Craft Focus - Feb/Mar 2020 (Issue 77)

76 The vinyl countdown When did you launch Crafty Cutter? I started the business on my lounge floor in October 2015 with a guillotine, 100 rolls of vinyl and a dream of supplying the UK’s crafters with a high-quality product for use with their electronic die cutting machines. We moved into business premises in May 2018 and now stock in excess of 100 product lines with over 1,000 variants. In 2019, we focused on our B2B division, encompassing craft and sign trade supplies for retailers, designers, creators and educators. Talk us through your product range. We stock an extensive range of self-adhesive and heat transfer craft vinyl in a selection of colours and finishes. We were the first independent within the sector to offer patterned vinyl, and we hope to grow this range in 2020. We also plan to expand the lines of blanks that can be used to decorate with our materials. How did you end up working in the craft industry? By accident! I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset and had many business ideas before starting Crafty Cutter, but I spent the majority of my working career in a customer-focused sales role within logistics. It was the purchase of a die-cutting machine with the hope of creating hand- crafted pieces to sell that sparked the original idea, and four years later, the business employs five members of my family including my mum, who has been an avid crafter for as long as I can remember. You’ll be exhibiting at CHSI Stitches this year – what’s new? Last year was our first Stitches and it was amazing! Visitors to our stand in 2020 can expect a very warm welcome along with demos of our products in use with different machines and tools. There will also be an opportunity to touch, feel and use our materials, and I will be on hand to answer questions. We will be displaying a range of retail-ready product lines that are perfect for bricks and mortar or ecommerce craft shops. Do you have any new launches coming up? We’re extremely excited by our new range of patterned rolls, featuring 6” x 6” squares in complementary palettes and themes. The product will launch on the Create and Craft channel at the end of January, with more designs on show at Stitches in February. What do you enjoy about working in the craft industry? I love the fast-paced turnover of trends and I am always amazed at the creations our customers come up with. Supplying microbusinesses with materials and seeing them flourish will never get boring. What’s next? It’s set to be an exciting year, with the continuation of our new partnership with Create and Craft. We will also be building a B2B site and bringing out new product lines. Crafty Cutter supplies a varied selection of vinyl materials for crafters. Owner Charlotte Pemberton reveals what the company has to offer retailers +44 (0)1772 752 855 candstrade.co.uk craftycutter.co.uk