Crafting whizkid wins Beatrix Potter licence
Feb 22 2010 by Karen Dent, The Journal
AN award-winning County Durham entrepreneur is going global with the help of Peter Rabbit and friends.
Sara Davies has won the rights to be the official craft licensee for the Beatrix Potter range and the first three products under her Crafters Companion business banner have been launched on TV shopping channel Ideal World.
Coundon-based Ms Davies, who has scooped awards for her innovation in competitions ranging from the Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur to the Journal’s Young Business Person of the Year 2009 and North East Woman Entrepreneur of the year, said linking up with the Beatrix Potter brand was the biggest thing to happen to her business since it launched five years ago.
She said: “To be the official craft licensee of the Beatrix Potter range is a wonderful achievement, but to have been approached by them personally is truly amazing.”
The 25-year-old was invited by Frederick Warne & Company – owners of the Beatrix Potter property and original publisher of children’s author’s famous little white books – to collaborate on the development of a range of paper crafting lines including CD-Roms and rubber stamps.
The link-up follows the launch of Frederick Warne’s range of Flower Fairies craft products through Crafters Companion last year.
The initial three Beatrix Potter products will use artwork from Peter Rabbit, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and Tom Kitten.
“Their stories span generations and have timeless appeal and having the opportunity to bring them into our industry will open the door for thousands of crafters to be able to recreate happy memories through their paper- crafting projects,” said Ms Davies.
Crafters Companion has grown to employ 20 staff in the past 18 months and Ms Davies has also opened a US office in Florida as the business expands. She has also helped to popularise her brand by becoming a regular guest presenter on the Ideal World shopping channel.
Ms Davies said: “Crafting is currently one of the UK’s most popular leisure activities with a global crafting network of millions of card makers and enthusiasts and the products we design and sell enable the crafter to produce unique cards and crafts from the comfort of their own home.
‘This year is promising to be our greatest yet, as we continue to strive to remain the innovators in our industry and enter new and exciting markets.”
It is 103 years since Cumbrian author and illustrator Beatrix Potter patented a Peter Rabbit soft toy, making it the oldest licensed character in the world.
