“SOME products have the wow factor, and by that I mean me saying ‘Wow! Is that handmade?’”
Cards, jewellery, home accessories, bath and beauty products - are among the beautifully handcrafted items on sale in Out of the Ordinary, run by Nicola Heap, who marvels over their quality and workmanship.
The shop, in Swadford Street, Skipton - our Telegraph & Argus Trader of the Week - sells wares made by crafters and artisan from across Yorkshire and beyond.
‘Many crafters and artisans sell their wares at craft fairs across the district, packing what was unsold in boxes at the end of the day,’ says the website.‘Our shop gives them the chance to showcase their wares seven days a week.’
Originally in Craven Court, Skipton, Out of the Ordinary was originally owned by Jane Ord and her daughter Toria. “They had been there since October 2018,” says Nicola. “I joined them in 2019 working one day a week. In 2020, due to the impact of the pandemic, they had to relocate the business, and moved to the Royal Arcade in Keighley.”
The following year Jane told Nicola that she was thinking of selling the business.
“I said ‘If you do, I’d like to buy it and take it back to Skipton - and that’s what happened.”
Nicola spotted suitable premises in Swadford Street. “I thought it was an ideal location for the shop,” she says. She opened up in November 2021.
From 25 crafters in 2018, they now have 50. “Many were in the original shop in Skipton but we have quite a few new crafters who have joined us since re-opening in the town. The shop used to specialise in handmade items from Yorkshire but I’m a Lancashire Lass, so decided to open the borders to allow artisans from out of the area the opportunity to be part of this fantastic shop. Now we have crafters from both counties and a couple from further afield.”
“We work with our makers and everyone feels that they part of the shop - we support independent traders and we couldn’t do it without them - it’s a real team business.”
When deciding what products to stock Nicola looks at what they already have in the shop. “I try not to duplicate what another crafter is doing. I get a lot of potential new crafters wanting to stock things that I already have, so I put them on a waiting list.”
Potential crafters send photos of their products and their websites/ social media pages. I look through to see what the products are like and what reviews they have. Some products you just know will sell well as they have the wow factor.”
Crafters pay monthly for their goods to be displayed in the shop.
The welcoming shop is a go-to destination for people wanting to buy gifts for different occasions.
“We try to have something for everyone and if we don’t have it, then you can be assured we will have it soon,” says Nicola. “Our ethos is ‘to showcase the best of our talented artisans and their bespoke handmade crafts and bring them to the forefront of the high street’ - simply put, it’s a shop where everything is a unique piece, one of a kind and out of the ordinary.”
Some crafters have collaborated together to make items for the shop. “Sam and Fiona, for example, who make dog coats and collars, have used the same tweed fabrics to offer customers a matching set. Other crafters may know each other from local craft fairs.”
Nicola is looking towards opening the upstairs space for workshops next year. “some of my crafters already hold workshops and it would be good to get the customers and crafters to meet.”
“I am also thinking about ‘meet the maker’ sessions where the crafter will be available to demonstrate what they do,”
On Nicola’s one day off in the week Adele takes over. “She’s a great help and is knowledgeable about crafting as she crafts herself. I also have Will who works Saturdays and his sister Phoebe who works when home from university - I worked with her when the shop was in Craven Court so I know how good she is with customers.”
Nicola crafts herself, making fabric noticeboards, teacup gardens, teacup bird feeders, children’s aprons and children’s superhero capes and masks - which have been fully CE safety tested.
She urges people to explore Skipton’s shops. “So many people stick to Main Street. If they ventured a little further and down the side streets, they would find an array of little independent shops.”
*Out of the Ordinary, 8 Swadford St, Skipton, BD23 1RD; outoftheordinary.co.uk
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