Businesswoman

Crafting covers so many areas and over the last few years, we have seen a real boom in the U.K. in terms of people adopting craft as a hobby.

Crafting covers so many areas and over the last few years, we have seen a real boom in the U.K. in terms of people adopting craft as a hobby.

There are lots of people at our company who dedicate their time and effort to make sure that the journey from product design to hitting the screen is as seamless as possible.

It's always good when you prove people wrong.

When I was younger, I used to power dress - I'd wear black and grey and suits all the time, to make it feel like I belonged.

Having been a fan of 'Dragons' Den' since it first aired in 2005 I was absolutely delighted and proud to have the opportunity of becoming a Dragon myself.

I knew, back when I was starting up, that if I had something that could be developed for the mass market, I could really take it forward.

That's what us northern people do don't we? Don't mince our words, just say it how it is.

It's a myth that you need thousands of pounds to start a business.

I worked in my parents' decorating store from six. My mum would get me in every Saturday polishing the paint and straightening the wallpaper for 50p.

Right from growing up I always wanted to be a teacher, but my dad discouraged me.

There's all these stores all over the country and a lot of them are small but they're like little Aladdin's caves full of exciting nooks and crannies filled to the brim with products. Then you've got Hobbycraft, which is like a supermarket for crafts. What we want to be is a hybrid between the two.

Michaels is probably the most respected craft retailer on the planet so to be working with them is a fantastic honour, and it will go a long way in helping us boost U.S. sales.

I came up with the Enveloper when I was 20 and it took my dad and me several months to develop the initial concept into a working model.

All the other students were going to flash firms in London, but I'm a real homebody and was determined to stay in the North-East.

For all we are a manufacturer, we've always had a lot of communication with the consumer.

I want to inspire and educate people and just be an Aladdin's cave for the magpie crafters that are already out there.

When we opened our office in Santa Ana, California, in 2016, I could not have envisioned this level of growth, although I always knew our products would be well received by customers in North America.

In the U.K., we have a lot of independent traders, as well as the Hobbycraft chain, but the U.S. has four of five big chains, which makes crafting very accessible for people and makes it a totally different proposition.

I have learnt this over time, that Peter Jones, you've gotta watch him.