Traditions often disappear with generations, their origins forgotten or their significance only vaguely remembered. Some traditions, however, live on regardless as an occasion for celebration. One such celebration, much anticipated by children all over the UK, is nearly upon us – Guy Fawkes Night!

Guy Fawkes Night on November 5th, marks the anniversary of the infamous Gunpowder Plot of 1605 when Guy Fawkes and his group of conspirators attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament and assassinate King James I.

His motive? He wanted to get rid of the King and his administration because they were Protestants and Guy hoped to restore Catholic rule in England. At the time, the religious turmoil in England often resulted in Catholics and Protestants inflicting death and suffering on each other.

Guy and his co-conspirators slowly amassed gunpowder in the cellars under Parliament from the summer of 1605 and Fawkes was given the job of igniting it on the night of November 4th. He would have succeeded had it not been for an anonymous letter sent to the authorities. Royal guards were sent to search the cellars and in the early hours of November 5th, Fawkes was caught and arrested.

In the Tower of London, he was tortured for information about the rest of the group and the plotters, including Fawkes, were sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. However, Fawkes, weak from torture, managed to climb high enough up the ladder at the gallows to die from a broken neck on his fall rather than having to endure the full horror of his sentence whilst still alive.  

In the years that followed, after the king’s narrow escape from being blown sky high, he encouraged national remembrance and celebrations on the anniversary of November 5th. People willingly joined in and it became an occasion to show loyalty to the king and for Protestantism. Within a few decades Gunpowder Treason Day, as it was known, became an English state commemoration where people celebrated into the night and burnt effigies of popular hate figures, such as the Pope!

Over the years, November 5th often erupted in scenes of public disorder but decorum was eventually restored as the festivities eventually lost their religious and political edge and morphed into a fun occasion for families to enjoy.

Organised entertainment became popular in the late 19th century, and 20th-century pyrotechnic manufacturers renamed Guy Fawkes as Firework Night.

Guy Fawkes Night also became known as Bonfire Night and any bit of land that could be used was commandeered to build a bonfire. Wood or any other combustible material would be piled up there with youngsters stealing wood from rival bonfires to enlarge their pile or setting fire to someone else’s bonfire before the night of the 5th. These days, however, with our increased awareness of health and safety, bonfires tend to be more organised affairs at sports grounds and public parks across the country, although some people still enjoy a bonfire in their back garden.

Other Guy Fawkes traditions thrived, such as ‘Penny for the Guy’’ where children would make a ‘Guy’ out of clothing stuffed with straw and newspapers. The idea was to take your ‘Guy’ around the streets on a small cart and then ask for a ‘penny for the ‘Guy’. In reality, the penny wasn’t for the ‘Guy’ at all, it would be spent on sweets, sparklers and small fireworks.

Guys would be taken into schools to be shown off and prizes would be offered for the best dressed ‘’Guy’. Then, when the night of November 5th came, the Guy would be thrown onto the bonfire and burnt. This fun tradition has largely died out although you might see the occasional Guy on the bonfire at public events.

Nowadays, burning effigies and rioting have both been replaced by a modern-day Guy Fawkes Night which is an altogether warmer and cosier celebration, quite different from its turbulent origins. Wrapped up warmly in scarves, hats, and coats to ward off the autumn chill, families and friends huddle around bonfires, and watch fireworks roasting marshmallows or sipping hot chocolate.

Crackling bonfires, colourful fireworks bursting overhead, the crowd emitting a chorus of soft aahs – it’s a shared spectacle of warmth, family and community. Many people nowadays also associate Guy Fawkes night with traditional nostalgic treats like toffee apples, jacket potatoes, or treacle toffee, a time of simple pleasures and friendly, family fun.

One of the few outdoor winter festivals that we celebrate in the UK, Guy Fawkes Night offers a great opportunity for sales of homemade woollens. Here are a few ideas…

1. “Stay Warm by the Bonfire” Bundles

Offer discounted sets of woollen goods, like scarves, gloves, hats, and blankets for staying warm and cosy while watching fireworks or gathering around the bonfire. Maybe include some sachets of hot chocolate or a thermos flask!

2. “Bonfire-Ready” Themed Products

Design a limited-edition line of woollen products specifically for Bonfire Night in festive autumn colours or patterns inspired by fireworks.

3. Collaborate with Local Events

Reach out to the organisers of local Bonfire Night events and partner with them, so that you can set up a stall and sell your woollen goods there on the night! If you are going to do this, make sure that you have your product liability insurance for crafters in place!

4. Bonfire Night Giveaway

Host a Guy Fawkes-themed social media giveaway in which people share their best Bonfire Night memories or plans. Offer a free set of woollen goods, like scarves or blankets, to a few winners.

These ideas could help tie your woollen goods to the cosy, communal feel of Guy Fawkes Night, making your products an essential part of the celebration.

If you are just starting as a seller of handmade woollen goods you should obtain product liability insurance for crafters to protect your new business against any possible claims. Why not give us a ring and either Naomi or Sam will advise you as to the right kind of cover? We have many years of experience providing product liability insurance for crafters and we would be delighted to help.

As you begin to read this, just stop for a moment and think of a time when, as a customer, you have been dissatisfied with a purchase or service. Next, think about what caused your dissatisfaction, and then how it was resolved. There are many useful articles online giving sound and helpful advice about how to avoid business nightmares by ensuring you have good customer service protocols in place. Check them out! We are not going to repeat them here, but rather look at what might lie behind good, or poor, customer satisfaction.

At the heart of your business is yourself; your creativity, your dreams, your vision, your personality and your resources. The products you make are an outpouring of yourself, and thus they have much more of an emotional pull on you than if you were, for example, selling someone else’s products. Some even talk about their business as their “baby” and certainly the process from the embryonic idea through to the first product sold can have similarities with pregnancy and labour. Thus, if something goes wrong it can feel personal. Here lies our first suggestion for avoiding craft nightmares; if you have an unhappy customer, it isn’t personal. It might not even be valid, and if it is it could be your error or it could be just one of those things which make up the multi-coloured kaleidoscope of life.

So, if you have a customer complaint, try to take a deep breath, pause for a minute before responding and get ready to listen. Do what you can to get a clear picture of what has gone wrong. If it is something simple, maybe you can fix it there and then with a smile, an apology and a replacement. For more complex problems, think back to that situation when you were the dissatisfied customer; how was the issue dealt with and what strategies worked? We would suggest that fairly central to a good resolution is that the customer feels heard. Can you discern what is behind your customer’s complaint? If it is unreasonable, can you fathom anything else which could be causing the grievance? Once you have done all this, it is usually possible to find a mutually acceptable way forward.

To encourage you, most issues can be dealt with by listening to the problem and taking some practical action to put it right. A friendly attitude, some empathy and good problem-solving skills will stand you in good stead. However, occasionally there will be an unforeseen incident, completely out of your control, and this is where up-to-date public liability insurance for crafters UK is your best friend. While it is generally in your best interest to replace a broken product or refund something which hasn’t met expectations, it is not possible to take on legal fees or compensation if someone claims against you or your product. Public liability insurance for Crafters UK covers you for any claim made that you, your volunteers, staff or products have caused damage to a member of the public. It will cover any legal defence costs and compensation you owe, thus giving you peace of mind as you deal with a difficult situation. While it is not a legal requirement, it is a real “sleep easy” insurance to have. As a family-run business ourselves, we know our customers are central and therefore we like to communicate directly with you. So, pick up the phone or drop us a line and either Naomi or Sam will be here to talk with you and find the best public liability insurance for crafters UK for your unique business.

Having looked at some of the skills needed to resolve a difficult situation, let’s now take a look at what you can do to prevent such situations arising. Obviously, high-quality products, clear descriptions and competitive pricing are a solid foundation for satisfied customers. However, on top of this, we recommend keeping your relationship with your customers as central. We are relational beings, and if your customers can feel they know a little about you and like you as well as what you do, there will be more flexibility when it comes to resolving any tricky issues that may occur. If you sell online, make sure you include a good write-up on your website featuring your business story, how you started, your inspiration and your vision. If you sell in person, you might like to include a business card with each purchase, pointing your customers to your website or social media. Face-to-face selling enables you to build up good customer rapport with each sale. There are plenty of YouTube videos with pointers as to how to achieve this; why not check them out?

Gaining your customers’ trust is key to good customer relationships. Be as transparent as you can with your product descriptions and make sure you promote raw materials which are locally sourced and environmentally kind, as well as any charities you support. You might also consider sending out regular emails to your customers, letting them know what you are working on and any snippets from your daily life as well as product updates. Admin can be hard to squeeze into a busy schedule, but ensuring you follow through on queries and get orders out within the stated time will all help with building good relationships which have trust at the centre.

If you sell locally, a good reputation is invaluable within the community; your business will expand by word of mouth and you will not only retain customers, but they will recommend you to friends. So, keep the communication channels open, allow your natural warmth, friendliness and enthusiasm to shine through and watch your business continue to flourish with loyal, local customers.

Imagine, if you will, a perfect winter morning; cold, crisp air, clear blue skies, a slight hoar frost giving a satisfying crunch to each step and the delicate silhouettes of leafless trees. A morning like this beckons us outdoors, inviting us to adventure and inspiring us to take on new challenges. However, now let your mind wander back to many winter mornings which greet us here in the UK. Depending on where we live, we may walk out to a grey world, often with a slight drizzle and accompanying wet slushy puddles. Opening the curtains to a day like this makes curling up with a good book, a mug of tea and a sweet treat very appealing. However, here in our green-pastured nation, we have faced the variables of the British climate for centuries, often with resilience and good humour making the most of each day as it comes.

As crafters, the winter months offer good opportunities for selling at craft fairs and markets, so whatever the weather, we encourage you to head out and make the most of these days. If you are new to selling at fairs, your first task is to find a few which are local to you and book yourself a place. Do some research beforehand; what customer group will this event attract? It could be families with children, in which case you might like to consider taking some pocket money items, or it could be an evening event with more time to browse, and thus budgets might be higher. Organisers will ask if you have public liability insurance UK for craft fairs which covers you for those completely unforeseen events when an accident happens and a member of the public makes a claim against you. Even if it is not your fault, this insurance will cover you. Insurance, especially if you are new to selling your crafts, can seem a bit daunting. However, as a family-run business who have been working in this area for several decades, we can guide you through the process and ensure you get the best cover for your unique business needs. So, pick up the phone or drop us a line and either Sam or Naomi will talk you through Public Liability Insurance UK for craft fairs.

For those of you who are craft fair veterans, you will probably have a well-rehearsed pre-fair routine of what you need to pack, what you need to arrange and the best order in which to do all this. You may not need many extra suggestions, but we would like to offer one additional tip which you may not have included on your “to-do” list; take care of yourself. These days can be tiring in themselves and usually come after a hectic period of stock production. Unless you are very organised they may also necessitate a late night the day before. So, think about what you will eat and drink while there; try to ensure you have a good breakfast and take a nutritious packed lunch with you, as well as a refillable water bottle. Maybe treat yourself to a warm drink and a tasty snack during the day. If it is likely to be cold, remember to take some extra warm layers, possibly a woollen shawl which is both comfortable and looks stylish. You may not be a make-up wearer, but some lipstick can add to your confidence levels while a small pot of lip balm and some hand cream will moisturise your skin. All these are little things in themselves, but together they speak quiet words that you matter, that you are worth looking after. This added confidence will then spill over into your conversations with customers!

If you are new to the wonderful world of craft fairs, here are a few suggestions of practical items you can consider adding to your “Craft Fair Inventory”. Firstly you will need to get your stock from your vehicle to your display table. Check out parking restrictions at the venue; many crafters find a set of wheels helpful in transferring stock even if parking is readily available.

Next, think through your display. Find out the size of your table and look for a cloth which will not only cover it but will also reach down the front and hide boxes and other items you might want to store. This will give your stall an uncluttered look, drawing customers’ eyes to your beautiful products rather than to a pile of cardboard boxes! Investing in a table covering is an important foundation for your display, so think through colour and texture. It may also be advisable to bring a few “crocodile clips” to discretely secure the cloth to the table; you don’t want a curious child pulling at it and inadvertently causing your whole display to come crashing to the ground! Lastly, consider how you will display your items, how to add height and light and whether you will have any display boards to compliment the products themselves.

As you come to sales, you will need a cash box and float, and a means of card or other payment. Remember to take your sales and order books and a couple of spare pens. Once you have made a sale, how will you wrap your product? Many crafters use paper bags, but you may also consider tissue paper, especially if it ties in with the colour of your brand. It can also be a good idea to pop a business card into each package, so remember to bring a good supply with you.

The days are long and busy, but in between customers, you may be able to work on your craft, thus adding further interest to your stall.

Craft fairs involve some hard work and planning, but are generally very worthwhile, not only in terms of sales but also in the connections you make, the conversations you have and inspiration you imbibe. Remember to get your public liability insurance UK for craft fairs and get out and about in the craft fair circuit!

As autumn slowly meanders its way towards winter, our thoughts will be turning towards Christmas and the many marketing opportunities this brings for individually made and uniquely crafted products. While selling online will increase at this time of year, it is also an ideal time to step out and look for venues where you can sell in person. While Christmas can be a springboard for this search, you may well wish to continue selling in this way throughout the following year.

There are many advantages of selling locally and in person. Not all of us can boast of being a whizz with tech, so it might be a relief that selling face-to-face doesn’t require too much growth in that area! It will, however, be a fantastic outlet for those interpersonal and communication skills, giving you the space to get to know your customers. If you can engage with them, sharing the story of your business and introducing them to your products will begin to raise your profile locally. It may be that you also run workshops or experience days, for which you can have some attractive leaflets printed giving details of these to distribute or details on your Facebook page.

Meeting your customers and speaking with them provides invaluable insights into what they appreciate about your products and may spark some ideas for new lines. It’s a great opportunity to ask some open questions and enjoy doing a spot of market research. A good reputation locally will be built not only on the quality of your products but also through good customer relationships. Use in-person selling to build a rapport with your buyers, maybe offering a discount if they recommend you to a friend. Word of mouth is a very powerful marketing tool in a community.

In addition to the traditional craft fairs and markets, there are many more local avenues you can explore to sell your product. If you are fairly small or just starting out, why not look out for some local fundraising events. These could be for any number of organisations from scouts and guides through to primary schools and churches. You will be asked to pay for a table and most probably required to have craft fair public liability insurance but one advantage of these events is that the table cost is usually quite reasonable so you are likely to easily clear it and come away with a profit. In addition, it can often be a good way to network with other crafters in your area.

Another suggestion is to check for any Arts Weeks or similar in your area. The idea of these is for local artists and crafters to exhibit their products, maybe in studios or galleries but sometimes in their homes. The organisers produce a map of the different venues and their opening times and the public comes to visit. This can lead to sales but is also a good way to raise your profile and market your workshops.

Farmers markets and farm shops will often have openings for locally produced, unique, good-quality craft products alongside their own locally produced food and drink. This can be a win all around and a great shopping experience for customers. They could, for example, purchase locally reared meat and organically grown vegetables plus hand-crafted soap and bar shampoo and in addition come away with a gift of a candle for a friend, all within one easy-to-access shop.

You might also like to explore options for selling your products in local craft shops or independent stores. If you live in a tourist area, there may be gift shops which will like to promote locally made crafts, especially if they reflect the area in some way. It could be worth checking out National Trust properties or other similar venues near you as they will often host popular craft fairs and local food markets with good footfall.

Moving away from local marketing, it could be worth searching for craft-specific fairs and festivals around the country. These might be more suited to established businesses as the stall price will probably be greater than a local market, but if the footfall is good, it could be worth the investment. These will also be wonderful networking opportunities and you will come away buzzing with new ideas and brimming with refreshed creativity.

With Christmas fast approaching there will be a plentiful supply of Christmas markets and fairs, from large, well-established events in our cities to smaller town hall affairs in our local communities. As you consider booking for these, remember to do some research beforehand to find out the customer base you are most likely to be serving. For example, a daytime fair based in a school or a small town outdoor Christmas fun afternoon is more likely to have customers looking for gifts in a lower price range than a Christmas craft evening in a stately home where a glass of wine is offered with admission.

Alongside your booking fee, you will also need to consider craft fair public liability insurance as most organisers will ask that you have it. Insurance might sound a daunting prospect, but as a family business that has been working with crafters for several decades, we are committed to ensuring each of our customers get the best package for their unique business. So, pick up the phone or drop us a line and either Sam or Naomi will be here to walk you through craft fair public liability insurance. We look forward to hearing all about your business.

We hope this has provided you with some practical suggestions for the array of venues at which you could sell your crafts. Let us know of others you come across. As well as creating high-quality, unique products, you also have a completely unique and fascinating story to your business. Selling face-to-face is a great way to share this. So, be bold and confident in what you are doing and get yourself and your products out there!

Your website is your online shop and there are many ways you can recreate online the methods you would use to sell your craft offline. In this article, we are going to look at how you can make your online shop more of a hub of communication and a place customers want to return to!

One aspect of selling arts and crafts is that it is personal, and getting out and about to fairs and shows brings with it the pleasure of meeting lots of lovely people who appreciate and want to purchase your beautiful handmade items. But how can you replicate this personal aspect of your trade online?

Well, there are various methods you can use that enable you to open up that communication with your audience and one of the best is via email. Creating a list of addresses of the people who have shown an interest in your products is a great idea as it will be yours to keep. Your website can help you to nurture and grow your email list so that you can continue to have conversations with your customers, long after they have left your online shop. This means that they are much more likely to come back to you and consider buying from you again.

Think about it, if you had a shop in the high street, then bumped into your customers regularly and chatted about how business was going, how they were doing and the latest news, they would be most likely to come to you if they wanted to buy a special gift or a handmade item. That’s how an email list works. You can have those conversations regularly with the people who have already visited your website.

But how do you obtain the email address of someone who has simply visited your website?

Well, the answer is that you have to give them something of value to obtain an email address. On arrival at the home page of your website, your visitors will be pleased to find that you are giving something away for free that might help them, and they certainly won’t mind giving you their email address to receive it. That’s how the conversation starts.

So the first thing to do to build your list is to:

Create an attractive lead magnet on your website

A lead magnet is something you offer in return for contact information. It could be a “how to”, a pattern, a cheatsheet, a discount code or even an ebook. The visitor then gains access to your free resource by giving their email address. You send them the resource automatically and they are added to your email list. When they receive the free resource, trust between you starts to build which allows you to begin a relationship with your subscribers.

It’s a good idea to position the free resource on your homepage or one of your high-traffic website pages in the form of a pop-up. You can time the pop-up so that it doesn’t appear immediately – it’s up to you to set the number of seconds before it appears. In the same way that you would not leap on a customer and start talking to them the moment of entering a shop in the real world, most people don’t want a pop-up appearing before they have had a chance to look at the website page. In a real shop, you’d want to give them a few moments to have a good look around at your well-crafted items before politely asking whether you could help or if was there something specific that they were looking for..? Pop-ups too can be polite and less obtrusive!

Now you have your lead magnet on your website housed on a high-traffic page (often the home page) in an attractively designed pop-up. Your customers are starting to leave their email addresses because they all want to know ‘How to…….”

So let the conversations begin!!

It’s entirely up to you how you choose to engage with your email list. Many people create a newsletter to give people regular value related to their products. Depending on how busy you are, you could send out an email weekly, fortnightly or monthly with insights, updates, stories or discounts around the times of year when people are most likely to be looking to spend with you.

Then once you have shared a bit about yourself, let your audience have their say!

Host an online webinar!

Webinars are the go-to learning platforms today and offer an excellent opportunity to build your email list. As an expert in your field, you can host a free webinar on your area of expertise. Imagine being able to show a demonstration live online, as you would at a craft fair, of the wonderful time-proven process you follow to produce your amazing crafts.

People love to be let into the secrets behind what goes into creating a thing of beauty (you don’t have to reveal all your secrets of course if your process is part of your USP!) Furthermore, these days you can even buy webinar software that allows you to host live events with attendees, and it will all run seamlessly without a hitch.

Not only this, your participants can comment in the live chat, giving you invaluable insights and the opportunity to answer and engage with them in a way that you would not otherwise have had.

The best part about hosting a webinar is that people don’t mind signing up for them since they’re free and require little to no investment (except of course of their time, but this is time well spent, learning).

As long as you provide enough value in your webinar, people will have no issues giving you their email address in return. 

• Plan the details of your webinar—topic, platform, date, time, and duration.
• Create a landing page mentioning all the details for the webinar with a sign-up form. Make sure to include a short form with fewer fields—best to have the name and email address only.

When you have done all of the above you can promote the webinar via social media and spread the word in your network. Then, as you now have the email addresses of the participants, you can set up an automated email series to send them your event link, a reminder on the day of the event, a thank you email to the participant for joining, and then another email to say thank you once the event is over.

Finally, once you have created all of this new business, don’t forget to make sure that you have your insurance for artists and crafters in place! If you are new to selling arts and crafts online, why not give us a call and Naomi or Sam will talk you through the insurance for artists and crafters that we offer. Craft Insurance have been providing insurance for artists and crafters for decades, so please do get in touch and we’ll help you to find you the correct insurance tailored to your unique requirements.

Five Inspiring Ideas to Boost Your Creativity!

September often brings a sense of renewal. Children go back to school, the days begin to shorten, and the air gets cooler. For artists and crafters, this shift can be an invitation to reconnect with your creativity and breathe new life into your projects. The joy of creating something beautiful is, in itself, deeply rewarding. But let’s be real: for many of us, it also needs to pay the bills! Whether you’re a full-time artist or crafting to supplement your income, merging creativity with a sustainable business model can be both challenging and incredibly fulfilling.

Your handmade art holds a unique power—it provides people with items that are not only beautiful but deeply personal. In a world where mass-produced goods are the norm, your craftsmanship fills the void for those searching for something special. Each piece you create carries a personal touch, a story, and a sense of individuality that simply can’t be replicated. This is your unique selling proposition (USP) and it sets you apart. No one else can do what you do, the way you do it.

However, creativity can ebb and flow. Sometimes it’s a burst of inspiration, and other times, ideas take time to form, like seeds needing to germinate. If you’ve been feeling a little stuck or just want to expand your creative horizons, here are five strategies to help boost your creativity this September!

1. Learn and experiment with something new

One of the best ways to ignite your creativity is by learning something new. The more you know, the more your brain can draw on when coming up with fresh ideas. Learning a new skill—whether it’s painting, photography, pottery, or even something unrelated to your craft like cooking or coding—can open up new ways of thinking. These new perspectives can be integrated into your work, giving you fresh creative energy.

For example, if you’re a ceramicist, learning the basics of painting could inspire you to create more intricate designs on your pottery. Or, if you’re a jewellery maker, exploring the world of textile design might inspire you to incorporate fabrics into your pieces. The possibilities are endless. Expanding your knowledge base often leads to new combinations of ideas, making it easier to innovate and stay ahead of trends.

Besides, new tech tools can also be a game-changer. While they can’t replace human creativity, tools like digital sketching apps or software that helps you simulate designs can speed up the process and give you more time to create. By staying up-to-date with the latest tech, you can find more efficient ways to work without losing your creative touch.

2. Collaborate with others

Creativity thrives on collaboration. Joining or forming a group with other artists or crafters allows you to share ideas, receive feedback, and exchange techniques. The energy of working alongside others, whether in person or virtually, can stimulate new ways of thinking. Plus, you get the bonus of expanding your network and meeting like-minded creatives who can inspire and support you. Most crafters would agree that attending craft fairs is an inspiration, as seeing other people’s creative ideas on display is so refreshing.

If you have children, spending time with them can also be a powerful creative boost. Children have a fresh, unfiltered perspective of the world and aren’t bound by the rules and “shoulds” that often limit adult thinking. You’ll be surprised by the unexpected ideas they come up with—ideas that could inspire your next masterpiece! Their natural sense of wonder can remind you to stay curious and keep your mind open to all possibilities.

Don’t limit yourself to just other artists, either. Collaborating with people outside your field, like musicians, writers or chefs can bring new perspectives that you wouldn’t have thought of on your own.

3. Listen to uplifting music

Music is a powerful tool for creativity. According to Time Magazine, certain kinds of music, especially upbeat or classical tunes, have been shown to activate areas of the brain responsible for divergent thinking, which is the key to coming up with innovative solutions. A study in PLOS ONE, stated that listening to “happy” music—typically defined as uplifting classical music—can help you think outside the box, make unexpected connections, and generate new ideas.

4. Change Your Environment

Sometimes, your surroundings can limit your creativity. Sitting in the same space day after day can lead to a creative rut, so try shaking things up by changing your environment. You don’t need to go on the holiday of a lifetime to feel inspired—small changes can make a huge difference.

Start by rearranging your workspace, adding new artwork to the walls, or simply bringing in some fresh plants. Even moving to a different room or working outdoors for a day can help break the monotony and give you a fresh perspective.

A change of scenery can stimulate new ideas. When your surroundings shift, your brain starts making new connections between things that were previously unrelated. This can lead to creative breakthroughs and help you see your work in a whole new light.

5. Set Limits on Your Work

Sometimes, creativity thrives when you impose constraints on yourself. While it may seem counterintuitive, setting limits can push you to think in new and innovative ways. For example, you could challenge yourself to create something using only two or three colours, or to complete a project within a short deadline. These kinds of self-imposed constraints force you to think more creatively within the boundaries you’ve set.

Brooklyn based artist, Damian Correll explained in the Behance Blog that constraints often lead him to think in ways he wouldn’t naturally consider. He limits his colour palette and prefers shorter deadlines to prevent overthinking and second-guessing himself. By relying on his gut instincts, he finds that the pressure to make decisions quickly actually helps him produce more creative work. Similarly, you can impose your limits to see how they fuel your creativity.

Make September Your Most Creative Month Yet

September is the perfect time to reset, recharge, and reinvigorate your creative spirit as well as attending the excellent craft fairs that take place at this time of year. Finding fresh ways to express yourself and increase productivity will see you breezing off to these events with your sails full! And while you are doing all this, if you need help to find one off event public liability insurance tailored to your unique requirements please do get in touch! 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 and find the correct one off event public liability insurance. We look forward to hearing what works for you to get you into that creative space!

So, whether you’re creating for the joy of it or selling your work to support your household, with your one off event liability insurance in place, we hope that this September is a month to remember!

Happy creating!

Autumn will soon be here in all its glory; golden and auburn leaves spreading a rich canopy over every woodland area, berries of scarlet and black bedecking our hedgerows and forgotten wasteland areas, and squirrels ready to fill their hideaways with nuts for the long winter months ahead. There is something so wholesome and warm about autumn that makes us want to hold onto its beauty and abundance as long as we can. However, the nip in the air starts to increase, morning and evening, and as the days themselves start to get cooler, it signals a time to move on. In times gone by, these were industrious weeks where the last of the harvest was brought in, produce was bottled and preserved and houses were filled with the aroma of bubbling chutney or sweet jams. Prior to the advent of electric freezers, meat was hung, smoked and salted to provide for the family throughout the winter. In many a farmhouse kitchen a hunk of bacon was hung from the eves, the more fat the better, as this sustained the labourers through the biting, snowy winds they faced as they tended their animals. Girls and women would forage the last of the nuts and berries and all would be stored away. A careful inventory of clothes would be taken, to ensure there were hats, coats and woollens enough, and that boots were watertight for another winter.  

In our day and age, with supermarkets and twenty-four-hour internet shopping, we fortunately don’t need to prepare for winter in this way. However, might there be something good for our mental well-being in taking some steps to prepare for the colder, wetter and greyer days? This could involve learning one new skill in preserving food…making blackberry jam or perhaps foraging for sloes and turning them into sloe gin for Christmas presents. Or it might entail buying a couple of scented candles to fill your room with a soft glow and comforting fragrance at the beginning and end of each day. We will all need to check our winter wardrobes and most mothers will know the last-minute angst of searching for missing gloves or lost hats before school on that first really cold day of the year.  

For knitters and crotcheters autumn is a season of preparation as you continue to add to your stock of warm winter woollens, blankets and accessories. If this is your first winter of selling your gorgeous products, you will be thinking about how and when you will sell. Do check out previous posts about admin and marketing as ensuring your business foundations are solid will save you time, energy and possibly money in the future. Late autumn/early winter is a good time to consider selling face-to-face as there will be an increase in markets and fairs leading up to Christmas. As well as checking your stock, gathering table decor and enlisting any help you may require, you will also need to look at craft show insurance. Craft show insurance mainly comprises public and product liability insurance and most market and fair organisers will ask that you have the correct insurance in place. If this is your first time dipping your toe into this arena, craft show insurance can sound confusing. However, as a family firm who have worked within crafting insurance for several decades, we really can give you the benefit of our experience and ensure you obtain the insurance you need at a competitive cost. As a small family firm we deal directly with our customers so pick up the phone or drop us a line and either Naomi or Sam will be here to talk you through the craft show insurance you need for your unique business. 

Knitting or crocheting has many advantages for the small craft business owner. Start-up costs are low, you do not require any special workspace (though a rocking chair and set of drawers to keep yarn, needles, hooks and buttons would be good), and it is portable, allowing you to create stock around your daily life. Building up a wonderful array of products may well come fairly naturally, but how and where to sell might be a new experience and outside of your comfort zone. You could begin by taking a look online and seeing how others market their products. If this is your first winter selling, take a look too at what fairs are happening locally in the lead-up to Christmas, decide which would best suit your product range and take the plunge by booking yourself a table!  

For example, if you have a collection of gorgeous baby woollies, you could consider a school Christmas fair or maybe a local antenatal or nursery fundraiser. Baby and children’s jumpers, cardigans and accessories will sell at a lower price bracket than adult products, so they could be a good and encouraging way to start.  

If you sell online, remember to add your environmental credentials to your website. You might want to champion British wool, its durability, warmth and comfort as well as the support each real wool garment provides to British sheep farmers. Make sure your customers know what sheep the wool you use comes from and it’s particular benefits. For example, Aran wool has been used to make jumpers for Scottish fishermen for generations and is known for its durability and warmth. Lambs wool, while more expensive, is super soft. Remind your potential buyers that sheep have been grazing our hills and vales for thousands of years and in the face of a throw-away society, offering garments and blankets made from real wool, while they will be more expensive initially, will be more durable and much warmer than their synthetic counterparts. They are a fantastic investment; maybe your gorgeous garments will be a part of a real wool revival.  

So, as the days become cooler, top up your mug of tea and continue to prepare for winter sales of warm woollens, snuggly blankets and cute hats and mittens. Your creations will not only keep their owners warm during the colder weather but will also bring many a smile on an otherwise grey day.  

Autumn is approaching. Flower borders are changing from the vibrant colours of summer to the more subtle tones of oranges, reds and mauves. Hanging baskets are looking somewhat bedraggled. The nights are closing in and there is a chill in the evening air. The days may begin with a low mist hanging over the land, but this has usually cleared by mid-morning and we often enjoy the generous warmth of a sun lower in the sky. Our hedgerows are heavy with scarlet berries and white, fluffy old man’s beard scrambles wherever it can find a hold. Juicy blackberries are found in country and city alike, and the ground underneath hazel and beech trees is strewn with nuts where squirrels are at the ready to scurry them away to their secret stores.

Warm autumn weekends beckon us outdoors. Wherever you live, why not take some time to immerse yourself in the beauty of the autumnal colours, scents and sounds? Maybe you could head to some woodland; take some containers for blackberrying, a steaming flask of tea and a sweet treat. It’s a great time to hunt for mushrooms and toadstools, although not a good idea to forage unless you are certain of what you are picking. If you do have some knowledge of what you are looking for, the variety of colours, shapes and textures of fungi is huge. Take some photos and maybe explore with a guidebook in hand. It is no wonder that fungi have provided vast inspiration for both artists and crafters alike over the years.

Some of us will be donning our walking boots and taking a ramble across the fields and down some country lanes. If you do, you will likely find dark red hawthorn berries, scarlet rosehips, cloudy black sloes and clusters of shiny black elderberries. Traditional rural remedies use many of these to make syrups and cordials to boost vitamin C levels during the winter. Sloes, together with sugar, added to gin, make a perfect Christmas gift, by which time they have all seeped together to create a deep purple sloe gin to pour into small bottles.

Autumn also holds many delights for children, such as collecting conkers from horse chestnut trees. There is something magical about finding a green, prickly seed case, gently applying pressure, and then prying it open to reveal the shiny tan-coloured conker within. They are fun to collect and although they turn darker brown with age and lose their shine, they work well in conker fights or as a decorative item around the home! Country lore says that spiders do not like the smell of conkers so you may sometimes see them placed on windowsills to deter unwanted eight-legged visitors.

There are many distinctive smells associated with autumn. If you are a chutney maker, the mouthwatering aroma of vinegar, sugar, spices and your homegrown produce will be one you look forward to. If you live in the countryside the scent of a bonfire, wafting across neighbouring gardens is a sure indication that autumn is here. If you live near a park, the sound and smell of freshly fallen leaves as you scuffle through them may bring back childhood memories of glorious leaf fights amidst peals of laughter.

The tastes of autumn are numerous. A delicious apple and blackberry crumble, a casserole simmering on the hob, a crunchy hazelnut eaten straight from its casing, a bowlful of warming pumpkin soup and a mug of spicy mulled cider are all synonymous with the season. For our forebears, autumn was an immensely busy time when they prepared their homes, gardens and store cupboards for the long winter months ahead. While we don’t need to gather and preserve in the same way nowadays, autumn often prompts us to focus on our homes. It can be a time when we look to making them snug and cosy, maybe adding some new cushions, throws, candles or crockery. It is also a time when we reassess our wardrobes, amassing hats, scarves and woolly jumpers to keep out the biting winds to come. With the multitude of colours, textures, tastes and smells to inspire your autumn ranges, and customers on the lookout for some warming extras, you will want to promote your autumn-themed products.

If you mainly sell face-to-face, it could be a good time to try out some markets before you fall headlong into the Christmas rush. This will give you time to work out what you need, how to display your products to their best advantage, and whether you may require some extra help over the next couple of months. Sales may already be starting to increase online as Christmas orders are placed, but with the autumn sunshine still lingering, don’t be shy about promoting your autumnal range. For both online and face-to-face selling, you will need to take a look at craft makers insurance. Craft makers insurance will often comprise product and public liability insurance, both of which are highly recommended if you are selling to the public. Indeed, many craft fair organisers will require that you have insurance in place. As a family firm with several decades of experience selling craft makers insurance, we’ll talk you through the best options for your unique business. We value each of our customers and love the creativity you bring to your businesses. Pick up the phone or drop us a line and either Naomi or Sam will be here to chat with you and answer your queries.

Once you are ready to sell, you might consider packaging some of your products up into an autumn-themed gift box. Or, you could join with another crafter to create a box containing, for example, a couple of autumn decorations, a fragrant candle or wax melt and some autumn-themed bunting. Or, maybe a pamper box with candles, lip balm and a bath bomb.

Amidst all the busyness, we hope you have time to head out yourself to enjoy and be inspired by the beautiful colours, textures, scents and tastes of autumn.

Harvest is the season of mellow fruitfulness, of warm sunny days and evenings spent in storytelling around the fire. A season of rich colours, laden hedgerows and golden, stubbled fields. It’s a season of heartfelt gratitude, where rural communities traditionally flocked together to give thanks for a harvest safely gathered in, to raise church rafters with well-loved hymns and feast their eyes on the abundance of fruit, vegetables and harvest loaves which bedecked the pews and walkways.

Here in the U.K., we don’t have a set day to celebrate harvest. Depending on what crops are grown, the gathering usually begins in August and is finished by late September or early October. It is very weather-dependent and even in these days of much technology, can be held back due to inclement conditions. The harvesting season is hard work for any farmer today, but in decades past the whole community was involved. So much so, that our first universities, Oxford and Cambridge, set a long summer break in their studies to allow students to go home and help with the harvest. Once the crops, fruit, vegetables and foraged foods were gathered safely in, it was time to celebrate. This usually coincided with the Harvest Moon, the full moon nearest to the autumn equinox, around 21-23 September. Many stories and paintings have been inspired by the harvest moon, and it is fun to look out for it each September. It looks bigger than normal and has an orange tinge. This is because it is nearer to the horizon than in other months, not because it is larger. When you see a beautiful harvest moon and the stars alongside it in our night sky, it feels good to be reminded that, in our seemingly increasingly unstable world, there are still some comfortingly constant things.

Most harvest celebrations take place towards the end of September or into October. In previous centuries these were often raucous affairs with an abundance of food, freely flowing ale or cider (depending on the region), folk music, dancing and a lot of celebrating. Surviving the cold, barren winter was dependent on a good harvest and the work of sowing, growing and harvesting was arduous, so celebrations were truly earned. Churches held special harvest festival services; the school children were often involved in decorating the buildings, making corn dollies to hang at the end of each pew, and the womenfolk used their creative flair to arrange flowers and produce on every windowsill, nook and cranny. A harvest loaf was often made, in the shape of a wheat sheaf. This hearkens back to the days when most of the grain harvest was done using scythes and the wheat was bound together in sheaves.

Today, many rural communities host an annual Harvest Home supper. Traditional folk music is being revived in many areas and these are great times of celebration for the whole community. Children and young people from the local school, guiding and scouting groups are often involved and again this is a steady anchor in the rural year.

The timings and customs of celebrations vary across the country, depending on the crops grown. In Kent, for example, the hop harvest provided an opportunity for families to leave London for a few weeks to “go hopping”. It was hard work and living conditions were basic, but it may have been the only time when the children were able to run freely in green space, breathe unpolluted air and enjoy the variety of farm animals. In the South West, apples were, and still are, harvested and the local cider made from the orchards added to the celebrations (and still does).

The colours, textures, smells and sheer abundance of harvest have inspired many artists, poets and crafters over the years. Monet’s “Haystacks” and VanGough’s “The Harvest” both offer us a glimpse of harvest in previous times. More recently, quilters have told the story of local harvests with their needles and textile and ceramic crafters have produced a glorious array of harvest-themed, unique and gorgeous products.

Apples and pumpkins, as well as wheat sheaves, vegetables and the bounty of the hedgerows all make for wonderful motifs on throws, cushions and blankets, cute hats for children, deliciously scented candles and stunning wood-turned decorations. If you are creating your harvest of products, you will be looking for craft insurance cover. Wherever you are selling, whether online or at markets and fairs, you will need to consider both product and public liability craft insurance cover. Most craft fair organisers will ask that you have public liability craft insurance cover, and it is well worth considering both of these for online selling too. As a family business ourselves, we know the relationship we have with our customers is foundational. We communicate with you, so if you are new to the world of selling your crafts, pick up the phone or drop us a line and either Naomi or Sam will talk you through the most appropriate craft insurance cover for your unique business.

These days we are not dependent on bringing in a good harvest, and for those living within our large towns or cities, the concept of harvest may seem far away. However, there are always themes those of us living in an urban environment can glean from this ancient tradition which is still celebrated in rural areas. Maybe you could look for your nearest Harvest Home supper or Harvest festival service and make it a source of inspiration every year. Or, maybe you could take a walk in the beautiful autumn countryside and gather some berries, nuts, and leaves with which to decorate your own home and even boil up some blackberry jam to enjoy in those long winter months. Whatever you decide, we hope you will be able to celebrate the goodness and abundance of our bountiful earth in some way this autumn.