Firstly, Happy Mother's Day to all of the amazing mums out there! Because of this very special day, we're asking our owner and mum of two, Emily, your questions (thank you to all of you on Instagram who got in touch!).
How did you get started?
Create Gift Love started on my kitchen table in 2011 when I decided to make wooden cufflinks as Christmas gifts for the men in our family. They were really popular and friends of ours encouraged me to sell them online. I applied for Not on the High Street in 2012 and started making personalised keyrings, coasters and other gifts from our garden shed with the help of my husband Tony and our family and friends.
Since then, our business has grown and grown – we’ve long since moved out of the shed and now have a purpose built workshop in the New Forest with a full-time team of ten. We are still making some of those original products seven years later but we have also moved into other areas like our growing range of leather accessories that I’m really excited to develop this year.
What women have inspired you?
My ultimate inspiration would have to be my cousin Nicola. Sadly Nicola passed away in 2018 after a long battle with cancer but her incredible strength, compassion and wit will stay with me always and continue to inspire me. Nicola had an amazing sense of humour and was one of the only people I could be completely myself with. You know, the person who knows everything about you and likes you anyway! That was Nic.
Nicola and I were born only three months apart and I think knowing someone for your whole life brings with it a happy contentment. I would turn up at her house, chat, laugh at inappropriate things and drink tea (or usually a vanilla latte). The women you feel most comfortable with are super special, send them a little love or a funny pic today!
I am very lucky to be surrounded by amazing women who have all inspired me and I truly believe in the power of the girl: my mum who is the kindest, most selfless person I know, my grandmothers whose strength is unwavering and have the most interesting stories, my incredible friends who advise and make me laugh daily, and the amazing ladies in the team that I’m lucky enough to work with.
Also, I know she’s not quite a woman yet, but my little girl Evelyn continually inspires me - she’s strong willed, clever and hilarious. I’m so excited for her.
What are 3 things that you absolutely cannot live without?
Apart from leopard print 😊
1. Dry shampoo – a life saver
2. The Calm app
3. Benefit mascara – it’s the best!
What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?
Most people don’t know that I can speak Welsh fluently. I grew up in South Wales, went to a Welsh school and wrote all my GCSEs in Welsh.
What is your favourite product?
Leopard print has my heart – so my fave would have to be the Leopard Print Coin Purse and our new Personalised Passport Holder.
Where will we find you this Mother’s Day?
Hopefully on a tropical beach? (…maybe that’s a little too optimistic at such short notice 😉)
This Mother’s Day will probably revolve around eating and spent mostly at home. We will probably go out and have a lovely breakfast then a walk to the forest or the beach. A cake stop is a must, then home for the rest of the day to watch films (and a roast dinner or fish and chips!)
Evelyn and Griff love to make cards and they get quite excited about giving them, so I imagine the day starting quite early with opening cards.
Unless Tony has booked some flights?!