Mention wafers in summer and I'm reminded of ice-cream - but this is even better!

Daylight's Wafer 1 has arrived!

All-new state of the art lightbox – the ‘Wafer’ (product #D35040 Wafer 1, A4, RRP £99.99 

As you pull this really cool looking piece of kit out of the box - you just know its going to inspire you to get creative.  Everyone who has had the chance couldn't wait to try it out.  The main feedback being that the Wafer is... "So easy to use and being so neat and light it makes using it an absolute pleasure!  Also, "I must admit I love technology when it makes my crafting easier!"

The technical bit...

As you would expect from Daylight, the Wafer is of a high specification for this type of new generation lightbox and more than delivers on value and quality. Just 0.8cm (3/8”) thick, it has high quality dimmable LEDs (6.0W) and provides an even spread of light from edge to edge.  The tracing area for the Wafer 1 (A4) is 32cm x 23cm – 12.5” x 9” and on Wafer 2 (A3) it is 44cm x 32cm – 17.3” x 12.6”. The unit is powered by an AC adapter and is also very low heat so practical to use for extended periods of time.  

This versatile unit also features a cleverly positioned inbuilt ruler grid making it ideal for calligraphy, stencilling, scrap-booking, embossing, quilting, embroidery, sewing and much more.

We have it on good authority that Daylight’s product research and development team know how vital tried and tested tools and templates are to creating stunning and intricate crafting projects requiring the use of a lightbox. With this in mind they have designed the Wafer to be an optimum ultra thin lightbox, the perfect accessory for creating any skill level of crafting project from beginners to the most advanced.

To check out Daylight’s™ full range of products or for details, order online or to obtain details of your nearest stockist please visit www.daylightcompany.com or call 020 8964 1200.

MAGnificent Lamp guest post by Lucy Farfort, Illustrator and Designer

Website: www.lucyshappyplace.com

Twitter: @lucyfarfort

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucyFarfortIllustrator

Working as a freelance illustrator and designer I often find myself slaving into the night to get a project finished. Thankfully so far that’s never been past 10pm and as I love my job (for the most part) it doesn’t feel like a chore. Although working this late particularly in winter months causes a problem – light, or rather lack of it.

I decided sometime ago that I really needed to invest in a decent lamp to work by. So the timing was exceptional when I was asked if I would like to try out one of the daylight lamps. YES PLEASE!!

I’ve actually had my eye on the daylight products for a while now so I couldn’t believe my luck. Even more so when I was sent a MAGnificent lamp (great name!) as it’s built in magnifying glass would fit perfectly with my current project which i’m hoping will turn into a long term thing, so the lamp is going to be well used.

I couldn’t wait to test it out.

The reason why this is such a perfect match is because not only do I often work on a fairly small scale, mostly around A4 size, much of the work I do is quite detailed. This generally means I have to get really close up to the thing I’m working on in order to properly see what I’m doing – especially if the light is bad.

Above all I really wanted to use it in the making of some brooches I’m producing.  Here they are in their unpainted state:

The lamp was really helpful for the painting process as the details on the brooches are tiny so using the magnifier was great.

A major bonus of this product is that it can be used as a floor lamp as well as a table lamp. So if like me your desk is covered with your latest creative adventures and looking much like a bomb has gone off leaving little space for anything else, never fear just set it up as a floor lamp – et voila!

I’m so chuffed with this light as not only is it functional it looks pretty slick too, and genuinely feels like a high quality product well worth the money.

The MAGnificent is a great idea and especially beneficial for artists and designers who work traditionally on a small scale. I would definitely recommend it to people - it did wonders in helping me create my finished brooches which will soon be available from my website www.lucyshappyplace.com

Workshops, craft fairs and more

"As a jewellery designer , often working with very small beads, good light is very important to me, wherever  I may be working."

Daylight Foldi LED lamp by Angela Smith, Bespoke handmade jewellery...

Although most of the time I work by a window, during the winter months especially I often run out of daylight hours and I can see my new white ‘Foldi’ lamp from daylight will be used regularly at that time. This was proven on the day it arrived, as it was a gloomy grey day outside, it is such a compact lamp that I was able to sit the lamp on my desk in a small space amongst all my beads, next to my work mat and it provided all the light I needed.

The main reason I chose the Foldi lamp, though, was because it was portable and as I often run workshops and attend craft fairs and other sales events it will be very useful to have a lamp that is light and compact to pack and does not require to be plugged in but still provides a good light to work by, the foldi lamp runs off  3 AA batteries which provides 8 hours of bright white light.

 At events I often have a small table set up behind my stall where I can sit making new jewellery, or altering jewellery to suit the customer’s requirements , such as changing ear hooks to clips or silver plate hooks to sterling silver ones, or even altering the length of a necklace or bracelet.  The light at these events can be quite poor so to have a portable lamp that doesn’t take up much room but still provides a good light is going to be a great asset.

I have since realised that I would also be able to use it on my stall if electricity isn’t available to highlight a select few items of my jewellery.

I have also had the opportunity to use it on a demonstration table during the birthday celebrations of Gallery at 12 in Eccleshall this month, the table was outside the gallery in a small arcade with no access to a power point and again the weather was grey and wet; the foldi lamp provided me with a much needed good  bright light to make up several wire and bead necklaces.

As you can see the light really is bright.

I can imagine that it will also be useful when it comes to photographing my jewellery on dull days as good natural light is needed to help show the true colour of the jewellery.

No doubt over the coming months I will find plenty more uses for it, I haven’t even explored how I can make the most of it when it is plugged into my lap top as it can also be USB powered and I also have the option of buying a USB power adaptor too.

Angela Smith

Bespoke handmade jewellery

www.angelasmithjewellery.blogspot.co.uk

You're my favourite!

We couldn't resist asking some seriously talented designers and crafters which one of our lamps is their absolute favourite.  All struggled to nominate one lamp as those we asked said that they had more than one favourite!  After some deliberation, each managed to nominate one and gave their reasons why...

Ruth Singer, Textile artist, writer and tutor

"I love the Foldi lamp (#D45001). I can take it camping, canal boating or even to dimly lit youth hostels and holiday cottages, and always have brilliant light to sew by. It is also great for bat watching; shine it out over a dark canal and it lights up both the insects and the bats as they swoop in to eat them!"

www.ruthsinger.com
Twitter: @ruthsinger
Facebook

Gail Wharmby, Audrey's Adventures

“My chosen lamp is the artist clip-on studio lamp (# D31475). The flexible manoeuvrability of this lamp gives fantastic light over a wide area enabling me to work for longer periods of time. I will be looking to purchase its companion the easel lamp (# D31075) for my draughtsman's easel for optimum Daylight coverage."

Gail's profile
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Penny Graham-Jones, Planet Penny

"I would pick (#D21038) as my favourite.  Living in a small house without a designated craft area this lamp is perfect because it combines all its functionality with classic good looks which fit comfortably into a living room without looking utilitarian."

www.planetpenny.co.uk
Twitter: @woolyplanet
Facebook

Michelle Fallon, Michelle made this

"For me it would have to be the twist portable lamp (#D33707) as I am a multi-crafter.  I live in a cottage in the West of Ireland and we get a lot of rain, therefore a lot of grey days, not helped by small cottage windows so a daylight lamp is a life saver!  This twist portable lamp is perfect as I flit between my kitchen table sewing, to my desk where I sketch my ideas and by my sofa crocheting so I can simply take it with me.  Not only that but I travel a lot to craft fairs so it's fantastic that it folds up so I can take it with me."

www.michellemadethis.com
Blog

Introducing The Magnificent

Ultimate flexibility and an all new innovative design come as standard with our MAGnificent lamp!

The MAGnificent (#D25050 RRP £89.99)

The attraction of this innovative new lamp lies not only in the fact it is perfect for all types of hobbies, craft and reading but also that it offers ultimate flexibility because it converts easily from a floor lamp to a table magnifying table lamp. Plus with the middle pole removed the lamp height is in-between floor and table so it is effectively 3 lamps in one!

The conversion can be made in seconds by simply removing the extension pole in the floorstanding mode.   The large 14.6cm semi-rimless 1,75X magnifying lens allows excellent vision for close-work activity, perfect for those who want to enjoy their favourite hobbies with no risk of tired or strained eyes.





Clare Donnelly, from our marketing team says: “We are continually developing our range of lamps to utilise cutting edge lighting technology.  The MAGnificent is a totally new design and innovation.  Judging by our customers’ first reactions, its set to be a firm favourite and best seller.”

To find out more about our full range of products, order online or to obtain details of your nearest stockist please visit www.daylightcompany.com or call 020 8964 1200.

LIGHT UP YOUR MOTHER'S DAY

If you are looking for an inspirational Mother's Day gift for a Mum who loves to craft, read or just needs help seeing details clearly - then look no further.  We have a host of ideas and suggestions for you - a few are featured here and many more can be seen on our website.

LED Neck Magnifier with stand at just £11.99 rrp.  A dual purpose hands free magnifier - it can be used as a neck magnifier with a cord or a table magnifier with a stand.







Our Foldi LED Lamp  £59.99 rrp has a gorgeous slim design, with up to 8 hours of battery power and unlimited power using a USB connection to a laptop - perfect for your Mum to take with her to craft groups or on holiday for example. This lamp features30 bright daylight™ LEDs - kind to eyes, reduces glare which helps to reduce eye strain, headaches and red-eye.


If it's a table lamp you had in mind then our Swan Table Lamp  £129.99 rrp is a popular choice.  An elegant lamp with functionality. This lamp provides daylight™ technology which reduces eye strain and glare for healthy vision and also true colour matching.

The Ultimate Floorstanding Lamp £199.99 rrp design incorporates style, optimum light and magnification plus a clever organising tray.

And why not get crafty yourself and make a card for your Mum.  We have spotted this  Gorgeous stitched flower Mother's Day card by Carolyn Letten on the Crafts Beautiful website. :-)

Linda (Lou) Japp from Loving Hands charity group explains how keen knitters, crocheters and stitchers can get involved

Loving Hands Craft for Charity is a rapidly growing group of knitters, crocheters and stitchers who make items for charities both here in the UK and overseas.  We create everything from baby clothes to chicken coats and loads more besides.  We would be delighted to have Daylight followers join us in our quest to fill the needs of all of our charities (there is a list on our forum of charities we support - they have all been vetted and carefully chosen to meet our criteria - we only give items to charities who take them directly to where they are needed and have their own staff on the ground there to distribute them to the people or animals in need - we do not supply items to be sold in charity shops for peanuts either or stored for years in warehouses).

To help new mothers overcome breastfeeding problems 

We only make for charities that ensure the clothes reach exactly where they are needed

Join us by going to our website www.lovinghands.org.uk  and clicking on the wee box that says Forum - fill out the form when you click the register tab at top left of forum page and I will be delighted to approve your membership.  Current projects include making scarves at least 1.5metres long to be used to help the Children's Hospice Rachel House in Kinross by creating a scarf 7.5 miles long to stretch from Gateside in Fife to the Hospice in Kinross - knit, crochet or sew your scarves for that project. We are also making hats, scarves, gloves and single bed blankets for Operation Orphan's Keep a Kid Warm appeal to help them fill the boxes to go to Serbia for the children there.  There are always lots of projects and ideas on our forum.

Linda has also volunteered to become a Daylight Ambassador and is currently reviewing a lamp she has selected from the range of lamps perfect for knitters - her Daylight lamp report is scheduled to appear in March 2014

Linda (Lou) Jaap
Loving Hands Craft for Charity
www.lovinghands.org.uk