Craft Focus - Page number 9 - August/September 2021 (Issue 86)

9 INDUSTRY NEWS  Industry news Latest news from the craf industry Crafter’s Companion launches products with Next Crafter’s Companion, the global art and craft retailer, is excited to announce a new partnership with Next. The company is working with the multinational clothing and homeware retailer to sell products from two of its sought- after brands, Spectrum Noir and Violet Studio. The items are already available to buy online! Violet Studio, Crafter’s Companion’s fashion- forward craft and stationery brand, launched in February this year. Next will sell a variety of the brand’s card kits, notebooks, paper pads, wax seal kits and more. The retailer will also stock a number of products from Crafter’s Companion’s popular art materials brand, Spectrum Noir. These include the brand’s Illustrator and Classique alcohol markers, AquaBlend water- based markers, Acylic Paint markers, Discovery Kits and Metallic markers. Visit the Crafter’s Companion website www.crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk Exciting new animation series launches for pre-schoolers National stationery brand, Manuscript Pen Company, has launched a new animation series following the success of its Lionheart Collection early learners’ craft brand. Manuscript launched its Lionheart Collection in 2019, with a range of arts and craft products for children aged three to 10 years old, specially designed to support development, learn new skills and offer additional benefits, such as pen control, concentration and mindfulness for young learners. Following the success of the range, the company has now decided to bring The Lionheart Collection to life with a series of animations about the characters which is aimed at children aged three to five years old, as well as extending the product range. The Lionheart Tales animations will feature on YouTube, and include Arthur, the Mayor of Lionheart Town and his friends, who will each have a heartfelt message to help children develop. The first episode, called Tummy Flutter-Byes is now available to view and to coincide with the launch, Manuscript Pen Company will be supporting children’s mental health charity Place2Be and non-for-profit global reforestation organisation, Creating Tomorrow’s Forests, by donating a percentage of sales from its Lionheart Tales website towards its charitable efforts. Manuscript will be sharing a series of short, easily digestible mental health and wellbeing blogs with tips and advice from Place2Be, using The Lionheart Tales characters to encourage mental wellness with young audiences early, particularly as children across the UK are struggling, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Manuscript Pen Company has also donated £1,000 of products to Place2Be’s art room, where art is utilised to enhance children and young people’s wellbeing. Charlie Stockbridge, Managing Director at Manuscript Pen Company, said: “Our Lionheart Collection has continued to prove popular with parents and children alike, so we’re delighted to build upon this success and launch our new The Lionheart Tales animation by working in conjunction with creative storytellers, 3Megos. It was really vital for us that we created a fun and engaging animation series which positively promotes diversity and inclusivity, and introduces children to different family types and personal characteristics that they may be able to identify with. We hope children love The Lionheart Tales as much as we do and there will be plenty to keep them occupied as our website is going to have lots of activities and learning opportunities too.” For further information on The Lionheart Tales , visit www.thelionhearttales.com