A mother-of-two has turned her passion for crafts into a full-time business creating “whimsical” gifts to spark the imagination of children.

My Holly House is inspired by Katie Bale’s own childhood where she spent many family afternoons getting artsy.

And when Miss Bale, from Hainford, had her own children – Zelda, three, and Wilma, one - this was something she wanted to pass onto them.

But what started as a creative hobby, has now turned into a blossoming business that has captured the attention of mums across the UK.

The 31-year-old said: “I started My Holly House in 2018 but during lockdown I was able to focus on it a lot more.

“I started off just making prints and custom paintings but as time has gone on, I have created a lot of different products and last year it really took off.

“So much so, I recently left my full-time job which is very exciting.”

From stationery and party supplies to mile-stone cards and craft packs, all of Miss Bale’s products are designed using her own illustrations and she also draws family portraits.

My Holly House has also gathered a following of more than 5,000 people on Instagram, which Miss Bale said is mostly made up of a community of mums.

The former support worker added: “The business has grown quite naturally alongside my children.

“My best sellers are my milestone cards for babies and toddlers. They are all about honest parenting and they are quite funny.

“But they are also really relatable because they are a reminder that every parent goes through the same thing.

“As time as gone on and now my daughter is three, she is getting into crafts a lot more and she loves bugs so that inspired me to create new products.”

Miss Bale, who is now able to work around caring for her two young children, said this past year has been a “dream come true”, which means they can spend more time as a family.

She added: “I’m really happy. It is a bit frightening to take that leap but I have persevered. I really love what I do.

“The best feeling is when I get repeat customers, it's nice to know someone has loved it so much they have come back.”

For more information you can visit the business's Instagram page here or its online shop on Etsy here.