7 EDITOR’S LETTER On the cover This elegant black mixed media paper, in the new Hahnemühle Black Bookmark Pad is more than just a painting surface – it’s an invitation to experiment. The deep black background allows colours to shine in full brilliance and turns every motif into a little masterpiece. Bright motifs such as Koi Carp are extremely impressive: in shiny red, gold or silver, they glide through the deep black water like living jewels, while metallic watercolours create soft light reflections. Visit the website: www.hahnemuehle.co.uk Welcoming a bright new year in craft Welcome to our first issue of 2026! We hope you enjoyed a fantastic ‘golden quarter’ and are feeling positive and inspired for the year ahead in retail. In this jam-packed edition, we look ahead to brighter days with our spring and Easter craft guide, alongside our spring fabrics feature. You’ll find plenty of uplifting projects your customers will love, paired with a fresh, cheerful colour palette to help chase away those January blues. We also showcase a variety of exciting sewing projects, including new cross stitch kits from Bothy Threads, as well as Bamboline Dolls – a wonderful new addition to Creative Solutions. Elsewhere, we take a deep dive into the upcoming h+h cologne trade fair and catch up with its sister show, h+h americas, featuring a Q&A with Darrin Stern, President and Managing Director of KM Inc. Pantone has unveiled Cloud Dancer as its Colour of the Year, inspiring our round-up of soft, billowy white products that are sure to delight. We also round up the latest show and industry news. As always, we’d love to hear from you. Do keep in touch with your latest products and industry news – we’re just a phone call away! Happy reading, Louise Prance Editor Rachel DESIGN +44 (0)1376 535 616 artwork@craftfocus.com ACCOUNTS +44 (0)1376 535 616 accounts@craftfocus.com MANAGING DIRECTOR Sarah Ellis +44 (0)1376 535 602 sarah.ellis@craftfocus.com Craft Focus is solely owned, published and designed by Ellis Media and Events Ltd. Whilst every effort was made to ensure the information in this magazine was correct at the time of going to press, the publishers cannot accept legal responsibility for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility of the standing of advertisers nor by the editorial contributions. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Craft Focus is published six times a year. ISSN 1758-0900 @craftfocus @craftfocusmag @craftfocus Craft Focus is proud to be associated with and supporters of: ADVERTISING Account Manager Tracy Voice +44 (0)1376 538 555 tracy.voice@craftfocus.com EDITORIAL Editor Rachel Westall +44 (0)1376 514 000 editor@craftfocus.com Creative Solutions Lavinia Stamps
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