UK Handmade and Folksy

The Folksy blog is keen to highlight great websites and social networks that our members would benefit from visiting and joining. Sites with great blogs and resources for people who enjoy buying or selling handmade items from the UK.

One of the aims of www.folksy.com is to reclaim craft and showcase talented British makers and their work.  This week we thought we’d ask Karen Jinks begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting, the Creative Director of UK Handmade if she could tell us a little bit about UK Handmade which shares a very similar ethos to our own! Karen also tells us why Folksy members might want to take a look at the UK handmade website and also get involved with the social network.

UK Handmade is an online magazine that promotes the talent of British artists and crafters. Many Folksy sellers have already been featured in the magazine and gift guides. The UK Handmade ‘ning’ also provides advice and resources for you to grow your business with helpful blog articles, lively forums and groups to join and network with other UK artists and crafters. UK Handmade has seen enormous growth in its membership over the past 12 months and with the obvious determination and hard work of Karen and the team it’s likely that this trend is set to continue. Karen can also be found selling her own work on Folksy at Chalk Hill Studio.

What motivated you to start UK Handmade?

UK Handmade came about when a group of us who had shops with an online selling venue wanted to find a way of promoting our shops to the general public in the UK, rather than to fellow crafters. The obvious choice was to produce a magazine and website. Both Jo Askey (also a seller on Folksy) and myself are graphic designers and I already had my own web design business so we had the means, talent and the enthusiasm to give it a go. Jo has a distinctive style and has created a magazine and brand identity that is stylish and modern and we have been able to break the image of handmade being a dusty and old fashioned pastime.

What benefit will a Folksy member get from joining up and becoming a part of the UK Handmade community.

Apart from being able to network with like minded people through the forum, UK Handmade is the perfect platform to get your Folksy shop to a wider audience, get business advice and support, take part in groups and projects and participate in both the blog and magazine. Many of our team put their work with us on their CV as it provides them the opportunity to develop new skills or maintain previous ones.

What are you plans for developing UK Handmade?

Ohh I can’t tell you it’s top secret, but we have lots new and exciting things coming up in the next 12 months, particularily for the website – watch this space!

Our Summer Issue available over at www.ukhandmade.co.uk is a recycling special, featuring designers who turn trash into treasure, an interview with Rachael Strauss of Mrs Green fame, as well as the usual makes and summery treats.

How can people get involved or help?

The best place to start is to join the forum but you can submit ideas straight to us as well. Submission details are available on the website. The blog always needs fresh content so we are always on the look out for interesting news, events or tutorials so get in touch!

If you do decide to join up to UK Handmade, don’t forget to join the Folksy group! (Thanks to Beadyjan for starting one up)