Derbyshire Mum goes from Rolls-Royce to Prestigious National Award Winner

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 2 February 2022

A Derby mum who ditched a successful career in engineering for crafts during the pandemic has won a national award.

Sarah Hodgkinson set up Crafty You Crafty Me in July 2020 following a successful career at Rolls-Royce. The business, which sees Sarah produce craft kits for enthusiasts, has been a huge hit with demand for felting, sewing and mosaic packs at an all-time high.

And now Sarah, from Hilton, has been awarded top-prize in the prestigious ‘Best New Product’ category of the UK Craft Business Awards for her mosaic coaster party pack.

She said:

“The past 18 months have been a huge learning curve for me, and I am absolutely over the moon to have received such huge recognition for my business from industry insiders.”

“The mosaic party pack has been one of our biggest sellers, proving very popular with families, and on top of the ‘Best New Product’ award it has also now been shortlisted for the ‘Gift of the Year’ award, for which the winner is due to be announced later in 2022.”

Now in their second year as a business Crafty You Crafty Me have seen their wholesale market expand across the UK, Sarah explained

“Initially we focused on our e-commerce retail offering, more recently we’ve seen the wholesale side of the business really develop. We are now proudly stocked in shops across the UK, to name just a few that you may have heard of we are proud to be stocked in the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, Hever Castle in Kent and closer to home in Derby Museums.”

Crafty You Crafty Me are going from strength to strength with more stockist requesting their products each week and with upcoming attendance at the Spring Fair and Stitches trade events at the NEC, 2022 looks bright for this Derbyshire company.

Sarah has had support for her fledgling business from fellow SMEs in Derby and Derbyshire; she’s collaborated with small companies including Swadlincote cosmetics brand Divine Box and Colleague Box – the Derby business set up during the first national lockdown by Spondon husband-and-wife, Adam and Natalie Bamford.

And that, she says, has been a highlight of the past 18 months.

“A lot of hard work has gone into making Crafty You Crafty Me a success” said Sarah, “and having the support of other local businesses like Divine Box and Colleague Box has been a huge boost.”

Sarah has had support, too, from former Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis, who shared a few pearls of wisdom with her at a trade fair a couple of months’ back.

Sarah has personally designed and developed all of the kits that she sells, a range that includes Mosaics, Needle Felting and Sewing kits. Sarah says

“My kit designs are perfect for gifts, and prove especially popular for Valentines, Mother’s Day and Christmas – we even have an Easter Egg mosaic kit design in development. I hope that adults, children and families enjoy completing the kits – it’s really fantastic when I see the creations people have made with our kits on social media.”

To make a purchase visit www.craftyyoucraftyme.com

For wholesale enquires or further information Sarah may be contacted at wholesale@craftyyoucraftyme.com. www.craftyyoucraftyme.com.

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