I was incredibly excited this week to catch up with Chloe Endean, founder - and designer - of Stamps by Chloe, the brand responsible for sprinkling immense amounts of sparkle across the crafting world! Rushed off her feet in the run-up to her latest collection launch but able to squeeze in a chat with us, Chloe was just as dazzling and infectiously joyous as her Sparkelicious glitter! Although clearly stunned by her whirlwind success, her level-headedness and business acumen has meant she's on task and ready to go with yet more tasty treats for all you crafters out there.

With a contemporary twist and masses of sparkle, Chloe has created a truly unique and versatile range of stamps, dies and glitter guaranteed to catch the eye of every crafter. Craftstash are delighted to announce we are now stocking the latest Stamps by Chloe collection, alongside the incredible Sparkelicious range of glitters. These are flying off the shelves, so make sure you get yours today!

Exclusive interview with Chloe Endean

Chloe is both a designer and crafter at heart, and this seems to be the key to her phenomenal success. Read on to find out more about her amazing journey from hobbyist to businesswoman - and what Stamps by Chloe have in store for us this year!

What started your love of crafting?

I used to do loads of stamping with my Grandma when I was younger, and she got me into craft that way. We made cards together, and it grew from there.

How did this develop into a business?

I started selling the cards I'd made. While still at school, I began to buy more craft things and then a couple of shops and the local hairdressers began to sell my cards. For me, it was the designing of the product that really interested me. I realised there were things that I wanted that weren't out there, so when I was 18, I started to draw my own stamps. Starting with just a few - 11 stamps - and started selling them. I could only order a few to start with so when I went to a craft show, we sold out of everything!

Then, people said, 'You have to run classes!' So I started to run classes in the local community centres. The business was run from a spare bedroom at home; it was kind of a stock room. It just grew from there and eventually, we moved into a unit, where we how hold the classes.

Stamps by Chloe is a family business. How does your family fit into the dynamic?

Yes, my Mam and Dad work for me now. We do all the online orders and all of that; everything from start to finish. We also have a lovely family-run company who make the stamps for us. Everything is made and based in the UK.

What's on offer at your crafting workshops?

Using our product, we help people get the most out of our stamps and dies. The cards featured on our website and Facebook pages, is exactly what you can make in the classes. We use all of our glitters and Wow powders as well. There are people who have been with us from the very beginning, to those who have just started to make cards, and other crafters too.

Website launch, own brand and beyond

When did you launch your website?

Back in 2011, I built our first website, just to get us started. From 2013, we developed a new website to link to our stock. Originally, we stocked a few bits and pieces that we used on our sample cards, alongside my stamps and Wow! embossing powders, and it developed from there.

How would you sum up the style of Stamps by Chloe, and your target audience?

I really think we do appeal to everyone, even a slightly younger audience too. Our designs are quite modern and it's quite a fresh take on stamping. It's not just the traditional stamping of an image and colouring it in; it's about showing how you can do different things with the same product, adding your glitters and embossing powders. The range grows with you: in the beginning, you can just stamp with your inkpad, but as your skill set grows, the stamps grow and develop with you.

Does this approach stand you apart from the crowd?

Yes, I think so. I also think the project books we produce give everyone inspiration, alongside the shows on Hochanda, trying to inspire people and show them exactly what they can do with the product.

How are you finding working on Hochanda?

I was on Hochanda last Friday. I did the very first show for them, so I was involved in the launch of the channel, which was amazing. It's fab to see how far they've come now. The TV stuff is great, especially getting feedback off customers as well. They tell you what they'd enjoyed, what they've bought and so on.

Product development and inspiration

Does the feedback influence your product development?

Yes, definitely. For example, when we first started, we just did stamps. As time's gone on, die-cutting has really taken off, so we decided to bring out dies to match our stamps. This was because of feedback we were getting, where people didn't necessarily want to cut the flowers out, they wanted the dies to cut them out. So the dies were then developed alongside the stamp range.

Can you tell me about your project books?

The first project book came out in 2014. It feels like ages ago, but it's not that long! We brought that out because during the papercraft shows, people kept asking how to make the cards, and wanting instructions. So we thought it would be a really good way to showcase the cards you can make with the products, giving full step-by-step instructions with detailed photography. They've been working really well for us, and people really like them.

How many project books are you producing now?

We're aiming at 2-3 per year. It's just having the time to write them all and make up the cards! We're working on issue 5 now which I'm hoping will be ready around May/June.

You are quoted as saying you design 'from a crafter's point of view'. What do you mean by that?

I've always crafted myself, so it's kind of how I want something to work for me, rather than from a more commercial point of view. So what we would want it to do. For example, with flower stamps, you'd want to be able to make more than one flower using the one stamp. So, we've tried to show different ways to show the same product and use it in different ways for different effects.

Sparkelicious is born

How did the partnership with WOW! come about?

I approached them to start with. We were selling their range of embossing powders and embossing glitters from when I very first started with the stamps, as these were the products I always used on the cards. We sold an awful lot and they were doing really well. Even so, there were colours missing from the range that I wanted but weren't necessarily available. So I contacted WOW! and - with some persuasion - we developed my first collection of 6 colours! They did really, really well, so we've gone forward from there. Now I'm releasing around 3-4 collections of 6 every year. They're totally different to WOW!'s own range and exclusive to us and through our stockists. They work great with our products because we're all about the sparkle and the glitter!

I believe you're well-known for your love of glitter?

Yeah, a little bit of sparkle! I think it fits really well and of course when people see your cards they want to know exactly what's being used on them. Being able to offer that exact glitter as a product is brilliant.

Could you ever have envisaged the level of success you have achieved?

Well, not really, no! I just designed for myself and for what I wanted. It really snowballed and, at the very first show we did, we couldn't believe everyone's reaction, they really liked our products so much. I remember the very first lot of stamps that we had, and all the packaging I printed myself off the computer. We were sat around the dining room table, trimming it all down on a little paper trimmer and putting it in the bags! It was unbelievable to start, but it got us going. It's unbelievable to see where it started from to where it is now. Even things like the header bags: we've got our own foil header bags now, and you couldn't possibly have imagined that happening back when we first started.

What other exciting launches have you got in store for us this year?

We have lots of new stamps and new dies, and then we'll have our Christmas collection out from July as well. There are lots of exciting things in there!

It sounds like Chloe has a very busy and exciting year ahead, which is great news for all crafters out there: fabulous stamps and sparkle galore to look forward to! Craftstash will be stocking Chloe's ranges throughout the year, so keep your eyes peeled for her new product launches!

Louise - Online Editor