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Local artists save popular craft magazine from folding FELICIA HUNTER, Correspondent -CT POST September 4, 2005 EASTON - Learning a publication popular among crafters was about to fold, two area residents vowed to keep it going. The only way they could ensure the magazine, Craft Digest, continued was to buy it. So that's what they did. "We knew that when it was going out of business we had to do something," said Leann "Lee" Skalkos, a metalsmith from Easton. "Craft Digest is really like the craftsman's bible. It tells you where to go, what to do." Skalkos and weaver Judy Standerford of Monroe are now the new owner-publishers of the digest, which they are renaming East Coast Artisan. The first publication will be the January/February 2006 issue. "We're going to publish every other month until we understand how magazine publishing works," Skalkos said. Their decision to purchase the magazine may have been quick, but it wasn't rash, said Standerford, noting they bring special creative and business skills to their new duties. "Lee is a graphic designer and I was an accountant before I became a craftsperson. I also do a lot of desktop publishing," Standerford said. She and Skalkos declined to say how much they paid for the magazine, a staple for crafters for about 30 years before the previous owners decided to halt publication, Skalkos said. "One of the owners passed away, and I think the other two just got tired," she said. "When I read they were going out of business, I called." "I was just so amazed the magazine was going to quit publishing," Standerford said. "It's almost like we have to [continue publishing] as a service for people we've known for years." The digest is crucial because it carries event listings and other information important to crafters, Standerford said. At its peak circulation, the magazine boasted 3,000 subscribers, she said. "So we hope to build it up to that point again," she said. "It's a very small market, but very strong." The two plan to make several additions. This would include a "Tricks of the Trade" column of helpful hints, tips on starting and maintaining a craft business, a "Sound Off" column about negative vending experiences and a feature story profiling a crafter in each issue, Show listings, one of the magazine's most important aspects, will be retained, Skalkos said. They will have guest writers and write some sections themselves, Standerford said. She and Skalkos have been participating in shows for the past 20 years and can speak reliably on issues such as setting up a booth, establishing a studio and getting supplies, she said. "We've made so many mistakes," Standerford said. "We figure we can pass on information from our experience." "We're just hoping to keep it alive and trying to make it a nice magazine for the benefit of the craftsmen," Skalkos said. "We're planning on giving it a whole new look." The women are among those helping to organize the annual Fine Art & Demonstrating Craftsmen Show next month in Easton. Proceeds from the Sept. 17 event will benefit the Connecticut Children's Burn Camp. Fifty artists and craftsmen are scheduled to participate, with more than 15 demonstrating their skills. The show will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 17 on Firemen's Green at Sport Hill and Center roads in Easton. Admission is free. For more information, call Skalkos at 445-1953 or Standerford at 268-5511, or visit www.eastoncraftsguild.com. |