Archive of ‘Magazines’ category

Handmade Fashion

 

Em and Rob have worked long and hard on this new launch. Most of the production was done over the period when we were without an office and internet, a whole company full of people working from home, in business centres and in an office without any connectivity. To say it was a hard time for us is an understatement, it was the worst time for us.

However, Em’s vision for this magazine was relentless and Rob’s design skills and understanding of what Em wanted to achieve matched that. The finished magazine is nothing short of amazing, its almost 200 pages full of the best in handmade fashion for Spring Summer 2012. It doesn’t look like one of our craft magazines. It is special.

We had a brilliant launch party for the magazine last night, over 50 people turned up and jived and watched the fashion show and generally drank cocktails and relaxed. We sold lots of magazines and had a really good time, despite the fact that I absolutely wasn’t in the mood to have fun.

This weekend is all about a bit of handmade fashion, sewing and knitting and baking are the order of the weekend. With a little bit of housework thrown in for good measure I suppose.

Posted in Magazines | Comments Off on Handmade Fashion

Open day in the ACM office.

L to right Lilly (IC reader) Katie (work experience on MQ) Helen (MQ reader) Vick (MQ editor) Ali (IC reader) Mandy (SH reader) Vanessa (K reader) Beth Butcher (all of the mags reader!!) Em (publisher) Camilla (Knit and IC reader) Naomi (KNIT editor) Lesley (KNIT tech editor) Laura (KNIT and new launch editor) Adrian (IC staff) Nicky Trench and her friend had already left before the group photo!

Today was our first open day in the All Craft Media office, it was fantastic. A lot of hard work but worth every minute of it.

We had 10 people in the office for a few hours, this is what we got up to :

11am - everyone picked up from station or met as they drove in. Cake and tea and coffee in the meeting room followed by introduction from Kerrie.

11.20 ish - editors come in to meet everyone, bringing lots of samples with them for the next few issues. Open discussion around the magazines, the samples and plans. Editors also bring flatplans for the next few issues and explain the process of making the magazines. Question and asnswers from both sides.

1pm - lunch, knitting, spinning, crochet etc

2pm - leave meeting room and wander through to the main office to meet the rest of the company. See the art team working on the layout of the pages, meet Mandy who everyone in the world seems to know already and then round to the photography studio section.

2 - 2.45pm - photo shoot. Ross our photographer has a whole crowd of people following him around and watching him

More tea and cake and then home.

We’ll definitely be holding these days more often, it was great to get so many readers in one room - if you’re interested in coming along to the next one just let us know by emailing [email protected]

Modern Quilting Launch party

We had a great time at the Modern Quilting Launch party last Friday night in Ray Stitch. Around 40 people came along to help us celebrate the launch of this new magazine and we shopped, ate cupcakes and saw some great demonstrations from quilting machine stockists.

It was fab to see both advertisers, stockists, quilters, designers and readers alike all in the one location chatting about fabric and quilting.

Thanks to Vick for organising it and to Rachel at Ray Stitch for hosting.

Modern Quilting goes on sale tomorrow in WH Smiths and independant news agents around the UK. Your last chance to pre order at £18 instead of £25 runs out today so if you’ve been meaning to subscribe but haven’t yet then click here now!

New Publisher appointed at All Craft Media

New Publisher appointed at All Craft Media

24th February 2012

All Craft Media today announce that Emmeline Farrell, has accepted the role of Craft Publisher within the company. Kerrie Allman will hand over all of her editorial / publisher responsibilities to her from 1st March and will then move into a new role.

Emmeline is currently employed by All Craft Media as editor of Simply Beautiful and Handmade Fashion. She has worked in the craft publishing industry since 2005 and has been with All Craft Media for 12 months. Emmeline says “After working as a magazine editor for many years, I’m very much looking forward to taking on my new role as Publisher at such an exciting time of growth for All Craft Media – I can’t wait to get started!”

Emmeline will be responsible for all of the titles in All Craft Media’s current portfolio including Modern Quilting, Sew Hip, KNIT, Inside Crochet, Handmade Living, Simply Beautiful, Handmade Fashion and their range of bookazines. This promotion comes as the company move into new offices, also on 1st March.

To contact Emmeline please use the following details

01279 879038
[email protected]

Internet v real life

This isn’t an easy post to write, I’ve thought long and hard about whether I should keep my head down and just ignore this or speak up about it. In the end I decided that I won’t give in to bullies either in real life or on the internet and so I’m going to share what’s been happening over the last week or so.

Last Saturday I received a death threat in the post. In my mind this has totally crossed any line that has ever been drawn in the sand regarding customer service and is wrong on so many levels. How dare someone decide that because of a business action of mine that I deserve to be dead. In a way this was a good thing to happen as its made me angry. Really angry. I’ve reported it to the police and have shown it to my team and my family and have told everyone that despite the promises of a hard core set of people to drum me out of business that I am not going anywhere. I fully intend to carry on with the business, growing and changing and learning from my experiences and making our magazines, our processes and our team stronger and stronger. If you don’t like that, that’s fine. But stop and have a think before you make accusations or threats in public places, there is often a real life person at the end of it who is doing their best, whether or not you agree with how they are doing it.

Comments closed. I’m not in any mood to debate this here or anywhere else. I’ve felt that I can’t shouldn’t chat on twitter / facebook over the last week as I’ve seen my life dissected everywhere I look but I’m not prepared to let the actions of other people influence how I spend my internet time.

The whole point of this post is to say that death threats are never the right way to take action against something that you are unhappy with.

Edited to remove some detail, on the advice of a friend. The point of this post still stands.

Handmade Living issue 9

Handmade Living only has a few weeks left as the newest magazine in our collection before Modern Quilting and Handmade Fashion come along and steal its thunder, so I wanted to take a little bit of time to share some information about it with you.

Handmade Living was launched in April 2010, Charlotte and I wanted to launch a magazine that was more than just a general craft mag, a magazine that had cookery and gardening and craft and fashion and lots of other lifestyle bits and bobs inside.

Judging by the number of subscribers, news stand sales and ad revenue I think we succeeded. I’m really excited about all the possibilities that we have to offer with this magazine and I know that 2012 is going to be a great year for the magazine.

If you want to subscribe or buy a single issue of Handmade Living, you can either click here or phone Mandy on 01279 879038

Handmade Fashion

This is our next new magazine launch -Emmeline Farrell is our talented editor and she has just launched her Facebook page.

A snippet from the launch information :

March 2012 sees the launch of Handmade Fashion, a unique, trend-led craft magazine aimed at anyone with an interest in fashion who likes to make their own clothes and accessories. This up-to-the-minute, on-trend title is ideal for anyone who loves all things vintage and being unique and will have strong appeal for those who enjoy crafting and are concerned about the environment – as well as budget-conscious fashionistas. Published twice yearly to coincide with the fashion seasons, this timely magazine provides an overview of the trends for the coming season, as well as an array of ideas for creating your own wardrobe of unique clothing and accessories. Handmade Fashion is packed with step-by-step guides, clearly showing how to create exciting fashion items from scratch, clever ways to customise and up-cycle clothes you already own and useful tips for working with vintage style. Exploring a variety of crafts suitable for all levels of skill, the magazine is packed with projects, from quick and simple ideas to more complex garment constructions – there’s something for everyone to try. Handmade Fashion mixes absorbing interviews with designers and industry experts with news, features and lots of must-do projects. Handmade Fashion: where traditional crafts meet today’s fashion.

This goes on sale end of March and subscriptions / pricing information will be available later on this week.

2011 - a brief recap

With only 6 hours to go until next year its time for my mini recap of 2011. I’ve spoiled myself with lovely Marks and Spencers food for this evening, I almost can’t wait to get these kids to bed.

A lot has happened this year. Business wise we’ve had some good times and some very very bad times. Personal wise its been OK, but next year needs to be better!

The best thing that has happened this year :

Launching Handmade Living and seeing the amazing response to the magazine that Charlotte and I have dreamed of for the longest time. Mum and I saw a lady in WHS in Cambridge today who picked it up off the shelf to buy, I think we scared her though when we announced who we were and practically stalked her to the checkout!

The worst thing that has happened this year :

KAL Media going into liquidation.

What am I most proud of?

Keeping going. When I’ve wanted to curl up in a ball and quit so many times these last 12 months I’m really proud of every day that I manage to get out of bed and get on with it.

What have I learned about myself?

That its OK to admit to making mistakes and its OK to hate yourself for making them, but don’t dwell. Move on.

What new skills have I learned?

How to run! This time last year I had never even run for a bus. Now I can run 5 miles. I was also reminded by clever mum in Cambridge this afternoon that you can only rely on YOU to make YOU happy. If you’re happy then anyone else can come along for the ride but you can’t rely on them to make you happy.

Here’s to a successful 2012 for us all!

Happy New Year! xx

2012 Show Season

Our first show of the season will soon be here, we’re exhibiting at the Creative Stitches and Hobbycraft show at Bluewater in Kent from 2nd to 5th February.

I’m personally really looking forward to this one as I love Bluewater as a shopping venue and I’m excited to see what their new exhibition space is all about. The Creative Stitches shows are really good ones for us, we meet lots of new and existing customers and get the chance to see what other stall holders are up to as well.

If you’re in the area come and say hello. I think I’ll be on the stand on my own for most of the show, its fairly local ish to me (within an hour drive)

We’ll also be at these other shows in 2012, and I have lots more on my wishlist!

Sewing for Pleasure - March, NEC
Creative Stitches - April, Liverpool
Woolfest - June, Cumbria (waiting for confirmation of stand)
Festival of Quilts - August, NEC
Knitting and Stitching show - October, Ally Pally
Knitting and Stitching show - November, Harrogate

 

Market Research - knitters needed

I’m looking for a small army of knitters to answer a survey for me on knitting / magazines and other bits and bobs.

All you need to do is email me or leave a comment here and I’ll send you first the non disclosure email (which basically means that for x amount of time the questions that I ask you are to be treated as confidential) and then a link to the survey once you have replied and said, yes, sure to the first email.

The survey will only take about 5 - 10 mins of your time to answer and will help me out out HUGELY with some plans I have in the back of my mind.

thanks in advance, knitters! x

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