About craft&design

in 2017, after 34 years of publishing their printed magazine, Paul and Angie Boyer published issue 250 March/April 2017 which was the last one to be produced before changing to craft&design; Online, which is released every two months. craft&design; Online has very similar content to the printed magazine, but with additional extras that only online can offer.

craft&design is a bi-monthly magazine that was originally launched in 1983 as Craftsman Magazine. In 2007 it was revamped and relaunched as craft&design magazine, to reflect and represent the contemporary design-led UK craft industry.

craft&design features work in all media by British and Irish designer makers, news, directories, listings and information about craft fairs, galleries & exhibitions, suppliers of materials & equipment, courses & workshops, guilds & associations.

With Business News & Tips for designer makers, from students and graduates through to experienced professionals, craft&design offers up to the minute advice in a practical, down to earth way.

Trade and private buyers of hand crafted work will find the comprehensive listings of events & exhibitions, the Makers Gallery pages and the variety of features in the magazine an invaluable source of fine British craft and design.

craft&design is produced by a private, independent company owned and run by husband and wife, Paul and Angie Boyer. Their unrivalled experience and knowledge of crafts, design, photography, advertising, marketing and promotion give them a unique understanding of the UK crafts industry and the needs of the people working in it.

craft&design magazine is published by a small creative business with small creative businesses in mind.

A Timeline - Celebrating Thirty Years

- 1983

• Paul and Angie Boyer launch Craftsman Magazine, 16 pages, A4 size, 2 colour, newsprint

- 1984

• We receive our very first order for a subscription to the magazine
• We relocate from London to Sussex

- 1985

• Promotional t-shirts available bearing the slogan ‘Craftworkers do it by hand’

- 1986

• With more than a little help from our friends, we organise Craft Aid - and raise lots and lots of money for Save the Children
• The magazine cover goes glossy
• We hold our first National Spinning Competiton at the British Craft & Gift Fair, Brighton, an event organised by Linda & Raeffe Maw, Southern and Sussex Country Craft Fairs
• The first full colour front cover, just in time for our Christmas issue

- 1987

• We launch ‘Craftfinder’ in association with our good friend Barry Joel, a searchable database for UK Crafts
• We relocate to East Yorkshire
• We produce our first Craftsman Diary, designed especially for the craft industry

- 1988

• Issue 23, the first to be stocked by WHSmith

- 1989

• The magazine goes glossy throughout
• Craftsman bio-degradable carrier bags available - we were ahead of our time!
• Our bespoke Wallplanner makes it’s inaugural appearance

- 1991

• We publish our immensely popular ‘Guide to Starting in Crafts’ book

- 1993

• The Crafts Direct pages first appear in the magazine - the precurser to our current Makers Gallery pages?

- 1996

• Best Newcomer Award at the British Craft Trade Fair in Harrogate, an award that we’re proud to still sponsor

- 1997

• We publish our second book, ‘The Essential Guide to Craft Supplies’
• Closely followed by our ‘Complete Where and When’ book
• ‘Diary of a Craftworker’, was the brain child of Elizabeth White, our then Business Editor. It’s still one of the most popular features in the magazine

- 1998

• We hold our first ever Business Seminar in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire
• ‘The Essential Craft Guide’ is launched
• Our website goes live - little did we know what an important part it would play in the future of British Crafts!

- 1999

• We sponsor the Student Award at Art in Clay, Hatfield for the first time, won by Mirka Golden-Hann. Our sponsorship continues for many years
• We successfully organise our first Craftmakers Materials Show at Kempton Park

- 2002

• Dennis Kilgannon wins our Prize at Potfest in the Pens, Penrith, which we’re very pleased to continue to sponsor to this day

- 2003

• Selected goes live, our super-duper online gallery of work by professional designer-makers

- 2007

• Big changes! We redesign and relaunch Craftsman magazine as craft&design - and get an amazing response!
• The Makers Gallery pages first appear in the magazine, a great idea from Rachael Chambers, our Contemporary Craft Editor

- 2008

• We co-sponsor, with Prize’ at the British Glass Biennale - joint winners Carrie Fertig & Robyn Smith

- 2009

• We receive an overwhelming response to the launch of our craft&design Selected Awards. Our very first ‘Maker of the Year’ is glass artist, Jessamy Kelly
• We co-sponsor - (and still do, with Bursary Scheme

- 2010

• We sponsor the Best New Business Award at the Contemporary Craft Fair in Bovey Tracey
• Fiaz Elson wins our craft&design Award at the British Glass Biennale
• Our first craft&design Selected Calendar features the work of our Award winners

- 2011

• We launch our National Craft and Design Month May 2011 at Peter Layton’s Glassblowing Studio & Gallery in London
• We co-sponsor the Glass Prize, London, which is won by Sara Fell

- 2012

• Silversmith Award at the
  Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair
• Angie accepts the invitation to sit on the Selection Panel for the 2012 Saltaire Arts Trail
• Angie is guest speaker and officially opens the 19th Hereford Contemporary Craft Fair
• Our latest project goes live, craft&design Search, our online facility that enables everyone to search right across our massive database, all absolutely free of charge!

- 2013

• Amazingly, this is our 30th year of publishing our magazine - where on earth did the time go!?

 

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