Craft Focus - Feb/Mar (Issue 65)

STAMPERAMA BACK FOR 20 TH YEAR Since its first show at the Red Lion pub in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Stamperama has gone from strength to strength. The show now takes place at Stevenage Arts and Leisure Centre, conveniently located near the A1. This year’s line-up will include a range of exhibitors including Stamp Addicts, be Creative, Hobby Art, PaperArtsy, The Art of Craft, Tiger Lily Crafts, Limetree Craft, Inkylicious, Serendipity, Honeydoo Crafts, The Stamp Hut, Stamposaurus, Craft Habitat, Gracie’s Greetings and Bee Crafty. Despite the bigger turnout, the entrance price remains the same, £2 for advance tickets and £3 on the door. Go to stampaddicts.com to order tickets. CONSUMER SHOW NEWS CREATE IT RETURNS TO KENT Following the success of its 2017 show, Create It will be returning with an even bigger range of exhibitors at the Kent Event Centre this May. The day will feature well-known brands and products, as well as favourite presenters and guests from the Hochanda TV channel. A number of live shows will be filmed as part of the event, and visitors will be given the opportunity to appear in the audience. Exhibitors will include Chloe’s Creative Cards, Hobby Art, Phill Martin, The Stamp Hut, Lavinia Stamps and The PMC Studio. For more information, go to createitevents.com BUSY EVENTS PROGRAMME PLANNED FOR H+H COLOGNE The organiser of h+h Cologne has unveiled a packed programme of events at this year’s show. Once again, trade visitors from all over the world will be meeting to seek inspiration and discover the latest trends from the international textile and handicraft industry. More than 380 exhibitors from 40 countries are already confirmed, with full representation across the sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidery and crafting sectors. The hugely successful Talk Sofa will return this year, with speakers including Professor Dr Ingo Markgraf, who will explain how retailers can appeal to younger customers. In addition, Uwe Bürder will be on hand to outline how focusing on customer loyalty can lead to increased turnover. There will be 20 workshops focusing on specialist techniques and exotic trends, as well as advice on reinventing old skills to improve business. The show will also have a global theme, with two workshops focusing on Japanese embroidery techniques. Classes can be booked in advance. There will be a special focus on amigurumi, tiny figures produced using knitting and crochet techniques. In anticipation of this year’s Fifa World Cup, crafters have created a model football stadium and will be filling it with 10,000 of these small designs. Last year’s show attracted 16,000 visitors from 75 countries worldwide, and this year’s event is expected to be equally successful. For more information, visit hh-cologne.com shows, news and events 24 craft focus