Our Story

 

 

Welcome to Stamptagious. Here we believe that different is unique, unique is beautiful and can be incredibly breath taking, where with our crafting stamps we hope to take you beyond your imagination. Since you have come to our page we will take this chance to tell you a little about ourselves and our story. I was lucky enough to find a love of drawing from a early age. “My Mum used to draw vintage style ladies and my twin sister Erica and I loved them. Throughout my school days I was always passionate about drawing and would draw for my friends and family constantly.

When I left school many years ago I wanted to work with people and soon found a job as a Care Assistant with older people and I loved it! Helping people less able and older than myself was very rewarding and I loved each and every one of them.” Then, unfortunately I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at the age of twenty one and that was when my life changed forever. I managed to stay in my job for a further eleven years until I was medically unable to continue. I was truly heartbroken, but not long after l fell pregnant with a beautiful daughter Libby who, without doubt, was one of the very finest moments of her life. After a few years at home with my daughter I trained to be a Teaching Assistant and soon got a job working with eight year olds. This was my dream job at the time and my creativity returned. “I would create and paint drawings for the wall, help the children draw and create designs that were needed for any given subject; I loved it. However, at this point my Crohn’s was getting really bad and my condition became much worse.” However, I fell pregnant again with my dear Lily and after she was born I  needed life saving surgery.

Within a week of seeing my consultant major surgery resulted in my  colon being removed and a stoma bag fitted. “I really cannot not put into words what I felt inside but life went on with my beautiful family. Yet again I had to leave work leaving me broken again.” To try to cheer me up, My Andrew bought a sewing machine and noticed and ordered the extra fittings you use with the machine. This included a freestyle embroidery shoe and the rest is history!!!. I taught herself how to free motion stitch embroider and won a Newcomer award from a Lancashire prestigious Arts and Craft group for her free stitch applique collection. Since then I have been featured in a number of Newspapers and specialist publications and continues to achieve interest from publishers both here and abroad.

Through all my physical setbacks I still loved to draw and a idea came to mind!!! Why not have some of my work digitalized and people could use my work in what ever way they wanted on whatever fabric or garment they chose? So, off I went and to date we have customers in nine different countries expanding all the time. I became a supplier on Create & Craft  with my embroidery designs. Its was on a show someone emailed in saying can I turn my art into stamps. This is where stamptagious was born. I wanted the stamps to be different and all handrawn by me. My first show sold out in 7 minutes we was blow away. I have realised that I like a bit of weird in my life and brought out the weirdly wonderful ones. It's a dream come true for me and the laughter I get from some of my drawing make some not so good day pretty good.

I feel truly blessed to be able to share my artwork with you all.  Our journey continues and my desire and passion has never been stronger and so this is just a taste of how Stamptagious was born!!.

                Drawing brought to life with ink

          Thank you, Nicola & Andrew Elliott xx