Month: February 2024

Homely rituals and wholesome habits are tools we all have at our disposal which help sustain and ground us through challenging times. They are part of a set of ancient rhythms which have been practised for centuries but are in danger of being lost in our fast-paced world. Happily, positive habits are something that can always be developed again as they are something which we carry out so often that we do not need to think about it; tying shoelaces, brushing our teeth, feeding the dog. A ritual is any set of actions performed regularly. Historically, rituals were associated with religious ceremonies and linked with our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. As candles were often associated with religious ceremonies it may be unsurprising that many of our homespun rituals involve the warm glow of candlelight. Examples of this could be sitting quietly with a steaming mug of tea and a flickering candle at the start of the day, or taking a candlelit soak in the bath at the end of the week.

Candles have been around for well over two thousand years, with the mention of them as far back as in Old Testament Biblical times, in Ancient Egypt and China. The method of creating dipped candles was probably first discovered by the Romans, who would have dipped the wick into liquid tallow (animal fat). This was widely used as it was easily available and cheap. Candles continued to be made with tallow throughout Europe until the 1500’s when beeswax was introduced. This had a much more pleasing fragrance and burnt with less smoke, but as beeswax candles were more expensive they tended to be used only by the upper classes and the Church during this period.

Making candles by dipping the wick into the liquid flammable material is time-consuming, and another landmark in candle-making history came in the 1400s when a French inventor introduced the concept of pouring the fluid into moulds, thus producing the first tapered candles. Wicking has also changed over time and across geographical locations. In Ancient Egypt it is thought that reeds were used, and in the Roman times that rolled papyrus was the fibre of choice. Across Europe, loosely spun cotton was a preferred fibre.

Candles were a necessity for both light and heat during the Middle Ages and candle makers, or chandlers, had their craft guild. They would travel from home to home making candles from household scraps and pieces of fat while others sold candles from their shops. Various advances, including paraffin lamps, made the population slightly less reliant on candles and of course, with the introduction of electric lighting in the twentieth century, candles were no longer needed as a source of light. However, they have far from disappeared and a whole new purpose for them has developed over the last few decades; we now enjoy their gentle glow during mealtimes, the calming ambience they provide and their festivity during celebrations, to name but a few.

Here at Craft Insurance, we are proud of the talented and innovative candle-making businesses that are part of the Craft Insurance family. Many of these began as kitchen table crafts, then moved on, dipping their toes in at local craft fairs and markets, to become fully fledged homespun businesses, employing staff and selling online as well as at markets.

If you are at this initial stage of your candle-making business and are considering leaping to either sell online or face-to-face, you will need to consider insurance for product liability. Insurance for product liability is not a legal requirement, but if you are out and about selling your homemade candles, event organisers may request that you have it in place. It covers you and your business against any claims made by a member of the public that one of your products has caused harm to themselves or their property. You will ensure your candles are of the highest quality but insurance for product liability is all about catching you if the completely unforeseeable occurs. We are a family business and have been insuring your amazing craft businesses for several decades. Pick up the phone or drop us a line and either Naomi or Sam will be here to answer your queries and ensure you have the best insurance package for your unique needs. We offer a personal service with no need to communicate with chatbots or wait in a long queue. We are very proud of all our customers achieve and look forward to hearing about your business.

Back to habits and rituals. Most of us thrive off a level of routine; some like more and some less, but it is helpful to have fixed points of reference within our days and weeks. While we may be unable to do much to restore order to our increasingly chaotic world, we can root ourselves and our families in rhythms which will help stabilise us as the whirlwinds run their course. Many of these will be enhanced by a scented, flickering candle. What about starting your day with a warm drink in hand, accompanied by a mellow candle? Some people use this time to read poetry, some motivational maxims or a faith book. Candles add civility to our evening meals, and even if is just beans on toast, the mere habit of lighting a candle makes a shared meal a little less commonplace. At the end of a long day, a massage candle is also a wonderful way to prepare for sleep and there are so many more brands of massage candles on the market to choose from these days! There’s never been a better time to explore the marvellous range of handmade candles available and create some unique, comforting rituals and rhythms using these pots of molten joy.

Basket weaving must be one of our oldest and most globally distributed crafts; in its most basic form, the only tool required is a knife to harvest and trim the fibres and the only material needed are the fibres which grow locally to the area. We know of baskets being in use as far back as in ancient Egypt; in Biblical times, the baby Moses was placed in a ‘Moses’ basket (as it became known) and hidden amongst the rushes to escape Pharaoh’s order to kill all the baby boys in the land. Thankfully he was then found and adopted by the Pharaoh’s daughter…but that is another story!

Articles for trade were placed in baskets distinct to their geographical location and as traders carried their wares across the continents, the art of basket weaving was also transported from one people group to another. New and different patterns were admired and copied and thus designs merged and expanded. While there is vast variation in styles, techniques and the weaving process, the beauty of basket making is that out of fibres taken from the local landscape, something practical, attractive and useful is made. Baskets are inherently regional and are intertwined with the patch of land from which their fibres are harvested. As such, they not only have ultimate sustainability credentials but also are a celebration of their particular locality. A foraging trip here in the UK could produce willow, rushes and grasses, along with woods such as oak, ash, chestnut and hazel for stronger baskets. Basket making has been a traditional rural craft for centuries, and we have a delightful connection to the past when we use handmade shopping baskets, laundry baskets, baby baskets and gardening trugs.

Macrame

Macrame (the creation of a textile product using knotting techniques) is not quite such an ancient craft but still dates back at least to the thirteenth century when it is believed to have emerged from Arab weavers, who knotted the end threads of their hand-loomed fabrics together to form decorative fringes around their creations. It became popular in Victorian England, where it adorned many household items. It then enjoyed a resurgence in the 1970s in which it is almost synonymous with the decor and fashion of the era. It is now, once again, enjoying a resurgence in popularity among crafters and buyers.

Macra weave

Macra weave is a fusion of macrame and weaving, fashioning stunning wall hangings with a bohemian vibe. As the latest trend in fibre art, it is a fun and growing wave on which to be surfing.

As crafters, we know there is something immensely satisfying and stress-busting about working with our hands. Maybe it is the rhythmic nature of the work, the sensory input we receive from the materials we use or the opportunity for our innate creativity to find expression; probably a mix of all of these. In our fast-paced, often screen-focused world there is increasing recognition of the value of practising a creative skill, whether that be arts, craft or music-based. Alongside this, there is a desire to learn these new skills, which opens up numerous opportunities for artisan crafters. Fibre art is an ideal craft to teach and pass on, as it is low in cost, the materials are readily available and it is just about mess-free! As an expert in one of these crafts, you will already be producing and selling irresistibly delightful products that are particularly eye-catching at a fair or market. Their attractive appearance not only generates sales but might also lead to opportunities to hold workshops and courses in your locality.

Now is a good time of year to book yourself into some craft fairs. There may also be local Farmers’ Markets or other community events coming up over the late spring and summer at which you could demonstrate as well as sell. Organisers are often keen to have something a bit different; a demonstration of weaving, macrame or macra weave is fascinating to watch and can be done in just about any space provided. You will need to look into market trader public liability insurance. If you are just beginning to venture into the public arena with your craft, phrases such as this can sound a bit overwhelming. However, market trader public liability insurance is, in a nutshell, insurance that covers you for any claims made against you or your staff/volunteers by a member of the public for damage or injury while at a public event. You will put all common sense procedures in place to ensure accidents do not happen, but the very purpose of insurance is to protect you and your business from those completely unforeseeable incidents. Market trader public liability insurance is not a legal requirement, but it is often requested by fair and event organisers. It also offers you peace of mind, thus giving you the freedom to concentrate on the important tasks of creating stunning products and innovative ways in which to market them. This is why we often refer to it as “sleep easy” insurance. As a family firm who have been in this business for decades, we can ensure you get the right package for your unique needs; pick up the phone or drop us an email and either Naomi or Sam will get back to you.

So, as the weather warms and the skies brighten, book yourself a space at a market or craft fair, check your market trader public liability insurance is in place, build up your unique, eye-catching and sustainably sound range of products and take the wonderful world of basket making, macrame and macra weave out to your awaiting public!

Looking out of the window you might just start to see a hint of the days lengthening, our pale sun just beginning to radiate a bit more warmth. However, we aren’t quite in sight of spring yet as biting, cold winds have yet to morph into more gentle, playful breezes. Looking around, there are a few welcome indications that spring is on its way; cheerful yellow daffodils, frothy pink and white blossom, gently swaying hazel catkins and perhaps even an early magnolia, in all its blousy glory. Our ears pick up the coming change in the season too, with a symphony of birdsong as the time of courting gets underway. After long months of cold, wet and windy weather we may well feel like joining in their jubilation, lifting our faces towards the sun and revelling in the sense of new beginnings all around us. The arrival of Spring does indeed bring fresh inspiration to us all, and for artists and crafters it’s a call to don coat and boots, maybe fill a flask with some fragrant tea, step outdoors and immerse ourselves in the freshly radiant beauty of the natural world.

Classic spring images have adorned our artwork and ceramics as well as our literature for centuries; time honoured mad March hares, hosts of golden daffodils and garden birds sitting snugly on their nests. At a time when we are very aware of preserving and encouraging our wildlife, there are plenty of opportunities to create products which will enable us to do just this. One such is National Bird Box Week which runs between 14-21 February. It aims to increase awareness of the possible decline in birds due to a lack of natural nooks and crannies in which they can safely build their nests, and to encourage us to place bird boxes in our gardens to counteract this. We have a few homegrown, or rather back garden-grown businesses where skilled carpenters and joiners construct stunning, practical and sustainably built nesting boxes. This is an ideal time of year to promote sales whether online or at craft fairs as the need for providing nesting spots for our feathered population will be on people’s minds. If you have the skills to make and sell birdboxes, we’ll take a look at fairs and markets later on and ask the question “What is public liability insurance for craft fairs?” and “Do I need it?” Nesting boxes can sell at any time of year, and make excellent wedding or birthday gifts, with some companies offering a bespoke design service.

Another gift idea to attract wildlife into our gardens would be wooden planters; sold with a butterfly and bee-friendly wildflower seed mix, these could be a winner throughout spring. If you have or are considering a business in wooden products, be sure to clearly promote your sustainability credentials. You may use local timber, pine from sustainable sources or reclaimed wood. Ensure too, that you explain how your business supports your community; maybe employing local staff, using local wood or involvement in any community projects.

Bug hotels are also a popular way to support wildlife in our gardens. These can range from large, elaborate bug mansions to small, cosy hideaways. They provide shelter, protection and space to raise young for a wide variety of insects and other minibeasts. They have a special appeal to children and would make good gifts offering both purpose and longevity.

So, as the warm breezes of spring begin to gently beckon us onward into the year, what can you put in place to see your business grow, blossom and bear fruit? We have many useful posts containing tips for online promotion and marketing, but here, as we consider the world gently stretching and starting to take some tentative steps outside of the warmth and cosiness of our homes and into the bustle and vitality of the marketplace, we will take a fresh look at craft fairs.

Craft fairs spring into life again at this time of year, after a usually dormant January. Take a look at fairs planned in your area and book yourself a table. There will most likely be a proliferation of opportunities as we approach Easter, and your wildlife-attracting products may well provide a welcome alternative for parents and grandparents looking to cut down on their offspring’s chocolate consumption. You could also look towards regional agricultural and gardening shows, usually held over the late spring and into the summer. These will usually require a much higher financial investment in terms of stall space, but would also have greater footfall, covering a larger geographical area.

Farmers’ markets continue throughout the year, and they often offer stalls to local businesses selling handcrafted products. These too pick up in numbers once the weather warms up, and are a good way to get known locally, to make connections and to sell your products. It could be well worth considering a couple of stalls leading up to Easter; the price of a stall is usually reasonable and there is good camaraderie between stallholders and friendly chats with the public.

Having booked your spot, you will need to consider public liability insurance for craft fairs. Although it is not a legal requirement, many fair organisers will request that you have it in place. It basically covers you for any claims that might be made against you by a member of the public for damages or injury which they claim to have been sustained by either you or one of your employees/volunteers. We will cover you, whether or not it is your fault. You will obviously do all you can to avoid this happening, but public liability insurance for craft fairs covers you for those completely unforeseen and thus non-preventable accidents. Having it in place will mean you don’t need to worry about the consequences to your business of a claim, and instead you can pour all your energy and creativity into making and selling your unique products which will bring beauty into your customers’ homes and gardens.

So, as the natural world around us is gradually bursting into life, take time to get out amidst the colours, sounds and fragrances and be inspired!

Valentine’s Day … commemoration of a Catholic saint, a day for young sweethearts or a commercial opportunity for mass-produced and plastic tack? Unless you fall into the sweetheart category, or have a genuine conviction of the importance of honouring the lives of those who have lived well in bygone times, Valentine’s Day could either be an unwanted reminder of all that is not how we would like it to be in our lives or a pressure to spend money we do not have on overpriced flowers or gifts. This might sound rather like a Valentine Scrooge, but let us assure you that is not our intention! Rather, here at Craft Insurance, we’d like to suggest another option; why not celebrate Valentine’s Day in a way that includes everyone, that ensures we can all be reminded we are loved and valued, and can be a showcase of local crafts at the same time? What could be better to brighten up a cold February day?

So, to give us some ideas of how our crafts could be tailored for such a day, let’s first take a look at the history behind Valentine’s Day, who St Valentine was and how his commemorative day has turned into a mass marketing event and a mountain of red and pink plastic gifts.

The life of St Valentine is somewhat shrouded by the mists of time. The man we remember could even be a combination of two men, both early Christian martyrs. However, what does seem clear is that he was a priest or bishop and possibly also a physician, living in Italy in the third century AD. He was a man of courage who stood strong in his Christian faith at a time when there was much persecution of the church. He was also a man of integrity who endeavoured to do the right thing for his fellow citizens even if it meant possible penalties by the authorities. Legend has it that he defied the Emperor’s orders and secretly married young couples to spare some husbands from war. A story goes that at the end of his life, while he was waiting in prison to be executed for his faith, he fell in love with his jailer’s daughter, for whom he had prayed and was subsequently healed from blindness. Just before his death, he sent her a letter, signed “Your Valentine.” The feast of St Valentine was established on February 14 by papal decree, in 496. It might, however, not have been until a poem of Chaucer’s written around 1375 that St Valentine was linked with romantic love. St Valentine is also the patron saint of beekeepers; (always an opportunity for some honey and wax-related craft products).

Before Robert Burns’ Red Rose poem, a yellow crocus was the flower traditionally associated with St Valentine. The story behind this is beautiful. Legend has it that when Valentine wrote his final note to the jailer’s daughter, he enclosed a yellow crocus. When she opened the letter it was then that her blindness was healed and the crocus was the first thing she saw. While this could well be more legend than factual reality (how did he get hold of a crocus while in a grim Roman prison) an endearing tradition sprung up from it; churches prepared for the feast day by writing letters to prisoners.

We have gathered together several threads which all weave a story of St Valentine very different to that which is usually portrayed across our nation now. There seems to be a good array of information from which we could reclaim this saint’s day. So, what about celebrating February 14 by showcasing craft with a particular emphasis on buying a gift for someone who you value or someone who serves their community as St Valentine did? It’s a great opportunity to promote soap and other bath products; much-appreciated gifts for mums, aunts, female friends as well as wives and girlfriends. As it’s still cold, woollen hats and gloves would make useful presents and small ceramic products always go down well. For the men in our lives, a choice of metalwork or wood-turned products could be well received.

As St Valentine is also the patron saint of beekeepers, it is an opportunity to include honey, wax candles and any other wax or propolis-based products. As the yellow crocus is the original flower for St Valentine, some rays of sunshine yellow could then join the palette of pink and red.

Valentine’s Day can highlight loneliness, so what about taking your crafts to a community event where tea, coffee and cakes are served? What a great opportunity to promote the idea of buying a beautiful handmade gift for anyone you love, whether romantic or not. Most people are ready for a post-Christmas lift by now!

If you are heading out to take your business to a local coffee morning or larger event it’s also a very good idea to purchase public liability insurance for craft stalls. If this is your first time taking your craft business to a public event, you will probably need some advice on the best type of public liability insurance for craft stalls. Most stallholders who do this kind of thing regularly will have it. Drop us a line or pick up the phone and either Naomi or Sam will be able to help. In a nutshell, public liability insurance for craft stalls covers you for any claims towards damage of person or property which are made against you or your business, regardless of whether or not the incident was your fault. It’s a sleep-easy insurance and as such is well worth having.

So, as we approach Valentine’s this year, we hope you can all give and receive some unique hand-crafted gifts as a token of the value and love you have for family, friends and community.

We’d like to feature the work of one of our clients here, Victoria, who is the owner of Sparkle 8 Studio, in the beautiful county of Shropshire. Victoria makes beautiful ashes jewellery alongside other gifts. Please do have a look at her work…

…and a Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone.