to booklet. The baby compressor is suitable for occasional use of around half an hour, two to three times per day.

Graphic AirT: +44 (0)1423 522 836E: info@graphicair.co.ukW: www.graphicair.co.uk

A good yarnTwilleys of Stamford has just launched its new Freedom Alfresco Aran Book 474, which features a super choice of women’s designs for sweaters and cardigans plus a design for men alongside accessories to keep you stylish and warm this winter. With a composition of 80 per cent Merino wool and 20 per cent superfi ne Alpaca, this yarn has a soft luxury feel and comes in eight shades. The RRP for a 50g ball is £3.95 and there are also six new leafl ets available.

T B RamsdenT: +44 (0)1943 872 264E: sales@tbramsden.co.ukW: www.tbramsden.co.uk

22 craftfocus

brand spanking new

Playtime!Clockwork Soldier has created a whole range of products to encourage children to play. The company’s core ethos is based on wholesome values with a ‘make and do’ attitude. The Little Pet Puppets collection ensures children will have a cute little friend to play with when they create their own pet puppets. The puppy, cat and mice puppets are easy to create with no glue or scissors needed and no more than fi ve easy steps, retailing for £6.50.

Clockwork SoldierT: +44 ((0)844 482 1775E: info@clockworksoldier.co.uk W: www.clockworksoldier.co.uk

Limited winter edition Dylon® has added two new limited edition colours – Jade Green and Wine Red – to its autumn/winter machine dyes range. Priced at £6.57, these little packs are bursting with a whole spectrum of ideas and promise of brilliant, permanent results for fabrics. Each pack can dye 600g of fabric to full shade or 1.2kg of fabric to a slightly lighter shade – cotton, linen and viscose will dye to full shade while polyester/cotton and polyester/viscose mixes will dye to lighter shade. Retail price is £6.99.

Dylon®

T: +44 (0)1737 781 300E: info@dylon.co.ukW: www.dylon.co.uk

Mogo kitsFounder of the Cotswold based Mother Goose Steffi Stern, is delighted to be the sole distributor for Mogo kits.

The kits are put together in the UK from natural materials sourced either in Germany and the UK and cover a variety of crafts from needle felting, sewing and knitting with the emphasis on encouraging children and adults to re-connect with traditional skills. The kits use natural materials creating long-lasting gifts. Mogo kits also sells its own bespoke knitting needles and crochet hooks, which are hand-made in Gloucestershire and can be personalised with a pyrography iron. This could be particularly of interest for knitting shops who would like to sell its own branded range of wooden needles or for individuals who would like to write a personal message. The needles can be made in sizes 3mm to 35mm in any lengths.

Mother GooseT: +44 (0)1453 298 725E: steffi @mothergooseonline.co.ukW: www.mothergooseonline.co.uk

Laced with loveNew from Sizzix® and perfect for creating love-themed projects this Valentine’s day and all year round is the latest collection, Laced With Love by Scrappy Cat®.

This latest offering is a beautiful collection of Thinlits™ wafer thin die sets, Sizzlits® decorative strips, Bigz™ and Textured Impressions™ embossing folders, perfect for card making and paper crafting projects. The versatile steel-rule Bigz™ dies in this collection will cut through a multitude of materials including leather, denim, chipboard, balsa wood and even fabric, so can be used to create attractive home décor items. A versatile collection with many stunning heart designs, intricate decorative elements and pretty doilies, Laced with Love will inspire crafters to create something distintive and inspirational for their loved ones.

SizzixT: +44 (0)844 499 8181 T: +44 (0)845 345 2277 (outside the UK)E: europecustomerservices@ellison.comW: www.sizzix.co.uk

craftfocus 25

show, new

s and events

shows, news and eventsWe update you on what’s happening this winter with a round-up of news and reviews from the shows

HOBBY-X6th-- 9th March 2014Venue: Cocoa-Cola Dome, Northgate, Johannesburg, South AfricaT: +27 11 478 3686E: info@expotrends.co.zaW: www.hobby-x.co.zaOrganiser: Expo Trends

Hobby-X is South Africa’s premier exhibition of materials, equipment and supplies for hobbies and crafts. Established in 1998, it brings together more than 200 exhibitors showcasing products and ideas primarily for the creative craft industries.

South Africans are renowned for their industriousness and ingenuity, and more than 50 per cent of the products exhibited at Hobby-X are developed and manufactured locally. This means that European buyers can source a range of new and one-of-a-kind products at a very advantageous exchange rate – giving a unique competitive edge. For wholesalers or manufacturers wanting to break into developing markets, Hobby-X provides an easy and cost effective point of entry. The creative crafts sector is experiencing sustained growth, with many entrepreneurs turning their hobbies into businesses and a growing middle class taking up new hobbies recreationally. Trade visitors from all across Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands visit Hobby-X to source supplies for their stores. Not only does South Africa offer you a growing economy and a business-friendly environment, it’s also a beautiful part of the world, blessed with fantastic weather, friendly people and an abundance of well-priced holiday options. So why not combine business with pleasure and explore new opportunities at Hobby-X in Johannesburg..

CRAFT 12th - 14th January, 2014Venue: Earls Court, LondonW: www.craft-london.com

Clarion Events will be launching the new trade event Craft, which will take place alongside Home and Top Drawer in January, 2014. Craft becomes the latest addition to Clarion’s rapidly growing spring portfolio of events and will be housed in its own specially designed space. It will play host to 100 carefully selected contemporary makers who will be chosen by the Craft advisory panel. The show has been launched following increasing demand from retailers searching for high quality products that are one-of-a-kind fi nds. It hopes to fi ll a gap in the UK market for a high quality, juried trade event which enables makers and artisans to meet a substantial audience of international retailers, galleries, museums, professional buyers and collectors within a dedicated trade event in London.

Craft is run for Clarion Events by Piyush Suri, Founder and Director of Handmade in Britain, with close support from Ian Rudge, Development Director at Clarion Events and Co-Founder of 100% Design and Tent London. Between them, they’ve a wealth of contacts and experience within the world of craft and events.

“I’m so excited to be involved in this fantastic opportunity for Designer/Makers as I do believe there is a huge potential for crafts, both UK and worldwide. Everyone is now looking for something special, something

handmade,” Says Piyush Suri, Founder and Director of Handmade in Britain.

The show covers basketry, blacksmithing, book art, ceramics, enameling, fashion accessories, furniture, glass, interiors, non-precious and precious jewellery, knitwear, leather, lettering, metal work, wood, millinery, mosaic, paper, printmaking, product design, sculptural, recycled, stone carving, textiles, traditional and more.

One ticket will cover entry to all three shows. To register, visit www.craft-london.com

CHA 2014 WINTER CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW10th - 14th January, 2014Venue: Anaheim Convention Centre, CaliforniaT: +1 201 835 1200E: info@craftandhobby.orgW: www.craftandhobby.org

CHECK OUT OUR SHOW PREVIEW ON PAGE 49

26 craftfocus

TOY FAIR21st – 23rd January, 2014Venue: Kensington Olympia T: +44 (0)207 701 7127W: www.btha.co.uk/toy-fair

The Toy Fair is the UK’s only dedicated toy, game and hobby trade exhibition and will welcome thousands of visitors including buyers, merchandisers, agents, importers, distributors, licensors, designers, play specialists and the media, among others. The 2014 show covers an increased footprint of 22,000m2 having expanded to include the entire Upper West Hall, and will play host to more than 220 exhibiting companies. The Upper West Hall has now sold out of exhibition stands. Many brands will be returning to the show for the first time since 2007 such as Zapf Creation, MGA Entertainment and Little Tikes. Other companies to take exhibition space in the Upper West Hall include Hasbro, Bandai and Drumond Park.

“I’m extremely pleased to welcome back MGA Entertainment, Little Tikes and Zapf Creation to

Toy Fair. It’s fantastic to sell out the Upper West Hall so early and to have the support of the exhibiting companies who have moved upstairs. We are close to selling out the rest of the show and are grateful for the continued support the show gets from the

industry,” commented Simon Pilling, Head of Toy Fair Operations and Sales.

Tickets for the 2013 Toy Industry Awards, taking place on 21st January, 2014, are available at London’s Science Museum. The Science Museum in London’s South Kensington has been selected as the spectacular new backdrop for the 2013 awards evening, with the awards ceremony taking place in the museum’s IMAX theatre. The Greenhouse area, which includes start-up and smaller companies, sold out in July and has a growing waiting list. K’nex and Epoch-Making Toys will be first time exhibitors for this year.

“We’re pleased to welcome some brand new exhibitors to the 2014 show as well as many returnees, ranging from large renowned manufacturers to smaller companies looking to establish themselves in the industry. The expansion of the show’s footprint enables us to cater for the increasing demand for space and will create an extra buzz which will now extend throughout the entirety of the Grand and West Halls,” says Simon Pilling, head of Toy Fair Operations and Sales.

SCOTLAND’S TRADE FAIR SPRING19th – 21st January, 2014Venue: SECC, GlasgowOrganised by Springboard Events T: +44 (0)1877 385 772 E: info@springboardevents.netW: www.scotlandstradefairs.co.uk/spring

The spotlight will be on Scotland next year with an influx of tourists and media attention for the Commonwealth Games, Year of Homecoming, the Ryder Cup and the Scottish Referendum. Retailers therefore need to stock up early to cope with predicted demand, with many producers embracing this business opportunity with many new ranges being launched at Scotland’s Trade Fair Spring.

The show, held in conjunction with Scotland’s Speciality Food Show, is ahead of its target with a huge array of gift, homeware, jewellery, fashion accessories, textiles and clothing stands already signed up. The new layout introduced at the last show proved to be very popular with stands and visitors alike, making the show easier to navigate. The Launch Gallery for original companies under two years continues to be located in the centre of the show and offers retailers an easy view of the new business. Following the success of the seminars, an interesting and informative programme is being arranged on many aspects of retailing, from presentation to social media, retail initiatives and expanding businesses. The much-coveted Best Product Awards will also be a highlight of the show.

“Retail sales have been better than expected this summer which has boosted interest in stands, and

we’re confident we’re offering buyers a diverse range of quality, commercial goods. Everyone is

gearing up for a very busy 2014 in terms of tourism and interest in Scotland,” says Mark Saunders, MD of show

organiser Springboard Events. The show is predicted to attract almost 5,000 visitors over the three days and are an excellent one-stop buying platform for retailers from Scotland and beyond.

shows, news and events

On the totally buttons website you will find hundreds of unique buttons in natural materials including shell, wood, coconut, leather, horn,various other materials including metal, fabric/beaded, Italian glass, Swarovski Crystal and polyester/plastic.

We currently stock a wide variety of different types of individual gorgeous buttons. They vary greatly in their size, shape, design and novel appeal. If you are looking for buttons for sewing, knitting,haberdashery, trimmings, craft, upholstery or jeweller y making you will love our range of over 3000 unique buttons in stock and the fact weoffer ‘10% discount for new customers’.

Trade discountsIf you are a large user or a shop wishing to sell the buttons on,please contact Julie on 01403 598014 to open an account andreceive volume discounts.

10% off your first orderTo welcome you as a new customer we are delighted to give you a 10%discount off your first order (applies to all orders, including trade).Simply enter the promotion code ‘newcustomer’ when at the checkout.

Tuliptree Buttons & Beads

28 craftfocus

PAPERWORLD, CREATIVEWORLD AND CHRISTMASWORLD25th - 28th January, 2014Venue: Frankfurt am Main T: +44(0)1483 483 983 E: info@uk.messefrankfurt.comW: www.creativeworld.messefrankfurt.comW: www.paperworld.messefrankfurt.comW: www.christmasworld.messefrankfurt.com

shows, news and events

CHECK OUT OUR SHOW PREVIEW ON PAGE 43

CRAFT, HOBBY + STITCH INTERNATIONAL16th - 18th February, 2014Venue: NEC, Birmingham T: +44 (0)1425 277 988E: info@chsi.co.uk W: www.chsi.co.uk

WE PREVIEW THE SHOW ON PAGE 33

NEW SHOW FOR TRIDENT EXHIBITIONSTHE CREATIVE CRAFTS SHOW8th-10th May, 2014Venue: The Echo Arena, Liverpool T: +44 (0)1822 617 744 W: www.sccshows.co.uk Trident Exhibitions add another date to its calendar in the form of The Creative Crafts Show. The new show is supported by Practical Publishing’s Simply Homemade, Papercraft Essentials and Crafty magazines. With the usual array of hard-to-find supplies and workshops, and a wide selection of expert exhibitors covering sewing, card making, embroidery, knitting, patchwork, quilting, scrapbooking, ribbon craft, paper crafts, stamping , beading and crochet – it has something for every crafter.

30 craftfocus

SPRING FAIR INTERNATIONAL2nd - 6th February, 2014Venue: NEC, Birmingham T: +44 (0)203 033 2144 E: visit@springfair.com W: www.springfair.com

Spring Fair International takes place at a key time in the year to give retailers an important buying opportunity. Meet global designers and exhibitors and source the newest products from new and popular brands while keeping up-to-date with the latest trends.

Gift box demonstration areaLearn from expert visual merchandising tips on how make a real impact in store. Find out how to create head-turning window displays, beautifully effective gift-wrapping techniques and craft tips in order to set your store apart. Licensing loungeA meeting place for sourcing information about licensing, viewing entire property ranges and networking opportunities. New product showcase More than 17 product displays are featured in every hall entrance, the New Product Showcase and the Contemporary Product Showcase in Hall 9.Trend briefing and seminar theatre Obtain an insight into future retail trends and the hottest new design trends for autumn/winter 2014.E-commerce zone Stay up-to-date with developments and strategies in e-commerce.Design labAn exciting new showcase for distinctive and original design available in two separate sectors: Contemporary Gift & Home and Fashion Jewellery & Accessories.

CONSUMER CALENDARWant to get your products to more customers? We list the best UK-based consumer craft shows in the forthcoming months:

CONSUMER HIGHLIGHTS MAKE IT 2014, 10TH ANNIVERSARY28th February - 2nd March, 2014Venue: FIVE, Farnborough T: +44 (0)1784 880 894 or +44(0)8444 771000 (ticket hotline) Opening times: 10am - 5pm (Sunday until 3.30pm) Tickets: Advance prices £7.50 (adult), £6 (concession), £15 (adult three-day pass), £12 (concession three day pass). W: www.make-it.org.uk Top crafting companies from across the UK are preparing to gather in Farnborough for the 10th edition of the South’s largest craft weekend. Throughout the event, visitors will be greeted by an array of traditional crafts including paper craft, decoupage, card-making and design, scrapbooking, beading, jewellery making, silk printing and stamping. Visitors can enjoy three fun-filled days of shopping with access to all the latest papers, wools, fabrics and craft tools, along with a first peek at all the new season’s colours and product ranges. Gathering inspiration for new projects will be easy with the hands-on exhibitor demonstrations.

Large social areas and make and take’s will give visitors the chance to meet like-minded crafters while swapping ideas, sharing tips, and introducing new crafts. Meanwhile, a full programme of workshops, varying in difficulty, will offer visitors the chance to complete a project to take home – while mastering new techniques and skills. There’s something for everyone, as even beginners and non-crafters can enjoy the general interest and homeware exhibitors that join each year, including gardening, bee’s wax, ceramics, baking, fashion and accessories.

shows, news and events

Gain exclusive insights into the retail industry by downloading three free reports: The UK retail market opportunity, seasonal buying report and UK fashion market opportunity. Select the insight option on the Spring Fair website to provide the latest retail intelligence.

Alain Gree Stationery from GMC Distribution

ICHF shows (www.ichfevents.co.uk):6th-8th February: Creative Stitches & Hobbycrafts, Manchester28th February-2nd March: Make It and Knit & Stitch It, Farnborough

Trident Exhibitions Creative Crafts shows (www.sccshows.co.uk) 23rd-25th January: Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey13th-15th February: Five Lakes, Crown Plaza Resort nr Tiptree, Essex27th--1st March: The Creative Crafts Show, Malvern

Craft 4 Crafters (www.craft4crafters.co.uk) 30th January-1st February, Westpoint Exhibition Centre, Exeter

Upper Street Events (www.upperstreetevents.net) 19th-23rd March: Country Living Spring Fair, Business Design Centre, Islington

Sincerely Yours, Papercraft shows (www.sincerely-yours-shows.info) 23rd February: Bracknell

DATES AND VENUES FOR 2014

32 craftfocus

This new collection from Hunkydory Crafts is the answer to a challenge that so many card makers face – quality papercraft designs for male cards. It’s a Man’s World features a wide selection of images that are perfect for making cards for men, and includes all of the greatest sports and hobbies that men love, including gardening, cars, golf, reading, music and more.

Rebecca Seddon, Design Manager and Demonstrator for Hunkydory Crafts, speaks of the new collection: “We receive lots of requests from customers asking for more male card collections. As there is a real shortage of good quality, male card kits in the market place, we find that there’s always a strong demand. Customer feedback tells us that crafters find many male card designs very stereotypical, so in this collection we have offered different

themes, such as nautical and hot air balloons.”Music lovers will enjoy the ‘It’s a Hit’ topper

set, featuring retro records and cassette tapes and ‘The Greatest’ topper set includes a classic collection of toppers from Taxi Driver to BBQ King, which are just some of the typical family duties that men undertake!

The collection includes splendid foiled and die-cut card toppers all printed onto 300gsm Adorable Scorable cardstock for the perfect score and fold each and every time. Co-ordinating inserts, sayings and sentiments and Clearly Stamps are also available for the collection. Plus, don’t miss out on the new paper pad which is a bumper pack of beautiful papers that complement the collection perfectly, but can also be used for all card making or craft projects. This Paper Pad

features 150gsm double-sided backing papers, accent-foiled sheets, and sheets of printed embellishments all in one handy pad!

Hunkydory is also offering a special deal on this new product. When you purchase It’s a Man’s World Luxury Card Collection you will receive the new Fan-tash-tique Deluxe Card Collection for free. Fan-tash-tique is right on-trend and filled with terrific ‘tashes, bowler hats and penny farthings – what fun!

It’s a Man’s World is available from Hunkydory Crafts on 2nd December, 2013.

For more informationT: 01772 272 575E: trade@hunkydorycrafts.co.ukW: www.hunkydorycrafts.co.uk

It’s a Man’s World!

advertising feature

C

craftfocus 33

craft, hobby + stitch

“It’s great to see such a fantastic range of new products from exhibitors, reminding us what a creative and exciting industry we’re all part of.

Retailers will be spoilt for choice at Craft Hobby + Stitch International 2014 with a host of new ranges, techniques and trends to discover,”

Andrew Morton, Show Manager

new product showcaseThis year’s Craft, Hobby + Stitch is set to be its biggest event in fi ve years. We preview some of the new and innovative crafting products that you can expect to see at the show

MillaMiaStand No: H41W: www.millamia.comMillaMia will be showcasing a record number of new products at the show in February. In response to popular demand, the company has added three new core colours to its Naturally Soft Merino yarn range (£5.50 RRP per ball) in colours berry, sable and pitch black. It has further extended the palette with two limited edition colours – lime and cobalt blue, which are available on a fi rst come fi rst served basis, allowing retailers to tap into the current fashion colour trends. As ever, MillaMia has ensured fantastic pattern support for the new colours with two new pattern books for children and adults – Flight of Fancy (£6.50) and High Society (£8.00).

WoodwareStand No: H46 and H48W: www.woodware.co.ukConstantly working on sourcing and creating new products to bring to the market, Woodware is excited to be able to start the New Year with this show. As this goes to print, the company is fi nalising its new stamp releases from Jane Gill and Francoise Read. It will be bringing the latest releases from partners across the pond, Stampendous and Dreamweaver, which will not only showcase stamps and stencils but are both working on top secret projects that will be launched at the beginning of the year. Clearsnap’s Art Screens that were introduced in the autumn are proving popular and the range is set to grow – the new Surfacez inks are also selling well.

GMC DistributionStand No: D01W: www.gmcdistribution.comThese wonderful pocket-sized guides teach all the essential basics of each craft. With simple, clearly explained instructions and illustrations, every technique is accompanied by a project (nine in total), meaning the reader has a chance to test their new-found skills and produce something lovely, either for themselves or as a gift.

The ‘How to series - Techniques and Projects for the Complete Beginner’ is published by GMC and priced at £7.99 RRP and includes: How to Knit (ISBN: 9781861089168) by Tina Barrett, How to Sew (ISBN: 9781861089113) by Susie Johns, How to Crochet (ISBN: 9781861089472) by Emma Varnam and How to Quilt (ISBN: 9781861089427) by Rachel Reynolds.

Dempsey DesignsStand No: Q03W: www.dempseydesigns.comDempsey Designs is pleased to announce the launch of two new Minicraft soft toy kits. The Dinosaur T-Rex kit is 38cm (15 inch) tall, and perfect for any child containing pre-cut pieces to get a great result with high quality fur fabric, felt and large google eyes. The RRP is £13.99. The cut Hamster measures 15cm (6 inch) long, and includes best quality fur fabric, beady eyes and pink felt. The RRP is £5.99.

34 craftfocus

The House of HandicraftsStand No: A45W: www.houseofhandicrafts.co.ukFollowing a surge in popularity of cake decorating and sugarcraft products the House of Handicrafts increased its offering of popular co-ordinated value range of materials and utensils. The expansion nearly doubles the choice of items and will hopefully go some way to satisfy consumer-led demand for this edible art.

Prym ConsumerStand No: J18W: www.prym-consumer.comSmall and handy, the new mini steam iron from Prym is just the ticket for workshops, short breaks and needlework. The smooth sliding, non-stick soleplate is ready for use in a minute, removing every crease. With an adjustable temperature setting between 65°C and 230°C (settings 1 to 3 dots) and an optional steam jet function, it can really steamroller over textiles. Equipped with a UK plug and switchable to 110v – it delivers top performance all around the world. The little powerhouse and its measuring cup can also be compactly stowed away in the carrying bag provided and has a trade list price of £16.50.

Gilliangladrag LtdStand No: A06W: www.gilliangladrag.co.ukThe latest wet felting kit from Gilliangladrag keeps felt making simple, yet fun and interesting at the same time. Designed by author and felting guru Gillian Harris, this new Lollipop Landscape kit allows anyone to make this beautiful picture from sustainably sourced pieces of the softest merino wool, and fi nish it by framing in a charming wooden hoop to hang on the wall. With beautifully designed packet, the kit also contains a mini mat and netting. Suitable for beginners or the more experienced, this new kit will catch everyone’s crafty attention. Available from February 2014. Trade price £8.30, RRP £19.95.

Fantastic RibbonsStand No: F17W: www.fantasticribbonstrade.comFantastic Ribbon Trade Co will be launching a new range of beautiful lace trims on consumer rolls in 3-metre lengths perfect for the craft and hobby retailer. Keith Edwards, Co founder, explains: “This range of 12 different widths are a perfect accompaniment to our vintage and homespun style collections and, are available in our ribbon and button order value of just £125 + VAT with free mainland shipping.”

NeedcraftStand No: BS09W: www.needcraft.co.ukNeedcraft specialises in the manufacture and supply of quality, professional lampshade making creative kits for crafters, DIY enthusiasts and group workshops. Mixed trade and workshop packs are available, allowing retailers to stock all of the popular sizes with minimal investment.

GütermannStand No: E02W: www.guetermann.comRing a roses is the new fabrics collection from Gütermann, which has been designed with the fi ner things in life in mind. The fabrics are perfect for those who like to make gifts, transform and embellish. Sewing kits have been specifi cally arranged to fi t the Summer Loft and French Cottage fabric collections. Each kit contains 10 reels of Sew-all Thread 100m, for use on all fabrics and seams. Sewing kits will retail at £13.45.

product showcase

36 craftfocus

Craftime Stand No: K16 W: www.craftime.comMakemee™ is a brand new range of woodland friend craft kits – quirky products aimed at inspiring children to have a can-do attitude, while promoting the natural world. This charming range of travel buddies includes fox, badger and hedgehog, making every outing fun. Each character comes with its own travel suitcase, blanket and passport and retails at £12. Also new to Craftime is the felt cushion kits that will brighten up any room, making a deer, squirrel or mouse and retailing at £6. Another fresh product to the market is a colourful range of wildlife character felt mask kits, to sew an adorable hog, wood pigeon or owl felt pal. These retail at £6.

Bothy Threads Stand No: A01 W: www.bothythreads.comBothy Threads is thrilled to showcase four designs from the Santoro Mirabelle collection at the show. This portfolio of beautiful and enchanting illustrations depicts graceful female figures with exquisite detailing. The romantic artworks are embellished with stylised floral motifs, vibrant butterflies, brilliant birds and other intriguing imagery, and layered with ornate patterns and decorative borders. Bothy Threads has also translated these designs into cross-stitch kits. All are worked on 16 count Zweigart Aida in subtle colours and come with pre-sorted threads, needles, embellishments and comprehensive instructions/stitch diagrams. Trade price is £14.88.

StitchtasticStand no: A04 W: www.stitchtastic.com Stitchtastic is releasing three brand new colourful designs in its popular caricature range in time for the show. The first is a welcome addition to its campervan range. Designer Sarah Scott says: “Campervans have been among our best-sellers since we started our business and I felt it was about time for a new design.” The design has a summery feel, with sand around the wheels and surfboards on the roof. Following on from the camper, Stitchtastic has a new Vulcan Bomber design to complement its dramatic aircraft range, plus fantastic new Eddie Stobart designs. Stitchtastic has no minimum order size and offers free shipping on all orders over 10 kits.

FW Media International Stand No: E17 W: www.fwmedia.co.ukThe Cardboard Creatures book is a fresh, fun and original idea that makes a previously uninspiring material into something quirky and fun. Cardboard is inexpensive, versatile and widely available, which makes it a great entry point into craft for both beginner and experienced crafters. The book contains instructions on how to make functional objects such as a hedgehog pen holder, pig tea towel holder and a chess set, as well as decorative dragonflies, monkeys and even a moose head. The book offers endless possibilities of what you can do with this everyday material. Cardboard Creatures (ISBN: 9781446304501) retails at £12.99.

ITS Textile Traders Stand No: M10 W: www.its-sales.co.ukITS will be launching its spring 2014 collection of Japanese viscose lawn and print cotton lawn fabric. The company will be offering an even bigger selection of the popular special buy print cotton lawns, which will also be on show on the exhibition’s catwalk show, alongside a new range of Japanese viscose. The fabrics are perfect for a number of crafts such as dressmaking, quilting, crafting, vintage or high fashion projects and retail at £2.75 per metre.

product showcase

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Frankly Sweet

38 craftfocus

GrovesStand No: E01 W: www.groves-banks.comThe Trimits craft button jars have already proved to be one of the best-sellers in the range, with three colourful new assortments on show at CHSI, including hearts, stars, and jumbo-size buttons. These new assortments contain a large number of popular crafting button styles in a variety of shades and sizes, and are ideal for customising, personalising and decorating a wide variety of projects. These include scrapbooking, papercrafts, patchwork and quilting. Supplied in packs of three attractive and re-usable clear jars, which make a colourful counter or shelf display, each assortment contains at least 75g of buttons, and is competitively priced to retail at around £5.50 a jar, offering exceptional value for retailer and consumer alike. Visit the Groves stand to see the complete Trimits range.

Crafty StampsStand No: Bs24 W: www.craftystamps.comCatch up with Crafty Stamps in the Bright Sparks area where it will be introducing a number of new designs. One of the new themes is a series of eight dinosaur stamps such as these T-Rex and Pterodactyl stamps, retailing at £6.50 and £5.05 respectively. Ideal for making children’s cards, they’re cling-mounted and adhered to a laminated storage sheet and designed for easy use with an acrylic block. The Crafty Stamps ranges are UK manufactured, nicely packaged and benefit from the usual storage advantages associated with cling-mounted stamps. The products also use the same rubber you would expect to see on high quality wood-mounted rubber stamps.

Bearing Gifts/Westfalenstoffe Stand No: N09W: www.westfalenstoffe.co.ukShowcasing the new brand Westfalenstoffe Living, crafters can think big for the first time as the designs unfold across a larger print area. Just as the name suggests, the new Living range is 100 per cent cotton fabric and designed for the home. This exciting new collection of wider (160cm) cottons is designed specifically for the soft furnishing market and holds the Westfalenstoffe seal of approval. The extensive selection of more than 40 fabrics is ideal to make beautiful bedding, cushions and curtains as well as for dressmaking, patchwork and quilting.

John Bead CorpStand No: C26 W: www.johnbead.comJohn Bead Corp represents the Metal Complex™ and Dazzle-it!™ brands and has established its position as one of the ultimate DIY sources of innovation and creativity. Metal Complex is launching Leather Works™ – a new product line that focuses on using veggie tanned leather and exploring the innate qualities of this natural material to create costume-made jewellery, accessories and leather goods. The line has been designed by Creative Manager Fernando DaSilva. The brand Dazzle-it! launches its new collection of eccentrically-cut beads and contemporary components topped by a wide selection of embroidery trims.

DMC Creative World Stand No: F16 W: www.dmccreative.co.ukDMC Creative World is introducing its spring 2014 collection of craft, needlecraft, knitting and crochet products at CHSI. Its new 2014 catalogue includes a dynamic portfolio of quality thread, craft and needlecraft as well as new, exciting, stylish and contemporary crochet and knitting designs to inspire a new generation of crafters.

Jenny Wren cross-stitch is one of a set of five new designs based on original artwork by artist Anne Mortimer, while Lazy Days is a wonderful study of a friendly West Highland terrier dog surrounded by flowers.

product showcase

Knitting Boards and Looms

www.craftystamps.comTel/Fax: 0131 221 9440

enquiries@craftystamps.comCrafty Stamps, 92 Grove Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8AP

Family run, Edinburgh based rubber stamp company.Manufacture in-house a wide range of Cling rubber stamps.

Ranges: Wedding, Celtic, Celebration, Fantasy, Scottish, Halloween, Christmas, Animals, Domestic Goddess

We offer FREE delivery on orders over £75 (net of VAT).

Find us at Stand BS24 at CHSI (Birm - 16/18 Feb 2014)

Unit 19-21 Small Heath Trading Estate Armoury Rd Birmingham B11 2RJ

Tel: 0121 771 1666 Fax: 0121 772 7803

www.crsfurfabrics.co.uk

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As sponsor of the new product showcase, we’ve joined forces with event organiser ICHF to offer you the chance to win a VIP visit to the UK’s biggest spring craft trade show Craft, Hobby + Stitch International

Win!★

Craft, Hobby + Stitch International will be taking place between 16th-18th February 2014, and offers the ultimate meeting place for the world of creativity. CHSI continues to be Europe’s number one trade show for the art, craft, fabric, needlecraft and hobby industries, with more than 250 manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers showcasing innovative supplies and products for the marketplace. There will be a series of special features during the show, including a catwalk show and free workshops and seminars to help your business flourish.

“We’re delighted to see this show continue to develop's and this

expansion appears to be reflective of the industry as a whole. The show is always a firm fixture in the diaries of creative craft industry professionals as

it provides a vital platform for face-to-face intervention and excellent networking opportunities. This industry

moves with the times and digital communication plays an important

role in doing business, however, by its nature, the industry is one where being able to see, touch and experience the

products first-hand is essential and Craft, Hobby + Stitch International provides the perfect opportunity to do this” comments ICHF Events Managing

Director, David Bennett.

VIP PRIZEIn this issue, we offer one lucky reader a VIP trip including:

• A one-night stay at the Crowne Plaza for two people on Sunday 16th February, 2014 with breakfast. The hotel is close to the NEC and within walking distance for a relaxing stay.• Two-day entry into the show for the winner and a guest to network and find new products for their business.• VIP lunch on Monday 17th February, 2014 with representatives from ICHF and Craft Focus magazine.

The Crowne Plaza is situated at the heart of the NEC complex in Birmingham NEC providing easy access to the main motorway networks and within walking distance of Birmingham International Airport and rail station. It’s set on the side of Pendigo Lake in landscaped grounds and perfectly located if you are going to attend an exhibition at the NEC. With some of the heart of England’s best attractions all within 30 minutes drive, guests can take the opportunity to explore and unwind at some of the most popular including Birmingham City Centre, Warwick Castle and Stratford-upon-Avon. The shopaholics can experience the delights of Touchwood Shopping Centre in nearby Solihull together with easy access to Bimingham’s Bullring and the Mailbox.

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HOW TO ENTERTo enter the competition visit www.craftfocus.com, fill in your details and answer the following question:Q. What is the new dedicated section to the show?The closing date is 31st December, 2013.

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Terms and Conditions1. Competitions are not open to employees of KD Media Publishing Ltd(includes immediate families).2. Entrants must be a member of the trade and over 18 years old. 3. The competition closing date is subject to change without prior notice.4. The winner will be notified in writing.5. The editor’s decision is final. No correspondence will be entered in to.6. The prize is not transferable and has no monetary value.7. No purchase necessary and no charge to enter via the website at www.craftfocus.com

VISITING THE SHOWCHSI is a yearly event where the craft industry comes together, making it easy for you to network and meet new suppliers. One-off show specials – exhibitors will be offering special deals that will only be valid during the show. This is a prime opportunity to negotiate a good deal with exhibitors, who are there to meet new customers and engage in deals. Business Seminar and Education programme – free entry.

Network lounge – chat with existing contacts and make new ones. New Product Showcase – be the first to see the latest products in an amazing display at the entrance of the show. Catwalk show – watch one of the numerous inspirational catwalk shows. Bright Sparks Pavilion – discover the newest independent, up-and-coming entrepreneurs and start-up companies to the crafting sector. With its innovative designs and creations,

they're leading the way with the latest trends.

Exciting news BRAND NEW TO THE SHOWThis year’s event is responding to the rapidly growing trend of cake decoration, sugar-crafting and baking, ICHF Events and has announced a dedicated cake decorating section in the 2014 show. This new area will showcase companies working in this rising niche.

UPDATE ON LAST YEAR'S SHOWLast year saw thousands of creative industry professionals visit this show. The event sold out of exhibition space making it the largest for five years, and no doubt it will be another bumper show this year!

The show’s 2013 Catwalk was given a dynamic new twist with dancers modelling the creations in a high-energy performance, and included the latest fabric and pattern collections from some of the big names plus a stunning collection of jewellery.

More than 150 hours of educational seminars, workshops and demonstrations for visitors were held to help educate and encourage retailers to explore different products and services.

The show also saw a strong international presence with a range of international exhibitors showcasing their products and the show also welcomed many overseas retailers looking to grow their export business.

For more details about the show, visit the Craft, Hobby + Stitch International website www.chsi.co.uk

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Retailers wanting to sell their products in today’s market must inspire and persuade their customers to buy. For the traditional specialist retailers with products from the fields of festive decorations, paper, stationery and office supplies, arts and crafts, handicrafts and artists’ materials, this means taking full advantage of the latest business trends. Christmasworld, Paperworld and Creativeworld 2014 aim to be the perfect platform for new ideas and trends bringing fresh products to the marketplace.

With new multi-channel sales and m-commerce comes ever-greater changes in customer purchasing behavior, requiring a greater interaction between services in the bricks-and-mortar trade and online services. This is becoming ever more important for the technically oriented generation. Consumers need to be inspired to make a purchase via appealing in-shop and window presentations and, in a nutshell, fresh ideas sell.

The trio of Christmasworld, Paperworld and Creativeworld in Frankfurt at the end of January aims to be the perfect source of inspiration to meet these challenges. Together with international suppliers, the shows will present the latest innovations and trends to make your business stand out from the crowd. Emotional aspects are also vital. “It’s all about

story telling: extraordinary concepts attract customers. Stories told at the point of sale create a new and emotional atmosphere that increases people’s feeling of well-being and inspires them to make purchases,” adds Christmasworld Director, Eva Olbrich.

Advantage FrankfurtAs the trio of fairs are held right at the beginning of the business year, it’s particularly helpful. “Holding the fairs concurrently generates additional synergistic effects for visitors because the products being seen at one of the neighbouring fairs can represent the icing on the cake and help set a retailer apart from the competition,” says Michael Reichhold, Director of Paperworld and Creativeworld.

Christmasworld – International trade fair for Festive and Decorative Articles transforms five exhibition halls into the ‘The World of Seasonal decoration.’ Paperworld – Leading international trade fair for paper, office supplies and stationery covers nine exhibition halls.Creativeworld – The world of art and craft supplies is an unrivalled source of ideas for hobby craftspeople.

At all three fairs, trade buyers and retailers can compile an individual set of competitive advantages, for example make new business connections, discover product variants, gain an overall impression of the market, cultivate existing contacts and see the latest trends first hand. Additionally, they can acquire up-to-the-minute knowledge at lectures and on the basis of the overall show offerings.

Show connectionsThere is a greater link between the three shows this year to demonstrate how products in all three arenas can complement each other and lead to additional sales. For example a florist can find artificial flowers

in Christmasworld, cards for greetings at Paperworld, and ribbons and pearl accessories for bouquets at Creativeworld.

For the forthcoming event, Paperworld has added ‘Mr Books & Mrs Paper, a special show for the book trade. Additionally, the trends for the coming season – showcased at the paperworld trend show – generate impulses and inspiration for appealing shop window and in-shop presentations.

Creativeworld attracts more than 7,200 international trade visitors from the hobby, handicrafts and artists’ industry to Frankfurt am Main, where they can discover the latest products and trends. Creativeworld is also the most important international venue for those showing products, with the number of exhibitors increasing year-on-year with 236 taking part in 2013.

Creativeworld continues to inspire and spotlighting the latest trends, expertise and new products, and the show carries on growing each year. The trend towards arts and crafts and the desire for greater individuality continues. The result is a growing range of products for creative handicrafts and for Creativeworld, this means more exhibition space for more manufacturers wanting to launch its new products.

Additional hall space in 4.2Hall 4.2 has been opened up to Creativeworld to give even more product presentations. Among the new companies taking part in 2014 will be Acrilex Tintas Especiais (Brazil),

frankfurt trioWe talk to the people behind Messe Frankfurt about what they have in store for visitors attending this year’s trio of shows

show preview

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Decohobby Bastelbedarf en gros (Germany), Mitsubishi Pencil (Japan), DMC Creative World Ltd. (Great Britain), Bruynzeel Sakura and Royal Talens (both The Netherlands).

This additional exhibition space in Hall 4.2, along with Paperworld exhibitors and the combination of products, is ideal for both Creativeworld and Paperworld visitors due to both industries often looking for supplementary merchandise from these segments. The emphasis of Hall 4.2 will be given to the young consumer target group – with exercise books, pads, satchels and pencils on the one hand and handicrafts paper, stickers and creative sets for children on the other. Many new exhibitors and international companies from the creative sector will be making presentations in Hall 4.2.

International appealCreativeworld has become increasingly international, and the proportion of exhibitors from outside Germany reached 68 per cent last year with this trend set to continue.

“The number of international participants is increasing on both the exhibitor and visitor sides. This shows that the handicrafts trend is continuing unabated worldwide and not just in Germany. Creativeworld has developed into an established international platform and has made a name for itself worldwide,” says Michael Reichhold, Show Director.

In 2013, 44 per cent of visitors made their way to Frankfurt from 79 different countries, and around 180 companies from outside Germany have already registered for 2014. They include ColArt International Holdings (Great Britain), Pebeo and Decopatch (France), Creative Company (Denmark), Fedrigoni (Italy), Mitsubishi Pencil (Japan), Brevillier Urban & Sachs (Austria) and Industrias Masats and Jovi (Spain).

“As an international company active on a global scale, we take part in Creativeworld to present the complete range of ColArt products to regular and potential customers from all over the world,” says Fleur Meurer van Heek, Head of E-commerce, ColArt International Holdings.

Creative show programme Creativeworld has a successful, varied and interesting programme that runs alongside

the show. The Trend Show will inspire visitors with new creative ideas, future-oriented trend presentations and a wide variety of craft materials. Additionally, a handicrafts table gives a hands-on opportunity to try the latest trends and produce your own creations. As at previous events, the coveted Creative Impulse Award – the Oscar of the hobby, creative and artists’ requisites sector – will also be presented at the 2014 event.

Creative Hands will be a chance for handicrafts fans to show off their individual creativity and the search is on this year to find My Bag – an individually designed bag. The best will be chosen during an awards ceremony and also shown in a special exhibition throughout the fair.

With lots of demonstrations and workshops, specialist retailers will be able to develop new areas of expertise, obtain professional knowledge and authoritative advice and offer an extraordinary selection of products.

“The fact that Creativeworld is now located more or less in the middle of Paperworld – close to writing utensils in Hall 4.0 and

school articles in 4.2 – represents a qualitative boost for the fair. We’re

looking forward to a successful meeting with the sector and making

numerous contacts with national and international customers,” says Stephan Rayher, CEO of Rayher

Hobby GmbH.

PhotocentricHall 4.2 E02 W: www.photocentric.co.ukPhotocentric will be bringing with them its latest Clear Stamps and Stampmaking kits. New for 2014 is its larger Stampmaker, capable of making up to A5 size sheets of clear stamps and Embossing dies to create custom embossing or letterpress sheets at home or in store. Visit the Photocentric stand for a demonstration. Pricing will be released in January.

WHO WILL BE THERE

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Club GreenHall 4.1 K57 W: www.clubgreen.comTrends in weddings, favours and décor are constantly changing as new ideas and trends emerge and 2014 brings new vintage-inspired products such as lace bunting, glass holders, luggage tags and diamante feathers to the Club Green repertoire of products.

Find your way into a world of innovation and creation with the expanded ranges of ribbons, organza and flowers to reflect the latest styles with the retro, vintage and shabby chic themes. From pastels to brights, glitz to glam, Club Green will have the right product for your chosen theme or colour. Its extensive range of products caters for weddings, baby showers, graduation, hen

DMC Creative WorldHall 4.2 stand FO1W: www.dmccreative.co.ukDMC Creative World, a leading global manufacturer of benchmark quality threads, craft and needlecraft products with a history dating back over 260 years, is exhibiting for the first time in January.

DMC are bringing a wealth of new, exciting and exclusive craft and stitching ideas to retailers attending the show. The structured portfolio sets the standard for crafting with categories from classic cross-stitch to crochet and from children’s products to high quality embroidery threads including DMC Mouline stranded cotton. For inspirational creativity and fashion-led products, this company can offer a portfolio of innovative crochet and knitting ideas, DMC threads and needlework kits.

DaylightHall 4.1 J35 W: www.uk-daylightcompany.comDaylight™ is a global leader in professional art and craft lamps. It will be featuring its latest designs and innovations such as the MAGnificent floor and table LED magnifying lamp, the Vogue Floor Lamp, along with its cleverly designed accessory magnifier attachment, and StarMag™ plus a range of new LED lamps and accessories.

Daylight™ lamps are designed to provide functionality and practicality, coupled with aesthetic design and quality materials. Daylight™ is well-known throughout the art and craft world for its unrivalled naturalight daylight (6,000°K), which creates optimal conditions for working with colours, colour matching and seeing small details with improved contrast. The company is inviting exhibition attendees to its stand to see the lamps in action and see what a difference Daylight™ can make to their business.

Paperworld, Creativeworld and Christmasworld 25th – 28th January, 2014Venue: Frankfurt am Main T: +44(0)1483 483 983 E: info@uk.messefrankfurt.comW: www.creativeworld.messefrankfurt.com W: www.paperworld.messefrankfurt.com W: www.christmasworld.messefrankfurt.com

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show preview

The Craft & Hobby Association 2014 conference and trade show promises to be an unforgettable five-day experience devoted to providing retailers and buyers with direct access to the newest creative and innovative products, exciting networking events and education to create a dynamic marketplace that puts you face-to-face with buyers from all over the world. With opportunities to network, gain inspiration and learn from other industry professionals, the show aims to improve your business potential.

a mega showThe 2014 CHA conference and trade show has now reduced to one larger show in January, with an expanded and improved programme of events

CHA has expanded and improved its programmes with the following new additions to its itinerary:

• Opening block party • Buyer lounge and concierge • Door-buster deals• Maker spaces• Inspirational sessions every morning• Learning theatres on the show floor• International programme and events • New products programme• Foundation gala and silent auction

The event will showcase some new features such as an enhanced new exhibitor section, VIP buyer programme, a bead and jewellery pavilion, a celebrity speaker series, and product and business education sessions on the show floor. Enhanced, targeted hands-on workshops and business sessions will be featured during the conference as well. There will be a strong focus on what’s new and innovative in the industry, as well as a CHA Foundation Gala supporting the CRE8TIME movement. Sue Turchick, VP of Membership for CHA, says, “The efforts to build up and support our member base and grow our industry as a whole is an exciting mission to be a part of and our entire CHA team is committed to this journey.”

“We look forward to working with members of the association as we move forward and develop opportunities to grow their businesses, increase the awareness of our industry, and make a

positive difference in the world,” says Andrej Suskavcevic, President and CEO, CHA.

All programmes are designed to provide visitors with industry-focused education to help further enhance business skills. Whether you’re attending the show for the first time or are an industry veteran, any of these informative sessions will give you the targeted knowledge you need to expand your business and strengthen your personal growth.

Hands on Lab – This focuses on introducing, enhancing and reviewing your current knowledge of a technical method needed for your day-to-day business. The instructor will be your private tutor for two to four hours and will walk you step-by-step through topics such as software and social media. Laptops are required and space is limited.

Business bootcamp – This is designed for speakers to lend their expertise on tactical issues and opportunities for growing business. Topics include marketing, finance and regulatory to give you and your business guidance, tools, and takeaways that leaders need to address in order to successfully grow their business.

Workshops – Get involved in hands-on training to learn all about new products to pass on to your customers.

Business seminars – Build business skills with a range of lectures, interactive presentations, panel sessions from topical experts, business leaders, authors, and CHA members considered experts in their field.

Demo-nars™ – Combine both the business education of a seminar, with the hands-on project technique training of a workshop.

Networking events – Attend one of these lively social gatherings that allows you to connect with industry professionals from around the world.

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Photocentric Booth no: 1682 W: www.photocentric.co.ukPhotocentric will at the show with its Clear Stamps brand and other stamp making kits, plus the new larger Stampmaker, which is capable of making up to A5 size sheets of clear stamps and embossing dies so that crafters can make their own custom embossing or letterpress sheets at home. Drop by the Photocentric stand for a demonstration. Pricing will be released in January.

3MBooth no: 1847 W: www.3m.co.uk Everyone likes to add a bespoke touch to their own space, and 3M can provide the perfect items to personalise your desk. Whether at home, school or in the office, the new fun Scotch Magic dog tape dispenser is the perfect way to brighten up your work area. The quirky design will put a smile on any animal lover’s face with its innovative twist on the traditional tape dispenser. Affectionately known as Ralph, he’ll sit obediently on the desk keeping your tape close to hand. While Scotch Magic Tape has a matte-finish, it becomes invisible on paper. The secure seal makes it perfect for a wide variety of uses. What’s more, as it can be written on with pen, pencil or a marker, it’s the ideal labelling tool. The Scotch Magic Tape dog dispenser comes with a 19x8.89m roll of Scotch Magic tape and retails at £8.99.

Nunn DesignsBooth No: 1705 W: www.nunndesign.comThrough collaborative relationships, Nunn Design inspires and nurtures creativity. “It’s one thing to inspire artisans and crafters, but another to actually nurture their creativity,” says owner and founder Rebecca Nunn. “We believe that kits are an essential part of making our mission possible. Put simply, it makes the experience easier for the user.” Its new epoxy clay kits range has everything needed to create stunning bling beauties including clear step-by-step instructions and photos which will guide you through the process of creating beautiful jewellery from the very first time of using with this new medium of epoxy clay. Kits includes epoxy clay, gloves, beeswax toothpick, ear wires, jump rings, head pins and brass chains. Bezels and toggle clasps are cast lead free pewter and all findings are plated with .99 silver or 24k gold and manufactured in the USA. Preciosa Crystals Chatons are imported from the Czech Republic.

John Bead CorpBooth No: 852 W: www.johnbead.comJohn Bead Corp. represented by Metal Complex™ and Dazzle-it!™ is aiming to solidify the position established 60 years ago as the ultimate DIY source of innovation and creativity with the launch of Leather Works™ by Metal Complex™. This product line focuses on exploring the endless creative possibilities of tooling, carving, embossing, shaping, dyeing and accessorising with veggie tanned leather. The brand Dazzle-it! won’t disappoint the buyers either and launches its new collection of eccentrically-cut beads and contemporary components topped by a wide selection of embroidering trims. The company will continue to inspire customers to be their own manufacturer.

F&W MediaBooth No: 401 W: www.fwmedia.co.uk“We’re really looking forward to going to the CHA Show in January to show off our new titles such as My Crochet Doll and Knit the Alphabet. We’ve got a busy year ahead in 2014.”

My Crochet DollISBN: 9781446304242Publication date: January 2014Price: £12.99/$19.99Create an adorable crochet doll and over 50 garments and accessories with My Crochet Doll. With a huge range of cute outfits, from school days and fancy dress, to snowy adventures (complete with crochet penguin).

a mega show

WHO’S AT THE SHOWKnit the AlphabetISBN: 9781446303818Publication date: March 2014Price: £12.99/$19.99Knitting fans will love to create the entire alphabet in 3D with just some yarn and knitting needles! The patterns in Knit the Alphabet are quick and easy to make and are made as one piece so there’s no need to sew a seam.

DIARY DATE Craft Hobby Association Conference & Trade Show 10th-14th January 2014Anaheim Convention Centre, CAW: www.craftandhobby.org

Come see us at: Creativeworld Frankfurt Hall 4.1 Stand A57 or contact the Sales Team and arrange for us to come to you.

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AQHow can I improve the basic skills of my workforce?There are several ways that you can train and improve the skills of your workforce such as mentoring or shadowing, skill sharing and, of course, following a Best Practice process or Staff Handbook. These can be time consuming to write but ensure that everybody would be fully able to complete any task in your business by following the written procedure.

In a previous company that I worked for, we used to hold a company lunch once a month which was an open forum for all staff members to discuss any issues they may be having, any training requirements and also to role play scenarios to overcome sales objections or complaints. This seemed to work well, especially in a small business as everyone had the chance to have their say.

My business is continuing to grow and I’ve just employed my fifth member of staff. I’ve heard the term ‘onboarding’ as a way of integrating new staff. Can you explain what this is and how I should go about it?Onboarding or organisational socialisation is a method used by larger corporate companies to integrate new members of staff from the day they have their first interview. It’s a process that shows interviewees and new starters the culture of your business and it can be adapted for small businesses too.

Putting systems in place such as making sure that there’s printed materials and research for the new staff to read or take part in prior to their first day is a great start, as well as ensuring that new members of staff have their workstation ready, and that name badges and business cards have been organised. It’s also a good idea to pair them up with an experienced colleague who they can work with or alongside so that they feel part of the

team from the outset. Also, at the end of the first month or quarter, giving them a forum to feedback their progress to their direct manager helps iron out any initial problems that may have occurred.

Using this method – it’s said that a company can quadruple its chance of keeping a new recruit happy and makes them more productive, loyal and attentive.

Most of my staff have been with my company for years. Is there any need to send them on training courses now?It’s always good to have continual training and look at processes. Giving your employees a forum to feedback on any aspect of your business can be potentially very rewarding. These are the people that run your business day-to-day and will have many ideas on how to improve processes, profitability or staff morale.

In the craft industry, there’s always a constant flow of new products coming on to the market. What’s the best way to keep staff fully up-to-date with these so they can sell them to customers? Trade shows are a superb way of identifying new products, how to effectively demonstrate them and their benefits and uses. I know that it’s not possible to send all your staff to a show at once, however, taking a different member of your team each time will ensure that everyone with benefits.

Once back at the shop, sit down and have a meeting where that person demonstrates and teaches the rest of the team the functions and benefits of the products. This will improve their presentation and demonstration skills while bringing the rest of the team up to speed. It’s always best to include a member of staff in your supplier/sales representative’s visit, as they’ll have full product knowledge and deliver

all the features, functions and benefits of the new products.

How do I evaluate my businesses’ training needs?Listen, watch and communicate with your staff regularly and use an open forum to give them the chance to give productive feedback.

Strategise and think ahead to potential problems. For example, “If I was unable to come into the shop today – is there a sufficient skillset and knowledge within the existing staff to be able to run the business?” Do this for each member of your team and fill in the knowledge gaps.

Are there any organisations that can help me with training within the crafting industry?There are many places where training is offered. CHA-UK, in partnership with CHA in the US, offer regular training programs both at shows and online through our webinar program (see ‘training’ on our website). We’re always keen to offer new training programmes, so please don’t hesitate to let us know what you feel would benefit the industry and we would look to putting something together.

We’ve teamed up with industry experts from CHA-UK to answer questions about how small businesses can keep staff working wisely

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For more information and how to join CHA, visit its website, www.cha-uk.co.uk

This issue Barry Short, Educational Chair for CHA-UK, answers your questions on training and why investing in your staff will help your business to grow.

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beat the winter bluesFresh ideas for crafters who want to make the most of the longer evenings

PANTOMINE SEASONWith the pantomime season upon us this Theatre in a Box craft kit from Buttonbag is perfect for children to create their own theatre production. The new and improved kit comes complete with two sets of characters and scenery to create two plays – Hansel & Gretel and Princess & The Pirate.

Great for developing literacy skills, the kit comes with all the accessories and tools to make the different plays, and even a set of tickets to invite family and friends to watch. Easy to assemble, simply open the box, unfold the wings and slot them into the stage floor. Recommended for children seven years and over, it retails at £11.95. ButtonbagT: +44 (0)208 525 1640 E: studio@buttonbag.comW: www.buttonbag.co.uk

PERFECT AMBIANCELuminaria decorative lantern bags from Efco Creative Emotions create a glowing atmosphere both inside and outside. Decorate the outside of the lantern bag for parties and special occasions and simply unfold the bags completely to insert a home-made candle or tealight in a glass. The bags are made from flame-resistant paper according to DIN 53438-2:K1.

Efco Creative Emotions is distributed by SinotexT: +44 (0)1737 245 450E: info@sinotexuk.comW: www.efco.sinotexuk.com

SHAKE AND SNOWModel your own figurines, add water, glitter and shake. This Seedling Kit contains: plastic globe, make and bake polymer clay, snow globe stand, glitter, EVA sheet, and instructions, and retails at £18.99.

Asobi distributes the Seedling brandT: +44 (0)1628 200 077 E: info@asobi.co.ukW: www.asobi.co.uk

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A NATURAL CHOCOHOLIC Choc Chick Raw Chocolates is a privately funded limited company based in Brighton, set up by South American-born Galia Orme in September 2008. The aim was to promote the fun benefits of making chocolate using authentic and high quality organic cacao ingredients to enable people to make their own healthy raw chocolate as an alternative to commercially processed chocolate, which is high in hydrogenated fats, processed sugars, soya, dairy products and additives.

Its flagship products, the Choc Chick Kit and its new Choc Chicos are designed especially for children. Choc Chicos is a fun dairy-free chocolate making kit that includes organic cacao ingredients, a low glyceamic sweetener, cocoa beans, mini baking cases and a simple recipe book. The book shows how to make chocolates that are free from dairy, gluten, processed sugar, artificial flavours and additives. The kit retails at £9.95.

The raw chocolate making kits come in a range of sizes and include 100 per cent cacao ingredients and caters for novices to chocolate-making connoisseurs.

Choc ChickT: +44 (0)800 280 0882 E: info@chocchick.comW: www.chocchick.com

ALIGHT AND EMBELLISHThese creamy smooth wax-painting colour liners are ideal for decorating candles and can be used in conjunction with a variety of possible techniques. These include freehand painting, stencils and paint, and can also be used with a brush or can write directly onto the candle. Once dry, the liquid wax colour sticks to the candle.

West Design Products T: +44 (0)1303 297 888E: info@westdesignproducts.co.ukW: www.westdesignproducts.co.uk

WARM AND CHUNKYThe launch of the Ultimate Super Chunky knitting yarn and patterns has been well received by consumers, one of the several launches this season from King Cole. The exclusive method of manufacture gives it softness yet body, with great wash and wear properties. The rich vibrant multi-coloured effect suits a wide age range of consumers, while the excellent pattern support offers advice for beginners as well as experienced knitters. Knitting on 12mm pins achieves fashion items in a very short period of time.

King ColeTel: +44 (0)1535 650 230 E: sales@kingcole.co.ukW: www.kingcole.co.uk

GET AHEAD WITH BEANIESDMC Creative World has the perfect craft solution to keeping warm in the winter months with myboshi; hand crocheted beanie hats in numerous styles and colour choices. The myboshi book is the must-have item to create exciting and original beanies, and is perfect to get crafters started. It includes crochet hints and tips, patterns for 15 beanies, as well as the myboshi philosophy according to its founders Thomas and Felix.

The easy illustrative explanations on the crochet basics, as well as the eye-catching visuals for all the different models, will be ideal for beginners. It also contains three myboshi labels to add to the finished beanie. The book is a perfect sales tool to complement the myboshi wool station, which is a free custom-built POS unit that houses the full selection of myboshi wools.

DMC Creative World T: +44 (0)116 275 4000E: sales@dmccreative.co.ukW: www.dmccreative.co.uk

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beat the winter blues

LET IT SNOW!Perfectly suited to the current season, DecoArt has four ways to add snow effects to your craft and home decorating projects:Snow-tex Gives the look and dimension of snow to holiday projects and comes in sizes up to 16 ounces for larger projects.Glistening Snow-texDries to a hard, yet fl exible fi nish that won’t crack or peel, adding shimmer to hard craft surfaces.Snow-writer Write or draw to add dimensional designs to ornaments, scrapbooks, gift bags, cards and most surfaces.Glistening Snow-writerWrite or draw to add dimensional designs to ornaments, scrapbooks, gift bags, cards and most surfaces.

DecoArt products are distributed by Country Love CraftsT: +44 (0)1235 861 700E: sales@countrylovecrafts.comW: www.countrylovecrafts.com

LET THERE BE LIGHT! Purelite’s new 4in1 crafters magnifying lamp is the most fl exible and versatile model yet, with innovations such as an adjustable dimmer switch and removable crafting attachments. It offers the option of both mains and battery power while its clever construction enables it to be easily converted from a useful table lamp to an attractive fl oor lamp, and back again. The fl exible neck can be precisely positioned for comfort, and the powerful daylight effect illumination is provided by the 21 power-saving LEDs spaced evenly around the 15cm/6 inch optical quality 2X magnifying lens. Retails at £79.99 with a trade price of £36.65.

Groves + BanksT: +44 (0)1844 258 080E: sales@groves-banks.com W: www.groves-banks.com

WINTRY KEEPSAKESThe new Violets cross-stitch kit collection from Textile Heritage uses bright colours on crisp white Aida to give maximum effect to this popular fl oral design. Sweet Violets is one of the best-loved fl owers for its subtle scent, and has long been used to make perfume and for medicinal purposes.

The range comprises a bookmark, needle case, scissor keep, keyring and lavender sachet, making the perfect gift item for those who love needlecraft this winter. With retail prices from £4.95, this lovely collection can be supplied in a ranged counter-top display box or mixed with other designs to give your customers a wider variety of choice.

Textile HeritageT: +44 (0)1355 229 446E: info@textileheritage.comW: www.textileheritage.com

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How can you make sure that your e-commerce site is working at its best to secure sales? David Schulhof, Head of Digital Marketing of Metakinetic, explains

how to get the most from your websiteSo you’ve got some great products that your customers would love, and you’ve got an online store from which to sell them, but how do you make people buy? A good place to start is by reviewing the ways that customers are discovering your products. This can begin on a search engine or external site, or it can occur on your own site.

While some shoppers know exactly what they want to buy before they look online, many are still in the browsing stage when they enter your site. By maximising your product discovery phase you can ensure that all your items have the best possible chance of getting noticed, and hopefully, catching the attention of a willing buyer.

To get the full benefits you also need to be driving regular traffic to your site. By increasing the number of website visitors you can quickly improve the amount of sales opportunities, and in turn, the number of successful sales that you make!

A successful e-commerce website isn’t always the one that generates the biggest quantity of sales; it’s the one that generates the most profit. Implementing features that are designed to increase the average order value a customer will place is a simple but effective way to grow your earnings.

MAXIMISE YOUR PRODUCT DISCOVERY NavigationFor on-site product discovery, it’s vital that your site navigation is up to scratch. Assess your homepage from a customer’s perspective. How easy would it be to find a particular product category from the homepage? If your navigation categories are too broad you risk losing your customer’s interest by forcing them to filter through too many irrelevant items. Best practice is to have general categories as the primary navigation of your site such

as Homecraft or Papercraft, but be sure to provide more specific sub-categories in a secondary navigation menu like soft furnishings or card-making. Search terms To maximise your off-site product discovery you should look to review the search keywords you’re using on your product pages. It’s really important to optimise your product copy for customers as well as search engines. In the past, it was common to repeat a small selection of industry keywords across the site in order to rank well on search pages. But what matters now is embedding your product copy with a good variety of keywords that will combine to reflect the true topic of the page. Whereas the single keyword ‘embroidery’ would have been an appropriate term for an embroidered pillow kit, it’s now far better to use a greater variation of terms i.e. ‘craft,

needlework, stitching, tapestry’ that relate to this item and further enhance the overall topic of ‘craft’. Smaller sites may find it easier to get a higher ranking by using long-tail keywords like ‘embroidered tapestry pillow’ on product pages as there is less competition from the bigger stores who will be using mainstream ‘craft’ keywords. Product photography Online customers can’t physically see or touch your products, so the images you provide need to achieve this task for them. That’s why it’s key to get your product photography right. The images you include should be eye-catching, match the product description and be good quality. Try to use photos that demonstrate the product in use or as part of a craft project, but, as a guide, the item in question should always take up at least 80 per cent of the shot to have the greatest impact. Creating

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captivating imagery for some of the more mundane craft items like needles or yarn may seem like a stretch, but even a well-placed coloured button against abundle of yarn can instantly make the picture more interesting. Gift marketplace Notonthehighstreet.com is a fantastic site to browse for photography inspiration.

INCREASE YOUR SITE TRAFFIC Page descriptionsAs well as your on-page product copy, your page Meta description (or Metadata) is the information shown when a page is displayed in a search engine results page. Each description needs to be clear and engaging to give a potential customer enough incentive to click through to your site and find out more about the product. As obvious as it sounds, check that each Meta description is specific to the particular page and product it’s describing. Also be sure to check that the information it advertises is accurate – you’ll be surprised by the number of Meta descriptions displaying an out-of-date seasonal sale offer! Utilise your blog Blog posts are a fantastic way to drive traffic

onto your site and to funnel readers through to specific product pages, so if you haven’t got one yet, what are you waiting for! Creating a series of ‘How To’ posts is a great way to get the attention of fellow crafters, and also has the benefit of preparing a virtual shopping list ready for a customer to purchase. As long as the content you’re posting is valuable to your customer, regular blog posts will allow you to effectively stockpile several mini shopping lists that will continue to grab the attention of online shoppers several months after they were first posted.

INCREASE YOUR AVERAGE ORDER VALUE Display related items and checkout add-ons Having a ‘Related Items’ section after your product description is a great way to boost basket value, but ensure you select appropriate products that will genuinely be of use to a customer who is on that particular page. Likewise, suggesting a useful low-priced product right before a customer is about to checkout can help boost the overall order value. These features can have a very positive impact on sales if carried out well, but if the products suggested are irrelevant then they won’t be of value so it’s worth taking the time to get the selection right. Free delivery incentives Everyone likes an offer, and provding free delivery when a customer spends above a set amount can work well to increase average order values. While you’ll have to incur the cost of postage, you should find that you’re actually making profit by encouraging a customer to spend those extra pounds to qualify for their free delivery. If you do offer free delivery above a certain amount, make sure the total until they qualify (i.e. ‘you’re £6 away from free delivery’) remains visible in the basket and at the checkout to maximise the influence of the offer. Reward future high value orders Discount incentives are a reliable way to

encourage customers to return, and they can also be used to encourage higher order values. Why not trial the inclusion of a unique discount code with a customer’s order confirmation offering them £10 off their next purchase over £50? Not only will this encourage them to come back and buy from you in the future, but it will ensure that when they do return their basket value will still be above £40 after discount.

To get the best out of your website you need to make sure that it’s as user-friendly as possible. By tailoring your navigation and search terms to match customer behaviour, and providing related items that will enhance a visitor’s time on your site, you can begin to build a tailored online experience that will set you apart from your competitors. It’s always good to trial these changes gradually before making them permanent, and to continue to monitor the results to see what works best for your target consumer. Whatever changes you do decide to make, be sure to focus on the overall value it will provide to your customer. If it won’t improve their experience then don’t do it!

Metakinetic is an award-winning full service e-commerce agency founded in 2005. Based in Wokingham, Berkshire, with a team of 18 specialists, the company provides e-commerce

solutions, digital marketing and creative design services to a wide range of online retailers. Focused on quality, support and delivering commercial results, Metakinetic helps its clients become more successful online. T: +44 (0)118 324 9000 E: hello@metakinetic.comW: www.metakinetic.com

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on a rollJulie Bonnar talks to Wendy Lowe from Past Time Quilling about this niche craft

How did Past Time Quilling come into being? The founder of the company is Pat Green who registered the business in 1979. Pat was first introduced to quilling by her mother, who loaned her an American book about reviving the craft. She learnt how to quill and became captivated by its possibilities but disappointed by the lack of quilling materials that were available to purchase. Recognising a gap in the market, she designed a beginner’s kit. The company has grown considerably and now offers 40 different kits, an extensive range of papers, tools, books and other accessories – all for quilling.

What is quilling and what can it be used for?It’s the art of rolling narrow strips of paper into coils and scrolls, which can then be used for a variety of decorative purposes such as making cards and pictures, decorating boxes, models, mobiles and miniature work for dolls houses. The first record of this craft comes from very early civilisation around the Mediterranean when strips of papyrus were rolled and used to imitate precious gold and silver filigree. During the 15th century records show poorer religious bodies using rolled gilded paper in

much the same way, and by the 17th century quilled pictures were beginning to appear in people’s homes.

An 18th century revival saw further use of quilling in the home for the first time, and it became recognised as a craft for young ladies to learn. The teaching of quilling became a profession, and patterns were printed in the women’s magazines of the period. With the current resources available, the only restriction in designs is in the limit of your imagination. The basic skills are easily mastered and the possibilities are endless!

Tell us more about the quilling products you have to offer.We have 40 different quilling kits available, from simple picture kits aimed at children, card and box decorating and greetings card kits, complete workboxes and class packs that have been designed for groups of 10. There’s also an extensive range of quilling papers available in four different widths, which include multi-coloured, seasonal, colour- and mono-toned, metallic and pearlised. We also offer a good selection of quilling tools and a workboard, which has been specially designed for us, plus

three handbooks and a range of accessories including gift box and greeting card blanks.

Tell us about the different kits available.The beginner’s quilling kit is a replenishable workbox, which teaches the complete craft and contains a handbook for novices, quilling tool, papers, adhesive, card and gift box blanks to decorate.

The children’s quilling workbox is ideal for any young person interested in starting this

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craft. It contains a handbook written especially for children, which teaches a selection of the more simple shapes and is written like a story based around a main character – a caterpillar called Cuthbert, showing how to quill his animated friends. This kit contains three different sizes of quilling tools, three bundles of quilling paper, adhesive and mount card. We also have card and gift box kits that contain detailed pattern sheets for anyone wanting to have a go at quilling and make lovely presents, as these include the tool, papers and adhesive, greeting cards, gift card and gift box blanks.

Our simple picture kits have been designed mainly with children in mind, but also for adults who just want to try out the craft, and contain the tool, papers, adhesive and mount card. Four boxed greetings card kits were introduced this year ; these are based on the seasons and each one contains everything required to create 10 attractive greetings cards.

Finally, we have three quilling class packs which contain everything required for groups of 10 so are perfect for schools, brownie and guide packs, craft groups and parties. They have complete instructions and come with additional teacher’s notes.

What are the current best-selling products? Our best-selling products are the papers for quilling, particularly the 3mm width, and also

the set of three plastic quilling tools. We’re constantly looking to improve and extend our paper range as more and more customers get hooked on quilling. The kits do still sell well to customers who are new to the craft and as presents.

Are there any new products in the pipeline? We’ve just launched our new beginners quilling kit in time for Christmas. Designed to attract customers, this kit has a bright new packaging with improved contents and is already selling very well.

New boxed kits are planned including an animal kit with designs for 50 animals, birds and fish, and a floral kit, which will include flowers for all occasions. We’ll be launching both along with new paper selections at Craft, Hobby + Stitch next February, so keep an eye on the website for further information.

How can retailers purchase from you? Our new website for trade customers is up and running. Retailers can request a trade account and place orders online, as well as downloading our catalogue. We hope to see retailers at the trade show in February where we look forward to showing our complete range to all those attending, and of course we’re always happy to hear from customers and take orders over the phone.

Past Times QuillingT: +44 (0)1332 840 582 E: info@pasttimesquilling.co.ukW: www.pasttimesquilling.co.uk

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square upPatchwork and quilting has enjoyed a huge surge in popularity over the last 12 months and has re-modelled itself as a contemporary craft

Love Patchwork & Quilting!International media group and leading digital business, Future has unveiled Love Patchwork & Quilting, a new multi-platform craft brand with a strong social media presence. Love Patchwork & Quilting is available as a digital edition on Apple’s Newsstand, Google Play, Amazon Kindle Fire, Barnes & Noble’s Nook and Zinio, as well as a print edition. The print title fills a clear gap for a more modern product in a very traditional sector, delivering trend-led projects through contemporary design, and is the only quilting print title to cover gift projects each issue. It’s already broken Future’s pre-launch subscription record and has a growing social media presence, and is already established in the sector’s blogging community.

There are currently an estimated 1.8 million quilters in the UK which is an increase of 124 per cent since 2011, showing incredible growth in interest and participation. It seems that the new breed of quilters is also offering a different perspective – with a focus on the latest fabric trends and graphic shapes and wanting to be bold with their designs. It’s published 13 times a year and is available in print, on tablet and online.

TREND TIP:“Here at Love Patchwork & Quilting, we believe that fabric is one of the strongest motivators for taking up the craft. Today’s quilting cottons increasingly reflect high street trends and allow us to recreate the looks seen in shops and magazines. On the flip side, creating an heirloom quilt from treasured fabric such as baby clothes is often the goal of the first-time patchworker and is such an accessible way to make something that’s full of meaning and heritage.” Jenny Fox-Proverbs, Editor of Love Patchwork & Quilting.

Love Patchwork & QuiltingPublished by Future T: +44(0) 020 7042 4036 E: gemma.combellack@futurenet.com W: www.futureplc.com

Makes cutting light work AccuQuilt is well known for its fabric cutting system and has now introduced a range of 12 dies. This Go! collection features two dies designed for English paper piecing enabling the cutting of both paper and fabric hexagons. Other staples include hexagons, half hexagons and equilateral triangles that are scaled to use in combination. Make classic quilts with the Snowball, Clamshell and Hunter Star dies plus Bowties designed by Alex Anderson.

And why not try the Wedge, said to be one of the most versatile dies yet? Go! cutters are designed by quilters for quilters, and this shows in the clean and crisp cuts for strips, appliqué and piecing. Using the AccuQuilt Go! or the Go! baby fabric cutters ensures trouble-free cutting, reducing the time it takes to cut fabric by up to 90 per cent, cutting through up to six layers at a time.

There’s detailed information available for retailers from EQS, including sales sheets that can be downloaded, with project ideas and how-to guides. Customers will also find free quilt patterns for all the new dies on the AccuQuilt website www.accuquilt.com AccuQuilt is distributed by EQS LtdT: +44 (0)116 271 0033E: sales@eqsuk.com W: www.eqsuk.com

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rk & quiltingQuality quilt kit

The latest kit from Rachel’s of Greenfield is proving very popular with crafters and contains everything needed to make this fabulous miniature quilt including high quality batting, 100 per cent cotton fabrics, quilt designs and step-by-step instructions. The design depicts a quartet of sturdy little houses to create a friendly village scene on this playful wall quilt. The clean, crisp lines of the blue houses on a white background are complemented by the angles of the precise saw-tooth border. The finished quilt measures 22x22 inches and is available now from distributor Hantex Ltd, priced at £11.99 (trade price).

Hantex LtdT: +44 (0)1754 820 800 E: sales@hantex.co.uk W: www.hantex.co.uk

The right measure The patented Omnigrid patchwork rulers are known for their excellent quality. With a wide variety of different rulers, Prym guarantees that quilters will get correct measurements every time. Omnigrid provides many advantages – its yellow and black grid print is easy to see for precise marking on light and dark fabrics while the scratch-proof lasered markings on the underside of the rulers eliminate optical distortion. This thick and robust material helps steadily guide rotary cutters and art knives, and there’s clear and functional arrangement of angle markings (30°, 45° and 60°) for cutting triangles, lozenges or bias strips. Rulers are available in metric and inch versions with line spacing in increments of 0.25cm (1/8 inch) for extra accuracy.

Prym Consumer Europe GmbHTel: +49 (0)24 021 404E: sales@prym-consumer.comW: www.prym-consumer.com

Making waves with new rotary cutter designOlfa has introduced the new 45mm Splash rotary handle in a vibrant aqua colour. The quick blade change feature means simply sliding the blade-lock down to release the old blade, reload, and re-secure the blade lock to begin cutting again. The contoured handle allows for comfortable cutting, while integrated grooves at the head of the cutter help prevent finger slippage. The handle includes the same renowned Olfa 45mm rotary blade for exceptional sharpness and performance and is ideal for left- or right-handed use. OlfaT: +1 816 6972 8104 W: www.olfa.com

Latest quilting books on the market

Quilted FlowersBy Nikki Tinkler Price: £7.99 RRPISBN 13/EAN: 9781844488476Publisher: Search PressQuilted Flowers explains how to make 20 simple quilted flower inspired gifts, incorporating cushions, bags, wall hanging, quilt, needle-cases, greetings cards, a table runner, bunting and much more. Each project is accompanied by a beautiful, full-colour photograph of the project together with a close-up detail shot with clear step-by-step instructions. Every project features a list of the materials and equipment needed plus diagrams and templates where required, with all the basic techniques explained at the beginning of the book.

The Quilt Block BookBy Nancy Wick Price: £16.99 RRP ISBN: 9781589237780 Publisher: Creative Publishing InternationalThe Quilt Block Book is packed with information on how to create 75 quilt blocks and explains the three basic block construction methods. Divided into three sections by technique: quick piecing, foundation piecing and appliqué, this book has step-by-step instructions with photographs and diagrams to quickly learn the order of construction plus directions for pressing seam allowances. Author Nancy Wick has been quilting for more than 20 years and shares her love of textiles and quilting using a long-arm quilting machine.

Quilt LoveBy Cassandra Ellis Price: £20 RRP (hardback)ISBN: 978 1 906417826Publisher: Jacqui SmallAuthor Cassandra Ellis shows how to celebrate events and tell stories with contemporary patchwork. In Quilt Love, Cassandra teaches her freeform design techniques using a combination of intuition and improvisation so crafters can create their own quilts, with demonstrations on how to use your own judgment to gather fabrics that remind you of special times, people and occasions. The book is split into four chapters: Big Events, Love, Friendship and Memories. In addition to the full-size quilts there’s more simple designs that can be completed in a couple of hours such as cushions, framed artwork, and tote bags.

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Quilting threads and Fillawant bias bindingDMC Creative World offers a number of different threads for patchwork and hand-quilting. The company’s quilting thread is made of 100 per cent Egyptian long staple and mercerised cotton, which is a fi ne, strong thread that is soft and smooth to work with. Colourfast and fade resistant, the thread is ideal for machine, hand- quilting and patchwork because of the ease with which it pulls through fabric. Available in a wide range of 72 colours, there’s no chance of knots or fuzz and is also recommended for use when working with thicker fabrics. Another DMC thread that’s used for hand-quilting and embellishing is DMC’s Colour Variations stranded cotton, which consists of 36 colour-changing threads. Each thread contains a multitude of tonal colours, allowing crafters to see changes on hand-quilted projects with just a few stitches.

The addition of Fillawant’s ribbons, bias bindings and trimmings to the DMC Creative World portfolio refl ects the growing interest in patchwork and quilting for the home interior markets. DMC is offering a range of exclusive Fillawant printed bias bindings, which use precision manufacturing to ensure they are cut on a perfect bias. As an additional selling point, the bias bindings return to their former position after being stretched, eliminating the risk of puckering.

DMC Creative World LtdT: +44 (0) 116 275 4000E: sales@dmccreative.co.ukW: www.dmccreative.co.uk

Top templatesSimplicity is delighted to offer retailers a whole range of EZ Quilting templates, tools and accessories to help their patchworking and quilting customers. The hardwearing, easy-to-use templates are made from acrylic and plastic and include every shape you can wish for, including circles, hearts, scallops, hexagons, triangles, squares, wavy squares, easy angles, fl ying geese, diamonds, petal shapes, Dresden plate and uneven nine patch. The range of tools and accessories is equally as extensive, with pins, pens, fabric grabbers, invisible thread, quilters clips, thimbles, masking tape, a magic seamer and a telescoping magnet to pick up dropped pins.

SimplicityT: +44 (0)161 480 8734E: uk.eusales@simplicity.comW: www.simplicitynewlook.com

Sharp as a razor!The TrueCut rotary blade sharpener is a simple tool that will give quilters better results while saving money. Designed to work with all rotary cutters, and with all sizes of blade, the sharpener ensures that crafters cut with a razor-sharp blade every time, producing safe, accurate, and straight cutting every time.

A generous 30cm in length, and with a long-lasting, high quality sharpening stone, the sharpener is easy to use with a backwards and forwards movement (just like cutting fabric). With no need to remove the blade, the non-slip feet prevent any movement. Crafters will have to buy far fewer replacements when they use the TrueCut rotary blade sharpener thanks to the longevity the product offers each blade.

All TrueCut products are distributed exclusively by Groves in the UKT: +44 (0)1844 258 080E: sales@groves-banks.comW: www.groves-banks.com

Craft CottonThe Craft Cottom remnant packs are a best-selling product for International Textile Supplies (ITS). The packs are extremely popular and, ideal for quilting, patchwork, fat quarters, bunting, crafting and dressmaking, are great value for money. Priced at £10.95 per kg, it works out at only £1.40 per metre. Each pack comes with a selection of different themed prints with something for both adults and children. Each individual piece is between one and three metres.

International Textile Supplies (ITS) T: +44 (0)1745 562 120E: customerservices@its-sales.co.ukW: www.its-sales.co.uk

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We say: “Precut Patchwork Party is an excellent resource book that will be useful to crafters of all abilities.”

Precut Patchwork PartyBy Elaine Schmidt Price: £16.99 RRP ISBN: 9781589237292 Publisher: Creative Publishing InternationalPrecut Patchwork Party is full of soft craft and simple sewing projects that incorporate pre-cut fabrics patches and strips in a variety of sizes. The book looks at patchworking in a very modern light and will help any thrifty crafter to cut patches from leftover fabrics, either by hand or using a die-cutting machine. With fresh ideas and techniques that go beyond traditional quilt making, ranging from table runners and cushions to clothing and accessories, this is a great reference book. With the help of the broad reference section, there’s a detailed explanation about all the basic tools and supplies that you need to do advanced binding, patchwork trims and embellishments.

Perfect for patchworkArt Gallery Fabrics is on the ball when it comes to designing beautiful patchwork and quilting fabrics, and this Tule by Leah Duncan is no exception. Boasting a high-thread count, this cotton fabric has an exceptionally soft feel, which is quite different from regular craft cotton fabrics. Ideal for quilting, clothes making and home décor, this collection is inspired by Nevada’s vast landscape.

Art Gallery Fabrics manufactures 100 per cent premium quality cotton and offers a contemporary and different approach to textile design, with an emphasis on striking colour combinations coupled with workable designs. Available from stock at Hantex’s UK warehouse there are many trunk shows available, allowing retailers to show finished models. Fabrics come in 3-metre pieces, half- and full-bolts. Crafters can also get support from the AGF website with free patterns and inspirational projects.

Hantex LtdT: +44 (0)1754 820 800 E: sales@hantex.co.uk W: www.hantex.co.uk

Modern patchworking and piecing The Sizzix® quilting range continues to grow and develop along with the fast-growing quilt market in the UK and Europe. The range has been established for a couple of years and continues to expand, with popular patchwork and appliqué dies being regularly added.

Customers can cut fabric quickly and precisely with the Sizzix® die-cutting system. By using the Big Shot™ machine or Big Shot™ Pro machine, along with the range of patchwork and appliqué dies available, users will eliminate the laborious task of cutting fabric pieces with a rotary cutter and ruler. The dies are made with a steel rule blade construction which allows for easy cutting through multiple layers of fabric, making beautiful and bespoke quilting masterpieces achievable for both the novice and expert. Each die comes with a built in ¼ inch seam allowance to make piecing together the shapes even easier, whether by hand or sewing machine.

The dies in the range feature some of the most popular shapes in the quilt market such as the Apple Core, Dresden Plate, Drunkard’s Path and a variety of Hexagons in many sizes, plus squares, triangles and trapezoids which are perfect for making up block patterns for a full quilt. Quilters have multiple creative options with many of these shapes available in a variety of sizes.

SizzixT: 0844 499 8181 T: +44 (0)845 345 2277 (Outside the UK) E: europecustomerservices@ellison.comW: www.sizzix.co.uk/quilting

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From ethnic doodle to beautiful fabricMakower UK Fabrics has launched a stunning new fabric range. The Henna collection of fabrics is designed by British Designer an Quilter Beth Studley. A lover of all things fabric and sewing, Beth has her own range of handmade personalised products called Love from Beth. The collection started out as a doodle on paper and has since evolved into a beautiful motif pattern inspired by Henna wedding tattoos that combine flowers and spots and swirls, creating an ethnic feel to the fabric. Visit the Makower UK Fabrics website to download the free quilt pattern shown here. Concord Fabrics /Makower UKT: +44 (0)1491 579 727 E: info@makoweruk.com W: www.makoweruk.com

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Email marketing has been utilised for a long time due to its success as a marketing medium. Martin Barnes from Create Click explains how to get started on your own email campaigns

enhance relationships with email

There are more than 3.2 billion email accounts in the world and it’s predicted that this will increase to 6.4 billion by 2016. With this in mind, the potential for email marketing as a way to communicate with your customers and convince them to buy and remain loyal to your brand is as important as ever. In 2012, 44 per cent of email recipients made at least one purchase based on a promotional email, and 56 per cent of businesses said the company would increase their use of email marketing in 2013.

What is email marketing?Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to keep in touch with your customers while promoting your business. Other marketing methods can be costly, but email marketing is both cost effective and environmentally friendly, while enabling you to target specific markets and customers. There are many ways to use an email marketing campaign, from a welcome email that thanks a new contact for opting in to your subscription, to announcing products, services and discounting future purchases.

Choose software that is capable of functioning as your lists grow, that can also scan outgoing messages for viruses, and can measure the effectiveness of your campaign. Mail Chimp is probably one of the most well-known email marketing solutions and has 3.5 million users that collectively send more than 4 billion emails a month.

Benefits of email marketing SharingThe ability to share emails can increase your email marketing reach. Even if the direct recipient of your email isn’t interested in what you have to offer, they can forward it on with ease to a friend or colleague who they think might be.

FeedbackEmail marketing allows your customers to give you feedback in the form of a direct reply to the email you sent them. This information can then be used to see what works and what doesn’t, so that your next email campaign can be more successful.

You can track your campaign’s progress through the use of some useful statistics such as:• How many emails have been delivered (delivery rate)• How many emails have been opened (open rate)• The number of click-through generated (click-through rate)• How many people that go to your website and leave (bounce rate)• How often a specific person opened your email.

List buildingBuilding your own list internally can take time, however, the quality of your recipient list will remain relevant to your business. Make sure your home page includes an email sign-up form that allows people to sign-up to your mailing list themselves. Keep an accurate audit of how your business receives permission to contact the subscribers of the lists, as people can forget

"It's predicted that email accounts will double by 2016 and with this in mind, the potential for email makreting is

as important as ever," explains Martin Barnes fron Create Click

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how they signed up. Make sure you delete those who know longer wish to receive your email campaigns.

Appearance and contentsYour email should be built with HTML and CSS, which will allow you to style your email to suit your business with images and logos. Plain text email campaigns can look bland and uninteresting, which could turn customers off from wanting to buy.

TIP: Take a look at some of the promotional emails that you’ve received yourself recently to identify what you liked about them, and what you didn’t!

TimingIts important to decide how often you intend to send out this type of communication – there’s a fine line between too many and not enough! Combining a mix of content at different times is usually acceptable to most customers who have opted in to your email list.

Make sure you have a variety of promotional and compelling editorial communication. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and ask yourself questions like:• What is there to read about and respond to?• Would I like to receive updates of when products are back in stock? • When to send the email out is equally as important.

Most emails have a life of only three days. Thus, if you’re marketing to business people at their offices, sending early in the week is usually better than sending on a Friday. However, if you’re marketing to individuals at home, it’s best to send on a Saturday to be read leisurely over the weekend. TitleThe title of your email campaign is very

significant. Subject lines of less than 10 characters have an open rate of 58 per cent and those that have personalised subject lines (for example those that were name specific “Hello with name”) had an additional 22 per cent chance of being opened.

Try to keep your subject line short, sweet, and straight to the point while also being relevant to the market you’re trying to target. Try not to use words like ‘free’ in the title as this can trigger spam filters.

ContentMake the content easy to scan quickly so the recipient can get the gist of the email without having to read it in full. Most recipients won’t read every word until they’ve decided whether or not they’re interested.

Don’t rely on your email’s spell checker, and ask someone else to proof read it for accuracy before sending. Keep scrolling to a minimum and make your call-to-action prominent and clear so that your audience knows what to do. Make images and text clickable and direct customers through to a relevant landing page on your website. You’ve successfully got them to open and read it so don’t allow them to lose interest by clicking through to a page that isn’t relevant.

The bottom lineEvery email that you send out should have your company’s information on the bottom, giving potential customers a chance to learn more about your business as well as an ‘opt-in’ to get future emails. Provide recipients with a clear way to contact you for more information, including a staffed telephone number or email address.

Test before you sendFirst impressions really do count and you don’t want anything to go wrong so test your email on yourself and a colleague to see how it looks on the receiving end. You won’t get everything right first time, but it’s important to use your campaign results to adapt and re-test in the future.

"Make your email communications stand out by telling a story that will

engage your customers and call them to action"

Create Click Ltd is a leading marketing agency based on the South Coast. Founded in 2012, Create Click offers a wide range of marketing serves including brand, illustration, graphic and print design, web, social, email and SEO. Further information T: +44 (0) 2392 876 030E: hello@createclick.co.ukW: www.createclick.co.uk

ResourcesFor more statistic information on email marketing, visit the Salesforce Bloghttp://blogs.salesforce.com/company/2013/07/email-marketing-stats.html

70 craftfocus

Stocking craft books alongside your other product lines is a great way to make

additional sales. We review the latest editions to hit the bookstands

bookstand

Knitted LettersBy Catherine Hirst and Erssie Major Price: £9.99 RRP ISBN: 978 1 84543 498 4 Publisher: Apple Press Distributed by Aurum Publishing Group

Knitted Letters is a comprehensive guide for knitters of all skill levels. Incorporating any combination of letters into jumpers, cushions, blankets and other knitted items, crafters can learn how to knit a word, phrase, poem or initials. Users can also choose from nine different alphabet fonts plus dozens of attractive and accessible projects, each with space to add your chosen letters and words such as cushions, coasters and a felted pencil case.

KNITTING

We say: “Knitted Letters is a great book for those that want to take their knitting to another level – it’s also brilliant for personalised gift ideas.”

Knit 400By Kate Haxell Price: £14.99 ISBN: 978 1 4463 0360 3 Publisher: David & Charles

Whether a beginner or a pro, this comprehensive guide offers something new for all abilities. The book is packed with endless combinations of different yarns, stitch patterns and the hugely diverse colour and texture variations that can be achieved with a wide range of knitting techniques. Knit 400 features a reference library of more than 400 swatches and over 80 illustrated techniques, including intarsia, Aran knitting, stranded knitting, stitch-work and beading. Understand colour and texture in yarn and learn to add beading and embroidery – the possibilities are endless.

We say: “We like the knitters’ palette pages in this book – they’re a great resource for looking at colour and texture and how to put them all together. The illustration diagrams are very easy to follow.”

CROCHET

Hip CrochetBy Natalie Clegg Price: £12.99 ISBN: 9781780090559 Publisher: New Holland

With the interest in crochet making a huge comeback, the need to create handmade craft items is growing. Now seen as ‘cool to crochet’, the art form has crept onto the catwalks and into fashion stores. Hip Crochet shows how to make projects using traditional techniques and patterns, but puts them together with modern brightly-coloured yarns to give a contemporary feel. Projects in the book include a zingy-motif bedspread, fly-the-flag Union Jack cushion and funky bead door curtain. All projects have clear instruction and lovely photographs.

We say: “Hip Crochet is a little different to most books in this craft area and has some modern projects that you wouldn’t think of making in crochet like a Folksy Flower clock!”

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Hook, Yarn and CrochetBy Ros Badger Price: £12.99 RRP ISBN: 978-1849493086 Published by: Quadrille

Hook, Yarn and Crochet contains 20 simple but cute and quirky crochet projects. The endless versatility of this yarn craft, coupled with the fact that the only equipment you will need is a basic hook, means that crochet is gaining fans of all ages. The book includes projects such as a garland of sweet crocheted daisies in a chain, a bobtail bunny, a drum lampshade wrapped in an openwork crocheted sleeve plus a two-tone clock which will make a distinctive timepiece. With chapters on crochet kit essentials and basic techniques, the book will become a must-have for any crochet enthusiast and is bound to have crafters hooked on hand-made.

We say:“This is a book from the Simple Makes series, which is a creative collection of affordable illustrated step-by-step books that are suitable for all crafters, no matter what their skill level.”

HAND STICHING

The Hand -Stitched HomeBy Caroline Zoob Price: £20 RRP ISBN: 9781906417932 Publisher: Jacqui Small Distributed by Aurum Publishing Group The Hand-Stitched Home is a practical, inspirational and stylish book containing more than 20 beautiful projects for hand-embroidered decoration for the home. It’s full of brilliantly photographed projects and ideas’ from simple flower designs on the edge of a chair cover to more intricate window treatments. It will prove an invaluable source of information for anyone wanting to add elegant hand-embroidered touches to modern décor. Author Caroline Zoob takes the crafter through the crucial points essential for successful hand-stitching such as choice, use of colour and fabric, and explains the importance of spotting things that lend themselves to be captured in stitch.

We say:“Embroidery is a truly expressional work of art and is essentially painting with a needle and thread. The back of the book contains all the templates required to have a go at the projects in the book.”

Photography by Caroline A

rber

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A & C Black, www.acblack.com Abrams & Chronicle, www.abramsbooks.co.ukAnova Books, T: +44 (0)207 605 1466, www.anovabooks.comCico Books, T: +44 (0)1256 302 699, www.cicobooks.co.uk Aurum Publishing Group, www.aurumpublishinggroup.comDorling Kindersley, T: +44 (0)207 010 3709, www.dk.co.ukF&W Media International (David & Charles), T: +44 (0)1476 541 080, www.fwmedia.co.ukFil Rouge Press, T: +44 (0)207 628 2092, E: info@filrougepress.comGMC Publications, T: +44 (0)1273 488 005, www.thegmcgroup.comHow2crafts, T: +44 (0)121 212 9857, www.how2crafts.comJacqui Small, T: +44 (0)20 7284 9300, www.aurumpress.co.ukKyle Books, www.kylebooks.com Laurence King Publishing, www.laurenceking.com

Quirk Books, www.quirkbooks.comNew Holland, www.newhollandpublishers.comOctopus Publishing, T: +44 (0)207 632 5488Publishers Group UK (PGUK), T: +44 (0)207 405 1105, www.pguk.co.ukQuarto Group (incorporating Creative Publishing International), T: +44 (0)20 7284 7197Quarry, www.quarrybooks.comSearch Press, T: +44 (0)1892 510 850, www.searchpress.comThe Roundhouse Group, www.roundhousegroup.co.ukThe Useful Booklet Company, T: +44 (0)1761 439 825, www.heatherworks.co.ukTurnaround, T: +44(0)208 829 3000, www.turnaround-uk.comVoyageur Press, T: +44 (0)207 284 7160, www.qbookshopuk.co.ukWiley & Sons, www.wiley.com

Book Contacts

Mini Cross Stitch from Twenty to Make seriesBy Michael Powell Price: £4.99ISBN: 9781844486571Publisher: Search Press Michael Powell provides 20 mini cross stitch designs, each accompanied by a full-colour chart, key and general instructions. Each of Michael’s quirky and contemporary designs measures approximately 3½ x 3½inch (9 x 9cm), however, the designs come in a variety of formats and include tall, narrow designs as well as borders. All the designs can be worked on 14-count Aida or evenweave fabric and there’s a broad range of subjects to choose from, including country cottages, flowers, hearts, and festive Christmas trees. Crafters can find general instructions and simple stitch diagrams at the beginning of the book. We say:“A great little book, even those who are new to cross stitch will be able to accomplish all of the projects. There’s notes on fabric preparation and washing instructions too.”

Start to StitchBy Nancy Nicholson, Claire Buckley and Mirmiam Edwards Price: £12.99 ISBN: 978-1-84448-907-7 Publisher: Search Press

Start to Stitch has been put together by a group of expert stitchers; Claire Buckley, Miriam Edwards and Nancy Nicholson, and sets out to prove to the younger generations that textile craft is easy and fun. The book includes techniques to build confidence in making a selection of fantastic decorative and practical pieces, ranging from cushions and bags to mobile phone cosies. There are full instructions on the materials and methods for four classic textile crafts – embroidery, appliqué, quilting and patchwork.

We say: “Young stitchers will love this book as it explains in simple terms how to make lots of fun items, from a brilliant 3D brooch to a decorative border for a skirt.”

bookstand

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74 craftfocus

How did Creative Product Distribution start?After 12 happy years working for Impex Creative Crafts, where I travelled extensively to seek out new and innovative products, the company was purchased by Dylon and I moved on to W William’s, which closed at the end of 2009. I’d obtained a good knowledge and understanding of the craft trade and gained many contacts within the industry so felt that it was time to put my redundancy to good use.

With the support of my wife Judith, Creative Products Distribution was created in April 2010. My vision was, and is, to sell products that are branded and made by quality suppliers while offering great levels of service and the essential innovation that the craft trade requires to move forward. I found everything I was after in the Beacon Adhesive range.

How do you decide which products to distribute?In the past, I had seen products fail because they required constant demonstration to make them sell, so I sought a commodity product that’s always required but not just a ‘me too’ product. I travelled to the USA and met with Beacon Adhesives and was so impressed by the family-owned and run business, run by crafters for crafters.

Established in 1926, the company is third generation, and now supplies many demanding sectors and is sold in all the leading US retail outlets such as Jo Ann’s, Hobby Lobby, A C Moores and many other quality retailers. The Beacon range has distinctive products that aren’t only multi-purpose but are craft and project specifi c. We now sell a craft range of adhesives, with dedicated products for the job – for example the paper glue won’t bleed through and grabs hold in seconds.

What are your best sellers?Gem-Tac is our leading Rhinestone glue – this dries crystal clear, is washable and is used by many crafters, designers and embellishment lovers. With rhinestone such an on-trend product at the moment, Gem-Tac is the ideal product. The link sale of offering quality rhinestones works ideally with Gem-Tac, however you don’t just have to take our word for it, our non-toxic non-hazardous product has a massive fan base on YouTube.

Fabri-Tac is a glue gun in a bottle – this also dries crystal clear and has a very fast grab, making this product a must-have for anyone who works with fabrics, trims and bridal. This solvent-based adhesive sets the bar in the fabric adhesive market that

very few products can attain. It has a strong, fl exible fi nish and is used on many US TV shows as the product of choice.

Liquid Thread – an ideal product for customers who can’t or won’t sew. Originally it was only sold via an elite kitchen supplies company but is now readily available to stock, and will meet the needs of your customers for general repairs to hems and seams.

a brand for successWe talk to Mark Wilson, Director of Creative Products Distribution about how his business offers quality over quantity

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3-in-1 Advanced craft glue – this is our papercraft and box makers product of choice. The key features are that it won’t

bleed through the paper, has an almost instant grab, dries crystal clear

and is fi tted with a precision applicator nozzle for delicate work. This fast-drying glue come in a 115ml bottle and works like red tape in a bottle.

Mosaic Glue – a product that sells by itself and is the ideal link-sale with mosaic tiles. The handy 59ml bottle is easy to hold and work with while the fi nished effect showcases the craft project, not the glue.

Beacon 527 – this is my go-to product when I need to bond jewellery, glass, ceramics, leather or tile. The fl exible clear fi nish enables me to create an eye-catching fi nished project quickly, easily and without any fuss.

Fast Finish decoupage glue – this has to be the most creative product that I’ve ever

sold with so many possibilities, from making a bangle to creating paper beads. It’s a fun product that’s only limited by the imagination of the user and can create a crystal clear, tack free gloss fi nish on glass, wood, terracotta and plastic.

What changes have you seen to what crafters buy and what would you say is the hottest trend for 2014?Quality vs quantityCrafters are becoming choosy when it comes to selecting their craft products: they want quality items that do what it says on the tin and once they’ve tried a particular brand that meets their needs, they become loyal followers. An example of this would be the crafters who purchase expensive paper cutting machines and software. Once these intricate patterns and templates are produced, they seek out our 3-in-1 Advanced craft glue because it offers them the fi nish they desire and enhances their work. The strongest trend ahead for 2014 I believe is personalisation.

Make do and mendWith the tough economic climate still effecting the disposable income of most households within the UK, the craft of Make do and Mend and the wish to personalise and customise lower price-tagged items such as mobile phones, bags, shoes and clothing with embellishments is still fl ourishing. There’s a real opportunity to capitalise on this trend by stocking trimmings and adhesives such as Beacon to maximise this potential gap in the market, at the same time link selling the products in your shop.

Social MediaA noticeable trend has been the increase of social media with crafters; we now have more than 8500+ Twitter followers on our @craftsandhobby account and active Facebook & Google+ pages. The outcome of all of this knowledge sharing is that once a product is endorsed and approved by individuals or other Facebook groups, this showcases the products to the retailers that were once unaware of the range, and can also create demand for online purchasing.

CHA-UKCreative Products Distribution has joined CHA-UK and we actively promote membership, because with better education and the sharing of ideas, those in the craft

industry can only hope to improve its trade awareness and at the same time promote it!

Why should retailers choose to buy from your company?Our objective is to make it as easy as possible to buy from us. We therefore offer no minimum order value, and a single box is fi ne with a lower SOC towards shipping. We aspire to offer excellent customer service by offering a next working day delivery option within the UK. The large quantity of informative YouTube videos on how to obtain the best results with Beacon products is a key staff training aid as well as informing the end users.

The Beacon Adhesive product range is made exclusively in the USA, by crafters for crafts. Crafters are astute purchasers that want products that will work fi rst time and enhance their work; Beacon Adhesive offers this outcome and we will supply and deliver stock to you the next working day, if required. This reduces your need for high stock holding and with a one-box minimum, allows you to try out any of the products. We’re a small enough company to care about every order we pack and large enough to cope with the demands of most UK companies.

Tell us about some of your newest products.We’ll be introducing a fresh new product line from Beacon Adhesive on our booth #1563 at CHA 2014. This new range will also be presented at CHSI here in the UK on our stand Q15. It’s pretty hush hush at the moment but it’s super innovative and we can’t wait to share it with retailers. We’ll have more than100 new and innovative products on display at CHSI, so please stop by our stand and take the opportunity to try them out for yourself on our Make ‘n’ Take demonstration area.

Creative Products Distribution LtdT: +44 (0)20 8953 2143E: sales@creative-distribution.co.uk W: www.creative-distribution.co.uk

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Special offerWe’re delighted to offer Craft Focus readers a 10 per cent discount off fi rst trade orders.

76 craftfocus

feast your eyes on feltingFelting continues its rise in popularity due to its versatility and use in a variety of crafts from felting itself to sewing, appliqué and general crafts

woolfeltWoolfelt® by National Nonwovens is perhaps the most popular felt with its mix of wool and rayon, giving a softer feel than 100 per cent wool and a more natural feel than acrylic. A broad range of possible colour shades is an essential element for appliqué and similar work, and the Woolfelt® range now extends to more than 100 colours, with a core range of 20 colours deemed a good starting point for retailers. For any stores wishing to start stocking Woolfelt®, Hantex has a shade card available along with a list of the top-selling colours.

Woolfelt® is distributed by HantexT: +44 (0)1754 820 800E: sales@hantex.co.ukW: www.hantex.co.uk

hand feltingFollowing a showcase on Kirstie Allsopps’ Channel 4 show, felting tools have been deemed a great success since Christmas 2011, and show no sign of abating. More shops are now offering the tools, felting materials and courses, with a general up-cycling, customising and decorating attitude seen among felters.

Clover has recently introduced a single needle felting tool as an addition to its felting tool and wool range. It has an easy-to-hold design which allows for detailed work with pinpoint accuracy, and works well for activities such as fixing eyes on a felted animal or small shapes on a jumper. It’s also a great tool for 3D design work and for felting on delicate materials. The single needle felting tool is also ideal to work with felting moulds and is available in different shapes from Clover, along with replacement needles.

EQS T: +44 (0)116 271 0033 E: sales@eqsuk.com W: www.eqsuk.com

felting by machineSimplicity’s easy-to-use deluxe felting machine has 12 barbed needles to quickly mesh fibres together. Simply layer any woven fabrics together and away you go. You can felt cotton fabrics to fleece, lay yarns on wool coating to create your own fabric design, customise a denim jacket with bold flowers cut from patchwork cottons, make beautiful chiffon flowers and more. The needles can all be replaced individually, or removed so that you can felt with any number from 1-12 when working on delicate fabrics or fine ribbons. “Felting by machine is a great way to use up fabric, yarn and thread remnants, and get really creative, adding lovely texture interest to plain clothes or furnishings,” says Jeremy Taylor, Sales Director for Simplicity Limited. Also available from Simplicity is the hand-held felting machine, which has six barbed needles and is perfect for felting wool tops and felt and is a fun way to create 3D objects or to felt onto shapes.

Simplicity T: 44 (0)161 480 8734 E: uk.eusales@simplicity.com W: www.simplicitynewlook.com

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felt-making kits Gilliangladrag’s range of felt-making kits has been inspiring crafters of all abilities with its selection of tools, materials and know-how needed to produce felted items in one handy kit. New to the brand’s existing line of popular felt-making kits this year is the floral shabby-chic needle felting Flirty Gertie brooch kit (RRP £13.95) and wet felting Fancy Nancy handbag kit (RRP £28.95).

Meanwhile, crafters wanting to dabble with their own design can grab a 25g pack of wool tops (RRP £2.95 each), which is perfect for those who want to build up an artist’s palette of colours easily.

Gilliangladrag T: +44 (0)1306 898 144 E: gill@gilliangladrag.co.ukW: www.gilliangladrag.co.uk

watch the birdie!Since its launch in May 2013, Hawthorn Handmade has increased its range of needle felting kits to 12 designs. The latest range of British Birds is already proving very popular with stockists with a pair of Blue Tits, magnificent Magpie, beautiful Song Thrush or its current best-seller, the pair of Robins.

Hawthorn Handmade is also busy with its new mini kits, getting them ready to launch at Craft, Hobby + Stitch International in February, where you can find the company on the Bright Sparks Pavillion. All kits are available with or without foam and come with British wool, felting needles and detailed instructions, with more than 27 photos to help crafters along the way. The company also supplies affordable bundles of high quality wool and individual foam blocks.

Hawthorn Handmade T: +44 (0)1258 268 007 E: info@hawthornhandmade.co.uk W: www.hawthornhandmade.co.uk

glue designed for the jobThis quality glue from Beacon has been specifically designed for bonding felt materials and is the best choice for all natural felt projects. Beacon’s felt glue makes it fun and fast to create amazing felt projects including pillows, costumes, banners, flags, toys, appliqués, pocket books, home décor, gifts, hats and clothing. Felt glue’s thick formula grabs fast, and dries clear and strong. Non-toxic, it can be easily cleaned up with warm water and removed from clothing by pre-soaking in warm water and then machine-washing. The glue is also very effective on chenille stems, pom-poms, feathers, glitter, paper and other crafting mediums.

Creative Products Distribution T: +44 (0)208 953 2143 E: sales@creative-distribution.co.ukW: www.creative-distribution.co.uk

felting

mogo magicMogo kits are put together in the UK from natural materials sourced in Germany and the UK, and cover a variety of crafts from needle felting, sewing and knitting with the emphasis on encouraging children and adults to re-connect with traditional skills. The kits use beautiful and natural materials creating long-lasting gifts. Mother Goose T: +44 (0)1453 298 725 E: steffi@mothergooseonline.co.ukW: www.mothergooseonline.co.uk

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felt ing fundamentalsKnitshop yarns and knitshop.co.uk has been offering quality felting supplies since 2004, stocking all the basic materials as well as instructions and kits. Olive soap is a must for wet felting and comes in a big block, flakes or liquid solution. Julieta from the Knitshop Yarns says: “Wet felting is a great way to use up your old plastic milk bottles. Pierce the lid with a needle several times, add soap flakes into the bottle and fill with hot water, wait for the soap to dissolve and shake the bottle before using.”

In comparison, needle felting is less messy and felters simply need a punching foam, felting needle and some wool tops to start them off. The Knitshop offers great felting kits for wet and needle felting as well as downloadable felting instructions from their website.

The newest edition to the felting kits is the jewellery felting kit. This contains all materials, including beads and instructions to make a stunning felted necklace or bracelet. Other kits offered include fairy felting, butterfly felting and a flower felting kit, which are all available with or without silk tops. All kits have easy-to-follow instructions with materials included to make at least two of the described product items.

Knitshop Yarns T: +44 (0)207 099 8864 W: www.knitshopyarns.co.uk

back to basicsCraft felt is a staple stock for retailers, and Kwik Sew patterns include a large selection of craft patterns that include easy to sew crafts for children that incoporates the use of craft felt. Kwik Sew craft patterns retail at £8.99. Ideal for children, these appliquéd frames come with a back stand and can be made with Kwik Sew pattern 0129. Designed by Ellie May, the frames include patterns for a rabbit, dog and cat-shaped photo frame, as well as this easel style flannel board. There are also 45 template pattern pieces for figures, clothes and accessories from Kwik Sew pattern 3858 for a more traditional story-telling playtime.

Kwik Sew patterns are distributed by ButterickContact: Ian Scorah (Sales Director)T: +44 (0)844 880 1262 extension 121E: ian@butterick-vogue.co.uk W: www.butterick-vogue.co.u

feast your eyes on felting

Knitshop Yarns know-how guideHere’s a beginner’s guide to what materials to stock for felting:Wool for felting is called tops or roving, and is available in many different kinds. Knitshop Yarns stocks Merino wool tops in 21 and 25 micron, as well as wool tops and Merino Silk blend tops. These are very fine, however, Scottish wool tops can also be used and many natural Wool tops and free-range fleeces are undyed. Merino wool tops and Merino Silk blend tops are ideal for all sorts of wet felting techniques. The courser fibers are generally used for needle felting and there’s a great selection of natural colours available, which are ideal to make small needle felted animals.

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craftfocus 81

the business of paper folding

Folded Square is a small company specialising in one-of-a-kind Origami papers and modelling kits. Julie Bonnar talks to Ray Kidd, founder of the business about this paper craft resurgence

What prompted you to start the company?Initially, necessity! I was studying Physics at university at the time and, like most students, was struggling for funds and unsure of what to do next. Origami had been a hobby since childhood; I became fascinated by the endless possibilities in something as simple as a sheet of paper, so establishing something to promote the art seemed like an interesting idea to explore. What began as an improvised solution very quickly became a labour of love. Folded Square has a clear philosophy that I’m very proud of and the physicist in me sees it as applied geometry!

Your business philosophy is slightly different to that of the majority of businesses, can you explain?We started with a set of principles and our products and systems stem from this. Though we’ve grown organically over the years, and continue to grow, each decision is carefully considered with our ethos in mind. Our intent is to produce beautiful, affordable Origami products, which will encourage new crafters into the art and inspire those already folding. Crucially, we aim to do this in a way that is socially responsible as well as environmentally sustainable.

Is the environment very important to you?The environment is important to all of us, so making steps to minimise our footprint run through everything we do, including sourcing

all our materials locally and sustainably, using FSC-certifi ed paper and vegetable-based inks. We’ve a very particular design process, which is applied to every detail of our products – for example, we developed a spiral-folded box that is both true to the art, allows an exact fi t and is both fully recycled and recyclable. Through considered design decisions we’ve reduced our waste to almost nothing, and we donate to a range of charities to ensure that we preserve more resources than we use.

What are your core products?Origami paper and modelling kits – our philosophy is to focus on quality rather than quantity so our range is kept small and each new item is carefully planned. We try to be innovative, introducing contemporary elements to this traditional craft. At present we have Origami paper in four collections of mixed Pantone© colours and a further 10 available as individual colour sets. We also have two selections of patterned paper, with designs submitted from artists and designers all over the world, and two modelling kits featuring paper and folding instructions. Listing them doesn’t really do them justice, they have to be seen.

The origami papers that you stock come in a range of colours based on Pantone colours. Can you explain what this actually means?Functionally, Pantones are an international system of standardising colours. A Pantone colour, Yellow 116 for example, is fully

specifi ed and therefore the same colour everywhere it’s used. In reality, Pantones are much more than this – they’re chosen by experts, with a small number added each year to refl ect trends and fashion. They are beloved of designers, who use them to colour match all manner of projects, and by using them, we ensure consistency across our range. People who are particular about their colour choice then know exactly what they’re getting.

You also stock an innovative range of Origami modelling kits. Tell us about these?There are many excellent Origami books, generally progressing from descriptions of simple folds, through simple models to more complex designs. We wanted to offer a ‘punchier’ and more easily shareable model than this, so we designed a set of modelling kits to complement our paper. The range consists of illustrated folding instructions for 21 animals and three fl owers, including a mixture of traditional designs and some we have created ourselves. They assume no prior knowledge of Origami, the aim is to let makers get stuck in straightaway.

Origami has seen a surge in popularity as a craft. Why do you think this is?Origami is an ancient art form and as such stands somewhat to the side of fashions and fads. It also pre-dates consumerism, so perhaps the current rise in interest is from people searching for post-consumer interests. The starting point couldn’t be simpler – a fl at sheet of paper, the archetypal blank slate – but there’s a world of ideas in there, holding anything you can imagine. Paper folding is a wonderful skill to develop, and has literally endless possibilities.C

Folded SquareE: mail@foldedsquare.comW: www.foldedsquare.com

retail inspiration

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papercraft

PRETTY AS A PICTURESent with Love postcard toppers is an all-new collection of 18 8x8 inch foiled and die-cut sheets in six different designs. It’s great value-for-money and features pretty hydrangeas, roses and lilacs in delicate shades of lavender blue and carnation pink. Retailing at £11.99, the card toppers are printed on 300gsm Adorable Scorable stock and come highlighted with silver foil accents and frames.

Hunkydory Crafts LtdT: +44 (0)1772 272 575 E: trade@hunkydorycrafts.co.ukW: www.hunkydorycrafts.co.uk

make an impression with paperNeed a little help choosing which paper craft products to stock? We look at the latest products on the market

GO PROThe Ultimate Crafter’s Companion Pro is an all-in-one, compact carry-case which allows you to score, emboss, measure, trim, embellish and create boxes, shaped card blanks and envelopes. This innovative product is designed to take your crafting to the next level with an array of crafting tools at your fingertips. With 10 functions plus a 24-page colour instruction booklet, it’s a comprehensive kit for card-making projects.

Fold perfect cards with the easy-to-use card-scoring facility. Each scoreline is marked with fold names for easy identification, and the booklet will guide you through both simple cards and advanced creations, such as aperture cards. Meanwhile, the innovative envelope-folding gridlines will allow you to construct envelopes in different shapes and sizes. By combining the functionality of the card-making section with pop-out card shapes, you can create a whole host of pop-out cards too as well as K-cards. The Ultimate Pro retails at £39.99.

Crafters Companion T: +44 (0)1388 660 930 E: sales@crafterscompanion.co.ukW: www.crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk

FOLD BACKDisguised as a book, this one-of-a-kind pack contains 1,032 pages of patterned origami paper in 24 different designs. Created for optimum folding, the papers can be pulled from the binding for any and every project. An eight-page foreword explains how to master the basics. Deluxe Origami Paper Pack (ISBN: 978-1-4549-05349) is published by Sterling Publishing Co Inc and distributed by The GMC Group and retails at £10.99. The GMC GroupT: +44 (0)1273 488 005 E: sales@thegmcgroup.comW: www.thegmcgroup.com

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STORY TIME Clockwork Soldier is a whimsical children’s brand with fresh and creative gifts and curiosities. This Pet Hospital is a diagnosis for fun and imagination. Little vets can first build the hospital and then decorate it using the stickers, furniture and characters provided. Once ready for business, you can help all sorts of small animals and petsinto your treatment room one by one for a full examination. Retails at £6.50.

The Delta Force Flyers, meanwhile, are an elite squadron of inter-galactic peacekeepers who guard and patrol the galaxy’s Delta Quadrant. Make and fold your very own Delta Force flyers; there are different space jets and a helicopter spy drone to create. Each design can be made in no more than seven steps, and there are 22 different flying machines to choose from. Suitable for children aged five and over, this pack is made from recycled 350g cardboard and paper and retails at £6.99.

The Dinosaur Mask Kit contains four double-sided designs. Young crafters can play with the full-colour mask on one side or flip it over to design, create and colour their own on the other side. Ideal for parties or small group activities and made from 350g recycled cardboard with attached elastic cords, the kit retails at £3.99 and is suitable for children aged three and over. Clockwork SoldierT: +44 (0)844 482 1775E: info@clockworksoldier.co.uk W: www.clockworksoldier.co.uk

make an impression with paper

SUITS YOU SIRHunkydory Crafts’ new deluxe card collection, Fan-Tash-Tique Papercraft Kit, is an English gentleman’s dream. It’s filled with fun ’taches, bowler hats and penny-farthings to make eight foiled cards complete with fun slogans sure to put a smile on the faces of the receiver. There’s also coordinating stamps and acetates available for this collection. Retails at £9.99.

Hunkydory CraftsT: +44 (0)1772 272 575E: trade@hunkydorycrafts.co.ukW: www.hunkydorycrafts.co.uk

ALL BASES COVEREDWoodware has launched a new range of printed cards. The Base-Its collection comprises 12 designs with a blank centre, begging to be decorated with toppers or stamp designs. The 6x6 inch cards come in packs of 10 and will appeal to both the experienced crafter and those who want to dip their toe into the world of papercrafting. These versatile cards would make great wedding invitations, party invitations, birth announcements or thank you cards, to name but a few. WoodwareT: +44 (0)1756 700 024 E: sales@woodware.co.ukW: www.woodware.co.uk

Hougie crafts Ltd, Unit 6, Pipewell Industrial Estate, Desborough, Northamptonshire NN14 2SW, United Kingdom

Office 044 01536 762434 | info@hougiecrafts.com

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A VERY GOOD PLACE TO STARTPast Times Quilling offers a large selection of kits and accessories for quilling and paper filigree. The range includes 40 quilling kits, aimed at all ages and levels of ability; an extensive selection of quilling papers in four widths; quilling tools; a workboard and other accessories.

The new Complete Beginners Workbox is the latest kit to join the stable, and contains a comprehensive set of tools for budding crafters. The company plans to follow the launch with two more boxed kits early in the New Year, one with 50 quilled animal designs and the other with quilled floral designs for all occasions.

Past Time QuillingT: +44 (0)1332 840 582 E: info@pasttimesquilling.comW: www.pasttimesquilling.com

A FINE LINESizzix® specialises in simple-to-use die-cutting systems, making crafting more accessible and enjoyable for all ability levels.

Thinlits™ is the latest range of wafer thin dies from the company, able to both cut and emboss paper and cardstock with ultra-detailed designs. The dies are perfect for building up dimension on cards, mini albums, scrapbook layouts and gift-wrapping ideas as well as embellishing home décor projects. The dies come in all shapes and designs from frames and tags to floral accents, borders, bunting and more. These retail at £14.99.

SizzixT: +44 (0)844 499 8181 T: +44 (0)845 345 2277 (outside the UK) E: europecustomerservices@ellison.comW: www.sizzix.co.uk

make an impression with paper

SEASON’S GREETINGSYou’d be hard-pressed to find a scrapbooker’s paper stash that didn’t contain some Bazzill Basics Paper cardstock. Perfect for autumn/winter papercrafting, the company’s new Autumn Harvest and Arsenic and Lace designs are hitting shelves now. Both the Autumn Harvest by Margie Romney-Aslett and the Arsenic and Lace by Janet Hopkins packs contain an assortment of 24 double-sided sheets of patterned paper (four of each design).

In addition to its cardstock and paper ranges, the company has diversified with tools, albums, page protectors, templates, ribbons and other embellishments.

Bazzill Basics PaperT: +1 480 558 2536 E: info@bazzillbasics.comW: www.bazzillbasics.com

Presents a One-Stop Shop for all your Quilling needs

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WE WISH YOU A MINI CHRISTMASCricut’s flagship product, Cricut Mini Personal Electronic Cutter is a lightweight and portable electronic cutting machine capable of cutting a wide range of materials. Easy to set up with a Mac or PC, this cutter is ideal for creating vinyl designs for walls and much more. Fun and easy to use, the Cricut Mini is now retailing at a lower price of £99.99. The company has teamed up with popular designer and decorator Anna Griffin to launch the Anna Griffin Winter Wonderland Cartridge. This Christmas cartridge boasts timeless and classic festive images for all your festive projects.

Cricut is distributed by Provocraft in the UKT: +44 (0)7791 113 047 E: sderricot@provocraft.com W: www.cricut.com

FLOWER POWER Paper to Petal is a book of 75 paper flowers and flower projects. A visual feast, the book includes paper flowers for all occasions, ages and skill levels, from holiday wreaths and kids’ party ideas to table decorations and bouquets. The materials required to complete each project are all easily sourced.

The book begins with a lush image gallery, followed by accessible, reader-friendly step-by-step instructions, accompanied by lots of captions and sidebars to help readers put their own twist on each design. The second half of the book concentrates on how-to guides, along with useful photography as well as the templates readers will need to get creating.

We say: “This book is full of creative and playful whimsical ideas for

paper flowers, and the designs would translate well into felt or fabrics too.”

make an impression with paper

Paper to Petal75 Whimsical Paper Flowers to Craft by HandBy Rebecca Thuss and Patrick FarrellPrice: £16.99 RRP ISBN: 9780385345057Published by Potter Craft Distributed by GMC

EMBOSS WITH THE BESTCrafters Companion has added 13 new designs to its Embossalicious Embossing Folders range. The new patterns include Beautiful Bunting, Picnic Plaid and Bird Houses. The folders can be used with most embossing machines for cardmaking and other papercrafting as well as embellishing projects. Prices start from £5.99, retail.

Crafters CompanionT: +44 (0)1388 660 930 E: sales@crafterscompanion.co.ukW: www.crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk

project

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Step1

Step2 Step3Attach a doily to the front and trim to size. Wrap a piece of twine around the card a couple of times, tie and trim to size. Attach to the card front.

Step5

a token gesture

Thanks to Tania Ahmed at Powder Arts Thermography Warehouse Ltd and designer Marion Emberson for this project. T: +44 (0)870 777 8781 E: sales@wowembossingpowder.co.ukW: www.wowembossingpowder.co.uk

MATERIALS NEEDED• WOW Clear Stamp – Blizzard• WOW Embossing Powder – Vintage Candy Cane and Vintage Champagne• Versamark Ink pad• Cream card• Small doily• Twine• Snowflake die-cut• Diamanté• Double-sided tape• Foam pads• Heat gun

Ink up your Blizzard background stamp with Versamark and stamp it onto the front of your card. Sprinkle with the Vintage Candy Cane WOW embossing powder and shake off any of the excess. Using a heat gun, heat set until dry.

Step4Taking a snowflake die-cut press it into the Versamark Ink pad and cover with Vintage Candy Cane WOW embossing powder. Heat set with the heat gun and attach to the front of the card with a foam pad. Add a diamanté to the centre of the snowflake to add some extra sparkle.

And there you have a simple little card ready to send, just don’t forget to put your gift card in!

Do the same to a piece of cream card stock measuring 7.5cm square. This time use the Vintage Champagne WOW embossing powder. Place double-sided tape along the sides and bottom edge and attach to a slightly larger piece of cream cardstock to make a pocket, leaving the top part open.

With the giving of gift cards rising, Marion Emberson designer for WOW embossing powders, shows how to create a pretty card to showcase this popular present

This is such a simple design and easily converts to a birthday or anniversary card. Just change the background stamp for WOW Flowers Clear Stamp and pop a little paper flower (which can be embossed too) in place of the snowflake. For a lovely wedding card, use the WOW Brocade stamp and a heart.

Contact us to find out more about our 12 new Embossing Glitters and 5 new Silicone Mould Designs!

For further information about Kunin Craft Felt please contact

Fashion Futures Ltd, Units 1 and 2 Mace Industrial Estate, Ashford, Kent TN24 8EP. fashion.futures@btconnect.comTel +44 (0) 1233 625227Fax +44 (0) 1233 612352

The Kunin Group

We have the felt colours and designs to suit all your craft

projects. Available in cut rectangles and bolts C

The UK’s leading magazine for the craft industry

www.craftfocus.com

To advertise here telephone Tracy Voice

on +44 (0)1376 535 618

craftfocus 93

needlecraft

CROSS-STITCH COASTERSHeritage Crafts has now launched coaster kits as an addition to its popular little friends range. These are worked on 14 count aida, and the kits includes the square coaster (8 x 8cm) plus Zweigart fabric, DMC stranded cottons, square coaster, a needle, and clear charts and instructions. Choose from fawn, badger, fox and hedgehog kits. Trade price is £4.17 each. A full-colour brochure is available and staff are on hand to offer advice.

Heritage CraftsT: +44 (0)1889 575 256E: enquiries@hcrafts.comW: www.hcrafts.com/trade

needle and threadNeedlecraft, as the name implies, encompasses those forms of craft that utilises a needle. We concentrate on embroidery, tapestry, needlepoint and cross-stitch, giving you the lowdown on the latest products on offer

Kate Midgley, Director at Cleopatra’s Needle, has been following trends in the

tapestry and needlepoint market.

“There’s a huge demand for small easy kits with

contemporary designs, but we’ve also also seen a rise in popularity of larger, more complex designs and projects such as cushions,

both traditional and modern. This cyclical market is definitely on an

upwards turn at present.”

TAPESTRY HEARTS KITSCleopatra’s Needles has 12 fantastic and easy designs in the Lavender Hearts range, such as the little lavender tapestry hearts plus for more those looking for more complex designs the Pink Honeysuckle and Retro Stripe cushions will fit the bill.

Cleopatra’s NeedlesT: +44 (0)1524 271 202 E: sales@cleopatrasneedle.co.ukW: www.cleopatrasneedle.co.uk

BLACKWORK EMBROIDERYBlackwork is often a neglected area of needlecraft, but in the experience of Classic Embroidery, is a good seller. Often seen by cross-stitchers as something new and

exotic, it comes in a wide variety of styles and colours. From a retailer’s perspective, it’s a product that the user completes much faster than a cross-stitch kit, which means a quicker return for the next project.

The three examples shown here feature the month-on-month best-seller from Classic Embroidery. The Little Owl is the perfect starter project – cute, amusing, and retailing for around £5. The two designs shown use colour, metallic thread, beads and sequins to take blackwork into the modern era.

Classic EmbroideryT: +44 (0)1529 461 056 E: info@classicemb.co.uk W: www.classicemb.co.uk

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STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!The Nutmeg Company’s Owl and Pussycat can be worked in cross-stitch and made as greetings cards, with a message written inside, or as bookmarks. Harry Potter fans may find the owl particularly enticing!

Stitched on 14-count perforated paper, the kit contains all the necessary materials including backing card. Retailing at £7.99 each, with a special offer for two, the Owl stands 12cms high and the Pussycat is 10.5cms.

The Nutmeg CompanyT: +44 (0)1748 884 926 E: sales@3dcrossstitch.co.ukW: www.3dcrossstitch.co.uk

needle and thread

TAPESTRY FOR CHILDRENDMC Creative World is offering a selection of beginners and children’s tapestry starter packs based on a variety of different themes. With fun and funky inspired designs to the cute and cuddly range of woodland folk characters and the classic tapestry cushion kit designs, there’s something for everyone.

Each starter kit contains full skeins of DMC Soft Cotton thread, colour printed canvas, instruction sheet and a tapestry needle. Stitched in half cross-stitch and a simple stitch to master, the tapestry designs are generally simple and quick to complete.

The full tapestry collection is printed in full colour onto tapestry canvas with large areas of one colour, which makes the designs a perfect introduction to tapestry for both children and beginners.

DMC Creative World T: +44 (0)116 275 4000 E: sales@dmccreative.co.ukW: www.dmccreative.co.uk

STITCHED CARDSSparkle stitch cards from Add Some Sparkle combine paper and stitch. Card kits, template packs and accessories make up the complete range of this pretty product. Each kit contains four designs, eight cards and envelopes, threads, embellishments, piercing pin and needle. Use the metallic thread to embroider the outline, and add the embellishments to make the cards really stand out. Each set includes eight cards to stitch and retails at £8.95. Choose from garden flowers, occasions, floral and Christmas sets.

Add Some SparkleT: +44 (0)7956 933 057 E: mail@addsomesparkle.co.ukW: www.addsomesparkle.co.uk

Fun and colourful children’s kits on 6 and 11 count Aida

Twit Twoo, stitched on 14 count white Aida

‘Card kits for all occasions on 14 count Aida

See our website for information on our wide range of kits for children

and adults or contact us on 01568 780 183 / info@fatcatcross-stitch.co.uk

www.fatcatcross-stitch.co.uk

Bothy Threads

New Counted Cross Stitch!

Unit 1cLakeland Business Park

CockermouthCA13 0QT

0844 8000221info@bothythreads.comwww.bothythreads.com

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FANCY THREADSHeeBee Trade stocks a vast selection of branded needlecraft, tapestry wools, stranded cotton, specialist threads and craft accessories, as well as being one of the top UK distributors for Zweigart fabrics and Kreinik metallic threads. HeeBee Trade is also a distributor for Rainbow Gallery Specialist Threads who manufacture a range of designer threads to enhance the stitching of needlecrafters.

Fuzzy Stuff® threads from Rainbow Gallery are great for creating animal fur, hair and beards. Hand-washable, the shiny fibres don’t overpower the rest of the yarn and it stays fuzzy without the need for brushing – just add a nice hint of sparkle. The threads may look like they’ll be too large for the canvas but with a slightly larger needle, it will pass through easily. Long stitches allow for a better effect while a split stitch is ideal to bring out the furry effect. A needle punch is also a great way to cover large areas in a short period of time.

Frosty Rays is another innovative thread from Rainbow Gallery and is made up of a glistening nylon mesh with a metallic core, ideal for needlepoint 14 -18 count, long-stitch l14 - 24 count and cross-stitch projects. Creating the effect of a crinkly bullion knot or chenille, it makes three-dimensional fur, hair or ruffles. Petite Frosty Rays is a thinner version of the original, and works well for tent stitch on 18 count and can be used when lighter coverage is needed.

Both come in a wide range of shades and colours. Fuzzy Stuff, Frosty Rays and Petite Frosty Rays retail at £3.14 and £4.08 respectively. HeeBee Trade is a great choice for needlecraft enthusiasts and services small minimum order quantities from just £40 with next-day delivery.

HeeBee TradeT: +44 (0)1565 872 214 E: sales@heebeetrade.co.ukW: www.heebeedesigns.co.uk

NEEDLEWISEThe Crafter’s Collection from John James Needles comprises 24 collections for all needle projects. There are several sets with the collection that have been specifically designed for cross-stitching – cross-stitch, cross-stitch & embroidery, and cross-stitch & bead embroidery. Priced between £1.49 and £1.79 RRP, each set comes in a re-sealable wallet. This is a great product that retailers can stock either in part or as a full range. A purpose display stand is also available.

The Crafter’s Collection from John James Needles is distributed by:EntacoT: +44 (0)1527 830 940E: sales@entaco.comW: www.entacolimited.com

needle and thread

TIP: White Fuzzy Stuff is great for snow and snowmen. Fill in areas with split stitches or long stitches and ignore the general stitching rule of going down into a full hole and up in an unused hole. If you come up in a hole that already has the Fuzzy Stuff stitched in you will simply be pulling the hairs up to the front of the canvas to add a little more fuzziness.

01565 872214 sales@heebee-trade.co.ukw:www.heebee-trade.co.uk

95 Town Lane, Mobberley, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 7HH

HeeBee TradeNeedlecraft Specialists

HeeBee Trade is a leading UK wholesale

supplier of quality needlecraft products and

accessories including canvas, fabric and

threads.We are official UK

distributors of;ZWEIGART

ANCHOR DMC

KREINIK RAINBOW GALLERY

APPLETONS We supply half boxes of most threads and have a minimum order value of just £40, therefore we are ideal for small businesses

and designers

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CHILD-LIKE APPEALThe fi rst four of the new series of Cross Stitch Critters by artist Karen Carter – Cow, Elephant, Snake and Whale – all have a child-like appeal and are worked on coloured 14-count aida using whole crosses only. This simple outlining is great fun to stitch and is ideal for older children to stitch themselves.

Each design measures approximately 11.5x11.5cms and the kits contain Zweigart fabric, DMC stranded cottons sorted onto numbered cards, needle, clear charts and instructions. Trade price is £6.23 each.

Heritage Crafts T: +44 (0)1889 575 256E: enquiries@hcrafts.comW: www.hcrafts.com

CUSHION CLEVERKnown for its yarns and knitting products, Bergere de France also caters for needlecrafters with a vast selection of cushions to embroider in cross-stitch, alongside kits and accessories.

This Orange House cushion cover is great fun with its cut-out roof, and is made using a ready-to-embroider cross-stitch canvas. The kit includes the printed canvas, 100 per cent acrylic thread, needle and full instructions. It measures 40x40cm and retails at £23.59.Customers may prefer this felt cushion cover kit as it combines the popularity of felt with traditional embroidery stitches. The kit includes felt, Bergère de France yarns, needle and instructions and fi nal cushion measures 30x30cm and retails at £15.19. This Rose cushion cover can be made as a cushion or framed and hung on the wall, or by joining several together can make a really unusual rug. This cushion cover uses one of the easiest cross-stitch stitches and kit includes: printed canvas, 100 per cent acrylic thread, needle and full instructions. Cushion measures 40x40cm and will retail at £22.82.

Bergere de FranceT: 00 33 3 29 79 76 45E: service.export@bergeredefrance.comW: www.bergeredefrance.co.uk

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LinkedIn, the website traditionally known as a social networking site for professionals, has successfully tested the sponsored updates program over the last few months with brands including Capgemini and Turkish Airlines. Marked as ‘sponsored’, the updates will appear in member’s feeds on their LinkedIn homepage across desktop, tablet and mobile platforms.

The move will allow firms to promote their content marketing to a much larger segment of LinkedIn’s 225 million members. Twitter launched a similar program called Sponsored Tweets, in 2010, while Facebook introduced Sponsored Stories in early 2011 and Suggested Posts in 2012.

Sponsored updates can be targeted to users based on their profile data, and as LinkedIn is a network that consists of professionals, it means businesses are more likely to engage with people who are interested in what they have to say, rather than the general users of other social networks. Members can engage with the content via ‘Like’, ‘Share’, and ‘Comment’ options and they can also ‘Follow’ the company that generated it.

This article was written by TAN Media Ltd T: +44(0)20 7316 1860 E: team@tan-media.comW: www.tan-media.com

For more information, visit: http://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions

“Content marketing is at the heart of LinkedIn’s

marketing solutions strategy. Our goal is

to develop a definitive professional publishing platform and create

opportunities for marketers to drive business results by sharing relevant content with our members,” – Josh Graff, Director of

Marketing Solutions in the UK and EMEA for the social

networking website.

The sponsored updates will be available to marketers both on a CPM and CPC basis via a bid-based auction, with companies able to track post and campaign effectiveness through LinkedIn’s analytics tools.

“LinkedIn Sponsored Updates is a great addition to the content marketing mix. The key to success is driving engagement using tools such as articles and videos that are hosted on a business’ website. We’re already seeing strong demand from our clients for content creation and campaign management relating to the new service,” comments Adam Rock from TAN Media.

By being able to monitor their performance, marketers will know whether or not the posts are getting traction. If not, they can then make any necessary adjustments to ensure future updates are more successful. Users don’t have to follow a company to see sponsored posts from it, but members will have the ability to hide specific sponsored updates as they appear in their feed. C

Companies can now share content such as videos, presentations and product news on LinkedIn, thanks to the launch of sponsored updates

sponsored updatesword on the web

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next issue

DMC Creative Spring flings and Easter thingsA bumper issue of fresh and innovative ideas for spring including a special preview of Craft, Hobby + Stitch International

Stock up on the latest crafting products for Mother’s Day and Easter treats

Issue 41February/March 2014 Editorial deadline: 2nd January, 2014Advertising deadline: 8th January, 2014Published: 31st January, 2014

Not to be missed...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

Don’t miss the February/March 2014 edition of Craft Focus

next issue…

Jewellery makingNew beginnings for on-trend jewellery supplies

Material thingsWith sewing continuing to surge in popularity we showcase the latest fabrics, haberdashery and patterns

Creative stationeryDraw, write, paint and personalise – explore the world of creative stationery

Hantex has become the UK distributor for Collette patterns – the patterns that teach

Retro Bake collection from Makower UK

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You have an interesting story about how you both came to start the business, could you tell us a bit more about it?We met years ago at a craft show when I saw Debbie’s patterns and ordered them for my shop The Fat Quarters in the North East. Four years ago, while exhibiting at a quilt show in Harrogate, we’d been looking at some new books on the market and after a couple of gin and tonics back in our hotel room, we decided we wanted to produce a book that was completely different and that reflected us and our place in the world.

Who are Florrie and Betty?Florrie and Betty are the alter egos of us and are the two rag dolls who we’ve suggested have written the fabric project books. We didn’t want to put our names on the books just in case they were a flop!

Florrie and Betty are named after two real women that have played an important part in our lives. Betty is Debbie’s mum, who writes the little rhymes in the books, while Florrie was an elderly friend who, when Debbie was doing her Masters degree, participated in a project that involved taping her life history. It was such

a rich source of material that it’s included in the books.

Can you explain your brands?Our business is actually called Six Penny Memories but we sell our products under several different brands. Our patterns, kits and buttons are sold under the name Six Penny Memories and Canny Keepsakes (a Florrie and Betty Production) is the brand for our books, Colliery Days, Shopping Days, Sewing at the Farm and Sewing for Christmas.

Tell us about the books...As soon as we embarked on the journey of publishing a book, we knew what we didn’t want and by making enquiries with local printing companies, we met Leon Wilkes who has a background in graphic design and printing. He understood our vision and became part of the team. We were keen to ensure the book was influenced by our local area, so we decided to contact Beamish Museum to see if they would allow us to use the museum as inspiration, and as the location for the photographs. Luckily they said yes, and the rest is history. Colliery Days was the first book, based at the Colliery Village at Beamish and has over 20 projects with Florrie’s anecdotes and Betty’s rhymes and recipes. There are also comedic newspaper articles throughout the books. The book Shopping Days followed and then Sewing at the Farm and Sewing for Christmas. We self publish our

books because we want them to be ours and not fixed to a template. Search Press now distributes the books to a wider audience, which is great.

What are your best-selling products?The books have been a great success, and this year we’ve launched our own patterns under the brand Six Penny Memories. Create and Craft has approached us and we now we have a regular slot on the channel. We’re constantly extending our range with new patterns and kits including cushions, sample quilts, bags and other canny rag dolls.

You’re one of the new businesses at the prestigious Bright Sparks Pavilion at Craft, Hobby + Stitch. What can retailers expect to see and what does this mean to you?

Retailers will be able to see products that are new to the marketplace, and the Bright Sparks Pavilion is a great platform to promote and showcase what our products do. We’re very excited to be launching our newest book in the Canny Keepsakes series at the show so watch this space!

We talk to Kim and Debbie, the faces behind the Canny Keepsakes books, written under the pseudonyms of ‘Florrie and Betty’

For further informationCanny Keepsakes T: +44 (0)1207 565 728 E: sales@cannykeepsakes.co.ukW: www.cannykeepsakes.co.uk

C

up and coming

born in the north-east of England