Introduce yourself, who are you and what do you create that is a bespoke keepsake?
Hi we are Amber & Kathryn a Daughter & Mother team based in Hampshire.
Hi, I'm Amber, a Crafty Creator and Founder of FingerTips Designs. I am a busy Mum to Sophie Jayne and engaged to the lovely Phil. My maternity leave gave me time with my precious daughter and to focus on my passion for all things crafty and enabling people to create.
I have a BA (hons) in Fine Art and specialised in Community Art.
I strongly believe everyone has some Artist ability and love to enable people to realise their potential.
My Mission: To get everyone creating and enjoying Art!
Hi, I'm Kathryn, a fellow Crafty Creator. I have a NFCE Qualification in Wedding Craft and a world of Crafting experience.
My Mission: To source materials from sustainable resources and local suppliers.
FingerTips Designs are a unique way of celebrating all your special occasions. A fun and quirky alternative to the traditional guest book which is not only a great ice breaker but a great activity for people of all ages and abilities.
Your guest’s fingerprints bring the Artwork to life in a truly unique way and sign their name. The effect is stunning and you have a bespoke Artwork to document your event. All designs are custom made to your requirements.
How and when did you start creating what you do?
The Love Tree was the first design I, Amber, created for our good friends who live in America. They got married in America but we couldn’t be part of their big day as our Little Sophie Jayne was only a couple of months old. In May 2011 they came over for a big celebration of their wedding where their friends and family in the UK could celebrate their happy event. I wanted to create something for them that they could take home with them to America and be reminded of all their friends and family in the UK.
After being overwhelmed by the reaction the Love Tree received and how it got everyone talking it started me thinking about the potential the concept had. So back home I started fingerprinting a sheet of paper and got creating fun characters and designs. And so FingerTips was born in June 2011.
I was made redundant while on maternity leave which turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it gave me time to focus on this new venture.
My fellow Crafty Creator and Mother, Kathryn, has been an invaluable source of ideas, knowledge, support and guidance it making FingerTips a reality.
We started very small with 10 keyrings and a Facebook page to test the concept and if there was a market. WOW = the response with had from family, friends and the growing number of fans we were attracting. From this we booked up a craft fair in June and have stormed ahead in a whirlwind!
What is your favourite thing about making keepsakes?
Our fabulous fans! Their enthusiasm and passion for our products is overwhelming and gives us a warm glow inside. To have the knowledge that through our products we have been chosen to be part of their special events and enabling them to document their special day or capture a moment in time in a truly unique keepsake, is amazing. We are always delighted at the positive feedback we receive and love seeing our Designs and concept in action.
What are your most popular/ best selling items?
At our events there is a clear winner in our Keyrings. This was the first product we tested on the public and is still a firm favourite.
Although online our Guest Celebration Kits are trumps. We love creating bespoke Artworks and enjoy working with our customers to create the perfect keepsake for them to document their special occasion.
Are you planning to introduce any new products to your range?
Yes. We have just branched into our new ‘Humour’ range of designs which is our quirky take on the world around us. ‘Textured People’ are offering a different finish to our original designs. I like to be working on many projects at a time to keep my creative juices flowing!
We also have a top secret project under development...all very hush, hush at the moment.
Do you have an online shop/Facebook page/Etsy shop? Where do you think most of your sales are generated?
Our website is undergoing a huge revamp and has been a big learning curve for us. We have created our own website and are the sole admins.
We started small to test our concept and products with 10 keyrings and a facebook page. Facebook is by far the most productive online tool we have. We can upload an image, ask a question and achieve instant market research to our targeted audience! The feedback and suggestions we receive is amazing. I would highly recommend setting-up a facebook page we know have a strong core of fans and over 1,200 followers in 7 months!
We have linked our facebook page with our twitter so whatever we put onto facebook is automatically uploaded to our twitter feed...tricks of the trade!
Now you may not believe this but our email address has generated the most sales! We attended many events and have a mailing list that has been generated through these events. People have contacted us directly through our email address about bespoke orders and our other services.
