PLANET HANDMADE LAUNCHES

If you are a crafter, designer or retailer with a craft business we want to help you grow and flourish. After all you are passionate about what you do and so are we.

When the full version of our site launches:

• Retailers will be able to find the latest and most exciting projects from talented designers and makers.
• Designer/makers will have access to lots of business help and advice while being actively promoted to retailers, journalists and stylists. To access these services there will be a small monthly fee.
• Together we will raise the standards and standing of the Craft industry in the UK

To be sure we are offering you the services and support you need, please can you take time to answer one of the questionnaires below – the closing date is Friday 19th May 2012.

If you are a retailer please follow this link

Designer/makers  please follow this link

Any problems do get in touch.

Contact Us

Gomitoli’s Launches Perfect Picnic Kits

Luxury yarn producer, Gomitoli’s has launched a range of new kits especially with long summer days in mind. We Brits certainly like a picnic and with so many events to celebrate this year you can create your perfect picnic accessories for an elegant afternoon with friends.

This gorgeous bag, crocheted in Spring Cashmere, is an eye catching way to gather everything you need for a picnic and it doubles as a chic tablecloth. Why not bring a bit of glamour to your bottle of wine with this fun holder crocheted in cashmere wool?

 

 

 

For knitters Gomitolis have created an elegant placemat and matching basket both created in Spring Cashmere – a wonderfully versatile yarn – for that touch of Italian style.

All the kits come complete with yarn and instructions and can be found on the Gomitoli’s site http://www.gomitolis.it/english/knitting-kits/19/

If you would like to stay in touch don’t forget to sign up while you are on the site.

For more information contact Nicky Hale at Bluebear on 01707 320274

MY FELTED HERDY – a unique kit from the Lakes

If you have ever visited the Lake District you will have seen some of the famous Herdwick sheep dotted around the fells.  Well now you can take home your very own sheep thanks to The Herdy Company who have just launched the delightful ‘My felted herdy’ kit.

Herdy worked with felting artist Joss Wrigg to capture the character of the loveable looking herdwick sheep, with its sturdy legs and smiling face. Herdy Company co-founder Spencer Hannah said, “The kits give people a chance to create something unique and personal, either to keep themselves or to give as a gift. The fact that people will get really involved in crafting their own sheep, and that no two sheep will be the same, will make them all the more loved!”

The ‘My Felted Herdy’ kits contain wool sourced in the UK from three British sheep breeds – Herdwick, Cheviot and Black Welsh Mountain – the Herdwick wool is actually a bi-product of the beautiful rugs and throws that Herdy already sell. The kits also include three felting needles and full instructions with photo illustrations.

‘My felted herdy’ is the latest addition to the herdy company’s addictively popular gift and homeware range, which includes vibrantly coloured fine bone china mugs, terracotta kitchenware, 100% wool throws and herdwick wool rugs.

ENDS

My felted herdy

Needle felting kit using 100% British wool

EGGCELLENT SOAPBOX

 

 

 

 

By Greg Lawson Managing Partner The  Less Packaging Company.

Following recent press concerning the over packaging of Easter eggs I wanted to share some thoughts with you.  In theory the Easter egg market has made changes to reduce their packaging but did the brands concerned reach or even challenge what is optimal?

Product & Packaging – Are they one?
Firstly in terms of mindset, considering the amount of waste and on a personal level the amount chocolate my kids receive at Easter why can’t we make eggs smaller? Then can we treat product and packaging as the same entity and reduce the impact on the environment for all.

The question is, how do we use Less?
If the thought of reducing the traditional size of the egg is unthinkable or too risky in terms of perceived value in comparison to the competitor brands, how about looking at the process and motivations within packaging development?

Brand owners employ teams of people that have a broad understanding of packaging, which is very valuable to a business which operates over different product groups, pack styles and substrates. These teams then utilise the expertise within manufacturing businesses to suggest innovation and materials which are commercially viable.

Unfortunately this means that the brands (striving to reduce) are being advised environmentally and commercially by packaging companies that are motivated to fill ‘their’ machinery and sell their preferred substrate that they either mill or buy under a volumetric rebate scheme which drives the usage of ‘more’ raw material than ‘Less’.

There is a need for some foresight when developing packaging and an unbiased positioning to ensure we are not unnecessarily designing in, for example plastic, which as a nation we only manage to recycle at a rate of 24%!

Time to think inside and outside the box…or should that be shell?

IPAD 2 VS. KINDLE

iPad 2 vs. Kindle (a product + packaging perspective)

 

 

 

 

By Ian Bates, Partner, The Less Packaging Company

Apple’s iPad 2 is a undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary products to have every been created. It is minimal, sleek, lightweight and functional and combines zen-like design engineering with the latest digital technology.  It outsells the Amazon Kindle 4:1 at current sales of 1 million per week.

So how does the packaging compare? In my view the Kindle is better packaging, which considers both brand and delivery. The Kindle box is made from robust, lightweight fine-fluted corrugated with interesting detailing. The outer surface is embossed, silver blocked and gives a you a sense of high-tech, attention to detail with a light touch in terms of environmentally  responsible packaging whilst being relevant for the purposes of safely protecting, delivering and presenting the contents. To open the box is a real treat. It has a simple, but clever unzipping feature which makes the unpacking experience very satisfying. The protective internal packaging is made from moulded paper pulp which snugly displays and protects the product in a minimal design-like fashion. The quick-start instructions booklet is also easily accessible and presented to you as you open the hinged lid. A very well thought though design.

Compare this with the iPad box. This box certainly does look special and if you listen to most people they will tell you it is a great box. It looks and feels expensive, which is one of its goals. However, from a pure design engineering perspective; it is heavy, bulky, clunky and old-world technology. It’s also expensive because these boxes are hand-made in Asia and when shipped before packing, take-up huge amounts of space as they do not flat-pack.

Packaging, to do its intended job well, should always reflect the values of the brand if it is to truly engage consumers. So why would Apple design a box that is nothing like the product i.e. modern, minimal, lightweight and purposeful? The answer might have something to do with perceived value – something we often see with luxury consumer goods, which have to work hard to satisfy the consumer’s expectation of indulgence. In the case of both boxes you are likely to keep the packaging as part of the product should it be gifted or later sold and this then forms an important part of the product’s actual value. This could be a justification for over-packaging, but in my view is a flawed argument.

It will be interesting to see how the new iPad 3 will be boxed. My best guess is that now Steve Jobs is sadly no longer at the helm of Apple that a more pragmatic approach will be pursued if only to reduce cost. It would be good if the motivation was also social and environmental after all the impact of over-packaging does, whether we accept it or not, have a detrimental impact for everyone.

Fortunately more and more brand owners are becoming aware of the value of joined-up thinking when it comes to product and packaging design. Designing packaging which is neither over nor under-packed because both result in wastage. At The Less Packaging Company we call this ‘per-cycling’, a design process, which considers the entire journey and roles of both product and packaging holistically. It reduces waste and cost as well as delivering related supply-chain savings and other benefits such as better compliance, happier customers and enhanced reputation and brand value.

If you would like to read more about pre-cycling, go to www.lesspackaging.net

GOMITOLIS UK LAUNCH

We have had a really successful launch with our clients Gomitolis in the UK, with exciting  news, information, giveaways, yarn reviews and patterns in the following magazine:  Let’s Knit, Knit Now, Knitting, The Knitter, Simply Knitting and Crafts Beautiful.

For more information contact: juliet@bluebear.co.uk

HERDY TEAMS UP WITH JAMIE AT HOME

The innovative gift company, herdy, has been commissioned to create two exclusive new products for the Jme homeware collection, available from Jamie Oliver’s party plan business Jamie at Home. The terracotta serveware is inspired by the hardy little Herdwick sheep, which grazes the rugged fells of the Lake District where the company is based.

The herdy pot is perfect for serving any sauce you fancy, especially mint! It can also be used as a storage pot and is just the right size for keeping keys handy and loose change safe.The herdy mini-pot was designed as an egg cup, but it’s perfect too for serving salt and pepper at your table.

 

A percentage of herdy’s profits from product sales go to the herdy fund, set up to help conserve the native Herdwick breed while looking after the Lakeland landscape and sustainable fell farming communities. The range is designed in the Lake District and made in Sri Lanka by a local, family-run workshop whose projects support traditional village potters in the area. Hand decorated, each piece has its own unique characteristics.

 

Kristen Wilkin, Jme Buyer said, “It is important to Jme to collaborate with designers who are talented and passionate about what they do and herdy definitely delivers on both fronts. Herdy is a socially responsible company and produce goods of the highest quality. We knew our customers would appreciate the huge benefits we see in collaborating with herdy, and that they would find the hand decorated forms of the Herdwick sheep irresistible.”

The herdy pots will be sold through Jamie at Home parties from 1^st January 2012. www.jamieathome.com/get-in-touch

For press information contact

Christina Summerfield

christina@herdy.co.uk

Tel: 01539 739202

The Herdy Company Ltd

Yard 96, Stricklandgate, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4PU

www.herdy.co.uk

Notes to Editors

Born in the English Lakes and inspired by the area’s cute and lovable Herdwick sheep, the herdy company’s design-led products for home and gift are made to make you smile. The company was established in 2007 by Spencer and Diane Hannah, out of the desire to provide visitors to the Lake District with ethically-produced, high quality design led gift-ware. Herdy were delighted to win the ‘Small Company of the Year’ award from Business in the Community last year. Herdy execute a philosophy of corporate responsibility through its cultivating the UK marketplace (over 50% of the product range is sourced in the UK), promoting the sustainability of upland fell farming (a percentage of profits is given back to the local rural community annually via the Herdy Fund), and by keeping waste to a minimum (rather than destroying goods they sell all Herdy seconds at County Fairs). Despite the pervasive recession that broke out in 2007, The Herdy Company continues to support its local economy, forgoing higher profits and lending resilience to its community. Since its launch the company has grown rapidly and now has 50 retailers in the Lakes and over 200 retailers nationwide. In addition the company also retails their products through their own website and shop in Grasmere as well as distributors in both Japan and the U.S. The company now employs 6 people.

LESS PACKAGING CREATES PACKAGING FOR INNOVATIVE NEW TESCO CAROUSEL TOY RANGE

Less Packaging have been working with Tesco’s new pre-school toy brand, Carousel, to banish frustration from our Yuletide vocabulary.

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It is a familiar scene repeated in households all over the UK on Christmas morning.  Excited children ripping off wrapping paper only to be confronted with the dreaded toy packaging which, let’s face it, can even defeat most adults, let alone a small child.

The development of a new concept of toy packaging started during the latter part of 2010 amongst a swell of environmental comment and consumer frustration. Greg Lawson, Managing partner at Less Packaging, explains the brief: “Tesco wanted to answer a real customer need by offering quick and easy access to their Carousel toys as well as offering a commercial, deliverable and sustainable solution.”

 Metal ties were to be banned as a form of product location so the Less design team needed to work on a concept that displayed the product with corrugated fittings alone. The toys still needed to be seen and touched – an important part of the Carousel experience. Metal ties also inhibit unpacking which can take over 4 minutes to unpack with a typical toy pack.  “We were very careful to take time at the development stage, perfecting the balance between customer appeal and performance as well as reducing unpacking times to around 45 seconds across the range,” says Lawson.

There was a further challenge because this type of corrugated fitting can increase raw material and assembly times which in itself created a commercial issue. The solution was to measure the true cost of the packaging from cradle to cradle, considering areas such as packaging manufacturing costs, packaging cube, supply chain costs and the disposal costs of the packaging. Less’ holistic approach proved the new packs to be commercially viable when the real cost of developing, producing and delivering packaging and product are considered.

The pack designs for the whole Carousel range are elegantly simple and innovative, reinforcing the brand’s positioning.  Sarah Allen at Tesco is delighted with the results: ” Less are truly independent experts. We were able to work with them on the project and share the type of information which made the analysis and business case possible.  The result of which has given Tesco a market leading innovation and is something that customers are responding to well.”

For Press information contact

Juliet Bernard

Bluebear

01707 320274

LESS PACKAGING ROLL OUT NEW ONLINE PACKAGING MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR MARKS & SPENCER

-New tool delivers both environmental and business benefits-

 The Less Packaging Company in partnership with Marks & Spencer has developed an innovative online packaging management tool, called Packspec, to help manage the impact of its General Merchandise packaging.

Packspec enables M&S to communicate and control best practice retail and transit packaging across its global supply base – helping to deliver both environmental and business benefits. The new online tool is in keeping with Plan A, M&S’ environmental and ethical programme, where the retailer is committed to reducing its General Merchandise transit packaging by 25% by 2015, as well as continuing to reduce packaging on the products it sells.

As part of the implementation of Packspec, Less Packaging is working closely with M&S’ domestic and international suppliers to develop packaging standards that are suitable for each product type and that can be easily produced in each geographical region.  This is complex matrix of variables requires the in-depth knowledge the consultancy can offer from their years of experience in packaging design and manufacturing.

Throughout the last year, Less Packaging has reduced the number of different packaging formats for M&S bras from over 90 to just three formats – saving over 100 tonnes of packaging. This standardisation also provides several business benefits including cost savings achieved through economies of scale and increased levels of compliance throughout the supply chain.

“Packspec is a new innovation to aid both the retailer and supplier,” explains Greg Lawson, Managing Partner at Less Packaging.  “As packaging specialists, we can help suppliers by providing them with the resources and templates they need to effectively transport their products for M&S.”

“Packaging compliance is becoming increasingly important, as retailers continue to focus on automation across their supply chain and ensure they responsibly source raw materials. Being able to communicate and control how product should be packaged remotely is a significant step forward for any retailer or brand owner sourcing product and packaging from overseas.”

Kim Phillips, M&S’ Head of GM Packaging, said: “When we launched Plan A in 2007 we set ambitious targets to reduce our packaging by 25% – we’ve achieved this and gone even further with a 46% reduction, but there is still more we can do. That’s why when we extended Plan A in 2010; we set a 25% reduction target for our transit packaging by 2015. Through innovation and using unique tools like Packspec, we’re confident we can achieve this.”