Meet the crafty folk who impressed you the most in 2022
With the Best of Craft Awards revealed and people celebrating their wins up and down the country, we thought now would be a good time to get to know your winners a little better. We’ve gathered three of the crafting community’s favourite personalities to find out what makes them tick. From Lisa Horton and her giant craft stash, to Dave Bradford’s (miniature) modelling and Sara Davies’ terrific touring, there’s so much brilliant work here that it’s impossible not to feel inspired.
DESIGNER OF THE YEAR: LISA HORTON
“Don’t tell anyone but I own over 300 ink pads, eight die-cutting machines and enough paper to last me until I’m 100!” says Lisa Horton. Sorry Lisa, but we may have just told everyone. Don’t worry though, because we think this is a craft stash entirely befitting of our Designer of the Year – and Lisa is a crafter entirely deserving of the award. Just ask the many PaperCrafter readers who love her products.
“I just cannot believe it,” admits Lisa, apparently not realising how popular she is. “There were a few tears, but happy tears because people believe in me and my brand. I have worked so hard to be the best I can be at what I do, and to be named Designer of the Year makes me feel so very proud and grateful. I am very humbled indeed. I’m so glad I can now shout it from the rooftops, share the news with my mum and dad, and maybe do a little happy dance too!”
Not only has Lisa become an award winner this year, but her business has gone from strength to strength too. “The success of our innovative system of 3D Embossing Folders with dies, stencils, stamps and foil plates is just awesome,” she explains. “Along with our Ulti-Mate multi tool, which forms the core of our range at Lisa Horton Crafts and is one of my proudest successes.” It seems everything Lisa touches is a triumph at the moment. Time for a happy dance, we think.
CRAFTING MAN OF THE YEAR: DAVE BRADFORD
The first person Dave Bradford told after being nominated for a Best of Craft Award was his partner Rob. “He was as gobsmacked as me,” Dave tells us. “My parents were next, and they were over the moon. They watch HobbyMaker more than any other channel I’ve worked on over my 30 years on TV. That to me says that HobbyMaker is getting it right – praise indeed from Angela and John!”
HobbyMaker very much is getting it right, and Dave counts being chosen to host the new channel with Sara Davies as one of his 2022 highlights (alongside this award of course). “There are lots of things I love about working there,” he sa
