Meet the maker: why a product business needs a face, featuring Chelsie from The Stringer Edit
When you sell products, it’s natural to put them at the centre of your marketing. You want people to see the designs, understand what they’re buying and imagine using them.
But there’s another part of your business worth showing: you.
For Chelsie, the embroidery artist behind The Stringer Edit, there’s a personal story behind the colourful craft kits. Her brand shoot was an opportunity to bring the woman behind the business into the picture.
A creative outlet that became a business
Based in Leicestershire, Chelsie graduated with a degree in Contour Fashion before taking a different path into the uniformed services.
The work was intense, and time away from home left her wanting a creative outlet to help her unwind in the evenings. Cross stitching became that outlet, and her love for it grew.
Now, through The Stringer Edit, she creates colourful craft kits designed to help beginners discover that enjoyment for themselves. Her website brings together cross stitch kits and patterns, bracelet kits and crafting accessories.
Knowing her story gives those products another layer of meaning. There’s someone behind them who understands the pleasure of finding a hobby that helps you slow down.
Why show the person behind the products?
Product photographs help customers understand what you sell. Photographs of you give them the opportunity to understand who they’re buying from.
For a creative business like Chelsie’s, that opens up more ways to talk about the brand. She can share why she started, what inspires her and what she hopes people will get from making something themselves.
A portrait alongside that story gives readers a person to connect it with. Over time, showing up in your marketing can also help people recognise you when they come across your business again.
You don’t need to become the subject of every post. A few well-chosen photographs can introduce you while keeping your products central to your business.
Giving your marketing more to work with
A brand shoot can provide images for moments when a product photograph alone doesn’t quite fit the message.
You might be writing an introduction for your website, sharing a business milestone or explaining why you created a particular collection. Having photographs of yourself gives you another option when deciding how to illustrate those stories.
For a maker, useful images could include portraits, photographs of the creative process or details of hands working with materials. What matters is planning around the stories you actually want to tell and where you’ll use the photographs.
An About page, an introductory Instagram post and a press feature may each need something slightly different. Thinking about those uses before a shoot helps give the images a purpose.
Feeling awkward doesn’t mean you won’t love the photographs
Being visible can feel uncomfortable, especially when you’re used to letting your work speak for you.
Chelsie’s message after viewing her photographs captured that feeling so well. Seeing herself in pictures still felt strange, but she loved them, and was surprised by how many she liked.
Her words are a lovely reminder that you don’t have to feel completely comfortable with being photographed before you take the leap.
In Chelsie’s words
“I've just viewed themTHANK YOU SO MUCH!!I do cringe a little because I find it so strange and awkward seeing myself in a picture but I love them! I can't believe there's so many that I like. You really have worked your magic.Part of me wishes I had taken the leap earlier!Thank you,And of course I will be sharing/tagging etc!” Chelsie, The Stringer Edit
Discover The Stringer Edit
If you’ve been looking for a creative hobby to help you switch off, Chelsie’s beginner-friendly kits are a lovely place to explore.
The Stringer Edit brings her love of making into colourful projects for people who want to try something new or find a little time for themselves.
Ready to introduce the person behind your brand?
If your marketing is full of your products but you’re barely in the picture, a brand shoot can help you introduce yourself.
We’ll think about your business, the stories you want to share and how photographs of you could support them. You can arrive feeling unsure about the camera. We’ll work through that together.
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