“Despite the difficulties of the past two years, we haven't been affected by the current economic climate at all and have seen sales of our goods remain strong. Generally speaking, consumers have definitely become far more sophisticated in their shopping choices and whereas in the past many would happily purchase a standard envelope from their local supermarket for their handmade cards, nowadays they are looking for something more upmarket. As such, we have seen demand for our less conventional ranges rise significantly over the past few years, with interest in our larger-sized varieties becoming increasingly buoyant.

“Packaging is often the first thing someone will see when opening a handmade card and crafters are now realising that the more thought they put into their envelopes, the greater the overall response to their projects will be. What's more, no-one wants to spend hours creating a beautiful piece only for it to be let down at the last minute by inadequate casing.

“Crafters are also becoming far more adventurous with their projects and incorporating a much wider variety of embellishments and added extras into their work – something which is inevitably contributing to the growing demand for larger-sized envelopes.

“Trends within the card market definitely go in cycles and many things that were incredibly popular two or three decades ago often make a comeback. At the moment, Victorian-inspired pieces seem to be very much in favour, with colours such as dark pinks, reds and bluebell all in fashion. Interestingly, richer hues seem to be most common – surprising perhaps given the present economic climate.

“In many ways, I think a lot of the trends within the sector have been influenced by the events of the past two years, which have seen many people look for new and inventive ways of demonstrating their financial security through their work. Whether it's through using colours traditionally associated with wealth, or by incorporating slightly more upmarket embellishments into their designs, crafters seem to be gravitating towards anything that will make their cards look more high brow.

“With Christmas fast approaching, there are some die-hard favourites that every retailer will need to have on their shelves this year, particularly anything in red, green, metallic silver or gold, as these always tend to sell well at this time of year.

“As a business, it is absolutely vital to offer your customers a wide and varied product range, ensuring you have everything from the basic staples – paper, card, envelopes – to anything else they might need to complete their projects, such as embellishments. Keep an eye on what some of the larger companies, such as HobbyCraft, are doing and see if you can apply and replicate any of their marketing strategies on a smaller scale within your own business.

“Fortunately, the craft industry seems to be doing fairly well at the moment and although I have absolutely no idea how things will be in the run up to Christmas, I do believe that people will always be willing to spend that little bit more when it comes to cards and gifts for their family.”