Month: June 2023

There is a line of argument that would suggest that all craft is art in the first place. There is very little difference between the creators of art, such as painters or sculptors, or someone who works in three dimensions, creating collages, and the craft person turning wood, creating pottery, or even creating some nice needlework. Ultimately, the end result is intended to be the same, i.e., to create something that is beautiful and pleasing to the eye and would make a fantastic addition to someone’s home. It’s why you’ll see collectors and aficionados of high-quality artwork and crafts wandering around local and national arts and crafts fairs, seeking out any new and exciting pieces that might be available. There is also a good chance they might be seeking something bespoke, so it’s always wise for crafters’ public liability insurance to be in place for anyone producing and selling their wares.

When we look back through history, there is one fantastic example of where craft became artwork at the same time as being a first-hand recording of a series of monumental historical events. I am, of course, referring to the Bayeux tapestry, which is widely considered one of the most incredible pieces of art and craft ever made. The tapestry chronicles the story of how William I came to be King of England. In minute and incredible detail, the crafters hand-sewed the events, starting from the passing of Edward the Confessor through the adventures of Harold Godwinson in Normandy, before finally documenting the actual Battle of Hastings itself. Its famous image of William, crowned King of England, with all the gold stitched glory behind him stands as an incredible testament to the skill and knowledge of the people who sewed it. Contrary to popular belief, the tapestry was not actually created in Bayeux. It was in fact sewn in England and then shipped over to France so that the person who commissioned it, Bishop Odo, a relative of William the First, could view it at his leisure. Regardless of who created it, or the fact that it tells the story from William’s point of view, it remains a miraculous piece of work. This is even more incredible given that it has managed to last for over nine centuries and remains almost completely intact. As the work was crafted, it’s hard not to wonder if the people sewing it, mainly highly skilled needlework women, ever considered the fact that it would also be thought of as an incredible piece of artwork. Although its worth could probably never be accurately calculated in monetary terms, its historical value is immeasurable.

Needlework is a good example of how art and crafts merge. Throughout the mediaeval period, large-scale pieces of tapestry and pictures in needlework were greatly sought after by those who could afford them. If you were to visit some of the older National Trust properties, such as Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire, for example, you’d see plenty of tapestry work that is extremely grand in scale. These homes were draughty and cold places, so thick pieces of needlework and woven linen were essential to try and retain the heat of the room. In addition, they provided much needed decoration for the hard stone walls, which were only offering a slate grey palette in terms of colouring.

These large scale crafts would have been big business for those creating them. Although they may not have needed crafters’ public liability insurance as producers do today, you can be sure that the crafters that created them were certainly enjoying a lucrative return on their work. However, it isn’t only needlework producers who could expect to get some return on their investment. Those that worked with wood were also highly sought after, and some pieces that woodturners produced could quite easily be counted as exquisite works of art as well. This is also true of the work of the potter, especially when it comes to the decoration of the cup, bowl, teapot or plate afterwards. As with many things today, wherever a piece of craftwork crosses over into artwork, it seems to be extremely dependent on the person viewing it and the person who created it.

Never mind the voices you might hear coming from the critical camp, who believe they are able to distinguish between art and craft. As with many critical insights, it all comes down to a matter of opinion. All that the crafter really needs to have is faith in their abilities and the work that they produce, so that it is of the highest standard that they can make it. If this is the case, their work will undoubtedly be seen as artistic and worthy of the accolades that a piece of art usually receives.

No crafter should be afraid to display their work openly on their stalls and be convinced that they are also displaying it in an artistic way and as an equal to any artwork that is there at the time. It may well be that what you produce could someday end up in someone’s private collection or even part of their gallery. As far as you were concerned, you created a piece of craft, but someone else might consider it to be art.

For example, one of the greatest testaments to this happening is that of Snowshill Manor in the Cotswolds. Within this Elizabethan home, you will find a huge collection of arts and crafts that was collected by Charles Wade. Wade saw no difference between what was art and what was craft.  He made it his life’s mission to collect examples of both to try and preserve the skills and knowledge that these artisans had shown to create the many pieces in his collection. These include tapestries, cabinets, models of ships, a huge array of clocks and even Samurai armour.

So, with crafters public liability insurance, you can safely trade in the knowledge that what you are producing will be protected should there be any issues arising from it, and who knows, one day your pieces may be considered to have caught the very epitome of artistic creativity of your time…

Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you!”

“Red is for London buses and post boxes, yellow is for sunflowers and rubber ducks, blue is for whales and cornflowers.”

From our earliest days, colour is woven into our lives, from childhood ditties, picture books that teach us colours, and observation of the incredible multicoloured world around us. As we get older, we associate colours with specific objects: our team’s football strip, white wedding dresses, yellow chicks at Easter and red poppies for remembrance. For many years, when babies were born, tiny pink wrist bands were put on baby girls and blue ones on baby boys. Before this, pink and blue cosy hats were used in hospital nurseries. Doctors now wear surgical “blues,” and before that, white coats. Postmen and women wear bright red and the police wear black. Would we react differently to a policeman in a turquoise blue uniform or a medic in a sparkly gold coat? Is there more to colour than just our associations?

Interior designers use colour to create their desired atmosphere. White walls will create a sense of space, while for a season, maroon was in vogue, creating a sense of warmth and cosiness. A therapist’s waiting room will be painted in calming colours such as a cool green or blue; a hot orange might lead to raised blood pressure even as the patient waits! Colour can also be used to convey a particular message. For example, summer weather temperatures reported in the 1970s were given as yellow (happy) sunshine, but more recently similar temperatures are depicted in red (danger).

How do you, as crafters who are experts in colour, use it in both the making and marketing of your products? A scant glance into the psychology of colour reveals that different colours do give rise to different reactions. Brown and black portray a sense of seriousness and stability and generate respect, hence the police uniform. Red is linked with both danger (hazard signs) and love (Valentines Day). Green and blue are calmer colours, with green especially connecting us with the serenity and life of nature. Yellow is the brightest colour in the spectrum and is associated with fresh ideas and brainstorming (lightbulb moments).

Colour is displayed to perfection in the natural world all around us. Green is a calming colour, so it is ideal to have as the backdrop for everything else. When we leave the city and travel into the countryside, many of us will let out an involuntary sigh as grey streets and concrete buildings are replaced by rolling green fields and trees. Blue and green, neighbours on the colour wheel, are easy on our eyes and make the combination of green earth and blue sky both restful and uplifting. As an aside, many of us feel our moods lift with a blue rather than grey sky. As well as the effect of colour, we also look up more when the sky is blue, and this action in itself is good for our mental well-being.

It is well documented that being outdoors is beneficial for our mental health, and it’s interesting to wonder how much of this is due to the colour combinations we see. After a long winter, the vibrant green of new leaves, together with cheery yellow and blue bulbs are enough to lift anyone’s spirits. The abundant mayhem of colour during the summer months, along with the exquisite beauty of butterflies, wild flowers and birds, offer a feast for the eyes. Autumn, with its tones of orange, red and brown, were, to our ancestors, indicators to gather in and get ready for the cold months of winter. And, even in the long winter months, colour can be found, albeit in more subdued tones and hues. 

Over the centuries, many artists have taken inspiration from the beauty of the natural world around them, and customers continue to want paintings that bring the outdoors in. The palette the artist uses will generate different reactions in those who view their art, and therefore having a concept of your customer base and even the season in which you are selling could be helpful in marketing. For example, prints resembling the work of Cassatt or Monet might sell more during the spring and summer months, whereas a more sombre palette evoking a Renoir or Constable might sell more during the cooler months. 

If you are one of those gifted artists who is able to recreate the beauty seen outside into paintings that can be brought inside, you may consider exhibiting your art work at a local gallery or exhibition. This is a wonderful way to meet potential customers as well as sell some of your work. Whether you collaborate with other artists for a joint exhibition, plan it by yourself and exhibit solo, or then invite other artists to join with you, you will undoubtedly need art exhibition insurance. This covers any unforeseen accidents to members of the public during the exhibition and unavoidable damage to your work itself (product liability). Art exhibition insurance can cover you for event cancellation, damage to property or equipment, or disputes with a disgruntled customer over a commission. While all these are unlikely to occur, and your risk assessment will make the event even more watertight, mishaps do happen, and the whole point of insurance is to cover you for the completely unexpected. As a family-run business with decades of experience in craft insurance, we are deeply committed to supporting small craft businesses as they step out and share their beautiful artwork and crafts with the world. Give us a call, and either Samantha or Naomi will discuss your individual insurance requirements and work out an art exhibition insurance package best suited for you. 

Colour is an integral part of our lives, and we can use it to bring calm or to invigorate, to lift spirits and to engender a sense of well-being. Whatever your craft, have a think about how you can best use colour not only in your products but also in your marketing throughout the year. Go make a splash!

Many of us are looking towards living a more sustainable lifestyle, whether that be through our product consumption, our travel, or more holistically, by living at a pace and in a way that is good for our own health and wellbeing. Although sustainability is very much a word on everyone’s lips at the moment, it is an age old concept, one that was lost during the fast-paced materialism and throw away culture of the 1980s and beyond but to which we are now gradually waking back up. The concept could be compared to a voyage around the world seeking new ways of doing things, only to return home to port to find the old ways were in fact fairly sound and worth reinstating.

Until the mass production of plastic in the 1960s, together with an increase in a wide range of cheap consumer goods and easy finance deals, the population of our nation generally lived within their means, which meant that mending, passing down and reusing were part of everyday life. From the sustainability of woollen clothing, homespun and woven as a cottage industry in the Middle Ages, to rag rug making from scraps of fabric in the nineteenth century, right up to the ‘make do and mend’ mentality of the Second World War, our forbears had a toughness and creativity that can inspire and shape our modern drive towards sustainability.

Many customers are looking towards buying more responsibly made products and are willing to pay a premium for items that have both individuality and longevity. It is therefore well worth advertising your sustainability credentials in any marketing or promotion. There are numerous ways your business can be more eco-friendly, many of which you may already have in place. Possibly the largest contributor to a sustainably made product is the raw material used. If possible, source locally, or at least use UK-based materials. If this is not possible, look for fair trade options.

For example, if you own a ceramics business, you may be able to join with other businesses, e.g., brickworks or quarries, to use some of their offcuts. As a jewellery maker, you may be able to gather sea glass, plastic or other treasures from the shoreline in order to create your unique range of jewellery. If you use textiles, you might rummage through charity shops and reuse your finds. The beauty products industry is changing, too, with opportunities for small businesses that arguably put them ahead of mass produced products. As a small soap making business, you may be able to use discarded products from other businesses, and you could lead the way in bar shampoos rather than liquid ones. This would not only avoid the use of multiple plastic bottles but bar shampoos are often preferred by the user. Sourcing raw materials in this way will be more time-consuming than simply ordering them online, so you will need to factor this into your product price.

Packaging is another area in which small craft businesses can often excel in comparison to large corporations. Your customers will, by nature, often be more discerning in their desire for sustainable products, so using paper packaging, or even recycled paper, will always be appreciated.

Another fast growing area is the upcycling market. Upcycling, or the reusing and changing of discarded products or materials into something of higher quality or monetary value, isn’t a new concept either. Vintage cars have been lovingly restored for generations, soft furnishings have been reupholstered and patchwork quilts have been meticulously sewn from scraps of older fabric. It is arguably the most sustainable form of producing “new” products, as it avoids throwing old items into landfill. There is also a huge element of satisfaction in breathing new life into something which would otherwise be at the end of its lifespan. Upcyclers are very enthusiastic about their craft, possibly because of the “feel good” factor it produces.

If you are considering transforming your sustainable crafting hobby into a small business, it is worth getting your admin foundations in place first, so you are then free to throw yourself into creating your unique products. The Laws on selling handmade crafts in the UK are, fortunately, not too arduous. You will need to register with HMRC as a sole trader and fill in a yearly tax form; this must be done even if initially your earnings are below the tax limit. There are also specific laws on selling handmade crafts in the UK. If you sell toys, for instance, you have to ensure your toys meet essential safety regulations as laid out by the Toy Safety Directive.

Once you have your collection of beautifully and sustainably made products, you will need a place to promote and sell them. It is important to use a website and social media to your maximum benefit, but selling face-to-face to the public is also a great way to build up a customer base. This may be in local craft shops or quarters, at craft fairs, markets or shows. If you sell at a craft fair, the organiser will almost always have organised any trading licences needed. If however, you are trading at a market, it is advisable to check with your local council if any licences are needed in line with the laws on selling handmade crafts UK.   

Whether you sell online or in person, you will also need public and product liability insurance, and you may also require specialised insurance for your individual business. This may sound confusing, but as a family firm with decades of experience in the craft insurance industry, we can ensure you have the correct package to fit your specific business needs. So, pick up the phone and have a chat with one of our team members. Craft businesses are strongly positioned to make and sell sustainable and upcycled goods that are unique, made with care and will last. So why not take inspiration from generations past and get creating? 

Father’s Day is soon to be with us again. It’s a great chance to be able to celebrate the Dad in your life and to make sure that he feels special and valued. It’s not always an easy task to pick out what’s the best thing to get for a Dad. There are some quite common choices that people make, but here are a few other options that you might want to think about for this Father’s Day. Whatever you decide to do you might have to get a bit of a move on as Sunday the 18th of June 2023 is the day when it all happens. So here are a few gift ideas for Father’s Day that you can think about before the big day arrives.

Firstly, it’s a very common thought that all Dad wants is socks, beer and maybe a new pair of slippers. Perhaps it’s time to be a bit more creative with your thoughts as to what you can get him. Also, in this day and age, it is not so common for people to drink alcohol as much as they used to. Therefore, you could always consider getting some non-alcoholic versions of his favourite tipple for him. It’s probably time to be a bit more creative than buy him another pair of socks and slippers – he’s probably got enough as it is.

Some of the best gift ideas for Father’s Day could even stem from yourself. Why not focus on making Dad a personal gift? Rather than ordering something, there may be a chance that you could make some crafts yourself. There are plenty of options online where you can create exciting gifts for your Dad with your own personal stamp upon them. This could be sewing him a jumper, painting him a picture of his favourite landscape, or just simply making him your own personal designed card. Either way, crafting something yourself is a genuinely nice gesture that any Dad would appreciate. There are plenty of options for you to choose from and even some kits that you can purchase that will enable you to create the perfect crafted gift for your Dad on Father’s Day. Just make sure it’s something that he can use time and time again.

It may be that your Dad is something of a crafter himself. if this is the case then it might be an idea to look at things that you can buy for him that would make a great craft present. Outside of the usual gift ideas for Father’s Day, it might be that your Dad enjoys making things himself. One of the simplest craft items you could buy is a jigsaw puzzle, although a challenging one might be a better idea. If you are looking for something that can take your Dad back down memory lane to his youth, it might also be an idea to look at buying him a plastic model kit. There will certainly be a sense of nostalgia if he is bought something like a Spitfire or a Lancaster bomber. There are also plenty of other non-war-based options that you can choose from, like a model of the Titanic for example.

Other craft gift ideas for Father’s Day could be something as interesting as marquetry. This is where a hot iron is used to score designs and patterns on wood. This is a particularly decorative artistic endeavour but it’s also something that’s quite manly too. Just be prepared that you may well get your own piece of marquetry from your Dad at some point in the future.

Finding the crafting and creative spur in any Dad is a good thing to do and one of the most accessible ways is to set him up with some artistic painting. There are many excellent kits that you can buy that have all of the ingredients for someone wishing to undertake painting as a new crafting hobby. You could start with something as simple as a few paint-by-numbers or invest in an easel and a set of paints and brushes for your Dad to have a go with. Make sure you’ve also got him some easels so he can paint his masterpiece onto something. Remember that most Dads like a good project, and with crafting you can certainly find him something.

If crafting isn’t your Dad’s thing there are still other options that you can look at. One of the most innovative and exciting new developments in gift ideas is that of the experience day. They can be

quite expensive, but why not see about getting Dad the opportunity to drive around Silverstone or Brands Hatch at great speed, preferably with an experienced driver by his side? This is an exhilarating gift idea and they’ve risen to become very popular over a short period of time. This isn’t the only experience that Dad can have, there is also horse riding and visits to museums that could be purchased for him. There is also the ability to spend the day with an artist which, if you decided to take him down more of a crafting route, might be a good idea. It could well be that your Dad might find some new inspiration from a combination of a crafting and experience day that will set him up on a hobby that will keep him going through the rest of his days.

All in all, there are plenty of gift ideas for Father’s Day that you can use to make the big day go with an absolute swing. Whether you’ve got a Dad that likes a bit of action or one that is more inclined to the quiet life, gift ideas are certainly available for everyone. Don’t forget to include a card and cake as well, that’s something of an essential to remember. Whatever you choose, I’m sure that your Dad will thoroughly appreciate all the effort that you’ve gone into for Father’s Day on the 18th of June 2023.