Month: June 2024

Crafting skills and techniques have been passed down from one generation to the next, since the days when you didn’t even need workshop insurance! Each generation has drawn on its predecessor, from the artisans of ancient times, to the guilds of the medieval period and the creative explosion of the Renaissance. This aspect of passing on skills in the crafting community continued despite the Industrial Revolution when machines began to take over from crafting processes and mass production reduced the overall demand for handcrafted items.

In the 20th century, crafting began incorporating new materials and technologies, such as plastics and computer-aided design (CAD). Then the arrival of the internet and digital tools in the 21st century heralded a crafting comeback with online platforms enabling crafters to share skills and techniques more than ever before.

Now, with accessible tools such as 3D printers and laser cutters, the possibilities for modern craftspeople have extended yet further. Not only is it possible to engage with online communities to source ideas, troubleshoot issues, and get feedback on designs, but you can also take advantage of opportunities for collaborative 3D projects with open-source designs (there is a vast library of them).

For members of the modern-day crafting community, 3D printers offer a wealth of possibilities. They can be used to produce specialised objects at home, or in your workshop, and you don’t even have to design them yourself if you don’t want to!

If you are interested in the world of 3D printing, read on, we have provided here a brief exploration of the benefits of owning a 3D printer and an insight into some of the skills and techniques you can use to broaden your crafting capacity. As an aside, if you decide to invest in a more expensive 3D printer and need to discuss your workshop insurance as a result, please do give us a call.

3D Printers

A 3D printer is a device that produces three-dimensional objects using a digital modelling file. These printers create the desired object by squeezing different materials such as plastic, metal, resin, and ceramics layer by layer. If you are interested in having a go and buying a 3D printer for yourself…

• Make sure to choose a printer that is big enough to produce objects of the size you want.
• Be aware that the resolution of the printer determines the level of detail of the printed objects.
• Different 3D printers can work with different materials, so you need to choose a printer that is suitable for the material you plan to use.
• To help the design process, the printer must have software that is easy to use.

A 3D printer can be purchased from anything under £100 to over £10,000.
Take a look here.

Here are a few ideas for 3D printing that we’d like to pass on to you in good old crafting fashion:

1. Custom Tools and Moulds:

You can design and print custom tools, such as knitting aids, sculpting tools, or specialised cutters using your 3D printer. It can also be used to create moulds for soap making, candle making, resin casting, and chocolate moulds.

2. Prototyping and Design Testing:

Before committing to a final product, you can print prototypes to test your design concepts. This kind of rapid “prototyping” allows you to make adjustments and improvements.

3. Bespoke Components and Parts:

You can print replacement parts for tools or machines which can extend the life of your equipment and at the same time, reduce waste. Whether it’s hinges, clasps or handles, they can all be designed and printed to fit.

4. Personalised Creations:

Your 3D printer can create intricate, personalised jewellery that would be difficult or time-consuming to make by hand, as well as other bespoke items such as nameplates, ornaments or keychains.

5. Complex Structures and Geometries:

Highly detailed and complex structures that would be challenging to create using traditional crafting techniques can be achieved much more easily with a 3D printer, anything from architectural models to intricate miniatures for games. 3D artists can produce sculptures with complex internal structures and very fine details.

6. Material Experimentation:

You can use your 3D printer to experiment with filaments that mimic wood, metal, or other materials and these can also be combined with traditional crafting materials (e.g., incorporating printed parts into textiles, woodwork, or ceramics).

7. Batch Production:

Small batches of items can be produced efficiently, such as a stock range for your online store or components for larger projects. 3D printing allows you to ensure that multiple pieces of a project are identical in size and shape, which is particularly useful for items that need to fit together.

8. Enhanced Precision and Detail:

With your 3D printer, you can achieve the kind of precision and fine details that are difficult (or extremely time-consuming) to replicate by hand. Furthermore, it’s easy to scale designs up or down to create different-sized versions of a product without losing detail.

9. Designs are available online

3D printer owners do not need to know how to create 3D models using a computer modelling program to 3D print. There are websites online that provide access to thousands of 3D models created by other 3D printer owners which are easy to download and print! Have a look at Thingiverse.

Crafting skills and techniques have indeed come a long way from manual or guild-controlled production, and now, with 3D printing, there is a fusion of home or workshop-based crafting and digital processes.

With 3D printing it’s also refreshing to see that, notwithstanding all the modern technology, crafters still adhere to the traditional practice of sharing skills and techniques with each other, albeit online, fostering a diverse and vibrant global community of makers.

The world of 3D print is certainly an exciting, experimental and community-oriented environment to step into! With relevant insurance in place, such as workshop insurance, a 3D printer and an internet connection, this world truly is your oyster!

Creative people can struggle when working under pressure to hard deadlines. That’s when creativity becomes stifled and we stop dreaming our creative dreams. 

So, what is the secret of staying in that creative space? Inspiration can come from anything, whether it’s different experiences, conversations or pastimes. That said, it can be challenging in busy times, working a full-time job as well as making craft for sale, to find the time to try new things. However, a variety of experiences will fill our minds with fresh ideas, and these can lead to our best work. 

Don’t your best ideas come when you are doing something else? Often, a change of environment is what we need, along with a change of focus! We all have our favourite ways to unwind and refuel our creative tanks after busy periods of making craft for sale. Changing focus doesn’t have to cost the earth, it can be achieved even when times are more challenging.  

Here, in order to add to your repertoire, we have put together some ideas that you may or may not have thought of! Our aim is to suggest some excuses to get out and about this summer around our beautiful country, to breathe the fresh air and get those creative juices flowing..!  

1. Take a trip back through history and visit the following UK castles for free! 

• Alnwick Castle is one of the largest inhabited castles in England. Its construction was ordered by William II (Rufus), who was King of England from 1087-1100 and his descendants (the Percy’s) are still living there today!  

• Harlech Castle was built by English kings in the early 15th century, as a stronghold to control Wales, it is perched on a dramatic rocky outcrop, with spectacular views over Tremadog Bay.  

• Kilchurn Castle is the oldest castle in Scotland, built in about 1450 and has been passed down through four generations of the Campbell family. Thanks to its picturesque location on the edge of Loch Awe, it is the most photographed castle in Scotland. 

• Eye Castle is one of the few surviving motte-and-bailey castles from the early Norman period, built shortly after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The castle site provides wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. N.b.The grounds of Eye Castle will be used for Outdoor Theatre this summer!  

2. Invigorate your senses with a dip in the surf. 

Whether you want to battle against some waves for a swim or to try surfing for the first time, you’ll come out refreshed! 

• Llangennith Beach on the very tip of the Gower Peninsula in South Wales is a three-mile strip of sand, ideal for catching any swells rising out of the west. This long beach is perfect for a day out in the water, no matter your ability. N.b. There is outdoor theatre taking place in Swansea Bay too this August! 

• Croyde, Devon Croyde Beach in Devon is a three-quarter-mile ribbon of white to which every year, many surfers flock, hoping to catch one of the famous barrel waves. This is a great spot for beginners to enjoy a day in the water. 

• The Wave off junction 17 of the M5 motorway in Easter Compton, Bristol, BS35 5RE, is a place where people can learn to surf on consistent waves all year round in a controlled environment.  

3. Get lost in nature 

They say that the best things in life are free and this is certainly true of the natural beauty with which we are surrounded. Taking time out to appreciate the wonder of the plant and animal kingdom, whether it’s in your own garden, a public park or further afield, is an absolute must for creatives. In the UK we are blessed with such an extensive and well organised network of public footpaths and cycle paths that it’s a shame not to go and use them!   

Who said lying on grass, looking up at a summer sky and letting your thoughts flow was a waste of time? Not in our book! It encourages creativity by keeping your brain engaged in a way that’s not demanding. It’s a perfect way to allow new ideas to percolate and you’ll come home freshly inspired to create more craft for sale! 

4. Let your imagination take flight! 

Speaking of the sky, birds have been providing us with inspiration since time immemorial. For a closer encounter with the avian kingdom, why not try a visit to one of the ten wetland sites around our UK coastland? For a modest amount each month you can become a member of the WWT (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust) and experience countless species of wetland wildlife close up, not just in summer either but all year round. In the sheer variety of colours, shapes and movement and in the beauty of birds in flight you’ll see things that you’ve never seen before.  

WWT sites are located in Arundel, Caerlaverlock, Castle Espie, Llanelli, London, Martin Mere, Slimbridge, Washington, Welney and Steart Marshes. 

5. Focus on the future. 

As summer hits our shores, why not spend some time with the people you love, engaging in blue sky thinking? Having a clear vision of what we want in life is the fastest way to get there. Without knowing what we want, how can we possibly have it? Rather than protecting ourselves from potential disappointment by not dreaming, if we keep our expectations realistic, we have the power to make things happen!  

Time spent with our nearest and dearest doing things that we all enjoy is fuel to our souls, so why not set some time aside (outside or inside) to create a vision board for yourselves to include all the things that you’d like to do together. What things would you do together if you had the time? Well, once you have written them down or presented them in a format that everyone can see/read and stuck it on the fridge, you are half way to seeing those things come to pass! Every day you’ll all be reminded of the things you really want to do together and you’ll be much more likely to make the time to go and do them! It’s guaranteed that most people want to go and try something new, so why not make a vision board to remind you to make a plan and make it happen!  

For our part, we are inspired daily by all of our incredibly talented customers. That’s why we are committed to giving the best value craft insurance packages tailored to the unique requirements of each person creating craft for sale. Please get in touch, either by phone or email if you need insurance for your craft business and we’d be delighted to help you.  

The flights and accommodation were booked a few months ago as the biting winter winds and icy rain assaulted us whenever we stepped outdoors, passports have been checked and are in date and finally, the holiday countdown begins. You can almost feel the warm sand slipping between your toes as you walk barefooted along the beach, the light winds causing your sarong skirt to flap against your sun-tanned legs and the cool of the sea as you gently dip your toes into the lapping waters. In your mind’s eye, you can see the vivid pink of the bougainvillea sprawled over white-washed walls all under a sky with a depth of blue not to be found on our shores. You shake yourself out of your daydream; it’s time to get practical and to write your holiday packing list.

Holidays are a highlight of our year. We all need to rest, and getting away from our homes, work, emails and daily chores allows us to do this. Not all of us will be heading overseas. Some will be returning to a much-loved caravan parked on an idyllic spot of our beautiful British coastline, some may be negotiating the seemingly Herculean task of stuffing tents, camping gear and children into the car, some may be travelling light with hiking tents only and making for the mountain ranges of our national parks. Wherever we are going, we will need to pack clothing and other essentials for our trip. Holidays are special times; months of saving and planning precede them and excitement rises as they draw near. Adding some exquisitely handmade items to the holiday luggage will add a sense of luxury whether your destination is a family tent in the British Isles or a hotel on the Mediterranean. So, what will be on your holiday essentials list and can some of these be hand-crafted rather than mass-produced?

For those travelling overseas a travel wallet is essential. While there will be many factory-made ones on the market, a personalised one, maybe with the holder’s name or names of the whole family, will produce a smile even in those long airport queues.

Everybody will need toiletries, even those with the most streamlined of backpacks! Shampoo, soap and moisturisers made from natural ingredients which are both kind to the skin and the environment will add a sense of pampering to the holiday. Handmade shampoo bars can also be very useful for travelling as they last longer and avoid the risk of leakages.

For those heading for sunny shores, a beach bag is a must; something voluminous yet chique, able to hold towels, swimwear, books, sunscreen, water and anything else thrown in last minute, all with stylish elegance. This is an opportunity for uniquely designed and hand-crafted bags to shine!

With the beach still in mind, a light, washable, floaty wrap skirt to be worn over swimwear will be high on the list of clothes to pack. For those staying in more temperate climes, a stack of tees will be needed. For campers without easy washing facilities, an extra few for the children may well be required to see them through the holiday. If you live in a holiday destination within the UK you might like to consider making some T-shirts with a logo unique to your area; although necessity might initially drive the purchase of a new garment, the final choice may be decided upon by a design which is unique to the area.

Whatever the destination, a hat of some sort will be required, whether that be a floppy beach hat, a bucket hat or a cap. Hats brought for a holiday will also bring back memories of that time. One which is high quality, stylish and long-lasting will be a memento as well as a useful article of clothing.

At the end of a day on the beach, having showered and applied some handmade enriching moisturising lotion, it will be time to dress up and head out into a balmy evening for dinner. Jewellery and perfume will both add to the sense of occasion. We have some very talented perfumers and jewellery makers here at Craft Insurance and the summer holiday market is one into which you may like to dip your toes.

Whether you make perfumes, jewellery or another crafted item we have mentioned, you will need to look for a craft insurance company before you begin selling in earnest. There are many of these to choose from, but what makes our craft insurance company stand out from the crowd is that we, like you, are a small family business. As such we know and value each of our incredibly talented customers and are committed to giving you the best value insurance package tailored to your unique requirements. You will not be lost in a queue of clients; whether you contact us by phone or email either Sam or Naomi will be here to answer your query. So, if you are looking for a craft insurance company, why not get in touch? We look forward to hearing about your amazing business and the plans you have for it.

One final suggestion for a fun, hand-crafted holiday item, one which will certainly evoke memories; why not create a sand jar? This only needs to be small, giving just enough space for a tiny amount of holiday sand to be taken home. When those cold, dark evenings draw in again, holiday photos can be brought out, maybe a meal inspired by the local cuisine can be prepared and the few grains of sand can be poured into the palm of your upturned hand. A holiday can be remembered; the warm sun, the vivid colours, the dazzling sea and most of all precious memories made with those most special to you.