About us
Blue Moon Crafts was born three-and-a-half years ago with the intention of providing a wonderful craft shop which you come across just once in a blue moon - hence the name. It is owned and run by me, Jill Morton, and I wanted to create something new, exciting, inspirational and innovative.
I have been a crafter all my life, as my parents will testify. Even as a little girl I would save everything and recycle it later in craft projects. I'd painstakingly wash, dry and thread the seeds from a melon and turn them into jewellery; save the tiniest bits of ribbon and rework them into doilies; shape scraps of paper into collages; save seeds of all descriptions with which to make pictures. Mum always had a 'bits' drawer at home, and a magical button tin, which was a source of fascination and inspiration for me.
I have always liked to mess with paints, pens and bits of this and that. But I found out the true therapeutic value of crafting nearly seven years ago when I had a stroke at the age of 40. Bereft of speech and the use of my right arm and right leg, I spent three years recovering by crafting and that's when the seeds of the shop took hold.
I and my team have come a long way since then. Today we have two shops providing a fantastic choice of supplies for many crafters. We are lucky enough to be directly opposite William Shakespeare's birthplace in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon (my home town) where we welcome thousands of visitors from around the world. We are open seven days a week - and only shut for the week between Christmas and New Year (well, we all need a holiday) - and we are always busy. But not too busy to stop and have a chat, and even a cup of tea, with our customers.
Crafters of all levels - and all abilities and disabilities - are always made to feel at ease and we have easy access for wheelchairs. So come and pay us a visit. You'll be sure of a warm welcome. Afterall, we all share the same interest - the need to keep our hands and minds busy!