Awards joy for Glitter Girls

A pair of Sandwell entrepreneurs, who turned their card-making past time into a hugely successful business, have been honoured with a Queen's Award for Enterprise. Babs Scarlett and Kathy Mills are also known as "The Glitter Girls".

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Glitter GirlsA pair of Sandwell entrepreneurs, who turned their card-making past time into a hugely successful business, have been honoured with a Queen's Award for Enterprise. Babs Scarlett and Kathy Mills are also known as "The Glitter Girls".

They created Keepsake Card Craft in 2004 after years of tirelessly exhibiting and demonstrating card making.

After inventing and patenting a no-fuss system of embossing, the dynamic duo sold scores of embossing boards and accessories, turning over £1million in just 12 months.

The firm, based at Sandwell Business Park, in Oldbury, employs 11 people and have built up an army of loyal fans around the country.

Now their company has been recognised with an innovation award in the Queen's Award for Enterprise, and the pair say they are "over the moon."

"This is the icing on the cake," said Babs. "We are very patriotic. The majority of our items are produced in England and we always wanted to work with local people who are as passionate as we are.

"We're overjoyed and it's thanks to the staff, the quality companies that we use and all the crafters out there, that we have been able to achieve so much."

The awards recognise business performance and are made each year by The Queen, on the advice of the Prime Minister and a select advisory committee.