Month: February 2025

Saturday 8 March marks the celebration of International Women’s Day and here at Craft Insurance, we thought this would provide a good opportunity to look at the various ways in which women have contributed to society through crafting traditions. Almost all of the crafts represented in our community can trace their routes back throughout the centuries and it’s an interesting exercise to see how your craft has evolved, often from providing everyday articles of necessity to a current resurgence of creating beautiful and lasting products in a sustainable way. Consumers are choosing these over their mass-produced counterparts for their longevity, ethical production and simple beauty. However, before the Industrial Revolution and mass migration to our factories and cities, many of these crafts provided staple goods for the community and much-needed cash for families.  

Spinning, lace making and straw plaiting were all handcrafts which were passed down through generations of women and used to supplement the family income. In pre-industrialised Britain, families were often large and even with a small plot of home-grown vegetables and maybe some hens, one wage was not enough to buy family essentials of food, clothes, boots and schooling supplies. Hence, the rise of cottage industries filled this gap. Children were often involved in the production of goods, and thus skills were passed on and a new generation of crafters was trained.  

Having a means of earning an income from home enabled mothers to take care of their children and run the family home alongside, though as any woman who has juggled all this in our day knows, this was not as idyllic as it sounds. Life was hard, and while there were arguably many benefits from living this way, it often meant that younger children were brought up by their older siblings and as older girls joined in the family cottage industry they might be less likely to go into service, thus bringing in a wage from outside, giving them the opportunity for limited advancement and freeing up bed space in the family home. Obviously, this might have been a positive choice for many girls, and it’s interesting to note that while life choices, especially for women, were far more limited in previous centuries, some of the principles on which they made those choices remain the same even today. 

As Britain became industrialised, many families moved into the cities to find work in the burgeoning factories. Thus, the slower, less efficient way of producing goods through cottage industries was replaced by large-scale coal-fired factory production. While this brought to our world the way of living, we take for granted today, it arguably gave girls and women less agency over their lives as they were unable to grow their own food and run their own families and businesses on their terms, becoming beholden to factory bosses alongside their husbands and children.  It also saw the decline of many handcrafts which had been gently honed for centuries. 

There were, however, some notable and regional exceptions to this. For example, the distinctive hard-wearing, blue “Gansey” jumpers, continued to be knitted by women in the fishing communities off the east coast of Scotland to keep their menfolk warm as they faced cold and often treacherous conditions. Even further north, jumpers in the classic Fair Isle tradition are still created to this day, with the technique passed down through the generations. 

From the mid-nineteenth century, the Arts and Crafts movement began to emerge and quickly gained momentum as artists and artisans reacted against the mass production of factory-made goods and the decline of the decorative arts. Names such as William Morris are synonymous with this movement, but less well-known are those of May Morris, his daughter and Annie Garnet a crafter from the Lake District. Both were inspired by the natural world around them, with May creating exquisite embroidery and Annie eventually founding her own textile business, reviving traditional spinning and weaving techniques.  

However, it was not until the period between the two world wars that more women began to turn their crafting skills into businesses on a wider scale. Maybe the combination of confidence built, and skills learnt through working outside of the home during the war, together with the amassing of new ideas through an increase in global travel led to this burgeoning of small-scale businesses. These women were wise, savvy and hard-working. They studied well-established techniques and used these solid production methods but added a fresh twist in design to form more contemporary looks. In this way, they influenced the direction of future crafting design. 

We hope you’ve been freshly inspired by these women who pioneered their crafts through the changing seasons of time. If so, you’re probably beginning to bubble with new ideas for your own business. As the sun is starting to make an appearance after the dreariness of winter, the temperatures are rising and spring flowers are cheering our homes and gardens, you may feel encouraged to plan a few in person sales events. If so, you’ll need to consider creative professional insurance. Creative professional insurance will generally include both public and product liability, although it could also include employer’s liability insurance. Public and product liability insurance covers you for any claims made for damages caused by either yourself or your products. Even if these are not your fault, the insurance covers your legal and compensation costs. This is not a legal requirement, but most craft market organisers will request you have it in place.

As a family firm ourselves, we communicate directly with our customers (no long waits at a call centre) so pick up the phone or drop us a line and either Sam or Naomi will be here to work out the best creative professional insurance package for your unique business. We look forward to to hearing about the next wave of crafting businesses set up by women with skill, perseverance, grit and creative flair. Have confidence in yourselves and your business vision!  

You’re offered some choices; half a day ring-fenced to work on a new crafting venture or the same time to work on your business accounts; a day at a crafting event or art gallery to be freshly inspired in your own creativity or a day catching up with admin. Most of us would choose the first option. However, as owners of crafting businesses, there are many management tasks which need to be kept in order and finding an approach to this which works for each of us will save time and trouble in the longer term. 

We are each wonderful and completely unique; no other person in the world has your special blend of talent, personality, character traits, strengths and way of seeing things. Each of our brains and bodies work differently so while there is good general advice we can give to help with the running of the business side of your venture, why not think through what your own challenges are in this area and how best to meet them? For example, some of us are early birds and some are night owls; acknowledging this will help set the rhythm of our days. Some of us thrive off order and routines while for some these are anathema. Some concentrate best with music playing in the background and bright lights while others prefer complete silence and a calming candle. Taking some time to figure out how we function at our best is worth the investment of time. 

Most business owners would cite managing finances as their number one stress. As small business owners ourselves we can only say that we understand, but in our decades of running a successful business have found ways to navigate this. We are living in an especially challenging time economically for which each business owner needs wisdom to navigate. Make sure you have good advisors when mulling over business decisions, those who will challenge you, not just agree with your plans. Take time to weigh up decisions which will have financial implications. Find a good way to chart your budgeting, whether that be spreadsheets or an app; use whatever works best for you. Try to keep some margin in your finances, so that when difficult times come, which they will, you have a little leeway.  

Closely associated with this is filling in tax returns. Depending on the size of your business you may be able to afford to pay someone to do this, and if so, you could well be saving money as you receive advice from them. If your budget doesn’t stretch to this, check out the many apps and other resources available online and ask fellow crafters what they use.  

Managing staff is a big responsibility and can be a significant cause of stress. Hiring new staff requires wisdom and insight as you try to assess both character and personality as well as the more obvious experience and expertise they would bring. However big or small your team, keeping good communication flowing is the bedrock to a happy, productive team. Try to nurture your staff, making sure you have regular staff meet-ups and letting them know you have an open-door policy if they need to talk over any concerns. Team meetings could involve tea and cake, and a Christmas meal is always good for staff morale. You do not need to have a large budget to make your staff feel valued; the ability to listen and show concern, to be understanding around work hours and family commitments and the occasional thoughtful gesture such as a thank you card or team cakes to celebrate a success will go a long way to good staff relationships.  

Most of us do not enjoy the multitude of general admin tasks involved in running a business, but they have to be done and allocate regular time for them, settling down with a warm drink of your choice in an environment which suits you (lighting, music etc.) can all help. We all tend to delay tasks we don’t enjoy or which feel overwhelming, but putting things off in this way increases our stress levels, so it’s better to tackle whatever situation it is as soon as possible. One task which can often seem daunting if you’re establishing a new artistic venture is to find the appropriate artistic venture cover. Artistic venture cover will usually include both public and product liability insurance, which are required by most craft market organisers. They cover you for any claims of damage or injury caused by you, your staff or your products. Even if it is not your fault, the insurance covers the legal costs or compensation. As a family business ourselves we communicate directly with our customers, so pick up the phone or drop us a line and either Sam or Naomi will be here to talk you through artistic venture cover and help you get an admin task ticked off your list! 

Other tasks mentioned as stressful are often to do with juggling your many roles as a small business owner; none of them are overwhelming in themselves but which occur periodically such as dealing with customer complaints, keeping up with relevant regulations or managing unexpected change. Looking after your general well-being is probably a large factor in how you cope when curveballs are thrown your way. Try to ensure you make time to exercise as well as eating a nutritious, balanced diet. Ensure you have some good confidantes and advisors, be they family, friends or other crafters with whom you can bounce ideas around, offload concerns and seek advice. None of us have it all together, so don’t be afraid of being honest!  And finally, take time to celebrate your wins and nurture your own creativity. You could start by taking some restorative time out this weekend even if it’s only half an hour, or by penning in a coffee with a friend, a day out in the countryside with your family or an afternoon set aside to spend in whatever way restores you best. Enjoy! 

February 14, Valentine’s Day. For some, it’s a day of butterflies-in-your-tummy anticipation and excitement; even of blushing and giggling. For some it’s a day belatedly remembered amid busy lives; husbands of many years doing a last-minute dash for flowers for much loved but sometimes taken-for-granted wives. For some, it’s a day of loneliness; remembering what has been, or lamenting what has never been. It’s a mixed bag indeed, but one most retailers can at least celebrate with a spike in sales.

At the same time as Valentine’s Day, there is another day increasing in popularity which has arisen in recent years. February 13, Galentine’s Day. Before we completely dismiss this as another retail festival of plastic landfills, it’s worth looking a little more closely. Galentine’s Day is indeed a recently created event, originating from an American TV show. However, the sentiment behind it is, we think, a good one. It’s a day for all women everywhere to celebrate and appreciate their female friends. For us women, it is often “the girls”, or a “bestie” to whom we go when life is tough, it is they with whom we can spend a whole day drinking tea and talking and still not have covered everything, it is they to whom we share our deepest worries over relationships and children and it is they with whom we can let our hair down, throw our responsibilities to one side and dance the night away. This does not diminish our relationships with our other halves, it’s just a different relationship, and Galentine’s Day is an opportunity for all women, married, single or somewhere in the complicated space between, to appreciate and be appreciated.

It also has classical roots. If we can be nerdy for a minute, in Biblical Greek there are four words for love. ‘Agape” is sacrificial love. “Storge” is the love we have within families…it enables a mother to survive endless sleepless nights and is what provokes siblings to defend each other against an outsider whilst squabbling constantly at home. “Eros” is romantic love. The fourth is “Phileo” or friendship love. This is what lies behind those strong and enduring female friendships; the all-consuming friendship teen girls have for their “besties” and the longevity and loyalty of women’s friendships as we grow older.

How then can we, as crafters, observe Galentine’s Day? This year, Galentine’s may well be celebrated at the weekend as Thursday night might not lend itself so well to chatting and laughing into the small hours. Can we both offer the gift of a creative event to treat a group of women and also make the most of a business opportunity for ourselves? The answer to this could be in the form of providing the wherewithal for a Galentine’s craft event. We were made to create; women through the centuries have created successful home-spun businesses, have used their creative flair to bring elegance and fun to their homes and families and even in the darkest and most financially pressing times have created splashes of colour and beauty to add to their garments. In our fast-paced modern world, the space we need to create is often squeezed out, so offering an evening for women to allow their creative juices to flow is refreshing and even therapeutic.

Why not put a kit together to encourage women to spend some quality time with their friends? To be honest, you don’t even need the excuse of Galentine’s Day, as most women will jump at any chance (any time of year) to decompress and enjoy some female company! So why not go ahead and put together everything they need to have a creative blast together? You’ll know which of your crafts are the easiest for even a beginner to have a go at. The kit can include a given number of sets of materials and a clear description of the end product along with easy-to-understand instructions (preferably with diagrams). To make it even easier, you could include in the kit some paper invites to send out to friends and these can then be passed on to further friends or work colleagues.

You will of course need to consider handmade product protection. Handmade product protection includes public and product liability insurance which covers you for any claims of damage made against you or your products; even if it is not your fault, it covers your legal costs. Handmade product protection is not a legal requirement but is well worth considering as it covers you for those completely unforeseen incidents which you cannot predict or prevent, thus giving you peace of mind to throw your all into what you love doing; creating beautiful handmade products. It’s quick and easy to set up, and as a family-run firm ourselves we communicate with each of our clients directly… no call centres. So, pick up the phone or drop us a line and either Naomi or Sam will be here to find the best package of handmade product protection for your unique business.

So, as you put together your kit for a themed Galentine’s (or any time’s) creative girly event, you might like to think of the range of products the attendees could be creating. A pamper theme would work well, so if you make candles, bath bombs or wax melts you could consider customising these in colour and scent. Jewellery is another craft which lends itself to a girls’ evening and again can be individualised so that each item brings special memories to its wearer of the enduring friendships in her life. Ceramic coasters, felted bookmarks or brooches and hand-sewn bunting or lavender bags can also be tailored to the individual with colour and style. Whatever you choose to add to your event kit, you can be sure that you will be creating a memorable evening where deep soul-to-soul conversations will happen alongside fun and frivolity as women from all stages of life are refreshed and restored within the company of loved and abiding friends.

This week, (2nd Feb) was National Hedgehog Day, but it’s not too late to celebrate this spiky little national treasure! The humble hedgehog has featured prominently in the work of UK artists and crafters over the years and has been an inspiration for many cosy, homespun or crafted items.

Whether through art, craft, or conservation efforts, hedgehogs deserve to be celebrated and protected!

Where can you find hedgehogs these days?

Hedgehogs can be found across Europe, Africa, and Asia, but in the UK they are most commonly spotted in woodlands, farmland, parks, and gardens where they spend much of their lives asleep. Through the cold winter months of November to mid-March, they hibernate in nests made of fallen leaves in sheltered spots and when they emerge in spring, they remain nocturnal, only venturing out after sundown to forage for food.

What kind of food are they after?

Contrary to folklore, these little creatures are lactose intolerant and would rather see a feast of worms, slugs, earwigs, millipedes, beetles, and other small insects on their hedgehog menu. So, if you want to feed a hedgehog, provide wet cat food, apples, plums or pears, and nuts, such as unsalted peanuts or brazils. Or, if you want to go the whole hog (!) buy them some special hedgehog food which you can buy at most garden centres.

Even with their voracious appetite, hedgehogs only grow to the size of a pineapple! They can measure between 20-25cm in length and weigh up to 1.2kg. Despite their tiny size and relatively poor vision, they can move at speeds of up to 9.5km/h (around 5mph), for short bursts when they need to escape from predators. Their keen hearing and sense of smell help them to navigate at night

Hedgehog numbers are declining

Unfortunately, evidence suggests hedgehog populations have fallen by over half in rural areas and by a third in urban areas since the year 2000. The fact is that although hedgehogs can live for up to six years, the average lifespan is much shorter—just two to three years due to accidents involving road traffic, lawnmowers, pesticides and chemicals which all affect their longevity. To help counter this, avoid using slug pellets and pesticides or only as a last resort. Instead, try using one of many natural alternatives, like sprinkling crushed eggshells or coffee grounds around the plants you need to protect. If you have to use pellets, place them under a slate that’s inaccessible to hedgehogs. Also, in autumn, it’s always a good idea to check leaf piles for hedgehogs before starting a bonfire or be hedgehog-aware when mowing the lawn.

Celebrating hedgehogs in art and craft

Given their charming features and cultural significance, it’s no surprise that hedgehogs have been a beloved subject in UK art and craft. Artists and makers have long incorporated hedgehogs into paintings, sculptures, textiles, and handmade jewellery, capturing their distinctive shapes and characters in beautiful and imaginative ways.

Ceramicists create delicate hedgehog figurines, felt artists craft adorable soft sculptures and illustrators bring them to life in storybooks and prints. Whether carved in wood, embroidered onto fabric, or sketched in fine detail, hedgehogs have found their place in the hearts of crafters and collectors alike. Protecting this artistic heritage is essential, and that’s where handmade business protection comes in.

What can be done to help hedgehogs?

To support hedgehog populations, you can make small but meaningful changes in your own outdoor space. Leaving a hole in your garden fence allows hedgehogs to move between areas in search of food and mates. Providing fresh water and hedgehog-friendly food can also make a big difference.

Join the hedgehog appreciation movement!

If you’re inspired by their quirky charm, it’s not difficult to take part in countrywide efforts to protect the hedgehog population for generations to come. For example, did you know that in 2024, The first-ever National Hedgehog Conservation Strategy has been published to suggest ways for people to get involved with hedgehog conservation?

For those with a garden, creating 13cm x 13cm square holes in or under a garden fence – known as Hedgehog Highways – to connect neighbouring gardens, is the best starting point. This is crucial as it allows hedgehogs to move between green spaces searching for food, shelter and mates. Once connected, creating wild patches, providing water and places to nest such as leaf and log piles or a hedgehog house, are all great ways to help.

Or why not take a moment to appreciate these unique little creatures by creating your hedgehog-themed craft or by supporting artists who feature them in their work? And remember, if you are the one producing hedgehog-inspired handcrafted items, handmade business protection is key to safeguarding your passion and livelihood.

Let’s work together to ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy the sight of these beloved spiky mammals in our gardens, countryside and craftwork and please do get in touch if you require handmade business protection.