Craft Focus - Dec/Jan (Issue 70)

88 craft focus stamp collecting Tell us a little about the history of Stamperama. Back in 1998, we held our very first Stamperama in rooms next to a pub in Hatfield. It was on two floors with no lifts and the turnout was much larger than we expected. Because so many of our visitors decided to make a day of it the pub ran out of food. We held it once more in the same location before looking for a much bigger venue, eventually choosing Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre. How many locations are you currently running shows in? As 2019 marks Stamperama’s 21 st year, we have decided to branch out into different parts of the country. Our first new event is at the Pavilions of Harrogate at the Yorkshire Event Centre on 2 nd March. The second is in collaboration with Hobby Art Stamps and will take place at Charmandean Centre in Worthing on 25 th May. We will still be at Stevenage Arts Centre on 24 th February and 11 th August and we plan to add more locations in future. What kind of visitors do the shows attract? Our visitors vary greatly in age and experience. We have lots of returnees who are dedicated to stamping, as well as first timers that have never been to a show before. More papercrafters are now dabbling in stamping and there are tools like the stamp press and stamp platform that make it easier to achieve a great result every time. Some people just come to stock up on their card and paper or learn a new technique. How has the craft industry changed during the show’s 21 years? When we started Stamperama most exhibitors were selling wood mounted rubber stamps. These have now been replaced with unmounted and clear stamps. The biggest change has been the introduction of dies, stencils and embossing folders, and there are now hundreds of different manufacturers and thousands of designs including inkpads. The choice of products and accessories is endless. What are the big trends in stamping and papercraft? My current favourite products are Ranger Distress Oxide inkpads, which have made a big difference to the things we can achieve with our background papers and stamps. As far as trends go there are a few, but unicorns are still some of our biggest sellers. The fashion industry tends to influence the craft sector. Flamingos and sloths are really popular, and we are seeing more humour appear in stamps and papercrafting. Stamperama celebrates its 21 st anniversary this year. Organiser Sarah Bewick takes us behind the scenes of the hit consumer show stamperama.com